I became the emperor in the comic book series.

However, why is his consciousness projected onto her mother instead of the original female protagonist? And why is it so early in time? Her mother was still just a child.

Akira Higashino was very receptive to information. As if sensing his unusual nature, Ichiyo Miyamizu put down her work and took the initiative to entertain him, answering his questions without hesitation.

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P.S.: I still owe 30 chapters. The remaining 19 chapters are from the recommendation votes and monthly ticket rewards for this book, which I promised to pay back in this book.

Futaba Miyamizu is not the female lead. She is more than 20 years older than the protagonist. Considering the protagonist's age of 20, and considering the timeline at the beginning of the story, even if she doesn't die young like in the original story, she would be around 50 years old. Therefore, if she were to take on a female lead, it could only be her daughter.

Chapter 50 Let's go

Early in the morning, Akira Higashino woke up from his dream once again.

Seeing the familiar ceiling above his head, he took out his phone from beside his pillow, turned it on, and glanced at the time and date.

Only a few hours have passed since I fell asleep last night.

Whether it was the montage-like scenes in the dream where one first watched the more than 100-year history of the origin of the Kashiihime Shrine from an outsider's perspective, or the subsequent immersive experience where one actually used Miyamizu Futaba's body for a whole day, if it really was a body swap, it should be at least the second day now.

[The situation has changed.]

His feelings and speculations were correct; he had only descended into Miyamizu Futaba's body through the nearly broken bond in a form similar to a consciousness projection, and Miyamizu Futaba had not been able to successfully switch bodies with him.

It's just unknown where Miyamizu Futaba's consciousness went in this situation.

That line can still be used two or three more times.

If it happens to her again next night, it's necessary to ask her about the specific situation.

Akira Higashino had a vague feeling that this initial line was closely related to his origins. Although he didn't see the key content last night, it didn't mean he had to give up observing.

Beside him, I saw Higashino Akira wake up.

Shoko Toyokawa stepped on the bad guy's chest, looking down at him with a worried expression on her face.

It was the first time I'd ever seen him sleep so peacefully. He wasn't hugging me, wasn't touching me, and didn't even react when I meowed in his ear or patted his head.

The kitten is worried!

Seeing this, Higashino gently pushed her head away and patted her bottom. Instantly, Xiangzi's tail stood up, and her original worries vanished. She glared at the guy and turned away.

It's already this bad right after I woke up, but it seems like I'm alright.

[As emperor, please acquire your own subjects as soon as possible. For every 1000 subjects, the number of times you can be granted a divine mandate will increase by 1 (in progress: 637/1000)]

The mission progress has improved a bit more, though it can't compare to the rapid growth of the first two days, but it's still quite considerable.

Higashino Akira told Miko to take good care of Shoko and then left.

Around noon, I stopped at the foot of a mountain on the outskirts of the Tokyo metropolitan area and met up with the Hogetsu Eiko sisters, who had driven over.

The line representing that evil connection stops on this mountain.

Xiangzi's situation isn't urgent; at most, he'll be a kitten for a while longer. There's no danger to his life. The real threat is the malicious guy that Jianzi has provoked. If left unattended, this little crybaby sister might suddenly disappear one day.

Let's go.

"Let's go encounter ghosts!"

As soon as the two sisters arrived, Bao Yue, carrying her schoolbag, shouted out a slogan without any emotion. Behind her, Bao Yue Yongzi also shouted out in response with a smile, and they prepared to follow Bao Yue up the mountain.

Behind him, Higashino Akira, who had been waiting for a long time, couldn't help but laugh in exasperation at the two sisters' nonchalant behavior. He quickly reached out, picked up Xiao Yexiao's schoolbag, pulled her back, and forcefully pinched the little brat's cheeks to both sides.

"It hurts so much... Yongzi, help me."

Higashino Akira looked over at her.

"Oops!" Bao Yue Yongzi quickly covered her face upon seeing this.

"Do you even know what's on the mountain, or what its specifics are, before you're just going to go straight up?"

Higashino Akira released her hand, put the snack back on the ground, and tapped her on the head.

He only came to find thugs, not to send elementary school students to their deaths.

Going in before even getting the information would be reckless!

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yexiao pulled out a fox-shaped plush toy that was firmly locked with chains and clasps from her small backpack.

“I’ve brought along the latest graduate. This kid has a terrible temper, so I can’t know her specific abilities. I need to find a worthy opponent for her to test her.”

"Yongzi carried with her to buy time to retrieve her and another graduate, just in case."

