This was the second time Mitarai Ichiro had come to the room in the open-air public bath.
As the name suggests, this room is a courtyard without a roof. Inside, there is a large bathing pool surrounded by stones. Eaves extend down from the four walls, and a blue-skinned monk sits on a wooden board on the side, wearing a bathrobe and holding a cup of tea.
It would be even better if he were human.
Upon seeing his back, Mitarai Ichiro had already guessed the other's identity—Aobozu. In the land of cherry blossoms, "bo" refers to a monk, and almost all yokai with this character in their name are derived from monks.
The same goes for this one; Aobozu is a yokai that appears in the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, a legend in the land of cherry blossoms.
He was a one-eyed monk, entirely blue in color, and tall with large feet; there were even rumors that his feet were flat from walking so much. Therefore, Mitarai Ichiro quietly moved to his side and secretly glanced at the great demon's feet.
...The rumors turned out to be true.
No, this world could also be created based on the legend of the Cherry Blossom Country, but in reverse, so it would naturally be exactly the same as the legend.
Mitarai Ichiro actually had some doubts in his heart. Based on past experience, the dungeons would naturally change according to the culture of the chosen ones from different countries. For example, in the previous myth dungeon, although there were five countries, there was definitely a myth of the country corresponding to the chosen one.
This ensures that there will be no cultural differences and allows the chosen ones to integrate into the dungeon world as quickly as possible.
Only this "Hyakki Yagyō" instance is different.
The chosen ones from all countries encountered the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons of the Cherry Blossom Country, and even the Dragon Country, the origin of this term, was teleported into a Cherry Blossom Country-style instance.
Could it be that the world in which this instance is located was originally a timeline in which only the Japanese nation survived to the end?
Mitarai Ichiro only speculated, without any evidence.
"Let's go take another shower."
Futakuchi-onna clearly knew the rules of the open-air public bath, and went directly to the adjacent private bathroom with Hyakume-ki.
Frowning, Mitarai Ichiro entered the bathroom, scrubbing himself thoroughly clean. He then returned to the bathhouse, neatly folding his towel and all his clothes beside him. He greeted the guests and colleagues in the open-air bath, silently noting the number of people in the bathhouse before quietly entering.
He followed the rules perfectly from beginning to end, without making any mistakes.
Just like Ichiro Mitarai back on Earth, he diligently followed the rules, ensuring no one could find fault with him. Therefore, he believed he wouldn't die unjustly like Kazuo Enoshima.
3. Shower before entering the hot spring pool to wash away any dirt or grime.
5. Do not wear any clothing while bathing, and do not bring towels into the water to avoid contaminating the water.
These are common rules for hot spring resorts in Japan as well. If he overlooks or forgets any of them, it just means he's not a true Japanese.
...
"Okay, that's it. Mitarai-kun is too cautious."
The think tank of the Sakura Kingdom watched the screen nervously. Mitarai Ichiro's movements were fluid and flawless from beginning to end. The "too many rules leading to oversights" that the think tank had worried about did not happen with Mitarai Ichiro at all.
"As expected of an employee that every boss would praise in the data, he certainly won't repeat Enoshima's mistake when it comes to following the rules."
"It's more accurate to say that Enoshima Kazuo himself doesn't really have a sense of rules; he just has a good father..."
One of the members started to say something dismissively, then quickly realized it wasn't his place and changed the subject: "Mitarai-kun's talent seems quite powerful. Have you noticed how much the ghosts treat him?"
"Isn't it true that he has no conflicts with other ghosts and monsters?"
A young member of the think tank in Japan, wearing glasses, was somewhat puzzled, because he wasn't in charge of the copy involving the chosen ones from abroad.
The member shook his head and played a video clip or two: "Of course not. According to my comparison, the monsters that Mitarai-kun encountered were significantly less aggressive than those encountered by other chosen ones. Therefore, Mitarai-kun is very likely a pink talent holder, just like Hirano-kun."
“I don’t think so,” another member in the meeting room countered. “Actually, at first, the other ghosts didn’t make much difference to Mitarai-kun’s treatment of the other chosen ones, until this point…”
This member shared a clip of Ichiro Mitarai praising No-Face: "After he praised No-Face, the attitudes of No-Face and the other yokai noticeably improved."
At this point, the member had some doubts.
He wasn't the only one puzzled; the members of the Sakura Kingdom responsible for monitoring the chosen ones from other countries were even more perplexed. Did the demons like to hear praise? But a chosen one from another country had been praised to the skies before, and he was still eaten by the demons!
If Mitarai Ichiro had heard their words, he would have suddenly understood.
It turns out that the reward for his second mission was [the favorability of the ghosts]. It was precisely because this reward was so powerful that it saved him a lot of trouble on his way to the hot spring town.
However, the favorability rating is something that can't be seen or touched.
It feels even more elusive and intangible.
Without comparison, Ichiro Mitarai would never have imagined what reward he received for praising the Faceless Demon Queen.
At this moment, Mitarai Ichiro just wanted to kill time as quickly as possible.
The bathhouse rules required quiet, which suited him perfectly. He didn't have to spend too much energy thinking about how to communicate with others, and it made it very comfortable for others to interact with him.
But... why haven't Futakuchi-onna and Doumeki finished taking their baths yet?
Has something happened?
Are there dangers even for ghosts in this world? Even if there are, if danger occurs in a hot spring town, wouldn't that be considered a hot spring accident?
While he was lost in thought, Ichiro Mitarai suddenly saw the two of them walk out of the bathroom, wrapped in bath towels, and walking towards him with smiles on their faces.
"Little sister, are you getting impatient?" Futakuchi-onna squatted down and pinched Mitarai Ichiro's little face.
In her eyes, this was a cute little sister.
Mitarai Ichiro's smile was very stiff, but Futakuchi-onna just thought he was embarrassed. She and Doumeki quickly completed the procedure as required and entered the hot spring pool.
Upon entering, Hyakume shifted uncomfortably, saying, "It seems a bit hotter here than last time..."
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