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sasaranomiya · 8 months

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Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 4 Chapter 1 - The Silkworm God (Part 1)

hey guys im back~~~ this chapter was supposed to come out way earlier but i got sidetracked

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The moon sank into the sea and became two gods:

One the god of shadow, one the god of light

Eight thousand nights they spent at the sea.

The first god secluding in the black palace

The second god cavorting in the palace of the moon

And thus, one became Kakurenomiya

And the other became Sasaranomiya

Another god became the port of Kakurenomiya

This was the Great Sea Turtle God

The god had sinned, and was thus rent into eight parts

The flowing water carried them away from the palace

Its head was Jie, its arms were Bahuang, its legs were Gulu

Its carapace became canyons, its blood transformed into rivers

Its eyes became swamps, its breath became a maelstrom that called the tide

Ears of rice ripened in its rotting flesh and degenerated into seeds

The mulberry tree grows, the silkworm grows, and mankind grows

Its bones were made one once again, and the white turtle god was formed

His name was Gou-no-Kami

This god calmed the violent seas to protect ships

The descendants of these gods began

The bloodline of the white king, the emperor—

――From a ritual song of wubangs

There were bundles of raw silk packed in a wooden box in front of Banka. The milk-colored raw silk, resembling morning mist, had a moist luster. Her father, Chouyou, had sent her some of the finest raw silk from Ga Province.

Ga Province’s raw silk was considered to be of the highest quality in the nation of Shou. The province’s sericulture industry began with the silkworms brought by the Saname clan when they migrated here from Kakami, and it had the reputation it developed today after Chouyou devoted himself to selectively breeding the silkworms. Banka had been taking care of the silkworms since childhood under his orders. Spring silkworms, summer silkworms, autumn silkworms, late-autumn silkworms…everyday, she picked mulberry leaves, fed them to the silkworms, cleaned, moved the place where they made their cocoons during their maturing period, sorted them based on their shells after they became cocoons, and repeated that year after year.

Banka liked listening to the sound of the silkworms eating mulberry leaves. When she sat in a corner of the cocoonery and listened closely to the sound of silkworms feasting on the leaves, she felt calm as if being enveloped in gentle rain. It was the sound of life itself.

That was why, when she watched the sorted cocoons being boiled in hot water and their threads taken out, she felt a cold shadow in her heart. The sound of boiling water was the sound of life being torn away. However, the threads spun in this way shined coldly and was above all beautiful.

Whenever the silk slid over her skin, there was always a blue-black chill, like a winter shade.

Banka picked up a bundle of raw silk from the box.

The bundle was tied with paper. Banka stuck her finger in there. Unscrupulous merchants would cheat the weight by rolling in lead or scrap iron into the bundles. Of course, there were no such tricks in packages from her father, but there were other tricks. Banka’s finger felt for the paper string pasted to the back of the paper. Unlike ordinary letters, letters he didn’t want other people seeing were always delivered in this way. She removed the paper string and opened it carefully. A short sentence written in her father’s handwriting was on the thin strip of paper.

“Don’t get involved with the Raven Consort.”

Banka’s breath caught.

Why?

Her father’s written orders never contained reasons. Banka simply obeyed his words. That was why she informed him about everything that happened in the inner palace, and let him know how the emperor looked whenever she was near him. She could do these things only because she thought it was for the best interests of her father, and by extension, the Saname clan.

That was why she wrote about Jusetsu’s secret in her letter. The fact that she hid the color of her hair.

She told him the secret of Jusetsu, who saved her life, who she even wanted to be friends with.

After much hesitation, she weighed Jusetsu and her father, and in the end, Banka chose her father.

She didn’t know why her father, who knew Jusetsu’s secret, ordered her “not to get involved with her.”

However, she didn’t need to be ordered to do that. She didn’t know what kind of face she should make when she saw Jusetsu from now on. They could no longer be friends.

Banka stroked the raw silk. It was cool, but she felt a heat that bounced off her hand as she stroked it. It was the heat of life. Of harvested life.

I’m sure I don’t hold a heat like this.

Banka recalled the sorting of cocoons. It was the work of sorting the good cocoons from the bad ones. Among the bad ones, there was the so-called dead cocoons. The moth had died inside the cocoon and it rotted. A rotten, mushy cocoon.

I’m the same as them.

Unbeknownst to anyone, I rotted on the inside, and now I’m dead on the inside…

“I heard that there’s a ghost in the cocoonery.”

Jiujiu didn’t talk about that rumor until nightfall. As the weather got cooler day by day, the sun set earlier. As usual, Yamei Palace was quietly plunged into darkness without any of the lanterns lit. The sound of insects could be heard in the distance. The only people in the room were Jusetsu and her attendant, Jiujiu. Even though Jusetsu told her it was fine, Jiujiu stayed up with her until late at night. This was because of the guests who visited the Raven Consort at night. They relied on the black-clad consort would accept any request from searching for lost items to curse killings, so the people of the inner palace hid away from prying eyes in the darkness of the night and came here.

“Where?” Jusetsu asked back at the unfamiliar words.

“The cocoonery. It’s the place where the silkworms are raised.”

“There was something like that in the inner palace?”

“Apparently, there is a mulberry grove north of Hakkaku Palace. It’s located there. It was also there during the previous dynasty and the reign of the emperor before the last. The previous emperor’s wife disliked silkworms, so the cocoonery was demolished, but His Majesty built a new one. You see, the Crane Consort’s family runs a thriving sericulture business.”

“Banka’s family…the Saname clan?”

“Yes. The cocoonery was built for the Crane Consort. Apparently, she also helped raise silkworms back home. It’s the palace ladies of the Hakkaku Palace who work in this cocoonery, though.”

This is where we come to the main topic, Jiujiu said.

“People are saying that it’s haunted.”

“Oh? Is it a silkworm ghost?”

“No, it’s the ghost of a palace lady.”

According to Jiujiu, this was the story.

During the previous dynasty, there was a palace lady who worked in the cocoonery. One time, she accidentally stepped on a silkworm and killed it. But she kept silent without confessing her crime. After all, she would be punished if she did. That night, however, she suddenly began to suffer in pain and started to vomit silk from her mouth. The raw silk kept coming out without ever ending. Her body wasted away as more silk came out. When one of the palace ladies hurriedly cut the silk with a pair of scissors, she collapsed and died. Her hair had become white like raw silk.

