Chapter 85: The Fallen Monk (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85: The Fallen Monk (1)
A plague with no known cause or name swept through Vestia.
All who contracted the illness suffered from high fevers as their skin turned black.
The disease spread rapidly with a high fatality rate; some died within a day of their symptoms appearing.
Crow beastkin doctors in masks were a common sight, darting in and out of homes, but their efforts were futile.
How could they cure a disease they didn't even understand?
The one silver lining was that magical healing and a priest's blessing could suppress the disease.
But even that only slowed its progression; a complete cure was impossible. A decree was issued, ordering people to refrain from going outside until a solution was found.
People bolted their doors and refused to take a single step outside. Overnight, the city ceased to function.
The deserted streets were as eerie as a ghost town. Most shops had closed, and the cat café was no exception.
Even Nero had caught the disease and was in critical condition. As the owner, I wanted nothing more than to rush over and check on him, but…
“You want to go get yourself infected? Absolutely not.”
Seira was vehemently against it, so I had no choice.
I was forced to stay cooped up at home.
“Master, don’t tell me… is this because of Rin?”
“Well…”
It was true. This was one of the major episodes that occurred once Rin became a six-tailed fox.
An epidemic originating from rat beastkin. Crow beastkin resembling plague doctors roaming the streets.
It was an event that would make anyone think of the medieval Black Death, but the reality was different. This wasn't a disease.
-It's the curse of the Fallen Monk. A type of shamanistic magic.
That’s right.
This wasn't the Black Death, but a curse caused by shamanistic magic.
Far to the east, in the Plains of Despair, there is a fortress. Inside are five yokai who obstruct Rin's liberation.
Dark Fox is a fixed member. The other four are randomly assigned each ‘try’ from one of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits and three powerful yokai.
In other words, the occurrence of an event referencing the Black Death meant that the Fallen Monk had appeared. He must have entered Vestia and cast his spell on the rat beastkin.
-That guy is probably somewhere in the city. This so-called disease will disappear as soon as you catch the caster, the Fallen Monk.
Find and deal with the hidden Fallen Monk before more damage occurs. That's how you clear it.
“But how are we supposed to find him if we don't know where he is?”
-That's for you all to figure out.
“Hmph. How cheap. We don't need your help. Master, let's go ask the old gwanny.”
Indeed.
With Yuhwa's Heavenly Eye, we could find him easily. But.
“No. We won't be getting any help.”
In the end, this was Rin's story.
This was a trial that Rin herself had to overcome. If we relied on Yuhwa's Heavenly Eye, Rin's contribution score would plummet.
“Then how are we supposed to find him?”
“Rin has to find him.”
“Rin? But Rin doesn't know where he is.”
That was probably true.
Even if a fox has superior hearing, smell, and sight, there was no way she could find him just by searching blindly in a huge city like this.
Rin had said she wouldn't accept the gumiho's help, but her assistance was absolutely necessary here.
“Big Rin, how about some cooperation?”
-You're not talking about me, are you…?
“I am.”
-You seem to be gravely mistaken. I'm a gumiho, not your slave, you know?
“That's right, Master. Rin's name is Rin. Don't call her Rin. It's upsetting.”
The gumiho and the gumiho-in-training retorted, wagging no fewer than fifteen tails between them. Watching them was enough to drive me crazy.
But no meant no.
“In any case, the fact that you're inside Rin's body means you're under the influence of my shackles, doesn't it? That makes you my property.”
-What kind of sophistry is that…?
“You'd better cooperate obediently before I call a shaman to exorcise you. If you don't like it, you can leave.”
Unable to hide her shock, Big Rin could only stand there with her mouth agape, speechless. Being treated like a common spirit must have been a huge shock for the great fox god and queen of yokai.
Don't worry. I treat my slaves exceptionally well. I'll even liberate you. So, let's cooperate, shall we?
Big Rin crossed her arms and turned her head away with a huff.
-Even if I wanted to cooperate, I'm just a spirit form right now. I can't use any power, so you'd better not expect anything.
“I know, so don't worry. I'm just going to ask you to act as Rin's teacher.”
-You said the Celestial Fox would do it. Then you won't need my help.
“You know that's not true at all.”
What Yuhwa taught Rin were the basic arts of a yokai, not the arts optimized for a gumiho.
Simply put, I wanted her to teach Rin techniques exclusive to a gumiho. And among those, the one thing I wanted from Big Rin…
“Is to teach Rin how to use her eyes.”
Not magic, but ocular arts.
The Solar Eye of the golden pupil.
The Lunar Eye of the blue pupil.
Just as there's a saying that if the Celestial Fox has the Heavenly Eye, the gumiho has the Solar and Lunar Eyes, it was an indispensable ability for a gumiho who twists fate.
She had obtained a fragment of that power this time in White Cloud Valley. I wanted her to teach Rin the ocular arts while we searched for the Fallen Monk's location.
