ISTHR 149

１４９

[…… Don’t decide that by yourself.]

When we both nodded to each other, Haruka’s husband muttered.

[Ah…]

[You, you should be more aware of your surroundings…… My bad.]

Saine lowered his head towards Uncle.

[Don’t meddle between the affairs of a husband and his Reincarnator.]

[…… I’m sorry…]

No matter how many times I reflect, why do I keep forgetting about it immediately? I’m really hopeless. I got scolded by Saine again.

Haruka gently stroked my arm as I hung my head.

[We’re now in a different world so it’s a struggle, isn’t it? But I think that side of you is just fine. I think you’re innocent and cute. Plus, it’s funny.]

Innocence and insensitivity are the same thing. My heart doesn’t feel better even when my best friend comforts me. I need to remind myself that more and more. Really, I need to fix it soon, or Saine will hate me. I want to be someone who cares about those around me like Haruka.

[Don’t worry about the money. 400,000 ales is nothing.]

The uncle slaps his chest.

[That’s money to receive the Ceremony, right? No, it’s something so important.]

[I don’t care. Besides…the Ceremony will probably never happen.]

He slightly looks down and laughs. His laugh gives off a feeling of warmth rather than resignation.

[Don’t say that it’s not going to happen. They say the Ceremony will start again once the Ceremony building is completed. It might be about time for your turn.”

[No, it’s fine. I’ve made up my mind too.]

[What?]

The uncle intently looked at Saine and grinned.

[I will also remove my name from the list. I will no longer take the Ceremony.]

[Wh-what are you saying!? What are you going to do after doing that!>]

Haruka stood up in shock. I also looked on in anticipation.

[I won’t do anything. You are my Reincarnator. That’s all I need. Up until now, and even from here onwards.]

[S-s-such a thing……]

Haruka was probably lost for words, his eyes were darting around and looked troubled. But I was over the moon.

[Haruka, that’s great! Uncle said he’s fine having you. Aren’t you the same? Because you like him.]

[No, but, this and that are 2 completely different things. After all, I’m a male Reincarnator, I can’t bear children, you know?]

[I know that.]

[No, I don’t think you do. After all, don’t you like kids? You always look at the children who come to the market and smile.]

[That’s because they’re doing something weird. But it’s the same if you listen to the conversation between you and him.]

[No no no no, we’re not weird. And I’m an adult.]

[Yeah, I’m also an adult.]

The moment I said that, everyone there laughed at me. To be precise, everyone but Haruka and Olphynn did.

[So mean~! I’m telling you that I’m an adult. After all, I always do it with Saine like crazy.]

[That’s right. You have taken the steps to adulthood.]

[Yeah!]

I strongly nodded my head, but Saine and Dole, and even Uncle looked down at me with blank eyes.

[Anyway, that’s what I’ve decided. I won’t take the Ceremony. My Reincarnator is you. That’s why, be it your soul or whatever, connect it with mine.]

Uncle stated in a firm tone that left no room for argument.

[I got it. Then I’ll have you accompany us on the journey.]

[Sure. I’ll do it.]

Olphynn and Uncle settled the conversation by themselves.

[But Uncle, that about the stall? It will take up to 1 month to get to the Royal Capital, you know?]

[I don’t care. No one’s going to be bothered if one of all these food stalls closes. I’ll talk to the guild about it. To make sure the place isn’t blocked.]

Each occupation has a guild. 

[Will you be okay, Olphynn? You will be outside the town for 2 months.]

The number of priests has decreased dramatically, and for that matter, the number of guards has decreased as well. But when I think about Haruka, I don’t want to waste a single day. When I asked him this out of concern, Olphynn smiled softly to reassure me.

[The ceremony cannot be held until the Ceremonial buildings are completed. It is said that it will take more than six months even if rushed. It is not just a building. The shape and the direction of the corners are strictly determined, and there are clear restrictions on when each location will be built. Also, each floor will be imbued with energy. The head of the Daryss family will carry out this work of imbuing it with energy… Now, who knows when the next head will be decided?]

[Are there any disputes?]

[That’s right. Even within the Daryss family, it’s not that easy to decide. To decide on the head of the family, first the Daryss family puts forward a candidate, and then the priest guild discusses it. However, there is no High Priest who can make all the decisions and give permission. Therefore, the high priest must be decided first. However, each family puts forward a candidate for High Priest… It will probably take a month to decide on the head of the Daryss family. Then the reconstruction will begin.]

[… It’s not easy.]

Exactly, Olphynn nodded. 

