The Dogahoe (Ancient Mystic Society) (4)

I followed closely behind Ho-jun to meet the Dogahoe elders.

Just before meeting them, Ho-jun seemed to remember something and slapped his knee as he spoke to me.

“Ah, I almost forgot to mention.”

“What is it?”

“You’re my pet.”

“…Pardon?”

What was he on about now?

“But you said you’d forgiven me.”

“I have forgiven you.”

“Then what’s this about? Are you messing with me again?”

“No, I’m not joking. I mean it literally.”

“So what exactly do you mean by ‘pet’…”

“It was an unavoidable choice for me, so just accept it. I’ll handle the rest.”

While I wanted to protest, Ho-jun’s gaze seemed quite serious when referring to me as his ‘pet’, so I silently followed him.

Sniff sniff.

Sniff sniff sniff.

“By the way, when are you going to give me those dog treats in your pocket?”

“…What?”

“Didn’t you bring them as a gift? Hurry and give them to me, I’m starving.”

“H, how did you smell those… Haah. You really do have an uncanny nose.”

“Enough talk, give me the treats.”

“Wait, I have a use for them. Behave and I’ll give you some.”

…Not only was he truly treating me like a pet, but ‘behave and I’ll give you some’? Seriously?

Soon after, I met the Dogahoe elders deep inside the headquarters.

I could see why Ho-jun referred to them as ‘elders’ – they truly looked like immortals straight out of folklore, even more mystical-looking than me.

“Ohhh, so you’re the fabled Fox Spirit Miho we’ve heard about! Welcome, welcome!”

“A spirit actually exists in this world!”

“I can scarcely believe my own eyes…!”

Well, when meeting elders, it is only proper etiquette to greet them first in this land of courtesy.

I bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.

“Hello, my name is Miho.”

“Ohhhh, indeed… A well-mannered spirit.”

“Ho-jun, did you teach this fox spirit human etiquette?”

Huh? What nonsense…

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“…?”

“Well done, Ho-jun! To have successfully tamed a fox spirit… My support for you was worthwhile.”

“Thank you.”

This damn…

Listening to Ho-jun and the elders’ conversation, I realized why he had referred to me as a ‘pet’.

Initially, before the meeting began, Ho-jun vouched for my existence on behalf of the entire Dogahoe.

No matter how brilliant a mystic prodigy Ho-jun was said to be, he was still far too young to represent the whole organization.

So he resorted to a ruse – lying to the elders that he had personally tamed the pure-natured ‘spirit’.

“…”

I didn’t like this one bit.

Ultimately, thanks to his support, I could approach humans amicably, so there was no need to get too upset over the situation.

“Now then, Fox Spirit Miho. I have a question for you.”

“…? Yes, please ask me anything.”

“I’ve heard you follow any order given by Ho-jun. Is that true?”

“…”

After glaring at the smirking Ho-jun beside me, I could only nod in affirmation.

The elders then exclaimed in awe:

“Indeed… The world is a great wheel. For a spirit and a human to be bound by the chains of destiny within this vast realm, what an amazing occurrence!”

“All of this must be the grace of the Six Divine Marshals!”

“The forces of yang and yin have finally achieved harmony!”

I didn’t fully understand their words, but whatever.

That bastard Ho-jun was simply lying again.

Meanwhile, one skeptical-looking elder gazed at me dubiously and spoke up:

“How can I believe such a claim?”

“Preposterous! How can you speak so brazenly? Taming the spirit was entirely Ho-jun’s doing, was it not? Moreover, is it not written in the ancient Dogahoe texts that our founder Woochi the Shaman also tamed a spirit long ago?”

Oh? This was news to me.

Like the ‘King of the Ratfolk’, it seemed Woochi had also tamed a spirit in the past.

At this point, weren’t spirits essentially human pets?

However, the skeptical elder still seemed unconvinced, sternly demanding of Ho-jun:

“Prove it.”

“Yes, elder.”

Ho-jun looked at me.

What, you madman?

“Sit, Miho.”

Sit? Well, my legs were getting tired anyway.

So I sat.

“Now stand up, Miho.”

Why should I…

I’m a fox yokai with self-respect.

Even if acting as a pet, there’s a line I…

“If you stand, I’ll give you a dog treat.”

