I have an unlimited number of shikigami

Mrs. Kasahara's gaze suddenly sharpened, and she looked at Director Takeuchi with an air of authority, as if she believed that he was the one who was secretly causing trouble.

"No, this has nothing to do with me," Director Takeuchi quickly explained. "However, I know who might have done it. A few days ago, a businesswoman came to my office and asked about ways to convert the Asakusa Shrine site into commercial use."

A businesswoman… Fujiwara Izaya’s mind raced, and he asked, “The day I visited the chief?”

"That was the day."

"The one I was chatting with?"

"correct."

Director Takeuchi sold Kawashima Miki without hesitation.

He originally told Kawashima Miki the method in order to shift the blame to Asakusa Shrine, but now that he's about to be blamed for something else, he certainly won't talk about morality.

“Director Takeuchi,” Mrs. Kasahara admonished him, “In your high position, you must remember your responsibilities and mission, and not be tempted by money or beauty; you must act impartially and not bend the law for personal gain.”

Director Takeuchi immediately bowed deeply: "Thank you for your guidance, Chairman. I will always remember it!"

"Did you reveal the method?" Mrs. Kasahara's dignified and imposing eyes remained fixed on him.

“No, I didn’t say a word about that,” Director Takeuchi denied, bending over. “On the contrary, I kept emphasizing the rule that ‘religious land cannot be used for commercial purposes’ to her.”

“If there are rules, then we should follow them.” Mrs. Kasahara regained her gentle expression and said to Director Takeuchi in a soft but firm voice, “Regarding the renovation of Asakusa Shrine, everything should be done according to the rules. There are no problems with the procedures. You are not allowed to obstruct it or cause any unnecessary trouble.”

"Thank you for your guidance, Chairman." Director Takeuchi then straightened up.

Mrs. Kasahara ignored him and instead had Fujiwara Izaya follow her to meet the heads of the various shrines and temples present, clearly treating him as a mentor.

Fujishima, the priest of Hanazono Inari Shrine; Ishiyama, the priest of Hie Shrine; Hirohiro, the abbot of Kita-in Temple in Saitama; a novice monk at Gotoku-ji Temple... and the old monk Kobun of Senso-ji Temple, whom Fujiwara Izaya knew.

Of these, he was most interested in the chief priest of the Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura.

She was a young and beautiful woman whose eyebrows and eyes resembled Hoshimi-senpai's by about 80%, wearing a light blue kimono.

"Miko, come here, come here." Mrs. Kasahara beckoned to her with a very happy expression. "I have a little one I want to introduce to you."

Mrs. Hoshimi appeared before Fujiwara Izaya, carrying a small cloth bag.

Her eyes were small and deep, with a scrutinizing quality, and blinked incessantly like a little bird.

"Hello, Chairman Hoshimi." Fujiwara Izaya greeted him respectfully.

Perhaps because he was so familiar with Hoshimi-senpai, he felt a natural affinity for this woman.

Mrs. Hoshimi stared at Fujiwara Izaya for a moment, as if appraising him. After the appraisal was completed, she chuckled and said, "Don't be so formal, just call me Auntie."

"Hello Auntie."

Fujiwara Izaya's expression was as obedient as could be.

There's nothing he can do; both of these ladies are high-ranking figures who have held positions of power for many years, and they are not people he can afford to offend for the time being.

“To me, Fujiwara-kun is an old acquaintance.” Mrs. Hoshimi said with a smile, “Rinko often talks about you with me, and she speaks very highly of you.”

Her tone was very sincere, not like she was lying, and she had no reason to lie to a child.

But as she spoke, her gaze wasn't fixed on Fujiwara Ryūya; instead, it was fixed on Mrs. Kasahara, with a hint of... provocation. Fujiwara Ryūya wasn't sure if he was right, but his curiosity was piqued, and he instinctively asked, "What did you think of me, senpai?"

"Intelligent, gentle, and humble." Mrs. Hoshimi looked at Mrs. Kasahara as if she were showing off her own person. "No matter what she wears, she always looks neat, elegant, and refined."

of course.

It doesn't necessarily mean she considers Fujiwara Izaya one of her own; perhaps she just wants to outdo Mrs. Kasahara.

