After escorting Hisa to the Endo residence, Takatora once again passed through the gates of the Nagahama Palace and began his journey home.
Perhaps because I had a companion just moments ago, the journey felt strangely lonely.
It was a strange feeling that Takatora had only recently begun to experience.
"I never felt this way when I was in the forest..."
Such murmurs slip out unconsciously.
It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. My chest felt unsettled, but it wasn't at all unpleasant.
A dark forest where sunlight barely penetrates.
The emotions I experienced in the light, after living quietly amidst all that.
Friends of the same age, and mentors.
The experiences gained from meeting such irreplaceable people could not possibly have been unpleasant.
"I'm probably just too fortunate..."
Now, Takatora operates as a member of the vast organization known as the Asai family, a zashiki-warashi (house spirit) lurking within human society.
I'm quite certain that present-day northern Omi is probably the most comfortable place in Japan for zashiki-warashi (house spirits).
This is because people recognize the immense power of the Mizuchi, and the great usefulness of the Zashiki-warashi as a channel for communication with it is recognized.
Currently, Tomokuni Village is the largest haven for zashiki-warashi (house spirits).
Among the small group of Zashiki-warashi, they were an exceptionally large community—and a powerful support base for the Asai family.
It seems there's some kind of special connection between the village head of Tomokuni Village and the head of the Asai family.
The reason was that the daughter of the village head of Tomokuni Village had just been born this year, and it had already been decided that she would become Manpukumaru's concubine.
The fact that she is not the principal wife clearly reveals the status of the zashiki-warashi (house spirit)...
However, in any case, it is an undeniable fact that the zashiki-warashi (house spirit) of Tomokuni Village has infiltrated the Asai family.
In that sense, the appearance of the mirage drastically changed the lives of the people living around Lake Biwa.
It has become clear that if we continue to blindly eliminate zashiki-warashi as we have done in the past, the very survival of the pure species of humankind will eventually be jeopardized.
As far as Takatora could see, prejudice against zashiki-warashi (house spirits) had not disappeared in Nagahama.
Discriminatory attitudes and prejudices are simply buried within the larger flow of maintaining one's livelihood, but they undoubtedly continue to exist.
As a result, the contradictory desire to both cherish and eliminate the zashiki-warashi (house spirit) created an extremely complex social hierarchy.
Fellow countrymen, yet strangers.
A social order with a reciprocal magnetic field—one in which one is compelled to actively participate, yet subconsciously wishes to avoid it if possible.
And in the heart of such a town lies the Nagahama Imperial Palace.
In this vast, tranquil, and picturesque miniature garden, the troubles of the outside world remain untouched.
Purity is preserved by separating the outside world from the inside world with walls and restricting interaction with gates.
There is no contradiction within the context of the Nagahama Imperial Palace.
The head of the family, Nagamasa, interacted with Takatora and the other zashiki-warashi (house spirits) in a natural manner, and so did his wives.
Every time I realize and think about that kind of life—
"I'm probably just too fortunate..."
—A whisper escaped Takatora's lips.
It was certainly a volume that only one boy should have been able to hear, but it came from within the artificial forest that adorned the roadside of Nagahama Imperial Palace.
"...It's depressing."
The voice replies.
When Takatora looked up, he saw a young girl sitting on a branch of a cherry tree.
Her long blue hair sways in the wind, and her golden eyes are narrowed.
Takamine Myo. Like Takatora, she is a zashiki-warashi (house spirit) who lives in the Nagahama Imperial Palace.
"What do you mean, gloomy, cat woman? I don't want to hear that from a gloomy person like you."
The boy said this, frowning. An unconscious sense of caution had caused him to do so.
The zashiki-warashi (house spirit) in the tree, as expected of a ninja, has excellent eyesight and perceptiveness.
To avoid being outmaneuvered by Myo, I had to be extremely careful to always keep my thoughts ahead of hers.
More than anything, Takatora wanted to go home as soon as possible.
My dying mother and my sister, who has been tirelessly caring for her lately, are both in the room.
" Iki"煩noisy
Myo said with a smile.
It was full of the precocious allure of a young girl, but it had absolutely no effect on Takatora.
Takatora picked up the stone and threw it at Myo.
Then the girl bent her body like a soft-bodied creature to dodge the projectile—and with surprisingly smooth movements, she floated down to the ground.
Then, slowly and with efficient movements, he approached Takatora and thrust his palm forward.
A pale blue light emanated from his palm. Takatora dodged it by grabbing the girl's arm and deflecting its trajectory, then growled and asked:
"Is it alright if I don't stay by the Lieutenant General's side today, Cat Woman?"
"...It's alright. The lieutenant general has been holed up in the bath with his wife for quite some time now. He might come out soon, though."
"...In any case, it would be bad if I weren't by your side. You're unarmed, Lieutenant General."
"You are bothering me"
Shaking off the arm that had been grabbed, Myo glared at Takatora with her golden eyes and said:
"You can't peek inside the bathhouse. There's no attic... You'd have to peek through the window, but you'd get caught."
