Chapter 117 - Special Chapter: A Day in Okita Village (Fam Is at a Loss)
For the next three chapters, we'll have a special side story. It's not directly connected to the main plot, but I hope you'll enjoy it.
Okita Village is a small settlement of the dog-eared race, nestled deep in the mountains. Blessed with a rich natural environment, about forty families live within the confines of its wooden fence. Their lives are a tapestry of essential labors: logging, wheat cultivation, animal husbandry, and foraging. While largely self-sufficient, they are by no means isolated and enjoy frequent exchanges with other dog-eared villages.
Incidentally, the neighboring village is also named Okita Village. In fact, so are all the other villages scattered throughout the region. Although the names are identical, subtle differences in pronunciation allow for distinction. However, no one besides the dog-eared race can perceive these nuances. For this reason, when speaking to those of other races, the residents simply refer to their home as the settlement.
One of the settlement's residents, Famime Okita—or Fam, as she was known—was a young girl with large, drooping ears covered in soft, brown fur.
She was currently on her way to the elder's house with her friends: a girl named Samuemu Okita, or Sam, and a boy named Nick Okita.
They were all the same age and had been friends since they were little.
Though all three shared the same surname, they weren't related. The proof was in their ears: Sam's were a pure white and drooped in a rounded, inverted triangle, while Nick's had the same shape but were covered in black fur.
Still, in a settlement this small, some blood relation was highly likely. As for the surname Okita, every resident of this settlement and all the surrounding ones shared it. It was a name everyone wore with pride.
At the center of the village stood a stone monument dedicated to their guardian deity. Short phrases in what was said to be an ancient language were carved into it, but no one could read them. The monument was surrounded by a cluster of wild chrysanthemums, their yellow blossoms in full bloom.
Fam and her friends offered a prayer before the monument and then headed for the elder's house, which was just a short walk away.
They knocked on the wooden door and went inside.
"Oh my, have Sam and Nick come along as well?"
The three of them nodded at the elder's voice. The elder was an old woman whose gray-furred ears were bent partway down. Her eyebrows were so long they nearly concealed her eyes. With a thoughtful "Hmph," she rose from her armchair, took four wooden cups from a shelf, and placed them on the table. She then poured a drink called Ayran—a mix of yogurt, water, and salt. The four of them sat down and took a sip. They laughed, their upper lips now coated in white.
"Are you all finished with your work for today?"
Fam and Sam nodded at the old woman's question, while Nick averted his gaze.
"I went to gather wild vegetables with my father this morning."
"I was taking care of the horses."
The old woman nodded, looking pleased with Fam and Sam's answers.
"Now, the reason I called you here, Fam, is about Lily from our settlement and Shun from the next village. You know of them, I presume."
Fam nodded. Lily was a girl who would turn sixteen this year. Her clear, dark eyes held a pure light, and her smile captivated all the young men in the village. Her sociable and cheerful nature made her immensely popular, but she was particularly close with Cicci, the strongest man in the village. Everyone thought it was only a matter of time before they married.
Then a rumor spread that she and Shun from the neighboring village had sniffed each other's tails. It was an archaic dog-eared betrothal ritual, one that the youth of today were too embarrassed to perform.
Lily, Cicci, and Shun had all remained silent on the matter. Yet some in the community grew angry, and the relationship between the two villages began to fray.
"You've turned nine now, Fam. You have a gentle nature and a gift for discerning what is right. I want you to act as an Arbiter and settle this dispute."
The three children stared in shock.
Usually, the elder never made direct requests of the villagers. She might ask the children to do small chores like fetching water, but when it came to major matters like this, she would convey her thoughts to the village chief, who would then work with the village officials to find a solution.
The village was run by the chief and the officials. The chief was chosen based on the loudness of their howl, while the officials were selected on a rotating basis. The elder's role was that of a healer and a guardian, watching over the settlement and offering advice to the chief and officials.
