Speaking of Kanazawa, many people might not be familiar with this ce. For most people in Japan, cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka are the go-to names, and Kanazawa might even be mistaken for some remote, impoverished vige.


    In fact, in terms of poption and economic development, Kanazawa really can''tpete with nearby Niigata, let alone famous metropolises like Tokyo and Osaka. But if we were to turn back time by about two hundred years, rewinding to the Edo Period, the story of Kanazawa would be quite different.


    As the home castle town of the Kaga Domain''s feudal lord during the Edo Period, Kanazawa was governed by the Maeda Family and was Japan''s fourthrgest city, only behind Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka in terms ofmerce and culture.


    Back then, the Kaga Domain was one of Japan''s few domains with a Koku ie of a million (the southwesterly domain leading the charge against the shogunate, the Satsuma Domain, had only seven hundred seventy thousand Koku at second ce, and the Choshu Domain just three hundred seventy thousand Koku).


    Kanazawa was a genuine ce of prosperity and was known as the Little Kyoto of the Hokuriku region.


    However, with the change of history and due to its geographic location, Kanazawa managed to avoid the chaos of the war at the end of the shogunate and World War II, preserving a great deal of historical relics. But it ultimately fell behind in economic development and is now just an ordinary city with a poption of fewer than five hundred thousand.


    Although it remains thergest city in the Hokuriku region apart from Niigata, its former glory has long faded away.


    "Mr. Chen Yu, is it really okay for us to just go out and y like this? Aren''t you here for an academic conference? Is it really alright to just go out and have fun?" As she walked the streets of Kanazawa with Chen Yu, Jounouchi Hiromi felt somewhat anxious and, instead of enjoying the scenery around her, she worriedly asked Chen Yu.


    Seeing his girlfriend''s concern for him, Chen Yu was touched and reassured her with a smile, "Don''t worry, Hiromi, the academic conference doesn''t start until tomorrow, and today is just for registration. Didn''t you see Professor Niaoi took Miss Okumura to the hot springs? Just strolling around Kanazawa isn''t a big deal, is it?


    And look at the beautiful scenery of Kanazawa, don''t you want to enjoy it? Don''t think too much; let''s have fun today! I had a ssmate at the University of Tokyo whose hometown was Kanazawa; he bragged many times about Kanazawa, iming it to be ''the Alps of Japan.'' I''ve really been looking forward to seeing it for myself."


    Listening to Chen Yu''s exnation, Jounouchi Hiromi looked at him with a mixture of exasperation and affection. She thought about the fact that Chen Yu brought her to Kanazawa to have fun, and seeing that many conference attendees, including Professor Niaoi, had gone out to enjoy themselves, she realized that what Chen Yu said was true and finally let go of her worries.


    However, she was still concerned about Chen Yu and reminded him, "Still, we need to watch the time. You came here to present your paper and research, Mr. Chen Yu. We have to go back tonight and prepare properly! Let''s return after we have dinner."


    "All right, all right, as you wish." Seeing Jounouchi Hiromi''s caring demeanor, Chen Yu naturally couldn''t refuse, so he agreed and then said to her, "But this afternoon, let''s go and have a good time! I''ve been wanting to visit Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen Garden, and Oyama Shrine before we even arrived!"


    With those words, Chen Yu took Jounouchi Hiromi''s hand, ready to head to the ces he mentioned.


    With her hand in Chen Yu''s, Jounouchi Hiromi gave him a resigned nce butplied and let Chen Yu lead the way.


    ——————————————————————


    "Kanazawa Castle is truly magnificent! It''s hard to imagine how beautiful it must have been four hundred years ago!" Initially rather indifferent, Jounouchi Hiromi became enthusiastic after touring around Kanazawa Castle, dragging Chen Yu into a conversation about the architecture of the castle.


    "It''s a pity, after two great fires, not only was the Castle tower burned down, but many of the original ancient buildings were lost too. Most of what we see today is reconstructed," He couldn''t help but feel a bit ofment after listening to Jounouchi Hiromi''s exnation of this centuries-old historical site.


    "Okay, okay! Stopmenting, we still have time. Let''s hurry to Oyama Shrine! I also want to see the Shrine gate there!" With that, Jounouchi Hiromi pulled Chen Yu by the hand and rushed towards Oyama Shrine, just across the street from Kanazawa Castle Park.


    Initially, it was Chen Yu dragging Jounouchi Hiromi, but now she was the one pulling him along.


    However, Chen Yu did not resist being pulled by Jounouchi Hiromi, because Oyama Shrine did not seem simple to him. It wasn''t just a Shrine umting the Power of Faith, it felt like it was suppressing something, which made it quite interesting to him.


    Jounouchi Hiromi did not lead Chen Yu to the East Shinto gate opposite Kanazawa Castle Park, but instead took a detour and arrived at the front entrance of Oyama Shrine.


    Seeing the three-story tower-style Shrine gate thatbined Chinese, Japanese, and Western architectural styles in front of him, Chen Yu understood why Jounouchi Hiromi had made a point of taking him around to this side.


    "This Shrine gate is a relic from the Meiji Era. The loweryer is brickwork imitating Chinese fortress-style architecture, the middleyer is traditional Japanese style, and the topyer transitions to Western architecture,plete with colored ss.


    It''s a significant marker of the cultural enlightenment of that era!" Standing in front of the stone Torii Gate, Jounouchi Hiromi, bursting with enthusiasm, introduced the towering three-story tower-style Shrine gate behind the Torii to Chen Yu in detail, the excitement of discussing something she was interested in made Chen Yu nce sideways.


    Butpared to his girlfriend''s introduction, Chen Yu was more concerned with what was sealed beneath this Shrine.


    Entering the Shrine with Jounouchi Hiromi, Chen Yu distinctly felt the difference between this ce and Tsuruoka Hachimangu Shrine, which he''d visited before. Perhaps due to its lesser age, the Power of Faith umted here was not as rich and profound, giving the impression ofboriously maintaining itself.


    Moreover, most of the Power of Faith seemed to be concentrated in the garden behind the Shrine, where the sealed entity resided.


    Chen Yu was not in a rush. After touring and paying respects within the Shrine with Jounouchi Hiromi, he finally walked towards the garden, which appeared to have a verdant shade and beautiful scenery.


    In the middle of the garden, there was arge pond adorned with ornamental inds shaped like lutes and harps, and plump koi swam in the water—under the evening glow, everything looked so serene and beautiful.


    But in Chen Yu''s eyes, this was the ce in the Shrine where the Power of Faith was most concentrated. The several ornamental inds seemed to be specially arranged talismans, sealing something beneath the pond. However, due to the insufficient Power of Faith, the seal seemed slightly loose. An imperceptible aura was emanating from beneath the pond.


    It was the breath of a Necromancer.