Chapter 4
Part 1
After finishing up his breakfast, Izayoi decided to visit the farms since the kid from the Senior Group whom he sent on an errand to buy some snacks had yet to return. Along the way, he had to cross the water canals, which had their flows provided by the Water Tree, and pass through the tangle of trees and weeds that were at the back area.
Only when he had freed himself from the tangle of trees and weeds, he could finally see the horizon expand before his eyes and the sight of the crisp dried tea-colored fertile lands lay before him. When comparing the sight to that of the gritty arid lands that were the original appearance of this piece of land just a month ago, this was a change that far exceeded his imagination and Izayoi couldn’t help but remark in surprise:
“Oh……What a surprise. They managed to cultivate the soil to be suitable for farming already.”
Standing at the same spot, Izayoi bent his knees and squatted down to use his palm to press and touch the soft topsoil.
The topsoil that was saturated with moisture and minerals was easily dug up with his hands. The weight of the dense loamy soil could be felt when he held up a handful within his palm. The lands had already been remade into an ideal environment for farming.
Especially the minerals that were found in the topsoil, unless many different types of biological matter and the environmental factors were gathered and in synch, it wouldn’t have been possible to recover. For the completely arid wasteland to recover to this level, it must have been quite a lot of hard work.
Just when Izayoi was about to take a look around in the mood to take a stroll, Lily’s voice came from the tangle of trees and weeds behind him.
“Ah, Izayoi-sama! Have you come to take a look around the farms?!”
“Nn, though I’ve already heard of it previously, you guys have sure cultivated quite a remarkable topsoil.”
“Yes! It’s all ready and waiting for the seeds or saplings to arrive!”
Lily perked up her fox ears as she replied happily.
At that moment, a gust of wind just happened to blow from the direction of the fertile topsoil, brushing pass their cheeks before passing them by to blow into the tangle of trees and weeds.
The wind wasn’t that kind of arid air like before but with a whiff that was unique to farmlands and the moist wet smell of the topsoil stimulated their nostrils. That, was the true smell of the earth.
Lily took in a deep breath to fill her chest with the air that blew from the farm, before exhaling warmly.
“The wind……has the taste of water.”
“Nn.”
“And also the taste of topsoil.”
“Yep.”
“Has the taste of soil that is alive!”
Lily’s voice showed that she was really moved. Though she had already expressed her gratitude to Izayoi as many times as there were stars in the sky, but within her heart, she should be overflowing with the feeling that there wasn’t enough gratitude that could be expressed completely by her repeated words.
Izayoi glanced at the topsoil and a teasing smile seemed to play at his lips.
“After coming here to have a look at it once more, I realized that this place sure is spacious and wide. Just depending on you, little young urns, do you have a plan on how to take care of such a great piece of land?”
“There’s no need to worry yourself about that, my master.”
At this moment, Leticia had also appeared from the tangle of trees and weeds with a basket that was also filled with tea leaves and tea-time snacks. The child of the Senior group must have returned from her errand and she must have come looking for Izayoi.
“I did hear that Lily was born in a family that’s good at caring for the farms, but what did you mean by that?” Izayoi tilted his head as he questioned the meaning behind the reply.
“That’s right. Actually, Lily here is from the famous lineage that is similar to Inari-kami in terms of their powers and is also the only descendent of their family that has always been in charge of the Community’s farms.” Leticia patted Lily’s back.
Blushing furiously to her ears, Lily had bent her head down.
Izayoi couldn’t help but blink his eyes repeatedly at the surprising reply.
“The Inari-kami……is referring to Inari Okami?”
“Nn……That……Though similar, I guess it’s not really the same. According to the legend I heard from my Oka-sama, my ancestors were of the line of Shiro Kitsune[36] that has been gifted with Divinity by the Imperial soul of the Uka god [Ukanomitama][37]……”
Izayoi’s eyes widened further in surprise.
---The so-called Uka god with an Imperial soul was often seen as the god of grains, the god of commerce, the god of business venture etc. It was a God that was revered by a lot of people of different realms of profession. ‘Uka’ has the same meaning as ‘grain’. It was assumed that the devotees of the farming god had slowly progressed into the different realms that helped in the propagation of the devotees, hence Ukanomitama had grown to become a god that received devotees from the many realms of profession. And Lily’s ancestor was said to be one of the people who are Heralds of the Uka god.
Even though for Izayoi who was born in the twenty-first century, Ukanomitama had also become a god of commerce or a land Lord[38] of such due to industrialization and the expansion of job scopes, gaining devotees from various regions. Even in the regions within the Capital City, it is not uncommon to see altars for worshipping foxes as the devotees see them as the messengers of Ukanomitama.
