kscans

CHAPTER 6 FYUZARION – Episode 4 The Twin Rainbows (Part 2)

4

It was four years ago. Bard, who had retired from the Tercia family and set out on a wandering journey, unknowingly inhaled the powder of Geriadra and collapsed unconscious. If left as it was, he would have suffered a gruesome fate, becoming a breeding ground for the devilish creatures. It was this old woman who saved Bard and gave him medicine without knowing what it was. The old woman taught Bard about the terror of Geriadra, and together they burned the breeding ground, including its underground stems. For about a month, the two of them traveled together. The knowledge of medicinal herbs taught to him during that time greatly aided Bard in his journey.

Why was the old woman here? What was she doing here? Jurchaga calls her Zariya, but how do the two of them know each other? There are so many questions to ask, but now is not the time. After all, the inside of the hut is in terrible condition. It might be better than being exposed to the rain, but had the children been living in this place for over four days? In any case, the place needed to be aired out, cleaned, and tidied up.

Fortunately, there was a river nearby. Despite the recent disaster, the flowing water was beautiful. They cleaned the hut, wiped Zariya’s body, and changed her clothes. Next were the children. They hadn’t had a proper meal for over four days. After eating up the food inside the hut, they had been digging up vegetable scraps from the burnt field. Their feet were blistered from walking in the still-hot areas.

First, they caught fish from the river and made soup to feed them. Bard and Karz worked diligently. Jurchaga was the most active. It was as if he was putting in an extraordinary effort to take care of the children. He busily moved around, speaking kindly to the children while working with his hands. They lit a fire inside the hut, but fortunately the children were not afraid of the fire. The children grew attached to Jurchaga, clinging to him as they slept that night. The old woman regained consciousness briefly and drank some soup before falling asleep again. Jurchaga took some herbs from the luggage on Karz’s horse, then he crushed them and made a drink for the old woman. Despite being half-asleep, the old woman drank it.

Early the next morning, the old woman woke up. It was more like she regained consciousness. Despite seeming extremely weakened, she got up as if nothing had happened and went outside to survey the surroundings. Bard woke up when he sensed the old woman leaving the hut. Jurchaga was already awake, but he smiled at Bard while still lying down, perhaps to avoid waking the children. Karz was not around. He had probably gone to gather food. Bard got up and left the hut. The rain should have stopped during the night, but it was drizzling again. The old woman was searching the burnt field next to the hut, examining the remaining vegetables.

“Hey, this time you were the one who saved me,” the old woman said in a hoarse but strong voice.

5

The old woman’s name was Zariya, and Jurchaga had traveled with her during her youth. They couldn’t talk much until the children woke up. It was amazing how energetic the children were. Even after losing their parents and village, the vitality within them did not diminish. They remained lively while preparing and eating their meals. Despite being told not to walk, they continued to move around, washing their feet, applying medicinal herbs, and bandaging them.

Jurchaga took care of them tirelessly, showing an incredibly devoted attitude. Taking care of these surviving children seemed to be the most important thing for Jurchaga at the moment.

The children’s ages were Quinta, Seto, Yuguru, Nuva, and Miya, in that order. Miya claimed to be six years old, but she looked no older than four. The other children were not sure of their ages. It was not uncommon in the frontier. When Miya, who had a full stomach, fell asleep, the other children also lay down close to each other. This allowed Bard to have a moment to hear Jurchaga’s life story for the first time. Jurchaga spoke slowly, unlike his usual eloquence.

Jurchaga’s village was destroyed by the Devil Fruit. It seemed he had witnessed a very terrible sight, but he did not elaborate much. Zariya found Jurchaga, who had fled and collapsed, and helped him, similar to what happened with Bard. Zariya set fire to the mountain, burning down the village and Geriadra. All Jurchaga remembered while in a feverish sleep was being carried on Zariya’s back and the distant sound of something burning.

While traveling from mountain to mountain, Zariya taught Jurchaga how to survive. They occasionally met people and selling medicine to buy things, but they mostly lived without interacting with others. After a few years together, Zariya started saying things like this.

“I’ve taught you how to survive and various wisdom, but there’s something I can’t teach you. It’s how to interact with people. You have to live in the human world.”

Jurchaga was interested in the human world. Around the time that he had firmly decided to leave Zariya and go to the human world, Zariya helped a collapsed man. Zariya found the man to be a scoundrel but also pure-hearted and strong-willed. She entrusted Jurchaga to him. The man kept his promise to Zariya and taught Jurchaga his best skills. The art of thievery. Additionally, the man was adept at selling things and persuading others with his words. Jurchaga quickly learned these skills. The man was greatly impressed. Being swift of tongue and feet himself, he was astonished by Jurchaga’s exceptional skills. He praised him, saying, “I am a first-rate thief, but you can become a legendary great thief who would leave your mark on history.” Jurchaga, who had never been praised before, proudly accepted the prophecy of becoming a great thief. The man was killed by a knight while trying to save a girl*. It was a surprise2 attack. Jurchaga became a thief who stole from nobles, that is, from the aristocracy. Not only that, he learned the ways of the nobles to ensure he would never be outwitted again. (t/n: not sure musume mean his daughter or just a young girl. 2nd t/n: mean deception. whatever trick attack mean.)