[What about you, Saine? Dole will also be coming with us, is it okay for two guards to leave?]

I’ll be troubled if he says no, though.

[Guard Season is over, and if something like this happened, everyone would hole themselves up in town. There’s no way anyone would want to go to the monster forest right after a monster attack. That’s why we have a lot of free time this year.]

[The town needs to be defended, but it won’t be a big deal if two of us leave.]

[What about Olphynn’s barrier?]

[No need to worry. If anything, this whole incident turned out to be a blessing in disguise—every priest has now come to recognize the importance of barriers. Until now, I was the only one maintaining them, but now every priest living in this town is taking part. Some are still inexperienced… but barriers aren’t particularly difficult spells, nor do they require complex mana control. They’ll get the hang of it soon enough, and in time, the barriers will become even stronger than the ones I used to create. On top of that, I tested a crest I found in a book from the Priest Guild. The barriers reinforced with this crest have become significantly more powerful.]

[We-well then, can you leave immediately? It takes 3 months to half a year to survive without being linked to the husband’s soul, right? It’s not for certain that we’ll get to the Royal Capital in a month.  If it takes 2 months, that’s pretty tight.]

It is a bad habit of mine to get impatient when saying what’s on my mind. I stand up, becoming desperate as I speak.

[Calm down. It’s pointless to rush out without any preparations.]

[He’s right. We need to talk to each guild and get their approval. We need to prepare the money as well.]

[I’ll provide the money.]

I was surprised to hear the uncle say that. He had no money when he was drinking, but after just one year of working hard, how much did he save?

[It’s a total of 2.4 million ales, you know? Well, I don’t think we’ll need that much, though.]

Dole is also surprised and looks at him with wide eyes.

[It doesn’t matter. I’ll borrow the remaining amount from the guild.]

[I can’t have that. This trip is meaningful to me too. I want to listen to Tart Deak.]

Olphynn also said that but Uncle isn’t backing down. I guess this is where the pride of the people here comes in. They try to show how manly they are. To me it seems like a contest of self-restraint, but often times it just looks to me like they’re just being stubborn.

[Then let’s do it like this. Gale only has to pay for one way trip. We’ll each pay for the remaining trip.]

Saine suggested this, Haruka calmed him down, and we finally came to an agreement.

We decided to leave in five days. Haruka had at least three months left, and it would take a maximum of two months to reach the Royal Capital. In other words, we had a month to spare, but even so, I was getting anxious.

I have no memory of everything ever going according to plan, so I was worried that it would happen again this time. But it seemed that wasn’t the case with everyone, and they all remained calm.

Haruka is the only one who understands this side of me. Because Haruka knows. The moment when something I was really looking forward to completely goes to waste.

I guess the biggest shock was that event, I guess. On my beithday, mom promised to buy me a big cake and I was looking forward to it so much. I was so happy that I kept on asking her to confirm that she’s really going to buy me that cake which made my mom mad and decided not to get it.

A birthday without cake, food, or presents isn’t unusual for me, but at the time it was a real shock.

For my elementary school sports day, my mom didn’t make a happi coat for us to dance in, so I was the only one who danced in my regular gym clothes. That happi coat looked cool and I wanted to wear it. 1

Field trips without lunches were common, so I bought bread with my pocket money. Come to think of it, it was the same for sports days, I saved up my pocket money and bought bread to eat.

Here, I’m a Reincarnator, so I need my husband’s permission to go anywhere or do anything. I can’t work, and I can’t earn money. Saine isn’t a bad guy, but still, deep down inside I’m always anxious.

Like the bread on the school trip, I want a way to do things myself even if Saine says no or that I don’t need to do it. I just want something to keep my heart from sinking like a stone.

And besides, relying entirely on Saine for everything… it just doesn’t feel right. What if he hates that kind of dependency?

That’s the kind of man my dad was. Do it yourself—that was his catchphrase. I even learned to ride a bike on my own. When it came time for a school bag, he just gave me the money and let me buy it myself.

If one path doesn’t work, then I figure out another. Even if the worst happens, I try to calm my own heart by thinking of the next possible option.

But in this world, a husband’s orders are absolute. Nothing starts without them.

If Saine says no, then the shutters come down in front of me, and the road ahead simply vanishes.

That’s just how this world works.

But… is that really okay?

I’m a man, yet I’m clinging to Saine for everything. And no matter how I look at it, that just feels wrong.

TN: A happi (法被/半被) is a traditional tube-sleeved Japanese coat, usually worn only during festivals. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happi )