LRAB Page 210
Page 210
"You guessed right, this is a wedding ceremony," the elderly woman sitting in the high seat said slowly. "The groom will choose one of the bride candidates."
"Those four are foxes."
The man nodded and spread his hands. "I will choose the monster that is most suitable for me from among them, that's all."
The man removed his mask, revealing a face with thick eyebrows and large eyes.
“My name is Kagano Sora, and I am the owner of this Kagano Mansion.”
"Huh?" Shotaro asked in shock, "Isn't it alright for you to take off that mask?"
Kagami Sora shrugged. "They knew what our family members looked like from the start. We wore masks just to prevent them from observing our expressions."
"Let me explain to you both," the old lady said, removing her mask to reveal a kind face.
"Her name is Kiku Kagano, and she is my grandmother."
Shotaro remained silent.
His gaze fell on them.
......
"What Grandma Ju said was still a bit hard to believe. She told us about the strange wedding customs that have been passed down in this village."
This is Zhuitong Village, which once had a gold mine and abundant hot spring resources.
Once a highly praised tourist destination, Fengdu is now almost deserted, with far fewer visitors than before.
It is said that only the Kagami family, the rulers of this village, still have huge assets in their mansion, including gold artifacts and countless works of art.
"I am a descendant of the Kagami family. I have been selling off assets little by little and spending my days idly indulging in pleasure, a self-destructive person."
Kagami Sora spoke without a trace of shame, but rather with pride.
“After all, it’s a family with enormous wealth,” Grandma Ju continued. “Naturally, many women would want to marry into the family. In order not to be misled by a woman’s appearance, we would choose the bride based solely on her inner character.”
"They would put a local exorcism mask on the woman before she met the head of the household. This custom gradually developed."
"I also married into the Kagano family in this way."
“Yes, all of us are candidates for the master’s bride,” a short-haired girl in a blue kimono said.
“Today is the second day,” another girl in black said, making a two-pointed star gesture.
"The four candidates will stay here for four days to try to present themselves."
"The rules are simple: the person who wins the favor of the head of the household during these four days wins," the girl in the red cheongsam explained. "But you absolutely cannot let anyone know what you look like or what your name is."
"Otherwise, you will lose your eligibility."
'So that's how it is...'
Shotaro's gaze fell on the girl who had led the way earlier, and he couldn't help but recall what the girl had said before.
'No wonder the woman in white asked us not to tell anyone that her face under the mask had been seen.'
Only then did Shotaro realize the girl's intention.
At this moment, Kagami Sora put on that mask again and said in a deep voice, "My parents passed away a long time ago. After they passed away, my grandmother took care of me. So when I decided to get married, I felt that I should get married in the way my grandmother hoped."
“All four of them were introduced to me by my grandmother. As long as my grandmother is satisfied, I have no objections.”
"Hey!" The woman in the red cheongsam couldn't help but speak up any longer, "Can the explanation end here?"
“That’s right, that’s right, we’re all trying to get some time to talk to our master,” the woman in the blue kimono chimed in.
She then raised her hand to touch her mask and said regretfully, "Since I can't let you see my lovable face, I can only try to make you like me through my words and my feelings."
She changed the subject, her words turning sarcastic.
"However, it seems there is a woman who has nothing to be proud of except for the part below her neck."
"Huh?" The woman in black stood up excitedly, facing her. "Are you talking about me?"
Chapter 116 A New Mission! Is Lu Chen the male god of all the women in Fengdu?
"Oh? I didn't mention you."
The woman in the kimono feigned grievance.
"You were looking at me as you spoke!" The woman in black stormed forward angrily.
"Ugh, how annoying, this person is so self-conscious."
"You're the one who's excessive! I wonder if your pitiful face is real or not. It's good that you have a mask on, so that people won't see your face and get their eyes dirty."
"That's what I wanted to say! Not having to see your monstrous face is a lifesaver!"
"You!!" Just as the woman in black was about to rush forward and tear into him, the sound of a glass jingling rang out from the head of the table, calming the tense atmosphere.
"Don't get excited, the night is still long," Kagami Sora said, raising the glass in his hand.
