Chapter 230: Mission Request
Seeing Vigne flee in a panic, the little girl Saikawa stuck out her tongue and said, "Kou-nii, aren't you going to chase her? You'll make her even angrier if you just stand there."
"Chase what?" Kouya raised an eyebrow with an indifferent look, hands tucked in his pockets.
Vigne had already been upset earlier because he'd eaten takoyaki using her skewer. Now she was probably even more embarrassed and flustered. If he chased after her now, she'd likely just glare at him and storm off anyway. There was no winning with her in this mood.
Kanna lifted her small face, her calm expression unreadable as always, and quietly muttered, "Idiot."
The word landed like a pebble tossed into still water. Kouya paused mid-step, sighed, and rubbed his forehead helplessly.
After wandering around the lively streets for a little while longer, watching the evening crowd thin and the glow of shop lights flicker against the setting sun, Saikawa reluctantly said goodbye. She waved several times before running off toward her home, still humming cheerfully.
Kouya escorted Kanna back to the apartment building. She gave him one last stare that somehow conveyed both gratitude and hunger before heading upstairs. As he turned to leave, his phone began to ring.
The display read: Shrine Maiden.
He answered immediately. "Hello?"
"Kou-kun, are you free tonight?" Her calm, gentle voice carried a faint note of amusement.
"Yeah, I'm free."
"Then let's take on a request together tonight. It's been a while since we worked side by side."
Kouya blinked. "A request, huh?" Then he remembered—back when she'd come to retrieve that cat youkai, he had promised to help her with a future commission. He wasn't about to go back on his word. "Alright, I'll head over right now."
Most onmyoji didn't need to worry about money. If they had the skill, talent, and connections, income came quickly—sometimes too easily. The Kitagawa family was a perfect example. Besides their spiritual work, they ran multiple legitimate companies, their influence extending across various industries. Wealth and power were practically in their blood.
But the shrine maiden's family was different. Once a respected line of spiritualists, their numbers had dwindled until only she and the little shrine girl remained. The ancient shrine they tended had long lost its prosperity, and so the two often relied on taking small commissions to make ends meet. It wasn't glamorous work, but it was honest—and necessary.
...
"Good afternoon, Kou-kun," the shrine maiden greeted him warmly when he arrived. The setting sun painted her white robes in shades of gold and crimson.
"Afternoon," he replied, matching her calm tone.
They walked together toward the main hall. The air was quiet except for the faint rustle of wind through paper charms. After a pause, she spoke softly, "By the way, that Ishida Ryuji came to see me earlier. He wanted me to convince you of something… but I refused."
Kouya raised an eyebrow. "Figures."
He didn't hold strong feelings toward Ishida—no resentment, no friendship, just mild disinterest. The man could have his schemes; Kouya wasn't about to get involved unless he had to.
When they stepped into the living quarters, the little shrine girl, Hinata, was sprawled on the couch, her tiny feet swinging in the air while she tapped away on her tablet. Her snow-white socks had slipped halfway off, and her twin tails bounced as she moved.
"Eh? Kou-nii!" she cried the moment she noticed him. Her big eyes sparkled like gemstones as she jumped to her feet and ran over. "Cookies! Did you bring cookies? You promised!"
Kouya gave a small shrug. "Forgot them."
"Ehhh?!" Hinata's shoulders slumped dramatically, and she flopped face-first onto the couch. "No Kou-nii cookies… Hinata's gonna diiiiie…"
He couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. "It's just a cookie, not a divine blessing. You'll live."
Ignoring her exaggerated moaning, he turned to the shrine maiden. "By the way, where's that cat youkai?"
"In the backyard," she said, a hint of laughter in her voice. "Rina's been taking care of it nonstop. She's quite attached."
As if summoned, the catgirl Rina appeared, holding the small creature in her arms. The young cat youkai, still far from maturity and unable to assume human form, peeked up with trembling golden eyes. The moment it recognized Kouya, its fur bristled and it let out a fearful mewl before burying its face against Rina's chest.
"Give it here," Kouya said simply, reaching out his hand.
Rina blinked, hugging the creature protectively. "No, meow! Whatever Master wants to do, do it to me instead, meow! Miyuki's still just a baby, meow, she'll break, meow!"
