.
India was not where Shiki had expected Geto Suguru to be.
Somehow, Shiki had been laboring under the impression that the man would at least still be in Japan. But in hindsight, she can see how this might be an egregious assumption to make. It wasn't as if Geto-san was one of the sorcerers regularly stationed in the country; he was a curse user who had the freedom to go wherever he wanted, whenever he wished.
… Although it still doesn't explain why the man was inexplicably in India, of all places.
"Maybe he wanted to take a vacation?" Kobayashi Aoma suggests.
"Doubtful," Ken-jichan shakes his head. His opinion on this is the same as Shiki's. Why would Geto Suguru choose to take a vacation among the non-sorcerers that he supposedly hated so much? "You are certain that this information comes from a trusted source? Geto Suguru is in India?"
Maharashtra, India, according to Choki.
… Or rather, according to Zhang Tong.
'Zhang Tong' was the name of the young man who'd been assigned to serve as Shiki's guide in China, back when she'd been assigned her first overseas mission in the summer. Shiki remembers the young man, and she also recalls that her impression of him at the time had been that of a competent individual… although this was certainly not the context in which she'd expected to hear his name again.
If he's in India, then he's probably accompanying a Chinese sorcerer there. It's common enough for those stationed in foreign countries to call for assistance from their closer neighbors before reaching out to the Jujutsu Headquarters in Japan, especially if the mission in question wasn't deemed to be of high enough priority to warrant such attention.
Zhang Tong being in India is surprising, but not inconceivable.
… More importantly, there's also no reason for Zhang Tong to lie to Shiki. In fact, it hadn't even been her who he'd reached out to –it had been Choki who he'd contacted, initially. And Choki was the one who then brought Zhang Tong's message to Shiki's attention afterwards.
Geto Suguru, in India.
If nothing else, it at least seems that Shiki has her next destination, now.
There's part of her that's still wary, though. Given the difficulties that she'd had investigating Geto-san's whereabouts so far, it's a bit ridiculous that the man's location would suddenly just drop into her lap like this. But on the other hand–
Zhang Tong's text message and the photo that he'd provided is a far more solid lead than any of the others they'd been chasing down recently. At the very least, it's worth seeing for herself in person, because if it turns out that this is true…
Nothing good can come from leaving a curse user with genocidal plans to his own devices, right?
Shiki admits to some curiosity for why Geto-san is in India. And the only way for her to find out the reason would be…
"You're going to India." Ken-jichan gives her a long look. "… I'll be going with you."
"You're injured." Although her uncle's words are said in a tone of voice that brooks no argument, Shiki finds herself disagreeing with him anyways. They'd both been injured fighting Zenin Toji; Shiki more so than Ken-jichan. But unlike her, Ken-jichan didn't have reverse cursed technique to patch himself back up with in the aftermath.
So. "I'll go on my own. You need to rest."
"They're only minor injuries," Ken-jichan shakes his head immediately. "I'm not making you face Geto Suguru on your own."
… No one is making her do anything. But Shiki supposes that she understands the general sentiment being expressed here. She would not wish for Ken-jichan to face Geto Suguru on his own, either.
"If it comes down to an altercation, then it's better if there aren't too many others around me." There is a very slim chance that there will be zero violence involved if Shiki finds Geto-san, since it's likely that the curse user will either attempt to fight back or escape. And if things take a violent turn, then it's easier for Shiki if she doesn't have to worry about protecting other people around her –such as her injured uncle.
Although her goal is to find Geto Suguru and drag him in front of Satoru-niichan, she doesn't intend for things to get out of hand. If Geto-san resorts to drastic measures like releasing cursed spirits into a populated area with reckless abandon… then her duty as a sorcerer to protect civilians takes precedence over her personal mission to find a curse user for her cousin. However, Shiki is also of the opinion that a few broken bones may be a very convincing factor in helping Geto-san realize that running away is not the best option for him.
In the end, though, what actions that Shiki will take really depends on if, and what the situation is like, once she finally finds Geto-san.
"Don't do this by yourself, Shiki," Ken-jichan says tersely. "Geto Suguru has his cult following –what are you going to do if he's not alone? Someone should still come with you."
Shiki stares evenly at her uncle, quietly searching. "Do you not trust me to take care of matters properly?"
"That's not the problem here," the blond man shakes his head. "Whether or not I trust you to do the right thing has no bearing on the fact that you're about to run off and face a dangerous curse user on your own."
