Youying felt the world spinning around him before he inexplicably found himself high in the air, watching the scenery below blur rapidly for a dozen minutes or so. Then, he rapidly closed in on the ground and landed in the outskirts not far from Inazuma City.
"Oh crap... Ugh!" As soon as Youying landed, his legs felt unsteady. Fortunately, there was a tree nearby for him to steady himself against, and he began to retch.
Even though he didn't get motion sickness back in his past life on Blue Star, the way Yae Miko had grabbed him and flown him here—anyone would have gotten motion sickness.
"Did it ever occur to you that visiting the Shogun in the middle of the night is a bit weird?" Youying asked weakly after catching his breath.
"Hmm... That makes sense. Shall we head back and come again tomorrow morning, then?" Yae Miko said, reaching out to grab Youying again. "We're already a day late anyway, a little longer won't hurt."
"No, no, no." Youying stepped back in a panic. "I don't want to fly back and forth like that again. Can't we just find a place to spend the night right here in Inazuma City?"
"I'm just teasing you." Taking those few simple steps back was obviously not enough to escape Yae Miko's clutches. "Let's go, to Komore Teahouse."
With a flash, the two of them directly materialized inside Komore Teahouse.
Upon seeing Yae Miko arrive in person, the staff at Komore Teahouse quickly arranged the two highest-spec rooms for them to stay in.
Well, there was none of that cliché plot Youying had imagined where "we're terribly sorry, but there's only one room left."
The next morning.
"Let's go, buy some desserts in Inazuma City first, and then we'll pick up a few light novels from Yae Publishing House," Yae Miko said to Youying, waving her gohei once more as faint traces of Elemental Energy could be seen flowing around it.
"What is this?" Youying asked curiously, watching Yae Miko's actions.
"Just a simple glamour," Yae Miko explained. "After all, it's still a bit troublesome for someone of my status to appear directly on the streets of Inazuma City. With this, unless I want them to, ordinary people who see me will just take me for an ordinary person. As for you... as long as you don't go shouting your name out loud in the streets, nobody's going to bother you either."
"Oh, oh." Youying nodded, and then walked side by side with Yae Miko into Inazuma City.
You have to hand it to Yae Miko's magic; it really looked quite useful. At least all the way down the street, people around them looked at Yae Miko as if she were completely ordinary, turning a blind eye.
It wasn't until they entered Yae Publishing House that Yae Miko lifted the illusion, allowing others to see her.
As for why she waited until they were inside Yae Publishing House to lift it—well, of course, so she wouldn't have to pay for the light novels.
Although Yae Miko had initially said just a few light novels would do, she started picking them up left and right as if she were restocking an inventory.
Youying, standing beside her, naturally found himself cast in the role of the pack mule: "Hold on, this is your own shop, Yae Miko. Do you really have to fleece it this hard? Are you planning to open a Yae Publishing House branch in the Plane of Euthymia?"
"Oh my, every other time I just casually grab her two or three books, and Ei always complains that I didn't bring enough light novels. Now that I have a ready-made coolie like you here, I might as well bring her a few more," Yae Miko said with a playful smile. "Bring her a bit more, and the probability of her taking a slash at you later goes down just a little bit, you know."
"Little one, surely you don't want to be sliced by the Shogun, do you?"
"6," Youying muttered, curling his lips and accepting his reality as a pack mule.
Watching Youying, who was holding such a thick stack of books that it practically blocked his vision, Yae Miko finally stopped with a look of satisfaction:
"Let's go, time to buy desserts for Ei."
After reapplying the glamour to herself, Yae Miko and Youying headed to the nearby Kiminami Restaurant and bought plenty of Tri-Color Dango for Ei.
Well, and she conveniently bought two more bowls of fried tofu for herself.
Then Yae Miko felt Youying's somewhat enigmatic gaze upon her.
"What, what is it? Anyway, these expenses can be reimbursed at Tenshukaku. What's wrong with me buying some fried tofu for myself along the way? Besides, Ei can eat them too."
"As the familiar of Inazuma's archon, what's wrong with spending a little of her money? The incense offerings at Grand Narukami Shrine that I bring in earn Ei quite a lot anyway."
"I've been working for over five hundred years, am I not even allowed to enjoy myself a little?"
"I'll treat you to lunch." Yae Miko simply couldn't stand it anymore.
