348 - What Happens Twice Happens Thrice
When I returned to the capital, I came down with a fever the next day, as expected. That said, it was just a mild fever and not enough to keep me in bed, so I think I've built up some stamina. Or maybe I've just gotten used to traveling.
At the detached palace while I was away, preparations for the Recollection Festival seemed to be progressing. After last year's spirit kidnapping incident, as a result of Alf shifting the responsibility onto the Menhishumi Church, the people of the capital came to know that the Spirit's Favored Child was staying in the capital. And so, a petition came up from the people, and Alf came to me with an apologetic look, asking if I would participate in this year's inner city Recollection Festival as the Spirit's Favored Child. Since we were preparing to return, he also added the helpful advice that I could refuse, since we could just say the Spirit's Favored Child had already gone back to the city of Grenore.
I could have taken that helpful advice, but I decided to participate in the inner city's Recollection Festival. Even if I did revive Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts, my food expenses and such at the detached palace were being paid for from the people's taxes. If the people would be happy with me just showing up at the Recollection Festival in costume, I figured I could do at least that much work.
...It's not like the Spirit's Favored Child does anything at the Recollection Festival except sit and watch the rites, anyway.
Since I didn't want to be surrounded by strangers, I added the condition that Leonardo accompany me this year. Thanks to that, this year Leonardo is scheduled to be in gods' costume with me.
Made to match with my outfit is a costume themed after Koyornaharu, the god of destruction and regeneration. Koyornaharu is a pair of sibling gods, the older brother god being Koyornaharu and the younger sister god also being Koyornaharu, a pair with the same name. Depending on the myth, they're also considered a married couple or a single two-sided deity. They are also the gods whose shrines are built first when praying for recovery after a great disaster strikes a town or village. Considering that background, it wouldn't be surprising if a shrine to them was built first for recovery even during the incident that became the origin of the Recollection Festival.
I was dressed in the younger sister god's costume, and my hair was braided intricately. Flowers made with lace and fabric, centered on gemstone pistils, were inserted into the braided hair. From a distance it would look like I had flowers in my hair, but just thinking about the price was terrifying. If I were careless and dropped one, I'd probably have to pay back an enormous amount.
...Speaking of which, my hair has gotten long, hasn't it.
I picked up a lock of my hair with its luxurious flower ornaments and had that thought. Before, it was only a little past my shoulders, but ever since Leonardo took me in, I've had people who play with my hair, so there's been no need to cut it. Having it a little longer made it easier to braid, and that effort seemed to be paying off too, the result of my guardians (Kalisa and the others) gently steering me away every time I mentioned wanting to cut it. It's down to about my waist now, but maybe I could cut a little off.
When I headed to the living room in my younger sister god Koyornaharu costume, Leonardo was standing there, dressed in the older brother god Koyornaharu costume. Leonardo's costume was similar to the costume for the nighttime rites, with no sleeves. In the nighttime rites, it's the costume of a young man who committed a crime, so there was a circlet on the forehead, but today it's the older brother god's costume, so there was a leather band on his forehead. He also had twisted goat horns sprouting from both sides. By the way, since we're sibling gods, I also had small goat horns on my head. Even among sibling gods, the War God Herkeles and the Goddess of Justice Itsurateru only share eye and hair color as common traits, but Koyornaharu, perhaps because they are a two-sided deity, have almost identical costumes and decorations. The difference between my and Leonardo's costumes is basically just the gender difference, with my skirt hem long and Leonardo's hem slightly above the knees. His thighs were exposed, but on his feet were shoes made of goatskin, and on his shins were shin guards made of goat fur.
"...Leonardo Big Brother-sama, mythological costumes really do suit you."
"I'm curious about what you mean by 'really,' but I'll take it as a compliment. Tina, you look cute this year too."
"Personally I'd like you to praise the details of the costume that Kalisa and the others put so much effort into, but Leonardo Big Brother-sama always just sums it up with 'cute' and calls it done."
By the way, the reason I said Leonardo looks good in costume is because his muscular thick arms and legs are visible thanks to the sleeveless costume. My big brother has bulging muscles and a very manly physique. The muscles usually hidden beneath his clothes are generously on display when he wears archaic costumes, so it must be quite something for ladies who prefer sturdy men. As for me, I'm so used to Leonardo that even men of average build look like bean sprouts to me. I seriously need to fix my brother complex soon, or I might catch an incurable disease where I can't feel excited about any man below my brother (Leonardo). It's that environmental desensitization thing.
