"I understand how you feel, but... this is also her wish, isn't it?"
Ei still spoke to her gently, trying to reason with her.
"Mm... I suppose so. That's why I didn't say anything more. I let her do as she pleased."
She looked unwilling, but in the end she still yielded.
"I'm sorry... Shogun, I just..."
Pandora naturally felt warmth at how much the Shogun cared for her, but as always, she would never let this kind mother and daughter support her for nothing.
"You don't need to apologize. If you want to do it, then do it. I don't wish to bind you."
After all, going too far would not be good. No matter what, it was her freedom.
"Actually... it's quite hard to find work these days. What can you do?"
She asked this because she really could not tell what kind of skill Pandora had to make a living. Perhaps speaking things into reality could count?
"I... sorry... I still don't know how to do anything. But I learn very quickly."
Pandora lowered her eyes and shook her head regretfully, then spoke again with hope. She knew she was intelligent, and at a time like this she was willing to learn. After all, this was life.
"Perhaps we should find somewhere that can make use of your abilities."
She said while resting her chin on her hand.
"Um... Shogun..."
Pandora looked troubled.
"Hm?"
She looked at her.
"Although I know saying this is rather selfish, I... do not wish to use my abilities in a land where the people live peacefully. A witch's powers can easily bring disaster, so..."
Pandora stopped there, but the rest needed no explanation.
"...Very well. As you wish."
She agreed decisively. It was Pandora's own matter, and she would not interfere too much.
"Eh? Are you interested in light novels?"
Ei's eyes suddenly brightened as she thought of an idea.
"Light... novels? The kind you often read?"
Pandora asked.
"Mm... if you're interested, you could try working at Yae Publishing House. You could be a bookseller recommending titles. You're articulate and good with words. It suits you."
Ei said.
"...A sales clerk? If I can, then I'm willing to try."
Pandora's eyes lit up as well, and she nodded.
"You... are sure?"
She looked at Ei with concern.
"It's fine... everything has a first time. There's no harm in trying."
Ei soothed her.
"...Fine then."
She said no more.
"Good, then it's settled. Shogun, speak to Miko later. Let Pandora intern at Yae Publishing House for a while, and have Miko look after her during the process."
Ei suggested.
"Haa... it can only be like this. I'll go to the shrine and find her later."
The Shogun picked up a bite of food and answered gloomily.
"Sorry to trouble you, Shogun..."
Pandora said to her.
She glanced at Pandora, then still somewhat displeased, lightly poked the tip of her nose with a fingertip.
"Mmphya~ Hehe."
After having her nose poked, Pandora let out an adorable little sound. Her upper body tilted back slightly. Then she rubbed the tip of her nose and smiled obediently at her, like a younger sister being doted on by an elder one. In truth, it was the opposite.
...
"My, my~ how rare. To think there is actually someone in this world who takes the initiative to ask for work. It truly has opened the eyes of this fox lady who has lived for more than five hundred years."
After hearing Pandora's situation, Miko covered her mouth and sighed in amazement. She casually stroked the drooping fox ear mixed within her sakura-colored hair. The fluffy ears twitched adorably.
"Yes... especially when heard by someone who hasn't wanted to work for over five hundred years."
She narrowed her eyes and teased.
"What sort of thing is that to say~? Am I not working right now~?"
Miko smiled and asked back.
"Mm-hm. Who knows whether later you'll dump all your duties onto the shrine maidens beneath you, then go drink, read novels, and eat fried tofu instead?"
The Shogun rebutted again.
"Haa... so this is how you think of me? You rarely come to visit your big sister, and the moment you do, you say such things. Sister is heartbroken~"
Miko put on a wounded expression.
"Haa... whatever. I'm used to it."
Sitting on the shrine steps, she crossed her white-stockinged legs with the look of someone long accustomed to this.
"Hehe~ what is it? You came today only for that little one's matter, Shogun~?"
Miko smiled at her indulgently. Then she poured herself a small bowl of sake and sat beside her. Like her, she crossed her lovely legs and took a sip before asking.
"...What else? Were you expecting me to say something like, 'I missed you~!'"
She deliberately altered her voice slightly, using a spoiled tone before instantly returning to normal.
"Pfft~ my, my~ if I said yes, would you repeat that for me in that same voice and tone~?"
Supporting herself with one hand on the step beside her thigh, Miko leaned closer in a seductive posture and asked teasingly.
"There's no need to work so hard. Give you a pillow and you'll have everything you want."
She gave a slightly playful smile.
"A pillow~ that is true. But... it must be your pillow. My own pillow doesn't have that function. The moment I close my eyes, it's work~ work~"
The other woman was not provoked in the slightest, still effortlessly trading words with her.
Sip~
Miko drank another mouthful of sake. Leisure glimmered in her eyes. Her elegant bare foot hung in the air, lazily rocking the shoe on her toes.
"..."
She looked at the sake in Miko's hand.
"Will you drink a little with your big sister?"
As if noticing that brief glance, Miko pressed her shoulder against hers coquettishly and gestured with the bowl.
"I don't drink alcohol. Did you forget?"
She frowned slightly at the smell.
"Haa~ sooner or later you'll have to taste some."