“It’s the silkworm’s curse,” Jiujiu said fearfully and pressed her hand to her cheek. Jusetsu tilted her head to the side.

“Then is that not a story about a palace lady who was cursed and killed? I don’t believe it has to do with the ghost.”

“That’s where the story begins, Niangniang. The ghost of the palace lady who died from this curse is said to haunt the cocoonery. It’s said that she would appear there from time to time and take care of the silkworms while mixed in with the other palace ladies. She blends into the group while no one is paying attention, and once someone realizes that she’s there, she disappears. They say that she also showed up during the reign of the emperor before the last. The cocoonery didn’t exist during the previous reign, so it seemed that she never appeared, but—”

“After the cocoonery was rebuilt, the ghost appeared again.”

“That’s right, Niangniang,” Jiujiu nodded deeply.

“She didn’t seem to have harmed or cursed the other palace ladies, but the Hakkaku Palace palace ladies are terrified.”

“Did you hear that from them?”

“No, from a palace lady at Enou Palace. I heard it when I went there to get scrap paper for Ishiha’s writing practice.”

Yamei Palace’s boy eunuch, Ishiha, was currently learning to read and write, and he needed all the paper that he could get. That was why they asked for scrap paper from many people.

Every palace had chatty palace ladies, and Jiujiu gathered gossip whenever she went on such errands. She got useful information, as well as trivial ghost stories.

“If it didn’t come from the people involved, then there is no way to know how true it is.”

“Shall I ask a palace lady from Hakkaku Palace, then?”

“You need not go that—” Jusetsu stopped and looked at the doors. Xingxing the golden bird was flapping its wings. They had a visitor.

“Niangniang,” the voice that came from the other side of the door belonged to her bodyguard eunuch, Onkei. “I’ve brought a palace lady who got lost in the woods.”

Yamei Palace was surrounded by a lush forest of laurels and rhododendrons. The forest, which was dim even during the day, was even darker at night when the moon was covered with clouds like today. One could lose their way if one wasn’t careful.

When the doors opened, Onkei brought with him a petite palace lady who had an anxious expression on her face. She knelt in front of Jusetsu and bowed. Onkei went back outside after saying, “Tan Kai will slack off immediately if you take your eyes off him.” Tan Kai was her other bodyguard eunuch. Contrary to the taciturn and austere Onkei, he was chatty and often lazy.

“Lady Raven Consort, I have come to ask you for a favor.”

After saying that, the palace lady prostrated herself in front of Jusetsu as kowtowing towards her. Her feeble voice sounded strained. She seemed to have an urgent request.

“I cannot hear you very well from there. Come here and sit down.”

Jusetsu pointed to the chair across from her. The palace lady stood up, looking somewhat puzzled, and hesitantly walked over.

“Your name?” Jusetsu asked bluntly.

“My family name is Nen, and my given name is Shuuji. I belong to Hakkaku Palace, but I mainly work in the cocoonery.”

Jusetsu met eyes with Jiujiu, who was standing next to her. She knew that even without going to Hakkaku Palace, if something really happened, someone would come here. But she never expected them to show up at such a convenient time.

“Is there a ghost haunting the cocoonery?”

“You knew about that, Lady Raven Consort?”

As expected of the Raven Consort, Shuuji said in awe, but Jusetsu corrected her. “No, I merely overheard the rumors.” It would be troublesome if people thought she could read minds.

“I heard that it’s the ghost of a palace lady.”

“Yes. Apparently, it’s the ghost of a palace lady who died from the silkworm’s curse in the previous dynasty.”

Shuuji’s story about the ghost was the same as the rumors Jusetsu heard from Jiujiu.

“Before I knew it, that ghost was in the cocoonery. When I was carrying the mulberry leaves and feeding the silkworms, I was so busy that I barely even glanced at all the palace ladies’ faces. Then, when I suddenly looked up, I saw an unfamiliar palace lady giving mulberry leaves to the silkworms. I cried out in surprise, and she suddenly disappeared. There are others who had seen her besides me.”

Shuuji said that since, the ghost had often appeared in the cocoonery.

“But if that was all, I wouldn’t have come here to consult you, Lady Raven Consort. Taking care of the silkworms is a busy job, so we honestly don’t have time to worry about one or two ghosts. She appears suddenly and disappears just as suddenly, and she’s harmless, so everyone soon got used to her. We were more focused on successfully raising the silkworms and making them into good cocoons.”

But then…Shuuji’s face clouded over.

“Someone has been harmed?”

Shuuji nodded. “Yes. But no one has been sick or injured. No, it’s more worrisome than that.”

With a pale face, she lowered her head.

“Worrisome?”

“Cocoons have gone missing.”

Jusetsu was somewhat disappointed. “That’s worrisome?”

“It’s very important to us. The silkworms raised in that house belong to the Crane Consort, and by extension, His Majesty. We must not let even a single one die in vain, much less letting them go missing.”

“How many are missing?”

“Two as of now.”

“How do you know that only a few have been lost? You must be raising a lot of silkworms in the cocoonery.”

“It would be almost impossible to tell when they are larvae, but when they are matured silkworms, that is, ready to make cocoons, they are moved to a cocoon-making area made of straw called the cocoon holders. We put one silkworm in there each morning, so we would know if the cocoons that have formed there are missing. The missing cocoons were the ones that had been completed and all that remained was to remove the fluff, but yesterday, when we suddenly took our eyes off them, they were gone…”

“Are you saying that’s the work of the ghost?”

“Of course, at first, we thought that maybe they had fallen out of the cocoon holders for some reason, so we searched not only the floor, but also the entire room. We even searched the palace ladies’ clothing. But we couldn’t find them. In the midst of all this, one palace lady mentioned something. She said that the ghost had appeared right before the cocoons went missing. She thought it was the aforementioned ghost, so she let her be, just like everyone else… I have never seen the ghost take a cocoon, but there is no other way. After we entered the house, no one left until the loss was discovered. Even so, the cocoons weren’t found in the room or the clothing. So it cannot be that one of us took them. In the first place, we are the ones who will be punished if a cocoon goes missing, so there is no way one of us would do something like that.”

“Indeed, your logic is sound,” Jusetsu nodded.

“Because the cocoons have yet to be collected, the cocoon numbers haven’t been reported to the Crane Consort yet. So, we all decided to claim that the cocoons died. …Um…”

Shuuji glanced at Jusetsu.

