He remembered what Reimu had said last night.
Remilia was planning to hold a grand banquet.
As for just how grand it would be, no one knew. It only seemed that quite a few people had been invited.
"All right," Yuto nodded.
Akyuu smiled at him, said goodbye, and walked toward another classroom.
"Is the banquet Hieda-san mentioned the one at the Scarlet Devil Mansion?"
"That's right. Remi invited a lot of people."
"Tch. That vampire still loves showing off as much as ever."
"Mokou, don't say it like that."
"Hmph!"
Keine looked helpless.
Yuto, on the other hand, had confirmed his guess.
'A banquet... Many people... The Scarlet Devil Mansion...'
The curiosity in his heart grew stronger!
...
After touring the Human Village, Mokou and Keine escorted Yuto to the village entrance.
There, Yuuka sat quietly in the shade, waiting.
"Yuuka, sorry. I kept you waiting." Yuto walked over and spoke with an apology.
"It's fine. Let's go." Yuuka stood up, and Yuto naturally took the parasol from her hand.
He opened it with a soft pop, and Yuuka stood beside him.
The sight of the two standing so close together left Keine shocked.
Mokou had already seen it once, so she was used to it.
"Mokou, Keine, I'll see you at the banquet," Yuto smiled at the two girls, then walked away with Yuuka.
The two gradually grew distant.
Standing in place, Keine pointed at their backs. She was so shocked she could not even speak!
She turned to look at Mokou, seeking an answer.
"Don't ask me. I don't know either." Mokou was just as baffled.
...
Hakurei Shrine.
The shrine maiden lay on her side on the wooden floor.
Hakurei Reimu leisurely basked in the sun, her eyes narrowing.
There was no helping it.
nce she started sunbathing, drowsiness came easily.
This lifestyle was Reimu's routine. After all, no one ever came to worship at the shrine.
The ordinary humans of the Human Village did not dare leave, and the youkai did not care about gods.
With things going on like that, even one person coming to offer incense in an entire month was rare.
The shrine's business was miserable, and as a shrine maiden who had never been devout in the first place, Reimu had even less motivation. It was not like she would starve to death.
So she might as well muddle through like this. Reimu had made peace with that.
"Ah~ Today is a perfect day for sleeping~" Reimu yawned.
Her body lay across the floor, and she stretched her limbs as far as they would go.
Her face filled with comfort. The sunlight was gentle, the breeze was soft, and everything felt relaxed.
"Well~ It's rare to have some peace and quiet. I might as well go sleep!" Reimu propped herself up.
Today, neither Marisa nor Suika was at the shrine, which made Reimu feel peaceful and comfortable.
Although she had not cleaned the shrine, that kind of thing was not urgent. She could clean it tomorrow.
Just as Reimu was about to return inside, she saw two figures coming up the distant stairs. Her eyes froze, and then she seemed to remember something.
She walked down the shrine steps.
Her hands were tucked into her sleeves, and she adjusted her expression, making herself look somewhat energetic.
The two people in the distance noticed her. One of them raised a hand and waved.
After leaving the Human Village with Yuuka, Yuto headed toward Hakurei Shrine.
Yuuka had fulfilled her duty as a guide. After leaving the Human Village, Yuto saw traces of small youkai. They were like squirrels hiding among the grass and trees.
Most were tiny and looked dazed. Often, they would scatter and flee once Yuto got close.
Yuto could not help feeling amused and pleased. Being able to see these little youkai fulfilled a small wish in his heart.
However, he felt a little strange.
Why had he not seen any of these small youkai before entering the Human Village?
He asked Yuuka about it.
"I don't know," Yuuka replied faintly.
Yuto did not intend to dig any deeper.
He would treat it as luck.
However, he did not notice a faint flicker in Yuuka's eyes.
In front of Hakurei Shrine was a long staircase.
On both sides were square wooden posts wrapped with decorative paper strips.
It was similar to shrines Yuto had seen before. However, the exterior scenery of Hakurei Shrine was more magnificent.
He climbed the stairs with Yuuka.
As soon as they reached the top, they saw Reimu. She stood there, seeming surprised at first, but she returned to normal.
Yuto raised his hand and greeted her and she responded as well.
Yuto smiled faintly and looked toward Yuuka. "Does Yuuka come here often?"
"Only occasionally."
The two chatted as they walked up to Reimu.
The girl in shrine maiden clothes suddenly showed a sincere, pleading look in her eyes.
Under Yuto's surprised gaze, Reimu produced a donation box from nowhere and held it out!
Just from its appearance, one could tell the box was not cheap.
It had a dark sheen and seemed to have been carefully polished.
That made Yuto remember what Reimu had said before: all the money she received was used to upgrade the donation box.
Now that he saw it, that seemed true.
"Anyone visiting the shrine for the first time needs to make an offering! Even Boss is no exception!" Reimu looked at Yuto with seriousness.
Compared to her lazy appearance earlier, the girl was earnest.
Yuto smiled.
He took out the few coins left from buying groceries today, It was only a few hundred yen anyway.
Clink, clink, clink.
