◇Land of the Rising Sun—Ichimu-an◇
After finishing their dinner, Flio's party decided to pay a visit to Ichimuan's public bath. Itsuhachi had recommended against it, reminding them
that as honored guests they had private baths in their own rooms, but
Folmina insisted.
"I wanna get in the big bath!" she said.
"If big sis Folmina says so, I want to get in the big bath too..." Ghoro
agreed.
"I agree!" said Garyl. "We came all this way—I'd like to try the public
bath!"
"That's right," Rys nodded. "We did come all this way, after all!" And
with Rys and Garyl in support of the idea as well, the whole group decided
to take a trip to the public baths.
"Ahhh..." Flio sighed as he sank into the bath, stretching out his arms
and legs. "It's nice to go out to the bath from time to time, isn't it...?"
"There's no beating the bath at home, but it's good to have a change of
pace sometimes!" Garyl agreed, stretching out alongside his father.
"Huh?" Suddenly sensing something, Flio glanced in the direction of the
bath's changing room.
"What's wrong, dad?" Garyl asked.
"Oh, nothing," Flio said, cocking his head quizzically. "It seemed like
someone was just about to enter the bath, but a moment later their presence
disappeared."
Just then the doors to the changing room swung wide open, revealing
Wyne, fully naked and grinning from ear to ear. "Wahoo!" she cried.
"Bathing with Gare-Gare and dada!"
Needless to say, this was the men's bath.
"Wha?!" Garyl exclaimed, waving both his arms in an attempt to get his
sister's attention. "W-Wyne! You can't come in here!"
"Whaddaya mean? Whaddaya mean?" Wyne asked, completely ignoring
Garyl's attempts to stop her from entering. "I can get in just fine-fine! Ah ha
ha!" she laughed, leaping into the air to dive in the water.
"Wyne! Wait!" This time it was Elinàsze who came running into the
men's bath, dressed in a towel. She held out her arm and the jewel on her
forehead shone with rainbow-colored light—as did Wyne's body. The next
moment, Wyne, who had been in mid dive, vanished right before she
touched the water's surface.
A second later, they could hear a tremendous splash coming from the
women's bath, followed by a chorus of alarmed voices.
"Eeek! Big sis Wyne fell from the sky!"
"W-Wyne! You mustn't go diving in the bath!"
Elinàsze, it seemed, had sensed that Wyne was about to enter the men's
bath in time to forcefully teleport her to the women's bath instead using her
magic. "I-I'm terribly sorry, papa! I should have noticed what Wyne was up
to before she caused such a commotion..." she said, bowing deeply and
exiting the bath.
What a lovely day! Elinàsze thought, a giddy smile on her face as she
returned to the women's bath. Thanks to big sis Wyne's antics, I was able to
catch a glimpse of papa in the nude...
Elinàsze loved her father Flio a great deal—to the point that it was
developing into something of a complex.
◇Meanwhile—The Women's Bath◇
"No fair, Eli-Eli! That was mean-mean..." Wyne grumbled, glaring up at
Elinàsze with just her nose sticking up out of the water and forming air
bubbles with her mouth as she talked. Her hair was soaking wet, a
consequence of her dramatic aerial entry into the bath.
"Oh, Wyne, what am I going to do with you?" Rys said, chuckling to
herself as she patted the dragonewt's head. "You know you're not supposed
to go in the men's bath."
"Mm..." Wyne hummed, her mood improving almost immediately at
having been given head pats. "I love you, mama! I love you!" she said,
beaming as she hugged her mother tight.
"Yes, yes, I love you too," Rys said, pulling Wyne into her arms with a
smile.
"U-Um..." Rylnàsze started, coming up to the two of them from behind.
"M-Might I also...you know..." It was clear she wanted Rys to dote on her
as well as Wyne, but Rylnàsze seemed unable to articulate that. Her face
was turning bright red from sheer embarrassment.
"Here, Rylnàsze," Rys said, smiling kindly as she pulled her youngest
daughter close as well.
"A-Ah! Th-Thank you!" Rylnàsze said, hugging her mother tight. She
still seemed to be fairly nervous.
"There's no need to be so tense, my darling!" Rys told her, rubbing her
cheek up against Rylnàsze's.
Balirossa watched Rys and her children from a short distance away. ThThat's right... she thought, nodding decisively. I-I'm a mother as well, now.
I could even do such things with Folmina and Ghoro... "F-Folmina?
Ghoro?" she said, glancing in her children's direction. Ghoro had been
allowed in the women's bath as he was still very young, and was currently
clinging tight to his beloved older sister Folmina. "W-Would you like to
bathe with me, perhaps?"
"I'm fine with big sis Folmina..." Ghoro answered.
"Ah ha ha!" Folmina laughed, hugging Ghoro tight. "Ghoro's such a
sweetie!"
I see... Balirossa thought, the look on her face giving every appearance
that her soul had just departed from her body. I'm no good after all, am I?
Nobody ever dotes on me in the bath, even at home. How could I have
forgotten...?
I guess moms have problems of their own, huh... Rislei thought,
smirking wryly at the scene as she rinsed off her body.
◇ ◇ ◇
Early the next morning, Garyl found himself running alone down the
city streets near Ichimu-an.
Ever since he started to study swordsmanship, Garyl had adopted the
habit of waking up to do early morning runs as a training exercise. Today,
too, he had woken up while the others were still asleep. He somehow
managed to extricate himself from Wyne's arms without waking her and
crept out of the room to go for his regular run, careful not to disturb
Elinàsze, Rislei, Folmina, or Ghoro.
Garyl replayed the events of last night in his head as he ran through the
unfamiliar streets. "I could have sworn I heard some kind of commotion
outside our room last night..." he muttered to himself. "I wonder what that
was about."
It was before dawn, and a fog lay over the nighttime city, limiting his
visibility. With his Search spell active, however, Garyl was able to stay
keenly aware of his surroundings as he sped along.
