Chapter 18: Lingering Snow

The three of them stood in the snow, waiting for the logistics personnel to clean up the scene.

“I thought you wouldn’t be able to do it,” Kamibayashi Miko glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Didn’t the intelligence show it?” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s voice was calm. “They ambushed the new cultivators participating in the Konohanasakuya-hime event in Nagano Prefecture. They’ve committed many crimes over the past few years.”

“That person might have been looking for the enemy who killed his wife and daughter. An ordinary person would sympathize with him, right?” Himemiya Izayoi said with a smile.

“I do sympathize,” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s smile was a bit forced. The sensation of a sword passing through a human body still lingered on his hand.

“You sympathize, but it doesn’t stop you from killing him?” Himemiya Izayoi nodded in approval.

Minamoto Kiyomoto ignored her, looked up at the silver-white snowy mountain under the starry sky, and stood quietly for a long time.

“Even a snowy mountain can’t remain pure,” he couldn’t help but sigh.

“In this world, there are all kinds of things and all kinds of people,” Kamibayashi Miko’s words seemed like a comfort, but also not.

Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded lightly, retracted his gaze, and at the same time, sheathed his sword at his waist.

“I know why you made me wait all that time,” he said.

“After seeing a part of this world, what do you plan to do in the future?” Himemiya Izayoi asked curiously.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked over. Not only her, but Kamibayashi Miko was also looking at him.

“I’m not a good person, but as long as it doesn’t affect me, I’ll try to be a little better to others.”

After a short pause, he said to the two of them, “I will kill that guy with the brown divine power.”

“Oh?” Himemiya Izayoi covered her rosy lips with her fan, her eyes smiling at him.

“Anyway, I’m not some small character with no background,” Minamoto Kiyomoto laughed easily. “If they wrong me, with Miss Kamibayashi’s personality, she’d kill everyone in Tokyo from top to bottom, leaving a million corpses floating in Tokyo Bay, and rivers of blood.”

“The ending is a bit exaggerated,” Kamibayashi Miko corrected.

The meaning of this sentence was: the process is not a problem.

Minamoto Kiyomoto smiled at Kamibayashi Miko, and Kamibayashi Miko also smiled back at him.

The two of them were very satisfied with each other’s attitude on this matter.

“This time, and last time with Konohanasakuya-hime, you’ve put a lot of thought into me. If I didn’t hate being deceived and used beyond the ordinary, I would have definitely fallen in love with you for real.”

“Fortunately, you hate it,” Kamibayashi Miko said as if relieved.

Minamoto Kiyomoto smiled, thinking her deliberate act of being annoying was too cute.

“Actually, you don’t have to thank me. This is what you deserve,” Kamibayashi Miko said again. “If your talent was not good and your capacity was insufficient, I wouldn’t have spent so much effort cultivating you.”

“What would have happened then?” he asked curiously.

“I haven’t thought about it, but I wouldn’t have let you owe money. Instead, I would have given you money.”

“So, owing a huge debt is my own doing?”

Kamibayashi Miko first nodded seriously, then smiled with a hint of smugness.

She was deliberately being annoying again, but Minamoto Kiyomoto thought it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

With a “swish,” Himemiya Izayoi opened her fan between the two of them.

She said angrily to Minamoto Kiyomoto, “I was watching you the whole time, worried something would happen to you.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

“Wow, so perfunctory!”

“Little sister Izayoi, you’re wearing an oiran’s kimono right now.”

“Little brother, you’ve disappointed your big sister so much. I’ll definitely make your legs go weak tonight.”

“Let’s forget about that. I’m devoted to Miss Kamibayashi. I’ve saved my twenty years of virginity for her. I can’t just give it to you.”

“Eh? Kiyomoto, you’re still a virgin?” Himemiya Izayoi stuck her fan into her belt and kneaded Minamoto Kiyomoto’s cheeks with both hands. “So cute!”

“There’s also a twenty-year-old virgin over here,” Minamoto Kiyomoto slapped her hands away and introduced Kamibayashi Miko to her.

Kamibayashi Miko lifted her foot.

“Kimono, kimono!” Minamoto Kiyomoto quickly reminded her. “It doesn’t look good to lift your leg in a kimono!”

Kamibayashi Miko looked at the hem of her kimono, her eyes showing a look of agreement.

The moment Minamoto Kiyomoto relaxed, she used the umbrella in her hand to trip him.

“Plop!” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s face was buried in the snow.

“Hahaha!” The night sky was filled with Himemiya Izayoi’s cheerful laughter.

Minamoto Kiyomoto got up as if it were a common occurrence, took off his mask, patted the snow off it, and put it back on.

“Laughing so happily, big sister, have you experienced this many times?” he asked while patting the snow off his clothes.

“What nonsense, of course I’m also a virgin.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Himemiya Izayoi in surprise, not because she was a virgin.

“Miss Kamibayashi, Miss Kamibayashi, did you see that? She actually got shy? This witch actually…”

“Plop!” This time Minamoto Kiyomoto flew a little farther.