“I won’t tell the Crane Consort.”

After Jusetsu said that, Shuuji looked relieved and continued talking.

“However, if the ghost appears again and takes more cocoons…starting tomorrow, we will have to collect the finished cocoons. After collecting them and sorting them into good cocoons and bad, if some of the good ones disappear, it will all be over. They are counted, so we can’t cover it up.”

Punishment would then await them. That was why Shuuji called it worrisome.

“The ghost of a palace lady who died after being cursed by the silkworms is now taking their cocoons…” Jusetsu murmured.

“Even if you cover up the loss this time, it would difficult to do it again in the future.”

“Yes. In the Crane Consort’s cocoonery, we raise silkworms three times in spring, summer, and autumn. I feel my body wasting away when I think of the possibility of this happening again.”

Shuuji covered her face with her sleeve. Hmm, Jusetsu pondered.

“If it really is the work of ghosts, then we would be one step behind if we take our time investigating the ghost’s circumstances. For the time being, I can create a barrier in the cocoonery to prevent the ghost from appearing…”

“Can you really do that?” Shuuji raised her head.

“I cannot say anything unless I see the ghost.”

“Yes, by all means, please go ahead.”

Shuuji looked overjoyed enough to clasp Jusetsu’s hands, but her expression immediately darkened again.

“Lady Raven Consort, I have another problem.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the missing cocoons. If it’s true that they are completely gone, then it’s fine, but if the ghost took them somewhere else, that would be a problem.”

“Why?”

“The silkworms in that house are Ga Province silkworms. They are not local. In the event that those silkworms emerge and cross-breed with wild or domestic silkworms in this area, that will cause great problems. It will ruin their breed.”

“Ah…I see.”

Problems like that exist? She thought

“Then, do you want me to find the location of the cocoons?”

“The moths emerge from their cocoons after about ten days. We have to find them before that…”

Shuuji covered her face. She seemed overwhelmed by this sudden disaster.

“I think it would be a good idea to explain the situation to Banka—the Crane Consort. I don’t think she would give you a severe punishment.”

“…That may be true for the Crane Consort, but…” Shuuji trailed off and looked down. “Her father…”

“Banka’s father? The head of the Saname clan?”

“Yes…” Shuuji’s gaze wandered. “The Crane Consort’s father is very strict, and she cannot go against him. If he tells her to hand down a strict punishment, she will obey him.”

He’s the man who told Banka to choose between her own life or the life of her adopted sister.

The Saname clan was cursed by a god to have the youngest daughter of the clan head to die at fifteen. In order to circumvent that, a girl younger than Banka was adopted into the clan. Banka begged her father to save her sister, but he told her that she herself should choose to die instead if that was the case. As a result, the adopted daughter died, and Banka lived. Jusetsu wondered what kind of man Saname Chouyou was for forcing his daughter to make such a choice.

Shuuji covered her mouth with her sleeve.

“I’ve said too much. Please forget it.”

Jusetsu promised to go to the cocoonery tomorrow, and then Shuuji left.

“The Crane Consort seems to be an easygoing person, but her father is very strict. Even the palace ladies are afraid of him,” Jiujiu, who had been standing by in silence, opened her mouth like she couldn’t wait to speak. “The behavior of a consort will probably reflect the inclinations of her family to some extent…”

Jusetsu turned her face to the window. She couldn’t see Hakkaku Palace from here.

If Banka—Hakkaku Palace was at the will of Saname Chouyou, that was something to think about.

Koushun probably already knows about it.

The face of the inscrutable young emperor appeared in her mind. Neither his consorts nor their families were something for Jusetsu to worry about. From the start, the Raven Consort had nothing to do with the outside.

“…”

Jusetsu narrowed her eyes at the melting darkness of the night outside the window.

A lush green mulberry grove could be seen on the other side of Hakkaku Palace.

“Is that it?” Jusetsu muttered. “Yes, niangniang,” Onkei answered from behind her. He was accompanying her to the cocoonery this morning.

“The mulberry grove has been around since the previous dynasty, and it was still maintained even when there was no cocoonery.”

“Why are silkworms raised in the inner palace?”

“It’s more the imperial palace rather than the inner palace. There is also a cocoonery in the outer court. They say that breed improvement and research are being conducted there. Originally, raw silk for the emperor and imperial family were produced there.”

“So, the cocoonery in the inner palace is for the consorts?”

“Yes. I heard it used to be quite large.”

Since Onkei said that, Jusetsu imagined a small hut. However, the cocoonery that appeared before her was quite a respectable building. It certainly didn’t have the magnificence of a consort’s palace, but it had three buildings roofed with blue-glazed roof tiles, and it was encircled with mud roof walls. From the front building, they could hear the sounds and voices of the palace ladies busy at work, and in the back building, they could see eunuchs coming and going with bundles of firewood.

“The mulberry storehouse is in the back, and the cocoonery is in the front.”

Onkei explained. He was sent here as a spy on Ei Sei’s orders, so he knew most of the things here, which was helpful. He was a beautiful eunuch with cool eyes and a single scar running across his cheek. He was a skillful guard, but he was also a very capable servant, with his attention to small details, a shadow-like unassumingness in all things, and his efficiency in carrying out tasks.

Jusetsu headed for the building in front. Before she could climb the steps, the doors opened and a palace lady hurried out. It was Shuuji.

“My deepest apologies for not noticing your arrival, Lady Raven Consort. I was watching the outside, but I thought you were a eunuch…”

“That’s fine. It would be unfavorable to me if I were recognized from a distance.”

In order to not be recognized by Hakkaku Palace, Jusetsu came here dressed as a eunuch. It really was convenient. Although Jiujiu, who wanted to dress her up, complained about it.

Jusetsu peered into the cocoonery and saw that the palace ladies seemed to be collecting cocoons. When they heard that the Raven Consort was here, they stopped what they were doing, got onto their knees and bowed.

“Continue your work. Other people will suspect something.”

The palace ladies obediently returned to work. There were rows of shelves and long tables, and on top of the tables, there were bellows-shaped objects woven from straw. When she saw the cocoons hanging from them, she thought that they must be the tools called cocoon holders that Shuuji talked about last night. The palace ladies removed the cocoons and placed them on trays.

