Volume 2
Side Story 11
Cheeks Soaked
in Divine Tears, Perplexed but Distant 2
Translator : PolterGlast
―Kokuten Province, Samidare Territory.
Capital, Tsudzura.
It was mid-afternoon
in mid-August, just before the end of the Bon Festival, when Fuwa Naotoshi
arrived at the residence of Ugetsu, which stood on Mt. Rengyo, while the miasma
pools were still preventing him from returning home.
The sun was still high
in the sky, but several of his retainers were rushing past him, making noises
with their footsteps.
Naotoshi's anxiety was
aroused by the fact that all of them had a uniform look of impatience on their
faces as they disappeared into the outer entrance.
There was no trace of
the peaceful atmosphere that was present before the departure, and the interior
of the residence was filled with a sense of preparation for war.
"―Kunoe-dono."
"Goodness
gracious, Fuwa-dono.
You have finally
returned, and safely at that!"
Among the passing
group, he spotted one of his close retainers and exchanged greetings with him.
Known for his
mild-mannered personality, Kunoe returned a bow with relief shown on his
expression.
"Somehow, though.
I was slowed down by the miasma pool, so I was delayed longer than I had
expected.
―What's all this fuss about?
"Recently, the retainers
have all been out to clean up the miasma pools.
This is the first time
in this region that there has been a shortage of Onmyoji."
"To such an
extent......"
"It's true.
Defiled beasts have been invading the city day and night.
We must be prepared
for this year's harvest.
―There's a blunder just before Souma-sama's ascension
to the throne. The head of the family has been meeting with Sakou-sama day
after day to save our dignity before Gioin-sama."
"Even presently,
I presume?"
"Yes."
At Kunoe's
affirmation, Naotoshi turned his feet toward the east of the mansion.
Standing outside
Tenzan's study at the east end of the mansion, he called out from outside the
sliding door.
"My Lord. Fuwa
Naotoshi has returned."
"―Come in."
The voice was somewhat
dull.
He opened the sliding
door and tried not to let his mind wander away from the current situation. In
the center of the study, Tenzan, Souma, and Sakou Jinbei, who was the first
seat of the retainer, were sitting in a circle.
As one might expect,
their expressions were even more somber than those of the retainers.
"I apologize for
the delay.
―I am Fuwa Naotoshi. I have just returned."
"I have received
your telegram. ...... It was a disaster, huh?"
"It's nothing
compared to here.
―I wish I could be present for the purification, but
unfortunately, Hidarugami seized my spirit vessel, and I have to request it to
be repaired."
"I'll submit a
request to the blacksmith.
Surely, you'll feel
uneasy without one, so I'll entrust you with a spare spirit vessel.
―It's right on time that you came back."
The fact that he did
not hesitate to entrust his precious spirit vessel to someone else showed that
the situation was far more serious than it seemed.
On his knees, he
proceeded to the study and joined the group seated in a circle.
"Right on time?
What does that imply?"
"...... Let's
talk about that later.
Similar to the one
Naotoshi was caught in, there are currently several miasma pools in Samidare
Territory.
Moreover, there are
several apparitions (high-ranking defiled beasts) wandering around the mountain
ranges."
"To that extent,
huh......"
Unable to even utter a
comforting word, Naotoshi lost the next sentence he was about to utter.
An apparition, which
is also the memory of the land itself, is a living disaster that can reappear
in this world if there is enough miasma.
Naturally, it is a
powerful entity. And there are more than one.
No wonder the Hyakki
Yagyo had occurred, for this was the first emergency since the beginning of
Ugetsu.
"You may rest
assured. Thanks to the participation of our family head and Souma-sama, all the
apparitions have been destroyed.
It is unlikely that
any more of that type will be born. We can rest easy for the time being."
"If that were the
case, that would be good. The fact that there are multiple apparitions is
already unusual.
...... It's just like
the descent of Aragami that we hear about in the folklore."
"Shush! It is not
something to be spoken lightly."
Sakou Jinbei, the
first and longest-serving Ugetsu's retainer, restrained Naotoshi's impatience
while stroking his own beard.
Sakou, who had once
served as Tenzan's instructor, is a highly respected figure in Ugetsu's
household.
Although reluctant to
be interceded by such an old man, Naotoshi lowered his hand to pursue the
matter.
......Fuwa Naotoshi's
position within Ugetsu's clan is very unstable after all.
Despite the fact that
Naotoshi is Ugetsu's son-in-law, both Hariin and Ugetsu have refused to grant
Naotoshi permission to reclaim his position.
This is the reason why
Naotoshi has long been stuck in the position of guest general, despite sitting
at the end of Ugetsu's line.
