TNZKMA 146

１４６

 

[It’s true. Once the Ceremonies resume, Dole should be the first to receive one.]

Olphynn confirmed Dole’s words.

[But no one knows when the Ceremonies will begin again. While we barely have enough priests, all of the Ceremony halls have been destroyed. If we move to another section, some Ceremony halls are still intact, though.]

[Well, it can’t be helped given the situation. I’ll wait. If I, from the eastern section, were to receive the Ceremony in the south or west, I’d probably get killed by those waiting in line there.]

Dole said it lightly, but it was scary because it might actually happen. The Ceremonies are that important to everyone.

[I’m sorry. I really want to rebuild the Ceremony halls first, but…]

[Olphynn, where are you sleeping? Are you okay?]

[Ah, don’t worry. I’m staying in a vacant house in the eastern and western sections.]

I was relieved to hear that. The only priest family left in the eastern section was the Dalis family, but their mansion had been destroyed. I was thinking of asking Saine to let Olphynn use my room if he was camping out.

[Olphynn, what are you doing for food? You’re close to the central square in the eastern and western sections, but is the market over there open? I hope the broken stalls are fixed, but if you’re eating stall food every day, that must be tough. I can come and cook for you if you’d like.]

It’s a bit far, but not impossible to reach. Besides, even though it’s far, it’s still the same eastern section. But Saine strongly rejected my offer.

[No.]

Is Saine still in a bad mood? I keep making him angry. I wonder what’s bothering him. I anxiously glanced at Saine.

[I appreciate the offer, but you are a Reincarnator. Unless it’s a house that holds a Reincarnator, you mustn’t visit alone. I am still waiting for my own Ceremony.]

[Nothing would happen between Olphynn and me. I mean, there’s no one out there who would be interested in someone like me.]

I think Saine’s anger is about something else. Maybe I was being too pushy or said something out of line. What could it be? It feels like he’s been in a bad mood since yesterday. Even the way he held me this morning was different than usual.

Maybe Saine doesn’t want to eat my cooking because he’s angry. If that’s the case, it might be better if I keep my distance. Even when Dad and Mom had terrible fights, they’d be back to normal after a few days apart.

I want to give Saine some space to let him cool off, but he rejected everything I suggested. I don’t know what to do after this, so I’m stuck, thinking, [Hmm…] I want to make his favorite food to cheer him up, but I can’t even cook, so maybe I should just try to do my best tonight. Hopefully, that’ll end his anger.

As I was staring down, lost in thought, I felt eyes on me and looked up. Saine, Dole, and Olphynn were all staring at me, which startled me.

[Eh? Huh? What? What’s wrong?]

Dole and Olphynn shifted their gazes away from me, and each gave Saine a pat on the shoulder from either side.

[Well, take it easy,]

[He’ll understand someday.]

[What are you talking about?]

[That dealing with a kid is tough.]

I didn’t quite get it, but I knew enough to feel insulted. They were talking about me, calling me a kid. I fell silent in annoyance, but Dole just gave me a comforting smile.

[Kids are cute, too.]

[They’re cute if they’re your own kid, sure.]

As soon as I said that, a sharp pain pierced my chest. I’m not Saine’s child, after all.

[Olphynn, have you read the book you found at the priest guild yet? Did you learn anything about male Reincarnator? Do you think… having kids is impossible after all…?]

My voice faded toward the end, barely audible.

[I’m sorry. I haven’t been able to read it yet. It’s filled with many lost words that take time to research. And there are still books sealed with spells that I haven’t managed to open yet. I have a rough idea of the spell to unlock them, but I haven’t tried it yet.]

Lost words, huh. To me, that probably feels like English. If that’s the case, it would take me ten years to read it. What was I thinking, asking him about it the day after yesterday? I chastised myself in my mind.

Lately, I’ve been acting way too selfish. It’s exhausting to constantly reflect on it. Get it together, me. No wonder Dad and Mom got fed up and hit me.

I wrote [endure] in my mind, gulped it down, and swallowed. Though, honestly, I can’t even write that word in kanji.

[Have the priests left the eastern section?]

