71 – 71. Thank you.
Main Hall of the Shrine.
A sacred statue draped in the mist of justice, overseeing the sacred space.
The two women hesitated, stealing glances at each other’s faces.
“Excuse me-“
“Ah, Sento-san?”
With her reddish-pink hair tied neatly with a white cloth even on the weekend, was Sawamura Sento in her school uniform.
And the woman in a red-brown hair, neatly tied with white cloth and wearing a priestess outfit, was Ichinose Houtaru.
Though they unexpectedly met in an unfamiliar place, they had crossed paths countless times before.
They were former classmates.
Not just that, they were seated right in front of each other, not even a meter apart.
“Um, you go fir-“
“No, you…”
“Go ahead…”
“Ah.”
“……Ah.”
This made the situation even more awkward.
Encountering an unexpected acquaintance in an unexpected place made them more cautious.
They pondered over what to say in a situation where both were hiding secrets.
‘…This awkwardness, what am I supposed to do about it.’
Feeling abandoned by someone who knew them both well left them in an incredibly awkward position.
Not knowing what the person in front of them was aware of made it difficult to start a conversation.
Especially for Ichinose Houtaru, it was hard to determine if the woman in front of her was just a visitor to the shrine or if she was a companion of Ichimaru Shiki with some hidden agenda.
Confusing, the mind was swirling.
Sawamura Sento seemed more certain about the identity of the person in front of her.
She must have heard about recruiting someone just before.
Sento assumed that the woman in front of her was the target, and with that guess in mind, she furrowed her brows.
“……Um, Sento-san. If you’re uncomfortable, I can-“
“No, it’s just that I feel responsible.”
“……Hmm?”
The problem lies with the one who left abruptly, why am I even worried about this.
Sawamura Sento suddenly realized.
What she needed to do now wasn’t to enjoy the awkwardness with a close acquaintance, but to leave it to the abandoned one to take responsibility.
With that realization, Sento extended her hand with a smile resembling someone else’s.
“It seems we should get along better than before. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
Sawamura Sento learned the crafty smile and audacity from someone nearby.
In her seemingly kind and gentle smile, the unjust priestess Ichinose Houtaru was momentarily taken aback.
“……Uh, huh?”
Perhaps it may be impolite, but Mr. Sawamura… has a similar vibe to Lord Ichimaru.
***
“Hoho, have you been well?”
Leaving them to quickly become friendly, I came to engage in adult conversation.
We sipped green tea.
“Well, thanks to an anonymous benefactor, I’ve been enjoying warm days recently.”
The elderly man in front of me, with creases around his eyes, was the caretaker of the shrine and the forest’s guardian. Apart from Hotaru, he was the most influential person in Tokyo. We had a fairly close relationship.
“hahahaha, whether it’s due to global warming or just hot weather! If the shrine doesn’t have air conditioning, shall we install one?!”
“I meant that my heart is warm. Shiiki-san. In a shrine protected by the gods, such advanced conveniences are unnecessary.”
“Oh, come on! It’s been over a century since air conditioning was invented?!”
“Well, perhaps because I’m old, if I feel a cool breeze, I start coughing, so I think it’s best to avoid it.”
“Ah! Our caretaker mustn’t catch a cold!”
“I’m always grateful for your concern.”
They were so skilled at engaging in such pointless conversations that they could carry on for tens of minutes.
I rarely visited the shrine in person, but I often contacted them for donations.
I worked for world peace, and the caretaker worked for the shrine’s well-being. It was an ideal relationship of mutual support.
“So, what brings you here today? You’re usually a recluse.”
There’s always someone a bit busier among them.
After a long and tedious conversation, the caretaker was the first to speak. It seemed I wouldn’t have much time as I needed to finish the shrine’s maintenance today.
In contrast, it was the weekend for me, with plenty of time and a desire to relax, or so it seemed. Well, that seemed to be over now.
“hahahaha! Oh, it’s nothing major. Just a trivial question!”
“It seems like quite a weighty question…”
“Nonsense! During a conversation with our school’s principal, a tiny bit of curiosity arose, and I had to come ask!”
“Hmm, what is it then?”
Seeing the old man looking so curious, I thought I should tell him quickly and smiled.
“At the mountain where the shrine is located. Since the appearance of the shrine maiden, does it always emit a purifying energy?”
“hahahaha, thanks to the diligence of the shrine maiden and the gods’ care.”
