Volume 3
Chapter 1 Part
2
Ask Oneself,
Yet the Days Go By 2
Translator : PolterGlast
Even after the flames
were extinguished, the heat of battle was still lingering on the plains.
The battle was over,
but for the soldiers, the real work had just begun.
In the boiling air
with no wind, Kansuke and his fellow soldiers were working side by side to
clean up the carcasses of the defiled beasts.
As Kansuke bent down
to lift the largest of the deer carcasses, a hand from behind him grabbed his
hand as he tried to reach for it.
"―Let me
help."
"Akira, huh?
....... Sorry. Please
take that side."
In response to
Kansuke's words, Akira lifted the hind leg of the deer.
Without even the usual
exchange of words, the carcass was carried away and thrown into a pit.
After sprinkling the
carcass with purifying water, the remnants of the miasma that had been wafting
from the carcass flared up into a bluish-white flame while making noises.
Perhaps fanned by the
flickering flames, Akira's haori fluttered slightly.
After a moment of
silence, Akira, while trying to appear calm, opened his mouth.
"Who is it?"
"....... It's
Yoshi."
"I see."
Akira's eyes slightly
twitched as he heard the name spoken in a short sentence.
The name of the victim
was one of the senior ones whom Akira knew very well.
"How many years
did he have left?"
"Beats me.
―Soon, soon. He kept repeating it like an idiot, so
maybe one or two years."
"Where'd he do
his apprenticeship?"
"Carpenter's
......, as usual.
They would be happy to
have less people to feed, but they'd complain about the extra chores.
―That's all."
"What about his
hometown?"
"I don't know.
Nobody wanted to talk
about it, and ...... have the nerve to ask."
"But ......"
"Look, Akira."
Kansuke interrupted
Akira, who was about to say something and met his gaze.
"He wasn't the
first.
Eight people have been
killed this year, and it was way worse before that. It's just that the last two
months without casualties have been an anomaly.
...... You've seen it
for yourself, haven't you? If you worry about it too much, you'll go
under."
It's a common
occurrence for drill soldiers to have a psychotic break when faced with the
death of a fellow soldier.
There is no problem if
one simply broods over it. But the problem is that every year there are a
certain number of people who take extreme action and bring others down with
them.
Kansuke, who has known
Akira for a long time, could smell the same signs in his words and actions.
"..........................."
With his eyes slanted,
Akira looked at Kansuke squarely in the eyes.
He was probably aware
of what Kansuke was trying to say. The defiance that tried to come out of his
mouth did not take shape, and his lips only quivered slightly.
"...... Let's go
home after we're done cleaning up.
You can eat a handful
of rice and go to bed, and you'll be ready to work again tomorrow."
"...... You're
right."
There were no words
exchanged after that.
The two of them,
shoulder to shoulder, silently cleaned up the carcass.
Yoshi was not the
first. Even Akira is well aware of this.
As long as one is a
member of the garrison, it's impossible to end up without sacrificing oneself.
It was all good when
he was still a drill soldier. Because he was content to blame the deaths of his
comrades and the dissatisfaction of reality on his superiors.
―But this time, it was Akira's first mission since
becoming an official defender.
Akira decided
everything, including the strategy and the deployment.
It was inexcusable to
place the responsibility on anyone else.
The reality is that
Yoshi's sacrifice was the result of his decision.
This is Akira's
responsibility alone.
It is a matter of
Akira's heart alone, which not even the divine pillar can touch.
......As Akira began
to look at the place where Asogi and Niikura stood, he came face to face with
the inevitable reality of the deaths of his friends.
――――――――――
Central Karen. A
middle-aged man was walking briskly through a tavern district lined with red
lanterns.
It smelled of rotten
food and cigarette smoke. It is a stench, a foul smell, but no one here cares
about it.
Instead, they were men
who had fled from their daily frustrations to get drunk.
The man slipped
through the crowd of drunks clamoring for a quick drink and headed for a place
with a firm purpose.
―Eventually, he arrived at a house in the back of an
alley.
It is a drinking
establishment with the curtain still lowered. Although there is a noticeable
sign, no customer even peeks in to see its messy interior.
In front of the store,
where only a few lights were leaking, stood a man who appeared to be a civil
official from a noble family.
