Ishikari’s mother sighed as she closed her eyes briefly, then sat back where she was initially.

“You say things like this kind of matter are familiar for you… Normal people wouldn’t react the way you do.”

Suga smiled.

“Can be said, this is still within my line of work as an investigator.”

Ishikari’s mother looked curious.

“It’s true that I know of something, and this is related to Kagohara village. I was only ten years old at the time so I didn’t really know what was going on. But Kagohara town contains the residents who used to live in Kagohara village before.”

Suga appeared to remember something as he thought.

“The retired reporter I met at the inn’s restaurant also said the same thing, so it can be said that this information is correct….”

Suga looked curious.

“The owner of the inn where I’m staying is called Unjyo san, do Aunt know her?”

Ishikari’s mother was slightly surprised.

“Of course, she was also from Kagohara village.”

Suga was surprised; he remembered how Mrs. Unjyo said she didn’t know there was a village called Kagohara.

“Is there any reason why everyone seems bothered just to tell about Kagohara village?”

Ishikari’s mother nodded.

“Yes, that’s because of the tradition passed down for generations to hold sacrifice rituals every year.”

Suga was surprised to hear that and had a bad feeling.

“What Aunt mean sacrifice ritual?”

Ishikari’s mother’s expression turned gloomy.

“I already expect you would queastioning it. It was humans who were sacrificed.”

Suga was so shocked that he stood up from his seat.

“How can that be....”

Ishikari’s mother’s expression turned serious.

“Let me finish my story first Hisoka san.”

Suga’s expression turned serious, and then sat back in his place. Ishikari’s mother continued telling the story.

“But that hasn’t been done for a long time, after all the villagers from my grandfather and grandmother’s generation were all gone.”

Ishikari’s expression turned disturbed.

Flashback to several decades ago. Remembered back by Ishikari's mother when she was ten years old. Dozens of people wore kimonos, ten of them wearing Shinto priest attire with cloth veils covering their faces and carrying monk staffs (shakujō). Among the ten Shinto priests, a woman in her 40s walked in the middle with a dreamy expression and her hands tied in front of her with a red cloth rope. Her wrist strap is a knot of ten cloth ropes connected to the ten Shinto priests' staffs around her. The ten Shinto priests walked with the woman in the middle while reciting mantras and occasionally stamping their monk staffs on the ground. They walked in the wilderness with shady, tall, and big trees around them. Ten years old Ishikari's mother's expression changed to fear when she saw that there appeared to be a big black silhouette moving in the darkness of the forest and continuing to watch them all; she then closed her eyes while holding onto the hands of her father and mother who showed a serious expression. Soon, a wide altar with short steps and surrounded by ten wooden pillars is visible in the distance. Flashback ends.

Back in the present. Ishikari's mother looked lost in thought, remembering all that.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“The ritual was last performed when I was ten years old. The generations that followed, namely my father's and mother's generation, agreed not to continue the ritual any longer."

Suga recalled the investigation documents the old man had given in the inn's restaurant room yesterday. Suga thought.

"This is similar to a fairy tale discovered by an Uncle who met me at the inn's restaurant yesterday."

Suga said.

"The ritual Aunt mean is for the Guardian gods of Kagohara village?"

Ishikari’s mother looked slightly surprised.

"Right, how did you know?"

Suga answered.

"I got that information from someone who used to investigate the Kagohara village missing persons case."

Ishikari's mother nodded.

“Yes, the sacrifice ritual was offered to the Kagohara village’s Guardian gods. The villagers agreed not to carry out this ancient and strange ritual anymore for the common good.”

Suga nodded as he thought.

“So that's why everyone was bothered and insisted on hiding it....”

Ishikari’s mother continued talking.

"We have agreed even though we have always been warned that if the ritual is stopped, it will anger the Guardian gods."

Suga's expression turned surprised.

“Sounds like something Guardian gods wouldn't do.”

Ishikari's mother nodded.

“That's why we agreed to stop that senseless sacrifice ritual.”

Suga nodded; his expression then turned curious.

"This sacrifice ritual, can Aunt tell me how the victim will be sacrificed?"

