Volume 4
Side Story 3
Solemnly, We
Celebrated the Festivities
Translator : PolterGlast
―Central Capital, Santen Ryō. The third day of
Kannamesai Festival.
The day after the main
schedule, including the inspection by the Three Imperial Families, had passed.
The first half of the
final day of the festival passed quietly, without any waves or ripples.
The names of those who
had been praised for their merits and demerits were called out one by one, and
the ceremony proceeded calmly.
As the nobles sat in
the hall, Akira quietly watched the proceedings from the back row.
The curious gazes of
the nobles, disguised as casual glances, pierced Akira.
Why was such a young
man here at the Grand Purification Ceremony, which was only allowed for
high-ranking members of the nobility?
Akira's knees cramped
up, overwhelmed by unspoken suspicions.
Officially, Akira was
nothing more than an unnamed, upstart noble.
Regardless of the
truth, his outward rank was the lowest among the nobles.
The rank of a spirit
and the number of years it has been maintained. In other words, the rank of the
nobility is the history itself.
Akira, who was nothing
more than a minor noble, even if he was in the back row, was an oddity in this
place.
In addition, the haori
he was wearing was another reason he stood out.
At first glance, it
was a plain haori worn by border protectors.
But that wasn't the
problem.
Another role of the
haori and uniform was to indicate one's affiliation and the rank of one's
spirit.
―Yet, Akira's affiliation could not be seen from his
haori, let alone his uniform.
At most, one could
only guess that he belonged to Shumon Province from where he was sitting.
Perhaps tired of their
own curiosity, the nobles' gazes turned away from Akira as the ceremony
progressed.
Soon, they forgot
their interest in Akira, and the ceremony was almost over.
"That concludes
the recognition of merits in the Hyakki Yagyo. Next, we will announce the
changes in the hierarchy.
Fujinomorimiya...
please."
"Yes."
With a single step,
Fujinomorimiya Kaoruko, who had advanced on her knees, replied in affirmation
with Tsukinomiya Shuu's declaration.
In Takamagahara, the
hierarchy generally referred to the Three Imperial Families, Four Sovereigns,
and Eight Families.
The nobles noticed
that not all of the members of the Eight Families were present.
The Ugetsu family from
Kokuten Province and Sanezaki family from Hakudo Province were missing.
"From Hakudo
Province, the sixth seat of the Eight Families, the Sanezaki family is vacant.
Jinrouin Lord. I leave
it to your discretion to appoint a new member to the Eight Families."
"—Understood, we
accept your decision."
Jinrouin Ko responded
without a moment's hesitation.
As the meaning of the
words sank in, a murmur spread through the hall among the nobles.
Four hundred years had
passed since the civil war between Hakudo Province and Kabeju Province, and the
long-established positions of the nobles, which had been relatively peaceful,
underwent a major shift.
With the vacancy of
the highest position that anyone could attain, ambitious powerful nobles were
checking each other.
Despite the high
expectations, Jinrouin Ko stepped down without revealing any details.
Did "at the
discretion of the Jinrouin family" mean that the decision would be made
after returning to the province?
As if on cue, the
nobles' expectations focused on Fujinomorimiya.
There was one more
family missing. The greatest samurai noble family in Takamagahara, with a
history comparable to the Three Imperial Families and Four Sovereigns.
If they could fill the
vacant seat of the Ugetsu family, their bloodline would gain an unshakeable
position.
"And from Kokuten
Province, the expulsion of the Ugetsu family has been postponed until next
spring.
Shizumi, the head of
Gioin. At your request, we have decided to make the Yotsurugi family the first
in the ranking."
"…We
approve."
The decisions of the
Three Imperial Families and Four Sovereigns, which were carried out calmly,
were different from what the nobles had expected.
The nobles from
Kokuten Province looked dumbfounded at the unfamiliar name of the Yotsurugi
family.
As mentioned earlier,
a noble family was essentially the history itself.
Being unknown meant
that the family lacked the necessary abilities as a noble family.
"The head of the
Yotsurugi family, at the request of the Ugetsu family, had an Imperial Match
held.
As a result, he has
been appointed to the first rank of the Eight Families with the approval of the
Three Imperial Families and Four Sovereigns.
—Yotsurugi Akira, step forward."
"Yes."
His reply was short
and indifferent.
His plain haori
fluttered as he slipped past the wandering gaze of those who didn't know him.
At the collar of his
haori swayed an ornamental cord that was only allowed for guardians. The haori
he was wearing was a ceremonial guardian's attire, complete with a sword at his
waist.
