Volume 2
Chapter 2 Part
2
At Kamotsu,
Walking into a Headwind 2
Translator : PolterGlast
―*Chug, chug.*
Three days after their
meet-up with Shuka at Bankyu Daigaran, Akira and Saki were on a train heading
to Kamotsu.
The outside scenery
seen from inside the train, which shook regularly and significantly, flowed
from the front to the back and disappeared before their eyes.
It has been about 50
years since steam locomotives, with their output of over 1,000 hp, were able to
transport goods and people faster than any vehicle known to the people of
Takamagahara.
The steam locomotive's
black iron majesty continues to attract children's curiosity even after a
reasonable amount of time has passed since it was first introduced in the
modern age, and the voices of children cheering and the sound of their running
feet never die down inside the train.
"By the way,
Akira-kun, do you have any knowledge about the town of Kamotsu?"
"No. I only know
that the Hasebe territory is the southernmost part of Shumon Province."
As two territories
need to be crossed from Kamotsu to Karen, two days are needed to complete the
entire journey.
Akira was nervous
about being seated with Saki at the beginning of the ride, but by now, on his
second day as a passenger, he was completely used to it, and he was relaxed
enough to follow the children with his gaze.
"I see. My
knowledge is limited as well, but let me tell you something in advance. And it
is only public knowledge, but it's still better than nothing."
"......
Please."
Upon reflection, Akira
had been so busy preparing for his departure that he had neglected to gather
any prior knowledge.
Honestly ashamed of
his own negligence, Akira bowed his head to Saki.
"Kamotsu is
located at the southernmost tip of the Hasebe territory. It is also the capital
of the Hasebe Territory and probably the second most developed region in
Takamagahara."
"...... Even
though it's the capital of a territory, it's nothing more than a small town,
isn't it? How did it become so prosperous?"
"Hasebe Territory
has certain privileges. It is the only place in Takamagahara where trade with
foreign countries is permitted, and the town of Kamotsu is famous for being
open as a window for this. That's why that city has the largest mooring port in
Takamagahara. Hasebe Territory has always been unrivaled in its development due
to the enormous amount of money and the right to control the distribution of
goods."
In other words,
Kamotsu has played the role of a barrier between overseas countries and
Takamagahara.
And finally, the
reason why the [Holy Church of Guidance] is operating in Kamotsu could also be
roughly guessed.
"Are you saying
that the only way for the [Holy Church of Guidance] to invade Takamagahara is
through Kamotsu? ―Is that why they chose an abandoned village on the outskirts
of Kamotsu as their base of operations?"
"Yes. That
understanding is not far wrong. If we go even a little bit away from Hasebe
territory, we won't hear the name of the Holy Church because it can only
operate in the area around Kamotsu. However, even among the followers of the
Holy Church, the majority are residents of Takamagahara, so it is possible that
some of them are from the abandoned villages and have simply come back to
continue living there."
"I see. Then, the
likelihood of a disturbance happening there is-..."
"It shouldn't be
that high. However, I heard from the head of Kuga that this kind of disturbance
happens from time to time, and he wanted us, or rather Kuga-kun, to gain some
experience."
The term
"Kuga-kun" reminds him of Kuga Ryota, who visited the garrison with
Saki as part of his training.
Although he only had a
short conversation with him, the only impression left in his memory was that he
was a chic person appropriate for his age.
"―Kuga-,
Ryota-sama, was it? I heard he has been teamed up with you, Saki-sama."
"When we met you,
Akira-kun, it was the first time I teamed up with him. I've known him for a
long time, though, ...... Well, I think I'm a little uncomfortable with
him."
"..........................."
Flicker. Saki's
expression was laced with bitterness.
Even judging from
Saki's previous explanations when she mentioned Ryota, Saki's tone of voice was
noticeably curt, so her assessment of Ryota's personality came as no surprise.
Saki didn't seem to
want Akira to ask about it, but there would be a good chance that she would be
partnered with him in Kamotsu.
With a single sigh and
reluctance, Saki opened her mouth in response to Akira's silent urging.
"...... Kuga-kun.
Kuga Ryota-dono is a 12-year-old apprentice guardian just like me. As you can
tell from his name, he is a direct descendant of Kuga, and the eldest son at
that. He is one of the top five spirit users of our generation, possessing a
high-ranked spirit of the Earth Elements. I don't know who dubbed him, but he
is known as the Kuga Prodigy."
"He is that
amazing, huh?"
