Volume 3
Prologue
A Gust of Cool
Breeze Comes to Karen
Translator : PolterGlast
A dream.
A phantom he almost
forgot, yet could not forget.
―Hey, Akira.
A childish whisper
tickled Akira's ear.
A frail girl's
fingers, extending from her black-dyed robe, gently caressed Akira's cheeks as
he slept in the late afternoon.
The girl spun words to
Akira in place of a bedtime story.
―Remember this. Kuro is-...,
The depths of his
field of vision opened vaguely. The girl with a pure black radiance happily
engraved her own memories into Akira's soul.
*Rustle*. With the
sound of her rustling clothes, the girl's cool arms intertwined with Akira's,
and she snuggled up to him as he was heated by the lingering heat of the late
summer.
Something ephemeral,
something fragile.
...... and also,
somewhat obstinate.
―, ――, .........................
...... He had a dream for the first time in a
while. A sweet, sweet, nostalgic recollection that was nothing but a gentle
breeze.
――――――――――
―kii... giigii... gi...
The steam locomotive
came to a rest in the corner of the Karen Central Station, and stopped its huge
black iron frame.
The sooty steam that
blew out accompanied by the steam whistle licked the shoes of the hastily
passing passengers.
The station staff ran
around among the hustle and bustle of the impatient passengers, and the doors
of the cars were opened one by one.
They must have been
stressed out by the cramped space. The passengers who had been waiting by the
doors quickly descended into the station building, and their hurried footsteps
trampled the steam coiled on the ground in their stead.
In the midst of this
chaotic daily routine, two new shadows emerged as they descended to the station
building.
"―We've finally
arrived at Karen, Master."
"Indeed.
But, if everything had
gone according to plan, we would have been able to arrive a little
earlier."
A boy of about
fourteen or fifteen years of age with a bright expression on his face, dressed
in a haori over his garrison uniform, stretched his body as if to relieve the
boredom of his long journey.
The man standing in
front of the boy responded briefly and looked around casually.
The expressions on the
faces of the people passing in front of them were not tinged with anxiety.
Perhaps it was the
geographical remoteness of the area, but it was clear that Kihoin was
successfully pulling the reins against the miasma coming from Kokuten Province.
At that moment, a man,
with an annoyed expression on his face, walked from behind toward the two of
them who were standing in the shadow of the station building,
―Stopping to look at the family crest swinging in front
of him, he changed his expression to one of indifference and turned his steps
toward the wall.
Did he just recognize
that it was the crest of a noble family?
―Or did he recognize it as the crest of the eight
families belonging to the Western Hakudo Province, the Yuge family?
A pink wheel-shaped
floral pattern. When it comes to a man around 30 years old who is allowed to
carry this family crest, there is only one person one can point to.
He is Yuge Kojou,
known as Jinroin's wingman.
"It's humiliating
for Master to be bothered by a bunch of monkeys.
...... Merely at that
level, they should be able to handle the situation only with the help of their
own retainers."
"Don't say that,
Jin. We haven't kept an eye on this territory for a while, and now we're paying
the price.
...... Looks like the
southern part is still less affected by the miasma."
"Yes, that's to
be envied.
―I heard via telegram that someone would be coming to
pick us up."
Nakiri Jin, Yuge Kojou's
disciple, responded with a nod and lifted up the wrapping cloth that contained
his baggage.
The two looked around
as they passed through the ticket gate, but could not see anyone who looked
like them.
Rather, they were
struck once again by the development of Karen, which they arrived at for the
first time.
A car equipped with a
small steam engine, which seemed to be the most advanced in the world, passed
in front of their vision with a light engine sound.
Beyond them,
passengers were lined up to board a sophisticated-looking tram at a nearby
transit stop.
The electric power
lines stretching across the city and high-rise buildings more than five stories
high overwhelmed the boy, and the sheer number of people passing by eloquently
emphasized the fact that this was the most prosperous area in Takamagahara.
The Southern Shumon
Province is the only place where trade with foreign countries is permitted.
This city, which was
the first to receive the benefits of civilization from overseas, captivated
Jin's vision with clear persuasive power, both for better and for worse.
"―Ya~a ya~a.
Sorry to keep you waiting!
Yuge-sama, I
presume?"
"Yes, as you can
see.
Are you the one who
would pick us up mentioned in the telegram?"
...... Looking at the
surroundings, before they knew it, a man dressed in gray western-style clothing
and a hunting cap was standing beside them.
The man with round
glasses perched on his nose was smiling, yet without a hint of emotion.
Perhaps alarmed by his
Noh mask-like smile, Jin stood between Kojou and the man.
"You are in the
presence of the head of the Yuge family, who are you?"
"I am Mutou Mototaka,
an Assistant Inspector of the Karen Police Department.
...... Ah, my
apologies. I don't bring my business card, so please forgive me since I'm only
here to greet you."