Therefore, Naotoshi's
voice has remained at about the same level as that of the middle-ranking
Ugetsu's vassals.
"...... Father.
I can delay my return
to Tenryo Academy, which is scheduled in five days."
"Don't.
It is true that we
would love to borrow your strength, but we cannot expose the unrest of Ugetsu
to the other families.
Even so, Gioin-sama's
displeasure is still growing.
We cannot afford to
let her see our embarrassing disgrace, such as delaying your return from
vacation."
"......
Yes."
Souma, who seemed to
be filled with emotion, turned to Tenzan on his knees and spoke up.
...... Souma's current
ability has reached Okuden level of the Gioin-school.
His talent, which
would be unmatched by ordinary guardians, is certainly a valuable force in this
difficult situation.
However, without
hesitation, Tenzan rejected Souma's suggestion.
"Gioin-sama's
displeasure? Your engagement did not go through?"
"―Hmm.
It seems that
Shizumi-sama was very fond of that pseudo-kegare.
Upon hearing of his
death, she even casually dismissed us from her presence."
"How come?
―Do you mean she blames Ugetsu out of her own
selfishness?"
"Although its
disinheritance may be an unpleasant news, it is also an occasion to be
celebrated in its own way.
I don't know why she
was so obsessed with that thing."
"Maybe there was
a problem with the procedure."
"The
disinheritance itself is up to our family.
Other than the
Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs being strangely slow to act, everything went
without much trouble."
"I know that,
but......"
Naotoshi had not
doubted that Souma's engagement to Gioin would go through.
Seeing the fact that
it was turned down, it was not difficult to imagine the fury of Gioin when they
learned of Akira's death.
Glance. When he looked
at Souma, he saw that Souma's fists were shaking as if they were about to
explode.
It was only natural.
He has always been praised for his brilliance, and because of this, he has
never experienced rejection from others.
Suddenly, he recalled
the fact that he was able to use Akira's talisman.
"The other day, I
was in a situation where I lost my regeneration talismans,
―I had no choice but to use Akira-kun's regeneration
talisman, which I kept as a good-luck charm."
"Are you really
able to use it?
...... Oh, you poured
your spiritual power into it, huh?"
"No. The talisman
activated without the need to pour spiritual power into it.
―It seems that Akira-kun was able to utilize his
spiritual power."
"There is no way
a person without a spirit can exercise spiritual power.
Are you sure there wasn't
some kind of mistake?"
"It was certainly
activated. Moreover, I had Akira-kun write 100 regeneration talismans in a row.
If that is the case,
then he possesses the spiritual power of at least 20 Onmyoji-......"
"―Ridiculous."
Naotoshi was about to
say something more, but Sakou cut him off.
"That spiritual
power originated from Fuwa-dono, wasn't it?
Since you have it as a
good luck charm, you must have had it with you at all times.
If you carry an empty
talisman like that, it's not unusual for it to absorb your leaking spiritual
power."
"Is that really
the case? ......"
Indeed, Naotoshi had
heard stories of people who had their lives saved by being able to exercise
empty talismans without realizing it.
However, the precedent
mentioned by Sakou must only be possible because it was the lowest-level
recovery talisman.
Even after receiving
Sakou's words, Naotoshi still felt a slight tugging at his heart, but he could
not find the words to argue with him and decided to back down.
Well, no matter.
Tapping his knee to dispel any doubts coiled up in the air, Tenzan returned to
the main subject.
"......
Shizumi-sama was probably in a state of eager anticipation for her reunion with
Akira.
It seems that she felt
a strong sense of sorrow at his death, and although she may have been swept
away by her temporary emotions, she is undoubtedly a strong woman. I am sure
that she will soon face reality and hope to establish a relationship with
Souma."
"I have no doubt
about that.
...... Otherwise, it
would not make sense to pardon the return of My Lord to Samidare Territory
without being detained.
Although she was
upset, she understood Ugetsu's point of view, I suppose.
―But now that things have gone this far, I think it is
necessary for Souma-sama to go to the academy as soon as possible and directly
persuade Shizumi-sama."
"I guess we have
no other choice.
―Souma."
Hearing Sakou's
advice, Tenzan smiled softly at Souma.
"I am sorry to
impose my inadequacies on you, but you must arrange a meeting with Shizumi-sama
at the academy.
Somehow, you must turn
Shizumi-sama's feelings toward you."
"...... Yes.
Forgive me if I must leave amidst the difficulties of the Samidare
Territory."
"Phew. Who do you
think I am?
I may not be as good
as you, but I am still the head of the Ugetsu."
"Thank you for
your thoughtfulness, Father.
Please leave the
meeting with Shizumi-sama to me."
Relieved by Tenzan's
response, Souma left the study to prepare for his trip to the academy.