"Yeah. There is
no doubt that he's talented. Not only in literature, but also in martial arts.
Even though he is already strong enough just by having a high-ranked spirit of
the earth element, but since he was housed by the Eight Families, the results
are needless to say.
Until he entered
Tenryo Academy this year, he was literally unbeatable, so you can imagine how
strong he was."
"This year?"
"...... Yeah.
There was one person in our generation who was on a different level. The first
divine spirit user born in decades, the [Treasure of the North], Ugetsu Souma.
I think that Kuga-kun wanted to establish his rank within the academy before
his abilities were fully developed, but he made a reckless move early in this
year's enrolment, and was defeated in the end."
".................."
Ugetsu Souma. The
corner of Akira's mouth trembled slightly at the mention of his former
brother's name, which he hadn't heard in a long time.
The abominable name,
which he no longer remembered these days.
He thought he had
gotten over it, but apparently, for Akira, the roots of his memories were
deeper than he had imagined.
"Well, let's not
talk about it. It has nothing to do with this investigation after all. I think
I'll probably be paired with Kuga-kun in the investigation.
I've got a track
record of teaming up with him, and it's just a continuation of that. But as you
can imagine from your little conversation with him, Kuga-kun's character is a
bit problematic."
"Well yeah, I
found him to be quite overbearing."
"...... Yes. For
better or worse, he has the personality of a genuine nobleman."
They'll be working together
for some time from now on.
In order not to give a
bad impression, Saki desperately changed her wording about Ryota to a softer
one.
Arrogant, smug and
overconfident. Although Saki's impression of Ryota is not very good, she feels
that it would be wrong to tell Akira about it.
"Well, it's not
that he's a bad person, so as long as you listen to his instructions and don't
refute him, there won't be any problems."
"―Understood."
After a bit of
distress, Saki made a half-hearted effort to follow up.
Akira noticed Saki's
conflict, but did not dare to point it out, and only showed his affirmation.
When lunch was just
around the corner, the pair grabbed ekiben (lunch boxes) that were on sale in
the train. 800 yen each.
Formerly, on the train
that Akira rode on when he escaped, it was so expensive that even the hungriest
would hesitate to touch it.
When the linen cord
binding it, wrapped in a bamboo leaf, was undone, inside were two pieces of
baked rice ball, two slices of pickled daikon and a small piece of grilled
salmon.
Akira had high hopes
for what he would get out of the large amount of money he had spent on a bamboo
package that would fit in his hand, but he was disappointed to find that it was
only a slightly better version of the garrison's meals.
"Is something
wrong?"
Saki, who noticed
Akira's disappointment, asked suspiciously as she sipped the tea in the bamboo
canister.
"...... I was a
bit disappointed because I paid 800 for this meal. I should have brought a few
more portable meals."
"Really? This is
what an ekiben is like though. ―It's not like a makunouchi bento."
".......I
see."
Makunouchi lunchboxes,
an assortment of colorful seasonal vegetables, are an imposing and extremely
expensive item, only sold in first-class compartments and reserved for the
wealthy.
In case you are
wondering, the price is 3,000 yen.
Naturally, with
Akira's financial circumstances, he could only dream about it.
"Also, it's best
not to stuff your stomach with too much food. Here."
Saki consoled Akira's
dejection as she picked up a rice ball.
*Clank*. As if in
response to Saki's words, the train swayed, and the view from the train window,
which had been nothing but thickets passing by and disappearing, opened wide.
"Whoa!!"
The boys who had been
running around the corridor cheered and clung to the train windows.
"That's
............."
Prompted by the
children's cheers and Saki's gaze, Akira turned his attention beyond the train
window.
Ahead of where the
railway line headed down the low hills, a city with a huge harbor, recognizable
even from a distance, came into view.
"Yep. It is the
capital of the Hasebe Territory and the gateway to Takamagahara,
―Kamotsu."
"Nn~~. We've
finally arrived."
Half an hour later,
the two were outside the Kamotsu station ticket gates.
Perhaps in reaction to
being released from two days on the train, Saki stretched her body, which would
have been reprimanded by Shibata Setsuko, her maid, if she was caught.
"Today, after
requesting a meeting with the head of the Kuga family, all that remains is to
decide on a place to stay. We are not here for sightseeing, but we have some
time to spare, so how about we go down to the port after we leave the
station?"
"Yes, by all
means!"
Akira's eyes lit up
and leaped at Saki's suggestion.
