This must be the place, right?
Alistair pushed the door open. The warm, yellow light shone on Alistair, giving him a sense of security after the scare he had just experienced.
"Good evening, customer! May I ask if you have an important matter or a request for us this late?"
The person speaking was a girl standing with her back to him, watering a plant near the counter.
Her long orange hair was tied into twin tails with pink ribbon bows on both sides, similar to Rina's. Her clothing was slightly revealing, exposing most of her smooth back. She wore a super-short skirt, somewhat like a fitted pencil skirt, yet loose enough to give the impression that a slight movement would offer a full view of her lovely features. A pair of animal ears, whether cat or fox, twitched as she spoke, drawing Alistair's attention even more.
Alistair didn't rush to answer her question, instead taking a moment to observe the room. It was genuinely luxurious. Everything was made of solid wood, and the quality looked excellent. As a country boy, Alistair knew a little about judging wood quality from his time with his grandfather. He could tell immediately that these were not cheap storefront props.
For instance, not far from him was a round table with a potted plant—a succulent, he thought—that he didn't recognize. There was a single armchair on either side of the table, presumably for discussing requests. To the right, a whole wall was lined with three-tiered wooden cabinets, their contents unknown. One section near the counter was only one tier high and held a television, conveniently facing one of the armchairs.
On the wall beside the TV was a pendulum clock, something rarely seen except in the homes of the elderly or in old-fashioned houses. In front of the girl was a solid wood square table, an item Alistair couldn't afford now. Not just in his original world, but here, he couldn't even afford the labor and moving costs for such a piece.
"Good evening. Are you the owner? I'm here to pick up something. My name is Alistair Vance."
Alistair answered politely. He figured anyone who could run an office like this, setting aside everything else, might have spent enough on the decor alone to buy two of the "high-class apartments" his grandfather owned. If he rented a place like this, he could probably live there until he died—assuming the rent didn't increase, of course, which would exclude long-lived demi-human races like Elves.
"Ah~ You must be Alistair Vance. I am the owner, and your grandfather's... such a heavy evil aura!"
The girl turned around. Her expression, initially relaxed, changed immediately. She backed up a few steps with a solemn look, cautiously examining Alistair.
Alistair now saw the girl in her entirety. Her facial features were soft and slightly rounded, though upon closer inspection, she had a bit of a melon-seed-shaped face. This didn't stop her from looking like a cute cat. Her long eyelashes and round, almond-shaped eyes gave her an air of innocence and purity, but her somewhat revealing outfit and her very well-developed oppai made her quite alluring.
Alistair also noticed the strangely colored cat sitting on the counter after she moved aside. The cat's fur was black and white, but not striped or spotted. The exact middle of the cat served as a dividing line: the left side was black, and the right was white—extremely rare, if not abnormal.
"Uh, is something wrong with me?"
Evil aura? Does this girl really have some skills? Alistair pointed to himself and asked the girl.
"Yes, you're radiating a surprisingly strong evil aura. This aura... I've only seen it on people who are already dead... Did you run into something on your way here?"
The cute girl was now completely serious, and her guess was surprisingly accurate, indicating she genuinely possessed some talent.
"On my way here, I encountered a woman who was incredibly tall. She was at least over two meters tall..."
Alistair fully disclosed his encounter with the Tall Woman, who he was ninety-nine percent sure was Hachishaku-sama. If this girl was skilled, she likely had older relatives. In every novel, TV show, anime, or movie, the elderly characters are usually highly skilled, like a certain "ordinary mortal" who is terrifyingly powerful. Failing that, the older characters might at least "drop some gold coins," either helping the protagonist get stronger or richer.
Alistair didn't have high demands. He just wanted someone to help him avert this disaster. Without help, Alistair would probably lose control the moment he stepped out with his item and walk right back to Hachishaku-sama, or perhaps wander aimlessly and be captured by her on the way, becoming an experience (essence) package, and then, despite the Horse Talisman, be forced into a daily life of being drained.
"Hachishaku-sama?! You actually ran into her!"
The girl's eyes widened in shock. Her words confirmed Alistair's suspicion. It really was Hachishaku-sama?
"The legendary 'Eight-Foot Lady'?"
Alistair didn't claim to know much about Hachishaku-sama, after all, his knowledge was limited to hentai and fan translations. It was best to leave this to the professionals.
"'Hachishaku-sama,' 'Eight-Foot Lady'—they are all names for that woman. Regardless of the name, the key characteristic is in the title: an eight-foot height is the most obvious feature. No one who has seen her knows what she truly looks like, as everyone who sees her dies, yet the legend somehow spread. However, in the legends, she is only supposed to make a 'Po... Po... Po...' sound. Why did she speak directly to you? And ask you to her house? Usually, spiritual creatures from ghost stories don't let their prey escape their control. That's strange..."
The girl confirmed that Alistair had encountered Hachishaku-sama and contracted her aura. She walked over and examined Alistair up and down. Since she couldn't detect anything particularly special about him, she was even more confused.
The aura Alistair had contracted seemed to her more like a marker, similar to how a dog marks its territory with urine. According to Alistair's account, the marker was likely placed on him when Hachishaku-sama stroked his head, which could both signal the location of her prey and warn others to stay away from her catch.
"The most urgent thing now is to first clear that mark from your body."
The girl put her hands on her hips, then snapped her right fist into her left palm. Remembering something, she then began her introduction.
"I almost forgot. My name is Hikari Hyakkiya. I'm the owner of this agency and very interested in abnormal events, which is why I opened this firm. This is Tamakin. She's a female cat, and don't let her appearance fool you—she's very powerful!"
Although Alistair felt that Hikari Hyakkiya was intentionally trying to be cute, her words still captured his attention. Having just experienced a so-called "special event," Alistair was sensitive and keenly noticed Hikari Hyakkiya's choice of words.
"She?"
"That's right, that's right. Tamakin is my great partner!"
Hikari Hyakkiya nodded, revealing a canine tooth and looking extremely cute.
"Shikigami (Summoned spirit)?"
Alistair was not in the mood for small talk. Her words made him think of the most famous supernatural concept in Japan: Onmyōji and Shikigami.
"Of course not!"
This time, it wasn't Hikari Hyakkiya who spoke, but the black-and-white cat, Tamakin. Her sudden speech startled Alistair. Since this wasn't an anime or game, seeing a cat speak human language firsthand was somewhat unsettling.
"A partner is a partner. Stop asking questions. Are you trying to check my family register?"
The cat, Tamakin, sounded slightly impatient. The unpleasant aura on Alistair was making her a little irritable.
"Now, now, calm down. Calm down. Alistair, I'm going to help you clear the aura Hachishaku-sama left on you." Hikari Hyakkiya soothed the cat, then addressed Alistair.
Hikari Hyakkiya then proceeded to lift her short skirt and, right in front of Alistair, pulled down her white panties. She asked Alistair with slight shyness, "You should take your pants off too. But this is my first time using this method. Do you want to do it, or should I? Or maybe on the table works too..."
?
When I type a question mark, it's not me who has the problem, it's you. This method of clearing an aura... Are you suggesting covering her aura with your own? NTR?
Alistair looked at the bashful and delicate Hikari Hyakkiya, momentarily speechless...