Chapter 181: Entering the Door

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The eaves and dark tiles of the corridor were like an old house’s inn, not open for business.

“Strange,” Minamoto Kiyomoto muttered to himself.

“What’s wrong?” Kamibayashi Miko asked softly.

“Shodoshima Island has the most tourists in the summer. Although there aren’t many during the New Year, there are still some guests, all of whom are couples on vacation.”

“Isn’t today Christmas? There are still a few days until the New Year,” Himegami Izayoi said nonchalantly.

“It’s not a matter of whether there are many or few people. It’s closed…” Minamoto Kiyomoto pointed to the ‘Closed’ wooden sign hanging on the inn’s door.

“We’ll know once we go in!” Shirako opened the door with a “whoosh.” “Ayako, I’m here!”

The first floor, which served as the lobby, was filled with gift boxes, packed tightly, one on top of the other, making one wonder if they had entered a warehouse.

The sound of footsteps came from the staircase leading to the second floor.

When the group looked over, Ayako’s疋田绞缬kimono had already appeared in their sight.

“Mom, what’s going on?” Minamoto Kiyomoto pointed to the gift boxes and asked.

“They’re gifts,” Ayako, who looked to be in her thirties and was dignified and elegant, said perfunctorily to her son, turning her smiling face to Himegami Izayoi. “Koyako, you’re here!”

“Aunt Ayako,” Himegami Izayoi greeted obediently.

“Call me mother!”

“Mother!” Himegami Izayoi smiled brightly, took two steps forward, and held Ayako’s arm.

“Mother,” Kamibayashi Miko hesitated for a moment and then greeted her.

“You’re not qualified to call me mother yet,” Ayako showed the coldness and distance of a noble.

‘Wow, this old woman! How dare she bully my Miko!’

Before Kamibayashi Miko could speak again, Ayako turned her gaze to Rikka, “Rikka is here too?”

“Hmm,” Rikka nodded, then asked, “Mother, what should I call you?”

Minamoto Kiyomoto immediately looked at his mother. Sure enough, she was also stunned.

‘That’s right, it should be like this!’ He was happy and satisfied. Facing Rikka, no one could not be stunned.

“…You and Kiyomoto?” Ayako asked tentatively.

Himegami Izayoi leaned close to Ayako’s ear and whispered something.

Ayako looked back and forth between Minamoto Kiyomoto and Rikka, and finally nodded with understanding, patting Himegami Izayoi’s small hand with satisfaction.

Ayako skipped over Rikka and turned her gaze to the blond princess.

“You’re Noi? Kiyomoto mentioned you in the letter he sent,” she said.

“Hello,” Noi, who was holding a red and blue game console, nodded. “Is there WiFi?”

This time, Ayako was not stunned, but looked at her son.

Minamoto Kiyomoto understood his mother’s meaning—What kind of friends have you made?
“Yes, let’s go upstairs first!” Ayako said with a gentle smile. “Be careful. There are too many things. The stairs are full.”

“Mother, what are all these?” Himegami Izayoi asked as she walked.

“They’re congratulatory gifts for Kiyomoto becoming a Shinto Lord, and also New Year’s gifts sent in advance.”

“Master Kiyo… Kiyomoto didn’t give an order, saying that you don’t like trouble and that they shouldn’t come to pay New Year’s respects.”

“They didn’t pay New Year’s respects, so they only sent gifts. To put these things down, I even closed the inn.”

“Wow, these people are so annoying!”

“Aren’t they?”

The two of them talked and laughed and disappeared at the top of the stairs. The blond princess followed behind.

“My mom doesn’t seem to like you very much,” Minamoto Kiyomoto leaned his upper body slightly towards Kamibayashi Miko and said in a low voice.

“If my mother were alive, she wouldn’t like you either,” Kamibayashi Miko replied softly.

“That’s not necessarily true.”

‘Humph,’ the previous generation’s Divine Medium replied coldly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto felt his side being poked. When he turned his head to look, Kamibayashi Miko had already taken a step into the house.

Her legs were long and straight, and her hair was also very beautiful. The next time he had a chance, he wondered if he could touch it.

“What’s wrong with your mom?” Shirako grabbed the hem of Minamoto Kiyomoto’s clothes and questioned.