"Hmph!!" The two women scoffed at each other, turning their backs to each other.
Shotaro Sakata watched the scene unfold before him in silence.
"That's how it is, you two. I'll continue to stay with them, so don't worry about the heavy snow outside." Kagami Sora said with a smile and full of confidence, "Fortunately, my family is very wealthy, so food and backup power are not a problem."
"No wonder it's so warm inside." Philip looked up at the bright chandelier above.
“The only tunnel leading to this village should be buried by the heavy snow by now,” Kagami Sora analyzed the situation outside. “This area is temporarily isolated from the world.”
"There are also nine other people in this house, including Grandma's friend who can't go home, and the housekeeper."
"We have more than enough supplies to stay here for half a year."
At this moment, the butler stepped forward and handed two masks to Shotaro and Philip.
"It's a local custom, after all. I hope you will all wear masks during the party," Grandma Ju said with a smile.
"Thank you so much for your kindness and care, Mr. Kagano," said Shotaro Saji gratefully.
"I admire you two. You remained completely calm despite the unusual scene," Kagami said with a hint of admiration. "You two detectives are truly remarkable."
After a simple bow of thanks, the two were led by the butler to the restaurant, where they were told to eat as they pleased.
"However, I always feel..." Shotaro muttered to himself as he ate the lavish meal on the table, "...that all the women gathered here are bad women who are after huge sums of money. Is it really possible to pick out a single good woman from among them?"
Philip glanced at him and reminded him, "Shotaro Sasaki, have you forgotten what Kagano Sora said?"
"He never said he would choose a good person from these four."
Shotaro suddenly remembered what Kagano had said earlier and realized what was going on.
"It seems like there's more to the story."
Shotaro Zuo frowned.
His gaze fell on Philip, who was staring blankly at the pot, and he asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
“It’s Amanita rubiginosa.” Philip picked up a handful of mushrooms with his chopsticks.
"Huh?" Shotaro Satoshi was somewhat surprised.
"I remember that eating it raw can cause poisoning."
Philip said slowly, "But it tastes very good as a soup base; it's mentioned in the books in the library."
Upon hearing this, Shotaro picked up the mushrooms from the pot and looked at them curiously. "Yeah, yeah, there are mushrooms like this growing around here. You're really lucky to have even tasted them."
“I suddenly lost interest in picking mushrooms.” Philip pursed his lips, took out the Amanita rubigin he had painstakingly picked from his pocket, and examined it. “I risked my life to pick these, and now they’re so easy to get.” Shotaro remained silent, quietly enjoying his meal.
Soon, the two, having eaten and drunk their fill, were arranged into rooms by the housekeeper and went back to their rooms to sleep.
However, a moment later, Shotaro appeared in the corridor. He was wearing a mask and a bathrobe, yawning as he walked down the corridor.
"This is not good. I'm having an occupational hazard again." He scratched his chin, his eyes were dark, and he muttered to himself, "Whenever I have something on my mind, I like to wander around aimlessly."
He glanced up casually and saw a familiar figure standing at the window near the corner.
Shotaro looked closely and suddenly his pupils contracted sharply, thinking he was hallucinating.
"King...King?!!"
Shotaro exclaimed in surprise.
"Yo, Shotaro." Lu Chen greeted him with a smile. Shotaro couldn't believe his eyes. He actually saw Wang here, but... wait a minute!!!
"I know what you're thinking. I just arrived. As for how I got here and what my purpose is, I don't think there's any need to explain."
Lu Chen said, and upon hearing this, Zuo Xiangtaro also calmed down. Yes, with the king's ability.
Even if the roads are impassable due to heavy snow.
He also has a million ways to get here.
As for the purpose...
If the king doesn't speak, what right does he have to ask?
"Yes, I understand. Then, Your Majesty, what should I do next?" Zuo Xiangtaro asked respectfully, but Lu Chen did not answer.
Instead, he looked towards a corner.
"Come out. I don't like having my conversations overheard, even by a beautiful woman."
As Lu Chen spoke, a graceful figure slowly emerged from the corner. Zuo Xiangtaro was even more surprised. Wasn't this the white-clad woman who had saved him and Philip?