Volume 4
Chapter 8 Part
3
Preaching with
Pity, Knowing no Parting 3
Translator : PolterGlast
The snowflakes fell
densely on Mount Renkyo, gradually transforming into a white darkness that
obscured one's vision.
Crunch. The sound of
the soft snow being crushed under Rindou Saki's feet.
"Is it rare to
see snow?"
"This is not the
first time I've seen snow.
But in the south, it
would snow but not accumulate."
"Then you should
be prepared for the snowfall in the north.
This is the first time
I've experienced such heavy snowfall since I've been here."
Fuwa Naotoshi's
inquiring voice came from beyond the steam car.
He threw a spark into
the kettle and gave the steam engine an initial start with a crank.
—Soon, the steam car let out a puff of steam and began
to warm up.
"Steam engines
are convenient, but they are a pain in the ass in the winter.
If we don't leave
quickly, this road will be buried in snow."
"...I'll wait a
little longer."
The steam engine,
which used steam pressure, constantly consumed fuel.
Despite Naotoshi's
urging to leave quickly, Saki stubbornly shook her head.
Half an hour had
passed since Akira had left the Ugetsu mansion. Even after waiting another
quarter of an hour, there was no sign of Akira returning from the mansion.
"This isn't a
place where Akira-kun wants to be.
...Maybe he's already
gone down the mountain?"
"I wish that were
the case, but with all this snow, I'm afraid he might get lost even on a single
path."
"People at the
foot of the mountain sometimes get lost when trying to cross a mountain pass
recklessly.
—But if we stay here any longer, we won't be able to go
down the mountain either."
The white that covered
the entire field of vision easily disoriented them even on familiar paths.
Saki's fears were
well-founded. However, under the current circumstances, she was the one in
danger.
"Why?"
"—Steam engines
are convenient, but they are vulnerable to the winter cold."
Saki's question was
answered by the long-awaited voice.
Beyond her turning
gaze, Akira's figure appeared, brushing snow off his shoulder.
"If the snowfall
continues, we'll be stranded in our cars.
If we go down the
mountain on foot, Saki, who doesn't know the terrain, will be more likely to
get lost."
"Akira-kun. —Is
this okay?"
"Yeah. It's not
like this will be the last time."
Akira nodded slightly
at the inquiring whisper, which contained many meanings.
It's not like this
will be the last time. If it's just a chance to visit the grave, there will
always be time once everything is settled.
"Let's go, then.
—I'm glad you came back before the road was covered in
snow."
What was Akira doing
after sneaking out of the mansion while they were buying time?
Although Naotoshi
vaguely guessed it from the snow on his shoulders, he did not pursue the matter
any further.
After seeing the two
of them get into the back seat, he got into the driver's seat.
Two beams of headlamp
light floated in the powder snow, and the steam car descended the mountain
road.
The only sound filling
the car was the light driving noise. Akira and Saki simply sat side by side
without talking.
"Speaking of
which, what should we do about lodging?"
"Now that you
mention it. We should have made arrangements before we came."
Saki muttered
involuntarily, her gaze fixed on the distant bright light. According to Saki's
sense of time, it was already past 8 pm. Even if they wanted to stay at an inn,
they would have finished serving customers and put up their curtains by now.
"A high-class inn
would probably rent us a bed if we paid enough."
"Is that the only
option left?"
"Don't worry,
I've already booked two rooms in my name.
It won't be a
luxurious dinner, but I've had them save us some cold noodles and
pickles."
Naotoshi comforted the
two, who were racking their brains over unnecessary expenses. The boy and girl,
who suddenly felt hungry, blushed at their rumbling stomachs.
"Naotoshi-sensei,
did you know that we weren't going to eat at that banquet?"
"Of course. To
think that you could eat after that is nothing but insensitivity.
—And Saki-jou, you can finally relax. You were worried
about the inn even before we could see the town."
"It's not that I
was hungry.
I only noticed because
I could see the lights of the town."
"What did you
say!?"
Saki puffed out her
cheeks noticeably at Naotoshi's teasing voice.
It was a gentle joke,
but the girl's cute rebuttal made Naotoshi's reply sound stiff.
Naotoshi had been
living here for a long time. The geography of Mount Renkyo was firmly etched
into Naotoshi's mind.
The speed of the steam
car was hindered by the snow, and they were still deep in the mountains.
—Definitely, the lights of Tsuzura town could not reach
here.
They quickly stopped
the steam car and stepped towards the light.
A dark red glow deep
in the darkness.
"It's spread
farther than I expected."
"What is
that?"
Akira asked curiously,
following Naotoshi's gaze as he fixed his eyes on the smoky red.
He and Saki squinted
their eyes and peered into the distance.
"It's a miasma.
The miasma pool is spreading through the dragon vein."
"I heard that the
descent of the evil spirit has been stopped, though."
"That's true. But
miasma pools don't disappear overnight.
It was especially
distressing to allow it to reach so close to the Tsuzura windhole."
The dragon vein
contaminated with miasma is itself a source of miasma.
Unlike a simple miasma
pool, it has deep roots and is difficult to purify.
If the Tsuzura
windhole were to be contaminated, it would be easy to predict that a
large-scale miasma pool would engulf the entire area.
"What about
dispatching onmyoji?"
"Lord Tenzan
would probably refuse.