The man who called
himself Mutou, with his finger on the rim of his hunting cap, lightly bowed his
head without showing any sign of agitation at Jin's sharp words.
Jin grew irritated at
this rude response, but Kojou only lightly shrugged his shoulders.
"―No problem.
We don't carry our
business cards as well, after all."
"Thank you for
your consideration.
Come come, please come
this way. We have a car ready for you."
Muto smiled in relief
when Koujo understood exactly what he was trying to say.
Exchanging business
cards, which came as a courtesy from overseas, is a custom that has exploded in
popularity in Takamagahara.
―Even cats and bamboo ladles would exchange business
cards whenever they met.
It is one of the
foreign cultures that has spread so widely that such a ridiculous story was
born.
Naturally, Kojou had
prepared some of them, but he showed consideration to Mototaka by not
mentioning it.
The fact that he did
not have a business card means that he could not declare his position.
In other words, he is
probably not an assistant inspector, and his position as a police officer is
also questionable.
...... Public Order
and Security, or something of the sort.
A specialized
anti-personnel force that has finally begun to be implemented in each province,
with a primary focus on supervising garrisons and police forces.
It is said that it is
an organization that is not favored by the nobility because of its nature, so
it is organized in a highly secretive structure.
Muto's implicit
hinting of his identity might reflect the least possible consideration for Yuge
Kojou.
―Even so, they are still very cautious of him.
This fact alone raised
a question in Kojou's mind as he climbed into the steam car parked at the
destination to which he had been led to.
――――――――――
"It's been a
while, Kojou-dono.
I hope Hotori-sama is
doing well."
"...... Yes. The
western region is under control.
It's great to hear
that Shion-sama is also doing well."
Although he was wary
of Kihoin Shion's unreadable smile from across the table, Kojou was able to
respond with a few words.
"Indeed. Aside
from the stormy weather in the north region, the daily life here is pretty much
as usual.
―May I receive the letter from Jinrouin?"
"Yes. .......
Please."
Accepting the letter
that was handed to her from across the desk, Shion opened it up and ran her
eyes over it briefly.
The content is very
simple. The letter begins with a short greeting and a few lines explaining that
Kojou is to stay as an emissary.
...... Shion thought
they were going to either probe her thoughts or put a check on her response to
Kokuten Province.
She was unable to
suppress her puzzlement at the peaceful content, which was quite off the mark
from what she had expected.
To begin with, she had
expected that if Yuge Kojou were to be mobilized, he would be coming to Kokuten
Province first.
If one were to miss
the first move that should be made, one would not be able to read the
opponent's intentions.
...... If the emissary
is merely serving as a warning, it should be enough to send out anyone.
Is it Jinrouin Hotori
who is pulling the strings behind the scenes......? No. Judging from the
tactics they have been using in the past, it should be Hakudō's Province's
Divine Pillar.
"―I see,
Kojou-dono is planning to stay here for a while. Do you have a plan for how
long ......?"
"Hotori-sama has
asked me to return in about two weeks.
...... I don't intend
to idle away in the meantime, so you can use me in the garrison."
"Well.
Kojou-dono's military fame is well-known as one of the strongest in
Takamagahara. So I would be very grateful to have you serve amongst our
garrison in Karen, even if it is only for a short while."
Since the garrison is
chronically shorthanded. While it may be a meager addition, it is certainly
gratifying to gain additional power from someone of Yuge Kojou's caliber.
...... However, if Shion
were to be honest, she would prefer him to stay at the inn that Khouin has
prepared for him during his stay at Karen.
"I'm perfectly
fine with that. ...... Though, I'll send Jin back in a few days."
"Who is this
Jin?"
"He is my
disciple who is waiting outside.
He is still a student,
so I need to bring him back before the Tenryo Academy starts."
"...... That
would be fine. If you talk to the person you met with earlier, you will be able
to get immediate permission to leave Karen.
It would be somewhat
inconvenient to be in a garrison with different authorities, wouldn't it? I
will grant you a certain amount of discretion, so you can move around as you
see fit."
"Much
appreciated."
Now is an important
time, and Shion doesn't want any unnecessary disturbances.
Even if it is only one
of them, it would be great if the emissary could leave Shumon Province.
Besides, if he spent
the entire month of September at the headquarters of the garrison, training the
defenders in the garrison or destroying the defiled beasts in the surrounding
area, he would not go near the main residence of Kihouin.
As long as they could
prevent a situation where he would run into Akira at the main residence, he
shouldn't do anything beyond what was expected.
Without much thought,
Shion returned a nod of approval.
Although he did not
believe that he would be refused, Kojou's expression softened when he was given
permission without any problems.
"I think that's
all.
......How is
Kagura-sama faring? I've heard that she's been living a healthy life."
"When I patted
her on the head, she got upset and complained that she had turned 10. I don't
know how to deal with her, since she is my first child."
