Volume 3
Chapter 8 Part
2
Thus, in the
Present, if We Mingle in the Shadows 2
Translator : PolterGlast
―Central Province, Central Capital,
Santen Mausoleum.
After
parting ways with Akira and the others, Tsuguho visited the Sannomiya residence
built in the center of the Santen Mausoleum, which occupies the center of the
Central Province.
The
entire Central Capital is connected to the Divine Realm separated by a thin
layer of barrier, and at the center of the Central Capital, it can be said that
more than half of the area is covered by the Divine Realm.
The
Central Capital in itself is a vast domain of the Divine Pillar, and is nothing
other than the very space known exclusively to Takamikura's Princess.
In
fact, no disturbances have ever struck the Central Capital since it was completely
controlled by the Divine Pillar.
The
clear sky peeking through the mother-of-pearl screens, to which Tsuguho and the
others were guided through, showed no sign of disturbance, except for a gentle
rain shower.
"Fujimorimiya-sama.
Princess
of Kihoin has arrived."
"―I'm
sorry to keep you waiting.
I've
been a little busy, so my schedule was a bit delayed."
Tsuguho, sitting on
the high-quality tatami mats and gazing at the mirror-like stillness of the
water, stopped and bowed her head deeply when she spotted a figure behind the
woman who had been guiding her.
"I thank you for
your kindness in allowing me to visit you before the Kannamesai Festival.
Yukiko-sama."
As her family name
suggested, a woman dressed in an indigo-dyed rinzu was sitting down on an upper
seat (kamizu), her footsteps barely audible.
―The wisteria crest on her chest blooms and sways.
Fujimorimiya Yukiko
cast a quick glance at the young girl who carried the burden of being the next
head of Kihoin on her shoulders.
She looked to be around
20 years old.
But as far as Tsuguho
knew, her appearance had not changed in more than 10 years.
In fact, everyone
present knew that Yukiko's age was well over 40.
She has a long
lifespan, reaching 200. This is the proof of being Sannomiya's Miko, who has a
greater status as a divine pillar than the Four Sovereigns' Miko.
However, contrary to
her status, her gentle tone of voice released the tension that ran through the
room.
With a wave of her
hand, she ordered the others to be dismissed.
Not even a few moments
later, the only sound that remained was the sound of rippling waves on the
water's surface.
"Kuro-sama has
been a little turbulent lately, but not to the point of affecting the
five-element barrier. The only people who are currently stirring up trouble are
the old families who want to take advantage of the situation.
―Let's get down to the main issue. Was it Nurarihyon?
An evil god who can speak lies sure is troublesome."
"I've confirmed
that he can tell lies.
......I know it's hard
to believe, but it's true."
"I don't doubt
it.
However, since he also
uttered some truths, it would be doubtful to say that his myth is based on
falsehood.
There must be some
kind of gimmick in his myth that allows him to lie."
"Does that mean
his myth itself is a lie?"
Hearing Yukiko's point
of view, Tsuguho's eyes grew gloomy.
A myth is the essence
of the Divine Pillar itself. The reason why the Divine Pillar cannot turn its
back on his/her own myth is because it represents his/her identity.
If his myth itself is
a lie, then everything he says would also be a lie.
Let's say that
Nurarihyon can tell lies at will, but in order to balance the scales, he needs
to pay some kind of price.
―For the Divine Pillar, whose myth is a lie, the truth
itself is a lie.
"Aka-sama said
that the karma that has invaded Nurarihyon is distorting his very
existence."
"Interesting. If
it is what a Divine Pillar said then it would not be far off the mark.
The report said that
Nurarihyon radiated miasma, is it true?"
"Correct.
When the mask sacred
artifact was destroyed, a huge amount of miasma contaminated the surroundings,
so there is no doubt about it."
"...... A fallen
sacred artifact with the power to impersonate others, huh? Is that also a part
of how he was able to lie?
If we could find out
the true nature of his myth, I think we could take a measure to deal with
it."
Yukiko was lost in
thought as if trying to trace the truth behind the matter, but no answer came
back to her.
In the silence that
suddenly fell, Tsuguho took a sip of the sencha tea from the teacup.
A fragrant, savory
taste spread out along with the aroma of the sencha tea.
Tsuguho's eyebrows
shot up in surprise upon experiencing it for the first time.
"―Delicious,
right? I mixed roasted rice cake into the tea.
It is said to be a
trick that merchants use to satisfy their customers, and I tried to imitate it
because I thought it was interesting."
"......The
unusual savory taste makes the tea more delicious."
When Yukiko laughed at
the success of her prank, Tsuguho's shoulders slumped as she drained the tea.
Since it was normal to
taste tea with rice cake, the thought of combining the two was surprisingly a
rare thought.
