The night passed without a word.
In the end, Mori Tsukisa didn't make Miss Yuu, who had worked hard all day, prepare a late-night snack under the moonlight.
The next day was the appointed time to visit the Miyamizu Family.
Mori Tsukisa agreed with the young shopkeeper that she would return for lunch, then set off with her Attendants, full of vigor!
And then played on the winding, overgrown forest path for half an hour.
Then chased butterflies for twenty minutes.
Spent fifteen minutes eating and shopping.
So, they were late.
"Isn't this quite normal?" Arrietty scoffed. "None of you controlled her, letting her run wild. Isn't this the inevitable result? Being late for an agreed-upon time, how rude!"
"Then why didn't you control her?" Nagini retorted, while holding a paper box of warm grilled fish cakes for Mori Tsukisa, occasionally spearing a piece with a wooden skewer to feed the girl beside her.
She ate happily, chomp chomp.
"I...!" Arrietty sniffed the small piece of fish cake Mori Tsukisa had pinched off, then picked it up and licked it. "Isn't it always (chew)... you who handles it (chew)... this (chew) time you remember me..."
Then shut your mouth and eat, annoying fairy.
Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun were truly like a couple on a leisurely vacation in the countryside, awkwardly taking photos of their beloved with their phones, then begging Nagini to take a photo of them together.
Their poses were quite indescribable.
For example, one hand on the hip, the other pointing to the stream behind them... Mori Tsukisa recalled that Imhotep had been a tour guide for a few minutes in the City in the Sky, so perhaps he really was suited for this profession.
It was hard to imagine the once glorious High Priest making such adorable expressions.
Having visited the address yesterday, the group was familiar with the way.
Knock on the door, take off shoes, and enter.
Miyamizu Hitoha was an elderly grandmother, about the same age as the somewhat senile old woman from yesterday. However, her face had fewer wrinkles, and her clothes were clean.
A vigorous old woman.
"Please sit," the old woman said in a hoarse voice, sitting at the low table. The girl who opened the door yesterday brought out several cups and poured tea. Her younger sister's small head peeked out from behind the door.
"This is Miyamizu Mitsuha and Yotsuha." After a brief introduction, she went straight to the point: "I am the current Shrine Head of the Miyamizu Family. That very large shrine you saw in Tokyo was left by a branch of the Miyamizu Family..."
The rising Sun cast slanted rays into the room.
The main branch of the Miyamizu Family has always remained in Itomori Town—for a family of Shrine Maidens serving the gods, they only accept outsiders marrying into the family. This has also caused some dissatisfaction among the children.
Children grow up; who doesn't yearn for the World outside?
"That happened many years ago. When my father's father was still around, a branch family took all of the Miyamizu family's wealth and bought a piece of land in Tokyo." At this point, Miyamizu Hitoha picked up her teacup and blew gently. "Phew..."
"The last 'Miko' of their generation married into that meddling country, and her father perhaps had a change of heart. Before he died, after leaving a vast fortune to his daughter, he gave that shrine to the Miyamizu main house. It was a way of atoning for his past actions."
"Well..." The old woman stared blankly at the pale green tea: "...What is so good about that country?"
Mori Tsukisa heard the girl beside her named Miyamizu Mitsuha mutter a small comment.
'Being a Miko isn't that great either.'
The old woman sipped as if she hadn't heard, the tea fragrance curling around the light filtering through the dust. In the quiet World, several people sat kneeling on the tatami, leisurely listening to an old woman tell stories of the past.
Thoughts were calmed into silence and pulled far away.
"...Since then, that person never returned. Living in such a distant land and speaking a different language from us. Surely..." The old woman chuckled: "Surely she has long forgotten about being a 'Miko'. The branch family disappeared from the Miyamizu family from then on."
"If you want it."
Grandmother put down her teacup, hands resting on her knees, her sharp eyes searching and wandering over the four faces—she looked at Imhotep, then at Mori Tsukisa, appearing somewhat uncertain.
"The two of you are..." Miyamizu Hitoha paused, picked up her glasses from the table and put them on, facing Mori Tsukisa: "No, you should be the one in charge, little girl."
Mori Tsukisa laughed playfully, but Spell Power suddenly surged, and in an instant, a purple curtain filled the entire space.
All the Attendants following Mori Tsukisa sensed it and turned their heads to look at her... [Human]
[Miko]
[Miyamizu Hitoha]
[A short-lived species with a peculiar bloodline.]
[The deity they have served for generations is named 'Takehazuchi-no-Mikoto', also known as 'Takehazuchi'.]
[Said to be a god of weaving, he is actually a formidable martial god. Among the deities of the main lineage, this troublesome high god, whose true name is simplified to 'Ame-no-Hazuchio-no-Kami', has always protected the Miyamizu line.]
[Until certain humans gave up this protection.]
[Now, only this place remains.]
[Their bloodline is very special, similar to a type of divine power that can peer into the lines of fate—only when they 'are about to' encounter a life-threatening danger will the divine power remaining in the bloodline be activated.]
[Of course, after the gods were 'disappeared' many years ago, this bloodline began to become intermittent and increasingly difficult to control or perceive.]
[Note: Please do not ask questions regarding 'being disappeared'.]
[?-?]
Please don't always give me these alien expressions.
Mori Tsukisa curled her lip obscurely and looked up at the ceiling—she felt only one guy knew this secret; perhaps if a card had'Secret' written on the front, the back would read 'Culprit'.
'Origin', right.
Madam Yellow Waste.
After reading the text, Mori Tsukisa looked at Miyamizu... Mitsuha, who was sitting opposite her looking a bit bored. This girl, likely in middle or high school, didn't yet know what kind of gift beyond humanity she possessed in her bloodline. She was curiously eyeing Anck-Su-Namun's bright and luxurious clothes, peeking at Mori Tsukisa's long emerald nails and the small silver bells dangling on her ankles.
"It's me." Mori Tsukisa nodded: "My name is Mori Tsukisa."
Imhotep knew his Master was not good at these things and was prepared to pay far beyond the budget—if he weren't afraid of causing trouble for Mori Tsukisa, he could easily build a huge palace for Lady Witch using a sea of jewels and gold, and even recreating the prosperity of the City of Seti would be no problem.
Unexpectedly, the old woman smiled and shook her head, asking an entirely unrelated question.
"So, Miss Tsukisa, where do you and your—" She looked at Nagini: "Where do you and your 'family' live?"
Although Mori Tsukisa was a bit confused, she took out her phone, opened the album, swiped a few times, and stopped her finger on a recently taken photo.
—In the picture, the girl stood in front of her house, holding a large cup of iced tea and smiling happily.
Then, she showed the screen to Miyamizu Hitoha.
"Tokyo, in a big multi-story house."
Arrietty: I'm begging you.
She's asking which inn you're staying at.
---------------------------------
I hope you enjoy this fanfiction! If you're having fun and want to read 30 chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon: patreon.com/TLScarlet
Your support means a lot so if you like the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone.