"Hah!"
After walking up, Sato turned back to look at the mountains beneath his feet, a trace of awe at nature's craftsmanship rising in his eyes.
An endless forest stretched like a sea, and the vast mountain ranges rolled like waves. The forest sea and mountain waves extended far into the distance, boundless and without end.
The last time they came up, the view had not been this open. Back then, clouds gathered below the mountainside, forming a vast sea of clouds. Sunlight from above shone across that expanse, turning it into a golden glow that stretched for miles, like a pool of morning radiance. Compared to now, it had been an entirely different scene.
"Sato! Sato!"
Suddenly, Ritsu waved at him excitedly from not far away and pointed toward the giant tree in the center of the basin.
"What's inside that cave under the tree?"
"A cave?"
Sato paused, then looked toward the giant tree in the distance.
Soon, he also noticed a faint cave entrance beneath a massive rock beside the tree.
He was equally surprised. The last time he came here had been shortly after the rainy season, when the place had been filled with deep water, so he had not seen the cave at all.
"That's where the deity worshipped by the Miyamizu Shrine resides."
At that moment, Fujimiya Konomi, standing beside Sato, looked at the giant tree in the basin and spoke.
"Huh?"
Sato looked at her in surprise. How do you know that?!
Fujimiya Konomi rolled her eyes at him. "Don't forget, my family used to run a shrine too. Not just mine, Kazuho-neesan's family should know as well, right?"
She turned to look at Miyauchi Kazuho behind them.
Miyauchi Kazuho squinted at the giant tree in the basin and nodded. "That's right. Just as Konomi said, that's where the deity of Miyamizu Shrine is enshrined."
"Huh?! Why don't I know about something like that, Kazuho-neesan!"
Miyauchi Hikage stared at Miyauchi Kazuho in disbelief.
Miyauchi Kazuho glanced at her calmly. Isn't it normal that you don't know?
"Fujimiya, your family used to have a shrine too?"
Ritsu looked at Fujimiya Konomi with excitement.
Fujimiya Konomi blinked, puzzled. "Is that strange? Not only my family, Kazuho-neesan's family had one too."
"S-so amazing…"
Yui wore a stunned expression. Soon, as if realizing something, she stared straight at Sato.
"Could it be…"
"My family doesn't have a shrine."
Sato looked at Yui helplessly. Don't assume everyone has a shrine at home.
"You should at least pay attention to their surnames."
Kotobuki Tsumugi's eyes suddenly lit up. "Both Fujimiya and Miyauchi have the character 'miya' in their names?"
In Japan, many surnames containing "miya" are connected to shrines, sometimes even belonging to shrine caretakers.
"Looks like Tsumugi has figured it out. And not only that, the shrine we're going to today, Miyamizu Shrine, its family name is Miyamizu as well."
"Then what about the shrines of Fujimiya and Miyauchi's families?"
The girls from the Light Music Club looked at them curiously.
Fujimiya Konomi and Miyauchi Kazuho exchanged a helpless glance.
"They've been abandoned."
"Why?!"
Ritsu asked curiously.
"Because there's no one to support them anymore… well, not exactly no one, but Asahigaoka has too few people. The yearly income wasn't enough to maintain shrine operations, so back in our grandfathers' generation, both families contributed their shrine lands and mountains to the village and went down to focus on farming."
Sato explained, then added, "Also… Konomi's family and Kazuho-neesan's family are the two largest shareholders in the company. They earn quite a lot in dividends each year."
As for Miyamizu Shrine, with Itomori Town supporting it, it could naturally continue operating.
In the past, Fujimiya Shrine and Miyauchi Shrine had good relations with nearby shrines and even held festivals together. But as time passed, only Miyamizu Shrine remained active.
"Then can we go take a look?"
Ritsu asked expectantly.
Miyauchi Kazuho thought for a moment, then nodded. "You can, but absolutely no loud noises, and don't touch things carelessly. You must not disturb the deity."
"Oh!!!"
Ritsu's eyes lit up instantly. She looked at Sato. "Hurry, let's go check it out!"
"Mio, are you coming?"
"Yes!"
Everyone was curious about the deity worshipped by Miyamizu Shrine. After unanimously deciding to visit, they entered the basin and slowly made their way toward the center.
Crossing the grass and wading through a small river, they arrived at the base of the giant tree.
They looked up in awe at the towering tree. Only upon standing before it did they truly feel its grandeur.
The tree grew tightly against a massive rock over ten meters tall. Its knotted roots wrapped firmly around the rock, and its enormous canopy spread out, blocking the sky and casting vast shadows.
Carefully approaching the cave beneath the tree, they realized there was a stone path leading downward, with clear marks of carving.
Sato walked at the front, looking up at the surrounding stone walls.
Though it was dim inside, he could still see everything clearly.
On the domed ceiling, there seemed to be a carved image of a brilliant starry sky. Within the endless stars, a comet trailed a long tail as it flew, until another smaller comet split off and fell downward, following the wall all the way to the shrine at the end.
This is…
Sato raised an eyebrow. Is this the origin of the deity worshipped by Miyamizu Shrine?
He walked forward and noticed two moss-covered containers placed on either side of the shrine.
This is…
"This is kuchikamizake, an offering from Miyamizu Shrine to the deity."
Fujimiya Konomi suddenly came to his side, crouching down to look at the two containers.
"To make kuchikamizake, it has to be prepared by a virgin shrine maiden. One of them was made by a very beautiful underclassman of mine."
Sato's expression turned subtle. Why did you have to emphasize "very beautiful"?
(Which one did you drop, the younger sister's kuchikamizake on the right, or the older sister's on the left (?ω?))