"Huh?" Suddenly, Garyl stopped. His Search spell had detected
something. He closed his eyes, expanding the area covered by his magic. In
the mental map provided by the spell, he saw something just around a
corner ahead. Whatever it was, the indicator on the map seemed to be
blinking repeatedly in and out of existence. "What in the world is that?"
Garyl asked, cocking his head as he glanced in the direction of the
mysterious presence. A second later, however, he burst into a cheerful
smile. "Well, whatever it is, it sure seems interesting! I guess I've just gotta
check it out!"
Garyl ran off in the direction indicated by the map. As grown-up as he
had become, it seemed, Garyl remained as curious as ever.
◇ ◇ ◇
Garyl rounded the corner and came upon a bridge. "The thing my Search
spell's detecting should be right in the middle of this bridge..." he said,
going to investigate.
"Boy..." As he stepped onto the bridge, Garyl heard a low voice that
seemed to come from the mist itself. "If you wish to pass this bridge, you
must first surrender your sword..."
Before Garyl's eyes, a woman stepped out of the mist. She was a tall,
slender figure wearing a white hood over black priestly vestments, carrying
a large naginata in her hands and a large basket on her back. Inside the
basket was a truly large collection of swords, tossed inside in a haphazard
jumble with no care for the blades themselves.
"I'm sorry..." Garyl said, looking the woman up and down carefully.
"But I don't have any swords on me."
The woman clicked her tongue. "Then I have no business with you," she
said. "Begone at once. None may cross Ijo Bridge save the one who can
defeat me." She turned her back to Garyl and started to melt into the mist
she had come from.
"Wow!" Garyl gasped, his eyes shining with wonder. "Are you a psychic
construct or something, miss? That's a really cool ability, vanishing into the
mist like that!"
"Well, now..." The woman stopped in her tracks and slowly turned back
to face Garyl again, peering at him out of the shadows of her white hood.
"You are not frightened by my appearance, are you? On the contrary, you
seem to already be appraising my abilities. Fascinating. I believe I like you,
boy. Would you care to cross blades with one such as I?" The woman took a
sword from her basket and casually tossed it in Garyl's direction, getting on
guard with her naginata herself.
"No thanks, I don't need it," Garyl said, throwing the sword back to the
woman and transforming his hands into lupine claws, assuming a low
fighting stance.
"Ah!" the woman exclaimed. "Boy, are you of the rumored demon folk
who reside in the West?"
"I'm Garyl!" Garyl said, giving the woman a friendly grin that seemed
oddly mismatched with the lethal claws that had sprouted from his arms.
"My mom's a lupine demon, but my dad's just a really incredible human!"
"I am the one known as Ben'ne the Sword Hunter," the woman said. She
spun her naginata round, bringing it to a rest in the crook of her left arm,
her right hand thrust outwards in a dramatic pose.
It looks like Miss Ben'ne's body doesn't fully exist in this world... Garyl
thought. I wonder if she's some kind of psychic construct, like Miss
Damalynas. Well, whatever she is, it looks like she packs a punch... "All
right!" he said, psyching himself up. "Here I come!" He kicked off the
ground, rapidly closing the distance between him and his opponent.
"Prepare yourself!" Ben'ne said, spinning her naginata in a circle as she
charged forward to meet Garyl's approach.
Clang! Ben'ne's naginata and Garyl's claws clashed in the very middle
of Ijo Bridge.
"Nh?!" Ben'ne exclaimed, taking a step back. "Well struck, boy..."
"You too, miss!" Garyl said, stepping back himself and meeting
Ben'ne's gaze with his own. Meeting each other's attacks just the once had
been enough to give both Garyl and Ben'ne a healthy mutual respect for
their opponent's strength. "I was really disappointed when the tournament
got suspended," he said. "But I'm glad I happened to run into an opponent
as strong as you!"
"Likewise," said Ben'ne. "In all the centuries I have spent challenging
those who would cross this bridge to a contest of arms, you are the first I
have seen who can fight with such mastery."
Garyl slid into an even lower stance than before, lowering his weight
onto one leg and stretching the other out behind him as Ben'ne watched
carefully, holding her naginata at the ready behind her.
"Hah!" Garyl darted forward.
"Hmf!" Ben'ne exhaled, swinging her naginata in perfect time with
Garyl's movements. She swung the blade in a wide sweeping attack, aimed
right for her opponent. Garyl, however, merely hopped up and landed right
on top of the naginata's blade. "Wh-What?!" Ben'ne cried, trying to quickly
pull the weapon back.
Garyl, however, was faster. From his perch atop the naginata, his sharp
claws had nothing preventing them from reaching Ben'ne's throat. The
whole exchange took less than a second.
"My first loss..." Ben'ne said, kneeling down and placing the naginata at
her feet. "In all the time I have spent challenging warriors, you are the first
to overcome me..."
"Thank you for the match!" Garyl said, a friendly smile on his face as he
returned his arms to their normal human form. "That was a lot of fun!"
◇Ichimu-an—Main Hall◇
As the sun rose above the horizon, Flio and the rest of his party reunited
in the Ichimu-an's main hall, where they had eaten dinner the previous
night.
"Fwaaah..." Wyne yawned loudly. "Mornin'-mornin'..." Sitting up, she
still seemed half asleep, with her eyes closed and her head drooping against
Elinàsze.
"Really, big sis Wyne, wake up, will you?" Elinàsze said, casting a quick
Awakening spell on her sister. Wyne, however, showed no sign of opening
her eyes.
"The breakfast here is quite good," Rylnàsze said, glancing over at Rys
between mouthfuls of fried egg and rice. "But I think I like mama's cooking
better..." she added, smiling softly and blushing ever so slightly.
"Oh my! Thank you, Rylnàsze!" Rys said, beaming with delight.
