Sunlight shone through the clean glass windows into the slightly bustling restaurant.
At this moment, Luke prepared wine and dishes, took off his apron, carried two bottles of wine outside the kitchen, and sat directly between the two gods.
Just now, while busy in the kitchen, he received invitations from Suwako and Kanako.
The gods loudly said, 'Anyway, there are no other customers in the shop right now, why not have a drink with us? Quickly, quickly!'
Drinking with the gods of Gensokyo sounded somewhat interesting, so Luke agreed.
Thus, the current situation unfolded.
He filled the sake cup before him, and as he put it back, the slight clinking sound elicited a reaction from Suwako.
The petite god wearing the frog-eye hat swayed her body.
"So, you see..."
She took a deep breath, her cheeks flushed red.
"The so-called 'gods' are like stones people throw into a pond! Thump, the ripples spread out and become the shape of faith!"
Just as Luke knew, although Suwako usually seemed somewhat casual, her shrewdness was likely deeper than Kanako's.
The statement just now was also quite philosophical.
Hearing this, Yasaka Kanako, drinking straight from the bottle, shook the empty wine bottle.
"Suwako, you're talking frog-talk again. If you ask me, gods are more like windmills."
She rapped the tabletop with her knuckles.
"People send the wind of wishes, and the gods whirl around—but now the wind direction in Gensokyo... some hasn't blown towards 'Moriya Shrine'. That's the reason that child worries, right? Because we came to 'Gensokyo' precisely to gather faith, but the process wasn't smooth."
Luke in the middle swirled the wine cup in his hand.
The sound of boiling water rolling in the kitchen never ceased; the delicious Oden still emitted its aroma.
When the set time arrived, the stove fire automatically extinguished.
At this moment, Luke leaned forward and took out new appetizers from inside.
"Before continuing the chat, why don't you two try this."
He pushed over a small white porcelain dish, inside neatly arranged pickled radishes sliced translucently like cicada wings.
"This was made using wasabi found on 'Youkai Mountain' previously, fermented."
Saying this, Luke then started the previous topic.
He took a sip of wine and said with a smile,
"I actually think gods are more like 'torches'."
Kanako raised an eyebrow, the wine bottle pausing at her lips.
The eyes on Suwako's hat also turned towards Luke, exactly like a real frog turning its eyeballs.
"In the past, those who regarded me as 'Great God', 'the only savior', built a palace."
Luke sighed.
"I felt that was quite a waste of money. After all, to reach that palace where I could be worshipped, a road almost spanning the entire country was built. Do you know how much money was spent in total? Time was also an issue... even with great mages possessing magic, it took at least half a year."
During every festival, people would hold torches, advancing along the pilgrimage road until they reached Luke's palace.
"The result... when that road began to be invaded by demonic beasts, it was regarded as a symbol of curse, linked with death; although I also had the ability to punish them, but... believe you two also know, arguing with fools is meaningless."
"This point I agree with. Human faith and resentment are merely separated by a wall; but compared to this, I'm more curious about your past... Since you were regarded as a god by people, proves you must have achieved great accomplishments, right?"
Kanako leaned closer to Luke, as if urging him to answer.
"Past great accomplishments? I think those are merely footnotes of life, not the main point, no need for special mention."
"Not looking back at the past, only willing to look towards the future? That's also a good approach."
Yasaka Kanako's lips curved upwards.
Being straightforward, she opened another bottle of wine.
Seeing this, Luke also clinked glasses with Suwako beside him, downing the wine in the cup in one gulp.
The pungent, sweet taste bloomed in his throat.
Finding it good, Luke was about to pour the next glass when he suddenly thought of something.
"If humans no longer need gods, what will you two do?"
As soon as these words came out, Suwako, after pausing for a moment, laughed fufufu.
"So this is the reason we came to 'Gensokyo'."
The little frog jumped onto the seat, standing there.
"Here there are always foolish humans who believe in the existence of youkai, resentful spirits that need suppressing, and also..."
She suddenly bent down, poking Luke's cheek with cool fingers.
"Humans who have 'no interest in being seen as gods'. With these existences, gods won't be easily forgotten."
Luke quite agreed with this.
And Yasaka Kanako, perhaps having drunk too much, hummed softly.
"Hmph~ What does a frog in the paddy field understand?"
She took a bite of the pickled radish.
"Gods, ah, are like snow on the mountaintop. Whether anyone looks up or not, when it's time to melt, it naturally melts. When it's time to crystallize... how to put it, just become a new form then! After all, 'gods' are not unchanging existences."
Their coming to 'Gensokyo' was precisely to seek some degree of change.
"Let's not talk about this, come! Drink!"
Luke was urged to drink again.
Not refusing, he started a drinking contest with the two gods.
And all this stopped only with the appearance of Kochiya Sanae.
Facing the Moriya Shrine maiden, Luke and the gods exchanged glances.
Without needing words, everyone decided to tease the girl before them slightly...
...
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