"Want to see Japan's hidden world?"
"That's an odd request."
Sayanomiya Kaoru thought for a moment, unable to read Hinata's true intentions.
Like Amakasu, she had no idea why the higher-ups of the History Compilation Committee had ordered them to make contact with Hinata.
Nor did she know when Japan had suddenly produced such a powerful witch.
They hadn't crossed blows yet, so she didn't know Hinata's exact strength.
But from Amakasu's report, the man had felt the threat of death. That meant Hinata had reached the absolute pinnacle—the top of the hidden world when no Heretic Gods or Campiones were active.
"Amakasu, take Miss Sakaguchi to Nanao Shrine."
Sayanomiya Kaoru had thought of the perfect household. It fit Hinata's requirements exactly.
"That one?"
"Alright, I'll escort her there myself."
Amakasu motioned for Hinata to follow and drove her personally to the family that would be hosting her.
What about Kusanagi Godou?
Hinata had already lifted the spell on him.
She had never intended to harm the boy in the first place. With the curse gone, he would recover soon.
After leaving the Kusanagi residence, Hinata and Amakasu headed toward the area near Tokyo Tower.
Along the way, Hinata saw many buildings she recognized from her previous life—high-end hotels, schools, television stations, radio stations, and embassies.
Scattered among them were countless shrines and temples.
"We're here, Miss Sakaguchi."
Amakasu got out and opened the door for her.
Before them lay a narrow path running alongside the main road, so slim that anyone unfamiliar with the area would easily miss it.
"Hm?"
Hinata didn't focus on the path. Instead she took a deep breath, savoring the rich spiritual energy around them.
"How does it feel?"
"Not bad at all."
Most people would have complained that the location was too inconvenient compared to a luxury hotel.
But only someone like Amakasu, who had spent years navigating the hidden world, understood what kind of place truly caught a practitioner's eye.
"A spiritual vein."
"Exactly."
Hearing Hinata name the secret of the place right away, Amakasu knew she would be satisfied with the arrangement.
Practitioners always preferred spots overflowing with spiritual energy over lavish villas.
"Let's go, Miss Sakaguchi. I'll introduce you to the person in charge of this shrine."
"Mm."
Hinata followed Amakasu along the winding path until they reached a flight of stone steps.
There were fully two hundred of them—surprisingly tall for a shrine in the heart of the city.
Nanao Shrine sat atop the high terrace at the end of the stairs.
The surrounding trees weren't as dense as a guardian forest, yet the shrine nestled among the emerald greenery felt peaceful and calming.
"Wow!"
"Look, a torii gate!"
"A red torii—that means it's a shrine, right?"
Everyone watching through Hinata's live feed saw the scenery and noticed the vermilion torii at the top of the steps.
"Just as I thought," Shuna murmured. "I prefer architecture like this over the modern city Rimuru described."
The ancestors of the ogre tribe had once been samurai who crossed over from Japan to the Central Continent.
Seeing an authentic shrine now, both Shuna and Shion studied the layout carefully, already planning to replicate parts of it in the ogre district back home.
Meanwhile, in a modest building that served as the shrine office, not far from the main hall, Mariya Yuri was getting ready.
Dressed in a white kosode and a scarlet hakama, she combed her long hair in front of the mirror.
The color wasn't the deep black of a pearl but a lighter, coffee-brown shade—natural, not dyed. Yuri had always felt a little self-conscious about it, though right now that didn't matter.
"Snap!"
Without warning, the comb in her hand broke cleanly in two.
"How unlucky… I hope nothing bad happens."
Mariya Yuri whispered the unscientific thought.
It felt like an omen.
An ordinary girl would have forgotten it instantly, but Yuri was different. She felt she should look into it carefully.
After finishing her preparations, she headed toward the shrine office.
On the way to the main hall she passed several shrine staff and returned their polite bows with a nod of her own.
The respectful treatment made sense: at only fifteen years old, Yuri held a far higher status than anyone else at Nanao Shrine.
"Hey there, Hime-Miko of the Mariya family. Nice to meet you."
Amakasu used his usual teasing, carefree tone as he sauntered up with a grin.
Hinata paid no attention to their exchange. She wandered off on her own to admire the shrine. It wasn't huge, but the grounds were spacious and pleasant.
She had no idea how long she spent exploring or what Amakasu and Mariya Yuri discussed.
Either way, Amakasu's task was complete.
"So this is Miss Sakaguchi, who will be staying with us?"
Mariya Yuri bowed gracefully. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Mariya Yuri, the Hime-Miko of this shrine."
"Don't underestimate Miss Mariya," Amakasu added with a wink. "She's the most gifted spirit-vision user in the entire Musashino region."
Japan had long maintained lineages of curse users and spirit sensitives.
Mariya Yuri was one of them.
The Musashino organization she belonged to protected the spiritual balance of the Kantō area.
At her young age she had already been granted the noble title of Hime-Miko and served as the highest-ranking shrine maiden—an indication of her extraordinary talent.
"Hello. I'm Sakaguchi Hinata. I look forward to your guidance."
Though this body was weak and couldn't channel her full power, Hinata still retained some of her basic abilities.
One of them was a spirit-vision talent similar to Mariya Yuri's.
The moment Yuri appeared before her, Hinata had already observed the girl's soul.
Pure. Kind. Gentle…
Aside from a touch of old-fashioned stubbornness, she seemed like a genuinely good girl.
It was hard to imagine the History Compilation Committee sending someone so innocent to keep watch on her.