I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 312 Xiaoying's Wonderful Adventure

"High School of Spells?"

The sacred tree area, behind the shrine on the 'halfway up the mountain' of the thousand-meter-tall sacred tree;

In the small Inari Shrine, Tenjo Eiryu, who was exercising by practicing "military boxing," turned her head and thought for a moment.

"So, Yu-kun is going to become a teacher?"

"To be precise, it's the principal."

Sitting under the eaves of a side hall of the shrine, Yuu felt the divine tree beneath his feet continuously absorbing the planet's energy, transforming it into a vast amount of chakra, and then condensing and compressing it; all while casually chatting with Akira.

"As you know, Bunkyo Ward was reduced to ruins a while ago."

Half of them were Yu.
No, it should be said that all the credit goes to him.

"The government plans to rebuild an 'academy district' on the ruins to train extraordinary individuals."

"And the 'Tokyo Metropolitan Higher Specialized School of Cursed Arts' will exist as the first and the highest-level institution of learning."

In this extraordinary era, one cannot rise to power based on 'seniority' or 'family background': the principal of this school must be someone who can suppress all kinds of extraordinary individuals.

Throughout the entire island nation, no one but Yu is qualified: Kafka Riku is based in Osaka, and Master Shio lives in Mount Koya. They both have their own influence and their own jobs; in addition, given their geographical location in Kanto and Kansai, neither of them has the time to come and serve as the principal.

As for Yura, she's still in junior high school!

"That's it,"

You spread his hands, his tone quite helpless.

"I have no choice but to reluctantly accept the position of principal of the Spellcasting Academy."

"I see. What about you, Xiao Qiong?"

While throwing punches and kicks, Xiaoying asked Qiongmei, who was sitting next to You and engrossed in scrolling through her phone.

"Yu-kun is going to be a school principal. Are you going to stay home any longer, or—"

"I'm planning to go check out the southern seas,"

Qiong Mei, who stays at home every day, said something surprising.

? !
"Xiao Qiong, you're actually going out?"

Xiao Ying, who was practicing military boxing, was startled and even looked up at the sky.

"Stop looking, the sun isn't rising in the west."

How could Qiongmei not guess Xiaoying's actions and thoughts?
"To be precise, it's not me, but my 'clone'."

As she spoke, Qiong Mei spread her hands, and white clay appeared out of thin air, fell to the ground, and continued to expand and wriggle, finally transforming into a mysterious person wearing a black robe with red clouds and a bell-adorned bamboo hat.

"Clay clone?"

Xiao Ying suddenly realized that as a good friend, she naturally knew about the 'techniques' that Qiong Mei had mastered.

Therefore, Xiaoying was also very clear about this:
"Don't your clay clones have a controllable range?"

"Hmph~~"

Before Qiong Mei could answer, the giant white fox lying beside her slightly raised its eyelids.

"Of course, it was the great Onmyoji over there who taught her."

"The ability to remotely control clones is something that only high-ranking gods can master, even in Takamagahara."

"That's it,"

Xiao Ying nodded at Bai Zangzhu's words.

In this day and age, extraordinary abilities are emerging one after another. Since there are already 'clones', it is not surprising that there are also those who can remotely control clones.

"So envious~~"

Having a clone means you can go out for a stroll, right?
Since the identity of Inari, the goddess's, thousand-year-old maid has been revealed, how can Tennyo Eri go to school? Or rather, which school would dare to accept her?

The island nation's government, Ying's parents, and even Ichiyo dared not let her leave the Sacred Tree District: her identity was simply too sensitive.

The only 'Divine Child' of the gods in the world, an object of hatred and desire for countless people to kill!

That's right, Xiao Ying is the superhuman with the highest 'hatred value'.

Why is it that island nations are protected by gods? Why is Tokyo safe and sound? Why can the powerful and wealthy live in the Shinju Ward? Why?
Many people want to see what kind of divine punishment the Inari God will unleash if Xiaoying is killed—these people aren't even afraid of death, so what else is there to fear? Murderers are rampant even in peacetime, let alone in this increasingly chaotic supernatural era.

There's never a shortage of crazy people who'll drag everyone down with them.

Furthermore, since Tiannvying is a typical 'nanny' with almost no combat ability, she is coveted by countless people.

So she stayed in the shrine and rarely even set foot in the 'main shrine' in front of it.

Especially recently, Xiaoying used the "Kagura Dance" to transfer the power of the Divine Tree to Yu, allowing Yu to unleash "Dragon-level" power and repel the attacking Onmyoji Abe no Seimei. Furthermore, she bound Yu to the divine tree, making him the undisputed guardian deity of the island nation.

Under these circumstances, who would dare let her go out?

In a sense, although they gained supreme status, they were also imprisoned in this small shrine.

