Demon Progenitor Development Project

Chapter 111 Kojiro Rengoku's Investigation

After some deliberation, the lord said something that Yanzhu found outrageous.

"If secretly investigating proves unwise, then surrender to the Shogunate as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps."

Although revealing one's identity carries risks and may attract demons, it is also a good way to lure them out. Moreover, demons have almost never attacked government officials, so the shogunate identity provides another layer of protection.

Rengoku Kojiro: "?"

If he remembered correctly, the shogunate was still issuing warrants for the Demon Slayer Corps to illegally mine because of the Scarlet Sand Iron and Scarlet Ore.

"Should I turn myself in?"

"No, you must surrender yourself as a loyal samurai of the shogunate, strive to atone for your crimes through meritorious service, and infiltrate the shogunate."

Purgatory Kotaro:......

Having been dazed and confused by a bunch of common sense about officialdom, Rengoku Kojiro was thus forced into this role.

This task is way too difficult.

What exactly does it mean to always put your boss first and never be better than your boss?

Previously, Kotaro Rengoku had only ever been responsible for slaying demons, but now he was reciting these strange and bizarre things, his clear-eyed foolishness already revealing itself.

After undergoing various training sessions, Kojiro Rengoku embarked on his journey to Edo.

Edo was as lively as ever, with vendors hawking their wares everywhere, creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere.

Kotaro sat in a noodle shop, munching away on his rice and finishing the last mouthful of soup.

Kotaro sorted out his thoughts, wondering how he should investigate.

Such investigations have happened before. Finding demons is also part of the Demon Slayer Corps' business. At most, the Inspector would only investigate whether someone had died at the hands of a demon and then report it, without going into too much depth.

The members of the Hidden Ones were all eliminated from the trials, and their combat strength was not outstanding.

Getting too close to ghosts is far too dangerous.

Then came the work of the demon-slaying swordsman. How did he do it again? Kotaro scratched his head.

He just came to their door to ask.

When someone loses a loved one, their family members will want to find the killer and will mostly cooperate. Even if family members don't cooperate, there will always be close relatives who will provide some information. Surely no one is so bad that they don't even have a single close relative.

He can't very well go to the Fujiwara family head and ask if they've colluded with the Demon King, can he?

Following this line of thought, who were Fujiwara's close associates?

That doesn't seem feasible. Anyone who can get close to the Fujiwara clan must be powerful and influential, and just making contact with them would be too troublesome.

Kojiro rejected the idea again.

Then we have no choice but to explore the only path.

After repeatedly considering and confirming his own ideas, Kojiro quickly located the Fujiwara residence based on what the commoners said and the information provided by his lord.

The highly skilled Rengoku Kotaro sneaked into the Fujiwara residence under the cover of night.

My first thought was, "Wow, the Fujiwara residence is huge!"

Kotaro was completely clueless about exploring any place. The information his lord had given him only showed how the Fujiwara family's front yard was arranged for entertaining guests, but he didn't know what the back yard was like, let alone the Fujiwara family's secret places.

We had no choice but to slowly figure it out, little by little.

Kotaro is very shrewd and extremely cautious, especially since he is involved with the Demon King.

But aren't there a bit too many patrolling guards?

Are all nobles like this?

Rengoku Kojiro, who had little knowledge of nobles like Fujiwara, wiped his sweat and thought to himself.

The patrol frequency is also extremely high.

In remote areas, they only come every ten minutes, but in important locations, they just stand there like gatekeepers and don't move an inch. They're always in groups of three, and they go to the toilet one at a time.

Kojiro, who rarely plays the role of a thief, found it incredibly exciting.

Having narrowly escaped the patrolling guards, Kojiro hid behind a pillar and pressed down on his heart, which was pounding like a drum.

Coming once every night is like a novice player gradually unlocking the map.

Having roughly figured out the specific layout of the courtyard, Kotaro cautiously extended his tentative reach towards certain key locations, such as the head of the household's study and bedroom.

Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, Kojiro sneaked in again.

*

The newly appointed young head of the family, exhausted after a day of hard work, entered his bedroom and plopped down in a Western-style high-backed chair.

The soft chair back made the head of the Fujiwara family sigh, rubbing his aching knees and thinking to himself.

Isn't this chair with a backrest better than kneeling?

The Fujiwara residence is a classical garden style, so these Western gadgets naturally cannot appear here, as they would ruin the overall style of the mansion.

Those clan elders are all incredibly old-fashioned; whenever they see someone, they'll inevitably start shouting about the ancestral laws.