As the three of them
watched over Souma's disappearing back, a female servant hurriedly entered the
room.
"Excuse me, sir.
I have just received
word that a swarm of defiled beasts has overflowed from the western
highway."
"What!? I believe
I sent Yasuhisa there.
What happened to my son!?"
"M-My apologies,
sir!
The messenger's
injuries are severe, the detailed report said that-......."
"No, I can't
waste my time here. I will ask him myself, lead the way!
......My Lord. Pardon
me, but I must leave for an urgent matter."
"Very well. You
must hurry, Jinbei."
"Yes!"
Sakou Jinbei's
expression changed drastically at the mere thought of the safety of Yasuhisa,
whom he had loved and considered as his successor.
Seeing the impatience
in Sakou's face, Tenzan gave his permission, and Sakou hurriedly left the room.
In the center of the
study, which had regained its former silence, Naotoshi sat down in front of
Tenzan.
"I hope
everything is all right."
"Sakou Yasuhisa
is a skilled man, and he won't be outdone by a bunch of defiled beasts so
quickly......
Nevertheless, the
western highway is aligned with the railway tracks.
―Naotoshi. I will have a replacement spirit vessel
prepared for you at once, so that you can relieve Sakou's impatience."
"Understood."
The railway, which
enables mass transportation, is an important means of trade that connects the
mountainous Samidare Territory to the outside world.
It supports the
livelihood of the Samidare Territory through trade in raw food, fuel, and
lumber.
Protecting the
railroads was not something that could be neglected in order to maintain
Samidare Territory.
Naotoshi accepted the
request to protect the railway without any hesitation, even though he had just
returned home.
"Oh, and the
other day.
Late at night, I
received a red letter from the Fuwa family."
"Fuwa? From the
head of the Fuwa family (elder brother)?"
"Yes. I
apologize, given our current circumstances, I have read the contents of the letter."
He accepted the letter
and quickly skimmed over the contents.
Naotoshi's expression
clouded as he saw the contents of the letter.
"......This
commotion. Seems that Kabeju Province is also affected by it."
"Yeah. It is said
that there are not enough Onmyoji available that can be dispatched for
purification.
They must have grown
impatient with our reluctance to dispatch our Onmyoji, the situation on our
side is also dire after all."
That might be one of
the reasons, but recently, Ugetsu has often taken a headstrong approach to
negotiations.
It was the result of
him being in a hurry to get things done since he no longer had to worry about
the marriage with Gioin, but if he pressed things to his advantage over such a
short period of time, he would surely have drawn a certain amount of animosity
from those around him.
―In fact, although Tenzan seemed unaware of it, the
letter was filled with hidden messages expressing dissatisfaction with Ugetsu
and concern for Naotoshi's situation.
This is about as much
expression as can be contained in a letter. Kabeju Province's anger must have
been considerable.
Although the head of
the Fuwa family has a gentle personality, it was not difficult to imagine that
if they met face to face, they would hear a great deal of complaining.
Naotoshi was struck by
a double depression, and he was deeply distressed inwardly.
"Understood.
After clearing the
western highway, I will take some Onmyoji with me and proceed to
Suzuyashiro."
"I'm counting on
you.
―Ah, right, Naotoshi."
"Yes."
Naotoshi stood up to
leave the room upon Tenzan's request.
As he put his hand on
the sliding door leading to the corridor, Tenzan's voice, which had been lost
in thought, was hurled at his back.
"Have you ever
heard of the term Kanna-no-Mikura?"
"...... No, I am
not familiar with it.
Where did you hear it
from?"
"When
Shizumi-sama left the hall, she asked me this question.
Honestly, I think it's
a trivial question, but I'm curious.
I could not find a
word about it in any of Ugetsu's documents......"
When asked, Naotoshi
also rummaged through the depths of his memory.
But no word came to
mind.
After a few moments,
Naotoshi bowed his head in defeat.
"I can't think of
anything.......
Once things settle
down, I'll try to look it up as well."
"Umu. I'm
counting on you."
*Rattle*. He opened
the front door and stepped outside.
A few drops of rain
fell from the clear sky and wet Naotoshi's cheeks.
"The sky is
crying?"
"It will be a bit
inconvenient for you to go to Tsudzura, won't it?
I will get you an
umbrella, please wait a moment."
"Please."
Naotoshi looked up to
the sky once more while the retainer hurriedly ran to the back of the mansion.
The raindrops falling
from the clear sky were cold and rigid.
It was as if the
heavens were crying, Naotoshi thought to himself.
As the sunlight
frequently fell, he unfolded the umbrella he had received and stepped out into
the rain.
A gust of mountain
wind blew in front of Naotoshi's vision as he headed toward the main gate.
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