'This lord is ready.'
'Okay, let's get changed.'
Eri went back into the bathroom to change while I stayed in the living room. By the time we were both ready, I pulled all our bags from my inventory and we headed downstairs.
Hina, Saki and Kasumi were already waiting in the lobby.
'Sorry for keeping you waiting.'
'That's okay,' Kasumi said.
Kasumi, as gentle as ever.
'Master, what took you so long? Did you take a big shit?'
Meanwhile, Saki was something else entirely.
'Marie-san said she will meet us here in 2 minutes,' Hina said, reading from her phone.
I handed them their bags and just as I was about to sit down, Marie arrived.
'Good evening, everyone.' She bowed.
She was dressed much more modestly than usual. Simple. Calm. Almost innocent, if I didn't know better.
We greeted her, though Eri studied her like she was evaluating a suspicious noble.
'Are we all ready to go?' Marie asked.
'Yep,' Saki said.
Marie led the way to the station while Hina walked beside her, already asking questions.
'So we're getting off at Inari Station?'
Marie nodded. 'Yes.'
'So is it the Fushimi Inari shrine? I saw it on the internet.'
'That's right.'
We boarded the train and made our way there.
On the ride, Eri, Saki and Kasumi peered outside the window and watched the river that stretched alongside the train tracks. Hina and Marie kept talking quietly between themselves, probably discussing routes, timings, and all the things that made Hina happy.
When Marie finally said, 'This is our stop,' we followed her off the train.
The moment we stepped outside the station, a torii gate came into view.
'Whoa,' Saki said, admiring it.
'Let's have dinner first, before all the shops close,' Marie said.
No one argued.
The street was washed in the orange light of the sunset. Shops lined both sides, and people drifted between them in loose, unhurried streams. It felt warmer here somehow, softer than the city during the day.
Saki kept staring at every sweet stall we passed until Hina finally caught her by the collar and dragged her forward.
'But I want to try one.' Saki pleaded.
'We're about to eat dinner.'
'But… but…'
I held out a fox-shaped cracker.
'Here you go.'
Saki stopped instantly. Her eyes lit up as she took it with both hands, as if I had just handed her a sacred relic.
'Master…'
'Got one for you too, Hina.'
Hina glanced at it for a few seconds before sighing.
'You spoil them,' she said, though she still took it. 'Thanks.'
Eri and Kasumi were already eating with perfect satisfaction.
Moving up ahead, I held out one to Marie.
'Here. This one's for you.'
For a moment, she just stared at it. Her usual smile faded, not completely, but enough for me to notice.
'Just take it,' I said.
When she still didn't move, I took her hand and placed it in her palm. Slowly, her fingers curled over it.
'Thanks… Dylan.'
Now it was my turn to freeze.
'Did you just call me Dylan?'
To think I would hear my name in what felt like forever. Only my friends in the old world called me that.
Marie's eyes widened.
'Ah— I meant darling.'
Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her by the arms, lifted her up clean off the ground, and spun her around.
'You're the first person to pronounce it right.'
While she was being spun around, she gripped onto my arm tightly like she was afraid that if I let go, she would be sent flying.
'C-can you stop… I feel dizzy.'
I set her down.
She swayed slightly, and Hina stepped in to steady her.
'Di-ran… I didn't know you could do something like that?' Kasumi said.
Saki came over and patted my shoulder.
'Like student, like master.'
'Saki,' Hina said. 'I think you mean the other way around.'
'To think I would witness Master acting on pure emotion.' Saki smiled brightly. 'This trip was worth it.'
'Maybe I should learn some English, if it makes you that happy, Di-ran.' Kasumi tapped her chin.
'No need. I'm happy the way all of you are already.'
They all looked at me with their mouths hanging open.
'What?'
Kasumi was the first to recover.
'Umm… you really have changed, Di-ran.'
'Exactly. You were like this.' Saki hunched her shoulders and lowered her voice into a miserable imitation of me. 'Saki, no. Saki, stop. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh.'
'Pfff—'
The whole group giggled. Even Marie. I was the only one not laughing, mostly because I was the target.
