Chapter 1
Gensokyo's Shrine Maiden and the Allure of the 15 Volumes

A silver Gensokyo in the early afternoon. Pristine snow gently falls and swallows the earth, and transforms Gensokyo into a magnificent spectacle. The only thing that could be heard were the cries of youkai far off in the distance. The road was enveloped in fresh snow, without a single footprint imprinted anywhere. Humans seldom travel down this path.

Beyond this roadless path, a mysterious building stands. While the owner absorbs heat from a nearby stove originating from the outside world, there is no doubt he is reading an incomprehensible book. Because of such hobbies, it always seems as if he has time to spare.

There is an abundance of goods and items from the outside world in this shop. Gensokyo is in what the outside world would call the Meiji Era (1868-1912), but there are many items here that belong in subsequent eras. The purpose of most of these items are unknown.

The shop's sign announces its name, "Kourindou," as that is where the antique store, Kourindou, stands.

"Mr. Rinnosuke?"

It appears that someone has arrived for the first time in a while. I wanted to continue reading, but customers are gods; I couldn't just pretend to be out.

"You're there, aren't you?"

The goddess dressed in red had no need to bother preventing my potential ruse, as she was already behind me.

"Oh, it's just you, Reimu. Don't I always tell you not to just walk into my living room uninvited?"

"Forget that, just listen to me. I ran into some bad luck, so..."

This is her. The girl in red before my eyes who doesn't listen to a word anyone says. Her name is Reimu Hakurei. She's the only shrine maiden in Gensokyo, but from her actions one would doubt whether she's truly a shrine maiden or not.

Pardon the late introduction, but I'm Rinnosuke Morichika. I run an antique store.

As Reimu brushed the snow off her shoulders, she started chattering away: "I went out to the village to shop today. For what? I was running out of tea, so I figured I should buy some before the lack of tea gets bad enough to kill me. Well, I won't actually die, but - hey, are you listening to me?!"

You don't listen to me, so I'm not listening to you, is what I wanted to say, but "Yeah, I'm listening," is what came out.

"But, you know, there wasn't any good tea...oh, this doesn't have anything to do with this but the village's travelers' guardian deity was completely covered in snow; I mean, who the heck was in charge of the umbrella - oh yeah, what exactly was that god again...?"

Now then. If I don't give her a little push in the right direction, the conversation looks like it'll diverge into talking about Shinto rites of the Emperor.

"The God of Harm, who prevents catastrophe from occurring in the village...You said you ran into bad luck, so what happened?"

"Well, the shopping ended without anything really happening."

Without anything happening.

"On the way back, a youkai was just sitting there minding its own business. And it was enjoying a book, too!"

I tried to say "Isn't that fine? It's not a big deal," but I was ignored:

"I tried to exterminate it with a surprise attack, but it retaliated! It was pretty cocky, and strong. I let my guard down, so I didn't expect shots to come from behind..."

One can only think that the youkai was the unfortunate one, but I wonder what happened, if she was the one who executed a surprise attack, yet let her guard down.

"Mr. Rinnosuke, are you listening?"

"Yeah, I'm not."

"Well, anyway, I beat the crap out of it, and then came here."

It seemed that no matter how I replied, I'd get the same response. Reimu turned her back to me and said "See?" and puffed her cheeks. "And I just got this skirt mended, too..."

"A magnificent tear. I see very well why you want me to fix that."

"Right now."

Yes, ma'am. Reimu seemed cold, so I made space for one more beside the stove.

"I can't possibly mend it that fast...just sit here for..."

Footsteps.

"I'm gonna borrow these clothes and change, so hold on a bit."

Gone. She walked right into the back of the store again. She really does do whatever she wants. Sheesh. I headed back to my seat, and decided to continue reading my book - but my stretched out hand grasped nothing but air. The book was floating above.

"Whatcha readin', Kourin?"

A black shadow spoke. I knew there was a reason that ever since I missed my morning tea I'd had a bad feeling.

"Hey, I always say this, but--"

"Don't just waltz in here. Right?"

Every single one of them. The girl in black before my eyes is Marisa Kirisame, a magician whose speech is a little unique. She gets along well with Reimu. She often comes to the store, but I can never tell if she has any business or not.

"What're you here for today, Marisa?"

"...I don't really get this book. Hup! Nothin' much, but I ain't headin' home." Nothin' much, huh? She brushed off some dust on a pot for sale as she said that, and sat down on it.

