Chapter 408: Omikuji
Their main purpose for coming to the Grand Narukami Shrine today was to get a closer look at the Sacred Sakura. According to Glenlivet, the legendary "Pandora" gem was highly likely hidden within the massive, sprawling roots of the ancient tree.
The air at the summit was crisp, carrying the faint, sweet scent of cherry blossoms. Tourists milled about the courtyard, their hushed voices blending with the rustling of pink petals as they approached the tree to offer their prayers. Seeing that their target was in clear view and the immediate vicinity was free of any obvious threats, Camus subconsciously shifted his weight. He took a small step forward, eager to inspect the towering, mystical tree from a better vantage point.
Vermouth's fingers suddenly clamped down on his arm. The grip was subtle but possessed a firm, unyielding pressure that immediately halted his advance. Camus turned his head, a silent question in his eyes. Instead of speaking, Vermouth gave a minute tilt of her chin, directing his attention toward the front-left of the Sacred Sakura.
Leaning casually against an imposing stone fox statue was a woman dressed as a shrine maiden. She held a book in her hands, her attention entirely absorbed by the pages.
"What's wrong?" Camus asked, his voice barely a breath.
He studied the woman. Aside from her slightly more elaborate attire and striking beauty, she didn't seem like a threat. Just an ordinary shrine maiden reading in the shade.
Vermouth leaned in close, her lips barely moving as she whispered against his shoulder. "That shrine maiden is also a member of the Teyvat Organization. Look closely. She carries an accessory that matches the description of a Vision."
Camus's eyes narrowed. This had to be the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko. Glenlivet had specifically warned them about her, noting her as a close confidante of the Inazuma Department Head. To run into the second-in-command of the Inazuma branch so soon... Camus couldn't decide if the heavens were smiling on them or setting a trap.
"It's her," Camus murmured, recognition dawning. "Why would she suddenly appear out here? Has our cover been blown?"
"Probably not. Intelligence reports state that Yae Miko occasionally lounges under the Sacred Sakura to read light novels." Vermouth kept her gaze angled away, observing the pink-haired Guuji strictly through her peripheral vision to avoid triggering any sixth sense the dangerous woman might possess.
"Light novels?" Camus blinked, the sheer absurdity of the concept catching him off guard.
"Yes. On our way up the mountain, did you happen to notice a storefront labeled 'Yae Publishing House'? This Miss Yae Miko is the editor-in-chief." Vermouth's hushed tone carried a trace of lingering disbelief.
When she had first intercepted that particular piece of intel, she assumed "Yae Publishing House" was an elaborate front—a shell company used to launder money or gather civilian intelligence. But after witnessing Yae Miko personally and aggressively expanding the business, even going so far as to host an annual, highly publicized novel-writing competition, Vermouth realized she had completely misjudged the situation.
The Guuji simply loved reading fiction. The entire publishing house existed solely to feed her personal hobby.
Whenever Vermouth thought about this, she couldn't help but marvel at the sheer audacity of the Teyvat Organization's leader. To allow the second-in-command of an intelligence division to run a commercial publishing company just for fun? Wasn't the boss worried she might embezzle operational funds to print more fantasy books?
"So what do we do now?" Camus asked, deferring to her expertise. "Do we still approach the tree?"
"Don't alert the enemy. We stay away from the Sacred Sakura for now." Vermouth turned her head, her gaze landing on the wooden booth the other shrine maiden had pointed out earlier. "We stick to the original cover story. Let's go draw an omikuji."
"Hmm." Camus nodded in agreement.
The pair adjusted their posture, smoothly slipping back into the relaxed, affectionate demeanor of a married couple on vacation, and strolled toward the fortune-telling booth.
Upon arriving at the wooden counter, Camus offered a polite, gentlemanly gesture, allowing his 'wife' to step up first.
Vermouth didn't decline. She reached out with a manicured hand, grasped the heavy wooden cylinder, and gave it a rhythmic shake. After only a few motions, a sharp clatter echoed as a slender bamboo slip slid through the small opening and dropped onto the counter.
Vermouth picked it up, her expression perfectly serene, and handed it to the shrine maiden seated behind the box. "Please interpret this fortune for me."
The young maiden took the slip, checked the specific markings carved into the bamboo, and turned to a wall of small wooden drawers. She pulled out a folded slip of paper and handed it over with a polite bow. "This is your omikuji. Please keep it safe."
Vermouth unfolded the paper. The elegant, practiced smile on her face instantly shattered, freezing into a mask of rigid disbelief.
Noting her sudden stiffness, Camus leaned over, curiosity getting the better of him. He glanced down at the paper in her hands. Stamped across the center in bold, unforgiving black ink were two characters: Great Curse.
Camus bit the inside of his cheek, desperately fighting the urge to let a gloating smirk break across his face. Vermouth was currently playing the role of his beloved wife. If he burst out laughing at her terrible luck, it would completely break character.
Instead, he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, gently patting her arm. "It's okay, dear. Don't be sad," he cooed, injecting just the right amount of husbandly reassurance into his voice. "These things are never accurate anyway. We will definitely have children of our own."
Then, dropping his voice to a pitch only she could hear, he muttered, "But what exactly did you pray for? To pull a Great Curse on your first try... that is spectacularly unlucky."
Vermouth's jaw locked. Her expression remained completely wooden, refusing to dignify his teasing with a response.
She certainly couldn't tell Camus the truth. She couldn't admit that, in the brief moment she shook the cylinder, she had silently prayed for the safety of Cool Guy and Angel.
She had heard rumors that the fortunes at the Grand Narukami Shrine were terrifyingly accurate. Knowing that her two precious silver bullets had been stumbling into a dangerous number of accidents lately, she had wanted to seek a little reassurance from the heavens. Instead, the heavens had handed her a Great Curse.
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