Volume 1
Chapter 2 Part
4
Dancing in the
Burning Dust, Rindo Flower 4
Translator : PolterGlast
――Time goes back a
little.
"That team
leader, he protected me and was hit by the Lord's body!"
After saying so, Saki
ran up the steep cliff.
Genji, who was left
behind, stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then responded by scratching his
head at Saki, who had left various things behind and disappeared.
But even Genji
understood the weight of her words.
Lord's threat lies not
only in his offensive power but also in the high-density miasma that surrounds
him.
Miasma, which is
deviating from the balance of yin and yang, is a deadly poison for all living
beings.
One of the biggest
reasons for the trainee soldiers, who have no means to protect themselves with
spiritual power, was that their internal organs would rot by inhaling the
miasma.
If someone had taken
serious exposure to and inhaled the miasma, it would definitely become a race
against time.
"Niikura! Take
all the purifying water we have and bring it to the guys above!"
"What about over
here?"
"There was no
significant damage. The miasma level has returned to normal, so tonight's
battle is most likely over. Jinchi
Team should be enough to secure the area."
Niikura looked around
and confirmed that there was no problem with it. Since the other team had
inhaled miasma, there would not be much time left, so he nodded without
hesitation.
"Understood. I'll
get a few people to help out."
"Ou, make it
quick. ――You there, be careful! Make sure you finish them off!"
After waving his hand
in the air, Genji walked over to the group of men in order to coordinate them.
With his back turned
to the place where things had become even more hectic after everything was
over, Niikura took his men and walked to the location where the Tate Team was located.
After parting with
Niikura, Genji recalled the battle that had just taken place while giving
instructions as he made his way back.
Although Akira had
just become the leader of the squad and they were suddenly out on a mountain
hunt, none of Genji's team members were flustered.
Jinchi Team is the second
most burdened team after the Tate
Team, but with the support of two guardians, they were able to subdue the boars
without a hitch.
――Now we have a great
deal of credibility to establish a guideline for future mountain hunts.
His mouth naturally
breaks into a smile at the unexpected outcome.
―――Gi~i~iiii~！
"Uwa
~a~a~a~!"
At the same time as a
boar's cry was heard, several of the trainees who had been finishing off the
boars were sent flying into the air.
A boar, which still
had some strength left in it, made one last desperate struggle.
"Hmm."
It would be a bad idea
to let the boar escape in this situation.
Genji immediately sent
out an order for his personal team, who had been on the lookout.
"Pistol Team,
forward!"
"Haa~!"
Some of them took a
kneeling position with short rifles and aimed them at the boar.
"...Fire!"
The sound of dry
gunpowder rang out in unison, leaving several bullet holes in the boar's hide.
―――Gi~i~！！
The boar, which had
already suffered a near-fatal injury, suddenly stood still, having suffered
additional pain that could not be ignored.
Seizing the
opportunity, the shaken-off soldiers stood up and thrust their spears, poised
at their waists, toward the boar.
One, two seconds.
As the spear was
thrust into the boar, the amount of blood flowing from the boar exceeded the
limit, and the boar fell over on its side.
"Report damage!
Anyone who was near the boar should drink purifying water! ――Oshima, can I have
a word?"
Since no serious
injury was incurred, he turned to call the person in charge of the Pistol
Squad.
Oshima, who was
leading the Pistol Team, is a middle-aged man of the same age as Genji.
With a troubled smile
on his face, the man who came sprinting toward Genji is an eccentric who has
remained with the garrison even after retirement and who, because of his length
of experience, has taken on the role of organizing the garrison.
"...... Oshima,
how is the pistol? Will we be able to use it in actual combat in the
future?"
Genji asked so in a
hushed voice.
The pistol is the
latest weapon from the Western Continent that was introduced through Rondaria.
It is easier to handle
than a long rifle, and at this close range, the attenuation of its power is not
a concern.
On the Western
Continent, it is already becoming a primary weapon against Kegare, and the
foreign trader's sales pitch had led them to adopt it, but when they shot at
the pack of boars, they didn't really notice much of an effect.
If they were unable to
produce results in this mountain hunt, they could expect to face criticism not
only from the commander-in-chief, but also from everyone around them.
It is indeed capable
of providing an immediate boost to firepower, but it is not exactly what the
garrison was looking for.
"It was able to
slightly stop the rush of the pack. However, its firepower is a little
insufficient to finish the defiled beasts off."
"......According
to the sales pitch of the foreign merchant, it should be enough to kill the
defiled beasts."
"I don't know if
there is a difference in the way we use them or not. ――Though there's no way
that Defiled Beasts on the continent are weaker."
"I see... Should
we call in the merchants at least once? We should also consider hiring an
instructor."
