78. Uta Akizuki, and What Sleeps Beside Her
We returned to the church and, guided by the priest, headed underground toward the tomb of the hero from a hundred years ago.
Our group consisted of the priest leading the way with a lantern, every member of Levante, Kalpana, Momoka, and Chihiro.
The underground passages weren't pitch black. Small glowing stones were embedded here and there along the corridors, casting an eerie glow with their faint light.
The hero's tomb was apparently at the lowest level. The church seemed to have been built right on top of it.
I fell into step beside Kalpana.
"How was Chihiro?"
I whispered to her.
"Yes. I think he's a wonderful person. But he feels a bit young for me."
What a luxury problem. Of course, I didn't say it out loud.
"I see. There are only six more people summoned by the Goddess Five Pillars. I wonder how many of them are guys..."
Personally, I wanted them all to be beautiful girls.
"Master Mash. I've come to think that my first should be you. What if I bore your child, and then you bestowed me upon another?"
"What kind of guy do you think I am? I'm not that great, no one would be happy, and both you and I would end up hated."
"Is that so? I think many would rejoice at a child inheriting your blood."
She replied earnestly. She seemed dead serious, but was she sane?
"Besides, once it happens, that's it. I absolutely wouldn't hand you over to another man."
"I-is that true...? But in just one month since coming to this world, you've gotten involved with so many people. If you keep adding lovers at this rate, won't it get out of hand?"
She had a point. I definitely got carried away. I remembered Mizuki asking if I wasn't satisfied with just her and Fam.
"You don't like me yet, do you?"
"Actually, I can't forget what you did to me, and what you did with Lady Rakushel. I want you to take me too."
Kalpana let out a deep sigh.
"...Doesn't that basically mean you like me?"
"Yes, but when I think about it, I get confused. But I realized that admiring someone's charm and loving them are completely different things."
So she still didn't love me? And yet she wanted me to sleep with her. She was weird, but she carried the burden of her wandering people on her back, and her clan had nightmarish traditions waiting. Maybe it couldn't be helped.
"Anyway, you should've kept it as a secret fantasy. It's impossible unless Fam accepts it. She'd see right through it."
"I can't be dishonest with you, Master Mash... But she really is loved, isn't she?"
Kalpana murmured.
We reached the lowest level. There was a door like the ones guarding dungeon areas.
The priest opened it, and we stepped inside.
The room was a domed space, just like an area guarder chamber. It was lit from somewhere, no lantern needed. Another door was visible in the back. No limit on the number of people—six or otherwise—and the door didn't close on its own.
In the center stood a marble pedestal, topped by a marble coffin of sturdy craftsmanship. The surface was intricately carved with flowers and plants.
"Linaria."
Mizuki said, eyeing the carvings. It was the name of the flowers blooming in the plains before we reached the city.
I scanned the surroundings, but there were no grave goods or offerings.
"The hero from a hundred years ago led an army into the Demon Kingdom and defeated the Demon King, right?"
I'd heard Aidan had served in that army. They won the battle, but afterward, the Demon Kingdom counterattacked, and the imperial capital of the old empire—farther east than Migurut—fell.
Long ago, the old empire ruled all the land. Over time, it split: the Demon Kingdom in the east, the current empire in the west, and kingdoms farther west. The old empire's domain shrank to just the land sandwiched between the empire and the Demon Kingdom. The fallen city had been the last bastion of its former glory.
"Yes, we call it the Holy War."
"What happened after that? How'd they end up buried here?"
"The hero married, made Niren her home, built this church, and donated it to the city. The current governor is a descendant of the hero."
The priest answered my questions. So the governor ruled like a king, backed by the hero's bloodline.
The priest touched the coffin's lid. "Uta Akizuki" was inscribed there.
"Lady Uta Akizuki."
His words carried deep reverence for the one who slumbered.
"I'd like to check inside. Is that okay?"
"You are the hero sent by Lady Rakushel. Please, above all, show respect to Lady Uta."
The priest stepped back.
I nodded, then with Chihiro's help, tried to shift the stone lid—but it wouldn't budge an inch. My back twinged a little.
"..."
The women, who'd been watching silently, pitched in without a word.
Inside the coffin lay silk-like glossy fabric, and atop it, a woman slept clutching a sword to her chest.
I glanced uncertainly at Myra.
"I always assumed the hero was a guy."
"Me too."
She was surprised as well.
