They decided to go to a tavern, the biggest one in the town. In places like this, business and connections thrive like weeds. If one's looking for a good job, then going to the tavern is the best way to do it!
However, they didn't bother to enter. Instead, the notice board just outside the tavern for open requests.
There were tons of cultivators of all profession gathering, of all ages and sexes, there were a few foundation-level cultivators too, just not as young as Hachiman or Sagami.
"Anything interesting?"
"Define interesting?" Hachiman mumbled. "You want quick work or an extended contract?"
"How about this?" Sagami pointed. "A nearby Doso shrine is requesting cultivators to guard the ritual of summoning."
"Doso Shrine?"
The worship of Dosojin -the road ancestor gods- is one of the more widespread Shinto beliefs in the region. Doso Shrine exists pretty much in every town, small or big. Particularly large cities like Mihama can have three or four shrines.
It was said that Dosojin responsible to ensure the safety of travelers, pilgrims, and villagers. it was also said that Dosojin wards off pandemics and evil spirits.
The ritual of summoning is not particularly common among Shinto believers, because they consider it disrespectful and only done in an emergency.
For Shinto believers, the ritual of summoning is a desperate plea of help.
"Looks like the Shinto shrine is aware of the sudden increase of dangers as of recently..." Sagami told him with a grave face. "So they wanted to summon a Guardian Beast?"
But looking at Hachiman being calm as Zen, she realized something. "You knew something didn't you?"
"My master told me there's an incoming calamity..." Hachiman said. "I'm clueless as you do about the details though, my Master is pretty cryptic."
"Incoming calamity, huh."
It was said that top-level Cultivators can perceive the changes not just in their surrounding, but also imbalances in a region. Onmyoujis are valued the most precisely because they studied the art of divination, expanding their spiritual awareness.
"Your Master said nothing at all?"
"Master guessed it wouldn't be the end of the world."
"Worthless!"
Hachiman couldn't help but agree. There's such a thing as a gradient of the apocalypse, after all! It can be anywhere from a village being massacred, to the entire region set on fire!
So they decided to pick the job since it has relatively decent pay and headed for the outskirt of the city where the shrine is located, near a major road intersection.
"Hmm?" Hachiman noticed something. "This area is warded off."
"Huh, you have a good awareness of seal arts!" Sagami remarked. "What kind of seal is that I wonder."
"No. It's not an actual seal." Hachiman told her. "Shinto Shrine is sacred ground, those who have evil intent against the Shrine or its worshipper will be banished."
"Really? Doubt it."
As someone from the school of Naturalist, Sagami Minami naturally skeptical of such a mythical take of religion. Yin-Yang School could be said to be the oldest philosophy of science in the western continental Empire and brought to the land of Yamato.
However, Shintoism is the oldest religion to born indigenously since humans came to this continent. Though their influence on the various regional governments wasn't as high as the Onmyodo, Shintoism remains the most popular religion among the peasantries.
To the average citizen, a high ranking Miko is no different than a nobility.
The two religious philosophies held roughly equal power balance, just like the divided strength between the people and the government. In the divided land of Yamato, the strength of the government is limited but strong enough to regulate the people in the city to enforce law and order. But not much beyond that.
Hachiman grinned. "The larger the shrine, the stronger the ward. Even so, we human beings born to this earth and defy heaven just by surviving."
Human beings are born weak, yet, they dare to challenge demons and gods.
"In other words, a sufficiently powerful cultivator can ignore the effect of Shrine's holy ground." Sagami finally connected the dots.
"Ignore, no, resist, yes."
Neither Hachiman nor Sagami have evil intent toward the Shrine and that's why they were completely unaffected by the Shrine ward.
"Maybe that's why there's so few who want to take this job." Sagami laughed. "Too many sinners in this city."
Hachiman still can't believe that this woman doesn't even have a sliver bit of darkness in her heart despite her spiteful nature.
Still, he shouldn't be surprised.
After all, people who bully and shamed him back then, they were also righteous people. Heaven judged good and evil according to its standard, Earth shaped the living world and the creatures roaming it, but humans walked free to write their law and custom.
In this cruel and unjust world, strength and resolve decide everything. As long as one bow to the will of Heaven, one can be as cruel and heartless as they want.
The first emperor of the Western Continent, Qin Shi Huang, tried to go against the Heaven itself and perished like a chump.
And us people of Yamato is the proof of his pointless pursuit. Hachiman chuckled.
"But if they have wards here, why would they be so afraid of getting interrupted to hire cultivators?" Sagami pointed. "Their Priestess and Mikos* are well trained in the arts of fighting."
"If it's an important ritual, it would take a massive amount of manpower to conduct. This would leave their defense thinned." Hachiman pointed.
"Then who would you suppose would be a threat to them?" Sagami further inquired. "From the point of common people, the safety of the road is good for everyone."
"Incorrect!" Hachiman told her. "Bandits can use increasing chaos to blend in, unscrupulous businessmen reaping profits from inflation and limited supplies, and last but not least, evil sect reliant on demonic powers. They had every reason to make sure the road is unsafe and free from the protection of Shinto gods."
Sagami raised her hand to protest but lowered it. "I'd call that a bit of a reach, but then again, nothing under the Heaven escape the grubby hands."