Another increase in
expenses, huh? There will be more complaints from the Commander-in-Chief Banda.
After sighing, Genji
refreshed his mind.
He turned his
attention back to the team members spread out across the plains as if he had a
bird's eye view of them.
There is no problem
with their movements. However, Ryota Kuga, who was looking at their movements
with disinterest, could be considered a bit of a problem.
There is no problem in
terms of his combat capabilities.
For instance, his
first attack split the boar pack in two, and the next one obliterated the
majority of the boars.
However, the fact that
he showed glimpses of an attitude of never engaging in anything other than his
assigned role made him look dangerous in Genji's eyes.
In fact, when he saw
the boar that he had just failed to kill, he did not even make a move to finish
it off, but simply watched as his teammates were hit and blown away.
Even in his own
territory, this attitude would make even his own relatives shun him, no matter
how capable he may be.
――Nevertheless, the fact
that the head of the Kuga family would expose the shame of his own family to
ask a favor from a member of the Rindo family indicates that he must be in a
very dire situation.
He suddenly
remembered.
――I remember that Kuga's
name was mentioned in the selection process for the next head of Kihoin,
Tsuguho-sama's spouse.
As he recalls, ever
since Kuga heard that Gioin of Kokuten wanted Ugetsu's heir to be their
son-in-law, Genji, who was not well informed about worldly affairs, had heard
rumors that Kuga had nominated his son who was the right age to be Kihoin's
son-in-law.
If he remembered
correctly, Tsuguho-sama was exactly 12 years old this year. It would not be
surprising if the selection of a suitable spouse had begun by now.
That explains their
impatience. Ryota Kuga's combat abilities may be superb, but with his personality,
he will definitely be eliminated from the selection process.
Therefore, they want
to improve his character before that happens.
――I guess Ojou was just
caught in the trouble, huh?
Saki, who has a
tendency not to refuse requests, has often been caught in a lot of troublesome
situations, even among her own family members.
Even though they are
from different clans, it would have been difficult for her to refuse a request
from the head of Kuga clan.
Kukuku~. Genji
couldn't help but let out a chuckle when he remembered Saki's troubled face.
That being said, it
will be a challenge to fix his personality.
After all, he knows
what he's doing and doesn't seem to feel sorry for it at all.
In other words, he
takes it for granted that the death of commoner soldiers and the value of his
contribution are tilted to one side over the other.
Genji sensed that he
had the same kind of stench as the privileged class thinkers who are often
found among the nobility.
Now then, what should
we do?
Kuga Ryota's time under
Genji's command would be limited to one week.
In order to reduce
Saki's burden in such a short period of time, it would be necessary to make him
understand, including through hands-on experience, that he is not fighting
alone.
――The quickest way to do
this is to teach him a painful defeat, but Ojou told me that this method failed
at Tenryou Academy.
He remembered Saki
blurting out that Kuga had taken a turn in a direction she had not expected.
Genji's brow furrowed
as he thought of the possibility that meddling in the matter might cause a
backlash.
――For the time being,
let's ask Ojou about the details of how Kuga was defeated and what happened to
him after that.
With this conclusion
in mind, he began walking through the flatlands where the morning sun was
beginning to shine.
――――――――――――――――
Akira joined the Seko Team led by Kansuke and returned to
the tent just as the sun was rising and the chill of the night air had
disappeared.
Although the tent was
a simple one designed to withstand a sudden rain, it provided Akira with a
surprising sense of comfort, having something to shield his head from the rain.
Inside the tent, there
were camp stools, with Genji and Niikura facing each other.
"Excuse me. ――It's
me, Akira, I'm back."
"Ou, thank you
for your hard work. Shall we start with the damage report?"
"Yes, sir. Seko team, 2 casualties. Tate Team, 0 casualties. Jinchi Team, 0 casualties. That is
all."
"Two casualties,
huh? So, this is the outcome of rushing a mountain hunt. The assistance of the
guardians proved indispensable, but it also made me realize the necessity of
organizing the reserve force."
"Right? I'm
planning to improve it at the next meeting."
There was no malice in
their intentions. But when Niikura evaluated his own subordinates in terms of
numbers, Akira clenched his fist tightly, unknowingly.
But there was no word
of complaint escaping his mouth. Genji and Niikura are conscientious defenders,
which is more than one could wish for if one were to look at them in the
framework of the garrison.
In other garrisons,
there are reportedly some that are so severe that their soldiers are deployed
in actual battles without having been given any training, and are used up as
meat shields.
――Besides, isn't it
natural for military personnel to count the number of their soldiers? If he
were to complain with just this much, he would be beaten to a pulp by the other
garrison members.
Akira told himself so
and straightened his posture.
He didn't want to be
here any longer, but the atmosphere of the two men engaged in discussion left
him no choice but to stay.
