The Demon Was Quite Confused Anyway

Whether it was day or night made no difference to the Director of the Global Peace Organization; he worked tirelessly for peace day and night, and nowadays, he worked to ensure the safety of the public.

Today was a rare occasion where he set aside his heavy workload, allowing Daigo to drive him and Zhou Hong to a small town.

Do not ask why Zhou Hong was not the one driving.

During the investigation of the Mount Sona incident, it was discovered that this burly gentleman did not have a driver's license at all, and if he did, it was a fake.

For the sake of his own safety, Director Sawai had called upon Daigo, who had served in the transport division.

"Sorry to trouble you, Daigo, having you help out even after your shift."

Daigo shook his head gently, signaling that it was no trouble at all.

He had always held nothing but respect for the Director who had given him the opportunity to join GUTS.

"Director, is it in this direction?" Daigo asked curiously.

Director Sawai shrugged his shoulders with a light smile on his face—not one of those standard fake smiles, but a sincere and relaxed one.

"Today, I am just an old man invited out for a meal; asking for directions is not my concern."

The surrounding roads were newly constructed cement paths, with various small shops lining both sides of the street.

The town was in a remote area; once night fell, there were only a few scattered lights, and near the town stood a quiet, dark little hill.

"Let's drive over there and take a look first." Zhou Hong pointed toward the mountain.

He was not entirely sure of Obiko's exact location, but with the speed of the Sherlock Car, he could scour the vicinity of Yanino Street in no time.

The car crossed the hills, and the wilderness felt vastly different from the dazzling neon lights of the city.

A cool night breeze drifted into the cabin, and gazing at the brilliant Milky Way high above, the scattered starlight was refreshing and soothing.

"Is there really a noodle stall in a place like this?" Daigo drove the car, watching as they moved further and further away from human settlements.

The surroundings were filled with weeds and branches, and there was only a mountain path—a trail formed by frequent foot traffic, lacking even gravel, consisting only of packed earth.

Suddenly, a withered tree appeared in Daigo's field of vision, and beneath its claw-like branches, a mobile stall with a lit lantern leaned against the tree.

It was hard to understand why Obiko, who clearly loathed light, would light such a bright lantern in the wilderness to make himself uncomfortable.

Or perhaps it was easy to understand; the light was like atonement, and the soba noodles were much like a final meal before execution.

"Daigo, that's it!" Zhou Hong pointed at the stall.

The jeep slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road.

After opening the door for Director Sawai, Zhou Hong nodded slowly, and amidst Director Sawai's knowing look and Daigo's confused expression, he walked toward the stall.

Before he even lifted the curtain blocking the view, his voice went inside.

"Boss, three bowls of soba noodles, please."

"Coming right up." Between the response, the boss had already turned around to start cooking.

The stall was kept very clean, without a trace of dust or grease, reflecting the light of the stall under the dim, yellowish glow.

One could tell at a glance the affection the boss had for this stall.

Though the stall was small, it gave off a comfortable feeling.

"This shop is a thousand-year-old establishment; the taste is absolutely top-notch," Zhou Hong introduced simply. "This is genuine, time-honored craftsmanship."

Director Sawai nodded, roughly understanding that this was a true master of a thousand-year-old trade.

Daigo was completely bewildered, but since there was food to eat and Director Sawai had brought him here, he was quite happy regardless.

The soba noodles were prepared quickly, and in no time, three bowls were served.

"Please, enjoy." The stall owner revealed his face for the first time.

His appearance was that of an ordinary person; the only thing that left a deep impression was his brilliant, bald head, which looked like that of a powerhouse.

Zhou Hong ate without ceremony; the smooth texture of the noodles slid from the tip of his tongue straight to his stomach, and only then did he begin to savor the flavor.

No matter how soba noodles were made, they always had a unique texture, and personally, Zhou Hong did not particularly like them.

However, Daigo and the Director beside him were slurping them down, clearly to their taste, and in a short while, a bowl was already finished.

"Boss, another bowl."

"Coming right up."

Ignoring the ravenous Daigo, Zhou Hong rested his elbows on the table, fingers interlaced.

"Boss, have you ever heard of Obiko?"

???

Obiko's body stiffened abruptly; the development of events had completely exceeded his script.

Isn't this supposed to be my line?

With his back turned, Obiko stammered, "O-Obiko? I have heard of him."

"That's the Obiko who says 'Come play, come play with Obiko' behind your back at night, right?" Obiko, who had turned back to look at the customer, had a rather strange expression.

Since the conversation had been steered back on track, it was no big deal; he would just have to scare three more people tonight to make up for the meal money.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's exactly the Obiko who is so old that he constantly yearns for the days of the past," Zhou Hong nodded repeatedly.

Obiko opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say.

Am I so old that my ears are playing tricks on me, or is there something wrong with this person's ears?

Who is this guy?

"When people get old, they reminisce about the past; as time slips away, one always feels that those days were beautiful," Director Sawai set down his chopsticks, his gaze unfocused as he looked at the twinkling stars in the sky.

He seemed to be recalling the past as well.

"Legend has it that Obiko eats those who look back, but I know that Obiko is just trying to scare people."

"A monster scaring people might scare them to death, but compared to monsters like the Sona Ghost, he is much more well-behaved."

"Besides, he chooses these dilapidated paths that elderly people wouldn't walk on anyway, specifically picking out able-bodied adults to frighten. You're quite gentle, aren't you, Obiko?"

No! Who the hell are you!

How am I supposed to make a move when you're exposing all my secrets like this!

Obiko's entire demonic body stiffened.

"I know your wish is very simple: you just want the village from your memories back."

"Let me introduce you; this is Director Sawai of the TPC."

T-what-now? Why are you throwing foreign terms at an old-fashioned monster like me? I don't understand any of that.

"As long as you lick—I mean, please him, your old village can return," Zhou Hong whispered.

Everything that had happened tonight was quite bizarre, and Obiko had been left stunned time and time again.

But he understood this part perfectly; Obiko wiped his hands in a flustered manner, completely unable to form a coherent sentence.

Zhou Hong gave Director Sawai a look, signaling him to handle it, while he himself walked out of the food stall.

As for the fact that the village returning from the darkness would no longer be the same village as before, Zhou Hong couldn't care less.

It doesn't matter if the melon is sweet or not; I just want to twist it off the vine.