According to Shiki, the work at the Ryougi family was a bit troublesome.
Although as the heir to the Ryougi family, she didn't need to handle much directly—just give orders—perhaps due to her personality since youth, she didn't enjoy staying at the Ryougi estate constantly. In a week, she was absent from home at least three days.
The entire Ryougi family always had headaches over their headstrong leader. It wasn't that they disapproved of her actions, but when critical decisions needed to be made and Shiki happened to be away, tracking her down required significant effort. To avoid being followed by her household, Shiki was also quite skilled in anti-tracking methods.
Of course, she still fulfilled her duties as the family head. For example—
Dealing with suspicious individuals who appeared in the Ryougi family's territory.
Though once a demon-hunting family, in the modern era, the Ryougi family had gradually transformed. By now, they had evolved from demon hunters into an organization controlling both the underworld and legitimate sides of Mifune City, managing the city's darker aspects like a demon's den.
Thus, maintaining Mifune City's stability was one of the Ryougi family's responsibilities. If their territory became chaotic or rumors spread, their underworld business would suffer. So, whenever suspicious individuals or bad rumors surfaced, the Ryougi family would swiftly handle them.
This shouldn't have been a trivial task for Shiki to handle personally. Normally, her subordinates would take care of it. But Shiki wanted to take a stroll through the alleys, so she dealt with it herself.
"Even so, someone like you—if left to the kids, they might not handle it quite right."
Deep in the narrow alleys of Mifune City, in a corner no ordinary person would ever visit.
With her hands tucked into her leather jacket, Shiki reached the end of a dead-end alley. She saw a table set up in front of her and a middle-aged woman in black sitting behind it. "At your age, you still haven't thought about retiring, old hag?"
"Oh, oh, who do we have here? I didn't expect it to be you, the big shot."
The old woman opened her cloudy eyes and looked at Shiki in front of her.
"Welcome. Are you here for a fortune-telling session like before?"
The old woman—the Mother of Mifune—was once considered an urban legend in Mifune City.
It began when Naoki temporarily left Mifune City to advance to Festival Rank. After hearing rumors about the Mother of Mifune, a curious Shiki deliberately paid her a visit.
No, not a visit—more like picking a fight. After all, the Mother of Mifune was rumored to accurately predict unfortunate futures, someone Touko said possessed Mystic Eyes of Future Sight. As a fellow possessor of Mystic Eyes, Shiki was intrigued by these supposedly remarkable predictions.
However, after meeting her, before learning about her future misfortunes, Shiki was told things about her past she didn't want to know. Combined with what followed, the encounter wasn't particularly pleasant.
Of course, that was all in the past. Shiki wasn't one to dwell on it, or she would've sent the old woman in front of her to the hospital long ago.
Pulling up a chair and sitting across from the Mother of Mifune, Shiki said, "Lately, there've been some bad rumors around here. They say a suspicious person set up a fortune-telling stall, spreading unsettling things and making people anxious."
"Oh, sounds like you're here to hold me accountable." the Mother of Mifune smiled. "So, are you here to drive me out?"
"If you'd leave on your own, it'd save me some effort. Need me to book you a spot in a nursing home? At your age, don't trouble others. I don't want to hear from my subordinates one day that a body was found here."
"I'm only a little over fifty—not quite nursing home age yet. I appreciate your kindness, but I'm not planning to quit this job. If I'm causing you trouble, I'll tone it down a bit."
What a stubborn old hag.
Shiki sighed. "This is just a warning. Next time I come, I'll really kick you out."
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for going out of your way to warn me, big shot. As thanks, would you like me to read your fortune once? I'm not as sharp as I used to be, but I can still see a little."
Future prediction?
Most future predictions were fake, only able to foresee the future to a certain extent or limited to specific aspects. Shiki had once cut down someone like that.
But she also knew the old woman's predictions were the real deal, unlike those she'd dealt with before.
"Do it once."
"What kind of future do you want to know?"
"Something random. I don't care about the future."
Random—for a vendor, customers with such requests were the most troublesome, as they genuinely didn't know how to meet their demands.
Silently holding a decorative crystal ball, the Mother of Mifune smiled. "After you leave this alley, to the left at the exit, you'll meet an acquaintance—is that prediction enough?"
An acquaintance.
Shiki thought about the people she knew who could be considered acquaintances. Most weren't in Mifune City. If anyone, it'd likely be Atalanta, especially since today was Saturday.
"That's enough. Just some advice—at your age, don't set up shop in a sunless place; it's bad for your health. There's a place called Fortune Street in a nearby shopping center with a decent environment."
"Hehehe, it feels wrong to steal someone else's business."
"Fair enough. Take care of yourself, old hag. I hope when we meet again, you're still this lively."
With that, Shiki left the fortune-telling stall without looking back.
Watching her figure fade into the distance, the Mother of Mifune gave a faint smile. "Her personality seems a bit softer than a few years ago, Miss Ryougi. She must've met someone good… Unfortunately, I can't see that person's condition clearly."
Regarding the prediction for Shiki, the Mother of Mifune hadn't told the whole story. In the future she saw, Shiki would indeed meet an acquaintance after leaving, but not one person—two. Besides the cat-like woman, there was another figure, a man, shrouded in mist, whose identity she couldn't discern clearly.
"A man who can live peacefully with Miss Ryougi and even soften her personality a bit?"
"Hehehe, getting old has its perks."