At the arrival of the
middle-aged man, she raised her eyes slightly and then naturally averted them.
"―Miwa-sama, it's
been a while."
"...... He is
waiting for you on the 2nd floor."
The middle-aged man,
who bowed his head humbly, bowed again in response to Miwa's curt reply and
entered the establishment.
The familiar interior
of the store. He walked past the owner, who seemed indifferent to his presence,
and up the creaky, poorly built, cramped staircase.
"You arrived
quite early."
"Don't
bother," Miwa, who was following the middle-aged man, opened her mouth
curtly. "I don't have much spare time."
"Alright."
Without making any
argument in response, the man simply shrugged his shoulders.
He went upstairs and
opened the sliding door.
When the sliding door
was halfway open, it made an unpleasant noise.
An orange light
greeted him, and in the back of the room, an elderly man was drinking a bottle
of sake.
"It’s been a
while, Banda."
"....... You've
arrived. Come, sit down."
Near the window in the
back of the room is the commander-in-chief of the garrison, Banda Kanosuke.
With his permission, the man sat down beside Banda.
While Banda dismissed
Miwa out of the sliding door with a gesture of his hand, the middle-aged man,
with a new sake bottle in his hand, eagerly offered Banda a cup of sake.
"Excuse me, sir.
―Please let me pour you a cup of sake."
"Hmm. You've
become quite thoughtful, huh?
Did you learn it at
Honjō's house?"
"Haha. Once one
has lived through many years, one will realize that even these little tricks
are not so trivial."
"...... That's
just how it is."
Banda tilted the sake
cup, and without giving it a chance to drain dry, a new cup of sake was poured.
Before sipping this
fresh sake, Banda glanced out the open window.
Although it was a
secluded place, there were still many people passing by. Even though it was
early in the evening, he could hear angry shouts coming from far away.
"Would you like
me to close the window?"
"No need.
―Look, Tomotoshi. Even though we are protecting them
from the defiled beasts again today, they are so carefree that they don't even
care about the hardships we have to go through."
Actually, Banda has
rarely been involved in actual battles.
As a result of blood
relations and political dynamics, Banda's ability is far from that of a
guardian, and he is nothing more than a guardian in name only, and besides, it
would be a nuisance to have him participate in actual battles.
"We sincerely
apologize for your dissatisfaction, sir."
"You should!
Especially these days,
do you know how much Kihouin has been paying attention to me!? They're getting
all worked up over the disposal of a single drill soldier!!"
What's more, they
appointed the drill soldier as a defender, and began to investigate Banda's
wrongdoings as a replacement.
Banda's gut had been
probed so much that he had lost contact with some of the State Council members
he had bribed.
Kihoin's hand even
extended to the garrison, and Banda's authority had been severely taken away.
...... Recently, he
has literally spent his days just sitting in a chair.
Although no one is
talking about it for fear of Banda's temper tantrums, Banda has heard rumors
that this is the work of an inspector put in place by Kihoin to remove Banda
from his position as commander-in-chief.
―And Banda's heart was fuming with conviction that this
was true.
"...... What a
troublesome bunch.
How about asking for the
Banda family's help?"
"Have you even
forgotten what the Banda family taught you after you moved to Honjō?
Don't dream of rising,
but learn to sink. It's because you can't do that that you're still stuck with
being the head of a branch of the Talisman Association, even though you're my
younger brother."
"―That kind of
hurts. So, we can't let our family stand out, huh?"
The Banda family has a
long history and a lineage that is capable of possessing a high-ranking spirit,
but it is by no means a prominent family.
The main family has a
small fiefdom in the northern part of Shumon Province, but the fiefdom is so
remote that it is difficult to travel to and from, and no one who has achieved
visible fame has ever appeared on the front page of history.
In fact, the entire
clan, which has continued to exist in anonymity, has been working in the
shadows.
The stirrings in Karen
were devoted solely to the preservation of the family, and the results were
shown in the form of history.
Naturally, openly
asking for help is against the family's principles.
It is not difficult to
imagine that Banda Kanosuke's situation would be worse than it is now, if not
punished.
Incidentally, Honjō
Tomotoshi, who is now the head of the branch of the 3rd District Talisman
Association, was Banda Kanosuke's younger brother, but he was removed from the
family due to his lack of ability.
