Li Mo's departure felt abrupt, but upon reflection, it was actually quite considerate—at least he had the courtesy to inform both her and Ei.
Yae Miko had long been prepared for his sudden exits. After all, hadn't he disappeared just like this before?
If anything, his absence was more beneficial than not. With him gone, she could rightfully settle back into the shrine without having to deal with Urakusai and the others. What a stroke of luck.
Facing the past squarely, Miko knew she was now left to tidy up the loose ends he'd left behind. He had revived Urakusai and the other youkai, and she had expected him to pay some heavy price or endure a grueling process. Yet in the end, he emerged practically unscathed. The same man who once struggled with the Kujou Clan's Onmyoudou had now returned as an existence on par with the Shogun herself.
Outlanders weren't rare in Yae Miko's experience—the one who left the deepest impression was Alice from Mondstadt, a woman even the Raiden Shogun puppet had found impossible to handle.
Experienced, formidable, and with a mind that leaped unpredictably. Dealing with her was a headache, but ignoring her wasn't an option either. A true nuisance.
Miko's thoughts began to drift.
Life now suited her just fine. Leisurely days, no Ei hovering around the shrine, no noisy troublemaker to disturb her peace—why not spend this idle time reading some light novels?
She didn't even need to check on the Yae Publishing House. Among the revived youkai, Urakusai had been her first priority. That old fox had always loved telling stories during "Hyakumonogatari" gatherings. In an era when entertainment was scarce, his tales had been the highlight of her childhood. Such talent going to waste instead of being channeled into writing novels would be a crime.
In Inazuma, no publication escaped the Yashiro Commission's oversight, and no entertainment literature avoided the Yae Publishing House's reach. If Urakusai wanted to publish anything, he'd have to go through them—so why not put him in charge?
Let the old-timers make themselves useful.
The other youkai were slightly trickier to handle. Fortunately, Ei was still the Raiden Shogun, and her decrees were not to be disobeyed. Thus, Mount Yougou became their designated settlement.
Compared to the stifling confines of the city, the wilderness was far more familiar to these youkai. There were other benefits too—like maintaining public order. But was that really the Guuji's responsibility?
The youkai situation was more or less resolved. Ei had returned to the mountain, though Tenshukaku was still under reconstruction. The rainy season had just ended, and sudden downpours kept delaying progress. Still, the countdown to Ei's departure from the Grand Narukami Shrine had already begun.
"Are you that eager for me to leave, Miko?"
"Of course."
She had expected it, but hearing the confirmation from Yae Miko still left Ei with a tinge of melancholy.
Miko offered a half-hearted consolation. "My dear Shogun, your presence here these past months has scared off all the worshippers. The shrine maidens' workload has plummeted—is this really how you treat your own faithful?"
"You just find me an inconvenience to your laziness, don't you?" Ei countered.
During her stay at the shrine, Miko had slacked off at every opportunity, even neglecting her core duties—forcing Li Mo to step in as a supervisor.
That indolent attitude was unbefitting of a Guuji. She might as well have been a retiree enjoying her golden years.
"Oh, Ei. I only slack off on trivial matters. When it comes to real work, have I ever cut corners? Look at how I've been running around with you to settle those old relics."
"You're not wrong. But I still dislike your lazy demeanor. Why can't you be more like Li Mo?"
"That workaholic? No thanks."
Miko shrugged.
Li Mo had been a grindstone from the moment they met, always claiming to be "just an ordinary person." Who'd believe that? When he wasn't assisting the Shogun, he was busy improving himself.
Ei shook her head. "I won't bother lecturing you. Miko, from now on, matters concerning youkai will fall under the Grand Narukami Shrine's jurisdiction. If you need assistance, you may seek it from the Yashiro Commission."
"Yes, yes~" Miko replied languidly.
Human affairs belonged to the Tri-Commission. Youkai affairs belonged to the shrine. That was Inazuma's tradition.
Though traditions didn't always work smoothly. How much of modern Inazuma still resembled the past? Not that it mattered—if problems arose, she could always dump them on Ioroi. Or, as a last resort, drag Urakusai back from the publishing house.
With her plans set, Miko felt utterly at ease. As the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, her position in Inazuma was second only to the Shogun. And among youkai, thanks to Lady Hakushin's legacy, the title of Guuji still carried immense prestige.
"By the way, Ei," Miko mused, "don't you think his revival of the youkai went a little too smoothly? It was practically effortless."
Li Mo had resurrected so many youkai, even if they'd been reborn as entirely new species. But they were alive, weren't they?
And that was what mattered.
Ei didn't respond. Instead, she excused herself and sought out Kujou Sara for a sparring session.
Unsurprisingly, it was another one-sided domination. Whether in raw power or technique, Sara was hopelessly outmatched.
Of course, the gap wasn't due to innate talent—Sara simply lacked experience. She was still too young.
"Your moves carry the essence of the tengu arts. Have you been studying them recently?"
The match ended swiftly, and Ei cut straight to the point.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"The tengu, huh…"
Ei fell into thought. The revival of the youkai was a blessing, but their strength had diminished significantly—only their techniques remained intact. Worse, many youkai arts relied on racial traits they no longer possessed.
The tengu, for instance, needed wings for certain techniques. But now? Their new forms were practically human, wings nowhere to be found. Though if they trained hard enough to awaken their "Hakutaku bloodline," they might yet grow tails.
"If you have time, visit them often. Learn all the tengu arts you can. We cannot afford to let this knowledge fade."
"Understood, Shogun."
"Also… you're acquainted with the oni residing in Inazuma City, correct?"
Ei knew the return of the blue oni two years ago had bolstered their numbers. But the most promising among them seemed to be a red oni—loud and unruly, though she couldn't recall the name.
"I am, Your Excellency," Sara confirmed.
"Good. For the time being, you need not return to the shrine. Train with the youkai at the old shrine grounds, and bring along any promising oni disciples. Consult Yae Miko for specifics."
"I shall, Shogun."
And so, the youkai affair was settled—for now. But Inazuma's transformations were far from over.
As its ruler, Ei still had much work ahead. Fortunately, she was no longer alone in steering the ship of state.