Volume 1
Chapter 4 Part
4
In a Temple, a
Girl Smiles 4
Translator : PolterGlast
It was late in the
morning around 10:00 a.m. when Banda Kanosuke, the captain of the garrison that
protects the 1st district, the base of Kihoin, as well as the commander of the
entire garrison, showed up at the garrison headquarters, his place of work.
He is in his late 60s.
At first glance, he appeared to be a good-natured old man with a white beard,
and yet he was full of vigor and vitality that did not match his age.
However, his face,
which usually wore a smile, was tinged with bitterness and frustration when he
appeared at the headquarters.
The reason for this
was a very trivial matter. It had been officially confirmed that the 8th
Garrison, led by the notoriously active Asogi Genji, had forced a mountain hunt
and had succeeded in exterminating one of the Lord-level defiled beasts.
This fact led to a
meeting that was held last night with the Provincial Council, and it was the
main reason why he was fed up with the half-praising, half-sarcastic
conversation.
However, when he
opened the door of the headquarters, the irritation faded from his face and was
replaced by a perplexed look.
This was because he
was greeted by an unusual hustle and bustle, and the whispering and gossiping
conversations of the female staff members.
"......What
happened here?"
"――Good
morning."
This is not the first
time Banda has come to work late.
Banda's secretary, who
should not be surprised at his late arrival at work, hurriedly approached him
as if she had been waiting for him.
"Minami-kun, huh?
What's going on here?"
"Let me borrow
your ear. ――……、…………、……"
Banda's eyes widened
at the content of the message delivered in a hushed voice.
"Excuse me.
――Welcome, Tsuguho-sama."
"...... Yeah.
It's been a while, Banda."
"I heard you had
returned from Hisashi, but I apologize for the delay in greeting you."
He halfway cut off Minami's
whisper in his ear, stomped on the floor, and quickly opened the door to the
captain's office on the second floor, his workroom, to find Kihoin Tsuguho
sitting on the guest sofa inside, looking over the documents she had asked her
secretary to prepare for her.
As he walked past
Tsuguho to sit on the sofa across from her, he glanced at the titles of some
documents on the desk.
It was a list of the
current members of the garrison.
――Personnel list? Who on
earth is she looking for?
He tilted his head
inwardly, but he didn't want to openly probe her, so he didn't say anything and
waited quietly for her to finish her silence.
"――Is this the
latest list?"
"Yes. Although
there is a proviso stating that the list is valid only up to April."
Tsuguho finished
looking through the list of names up to the second district, and after a
moment, she broke her silence and Banda responded with great haste.
As a matter of fact,
the personnel lists and actual numbers in the garrison are quite inconsistent,
due to the high frequency of changes in the garrison.
The reason is that
there are a surprisingly large number of children who have been forced to leave
their homes and wish to enlist, and the mortality rate of the garrison's
trainee soldiers is quite high.
In some of the worst
cases, more than half of the personnel in the garrison are replaced within a
year.
Since the exact number
of personnel and names on the list exist only in each garrison, the accuracy of
the list available at this headquarter was, to be honest, only a matter of
estimation.
I see. Tsuguho replied
curtly and picked up the personnel list of the 3rd district.
"If you are
looking for someone, just tell us the name and we will take care of it."
Convinced that she was
looking for someone after all, Banda made this suggestion with a certain
eagerness.
There is no doubt that
the person Kihoin Tsuguho is directly looking for, whoever it is, is of great
value.
If he succeeded in
securing this person ahead of Tsuguho, Banda's voice in the government might
become quite powerful, depending on how he behaved.
Perhaps, he could even
be able to take a shot at the seat of the head of the provincial council, a
position that Banda is secretly aiming for.
Although he was
excited by the prospect of getting involved in politics, Tsuguho's sharp eyes
glared at him.
"――Banda. I know
that you are interested in the county's politics.
I don't intend to blame
you for that, but you can't interfere in this matter. Are we clear?"
The girl's gaze, which
had only been alive for 12 years, had accurately guessed the thoughts in
Banda's mind, and his aged but robust body was intimidated.
"...... Looks
like I said something impertinent. That being said, I have no intention of
taking this matter into my own hands. I was only trying to avoid
inconveniencing you, Tsuguho-sama."
Even so, he was still
determined to obtain further information.
Although he has been content
with his current position for a long time, for Banda, the position of
commander-in-chief of the garrison is worth nothing more than a mere stepping
stone.