"Brilliant move, Your Eminence!" Youying cupped his hands in salute, his gaze turning clear once more.
After finishing lunch with Yae Miko at Kiminami Restaurant, Youying and Yae Miko officially set off for Tenshukaku.
To be honest, about actually going to see Raiden Ei right now, Youying still felt somewhat lacking in confidence.
After all, Ei was currently suffering from a bit of autism and depression. If she suddenly decided to take a swipe at him out of nowhere, it wouldn't be very fun.
Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Youying stood before Tenshukaku and sighed.
"Greetings, Lady Guuji." The guards who usually patrolled near Tenshukaku didn't dare to stop Yae Miko when they saw her approaching. After bowing respectfully, they stepped aside to clear the path.
Yae Miko walked unimpeded all the way into the innermost depths of Tenshukaku.
"Shogun, I've come to see you again," Yae Miko said with a soft laugh as she slid open the door.
The interior space of Tenshukaku was quite large, and coupled with its relatively simple decor, it felt even more empty. Yae Miko's voice even carried a faint echo as it resounded through the hall.
A small table was placed right in the center of Tenshukaku, and a purple-haired village-girl-styled figure in a purple kimono with a braided queue sat before the desk with her eyes closed.
It was none of "$1".
Hearing Yae Miko's voice, the Shogun opened her eyes.
"It's you, Yae Miko," the Shogun said expressionlessly.
However, upon seeing Youying following behind Yae Miko, the Shogun frowned slightly: "Why bring an ordinary person into Tenshukaku?"
"Oh my, oh my, don't be so formal. Last time Ei said the light novels weren't enough to read, and since I didn't want to carry that many myself, I had to bring a porter along," Yae Miko smiled.
Youying slowly set down the books in his arms and addressed the Shogun: "Reporting to Lady Shogun, this humble subject Youying has always been a loyal believer in Eternity. Today, taking advantage of the task of moving books, I am granted an audience with Lady Shogun to gaze upon your venerable countenance—truly a blessing of a lifetime."
"Just keep putting on an act," Yae Miko thought to herself with an internal eye-roll as she watched Youying playing along, though she didn't interrupt his performance.
"Same as when we first met. Such a loser," Yae Miko muttered.
"No need for formalities. Your desire to see this body is so strong—what is your purpose?" the Shogun said expressionlessly.
"Reporting to Lady Shogun, as a believer in Eternity, this humble subject has constantly been pondering the most fundamental yet most difficult question," Youying continued. "And that is...
What is Eternity?"
Hearing these words, Yae Miko beside him was also startled, and couldn't help shooting Youying a look that meant: What on earth are you trying to do?
"...The inner self of this body is also pondering Eternity," the Shogun said after a brief pause, which basically meant she didn't know the answer either.
"This foolish one once heard a theory that seemed to make some sense, and therefore wishes to seek guidance from Lady Shogun."
"Speak your mind."
"Scholars in Sumeru once researched theories in this area, using lifespan as a simple example," Youying said with a solemn expression. "In terms of longevity, the lifespan of gods is practically endless, which could be called eternity."
The Shogun nodded.
"However, scholars have proposed a different perspective from another angle," Youying suddenly changed the subject. "Although the lifespans of ordinary creatures like humans are brief, they continue and are passed down. People today still remember ancient customs or rituals from hundreds or even thousands of years ago. This continuation and heritage can also be called a form of eternity."
"...That makes some sense." The Shogun nodded. After all, she was just a puppet; handling affairs of state on behalf of that shut-in homebody who holed up in the Plane of Euthymia all day was already quite difficult, and she couldn't possibly handle such philosophical questions.
But being unable to process it was precisely the outcome Youying was hoping for.
Actually, all that talk about Sumeru scholars was completely made up by Youying on the spot. His goal was singular.
That was to fry the Shogun's CPU first and ask questions later.
If you ask why, Youying's reasoning was this: Although with Yae Miko around, Ei would probably save face and not take a slash at him, the Shogun was a different story—simple-minded and all brawn, who knew when some command would glitch and she'd draw her blade on him. The best method was to strike first. As long as he fried the Shogun's CPU, she wouldn't be able to think about anything else, and he would be safe.
Just as the Shogun was deep in thought, her previously slightly vacant eyes suddenly flashed with purple light.
"Yae Miko, you've come later than usual this time."
"And the young man over there, what is your exact purpose in coming here?"