Chapter 5 - Removal Attempt

While Ivan was lost in thought, Yae Miko reentered the room. A covered wooden box rested in her hands. She opened her mouth to speak but held her voice upon seeing the young man's contemplative gaze. Lips rising into a small but gentle smile, she quietly sat at the nearby table to wait for him to mentally process whatever was going through his mind at the moment.

Perhaps a minute or two later, Ivan blinked a few times and returned from a realm of his mind's own making. He looked around and quickly met Yae Miko's purple eyes. She smiled while observing the dark circles underneath his cloudy sky-blue eyes.

"You're back already? You could've said something. Sorry to make you wait."

"Fufu~. No need to be anxious. I simply did not wish to disturb your contemplations."

Ivan shrugged, but then noticed the box sitting in her hands. 

"Are you going to try removing the curse now?"

"If you are ready."

"Yeah. Let's get it over with."

Nodding, Yae Miko stood up and approached him.

"Like before, stay facing away from me. Also, if you move around too much during the process, it will make it more difficult for me, so please stay as still as possible."

"Alright."

From behind, Ivan heard the woman pulling a few items out of the box and setting them on the floor between them. He briefly glanced behind him and raised a brow upon seeing the items there. All five items were familiar to him, especially the glowing blue sea flower he had gathered hundreds of to max out the ascension level of the very character attempting to help with his curses at the moment. Aside from that, he also took note of a glowing purple ore, a red flower, a cluster of pink petals, and a small purple gemstone.

'These are basically all ascension materials…' He realized.

"Face forward, boy."

"Right. Sorry. Curiosity got the better of me."

Completely focused at this point, Yae Miko said nothing else. She retrieved her two Gohei from her sleeves and initiated a simple cleansing ritual. Currents of mystical energy circled the materials. Purple sparks surrounded each item, lifting them into the air with a subtle hum. The magical current created a glowing array of foreign symbols between the materials with the purple gem at the center. Then, five sparks shot forth from the array at Ivan's back.

Upon contact, Ivan sucked in a sharp breath of air. He felt like he had been stabbed by five roofing nails. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists, but he otherwise remained still.

Moments later, the magical hum halted. The pain gradually faded away like after tearing off a bandaid. Puzzled, he turned around. 

Behind him, Yae Miko observed the materials with a frown as they disintegrated into dust. Upon seeing Ivan's curious gaze, though, she explained, "Do not get your hopes up just yet. The curse is still there. I don't have quite enough Sea Ganodermas on hand right now, so you will need to go gather some tomorrow. It is too late to do so now, considering that the sun has already set. I also need to visit Inazuma City to craft a Vajrada Amethyst Gemstone while you gather those."

Pressing his lips together, Ivan asked, "I didn't expect you to do this for free in the first place… but that last one must be really expensive right?"

Yae Miko sighed, crossed her arms under her breasts, and answered, "Perhaps, but this is simply part of my duties as the Head Maiden of this shrine, and the others here aren't skilled enough to handle your curses."

"I don't like owing others anything, but I'm not exactly in the best situation at the moment either. Maybe I could at least tell you an interesting story or something?"

'If this was the publishing house, she'd probably drain for me for all I'm worth, right?'

Lips rising into a small smile, Yae Miko asked, "You know, young man, I have been getting the impression that you are familiar with me for some reason. Am I mistaken?"

"Did I give that impression?"

Yae Miko simply smiled in response while probing his placid face with narrowed eyes.

"If you are able to tell me a story I find interesting, then I am more than happy to hear it."

"Cool, but I hear nothing about it counting as payment."

Lips curling into a playful grin, Yae Miko pointed at a side door and said, "There is a side room over there for those who need to stay overnight for treatment from time to time. You may rest there for the night. We will resume your treatment in the morning. You may hold your stories until then as well."

With that, she turned and left with unhurried steps. 

"Huh. She totally blew me off…" Ivan mumbled to himself after he left the room. 

Sighing and scratching his head, he stood up and walked toward the room the Kitsune had pointed out. Only a second later, he slipped on the ashes left behind from the used materials and smacked his head on the nearby table. He smacked the ground a second later like a sack of rice.

Groaning, he rolled onto his back and grabbed his head. 

"I really want to get rid of these curses…" He grumbled.

Head throbbing, he forced himself to stand and walked toward the supposed guest room. Once inside, he observed the small resting quarters. It really was a tiny room that could only fit a singular futon, a dresser, and a rug.

"Better than not having a roof over my head on my first night here."

"..."

"Now that I think about it, did she say I was going to be the one to have to gather Sea Ganodermas? Is this one of her pranks or something? This place is too dangerous for an unlucky guy like me."