Izayoi used his hand to rub his chin and showed a smile that seemed to have a hidden significance behind it
“Talking about Ukanomitama, it is a main god who overlooks the Fushimi Inari Taisha main ritual. Since Lily’s ancestor had obtained Divinity from there, then she would at least be a female officer of the Fox god……Isn’t that quite a big deal? Was your ancestor originally part of the [No Name] Community as well?”
“Ye…Yes. But at that time, my ancestor was already quite old and hence it was us, the descendants, who inherited the farm. For eight generations after, there wasn’t any who could inherit the Divinity. Then my Oka-sama came along as the ninth generation and inherited the Divinity until now.”
“Oh……Lily’s mother?”
Izayoi scanned the perimeter of the farm once more. Looking at the fertile coffee-colored topsoil, he tilted his head as he asked:
“Then, where’s she? Was she taken by the Demon Lord as well?”
“……Yes.”
Lily’s head drooped down and her fox ears were also pressed on her head. Since it’s a person who had enough talent to receive Divinity, the Demon Lord would not have passed up on that chance. After all, Leticia who similarly had Divinity was captured, then this result was to be expected.
Izayoi turned his questioning gaze towards Leticia, seeming to want to know more about Lily’s mother but she shook her head.
“We were locked into separate cells. We didn’t have a chance to get in touch with the others to find any of their whereabouts. Even though I had obtained my freedom through some negotiations, the current situation is that we still do not know who the main mastermind Demon Lord is.”
Leticia also dipped her head as she sank into her gloomy state. She would also be thirsting to know the whereabouts of her comrades, but it was said that even the [Floor Master] Shiroyasha was unable to guess the real identity of the Demon Lord enemy. Then, for the [No Name] who were trying to investigate their opponent by themselves, it would be much more difficult than trying to catch a cloud in the sky.
Noticing the gloomy atmosphere and not wanting them to worry, Lily immediately said:
“Bu….But, even if my Oka-sama isn’t around, it will be no problem! The way to look after the farm is recorded in the books and the tools that are required are here as well! So it will be no problem even if it’s left to us!”
“Mhm!” Lily clenched her fists tightly as she raised her hands to her chest.
However, Izayoi continued to fold his arms across his chest, seeming not to have heard her words.
He was silent for a while before adding a few degrees of seriousness to his expression as he asked:
“……Your lineage is of a Herald of Ukanomitama right? Would there be a similar Community within Little Garden that is connected to the same shrine?”
“Eh……Nn. Yes, I think there is. Though it isn’t leading to the main shrine, but Kuro Usagi-oneesan has said before that there’s a spiritual mountain that stands in the South Side five digit region that leads to the Heavenly gates……”
“Then if we climb that spiritual mountain and directly ask Ukanomitama for the whereabouts, wouldn’t it be problem solved? Since it is the main god who gifted the Divinity, I guess that knowing the location of the Herald[39] should also be possible. And if everything goes well, we can also find out the location of that Demon Lord and their real identity……Hohoho. Though this really is a self-praise on my part, but it sure is a very good suggestion!”
Wahahaha! Izayoi gave a loud laugh.
“Bu…But, to climb the spiritually infused mountain of the five digit region is a very arduous journey. How can I allow you guys to go to such an extent……”
“Listen carefully. This is an operation to investigate the real identity of the Demon Lord and not solely for you.”
Izayoi shrugged his shoulders with ease.
Leticia who had heard the conversation from the side had also begun thinking in earnest.
“……That sounds about right. The plan seems like it will be effective. Though Little Garden may be wide, the Herald's main god should be able to pinpoint the whereabouts of its Heralds.”
“Right?”
“Yeah……Haiz, that sure was a blind spot that we overlooked. Once the Harvest Festival is over, let’s go try investigate the Heavenly gates.”
Leticia and Izayoi exchanged gazes and nodded to each other.
Following that, Izayoi turned to face Lily once more and he spread out his arms towards the farms as he started to laugh haughtily.
“And that’s the case. Lily, your mother will be coming back very soon, so you have to think up a plan to show some results before that happens. The current person in charge is Lily right? If you let this kind of view greet your mother, I’m sure you will get a harsh tongue lashing right?”
Izayoi’s smile had a hint of mischief in it. Though those words that he said were very much in a roundabout way, but it was obvious that he meant well for Lily.
“……Thank you. We will be sure to succeed in reviving the farm to its former state!” Lily seemed to be both happy and shy as her reddened fox ears were pressed on her head and she wagged her two tails while she said her thanks.
Lily who was beaming with smiles then turned her back towards Izayoi and Leticia as she ran off from the farmland. Leticia who had been seeing her off with her eyes was giggling as she turned to look towards Izayoi.
“Oh my, oh my, this is really surprising. Though I had that kind of feeling about you before……Master, you’re quite good at looking after your comrades.”
“It’s a little late for you to realize that, you know? If I wasn’t that kind of person, I wouldn’t even want to lend a hand to help this kind of nameless Community.”