In fact, Banda's
talent as a guardian was not that great.
Although he possessed
a high-ranking spirit, his abilities were mediocre, and he was aware that his
position as commander-in-chief was the result of his lineage as a member of a
high-ranking noble family and the political dynamics that followed it.
Therefore, even though
he is in charge of the garrison, Banda was aiming to resign from his position
as commander-in-chief and enter into the politics of the province.
――However,
"――Banda."
Tsuguho's glare
intensified.
"I told you to
stay out of it."
"...................Understood."
This time, he realized
that his act of reaching out toward Tsuguho's objective was nothing more than
poking a snake in the bush.
Under pressure from
Tsuguho's gaze, Banda nodded his head and withdrew, pretending as if nothing
had happened, but with cold sweat running down his back.
Tsuguho said nothing
more, and for a while, the only sound in the room was the sound of the paper as
Tsuguho turned over the personnel list.
"......Asogi
Genji, I wonder where have I heard that name before."
After a few moments,
Tsuguho placed her finger on a corner of the list and raised her eyebrows as if
searching her memory.
"He is the
captain of the 8th Battalion, the one who made a name for himself by winning
the semifinals of the Tenran Tournament about three years ago."
Although Banda was
trying to keep his composure, he groaned inwardly with bitterness as the topic
of conversation turned to the captain of the 8th Battalion, with whom he was in
conflict in some way.
Genji's background is
the exact opposite of Banda's. He is a man who was forged from the battlefield
to become the captain of the garrison.
Genji, who was blessed
with a high-ranking spirit and excelled in swordsmanship, was well respected by
those around him for his personality.
This is the reason for
the disagreement between Banda and Genji.
It was because Banda,
who had become the commander-in-chief through politics, and Genji, who was very
popular, were always compared to each other even within the garrison.
Banda was slightly
nervous.
The fact that Ganji's
reputation is going up means Banda's reputation is going down.
"...... Ah,
right. The one from Tenran Tournament. I remember now."
However, Banda's
nervousness proved to be unfounded.
After leaving a curt
reply, Tsuguho's gaze returned to the personnel list.
Then silence fell over
the room.
After a while,
Tsuguho's gaze returned to Banda, perhaps having finished reading through the
list of the 3rd district.
"May I borrow the
rest of the lists? I will return them tomorrow."
"No problem,
ma'am."
"Thank you. ――Now
then, let's get down to today's main business."
"――Ha?"
Main business? So,
those lists aren't the reason why she is here?
Tsuguho then told
Banda, who was dumbfounded, about the oracle.
"Hyakki Yagyo is
going to march up the Tatehami River and attack us!? Why can't you tell us
about that sooner!!"
It would be better to
give wholesale information and instructions to the garrison before slowly
looking through the personnel lists.
Tsuguho's cold gaze met
Banda's indignant complaint.
"I've already
informed you though. ――I've already given you information and instructions on
what to do to your secretary, Minami, I believe it's her name, right? That's
the reason for all the commotion downstairs. What I have just told you is the
second time I informed you."
".................."
Realizing that his
earlier remarks had turned out to be a mistake, he was forced to remain silent.
"I don't actually
want to comment about your duty, but if you are ignoring your position as
commander-in-chief of the garrison by playing politics, I think you need to
rethink your qualifications as a commander-in-chief."
Realizing that she was
aware of the reason for his daily tardiness, Banda's complexion turned pale.
"Ha. My apologies,......."
Under the authority of
an absolute superior, who could cut him if he touched her, his head drooped
helplessly.
He was being reminded
that Tsuguho was, without doubt, the ruler of Shimon Province, despite her
outward appearance as a young girl.
Tsuguho stood up,
quickly holding the personnel lists her hands, without looking at Banda, who
shrunk down.
"Let me send you
off-......."
"No need. You
should proceed with your preparations for the Hyakki Yagyo. Since the Hyakki
Yagyo is going to march up the Tatehami River, the core of the Kegare must be
the Kutsunagahara apparition. Naturally, an apparition that feeds on history is
bound to act based on that history. Therefore, the basic strategy should be
sufficient by following the conventional one. Let the 11th Battalion monitor
Kutsunagahara, and deploy the 9th and 10th Battalions downstream. The trainee
soldiers should destroy the defiled beasts that are trying to disperse to the
capital, while the 1st Battalion should stop the monsters upstream. I believe
the head of Rindo should be here in Karen. I will issue a decree for
cooperation in my name."
