Why Are You Wearing Kikyo's Clothes?

"Lady Yae!"

"Lady Yae, where are you?"

Just as Yae Sakura and Kikyo were talking, Xia Ji's shouts drifted over from not far away.

"This girl..."

Yae Sakura frowned at the sound. She had explicitly told her not to come out, yet here she was.

"Do you want to come along?" Yae Sakura glanced at Kikyo before preparing to head toward Xia Ji.

"..."

Kikyo didn't answer, but she gave a slight nod. She was a little curious about the person calling out.

"Then let's go together!"

When they reached Xia Ji, they found her sprawled on the ground, looking as if she were about to burst into tears.

It was understandable; although people in this era were considered adults by the time they reached Xia Ji's age, she was still only a girl of about thirteen. Life expectancy in this era was generally short, and living past fifty was considered a long life.

In the original story, Kikyo's younger sister, Kaede, looked like a centenarian even though she was only in her fifties.

"Lady Yae! Are you alright?"

The girl on the ground heard movement, looked up, and saw Yae Sakura approaching. A look of relief immediately washed over her face.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the cave?" Yae Sakura said speechlessly as she walked over and helped Xia Ji up.

"But... I was scared... I was worried about you, Lady Yae," Xia Ji whimpered.

She had heard there were demons about, and the only person she could rely on for protection had gone off to deal with them. If something were to happen to her...

That was why she had come out.

"Worried about me? But... does running out here to find me actually help?"

Yae Sakura was at a loss for words. Didn't the girl realize she was a burden? Running out didn't just fail to help; if something truly went wrong, she would only be a hindrance.

"I... I..."

Xia Ji couldn't find the words, but she felt deeply aggrieved.

At this moment, Kikyo walked over. She looked at Xia Ji, then at Yae Sakura, lost in thought.

"Lady Yae, who is this priestess..."

Xia Ji also noticed Kikyo. She quickly wiped away her aggrieved expression and looked at Yae Sakura with curiosity.

"I don't know."

Although she recognized Kikyo, this was their first meeting, and she hadn't asked for her name yet, so she couldn't very well blurt it out.

"I am the priestess Kikyo. I was entrusted by someone to come here and exterminate demons." Kikyo was a woman of few words, but she still introduced herself.

"Kikyo..."

Xia Ji was stunned. Wasn't this the person Yae Sakura had been asking her about earlier? She looked at Yae Sakura in surprise.

She then introduced herself: "My name is Tanihara Natsu."

"Xia Ji's guards were eaten by a demon, so I'm seeing her home," Yae Sakura added.

"Tanihara? The one from the Tanihara family?"

Kikyo realized who the girl before her was—the daughter of a local daimyo.

After getting to know each other, Yae Sakura learned that they were in Musashi Province, though they were still quite a distance from Kikyo's home, Kaede Village.

Kikyo had been hired by the head of a nearby village to deal with a demon.

At this point in time, Kikyo had not yet taken possession of the Jewel of Four Souls. While she was famous, she wasn't exactly a household name.

Her reputation was mostly confined to a small area within Musashi Province, particularly around Kaede Village.

While she was known in other provinces, it was only within certain circles. The common folk didn't know of her, or if they did, they treated it as nothing more than a story.

After all, this wasn't the modern era; many people lived their entire lives without ever leaving their own villages.

As for why Xia Ji didn't know of Kikyo, it was simply because she wasn't privy to such matters. As a princess, she had spent her childhood studying etiquette, calligraphy, and painting, leaving her no time to learn about the world outside.

"So there is a village nearby? Would you mind taking us there so we can stay the night?"

If there was a village, they wouldn't have to sleep in a cave.

Kikyo glanced at Xia Ji. Being a noble's daughter, it was indeed too dangerous for her to be out in the wilderness. She nodded in agreement.

"Follow me."

She didn't trust Yae Sakura, but as for Xia Ji... she felt completely at ease.

By now, the sky had long since darkened. Guided by Kikyo, they walked for over half an hour before arriving at a village.

It was a very small village, home to only about a hundred people.

Most of the buildings looked fragile, as if a strong gust of wind could blow them over; they were mostly thatched huts.

The villagers had already turned in for the night, so they didn't encounter anyone as they entered. Kikyo led them directly to an abandoned shrine.

Though the roof of the derelict shrine was a bit rotted, it looked much better than the thatched huts.

"We can rest here for the night. This shrine has long been abandoned," Kikyo said, setting down her belongings.

"Mm."

The place wasn't much, but there was some dried grass on the floor, which was undoubtedly better than the cave.

"It's late. Xia Ji, go to sleep."

Yae Sakura arranged a sleeping spot for Xia Ji with the dried grass, then sat down on a stone step herself.

"Lady Yae, you should sleep here..." Xia Ji said, moved by Yae Sakura's actions.

"I told you to sleep, so sleep." Yae Sakura's tone grew stern; she didn't want to waste any more breath on this.

"Yes..."

As expected, Xia Ji immediately quieted down.

"Here."

Just as Yae Sakura was closing her eyes to rest, Kikyo suddenly pulled something out and tossed it to her.

"This is..."

Yae Sakura opened her eyes instantly and caught it.

She looked closely: it was a set of red and white priestess robes.

"Even if you are a half-demon now, you should still have the self-awareness of a woman, especially since you are a priestess. This is a spare set I carry. See if it fits.

That is, if you still consider yourself a priestess..."

"Uh..."

Clothes that Kikyo had worn?

Still... the size seemed about right!

It was just...

She remembered that when Kagome traveled back in time, her school uniform skirt was about the same length as this, wasn't it?

Why didn't anyone ever say anything about that?

Could it be because she was the protagonist?