Itsuhachi, who was waiting on the group like she had last night, judged
that the time was right to replenish the party's empty plates. "We have
plenty more, if you like!" she said, stepping up to the table with a wooden
container of cooked rice and sitting down to help serve. "Please, feel free to
eat your fill!"
"By the way," said Flio, looking up from his own bowl of rice and
turning to face his son. "I take it you went for a run this morning, Garyl.
How did it go?"
"Oh, yeah, I did!" Garyl replied with a cheerful smile. "It was lots of
fun!"
When she heard those words, Itsuhachi moved in front of Garyl with
impressive speed considering she never stood up from her proper sitting
position as she moved—legs folded underneath and back straight. "Garylsama," she said, "I certainly wouldn't ask you to refrain from running, but I
must implore you to please take care to avoid the area of Ijo Bridge, just
ahead of this inn..."
"Why?" asked Garyl. "Is there something wrong with it?"
"I don't know if I would put it that way, exactly..." Itsuhachi said.
"However, that area is home to a somewhat troublesome mononoke..."
"A mononoke?" Elinàsze asked.
Itsuhachi took a moment to consider before speaking. "I suppose it is no
secret," she said, adopting a conspiratorial tone as if she were telling a ghost
story to children. "I believe in your homeland, the Magical Kingdom of
Klyrode, mononoke and their ilk are called by the name 'psychic
constructs.' That is the sort of being that has haunted that bridge since ages
out of memory."
"A psychic construct?" Folmina asked, cocking her head innocently.
"Like Auntie Damalynas?"
"F-Folmina!" Balirossa hastened to correct her. "You know Damalynas
hates it when you call her that"
"Heh..." Rislei covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a chuckle. "It
fits her if you ask me...but it is a little rude to say so."
"Ahem!" Itsuhachi glanced around the table and cleared her throat
before returning her attention to Garyl. "Some say this mononoke was a
monk during her life...others say she was a mercenary who hailed from
lands to the west. At first, she was a hero who would punish the wicked and
rob them of their swords. But eventually she became obsessed with taking
the blades of skilled warriors, and so she would challenge any she deemed
worthy. Even after her physical body was destroyed, her soul lingered as a
mononoke—a psychic construct. She still haunts the bridge today, forcing
any swordsman of sufficient prowess into a duel, should they be so unlucky
as to cross her path..."
"What a terribly rude thing to say..." came Ben'ne's voice. "I do not
force anyone to duel me. I am always certain to ask first."
"Wh-What?" Itushachi's eyes blinked open in surprise. "Wh-Who was
that?" she asked, looking all around in confused distress. "Unless I am very
mistaken, nobody who spoke like that was present last night, were they?"
Before Itsuhachi's eyes, a cloud of mist took form directly behind Garyl.
When it had grown thick enough, a woman wearing a white hood and black
monk's vestments stepped out. It was Ben'ne, the woman Garyl had fought
and defeated earlier that morning.
Itsuhachi leaped back from the apparition, her eyes growing wide. "I-I-It
can't be! Y-Y-You're the mononoke of Ijo Bridge! Wh-Wh-What are you
doing here?!" She reached into her kimono and produced a number of paper
talismans. "Mononoke-repelling talismans! Take that!" she declared,
tossing the strips of paper in Ben'ne's direction and making a sealing
motion with her right hand. The talismans shone with light, activated by the
magic gesture, and flew straight for their target.
Ben'ne, however, merely swatted the talismans away with a single hand.
"I would ask you to wait before jumping to conclusions," she said. "Besides,
a talisman of such feeble strength would be unable to so much as scratch
my skin."
"J-J-Jumping to conclusions?" Itsuhachi asked. "Wh-Whatever do you
mean?"
Ben'ne shook her head in benign exasperation, spreading her arms wide
in a show of friendship. "I am here to serve the one I have chosen as my
master. My only intention in manifesting like this was to correct your
misapprehension concerning myself. I certainly do not wish for any of you
to come to harm."
Itsuhachi's wide eyes somehow shot open wider still. "Excuse me?" she
asked. "Your...master, did you say?"
"Indeed..." Ben'ne intoned. "My master. Earlier this day I had the
privilege to face your Garyl-dono in a contest of arms in which I, Ben'ne,
tasted true defeat for the first time, utterly stymied at every turn. It
was...exhilarating." Ben'ne gave a good-spirited laugh, gracefully hiding
her open mouth behind the tips of her fingers.
"There's no reason to put yourself down, Miss B!" Garyl said, smiling
cheerfully. It seemed he had taken to calling her Miss B as an affectionate
nickname. "The match only lasted for a second, and I don't think I beat you
by that much. You were a really tough opponent! I had a great time!"
"Not at all!" Ben'ne demurred, smiling happily herself. "There are no
accidents in a duel. Everything that transpires between two fighters is the
result of the habits they accumulate in their daily training. My loss to you,
therefore, was always inevitable."
Flio and the rest found themselves smiling too at the good-natured
exchange between Garyl and Ben'ne. Murasame released her hand from the
hilt of her sword, seeing that the mononoke and Garyl were getting along
famously.
"Then you didn't come here to cause a disturbance..." Murasame said.
Just then, however, it struck her. She looked up, sharing a look of
realization with Itsuhachi.
"Wait...just a moment..." Itsuhachi started.
"Garyl..." Murasame continued. "You defeated Ben'ne in a duel?!" The
two of them sidled up closer to Garyl and Ben'ne, staring in shock.
"I happened to win today, that's all," Garyl said, grinning brightly.
"What matters is we had a good time! That's more important than winning
or losing."
"Not at all," objected Ben'ne. "I was utterly defeated. Truly, you are the
one worthy of being my master." The two shared another smile.
