Yae Miko

The head shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine, descendant of Hakushin's lineage, Eternity's servant and friend, and the intimidating editor-in-chief of Yae Publishing House, a publisher of light novels...

Come to think of it, Yae Miko's nicknames are as myriad as her changeable moods.

The number of people who have tried to "figure her out" for various reasons could fill the streets from the Tenryou Commission estate to Yae Publishing House if you were to line them all up, but to this day, very few indeed have succeeded.

Not that Miko has ever intended to conceal anything, of course. Any capriciousness is but the result of doing as she wills and pleases. A riddle with no solution is no riddle at all, in any case!

You just need to remember that she will always be none other than the wise and beautiful Yae Miko.

Yae Publishing House's editors once submitted a certain manuscript to the editor-in-chief.

This work was well-written, clearly thought out, and the themes were romance with a side of comedy — a prime slice of the zeitgeist.

Such a gem would surely require but a thin coat of polish and a few beautiful illustrations to sell well!

But unexpectedly, Yae Miko did not seem pleased with this, instead heaving a deep sigh before calling for the various head editors.

One of them asked hesitantly, "Lady Yae, I... Well, I did ask him to write on this topic, yes, but isn't this the hot genre of the day?"

Faced with the editor's doubtful gaze, Miko gave her opinion forthrightly: that a book that should have been interesting yet was shackled at every turn by the topic was, simply put, "not free enough."

Things like "top sellers," "genre fiction," these were naught but fads that would come and go every decade.

Getting with the times was a shortcut, yes, but if a work had the quality that could surmount this tide, why go with the flow nonetheless?

"Pass this message to this new author of ours: tell him that there's no need to bother about genre. He just needs to write his story and write it well."

Upon hearing this, the author stopped writing for a time, as if suddenly having an epiphany. Several months later, a new manuscript was sent to Miko and her editors.

The latter were stunned, and even Yae Miko, who cared little about taboos, furrowed her brows slightly — a rare sight indeed.

"Um... What do we do? This isn't good..."

"Exactly! I mean, there's 'not being concerned about genre, and then there's something like 'Shogun Almighty: Reborn as Raiden'... This is just too much!"

"Hmm? Genre? No, no, there's no problem with that — it's his pen name I'm worried about. It's too normal for a book like this."

"Huh, so that was what you were concerned about... No, uh, never mind. As long as you're happy, Lady Yae."

Not long after, the author of this book would take to the literary stage with the Yae Miko-approved (and overly long) pen name "Kadenokouji Kenzaburou."

As to how the editor-in-chief got the idea to start a "Reborn as Guuji Yae" writing submission event, that would be a tale for another day.

If there was something inconvenient about being the Guuji, it is that she must attend every shrine ceremony, dressed up to the nines and in her proper place in the sanctuary.

The fireworks paint the night skies as they blossom, and the sounds of human merriment fill the shrine, and yet she must sit within, a solemn smile on her face...

Such tragedies are even more frightful to Miko than the possible wholesale disappearance of Fried Tofu from Teyvat.

With the somewhat longer span of years that the Electro Archon's servants have, a hundred years pass in the blink of an eye. As the years fly by, boredom becomes the greatest foe.

And if even she were, archon-forbid, one day to accept sitting quietly still, obstinate as deadwood, would the world now sorely lack for another clever person adept at discovering fun and grasping opportunity?

As such, looking for fun things to do in every nook and cranny can only be the most reasonable and necessary course.

And if she were to, say, utilize her authority as Guuji in making fun things happen — why, some things are unavoidable, are they not?

On the day of the festival, Guuji Yae would nod in satisfaction as she received a delivery of fireworks from the Yashiro Commission — of Naganohara construction and specially-made to boot.

That night's ceremony was, of course, performed with perfect respect to all etiquette and rites.

The sight of the "Lady Guuji" kneeling gracefully the whole night through would be the object of awe for all the other shrine maidens.

In the meantime, she would sit beneath the meteor shower of light adorning the skies, watching the festival-goers as they came and went.

And the din of the fireworks covered the mumbling that came between teeth chewing on a candy apple.

"You know, when you asked me to become Guuji, you never mentioned that I'd only ever be able to sneak outside to watch the festivities from then on."

Pursuing fun and finding happiness is how Miko lives her everyday life.

For someone who enjoys studying humanity like her, "perspectives" and "virtue" play distant second fiddles to "fun."

Even a great shrine maiden of a different faith or an enemy general might pique her interest.

...That said, this appreciation can sometimes lead to some innocuous trouble.