"Understood."
Tsuguho gave
instructions one after another, leaving Banda, who should have been in a
position to give instructions, aside.
However, because
Tsuguho's position was even higher than Banda's, Banda could not raise an
objection to it.
"Deploy the 1st Battalion
upstream of the Tatehami River and wipe out the hordes that eventually reach it
with long-range area-of-effect spirit techniques."
"Wouldn't it be
better to use the middle riverbed as a battlefield?"
Aren't there too many
forces concentrated upstream and downstream? He wondered so and interjected.
The middle riverbed of
the Tatehami River is reasonably wide and suitable as a battlefield.
There is no better way
to reduce the number of Hyakki Yagyo than to make use of it.
In addition, Banda
also wanted to make up for his earlier blunder by changing the arrangement in a
way that would align with his agenda.
"......If you
don't mind, how about the 1st Battalion-……"
"Right."
Interrupting Banda's words, Tsuguho pretended to be in thought.
"――Deploy the 8th
Battalion led by Asogi Genji to the widest midstream riverbed. Since he was the
runner-up in the Tenran Tournament, I'm confident of his ability, but I'd like
to see how good his commanding skills are. You can organize the upstream as you
wish."
".......Ha,
understood."
Banda was mumbling as
if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he could not say anything because
he was in a vulnerable position.
Tsuguho left the room
without looking back at Bandai, who hung his head.
Soon, the girl's
presence disappeared downstairs in the garrison headquarters without ever
stopping.
After this happened,
Banda finally muttered something bitterly.
"Tch, a little
girl who only has her status ......."
He was unable to
complain face-to-face to the person who was overwhelmingly superior to him, and
could only mutter to himself when the other party's presence had completely
disappeared. His antagonistic attitude was quite pathetic.
In the end, all that
remained in his hands was the result of the evaluation that had been lowered
due to his own mistake.
――However, let's think
things over.
Isn't this a good
opportunity?
At this thought,
Banda's mouth contorted in a sickening smile.
The only squad
assigned to the midstream of the Tatehami River is the 8th Battalion led by
Genji.
The rest of the
deployment is left up to Banda's discretion.
――It might be a good
opportunity to use this Hyakki Yagyo to legally get rid of Asogi Genjii.
And so, Banda was
intoxicated by his own warped ideas.
――Banda was so elated
that he pitifully forgot about something.
When Genji applied for
the mountain hunt, two young guardians from the Eighth Family went to the 8th Battalion
to provide support.
And the meaning of
Tsuguho's decision to allow him to take charge of anything other than what had
been decided.
Perhaps here's what Tsuguho
was thinking.
――No matter how you
arrange things, in the end, the result will be the same, so do as you please.
――――――――――――――――
"Boy! Watch
out~!"
Akira's body was
startled by the sudden yell.
As his dazed
consciousness surfaced and he finally came to himself, he hurriedly looked
around.
The man who had yelled
at Akira, pulling a large cart with a high-spirited voice, passed by Akira and
disappeared into the crowd.
Akira realized that he
had somehow found himself standing on a main street where hundreds of people
were going about their daily activities and where steam-powered cars and trams
were coming and going.
It seemed that he had
drifted from the 1st district, where he had just been, to the 3rd district,
where the downtown area is located, in a daze due to the buoyant mood he was
in.
He looked around to
see if there was anything he could buy in the festive atmosphere he was not
familiar with, but he could think of nothing in particular that he urgently
needed, and with his pockets feeling empty and wretched, he could not waste any
money.
Instead, an idea to
visit the Talisman Association building just down the street popped into his
mind, but he didn't have anything urgent in mind, so he didn't even think of
stopping by.
There is no point in staying
here, and as he turned on his heel to head back to the tenement, he heard a
rumbling in his stomach asking for something to eat.
......Thinking back,
he remembered that he had not eaten a decent meal since the cucumber he had
eaten yesterday morning.
Perhaps it was due to
the sweet water he drank, but he felt full of vitality and not so tired,
however, as soon as he realized that he hadn't eaten anything all day, he began
to feel extremely hungry.
It wasn't so much that
it was unbearable, but he rubbed his stomach to soothe his hunger.
Looking around, he saw
an udon shop across the street a short distance away.
But he was a bit
concerned.
Unlike the other
trainees, Akira has a relatively large amount of money in his pocket, but he
also has a relatively larger expenditure.