“Right now, we’re collecting cocoons. After this, we will remove the fluff stuck to them and separate them into good ones and bad ones. The difference is whether or not they are suitable for turning into thread or not. Double cocoons consisting of two silkworms becoming one cocoon, thin cocoons, cocoons with holes, cocoons with rotting dead moths inside, cocoons soiled with urine and other bodily fluids, cocoons with marks left from the holders…they will all be removed,” Shuuji explained. “Furthermore, the good cocoons are divided into those that will be used to make thread, and those that will be made to emerge to lay eggs. The thread will be offered to the Crane Consort, and after that, she will present them to His Majesty.”

“Once the good cocoons are selected, not a single one of them will be lost, right?”

Yes, Shuuji lowered her eyes. In other words, there could be no deferment. Jusetsu put her hand to her hair and realized that she didn’t have her usual flowers there. Even though she dressed as a eunuch often, she kept forgetting about it.

She held her hand out forward and gathered heat in her palm. A light crimson haze flickered, tangled, and intertwined. The haze transformed into petals, one by one, and formed a peony flower. Jusetsu blew on it.

The flower turned into smoke and scattered. It floated around, swimming between the palace ladies.

The pale red smoke gradually gathered in one place and began to take the form of a person. It was the figure of a woman. A simple hairpin was tucked into her chignon, and her pale, slender face had well-shaped eyebrows that looked as if they were drawn with a brush and thin-lidded eyes. The long robes that enveloped her thin body weren’t in the current fashion, but her modest yet elegant appearance gave her the look of a court servant.

Shuuji let out a small cry and covered her mouth with her sleeve.

“T-That’s the ghost of the palace lady I saw!”

The other palace ladies had also stopped what they were doing and stared wide-eyed at the ghost.

The ghost suddenly moved amidst those stares. She soundlessly went towards the door. Jusetsu leaned back halfway and made way for the ghost. The ghost disappeared as though sucked into the door.

She went outside.

“L-Lady Raven Consort—”

“We’re going after her,” Jusetsu interrupted Shuuji and called out to Onkei. He quickly opened the door.

When they went outside, they saw the ghost from behind about to leave through the gate. Jusetsu followed her. There were no sounds of foodsteps or rustling of clothes, but the ghost’s gait was similar to that of the living. What was different was that the hem of her robes didn’t flutter and her sleeves didn’t sway. If such ghosts were to simply stand still among the palace ladies, even the people next to them wouldn’t realize that they were ghosts. Among the many courtiers in the inner palace, there might be ghosts mingled in with them, pretending to be the living.

The ghost left the cocoonery and headed further north. That was the outskirts of the inner palace. It was a neglected area with unkempt, overgrown trees, and there was no one in sight.

Jusetsu, who had been chasing the ghost, came to a slightly open space and stopped. There was something like a small burial mound covered in dense moss and grass there. The ghost had stopped in front of it. The sun shined down on the mound, and the moss glistened faintly. As they watched, the ghost seemed to melt into the mound and disappeared.

What is this mound?

It couldn’t belong to the ghost. It was difficult to imagine that a mere palace lady’s burial mound would be located inside the inner palace.

“Whose mound is this?”

She turned back to Onkei, but even he had a rare unknowing look on his face.

“I shall look into it.”

“Please do so.”

After that brief exchange, Jusetsu looked around. The area was surrounded by trees. There were old trees with ivy entwined around them, young trees lush with leaves, and trees that had already rotted and fallen. It was quiet. Judging by the trampled undergrowth, it seemed that it wasn’t completely unvisited by people. Did they come here to visit the mound? After checking the surroundings, Jusetsu returned to the cocoonery.

Shuuji was standing alone in front of the room from earlier, looking like she had nothing to do. Apparently, the other palace ladies moved to another room to remove the fuzz from the cocoons.

Jusetsu told her about the ghost disappearing into the mound, but Shuuji didn’t know anything about the mound either. In fact, this was the first time she heard about it.

“The outskirts of the inner palace are frightening, and as a woman, I can’t go there unless I have serious business…”

That did seem to be true.

“It would be easy to keep that ghost out of the cocoonery, but…” Jusetsu cut herself off there and pondered for a bit. That wasn’t enough. The cocoons must be found.

“I ask for your assistance,” Shuuji bowed to her. Jusetsu wasn’t a god, so being begged like this made her extremely uncomfortable.

“…Very well. I’ll create a barrier for now. Then I’ll see what I can find out about the mound.”

She took out a spindle wound with thread from her breast pocket. She went out to the outer corridor and asked Onkei to hold the end of the thread, then ran it along the floor, making a circle around the cocoonery. Finally, the barrier was created once she tied the ends together. It was a spell she used many times before. It wasn’t the Raven Consort’s spell, but a sorcerer’s spell.

She had learned it from Reijou, the previous Raven Consort, but in the previous dynasty, when sorcerers were able to frequent the inner palace, this kind of work was probably their job. They must have been valued.

No, it probably went beyond that.

She recalled the words of Ui, the keeper of the treasure room.

It was for protection against Wulian Niangniang, just in case

He told me that he couldn’t feel safe without the power to fight back…

There was probably a good reason why sorcerers were so highly regarded during the previous dynasty.

“Avoid stepping on the thread as much as possible. Though, as long as it doesn’t break when you step on it, it doesn’t matter.”

After giving Shuuji those warnings, Jusetsu left the room. The palace ladies were waiting outside, and they all knelt upon seeing her. Jusetsu was perplexed.

“Thank you very much, Lady Raven Consort.”

“I didn’t do much. Don’t make it to be more than it is. You were the ones who said that it would be all of you in trouble if outsiders learn about it.”

Even so, the palace ladies didn’t rise until Jusetsu passed through the gate. It seemed that the palace ladies of Hakkaku Palace held the Raven Consort in particular reverence, especially after the incident in which she saved Banka. Despite the fact that she really hadn’t done much.

“And there’s also the cocoons…”

After leaving the cocoonery, Jusetsu stopped once and looked back. The gentle green of the mulberry trees shone in the morning sun. Here and there, there were sections where branches had been cut, probably for feeding the silkworms.

I’m good at looking for lost items, but…

It was different when it came to cocoons. Because they had no owner. Tracing lost items from their owners wasn’t difficult. However, cocoons were…

“Onkei,” Jusetsu called out to him while still looking at the mulberry grove. “In addition to the mound, there is something I want you to investigate.”