"If you
understand, don't ever mention it again.
―Let's get to the main subject, how's Gensei's
regeneration talisman?"
The reason why Banda
revived his relationship with Honjo Tomotoshi, with whom he had lost contact
for a long time, is precisely because he heard about Gensei's regeneration
talisman, which is traded only in the third district.
It is highly effective
and has a fast healing rate. Rumors had been spreading secretly among Onmyoji
for some time.
Even though it was a
backroom deal, they were able to obtain such a thing from an old man who was
like a beggar and not even registered, for less than a penny a piece.
If his brother in
front of him had not been so greedy, he would have been able to drain even more
of the broker's fee into his own pocket.
Furthermore, even
though he had gone to a great deal of effort to cover up the rumors, the money
that was supposed to go to Banda from last week was gone.
He glared at the
middle-aged man shrinking in front of him with exasperation.
"M-My apologies.
The Talisman
Association was also invaded by Kihoin, and all of Gensei's regeneration
talismans were completely confiscated.
"Tsk!!"
Banda's already low
boiling point was easily triggered, and in frustration, he threw his sake cup
at the man.
Whether from emotion
or drunkenness, it fell far away from the man and onto the tatami mats in the
back.
A delicious sweet
aroma spread out from the corner of the room.
"The reason I
covered for you with a large sum of money was in anticipation of getting that
thing!
I explained to you
many times that I needed it to establish relations before joining the
council!!"
"Yes. I am well
aware of your interest in Gensei, Banda-sama.
―But, it's Kihouin. It seems that they know something
about that regeneration talisman that we don't know about, and they exercised
their authority to retrieve the talisman."
"......
Wha?"
For Banda, Gensei's
regeneration talisman is only recognized as a highly potent talisman.
The value of a single
Gensei's regeneration talisman is currently 80,000 yen per piece in
circulation. Banda found it difficult to understand why anyone would pay such a
large sum of money for it.
To Banda, Gensei's
regeneration talismans were nothing more than bundles of bills.
"I heard that
even the headquarters of the Talisman Association voiced their complaints to
Kihouin, but they stubbornly refused to budge on this one matter.
The backroom dealings
involving the regeneration talisman were a weakness on our side, so the
headquarters also had no choice but to remain silent."
It is no exaggeration
to say that securing a source of talismans is a top priority for Shumon
Province, which is suffering from a chronic shortage of talismans.
Therefore, the act of
purchasing talismans from unregistered people was an open secret, even if it
was against the law.
In other words, Banda
and the others who had been abusing the backroom dealings as a means of
securing a buffer in the supply of talismans were now being exposed and their
actions were revealed to the public.
The Talisman
Association probably thought that thoroughly destroying Banda and the others'
malicious intentions would directly benefit them in the future, so as not to
cause future supply disruptions.
"Then again, it's
just a regeneration talisman.
It is certainly
potent, but I think it's not really that valuable."
"I had my doubts
as well, so I spent some of the leftover money to verify the potency of that
regeneration talisman.
―I found out that it does not have an upper limit to
its healing power."
Banda was finally
struck aback by the information the man brought to him.
The upper limit of
healing indicates the limit of how far it can heal.
The fact that there is
no upper limit means that even physical defects that are not normally able to
be healed can be healed.
Banda is not
completely clueless about talismans. The healing limit of a normal regeneration
talisman is, at best, limited to healing a laceration that could be fatal.
Yet, it is still
circulated at a high price.
There is no upper
limit to the healing that determines its value. In other words, Banda came to
understand that its value also has no upper limit.
"Those goddamn
Kihoin!
A talisman of that
magnitude should be managed by the garrison! Why can't they at least let the
regeneration talismans reach the people who need them!!?"
"Haha.
Banda-sama's sincerity and honesty are indeed justified.
―However, as expected, it's Kihoin we're dealing with.
It is very difficult to persuade them to change their decisions."
Without even looking
at the man who was prostrating himself, Banda sat back down on the tatami mats.
He touched his beard
and adjusted his thoughts.
...... Eventually,
"Wait. In the
first place, where did that old man Gensei wander off from?"
"Pardon?"
"With such an
extraordinary regeneration talisman. It doesn't make sense that there have
never been any rumors about him until recently.
