"You don't need to... You can leave now..." Reimu still waved her hand. The other party bore neither hostility nor killing intent toward her, so there was no need for her to attack someone just because she had nothing better to do.
"..." This shrine maiden really was hard to deal with. Soft methods would not work, and force probably would not either.
After all, she had personally made those amulets. She was probably the only one who knew how they worked. If she took a dislike to their people, she might add some little trick to the talismans, and they would never know.
Thinking of that, a trace of helplessness appeared on Leone's face. This really was troublesome.
Wait! I remember hearing that this morning, at the Hakurei Amulet Shop, this shrine maiden had argued with a man over stolen money. If I'm not mistaken, that guy should have been the kid called Koizumi.
I really did steal that kid's money, but this shrine maiden had reacted so strongly.
And according to people who had bought amulets from her, this shrine maiden was always extremely particular about prices. Not even one coin less was acceptable.
Could it be that this shrine maiden actually... Hmm, I'll take a gamble... Leone quietly formed a plan.
"Ahem... Um, Miss Shrine Maiden, we of Night Raid are affiliated with the Revolutionary Army. We can handle some missions ourselves; we only need you to provide those amulets. Of course, we will pay you accordingly. Miss Shrine Maiden, name your price! How about it?"
At first, Reimu was extremely impatient. She had already said twice that she was unwilling, yet this woman kept pestering her. If she were not so good-tempered, she would have already smashed her with a Dream Seal.
But—
When Reimu heard the words "payment," her eyebrows suddenly rose, and her body trembled slightly.
Hmm... If there was payment involved, just making some amulets did not seem like such an unreasonable request.
After all, back in the Imperial Capital, she had been responsible for making amulets and selling them. These convenient little life-saving amulets were quite useful.
Of course, if she ran into that lightning-wielding guy from before, these amulets probably would not save her life.
This was not some amulet that granted the Battle Continuation skill. It merely helped preserve one's life to a certain extent.
It was like making attacks ineffective if the damage was below a certain threshold; if it exceeded that threshold, it reduced a fixed amount of damage before dealing the remainder.
That was basically what this amulet did. But if every enemy was like that guy, then even after subtracting the fixed damage, they would still die from an attack that powerful.
Leone noticed Reimu's strange reaction and immediately understood something. This shrine maiden was greedy for money.
If possible, she could use that weakness. In any case, it would not be her paying the salary, but the Revolutionary Army. Besides, if this shrine maiden truly had such abilities, the Revolutionary Army's leader would certainly give her appropriate compensation.
This was not merely about saving one or two lives. It was about countless lives on the battlefield.
"We can discuss the payment properly. And if Miss Shrine Maiden does not like Night Raid's missions, you do not have to accept them. You only need to help us make amulets. How about that?"
Leone had also roughly guessed why Reimu had refused her.
When Reimu had fought Ouka's group, she had said that she only wanted to sell amulets peacefully and make money. Judging by that impatient expression, it was clear that she probably only wanted a quiet life.
Since she did not like doing missions, then she did not have to do them. As long as they got the amulets, that was enough.
Those words, which seemed to take a step back, made Reimu's firm resolve to live a leisurely life begin to waver.
It was not that Reimu lacked conviction. Other than enjoying peaceful days, money was the only thing that could move her enough to make her shamelessly change sides.
Of course, Reimu still had her principles. Her so-called stance depended on what the matter was.
For example, in this case, if all she had to do was put in some effort and make amulets, then as long as the payment was generous, shamelessly switching jobs and taking on some side work was not impossible. She was fairly idle right now anyway, was she not?
Besides, she did not even have anywhere to live. Not only was she staying in the wilderness, she did not even have a basic tent. It was inhumanly miserable. What else could she say? She was completely speechless, okay?!
If possible, she could even get food and lodging from them. Then she would not need to worry about where she stayed at all. How wonderful would that be? She could help solve this problem too, and her Master would no longer mock her for being such a lazy shrine maiden who did nothing.