If that's the case, then what about me?

Akira Higashino discovered a fatal blind spot.

"Keep waiting, there's no rush."

As dusk fell, the Luan people who had scattered to gather intelligence gradually returned, bringing back the information they had collected along the way. They then began to set up camp in an orderly manner, lighting a campfire and preparing dinner.

Higashino Akira, Hogetsu Eiko, and Hogetsu Yosho sat together, each flipping through the intelligence in their hands.

After gaining a general understanding of the origins of the things on this mountain, Bao Yue felt that if it was just a mountain god that had lost its incense offerings for a long time, it was worth fighting and had a high chance of winning.

After thinking for a while, Higashino Akira still refused her request to act now. He planned to wait until the person he sent out brought over the local matriarch who knew about this place to re-verify the credibility of the information. If he was confident, he would then act at noon the next day when the sun was at its strongest.

On our first night camping, we had a barbecue, refused to let Xiaoluo Li touch me, and helped her with her homework.

Night falls, and I drift into dreams following my instincts.

A familiar sense of arrival arose, and Higashino Akira opened his eyes again, finding himself back in that familiar bedroom.

Akira Higashino sat up in bed, a notebook slipping from his chest onto the blanket.

He looked down and realized that the rise and fall of his chest was unusual.

I roughly estimated with my hands that it was about the size of Xiangzi.

Opening the notebook, one finds it densely covered with various writings. The handwriting has evolved from initially hesitant and stumbling to later becoming neat and legible, clearly indicating that it has been written on and off for quite some years.

"Hello, my name is Futaba Miyamizu. What's your name?"

"You have no idea who I saw last time!"

"I always have so many knots to knit lately, it's so annoying..."

"Why does the shrine maiden have to make kuchikamizake (a type of sake made by chewing rice) in front of everyone? It's so embarrassing!"

"The countryside looks the same all year round. I really want to go back to the big city."

"I want to change it again, Kamisama, please!"

"I must get into a high school in the city!"

"..."

The notes are mostly complaints about daily life and longings for urban life, with a small portion expressing curiosity and anticipation about body swapping.

At least, it lets people know that when Higashino Akira's consciousness projected into her body last time, she did not lose her consciousness; instead, she had a different experience.

A ballpoint pen was tucked into the side of the notebook. He thought for a moment and wrote his name after her first question.

Akira Higashino

After finishing, Higashino Akira closed his notebook and left the room without changing his clothes, since Miyamizu Futaba was already a grown woman and it wasn't appropriate.

As she stepped outside, Miyamizu Ichiyo was preparing breakfast. Seeing that her daughter's walking posture and demeanor were completely different from the usual girls, she immediately understood what had happened and greeted him gently.

"Long time no see, I hope you are well."

"Can you tell me what has happened over the years? Has anything special happened?"

Higashino Akira sat at the table, resting his chin on his hand, gazing at the woman in the kitchen whose face no longer resembled her youthful self, whose eyes were now etched with wrinkles by the years, yet who still possessed a calm and composed demeanor.

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P.S.: Still owes 29 chapters. So young, so incredibly young! When the reward was offered, all I knew was to say was I'd double it next week if I couldn't finish. But then the original work was ruined by fanfiction, and I couldn't continue writing, so I still hadn't finished. Every week I was just short, every week I doubled it, and in the end, I still had this much left. I'll keep doubling it until the next book finishes. Thankfully, there's no time limit this time. I'll finish when I've paid off the ones I owed from the last book.

Chapter Fifty-One: I'm Very Rich

The next morning, Akira Higashino woke up in his tent, rubbing his temples with a slight headache.

We still haven't gained any useful information.

Moreover... she is a mother after all. Even if she seems calm on the surface, once she starts reminiscing about the past and talking about her daughter, she becomes very talkative.

It would be impolite to interrupt.

If you don't interrupt, there's always a sense of helplessness, like a lonely person being relentlessly attacked in the face by someone with a happy family, with no way to escape.

As Higashino Akira stepped out of the tent, his bodyguard, Jun Luan, silently brought him toiletries. At the same time, a new guest in the camp turned his gaze to him, his pupils suddenly contracting as if he had seen something terrifying, before quickly concealing his emotions.

Ignoring the old woman's reaction, Higashino Akira finished washing up and sat down next to them, quietly listening to them exchange information and discuss tactics.

As the most experienced and oldest member of the group, Takeda Mie was asking her teammates about their situation. After all, the enemy this time was a genuine mountain god, so she had to be very careful about her plans to go into the mountains.