"Choki will be with me," Shiki points out reasonably. It's not as if she'll actually be by herself.
Ken-jichan makes a frustrated sound. "That's not the issue."
"Then what is?"
"… Y'know, I'm getting the feeling that we probably shouldn't be here for this conversation!" Kobayashi Aoma suddenly says brightly, clapping his hands together with an awkward smile as he shuffles closer to Choki. "Is it okay if my Bro and I just, uh, skip now? Yeah?"
Choki's expression doesn't change, but he slants a sideways glance at the other man and proceeds to slide open the door wordlessly.
"Cool beans," Kobayashi Aoma gives him a double thumbs-up with both hands. "C'mon, Bro, I'm deathly allergic to family arguments…"
"The only thing you're allergic to is pollen," Kobayashi Tamotsu rolls his eyes, and then the door slams shut behind the two brothers, cutting off the rest of their words.
Leaving only Shiki, Ken-jichan, and Choki as the remaining occupants in the room.
There is a long pause where no one says anything. But eventually Ken-jichan sighs, and breaks the silence.
"I worry about you, Shiki," he says. "Not about your strength as a sorcerer, but I… I worry that you're walking down the same path as Satoru."
Shiki blinks.
This was… not what she'd expected to hear from her uncle, exactly. And what does he mean, I worry that you're walking down the same path as Satoru?
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Shiki doesn't understand what's so bad about being like her cousin. Satoru-niichan is the undisputed Strongest, isn't he?
"Satoru," Ken-jichan says carefully, "Is someone who doesn't… really see things from the perspective of a regular person. He's not a bad person, but his worldview and morals are most certainly rather… skewed. For example, if he comes across a bloody corpse, his first reaction wouldn't be horror or revulsion, or even solemnity. It would be curiosity."
… Is it not normal to be curious about what caused there to be a bloody corpse to begin with?
Shiki bites down on the automatic question that rises in her mind. Ken-jichan probably wouldn't be very pleased to hear her ask something so obvious to his eyes.
"What does this have to do with going to India to search for Geto-san?" she asks instead.
"I'm worried that you might slide into the familiar way of thinking that you've become accustomed to in the Gojo Clan," her uncle answers. "The one where you don't understand why others are terrified of you, and the one that makes you look at a situation solely in terms of potential gains and losses."
Another slow blink. Shiki gets the feeling that this isn't solely about a potential confrontation with Geto Suguru that her uncle is talking about here. Was Ken-jichan… still upset about the Yagyu elders? She'd thought that things were getting better between them…
Ken-jichan sucks in a deep breath, "I don't want you to get wrapped up in that way of thinking and lose yourself, Shiki."
The girl tilts her head, "'Lose myself?'"
Shiki likes to think that she's usually fairly meticulous about thinking her actions through before committing to them, most of the time. Part of it is because Shiki isn't in the sort of position that allows her to act with reckless abandon, but a larger part of it is simply because of her personality. Shiki isn't the type of person to act thoughtlessly. It would take something truly exceptional to happen for her to 'lose her own mind' as Ken-jichan was saying.
"I don't think that's something you have to worry about," she tells him.
"That's something I'm always worrying about. More so recently than ever," Ken-jichan disagrees. "I'm worried that if you encounter Geto, you might run into a similar situation as with the Yagyu elders. And I… don't want you to do something that you might come to regret."
"But I don't regret killing the Yagyu elders," Shiki says softly. She understands that Ken-jichan does not agree with the decision that she made, but she doesn't regret it.
(… Really, is it Shiki who might come to regret her potential future actions? Or Ken-jichan who knows that he would come to regret his own inaction?)
"And that's precisely what I'm concerned about," her uncle responds, as if she'd just proved a point in his words. He pauses briefly, before continuing haltingly, "I'm not… I'm not angry, or blaming you for this, Shiki. I just… I want you to realize that it's not always costs and benefits that should weigh most heavily in a situation. It's something that might be easy for you to overlook, but I hope that you'd learn to account for."
Shiki thinks that she sees where this is leading. "Because it's the 'right' thing to do?"
"No." Surprisingly, Ken-jichan shakes his head. "It's not just about what's 'right.' It's about you, Shiki. Your values, and the kind of person that you are. The decisions you make, and the choices that you turn away from."
