Help! I changed the gender of the male protagonist in the yandere game

The "Phantom Scale Armor" is a soft armor-type defensive gear crafted from the scales and bones of the great serpent demon "Serpent Lord" defeated in a certain area of Northeast Japan.

Back at the inn, after trying it on in his room, Hyakusuke discovered that the soft armor was light as a feather, feeling like nothing at all when worn. Moreover, the defensive power of the soft armor made from serpent demon scales was considerable.

"Even a Chunin's ninja blade can't pierce it."

He experimented and found that his own sword could not damage the soft armor, whether he tried to chop, cut, or stab it.

The ninja blades issued to the Black Princess Mountain clan's Chunin-level ninjas are of good quality, and they are inscribed with vermilion ink runes made from mercury and cinnabar.

The ninja blades are also imbued with the "Sharpness Technique," which allows them to cut iron like mud, and the "Resilience Technique," which maintains the stability of the steel blade and prevents metal cracking and crystal structure defects—such a blade, in the hands of someone who can use spiritual power, is undoubtedly a divine weapon.

"This is truly a good item. The Second Young Lady is being exceptionally generous this time. This light armor should be a C-rank weapon…"

He murmured to himself.

'Although it can't compare to the B+-rank treasured sword Brahma Circle, nor can it be compared to the two treasured swords in Yami's hands, even the exorcists of the main family may not be able to wear this kind of C-rank light armor.'

In this world, weapons made of ordinary iron have natural flaws for exorcists who fight demons, such as the most common one: difficulty in conducting spiritual power.

Ordinary iron and common metals, in addition to being difficult to conduct spiritual power, can sometimes hinder the conduction of spiritual power, weakening its power.

This is because the essence of spiritual power can only be transmitted in organic bodies and has limited effects on inorganic substances.

The Seven-Section Staff that Hyakusuke obtained had a shaft core made of a hundred-year-old sacred tree from a shrine, which naturally possessed a powerful spiritual power transmission effect. The spearhead was also mixed with a trace of Scarlet Metal, which allowed it to injure demons.

In fact, the vast majority of exorcists use swords and blades that are not ordinary iron. Without exception, their weapons are mixed with rare metals such as Orichalcum, Mithril, Adamantium, Cold Iron, Scarlet Metal, and Celestial Jade.

This is because these rare metals have low yields and different material properties, making it too wasteful to use them directly to forge complete weapons.

The most suitable solution is to combine them with ordinary iron, forging various alloy materials according to different ratios.

Armor and other defensive gear are the same. Metal can only reduce the efficiency of spiritual power conduction; it cannot completely isolate it, nor can it withstand physical attacks.

For exorcists, wearing heavy armor made of ordinary iron will only weaken their spiritual power, slow down their movements, and reduce their defensive power due to the weakening effect of the ordinary iron armor. It is better not to wear armor at all and instead strengthen the body with spiritual power or create a barrier to defend.

"Swords and blades are slightly better. It's even more difficult to make armor that can protect exorcists…"

He was quite satisfied with this armor but had many complaints about another piece of equipment given to him by the Second Young Lady, Kuzuha.

"It's a collar, of all things. I feel like it'll be troublesome if people see me wearing it."

Hyakusuke tried to secretly take it off.

However, he soon discovered that this thing was enchanted with some kind of technique, making it impossible to remove.

'Unless you can figure out how to take your head off, you won't be able to remove the collar…'

Suddenly, the girl's voice reached his mind.

"Kuzuha-san?"

Hyakusuke was shocked.

'This is a function of the collar itself; it allows for 'telepathic' connection.'

The girl's lazy voice rang in his consciousness.

'I designed various functions into the collar. This is just one of them… You dare to try to remove the 'gift' given to you by your master? You're truly ungrateful…'

Hyakusuke was extremely embarrassed, but then he thought about it and became quite suspicious.

"But, Kuzuha-san, how did you know I was going to take off the collar?"

"…"

This time, it was Kuzuha who fell silent. She had not expected to slip up and be discovered by Hyakusuke.

"You should be resting with Lord Suoh now… That's quite a distance from here."

Hyakusuke asked suspiciously, "Did you send a shikigami to monitor me? Or is it that this collar…"

"I just sent an invisible shikigami to check on you, that's all."

Kuzuha gave a forced laugh.

"Anyway, about this collar, put your hand behind your neck; there's something there you can try to adjust."

Hyakusuke followed her instructions, feeling around the collar behind his neck. The next second, the collar disappeared.

"An invisibility technique?"

He was very surprised.

"That's right, and it can also conceal that ugly curse mark on your neck."

Kuzuha giggled, and Hyakusuke could even imagine her covering her mouth with her sleeve.

"In addition, this extremely high-level invisibility technique is fixed on the enchanted tool. You can also use this technique to hide yourself… Although it can't achieve the 'silent assassination' of the Shadow Cage Agency, that level of eliminating one's own presence, it will still take a while for even a practitioner of average skill to sense you."

"Is it that amazing?"

Suddenly, Hyakusuke thought of Renjo Senjuro. He asked in a low voice, "What exactly is the background of this chairman of the Renjo Trading Company? This light armor, this collar… even the artisans of the Noto Academy can't achieve this level, right?"