“I agree! But, isn’t there a palace on the mountain’s top? A sacred palace existing since the Meiji era.”
“…? Yes, that’s correct.”
“During a previous conversation, it came up that the energy from the mountain doesn’t reach the palace. Is that true?”
“I’m not sure why such a conversation would arise during a discussion with a student council member, but just as the ‘Hinokagutsuchinokami’ we enshrine here was reborn on this mountain, in the palace, each deity governs, so there are boundaries and laws to be respected.”
In short, it seemed like a warning not to spread the purifying energy too much around our palace.
“If it turns pitch black, it’ll be quite a commotion.”
If I were to imbue the purifying energy into my body as I did in my previous memory, it would surely cause chaos.
Despite the treaty, the barrier surrounding the sacred palace would automatically block the energy, but matters related to the gods occasionally transcended common sense.
On that side as well, it is about paying attention to the neighboring Mt. Yeongsan (靈山), the shrine (神社), and the fire priestess.
Because it can be frightening if done wrong. The more frightening it is, the more it should be utilized.
“Mr. Caretaker, do you still detest the evil that corrupts the order of the world?”
“…How could you say such an obvious thing! Those who defile the grace bestowed by the gods are all deserving of punishment! The foolish may have room for repentance, but evil has no such possibility!”
Looking at the stern face of the old man, I smiled contentedly.
“If I were to tie up the hands and feet of that evil and present them before you, Mr. Caretaker, would that be purification enough for you?”
“Hmph, of course!”
It was settled right then and there.
***
After finishing the conversation with the caretaker and stepping out, I saw Cento glaring at me with a furrowed brow.
Not something particularly surprising, I casually waved my hand.
“Did you have a good chat?!”
“…Yeah.”
“hahahaha, you seem awfully sullen for some reason?”
“…Are you trying to die or something?”
Feeling a sense of life suddenly, I quickly clapped my hands.
“Oh, come on. There’s no way. So, have you become quite friendly with Hotaru-san?”
“…Somewhat. Thanks to someone, I wasted a lot of time feeling awkward at first.”
“Heh, don’t know who, but they seem like a really bad person.”
“Truly shameless.”
“hahahahaha.”
Laughing happily at the somewhat ambiguous compliment, Cento, whose expression had softened a bit, asked.
“So, this Ichinose Hotaru is a new recruit or something?”
“Hmm, that’s right. He’s a talent I set out to recruit from the start, so it’s not new at all. Originally, I intended to recruit him before you, Cento.”
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“…Oh.”
At that, Sawamura Cento once again emitted a menacing aura.
I wish the initial poker face hadn’t disappeared, hoping to maintain the character a bit more.
“But does it have to be kept from Kitagawa Kenichi? The fact that a childhood friend is actually in the same field as us could be a sensitive issue.”
Cento raised that very natural question when we were about halfway down the stairs of the shrine.
I empathized with that question, nodded my head, and decisively reaffirmed what I had decided within.
“I won’t say anything.”
“…Why?”
“The reason is simple.”
Thinking of the foolish Kenichi in my mind, I spoke with a chuckling face.
“Because it’s entertaining.”
Sawamura Cento looked serious as he said, “I knew, but you really are wicked.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
***
After the weekend passed, it was Monday.
“Ah, why does school even exist.”
It was a day when Kitagawa Kenichi was trying to prove the significance of the existence of school through my mouth.
With the sports festival over, we had to pass the time until the final exams without any special events, but changes were gradually finding their way into the routine school life that spun like a wheel.
Well, this time it was closer to the return.
Just before the investigation began, there was a rare commotion behind the classroom.
“Eris-sama!”
“A cup of tea! Just one cup of tea!”
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen your face, my eyes are tearing up!”
“…Alright, then, please step back a bit.”
A blonde little girl, a magician of the stars.
It was the day Eris Betelgeuse returned to school after finishing her break in England.
She barely managed to push through the gathered crowd and approached me.
Eris, who approached with quick steps due to her short legs, spoke with her usual nonchalant expression.
“Can you spare a moment?”
“Well, I’m a very busy person, so I can’t really spare any time for you.”
“…Fine, then lend me your ear for a moment.”
With a sour expression, Eris gestured for me to lean in.
I reluctantly brought my ear closer to her, and the magician whispered in a stiff voice.
“Listen quietly, we are being watched right now.”
“Ah, I see.”
It was quite an interesting story.