Shiki isn't quite sure that she understands what her uncle is talking about anymore.
Part of it must show on her face, because Ken-jichan deliberates for a moment before speaking again.
"You are your own person, and it would be foolish of me to expect you to agree with everything I say," Ken-jichan sighs. "I… I just hope that you will consider more than what the Gojo Clan has taught you to be important. That you'll also hear and listen to your own voice, inside your heart."
Her uncle's voice is low, heartfelt. Shiki nods slowly in response to this show of sincerity.
She… still doesn't know if she fully understands all the implications of what he's saying, if she's being honest. But it's clear that Ken-jichan believes that Shiki's methods and way of thinking are all strongly influenced by the Gojo Clan, and he's not exactly wrong. He's also not wrong that the Gojo Clan evaluates matters in terms of cost and benefit more than righteousness or personal feelings.
While Shiki isn't constantly thinking of everything in terms of how it might bring benefit to the Gojo Clan –that would be Takatomi-sama's job– it's a similar line of thinking that led her to kill the Yagyu elders. If she's understanding Ken-jichan correctly, then he's saying that her act of killing the Yagyu elders is less a moral failing in her character and more…
… more what, exactly? A sign that Shiki is turning into a cold, calculating sorcerer exactly like the elders that she holds no fondness for? An indication that Shiki is going down a slippery slope, that she's treading a wrongful path?
But then, what's 'wrong' and 'right,' really?
'Gain' and 'loss' are easy to determine and categorize. 'Right' and 'wrong' are less so, but even someone like Shiki is aware of the broad strokes.
Such as: Protecting non-sorcerers from cursed spirits is 'right.' Killing non-sorcerers for being non-sorcerers is 'wrong.' So on and so forth.
"Just… think about my words, please," Ken-jichan says, warm hands reaching out to rest on her shoulders. "… Admittedly, it's a large part of the reason why I don't want you to be alone while searching for Geto Suguru."
"What's the other part?" Shiki finds herself asking.
"The other part," the man responds slowly, "Is because this truly isn't the sort of thing you should be dealing with, at your age. Apprehending curse users isn't your responsibility."
"I wouldn't call it 'apprehending.'" It's more 'finding' than anything else, really.
Ken-jichan raises an eyebrow. "The Kobayashi brothers and Ogami?"
… Point.
Shiki coughs lightly into her hand, "That was unplanned on both counts. And technically, it's only Ogami that we apprehended, right? The Kobayashi brothers were… contracted to assist in the search for Geto-san."
"And Geto Suguru?"
"My plans for how to deal with him honestly depend on the man himself," Shiki admits candidly with a slight shrug. "Ken-jichan, my goal isn't to kill or capture Geto-san. Ultimately, I want him to sit down and have a proper talk with Satoru-niichan instead of running."
"I still don't think confronting him yourself is the best way to go about this," Ken-jichan folds his arms across his chest. "Since we have a solid lead that Geto Suguru is potentially in India, wouldn't it be better to just inform Satoru about this?"
Satoru-niichan is strong, capable, and reliable. However, he isn't all-powerful. It's unreasonable to lay every problem that comes up at his feet and expect him to be able to take care of it, no matter how effortless he makes it seem.
"Satoru-niichan is taking care of missions in North America right now," Shiki tells her uncle. "By the time he finishes, Geto-san would probably be elsewhere."
"… I see that I'm not changing your mind on this," Ken-jichan sighs. "I expected as much. But, Shiki… I'm coming along with you."
"I understand that you're concerned, but you're injured, Ken-jichan." This wouldn't even be the first time that Shiki is heading abroad; she'd already gone to China once before with Choki at her side–
No. It's not traveling abroad that has Ken-jichan concerned like this. It's because she's chasing Geto Suguru by herself that he's concerned, right? Because there's a nonzero chance that she might fight more curse users, or that something else might go awry again. Given the way that this entire search for Geto-san has been proceeding so far, Shiki will be pleasantly surprised if whatever awaits her in India really is as simple as it seems on the surface.
But even then… there's no need for anyone else aside from Choki to come along. The Kobayashi brothers' services won't be needed anymore, and Ken-jichan is still injured from his fight against–
Oh. That's another reason why Ken-jichan is insistent on coming with her, isn't it? Not because he's injured, but because of Zenin Toji. Shiki, too, had been injured in her fight against the man, and even though Ken-jichan hadn't seen the worst of her injuries, he'd probably still been rattled by all the blood covering her. It makes sense if he's concerned about Shiki facing another dangerous threat like Zenin Toji again.
