Episode 28
The aftermath to the off-season celebration
Last night, we ended up wasted at Hakurei Shrine, my head's still spinning from the drinking. Meanwhile, everyone including my mistress is still asleep.
It turns out that not only was it still quite late, but it was also about three or four in the morning. And for some reason, we're sleeping together inside a gap.
Without going any further I decided to continue sleeping, knowing that I couldn't go out anyway.
...
It must be about ten in the morning right now, I hear my mistress on the other side, certainly at the Hakurei Shrine. Ran and the others woke up before and now they're gone, looks like I was the last to wake up.
[Yukari] “Izuru, are you going out or what?” “Today may be your day off but you still have to get out of my gap”
[Izuru] “Good morning, my lady” “I'll be coming out”
I still feel dizzy, but I went outside nonetheless, it seems that I emerged towards the Hakurei Shrine. I wonder why now...
[Yukari] “It took you long enough” “Good morning”
[Reimu] “Morning, Izuru” “You should have breakfast”
[Izuru] “Good morning, Reimu” “A tea will just do, thank you”
[Yukari] “Are you going to do something in particular?” “Or are you going to travel like the other time?”
[Izuru] “So it seems, my lady”
[Yukari] “While you were sleeping, I was talking to Reimu”
[Reimu] “Izuru, help yourself!”
[Izuru] “I got you”
I went to get the cup of tea and then went back to Lady Yukari and Reimu.
[Izuru] “Did I miss something?”
[Reimu] “Pretty much” “Yukari insists that you can serve as a gatekeeper here”
[Izuru] “I wonder what the situation of Ayane and Madoka will be”
[Yukari] “In that case, they will take your place there”
[Izuru] “I would have to acquire a new sword, though” “Well, I don't see why not, my lady”
[Yukari] “It's settled then” “You can return home anytime, whenever you desire”
[Izuru] “That was a great tea” “I don't feel dizzy now”
[Reimu] “I'm glad, Izuru”
[Yukari] “Reimu, you should tell Izuru about the youkai blacksmith”
[Reimu] “But you could have... ugh, it's fine” “She is usually found in the Myouren Temple, her name is Kogasa Tatara” “I'm still in debt to her for my needles”
[Izuru] “I'll do just that then, maybe I will go to Eientei later, I think”
[Reimu] “Did you say what?” “In any case, be careful”
[Yukari] “So, we'll see you later, understood?”
[Izuru] “I understood perfectly, my lady” “I'm going to go now” “See you, my lady and Reimu!”
I left the Hakurei Shrine straight to the Myouren Temple, to meet that youkai. However, I was just flying over the village now and found company.
[???] “I found an angel, I found an angel!”
[Izuru] “Did you need to do so much hubbub?” “I'm hearing your screams from afar” “Anyway, my name is Izuru, if you are so desperate”
[???] “I am the reporter of the Bunbunmaru Newspaper, Aya Shameimaru!” “Are you by any chance the servant of Yukari?”
[Izuru] “In fact, yes, I am” “I've been living in Gensokyo for some time now”
[Aya] “Are you in the mood for a report?”
[Izuru] “Unfortunately not, maybe another time” “I'm on my way to the temple for work reasons, even though today is my day off”
[Aya] “Aww, that sucks” “I better go then, see you!”
I'm supposed to have seen her before, but I have most likely ignored her if anything. Oh well, I'm already arriving at the temple now.
[Izuru] “I might have to find the monk if I want to have some information first”
[???] “Who is that?”
[Izuru] “I assume you are the one who I'm looking for, right?” “Let me introduce myself, my name is Izuru”
[???] “That's right, my name is Byakuren Hijiri” “May I know why you came to interrupt us?”
[Izuru] “Hello, Ms. Byakuren” “I'm looking for a youkai blacksmith” “I was told she is around here”
[Byakuren] “Kogasa you mean?” “She is on the graveyard”
[Izuru] “That's all I need to know” “Thank you and sorry for my interruption”
[Byakuren] “Wait a moment, now that you mention it...” “You seem familiar, do you have something to do with that youkai of boundaries?”
[Izuru] “Yes, why?” “I have the honor to work for her”
[Byakuren] “And only now do I find out about that?”
[Izuru] “My lady doesn't have to say it if she doesn't want to” “I'm going to have to leave the topic”
[Byakuren] “At least let me guide you to the graveyard”
She decided to guide me to the place where Kogasa apparently is.
[Byakuren] “She must be around” “Pretend to be surprised by her at least”
[Izuru] “I understood”
Byakuren promptly left the place, back to her activities.
[???] “Surprise!”
[Izuru] “Huh?!”
[???] “Name's Kogasa!”
[Izuru] “Oh, there you are” “I come from Reimu's part, she told me about you” “My name is...” “Izuru Yakumo”
[Kogasa] “That frightens me even more than it should” “I can guess, do you come for my services?”
[Izuru] “Indeed” “I wonder if maybe, you could forge a katana for me” “Don't worry about the payment or the time, it's not an emergency”
[Kogasa] “Oh really?” “It would be a pleasure!”