Yes, came his short reply.

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#koukyuu no karasu #koukyuu no karasu 4 #shirakawa kouko #translations #raven of the inner palace

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sasaranomiya · 10 months

Text

Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 3 Chapter 4 - The Twilight Orb (Part 3)

And that’s the end of Volume 3!! The story is only getting started.... Thanks for following along!

The author is coming out with a new book set in the same world called Wadatsumi no Musume next month and I can’t wait to read it!! I’ll translate the world map later and post it

There’s also an interview the author did during book 3′s release and I’ll translate it soon

Here’s my Ko-fi if anyone is feeling generous.

Until next time!

Translation Notes

1. I couldn’t think of an alternative that captures the meaning of dim sum so I’m sorry if anyone got taken out of the novel

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“I heard that Saname Chouyou cut off his uncle’s head himself.”

Koushun nodded at Meiin’s words.

“It’s difficult to cut off a person’s head with a single sword stroke. Chouyou is a man of great skill, isn’t he.”

Meiin made a face that said, That’s not the point here, and Koushun smiled faintly.

“It seems that they had quite a lot of trouble with him for many years. The fact that he was family meant that they had even more trouble dealing with him.”

“I heard that he was an elder. Even though Chouyou is the head of the family, his uncle was older than him, and he would have been reserved when it came to him. If he treated him with disrespect, the whole family might condemn him, since the Sanames respect their elderly more than anything else. Well, the uncle was a thorn in their side, so to speak.”

Koushun gazed at the lotus pond and narrowed his eyes. It was raining lightly. Amidst the foggy scenery, white lotuses dimly emerged out of the fog like stars.

“…That thorn is no more.”

“Yes, he isn’t.”

“He has taken a very aggressive approach, marching into his uncle’s mansion and beheading him without waiting for the province’s ruling.”

“Yes.”

Chouyou’s uncle made contact with Un Eitoku and tried to get him to put pressure on Chouyou so that he could be reinstated as the administrator of his former domain. In the event that he returned to his position, he promised Eitoku that he would under-report the profits from the domain and give them to him as a bribe. In addition, he had been lining his own pockets by mismanaging the taxes he was supposed to pay to the imperial court when he was serving as the domain administrator, and he had poisoned the deputy inspector, Reiko Shiki, who had been investigating his personal affairs. The death penalty would have been appropriate for his deeds.

“Including the amount of money he embezzled, the Saname would have been responsible for paying that vast sum…but even so, it was in Chouyou’s best interest to get rid of his uncle.”

Koushun murmured, and Meiin glanced at him.

“He was able to get rid of his uncle under the pretext of ‘for the sake of the Saname.’ His uncle, disgruntled with being put under house arrest, criticized Chouyou considerably and became obsessed with ‘Saname’s earnest wish.’”

This information came from the reports from Shiki and the spies sent to Ga Province.

“Saname’s earnest wish?”

“Returning to Kakami and becoming its rulers, apparently.”

Meiin looked amazed. “Abandoning the fertile lands of Ga Province and setting out on rough seas to a place you don’t even know if you can reach safely? How many of their ships will be wrecked? It would be one thing if it’s Ikahi Island.”

“Even so, they must have some kind of longing for returning to their homeland. Chouyou’s uncle preached the dream to the younger members of the Saname clan, and apparently gained some support.”

“Innocent young people are easily influenced. It’s so beautiful that it’s more like a dream than an actual dream.”

“I guess they couldn’t overlook that. Doing something that would mislead the young is an unpardonable offense.”

Koushun thought that this was what Chouyou was most worried about. However, punishing his uncle without prudence would invite backlash from the young people. It would be logical if, after getting the imperial court involved, the person who caused the disturbance compensated with their own life in order to “reduce the damage to the Saname clan.”

“So…he basically used his uncle indiscretions?”

“It would have been easy for Chouyou to stop him before he made contact with Eitoku.”

Chouyou’s uncle put the noose around his own neck. He was trying to outwit Chouyou, which was exactly what Chouyou wanted him to do.

“I don’t like it,” A furrow appeared between Meiin’s eyebrows. “Isn’t this also akin to using Secretariat Un as a pawn?”

“He expected that Eitoku wouldn’t take his uncle’s offer no matter how much he was offered in return, but…”

It must be complicated for Eitoku as well. It meant that he was taken advantage of in anticipation of him refusing to take bribes and ability to pay attention to past wrongdoings.

“He had a bitter look on his face,” Meiin smiled wryly. “Even though he knew he was being used, he couldn’t help but investigate them. Yes, he was very complimentary of Shiki’s usefulness, which was rare for him.”

“Is that so. I’m glad,” Koushun’s answer was short. He thought that Eitoku would like Shiki. Eitoku liked young people who were brilliant but had no backers.

“I’m surprised that you decided to send Shiki, Your Majesty. I introduced him to you, but he has only been here for a short time.”

“That’s because…he’s a greedy person.”

“Greedy?”

“When I was the deposed crown prince, I was keenly aware of my lack of power. He also knows that he can’t do anything without power. He’s different from people from distinguished families who have it from the beginning and don’t even realize they have it. I thought that Shiki wouldn’t miss the chance to get close to Eitoku and have him acknowledge him. Even if he was in communication with the Sanames, he would join us even if meant reneging on that.”

Meiin’s eyes widened, and he didn’t say a word. After some time, he came back to himself and cleared his throat.

“…Do you not trust Shiki?”

“I trust him in a sense. Trusting someone doesn’t mean placing unreasonable, self-centred expectations on them. It’s about seeing the person you’re dealing with for who they are.”

He had to look at people honestly and properly, without bending them to suit his own convenience. That was what he believed.

In that sense, Koushun also trusted Chouyou. He wasn’t a man who would do something so foolish. And—he still couldn’t tell what his true goal was.

They must continue to focus their attention on the Sanames.

“You’ve truly matured a lot, Your Majesty. I’m sure that’s why Secretariat Un has made up his mind to retire.”

After the Saname affair was settled for the time being, Eitoku asked to retire.

“No, it’s not so much about me, but rather, I think he was frustrated.”

“About what, Your Majesty?”

“The fact that he was seen by Chouyou’s uncle as someone who could be bribed—a weak spot in the imperial court. It must have been unbearable for Eitoku to be seen as such by others.”

