Chapter 14: Where to Serve

Minamoto Kiyomoto had diligently attended a French literature class.

After class, the three of them, each holding their textbooks, walked through the university campus under the starry sky.

“What’s that over there?” Himemiya Izayoi held her notebook to her chest, her long, slender, white fingers pointing at a brightly lit teaching building on her right.

Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced in that direction, “The teaching building of the Faculty of Engineering.”

“Faculty of Engineering? What do they study?”

“It depends on the specific major. I know someone in the manufacturing and processing major who spends all day in the lab processing sensors.”

“Oh,” Himemiya Izayoi pushed up her round-framed glasses. From her expression, she clearly didn’t understand.

Actually, Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t understand either.

Before he met that classmate from the Faculty of Engineering, he had always thought that the Faculty of Engineering was about making machine tools, producing car parts, and the like.

“It sounds very tough,” Himemiya Izayoi said.

“It is. I heard many people are busy until the school closes, and then they climb over the wall to get out.”

“Climbing over the wall, that sounds interesting,” her face was written all over with ‘I want to experience it’.

Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced at her. Her posture of holding the book was very much like a university student, so much so that it seemed a little unnatural, as if she were playing the role of her ideal university student.

“Is the life of a miko very secluded?” he turned his head and asked Kamibayashi Miko.

“I don’t know about Ise Grand Shrine,” Kamibayashi Miko was a real university student. Apart from being too beautiful, her expression and posture were very casual.

“Ask me, I know, I know,” Himemiya Izayoi raised her hand.

“Okay, I’ll ask you. May I ask: what are you doing at our school?”

“You’re cheating!” Himemiya Izayoi laughed and patted Minamoto Kiyomoto’s arm. “I can’t help it. I can’t find Yagyu Michiko, so I can only stay in Tokyo. The only ones who can play with me are you two. The others are boring.”

“If you can’t find her, shouldn’t you keep looking? Why are you playing around?” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“I am looking,” Himemiya Izayoi pushed up her glasses and looked around the campus.

“…Aren’t you afraid the Lord of Kyoto will blame you? Isn’t he a very cruel person?”

“Nonsense, the Lord of Kyoto is not cruel at all. He is a very kind and majestic lord,” Himemiya Izayoi retorted.

“Killing a whole family just for being late, isn’t that cruel?” Minamoto Kiyomoto feigned confusion, trying to get information about things he was curious about from this miko.

Himemiya Izayoi let out a “Ha—” and said with a “gotcha” expression, “I’m going to tell the Lord of Kyoto, ‘Minamoto Kiyomoto is speaking ill of you’.”

“Don’t, don’t, don’t,” Minamoto Kiyomoto was really a little scared. His old mother still lived in Shikoku, which belonged to Kansai.

“Treat me to a meal!”

“It can’t be too expensive.”

“No problem!”

“What on earth did I come to a literature class for?” Minamoto Kiyomoto sighed.

The night wind blew, and the ginkgo trees above rustled. It was a slightly chilly early spring night.

The three of them walked out of the main gate and onto the road. The streetlights lit up one by one, stretching neatly into the distance.

“I’d also like to know what you came for,” Kamibayashi Miko said, feeling the night wind.

“To listen to the lecture, of course,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said as if it were a matter of course. “Through this class, I learned the name of the village where Scott went to primary school.”

“Amazing,” Kamibayashi Miko’s tone was perfunctory.

“Didn’t Scott also say, ‘Time and tide wait for no man’? Smart people don’t waste time,” Minamoto Kiyomoto showed off the famous quote he had just heard in class.

Kamibayashi Miko seemed to have nothing to say to this.

“Me, me, me, I know too!” classmate Himemiya Izayoi raised her hand again.

“Mm, that’s right, we are all smart people,” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s tone became meaningful.

“You’re no fun like this,” Himemiya Izayoi lowered her hand and rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was not afraid of her at all, because Kamibayashi Miko was by his side.

After yesterday’s full bloom, the petals of the cherry blossom trees planted on the way to the station had almost all fallen.

