Chapter Thirty-Three: The Road to the Harem—A Long and Arduous Journey Ahead

Returning home with Yoshino, they had not yet reached the door when they saw Tohka and Kotori waiting for them outside.

"Su Mo!"

The moment Tohka spotted Su Mo, she waved energetically and called out loudly. Yet, as soon as she noticed Yoshino holding hands with him, the cheerful expression on her face froze. It was as if her heart had been struck; she marched forward, cheeks puffed in indignation, and demanded, "Hey, Su Mo, who is she?"

"That's a bit complicated to explain, but her name is Yoshino, and she's a spirit just like you," Su Mo replied hastily, beads of cold sweat forming at his temples.

"Then why are you two holding hands? You look awfully close," Tohka eyed the two of them suspiciously, glancing back and forth between Su Mo and Yoshino.

At these words, Yoshino, startled like a frightened rabbit, quickly let go of Su Mo’s hand. Though she had resolved to be braver, she still became shy around strangers, unable to utter a word.

"Don't be so sensitive," Su Mo protested quickly. "I just see Yoshino as a little sister. Besides, holding hands between a boy and a girl isn't that big a deal, right?" In truth, he really did treat Yoshino as a sister—she was still so young, and even if he were the basest of men, he couldn’t possibly have such thoughts. Even if he did, the gods themselves would forbid it. At present, their relationship was entirely pure.

As for the future—well, who could say? After all, raising a girl... Ahem!

Having finished, Su Mo suddenly fixed his gaze on Tohka, a hint of puzzlement in his voice. "By the way, Tohka, did you really watch those anime series I recommended to you?"

He was referring to the harem shows he'd suggested to Tohka earlier, hoping to reshape her thinking so she wouldn’t get jealous so easily—unlike her anime counterpart. But judging by her reaction, it hadn’t worked at all.

Indeed, jealousy must be a woman’s nature.

Whoever said women are made of water was wrong—they must be made of vinegar.

The path to a harem is long and arduous.

"Of course!" Tohka nodded, though her expression was still troubled. "But seeing you get close to other girls still makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

At their conversation, Kotori’s face darkened. She knew full well Su Mo had encouraged Tohka to watch those harem shows, and in fact, she approved—after all, in her plans, Su Mo would certainly have to frequently date spirits and win their favor. It was crucial to ensure that those already won over wouldn’t get jealous or cause trouble.

Clearing her throat, Kotori looked at Yoshino. "So this is the spirit codenamed Hermit, Yoshino?"

"Yes, this is Yoshino. But what you mentioned on the phone—was it true? Has Japan really agreed to stop pursuing the spirits?" Su Mo turned to Kotori, unable to suppress his curiosity. Although he had already sealed both Tohka and Yoshino’s powers, so they wouldn’t go out of control, the authorities had certainly seen their faces—especially since Origami had already identified them. A serious problem now presented itself: If Tohka and Yoshino had lost their spirit powers, would Japan still try to capture them? If so, what was the point of sealing their powers?

"Don’t worry. Ratatoskr’s influence is beyond your imagination," Kotori replied with a small, confident smile. Ratatoskr was one of only two organizations in the world capable of manufacturing manifestation devices, with deep partnerships across every nation. In fact, the world relied on them, giving Ratatoskr enormous power everywhere.

"As long as Tohka and the others don’t emit spirit waves, Japan won’t send the AST after them. Everyone knows spirits are nearly impossible to destroy. Though the AST claims to eliminate spirits, it’s just empty rhetoric. Their real goal is to drive spirits off and minimize damage whenever one appears," Kotori explained, popping a treasured jeweled lollipop into her mouth with a touch of disdain.

Compared to other organizations, Ratatoskr’s approach was the right one: communicating with spirits, persuading them to trust humanity, rather than simply seeking to destroy them. That was why Kotori looked down on other groups.

"In any case, that’s the situation. As for Yoshino, Ratatoskr has already established a spirit containment facility—right next door." Kotori pointed to the house beside the Itsuka home. "That will be the residence for Yoshino and Tohka."

Looking at the house next door, Su Mo remembered it had once been lived in. He had no idea when Ratatoskr had arranged for the previous tenants to move out.

Kotori led Su Mo, Yoshino, and Tohka into the new house. Though it looked ordinary from the outside, its interior was another story—the security was astonishing. To get from the front door to the living room, they had to pass through three bank-vault-like barriers. The living space was far smaller than its exterior suggested, almost claustrophobically so, and the walls seemed specially reinforced with some unique material. Sci-fi devices, reminiscent of infrared sensors, were installed in every corner. The level of defense here was likely on par with Buckingham Palace or the Pentagon.

"This apartment cost Ratatoskr a fortune to build. Even a magnitude ten earthquake couldn’t destroy it. Even if Tohka or Yoshino lost control, they couldn’t so much as scratch it," Kotori declared proudly as she led them upstairs. "There are four bedrooms, enough for four spirits. From today, Yoshino and Tohka will live here."

"I’m to live here?" Yoshino murmured. But realizing it was right next to Su Mo, she blushed and smiled shyly, clearly satisfied with the arrangement.

Tohka, however, pouted unhappily. "Why do I have to live here too? I’d rather stay with Su Mo."

She had been living at the Itsuka household, and even though this was just next door, she was still a bit upset.

"It was never a permanent arrangement for you to stay at the Itsuka house," Kotori explained. "You aren’t really part of the family, and though Su Mo and I don’t mind, Shiori will become suspicious eventually. She only agreed to take you in out of pity at first, but that can’t last forever. Besides," Kotori glanced at Yoshino, "both you and Yoshino are spirits. It would be too lonely to have Yoshino live here alone. The two of you should interact more."

Turning to Yoshino, Kotori added, "Although the AST isn’t pursuing you anymore, you still lack basic knowledge of human society. Tohka, I’d like you to help Yoshino learn. Until she’s mastered the basics, she shouldn’t go out on her own, to avoid trouble."

"I see…" Tohka nodded hesitantly, clearly reluctant but resigned. "But I can still visit Su Mo at the Itsuka house, right?"

"Of course. You’re always welcome here," Su Mo replied with certainty.