Having spent her days
busy with daily affairs, Akira had never enjoyed leisure activities, such as
sightseeing, before.
The thought of a ship
visiting from a foreign country across the ocean and beyond, although he knew
about it from information, aroused his curiosity.
"Because this is
a mission, we'll have to settle down in Kamotsu for a while, so we should be
reasonably picky about the accommodation we stay in."
"Ojou-sama,
wouldn't it be better for you to stay in a high-class hotel? If it's just me, I
can sleep in a shared room somewhere."
"Don't. If it was
the previous you, that might be fine, but I can't say the same for the current
you."
Saki gave a stern look
at Akira's suggestion.
After Saki took charge
of Akira's training, she realized that Akira was too little aware of his own
identity and the awareness that comes with it.
This is something
Tsuguho had not expected, even towards Saki, who was currently Akira's mentor,
Akira tried to keep a certain distance from her.
―Most likely, it's because he has a habit of
unconsciously avoiding the nobility, but it definitely can't go on like this.
"Let's clarify
Akira-kun's current position. First of all, Akira-kun is already a protector.
―Or rather, to the extent that you can potentially be treated as a
guardian."
Those who have
received Shrine Parishioner as a result of [Shrine Parishioner Lottery] will
never be able to change the result of being a parishioner for the rest of their
lives.
However, the spirit
that a person possesses is not necessarily of uniform ability, and there are,
for example, middle-ranked spirits who are slightly below the rank of
high-ranked spirits.
In other words,
depending on their abilities, there are those who are treated as guardians,
even though they are protectors, although this is a rare occurrence.
Akira is currently
treated as a protector, but having directly received a spirit vessel from
Kihouin, he is recognized by some as a future guardian with the backing of
Kihouin.
In other words,
although a newcomer, Akira is already a member of the nobility.
―Nobility has its own socializing. It is not something
that can be avoided simply because one doesn't want to.
"......
That's,"
"Akira-kun, even
you must have been aware of it, right? I can imagine how you feel about the
nobility, but you are already part of it now."
Akira's unintentional
raised voice of protest was overridden by an even stronger tone of Saki's
voice.
Although her tone was
strong, so was her concern for Akira, and Akira was rendered speechless by the
sincerity of Saki's expression.
"............
Yes."
While perhaps left
conflicted, Akira honestly bowed her head to Saki's words of remainder.
Saki, who was unsure
about what kind of backlash she would receive, relaxed her shoulders after receiving
Akira's positive response.
"First of all,
watch behind my back as I interact with them as a member of the nobility. Let's
gradually expand your social relationships. Don't worry, it's a tedious
process, but it all depends on how you think. Once you get the hang of it,
you'll get used to it. ―or rather......,"
Saki turned a
dumbfounded face to Akira as she realized the biggest problem with sleeping in
a shared lodge.
"Were you
planning to sleep while holding that?"
"........................
Ah."
Hearing Saki's words,
Akira looked down at the spirit vessel in his hand.
Genji had already
warned him about it, but spirit vessels are so strictly controlled that they
are also used as proof of nobility.
Naturally, there is no
way that they would be in public circulation, and if they were to be converted
into monetary terms, even a C-type spirit vessel could be called a bargain,
with a minimum price of tens of millions of yen and a further negotiation
required.
Leaving such things
exposed and unprotected, spending a long period of time in a lodge where it
would be said that it is one's own responsibility to leave things unattended.
Just by making such a
judgment, one cannot escape the slander of being a fool.
Akira was honestly
ashamed of his lack of thinking.
"...... Anyway,
after we see the sea, let's go and look for a place to stay. Western-style inns
are expensive, but I hear they have individual rooms with locks, so I think
that would be the most ideal."
While saying so, Saki
began to walk this time.
Following behind her,
Akira assessed his own financial situation.
Although he understood
Saki's advice, to be honest, Akira, who had not yet received his salary as a
protector, was naturally concerned about his own poor financial situation.
―I've brought some money with me, but I doubt I'll be
able to afford it.
In the worst-case
scenario, he would have no choice but to borrow from Saki or the Kuga family.
As he prepared himself
for such a situation, Akira looked at Saki's back with a sliver of hope in his
heart.
―I beg you. At the very least, please find a lodging
that's affordable for me.
As expected, since he
was born a man, he did not want to be seen borrowing money before the eyes of a
woman.
Although he could not
say it out loud, it was a painful wish that put his pride as a man on the line.
A non-negotiable
battle was about to begin in an area that Saki had no idea about.
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