The passing students had no interest in the scattered cherry blossoms. Not a single person cast their gaze on them.

“I wonder how the two people who got married yesterday are doing,” at the traffic light, Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at the cherry blossom petals falling with the wind.

“They’re already dead,” Himemiya Izayoi said lightly.

“Dead?” Minamoto Kiyomoto turned his gaze to her.

Kamibayashi Miko also seemed a little surprised.

“Don’t you guys read the news or newspapers?” Himemiya Izayoi looked at the two of them speechlessly. The three of them seemed to be just ordinary university students chatting idly after class.

Actually, Minamoto Kiyomoto and Kamibayashi Miko were, only Himemiya Izayoi was not.

“Miss Kamibayashi’s place has no signal. She lives the life of a primitive person. I cultivate all day, and the rest of the time I’m either studying or thinking about how to pay off my debt,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied.

“You don’t seem very sad for that couple,” Himemiya Izayoi tilted her head and stared at him.

Compared to the still-talking Minamoto Kiyomoto, although Kamibayashi Miko’s face was expressionless, one could still see some sadness and regret.

“People die every moment, not just them. What’s the use of being sad?”

“I didn’t expect you to be such a heartless man. I was wrong about you,” Himemiya Izayoi said, pursing her small lips.

“It’s not just sadness, but also regret, fear, anxiety, tension, and so on. These negative emotions are boundless, they die and are reborn, they wax and wane, but they are all meaningless. So after learning the lesson and absorbing the experience, there’s no need to take it too much to heart.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s words were directed at Kamibayashi Miko, who had taken the responsibility upon herself.

“As expected of a person with a broad and deep capacity,” Himemiya Izayoi said with admiration. “I’m starting to value you more and more.”

“Let’s just forget about that.”

The red light flashed, the green light turned on, and the three of them crossed the crosswalk.

Kamibayashi Miko’s complexion had returned to normal.

Her capacity was also profound.

Capacity was the sum of a person’s various aspects: desire, talent, will, potential, all were included.

In terms of emotions, when a person’s capacity was sufficient, they would not be troubled by trivial matters, nor would they be immersed in past confusion and sadness.

No matter what they encountered, they could stand up with a strong will.

“Remember to treat me to a meal,” at the station, when they were parting, Himemiya Izayoi said to Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Tomorrow noon at the school cafeteria.”

On the way to Hakusan Shrine with Kamibayashi Miko, Minamoto Kiyomoto searched for related news on his phone.

At the beginning of the news, it was written in large black letters: “How long can love last?!”

The couple had committed suicide last night, that is, the night of their wedding banquet. The method was to jump from a bridge into Chidorigafuchi.

The two had left a suicide note, which stated the reason for their suicide.

After summarizing the suicide note, it was:
No love is without pain. Even the most intense love will eventually fade with time. Therefore, they chose to commit suicide at the peak of their love to achieve eternal love.

“Eternal love,” this phrase was from the original letter. Minamoto Kiyomoto had lived for so many years and had never thought about any eternal love.

In the newspaper photo, the bodies of the two were covered with a white cloth. Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t see whether they were happy or regretful after death.

The only thing he could see was the bride’s dress.

The beautiful, thin gauze skirt that was originally puffed up high, the fabric had become heavy and lifeless, clinging tightly to her cold body.

“A wedding dress is something…” he muttered to himself.

Kamibayashi Miko’s gaze shifted from the copy of “Ivanhoe” in her hand, waiting for him to continue.

“A wedding dress is something,” Minamoto Kiyomoto turned off his phone, “it looks light and fluffy, but it’s all supported by a petticoat. Life is the same. It looks tenacious on the surface, but it’s actually fragile and breaks with a touch.”

After saying this, he turned his head to look at Kamibayashi Miko.

“Miss Kamibayashi, please be stricter with me.”

Kamibayashi Miko nodded lightly. He didn’t know if she had been listening seriously. She continued to read the historical novel by Scott in her hand.