She probably wanted to grab his collar to make herself look more imposing, but since she wasn’t tall enough, she could only look like a child throwing a tantrum.

“Think about it,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said in a low voice. “I take Miko on adventures every day, and Izayoi protects her every time. What would your attitude be towards me, and what would your attitude be towards Izayoi?”

“How dare you dislike Lady Miko?!”

“Do you think I would?”

“If you dare to betray Lady Miko, I’ll kill you like a wild boar. You’ve killed a pig, so you know what it’s like to kill a pig. First, hold you down on a stool, aim for your throat…”

“Stop! Shirako, you’re so cute. Don’t say such bloody things.”

“I won’t say it, but I can do it. Humph! Little Butterfly, let’s go!” Shirako walked towards the second floor.

Little Butterfly landed on her small head. Only Shirako was walking.

Only Minamoto Kiyomoto was left at the entrance. He turned around and closed the shop door. The Seto Inland Sea was shining under the sunlight, and there was a triangular white light tower, shining brightly, a little dazzling.

A familiar scene, and finally a sense of security of returning home.

‘What’s wrong with your mother?’ Tamahime questioned.

‘Didn’t I tell you?’ Minamoto Kiyomoto walked upstairs.

‘If it were me, I would have gone back to Tokyo right away. Who’s afraid of whom!’

‘Fortunately, Miko’s temper is not like yours. As expected of someone who can say she’ll kill her own…’

‘Don’t mention him in front of me during the New Year. It’s bad luck.’

‘Okay, Mother Tamahime.’

‘Heh, you’re not… qualified to call me mother yet.’ Learning from Ayako’s words, her tone was even more sarcastic than Ayako’s.

Minamoto Kiyomoto thought of a word… menopausal syndrome.

This was not some common illness. Some people took ten years to recover.

With this illness, it was needless to say that one would be weak and have a negative mentality. It was also difficult to distinguish it from depression, and one might even have suicidal impulses.

One must pay attention to the health of middle-aged women.

‘Whatever you say, Mother Tamahime,’ Minamoto Kiyomoto decided to be a filial son-in-law.

‘Tch.’

Mother Tamahime’s mood was obviously a little better.

On the second floor, Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced. The corridor was filled with gift boxes, not to mention the rooms.

A small box fell at his feet. He picked it up casually. Inside was a pearl. According to the attached introduction, it was polished from the remains of a village-level yokai, a merman, and could command schools of fish.

‘This is interesting. Every day, you can have fish deliver themselves to your door and eat them fresh,’ Tamahime commented.

Minamoto Kiyomoto thought of more.

There were probably two differences between the upper and lower classes: one was the control and distribution of resources, and the other was intelligence.

He was now a Shinto Lord, in control of most of the resources and intelligence in Honshu. He could do more for the practitioners at the bottom.

‘Mother, I have a spell that I’d like you to help me with, and then find some spells from the Laurel Crown that I can refer to.’ He held the merman pearl and continued to walk to the third floor.

‘Let’s hear it.’

Tamahime sat at the highest point of Shodoshima Island, blowing in the sea breeze and looking at the sparkling Seto Inland Sea.

‘About the Demon Body Spell…’

The third floor was also filled with gifts. The fourth floor was slightly better, and the corridor was still walkable.

When he arrived at the fifth floor, which was decorated like an apartment, the sense of security in his heart turned into laziness.

Taking off his shoes and entering the living room, Minamoto Kiyomoto seemed to be sucked in and sat directly in the kotatsu.

‘Get an orange,’ Tamahime also sat in and ordered.

Minamoto Kiyomoto took an orange and peeled it.

‘The white part, get rid of the white part!’

‘The pith contains dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients. If you don’t eat this, the fruit is basically eaten for nothing.’

‘No, no, I’m already dead. What do I need those for!’

Minamoto Kiyomoto heard this and thought it made sense.

Although he was alive, after fusing with the ‘Hakone Fire Dragon’ and the ‘Red-Gold Dragon,’ his body couldn’t use these at all, let alone completely fuse with the entire ‘Coral Demon Moth’ now.

