"Oh my, Kagami Ren~ I'm still hungry. It's not appropriate to talk about serious matters while enjoying good food," Yae Miko said, extending a slender finger to tap against Kagami Ren's firm chest. Humming a tune, she walked into Uyuu Restaurant.
"…This sly fox…" Kagami Ren muttered helplessly. Sure enough, her true nature had come out—still the same mischievous pink-haired fox.
Shaking his head, Kagami Ren followed her inside. This version of Yae Miko felt more real to him. That ever-changing, unreadable version of her only made people more guarded.
As soon as he entered, he saw that Yae Miko had already taken a seat.
"The usual. Fried tofu and assorted tempura skewers," Yae Miko said to the server. "Have Erika handle the tofu."
"Yes, Guuji-sama!" the server replied with a nod.
"Kagami Ren, what would you like? Order anything you want—I'm treating," Yae Miko said as she watched him sit down across from her.
The server's eyes widened in shock. What did he just hear? Guuji-sama actually addressed this young man as "Lord"? Was he still dreaming?
"No need to call me 'Lord.' Just call me Kagami Ren," Kagami Ren said, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. This troublesome woman was clearly stirring things up for him.
"I thought addressing a god directly by name might be disrespectful," Yae Miko said with a playful smile. "In that case, as a courtesy, you may simply call me Miko."
Kagami Ren looked at her. As expected, she was incredibly sharp. Testing his attitude through forms of address, and now allowing him to call her directly by name—subtly closing the distance between them.
"Sir, what would you like to order? Here is the menu," the server asked, handing it over.
"…" Kagami Ren fell silent. Right—he couldn't read Teyvat's script at all. Fortunately, the spoken language seemed universally understandable. (Best not to overthink the writing system.)
"I'll have the same set as Miko. And if you have berry water dumplings, bring me one serving as well," Kagami Ren said.
"Understood, honored guest. Please wait a moment," the server replied before leaving.
"Kagami Ren, why are you staring at me like that?" Yae Miko noticed his gaze and subconsciously touched her face, looking puzzled. "Is there something on me?"
"Nothing." Kagami Ren shook his head. Yae Miko was even more beautiful than he had imagined. Even sitting there, she radiated an irresistible charm.
"The food hasn't arrived yet. You can tell me what you want me to do," Kagami Ren said.
"My, such an impatient god," Yae Miko said, resting her cheek on her hand. She looked at him seriously. "I want to invite you to join the Grand Narukami Shrine."
"Hm?" Kagami Ren raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding her meaning.
"You mentioned earlier that you plan to stay in Inazuma, correct?" Yae Miko said. "You've just arrived—no job, no identity. By joining the shrine, you can immediately gain both, and you won't need to worry about Mora."
"And what do I need to do?" Kagami Ren asked directly. There was no such thing as a free meal, especially not from someone as shrewd as Yae Miko.
"I want you to change Inazuma's current situation. My god is far too rigid. With my own power alone, I see no future for reform," Yae Miko said seriously. "You are a variable from beyond eternity. You can be the one who disrupts the game."
"To change a god's will, only another god can do it," she sighed. "Only divine will can shake divine will. Unfortunately, we do not possess such power."
"Change Inazuma…" Kagami Ren fell into thought. In the original storyline, it was the Traveler and Paimon who arrived in Inazuma. Yae Miko had then orchestrated everything, using the Traveler as a disruptor. With the power of the people's ambitions, they had barely managed to overcome Ei.
It was also then that Ei realized—even a god's will could be overturned by the collective wishes of the people, leading her to understand the error of the Vision Hunt Decree.
"I won't carry the ambitions of the people," Kagami Ren said after a moment, shaking his head. He had no intention of becoming a tool.
He already possessed power comparable to a god, and given time, he would surpass everything. But bearing the weight of countless wishes… that wasn't something he could do.
Moreover, the Traveler still needed to grow. If he interfered, what meaning would the Traveler's journey in Inazuma have?
"You should know that even if I can defeat the Raiden Shogun, without carrying those ambitions, I cannot change her will," Kagami Ren continued. "I stand outside the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree. I cannot truly understand the people's desires, so I cannot bear them."
"If possible, I can provide assistance at the right time. At the very least, before things change, I can help share the burden of facing a god," he added.
"I see…" Yae Miko looked slightly disappointed, but she couldn't possibly force a god to shoulder the wishes of Inazuma's people.
"But you don't need to worry. I briefly observed Inazuma's future just now. In the near future, a Traveler will arrive," Kagami Ren said, offering reassurance. "She can help Inazuma overcome this crisis."
"Really? A Traveler?" Yae Miko's eyes lit up. "The one who resolved the dragon crisis in Mondstadt?"
"Oh?" Kagami Ren was slightly surprised. So the current timeline was already after the Traveler had dealt with the Stormterror crisis?
"In that case, please join us and provide a safeguard for our future," Yae Miko said after her moment of excitement, looking at him again.
"As far as I know, the Grand Narukami Shrine serves the Electro Archon, right? It's filled with shrine maidens. Is it really appropriate for me to join?" Kagami Ren asked curiously.
"Not quite. A hundred years ago, the shrine had an official position known as the High Priest, responsible for overseeing rituals. While it held no administrative or military authority, it was a divine office that could directly audience the god, making its status extremely prestigious. Even the heads of the Tri-Commission would address them as 'Lord.'"
"Several hundred years ago, Ei sealed herself within the Plane of Euthymia. Mortals could no longer meet the true god, so I stopped appointing a High Priest," Yae Miko explained. "If you join now, I will reinstate the position. While you may not be able to directly meet the god at present, your status will be extremely high—enough to grant you free passage anywhere in Inazuma."
"And as High Priest, you won't have any assigned duties. Ritual matters can be handled by the Yashiro Commission," she added. "The salary is also quite generous. And whatever you wish to purchase—you can simply send the bill to the Grand Narukami Shrine."
"Hm?" Kagami Ren's eyes lit up. "I'll join the shrine."
Yae Miko smiled.
But in her eyes… something unreadable flickered immediately. "In that case… I'll join the Grand Narukami Shrine."