If she could give her Master a huge surprise, that might actually be pretty nice.
But... that Revolutionary Army probably had many people, right? And they were rebels against this Empire, so they likely had quite a large army. If she had to make amulets for them, would that not mean fewer leisurely days in the future?
Could she not have both leisurely days and money?
This... was far too agonizing! Aaaahhh!!!!!!
As if she could see Reimu still struggling with the decision, Leone felt that she needed to add more fuel to the fire.
"If you do not trust us, we can pay you a generous sum in advance! How about it?"
To show her sincerity, Leone emphasized the words "generous sum." Night Raid had its own funds. Leaving aside the Revolutionary Army's funding, they had earned quite a bit from commissions in the Imperial Capital. Unfortunately, Boss did not give them much spending money, which was rather frustrating. Otherwise, she would not have needed to swindle those outsiders who had just arrived in the Imperial Capital.
"Deal!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Reimu sold herself just like that.
Reimu Sells Herself, Part 2
"Deal!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Reimu sold herself just like that.
If Koizumi had been here, he definitely would have complained that she had sold herself without even settling on the payment first! Negotiating the price beforehand was obviously safer! She really had fallen headfirst into the money pit!
Unfortunately, Koizumi was not here. At that very moment, he was still fighting Hata no Kokoro and had no idea what was happening on Reimu's side.
Although Koizumi did not mind Reimu making decisions on her own, he would still feel a little bothered. Being ignored like that would make anyone uncomfortable, no matter how good-tempered they were.
"I'll discuss it with Koizumi. Let's meet again tomorrow."
As she spoke, Reimu waved her hand, signaling for Leone to leave quickly and stop disturbing her.
Leone could not help but smile wryly. She had more or less figured out the shrine maiden before her. Having fought and struggled her way out of the slums as an assassin, Leone was quite familiar with judging people's personalities.
This shrine maiden undoubtedly liked leisure, hated trouble, and was practically greedy to the extreme when it came to money. Yet she had her own bottom line. Still, working with someone like that was actually very reassuring.
If possible, it would be better to build a good relationship with her. That would also benefit Night Raid.
With that thought, Leone became even more determined to convince Boss. Then again, if Boss learned that such a person existed, she might personally come and persuade her. The shrine maiden before her was simply too valuable.
Though measuring a person by so-called value was somewhat rude.
The next moment, Leone hurried away. If she stayed any longer and Koizumi spotted her, things would become serious. After all, Leone was the thief who had stolen Koizumi's money.
Watching Leone leave, Reimu lay back down on the grass and slowly closed her eyes.
The tension that had filled her heart finally relaxed completely. Honestly, being hunted was something best avoided whenever possible.
She really wished these leisurely days could continue forever. Unfortunately, the Gap Youkai had awakened her from her sleep. It seemed she would have to work under Koizumi for the rest of her life. Her peaceful days in Gensokyo were gone forever.
But then again, had her days in Gensokyo really been that peaceful?
Several faces flashed through Reimu's mind, and slowly, a smile appeared on her lips.
Marisa and the others were still asleep, right... They should be awakened sooner or later... Once that girl woke up, she would probably rush around frantically, heading to every Singularity to carry out restoration work. That suited her personality perfectly. Still, Reimu needed to warn her. In the past, they had relied on Spell Card Rules to overcome one hardship after another. Battles in these Singularities, where there were no Spell Card Rules, would not be nearly so simple. Even now, they still did not know exactly what was wrong with this first Singularity.
Though if Koizumi were here, he would probably complain that it was because she was too lazy.
But one thing was certain: the anomaly in this Singularity was connected to the Imperial Capital.