The only person who received a direct request from the elder was her successor. This meant that Fam, at the age of nine, had been chosen as the next elder. She was too stunned to reply.
"I have already spoken with the village chief, the officials, and your father about this. If you feel lost or troubled, you can consult with them. The adults will not leave you to face this alone. But in the end, you must be the one to think it through."
The elder added this to assuage Fam's fears, then continued.
"Tomorrow night, we will hold the Pau Ritual. This isn't just about romance. You must carefully observe all that is happening in the village and convey what you believe to be right."
When a conflict arose in the settlement, two Arbiters from a neutral third party were chosen to resolve it. The Pau Ritual would be held, and one of the two opinions would be adopted as the final judgment.
The Pau Ritual was a vital ceremony for restoring harmony. The people of the settlement trusted it to deliver a fair ruling. Time and again, this ritual had resolved disputes, illuminated the path forward, and maintained the stability of their entire community.
"The other Arbiter this time will be chosen from Shun's village."
Fam was still unable to answer. Lily was the kind older sister who had taught her so many things and had always helped her when she was in trouble. As someone without sisters of her own, Lily was the only one she could call "big sis." Was it really alright for her to step into her sister's love life? And could she even fulfill the role of an Arbiter? She was overwhelmed with anxiety.
Just then, Sam took her hand. It was a small hand, but its warmth enveloped her.
"Elder-sama, may I also help Fam?"
The elder nodded, a look of satisfaction on her face.
"Samuemu, you should go with Fam and think carefully about what is right as well."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Sam's energetic reply gave Fam the resolve she needed to try.
"Elder-sama, I will try to accept the duty of Arbiter."
"Is that so, is that so."
A gentle smile graced the elder's lips at Fam's words.
However, one among them, Nick, was not satisfied.
"Hah! Why would you give a job like that to a little runt like her? I bet I could solve it way better!"
Nick shot to his feet and drained his Ayran in one go.
"How dare you speak to Elder-sama like that! Besides, you'll get a stomachache if you drink it all at once!"
Sam chided him, but Nick was unstoppable.
He threw open the door, then took out a wooden flying disc. Involuntarily, the ears of the three others twitched, and their tails began to sway gently.
"Nick, stop it!" Sam shouted.
"Go get it!"
Nick threw the flying disc. As the disc soared away in a beautiful arc, the canine instincts of Fam and Sam became impossible to suppress.
The two girls took off like a pair of hounds, chasing after the disc. And right behind them, her own instincts awakened, ran the elder.
In a corner of the settlement stood a single, timber-framed cell. Nick was to spend the night there.
The elder had thrown out her back and was confined to bed.
The settlement had three strict rules.
The first was that one must not bury food in the ground. A trend of hiding food by burying it had once swept the village, and everyone began digging holes to stash their provisions. The result was chaos; no one knew whose food was whose, and even those who had buried it forgot where they'd put it. The stench of rotting food filled the village, and soon, neighboring villages started spreading rumors that they were cursed.
Fam had a bitter memory associated with this first rule. A few years ago, her father had given her a wooden toy carved in the shape of a fish. Overjoyed, Fam decided to hide it in a secret place. She figured burying a toy would be fine, so she started digging a hole in the backyard where no one would see. It was harder work than she expected, so she snacked on some dried meat as she worked. She decided to make the hole big enough to hide Sam's and Nick's precious things too, and so she kept digging deeper. Soon the hole was deep enough to hide a child, but she still wasn't satisfied. She couldn't finish in one day, so she covered the hole with straw and dirt to hide it. She also left her leftover dried meat inside. The next day, her mother fell into the hole while trying to hang the laundry. Fam was out gathering wild vegetables with her father, and her mother had never imagined her daughter could dig such a deep pit, so it caused quite a commotion. As a result, her father had to spend a night in the cell in her place. Fam spent the entire night crying in front of the cell.