"That's the 12th volume of a series, the continuation of the books piled up here. You wouldn't know just by reading that much."

"Oh. 'The Future of the Non-Neumann-Type Computer'? No way I can tell what that's about just from the title."

"A magic spell book from the outside world. You probably wouldn't be interested in it at all, but I am."

"Hmm...magic from the outside world...what kinda magic is that, Kourin?"

"I'm still in the middle of reading it, but...they use calculation familiars called 'computers', and those do exactly as they're ordered. Of course, these are clearly shikigami. Well, I'm still not quite sure what their power is used for."

"Shikigami, huh...hey, isn't this Reimu's stuff...? Reimu's here...?"

Either Marisa isn't interested in shikigami, or just wanted to change the topic. I told her the details of Reimu's arrival. I said, "You're kind of like Reimu," or some other conversation filler, while she poked around Reimu's belongings, and pulled out three books in them. I felt a light shock. Those books are part of the same series as the 12 volumes I have here. Why would Reimu have them...?

"Hm? Interested in these books? Knowin' Reimu, I bet she thought, 'They look pretty important to the youkai, so I'll take them,' or somethin'."

With the 12 volumes I have on hand, and the three volumes there, that's a total of 15 volumes combined. I have no doubt that this is a set of 15 volumes. The shikigami of the outside world are the same as the ones in Gensokyo after all. With computers, F represents 15, and F is the state wherein everything is compounded. It was written that when everything becomes F, the highest value is held. I think that it's natural for 15 to have power; even in ancient times, 15 meant perfection in this country. The same reason the full moon is also known as the fifteenth night. Computers must be familiars that have resulted from the ideas of the East and the beauty of the moon.

Marisa asked me what I was thinking about as she lined up the three books. Through Marisa's nonchalant actions, I realized something else. The numbers on the books, 13, 14, and 15, when lined up, makes 131415. If the 1 in front is removed, it then depicts the number that represents a perfect circle, 3.1415. This also means a full moon. And thus my theory that the familiars of the outside world use the power of the moon becomes truth. I wanted to research more in regards to the shikigami of the outside world, but to do that, I required these books.

"Kourin. You plan on makin' a deal with Reimu? Forget it. What she thinks is valuable is completely different from everyone else."

Indeed, Reimu is too detatched from this world. Normal exchange conditions wouldn't suffice. However, I can still make a deal with Reimu. Reimu's values are different, after all.

It was then that I heard the returning footsteps of the owner of those books.

"Thanks for waiting. Geez, these clothes are way too big! It's hard to walk in these." Reimu expressed her dissatisfaction as she returned. Well, those are my clothes, after all, so it can't be helped. There's a significant size difference between us, but she's the one who took the clothes in the first place.

"Oh? If it isn't Marisa. Why're you in such a place?"

"That's my line. I just came to check if there was anythin' new in stock, just like a good customer."

"Reimu, will you not call my store 'such a place'?"

"Whenever I come, I never see any customers around; the location isn't so great, either."

I began reading the book I was previously reading as Marisa retorted, "I thought I said I'm a customer." Reimu walked up to one of the cupboards, took out a teapot, and began preparing tea as if she owned the place. They do whatever they want as usual. They're not even customers.

While I was glancing at Reimu's books, I thought to myself that I must pretend to not have noticed them at all in order to make them mine. "Anyway, I'll take up your request to mend your clothes; but you know I won't just do it for free, right?"

With her back still facing me, Reimu asked, "Why?"

"Why? Are you kidding? A business, you see, requires customers to pay a suitable price for their services."

"I know that much; I pay the normal shopkeepers when I go shopping. The same goes for my shrine; wishes are granted for donations."

"Are you saying I'm not one of your 'normal shopkeepers'?"

"Mr. Rinnosuke, you're not interested in money, right?"

"When did I ever say that? Don't go around deciding things yourself."

"Well, you never take any cash."

"What're you saying? The fees for all your requests and everything you've taken from here is all on your tab."

As she poured tea into her teacup, she replied, "That's because I never walk around with money. And even if I went home, there wouldn't be any there, either."

"Nobody donates, huh? Praying at your shrine won't get any wishes granted."

"Oh, I see. Since you suddenly brought this up, you're after these books, aren't you?" Reimu placed her teacup down, sat beside me, and began reeling in the books that are soon to be mine.

