"Please, please let me become a Shrine Maiden, Upper God." Yotsuya Miko said without hesitation.
Even a second of hesitation would be disrespectful to the God, and she was afraid that if she missed this opportunity, there wouldn't be another.
She was so scared, truly terrified.
"Mm." Lord Xia Wei smiled, his golden eyes flickered, and two golden specks of light appeared before Yotsuya Miko. "Even if you didn't choose to become a Shrine Maiden, I wouldn't leave you be. I would still give you some power for self-preservation, but I can't guarantee to what extent."
The above was a lie.
He wouldn't let Yotsuya Miko leave. Although he wasn't a collector, he would never let go of a world's female protagonist, no matter what.
Even if Yotsuya Miko chose to leave, fate would bring her back.
Honestly, he really liked this timid yet strong girl. With a little cultivation, her soul could shine brightly like Shinobu Kocho's.
Even if Yotsuya Miko were granted a Blessing now, she would gain a skill; this was her talent.
However, Yotsuya Miko was still a student and didn't possess such strong determination to save others.
To say she didn't have it wouldn't be entirely true; at least she would put herself in danger for a kitten, even knowing it might cause her unknown harm, and she would pull others away from Evil Spirits to save unrelated people.
Once she got used to slaying Evil Spirits, he would bestow her a Blessing.
Yotsuya Miko didn't know what the specks of light in front of her were, but they must be the power bestowed by the God. She cautiously stretched out a finger to touch them.
The specks of light merged into her finger and traveled up her arm into her body.
"Talk!" Yotsuya Miko panicked. Before she could make a sound, a flood of information appeared in her mind.
Divine Blessing | Barrier Lv.1", "Exorcism Lv.1", and the basic "Basic Magic Compendium."
"Barrier" can deploy a barrier to protect those within it. Evil Spirits inside the barrier will be controlled.
"Exorcism" can imbue any item with spiritual power. Spiritual power counters Evil Spirits and can also be used in conjunction with magic.
The "Basic Magic Compendium" contains meditation methods to refine mental power into "Curse Power," as well as learning methods for 666 basic spells. Among them, 333 are life magic, such as illumination spells and dust removal spells, while the remaining half are combat magic, such as small fireballs, small water arrows, small healing spells, and small defense spells.
"Thank you, God." Yotsuya Miko felt the power in her body, and a large part of her long-standing fear was driven away. She knelt down gratefully, clasping her hands together as if praying to a deity in a shrine.
"My name is Lord Xia Wei. I've had many divine names, but you don't need to worry about it. Just call me Upper God." Lord Xia Wei looked at her, resembling someone bowing to a Bodhisattva. He actually didn't particularly like being worshipped as a statue.
"Upper, Upper God." Yotsuya Miko obediently placed her hands on her knees, her heart thumping.
Only now did she realize how handsome the Upper God was. After all, being a God, he must be beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, having become a Shrine Maiden of a God.
This Shrine Maiden must be different from ordinary Shrine Maidens in shrines, right? She must be the ancient, fundamentalist kind of Shrine Maiden. Nowadays, a Shrine Maiden is a profession, much like a civil servant, under the Ministry of Culture, whose highest official is the Grand Priest of Shintoism.
Most shrines are family-run, so Shrine Maidens are basically hereditary. Although a Shrine Maiden is equivalent to a civil servant,
they are not actually paid; instead, the shrine needs to pay taxes to the state.
Ancient Shrine Maidens were pure maidens who devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the God, dedicating their entire lives to the God.
Yotsuya Miko, feeling shy under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, lowered her head, cautiously stealing a glance. When she saw the God's playful smile, she quickly lowered her head again.
So, she was a Shrine Maiden who would dedicate herself—
"Miko, do you want to stay here overnight, or are you going home?" Lord Xia Wei said playfully. Any girl would overthink upon hearing the words 'Shrine Maiden.'