The second rule was that one must not use a toothpick to clean between one's teeth in front of others. To the dog-eared race, the hissing sound and bared teeth looked like an act of intimidation. Once, during a village feast, a person began cleaning their teeth with a toothpick. Someone else saw it, misunderstood, and responded with a threat display of their own. This spread like wildfire until the entire village was locked in a standoff. The feast was abandoned, and the villagers continued glaring at each other until morning. Merchants visiting at the time spread more rumors of a cursed village.
Fam had a bitter memory of this rule as well. This too had happened a few years ago. Her parents were always affectionate, but every few days there would be a day when they were especially close. She wanted to join in, but on those days, for some reason, she was always sent to bed early. That day, she'd been told to go to sleep, but something stuck in her teeth was bothering her, and she unthinkingly started making the shee-shee sound in front of her parents. Afterward, her parents spent the whole night in a threatening standoff. The next day, when a neighbor came to check on them after noticing they hadn't shown up at the washing place, they too joined in the threat display, causing a small commotion. As a result, her father had to spend a night in the cell in her place. Fam spent the entire night crying in front of the cell.
And the third rule was that one must not play with a flying disc inside the settlement's fence. During one festival, a game involving flying discs was proposed and adopted. A large number of them were brought into the village. The villagers got too excited and lost all restraint. As a result, the fields were trampled and the livestock escaped. When members of the church arrived with aid after hearing of the settlement's poverty, they saw the devastation and, once again, rumors spread of a cursed village.
Fam also had a bitter memory of this third rule. A few years ago, her father had given her a handmade flying disc. As she repeatedly played a game of throwing it and catching it herself, the other villagers who saw her gradually joined in, causing a small commotion. As a result, her father had to spend a night in the cell in her place. Fam spent the entire night crying in front of the cell.
Fam was the first person to have ever broken all three rules. She was feared throughout the village as the "Bad Dog," but she had now grown enough to be chosen as an Arbiter.
Nick's confinement to the cell this time, even though he was only a nine-year-old boy, was in a way an inevitable outcome.
As for Lily's case, it was now up to Fam and Sam to investigate.
The two of them decided to head to Lily's house first. It was right next to Fam's.
In the village, people worked from early morning until noon. Now was the time for afternoon naps, and it was quiet. The greetings exchanged with the few people they met were unhurried.
When they knocked on the door, Lily's parents appeared and called her for them.
Since their conversation was to be a secret, they went outside with Lily. They headed for the bank of the small stream that flowed along the edge of the village. The spot was usually bustling with people washing clothes and dishes in the morning, but now it was deserted. The three of them sat on chairs that had been left there haphazardly. Lily shared some apples she'd brought from home, and they all took a bite. They were sweet and delicious, with a pleasant, crisp texture.
The season was shifting from late autumn to winter. Soon, the snow would begin to fall, and the settlement would be cut off from the world until spring. But today was unusually warm and calm.
"I can't believe you were chosen to be an Arbiter, Fam."
Lily smiled mischievously. She had long, drooping ears. The white fur covering them was soft and fine, and it would become fluffy when combed. Fam and Lily often used to comb each other's hair and ear fur. And they would talk endlessly. If Lily married Shun, she would move to the next settlement. They would lose these chances. A wave of sadness washed over Fam.
"Aren't you going to marry Cicci, big sis?"
"Hmm, starting with such a direct question, are we…?"
She murmured, looking up at the sky with a troubled expression. Sam gazed at her profile, as if steeling her resolve.
"Lily, have you… have you ever done anything intimate with Cicci?"
"Eek! Intimate things with Cicci! Sam, you're so bold!"
Lily nudged Sam with her elbow. For a while, the three of them poked at each other, hands on their cheeks, squealing and giggling excitedly.
"I have. With Cicci."
Lily's face turned serious as she spoke. Fam and Sam gasped.
"That's when he told me he wants to live in the city."
It is said that there are three ways of life for the dog-eared race: the city dog, the village dog, and the stray dog.