"..."
"If we can't see the Lieutenant General, it won't mean much."
"But what if an enemy ninja sneaks in?"
"That's obvious right away."
Myo refers to the animal ears that bounce around.
"Don't lump us in with those clumsy demons. We have excellent hearing. If there's a foreign object inside, we'll know right away."長浜御所here
"I see."
Takatora said, cracking his arms and neck.
"In that case, there's no need to constantly monitor the Lieutenant General's every move."
"...That's not true."
Myo responded by making her supple fingers tremble and convulse, and by discharging electricity with crackling sounds.
"...I am simply being loyal to my duties. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Do you also hide in the attic above the lieutenant general's chambers at night?"
"...How do you know?"
"Shūko saw you when he went to the toilet."
"I'll kill you!"
"Wait, female cat!"
Takatora desperately held down the girl who tried to turn away.
"Let go! I'm just going to die, to erase my memories!"消around
"Stop spouting nonsense, cat woman! If you try that again, I'll tell the Lieutenant General everything that happened!"
"Then I'll kill him, and then I'll kill myself!"
◆
While Takatora and Myo were locked in a fierce fight, Anzu continued to care for her mother in the room where the boy should have been.
Anzu's mother has become so emaciated that she thinks it's a miracle she's still alive.
She was naturally frail, but she still literally risked her life to raise her siblings.
A prostitute who is a zashiki-warashi (a type of house spirit) is rare, and in a male-dominated society, there is a potential demand for such a woman, perhaps due to her novelty.
That's how I was able to earn enough to support my children. Although, more often than not, I wasn't paid.
Whenever her mother was with a man, Anzu was instructed to go outside the house with Takatora.
However, I understood what was going on inside the room—even though I was just a child.
I knew that my mother was a disciple of that, but...賤業Sengyo
Even so, Kyoko still held her mother in high regard.
"Mom..."
The mother lay on her soft, silken futon, not answering anything.
She spent most of her time sleeping.
It rarely happens; they are slowly and steadily walking the path to their end.
"Today, Bontenmaru fell into the pond... It happens all the time, but I wish he'd stop shaking himself when he's wet... It makes the whole area soaked."
However, the mother refused.
They're just breathing so slowly you can't tell if they're even alive.
Clutching her birth mother's slender hand tightly, Kyoko whispered softly.
"It was really ridiculous... I got scolded by Shuko-chan, felt dejected, rolled around on the ground and got covered in mud... and in the end, I had no choice but to go back into the pond."
"..."
"And then it's the same thing all over again. It's really stupid... I wish my mom could have seen it too..."
"..."
"Hey, aren't you going to look at it anymore...? Hey, Mom..."
Rubbing her cheek against her emaciated hand, Kyoko continued.
"You know, the other day, the lieutenant general told me... that he was jealous. He said that he didn't have parents, so that's why he was jealous... That's why he told me to stay by my mother's side... But you know..."
With tears streaming down her face, the silver-haired, brown-haired girl said:
"It hurts... Mom, it hurts to see you like this... Please, don't die... Please, Mom."
"...What is it?"
"Mom," Kyoko whispered.
She noticed that her mother, who had slightly opened her eyes, was staring at the girl.
"What's wrong, Yohachi? Why would you do something like that..."
"Mom..."
Her consciousness must be clouded. The mother mistakes Kyoko for Yohachi—yet she wears a broad smile.
The girl gripped her mother's hand tighter once again.
Then, slowly closing her eyes again, she said in a hoarse voice:
"Could you please tell Yokichi and... Kyoko...?"
"Mom..."
"I was so happy to have met you all... and thank you for taking care of me every day."
It is Kyoko, not Yohachi, who hears the monologue.
That's why it hurts so much.
These are raw, unfiltered feelings that are meant to be vented to a third party.
There is nothing more cruel than when a sincere and innocent heart directly pierces the person involved—especially if it is at the moment of death.
"Mommy, Mommy..."
"And I loved you... I love you, Yohachi-san—and in the next life... I will definitely..."
"Mom!!"
The mother's expression remained calm, her mouth still open—then she weakly turned her face to the side. Her face was incredibly beautiful, yet devoid of any vitality.
The slender limbs slowly lose strength, and are completely pulled down by gravity.
Seeing her mother's condition suddenly change, Kyoko let out a shriek.
"Aa
That triggered a wave of people entering the room where Kyoko and the others were.
Naosuke was the first to rush in, and upon understanding the situation, he immediately ran to Nagamasa.
Two of Ichihime's ladies-in-waiting took Lady Todo's pulse and nodded quietly.
Next, Ichihime and Haruhime entered, immediately understanding the situation, and after quietly bowing in reverence, they took turns embracing the crying Kyoko.
Takatora and Tae were the last to enter the room.
The boy stood stunned at the entrance of the room, then slowly sat down by the bedside—weakly.
Then, noticing a single tear rolling down the corner of his mother's eye, he gently scooped it up with his fingertip, pressed it to his lips, and swallowed hard.
Deep regret and resignation were reflected in his eyes.