Itsuhachi stared on in disbelief. Th-They say Ben'ne the Sword Hunter of
Ijo Bridge has challenged some hundred victors of the Hi Izuru Grand
Tournament, none of whom could land even a single attack against her. And
she says she was utterly defeated...? she thought. Murasame stood next to
her, mouth agape as she stared mutely at the cheerfully smiling Garyl and
Ben'ne. She must have been thinking much the same thing.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Thank you for your hospitality!" Flio said, bowing his head to the staff
of Ichimu-an at the entrance.
"Thank you for your hospitality!" echoed the rest of the party, bowing as
well.
The Ichimu-an staff bowed low in response. "We await your next visit!"
Ben'ne, for her part, accompanied them out, following closely behind
Garyl as if her presence were only natural.
"Are you going to come along with Garyl, Miss Ben'ne?" Flio asked.
"I am," Ben'ne answered, bowing low. "The very reason I began
challenging passersby to engage in combat was to find one who was worthy
to be my master. Now that Garyl-dono has defeated me and proved himself
deserving of my service, it was my intention to accompany him and serve as
his familiar."
"But of course!" Rys said, nodding in understanding. "It's only natural
you would acknowledge him as your master, after he defeated you like
that!"
Rys was still a demon at heart, so she had a deep reverence for power.
Suffice to say, she identified deeply with Ben'ne's position.
"I will remain within the mist when I am not needed to avoid
inconveniencing the people of your house," Ben'ne said. "I thank you for
your understanding..." As she spoke, the mist welled up around her, quickly
enshrouding her body, which vanished from sight.
I see... Flio thought, smirking despite himself. I guess we have another
new resident, then. Well, at least I won't have to prepare any new rooms this
time around... The faces of Ura and the rest of the village he had
transplanted outside Blossom Acres the other day appeared unbidden in his
mind.
The party left the inn and continued along the road as its path led along
the nearby river. "We were supposed to spend today supporting Garyl in the
sword fighting tournament, weren't we?" Elinàsze remarked with a sigh.
"But now that it's been suspended from the divine beast attack, I'm not sure
what we're going to do all day."
"A-About that..." Murasame said, looking oddly flustered as she stepped
up in front of the group. It had been her suggestion that Garyl take part in
the tournament, and she seemed to be somewhat excessively self-conscious
that it had been canceled. "I discussed this with Miss Itsuhachi last night. If
you are all willing, perhaps we might pay a visit to the city's shopping
district?"
"The shopping district?" Flio asked, his expression visibly brightening.
"I'd love to go. I'm very interested to see what kind of items they have for
sale in Hi Izuran shops. What do the rest of you think?" he asked, looking
behind him at the rest of the party.
"Far be it from me to object to my lord husband's decision!" Rys
declared with a smile and nod. "And personally, I would like to see if we
can perhaps purchase some of the cloth they use to make Hi Izuran
kimono..."
"Do they have tasty food? Do they?" Wyne asked, running eagerly up to
Murasame.
"Y-Yes, of course!" Murasame answered. "There are many shops that
sell Hi Izuran confections."
"Yaaaay!" Wyne cheered, jumping up and down in her excitement.
"Let's go! Let's go!"
"But...Miss Wyne..." Murasame said, utterly dumbfounded. "You only
just ate twenty bowls of rice with your breakfast! Can you really eat again
so soon?"
"I wanna buy souvenirs for everyone anyway," Rislei said. "I'm in."
"And I would like to see the weapons they have on display," Balirossa
said, glancing at the katana on Murasame's belt. "I have something of an
interest in traditional Hi Izuran swords..."
Murasame breathed a sigh of relief as Flio's family began chatting
excitedly about the trip to the shopping district. It looks like everyone's
happy with this... Thank goodness, she thought. "Very well," she said.
"Then I will show you the way."
◇Meanwhile—Behind Ichimu-an◇
In the shadows behind Ichimu-an, the inn where Flio's party had stayed
the night, Itsuhachi stood with folded arms, glaring furiously at a group of
men and women numbering in the dozens, all kneeling on the floor with
their heads bowed. These were the emissaries for the noble families who
had tried to recruit Flio the night before.
"I am very disappointed in all of you," she said. "I told you plainly that
the Hi Izuru Ministry of Foreign Affairs forbade you from disturbing Fliosama—and yet!" Itsuhachi struck the bambu sword in her hand hard against
the ground. The emissaries, still kneeling, visibly startled at the sound.
Itsuhachi looked around at the group before her, her eyes narrowing
dangerously. "Twenty-one intruders attempted to contact Flio-sama in the
bath! Thirty-eight attempted to sneak into his room at night as he slept!
What in heaven's name were you all thinking?!" She struck her bambu
sword against the ground once again. "In any event, you are to remain here
and reflect on your actions until Flio-sama returns to his home country! Am
I understood?!"
"We're very sorry!" the group replied as one.
As it turned out, the presence Flio had felt before Wyne entered the bath
the night before as well as the commotion Garyl had overheard in the
hallway while he was lying in bed had both been instances of the nobles'
emissaries attempting to sneak into Ichimu-an in order to meet with Flio
only to be repelled by none other than Itsuhachi.
My master told me I was to entice Flio-dono to our side no matter
what... one of the emissaries thought. What was I to do?
Alas, I was unable to make it past Itsuhachi, with her high level ninja
abilities... thought another.
Perhaps there is still some way out of this situation... wondered a third.
Itsuhachi regarded the group in front of her sternly, bambu sword
clutched tightly in her hands.
◇A Shopping District near the Checkpoint◇
Murasame led the party to a shopping district located just outside the
checkpoint. "You will find more shops here than anywhere else in the Land
of the Rising Sun," she said. "Many of the goods on sale here are one of a
kind. Just seeing what they have on display is worth the trip all on its own.
If you are interested in the food, there are samples you can taste to see what
you think of—"
"Samples?!" Wyne exclaimed, ever alert to promises of food. Grinning
deliriously, she bolted off towards the shopping district entrance with all the
force of an arrow shot from a bow.