Zariya did not speak much about herself. She wandered through the mountains and forests of the frontier and ended up in this place while researching medicinal herbs and vegetables. There were several villages near the southern edge of this forest. They were villages formed by travelers who had wandered the frontier and gathered together to find refuge. In the case of this village, it seemed that people had gathered where Zariya was growing vegetables and medicinal herbs, forming the village. It was a small village of only thirty-two people, including children. It seemed that another village somewhere else had been affected by the powder of Geriadra. The demonic insect had already spread and multiplied using human as growing bed, nearly destroying the surrounding area by scattering the powder. It was too late to notice. If the powder of Geriadra had been scattered by the strong winds at this time of year, the extent of the damage could have been immeasurable. However, it seemed that the confused villagers had set the fire. Zariya couldn’t control the fire and had no choice but to protect the children in this hut. She used a special technique to protect the hut and the children, but she collapsed from exhaustion.

6

The children were puzzled when they saw Bard, Karz, and Jurchaga clasping their hands and closing their eyes before meals. When Jurchaga explained that they were offering a prayer of thanks to God and the food, the children started to imitate them. The children’s recovery was remarkable, and the burns had healed within six days. They would be able to leave in another two or three days. If they headed further south, there were inhabited areas. According to Jurchaga’s estimate, it should be around fifty to sixty koku-ri to Himaya’s port if they descended south. However, that was the straight-line distance, and the actual distance they would travel would be longer. With an old woman and children in tow, they might only be able to cover two or three koku-ri in a day, but living in the burnt wasteland was too inconvenient and dangerous. This area was already known for having a large number of wild beasts. Bard and his companions had been attacked several times after leaving the forest. They couldn’t stay here. It was indeed a mystery how a small village had survived in such a place. In any case, now that everything had been burnt down, they couldn’t live here. Therefore, they decided to head south with the children.

However, when the children heard this, they voiced their opposition. They said they will not leave this place. According to Zariya, the parents of these children were deeply grateful for the fortune they found in this land, believing it to be the land given to them by God. And to make matters worse, Zariya herself declared that she had no intention of leaving because she had something to do in this land. She said she wanted them to take the children with them, but she will take care of them if they didn’t want to move.

“Bard. Jurchaga. What’s wrong? This place is much more livable than you think. Go on your journey with peace of mind. Thanks to you, the children were able to survive. Thank you.”

In other words, Zariya was telling Bard and the others to leave her and the children behind. Upon hearing this, the children looked at Jurchaga with anxious eyes.

“Ni..nii-chan, are you leaving?”

“Onii-chan, are you going?”

“Don’t go!”

The children started to fuss and eventually clung to Jurchaga, crying. Although it was only a short time, Jurchaga had opened his heart to the children and sincerely took care of them. Children are sensitive. Jurchaga had become an indispensable protector for them, a source of hope for survival. Upon learning that Jurchaga was leaving them, the children cried and clung to him. Jurchaga hugged the children and said, “You’re all fools. I’m not leaving you behind.”

“Sorry master, but it looks like my journey ends here.”

Bard thought that Jurchaga’s compassion for the children was noble. It seemed that Jurchaga had decided not to leave these children behind. Perhaps it was Jurchaga’s destiny. Jurchaga’s village had been destroyed by Geriadra. There was nothing Jurchaga could do about it. Beloved ones and precious ones, all had disappeared. But now, there were children who had suffered the same fate in front of him, and he could save them by reaching out. Indeed, Jurchaga would not leave these children behind.

“Well then, I’ll stay too,” Bard thought. Bard felt rejected by Fyuza. It was said that Manuno’s dwelling was already in Fyuza. However, he was told that he couldn’t go further and ascend to Fyuza. So Bard tried to head east towards Fyuza. But even there, he was hindered by strange grass and swamps, unable to head towards Fyuza. And as if guided by the gods, he arrived in this land. Perhaps now was not the time to ascend to Fyuza. When the time comes, he will be able to climb it. Until then, it would be good to stay around this area that’s close to Fyuza. However, this place was not suitable.

Bard said, “Taking care of the children is good. Rebuilding the house is fine. We’ll help. But this place is not suitable. It’s better to move to a place a little further south where the fire wouldn’t spread.”

“No, this place is good for these kids. It’s where their parents lived and full of memories. Even if we find a better place to live, it’s no good. They really wanted to be here. They always, always thought so. No matter how much time passes, that feeling will never goes away.”

“Onii-chan, are you not going?”

“Are you staying here?”

“Yeah! I’m staying. I’ll stay and become your real Nii-chan.”