“Hehe. Sure. Lily and I have to thank you, my master for your kindness.”
“That’s right. You guys can cry and thank me for being so kind.”
Hearing Izayoi reply in such a deliberate manner, Leticia also started to laugh out loud.
After that, the both of them followed the little path that ran along the side of the farm to reach the place that was already said to be the allotted space to rest when work in the farms started. The whitewashed table and chairs were clean for there would be no problem using casual clothes at this place before the work in the farms officially started.
Sitting down at the table, Leticia took out the tea sets that were packed within the basket that she had carried, while Izayoi casually asked:
“But your curiosity sure is strong. So what if you have heard of my past?”
“It naturally has its uses. By knowing the past of my Master, there may be a thing or two that I can use to my advantage to get a hold over you.”
“Oh ho. I see. But if you have that kind of plan, you shouldn’t be saying it out.”
“Oh my. You’re right. Please forget the words that I’ve uttered previously, my Master.”
Leticia who was hurriedly taking out the teacups gave a slight smile.
Whether it was the conversational techniques that made people feel less bored, or the practiced movements, Leticia was a model for maids and it was to such an extent that no one would have believed that she was a former Demon Lord.
Curious about that point, Izayoi rested his elbow on the table while propping his face with his hand as he shot a question at Leticia:
“Hey Leticia. You are originally a Demon Lord right? Was it due to your defeat in the Gift Game that you became the subordinate of [No Name]?”
“Of course not. I’ve only had three masters till today and it’s you three.”
“But I’ve heard before that as long as one defeats a Demon Lord, they can follow a certain procedure and as long as it meets the requirements they can tame the Demon Lords. Leticia isn’t like that?”
“Oh, so you’re referring to that.” Leticia replied in understanding.
“About that……It’s a long story. I will just give a brief summary. I had gone into a berserk mode after activating my [Authority of the Host Master] and hence my situation wasn’t [Due to defeat from a Game that was solved], but the correct way to put it would be [The Game was forcefully cut off].”
“……Then what happens to the [Authority of the Host Master] that gets cut off forcefully?”
“It’s straight away sealed within the berserk mode. In South Side……No, I didn’t intend to tell anyone about where it’s sealed. Even if it is known, I do not intend to release that seal.”
Talking until there, Leticia gave a smile that seemed to hint of the arrival of her long awaited event.
“Okay, then it’s now my turn to ask.”
“Yea, I know that, you needn’t rush me. Come to think of it, what does my maid want to know about?”
“Nn~” Leticia hesitated for a while.
Although in reality, she had wanted to know more about Izayoi’s origin and his private life situations, but she decided to change the attack of her ball.
“Well……Firstly, let’s talk about those headphones of yours. Was it something that your friend or acquaintance put together?”
“Nope, it wasn’t anything that close as a friend of sorts. I’ve also mentioned it before that it’s only a prototype created by a little urn from the same organization as me.”
“……Organization?”
“Nn. It’s a children's welfare organization that takes in orphans……Or so to speak. But I guess there’s no such organization in Little Garden right?”
Izayoi racked his brains looking for a way to put it in a manner that could be easily understood.
On the other hand, Leticia was feeling relieved about not having asked his origin directly. Though Izayoi might not have taken offense even if she asked, her character was quite sensitive to these kinds of formalities.
[No……just giving it some thought, one would have realized that this isn’t anything strange. For Izayoi, a human who possessed such a rare ability, he couldn’t have lived a normal life in the other world. Needless to say, his biological parents would have been unable to maintain a normal mental state……]
---Leticia’s thoughts were broken off at this point.
Thinking about it carefully, could a normal mortal even give birth to Izayoi who’s a human unbound to the rules of nature?
It’s said that Asuka is an Ojou-san of the financial sector. Then, it wouldn’t be strange even if her ancestors had relations with others who aren’t human. After all, large amounts of wealth tend to attract the gathering of demonic forces.
As for Yō’s power, although it wasn’t an innate power, but judging from the Gift that her father made, it’s possible to deduce that Yō should hold the bloodline of a sculptor or alchemist[40].
Hence, Leticia had assumed at first that Izayoi would be similar to the other two, having his abilities flow from his bloodline.
[Though it’s still too early to reject that possibility…….but this sure is nerve-wracking as I really want to know more details on him.]
Though it was obvious that she wanted to know, she continued to keep her silence. Holding the impatience in her heart, Leticia stuffed the taro cake[41], which was the accompaniment of the tea, into her mouth.
Perhaps he was aware of her feelings?
Izayoi started to take the initiative to start talking about his personal life, laying the foundations step by step.
“Although I had said about the organization, the me that was before the age of twelve had been treated like a ball for a soccer team. Being kicked from here to there. Ah! It wasn’t my own relatives! But from organization to organization or from organization to foster parents and from foster parents back to the organization.”
