Under the banner of “Operation Best Friends Forever,” Aya-chan and I did all sorts of things together. We tackled her summer homework, attended a monster lesson given by Renji-san, and even played some board games that were somehow available at the training facility.

One thing I learned from Renji-san’s lesson was that, unlike my dad’s group of exorcist trainees, which was mostly male, Renji-san’s group was full of girls. I had assumed that the exorcist profession was male-dominated and that there wouldn’t be many female trainees, but it turns out that’s not really the case anymore.

With exorcists always being in short supply, it’s clear that trying to rely on just men was never a sustainable approach.

So, until the evening, Aya-chan and I shared various experiences together, creating new memories in the process.

Once Aya-chan went off to take a bath, I found myself gathered with Dad, Renji-san, and Shirayuki-sensei in the meeting room.

“So, you’re saying there’s this Ice Princess inside Aya?” Renji-san asked.

“Yeah, that’s what the monster called itself,” I replied.

I hadn’t had a chance to tell Renji-san about Aya-chan’s situation until now. When I finally explained it to him, his expression turned to one of disbelief. After tapping his fingers on the table a few times, he let out a deep sigh.

“But… the Ice Princess hasn’t taken control of Aya, right?” Renji-san asked, turning his gaze toward Shirayuki-sensei.

Despite his youthful appearance, Renji-san’s face was toughened by a scar, which made him look rather intimidating. Facing his piercing stare, Shirayuki-sensei hurriedly nodded.

“Y-Yes. When Itsuki-kun and I resonated with her, there was no sign that Aya-san had been possessed. But…” she trailed off.

“But what?” Renji-san pressed.

“We saw that in her heart, she was being trapped by the Ice Princess. If we don’t free her from that, Aya-san won’t be able to use her magic again.”

After hearing Shirayuki-sensei out, Renji-san spoke again, his voice calm but laced with concern.

“So, you’re saying if we confront this so-called Sixth-Rank monster and free Aya from its hold… she’ll be able to use magic again?”

Even though his tone was gentle, I could hear the anxiety hidden within his words, something I was familiar with after spending so much time with him.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Shirayuki-sensei confirmed.

“I see. And you’ve already contacted Tsukishima, right? What did they say about the Ice Princess?” Renji-san asked, turning to Dad.

In response, Dad spread out three freshly printed documents on the table.

“This is what we’ve been able to gather so far.”

I took one of the papers and skimmed through it. There was a black-and-white photo, accompanied by a single line of text:

“Year 2 of Bunka Era – A snow woman was sealed in Mutsu.”

The writing was clearly old, probably done in ink. Next to the line was the name of the exorcist who had performed the sealing, though the characters were so deteriorated that they were unreadable.

“…So, we don’t know much, huh?” I asked.

“Renji, you know as well as I do that a lot of pre-war records on monsters were lost. Even the Tsukishima family isn’t all-knowing,” Dad explained.

As the two of them exchanged words, my mind was stuck on one simple question.

Bunka Era? Mutsu? What?

I had no idea when the Bunka Era was or where Mutsu was. How was I supposed to make sense of this?

As I stared at the document, confused, Shirayuki-sensei kindly leaned over and explained.

“Itsuki-kun, the Bunka Era corresponds to the year 1805 in the Western calendar. Mutsu refers to what is now Aomori Prefecture. The writing is very old and difficult to read, so it’s no surprise you’re having trouble.”

.net

Ah, so that’s what Mutsu means. I guess I learned something new.

Even with that clarification, one question still bothered me.

“Dad, this says ‘snow woman,’ not ‘Ice Princess.’ They’re not the same, right?”

“That’s right. As you said, Ice Princess doesn’t exist,” Dad replied, emphasizing the last part.

Wait, what?

“That’s why we cross-referenced the information you gave us with Renji’s mission a month ago and found this document.”

Ah, so they don’t have digital records. That explains why it’s hard to find information.

Even though it’s not confirmed, does that mean the Ice Princess isn’t a Sixth Rank?

Just as I began to feel relieved, Dad quickly shot down my hope.

“But we’re talking about a monster that was sealed for over 200 years. The fact that it was sealed means no one was able to exorcise it—or that the exorcists lacked the strength to do so. We should assume it’s extremely powerful.”

…Really? He’s just going to lift me up and then drop me like that? Great.

As I stared at the document, feeling uneasy, Renji-san broke the silence.

“Souichirou, it’s possible that the creature possessing Aya isn’t this snow woman, right?”

“No. That’s unlikely. We’ve confirmed with local exorcists that the seal had been broken. But there’s been no report of the monster being sighted or defeated. It’s most logical to assume the creature that was sealed is the one inside Aya.”

“…Damn it.”

Renji-san muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible. I had never seen him show such raw emotion before, and it took me by surprise.

Sensing his distress, Shirayuki-sensei gently offered her thoughts.

“At this point, there isn’t much we can do. We’ll wait for the right moment, and when it comes, we’ll free Aya-san. That’s all there is to it.”

“…Yeah, I get that,” Renji-san replied, exhaling deeply.

I decided to speak up, trying to reassure him.

“It’s going to be okay, Renji-san. I’ll definitely save Aya-chan,” I said with a smile.

Renji-san looked at me, his expression softening slightly.

“…Itsuki-kun.”

I forced a smile, though deep down, I couldn’t help but feel like I was saying something foolish.

When we faced the Raikou Douji, the only reason I wasn’t killed was that he hadn’t been serious about eating me.

If the Raikou Douji had been intent on killing me, I’m not sure I would’ve survived.

So if the Ice Princess really is a Sixth Rank monster, and she decides to come after me with her full power, I might be the one who ends up dead.

The fear crept into my mind, gnawing at me. But even so, this was something I had to do.

Why had I come to learn Resonance? It was to protect Hina, to protect others.

That moment had finally arrived.

…Running away wasn’t an option.

“So, Renji-san, even if the Ice Princess really is a Sixth Rank… I’ll exorcise her,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.

I had to believe that I could do it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep