This is great~ This is great~!
Although she had previously asked Ayaka to help introduce her, she understood the Shogun's status and position. Even if Ayaka mentioned her, there was no guarantee the Shogun would pay her any attention. After all, she was merely the owner of a small fireworks shop, nothing like the Yashiro Commission serving under the Shogun. So even she had thought there was absolutely no hope of something like this happening.
And yet, today, the Shogun had actually come to see her. The timing was admittedly not ideal. Put simply, she was very busy right now. But no matter how busy she was, she did not want to neglect her guest.
After all, this was the esteemed Shogun-sama, who had specifically come to visit her. Such a precious opportunity was hard to come by, so no matter what, she had to make sure the Shogun was properly looked after.
"Haa... I'm suddenly feeling a little nervous."
Looking at the noble woman before her, she covered her chest and spoke somewhat awkwardly.
"Why are you nervous? Am I frightening?"
The Shogun asked in confusion.
"No... It's just that you came so suddenly, and I didn't have anything prepared."
Yoimiya clasped her hands behind her back and thought about what she could do.
"You didn't seem nervous when you were joking with me just now..."
The Shogun spoke with a faint, concealed smile.
"Mm—right! Here, this is for you!"
Yoimiya suddenly thought of something and, as if performing a magic trick, pulled a small handheld firework from behind her back. She presented it to the beauty before her like a rose, the gesture carrying both liveliness and a touch of romance.
"...What is this?"
She froze slightly, still somewhat confused by the firework that had suddenly appeared, but instinctively raised a hand and accepted it.
"A firework~ Hehe... Pretty, isn't it~?"
Seeing the adorably puzzled expression on her face, the blonde girl gave her a warm, springlike smile.
"This is... a firework? Not one of those large ones...?"
She looked at the tiny firework in her hand, small and delicate like a flower stem. Its exterior had even been carefully wrapped in decorative paper matching the girl's own theme colors—red and gold.
"What you're talking about is a big firework, the kind that goes whoosh~ up into the sky~! This kind can be held in your hand and lit directly. It's really pretty~!"
Yoimiya explained excitedly. It was as though she had entered her area of expertise and immediately began talking without pause, her energetic and pleasant voice flowing comfortably into the Shogun's ears.
"I see. Can I light it now?"
She curiously asked while looking at the little object in her hand.
"Ah—wait, wait! It's still daytime, so you won't be able to see it clearly. Light it at night instead... How about I light one with you when the time comes~?"
Seeing this, Yoimiya immediately grabbed her soft hand and hurriedly stopped her. The warmth of that palm made the Shogun's heart feel strangely warm. Perhaps this was simply what the hands of a Pyro wielder felt like? Or perhaps the hands of someone who made fireworks? Or maybe energetic people simply had warm hands by nature?
"Is that so? Then I'll wait until later. You're the expert, so I'll listen to you."
Perhaps infected by the girl's friendly and energetic atmosphere, she gave Yoimiya a small smile after saying that.
"Mm~!"
Yoimiya happily nodded. She thought that Shogun-sama had probably never personally set off fireworks before, so as Inazuma's "Queen of the Summer Festival," she absolutely had to let the Shogun experience something so unforgettable. Of course, that would have to wait until her work was finished.
"About... that matter..."
When she came back to herself, she heard the Shogun starting to say something.
"Hm? What matter?"
Yoimiya looked at her in confusion, unsure what she was referring to.
"Haa... The Great Mujina Youkai."
The Shogun exhaled and decided to speak plainly.
"The Great Mujina Youkai? Ah... Mm, what about it?"
Yoimiya understood, then asked in puzzlement. Could Shogun-sama be interested in the Great Mujina Youkai too? Does she want to go looking for it as well?
"It clearly does not exist in this world. Why didn't you tell them the truth?"
The Shogun folded her arms, looking somewhat perplexed.
"Ah—you mean that. Actually... the 'Great Mujina Youkai' is really popular among children. If you casually deny its existence, you'll make them sad."
Yoimiya finally understood what she meant. She placed both hands on her hips and explained in her energetic voice.
"So you also know it doesn't exist?"
She asked.
"Mm. The first time I heard the story, I figured it was probably just a monster the children's parents made up to keep them from running around everywhere."
Yoimiya shrugged.
"...I see."
She propped up her chin and murmured thoughtfully. She understood now. It was basically one of those folk tales meant to keep children from coming home late, the sort that went, "If you come home late, the big bad wolf will eat you!"
But stories like that had a habit of arousing children's curiosity instead, ultimately defeating their original purpose. The three children from earlier were perfect examples.
"But when the children came to ask me about it, I didn't expose the truth. Instead, I told them the 'Great Mujina Youkai' looked cute, loved playing pranks, but didn't like hurting people."
Yoimiya continued.
"...So in other words, the reason they wanted to go searching for that thing was entirely because you encouraged them?"
She narrowed her eyes and asked somewhat speechlessly.
"Uh, hehe... More or less. In their hearts, they also believe the 'Great Mujina Youkai' is exactly the way I described it."
Yoimiya laughed awkwardly.
"This kind of lie really shouldn't be perpetuated. It could very well cause problems for them in the future."
After thinking for a moment, she still voiced her own understanding and opinion.
"...Maybe. But no matter what... it isn't really my place to be the one who shatters it, right, Shogun-sama?"
Hearing this, Yoimiya lowered her eyes for a second before raising them again to meet the Shogun's gaze.
"..."
The Shogun silently looked at the girl before her without answering.
"Besides, in all of Inazuma, who other than children would actually believe something like the 'Great Mujina Youkai' exists? Most people probably wouldn't pay attention to things like this at all. Children are different because they still possess the innocence adults lack. And their parents may only have made up the story to stop them from running around, or perhaps for some other reason."
Yoimiya turned and walked toward the beach, her long legs moving lightly. When she reached a certain spot, she stopped and crouched down, picked up a crab that had been flipped onto its back, and placed it upright again on the sand as she continued speaking.
Her exquisitely beautiful profile entered the Shogun's field of vision... causing the Shogun's gaze to unconsciously focus on her.
"If I don't understand the full situation and casually go telling them something like, 'The Great Mujina Youkai doesn't exist!' I could very well end up hurting them."
Watching the crab gradually crawl back toward the sea, the girl's eyes became slightly distant.
"You're afraid of affecting their childhood?"
The Shogun also walked over and stood beside the girl, looking out at the sea.
"Mm. For children, it's enough that they believe in something and like it. Whether it's real or fake... honestly, that isn't all that important."
The girl beside her stood up again, crossing her legs slightly as she stood and casually raising both arms behind her head to use them as a pillow.
"A child's childhood is actually something very precious. To us, it might feel distant, and we may not think it's anything special. But to them, it's an irreplaceable treasure. Childhood is one of the things that can most easily influence how a child grows up, Shogun-sama."
Yoimiya looked at her again.
"I'm the same way, actually. When I was little, there were so many things I dreamed about. Of course, I still do now. Things like 'Fire Drills' that spin around and spray rainbow-colored light after you ignite them, or 'Mist Spirits' that guide lost travelers through deep mountains. There are tons and tons of things like that. I know they're fake and don't really exist, but I'm still willing to believe in them. If someone came up to me and said, 'Don't be stupid, those things don't exist,' I'd get really mad. I'd throw rocks at them and make faces~!"
Yoimiya puffed out her cheeks and pretended to be angry, then picked up a small pebble and skipped it across the surface of the sea to match her words.
Plip plip plip! ×N
The stone bounced nimbly across the water several times before finally sinking.
"..."
The Shogun looked at the distant ripples, then turned her gaze back toward the girl.
"Pfft~ Because people like that really are annoying. They can't read the mood at all."
Yoimiya smiled at her again.
"Even so, throwing rocks and making faces sounds rather childish."
The Shogun teased.
"Hehe~ That's true. But I can't think of anything more suitable for dealing with people like that."
Yoimiya scratched her head somewhat awkwardly.
"In that case, you should dislike me too. I also said something that failed to read the mood when I spoke to those children just now."
After thinking about it, she still said it aloud. At the time, she truly had not understood these things very well and had merely approached the matter from her own perspective without considering the atmosphere.
"Huh? N-No, not at all~! I wasn't blaming you, and didn't I already say that none of this was your fault?"
Hearing this, Yoimiya immediately waved her hands in a panic to show that she had absolutely no such thoughts, not even the slightest trace of them. Her usually energetic face now held an adorably flustered expression. How could she possibly dislike Shogun-sama?
"Is it that you 'don't'... or that you 'wouldn't dare to'~?"
Seeing her like this, the Shogun could not help laughing softly. A mischievous glint entered her eyes as she deliberately asked the question.
"Mm—really, I don't~! No, wait... I neither do nor would dare to~!"
Yoimiya squeezed her eyes shut and threw caution to the wind as she defended herself.
"Pfft..."
Looking at the girl's adorable expression, the Shogun could not help covering her lips with one hand and laughing softly, her furisode unfolding gracefully as she raised her arm.