We went out to the entrance where Alf and the female Guide from the Menhishumi Church were waiting, and when Leonardo and I boarded the prepared carriage, today's work began. Just like in the city of Grenore, first we would watch over the believers' repentance and reformation offered at the Itsurateru Church. We stepped into the Itsurateru Church, which was incomparably larger than the one in Grenore, and took the seats prepared for the Spirit's Favored Child. Since I had made Leonardo's accompaniment a condition, a chair for Leonardo was also prepared, but Leonardo declined to sit, saying he was also serving as my guard. So Alf, attending as a prince, sat in the chair instead, and we watched over this year's rites as they began solemnly.
A priest's voice announcing the start of the rites, and the offering of ritual prayers. After that ended, the believers began offering their repentance and reformation as they wished.
...Come to think of it, the first time I saw the Divine King-sama was also at the Itsurateru Church.
There probably aren't many people who have met the Divine King twice in their life. In the first place, the Divine King is supposed to have been hiding his form since the age of myth. I think it's amazing just to have seen him once and exchanged words with him.
...Hmm?
A hand was placed softly on my head. Was it Leonardo again? I'm in the middle of my work as the Spirit's Favored Child here, I thought, furrowing my brow slightly to make an angry face. Then, remembering the slightly ominous fact that whenever I meet the Divine King I always get my hair patted, I looked up behind me, and there, instead of Leonardo's black eyes, were blue eyes.
"...I'm not in any trouble today, and I didn't call for help either, you know?"
At this unexpected third meeting with the Divine King, who I'd thought it was rare enough to meet even once, I went right past surprise and became calm. They say what happens twice happens thrice, but I never thought it would actually happen three times. I'd really rather not have a fourth time. But the third time has already happened, so I'll just accept it.
"You were about to say something last year, weren't you."
"Huh? Last year, you mean?"
The Divine King peered into my face, saying that the conversation had been cut short when I went back, so he was curious about how it continued. I was inwardly surprised at how much humanity the Divine King had regained, showing up for a third time just because he was curious. The Divine King, who when I first encountered him was almost expressionless, now looked to me like he had a slightly sulky expression. Coming to snatch me away just because he was curious... he's really gotten comfortable.
...Hmm?
"Last year, I thought I was sent back in the middle of the conversation..."
"I did no such thing. You went back on your own."
"Is... that so?"
Huh? That's weird, I furrowed my brow, and realized belatedly. The fact that the Divine King was in front of me probably meant I'd been snatched away by spirits again. Which meant Leonardo and the others must be panicking having lost sight of me. As soon as I realized the possibility, the blood drained from my face. Even if it wasn't intentional, disappearing over and over like this must be taking a huge toll on my guardians' nerves.
"...What's the situation this time? Last time, my sudden disappearance caused quite a bit of worry to those around me."
Ideally, like the first time we met, time would have stopped around me and I could return as if nothing happened, but I had a feeling that was impossible. I was told last time that the time stop happened by chance because our meeting was like an accident. Since the Divine King apparently came to see me deliberately this year, it couldn't be called an accident.
"Deliberately controlling time is something only the goddess who governs time can do. I have been entrusted with some power from the gods, but I am just a human. I cannot deliberately stop time."
"...Which means?"
"You've disappeared, snatched away by me."
"So I'm making my guardians worry again!"
When I looked around again after being told this, Leonardo was staring at me, but my reflection wasn't in his eyes. When I twisted my body to look at Alf beside me, he seemed to have only just noticed I was gone because of Leonardo's reaction, and after his eyes widened in shock, he started holding his head. The female Guide from the Menhishumi Church, who had been relaxing her cheeks thinking this year would go smoothly, also lost color at the unexpected situation.
"...Please send me back quickly."
It was about last year's conversation, so to return to my guardians as quickly as possible, I decided to clear up the Divine King's question.
"Um, what were we talking about?"
"We were talking about how I am searching for the woman who has my eyes."
"That's right. The story about how the Divine King-sama fed his own eye to his lover as a keepsake, wasn't it?"
It was a story about searching for his lover, who should have been reborn into a new life, he said. At her deathbed, he gave her his eye, so she should have the same color eyes in her reincarnation.
"That's right. What were you about to say then?"
Apparently, that had been bothering him and he'd been agonizing over it for this past year. Having something occupy his mind other than wandering in search of the person he was looking for was a first since he hid his form, the Divine King said. In these past few years, perhaps because of meeting and talking with me, the Divine King has really become more human.
"Um, let's see... what I thought at the time was..."
I traced my thoughts, trying to find what I'd been thinking last year. I felt like if I could remember the flow of the conversation, I might be able to recall what I'd come up with, but at that moment, a cold wind touched the back of my neck.
"Wahh?!"
I jumped at the cold wind, reflexively clutching my neck. I hunched my shoulders and looked around, but I could only see the surroundings starting to stir, and there was no one who might have blown breath on my neck.
