Chapter 168: Does a Fox Really Dare to Provoke Haruto?
"How about it? Care to make a purchase?" Haruto's expression was the picture of earnest salesmanship. "I went to great lengths to bring these back from another world. They're the only ones of their kind in all of Gensokyo!"
Rinnosuke, jolted from his daze, adjusted his glasses and leaned in for a closer inspection. "And what kind of creature is this, exactly?"
"They're called Cute Meatballs," Haruto said, spouting nonsense without batting an eye. "Don't let the charming name fool you. In their current form, they are a rare breed with infinite potential."
"Infinite potential?" Rinnosuke frowned, failing to see anything of the sort in the two creatures, which looked for all the world like a pair of Fuzzy Balls. "So, do they have any special abilities?" he asked cautiously, extending a finger to gently poke one. The spot he touched dented inward slightly.
"Oh, they have plenty of abilities," Haruto said with a mysterious smile. "First of all, they can talk and guard the house. If any petty thieves come sniffing around—say, a certain Black and White Mouse or someone of her ilk—they'll wake you right up."
"Isn't that just a dog?" Rinnosuke deadpanned.
"How can you compare them? Let me finish!" Haruto crossed his arms. "Secondly, they're incredibly easy to raise. They'll eat just about anything. They'll act cute to beg for food, and they can even serve as voice actors to keep you entertained. If you run into some truly disgusting teammates while gaming, they can even help you curse them out."
"...So, a talented dog?"
"Pah! What do you mean, 'dog'?" Having been interrupted twice, Haruto's patience snapped. "Try cutting me off again and see if I don't blast you with a Magic Cannon!"
With a flick of his wrist, a Gap tore open beside him, and from it, he produced a pure white parasol.
Rinnosuke had looked entirely unfazed at first. After cultivating for so long, he certainly wasn't afraid of some newborn youkai's Magic Cannon. But the moment his eyes landed on that parasol, he immediately folded.
In all of Gensokyo, only that person would carry such a parasol, and the terrifying aura pulsing from it was impossible to fake. Rinnosuke hadn't realized Haruto was so close to her that he could even get his hands on her personal parasol. Heaven only knew if a blast from this thing would be Haruto's own Magic Cannon or hers.
Seeing that the shopkeeper had finally clammed up, Haruto put the parasol away with a satisfied smirk and continued his pitch. "Finally, and most, these two Cute Meatballs are still in their infancy. As long as you provide them with enough resources to nurture them, their strength can grow to the level of a Great Youkai—or even surpass most of them."
Haruto's words struck Rinnosuke's heart like a thunderclap. Even Reimu, who had been standing by idly, shot him a look of surprise.
A Great Youkai? That was the level of Gensokyo's first and second-tier powers—the absolute high-end of the food chain. A pet that looked like a Fuzzy Ball could reach that level?
Of course, Haruto was just spewing hot air. Well, not entirely. He had only said "a large amount of resources," conveniently omitting just how much that entailed. In truth, with sufficient resources, even a pig could be raised to the level of a Great Youkai. He wasn't worried about Rinnosuke seeing through his scam; the shopkeeper's ability only allowed him to see the names and uses of items, not living creatures.
Though Reimu was still a bit lost, a pointed look from Haruto was all it took for her to understand. She immediately pulled out her yin-yang orb and slammed it onto the table with a heavy thud.
"Are you buying or not!" she threatened fiercely.
"I'll buy! I'll buy!" Rinnosuke, who was still hesitating, was so startled by the sudden pressure that he immediately caved.
Reimu shot Haruto a triumphant look. He pondered for a moment before speaking. "You name a price."
"One thousand...?"
This time, it was the parasol that slammed onto the table.
Rinnosuke instantly changed his tune. "Ten thousand! No—thirty thousand! Thirty thousand each!"
"Alright, deal!" Haruto nodded, satisfied. After the money and goods were exchanged, he browsed the shop for a few accessories before the two of them got up to leave.
After buying some candied grapes and a few servings of taiyaki, they started down the deserted path leading back to the Hakurei Shrine. It was then that Reimu finally couldn't hold back her curiosity.
"That thing you called a Cute Meatball... is it really as powerful as you said? Can it actually reach the strength of a Great Youkai?"
"Of course," Haruto nodded.
Reimu suddenly felt a pang of regret, as if she had missed out on a massive opportunity. But then, he leisurely added, "But didn't I mention the prerequisite? As long as there are enough resources. I just didn't specify how much 'enough' is."
"Ugh..." Reimu finally understood, and her gaze grew subtle. "You're becoming more and more like that person. Your integrity has hit a new low."
"Hey, now! That's not true!" Haruto immediately retorted, knowing full well who she was referring to. He crossed his arms, looking defiant. "I'll admit to the looks and temperament, but integrity? Look around. How many people in all of Gensokyo have more integrity than I do?"
Reimu's eyelid twitched, but she didn't deny it. After all, Gensokyo was filled with old-timers whose integrity was severely lacking—or, to be more accurate, completely nonexistent.
By the time they returned to the Hakurei Shrine, it was already getting late. Haruto helped himself to a few cups of tea and returned the forty thousand yen that Reimu had been cheated out of. Then, he got up to take his leave. He was already halfway down the stone steps when he remembered something important and hurriedly ran back.
Reimu was lying on the low table, a candied grape in her mouth, staring blankly out the window that faced the Human Village.
Smack—
The door was slammed open with such force that the candied grape popped out of Reimu's mouth and rolled onto the table. She looked up, her eyes filled with resentment, to see Haruto standing there.
"Hey, didn't you just leave? If you're going to open the door, just open it. What's the rush? Are you trying to scare a Shrine Maiden to death?!"
"Sorry, sorry." Haruto placed an exquisitely packaged wooden box on the table. "Could you please pass this on for me? A Ghost Postman will come to pick it up later."
Reimu slumped back down, her gaze sweeping over the wooden box from the corner of her eye. "Who is this for?"
"A fox demon from another world," Haruto answered casually.
Reimu's expression instantly became very, very subtle. Her eyes seemed to say, 'You already have a top-tier fox at home, and you're still looking for others outside?'
Haruto read her gaze perfectly and replied with a deadpan expression, "It's not what you think. This is..."
He explained the entire story from beginning to end, including the contents of the wooden box. After listening, Reimu's gaze grew even more complex.
Provoking Haruto? Provoking the young master of the Yakumo family? And it was a fox demon of all things?
As the Shrine Maiden who occasionally had to assist in maintaining the Great Hakurei Barrier, Reimu knew all too well how much Yakumo Ran doted on Haruto. If a fox truly dared to provoke him, it was no different from charging headfirst into the Palace of Yama to demand an early judgment.
She recalled that among fox youkai, the pressure exerted by each additional tail was worlds apart. For those of the same race, one extra tail was enough to strike fear into a subordinate's heart; two extra tails could suppress them until they couldn't even move.
And for someone like Yakumo Ran, who had reached the pinnacle of the Nine-Tailed realm, it represented a qualitative change. Even an Eight-Tailed fox would likely be unable to so much as lift their head in her presence.
, even among the historically rare Nine-Tails, Yakumo Ran was considered to be in the absolute top tier.
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