[Izuru] “I will be more often at the Hakurei Shrine, so you can find me there, once you're done”
[Kogasa] “A week will do!” “I do much better work than any human being, you can count on that”
[Izuru] “You should meet my tsukumogami someday” “They're with Ran Yakumo right now”
[Kogasa] “How are they yours?”
[Izuru] “Well, the reason I came here, it's because of them” “I used to have two swords, until they gained a life and will of their own” “They seem to have loyalty towards me, and my mistress”
[Kogasa] “Well, ain't that something”
[Izuru] “I will be leaving now, I already interrupted Ms. Byakuren by being here” “See you sometime, Kogasa!”
[Kogasa] “See you!”
Eventually I left the temple, and went to Eientei.
[Izuru] “I think I'm seeing a youkai there in the forest...” “Guess I'll land first”
[???] “I'm seeing a youkai that I'm not familiar with.”
[Izuru] “You mean me?” “Servant of one of the sages of Gensokyo, Izuru Yakumo, pleased to meet you”
[???] “I am the guide of the Bamboo Forest of The Lost, Fujiwara no Mokou” “Also, I am not youkai, I am an immortal”
[Izuru] “I came here because I want to meet Dr. Yagokoro” “In other words, Eientei”
[Mokou] “How curious, I was just going to go there...” “You could join me, you look interesting”
[Izuru] “I really doubt you'd be interested about how I got to Gensokyo.”
[Mokou] “Oh, go ahead!”
Apparently she was also about to go to Eientei, but I don't know why, nor am I necessarily interested at the moment. So I joined her and we were talking until we arrived at the mansion where the doctor lives.
[Mokou] “We're here, Izuru”
[Izuru] “So this is Eientei...”
[Mokou] “I'm going to stay here for now, you can go on.”
[Izuru] “See you later, then”
A few moments later...
[???] “Stop right there!”
[Izuru] “Held at gunpoint, already...” “I'm only looking for the doctor”
[???] “My master?” “You wait here, I'll go right away”
[Izuru] “Alright...”
Apparently the youkai who targeted me also has the same occupation as me, and even Youmu. After all, I never came here until now...
[???] “Master, this youkai was looking for you!”
[???] “You must be Yukari's servant, am I right?”
[Izuru] “That's right”
[???] “Yukari told me that you were coming here” “I am Eirin Yagokoro, this is Reisen Udongein Inaba”
[Izuru] “My name's Izuru” “I had the thought of coming here some day” “Pleased to meet you, Dr. Yagokoro” “And you, Reisen, I guess...”
[Reisen] “A servant!?” “But how!?”
[Izuru] “Day off, and besides, I'm Ran's coworker” “Compared to her, who is usually around the border of Gensokyo and the village, I am in the residence, and I work all the time, every day” “And to be honest, I like this job, I never get tired of it”
[Reisen] “Your willpower is incredible” “Especially when it comes to none other than Yukari.”
[Eirin] “Have you come for something in particular?”
[Izuru] “Not necessarily”
[???] “Hehehehe”
[Izuru] “Reflective Barrier!”
[???] ”(thud)” “Trying to take someone by surprise, I was the one who was surprised instead...!”
[Izuru] “Excuse me, Dr. Yagokoro” “It was not my intention, it was just self-defense”
[Eirin] “Tewi, what a way to receive our guest!”
[Izuru] “Wait a minute, is she who I think she is?” “The White Hare of Inaba!?”
[Tewi] “There you have it” “All the rabbits around Eientei are under my command... except for Reisen (laughs)”
[Reisen] “Damn it, Tewi!”
[Eirin] “Stay still you two!” “Reisen, go make tea for our guest”
[Reisen] “Immediately, Master!”
[Eirin] “Please, can you come with me?”
[Izuru] “Very well, Dr. Yagokoro”
The doctor took me to who knows where in the mansion, and told me to wait there, then she left. Later, Reisen returned, and it seems that the owner of the mansion (and by extension Eientei), also found out about my visit.
[???] “Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”
[Reisen] “Princess, he is Yukari Yakumo's servant, or so I think he is.”
[Izuru] “Izuru Yakumo, eternally devoted servant of Yukari Yakumo, pleasure to meet you”
[???] “My name is Kaguya Houraisan, a long time ago I was a princess of the Moon”
[Izuru] “I take it that you're an immortal as well?”
[Kaguya] “Precisely” “Eirin is also an immortal”
[Izuru] “And to think that meeting Fujiwara no Mokou before was having seen it all...” “Only to be proven wrong” “The little she told me about you is that you are enemies”
[Kaguya] “In effect, we have been murdering each other constantly, every day for just over three centuries.” “And in fact, we still do” “Since we can't die anyway, this is how we entertain ourselves”
[Eirin] “Princess!”
[Kaguya] “Oh, Eirin” “I found Reisen running in a hurry”
[Izuru] “I enjoyed this tea” “It was an honor to be here, but now I have to go”
[Kaguya] “Reisen, can you guide him outside?”
[Izuru] “Excuse me if I caused any fuss.” “See you sometime, Doctor Yagokoro, Princess Kaguya”
[Eirin] “If you have any health problem, you can always come here”
[Kaguya] “Oh, see you”
After once again losing track of time, I left Eientei and returned to Hakurei Shrine.
To be continued