The train clattered forward. Outside the window was a pitch-black darkness, reflecting Minamoto Kiyomoto’s determined and sharp eyes.

He must become strong.

He couldn’t die inexplicably like this couple.

His inner pride would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen to him.

And then Minamoto Kiyomoto accidentally practiced too much at Hakusan Shrine, not only missing the last train, but also the dorm curfew.

He explained to the administrator that he had accidentally read too late, was reprimanded a few times, and was only let in after promising it wouldn’t happen again.

The next morning, he continued his morning practice under the huge chinquapin tree by Sanshiro Pond.

At noon, Asana and the other two invited Minamoto Kiyomoto to eat at a small restaurant outside, but because he had promised Himemiya Izayoi, he refused.

As soon as Himemiya Izayoi and Kamibayashi Miko walked out of Building 3, they saw Minamoto Kiyomoto standing by the red brick wall of the Faculty of Letters, where there were several tall palm trees.

The sunlight passed through the leaves of the palm trees and fell on him, like a scene from a movie.

“This long dress is fresh and elegant, it suits you very well,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said to Kamibayashi Miko.

“Thank you,” Kamibayashi Miko continued to walk towards the Faculty of Law and Letters Building 2.

There was also food there, and it was closer than the Central Cafeteria. The other two also walked towards that direction with her.

“What about me, what about me? I’m here too,” Himemiya Izayoi pointed at herself and said to Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Today, Himemiya Izayoi was also dressed in a university student style, wearing a white top and a light brown mid-length skirt, her slender waist tightly cinched.

And her full curves, which were obvious even through her clothes, were youthful and full of vitality.

As for whether she was beautiful or not, there was no need to say more.

“So you’re interested in Miss Kamibayashi, and I’m just an innocent bystander?” Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced at her.

The best proof was that she had gone to the Faculty of Letters yesterday, and she had gone to the Faculty of Letters again today.

“I’m asking you to praise me,” Himemiya Izayoi’s previously playful face was now expressionless, her gaze faintly fixed on Minamoto Kiyomoto.

There was a daunting aura.

“I’ve always had a feeling.”

“Speak,” Himemiya Izayoi entered her queen mode.

“From the first time I saw you, I felt that you were a classical beauty. I’m not saying you don’t look good in other clothes, but no matter how fashionably you dress, you are always a beauty with a slightly classical temperament.”

“I’m a classical beauty, what about Miko?” Himemiya Izayoi’s expression returned to normal, she asked curiously.

Minamoto Kiyomoto suspected that Ise Grand Shrine was actually a performance academy.

“Her? I suspect she drinks dew and eats jelly made from flower petals.”

“Haha!” Himemiya Izayoi laughed cheerfully twice.

He didn’t know if it was to go against Minamoto Kiyomoto, but when they got to the cafeteria, Kamibayashi Miko ordered the beef set meal.

Himemiya Izayoi was very interested in the cafeteria. From getting a tray to choosing her favorite dishes, she looked excited.

“The lives of ordinary people are getting richer and richer,” she suddenly sighed while eating.

“To be able to live such a life without fear is all thanks to the sacrifice of the cultivators,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said. “What did you learn in class today?”

“It was boring,” Himemiya Izayoi scraped a few strips of snow-white fish meat from the grilled fish with her chopsticks. “It was about the Heian period in Kyoto, what ranks, promotions, official systems, I already knew all that.”

“What is the life of those big shots in Kyoto like?” Minamoto Kiyomoto was a little interested in these things.

“You want to know?” Himemiya Izayoi raised her bright eyes and looked at him with a smile.

“I want to know.”

“When I kill Yagyu Michiko and get back the Genjo Biwa, you can come back to Kyoto with me. I’ll recommend you for a post in the Seiryoden Hall.”

She put the fish meat in her mouth and said, “It’s not as delicious as the sweetfish from the Kamo River.”

“Seiryoden Hall?”