He currently has about
10 sen on hand, enough to eat but not enough to casually decide to go out to
eat.
In fact, Akira has
never been to a restaurant in his entire life.
――However, even so, his
still somewhat buoyant mood and his stomach's demand for food naturally lead
his feet to the udon shop that caught his eye.
――I think it's
okay to be extravagant like this at least for today.
"――~Welcome~~!!"
As soon as he stepped
through the curtain, he was greeted by the owner's cheerful voice.
This is his first
time, so he was a little shaken by the experience.
Looking around, he
could see a few early birds sipping their udon noodles at their seats, even
though it was a little early for lunch.
Although Akira had
expected this, there were no other customers as young as Akira.
"One udon,
please."
Before sitting down,
Akira nervously gave his order to the restaurant's owner.
"Original Udon?
Fox Udon?"
"? ?"
The owner, perhaps
sensing Akira's confusion, asked again if he wanted fried tofu on his udon.
"Yes, with
deep-fried tofu."
"Aiyo. It's 3
sen."
He paid the amount the
owner charged him.
Akira let out a sigh
of relief that it was cheaper than he had expected.
......For Akira, udon
was a rare treat, second only to rice cakes at New Year's.
The reason for this
lies in the geography of Kokuten.
Kokuten Province is
full of steep mountains, and there is relatively little flat land suitable for
farming compared to other regions.
The precious flat land
was used to expand rice paddies, and even then, rice was in short supply, so it
was necessary to expand terraced rice paddies to increase rice yields.
The noodles that
commoners could comfortably eat were mostly made from buckwheat that grew well
even in the barren highlands.
Udon noodles, made
from wheat that could only be grown on the plains, were precious even among the
nobility, and Akira had only ever tasted udon noodles that his grandmother had
secretly made for him at Ugetsu's residence.
"Here you
go!!"
Beyond the boiling
steam of the bowl of udon placed in front of him, Akira could see a larger
portion of udon than he had expected.
Gulp. He involuntarily
gulped.
――Come to think
of it, there was a time when I used to dream of eating a full bowl of udon when
I was a child.
Putting aside the fact
that he is still undeniably a child, counting to 13 years of age, he was
overcome with a sense of deep emotion that seemed out of place.
Shaking off the
remnants of this dreamy thought, he grabbed a pair of chopsticks and stirred
the soup and udon noodles from the bottom of the bowl.
Then, just as he had
done when eating with his grandmother at the Ugetsu mansion, he slurps it all
up in one go, while still steaming hot, without any thought of manners.
The flavor from the
dried bonito flakes and the saltiness of the light soy sauce filled his mouth,
and the udon bounced around as he slurped it.
"A-afu――!"
He almost choked, but
as he swallowed his mouthful of udon with gusto, he felt a mass of heat coiling
through his esophagus and into the pit of his stomach, not to be outdone by the
summer heat.
Ho, ho. Repeating
short, heavy breaths, he let the heat that burned the pit of his stomach
escape.
Thinking about it, his
whole body cheered for the first decent food he had had in not one, but two
days.
After the udon, he bit
into a piece of fried tofu.
The sweet and spicy
fried tofu slid down his throat with a slight aroma of sansho (Japanese
pepper).
――It is
different from the udon noodles of that time after all.
To be honest, the udon
noodles his grandmother made for him were of uneven firmness, and there were
often lumps in the noodle.
Not only udon, but making
noodles is a physically strenuous job.
Naturally, most udon
makers are men, and if the udon was made by a woman, and an old woman at that,
it was inevitable that the udon was not very good.
――This udon
noodles is delicious.
――But,
――The udon I ate
at that time was much tastier.
It was a rare treat,
and no matter how bad it was, the udon that his grandmother made for him tasted
like the home he wanted to return to.
――Akira, when
you become a shrine parishioner, I'll make you another bowl of udon.
His grandmother's
muttering voice, as if she was looking forward to it, remained at the bottom of
his memory.
Suddenly, nostalgia
struck him, and his eyes were getting hotter.
Ripples spread across
the surface of the udon soup.
His tears, which he
thought had dried up, trickled down his cheeks.
"O-oi. Are you
okay?"
Shaking his head to
let the shopkeeper, who had noticed something wrong, know that everything was
all right, Akira continued to weep in silence.
――I made it.
――I've finally
become a shrine parishioner.
I can live
here now, can't I?
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