It might be a simple
combination, but it can lead to new discoveries depending on how one thinks of
it.
The simple, yet vivid
flavors told Tsuguho so.
"I wish
Nurarihyon could be this simple, though.
Just thinking about it
here would be inconclusive."
"There was
nothing wrong with the five-element barrier, but I don't think things will end
there either.
......Because for some
reason, Nurarihyon seemed to be provoking us."
Judging from the way
the other party spoke, it was easy to guess that preparations for this Hyakki
Yagyo had been made over many years.
The five-element
barrier, gains strength beyond its upper limit by connecting five dragon dens.
He must have had more than enough time to investigate this barrier, which
utilizes the entire Takamagahara region.
Whether it be through
the use of a sacred artifact or the invasion of divine pillars, it should be
difficult to penetrate this barrier and reach the world's throne......
"The fact that he
went out of his way to contact us means that he has found a way to deal with
these issues.
Is Shumon Province
willing to offer its forces against the impending Hyakki Yagyo?"
"We have no
intention of unnecessarily interfering with the Imperial Guard's authority.
Therefore, we only
selected a few of the best that we could provide.
―Here are the details."
Imperial Guard, under
the direct control of Fujimorimiya, is Takamagahara's greatest fighting force
and does not tolerate interference from other provinces.
Although they have
ceded their position as the strongest, their fame and prestige have never waned.
Accepting the offered
paper, Yukiko glanced at the names on the list.
There were a few names
that she remembered. ―But the rest of them were youngsters.
"I remember Asogi
Genji from the last Tenran Tournament.
Also one of the heads
of the Eight Families. ......But, I see the rest are just youngsters."
"So do I, but I
believe that everything is a matter of experience. And they belong to the
academy, so it's convenient since they would be around at all times."
"I don't mind
these youngsters venturing out here. ―But there is no need to needlessly expose them to danger. Can't you just
provide us with the head of the Eight Families?"
Yukiko's concern was justified.
It is obvious that
even the Imperial Guard, who may boast of its greatest strength, would be
unable to do its utmost to protect the Central Capital and its surroundings,
considering the sheer number of demons in the Hyakki Yagyo.
Therefore, the
cooperation of each of the provinces is indispensable for the protection of the
vital points that maintain the five-element barrier.
Fortunately, three of
the Four Sovereigns were present in the Central Province, but if one were
looking for great luxury, it would be a natural choice to rely on the Eight
Families' sacred artifacts on top of it.
"This is a topic
for later, but ...... for some reason, we are planning to send some Vansuir
dignitaries over here.
We were planning to
send the head of Rindo to monitor and escort them.
―Whether or not they will be able to arrive in time
depends on them."
"Do what you
think is best."
Hearing Tsuguho's
comforting words, Yukiko breathed a sigh of relief.
Once again, she went
through the names listed on the paper.
Then she blinked at a
name in the corner.
Only one person's
surname was not listed there.
"What about this
one, named Akira?"
"He is a
recognized protector who had achieved great exploits during the Hyakki Yagyo
that attacked Karen at the beginning of July.
After achieving
another great feat in August, Kihoin officially recognized him as a protector.
Although he is still a
novice in the martial arts, he has a history with Nurarihyon and has expressed
his desire to participate in this war."
She had fully anticipated
the possibility that he would be judged.
Without changing her
expression, Tsuguho showed a series of Akira's accomplishments.
It was not a lie.
However, perhaps sensing the haziness in their conversation, as if they were
crossing a thin thread, Yukiko's gaze became probing.
Tsuguho's fearless
gaze confronts her head-on.
Besides, Yukiko did
not know Akira's name. The fact that this information was so reliable was of
great value to Tsuguho.
The possibility that
Gioin, impatient with Kihoin's attitude, would file a complaint to Sannomiya
was always a possibility that could not be dismissed.
Their gazes
intertwined with each other for a few moments.
Eventually, it was
Yukiko who looked away first.
"I see.
If you say there is no
problem, I have no intention of stopping Kihoin's decision.
―However, if you wish to ask the other party to serve
as a protector of your province, at the very least, give them the status of a
peerage.
It is your duty as a
governor of a province to show that you are ready to respond to the devotion of
your people."
Yukiko's words are by
no means off the mark.
Although there are
regular soldiers with commoner backgrounds in the garrison, it is essentially
the role of the nobility to protect the nation.
Although it may be a stretch,
once one becomes a protector, he or she should be given the status of a
nobleman to show respect to society at large.
However, even though
Tsuguho was grateful for Yukiko's words, there was no way to change the fact
that Akira was from Ugetsu, the first of the Eight Families of Kokuten
Province.