"W-Wait, big sis Wyne!" Elinàsze cried as she chased after the
dragonewt. "They're only samples, remember! You mustn't eat the whole
thing!"
"I wanna try the samples too!" Folmina declared, heading off after Wyne
as well.
"If big sis Folmina's going, me too..." Ghoro said, following along.
Folmina noticed Ghoro tagging along and took his hand in hers. "Don't
let go of my hand, okay? We wouldn't want you to get lost!"
"Okay..." Ghoro said, nodding happily.
"You're a good big sister, Folmina," Garyl said, patting the girl on the
head as he walked along behind. "And you're a good boy for listening to
your sister, Ghoro," he added, patting Ghoro on the head as well.
"Tee hee hee!" Folmina giggled. "Head pats from big bro Garyl! I'm so
happy!"
"I'm happy too..." Ghoro agreed, a smile on his face.
"You're a great big brother too, Gare," Rislei said, glancing over at the
three of them as she walked along beside them.
"You think so?" Garyl asked, suddenly shy. "I'm not doing anything out
of the ordinary, though..."
Rylnàsze chose just that moment to run up. "Can I walk with you, big
bro Garyl?" she asked.
"Of course!" Garyl said, offering Rylnàsze his hand. "Ready?"
Rylnàsze took her brother's hand, smiling with delight. Flio watched on
with a smile on his face as the five children set off in a group together,
Garyl at the center. Garyl has really grown up fast, he thought. But I
suppose it's only to be expected with how close he and Miss Ellie have
gotten lately...
"Garyl's become so responsible, hasn't he?" Rys observed, sidling up
beside her husband.
Flio cracked an amused smile—it seemed that he and Rys had just been
thinking the same thing. "He really has. You couldn't ask for a more
responsible big brother."
Rys nodded happily in agreement as they, too, stepped foot into the
shopping district.
◇ ◇ ◇
Elinàsze stood with her arms folded in front of one of the shopping
district's many establishments.
"Excuse me..." Rylnàsze began. "What are you doing, big sis Elinàsze?"
"Rylnàsze," Elinàsze said, pointing to the display of sweets in the shop's
storefront. "Would you take a look at this?"
Rylnàsze followed her sister's finger to see a steamed bun in the shape
of a baby bird. The label next to it read: "Chickling Manju Bun."
"Um..." Rylnàsze ventured. "Is something the matter with the Chickling
Manju Bun?"
"The problem is what's next to it," Elinàsze said, turning her gaze to the
nearly identical steamed bun sitting right alongside the Chickling Manju
Bun. Its shape could have been a perfect duplicate.
"That's another Chickling Manju Bun, isn't it?" Rylnàsze asked, tilting
her head in confusion.
"No," Elinàsze said with a sigh. "It is not."
"Really?" Rylnàsze asked, surprised. She took another look and saw that
this one's label read: "Baby Thunderbird Manju Bun." "What? B-But it
looks perfectly identical! Then, why does it have a different name?"
"And that isn't all..." Elinàsze continued, pointing to a third identical
bun beside the other two.
"Um..." Rylnàsze said. "This one looks just like the Chickling Manju
Bun too, doesn't it?" She looked down to see that the label for this one read:
"Baby Inferno Avis Manju Bun." Next to that was an "Original Chickling
Manju Bun," then a "Chick-Chick Manju Bun," and a "Baby Volcano Rukh
Manju Bun." Each of them looked indistinguishable in all but name. "The
boxes they're packaged in look slightly different as well..."
"I tried a sample of the buns," Elinàsze said, "and their flavors are all
identical."
"What?" Rylnàsze asked. "R-Really?" The two sisters stared at the baby
bird buns, utterly flummoxed by the mystery.
Murasame watched from a short distance away, wishing that the two of
them would move along. I-I couldn't possibly explain that one... she
thought. I only hope they don't decide to press the matter too deeply...
Rislei, meanwhile, was inside a store not far away. "What are those?"
she asked, looking inquisitively at the key chains displayed on one of the
shop walls.
"Ah, these?" the woman who was tending shop said. "These are key
chains, each featuring the kamon of one of the noble families who govern
the various regions of Hi Izuru."
"Kamon?" Rislei asked.
"Yes, kamon," the woman said. "You hail from the West, are you not?
Perhaps I could liken them to the flags used by Western kingdoms."
"I see..." Rislei said, peering closely at the key chains. "Hi Izuru has
quite a lot of noble families, then, doesn't it?" Come to think of it, Reptor
collects key chains... she thought. I bet he'd be happy if I bought him one of
these. She looked them over and quickly selected one she found attractive.
"This one with the flower patterned kamon is nice," she said, taking two
and heading over to the register. "I'll take these, please."
"Thank you very much!" the shopkeeper began. "But...miss, I see you
have two of the same item. Is that correct?"
"Y-Yes, that's right," Rislei said, suddenly flustered. "H-Hurry up and
wrap them, please!" I'm so embarrassed... she thought. I can't believe I'm
getting us matching key chains...
Garyl, meanwhile, was standing in front of a shop selling souvenirs, his
arms folded in contemplation, hemming and hawing, when Flio and Rys
happened to walk by.
"Garyl? Is something wrong?" Rys asked.
"Oh, hi, mom..." Garyl said, frowning. Then Rys noticed he had a piece
of paper clutched tight in his hand. On it was a list of names that seemed to
stretch on forever.
"Whose names are written on that paper you have, Garyl?" Rys asked.
"These are all the people who showed up to cheer me on during fencing
club practice, or who gave me food and stuff..." Garyl answered. "I was
thinking about getting everyone some kind of souvenir, but it looks like it's
gonna cost more money than I expected..."
"I see..." Rys said, stepping up to her son. "Well, I'm certain they'd
appreciate something from a store, but perhaps something handmade might
be in order?"
"Handmade, you say?"
