Well now, Kael hadn't expected the girl to be clever enough to actually seek out other gods. But her words sounded a bit like an excuse.
He asked: "Which god did you find?"
Mai replied: "One of the Seven Lucky Gods, Bishamonten."
Ah, a famous deity. Kael pressed: "Can you describe what Bishamonten looks like?"
Mai looked at him strangely, not understanding why he cared about her appearance. Perhaps just curiosity?
Still, she described: "Bishamonten is a valiant female warrior god, with long golden hair and a stunning figure. I've never seen such a beautiful goddess."
Hearing this, Kael immediately realized this Bishamonten came from the world of Noragami. Only in Noragami was Bishamonten a gorgeous blonde beauty.
"I have an idea." Confirming that Noragami was part of this world, Kael thought of a plan.
Mai's eyes lit up. "What idea?"
"Follow me." Kael led her to the library restroom entrance, leaving her confused.
"Why bring me here?"
"To find someone."
Pointing inside, Kael said: "I'll enter the men's restroom, you the women's. Look for a phone number offering errands for five yen."
"Five yen errands?" Mai was baffled. Who would run errands for five yen?
But that wasn't the point. Her senior was trapped in the shrine, and she herself was fading. Why waste time on this?
Seeing her dissatisfaction, Kael patted her shoulder. "Trust me. That five-yen errand guy is also a god. He can help you."
Mai was shocked. "Are you sure a god would run errands for five yen and solve my problem?"
"Of course," Kael nodded firmly.
"Who is it? Which god?"
"Not a great god, but a… stray god!"
Before she could argue, Kael pushed her into the women's restroom and strode into the men's, searching for Yato's number.
Yes, the five-yen errand god was none other than Noragami's protagonist—Yato. A stray god without a shrine, yet able to rival Bishamonten.
Stray gods were nameless, forgotten quickly without worship, destined to vanish. Normally, such gods were weak. But Yato was an exception. Through countless schemes, he had survived to the present. His strength surpassed that of ordinary stray gods. Among Japan's eight million deities, he was no weakling.
If Kael could find Yato's number, he could solve Mai's problem.
In Noragami, Yato had no shrine, no territory, no worshippers. So he spread his net wide, charging five yen to solve problems. He did any dirty or tiring job. This down-to-earth approach kept him remembered, despite lacking a shrine.
In modern times, Yato adapted, buying a phone. To make a living, he posted his number everywhere—on poles, in school restrooms. With the library's heavy traffic, Kael guessed Yato wouldn't miss it.
Sure enough, after searching, he found a number offering errands for five yen. It had to be Yato's.
Leaving the restroom, Kael waited. Soon Mai emerged.
"Well? Did you find it?"
She nodded, reciting a number identical to the one Kael found.
He dialed. The phone rang once before being answered, as if someone had been waiting.
"Hi, this is the five-yen errand service center. I'm your friend, Yato. What do you need?"
"At the city library, second-floor restroom entrance. Please come quickly. Thank you." Kael hung up politely.
Mai asked nervously: "When will he arrive?"
Before Kael could answer, a man in sportswear stepped out of the men's restroom.
"You two just called, right? Hello, I'm Yato. For five yen, I'll do any job—cleaning, unclogging drains, fixing faucets, anything."
Mai glanced at Kael, stunned. Was this man really a god? Could he solve her problem?
Kael gestured reassuringly. Though Yato seemed unreliable, he was surprisingly dependable.
"You can see her situation, right?" Kael pointed at Mai. At first Yato hadn't noticed, but after Kael's prompt, he studied her carefully.
"Her presence has been stolen. Someone hid her, intending to replace her."
Mai was astonished. This seemingly unreliable man had instantly diagnosed her condition. Even her senior had only understood after hearing the full story. Now she began to believe—perhaps he really could help.
Kael clapped his hands. "Exactly. She's been hidden. You can fix this, right?"
"No."
To their shock, Yato refused without hesitation. Mai's face turned pale, drained of color.
Kael's expression remained calm. He asked slowly: "Then can you tell me why you refuse?"