"And also, Rinko said that even if you don't say a word, just your face has a certain charm."

Fujiwara Izaya asked uncertainly, "Just because he's handsome?"

At this moment, Mrs. Hoshimi finally managed to tear her gaze away from Mrs. Kasahara.

She spoke as if she were proofreading her daughter's words, scrutinizing Fujiwara Izaya as she spoke, "It's not just that you're handsome. Rinko said that your expression always makes it impossible to guess what you're thinking. She said that it's hard to predict whether you'll directly attack someone, start cursing, or do something else that will leave people speechless, or say something unpredictable. No matter what you do or say, you definitely have your own unique style or charm, either playfully serious or seriously playful."

Listening to the string of dry comments, Mrs. Kasahara felt a little bored. Turning her head to look at Fujiwara Izaya's earnest and obedient expression, a mischievous thought suddenly arose in her mind.

"Hey, my sister's younger brother Fujiwara..." She leaned closer and teased playfully, "The Hoshimi family kids are so proud of you, aren't they? Do you two have some kind of secret?"

Amidst the fragrance of cherry blossoms in May, the beautiful Kasahara-neechan—no… Mrs. Kasahara—suddenly leaned in and whispered something in the ear of the handsome Fujiwara Izaya. To an outsider unaware of their relationship, their intimate gestures would instinctively lead them to believe they were a brother and sister deeply in love.

"Ok?"

Mrs. Hoshimi frowned.

"Younger brother?" She glared at Fujiwara Izaya with ill intent.

“Uh, Auntie…” Fujiwara Izaya suddenly felt a chill down his spine and quickly explained, “Chairwoman Kasahara just told me to call her older sister.”

Mrs. Hoshimi retorted, "So you call me 'Auntie' in front of her?"

At this moment, she didn't care at all whether her daughter had been cheated on; instead, she was more concerned about looking old and frumpy in front of Mrs. Kasahara.

“...Chairman,” Fujiwara Izaya glanced at Mrs. Kasahara, asking her for help.

“Hmm, you can’t trust what he says.” Mrs. Kasahara said, seemingly trying to defuse the situation, but actually adding fuel to the fire. “Miko, listen to me. As soon as I met this boy, he praised me as the most beautiful woman in this neighborhood.”

"?"

Fujiwara Izaya wanted to run away from the bottom of his heart.

“I’m going to get angry…” Mrs. Hoshimi smiled cruelly at him.

"By the way, do the two chairpersons know anything about Spanish history?" Fujiwara Izaya forced a change of topic and asked calmly, "I've been learning Spanish recently, and I've also taken the opportunity to look through some history books on the Spanish Civil War. If you'd like, could you please discuss the Spanish Civil War with me?"

"Hmm?" Mrs. Kasahara tilted her head and looked at him.

Her lively demeanor was no different from that of a high school girl, yet she possessed a more mature charm.

“I have no interest in the Spanish Civil War,” came Mrs. Hoshimi’s cruel voice, “but I’m quite eager for a Shinto civil war.”

"?"

Fujiwara Izaya was dumbfounded.

"Alright, alright, stop scaring a child," Mrs. Kasahara finally spoke up to help him out.

“Next time, I won’t call her ‘older sister’ in front of Auntie!” Fujiwara Rinya added tactfully.

Mrs. Hoshimi persisted, asking, "And who is the most beautiful woman in this courtyard?"

Fujiwara Izaya had intended to brush it off by saying "There are two number one beauties," but just then he saw Kasahara Fukaeri, dressed in a Section 9 police uniform, walk past him and blurted out, "Of course it's Fukaeri-neechan."

Kasahara Fukari glared at him, uttered a "smooth talker," and coldly walked towards the dining table.

The two elegant ladies who were watching the spectacle laughed radiantly, their charm surpassing even that of the fairy in full bloom with cherry blossoms.

"Eri Fuka has a lot of complaints about me." Fujiwara Izaya looked at the policewoman's slender back with a wronged expression.

“She’s not the only one who has a problem with you,” Mrs. Hoshimi’s voice was cheerful and pleasant. “It should be said that in this courtyard, there are very few people who don’t have a problem with you.”