But if it's a threat, then it simply means that Shiki needs to deal with it properly.
And at the very least, she's more suited to dealing with a situation that potentially involves a Special Grade curse user than Zhang Tong.
"My injuries aren't serious," Ken-jichan says. "I'll pay a visit to Ieiri-san, if that's what you're concerned about."
Shiki sighs.
"… Okay." Ken-jichan can be very stubborn when it comes to certain things, and Shiki knows him well enough to realize that this isn't something that he is about to change his mind on. And what he says is true; if Shoko-san uses reverse cursed technique to heal up the worst of his injuries… then that should be fine. It was a good thing that Zenin Toji only had a dagger in hand, instead of a proper cursed tool at his disposal. Ken-jichan's injuries would've been a lot worse otherwise.
Her uncle breathes out a faint sigh of relief at her acquiescence. Had he been expecting her to argue more against him?
… A sorcerer's work is inherently dangerous. Shiki would know, considering that she's a sorcerer herself. But being a sorcerer means constantly fighting an unending tide of cursed spirits, which also means that a sorcerer doesn't always go out on a mission in top condition. Shiki trusts Ken-jichan to know the limitations of his own body better than she does.
And… even despite their recent disagreements, Shiki is still happy to spend time with her uncle.
"I expect you'll be wanting to leave for India soon," Ken-jichan murmurs. "You… don't plan on taking the Kobayashi brothers with you, do you?"
"I won't be bringing them along," Shiki shakes her head. "There's no reason to."
"… What are your plans for them, in that case?"
"I think it should be fine to close out the contract here." The entire point of bringing the brothers along in the first place was in order to find Geto-san. Then, there was an added factor of protection for them. "… If they still think it's dangerous on their own and want to stay here, then that's up to them.
Ken-jichan blinks, surprised. "You're accepting them into the Tobiume?"
"No. I think the elders might riot." Sorcery clans tended to be picky about formally adding new blood into their fold. Case in point: Shiki, who had only been swiftly accepted by the Gojo Clan on account of her cursed eyes. Admittedly, though, the thought of how the clan elders would react towards a pair of no-name curse users being accepted into the Tobiume line is quite entertaining.
Shiki doesn't mind using her resources to lend a hand to the brothers. It is her fault that they were uprooted from their lives, curse users or not. But they'll have to be more than 'entertaining' if they want anything beyond that.
"It's probably for the best. I don't think they've had the best experience with sorcery clans so far," Ken-jichan says dryly.
Considering that it was their involvement in delivering Geto-san's cursed spirits to the Yagyu Clan that had led Shiki to their doorstep in the first place? Shiki is inclined to agree with her uncle. She wouldn't be surprised if the Kobayashi brothers decided to stay far away from sorcery clans after everything that transpired recently.
That's enough of the Kobayashi brothers for now, though. "Ken-jichan, you should hurry and see Shoko-san. If you don't get your injuries seen to, I'm not taking you with me on my flight to India in the evening."
The man pauses. "… You mean this evening? Today?"
"Of course."
If Geto Suguru is really in India, then it's best to head over as soon as possible. Satoru-niichan might currently be hampered by missions, but Shiki is not.
So, why not make use of it?
It's not as if Geto Suguru is about to deliver himself right in front of them, after all.
.
.
Pune, Maharashtra.
A city in the state of Maharashtra, located in Western India. It's one of the most populous cities in the country, with a rich and vibrant history.
Their arrival in the Pune International Airport is greeted by none other than Zhang Tong himself. The man visibly lets out a breath of relief upon seeing them, and rushes over.
"Thank you, thank you," he breathes out in a rush towards Choki first, then appears to catch himself. He swiftly spins towards Shiki and bows deeply–
–or is about to, at least. Zhang Tong makes it around halfway through the motion, then promptly freezes mid-bow.
"G-G-Gojo-san…?"
There's a clear note of uncertainty and disbelief in his voice. Which is gratifying, because it means that Shiki's decision to change back into the red leather jacket ensemble is correct. It really does work quite well as a disguise to help her blend in and not stand out as a sorcerer, if it makes someone like Zhang Tong unsure of her identity.
Shiki makes a mental note to look for a few more leather jackets sometime.