The ornamental cord
was a custom-made black and vermilion knot. The deep blue collar was simple,
but the gold thread showed great craftsmanship.
Even the plain-looking
haori turned out to be made of a glossy, smooth fabric.
It was a simple yet
unique ceremonial attire that was only recorded in the annals of the Three
Imperial Families, Four Sovereigns, and Eight Families.
―It was Akira's own uniform, which showed that he was
not bound to any province, a privilege granted only to Kanna-no-Mikura.
With silent footsteps,
Akira walked to the front of the Three Imperial Families and Four Sovereigns.
This time, curious
eyes were fixed on Akira's back.
"With the fall of
the Ugetsu family, the first rank of the Eight Families is given to the
Yotsurugi family.
Let me ask you again.
—Do you have any objections, Yotsurugi Akira?"
"None at all.
I will fulfill my
duties as a member of the Eight Families with all my heart."
"Very well. The
disposal of the Ugetsu family is left entirely up to you. Do your best."
The words exchanged
were merely enough to convey the minimum necessary meaning. With a deep bow,
Akira's part in the Kannamesai Festival ended as calmly as could be.
♢
The banquet held on
the third night of the Kannamesai Festival was nearing its end.
As it was generally a
casual event, the adults were exchanging cups merrily.
Rindo Saki, who had
been sitting beside Akira for a while, had left to join her father, Rindo Kozaburo.
Akira, still using a
concealment spell, picked up his chopsticks and stabbed a piece of salted
rainbow trout.
He peeled off the thin
skin and separated the pink flesh.
With one bite, a faint
salty taste and a strong, slightly greenish flavor spread through his mouth.
It was delicious, but
it didn't quite suit Akira's taste.
"―Is it
delicious?"
"People who live
in tenement houses will eat anything. Whether it's delicious or not is
secondary."
"Even nobles can
have a similar taste if they live in poverty.
Takamura territory
doesn't have any special products, so I'm not accustomed to luxury
either."
A burly man in a
kimono sat down in front of Akira with a wry smile.
He was one of the
Eight Families, but his face looked familiar.
Without letting his
inner doubts show on his face, Akira looked at the man's chest.
—A seven-treasure pattern and a cape jasmine.
It was Fuwa Noriyori,
the head of the Fuwa family, the eighth of the Eight Families. He had a stern
and strong face, but his tone was surprisingly gentle.
Remembering his former
teacher, Fuwa Naotoshi, Akira thought that their tone of voice was somewhat
similar.
"We don't look
alike, do we? I take after my father, but my brother (Naotoshi) takes after our
mother.
Because he didn't want
to be seen as a samurai noble, he went to Kokuten Province to establish himself
as an Onmyoji."
...It seemed he had
figured it out.
Akira pretended to be
distracted and put a mouthful of white rice into his mouth.
Feeling embarrassed,
he roughly washed it down with soup.
The flavor of kelp
traveled down his throat and disappeared.
Finally, Akira calmed
down.
"I was very much
indebted to Naotoshi-sensei when I was in Tsudzura.
The many pieces of
advice he gave me were the first tools I used to survive."
"…I'm glad to
hear that. Although he was a direct descendant of the Eight Families, Naotoshi
didn't know you were Kanna-no-Mikura.
Nevertheless, he did
his best."
"Yes. ...Aside
from Ugetsu, I have no enmity to Naotoshi-sensei.
I promise that no
matter what the outcome, he will not be harmed."
Akira told Fuwa
Noriyori as though that was the main point.
The head of the Fuwa
family nodded with a wry smile. Akira returned a smile, knowing he had hit the
mark.
There were two people
in Tsudzura, Akira's hometown, who understood him and cared for him. One of
them was Fuwa Naotoshi.
Talisman technique. In
particular, the knowledge of the regeneration talisman, which he had been
rigorously trained in, had later become a sufficient means for him to make a
living.
"I'm glad to hear
that. Naotoshi is currently back in Kabeju Province under the pretext of
dealing with miasma.
He was disheartened
when he heard the news of your death. If he hears that you're alive, he'll be
even more relieved. I'll pass on any message if you have one."
"As long as he's
doing well, that's all that matters to me.
...Ah. Then, could I
ask you one thing?"
Akira asked Fuwa
Noriyori, who was about to leave, in a casual tone.
The message was short,
but Noriyori frowned.
"I understand,
but... are you sure?
It might encourage
Ugetsu to be more arrogant."