"Why?" Fujiwara Izaya asked, his expression full of curiosity, like a student asking a question to a teacher in class.

“You must know,” Mrs. Kasahara said gently.

Fujiwara Izaya looked into her eyes: "The past of Asakusa Shrine?"

"Yes." The two ladies nodded in unison.

"Can you tell me?" Fujiwara Izaya asked earnestly.

Mrs. Hoshimi's eyes widened in surprise: "You didn't know?"

"I don't know," Fujiwara Izaya gave a definite answer.

For a moment, both ladies fell silent. The wind blew petals down, blurring their vision. After a long while, Mrs. Hoshimi shook her head, flicked the petals from her hair, and stared at Fujiwara Izaya with an almost incredulous, expressionless gaze: "Your parents didn't tell you anything. Aren't they afraid you'll die in Tokyo?"

Fujiwara Izaya bit his lip, looked at her face sadly for a moment, then lowered his gaze and said in a low voice, "My parents died when I was very young."

This is a lie.

In fact, before his father went to Takamagahara, he said to him, "You have the inheritance of the mountain god and the great tengu. If you die in Tokyo, I will pretend that you are not my son."

Mrs. Kasahara and Mrs. Hoshimi exchanged a glance.

Then, one of the ladies laughed, and the other lady laughed too, as cherry blossoms danced among their smiling faces.

Seeing their smiles, Fujiwara Izaya pressed on, saying, "I also want to know why the two chairpersons have no problem with me, and instead let Hoshimi-senpai and Asuka approach me."

"Go get some food, let's sit over there and talk while we eat." Mrs. Kasahara smiled gracefully, and like a high school student, she took Mrs. Hoshimi's arm. The two ladies walked elegantly toward the rest area set up under the eaves.

Chapter 79. The Past of Asakusa Shrine

Beside the dining table covered with a pure white tablecloth, Kasahara Fukaeri was cooking bright red prawns.

She was five centimeters taller than the average Japanese man, and wore a black police uniform with a tight-fitting, mini skirt. The perfect leg lines extending from under the skirt captivated the eyes of the men around her, and her straight back and knees immediately reminded people of a female officer.

There are many ways to describe a beautiful woman.

Fujiwara Izaya thought that no one would object to describing her as "rare" or "amazing," but he preferred to use the word "cool" to describe her. After all, this woman's cold temperament and sharp eyes made her beautiful appearance devoid of any fragility.

"Miss Kasahara," Fujiwara Izaya approached to greet her, "Do you have any recommendations for good food?"

Kasahara Fukari ignored him, instead taking small sips of water from a tall glass, looking as proud as a lone warrior.

“It’s not what I wanted to eat,” Fujiwara Izaya said, picking up a piece of watermelon and stuffing it into his mouth. “The two chairmen told me to come and get the food. Besides, you wouldn’t want me to bring something bad to your mother, would you?”

"You're really infuriating!"

Kasahara Fukari cursed in a flat, monotone voice, then gave a brief description of her mother's tastes.

Caviar seafood platter, seafood chowder, Frankfurt sausage, medium-rare Kobe beef... Fujiwara Izaya followed her instructions and filled a whole plate with food.

As he was about to leave, a plump middle-aged woman saw him and greeted him curiously: "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be the young master of the Tsuchimikado family, would you?"

"No." Fujiwara Izaya finally picked up an ice bucket and carried it in his hand.

"I'm sorry." The middle-aged woman smiled apologetically. "You have a very good presence; I subconsciously assumed you came from the Tsuchimikado family."

Fujiwara Izaya politely replied, "It's alright."

Then, he looked at Kasahara Fukari, who was also sitting next to him with a large plate of food: "Who are you going to eat with?"

"I'm alone." Kasahara Fukaeri said coldly, not wanting to look him in the eye.

“This…?” Fujiwara Izaya stared in disbelief at the portion she was holding, enough for three people.

A male waiter brought in new dishes to replenish the table, while a young woman nearby laughed loudly. Kasahara Fukaeri turned to look at him amidst the laughter and said in a monotone voice, "My stomach is a monk's alms bag."