Himemiya Izayoi retracted her leg, and her snow-white skin hid back inside the hem of her skirt.

Kamibayashi Miko held the umbrella in her left hand, clapped her right hand against her left, and applauded lightly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto struggled to pull his body out of the snow. While cleaning his fox mask, he looked towards the foot of Mount Hakuba.

The small-scale avalanche caused by the thunder had stopped, with only an occasional snowball or two still rolling down.

The logistics personnel arrived, cleaned up the bodies, and searched for the camping and skiing equipment that had been blown away.

After confirming the mission was complete, the three of them returned to the RV.

Himemiya Izayoi immediately lay back on the bed, “I’ve never stood for so long in my life.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto put down his sword and mask, and also sat down on a chair at the dining table, leaning his back against the wall.

“Master,” Himemiya Izayoi’s shikigami respectfully brought her a meal.

It was a small dining table that could be placed on the bed. Himemiya Izayoi rolled up her kimono sleeves and started eating directly on the bed.

Watching Himemiya Izayoi eat and smelling the aroma of the food, a feeling of hunger welled up. Minamoto Kiyomoto hadn’t eaten for almost twelve hours, and he had just fought a big battle.

“Miss Shikigami, is there anything to eat?” he asked.

The shikigami, kneeling by Himemiya Izayoi’s bed, bowed slightly to him before answering, “Chilled bonito slices, mapo tofu, cod roe with wasabi, and tri-color pasta, taro soup.”

“Very homey.”

“Yes, Master specifically instructed me to make more ordinary people’s food recently.”

“Experiencing life, I get it, I get it. Can I eat?”

“It’s been prepared for Lady Kamibayashi and you as well.”

“Thank you.” Just as Minamoto Kiyomoto was about to get up to get some food, Kamibayashi Miko walked up to him.

“Give me your hand,” she said softly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto doubtfully extended his right hand.

“Both.”

He extended his left hand as well.

Kamibayashi Miko aimed the palm of her right hand at Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hands, and a faint golden light lit up.

A warm feeling spread through Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hands, as if they had been placed in a warm spring in the middle of a snowy landscape.

He looked at Kamibayashi Miko before him. Her face was calm, and she was focused on his hands. Her whole being radiated a kind and comforting beauty.

Not only did his hands feel warm, but his heart also warmed up.

The last bit of discomfort after killing someone was washed away like mud on glass.

“It’s done.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto came back to his senses. The injuries on his hands from the hard fight with Mansaku had already healed.

“Time to eat,” he collected his thoughts.

Himemiya Izayoi’s shikigami’s cooking skills were quite good. The dishes looked as exquisite as those in a food magazine, and the taste was also very delicious.

Kamibayashi Miko sat opposite Minamoto Kiyomoto with her own portion.

“This is the benefit of buying an RV,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said while eating. “Can you eat a hot late-night snack right away on the Shinkansen? We’d still be on the way back to the hotel now.”

“If you had more divine power and were more proficient with the Wind Control Curse, we would be eating a late-night snack at a hotel right now,” Kamibayashi Miko took a sip of the taro soup.

“I’m sorry.”

After silently eating a bite or two of rice and having something in his stomach, Minamoto Kiyomoto noticed the shikigami serving Himemiya Izayoi and couldn’t help but ask:

“What is the relationship between a cultivator and a shikigami? Are there any laws to protect the rights of shikigami?”

“No. The relationship depends on the cultivator and the shikigami’s own thoughts. They vary: family, friends, subordinates, simple comrades-in-arms, or a mixture of several relationships,” Kamibayashi Miko replied.

“By the way, Kiyomoto,” Himemiya Izayoi had become very familiar with calling him that, “you don’t have a shikigami yet, do you?”

“No.”

“Shall I give you Fire Fan?” she said with a smile. “Besides being able to do your laundry, cook for you, and sleep with you, her combat power is also very strong.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto subconsciously glanced at the shikigami kneeling by the bed.

She wore casual pants for easy driving and a simple shirt. Her curves were graceful, her skin was fair, and she was very beautiful.

“It’s good,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said this to be considerate of the shikigami’s feelings, “but I’m still young. It’s better not to have a female shikigami. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself.”

“Then don’t control yourself,” Himemiya Izayoi’s voice was charming and moving.

“I’m pursuing Miss Kamibayashi. How can I do something to wrong her?”

“I don’t mind,” Kamibayashi Miko said.

“Is it that you don’t mind?” Minamoto Kiyomoto said in annoyance. “It’s that you don’t like me, not that you don’t mind.”

Kamibayashi Miko was amused for a moment.

“When you like me, you’ll mind.”

“I won’t like you.”

“Then I can’t do anything to wrong you even more, otherwise you really won’t like me,” after Minamoto Kiyomoto finished speaking, he said to the Fire Fan shikigami, “I’m sorry, although you are very beautiful, I already have someone I like.”

Fire Fan bowed and smiled elegantly.

“You actually took it seriously,” Himemiya Izayoi said with disdain. “Fire Fan is my favorite among my serving shikigami. How could I give her to you, you heartless man.”