‘Alright,’ he showed his superb surgical skills, picked out the white threads one by one, and peeled the orange clean.

At this moment, Ayako walked in with Himegami Izayoi and Kamibayashi Miko.

“The guest hasn’t even sat down, and you’re already eating,” Ayako scolded Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Where have you been?” Minamoto Kiyomoto put the peeled orange in his mouth.

“Assigning rooms,” Himegami Izayoi replied with a smile and also sat down in the kotatsu.

She turned her head to Ayako and said, “Mother, I’m sitting down too.”

“You’ve had a hard journey. Sit down and rest,” Ayako said with a happy smile.

“I’m the one who’s had a hard time,” Minamoto Kiyomoto pointed at himself and said with a dazed and aggrieved look. “I flew all the way.”

Ayako glanced at her son and really laughed, “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?”

“I’m not hungry yet. We’ll talk about it at mealtime. This is enough for now,” Minamoto Kiyomoto showed the orange in his hand. This was the third one.

“Then come and help clean up. Make some space.”

During this time, Little Butterfly landed on the kotatsu table, picked up an orange, and ate it with the peel.

It was delicious, making one want to take a bite of the orange peel too.

The blond princess Noi also sat down. The red and blue game console in her hand was already connected to the WiFi. She was playing “Fortnite” and was building fancy boards with an enemy.

“Aunt Ayako, I’ll help clean up too,” Kamibayashi Miko said.

“You’re a guest. Have a good rest,” Ayako refused.

‘Is your mom trying to pick a fight? My Miko is so cute! She even offered to help clean up!’

Shirako glanced at the battle situation.

Lady Miko stood there obediently. Himegami Izayoi sat arrogantly in the kotatsu, peeling an orange with both hands, her eyes watching her Lady Miko as if watching a play.

She entered the kotatsu without a word and kicked Minamoto Kiyomoto under the kotatsu—to do this, she lay down completely, with only her head outside.

“Where’s the guest? Miko is my… oof!”

“What’s wrong?” Ayako quickly looked at her son. “Is it the Coral Demon Moth?”

“Mom,” Minamoto Kiyomoto put his left hand in and covered his little toe. “Is there a hedgehog in the kotatsu? It pricked my foot.”

Ayako glanced at Shirako, who was lying on her back. Shirako, with only her head outside, blinked innocently.

“If there’s a hedgehog, come out,” Kamibayashi Miko said faintly.

She felt that it was not too much for Ayako to do to her. It was she who had caused Minamoto Kiyomoto to experience many dangers this year.

But Minamoto Kiyomoto sat there and didn’t help her. This made her very angry. Even if there was no reason to be angry, she was still very angry.

Minamoto Kiyomoto put down the orange, came out, and said, “Why are you angry with me?”

Before Kamibayashi Miko could say anything, Himegami Izayoi, while eating an orange, said with a meaningful smile:

“Oh, you’re so obedient. Your mother called you out and you didn’t come out. As soon as Miko said something, you moved.”

“…”

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s legs were very long, so he didn’t need to be like Shirako and just gave Himegami Izayoi a kick.

Himegami Izayoi acted very exaggeratedly, closed her left eye in pain, and held her leg, “There’s not only a hedgehog in there, but also a wild boar!”

Ayako reached out her finger, pointed at her forehead, and said helplessly and amusedly, “You!”

Himegami Izayoi pretended to be embarrassed, and then became even more proud.

Minamoto Kiyomoto came out of the kotatsu, stood next to Kamibayashi Miko, and whispered to her, “It’s okay. If your mom were alive, she wouldn’t like me either. It’s nothing.”

‘Don’t spread rumors. I never said that,’ Tamahime sat in the kotatsu, leisurely enjoying the taste of the orange.

“You must listen to me next year. No more adventures,” Kamibayashi Miko ordered Minamoto Kiyomoto in a low voice, her attitude unprecedentedly firm.

Minamoto Kiyomoto quickly glanced at Himegami Izayoi and the others, then said to Kamibayashi Miko, “Let me touch your leg.”

Kamibayashi Miko raised her leg and kicked, stepping on Minamoto Kiyomoto’s bare foot.

“Hmm—” a sound of endurance.

Ayako turned her head.

