Narukami Shrine.
When Mitsuyo left the outpost and slipped past the shrine maidens' line of sight to find Asase Hibiki, she discovered the little girl struggling to draw a bow.
"Huh? Where's teacher? Why are you alone?"
Hibiki let out a small breath, set down the bow, wiped the sweat from her face, and shook her head.
"I don't know."
The child was simple and honest, recounting everything that had happened earlier.
After hearing her out, Mitsuyo nodded, then said seriously, "I see. Then let me teach you a small trick."
Thus, when Lori returned, the scene he saw was Mitsuyo correcting Hibiki's posture hand-in-hand.
Not bad—she actually practices on her own when he's gone.
Having just finished adjusting the barriers, Lori felt in the mood to relax and leaned to the side, happily slacking off while watching.
Mitsuyo spotted him immediately, of course, but she suppressed her excitement and patiently taught Hibiki until the lesson ended.
After confirming the little girl's stamina was completely spent, she helped Hibiki to rest under the sakura tree.
Then she hurried over to Lori to claim credit.
"Teacher, I taught her pretty well, right?"
"Barely acceptable."
She accepted this evaluation with delight, not feeling underestimated in the slightest.
Lori added, "Since you seem to enjoy teaching, if I'm ever not here, you can take over and teach Hibiki archery."
"Okay!"
During the break, Mitsuyo leaned closer to him affectionately, not speaking.
Simply being by his side seemed to satisfy her completely.
Listening to the soft breeze, she felt utterly at ease—until she suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right, I almost forgot! Teacher, I have good news to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Mother bestowed a treasure of our clan upon me."
A treasure?
Hearing of treasures from the tengu clan, Lori could think of countless possibilities—after all, with so many generations of inheritance, their collected relics were innumerable.
Mitsuyo didn't keep him guessing and stated it directly:
"Teacher, do you know the Thousand-Door Phantom Vessel?"
"The Phantom Vessel? The tengu clan's seaborne annex?"
"That's right! Mother gave it to me."
So it's that…
Lori was genuinely surprised.
The vessel indeed served as the tengu clan's roaming manor on the seas, though most people wouldn't react much to its name.
What was better known, however, was that in later eras it fell into the ocean and became a domain.
You had to approach the Perpetual Mechanical Array's surrounding area to find it.
Inside, everything had long since decayed; treasure hunters and pirates raided it countless times.
In many ways, it could be considered a miniature tragedy of Inazuma during the Abyssal calamities.
Mitsuyo smiled. "When we have free time in the future, how about I take teacher overseas to enjoy the scenery?"
"Not a bad idea."
"It's decided then!"
With this new gain, Mitsuyo felt thoroughly content once more.
By afternoon, she obediently sat aside and watched Lori teach Hibiki the foundations of spellwork.
Seeing the young shrine maiden, she seemed to glimpse a reflection of her own past.
Perhaps that was why she had offered to teach the girl in the first place.
In such a manner, peaceful and orderly days passed for more than a month.
Lori stayed near the shrine, living a relaxed half-retirement life—admiring flowers, feeding birds, and occasionally teaching Hibiki.
Though calling it retirement wasn't quite accurate—ever since Inazuma's various matters had fallen into routine, he rarely involved himself in shogunate affairs.
As time went on, the once inexperienced little shrine maiden missed her targets less and less, and her talent for spellcraft grew increasingly exceptional.
Occasionally, Lori flipped through the newspaper delivered from the city.
As the only medium for civilians to learn about current events, it described happenings throughout Inazuma.
For example, the recent pirates and monsters harassing the outer islands.
After the Shogun dispatched her trusted general Miyu Chiyo to handle the matter, what seemed ready to spiral into chaos was swiftly suppressed.
The valiant oni girl took the opportunity to thoroughly sweep through Kannazuka—
Most ronin who had turned to banditry fled overseas, while the bolder ones hid on Yashiori Island near the remains of the fallen god.
According to the reports, General Miyu was now on her return journey and expected to reach the city within three days.
"Sigh… that girl's going to be noisy again once she's back."
Lori sighed with mild headache.
Unlike Kitsune Saiguu or the Raiden twins, Chiyo was straightforward and exuberant, carrying the unique boisterousness of the oni.
Fortunately, he was currently staying at Narukami Shrine—he could enjoy a few more days of peace.
Unfortunately, he celebrated too soon.
—
A month after he began living at the shrine,
Someone who should've been in the city—Raiden Ei—suddenly came looking for him.
Her appearance was as stunning as always: a cold expression paired with a bewitching beauty mark beneath her eye—the very definition of ascetic allure.
Lori was surprised; with her restrained personality, Ei would never come meet him without a reason.
As expected, the peak of Inazuma's martial power spoke directly:
"Makoto asked me to inform you—the Gathering of the Seven will take place in ten days. Would you like to attend together?"
Without outsiders present, the ice in her expression relaxed ever so slightly.
"The Gathering of the Seven, huh… I was wondering when it would be scheduled. Didn't expect the notice to arrive so soon."
Being able to meet old friends again after so long, Lori naturally had no reason to refuse.
After all this time, even that notorious drunkard made him feel a tinge of nostalgia.
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