Then Kasumi, after clearly thinking she was helping added, 'Di-ran isn't like that.'
I looked at her hopefully.
She smiled apologetically.
'He was more like… a… old man.'
'I'm not like that.'
As the group continued to make fun of me at my expense, Eri had waddled over and gently grabbed my hand.
'No matter how much you change, my servant… this lord shall always treat you as mine.'
'Thanks, Eri.'
Just as I thought it was over, Eri looked at me with expectation.
'Where is my reward, servant?'
I sighed.
Raising my head, I placed it gently on top of her head and gave it a small ruffle. A smile graced her lips.
'Did you all hear it?' Saki pointed at me. 'His signature catch phrase.'
After teasing me a couple more times, we all continued our walk down the street, buying souvenirs along the way.
'You like my fox mask?' Saki asked, turning around with a white fox mask on her face.
'When did you get that?' Hina asked.
'Master bought it for me.' Saki then leaned forward. 'So… what do you think?'
'It suits you,' I said as I walked over.
'Look, even Master likes it.'
Hina shook her head and kept walking.
I ended up stopping a few more times while Eri and Kasumi got distracted by souvenir stalls. By the time we reached the food street, Saki looked like she was on the verge of spiritual collapse.
'I want that. And that. And that.'
Saki pointed so wildly it looked like she was trying to order the entire street.
'You can't finish all of that,' Hina said. 'Don't waste food.'
Meanwhile, I paid for Eri's food and handed it over.
'Here.'
'Thank you, my servant.'
She started eating immediately.
'What did you get, Kasumi?' I asked.
She lifted the skewer in her hand.
'I got some grilled squid.'
After dinner, we made our way back toward the shrine. By then, night had settled in.
Soft lights lit the path. The crowds had thinned, leaving only scattered groups and the occasional quiet footstep on stone.
'Still feels hot,' Saki muttered, fanning herself with the folding fan she had apparently also acquired somewhere along the way.
'Remember to cleanse yourself,' Hina said.
We stopped near the cleansing area, where water flowed from bamboo spouts. I had no idea what I was doing, so I watched the others and copied them.
When we were done, Marie turned back to us.
'Does anyone want to draw a fortune?'
'Ooo, me!' Saki's hand shot right up.
Marie led us over. We made the offering, shook the canister, and drew our slips one by one.
Saki checked hers first.
'General luck,' she read aloud. 'Through hard work, all your efforts will be rewarded.'
We all continued one by one until it got to me.
I found the matching drawer and pulled out my slip.
'Excellent luck, you will find yourself surrounded by positive energy, leading to a fruitful year.'
'Can we swap, Master?' Saki ran over.
'That's not how it works, Saki,' Hina said.
'Then this system is unfair.'
Eri lifted her own slip with a smug expression.
'This lord also received excellent luck. As expected.'
'What does it say?' Saki leaned in.
Eri scanned the paper, then folded it a little too quickly.
'It says this lord's path shall remain blessed so long as this lord cherishes what is precious to her.'
Kasumi then looked down at her own slip.
'I got general luck. It says, little by little, things will get better.'
Hina gave a small nod.
'That's a good one.'
Marie folded hers and tied it with the others.
'Did you get something bad, redhead?' Saki smirked.
Marie smiled. 'You could say that.'
'What did it say?' I asked.
'Nothing to worry you about, darling.'
After that, we walked farther in. The chatter from outside gradually faded. Rows of torii stretched into the dark ahead of us, and soft lights spilled across the stone path in scattered gold.
I looked down at the fortune still in my hand.
You will find yourself surrounded by positive energy leading to a fruitful year.
It sounded like the sort of vague thing anyone could say.
And yet…
Saki was walking ahead with her fox mask in hand. Hina was keeping an eye on everyone while pretending she wasn't tired. Kasumi stayed close, her gaze moving between the torii and the path ahead. Eri walked beside me as if that was the most natural place for her to be. Marie was a little farther ahead, glancing back every now and then with that smile of hers.
It was noisy. Troublesome. Headache-inducing.
But beneath the shrine lights, with all of them around me, I had to admit.
Maybe that fortune was not entirely wrong.