After all the playful bickering, the three of them finally reached the Grand Narukami Shrine by lunchtime.
Looking around, it was unusually quiet. Only a few shrine maidens were scattered about, cleaning the grounds.
The falling cherry blossoms looked like breathtaking scenery to outsiders. But to the shrine maidens, it was more of a headache.
They had to sweep up every day. Those who knew they were shrine maidens would understand, but those who didn't might think the Narukami Shrine had simply hired cleaning staff.
The maidens recognized Ayaka. Being a bit bored, they brightened up when they saw her arriving with Lumine and Paimon, quickly putting down their brooms to gather around.
"Miss Kamisato! Long time no see! Did you bring friends to offer prayers today?"
"Miss Kamisato, recently Yae Miko came up with a new way to pray. Want to give it a try? Only one million Mora!"
"Miss Kamisato, bring your friends and draw a fortune slip! Today is definitely a top luck day!"
The beautiful shrine maidens swarmed around the three of them. Though they looked holy and elegant, their behavior was oddly like salespeople.
Lumine was left a bit bewildered.
After a moment, she looked at Ayaka curiously.
"Ayaka, you seem like a really big VIP customer!"
Ayaka gave a wry smile. The shrine maidens hadn't had much normal work lately. In the current state of Inazuma, few ordinary people had the leisure to come pray.
The maidens were basically supported by Yae Miko through the income from Yae Hall. They probably felt a bit guilty about it, so it made sense that they were now trying to make a little extra.
If there was nothing pressing today, Ayaka wouldn't mind doing a small prayer herself. The Narukami Shrine's fortune slips were actually quite accurate, and the maidens were skilled in prayer and exorcism. Back in the day, hiring them for such services would cost a lot.
But today, Ayaka had more important matters to attend to and couldn't waste time. She politely said:
"Sorry, we were invited here by Yae Miko. No need for prayers or fortune slips."
The maidens seemed a bit disappointed but didn't take it to heart. They nodded lightly and said in a soft voice:
"Yae Miko should be in the back courtyard. Miss Kamisato, you can head straight there."
Ayaka nodded and was about to lead Lumine back when Lumine grinned:
"Ayaka, since we're already here, how about we draw a fortune slip?"
"Huh?"
Seeing Ayaka's puzzled look, Lumine insisted:
"Didn't you say the Narukami Shrine fortune slips are really accurate? This is the perfect chance to see how things might go next."
Lumine's suggestion rekindled the maidens' excitement. With so many expectant eyes on them, Ayaka reluctantly agreed.
Lumine waved her hand grandly.
"Shrine sisters! Draw fortunes! Ten times!"
The maidens had never seen such a generous customer. At Narukami Shrine, each draw cost 100,000 Mora—because they were that accurate!
Nearby, Gendou Ringo covered her mouth and chuckled softly:
"Miss, you can only draw once per day at Narukami Shrine, you know."
"Eh?"
Lumine looked puzzled.
"You don't even want Mora?"
Gendou Ringo shook her head and said solemnly:
"The fortune slips at Narukami Shrine reflect the judgment of the Sacred Sakura and Inazuma's ley lines. So far, they've never been wrong. One person can only draw once per day—no more, no less."
Lumine scratched her cheek and muttered:
"Alright, alright… how much Mora?"
Gendou Ringo smiled warmly at her.
"Ten thousand Mora, please."
"Ten thousand?"
Lumine sighed lightly. She remembered the old days when she wouldn't even spend a few thousand on a single meal. Now, ten thousand Mora seemed trivial. After all, her and Paimon's daily expenses in Liyue easily reached tens of millions.
Being supported by a wealthy benefactor had its perks!
Without hesitation, she slapped the Mora onto the table.
"Draw!"
Gendou Ringo's face lit up with joy. Though it was only ten thousand Mora, it was still the first transaction in months. No matter what, it counted as a token of goodwill toward the shrine.
Recently, the shrine maidens had been entirely supported by Yae Miko, and they were starting to feel guilty.
Gendou Ringo took a deep breath, focused, and prepared to give this new client the best result possible.
The Sacred Sakura seemed to emit a faint glow. A few cherry blossom petals floated into the draw container in Gendou Ringo's hands. A soft pink shimmer flickered, and suddenly, a wooden slip jumped out.
Both the shrine maidens and Lumine leaned forward curiously. In an instant, everyone's expressions turned awkward.
"Miss Lumine…"
Gendou Ringo felt a pang of guilt and hesitated.
"Y-… it's the worst luck… the absolute lowest fortune…"
At that moment, she just wanted to sink into the ground. Finally, a new client had come, and she'd drawn them the absolute worst luck.
This "absolute worst" slip—so perilous that even when the shrine's business was booming, it had appeared only a few times. And each time, the person who drew it had met an untimely end not long after.
Now…
Gendou Ringo forced a smile, looking at Lumine with a hint of sympathy.
"Miss Lumine… I'm sorry. These next few days, make sure to eat something nice…"
"???"
Lumine blinked, confused as she looked at Gendou Ringo.
But to be honest, she didn't think the result was wrong. She was thinking about…
Resolving the turmoil in Inazuma and the chances of confronting the Raiden Shogun.
In other words, the worst-case scenario really was the absolute worst slip. Otherwise… she might have had to sift through the entire history of Narukami Shrine to see her fate.
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