"This"

Qiong Mei was stunned.
For a shut-in like her, as long as she has her brother and electronic devices, it doesn't matter where she stays; but for someone as lively as Xiaoying, staying in this shrine every day would be an extremely boring life.

As for the White Fox Lord beside him: he already has a large number of wives and concubines, and a house full of children and grandchildren, truly a 'winner in life'.

The giant white fox lay on the ground, leisurely swishing its tail, surrounded by beautiful foxes, perfectly embodying the attitude of 'enjoying the place so much that one forgets about Takamagahara'.

"elder brother--"

"no problem,"

As soon as Qiong Mei opened her mouth, You knew what she wanted to say.

With a flick of the finger, a talisman floated down.

"This is the 'Mind-Turning Puppet Talisman'."

As you can tell from the name, it is a creation of the secret arts of the mountain clan.

This technique was originally meant to create a puppet, then be used on an enemy to absorb their soul into the puppet; then one's own soul could take over the enemy's body.

After being modified by Yu, and with the addition of the clone technique, the user's soul can enter the clone.

Otherwise, how could Yu feel at ease letting Qiong go out for a stroll?
What if he gets bumped or hurt?
"By sticking the talisman on your forehead, you can allow your soul to attach itself to your clone."

Yu handed the talisman to Xiaoying, who had come over, and continued:

As for clones.

"Wait, Great Onmyoji."

Bai Zangzhu, with a bunch of little foxes bouncing and jumping on him, opened his eyes.

"Xiaoying is the maid of my Inari God. It is rather inappropriate to create a puppet using Yin-Yang magic."

After saying that, he raised his front paw and gently waved it.

Tender green shoots sprout from the shrine's floor tiles, stretching their bodies.

As if time had been accelerated hundreds of times, the tender buds sprouted branches and leaves, grew strong and healthy, and in the blink of an eye, they became as tall as a person. Then, in the process of constantly wriggling and transforming, they transformed into a tall and mysterious person who was also wearing a black robe with red clouds and a bell-adorned bamboo hat.

A gentle breeze blew, causing the mysterious man's robes to flutter; the bells jingled softly, making him indistinguishable from a normal person.

No, there are still some.

Beneath the straw hat, the pupils of the fox-masked figure were filled with a blank stare.

"Xiao Ying, you can use this clone."

"Although it is only Tiger-level strength, as long as you borrow the power of the 'Divine Tree', you can also unleash the combat power of a Demon-level."

As he spoke, Hakuzosu casually gave Yu a 'provocative' look, as if to say:

How can the Yin-Yang magic of creating clones compare to the divine magic of creating clones?

"Alright,"

Yu didn't bother to care about Xiaobai's gaze; what followed was:

"Xiao Ying, stick the talisman on your forehead, and then imagine yourself inside that wooden clone."

"Huh? Okay, okay~~"

Suddenly, a 'practical exercise' began. Xiaoying, dressed in a white-topped, red-bottomed shrine maiden outfit, frantically stuck talismans to her forehead, attempting to control the clone provided by Bai Zangzhu:
"Ouch~~"

The figure in the red robe tripped and fell flat on his face, his bamboo hat rolling to the side, his mysterious aura vanishing completely. "Very good,"

Yu clapped her hands.
"I can activate the clone immediately. After a little more practice, I can go out."

"really?"

The clone wearing the fox mask raised its head.
Hakuzosu created a tall male character, but his voice is that of a cute girl.

"Change your voice, the contrast is too great."

Faced with Xiao Ying's clone, who was lying on the ground in red robes, You couldn't help but rub his temples.

"Also, get up quickly."

You've ruined this outfit!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The magnificent temple of the shrine,
A giant shimenawa rope, up to one meter thick, is wrapped around the eaves of the worship hall.
The golden shimenawa (sacred rope) is made of straw: hand-woven by tens of thousands of devout Inari devotees, it represents the harvest and their faith.

In the huge square in front of the temple, there was a long line that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see: there were old and young, men and women, all believers who came to worship Inari.

With professional priestesses and priests guiding them, and being located halfway up the sacred tree, who would dare to make a loud noise here? Even the children in the group were infected by the solemn atmosphere, and because their parents had repeatedly warned them before they came, they only dared to look around and communicate with their darting eyes.

Ring ring,

In the midst of this quiet and solemn atmosphere, a series of bells rang out.

?

The crowd queuing in the square all looked in the direction of the sound, and two tall, mysterious figures emerged from behind the shrine!
The two mysterious figures wore long robes with black backgrounds and red clouds, and bamboo hats with several small wind chimes hanging from them: the sound that everyone heard came from the sound of the bells as they moved.

Extraordinary!
Without a doubt, they dared to dress like this;

Those who appear at the Inari Shrine must be extraordinary beings.

Moreover, he was a powerful figure among the extraordinary: just like on ancient battlefields, the more magnificent the armor, the higher the status.

"what happened?"

A hoarse voice rang out, and a mysterious person spoke.