However, Yotsuya Miko wasn't so flustered. To say she was bold, she could often be scared to tears; to say she was timid, she actually didn't resist her fate much and was quite obedient, as her inner strength had grown considerably after experiencing so many days.
"Can I go home?" Yotsuya Miko. She didn't know whether to stay or go home. Could she really go home?
She had never been out so late. Her mother and brother must be worried.
"Of course, I haven't restricted your freedom. You can stay here, and if you have any questions, you can ask those two." Lord Xia Wei looked at Tendo Kisara and Saya Takagi.
"They are my Retainers."
"Retainers?" Images of Inari God and her fox Retainers, the white fox and the red fox, appeared in Yotsuya Miko's mind.
They must be the Divine Messengers who convey the God's oracles beside the God.
"My name is Saya Takagi. If you find me, I can teach you how to become stronger." Busujima Yako said. This girl would likely become a new companion.
"Tendo Kisara." Tendo Kisara said with a smile, "Busujima-senpai is the best. Actually, in this world, Busujima-senpai can already be considered a true God."
"Please guide me." Yotsuya Miko quickly lowered her head, tapping her forehead on the back of her hand. Already a 'God'? Was she a subordinate God of the Upper God?
The Upper God is a magnificent Great God.
In myths and legends, those with 'subordinate Gods' are all incredibly great High Heavens Gods.
"No need to be so polite," Saya Takagi said.
Yotsuya Miko slowly stood up and said weakly, "Then, Upper God, I'm going home?"
"Of course." Lord Xia Wei smiled. At this point, if he spoke a bit louder or showed a serious expression, she would probably be scared to tears.
Yotsuya Miko bowed very respectfully, then tiptoed along the way she came, cautiously looking back from time to time.
Only after confirming that the God was not displeased did she descend the stairs. After descending, she breathed a sigh of relief, as if an invisible burden had disappeared from her shoulders.
"Hmm~ quite cute, wouldn't you say?" Lord Xia Wei said amusingly.
"Yotsuya Miko, that girl is very cute, Lord Xia Wei." Busujima Yako said gently.
"She's older than me." Tendo Kisara pouted her lips. She didn't see anything cute about her; only those younger than her could be called cute.
Lord Xia Wei said nothing more, simply smiled and took a sip of his coffee.
It was time to devour Busujima Yako.
Busujima Yako instantly understood Lord Xia Wei's gaze and looked at Tendo Kisara: "Kisara, tonight you try to slay an Evil Spirit and also protect Yotsuya Miko."
"Lest she encounters an Evil Spirit she cannot contend with."
After Yotsuya Miko walked out of the alley, she looked at the closed Cafe, clasped her hands together, and bowed again.
"I'm going home, Upper God. Please bless me."
After doing so, she patted her chest, the fear in her eyes greatly diminished, and walked towards home.
"This street has the Upper God, so there are no Evil Spirits."
After leaving this street, Evil Spirits would appear.
Yotsuya Miko clenched her palms: "It's okay, Upper God will bless me. I already have the power to exorcise.
It's okay, I can do it."
Yotsuya Miko continuously encouraged herself, slowly walking out of the street and onto her usual way home.
It was evening, the sun had already set, and dusk had passed. It was already dark. Two little old man Evil Spirits were milling around where a beer bottle cap had been dropped.
Yotsuya Miko took a deep breath at the sight, cautiously using the power she had just acquired.
She was learning the magic knowledge in her mind as she walked, and since the "Divine Blessing" automatically imbued her with spiritual power, she had the ability to use magic from the start.
She chanted an exorcism spell, and the power of "Divine Blessing | Exorcism" was simultaneously added to the spell.
Yotsuya Miko slowly raised her hand towards the little old man Evil Spirit.
Her palm instantly emitted a blue light visible to ordinary people. The light shone upon the little old man Evil Spirit, and the Evil Spirit instantly turned into flying ash and disappeared, without even letting out a scream.
"So, so powerful!"