'Because those arrogant fools look down on Western alchemy and newly introduced overseas technology; they only cling to the old ways.'

Kuzuha scoffed at her clan's artisans while continuing to explain the collar's functions via telepathy.

'You don't need to make a sound. Try communicating with me via telepathy, conveying your thoughts in your heart, and you can turn your thoughts into telepathy.'

"I understand."

Hyakusuke nodded.

"Telepathy" is an extremely high-level spiritual art. Originally, with his terrible magical skills, it would be difficult for him to learn.

'Um… can you hear this sentence?'

'Don't say meaningless nonsense with telepathy. Every word you say consumes your own spiritual power.'

'Understood.'

'As for Renjo Senjuro you mentioned, that guy is just an old lecher. Although he is the head clerk of the Renjo Trading Company, he has no children, no wife… He does have many women, but they are probably just for show. That kind of shrewd merchant won't confide in anyone.'

After speaking, she added:

'But, strangely enough, he comes here every year to sweep the graves and pay respects to a woman who died many years ago.'

'Who?!'

Hyakusuke's tone was excited.

'It should be the former High Priestess of the Sacred Cherry Main Shrine, right?'

Kuzuha asked suspiciously, 'Why are you so concerned about that old man Senjuro?'

Hyakusuke did not answer; he fell into thought.

In the original game, Renjo Senjuro also appeared, but he was assassinated in the prologue stage of the "Heavenly Cherry Mahoroba Grand Exorcism Festival" game.

His assassination was also covered up by someone with ulterior motives, turning it into a disappearance incident.

Renjo Senjuro's true identity was no small matter. In addition to being a merchant serving the Imperial Family, he was also an informant in the common world for a certain Imperial nobleman.

Because of his death, a series of subsequent problems were triggered.

'Moreover, according to the game's setting, one of the conditions for destroying the Impure Spirit's seal is to steal a treasure that the Renjo family has treasured for generations… If Renjo Senjuro is not killed, or if the enemy does not seize this item, it will be difficult to fulfill this condition for releasing the Netherworld Impure Spirit.'

Hyakusuke muttered softly in his heart.

'So, saving him would bring great benefits.'

After careful consideration, he decided to ask Kuzuha for help.

'Kuzuha-san, about Renjo Senjuro, he will be assassinated soon.'

'What? Why do you know this?'

'Kuzuha-san, if we, the Black Princess Mountain clan, prevent Renjo Senjuro from being assassinated, we might be able to make the Renjo Trading Company owe us a big favor.'

Hyakusuke said calmly.

'What nonsense are you talking about?'

Kuzuha reacted very quickly.

'No, even if that old guy is killed, what does it have to do with our Black Princess Mountain clan? A person like him, with so many years of merchant life, has made countless enemies; assassination is completely commonplace for him.'

Although she said that, she did not doubt Hyakusuke's judgment.

In the past, the same thing had happened to her. Hyakusuke would always make predictions in advance with an extraordinary "insight," showing forward-looking views on the situation, and afterwards, it would be proven that he was right.

Since Hyakusuke said that "Senjuro will be assassinated," then there must be a reason for it. She believed him from the bottom of her heart.

However, the thing that Kuzuha hated the most was putting in effort for outsiders. She didn't care at all whether the head of the Renjo Trading Company lived or died.

'That being said, there will definitely be changes in the Renjo Trading Company after Senjuro dies, right?'

Hyakusuke asked, 'The Black Princess Mountain clan's business regarding medicinal herb processing should have cooperation with the Renjo Trading Company, right?'

He was asking about the medicinal herb business led by Kuzuha, which was also the "capital" of her faction. To distribute medicinal herbs to surrounding areas and process them into medicines, they also needed channels for receiving and shipping goods. The Black Princess Mountain clan did not have its own channels in this regard, so it must have commercial allies.

'You are quite clever, even thinking of this level.'

Kuzuha sneered.

'If the old guy dies, it will have some impact on my business… However, I am a non-interventionist. The life and death of others are not important to me, and I will not bother to help an outsider.'

'Then let me come forward.'

Hyakusuke smiled.

'Kuzuha-san, you just need to sit back and enjoy the results. Leave all the dirty and tiring work to me, your servant. I will handle things properly. After saving Renjo Senjuro, I will also say that it was the divine calculation of my wise and divine master. Conversely, if I cause trouble, just push the responsibility onto me. You don't need to worry about these things at all.'

"You."

The smile disappeared from Kuzuha's face. She had to take a deep breath to suppress all kinds of complex emotions.

She thought, that's not it…

Don't you understand? It's clearly such a small thing. You just need to say "Please help me." Yes, as long as it's something that benefits you personally, then I won't ask for reasons or meaning, because it's my duty.

But, you insist on turning things into a transaction of interests, turning it into a relationship between a loyal servant and a master, then how am I supposed to make a decision?

Kuzuha bit her lip hard.

In the end, she decided to compromise and comply with his request.

'I understand, servant. You should work hard~~ Just to be clear, servant, if you cause trouble, I will abandon you.'

There was no way; she simply couldn't refuse him.

She doted on her lover from the bottom of her heart.