Koushun would give the title of Grand Minister of the Department of State Affairs to Eitoku, not retirement. This was an honorary position with high rank but no real authority.

“As the leader of a distinguished family, he will not be lost for some time to come. In the meantime, I want you and Gyoutoku to do your best.”

“I will do my best with all my heart and soul,” Meiin bowed with his hands locked in front of his chest. He was newly appointed to the position of Chancellor, and Un Gyoutoku was to be appointed to the position of Chief Minister of the Chancellery from his old position of assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites. Earlier, Koushun had met with Gyoutoku and discussed this.

“It seems that Eitoku is unsatisfied with Gyoutoku’s mildness, but I think it’s a quality that’s difficult to find in a person. The two of you together would be just the right balance.”

“Because I lack warmth, after all,” a smile appeared on his intelligent face. He then turned his gaze to the lotus pond. “Ah, the rain has stopped.”

The clouds in the sky cleared before they knew it, and the damp lotus buds were sparkling. Squinting his eyes at the glare, Koushun thought, I have to go see Jusetsu. He promised her that he would visit her again.

There were things he wanted to talk about with her.

Jusetsu was invited to Hakkaku Palace by Banka. Banka had completely recovered, and her complexion looked well. She was treated to dim sum as thanks. (1)

“Those gifts came from my great-uncle. It seemed that Hakurai smuggled the bracelet in there. I didn’t expect it to be so horrifying. If you hadn’t saved me, I would have died.”

Thank you very much, Banka thanked her.

“No…that curse was originally meant for me, after all.”

“I’m glad it was me instead of you. After all, if you have been the one to collapse, no one would have been able to help you.”

The fever must have been painful, but Banka didn’t even voice any resentment towards her.

“My great-uncle was cheerful, generous, and pleasant. I wonder how he ended up like this…”

Banka’s great-uncle, in other words Chouyou’s uncle, was beheaded. Jusetsu heard that there had been some kind of wrongdoing involving his domain. The source of this information was Tan Kai.

“Hakurai has been banished from Ga Province, and the Eight Truths has been dissolved. I didn’t like either of them, so I’m relieved.”

Banka popped a baked rice cake with dried apricots into her mouth. She seemed to like apricots.

“You said that Hakurai was cozying up to your father…”

Jusetsu remembered that she had said something like that when she was delirious with fever. When she reminded her of this, Banka tilted her head to the side.

“Did I say that? When I had the fever? I don’t remember that. Hakurai curried favor with my great-uncle. My great-uncle has bad knees, and he told me that he got better after receiving Hakurai’s prayers. I wonder if such a thing can really happen. I think he was tricked. I’m sure everything that happened this time was instigated by Hakurai as well.”

Banka frowned in displeasure. She seemed to despise Hakurai quite a lot.

“…What kind of man is Hakurai?”

“How? He’s about the same age as my father. I think he’s in his forties. He has a lot of gray hair for his age, and he doesn’t wear his hair in a topknot. He has a strange hairstyle. He has cold, creepy eyes. I don’t think Hakurai is his real name. I wonder where he came from.”

Jusetsu asked her if he had any connections with her, but there was no way to know for sure.

“I think the people of the Saname house would know more. Do you want to know?”

Jusetsu nodded. “If possible.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble for me. I’ll write a letter back home. –Hey, may I call you ‘Jusetsu’?”

Jusetsu was a little perplexed, but answered, “You may.” A smile broke out on Banka’s face.

“Oh, I’m so happy. You can call me ‘Banka’ as well.”

She felt like she had a similar exchange with Kajou. She had asked her if she could call her “Ah-mei,” and that Jusetsu should call her “Ah-jie.”

When she first met Banka, she thought that she was a hard-to-read princess, but now she saw her as a bright and carefree girl. However, Banka would sometimes stop talking and lower her head. It seemed that she wasn’t entirely carefree. Was she thinking about the girl who died due to the Saname curse?

Even when she was leaving Hakkaku Palace, Banka suddenly lost her smile and stared at Jusetsu’s face for a short while.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked her, but Banka just shook her head and smiled weakly.

After seeing Jusetsu off, Banka returned to her room and asked her attendants to leave. She placed a piece of paper on her table, and then prepared an inkstone and brush. She had to write a letter to her father. Banka often received gifts from back home, and each time she wrote a thank-you letter to her father, including information under the pretext of telling him about her current situation. This was her “role.”

There were a lot of things to write this time.

About the curse. About how that caused her to break out in fever. About how Jusetsu saved her. She assumed that the attendants would probably report on this as well—.

Banka didn’t pick up her brush and simply stared at the pale blue hemp paper scattered with gold leaf.

She knew at a glance that the bracelet was no ordinary gift. It wasn’t something that matched her great-uncle’s or her own taste. It was an ugly toad’s bracelet. She hadn’t known it was cursed, but she had a hunch that there was something wrong with it. Even so, she hesitated for a while over whether or not she should give it to Jusetsu. Was that what her father intended?

However, Banka didn’t give it to her. She didn’t want something bad to happen to her.

Would her father be angry at her? What if it was sent here on his instructions?

Banka’s shoulders slumped. She didn’t want to be scolded by her father. She didn’t want to feel discouraged. Even more than that, she didn’t want to be abandoned as a useless daughter.

But Jusetsu was an innocent girl. Just like Shouzen. She couldn’t bear to see her suffer or worse. She never wanted to be involved in the death of an innocent girl ever again.

Even now, she felt like Shouzen was watching her from the side. She felt like she was calling her a coward. A coward who abandoned and killed her beloved sister in order to save herself—.

Banka covered her ears with her hands.

Father, what should I do?

The face of her father appeared in her mind. A face that was strict and didn’t tolerate clinging to others or crying. His cold face when he told her to choose between her own life or Shouzen’s.

However, it was precisely because of that strictness that her father was respected and adored by the people of their clan and land. Even Banka respected him. That was why she didn’t want to be disdained or made despondent.

Banka picked up the brush. She wrote about the recent situation, including the curse. And then, she put the brush down.

Should she let her father know about that?

Banka once put a gardenia in Jusetsu’s hair. That was when she discovered it: Jusetsu dyed her hair. Her original hair color seemed to be white or silver. She had no idea until then.

Was this something she should let her father know? Or was it something trivial that she shouldn’t even bother with?