As opposed to those conscientious underlings or worshipful juniors, Miko's favorite person at the shrine is a shrine maiden named Kano Nana.

Yes, that Kano Nana, the novel enthusiast (just like Miko) who constantly frets over Sayu.

While laying about indoors, Miko would often see Sayu flash past the window, followed not long after by a hurried and angry Kano Nana.

Like lightning and thunder they were, which caught Miko's attention, to the point where she would even sometimes give wrong directions just to let the ruckus go on for a little longer.

There was another time when Sayu told Miko that the afternoon sun was the most pleasant after the latter had helped her steal some time for napping.

Perhaps encouraged by these words, Miko would transform into an ordinary Inazuman lady on a wonderfully sunny afternoon, descend from the mountain and have a day out.

The Aisa Bathhouse in the city, Hanamizaka's Kiminami Restaurant, Ogura Textiles and Kimonos by the streetside... she did not miss a single store, and every one was an enjoyable experience.

And in the evening, she was at Bantan Sango Detective Agency to tell them of a missing animals case that she had heard about on the way.

"But you really must help, good detectives. I mean, one can barely stand to watch those owners cry their eyes out as it is..."

Having done all this, the lady could not help but let slip a pleased smile.

Taking part in Inazuma's daily life in such an identity really was fun.

Well, except that part where Kujou Sara shot her a suspicious glance as they passed each other by.

Right, and also, she probably owed the boss of Aisa Bathhouse an apology — the outland-styled hot springs were indeed very good, but she might have accidentally shed some fox fur during the soak.

A long, long time ago, humanity did not need to use the phrase "a long, long time ago" to preface tales about youkai.

The tengu dominated the skies, the oni swept across the battlefield, the tanuki were seen along small paths, and the kitsune walked amongst humans.

Under the banner of Narukami, the incredible powers of the youkai host were used to help humans through an era of strife and poverty.

Seeking refuge in the mountains, they built a city by the sea, and so began Inazuma.

Amongst the youkai, the lineage of Hakushin Kitsune was the most revered, and it was this great line that left a great many tales amongst humans.

Whenever the youkai gathered to feast and sup together, a little braggadocio about how their latest exploits had become legend anew was very much a given.

Of course, considering the amount they would drink, most tales told afterward would diverge a little from the truth. But no one minded, asking only that the tale be interesting. As time passed, this became known as "hyakumonogatari daikai," or "the great meeting of a hundred tales."

It was no uncommon sight to see Urakusai raise his cup and speak, holding all the other youkai spellbound with his story, drawing even smiles from Kitsune Saiguu, the organizer of the event.

Instead it was Miko, who was then in the form of a young kitsune, who would perch on Kitsune Saiguu's shoulder and relentlessly peck at any loopholes in Urakusai's story.

Urakusai, being a cool-headed and brilliant gentleman, would explain as he twirled his beard.

But Miko could always find something new to nitpick, and so they would go, back and forth, until Lady Saiguu would smile and call both parties to a halt: the audience wanted to hear the next part, after all.

After another three rounds of drink and several more rounds of stories, the company would be hard-pressed to even string a sentence together, let alone a story.

And so the gathered youkai would dispense with the word-fencing and use their powers to take to the skies to see who could best cover the sky and moon with their powers.

And thus it was said that "a hundred youkai shall parade upon a moonless night."

Five hundred years on, that little kitsune has already become a mighty youkai in her own right.

As for the youkai who drank with them in those days, they disappeared amidst war and history, and their remaining bloodlines grow thinner by the day.

And thus did their great parade, the Hyakkiyakou, become something that happened "a long, long time ago."

The swords of Inazuma have always been famous the world over, and the best works of the Raiden Gokaden in particular are national treasures.

However, only a short time ago, more than half of the five artisan lineages were cut off.

A great number of powerful people were caught up in that conspiracy, and those responsible were all called to account and banished.

Even the Yashiro Commission's Kamisato Clan was implicated due to their failure in supervising their subordinates...

But before the Shogun could give her final judgment, the Lady Guuji, who usually did not meddle in government affairs, suddenly interceded, rescuing the Kamisato Clan in their hour of peril.

Thus, while they suffered a serious blow, they were spared from dismissal.

In the years that followed, others would speculate greatly concerning the Guuji's actions.

Some observed the close relations between the Yashiro Commission and the Grand Narukami Shrine, and guessed that she had intended to foster advocates loyal to her.

And yet the shrine had always been an entity unto itself, and the Lady Guuji did not usually meddle in governance. Thus this action seemed a sacrifice greater than the reward — hardly a wise decision.