Reimu possessed an incredibly powerful intuition that no one could match. When shopping, she could pick the best item in a store without even needing to compare. Once, fairies tricked her into walking into a river, but turtles surfaced and formed a path, keeping her from falling into the water. She could keenly sense hidden youkai approaching her. There was even a saying that she "always relied on intuition to resolve incidents." No matter how one looked at it, it demonstrated Reimu's sharp intuition and absurdly good luck.
So merely by coming into contact with the Imperial Capital and fighting there, Reimu could conclude that the center of this Singularity's distortion was the Imperial Capital. With her powerful intuition, she had practically already identified the source of the problem.
The only thing missing now was evidence that could prove her intuition correct.
At that moment, Reimu seemed to sense something. Her gaze shifted slightly in a certain direction, and her brows furrowed.
It looked like Master's training journey had not gone very well. She could feel an increase in power, but it seemed that because the vampire's power grew stronger at night, Master could not control the vampire's will?
As expected of a long-lived species. The will of a long-lived species was far more terrifying than that of humans.
Not only that, Yakumo Yukari and Master had said that Master had lost all memories of the past. Everything had begun from scratch, and even her personality had essentially been reshaped. Under such circumstances, it seemed rather difficult for Master to struggle against the consciousness of a long-lived species.
But with Hata no Kokoro there, there was no need to worry... Thinking that, Reimu continued being a salted fish.
Not long afterward, Koizumi slowly returned with Hata no Kokoro supporting him.
"Are you okay?" Reimu asked in an indifferent tone. Someone unfamiliar with her might think she was coldhearted, but Koizumi knew that this was simply Reimu's usual attitude. She was neither warm nor cold toward everyone.
Of course, that did not include people who brought her money.
"I'm fine. During the day, I can already control the young lady's power. Night is different. The strength of the vampire's will exceeded my expectations somewhat, so I'll need to train for a while longer."
A trace of helplessness appeared on Koizumi's face. There was no helping it. It was simply too difficult for a human will to resist a vampire's will. Yet being able to contend with it, and reclaim control of his will after Hata no Kokoro defeated it once, was already enough for Koizumi to be proud of. He was simply too impatient.
Hata no Kokoro wanted to say as much, but she did not want to dampen Koizumi's enthusiasm, so she remained silent.
"So you'll be training for some time..." Reimu muttered. Her gaze occasionally drifted toward Koizumi, as though she were hesitating over something.
In truth, Reimu had realized it just now. She had agreed too readily. The moment she heard there would be a substantial payment, she had accepted immediately, temporarily forgetting that she was Koizumi's Servant. It was not entirely her fault. Back in Gensokyo, Reimu had rarely been constrained by anyone or forced by a contract to obey someone. So when she heard that they would pay her generously, she put that matter out of her mind and accepted.
Honestly, now that she thought about Koizumi, she found it a little difficult to speak.
But after only a moment of thought, Reimu chose to be honest.
"Hey! Master! Someone claiming to be from Night Raid came earlier and said they wanted to make a deal with us."
The So-Called Hundred Thousand Shrine Maidens
"Hey! Master! Someone claiming to be from Night Raid came earlier and said they wanted to make a deal with us." Reimu's sudden words made Koizumi freeze slightly. Someone from Night Raid had come looking for them!
Then again, Night Raid might have noticed their battle with the Imperial Guard in the Imperial Capital and assumed that they were enemies of the Empire, so it was perfectly normal for them to seek cooperation.
Thinking that, Koizumi turned his eyes toward Reimu, who was lying nearby with her eyes closed.
"So how did you answer her? Did you agree, or did you refuse?"
"I agreed to cooperate with them. They only wanted me to provide them with amulets."
Reimu answered calmly, her gaze flickering toward Koizumi. It seemed she still minded having agreed to someone else's terms without Koizumi's permission.
Even Reimu herself had not noticed it, but ever since Koizumi had summoned her, she had been unable to truly get angry with him. In fact, from the very beginning, she had felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward him.
Remilia was the same, but her innate arrogance meant she did not pay attention to such things.