"Definitely.
Especially Ugetsu Tenzan."
Noriyori's concern was
justified. However, for Akira, it was necessary.
He had rarely thought
about his hometown, which held only heavy memories, since he had settled in
Karen.
He didn't care if
Ugetsu became more arrogant. Since their fate was already decided, no matter
what happened, they would have no choice.
Unable to gauge
Akira's true intentions, Noriyori peered into Akira's eyes. —And then, giving
in, the head of the Fuwa family sighed and stood up.
"If you've
figured out how to resolve the situation, send me a telegram when you've set a
date to return to Nanatsuo."
"…Thank
you."
Akira, who had thanked
him after a moment, nodded and turned to leave.
Hesitating for a
moment, Noriyori looked at Akira.
It was probably a
question Akira had been asked many times.
At least, if he were
in the same situation, he could confidently say that he could not endure it.
"Akira-kun,"
"Yes."
Akira responded
immediately.
In Akira's straight
gaze, Noriyori saw no cloudiness.
"Do you hate
Ugetsu?"
"…………"
Akira blinked in
puzzlement in response to Fuwa Noriyori's question.
After waiting for a
while, but getting no response from Akira, Noriyori simply said that he had
asked a difficult question and left.
♢
As the banquet ended,
the nobles began to leave one by one.
Akira followed suit,
blending in with the crowd.
He casually watched
the backs of the nobles as they chatted and laughed.
Perhaps drunk and
elated, their gait seemed lighter than when they first arrived.
"―Looks like the
Kannamesai Festival has ended safely."
"Yuge-sama."
A middle-aged man's
voice stopped Akira's somewhat lonely steps.
Turning around, Akira
saw Yuge Kojou standing there with a wry smile on his face.
With his gentle
demeanor and as an old acquaintance of Akira's mentor, Asogi Genji, he was one
of the few people in the Eight Families with whom Akira could relatively easily
imagine interacting.
"No, for you,
this is just the beginning, huh?"
"Is that so? I
can't really see what's ahead of me."
"—Well, that's
why life is fun."
Akira didn't quite
understand the idea that life was more enjoyable when things were unclear, as
he had only ever experienced suffocating anxiety due to uncertainty.
"…The fact that
you are the new head of one of the Eight Families will probably spread as a
rumor within a day or two.
Once it's made public,
it will spread quickly."
"I'm prepared for
that."
"That's good. It
will be difficult to connect you to the direct descendant of the Ugetsu family,
but remember that it's not impossible."
"…Yes."
Akira's delayed reply
indicated that he hadn't realized it, even though he had anticipated it.
With a troubled
expression, Kojou matched his pace as Akira started to leave.
"Apart from that,
your position is quite unique.
After all, there's no
precedent for a noble who has received a fiefdom across provinces."
"I've been warned
by Tsuguho-sama as well."
That's to be expected.
Without saying it out loud, Koujo only nodded in acknowledgment.
At first glance,
Akira's current situation was very fragile.
He was a newly emerged
noble who had risen from obscurity in just a few months.
Before he knew it, he
had been promoted from a border protector to a guardian, and he had begun to
associate with not only the Kihouin family but also the Rindou family.
Moreover, he had been
appointed as the new head of the first of the Eight Families, which was a bit
too convenient a development.
Furthermore, Akira
currently belonged to Shumon Province, but it had been decided that he would
eventually move to Kokuten Province.
As a result, the power
structure that was supposed to support Akira had not yet developed at all.
—If things continued this way, he would not even be
able to defend himself if other nobles tried to take advantage of him.
Normally, a power
structure was based on inheriting ancestral foundations.
"I know the
Rindou family is your patron, but you should also ask the Dogyo family for
help.
If you ask both
families for retainers, they should be able to accommodate you to some
extent."
"Is that
okay?"
"It's not ideal.
But in your case, your foundation is too weak.
—Those with sharp eyes may already be taking
action."
Be careful.
Akira furrowed his
brow at the stern warning from Kojou.
Honestly, Akira had
thought that as one of the Eight Families, he could distance himself from
authority.
But that wasn't the
case.
When one gains power,
one gains new capabilities. If he sought politics for freedom, he would face
new constraints.
Akira had certainly
gained freedom as a Kanna-no-Mikura.
But as a result, he
was forced to be aware that he was entangled in power.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
MaxKne
Swagaraga
[Gold]
B random
DavidA
[Silver]
blue shooting
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Gtsfan321
Pristia
Anton Lim
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
