Chapter Text
‘How about Heizou?’
Swallowing her recently baked Taiyaki, the lady fox covered her mouth with her mouth while chewing her food and gushed, ‘He’s perceptive, but not as much as I expected. Still has some loopholes that we can exploit.’
Resting his arms on the food stall, he smirked, ‘He single-handedly solved the Test of Courage on his own. Granted, some clues were left behind, but you can’t deny his tenacity.’
‘If I was him, I already solved the mystery on day one.’
’Sayu?’
Yae’s ear twitched. She added, ‘You should know her more than I do.’
‘I just wanted to know your perspective,’ said Ayato with raised eyebrows.
‘She’s as fresh as a daisy, but one should be careful. You never know what she hid in her slumber.’
The once crowded Mikawa Flower Festival now left with people closing their stalls. The bright full moon was their cue, for them to get rest for the night and be prepared for another day tomorrow. The only open one was a food stall with several people eating at it, with Ayato and Yae Miko sitting right at the center.
‘I’m surprised, by the way,’ exclaimed Yae. Ayato then peeked at her, ‘The way you pitched this idea to me.’
Ayato chuckled, ‘I have my reasons. I should be the one that was quite… taken aback by your response.’
Yae raised her eyebrows, ‘Oh? What was my response?’
‘Like you longing or something,’ said Ayato with a dead voice and sharp eyes, fixing his gaze on her.
‘What does that mean?’ Yae blinked her eyes several times, ‘Is that supposed to be a joke?’
Ayato drank the last gulp of his sake, cleaning his mouth with a cloth. He cleared his throat, ‘I believe we have another pressing matter about your request.’
Even with a little alcohol in her system, her slight head shake couldn’t hide the confusion in Ayato’s behavior, yet she smiled and remarked, ‘I didn’t think you would remember our little arrangement.’
‘How can I?’ he said. ‘When I hear Yae herself want to make a book of her own story, how can I resist? And also a token of my gratitude for your help in this event.’
Yae put down the sake on her hand with a darting gaze to the seas across the stall. She put on a somber tone in her voice, ‘It’s not as easy as it sounds. It’s just a matter of incompetence.’
‘Elaborate,’ remarked Ayato.
‘Yae Publishing House is having some issues regarding revenues. This year we… making less Mora than usual. I’m not trying to blame my writer and editor or anything, but...’ Yae missed a word in her mouth.
‘You need a different approach?’
She nodded, ‘I guess I have to do everything on my own.’
‘I think whatever story you want to create, people already sold and want to buy it because… Well, they wouldn’t want to miss a story from your own.’
‘You think so?’
The Head of Kamisato Clan smirked, ‘It’s an easy guess. You haven’t made any original story in years. Your name is synonymous with literature now, and people will buy your book like there’s no tomorrow.’
Yae makes a humming noise as one can see a gleam in her eyes.
‘Still, it depends on the story. And what are you trying to make, Lady Guuji?’
Yae turned, fixed her stool, turned her body towards him, and shook her head, ‘Couldn’t believe I made a brief to you.’ She cleared her throat and said, ‘It’s about an orphan girl who is a nomad, wandering around the city to find a house where she can at least find a permanent sleeping place. It’s a very normal story, but I want to make it as emotional and eye-watering as possible.’
He hummed, ‘And how are you planning to do that?’
‘By focusing on her journey, the character development, and such. You see, this girl… just wanted to live a normal life. Seeing others in perfectly normal life: having a family, having a lover… and having a house. She just wants that in life, and yet life is so cruel that she almost gave up doing it.’
‘Why do you think your writer couldn’t accomplish the same thing you are trying to make?’
‘They lack the subtlety,’ Yae put her finger on her sake, ‘…the detail I want.’ And then she sips her finger onto her mouth, ‘They write like it has to be an extravagant thing, the best-seller… What I wanted was an interesting light novel. It’s true I taught them stories need to be best-selling; Yes, I amused myself by pushing them to their limit. But time itself tells me that something has to be done.’
‘You said it yourself you taught them that. Maybe it’s because they feared of losing the job that made them do that?’ asked Ayato.
Yae glanced with her face tightening, ‘Are you trying to nitpick me, Ayato?’
‘I just have to make sure, Guuji Yae. Because when you seek finance with me, I have to make sure that it’s the right investment.’
Even though she denied it, she couldn’t help but mutter, ‘You’re right.’ She stood, ‘Maybe I put too much pressure on them. Or maybe I was making too many decisions so long after sunset and so far from dawn.’
With Yae walking away from the stool, Ayato quickly searched for his pocket, handing a few Moras to the stallholder, and followed Yae to the beach. The head shrine maiden was looking up to the full moon above them before then she mumbled, ‘I guess the moon blinded me… All that you love, all you feel, all you taste. It wasn’t under the moon.’
Ayato frowned. He was trying to understand what she was thinking. But with her somber eyes, he knew she has almost faded away from her own alcohol intoxication. So with that, Ayato redirects their conversation, ‘All is said and done. About your story, I think it would be a great success. You need a great way to announce it to the public.’
‘We can talk about it later.’ Still, I need some time to write the story. I already set up the story in motion, the timeline, and everything. But I need your input and your privilege in this kind of story.’
‘My privilege?’
‘Being a mortal. A privilege I could never have.’ Yae stopped her tongue, ‘And also… living in a lavish style of yours that one would never have in their entire life.’
He pulled his collar, ‘I never ask for this kind of life, mind you.’
‘You never answer my question, Kamisato Ayato.’ Yae looked into his eyes and said, ‘Do you want to help me?’
He looked towards the horizon of the ocean laid in front of them. Ayato assured, ‘Since you’ve been a great help, I will help you.’
Yae shrugged, she wanted to talk but waiting for Ayato to mutter something else that she wanted to hear. But it fell flat, no words coming out of his mouth after that.
‘…And? The condition?’ Yae asked.
‘The Chinju Forest event, for me, is good enough. I will bring you a donation with no condition.’
A rosy face lightens up on Yae’s face. She then chuckled, followed by a peal of laughter, and then snickered, ‘You really are unpredictable.’
With a smirk, Ayato then asked, ‘If I may ask, do you already have the title for your story?’
Yae walked forward. She can feel the heat on her body rise up, anticipating on what comes next. Yae Publishing House will never be the same, even with a little donation. She knew that things could shake up once she released her book.
But she knew she had to finish this story first and to get that, she had to be very personal not only with herself but with Ayato since she was planning to make this story very secret. Not even her editor knew about this story.
And after long breathing, she turned her back towards Ayato, and with a rosy voice, she said, ‘The Royal Vagrant.’