“Heartless man…”

Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t remember doing anything to wrong a woman—if rejecting a confession didn’t count.

“On the path of cultivation, I’m just a beginner. If I don’t seize the time to cultivate and indulge in beautiful women, then the next one to be killed will be me,” he stated the real reason.

He hadn’t even touched his phone much recently, let alone games.

“What’s the harm in once or twice?” the witch continued to instigate.

“Miss Kamibayashi, as a Divine Miko, even put a curse on herself to prevent herself from having feelings for others. The place she lives doesn’t even have internet. She pushes herself so hard, what reason do I have to indulge myself once or twice?”

“Being able to avoid it shows that your capacity is insufficient,” Himemiya Izayoi sneered.

Minamoto Kiyomoto wouldn’t fall for her trick. If he really believed her words, that would be a true lack of capacity.

“By the way!” he suddenly remembered something. “Can I be in charge of the RV?”

“Hmm?” Himemiya Izayoi ate a bite of pasta with a knife and fork. “Why?”

“Living in the dorm is too troublesome. I can’t cultivate properly.”

“The RV isn’t that big either,” she looked around the interior space, which was slightly larger than a normal RV, with disdain.

“There are no neighbors, and no curfew. It’s already very good, and it’s much bigger than my dorm.”

“Do you want to stay at my place? It’s very big,” Himemiya Izayoi said with a smile.

“Let’s forget about that. The RV is fine.”

“Can you afford the parking fee?” Kamibayashi Miko asked.

“…Miss Kamibayashi, you always say little, but you can hit the nail on the head.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto had no money, and he wanted to move out of the dorm. He originally thought the RV was an excellent idea, but in the end, he was defeated by his lack of money.

The parking fees in Tokyo, not to mention the hourly rates and the parking spaces in the city center, even in a more remote place, it was 1000 yen for 24 hours, which was 30,000 yen a month.

Renting an apartment was only 50,000 or 60,000 yen, and it was even cheaper in more remote places.

Although he had over 400,000 yen on him, cultivating at Hakusan Shrine was a continuous huge expense, not to mention the mountain of debt.

As for just parking somewhere, getting caught would cost at least 12,000 yen.

“I’ll just continue to live in the dorm,” Minamoto Kiyomoto sighed.

He ate his meal silently, thinking about how to extend his cultivation time.

In the dorm, he couldn’t cultivate divine power, couldn’t cultivate the thunder curse, and couldn’t even practice the Shinto-ryu sword style. He could only practice the defensive water curse in the bathroom, and it could only be defensive.

“Stay at my place,” ten minutes later, Kamibayashi Miko suddenly said.

“…” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her, suspecting that his ears had been damaged in the previous battle.

“Didn’t you say that if you don’t seize the time to cultivate, the next one to die will be you? Outside, whether it’s renting a house or an RV, it’s definitely not convenient to cultivate curses. It was my fault for not considering it thoroughly. I should have let you move to my place from the beginning.”

“…Is it really, really okay? We’re an unmarried man and woman.”

“You think you’ll be living with me?” Kamibayashi Miko put down her bowl and chopsticks. She had already finished eating. “That’s a mountain. You can find a place to build a house yourself. You have to figure out how to take a bath, use electricity, and eat all by yourself. You can also take care of these things outside and only cultivate and sleep inside.”

“…May I ask, how is the rent calculated? And the rule of charging 10,000 yen per hour for staying at your place, is it still valid?”

“The rent…”

“Building my own house, figuring out how to take a bath myself, solving the electricity problem myself, and even installing the toilet myself,” Minamoto Kiyomoto quickly reminded her.

“Hahaha!” Himemiya Izayoi was laughing again.

Kamibayashi Miko glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto, “The rent is 10,000 yen a month, payable to me at the beginning of each month. When you come to my shrine, which is where I live, it’s still 10,000 yen an hour. You haven’t paid this week’s loan yet.”

“…I don’t have any money with me. I’ll give it to you when we get back.”

Kamibayashi Miko nodded.

Minamoto Kiyomoto finished his meal in a few bites. The thought of being able to cultivate anytime and anywhere in the future made him extremely excited. He wished he could fly back to Tokyo immediately and build his small wooden house in the mountains.

Because he was in a good mood, he not only washed his own bowl, but also the bowls of the others, and the kitchen utensils as well.

“Miss Fire Fan, thank you for your hard work,” after washing the dishes, he came to the passenger seat, preparing to sleep here.

The two beds belonged to the miko.

“Lord Minamoto, you should have left the bowls there. I would have washed them later.”

“I’m used to washing them at home. Thank you for driving. I need to get some sleep quickly, I’m tired.”

“Okay.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto had a dream. He dreamed that the snowy mountain melted, and all the trees grew. He built a house in the mountains and could cultivate however he wanted every day.

Then he also got married. First to Fire Fan, then Himemiya Izayoi suddenly broke in, and finally, for some reason, Kamibayashi Miko was trying to kill herself.

Marriage, divorce, marriage again, divorce again.

A wild and imaginative dream.

(End of Chapter)