"I am having an important conversation. Do not interfere."
"Huh?"
The Divine King seemed to be able to see someone there. He waved his hand loosely, making a gesture as if brushing something away from around me. I couldn't see anything there, but the mysterious chill subsided.
"...And so, what were you about to say then?"
He was strangely fixated on this, I thought, a question bubbling up. The fact that this world-weary Divine King was concerned about the continuation of a trivial conversation with me seemed odd somehow. It was hard to believe he'd been worried about something so minute, content he'd likely forget by the next time we met, for a whole year.
...Is this also an effect of him becoming more human?
While wondering about the Divine King's change, I put into words what I'd thought at the time. Back then, I was about to say this continuation when I was suddenly thrown into the "Spirit's Seat."
"Both of the Divine King-sama's eyes are accou... nghh?!"
My throat constricted with a wheeze, and the words couldn't reach their end. The moment I felt something wrong in my throat, a chill ran up my spine, and the next instant, I was enveloped in a whirlwind. The hems of my costume flapped in the wind, pain shot through my body from everywhere the wind touched, and red droplets scattered. My throat, which I thought had been constricted, now felt like it had burst, heat racing through it, and it hurt. With the taste of iron spreading through my mouth, before I could understand what had happened, I was pulled into the Divine King's chest.
"Stop."
Pressed close to him, my blood was absorbed from the places that touched him, spreading red stains on the Divine King's clothes. As I stared blankly at that, the whirlwind subsided, and a light sound fell at my feet. When I turned my gaze toward the sound, a lock of black hair with flower ornaments lay there.
"...Wh...a t... he... ngh...?!"
I reflexively brought my hand to my throat, which was spasming with sharp pain. Even just lifting my arm sent stinging pain through me, and I could see red lines running here and there.
I didn't understand what had happened, but I understood the anomaly that had occurred to my body. Countless small cuts had been carved all over my body, and some of my hair had been cut off. And if only the surface of my body was affected, that would have been manageable, but my throat was probably damaged too. This burning pain meant that was the case.
"Ca...n't... spea..."
"Do not speak. I can tell what you want to convey without you using your throat."
I was examined under the Divine King's blue gaze. Urged on, I arched my throat, opened my mouth, and when I showed him my throat again, the Divine King's fingers stroked around my neck. When the Divine King's fingers left my neck, the pain seemed to ease a little.
...What... happened?
I didn't understand what had happened, but I understood at least that the Divine King had stopped it. I thought it was an attack from someone, but the attack had eased since the Divine King embraced me, and the heat running across my skin stopped after the Divine King's command.
"When you go back, do not speak for a while."
He said the wounds would reopen, and I stroked the area where the Divine King had touched. There was nothing there just a moment ago, but something thin was stuck to my neck.
"I will patch it up cleanly for now, but if you speak before it heals, there is a danger you may lose the ability to speak."
What I felt at my fingertips seemed to be some kind of leaf. He warned me not to speak until this leaf fell off naturally.
I started to open my mouth to ask for an explanation of what happened, then hurriedly closed it. He'd just told me not to speak for a while. Since he was kind enough to patch it up cleanly for me, I couldn't ruin that myself.
"...You incurred the wrath of the spirits. Normally they are gentle, good-natured fellows, but if you get on the wrong side of them, this is what happens."
...Did I do something wrong?
The Divine King held out his hand, so I placed my own hand in his. As the Divine King's fingers traced my wounds, he placed round leaves like bandages on the ones he judged to be particularly deep. Probably, the same treatment had been applied to my neck.
"You did nothing wrong. You are honest, straightforward, and hardworking, just the way spirits like."
...But I made them angry, didn't I? The Divine King-sama himself said that if you get on the wrong side of them, this is what happens.
Being told I'd angered the spirits, something I had no memory of, and actually receiving that punishment... It was frightening that I'd angered something that attacked me so suddenly, but it was also terrifying that I wasn't even aware of what I'd done. Because I wasn't aware, there was a possibility I might do the same thing again.
I wanted to be properly told what I'd done wrong. The sudden attack and the countless cuts all over my body were slowly starting to sink in. My body began trembling now, from the fear of not being able to avoid it, and not understanding why such an attack had been levied against me.
"Spirits and fairies and the like, if you get on the wrong side of them, they really do come back with nasty revenge. However, this was just them taking their frustration out on you."
Just like how I hadn't done anything wrong, apparently I was not at fault this time. As long as the Divine King said it was just them taking their frustration out, then the spirits would be the ones receiving punishment from the Divine King.
"You incurred the spirits' hatred because you exposed something the spirits wanted to hide."
Spirit's payback is usually no joke.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.