Miko said casually before taking another sip.
"...You shouldn't drink too much either."
She frowned lightly and tried to dissuade the elder sister beside her. Had she become a drunkard now? She had not used to drink this much.
"Mm~ worried about me~? Mm~?"
After draining the last bit of sake, Miko leaned close with a dazzling smile, pressing against her intimately as she asked in a teasing voice.
"Hey... don't stick so close... mmph... you smell entirely of alcohol—!"
The other woman suddenly wrapped an arm around her. Her upper body lost balance and she was pushed onto the floor. Though the scent of alcohol was strong, mixed within it was Miko's own fragrance, enough to make one dizzy. Or rather... it was the scent of a mature woman, laced with intoxicating liquor.
"Mm~ hehe~ my dear Shogun~ let big sister hold you for a while. How long has it been since you came to the shrine~? Mm~?"
Miko happily pinned her beneath her, their chests pressed together as she murmured in a drunken tone.
"...Haa... could you get up first? You're crushing me..."
Though she said so, she did not truly push her away. Her hair spread across the floor behind her like flower petals. Instead, she reached out and gently stroked Miko's hair, even rubbing one of those drooping fox ears.
"...Nope~"
Miko refused outright.
"Miko—"
"Sister Miko~"
The other interrupted her.
"Call me Sister Miko. Say it, and I'll get up. Hurry now~"
She pressed further.
"...Sister Miko, will you get up now?"
Having no choice, she softened her voice and truly called her sister.
"Say it again."
The other grew even more brazen.
"...Sister Miko, get up already."
She obediently repeated it.
"Hehe~ ah, that felt wonderful."
Miko finally rose in complete satisfaction. Her earlier drunken expression had vanished without a trace, leaving only a pleased smile.
"...You don't resemble an elder sister at all."
Blushing faintly, she slowly propped herself up from the floor and muttered in complaint.
Then she tidied her slightly mussed long hair and pulled closed the loosened collar of her kimono again. Beneath her short skirt, her white-stockinged legs were still drawn together inward in the posture from when she had been pinned beneath the other woman. Her delicate alluring feet had nearly slipped from her shoes from rubbing against the floor, exposing the soles beneath the silk.
One shoe hung only from the tips of her toes, while the rest of her foot was bare to the air. The other shoe had already fallen off completely, leaving that delicate foot fully exposed. Her posture was rather awkward. Under Miko's gaze, she slowly straightened herself, put her shoes back on, and sat down once more on the shrine steps.
"Haa... as an elder sister, you should act like one. Look at you now, so improper."
The Shogun sat back down and complained to her.
"Haa... listen to you. I just wanted to be close to you for a bit. You hardly ever come to the shrine. Am I not allowed to miss you~?"
After hearing that complaint, Miko smoothly sat back down beside her, folded her arms, and sounded somewhat displeased.
Splash~
As soon as she finished speaking, Miko moved to pour herself another bowl of sake, but—
"Don't drink anymore..."
Seeing her actions, she spoke with a speechless expression.
"Just one more sip~"
Shamelessly, Miko gestured with her fingers, then started drinking again as though she had already forgotten what had just been said.
"You reek of alcohol... it smells awful."
She frowned and fanned away the incoming scent of liquor with her long sleeve.
"Hehe~ Shogun, you should drink a little once in a while too. Otherwise what will you do later in life~?"
Seeing her reaction, Miko laughed softly. She would grow up eventually, would she not? There would be social occasions eventually, would there not?
"...Ei won't let me drink. And I don't want to either."
It tasted awful, bitter and spicy on the tongue, not nearly as good as soda.
"My~ if this keeps up, you'll be spoiled rotten by her, you know~?"
Miko said before taking another small sip.
"..."
The Shogun did not answer, only remained silent as the faint rustling of fabric from the woman beside her occasionally reached her ears.
At midday, the Grand Narukami Shrine remained shaded beneath the cherry trees. Pink petals drifted from the sky like snow, sometimes landing on her head and shoulders, sometimes even falling into Miko's sake. Yet Miko paid the petals no mind. Instead, she simply drank them together with the liquor.
"...Isn't that dirty?"
Seeing her drink it, she asked with a frown.
"Hm? Not at all. In fact, with cherry blossom petals as garnish, it tastes even better. There's a hint of cool freshness added to it. Want a sip?"
Miko said with a smile, bringing the bowl toward her lips.
"No... I won't drink..."
She immediately shrank back on reflex, then turned her face away.
"It's fine, just one sip. Give it a try. You're nearly five hundred years old. Surely you can't have never touched alcohol at all?"
Miko shook her head helplessly and coaxed her.
"No. I'm not drinking."
She still turned away stubbornly.
"Have you drunk before?"
Miko asked more seriously.
"...Of course I have."
After a moment of silence, she answered quietly.
"What did it taste like?"
Miko intentionally pressed further.
"Very bitter, very spicy. It tasted bad."
Recalling a distant taste memory, she frowned and listed the words.
"This one is sweet, and not very spicy. Want to try?"
Miko sighed inwardly, then once more extended the bowl, bringing it close to her lips.
"..."