"Little girl, what's your name? What are your abilities?" Takeda Sae asked, looking at Hogetsu Yoshino.

“Baoyue Yexiao, I have the ability to see spirits and command evil spirits that I have subdued.” Yexiao held the doll in her arms, her tone remaining consistently calm.

Takeda Saegusa stared at the doll the child was holding for a moment, nodded, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, and then looked at the sunny young girl beside her.

“My name is Baoyue Yongzi!” The girl smiled brightly. “I’m actually Yexiao’s assistant, and Yexiao has left me with some help to protect me.”

She pointed to the backpack next to her, which was casually placed on the ground and had a small part of a doll's head peeking out.

Takeda Saegusa breathed a sigh of relief; at least both of them were capable of protecting themselves, thankfully.

She looked at Higashino Akira one last time. From the beginning, this young man was surrounded by a kind of cursed power that she felt was very dangerous. Most people would have died hundreds of times over if they encountered this situation, but she found nothing unusual about him.

"Young man, what abilities do you have?"

Upon hearing this, Higashino Akira raised his eyes, looked at her, and calmly said, "I am very rich."

Takeda Sane: "...?"

Higashino Akira waved from behind. A servant stepped forward and handed him a remote control.

Akira Higashino pressed the start button on a truck parked on one side of the camp. As the command was given, the truck's rear door slowly opened, and the scene inside made Takeda Sae, a traditional psychic who had been a psychic her whole life, widen her eyes in astonishment.

Inside the specially made truck, twelve large industrial-grade drones were neatly arranged. Their carbon fiber fuselages gleamed coldly, and each drone had a specially made chemical explosive charge hanging below its mounting point, with a red light flashing on its fuse.

“It’s a custom-made model from Daqin Heavy Industry, with a load capacity of 50 kilograms and a range of 40 minutes.” Higashino Akira’s tone was as calm as if he were introducing a lawnmower in his own backyard. “The explosives are homemade by me using ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder. The detonation velocity is over 7,000 meters per second, and the power is slightly greater than TNT. If that’s not enough, there are two more trucks behind.”

Takeda Saegusa remained silent.

She had lived most of her life and had seen exorcisms using talismans, magical artifacts, and spells. She even knew of someone who used a breath of pure yang energy from their lower body to send an evil spirit to paradise and deliver it from suffering.

But using drones and explosives is a first for them.

“If you fail, these drones are our escape route. They can bring us out of the mountains. Then, I will order the drones to carry explosives, locate the coordinates from high altitude, and launch a self-destructing explosion at the shrine building.”

"Won't this attract mold?" Hozuki Eiko exclaimed from the side. "And what if it starts a forest fire..."

Looking at her calm-looking senior, she suddenly couldn't quite figure out who he was.

To be able to get so much stuff in such a large quantity, you must have connections everywhere!

"Don't worry, once everything is over, the three nearby fire stations will be on standby, ready to rush to the front line to put out the fire at any time."

It's okay if there's a small fire, since we're still in the development stage and can't openly cause trouble. Every fire station has its own people, and when there's a fire, everyone rushing to the front line is one of their own. Evidence can be collected in advance, and the cause of the fire can be made up, like a bird carrying a cigarette butt into the woods.

Akira Higashino had even fabricated surveillance footage of birds carrying burning cigarette butts into the woods beforehand.

"What about the losses caused by the fire?"

“I bought this hilltop in advance.”

Takeda Saegusa remained silent, and Hōgetsu Eiko was so shocked that she was completely speechless.

Little Luo Li Bao Yue Ye Xiao also looked at Dong Ye Ming with sparkling eyes, and began to speculate whether his divine position was a god of wealth or something similar.

As noon approached, the group of four set off up the mountain with their tools.

Although ordinary sunlight has little effect on suppressing evil spirits, Akira Higashino still set the departure time at this time, at least to make the light brighter and facilitate human movement.

Meanwhile, Jun Luan was left at the foot of the mountain to guard the trucks, ready to deploy drones to provide support at any time.

Walking up the mountain path, Takeda Saegusa slowly recounted her grudge against the mountain god.

Decades ago, she and someone very important to her also ventured into the mountain god's realm to try to suppress that evil god. In the end, her companion was left there forever, and only she managed to escape.

Later, she warned others as much as possible not to go up the mountain or into the shrine, but knowing that she was not strong enough, she was unable to rush in and face the evil god again.