“The place where the Lord of Kyoto presides over state affairs. Those who can enter the hall are at least Chunagon. After you’ve been a guard for a while, you’ll come out as a Shonagon. Then the two of us can team up, kill a few yokai, and the position of Daijo-daijin will be yours. That’s one person below, and ten thousand above.”

“Is that feasible?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked Kamibayashi Miko.

“If you believe her, go; if you don’t, don’t.”

In Kamibayashi Miko’s grilled steak set, besides a small, thick steak, there were also green peas and broccoli.

She held a fork in her left hand and a knife in her right, elegantly cutting the beef.

As a peerless beauty, her elegant posture should be in a high-end restaurant in Aoyama with a sommelier, not facing a student-priced 574-yen steak.

“I don’t believe her, but I believe you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“I don’t know her, so I don’t believe her,” Kamibayashi Miko’s small, perfectly-sized lips were crystal clear and alluring after eating the steak.

“Then I’ll just honestly stay by your side and serve. In the future, you can just give me any official position. I trust you.”

“You mean you don’t trust me?” Himemiya Izayoi looked at him.

“This matter, Izayoi, you say it yourself!” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked her with the attitude of an old classmate.

“You, I’ve already told you I won’t do anything to you. Are you naturally suspicious of everything?”

“The one who suspects everything is the philosopher hiding in his study. I only suspect a part.”

“How can I make you trust me?”

“The Eight Divine Thunders, I only know ‘Great Thunder’ right now. If you teach me two or three of the others, I’ll trust you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t say that Kamibayashi Miko knew ‘Young Thunder’.

He wasn’t sure if this was considered a secret, but whether it was or not, not saying it would definitely not be wrong.

He also didn’t expect Himemiya Izayoi to really give it to him, and then accidentally repeat ‘Young Thunder’.

“Okay,” Himemiya Izayoi nodded readily. “Come back to Kyoto with me. I’ll ask the Lord of Kyoto to let you enter the ‘Library Bureau.’ You can learn all the Eight Divine Thunders, yin-yang curses, the five elements combination technique, the mountain-moving curse, the shape-shifting curse, the rain-making curse.”

“I trust you even less now.”

“‘In the eyes of the timid and indecisive, all things are impossible, because at first glance they seem so,'” Himemiya Izayoi said with a smile.

This was also one of the famous quotes by Scott mentioned in yesterday’s class.

“I still like Miss Kamibayashi,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

Kamibayashi Miko had already finished eating.

She put down her knife and fork and said to Minamoto Kiyomoto, “I don’t know when the next yokai will appear. I want to take on some small missions to let you accumulate experience and familiarize yourself with the curses.”

“You decide. What are the small missions?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“Cultivators are always in danger of life and death. Of course, there will be cultivators who are unwilling, and also cultivators who worship yokai for various reasons. The small missions are to deal with these people,” Kamibayashi Miko explained.

“That sounds interesting. How about we go this Friday? I don’t have class on Friday.”

“Friday is not good.”

“Why?”

“I have a French exam.”

“…”

A person who commanded the wind and clouds, flew through the heavens and the earth, and could summon lightning with a raise of her hand, suddenly said she had an exam this Friday. Minamoto Kiyomoto felt that he couldn’t relax his studies either.

“Count me in,” Himemiya Izayoi joined in the fun. “Among those people, there are also some whose strength is not inferior to an Immortal of Poetry. One more person is one more insurance. I can protect Kiyomoto.”

It was the first time Minamoto Kiyomoto had been called by his first name by a girl his own age.

“I’ll listen to Miss Kamibayashi,” he said.

Kamibayashi Miko glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto and nodded in agreement.

Although it was for his safety, Minamoto Kiyomoto could see that Kamibayashi Miko still had no romantic feelings for him—she didn’t mind Himemiya Izayoi getting close to him.

Fighting with people, fighting with heaven, ever since he met Kamibayashi Miko, his originally smooth-sailing life was full of challenges.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was so excited he wanted to laugh out loud, but he didn’t. He just ate a few more bites of the cafeteria food, which had become even more fragrant.

(End of Chapter)