She subtly scooted herself farther away from the bowl, looking rather adorable.
"Haa~ Shogun, some things must be tried. If you never try them, you'll never know the joy hidden inside. Drinking is secondary. What matters is having the heart to try. You're not little anymore. Honestly, this isn't something I should need to tell you. It's something you should come to understand yourself."
Miko set the bowl aside, crossed one leg, and braced both hands behind her as she gazed at the Sacred Sakura tree standing several meters away at the cliff's edge. There was a trace of sentiment in her expression. From beginning to end, her tone remained gentle, completely unlike the unserious way she treated others.
"..."
Even after hearing that, The Shogun gave no reply. Sitting some distance away, she kept her face turned aside in silence.
"Hehe~ haa... still just a child, Shogun."
Seeing her like this, Miko smiled fondly and sighed.
"Ei... she's always afraid I'll teach you bad things. This shouldn't be taught, that shouldn't be taught... haa~ but sometimes these things are part of growing up."
Miko sounded helpless.
"..."
The Shogun remained silent, as though thinking.
"Even that young lady of the Kamisato Clan can drink~ and she holds her liquor well. By age, she's several hundred years younger than you. Shogun, can you really accept that?"
Naturally, Miko was not truly trying to stir trouble, nor was she telling her to learn drinking seriously. Just a few sips. Simply trying something.
"One sip is enough, right?"
"Hm?"
That sudden question genuinely startled Miko.
"Alcohol... I'll have one sip."
The Shogun finally spoke, turning toward Miko with an awkward expression.
"Of course~ I wouldn't let you drink too much anyway~"
Miko chided her playfully, then picked up the bowl again and personally brought it over.
"..."
She carefully held the small bowl. Smelling the scent drifting from within, it truly was as Miko had said. Just from the aroma alone, it was less harsh than ordinary alcohol and even carried a mellow fragrance.
Sip~
She gently pressed her lips to the rim and slowly tilted the bowl. The cool liquid slid delicately into her small mouth.
"..."
She frowned as the liquor spread through her mouth, tasting it carefully. It was still somewhat spicy, but the former bitterness was gone. Instead, just as Miko had said, it carried sweetness, almost like soda, though she could clearly feel the alcohol within.
After savoring it once, she took a second sip, then a third, then a fourth. Each sip was small, mere tastes, yet enough for her thoughts to begin slowly spinning.
That was right...
The Shogun...
Could not hold her liquor.
Just a few sips, and she was drunk.
"My~ don't drink so quickly all at once. Here... slow down."
Seeing the dazed drunken look on her face, Miko quickly took the bowl away and thoughtfully rubbed her back.
"Mm... I'm dizzy."
She held her forehead. An enticing flush spread across her face, and her lips had turned moist red from the sake, like sweet candy tempting one to taste them.
"There, there~ haa~ you really can't drink at all. One drink and you're already drunk~ This isn't called poor tolerance anymore. This is getting drunk the moment alcohol touches you. Hehe."
After saying that, Miko laughed, because she found this unexpectedly amusing and adorable. Yet she was also puzzled. Ei could drink rather well. Had this trait somehow not been inherited? Or had Ei deliberately designed the Shogun this way so she would never drink? That line of thinking certainly sounded like her old friend.
While holding the flushed, tipsy woman in her arms, she gently patted her back to help sober her up.
"Haa... Miko..."
"!"
Hearing that soft call, Miko's body stiffened slightly. She looked down in surprise at the utterly alluring woman in her arms, eyes hazy with drink.
My, my~ so this is the drunken Shogun?
Too cute.
Too enticing.
Far too obedient.
"Mm~ I'm here. Big sister is here."
She happily played along.
"...Miko... I'm dizzy. My head hurts."
There was a trace of weakness in the other's voice now, and it had turned slightly hoarse.
"...Come here, like this..."
Hearing that, Miko slowly laid the little darling in her arms across her lap, giving her the perfect lap pillow.
Dazed, the Shogun relaxed upon those soft thighs. Her body loosened naturally. Her legs slowly fell apart, brushing together a few times, knocking the shoes from her feet and leaving her white-stockinged feet exposed, carrying the faint sweet scent of sake.
Her vision felt blurred and tilted. Even lying down, dizziness swirled around her. Her thoughts gradually slowed until she was forced away from reality and drifted into sleep.
"...Shogun?"
Miko touched the sleeping woman's cheek. It still held the rosy flush of intoxication, and even her breath carried a trace of alcohol.
"Already asleep? Haa... this really got out of hand. I didn't expect it to be this serious."
She found it hard to believe. It truly felt as though Ei had specifically given this child such a constitution to keep her from drinking, and Miko understood her old friend well enough to believe it.
Only...
Lowering her eyes to the sleeping beauty on her lap, a trace of warmth appeared on her gorgeous face.
"The child is innocent, after all..."
Rustle...
With that, she carefully stood, then lifted the sleeping woman in a princess carry. One hand supported the backs of her knees, the other wrapped around her shoulders, letting the girl's head rest against her chest.
Tap tap~
Using her foot, she nudged open the inner screen door of the shrine, then carried her sleeping little sister inside before sliding it shut again.