Should he just wait
for the discussion to end? Just as he was about to make up his mind, Genji
turned his head and looked at Akira.
"――Aa~ right,
Akira."
"Yes?"
"I heard from
Ojou. I heard that you protected her and were hit by the Lord's body. Well
done."
"Thank you
......."
Not expecting to be
praised, his reaction was a beat late, but the reality of being praised made
him honestly happy, and he bowed his head to accept the compliment and
acknowledgment.
"So, how did it
go?"
Akira raised his head
and saw the smirk on Genji's face.
What does he mean? The
suddenness of the question filled his thoughts with question marks, but the
answer came to him immediately.
This was the first
time that Akira had worked with guardians other than Genji and Niikura.
Genji must have asked
him about his impressions of it.
"......This is
the first time I have had the opportunity to see the spirit techniques of the
eight families. With all due respect, I can't help but think that the power of
their techniques is fundamentally different from that of the spirit techniques
used by Captain Genji."
That's true. Despite
being evaluated as inferior, Genji nodded his head in satisfaction.
The only criteria to
be recognized as a high-ranked spirit is to have reached a stage where one can
release spiritual light and use one's spiritual power.
Therefore, although
they are the same high-ranked spirits, there is a clear disparity among them in
terms of the spiritual power that they possess.
Even if a noble family
lower than the eight families possesses a high-ranked spirit, they cannot even
hope to compete with the high-ranked spirits possessed by the eight families
and above.
The fact that divine
spirits, which are spirits of an even higher level, are lumped together in the
same category as greater spirits indicates that the range of abilities
possessed by high-ranked spirits varies considerably.
"Exactly. That's
the high-ranked spirit of the eight families. The minimum requirement to become
a guardian is to have a medium-ranked spirit in one's body, but there is so
much difference in terms of spiritual power when it comes to the high-ranked
spirit of guardians from the eight families, and the difference is so great
that it feels ridiculous to think that we are even standing in the same realm.
I'm still considered one of the best in this province, but even so, there is a
huge difference in power between me and the other eight families. ――Remember,
Akira. Those are the eight families."
"...... Yes, sir."
"Now then."
Seeing that the conversation had come to an end, Genji brought his palms
together and interlaced his fingers. The man who is known for his decisive
nature, on the other hand, held his words in the air in an unusual manner.
"So, here's the thing. It's about the matter I mentioned to you before we
departed."
"Yes, sir."
"Akira. I believe
you enrolled in a junior high school this year, correct?"
"――? Yes."
Akira's reply was
delayed due to confusion, as the content of the conversation was different from
what he had expected.
He braced himself for
some kind of disapproval, but the atmosphere of the two men in front of him was
much softer.
"Do you have any
plans for the future?"
"There are
several things in mind. My teacher has suggested to me that if I am interested
in going on to high school, she can write a recommendation for special
advancement and a scholarship. I'm still mulling it over as I have time, but
I'm not yet making up my mind."
"...... I see.
That means you have the basic academic skills to the extent that your teacher
acknowledges it. If so, the entrance exam will not be a problem. ――Akira, do
you have any intention of going on to a high-class seminary?"
"......Ha?"
For a moment, he could
not understand what was being said.
High-class seminary is
an integrated junior-high and senior-high school where students study mainly
Shintoism and Onmyoudo. Naturally, the students are required to have a
medium-ranked spirit or higher, so it is inevitable that those who go to these
schools must be of the nobility.
However, if one goes
to a high-class seminary, he or she can obtain the knowledge of Onmyoudo, which
is necessary for learning advanced studies and spells creation, so it is one of
the schools that Akira wishes to go to.
――But there is a
problem.
"B-but what about
my identity?"
His tongue tangled
half in confusion and half in joy, but Akira's concern is understandable.
Yes. In order to enter
a high-class seminary, one needs proof of identity, but at the moment, Akira's
identity is not yet registered with the Ministry of Human Affairs in Shumon
Province.
Akira's identity will
not be able to be registered with the Ministry of Human Affairs until he is 15
years old, when his duty in the garrison will be over.
――In the next three years,
Akira will not even be granted basic rights, such as the right to own property.
After all, Akira is
not even recognized as a human being in this country.
"Certainly,
contributing to the garrison is the fastest way to register with the Ministry
of Human Affairs, but there is always a back door, or an alternative."
Is it an illegal
means? Akira, who strives to live a normal life, can't hide the disappointment
on his face.
It is not that he had
not thought about it in the past. Although it would not hurt to smear Ugetsu's
name, he did not want to see his grandmother, to whom he owed a debt of
gratitude, grieving in the afterlife.
"――Don't worry.
Even if it is called a back door, it is not illegal. Rather, actually, this is
a straightforward way."