The child tilted her head, not understanding my meaning, while Big Rin's expression turned cold.
-How do you know about that?
“The Celestial Fox told me.”
-Even the Celestial Fox only has a vague idea about my eyes' abilities; only I know the details. But you look as if you know everything.
“A misunderstanding. When would I have ever seen a gumiho to know such things? I only know that it's a power that twists fate.”
-…
Big Rin didn't let go of her suspicion easily. I wondered if I'd been too direct, but there was no other time for this.
Starting with the Fallen Monk, the yokai would swarm under Dark Fox's command, and if we fended them all off, Heaven itself would intervene.
Time was short. Rin needed to learn a new skill right now.
“If Rin becomes a proper gumiho, isn't that a good thing for you too, Big Rin?”
-That's true, but…
Why is she stalling? You're after something, too. You think I don't know your ulterior motive?
“Well, if you really don't want to, I can't force you. I guess you'll just have to face Divine Punishment and be sealed again…”
-Ah, fine! I'll teach her! Happy now? But in return, please, I'm begging you, don't call me Rin.
“A shame, but if you don't like it, I shouldn't force you.”
Right. I'm a good master.
I never force my slaves.
Never use force, that is.
*
The gumiho decided to teach Rin how to use the ocular arts.
She had pretended to be reluctant with Karami, but in truth, she had intended to teach her from the start. The more power Rin gained and the closer she came to being a gumiho, the closer the gumiho came to her own goal.
She had only hesitated because Karami's sudden demand had flustered her.
-Take out your fox orb.
Rin took out the orb. A new color had seeped into her once-pink orb, spreading like watercolor.
A warm, golden light now occupied half of the orb.
-What you absorbed this time was the Solar Eye. The power of your right eye has been enhanced. Have you ever used your eyes before?
“I'm always using them, except when I'm sleeping.”
-Right, you don't know anything. First, I'll have to explain what each eye does.
The gumiho pointed at Karami.
-I'll start by explaining the Solar Eye's primary ability. Now, close your left eye. Look at your master.
Rin closed her twilight-hued eye as if winking and gazed at Karami. When Karami waved, Rin smiled brightly and waved back.
-Stop messing around. Focus and pour your spiritual power into your right eye.
Manipulating her spiritual power was no longer difficult for Rin. She directed the spiritual power swirling in her core, and it traveled along her optic nerve to her eyeball.
A burning heat filled her right eye, and her vision brightened for a moment.
As if sunlight were piercing the darkness, the Solar Eye began to reveal things that were normally invisible.
-What do you see?
“…I don't know how to explain it. There are fragments floating around.”
As if looking through a kaleidoscope, fragments of various colors swirled around Karami.
-What you're seeing now are the Fragments of Fate. You can see the possible fates that could befall that person. There are a ton, right? Normally, there are only a few.
“Is it because he's with Rin?”
-That's right. Because fate is being twisted, the number of possibilities has increased dramatically. It becomes impossible to predict what future will come to pass.
Just by being with a gumiho, all sorts of misfortunes pour down, and fate becomes twisted.
Perhaps because Karami was so closely involved with the gumiho, there were hundreds of fragments, and their colors were just as varied.
While some were a single color, others had various colors painted within a single fragment, like a painter's palette. Most were like that.
“But isn't this meaningless then?”
If there were this many possible futures, there was no point in seeing fate. It was just an inferior version of the Heavenly Eye, which could clearly read the flow of destiny.
-Right. For now, it's not very meaningful. The Solar Eye and Lunar Eye are a pair, so you need both to do anything significant. But you only have the power of the Solar Eye.
“Where's the Lunar Eye?”
-Dark Fox.
“‘Rin is the prettiest in the world’?”
-You mean the gumiho is the prettiest, surely. And besides, I'm not talking about that kind of code, I'm talking about the yokai, Dark Fox. You little one.
Rin didn't know who Dark Fox was, or what kind of fox she was.
But the moment the name ‘Dark Fox’ was spoken, the gumiho's furious emotions began to seep into her. Enough that even Rin, who didn't know the first thing about her, felt an unwitting sense of vengeance.
Just then, Karami, who had been watching quietly, couldn't contain his curiosity and chimed in.
“So you're not going to deny the part about being the prettiest?”
The two foxes blinked and stared at Karami. Their heads tilted slightly to the side, as if they didn't understand the question.
“Of course a gumiho is the prettiest in the world.”
-Of course a gumiho is the prettiest in the world.
Karami decided to just keep his mouth shut.
Rin's eyes grew tired from constantly looking at the Fragments of Fate, so she deactivated the ocular art. She rubbed her dry eyes and blinked.
“But how do we find the Fallen Monk with this?”
The gumiho shrugged.
-It's very simple. You steal a glimpse of fate's trajectory and reverse-trace the curse.