She believed it was perfectly normal to feel close to her servant.
"Looks like they must have offered you a huge payment. Otherwise, someone as naturally lazy as you would never agree to something like this!"
Koizumi looked in astonishment at Reimu, who had suddenly turned her gaze elsewhere.
He did not care about Reimu supposedly ignoring his opinion and reaching an agreement with someone else.
He was not the type with an excessively strong master-servant mindset. Was it not obvious from how perfunctory he sounded whenever he spoke with the young lady? More often than not, he treated the young lady as family, while the young lady merely cared about appearances. For many of Koizumi's excessive actions, she only scolded him verbally and rarely punished him.
That was why Koizumi treated Reimu and Hata no Kokoro the same way. He did not really mind.
Reimu was stunned for a moment, as though surprised by Koizumi's attitude. But after recalling his personality, she smiled bitterly inside. It seemed she had been overthinking things.
That was right. Koizumi was not someone who cared about such trivial matters. At times, he cared more about the opinions of those around him than his own. Otherwise, the conflict between her and Hata no Kokoro would never have begun in the first place; Koizumi would have simply used a Command Seal to forcibly suppress them.
Koizumi was more inclined to indulge her and Hata no Kokoro, consulting them on many matters.
Thinking of that, warmth rose in Reimu's heart. This feeling was not bad.
But—
"Of course! If there's money to be made and I don't take it, wouldn't that make me an idiot?" Reimu rolled her eyes at Koizumi and spoke with a speechless expression.
I suppose that makes sense, though I still feel like you're just finding an excuse for your greed... Koizumi silently thought.
Are you sure you did not agree to their conditions simply because you are greedy for money?
That was exactly what Koizumi's gaze conveyed, but Reimu acted as though she had not seen it.
So what if I'm greedy for money? Besides, money may not be able to do everything, but without money, you can do nothing! Haven't you heard that saying? And I hear there's another saying in your country: money can make even ghosts turn millstones!
Fine. Koizumi knew that no matter how much he complained, she would not react. Rather than that, he might as well ask about Night Raid. That would probably be more useful.
"Tell me. What was her name, and what information did she reveal? What kind of organization is Night Raid? If it is large enough, perhaps we can use their intelligence to make a deal."
Honestly, Koizumi's group badly lacked information. If this were normal history, Koizumi would know how to correct the distortion, since there would still be historical records to consult. But this was an entirely new world, one that could not be treated like ordinary history at all. And the information Yakumo Yukari had given him was sparse. She had merely said to recover the Holy Grail, but how was he supposed to know who had it? In any case, they first needed to obtain the relevant intelligence.
Hearing that, Reimu clicked her tongue. Koizumi had thought of so much merely from her contact with Night Raid. But on further thought, it made sense. Night Raid assassinated nobles and high-ranking officials in the Imperial Capital, which meant their base was not far from the city. Yet even now, no one from Night Raid had been caught. Either the Imperial Capital's officials were incompetent, or Night Raid had powerful backing.
No matter what, making contact with Night Raid was necessary. Since their plans in the Imperial Capital had already fallen apart, they might as well devote all their effort to repairing the Singularity.
Reimu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered an extremely important issue—
She seemed not to have asked the other woman's name...
After talking with her for so long, she had sold herself without even knowing what the other woman was called...
At that moment, an indescribable feeling filled Reimu's heart, leaving her unable to speak for a long time.
"..." Koizumi watched Reimu for a while. When she remained completely silent, he felt as though he understood something.
"You didn't sell yourself without even knowing her name, did you...?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Reimu seemed to suffer a blow of hundreds of millions of tons. Her head drooped, and she said nothing.
Hata no Kokoro also looked at Reimu speechlessly and unconsciously put a mask over her face.
Koizumi was equally at a loss for words. You seriously sold yourself without even knowing the other person's name? That was just too absurd.
Before you continue