The coins fell into the donation box, making a pleasant sound. In an instant, the shrine maiden's expression filled with delight and joy.
She looked like a pet that had just been given meat!
"Thank you very much! The gods will surely favor you~" Reimu hugged the donation box and bowed deeply to Yuto. She looked devout.
Yuto smiled helplessly. He was not lacking in divine favor. "Is Reimu the only one here?"
He looked around the shrine.
Although Reimu was always crying poverty, Hakurei Shrine was imposing.
The stairs up the mountain were long and tall, so naturally, the shrine could not be shabby. Logically speaking, a shrine this large should have plenty of worshippers.
The fact that Reimu could still live so poorly was worth thinking about.
"That's right. I am the only shrine maiden of this shrine!" Reimu patted her flat chest.
"Then do many people usually come to worship?"
The moment this topic was brought up, Reimu's face collapsed.
Yuto understood.
At that moment, a gap appeared in the air. Yukari stepped out, bringing her shikigami.
There was a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, and her eyes looked dazzling.
"My, Kamisaka, you're here. I'm terribly sorry! I was handling Gensokyo affairs earlier and didn't notice." The moment Yukari said this, everyone present except Yuto showed strange expressions.
Yuuka's eyes carried a trace of disdain, and Reimu snorted.
Even her own shikigami, Ran, sighed helplessly.
'You were clearly peeping the whole time...' Of course, the fox girl only dared to think that in her heart.
"It's fine." Yuto's words made the smile on Yukari's face deepen.
The group sat inside the shrine.
The fox girl, whose housekeeping ability was perfect, had poured tea for everyone.
She sat slightly behind her master, at her leg, Chen leaned against her.
"I wonder what Kamisaka thinks after seeing Gensokyo along the way?" Yukari smiled as she looked at Yuto.
Even while sitting properly, her charm remained astonishing.
Beside her was Reimu. The two sat across from Yuto and Yuuka.
"It feels like a suitable place for retirement." Yuto smiled.
He had walked from the Sunflower Field all the way to Hakurei Shrine. Putting everything else aside, the Human Village alone satisfied him.
The people respected the old ways, their customs were simple, and although they lacked modern conveniences, the virtues hidden in their everyday movements surpassed those of modern people.
Perhaps it was because they were cut off from the outside world that life here could be leisurely and peaceful.
Modern society always felt as if there were a whip driving people forward.
"What an unusual evaluation." Yukari was amused by his words. "However, if Kamisaka-kun truly has that thought, it would be possible."
"It's still too early now. Perhaps when I'm old, I really will come here." Yuto smiled.
Right now, he lived leisurely as well. Although he opened the restaurant every night, that was not a hardship.
He had dealt with pots, pans, bowls, and ladles for so many years that he could no longer live apart from the stove.
If one day he could no longer stand straight, retiring in the Human Village might truly be a good choice.
"If that day comes, I'm sure Kamisaka's home will have visitors very often." Yukari continued with a teasing tone.
Her gaze drifted toward Yuuka imperceptibly.
"If that happens, I'll naturally welcome everyone," Yuto smiled.
Yukari took a light sip of tea.
This time, she openly glanced at Yuuka before looking back at Yuto. "Was Kamisaka satisfied with Yuuka as your guide?"
"More than satisfied. I'm very grateful that Yuuka was willing to accompany me for so long." Yuto shook his head slightly, then glanced at the beauty beside him with gratitude.
His tone was sincere.
"There's no need to thank me. It was only a small matter." Yuuka glanced at Yukari before answering Yuto.
"That's good. I was worried Yuuka might not fulfill her responsibilities. If that had happened, I wouldn't mind taking Kamisaka-kun around Gensokyo myself."
Yuuka looked coldly at Yukari. "There's no need for you. I can do it."
Her words were sharp, cold, and carried a faint chill.
Aside from Yukari, no one else could sense the second threat hidden within them.
The corner of Yukari's mouth lifted, and traces of amusement appeared in her eyes.
She did not seem worried by the threat in Yuuka's gaze.
"Yuuka has been very good, so there's no need to worry," Yuto said.
"That's good." Yukari flicked her fingers, and a folding fan appeared from nowhere.
The fan lightly covered her smile, yet it could not hide her vivid beauty.
...
The group continued chatting.
When it was no longer early, Yukari suggested they go to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
The banquet had been mostly prepared already since they had started preparing last night.
Getting there was simple.
Yukari waved her hand and opened a gap.
As long as they walked through, they would arrive right in front of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
This stirred ripples in Yuto's heart. He had been curious for a long time about what the inside of a gap was like.
....
Bamboo Forest of the Lost.
Reisen returned after selling medicine as she went to her shishou's side.
Yagokoro Eirin.
That was the name of her shishou.
From her appearance, one could tell she was a woman of great wisdom.
Her cool, stunningly beautiful face carried a trace of loneliness, and a mysterious air surrounded her.
"Shishou."
"Reisen, have you finished selling the medicine?"
"Mm."
"What's wrong with that expression?"
"Shishou, today I saw an outsider..."