Sagami Minami was well aware of the sheer length of depravity that evil men can commit.
"The Shinto sect of Dosojin must have realized that and took contingencies, ahead of time. And when nothing happened, it's not much of a loss for them to pay a bunch of Cultivators for a single night." Hachiman concluded. "You can't organize a sect this massive without possessing that much wisdom."
For the first time in their almost week-long journey, Sagami felt that the wise and sharp Hachiman was pretty attractive. And it disgusted her.
She originally thought that Hachiman was a kindhearted simpleton who masked it with aloof appearance. She had a suspicion, but this conversation reveals that it wasn't the case!
"Are you sure you're not a Confucian?"
"Don't look down on Daoism, you wench!"
Hachiman's family had roots in Buddhism but no way he would tell her that. Buddhism only came to Yamato some 100 years ago, which is why their influence is fairly limited.
...
They politely greeted the old Priestess when they finished climbing the stairs to the Shrine gate. Though she aged considerably, traces of beauty can still be seen on her face.
She likely used to be a stunning woman in her youth.
"I was kind of afraid no one will take the job. Yet so many righteous prodigies came. It must be fate."
"Is there someone else already?" Sagami asked.
"Well, my granddaughter came to take the load, even though she originally a free spirit who prefers earthly life." The Miko showed unabashed happiness. "But otherwise, you're the only volunteer who came to aid us."
Haha, volunteer.
It's common for such an important position to be passed across the family. It must be surprising to see someone formerly detached from the Shrine to take up the slack, even if it's temporary. It's like Heaven itself shines a light on you.
Hachiman helped in his Buddhist Grandpa's temple before, after all. And he swore that was the one time he became the preferred son in his entire life.
"You're also the same age, so I sincerely hope this can be the beginning of a lifelong friendship."
"We are?"
"Granma, we finished the preparation over here. Eh?"
"Isn't that... Yui?"
"Sagamin!"
Hachiman saw the presence of a young Miko in white Hakama who rushed into Sagami with excitement. Hands intertwined, it was clear that they were pretty close before.
"How many years since the Academy? Three or four?" The Miko jumped excitedly, which reminded Hachiman of pet animals meeting her owner after a long separation. But saying that would be rude...
"Four, you didn't attend the third year." Sagami clenched her teeth, annoyed. "Almost thought you gave up cultivating, to be honest."
"You can say I tried many things in the past few years." The Miko blushed and grinned. "But in the end, I came here anyway. So you become an Onmyoji, huh?"
"Nah. I'm part of the orthodox Yin-Yang school. I worked as an alchemist, before!" Sagami said with a proud smile. "Recently a bit burned out on medical research so I decided to travel and hone my Martial Arts further."
Huh. So she was an alchemist before? That explains why.
"Oh my, is this lady your friend, Yui?" The Priestess asked.
"We were in the same cultivation school before." The Miko nodded. "Sagami Minami."
"I see, I see. This is truly fate." The Priestess nodded in approval as she clapped and prayed. "Dosojin-sama blessed us with this reunion."
"Anyway." The young Miko looked at Hachiman. "...Lovers?"
"No." Hachiman and Sagami replied simultaneously, with disgust on their face.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, Daoist." He introduced himself. "We just happen to travel together because we're heading to Mihama."
"Yuigahama Yui. I'm this Shrine's Priestess' granddaughter and will be the leader of this ceremony, pleased to meet you."
So young, yet she became the lead? Must be someone talented. As Hachiman looked down from the direction of her face, she's talented in other areas too!
Hachiman at this point is well aware that he's very frustrated. Of course, he's no longer a kid and will not let it show... not that he was open about it as a kid either!
"There's a lot to talk about, but to put it short, we'll lend our hand and guard this ceremony!" Sagami told her. "Since it's for you, I'll put twice the effort!"
"What can I do to repay that?" Yui sighed.
"A bit of money and the details of your adventurous life." Sagami shamelessly asked, wiggling her finger suggestively.
Hachiman doesn't know if they were aware of it, but regardless he felt that there was some kind of lingering tension in the way they speak, even though they appear close and friendly.
It was as if they desperately clawed through a barrier separating them. Perhaps they didn't split on a good note? He doesn't know.
"Ano, brother Hikigaya, have we met before?" Yui suddenly asked.
Hachiman was sure that was an innocent question, so he tried to remember if they ever met before, but he was drawing a blank.
"Not that I recall... but I travel a lot so maybe we have?" Hachiman told her. "So, when do we start?"
"Tomorrow night. Feel free to use the guest room, I'll cook some delicious food for you two as well!"
"I thought they would ban you from the Kitchen?" Sagami bluntly pointed. She distinctly remembered how awful Yui's cooking was and frightened by the prospect.
"How cruel!" Yui balked with a reddened face.
"Lady Sagami don't need to worry." The Priestess chuckled. "At least her cooking is edible now."
Now Hachiman actually MORE worried.
* In Shinto, a Miko (巫女) is a shrine maiden or a supplementary priestess. Miko was once seen as shamans but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily shrine life, trained to perform tasks, ranging from sacred cleansing to performing the sacred Kagura dance.