These Western utensils were smuggled in by him.

only……

Smoke slowly rose from the incense burner, and a warm and comforting fragrance wafted to the tip of the nose.

It was indeed a fragrance he had carefully crafted.

The young master looked around at the many objects in the room, which were as clean as ever by his servants, but something just didn't feel right.

No, the young patriarch sniffed it; the fragrance was off, mixed with other scents.

A perfumer can't do without a sensitive nose.

It smells like... noodles?

The head of the family frowned. He would never eat noodles in his bedroom. At most, he would have some snacks and tea. Besides, he didn't like noodles.

Someone has been here!

The patriarch's expression changed. Who was it?

Do they want to know family secrets, or some government secrets?

The latter doesn't matter, as there are always people to shift blame, but the former is a big deal.

The patriarch, who had no patriotism whatsoever, looked grave. He summoned his attendants and ordered them to inspect the entire mansion before hurriedly going to consult with the clan elders.

If they came for that secret, then we're in big trouble.

The secret to immortality is not shared with anyone!

If the Fujiwara clan performs well, they have a chance to achieve immortality; although the number is small, it is still a hope.

The head of the family had no desire to increase competition.

Soon, news of the burglary at the Fujiwara residence spread. Fujiwara Kazuya began a massive manhunt, offering a hefty reward for the thief's actions.

Kojiro, who has a bounty on his head: ...Where did I slip up?

The hair in the crack of the door? No, he put it back.

The dust on the ground? He didn't step on it at all.

I can no longer go to the Fujiwara residence.

Kojiro was troubled.

At this moment, the Fujiwara family is probably lying in a trap waiting for him.

Let's wait and see if it can help people relax.

If not, then we can only do as our lord said and join the government in conducting an open investigation.

*

The head of the household dealt with another wave of officials who came to probe about the theft, leaving him with a splitting headache.

He didn't notice anything wrong.

These people appeared perfectly normal and were not swayed by his verbal probing.

Is it unrelated to politics?

Although it was publicly stated that something had gone missing from the Fujiwara family.

In fact, after carefully checking his belongings, the head of the household found nothing missing, but knew that someone had come to his bedroom and looked around.

Could it be related to that person?

The head of the family hesitated, wondering whether to report his discovery. He worried that if he did, his future would be ruined.

If it is not reported, it can be simply identified as a thief.

If this is reported, those competitors he just suppressed will definitely cause trouble.

Gan!

Why didn't this thief arrive a little later? Once he's firmly established as the head of the family, he would definitely report it without hesitation.

After much hesitation, the head of the family chose not to report it, preferring to make a mistake rather than seek merit.

————Mini Theater——

If Shugo were a target for a school romance game:

Players would give them gifts, fawn over them, and frequently strike up conversations.

Hiiragi's favorability -10

The player who carefully prepared the gift: ?

The taciturn and gossipy Shugo (with a suspicious look): Unsolicited kindness must have ulterior motives!

The player changes strategy, showing concern and care in daily life, treating everyone equally to avoid being noticed, but always remembering Hiiragi Go.

For someone with an introverted personality who doesn't care about their friends at all, the players who care about them stand out all the more.

Shugo's affection level changes: -1 +1 -1 +1...

Players who use the "warm man" persona: ?

Shugo, who feels uncomfortable and prefers peace and quiet by staying away from other players (with a strange look in his eyes): You're nice, but it's more comfortable being a little distanced. I'm used to being invisible and don't want to be in the spotlight.

Players who abandoned the normal route changed their strategy again, adopting the domineering CEO persona and choosing to use money to gradually close the gap!

Shugo, from an ordinary family but not fond of luxury: ? ? Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!

Hiiragi's favorability -100

The player chooses forced sex, arranging to meet the woman and forcibly taking advantage of her, preparing to enter the eroge (adult) route.

The player typed GG!

The silent, pitiful Shugo, wrapped in a blanket and drinking hot water, was caught in the incredulous act of being dragged into the police station by the officers who had been lying in wait, and his reputation was ruined!

Because Shugo was very wary and cautious, he called the police in advance and summoned his parents and teachers to ambush him at the meeting place, which led to the above outcome.

The player watched himself being imprisoned and forced to work on a sewing machine! He was furious and complained to customer service.

Customer Service: This character is quite difficult to攻略 (conquer/strategize). We recommend starting from when you were a child, as the difficulty is directly proportional to your age.

Player: ...Does this mean I have to start the romance from when I was a baby? Raise a boyfriend from childhood? Damn it!