What did he do before
he came here?"
"There have been
rumors within the Talisman Association about Gensei's past.
...... There was
speculation that perhaps the old man was not a talisman master, but an Onmyoji."
It was not a
particularly strange speculation.
If one were to trace
it back to its origins, Fujutsu (talisman technique) is also a technique of
Onmyoujutsu.
Although Onmyojutsu
has long since retired from the battlefield, its usefulness goes without
saying, as it is used in a wide variety of situations for its versatile
abilities, such as interfering with dragon veins and purifying the land.
The question is, where
does this Onmyoji come from?
For instance, if he is
not just an ordinary Onmyoji, but a high-ranking one, he may come from a very
unique background.
"...... Are you
implying that he was one of those who were affected by the political unrest
within the Ministry of Onmyou and was expelled from the Central Province?"
"Haha. I am very
much impressed with your wise insight, Banda-sama......"
"I don't need
cheap flattery.
...... But I can
somehow understand what you're getting at. Several years ago, the Great Lord of
Central Province announced that the political upheaval in the Ministry of
Onmyou had caused several old families to fall into ruin.
As a result, many
high-ranking Onmyoji lost their livelihood completely.
...... I see now. If
one is fed up with politics, becoming a stray talisman master is a decent way
to earn one's livelihood."
While still ignoring
the middle-aged man who was prostrating before him, Banda kept on thinking.
It was only a guess,
it was so plausible that it spun a reasonable story.
"Banda-sama. Kihouin
has probably caught on to this fact ......"
"It's highly
possible.
They probably intend
to collect only the high-ranking regeneration talismans so as not to cause any
disturbance.
―In the end, what we all want is only his regeneration
talismans, huh.
He's just a single
senile old fool who has fallen into ruin anyway. If he doesn't even show up at
the Talisman Association anymore, we can only assume that he has died
somewhere."
"Well. I am
worried that I can't move on my own, and it will lead me into a difficult
situation. If it were you, Banda-sama, it would be like a breeze.
―In that case, I would like you to allow me to inform
you when he visits the Association and make arrangements accordingly?"
―Here. One more drink.
With the newly offered
sake cup in his hand, Banda drained it in one gulp.
"...... Alright.
Since I'll be working in the shadows, I'll send my forces to help you. If that
old man shows up, contact me right away.
―Don't disappoint me, Tomotoshi."
The light bulbs
flickered and the candles swayed in the breeze.
The shadows cast by
the seated man seemed to dance eerily in the intricately overlapping light
sources.
――――――――――
As the candlelight
swayed and ran out, the sliding door of the tavern was opened with an
unpleasant sound.
A middle-aged man
emerged soundlessly from inside the darkened establishment.
"―Miwa-sama. My
sincere gratitude for your hospitality."
"You're welcome,
Honjō-dono.
...... Is he still
inside?"
"Yes. He seems to
be a little drunk, so I had to leave first."
Despite Miwa's curt
response, the middle-aged man's smile never faltered.
The way the man bent
over to bow made Miwa feel a slight sense of discomfort.
Honjo Tomotoshi's
personality is very easy to grasp. He has no hesitation in respectfully addressing
those below him and flattering those above him to a tenacious degree.
But if it's the same
Honjō as usual, he would not even leave the store until after Banda had
left......
"It's rather
unusual."
"Haha. It's
shameful for me to say this, but I'm afraid I've displeased Banda-sama.
I thought it would be
bad for me to see him off."
"―Is that
so?"
Honjō's way of
flattering was so excessive that even his own brother (Banda) had to pinch his
nose.
Has he just learned to
lower his waist? Miwa nodded her head in understanding.
The middle-aged man,
who seemed to have little character, turned his back to her as he thanked her
politely.
A creaking sound was
heard. The red lanterns danced in unison, perhaps driven by the breeze
generated by the stream of people.
Without so much as a
glance at the man's back as he left, Miwa headed back into the room, where the
bright orange color leaked out, to send Banda on his way.
There was nothing to
linger on.
The waves of light
created by the red lanterns, which were strangely in sync with each other, only
created a clear contrast to the stream of people.
The back of the
middle-aged man who was leaving was immediately swallowed up by the stream of
people coming and going and the chasm between the lights.
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