"It can't be
helped. Girls at that age tend to want to stand up tall.
It is often said that
the life of a flower is short. The moment the bud breaks open is a fleeting
moment.
―Please cherish this moment."
Kojo's mutterings were
tinged with a hint of joy, an emotion that Shion had once experienced as well.
Listening to the
age-appropriate worries of a man who is the most powerful in Takamagahara,
Shion put her work aside and enjoyed the conversation for a while.
――――――――――
"―Is the meeting
over?"
"Yeah, sorry to
keep you waiting."
Right when she stepped
out in front of the main gate of Kihoin, Nakiri Jin came running up to him.
He didn't seem to be
tired of waiting either, perhaps because he was killing time by talking with
Muto.
Looking up at the sky,
the sun was still high, and it seemed a little early to be settling down inside
their lodgings.
"That's all for
today, isn't it?
....... If you like, I
can guide you to your lodgings. "
"......No, before
that, let's go to the garrison headquarters.
I've promised to
assist them during my stay here in Karen. So, I would like to show my
face."
"That's
reassuring. I heard that nowadays there is an increasing number of people who
are fond of politics and are called defenders in name only. If you could reform
their mentality, we would be delighted.
―Well, the worst among them is the commander-in-chief
himself."
"Hou~. Are there
a lot of politicians involved here as well?"
"Ever since the
parliamentary system was established, there has been a growing concern about
it.
It is a disgrace that
so many people who are only concerned with making money are growing in
number."
Please keep this to
yourself. In response to the sarcasm directed at the others, which was told to
him with a chuckle, Kojou merely nodded his head in understanding.
After doing so, the
face of the friend he was planning to meet flashed through his mind.
"Come to think of
it, my friend wrote in his letter that he has settled down in Karen.
I'd like to show my
face to that person tomorrow."
"Do you know
where he lives?"
"Sort of. ......
But knowing him, he probably doesn't come home much anyway.
I heard he was
appointed as captain of the garrison, so I guess he's using the garrison as a
roof over his head."
"Haha, he seems
to be a very eccentric man.
...... May I inquire
his name?"
Seeing Kojou's
shoulders sway as he chuckles in reminiscence, Muto shrugs his shoulders and
responds with a nod of understanding.
―Since he is the captain of the garrison, people will
know his appearance and the location of his camp. After the discussion at the
garrison headquarters, I might have time to drop by today.
As he was making these
calculations, Kojou revealed the name of the person he was looking for.
"―Asogi Genji.
He's the guy who competed against me in the last Tenran Tournament."
It is a tournament
held once every three years where the defenders compete against each other
beneath the watchful eye of the Four Sovereigns and the Three Palaces. The man
who has been preserving his title of champion three times since his first
appearance at the tournament mentioned the name with nostalgia.
――――――――――
"...........................Nn."
Fluttering eyelids
brought Akira's consciousness, which was dredged up by the fine waves, back to
reality.
With a single jerk,
the writing desk clattered.
The brush that had
been lying on the edge of the desk fell off and traced ink marks on the worn
rush mat as it rolled.
...... Perhaps from
the relief of having finished writing the talisman, he had fallen asleep before
he knew it.
When he raised his
upper body, which was rested on the writing desk, while rubbing his dazed eyes
against the lingering tears, the joints of his body complained about the strain
of dozing off in an uncomfortable posture.
"Fu... a~a~a~a~
......"
Akira yawned and
exhaled a sense of accomplishment after finishing a task, and stepped down to
the earthen floor of his room.
He drank water from a
water jar with a ladle without a second thought, and then walked to the front
of the tenement house.
He smelled the aroma
of baked sticky rice. An old woman selling rice crackers at the front of the
tenement turned her blind eyes toward Akira, perhaps noticing the sound of his
footsteps.
"Oya, Akira-boy.
...... Looks like you slept well."
"How did you
know?"
"How many years
do you think we've known each other?
I can even distinguish
the sound of your footsteps when you wake up."
Akira scratched his
head, grumbling that he was no match for her.
At that moment,
The golden tints of
the rice paddies swayed, and with a gentle rustling sound, a cool breeze swept
past Akira and the others.
Perhaps lured by the
gentle sound of the breeze, red dragonflies flew out of the golden paddies.
"It's already
autumn, huh?"
"......Indeed,
it's autumn now."
In response to the
deeply moved old woman's soliloquy, Akira responded with short words.
The cicada's hasty cry
signaled the end of summer, and the red dragonflies took their place to
celebrate it.
It was evidence that
the season in which Akira had drifted to this tenement had come around again.
On the wall of the
room where Akira resides, a brand-new haori, which has just been given to him,
flutters in the breeze.
It was the last day of
August in the year 3999.
As autumn was fast
approaching with the sound of surging waves, Akira was about to mark the fourth
year since he had drifted to Karen.
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