"Hello, Zhang-san," she greets, pulling down her sunglasses for a brief moment to confirm that yes, it's really her and he had not mistaken her for someone else. Cursed eyes are an unmistakable identifier that's near-impossible to duplicate, after all.
Zhang Tong continues staring at her, frozen in shock.
To the side, Choki clears his throat. "It's good to see you again. If I may, perhaps we could discuss anything regarding upcoming matters outside of the airport…?"
"A-ah! Yes!" Zhang Tong snaps back to attention with a full-bodied twitch, flushing slightly in embarrassment. "Y-yes, of course, Suzurigi-san. And, um…?"
"This is Nanami Kento," Choki introduces upon seeing Zhang-san falter after finally catching sight of Ken-jichan. "Grade One sorcerer, and the ojou-sama's uncle by blood."
Zhang Tong's gaze flickers between the two of them for a moment with poorly-hidden confusion.
"I'm aware of the lack of family resemblance," Ken-jichan sighs with the sort of tiredness that indicates he's only far too familiar with this sort of reaction towards the revelation of their close familial relationship. "Shiki takes after her father's side of the family more so than mine."
"I apologize, I didn't mean to be rude." Flustered, Zhang-san straightens and bows towards Ken-jichan.
"It's fine, you're not the first to react this way."
He really, really isn't.
Eventually, Zhang-san regains his footing and they depart from the airport together.
Seeing as it's still fairly early in the morning and they had not eaten on the flight, Zhang-san brings them to a small diner. Although looking a little run-down on the outside, the interior is fairly well-furnished, and it doesn't take long before there are plates of food being set down in front of them.
Curiously, Shiki pokes at the thin crepe in front of her. There are also an assortment of strange sauces that she does not recognize… are they meant to be eaten together?
"I know I've already said it earlier, but… thank you so much for coming here," Zhang-san murmurs, holding his head in his hands for a brief moment. It's clear that the man has been quite stressed. "I… I was not expecting someone like Geto Suguru to be here."
"It must've been quite the surprise," Choki nods, faintly sympathetic to the other man's plight.
From what Shiki knew of the situation that had been relayed to her thus far… Zhang-san had been sent to India to serve as an interpreter for a Chinese sorcerer who'd been called in for a mission. However, barely a day into their arrival when the sorcerer had been wandering around the streets to explore the area, they'd ended up brushing past Geto Suguru.
The Chinese sorcerer hadn't recognized Geto-san, but Zhang-san did. And after identifying just who had shown up in the unknowing sorcerer's tourist photos, Zhang-san had reached out to Choki for help.
And thus, their trip to India.
"Oh, I'd say that it was more than just surprising. It's not every day that you encounter a Special Grade, after all," a new voice sounds dryly behind them. A dark-haired young man slides into an empty seat next to Zhang-san, and lifts his hand in a casual wave. "Yo. Sun Yongtai here, Grade One sorcerer who's way in over his head here."
Ken-jichan lifts an eyebrow at that self-deprecating introduction from the younger man. "… Hello. I'm Nanami Kento, also a Grade One sorcerer."
Shiki swallows her bite of the breakfast crepe. It's… surprisingly chewy. "Gojo Shiki, Grade One. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
The Chinese sorcerer has barely braced his elbow against the table and settled his chin into his hand, before he slips and nearly face-plants into a bowl of coconut paste.
"Wait, wait, wait," he swiftly straightens, wiping at his face. "Gojo? You're Gojo Shiki? As in the…"
Sun-san makes a vague gesture towards his eyes, likely in reference to her cursed eyes.
"Yes." Shiki determinedly swallows another mouthful of chewy crepe.
"Huh." Sun-san stares at her for a long moment, then turns around and claps Zhang-san on the shoulder. "I… can't believe you just called in two Grade One sorcerers, one of whom is even the Gojo princess. I'm sorry for underestimating you, my guy. You're a lot more well-connected than I thought, huh?"
"It's not really like that," Zhang-san scratches his head awkwardly.
"There's no need to sell yourself short." Choki slides over a bowl of savory porridge towards Shiki. "If it were not for you reaching out to me, none of us would be here right now."
That's true enough. If Zhang-san were to report his sighting of Geto Suguru to his superiors, there's no telling when it would be able to reach Shiki's ears –or whether the information would be able to reach her at all.