However, it surely has to be a secret Jusetsu wanted to hide. That’s why she dyed her hair. She kept that a secret. If that’s the case—

It wasn’t a trivial matter at all.

Banka picked up the brush and put it down again. She repeated this several times. The faces of her father and Jusetsu alternated in her head. Jusetsu was a good girl. Banka wanted to be friends with her. She saved her.

She let out a sigh.

After a long period of hesitation, Banka picked up the brush.

As a gift, Koushun brought some unusual food. Jusetsu stared at the bowl that was piled high with the treat. It smelled sweet. Plum fruits were covered in a thin coat of candy.

“Candy was coated onto the plums and hardened. It’s sweet. I thought you might like these kinds of snacks, so I brought some here.”

Listening to Koushun’s words absentmindedly, Jusetsu picked up one of the candies. It was glossy and shining, like a star. Hesitantly, she bit into it. The candy coating crumbled as soon as her teeth bit into it, and when she bit into the plum, the soft, sour fruit and crunchy, sweet candy mixed together and filled her mouth. This was—an unknown deliciousness.

“Wonderful.”

Koushun smiled faintly at Jusetsu, who only said that word.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Jusetsu closed the lid of the vessel, thinking that she should give some to Jiujiu, who had already retired for the night, tomorrow. Koushun watched as she licked the candy off of her fingers. Uncomfortable with his gaze, she wiped her fingers with a handkerchief.

“…So, what business do you have with me tonight?”

“Ah…” Koushun was silent for a moment, seemingly searching for the words. Jusetsu waited. “I have many things I need to tell you. First, there are two things to report.”

Koushun raised his index finger.

“I heard the Owl’s voice.”

Jusetsu frowned, not understanding. “Voice? What do you mean?”

“A few days ago, I was presented with a large conch shell. It was a rare item, with a jet-black shell that shins rainbow colors. The voice came from it. The voice of the Owl. It seemed that I’m the only one who can hear him. He said that it was because I was wounded by him before.”

As usual, Koushun spoke about anything in his matter-of-fact way. Jusetsu pressed her fingers to her temples and tried to sort out his words in her head.

“…And so?”

“Apparently, the Owl is in prison because of the recent events. He can’t help you. Instead, he told me provide wisdom.”

“Wisdom?”

What did that mean?

“How to rescue the Raven—how to rescue you.”

Koushun’s voice was quiet, as well as his eyes that were staring at her.

“…Rescue me?” Jusetsu’s voice was hoarse.

“Yes.”

A silence descended upon them. Jusetsu didn’t speak, so Koushun started talking again.

“There might be a way to free the Raven without killing you. I would like to find it.”

“But,” Jusetsu raised her voice. “Then—what would happen to the Summer King?”

What would happen to the Winter and Summer Kings when the Raven was freed?

“I don’t know,” Koushun’s answer was simple and straightforward. “However, I have doubts as to whether or not it would be safe if we keep things as they are. The situation is different now than it was a long time ago. I believe there might be new wisdom that can be derived from that. There may be a best way forward.”

And then, Koushun raised another finger.

“We’ve captured Hou Ichigyou. That’s the second report. As a sorcerer, he knows things we don’t. About Gou-no-Kami and Wulian Niangniang as well. His knowledge would probably be very helpful.”

Jusetsu was staring intently at Koushun, who spoke quietly without any expression on his face.

Why?

“Why…” Jusetsu bit her lip.

“What is it?” Koushun asked.

“There’s no need for you to go that far, is there?”

When she said that, Koushun fell silent and peered at her face.

“There is a need. Because we’re friends.”

Koushun’s voice was always quiet, but it was decisive and resolute, not matching that stillness.

“There are many things I have to give up after weighing them against other things. I thought that I couldn’t let you leave this palace. But—if there is a way, I want to choose it.”

What about you, he asked.

Jusetsu squeezed her hands together beneath the table. She wanted to scream, Save me, but she knew she couldn’t do that.

But now Koushun was trying to scoop up that cry.

As her chest grew hot, she lowered her head.

“…I can’t do it…” She squeezed her hands tightly. “I…can’t choose it.”

“Why?” Koushun asked quietly.

“If I’m…if I’m saved,” Jusetsu closed her eyes. “I would feel guilty towards Reijou.”

Towards Reijou, who spent her life alone as the Raven Consort. Towards Reijou, who loved and raised her—.

“…Jusetsu.”

Jusetsu suddenly opened her eyes. That was because Koushun’s finger was touching her cheek.

“I’ve never met Reijou, but I can imagine how much she loved you. Jusetsu, don’t you forget. Just like you had Reijou, she also had you.”

Koushun’s voice permeated gently into the bottom of Jusetsu’s chest.

“Save yourself, who was loved by Reijou.”

It felt like there was a hot lump in her throat. It gradually rose, making her lips tremble.

She felt like her cry for help, tossed into the darkness, had been received.

Koushun’s finger wiped Jusetsu’s eyes. It was then that she finally realized that she was crying.

Something that had hardened slowly softened and melted away.

Koushun’s hand gently caressed her cheek.

Injou was playing on a rocky beach. Water dashed onto her every time the waves washed ashore and broke on the rocks, but she didn’t care at all, observing the small fish and shellfish left behind in the tide pools. Hakurai watched her from a distance. The sea breeze caressed his hair and made the hem of his robe flutter.

The left half of Hakurai’s face was covered with a cloth. With his remaining right eye, he shifted his gaze to the sea. In the distance, the shadow of an island was faintly visible.

“Is that Bahuang Island?”

Hakurai confirmed with the man standing next to him. The man was wearing a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face. He brought no attendants with him as he came to see Hakurai off. He had virile features and a sharp gaze. He might put on a kind smile for his people, but he never did that ordinarily.

“Bahuang Island consists of several islands, large and small. The largest island is called Big Island. That’s the island you two are heading for,” the man—Chouyou—said. “The boats come and go every day, the fish are delicious, and the fruits are plentiful. The islanders are also very peaceful and carefree. –Don’t disturb the peace by displaying your bad habits.”

The corners of Hakurai’s lips lifted and he simply smiled back.

“Seeing with only one eye must be very inconvenient. I’ll give you a servant. He’s a hard worker who can do anything from cooking rice to repairing a house. If you don’t have enough hands, you can hire whoever you want after you reach the island.”

“There’s no need for that, sir. I’ll live quietly and frugally. I have Injou with me as well.”