"That's right. How about making sweets for everyone once we get home
using ingredients from the Land of the Rising Sun? You could save a decent
amount that way, I expect."
"Good idea!" Garyl said, nodding in understanding. "I hadn't thought of
that!" Smiling, he politely bowed his head. "Thanks, mom. Once Folmina
and Ghoro are done shopping here, I'll try looking for cooking
ingredients!"
Folmina and Ghoro were in the shop ahead of them, cheerfully looking
over the items on display. Garyl, it seemed, had been watching over them
from a short distance away even while doing his own shopping.
I've been keeping an eye on everyone too, using my Search spell... Flio
thought, smiling as he watched from behind. But it's good to know Garyl
and Elinàsze are looking after the other children. That way I can look
around on my own without worrying about the others too much.
"My lord husband!" Rys said, taking Flio's arm in hers. "Let's look over
there!" She pointed towards a shop farther on ahead packed wall to wall
with fine textiles, hurrying them quickly along. Rys's eyes sparkled at the
sight of so many colorful bolts of cloth. "Indolian cloth is excellent, but
these Hi Izuran fabrics are every bit as wonderful!" she gushed, examining
one after another at a rapid clip. "I simply must try making something out
of this!"
Flio smiled as he watched his wife at work. Rys just can't resist a new
kind of cloth to work with, he thought. She's been obsessed ever since she
started making clothing for the children. These days she's gotten so good
we've been selling her designs at the Fli-o'-Rys General Store...
Flio was, of course, absolutely correct. Rys had been hooked on
designing and creating outfits ever since she started creating handmade
outfits for the children of the house. She had even taken it on herself to
design the clothing items for sale in the Fli-o'-Rys General Store.
"Oh my!" Rys exclaimed as she browsed. "This one is excellent too!
And I wonder how this fabric would look paired with that..."
Rys is such a perfectionist, though. It takes her so long to make a
decision... Flio thought, smirking wryly as he watched his wife compare the
bolts of cloth to each other, inspecting each and every one. Still, it's
amazing how serious she is about making the right decision. I'm glad I get
to see this side of her. I suppose it's nothing to complain about... Flio started
looking over the bolts of cloth himself as he waited for Rys to finish. Now
then, I'd better get ready for my part—the payment at the end. Flio had
been a merchant in his home world, and negotiating prices was one of his
specialties.
The shopkeeper watched Flio from behind as he quietly but deliberately
looked over the merchandise and swallowed nervously. This gentleman...
they thought. He seems to know what he's doing...
◇ ◇ ◇
Flio's party finished their shopping by midday and left the shopping
district, headed for the checkpoint. "That textile shop really was excellent!"
Rys remarked. "And it cost us hardly any money at all!" She was clearly in
high spirits, humming a cheery tune as she walked along.
Well, I'm glad Rys is happy... Flio thought, wincing to himself as he
recalled their expedition to the textile shop in question. But I can't help but
worry I haggled a bit too hard. The old man at the shop seemed like he was
on the brink of tears by the time we left...
"Hahh..." Wyne sighed in satisfaction, giving her fully belly a couple of
hearty snacks. "That was good-good!"
Elinàsze and Rylnàsze couldn't help smirking at their older sister's
behavior. "I can't believe big sis Wyne ate all those bowls of buckwheat
noodles at that 'wanko soba' restaurant after all the sampling she did
earlier," Elinàsze remarked. "She must've eaten more than a hundred!"
"And she tried even more samples after that—and brought all those
snacks to take home with her too," Rylnàsze agreed. "She really has an
incredible appetite!"
"Ah ha ha!" Wyne laughed, taking one of the steamed buns she had
bought earlier and tossing it into her mouth. "I can eat more-more still!"
"O-Oh, really?" Rylnàsze asked.
"For sure, for sure!" said Wyne, offering Rylnàsze another of her
steamed buns with a smile on her face. "They're really good! You wanna
try-try, Ryl-Ryl?"
Rylnàsze flinched and shook her head. "O-Oh, no thank you!" she said.
"I'm very full already..."
As the party chatted among themselves, Itsuhachi led them to where
Black Heboll was waiting. The workers at the checkpoint hadn't just kept
him fed, it turned out. They must have given him a bath as well. A glance
was all it took to see that Black Heboll's scales were even more lustrous
than they had been before the party arrived.
"You really thought of everything," Flio said, bowing his head to
Itsuhachi. "Really, thank you so much." Black Heboll bowed as well, in
imitation of Flio.
"There's no need to mention it!" Itsuhachi said, shaking her head with a
smile on her face. "We provide this service to all guests who arrive on a
magic beast!" A group of workers dressed in black lined up behind her,
bowing in unison. They must have been the ones looking after Black Heboll
while he waited at the checkpoint.
The checkpoint staff watched as Flio held out his arm and cast a spell,
summoning a magic circle from which appeared the carriage the party had
used on their arrival. He made sure everyone was safely on board before
turning to face the group who had come to see them off. "Thank you for all
your help," he said. "We'll be sure to come back for another visit once
everything's ready for the Enchanted Frigate!"
"Of course!" Itsuhachi nodded, beaming happily. "We will eagerly await
your return!"
Their parting words concluded, Flio did a second check to make sure
everyone was accounted for and gave the signal for Black Heboll to take
flight. He landed atop the carriage, grasping it in his talons, and with a
single beat of his wings, took off into the sky. They flew higher and higher
at a speed that astonished the onlookers, and soon they vanished into the
clouds.
◇Half a Day Later—Houghtow College of Magic Front Gate◇
Just like the journey to the Land of the Rising Sun, it took Black Heboll
less than half a day's flight to return to the front gates of the Houghtow
College of Magic.
"That was a blast!" Garyl said, stretching his arms behind his head with
a cheerful smile on his face. "I had a great time in Hi Izuru!"