His companion stopped when he passed the temple.

"Speaking of it,"

From beneath the bamboo hat of another mysterious figure, a steady voice rang out.

"It has been a long time since I have worshipped Inari."

His calm voice carried a hint of melancholy.

That's right. She spends all her time in the small shrine in the back. Where would she find the time and opportunity to visit the large shrine in the front that is open to the general public?
The main purpose of the worship hall is for sacrifices and prayers; it is the place often seen in Japanese anime where people put their hands together and pull a rope to make a wish.

Given Tiannv Ying's personality and status, she wouldn't normally make a point of worshipping deities; she was just passing by—

Seeing so many people and this scene, I felt as if I had lived through another world.

"Then let's go and offer our prayers,"

The mysterious man with the hoarse voice spoke, then lifted his leg and walked in that direction.

? !
"Ah, sir."

Upon seeing the mysterious figure walking straight towards them, the family of three at the front of the group immediately tensed up.

This is the shrine of Inari, and reason tells them that no one dares to cause trouble here; but who can be unafraid of the unknown superhuman before them?
It's like watching an unbridled lion or tiger slowly approach!

"Please, please!"

Under immense pressure, the middle-aged couple immediately shielded their daughter with their hands and voluntarily withdrew from the group.

"Come--"

The mysterious man with the hoarse voice turned around and gestured to his companion.

"small"

The calm voice was rather speechless, but since the seat had already been given up, let's make a wish.

The normal worship procedure is to first wash hands and rinse mouth at the 'Sailor's Quarters' to purify the mind and body. The 'Sailor's Quarters' of this large shrine is at the other end of the procession, so it is impossible to run over there to wash before coming over. Fortunately, this body has only been 'grown' for about ten minutes and is as clean as it can be.

The mysterious man bowed slightly as he approached the 'pocket box'.

He then raised his hand and pulled on the hanging bell: In fact, only 'important people' are qualified to pull this hanging bell.

As the bell rang, the mysterious person did not insert the 5-yen coin symbolizing 'connection'; for her connection with the Inari deity was already inseparable.

Snap, snap,

Two bows, two claps, and one deep bow.

After doing all this, the mysterious man turned to look at the family of three whose place had been taken by "himself".

"Feel sorry,"

"I've taken your seats."

A steady voice rang out, and the mysterious man extended his palm.

In the palm of my hand, tender buds stretch out and bloom, transforming into a profusion of flowers in the blink of an eye.

He then bent down and placed the flowers in his hand into the hair of the two middle-aged men and women, who were nervously protecting the little girl in the middle.

"This flower is my apology."

After speaking, the mysterious man turned and left with his waiting companion.

Throughout the entire process, the priests and priestesses who maintained order did not make any unnecessary movements.

"Hu~~"

After the two mysterious men left,

The middle-aged men and women who came to pay their respects all breathed a sigh of relief.

The thought of standing in front of a tiger is enough to make anyone's legs go weak; on the contrary, their daughter is curiously touching the flowers on her head.

"Gentlemen, could I trouble you for a few minutes?"

Just as the procession came to a standstill, a shrine maiden walked over with a beaming smile.

"what?"

"My lady, please speak."

The two adults quickly bowed in greeting.
In the past, island nations did indeed have many "part-time shrine maidens": to put it bluntly, these were female high school students working part-time as cleaners.

However, ever since the arrival of the supernatural, all the shrine maidens have become regular and are now "civil servants" who can receive "salaries" from the government.

The shrine maidens of Inari Shrine are even more extraordinary beings who possess healing magic!
When such an important person comes forward to ask questions, how dare an ordinary person not listen?

"Is such that,"

The young priestess's envious gaze fell upon the little girl wearing flowers.

"Would your daughters be willing to serve the gods here?"

what?
Is this a recruitment drive for shrine maidens?!
For a moment, the middle-aged man and woman were dumbfounded.

Shrine maidens in other places also need to undergo rigorous examinations before they can take up their posts.

The shrine maidens of Tokyo Inari Shrine are the 'elites' who have emerged from millions of applicants: the island nation's elites once fiercely competed for the position, providing ample entertainment for ordinary islanders.

How could such a valuable spot end up in my own family?
"Are you two unwilling?"

? ?
"Yes! Yes! Yes!!"

Under the witch's persistent questioning, the middle-aged man and woman, having regained their senses, nodded vigorously.

This is like an ordinary person winning five million—no, five hundred million—in a lottery. Would anyone refuse it?

Witnessing this scene, the people queuing nearby stared with burning desire; many quick-witted ones focused their attention on the little girl—the flower tucked in her hair.

Those two mysterious people must be some extraordinary, extraordinary figures!

Flowers given away casually must be extraordinary treasures.

Ahhhhh! !
Why wasn't it my turn?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Happy National Day! I'm taking half a day off; I'll update again tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)