Chouyou glanced at Injou. “Will she be useful?”

Hakurai laughed. “In her own way. She was born in a fishing village, so living near the sea would suit her better.”

“Rouko in Gei Province, was it?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a poor village.”

“So, when I asked them if I could take her, they were delighted. Of course, I paid them handsomely.”

Chouyou cast a sorrowful gaze at Injou. If Hakurai had visited that village a year later, that girl might have been bought at a bargain by a procurer of bad character and sold to some run-down brothel. She was a young girl with tanned skin and dark eyes, and was beautiful even for a child.

“I had long surmised that the Hatan people were a people close to the gods, but Injou was an unexpected find.”

As the spray of the waves grew higher, Hakurai called out to Injou. “Injou, come over here.”

Injou didn’t react right away, but after he called her again, she finally turned around. She leisurely walked over to him. Although she seemed to be a slow-witted girl, she was the only one who could serve as a vessel that could communicate with Hakumyoushi.

Various items washed onto the beach from distant places. Shells, pieces of broken glass, drowned bodies, lost souls, gods. That was why fishing grounds were also called gathering places.

When he first met Injou, she had been collecting shells on the beach. She told him that she sold beautiful shells and pieces of glass as souvenirs at a nearby inn town. Such items became amulets as flotsam from the land of the gods. There were many children on the beach who were also collecting sea shells. All of them were barefoot and wearing rough clothes.

There’s a god at the bottom of the sea.

Injou had said that.

When you put a shell to your ear like this, you can hear his voice. The god lives at the bottom of the deep sea. The bottom of the sea is pitch black, the same as the night, so the gods are asleep.

But, this god is awake. He says he’s waiting.

For what? Hakurai had asked her.

For me.

“Mister, look at this. It’s a sakura shell,” Injou approached and showed him the shell. “It’s not chipped anywhere.”

Injou’s eyes were sparkling. That was because shells without any chips or cracks could be sold at a relatively high price.

Hakurai let out a sigh. “You don’t need to do such things anymore.”

She wasn’t living a life where she had to walk around barefoot selling shells. However, completely ignoring Hakurai’s words, Injou gleefully put the shell in a small pouch and put it in her breast pocket. The pouch was dirty and worn-out, made by her mother in the past.

While Hakurai frowned, Chouyou held out his fist to Injou.

“Put your hands out,” he told her, and Injou did what he said, looking confused. Chouyou dropped an avalanche of shells into her hands. They were all small, but they were silver-lipped pearl oysters with a rainbow-colored luster on the inside. These were one of the shells used to create mother-of-pearl.

“Wah…!” The shimmering shells made Injou’s face flush. “These will sell for a very high price!”

That’s not the point here. Hakurai pressed his hand to his forehead, but Chouyou narrowed his eyes with a gentle expression on his face.

“I was told by the merchant that the quality of these shells isn’t suitable for mother-of-pearl. I heard that you liked seashells, so I gave them to you.”

“Thank you.”

Injou had a big smile on her face. She carefully put the shells away in her pouch. Because Hakurai never knew what kind of words might come out of her mouth, he didn’t let her appear in front of people. Even if she did, he didn’t let her speak. It was better to keep her mysterious.

Hakurai took out a handkerchief and wiped her wet clothes and hair. Injou obediently let him do it. It wasn’t that she hadn’t become attached to him, but she still called him “Mister” and didn’t call him by his name.

Because that’s not your real name, she said. She was right.

“Let’s set off now.”

Hakurai put his hand on her back and they headed for the dock. After a short walk, they came across a pier. There was a ferry there waiting for passengers.

“The servant should be on Big Island’s dock to greet you. He should have finished cleaning the house by now.”

“I am deeply grateful for your kindness.”

With a face that didn’t take Hakurai’s gratitude seriously, Chouyou looked towards the island.

“You should take a rest for a while. Your wound must still hurt.”

“…I even borrowed the divine treasure from you, and now this plight has befallen us. I feel ashamed of my own stupidity more than I feel pain.”

“There’s no need to worry about the orb. It was originally a cursed object that couldn’t be destroyed even if we wanted to. I’m even grateful to you,” Chouyou glanced at Hakurai. “You’re the one who lost the Eight Truths you so carefully nurtured.”

“I don’t care about such things anymore.”

Yes. The Eight Truths had collapsed, but that didn’t matter to him. As long as he had Injou and Hakumyoushi, everything was okay.

“Very well then. –This is where I see you off. Take care of yourself.”

“Yes, sir.”

If he had really wanted to, he wouldn’t have taken the risk of coming to see him off. It would be bad if Hakurai, who was supposed to have been banished from Ga Province, was seen here exchanging friendly words with Chouyou. However, Chouyou came to see him off out of a strong sense of duty.

“If you ever need me again, please call on me.”

Just like this time, when he was sent to deal with Chouyou’s eyesore of an uncle.

Hakurai and Injou headed for the boat landing. Chouyou watched them for a while, but eventually left the rocky shore and went away.

Even if she was called with the name Injou, she couldn’t react immediately. Because it wasn’t her real name.

Injou, who was still being rocked by the boat and peering into the water, turned around after her name was called several times. Hakurai had a scary look on his face.

“Don’t look in. You’ll fall.”

“I can’t see the bottom of the sea.”

Despite growing up in a fishing village, Injou had rarely been on a boat. It was a man’s job to go out to sea. Girls like Injou and boys who aren’t old enough to go fishing yet were either picking shells, mending nets, or listening to the elders’ folktales.

Especially on stormy days, she would sit while hugging her knees by the fireside and listen to the elders’ story. The other children would be there as well.

That’s right, she wondered if that childhood friend of hers was fine. A boy who had gone to the capital. They would sit together and listen to old tales.

Injou looked out at the dark indigo sea. Every time the waves rocked the boat, she murmured her name. In order to not forget it.

“Ayura…Ayura.”

I mustn’t forget that boy’s name as well, she thought. She pressed her hand against her pouch over her clothes. It held the shells she was given.

I wonder what he’s doing right now.

That boy was a crybaby, so maybe he was crying right now. She was worried.

Ishiha.

“Ishiha.”

Her whisper was crushed beneath the waves and sank to the bottom of the sea.

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#koukyuu no karasu #koukyuu no karasu 3 #raven of the inner palace #shirakawa kouko #translations

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