Even if both parties
denied it, bloodline would always be a bond that could not be ignored.
The footing on which
Akira stands is ambiguous.
It is no exaggeration
to say that this is the greatest weakness of Kihoin, which has steadily
advanced on the foundation of its sole victory.
This is a competition
that will determine which side Akira will be on.
―Kihoin's position is still unstable, as Akira is still
unaware of his own position.
"Yes, Kihoin has
already prepared a surname for Akira-san as a reward for his great achievements
to date."
"Oh, how well
prepared.
...... Did you perhaps
already anticipate this?"
"Quite the
opposite. For us Kihoin, we only felt that it was necessary to do so."
Tsuguho desperately
walked a tightrope between lie and truth to avoid being caught.
Despite her gentle
appearance, the woman in front of her was Fujimorimiya.
A part of Sannomiya.
One of the supreme authorities who is fair and has the sole power of
adjudication in her hands.
Even if Tsuguho holds
power over Shumon Province, there is no one who can compete with the woman in
front of her in terms of status.
If she were to be
dissatisfied with Shumon Province, at this point in time, she could change the
situation in any way she wanted with a single decision.
Yukiko pondered for a
moment. Eventually, she drained the teacup and put it on the tatami mat.
"Well, fine.
I'll leave it at that
for the time being.
This is a bit
off-topic, but have you decided on a surname to give to him?"
―We passed.
While stifling a sigh
of relief, Tsuguho smiled brightly.
The surname that would
be given to Akira was also among the challenging topics.
The fact that it was
only resolved just before they left Shumon Province is evidence of how
difficult it was.
Nevertheless, they
finally agreed on Akira's surname just a few days ago.
Her cherry-red lips
curled joyfully.
"Yes. We have
decided to pick up one of the extinct family names.
―The name is..."
♢
At the bottom of the
dark, swirling miasma, a man with a dull appearance descended.
Inhaling the corrupted
and poisonous vapors that would melt even the bones of ordinary defiled beasts
in one gulp, the man exhaled with a satisfied expression.
The rocky figure that
had been watching the scene brushed away the piling rock fragments and sat down
in front of the man.
"...... The
General, huh?"
"How nice to see
you, Dōji-dono.
Although you look very
different, I'm delighted that you immediately recognized us."
You know why,
don't you? Nurarihyon's somewhat impish response was met with a cackling laughter
from Kangyō-dōji.
"I never looked
at your appearance, I only see you from the taste of your miasma.
......Is that your
body this time?"
"Correct.
Although it was merely a pawn to manipulate the many branches, it took a lot of
time and effort to re-carve it.
It's one thing that
the plan worked well, but it's merely a temporary measure because we ran out of
time with the main objective.
It's good to arouse
people's caution, but it's just not good enough."
The middle-aged man,
known to Karen as Honjō Tomotoshi, rubbed his chin with a grin like a crescent
moon on his mouth.
"The power to act
as someone else cannot exceed the upper limit of the performance.
Although it is the
final goal of the divine pillar that has lost its dragon den, it is regrettable
that the limits of the Nine Dharma Treasure have been severely
restricted."
"......Don't
brood. I'll be able to exercise the power of the miasma in time, and I'll be
able to use my Divine Realm Properties as well."
Kangyō-dōji's aged,
inorganic voice was laced with a rueful tone.
―Divine Realm Properties are the only means to
reproduce the greatness of the Pillars of the Divine in this world.
The effects it
produces vary greatly, but as long as they are compatible, they can overturn
even the most disadvantageous situation.
The maze of miasma,
the culmination of spiritual power, would only be able to activate the sacred
artifact at best, lamented the great demon who had fallen in age.
However, Nurarihyon,
smiling with amusement, was in no hurry.
He poured in the
miasma, twisting the nature of the Nine Dharma Treasure. He had anticipated
that it would no longer be possible to reproduce perfectly as it had been in
the past.
―Moreover,
Since the sacred
artifact itself is the embodiment of greatness, it does not mean that its
divine properties have been lost.
"The only time a
sacred artifact would be completely destroyed would be when the divine pillars
were perished.
If it merely means
that the great deed can no longer be reproduced, then it can be reproduced
here."
"Hou."
I guess you
still don't get it.
Nurarihyon only
chuckled slightly at the indifferent affirmation of the great demon.
"Look at the
workmanship and the finishing touches, Dōji-dono.
See? The Nine Dharma
Treasure is simply napping, and it will only take a moment to wake him up.
...... Only three
cards left. When those bastards are sure of their victory, our victory is assured."
―Hi, hi, hi~.
The monster known as
Nurarihyon, who played the role of a dull-looking figure, kept on laughing, his
laughter slipping into the stagnant depths of the miasma.
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