When the boys of the village turn fifteen, there is a custom where they leave the settlement for a year of worldly training. It was a harsh trial, where their only possession was a small pouch of money hung around their neck.
This period was for them to choose their own way of life. Those who wished to serve someone they respected or found captivating chose to become city dogs. In contrast, those who preferred to return to the village and live in a community became village dogs. And then there were those who desired a life of freedom as stray dogs. Most chose to be city or village dogs, but the decision of those who favored being strays was a source of anguish for the elders.
In the days when the Old Empire ruled the world, this training was undertaken by both boys and girls. That empire was a tolerant and expansive nation that embraced countless races and cultures. Among its successive emperors, there was even one from the dog-eared race. Known by the honorific title of the Dog-Eared Emperor, he was praised as a wise ruler who avoided wars and civil strife during his long fifty-year reign, ushering in an era of peace. His descendants are now known as House Wanland, one of the four ruling families of Migul.
The final days of the Old Empire were a state of daily civil wars, weekly defensive battles, and monthly coronations of new emperors.
Its very tolerance led the Old Empire to be plagued by internal conflict. It lost its vast eastern and western territories, shrank into a small nation, and eventually fell. In the east, the Demon Kingdom, ruled by the demon race, was born, and in the west, the current Empire, ruled by humans. While the Demon Kingdom is relatively tolerant of other races, it lacks the melting-pot tolerance of the Old Empire. It became an intolerant nation ruled by a single race, and the dog-eared people were pushed to the fringes of the world. They no longer sent their girls to the city alone. Some lamented that this meant the dog-eared race, too, had lost its tolerance.
"Cicci wears a light blue bracelet, hidden so no one can see. He told me he'd be fine living in the city, but…"
Lily trailed off. When a member of the dog-eared race finds a master they wish to serve for life, they wear light blue clothing or accessories. This meant Cicci had already found the person he would serve. Hearing this, Fam and Sam knew that his desire to go to the city was now unstoppable.
But for village dogs who intended to live their lives in the settlement, this feeling was hard to grasp. Lily was anxious. Fam understood that feeling all too well. She couldn't quite comprehend having someone more important than your lover, or even your own parents.
"So, Lily, have you ever done anything intimate with Shun?"
Sam asked, her overflowing curiosity impossible to hide.
"Eek! Sam, you're always so bold!"
Once again, Lily nudged Sam with her elbow. And once again, the three of them poked at each other, hands on their cheeks, squealing excitedly.
"I haven't. Because I truly love Cicci."
A pang shot through Fam's chest at Lily's reply. But somehow, it felt like it was both the truth and a lie.
"But you like Shun too, don't you, big sis?"
Lily froze, as if Fam's words had caught her completely off guard.
"At first, I just wanted to hear about the city. It was the place Cicci went for his training. But… but he was so kind, and he shared the same feelings I did, and he had the scent of our peaceful settlement…"
Cicci was a city dog. But Lily was a village dog. And so was Shun.
It seemed that in her confusion, Lily had lost her sense of where she belonged.
If only Luna were here, Fam thought. Luna was a year younger than Lily, a girl with small, pointed, triangular ears.
Just as Fam had Sam, Lily had her best friend, Luna. If she were here, Lily would have been able to confide in her. But she was sick and couldn't leave her house. They could visit her, but they couldn't talk about things like this.
Luna's illness was a trial from their guardian deity.
The settlement was protected by the deity's divine grace. Thanks to this protection, they lived peaceful, tranquil days. But in exchange, the guardian deity would choose one person from the settlement and afflict them with an illness.
The duration of the illness was not fixed, but it was said to last about four years. Though the sickness was curable, another person would be chosen by the deity to fall ill afterward.
Those who overcame the illness could attain the advanced job of Mibu-Rō.
It was said that Luna would soon overcome her illness, and Fam, too, longed to see her healthy and well again.
Thank you for reading. Likes, bookmarks, and ratings are all a great encouragement. Thank you as well for pointing out any typos.