The divine leaders didn't know Reisen Riou's true role, mistaking him for a regular patron. The waiter, however, suspected the guests' high status—likely Tenryou Commission heads or Grand Narukami Shrine elite, outranking their Shrine Guardian. Her demeanor turned reverent, though she was miles from guessing they included Narukami herself.
Yae Miko's illusion spell helped. Without it, Raiden Makoto's divine aura—thunder heralding her steps, lightning flashing with her moods—would've been unmistakable. To common folk, Narukami rarely left Tenshukaku, only venturing to Yougou Mountain to battle Dark Sea demon gods. Insiders knew the Electro Archon loved mingling incognito, using clones for duties while sneaking out with Yae, Ei, and friends, shielded by Yae's magic.
Chatting, Yae griped about Reisen Riou piercing her spell from afar. Seeing him and Torachiyo sprawled drunk, though, softened her annoyance.
"How'd he see through my spell?" Yae asked.
"I know," Ei said, finishing another dessert. "His Ley Line control on Ritou is unmatched. He senses the world through Ley Lines—don't ask how, he can't explain it. Paired with his unique abilities, he easily spots powerhouses like us."
She tugged a small device from a corner. "Like this thing."
"What's that?" Yae frowned.
"It converts visuals from here to there into data, sent to a machine called Wisdom of the Ten Thousand as One—now his clone," Ei explained.
Reisen Riou had ignored her warnings and made a clone. Ei noted its crude, impractical tech but returned to her sweets. Sister handles forbidden knowledge and Celestia talks. Not my problem.
A commotion erupted outside—Shogunate enforcers chased a ronin but lost him in the crowd. One enforcer addressed a trailing One System, Ten Thousand Divine Machines: "Request surveillance and facial recognition access."
The One System guided them, cornering the ronin in an alley for an easy capture.
"Not bad," Makoto said, inspecting Ei's device. "Effective."
The meal was thrilling. Reisen Riou's absence alarmed a Kawakawa waitress, who alerted the chef, who contacted Kawakawa Saburou, the clan's local head. Unsure, Saburou fetched Reisen Anko.
Anko, a former Narukami Festival attendant with strong martial and spiritual training, instantly recognized the divine guests. She paid respects and escorted them to Ritou Shrine.
After Reisen Riou's decades of work, Ritou Shrine, while not Grand Narukami Shrine's scale, was a large shrine. Its sprawling grounds housed over 300 junior mikos training or visiting, with 40–50 permanent mikos—career devotees, not those returning home post-marriage. Generations of such mikos could form miko clans.
Anko hauled the drunk Reisen Riou and unconscious Torachiyo to the shrine, where mikos took over.
An hour later, Reisen Riou woke, clutching his head. Checking his status: mild hangover, cracked skull. "So that's a barely-there B-cup. Not my type," he muttered, healing the fracture with a spell. "Still, I got the most done with the least effort."
Urgent footsteps approached.
"Shrine Guardian, Lady Narukami summons you," a junior miko reported.
"Got it." He gulped a ladle of cold water from a shrine vat, cleared his head, washed his face, and cast a spell to refresh himself.
At the main hall, Makoto reviewed documents solemnly. Torachiyo, awake, showed no hangover despite outdrinking him—an Oni's resilience.
Ritou's prosperity overwhelmed the local Magistrate's Office. Despite reforms, they were understaffed, struggling with rising chaos. Eventually, they offloaded most duties to Ritou Shrine, focusing on security and taxes.
Reisen Riou, with his Wisdom of the Ten Thousand as One clone, handled these tasks effortlessly.
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