"I didn't expect Guuji Yae to be here too. Is she also a fan of Miss Shina? Miss Shina's influence is terrifying! Miss Shina, yyds!"
"Where is Miss Shina? Can anyone tell me when the fan meeting starts?"
"Ah! I am Miss Shina's dog!"
"If you can't drink, go sit with the dogs. I am Miss Shina's only beloved dog!"
"..."
As Yae Miko appeared at Yae Publishing House, the fans' excitement grew even more intense. They held up banners for Miss Shina and argued heatedly over who was Miss Shina's true canine companion.
"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment..."
At this moment, a middle-aged woman standing behind Yae Miko walked to the front. She looked at the clamoring crowd of fans and raised her hands, gesturing for silence.
"I am Yoko, the editor-in-chief of 'Rumor Monthly' and Miss Shina's editorial lead there. I am aware of the vast number of requests from fans, and that is why we are holding this fan meeting for Miss Shina today..."
Yoko, as a seasoned editor, managed to control the flow of conversation with just a few words.
"Editor Yoko, when will Miss Shina come out? We've been waiting all night!"
"Yes, yes, whatever it is, it's not too late for Miss Shina to come out and tell us!"
"..."
Finally seeing the person in charge, the fans began to chatter incessantly, like a marketplace. However, their objective was unified: to see Miss Shina.
"Please don't worry, everyone. I was just about to discuss that. Before the fan meeting officially begins, there is a regrettable matter that needs to be announced in advance..."
Yoko exchanged a glance with Guuji Yae, as if receiving a signal, then her expression turned somber as she addressed the crowd.
"Everyone, Miss Shina is very grateful for your support. To show her appreciation, last night she braved the cold wind to go to the Grand Narukami Shrine to pray for protective amulets for all of you. After a whole night, she unfortunately caught a cold and is now bedridden, unable to meet you all..."
Yoko's words left the fans stunned, their emotions a complex mixture.
They wished they could say they didn't want protective amulets, only that Miss Shina be healthy and attend their long-awaited fan meeting as scheduled.
But Miss Shina had gone to the Grand Narukami Shrine in the cold wind to pray for amulets precisely in response to their support. To say they were not moved would be a lie.
"Editor Yoko, can we go and see Miss Shina?"
"I have a folk remedy for colds at home, it's very effective. Let Miss Shina try it..."
"Editor Yoko..."
Upon hearing that Miss Shina was ill, the fans forgot all about the fan meeting and clamored to visit her.
"I understand everyone's intentions, and I believe Miss Shina will surely feel them. However, the physician has instructed that Miss Shina needs rest. A large, noisy crowd is not conducive to her recovery. Please understand..."
Yoko, as if anticipating this, dissolved the issue before it could escalate.
"Everyone, Miss Shina does not wish for her absence to ruin this event. Therefore, she has specially asked me to distribute the protective amulets she prayed for to all of you. However, as there are only 30 of them, they cannot satisfy everyone's needs. For the sake of fairness, they will be given to fans holding lucky cards as compensation..."
Yae Miko had a box containing the protective amulets opened and displayed it to the crowd.
She had infused these amulets with some divine power. Wearing them long-term could ward off minor misfortunes and illnesses. For mortals, these were rare divine objects, and it was not an unfair trade.
The lucky cards were originally meant for a chance to get Miss Shina's autograph. Now, they could be exchanged for protective amulets personally prayed for by Miss Shina. For the fans below, it was an absolute windfall.
The crowd instantly erupted. Those with lucky cards became the targets of envy and jealousy.
"Protective amulets personally prayed for by Miss Shina, hehehe... If I wear this, doesn't that mean Miss Shina is with me in a sense? *Slurp* Miss Fox, this is my lucky card. Please give me a protective amulet..."
Arataki Itto's face split into a wide grin. He took out his prized lucky card from his pouch and rushed forward to exchange it, afraid the amulets would run out.
With Arataki Itto, the leader of the fan club, taking the lead, other fans with lucky cards also surged forward, jostling for position and crowding the viewing stands.
Seeing that the situation was unfolding according to her plan, Yae Miko couldn't help but show a hint of a satisfied smile.
'It's time to proceed to the second phase of the plan...'
Yae Miko glanced at the Watatsumi Island duo standing on the periphery of the venue, watching the spectacle with curious eyes, then discreetly withdrew from the front, hiding behind the scenes.
"Lady Sangonomiya, it's time for us to make our move!"
Gorou glanced around, seeing that no one was paying attention to them, and quietly reminded Lady Sangonomiya.
"Gorou, let's split up. I'll go and secretly investigate the livelihood policies implemented in Inazuma City and the demand for seafood from Watatsumi Island by the Tenryou Commission. Gorou, you will be responsible for collecting books on agricultural production. If you find any other books that could aid in the recovery of the post-war economy, you may acquire them at your discretion..."
"Understood, Lady Sangonomiya."
Gorou and Lady Sangonomiya agreed on a time to meet and then parted ways.
Lady Sangonomiya's task for him was to collect books on agricultural production. Gorou planned to inquire with passersby.
When it came to the best place to gather information, it was naturally a teahouse or an inn.
"Innkeeper, one order of the large bone soup, just the bones, no soup!"
Gorou entered a restaurant and sat down. Looking at the picture of the large bone soup with the shop's logo, he couldn't help but swallow.
Half an hour later, after gathering the information he needed, Gorou drained his tea and left the establishment with his large bone.
According to the information he gathered, bookstores selling books in Inazuma were mostly specialized. For example, Yae Publishing House, which sold novels, rarely had professional books from other disciplines. Even if they did, the professionalism wouldn't be very high.
The shop specializing in agricultural production books was called Aoyagi Hall, and it was not far from Gorou's current location.
Gorou hid his large bone in a very secret corner before heading to Aoyagi Hall.
What he didn't know was that the staff at Aoyagi Hall had already been replaced by someone else, unbeknownst to them, by a certain fox lady...