Chapter 8

"Ah, Sichuan pepper oil as a souvenir? Thank you, Rei-chan."

"Yukiko Mama, you like this Sichuan pepper oil, don't you? I saw it while I was out."

"You really pay attention. I love this. Did you go to Sano-hara?"

"No, I went to Kutsu-sei Shrine."

Sano-hara is a tourist spot near Kutsu-sei Shrine. Tonight, Snack Yukiko is empty. Only Rei and a regular elderly customer are at the counter. There are no other guests. When Rei handed over the cold-pressed Sichuan pepper oil, Yukiko Mama's face lit up.

"Kutsu-sei Shrine, I like it too. I've been there many times. It feels very spiritual, doesn't it?"

"Yes. It was a refreshing shrine. And there, a strange person called out to me, saying something about seeing golden light."

"What's that?"

Yukiko Mama chuckled. At that moment, the elderly man sitting two seats away turned to look at them.

"Isn't that the story about the golden light from the Sea Beast Insect Mirror there? I've heard of it before. It's been famous for a long time. If you search the internet, it should come up. People who claim to have psychic abilities come from all over the country to see the light."

"Oh, that's what it is..."

"Young people want to feel special, Shige-san. There's a time for that."

"Hehehe. Well, yeah."

In this world, most psychic abilities are just magic. At least, all the videos Rei had seen were magic.

"By the way, wasn't there a psychic gathering at the community hall nearby today? I saw a notice on the shopping street."

"Are troublesome young people gathering from all over the country? That's something."

"Apparently, they couldn't get permission to use the community hall if they called it a psychic gathering, so they named it a 'Psychic Research Meeting.'"

Shige-san and Yukiko Mama chuckled. Rei felt a vague unease. Her inner voice was urging her to go home early, but tonight she felt a bit lonely and decided to stay a little longer at the counter.

"Good evening."

"Welcome."

The door to the snack bar opened, and three young men entered. Rei noticed that the man at the back was the one with natural curly hair and glasses who had approached her during the day.

"Oh, it's the lady from this morning. What a coincidence."

"Akira, do you know her?"

"I met her at Kutsu-sei Shrine this afternoon. She looked unwell, so I thought maybe she saw the light and called out to her."

"You, I thought you weren't going to the meeting, but you went there instead."

(You should stop giving detailed explanations) Rei thought as she cast a memory-blocking spell on the three of them. Their expressions became slightly dazed.

"Goodnight, Mama, Shige-san."

"Goodnight, see you again."

The young men didn't seem to have any intention of following her. As she started to walk away, she sensed the door behind her opening. She sighed, thinking she might need to cast a stronger memory-blocking spell. As she prepared to cast the spell and turned around, she saw the elderly man called Shige-san.

"Didn't you see the golden light radiating from the main hall in all directions? That place is particularly strong in spiritual power. Sensitive people can even fall ill. If you felt unwell, you should be careful. There are several such places in Tokyo too. Goodnight."

"Ah, goodnight."

(Does Shige-san see it too?) Rei wondered whether she should cast a spell on this regular elderly customer but decided against it because he was a regular among regulars. Casting the memory-blocking spell repeatedly on an elderly person could be dangerous, as it could worsen brain function. Besides, the old man didn't seem to want to get involved further.

On her way home, she searched her smartphone intensely. Kutsu-sei Shrine was indeed known for its strong spiritual power, and there were a few posts about seeing the golden light.

"Japanese people can see that. I wonder what percentage of people can see it."

The mysterious nation of Japan, where people believe in the eight million gods. Coming from a world that worships the single god Rase, she had always found their mental structure intriguing. The people of this country believe that gods reside in stones and trees as a matter of course. How do they not argue over which god is the best? Even Yukiko Mama, who doesn't seem particularly religious, buys a colorful rake at the Tori-no-ichi festival and decorates it, and there's a talisman for fire prevention on the upper part of the counter.

"Perhaps I've been sent to a land of wonders."

As she walked home, she noticed a guardian deity at a small intersection. The guardian deity, worn down to the point where its expression was unreadable, had been there for who knows how long—100 years, 200 years. She thought, maybe this is a country of high safety, culture, and kindness, but it's also a mysterious land where various gods coexist.