Genji, who had a rough
idea of what Akira was thinking by the expression on his face, corrects the
misunderstanding with a hearty laugh.
"The way to
register early with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is to pay the
registration fee of 20 yen and to have the approval of an influential person.
When I called you today, I was going to suggest that you pay the registration
fee up front, but I can't ignore the fact that you saved Ojou's life. I'll be
your guarantor, which should allow you to register with the Ministry of
Humanitarian Affairs."
"Ah ......"
he was being acknowledged. Tears slowly formed in Akira's eyes as he heard such
an unexpected word. "Thank you so much―――！！"
"But I have a
condition."
As Akira bowed his
head, Genji continued.
"As you know, the
garrison is chronically short of talismans. The only one that's circulating
without a problem is the recovery talisman because you can create it, but to
begin with, recovery talisman that restores spiritual power is also a talisman
that is not expended very often in a garrison with only two guardians. That's
why, I am recommending you to attend a high-class seminary in the hope that you
will be able to master a new type of talisman."
"Akira-kun, since
you can make recovery talismans, please make sure that you can make at least
two types of offensive-type talismans by the time you graduate from junior high
school. The tuition fee will be paid by your scholarship and the price of the
talismans that you sell to the garrison, and the remaining amount will be paid
by Captain and me. You can pay us back when you become independent, or you can
pay us with your talismans."
Akira tilted his head
at Niikura's words which followed after Genji.
"Isn't the
scholarship alone enough?"
"What are you
talking about? High-class seminary is an elite school for the children of the
nobility, you know? In the first place, they don't even have a dedicated
scholarship because the tuition is on a different order of magnitude and they
don't even anticipate unpaid tuition."
When Genji pointed
this out to him in an exasperated voice, Akira came to understand the issue
behind it.
In other words, it is
a school where commoners are not expected to attend. If that is the case,
public scholarships would not be able to cover the required amount of tuition
fees. He now understood why Genji and Niikura had mentioned paying for his
tuition.
"Though, what
worries me more is what happens after Akira-kun enrolls in that school."
"Eh?"
Niikura's voice was
tinged with a serious tone.
"I never went to
a high-class seminary before, but I had a friend who went there. I've only
heard about it, but you should think of it as a completely separate
society."
"Completely
separate society, huh?"
"Yes. That place
is, so to speak, a concentrated upper-class nest from which only the nobility
are sorted out. Children who are not fully aware of their status as children of
the nobility are enrolled in this school. Those children with immature noble
sense of values will sometimes form a society that is beyond the reach of
common sense. To be frank, I have no idea what would happen if a commoner like
Akira-kun were to enroll there."
"........."
The threat-like words
made Akira's expression cloud over. As expected, that information made him
hesitate to go on to higher education, and he was thinking about reconsidering
his choice, but even so――
"......I
understand, there is no problem. I would like to enroll in a high-class
seminary."
It was far too
attractive of an offer to pass up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that might
not come around again in the future.
"All right. We
need to take appropriate steps as well. Please give your approval for the
scholarship to the teacher in charge of Ozuno Daisan Junior High School. After
that-..."
Niikura's eyes
wandered through the air as he searched for the right words, and then Genji
gave a follow-up.
"Akira. Before
you leave your hometown, have you been accepted as a Shrine Parishioner?"
Those who are accepted
as Shrine Parishioners after completing the [Shrine Parishioner Exam] in their
hometown are considered to belong to that land for the rest of their lives.
This meant that as
long as they were Shrine Parishioners, they were bound to the land in which
they lived, without exception, even if they had been expelled from their
hometowns due to ostracism or had committed a crime.
Removing oneself from
this bondage by literally "breaking away" from parishioners of one's
hometown is called Shrine Parishioner Dismissal.
"...... No. There
are no Shrine Parishioners in my hometown."
It is not completely a
lie. Akira, who was not recognized as a Shrine Parishioner, was not even
registered as a Shrine Parishioner in the first place.
Akira could not talk
about his personal situation, so he did not mention the unpleasant fact and let
the matter slide.
"I see. I'll give
you a letter of introduction for guardianship later. You have a day off until
tomorrow, so get your [Shrine Parishioner Lottery] done as soon as
possible."
――Then, this time, Akira
stiffened at what Genji had just said in a nonchalant manner.
――――――――――――――――
TIPS: About the
Seminary.
A school where
students learn the knowledge of Shintoism and Onmyoudo in junior high and high
school.
Mainly, it is a place
where the second son and below, who cannot inherit the family, are taught the
knowledge to make a living by being able to sell talismans to the Talisman
Association.
It is said that a
power structure has developed within the school, which is difficult to describe
in general, because it gathers together people who cannot be members of the
nobility but who have more complexes about the nobility than others.
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