For Mayu Hinase, this was a journey that felt like a dream.
Especially when she sat on the train and looked at the girl beside her, that feeling grew even stronger. Honestly, although this girl named Shizuku Kasugano had accepted her request, Mayu was still somewhat uneasy. She was only sixteen or seventeen, after all. Could she really help?
Of course, Mayu had also discussed payment with Shizuku, explaining that she was a student and could not afford much. Shizuku had merely said, "If there really is a Vengeful Spirit, I wouldn't mind doing it for free..." What exactly did that mean?
More than that, Mayu was starting to regret it a little. If that place truly was a den of danger, then it was one thing for her to venture in herself. After all, it was her brother, and the risk was worth taking. But this young lady was a stranger she had never met before. If Mayu got her involved, she would feel terribly guilty.
Yet Shizuku clearly did not care about any of that. On the contrary, once they boarded the train, she hummed a tune while flipping through the book in front of her, looking as though she were headed out on a picnic.
"Um... Miss Shizuku, what are you reading?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing Mayu's question, Shizuku looked up at her.
"I'm reading information about Himuro Mansion."
"Information?"
"Yes. Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated. After accepting your request, I contacted some acquaintances and gathered information about Himuro Mansion from them. Hmm, according to the records, the first residents were a large clan called the Himuro Family. They were prosperous and populous, and then one day, every last one of them suddenly died. The next residents were the folklorists, the Munakata Family.