"...Reimu, those books aren't enough to cover your tab."

"These books, you know, looked pretty important to the youkai I exterminated. They're definitely worth something."

Marisa looked at me with a face that said "told ya so," and because of that, I was about to let out a laugh, but I held it in.

"Well, let me have a look then...Hm, I see. They're well-made, but they look new. When it comes to these kinds of things, older ones are more valuable...they're nothing special after all. They were probably just something that youkai doesn't see often, so it took them."

"Then, those books for everything on my tab sounds like a fair deal," she said with a smirk. She doesn't listen to others and has no understanding of the concept that things have a value, a price. To her, money is worth no more than the physical value of the metal or paper it's printed on. However, she must've faintly realized that I wanted them. After all...

"All right then; I'll buy those three books from you."

"Huh? all three?"

"One for mending your clothes. One for the rental fee for the clothes you're wearing now. And the last one--"

"Ah, wait a second, what about the tab?"

"Hey, exactly how much do you think is on your tab? It's not too much, but you can't cover it with just those three books." That was the truth. Reimu takes things from the shop, and requests tools and clothes; I'd even prepared her purification wand.

"No way around it, huh...? Alright then, what's leftover on the tab will stay there." I looked out through the window. That's right, I've had a bad feeling since this morning. "By the way, the last one is the fee for the door repairs!"

Loud knocking. The sounds of the shop's door being banged on heavily was getting louder. One book might not be worth the trouble...

"I know the red one is in there! She's the one who took my books!"

By the door was a furious little girl, or what seemed to be. Her clothes were a mess; she must be the one Reimu claimed to have "exterminated" earlier.

"Geez, you're persistent. I beat you, so just go back into the forest like a good youkai!"

"Huh? You're not red."

"I'm blue today."

"Just give me my books back!"

"Even if you tell me to, I can't do anything about it. I don't have them anymore, so give up."

"How cruel - wait, where are they?!"

The books are mine now, and of course, I have no intention of returning them. However, I'm unable to do anything rough. The girls told me how it was "amazing you managed to live so long like that," but I think it's normal, and I've lived many times longer than they have. I glared sharply at Reimu.

"...Hey, Marisa! You look pretty sleepy."

"Huh, what? Ya reap what ya sow, do it yourself."

"I can't move well in these clothes. She isn't much of a fight, so you can take her, Marisa. Just watch out for attacks from behind."

"Are you saying she should get her revenge on you with me? Geez, Reimu..."

Marisa hopped off the pot, and headed toward the girl, in a seemingly good mood.

"Put it on my tab."

Of course, I've never seen Reimu hand over any money to Marisa.

"Here I am. The one in red gave up. Her parent will be taking her place."

"Whaddaya mean, parent? There's no way you're her mother!"

"She's adopted."

Reimu returned to her seat and began drinking her tea.

"If you're going to fight, do it outside the shop. If you destroy anything else, you're going to be paying for everything."

Marisa said "Yeah, I know," and forced the youkai out. "Anyway, Kourin, good for you for gettin' all fifteen volumes."

Surprised, I looked at Marisa. I couldn't remember having said anything about it being a fifteen volume set. "Why did you think it was fifteen?"

Marisa threw the book she was holding toward me. "I looked at the back of the book."

I turned the book over, and flipped open the back cover; written in small print was "15 Volumes Total."

...It's snowing outside. If I don't get the door repaired soon, it's going to be unpleasant in here.

"Seriously, Reimu. Whenever you come here, nothing good ever happens."

"The shop itself has nothing good. Here, tea."

I sat down beside her, and took the tea. It had an extremely pleasing scent. "Ah, this tea...you used the tea leaves at the back of the shelf, didn't you?"

And here I thought it was tea Reimu had brought herself.

"They are the ones with the best smell to them."

"It's the best kind of tea. I was saving it for a special occasion, too..."

"Oh. Will there ever be such an occasion?" Reimu was completely relaxed and in a good mood. The sounds of Marisa's enjoyment and laughter and the cries of her youkai opponent can be heard.

This is relatively usual; I don't think of these days as special.

"Mr. Rinnosuke. You're not going to sell those books, right? All the goods here haven't changed at all."

The majority of the wares here are my collection; indeed, I don't want to let go of anything so easily. "No, they're all merchandise."

...Maybe I'm not suited to be a businessman.