The children clung to Jurchaga again, calling him “Nii-chan” and “Onii-chan”.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing here for sure. Everything burned down. So what? We can build it again. If we don’t have one, just make one. We’ll build a village here.”

“Hehehe. So you’re going to be the Muraousa (village head), Jurchaga.”

Jurchaga looked surprised at Zariya’s words.

“Village chief? Me?”

The children called out, “Muraousa, onii-chan Muraousa.”

“No, no. I can’t do that. I’m a thief. A bandit. I’ve never heard of a thief becoming a village chief. If you need a village chief, Zariya should do it.”

“Don’t keep bothering this old people. Young, energetic people should do this kind of thing.”

Scolded by Zariya, Jurchaga looked around. But it was not possible to make a child the village chief. He looked at Bard, but he quietly shook his head. He had just been told not to rely on the elderly. He also looked at Karz, but quickly averted his gaze. There was no one less suited to be the village chief than this man.

“But, still. It might not be good to have a former thief as the village chief.”

As Jurchaga said this, the children called out one after another.

“I’ve been a thief myself before.”

“I have too!”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I’ve told lies.”

“Me too.”

“I used to be an assassin.”

The last one was Karz. Occasionally, when he spoke, he said something outrageous. Even the children looked a little frightened.

“Well, certainly being a knight is like a job to kill people. But you shouldn’t say that, Karz. The children are scared.”

“I was scared.”

“Karz, come here.”

Jurchaga skillfully diverted the conversation. After a little back and forth, Jurchaga ended up accepting the role of village chief. And if that was the case, Bard said they needed to decide on a name for the village. Even with such a small number of people, it would be better to name it and declare it a village when starting something new. Surprisingly, Jurchaga immediately said that he had a perfect name.

“Hehehehe. I have a perfect name for our village. I’ll name it. Oh gods, listen to us. We will build a village here. Its name shall be Fyuzarion! All gods. Gather here and engrave the birth of Fyuzarion in the records of the gods. And bless its future!” (t/n: フューザリオン -> Fyuzarion. or maybe Fyuza Lion?)

Everyone clapped and smiled happily. The children, whether understanding the meaning or not, cheered “Fyuzarion, Fyuzarion, mura, mura”. (t/n: the kana used for むら mura don’t seem to have any meaning in this context, but mura 村人 usually mean village. like many manga and novel with ‘murabito’ or villager theme)

Bard was amazed and impressed. Fyuzarion. What a grandiose name.

Calling a king “Eriion” or “Irion” comes from the word “Ariion,” which means to embrace. A king is one who embraces and cares for the people. (t/n: エリオン -> Erion, イリオン ->Irion, アリオン ->Arion. btw, the リオン ->rion is also used in Fyuzarion and Chantillion. so maybe Fyuzalion or Chantiryon was the correct one?)

Taking the word “Fyuzarion” literally, it would mean “that which Fyuza embraces.” As a village name, it would mean “the village embraced by Fyuza.”

But the one who is embraced is also the one who embraces. Therefore, the word “Fyuzarion” not only means something embraced by Fyuza but also something that embraces Fyuza in return. It signifies having the magnitude to embrace Fyuza in return.

In other words, the name Fyuzarion evokes the image of a giant who embraces the sacred mountain of Fyuza. It also brings to mind a great god who reigns over Fyuza and gazes down upon the world from its lofty peak. This tiny village of two old men, two adults, and five children, which could hardly be called a village, seemed to be declaring itself as the center of the world. What a magnificent and grandiose name.

Seemingly embarrassed by his own proclamation, Jurchaga went outside the hut. The continuous rain had finally stopped, and the surroundings had cleared up beautifully.

“Aaaahh! Everyone, come outside and see!”

Jurchaga shouted loudly. Everyone went outside to see what was happening. Jurchaga was pointing towards Fyuza. Everyone was left breathless.

The vast expanse of Fyuza’s grand foothills filled their field of vision. A huge rainbow appeared next to it, vividly displaying all the colors. It was an incredibly large rainbow, and surprisingly, there was a smaller rainbow beneath it. It was a double rainbow. When the gods make a promise, they draw a rainbow and inscribe the words of the promise within it. Drawing such a large and double rainbow, what kind of significant promise had the gods made?

“There’s one over there too!”

Upon hearing Miya’s words, everyone turned and once again, they were left speechless. To the south of the village, a vast plain stretched out, and to the southeast, a large mountain range could be seen in the distance. A rainbow appeared in the sky above those mountains. That rainbow was also double.

Two double rainbows stood facing each other in opposite corners of the heaven. It was a marvel. Everyone watched in awe, forgetting the passage of time, as they received this gift from the gods.

end note : the title is 双子の虹 futago no niji (twin rainbow). the two rainbow at the end use the word 二つの二重の虹 futatsu no niju no niji. futago is rarely used. in some culture, twin rainbow is considered as good sign)