"During the Holy War, when she led as a hero, her silver hair wasn't as long as it is now—she kept it short and passed as a man."
The priest explained. I'd expected bones or a mummy, but Uta looked alive, merely asleep.
"There should be someone who transferred here with her..."
"I'm afraid I don't know. She was probably the only one."
I looked at Myra as the priest spoke.
"Me too. I've only heard about him... her."
I nodded at Myra's words. Something must have happened to her transferred partner before the Holy War.
"A hero summoned by Rakushel a hundred years ago..."
"How do you know she was one of Rakushel's transfers?"
Mizuki asked as I stared at Uta.
"Just a hunch. She looks like you. Incredibly beautiful. Maybe it's her type..."
Uta was like a grown-up Mizuki. Maybe Rakushel picked transfers based on preferred women first, then assigned suitable partners. Gazing at Uta's sleeping face gave me that vibe. She wore pure white peplos, obscuring her figure, but she seemed fuller than Mizuki—especially her belly, slightly rounded.
As I pondered, I noticed Mizuki glaring at me, face beet red.
"What's up?"
"N-nothing!"
She looked away.
The priest peered into the coffin, frowning.
"There should have been a mirror and sword as grave goods."
He searched, but inside were only the sword she clutched, probably her smartphone, a silver necklace, and small diamond earrings.
"Is this the mirror Lady Rakushel mentioned?"
Kalpana said.
"Maybe that's what Mii and his crew were after."
Nothing else noteworthy.
"Can we take out the grave goods?"
The priest nodded at Myra's request.
She carefully lifted the sword from Uta's arms.
I picked up the smartphone, but Mizuki snatched it.
"I'll check it!"
"..."
She glared. I wouldn't snoop through a dead woman's search history, but I was curious what a beauty like her looked up.
Mizuki pressed the power button—no response. A century abandoned, it was dead.
"I'll charge it."
She stowed it in her storage.
Myra drew the sword from its sheath, admiring it. A double-edged blade, maybe one-handed? Too small for two. The spotless blade gleamed beautifully, defying a century's passage. Probably enchanted like the one Aidan made me.
Words were engraved on the blade.
"The Husband God is unique, formless, void yet spirited."
Myra read aloud.
"What does it mean?"
"My interpretation might be off, but 'God is a singular existence, without form, present as spirit.' It's the opening of the Inari Great Secret Text, I think."
"Inari's?"
Mizuki, Momoka, and Chihiro looked shocked.
"Why the surprise?" Myra asked.
"In our world, most shrines—what you'd call churches here—enshrined gods tied to the land among the myriad deities. So polytheistic, like here. But this text seems to deny the myriad gods, proclaiming one true God."
I explained.
"How d'ya know that?"
Momoka eyed me suspiciously.
"I looked it up on a trip once. The grand shrine was founded around 1300 years ago by immigrants from the continent. They claimed descent from a continental emperor, worshiping a monotheistic god. Temples there became place names in Japan—like Uzumaki, no, Tooqin."
Close enough on "Tai" vs. "Dai"—whatever.
"...Surprisin', but what's yer point? Bragging?"
"Just backing it up."
I shared my hypothesis: the Ark of the Covenant from an eastern monotheistic scripture was brought here, called the Ark Ship. Mana overflowed from its jar, enabling magic. The clan that brought it founded the shrine; their blood kin are the summoned transfers. Those summoned by the 50 Gods were told killing us grants wishes via the Ark's power.
All speculation.
I didn't know how Uta got this sword, but she seemed to chase the same truth, so it fit.
"So what're ya sayin'!"
"Not sure yet. But Rakushel told Kalpana to find the mirror. The Ark Ship, its contents—they're key to something. The broken jar aside, the Ark's in the imperial capital, the staff with the emperor."
"Got it. Ya wanna secure what we can."
"The mirrors—two of 'em. Fam has one."
"Eh? Ya prepared, huh..."
Momoka looked skeptical.
"Fam'sspecial skill is probably one."
"Couldn't trace the other, but Uta had it."
"Stolen...? No leads sucks."
Momoka muttered.
"The emperor's staff is likely a proxy. The real one's with the old empire's emperor."
The priest said.
"So in the Demon Kingdom now."
"No certainty."
The priest nodded to Momoka, but confidently.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you to everyone who liked, bookmarked, and rated.
It motivates me. I'll keep at it.
Typos pointed out are a huge help.