“……why was it so?”
“Do you still need to ask? Of course it’s because I’m too talented. Although there were as many people who wanted to adopt me as there were stars in the sky, they would soon return the goods within the trial period.”
Despite Izayoi’s loud laughter, Leticia couldn’t bring herself to smile and she could only quietly look down.
……No matter how much power he possessed, Izayoi of that time was still just a young child. Although it was just the foster parents who adopted him, but to be passed around to new surroundings for that many times, it shouldn’t have been healthy for the child’s development.
And so Leticia did not know what to say as she quietly listened to Izayoi’s narration.
“……Anyways, I’ve always been full of the spirit of service[42] from a very young age. Though I did answer all of their requests, it would seem that the stimulation was much too strong for them to handle and those who had volunteered to be my foster parents, not a single one of them hadn’t bowed down to me and said the same words ‘---We beg of you to go back to the organization!’
“And just like that, it was goodbye~ There was also one interesting guy who had tried to make use of me, but in the end, that guy had also ended in the same way……Hng! Now that I recall all these, I still think that it was such a boring ending. I’ve allowed myself to be used by him for that many times and in the end, it was still the same. Hence that was the last straw for me and I gathered the records of how he evaded his tax and the evidences of his embezzlement to send them all to the prosecutors and the television companies.”
“Hng!“ Izayoi drunk his tea to wash away the unpleasantness.
Seeing his reaction, Leticia understood instinctually …
The young Izayoi had actually liked the foster parents who had made use of him, or else he wouldn’t be scolding them with such agitation in his voice.
“When was that again? Oh, I think it should be when I was around ten years old. That’s right. After that, I decided that I will just send all those guys who had tried to make use of me to the depths of hell. But it wasn’t that fun in the long run and I began to use it to earn a lot of money, but I was soon tired of that too. Just when I found that I had nothing else to do---if I remember correctly…… I took the funds that I had collected to host a game?”
“Game?”
“Yes. Nn. It’s something similar to the Gift Games over here and the prize money was quite generous too. The only rule was ‘Find me within a week’, it’s simple right?”
“Nn……yeah.”
“I piled the stacks of bank notes that were to be used for the prize money to make a small hill and took a photograph of it together with a note that stated the rules of the game to distribute it onto the Internet. As a result, those fools started to stir and caused a small commotion……Even so, that only caught their interest initially as most of them had given up after three days and complained things like ‘It’s too difficult’, ‘Give some clues’, ‘The host doesn’t want anyone to win from the start’ and similar stubborn complaints.”
Izayoi shrugged his shoulders in displeasure.
At this point, Leticia’s expression had relaxed and she opened her mouth to ridicule his actions.
“Nope, that was definitely your bad, my Master. If you want to host a good game, then you should have chosen your participants more strictly. Although I do not know what the Internet is, but I guess it is basically a type of advertising platform of sorts’ right? If you display such a big prize and allow people to participate freely, it will only invite a large crowd of inferior participants and this is what we call truism.”
“Ha. That’s something I’m unable to refute. But please think of it as an act of mine when I was just a little brat and let me off the hook.”
The direct and cutting rebuke caused Izayoi to wear a wry smile.
Pouring himself a second cup of green tea, he continued to narrate his past with a little melancholy creeping into his eyes.
“---The place that I had hidden for the game was in the depths of a mountain that did not see much visitors from humans. There I was, lying in wait beside the pile of 30 briefcases stuffed full with the bank notes, but no one came. Moreover at that time, it was late summer and the humidity was high. My sleeping bag had also smelled bad and disgusting and I just had to meet up with a violent storm that crept over the area. Hearing the rumble of thunder in the mountains, I realized the reason as to why lightning and thunder had always been attributed to the phenomenon caused by gods. Although this body of mine would never be destroyed even if it were struck by them, but it sure had a powerful hold over a small child who believed in it’s magical properties.”
“……”
“Amidst the violent storm, when I finally realized that there was no hope of finding a person who could solve it, I felt as if everything around me was real stupid. When they asked for clues, I had answered their request but they did not understand; to let myself be found, I often wandered around by myself, but still no one found me. Although I was still a little child, but I was real angry and felt that the eyes of those bastards must have regressed to that of an olm’s[43]! In the end, I finally couldn’t stop the growing rage and had thoughts that ran along the lines of ‘Might as well destroy half of the world’, as I clenched my shaking fist while returning back to my hideout. And that’s when ……”
---Yes. It was during that day when the thunder rumbled while the winds and rain raged in the depths of the mountain that Izayoi had an encounter that will change his life.
---“Abandon your family, friends, wealth and all that you have in your world and come forth to Little Garden”.
Even though Izayoi had answered to such a summoning, he still had the one encounter in his homeland that he will never forget.
And that was with the person---Canaria and the encounter that changed his life.
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