“Kiyomoto, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Kamibayashi Miko asked with feigned concern.

“I’m… fine,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, one word at a time.

His body was strong, but he couldn’t stand his toes being attacked. But as for how much it hurt, it depended on how much he wanted to pretend it hurt.

Ayako didn’t ask what had happened. She could probably guess.

“Come and help,” she said to Kamibayashi Miko.

“Hmm,” Kamibayashi Miko nodded.

“I’ll come too!” Himegami Izayoi put down the half-eaten orange, and her slender and beautiful body stood up from the kotatsu.

“Okay,” Ayako said with a kind smile, her attitude obviously different.

Ayako, Himegami Izayoi, Minamoto Kiyomoto, and Kamibayashi Miko left the living room and walked towards the storage room.

They ran into the Hokkaido Miko. Minamoto Kiyomoto casually asked her, “Where have you been?”

“Mother let me choose my own room. I’m looking for your room.”

“Mother?” Himegami Izayoi had a look of confusion.

“My room?” Minamoto Kiyomoto had a look of not knowing what to say.

“You two look more and more alike,” Rikka said.

Himegami Izayoi laughed and decided to let her go.

“What nonsense!” Minamoto Kiyomoto put his arm around his mother’s shoulder. “The ones who really look alike are these two.”

Ayako smiled and knocked her son on the head.

“Rikka,” she said in a gentle tone, “you go to the living room and rest first. There are oranges on the table. If you want to eat something else, you can go to the kitchen cabinet and refrigerator to find it.”

“Hmm,” Rikka nodded, then suddenly remembered and asked, “Where are you going?”

“To clean up. Do you want to help?” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

Rikka sized up the four of them and confirmed, “Is it only those who want to sleep with Minamoto Kiyomoto, in order to get their mother’s approval, that have to clean up?”

“…”

To be honest, talking about this kind of thing in front of his mother, even with Minamoto Kiyomoto’s thick skin, he couldn’t stand it.

“Cough,” he coughed.

Miss Kamibayashi wanted to argue that it was Minamoto Kiyomoto who wanted to sleep with her, but she was also too embarrassed to say this kind of thing in front of Ayako.

“What sleep? Shameless,” Himegami Izayoi scolded, her cute and fair ears under her black hair already red.

As for Ayako, she pretended not to hear and gave her son and his girlfriends face.

“It seems so,” Rikka nodded as if confirming. “Then I’ll go too.”

Ayako looked at her son and said with a sarcastic smile, “You’re more amazing than your father.”

“I’m… I’m alright,” Minamoto Kiyomoto stammered and touched his nose.

Ayako gave him a deep look, but a mother is most tolerant of her son.

She turned her head to the three of them and said, “I’ll leave Kiyomoto to you in the future. Although this child is a little proud, he is a good person.”

“Mother, Rikka doesn’t count,” Himegami Izayoi reminded.

“She does,” Rikka said.

“She doesn’t,” Himegami Izayoi emphasized.

“Mother has already approved of me,” Rikka said as a matter of course. “I’ll sleep with Kiyomoto tonight.”

“That’s not necessary,” Ayako said with a smile, but there was no smile in her eyes.

Not to mention Minamoto Kiyomoto, even Rikka was scared.

The five of them continued to walk towards the storage room.

“Your mother is so scary,” Rikka said to Minamoto Kiyomoto in a low voice.

“Mom, Rikka said you’re scary!” Minamoto Kiyomoto immediately tattled.

Ayako ignored them and continued to walk forward.

Rikka was stunned. Himegami Izayoi leaned over with a smile and asked amusedly, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Rikka held her chest. “Just now, I felt that Minamoto Kiyomoto was a little annoying, but there was also a special emotion.”

“…What emotion?”

“It’s like I hate him and can’t help but hit him, but I won’t use force,” Rikka turned her head to look at Himegami Izayoi. “Do you know what this is?”

“You’re sick,” Himegami Izayoi said with certainty.

“Then I’ll let Kiyomoto check on me tonight.”

Himegami Izayoi thought, should she team up with Kamibayashi Miko?

Happy Chinese New Year’s Eve, everyone!
In 2022, life can be very busy, very hard, and very tiring, but everything is getting better.