[In times like these, the Red Insignia said it’s more important than ever to carry out the Ceremonies as usual… The Dorius family left during the night. Following them, the Kanryu family, the White Insignia, also left for another section by dawn.]

It sounded like they had fled in the night.

[What about the guards?]

[They’re still discussing it. But it’ll probably be decided by tomorrow. Around five of them will likely be sent to the southern section, and for the western section, they’ll probably only lend a hand during the guarding season.]

[I see… The priest guild might also request that some Dauntless be stationed permanently at the central square.]

[Oh, right. The Heroes died, didn’t they? But the priests at the central square also died with them, didn’t they?]

Dole crossed his arms and said,

[The upper echelons may have disappeared, but the Eight Priest Families haven’t been wiped out. They’ll just find someone else suitable to lead, and that person will naturally end up living in the Central Square. Everyone’s scrambling to take the vacant seat.]

Olphynn let out a small laugh. He probably had no intention of joining that game of musical chairs.

[The Heroes are dead, right? That means… Haruka’s ex-husband must be dead too.]

I muttered, and Olphynn furrowed his brows.

[Ex-husband? Which one?]

[The first one. Haruka’s first husband was a Hero.]

As soon as I said that, Olphynn shot up from his seat, knocking the chair over with a loud clatter.

[His first!? The one who underwent the Ceremony was a Hero!?]

Olphynn was about to grab me, but Saine quickly stepped in between us.

[Y-Yeah. That’s what Haruka told me… Why? What’s wrong?]

Olphynn’s intensity scared me, and I clung to Saine’s arm. Peeking out from behind his large frame, I looked at Olphynn and asked, but his well-shaped brows were drawn tightly together.

[Damn it…!]

A curse slipped from Olphynn’s mouth.

[Haruka’s at the market in the northeastern section, right?]

Olphynn started to leave, and I frantically reached out to grab his arm. I barely managed to catch his clothes, even with Saine’s body in the way.

[Hey, what’s going on? What’s wrong with Haruka?]

Olphynn looked at the floor, then the ceiling, and finally at me with a bewildered expression.

[…He’s crucial to the Ceremony.]

[Crucial? In what way?]

[The Ceremony summons Reincarnators from another world and pulls them into this one. But that alone isn’t enough. To keep the Reincarnator’s soul from returning to its original place, we bind it to the soul of a husband.]

[…So the Reincarnator’s soul is connected to the husband’s soul?]

Dole asked, and Olphynn nodded.

[Yes. If the husband dies, the Reincarnator dies as well.]

My heart pounded violently, and my hands started trembling uncontrollably.

[Die? What do you mean, die? Haruka’s husband is the uncle. The Hero sold him off ten years ago. That guy has nothing to do with him anymore!]

[It has everything to do with her. male Reincarnator may be bought and sold, but no matter how many times they change hands, no new bond is formed with the later husband. Only the priests can create the bond through the Ceremony. Neither the Reincarnator nor the husband would be aware of it, but they are tightly bound by an invisible thread.]

[What happens if the Reincarnator dies first?]

Dole crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly, as if deep in thought.

[Nothing happens. The thread exists solely to tether the Reincarnator’s unstable soul to this world. If they die first, the thread just breaks.]

[Then what about Haruka? His ex-husband is the one who abandoned him during the Ceremony, right? He dumped him onto one of his subordinates and immediately went to undergo the next Ceremony. Is Haruka going to be dragged down by someone like him? That’s not fair!]

I desperately pleaded with Olphynn, gripping his arm tightly.

[If the priests tied the thread, can’t they cut it? Please, save Haruka. I’m begging you, save him!]

[If the thread is cut, won’t it be the same? The Reincarnator can’t stay in this world unless they’re bound to someone, right?]

Dole’s remark made me realize something. Even if we cut the thread tying him to the dead Hero, Haruka would still die unless he was connected to someone else.

[Th-Then, um, maybe… someone else… someone…]

As I spoke, no one came to mind. Could Haruka’s husband tie his soul to his? Maybe if I begged him, but I had a feeling Haruka wouldn’t accept it.