"Thank you for trusting me," Zhang-san ducks his head. "I… I really wasn't sure what to do about this."
Shiki quietly spoons a bite of porridge into her mouth. The taste is… interesting. She isn't entirely sure how she feels about the spices she can taste in it, but the porridge is certainly a lot easier to swallow down than the elastic crepe she'd been struggling with earlier.
"Yeah, this was just supposed to be a routine mission," Sun-san grimaces faintly. "Exorcise the cursed spirits in the area, brush up on Usami's seals here, and that's it. Who the hell expected a Special Grade to show up in the middle of this?"
"Can you elaborate on your assignment?" Ken-jichan suddenly asks.
"Hm? Yeah, of course," Sun-san blinks. "Uh… well, it's a routine check, like I just mentioned. There's a set of seals set up over the Ashtavinayaka here –that's the temples."
"There are eight temples of the Ashtavinayaka," Zhang-san elaborates. "And these eight temples house eight distinct idols of Ganesha between them. Ganesha, the Hindu deity of unity and prosperity. Learning, and the removal of obstacles. Worshipers will make pilgrimages to the temples, to pray for success, peace, and wealth."
"Yeah, that," Sun-san nods. "Since it's a pretty significant spot, we get sorcerers sent over here to exorcise cursed spirits and maintain seals, things like that. Usually it's Mizuno who's sent to take care of this, but… since he's not around anymore, I was the one picked for the job this time."
"I see," Ken-jichan hums.
"Mhm. That's more or less the gist of things on this front," Sun-san reaches for one of the chewy crepes and bites into it easily. "Does that, I dunno, help with anything? My assignment is an important job, but it's not exactly a critical, time-sensitive task that needs to be dealt with immediately. So I'd say it's more important to figure out what we're doing in response to the Special Grade curse user in the area, isn't it?"
"That's true, but…" Ken-jichan falls quiet for a moment. "I suspect that your assignment may not be unrelated to Geto Suguru's presence here."
Sun-san opens and closes his mouth mutely, then frowns. "… There's absolutely no way that Geto Suguru is here to make a pilgrimage."
"No, not that," Ken-jichan responds dryly, "But I find it very unlikely that someone like Geto would run off to a foreign country for no reason. It's far more plausible that there is a specific goal that he wishes to achieve here."
But what would that be?
"… Money, and cursed spirits."
Her uncle turns towards her. "Care to elaborate?"
"That's what Geto-san has been focusing on, right?" Selling cursed spirits to various sorcery clans was a way for Geto-san to profit off of his cursed technique. And the more cursed spirits that he had in his possession, then the greater his power would be. It will take more than just a numerical advantage for him to overpower Satoru-niichan, though. "If it's money that he's after here, then perhaps he is making a business deal with someone. And if it's cursed spirits… What do we know about the cursed spirits in Pune?"
"There's nothing that stands out in the reports," Zhang-san's brows crease in concentration. "The most outstanding case is only a Grade Two."
Hmm. If it's not money or cursed spirits that drew Geto-san here, then…
"What about the temples?"
"Why would there be cursed spirits in a temple?" Sun-san wears a bewildered look on his face. "Not exactly a hotspot for cursed energy gathering and forming cursed spirits, a place like that. Not to mention the seals around it and everything."
That's not what Shiki was asking. "Is there anything unique or peculiar about the temples that might have drawn Geto-san's attention?"
"Oh. Uhh… the seals around them?" Sun-san shrugs helplessly. "I have no clue, honestly."
"Have you encountered Geto Suguru again, after the first time?"
"Nooo." Sun-san promptly shakes his head, "Not gonna lie, I kinda freaked out a bit after Zhang Tong enlightened me and decided against exploring more of the city. In case of any, uh, 'unfortunate encounters' where I'm not so lucky."
So it's still unknown as to whether or not Geto Suguru is still here in Pune.
In the best case scenario, Geto Suguru is still here, and Shiki will be able to find him. And in the worst case scenario… well, Shiki would simply be assisting with another Grade One sorcerer's assignment. A minor setback in terms of her search for Geto-san, but it wouldn't be anything new at this point.
Even assuming that Geto-san has already departed elsewhere… if he'd been here previously, then it should still be possible to find some trace of him in this city, shouldn't it?
Shiki swallows her last bite of porridge and sets down her empty bowl. "I suppose it's time to test our luck, then."
.
.
…
.