Some others said that the Guuji suspected something to be wrong with the whole situation, and now that the list of those involved was so extensive, any major shakeup in the Yashiro Commission could destabilize Inazuma itself.

This thought, too, seemed reasonable on face, yet did not stand up to scrutiny. After all, was not the rise and fall of great houses merely ordinary in the grand scheme of mortal affairs? And even if the Kamisato were to fall from grace, new leadership for the Yashiro Commission would emerge.

Yet another story said that Miko engaged in secret talks with the Kamisato clan head just after the initial shockwaves had died down.

But the wounded clan was like a candle in the wind at this point. What power could they have to change the situation?

To this day, all these speculations have never amounted to anything, nor have any answers emerged concerning Miko's actions and motivations.

But what none know is how Miko's words that day would become as engraved into the Kamisato Clan as their house's crest.

"That the Kamisato Clan has survived this incident is only due to the Shogun's mercy. Do not forget this in the days that follow."

These words would serve as a seed of destiny, foreshadowing the Yashiro Commission's future position.

In some other time, if a storm were to descend upon Inazuma, and even if they were to come into conflict with the other two commissions, the Yashiro Commission's Kamisato Clan would remember the favor they were shown and abide the Shogun's path to Eternity.

This was a move that the Guuji played with no regrets whatsoever.

The Fire-Soothing Festival Committee was once an organization chaired by the Tenryou Commission and managed by the Grand Narukami Shrine, whose remit was to pray for a lack of any fires in the coming year.

In those days, Inazuman houses were mostly made of wood, and any carelessness while handling fire could lead to disaster.

Thus, the Tenryou Commission was charged by the Shogun with setting up fire brigades to conduct rescues and damage control when fires did break out, and they also requested that the Grand Narukami Shrine set the Fire-Soothing Festival Committee up to comfort the frightened people.

In later years, anti-fire precautions would become second nature and serious cases would no longer occur often, but still the annual festival would remain.

The shrine maidens would dance elegantly, and the people would give generously... with the proceeds split forty-sixty between the Commission and the Shrine.

When Yae Miko was faced with financial issues while attempting to start Yae Publishing House, she considered the various services that the shrine ran at the time before locking onto this ancient traditional committee.

"I mean, the busywork is solely done by the Grand Narukami Shrine, so why do we have to split the proceeds with the Tenryou Commission?"

"What's more, all that Mora's just going into Kujou Senior's pockets. It's not like the fire brigade has ever gotten a year-end bonus or anything."

As such, after some preparation, the Fire-Soothing Festival of that year would be changed to no longer feature dancing shrine maidens but a grand, rollicking light novel submission contest.

The organizing body for this competition and any subsequent publications, the "Yae Publishing House," would also "borrow" the Fire-Soothing Festival Committee's budget.

As for the profits? Into the shrine's coffers they went.

"Well, we no longer have many fires, and yet our budget keeps increasing. Thus, this restructuring relieves the financial burden placed upon the people."

"Also, the study of lore and the writing of literature and poetry is also a way of pleasing our Archon — surely you do not claim to know more of ritual and ceremony than I?"

That was what Yae Miko said most solemnly to Kujou Takayuki when he came by unannounced.

The Tenryou Commissioner was ultimately forced to leave the way he came, stormy-faced, along with his attendants.

Little did any of them know that the moment they stepped out of the shrine, the somber Lady Miko would pluck a novel manuscript from the nearby offering box and continue annotating it.

"That was a contest of magic for the ages! The foe split the seas as they strode across the skies, heaven and earth changing hue as they approached!"

"Gohei in hand, the Lady Guuji was solemn as she strode up Mt. Yougou."

"All around her the shrine maidens chanted their mantras as the clouds masked the sun, the thunder waiting within for the moment to strike!"

"The battle was a grinding, protracted affair. In time, even the Guuji began to falter, and the enemy seized that opening, lashing out with great force!"

"Just then, a bolt of lightning descended like a falling star before the Guuji — a glimmering Vision!"

"Grasping it in her hand, the revivified Guuji showed forth her power and..."

"Now wait just a minute! None of what you just said happened, right?"

"Hmm? Well, how about this then? It all started the day when I had a most vicious "Ramen Duel" down in Hanamizaka...

"Oh, come on! Nobody's ever gotten a Vision from eating ramen!"

"But wouldn't that be interesting? I mean, these are the sorts of stories you like to hear, right?"

Yae Miko gave a thin, enigmatic smile as she was faced with the traveler's curiosity.

"After all, would you believe me if I said that 'my Vision is purely ornamental, just for show,' little one? Hardly — not even if it were the truth."