Kouya's expression darkened. "Break your ass! What kind of nonsense are you even imagining?!"
For a moment, he actually pictured her words and groaned inwardly. If she wanted him to demonstrate, maybe he should really teach her what those ridiculous manga scenarios looked like firsthand.
The shrine maiden stepped forward quickly, her composure returning. "Alright, that's enough, Rina. Don't tease him."
She took the cat from Rina and passed it to Kouya. Their fingers brushed for an instant—soft, cool, and startlingly delicate. Both froze. She withdrew her hand quickly, pretending not to notice the faint warmth in her cheeks.
"So," she asked lightly, "what do you plan to do, Kou-kun?"
"Just take a few pictures."
"Eh?" Her eyes blinked in mild confusion, then curved mischievously. "You like… taking selfies?"
The teasing note in her voice made Kouya sigh. "No. I promised a classmate I'd show her how the cat was doing. That's all."
"Knew it!" Hinata puffed out her cheeks. "Another girl! Kou-nii's surrounded by girls all the time!"
She began counting on her fingers. "Last time at the hot spring resort, there were five girls! Everyone was sooo jealous!"
Kouya stared blankly. Was that… true? Was he really that popular? No. No way. That was one of the great lies of human existence. He refused to believe it.
The shrine maiden chuckled softly, clearly amused. They finished the photo session, and Kouya sent the images to Machiko. Task complete.
"Hinata," the shrine maiden said, straightening her sleeves, "don't forget to practice kendo tonight. Kou-kun and I will be out for a bit."
Hinata pouted, but nodded. "Okay! But you two better not come home too late!"
...
Outside, the night breeze had grown cool. A black SUV waited quietly at the gate, its headlights dimmed.
They climbed into the backseat, and as the driver started the engine, the shrine maiden opened a small notebook and briefed him on the mission.
In a small mountain town nearby stood an ancient shrine called Izumo Shrine. Once revered, it had long since fallen into ruin—its god forgotten, its caretakers gone.
Recently, however, the villagers had begun hearing eerie sounds from within the shrine at night. At times, faint, sorrowful singing drifted through the woods; other nights, it was low, haunting weeping. It unsettled everyone who heard it.
During the day, investigators found nothing out of place—just old stone steps, crumbling walls, and moss-covered lanterns. But the noises persisted. Some adventurous villagers had dared to visit at night, yet they were found the next morning collapsed at the entrance, covered in bruises, unable to remember what had happened.
"One of the village elders is a friend of my grandfather's," the shrine maiden explained, voice thoughtful. "He came to me for help. I couldn't refuse him. It might be a mountain spirit—or a bound ghost tied to the shrine's altar. Either way, if we leave it unchecked, someone could die."
Their vehicle wound through narrow mountain roads, the landscape growing darker as the last hints of twilight faded. When they finally reached the village, several townsfolk were waiting beside the road, lanterns flickering in their hands.
The elderly man in front greeted the shrine maiden warmly. He tried to insist they join him for dinner, but she gently declined, explaining that it was better to begin work before midnight.
After a brief exchange, two villagers volunteered to guide them to the foot of the mountain. When they arrived at the trailhead, the guides stopped, clearly unwilling to go farther. Fear clouded their faces.
Kouya and the shrine maiden exchanged a look, then continued on their own.
The climb wasn't hard, but the path was old, swallowed by roots and overgrown moss. The deeper they went, the heavier the air seemed to become. Night insects cried softly, their rhythm occasionally broken by the babble of a stream winding through the dark.
Soon, even those sounds faded. The forest fell silent, as though the very mountain was holding its breath.
By the time they reached the summit, the moon hung low. The ruined shrine stood there, half-hidden by shadows and creeping vines, its torii gate leaning precariously.
The closer they drew, the darker the world seemed to grow. The air grew thick, damp, almost alive. Wisps of black haze drifted near the roof, twisting faintly like smoke.
Kouya stopped, scanning the perimeter with narrowed eyes.
It was easy to imagine how the villagers' fear had taken root—an abandoned shrine at night could make anyone's imagination run wild.
"Kou-kun," the shrine maiden whispered beside him, her voice barely audible against the whisper of the wind. "Do you sense anything?"
Wanna read ahead? Join my Patreon and support the story — up to 6 new chapters are published for you every day!: patreon.com/ArealMaster