“Heck heck heck heck.”

Swish.

Swish swish.

Swish swish swish.

“Roll over.”

“Heck heck heck heck.”

I rolled over, drooling.

“Play dead.”

“Heck heck heck.”

I played dead, drooling.

“Eat it.”

“Kang!”

I ate it, drooling.

“Ohhhhh, incredible! You have truly tamed the spirit!”

“Marvelous, Ho-jun!”

“You can handle managing that fox spirit yourself…”

Keep chattering away.

I’ll just happily munch on these dog treats.

---

After the meeting with the elders, I was fortunately granted access to the library, though it was too late to research information that day.

As I headed to the guest quarters to rest, Ho-jun called me over.

“What is it? I’m tired.”

“No backtalk, come here. I need to discuss something.”

Ho-jun then led me to the Dogahoe gardens.

“Woah…”

The sight drew an exclamation of awe from me – it was breathtakingly beautiful.

The moonlight reflected off the pond, while the mountaintop location shrouded the headquarters in a mystic fog.

Seeing my genuine amazement, Ho-jun nodded approvingly.

“These gardens are the pride of the Dogahoe.”

“Yeah… Yes, it’s beautiful…”

Ho-jun then broached the main topic:

“So, I’m curious about your impression of the elders.”

“My impression? Um, my impression was…”

To summarize my impression of the elders in one word:

“Cantankerous? Dogmatic?”

“Precisely.”

Ho-jun nodded again and continued:

“Miho, what do you think the Dogahoe’s true capabilities are?”

“I’d imagine they’re on par with or greater than Battle Mystics?”

“Wrong. Completely wrong.”

According to Ho-jun’s following words:

“Among the current mystics, including myself, only two of us can subdue a yokai above the 2nd grade.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m being generous calling it the 2nd grade.”

Dumbfounded, I questioned Ho-jun:

“That… That can’t be right? Are you saying the Dogahoe is actually just your one-man show, an organization of epic proportions?”

“…You’ve hit the nail on the head.”

Ho-jun explained that until recently, it had been an era of peace, so the mystics devoted themselves to self-cultivation rather than combat spells.

After all, the Yokai Extermination Office handled anything below the 5th grade, while Battle Mystics took care of higher grades, eliminating the need for combat training.

“But I thought the Dogahoe was a group of combat mystics?”

“It used to be. But as you saw, those ‘elders’ are utterly inept. Stagnant waters breed filth – I’m a mutant born from that filth.”

Certainly, those ‘elders’ were quite different from my expectations. I had even imagined being bound by some strange restraining spell upon meeting them.

“Of course, I don’t dislike them personally. At least they’re sincere in their spiritual pursuits.”

It seemed Ho-jun was using difficult terminology again.

“Though one of them did seem somewhat competent.”

Yes, there was one who constantly doubted me.

“You’re quite perceptive. Her name is Bijong, my master.”

“…I see what you mean, more or less.”

Ho-jun and his master were essentially oddballs.

In a village of the one-eyed, having two eyes is an abnormality.

In the modern Dogahoe that shunned ‘combat spells’, the two of them were treated as oddballs.

“Well, the elders did acknowledge me for my transcendent abilities…”

“You must have been really disliked, Ho-jun. A total outcast.”

“…Hmph. Precisely.”

“Seriously, lay off the booze a bit.”

“You’re one to talk. Honestly.”

What had I done?

So:

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“It’s simple.”

After a pause, Ho-jun fixed me with a gravely serious expression and continued:

“I intend to devour the Dogahoe.”

“…Pardon?”

“The current Dogahoe is hopeless, so I need to completely overhaul it myself.”

“…”

“Thus, Miho, I’ll need your help.”

Oh.

Wait.

Surely he didn’t mean…?

“A coup d’etat? You’re going to kill all the elders?”

“Wh, what? No, you lunatic!”

“Then what is it?”

“I’ll have to make them acknowledge me as their leader, by their own methods.”

Ho-jun paused, gazed up at the sky, then continued with a resolute expression:

“I intend to become the highest elder.”

Ah.

I see.

“From now on, your name shall be Cantankerous Dogmatist.”

“…’Elder’ is a title, you vexing vixen.”