Ishikari's mother nodded.

“The victim was escorted to somewhere in the middle of the forest by villagers and ten Shinto priests while reciting the mantra. The victim was then sat in the seiza position in the middle of an altar and tied with ropes connected to ten wooden pillars. The villagers then returned to the village and left the victim there alone. The next day, the villagers will check again at the altar, and if the victim is not there, it means that the ritual has been successfully performed."

Suga looked a little surprised.

"Have Aunt ever seen what this Guardian gods looks like?"

Ishikari's mother looked doubtful.

“No, but there is a painting of it in a locked shrine specially built for this Guardian gods near the village. None of the villagers had seen this Guardian gods. It is only based on stories from villagers who saw a large shadow figure in the middle of the forest. It is said that only those who were sacrificed ever saw the Guardian gods in person.”

Suga’s expression turned serious.

"I need to know how the story goes."

Ishikari's mother nodded.

“The villagers stopped the sacrifice ritual, and nothing happened at first. Villagers feel safe and secure. Until finally, the calamity happened."

Suga listened and watched Ishikari’s mother carefully, whose expression turned serious.

“Although no sacrifices were made, there are cases of missing persons every year. The worst happened in 1987, when natural disasters and massive missing persons cases happened. Everyone is starting to believe it's because the villagers stopped the sacrifice ritual and angered Kagohara village Guardians gods.”

Suga was a little surprised to hear that.

“I have also known about that disaster. It kind of weird if the two happened close together.”

Ishikari's mother nodded.

"The villagers could no longer hide their fears, which caused them to move from Kagohara village."

Suga appeared to notice something.

“I also found out about it from the news articles.”

Ishikari's mother nodded.

“As luck would have it, a landslide disaster occurred and cut off access to Kagohara village. We started to think that if we had gotten rid of this calamity, but then missing person cases happened again.”

Suga's expression turned serious.

"Can Aunt estimate how many people have gone missing in the village and town of Kagohara after the sacrifice ritual was stopped?"

Ishikari's Mother’s expression turned doubtful.

"I don't know for sure, but if you add up the cases this year with what happened in the Kagohara village in the past, it's already in the tens."

Suga's expression turned serious; he then appeared to realize something.

"The road access that leads to Kagohara village, is it the blocked road near Kagohara town entrance road?"

Ishikari's mother was slightly surprised.

"That's right, it's been a long time since anyone has been there."

Suga's expression turned serious.

"Okay, leave this case to me, Aunt."

Ishikari’s mother nodded, looking a bit depressed to the point where she looked lost in thought. Seeing Ishikari's mother, Suga's expression turned curious.

"Anything else Aunt want to say to me?"

Ishikari’s mother came to her senses.

"Actually, after a long time the ritual was not carried out, but about ten years ago, someone sacrificed himself to quell the anger of the Guardian gods."

Suga was surprised to hear that.

“Can Aunt tell me in more detail?”

Ishikari’s mother looked doubtful.

"Unfortunately, I don't know the full story because the ritual was carried out by a limited number of needed people, all of whom came from my father's and mother's generation."

Suga's expression turned curious.

“After the ritual was performed, were there any changes?”

Ishikari’s mother shook her head.

“No. Basically, there are still people gone missing, namely people who were sacrificed.”

Suga's expression turned serious. Ishikari’s mother continued talking.

“I suggest you meet Kagohara village elder to learn the details.”

Suga's expression changed a little astonished, then nodded.

“Alright, Aunt. I’ll do my best to investigate it.”

Ishikari’s mother smiled and nodded. Suga said.

“I’ll excuse myself.”

Suga got up from his seat and bowed politely toward Ishikari’s mother, who then did the same.

The current time is 8:45 am. Suga rode his bicycle, heading back to the inn with Nellson standing in the basket. Nellson turned around and then looked at Suga.

"What should we do now, Suga?"

Suga glanced at Nellson occasionally while still riding his bicycle.

“We continue to investigate where this all started, Kagohara village. To find important clues. Get ready to fly, Nellson."

Nellson nodded, then turned back to face the front of the bicycle.