"I am delighted to hear that," said Murasame, somberly bowing her
head. "But I can't help feeling like I owe you a number of apologies for the
way your visit went..." It seemed she still felt remorseful over the
tournament she had invited Garyl to getting canceled.
"There wasn't anything you could've done about that," Garyl reassured
her. "You shouldn't feel guilty about things that weren't your fault. Just
invite me to that tournament the next time it happens, please!"
"I do not believe there would be any merit in your participation in such
a tournament, master. Never has a victor of that tournament been a match
for me in combat."
"Really? Huh..." Garyl replied without thinking, before suddenly
stopping in his tracks in surprise. "Wait, who said that?" he asked, looking
every which way for the source of the voice. In response, a cloud of mist
formed behind Garyl and coalesced into Ben'ne. "Miss B?!" Garyl
exclaimed in shock when he saw who it was. "Wait a minute... You were
serious about coming with us?!"
"Did I not tell you?" Ben'ne asked. "I have selected you as my one and
only master. If you will permit it, I hope to spend eternity in your service."
She knelt down before him, bowing deeply.
Ben'ne was a very tall woman, much taller than Garyl. Kneeling like
that in public, she couldn't help but stand out. And, in fact, there was
someone staring at her at that very moment, hidden behind a wall a short
distance away—Salina, Garyl's classmate and admirer from school.
Salina had seen Black Heboll in flight from her window and had run
outside, crying "My Lord Garyl has returned!" When she reached the
school gates, however, she found Ben'ne kneeling conspicuously before the
target of her affections.
Who is that?! Salina wondered, staring wide-eyed at the mysterious
woman.
◇Houghtow City—Flio's House◇
After taking Black Heboll back to the magic beast pasture at the
Houghtow College of Magic, Flio cast Teleportation to return the party
home, where Garyl, Rys, and Elinàsze wasted no time in heading to the
kitchen to get to work on making sweets to give to everyone on Garyl's list.
Garyl set the ingredients he had purchased in the Land of the Rising Sun
out on the kitchen counter. "All right," he said, pumping himself up for the
task ahead. "Ready to get started?"
"Of course!" said Rys, consulting the written recipe for sweet manju
dumplings she had obtained along with the ingredients. "First, we must mix
this 'hakuriki' flour with cold water and knead it with our hands..."
When Rys had first become Flio's wife, she could only cook dishes
involving meat, be it seared over a fire or else plain raw. Tasting the meals
Flio and Balirossa cooked, however, she was astonished to discover how
delicious human cooking could be and just how much she had to learn. She
enrolled in a local cooking school and practiced night and day to improve
her skills until she reached the point that now, just from having read a
recipe, she could not only create the dish but direct others as well.
"Like this?" Garyl asked, mixing the flour and water together in a large
bowl and kneading it heavily.
As the three of them got to work, Rislei and Rylnàsze poked their heads
in the kitchen to see how things were going.
"How's it coming?" Rislei asked. "Anything I can do to help?"
"Yeah! Thanks Rislei!" Garyl said. "Why don't you take this anko stuff
and divide it up into balls about yea big?" he instructed, pointing to the
sweet red bean paste on the counter and demonstrating an approximate size
with his fingers.
"'Kay, 'kay!" Rislei said, bobbing her head in agreement. "Me and Ryl
will get that done lickety-split!"
"I'll do my best!" Rylnàsze concurred, nodding with determination.
There were small magic beasts gathered all around her feet—her friends,
who she had left behind at home during her trip. They were being even
more affectionate than usual after missing Rylnàsze for an entire day.
Rylnàsze, too, seemed to be delighted to see them if the smile on her face
was any indication.
The group got to work, chatting cheerfully all the while, and before long
they were well underway.
◇Meanwhile—In the Living Room◇
"Thank you for looking after our kids this time, Mister Flio," Ghozal
said, bowing his head in thanks as he ate the dango Flio had brought him as
a souvenir.
"We wanted to come along, but there was too meowch to take care of at
the store..." added Uliminas.
When he had gotten home, Flio had gone to the living room with Ghozal
and Uliminas and the other adults of the house to regale them with stories
of their trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. "And this," he said, taking out a
crystal to show the rest of the group, "is the Divine Beast I captured this
time around, the Yamata Dragon." He smiled his usual easygoing smile as
he explained everything that had happened.
"Th-The Yamata Dragon?!" Ura exclaimed. "Th-The one sealed in
Mount Gokoku over in the Land of the Rising Sun?! That Yamata
Dragon?!"
"Um, yes, that's right," Flio said. "You're familiar with it?"
"F-Familiar..." Ura repeated as he stared dumbfounded into the crystal,
where he could indeed see a distorted image of the seven-headed Yamata
Dragon. "I'm from Hi Izuru myself, you know. I've heard all kinds of
stories about the legendary magic beast that had my oni ancestors
completely on the ropes! I can't believe the day would come where I'd be
looking at it with my own eyes..."
"Hm! The Yamata Dragon, you say!" Calsi'im said, nodding along
cheerfully as he sipped the cup of tea Tia had poured for him. "I must say,
I've never seen a magic beast that looks quite like this one before in my
life! I suppose there are still a few surprises left in the world after all!"
"Yes, it does seem quite unique..." Tia agreed, peering into the crystal
curiously from the side.
"It seems to be a subclass of Beast of Disaster..." Hiya observed,
floating in the air to get a look at the monster inside the crystal from
overhead. "Considering its chimerici anatomy, it appears to comprise
multiple individual Beasts of Disaster fused together by some unknown
force. That would make it a being of exceptional rarity..."
"Huh!" Flio said, nodding in understanding at Hiya's explanation. "So
it's a pretty rare kind of creature after all!"