...Considering the
current state of affairs, politically speaking, it was the right
decision."
"—If the Tsuzura
windhole were to be swallowed up, the territory would end."
"Lord Tenzan
understands that perfectly well.
Ah, it seems like
they're about to begin."
Ignoring the
conversation between Akira and Naotoshi, Saki's gaze turned towards the depths
of the red glow.
Beyond the miasma, a
barrier of spiritual light towered, clashing and scattering sparks.
The distant trembling
atmosphere reached Akira and the others beyond the curtain of snow.
"They must have
deployed all the remaining onmyoji to purify the dragon vein.
The Ugetsu family has
some of the best onmyoji in Kokuten Province, so they won't collapse
easily."
"I hope that is
the case."
Although they nodded,
a hint of anxiety appeared on Akira and Saki's faces.
Naotoshi smiled wryly,
understanding their feelings, and urged them to return to the steam car.
"It's the first
time I've heard that there are so many onmyoji affiliated with the Ugetsu.
I don't remember it
being that way three years ago."
"You just didn't
know. It's been like that since Lord Tenzan became the head of the family.
Even though Lord
Tenzan didn't have much talent as an onmyoji, he often implemented policies
that favored onmyoji.
—I was connected to the Ugetsu family at the
recommendation of Ugetsu Fusae-dono, but it was Tenzan-dono's connection that I
followed first."
Akira's gaze returned
in confusion at Naotoshi's evaluation, which seemed surprising.
Naotoshi shrugged,
considering that Akira would find it particularly difficult to accept.
Even Tenzan was human.
Although he had malice towards Akira, it couldn't be denied that his governance
was not bad.
The rift between the
two was irreversible, but it was still wrong to deny the facts.
Hoping that Akira
would understand someday,
—Someone kicked the ground hard, driven by the
spiritual power (killing intent) that was unmistakably swelling.
♢
—Time rewound a little.
At the same time that
Akira and the others left the Ugetsu mansion, shouts of anger and confusion
filled the hall.
"My lord, there
is no more time to waste!
Once he leaves
Tsuzura, the downfall of the Ugetsu will be a certainty."
"And how do you
propose we bring him down? You easily say to go out and fight, even though you
have no chance of winning."
"So you're saying
we should just leave that pseudo-kegare alone?
—As expected of a failed monster. It is disgusting that
he treats his own family lord so rudely. I am sickened by his refusal to accept
a merciful execution."
Kanou Minesuke quietly
left the hall, which was filled with heated arguments and confusion.
With a dark
determination in his eyes, he approached the telephone on the wall of the
corridor.
He called the
telephone operator and announced the person he wanted to reach.
Cold sweat ran down
his forehead as he glanced around.
—And then,
『—,—,—』
『Haha, thank you for waiting.
Yes. Everything went
as you feared. Yes,』
『—, —』
『What kind of technique did he use? ...From what I can
see, it seems to be a defensive spirit technique, but I've never seen anything
like it. Even though I think I know all about the Gioin-school, it's unheard of
for anyone to withstand the head of the family's spirit technique head-on.』
『—,—,—』
『That fellow is currently going down the mountain.
—By the way, the people accompanying that pseudo-kegare
are also related to the Eight Families.』
『—！ —』
『Of course! If they deviate from the path, whether they
are from the Eight Families or not,
You can exterminate
them without any flaw.』
『—,—,—』
With each reply, sweat
poured down Kanou's collar.
He spared no time
wiping it away, desperately weaving words.
As the conversation
neared its end, he lowered his voice even further, bent his old body, and
whispered.
『That is without a doubt.
...About that promise.
You will elevate me as a retainer of the old family, can you guarantee...』
『—,—,—』
『I never doubted it at all! No, it's too much for me to
be associated with the lowest rank of the old family.』
『—,—』
After a short,
dismissive response over the phone, the conversation was cut off unilaterally.
Kanou slowly returned
the receiver to its cradle.
"This is fine.
—This is how it should be."
He muttered a curse
from the depths of his heart and turned back the way he had come.
No matter how much he
thought about it, there was no possibility that Kanou would survive.
Of course, if the
negotiation with Akira failed. Even if it succeeded, it was certain that Kanou
would be relegated to the sidelines.
This is because if
Akira agreed, the Yotsurugi family would become the first seat of the Ugetsu
retainers.
In that case, the
retainers would be caught up in political struggles over the vacant seat of the
retainer.
If that happened, the
hidden achievement that Kanou Minesuke had been so proud of would become a
shackle.
The incident where he
had slapped Akira, who had been rude to Ugetsu Souma, as a form of education.
It was a hidden
achievement that everyone envied and was on par with the martial achievements
he had established himself. It was only natural that Akira himself would laugh
at his own shortcomings at the time and thank Kanou.
—However, it was different for the retainers.
If the former bridge
began to stir, there was no doubt about it. It was an obvious flaw, and they
would take advantage of Akira's ignorance.
If that happened,
Kanou's efforts would be in vain, and he would be banished along with his
retainers.
If the result were the
same no matter which path he took, the only choice would be to offer his hidden
achievement to someone else.
"This is
fine..."
The words he whispered
to himself more than anyone else
— seemed to be leading his unsteady steps, slowly,
cursing, and vacantly, deeper into the darkness.
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