While Yotsuya Miko was still observing, the Yurikawa Hana beside her had already waved hello.
She asked, "Are you shrine maidens?"
"And you are?"
Tohsaka Rin immediately quieted down, raising her head and puffing out her chest, sizing up Yotsuya Miko and Yurikawa Hana with the posture of a noble young lady.
"Um, we came to pay our respects, but we found the notice here saying the shrine..." Yotsuya Miko explained their purpose, mentioning the nearby announcement, unsure how to continue speaking.
"Yes, we are the shrine maidens of the Deer God Shrine."
Sakura replied gently, holding Tohsaka Rin's hand, and continued, "Since we just took office, I don't understand the internal affairs yet, so please forgive any lack of proper hospitality."
"It's fine, it was our fault for coming without checking the shrine's status beforehand."
"Besides the mountaintop area, the two of you are now free to look around the mountainside area."
"Thank you, we understand."
After a few sentences, the people who had just met had no desire to continue the conversation.
Sakura and Tohsaka Rin walked toward the notice board, and Yotsuya Miko quickly pulled Yurikawa Hana aside to make way.
Then she saw the purple-haired shrine maiden post several brand-new notices there.
For example, the personnel roster of the Deer God Shrine.
Shrine Maidens: Rin, Sakura.
Leysritt, Sella, Illya, Irisviel, Caren.
Aside from the first two Japanese names, the rest were foreign names that Yotsuya Miko found very strange.
Is the owner of this shrine a foreigner?
Hmm... this Illya looks like a young child. For her to appear here as a shrine maiden, she is probably a relative of the newly appointed chief Priest.
Mumbling these names internally, Yotsuya Miko's gaze continued upward, and when she saw the name at the very top, she couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation.
It read:
Chief Priest: Kisaragi Rin.
"Kisaragi-san is the chief Priest here?"
Yurikawa Hana asked curiously, causing the gaze of the shrine maidens to converge on them.
—
Meanwhile, down the mountain, Kisaragi Rin was strolling along the Old Street with Medea.
A little while ago.
After learning everything through Medea's magic, Sakura and Tohsaka Rin were slightly traumatized but managed to accept their current situation.
After all, compared to Irisviel and Illya, who had already died once, Tohsaka Rin and Sakura still possessed the bodies of living people.
As for the Strange Tales, there was no need to say more; they were already dominated the moment they were born in the Demonic Hell Sanctuary. The nature of the Strange Tales also meant they had nowhere else to go, so they easily and proactively recognized Kisaragi Rin as their master.
Hmm... Mrs. Irisviel even secretly came to find Kisaragi Rin, hoping she could exchange her body for Kisaragi Rin agreeing not to harm Illya.
As for Kisaragi Rin's reply... he chose to call Sadako over and asked Mrs. Irisviel to repeat everything to Sadako.
Mrs. Irisviel, thinking Kisaragi Rin was humiliating her, did everything as instructed with an expression so shameful she was nearly crying, all for the sake of her daughter. Afterward, Sadako pinned Mrs. Irisviel over her knee and spanked her hard. Sadako, as a Veteran, hadn't even been claimed by the master yet, and a newcomer dared to ignore her seniority!
Workplace bullying ultimately fell upon this very innocent and naive wife.
Hmm... innocent and naive.
Mrs. Irisviel was actually only one year older than her daughter Illya.
Since Irisviel recognized him as master, her two maids, Leysritt and Sella, naturally wouldn't harbor any thoughts of resistance.
And the last one, Caren?
Due to the Corrupted Holy Grail, she had never experienced the Overpowered Plotline of the normal world line. Instead, her childhood growing up alone was quite beautiful, and after becoming a Strange Tale, her personality was peaceful and gentle. Not only did she seriously call Kisaragi Rin her master, but she also proactively stated that she had experience managing shrines.
That guy Archer also did some good deeds.
"Although" he destroyed a world line, "but" these girls did manage to spend ten years in daily life.
After arranging their identities using Paradise Coins, Kisaragi Rin had Spider Mother spatially transfer all of them to the Deer God Shrine.
Ostensibly acting as shrine maidens, they managed the territory given by the Chiba Zoo on behalf of Kisaragi Rin.
But secretly, of course, they were developing the Strange Tales Association!
Joining the Chiba Zoo didn't mean Kisaragi Rin couldn't cultivate his own influence.
The so-called Strange Tales Association must have both Strange Tales and Players who command the Strange Tales.
These two living people, Tohsaka Rin and Sakura, were the vanguards Kisaragi Rin planned to get into The Paradise to become S-rank.
To infiltrate The Paradise and become a Player, they must first become ordinary people in the Main World.
Which means removing the Supernatural.
Sakura and Tohsaka Rin must pass the Trial World as ordinary people.
This means they might die.
Kisaragi Rin felt that the two of them would definitely pass, but Tohsaka Rin didn't think so.
Although she was willing and wanted to gain power, Tohsaka Rin didn't want Sakura to join in as well.
Sakura didn't listen to her sister, which is why Tohsaka Rin was still trying to dissuade Sakura when Yotsuya Miko and Yurikawa Hana encountered them.
However, making them Players would still take time.
Tohsaka Rin and Sakura, who grew up on a world line without the Supernatural, hadn't even learned Killing Techniques. Although Kisaragi Rin believed in the luck of these two protagonists, believing wasn't the same as directly sending them into The Paradise for a Battle Royale Survival.
The birth of the Strange Tales Association required patience.
Kisaragi Rin didn't care about the wait.
After all... this wasn't a farming simulation game where you could sow seeds, water, and fertilize, and immediately harvest crops from the plot.
He would have S-rank subordinates, and he would have a Strange Tales Association that only S-rank Players could join.
Touching the Workshop pendant, Kisaragi Rin had plenty of patience and confidence regarding this.
At this moment, Medea skewered a Takoyaki with a stick and held it up to Kisaragi Rin's mouth.
"Would you like some Takoyaki?"
"Of course."
Kisaragi Rin accepted the feeding.
Today, Medea was wearing a white dress with a bow and light cyan over-the-knee socks. The cute style of dressing made her feel both shy and dizzy, gentle and quiet, like she had drunk a bottle of light beer.
Although she had agreed to give last night to Esdeath, Medea was still a little jealous, so Kisaragi Rin decided to spend today accompanying Medea.
"A proper date..."
Medea secretly glanced at Kisaragi Rin, feeling extremely happy.
For this date, she had specifically handed Lily, who might ruin the atmosphere, over to Busujima Saeko.
Having finished feeding him, Medea saw a couple nearby playing a game of sharing one ice cream. Her face instantly flushed red, and she felt a stirring in her heart, but her shyness prevented her from taking any action.