A crease formed in Hiya's forehead. The Exalted One speaks lightly...
they thought, but a chimera made up of multiple fused Beasts of Disaster
would have many times the power of one such creature. I can sense that
much even on the other side of the sealing crystal. And yet, he sealed such a
beast as this away as if it were nothing... They landed on the floor and,
without thinking, knelt deep in reverence. Truly, he is the Exalted One, they
thought. Once more, I find myself utterly overcome...
"Anyway," Flio said, his typical easygoing smile plastered on his face,
"I thought later I'd take a few of its scales and try testing out a few uses..."
The Divine Beast, the Yamata Dragon, was a monster of such ferocious
might it could have possibly even destroyed the world of Klyrode itself.
Flio's family, however, kept on chatting merrily without any special regard
for the crystal sealing it away.
◇Later—Back in the Kitchen◇
"Phew! I think that just about does it..." Garyl finished dividing the
finished dumplings between a number of small bags with a satisfied look on
his face.
"You really are good at this, though, Gare..." Rislei said. "Are you really
gonna give all that to those hanger-on groupies of yours?"
"Hanger-ons or not, they've been showing up to support me during
practice and even giving me presents and such. I'd feel bad about it if I
didn't return the favor once in a while, at least..." Garyl said, wincing as he
looked over the bags.
"Well spoken, my master," said Ben'ne, appearing from a cloud of mist
behind him. "The consideration you show your followers is to your credit."
"You weren't hoping to get some manju for yourself by any chance,
were you, Miss B?" Garyl offered when he noticed the mononoke's
presence in the room.
Ben'ne's usual cool and collected demeanor shattered in a second. She
began blushing furiously, pointing her finger at herself in an exaggerated
motion. "Wh-Wh-Who, me?!" she sputtered. "Couldn't be! I would never be
so utterly presumptuous as to hope that my master might deign to share
some of the manju he made with me... Well...perhaps I was hoping, just a
little..."
"You don't have to call me master or anything," Garyl said, smirking
despite himself at Ben'ne's behavior. "I'll gladly give you some, as a
friend," he said, offering her a plate.
"Th-There is no need for such sentiments with me...but...if you truly
insist..." Ben'ne said, doing her best to sound cool and collected. The way
she was drooling at the sight of the manju, however, ruined whatever
chance she had to recover her dignity. Urged on by her master, Ben'ne took
one of the manju and ate it. "I-Incredible!" she gushed with joy, forgetting
herself completely. "Utterly delicious!"
Garyl beamed happily at the sight of Ben'ne enjoying the food. "I'm
really glad you like it!" he said, handing her another plate. "You can have
more if you like!" Before she could take it, however, Ben'ne found herself
interrupted...
"Thank you, thank you!" said Wyne, darting in from the side to grab the
place herself—only to find her hand blocked by Ben'ne's naginata.
"Stay back, fiend!" she declared. "These manju were given to me by my
master! How dare you attempt to swipe them for yourself! Repent!"
"No way!" Wyne shouted back, sticking her face right up against
Ben'ne's. "No fair keeping 'em to your self-self!"
"Now, now, no arguing, you two," Garyl said, unable to keep himself
from smirking in amusement at Wyne and Ben'ne alike. "Let's just get
along and eat the manju together, okay?"
◇A Few Days Later—Klyrode Castle◇
In the Maiden Queen's private chambers in Klyrode Castle, Her Majesty
sat down on her bed, tired from a long day's work. "Hah..." she sighed. "At
long last, the wizard gold incident in the Kingdom of Castolia seems to
have been resolved. But who could have imagined that there would be so
many victims..." For a while she just sat there, mentally reviewing the
details of the report she had been given.
It has been some time since I took the throne... she thought with another
sigh. But I am still an inexperienced ruler, and yet unequal to the burden...
At that thought she lifted her head and shook it vigorously.
"This is no time to be depressed!" she told herself. "If my father is
determined to play the villain, then I must do my best to guide this kingdom
on its proper course!" She steeled her face in determination, but it only
lasted a second before her expression turned cloudy once again.
Still...to think the wizard gold was the work of the Shadow King too, she
thought. I swear, it puts me in a mood whenever I hear mention of that
man... She thought back to when she had first unveiled the evil deeds of the
man who had once been her father and the king of the Magical Kingdom of
Klyrode before the world, and clutched her head as if in pain. The Maiden
Queen had always been serious to the point of fault, prone to worrying
herself sick given the slightest opportunity.
The Maiden Queen sat gloomily in bed, sighing and sighing, until her
eyes fell on the paper bag she had left on her desk. Immediately, her
expression brightened considerably. "That's right! I still have the souvenir
Garyl brought me from his trip!" She hurried over to the desk, and opened
the bag. Inside were several manju filled with sweet red bean paste. "CCould it be?" she wondered, blushing ever so slightly. "Did Garyl make
these sweets himself...?"
The Maiden Queen took a single manju and tossed it in her mouth. The
confection's sweet flavor filled her senses and soon she found herself
overcome by a deep sense of joy. "Ahh..." she exclaimed, her eyes
brimming over with tears of joy. "This is simply marvelous..."
I've been so busy dealing with the wizard gold incident that I haven't
had time to pay a visit to Garyl's house... she thought. But now that it's been
resolved, I should be able to see him again as soon as tomorrow if I'm able
to get my work done quickly... With that in mind, the Maiden Queen took
another manju.
"And yet..." she said, her expression darkening once again. "Garyl really
is a wonderful boy, to be able to make such delicious sweets. Meanwhile,
I've been training as hard as I can under Lady Rys's strict instruction and
my cooking skills don't seem to have improved in the slightest. And who
was that woman looming over Garyl's back when he came to visit me at the
castle? I believe Garyl said she was called Miss B, but I don't remember
such a woman being a part of Lord Flio's household... I'm sure she's a
better match for Garyl than an old and jealous woman like myself..."
The Maiden Queen, as mentioned, had always been serious to the point
of fault, prone to worrying herself sick given the slightest opportunity. It
seemed the day her heart would find peace was still a long ways off.