Kamisato Ayaka secretly glanced at Zeyan, not believing that he possessed such power. No matter how she looked at him, he appeared to be just an ordinary person. Perhaps she was overthinking it, and he was just an innocent individual. Still, it was better to stay vigilant, as there might be unexpected discoveries along the way.
The two left Tenshukaku and made their way out of Inazuma City. However, as they walked along a bluestone path where cherry blossoms fluttered in the wind, Kamisato Ayaka's steps faltered. Zeyan also stopped, looking at the beautiful, frost-like girl.
"Miss Kamisato, have you found something?" he asked.
Kamisato Ayaka's voice was soft and gentle as she replied, "Zeyan, it will take quite a while to reach the Grand Narukami Shrine. Although we can vaguely see it when we look up in Inazuma City, it's like your Liyue's saying: 'Looking at the mountain makes your horse die of running.' The actual distance between us and the shrine is not short, so we still need to make some preparations."
Zeyan subconsciously looked up toward the Grand Narukami Shrine. Compared to the shrine itself, what he noticed more were the pink trees, one after another, spreading from the mountaintop down the mountainside, creating a magnificent and colorful scene.
"How should we prepare?" Zeyan asked, pulling his gaze away.
Kamisato Ayaka smiled slightly. "The sky looks very gloomy. It might rain soon. We'll need an umbrella. Also, we've been walking from Konda Village for quite some time, so we'll be hungry soon. It will take even longer to reach the Grand Narukami Shrine, so we should bring food along the way."
Zeyan understood.
Kamisato Ayaka pointed to a high-end teahouse nearby. "This is the Kiminami Tea House. It has some connection to the Kamisato clan. Let's go in and get some supplies."
Zeyan glanced at the exterior of the teahouse and followed Kamisato Ayaka inside.
Upon entering the Kiminami Tea House, Kamisato Ayaka stood in front of the counter, lost in thought for a moment, before turning right and walking down a long corridor. The place exuded elegance, and the decorations were exquisite, creating a sense of tranquility in Zeyan's heart. He thought that if he could live in such a place, it would be very comfortable.
Zeyan didn't wait long before Kamisato Ayaka emerged from a tea room. She approached with two packages and placed them on the counter. "Here are rice balls, grilled bird eggs, and tricolor dango. I've packed them into bento boxes. Would you be willing to carry one of the packages, Zeyan?"
"With pleasure." As Zeyan took the package, his stomach rumbled.
Kamisato Ayaka, understanding, said, "It's afternoon now, and neither of us has had lunch. Why don't we eat some of the bento boxes now?"
Zeyan had no objections. He took out two rice balls and a grilled bird egg. The rice balls were ordinary, but the grilled bird egg—a fried egg dish—emitted a mouth-watering aroma, making him even hungrier.
With a rice ball in one hand and the grilled bird egg in the other, Zeyan ate happily.
Kamisato Ayaka held the rice ball with both hands and ate slowly. Her movements were graceful, as if the word "lady" was tailor-made for her.
Zeyan finished eating, but Kamisato Ayaka stopped after just a little. While he continued eating, she prepared two umbrellas and set them aside, quietly waiting for him.
Zeyan figured that Kamisato Ayaka probably ate so little because she wasn't in the mood. After all, such strange changes had occurred in the outside world. Anyone who encountered such events would likely feel heavy-hearted. But who knew how long this situation would last? Zeyan wondered if the currently calm Kamisato Ayaka would still maintain this composure after some more time had passed.
"I'm full," Zeyan said, looking at Kamisato Ayaka.
"Alright, then we should get going." Kamisato Ayaka handed him a cyan umbrella while she opened a blue one.
Just then, another massive rumble echoed from outside.
The two pushed open the door and saw that it was raining heavily. Large raindrops pattered on the ground, creating a sound like pearls falling onto a jade plate. A cool, moist air rushed toward them.
Kamisato Ayaka opened her umbrella and stepped out, and Zeyan quickly followed.
They walked in silence, holding their umbrellas as they swiftly made their way out of Inazuma City. As they left the city, Zeyan saw Kamisato Ayaka trying to say something to him, but the rain was too heavy and they weren't close enough to hear her words.
"What did you say? I can't hear you!" Zeyan shouted as he moved closer.
"Zeyan..." Kamisato Ayaka raised her voice, but the sound was distorted by the rain.
"What's wrong?" Zeyan shouted again, closing the distance.
"The rain is too heavy. We'd better hurry, or we might not reach Mt. Yougou today," Kamisato Ayaka shouted.
Zeyan nodded in understanding.
Kamisato Ayaka quickened her pace, and Zeyan began to jog to keep up.
After leaving Inazuma City, they continued along the coastline. The sand on the beach was soft, and the rain had soaked it, making it difficult to move quickly. But it was the fastest route for now.
Although Kamisato Ayaka was from a noble family, she trained diligently and possessed impressive swordsmanship and agility. Running on the beach wasn't a problem for her. Zeyan, however, had been an ordinary otaku before transmigrating and started to feel uncomfortable after running for a while.
Just as Zeyan had to slow down, he noticed that Kamisato Ayaka had also stopped.
When she saw Zeyan look over, Kamisato Ayaka's gaze softened, even with a hint of apology. "I'm sorry, Zeyan. I was inconsiderate asking you to run so fast in such heavy rain. Let's walk slowly from here. It doesn't matter if we arrive at our destination tomorrow."
Zeyan smiled wryly. "I should be the one to apologize. You don't need to worry about me. You can go ahead on your own."
Kamisato Ayaka shook her head. "Leave you alone in the wilderness on such a rainy day? Forgive me, but I cannot follow such an order. No matter what, I will accompany you all the way."
Zeyan blinked. "Miss Kamisato, has anyone ever told you that you are very gentle?"
Kamisato Ayaka smiled slightly at the indirect compliment. "If you think I'm gentle, then I haven't failed too badly in my dealings with people."
Zeyan said sincerely, "It's more than just not failing. I've never met anyone as gentle as you, Miss Kamisato. There must be many people who pursue you, right?"
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