13 An Ordinary Day in the Human Village (1/2)
Editor: Crembo
-Morning, Human Village-
-Me POV-
”Thank you for accompanying me, Arah-san.” Akyuu said gratefully.
”Don't worry about it. I've already fulfilled this week's quota, so I'm free right now.” I explained.
The Youkai Forest and Mountain areas are chock full of ingredients. I guess the magicians aren't very fond of gathering ingredients there, probably because the constant battles with Youkai while harvesting are too troublesome for them?
I say ”constant” because I kept battling one after another, every 4-5 ingredients picked up. I'm okay with battling them because my power is always on and ready to use immediately, while magicians probably need to cast their magic for each encounter. I can see that as being annoying enough to stay away from those areas.
”So, where are we going?” I asked.
”We are going to rent some books from a store called ”Suzunaan”. It's a rent, sell, and print bookstore. I'm a regular there, but I need someone to carry the books for me. Usually I go with my servants, but since you are here right now,” She turned her head to me while smiling, ”I can rent as many books as I want.”
”… I see.” I smiled, stiffly.
'From delivery boy to luggage boy, what a great change of profession. I'm sure I'm gonna have a great job experience in the future.'
Akyuu and I were walking down the street side by side in the morning. I estimated the time to be 9 o'clock, and like all people from the olden days, everyone in Gensokyo was already busying themselves and walking to their destinations in the streets. No lazing around in here! Unless you're a certain Miko that only moves when there's money to collect or an incident occurred, you're pretty much a useful person in Gensokyo's Human Society.
”Suzunaan, huh. Do you know the people that run the store?”
”Yes, it's the Motoori family. Their family consists of 4 members: a couple, their daughter, and an elder. The elder is the shopkeeper, the couple run their printing service, and the daughter is the shop assistant, keeping the books free of dust.” She explained.
”The whole store is manned by their whole family, is it their family business?”
”Apparently, yes.” She nodded.
The source material never covered anything about the Human Village. It was only when Forbidden Scrollery came out that we got some information regarding the village, about both it and the point of view of the powerless humans who live in constant fear of the Youkai. Tl;dr: it was basically a manga about how scary Youkai can be when a powerless human encounters them. The number of humans living in the village was also left unknown.
But now that I'm here, I've estimated the number of humans in the village to be less than a thousand, and according to canon, 'less than a thousand' is still a small number compared to the number of Youkai in Gensokyo.
'… Guess I haven't seen everything that Gensokyo can offer.' I smiled. 'And speaking of offering...' I looked at Akyuu.
”Do you want a hug, Akyuu-chan?” I offered Akyuu.
”… Why so suddenly?” she eyed me suspiciously.
”Because I felt like you needed one after I heard about the Motoori Family.” I said.
As you guys probably know, Akyuu is the Child of Miaree. That's their treasure, and the reason why the Hieda clan exists. I theorized that after her parents learned who their daughter was, they stopped treating her as their daughter but instead treated her as their master.
I came up with that theory after I saw a servant with a ”unique” title. After I discovered it, I started searching for another person with the same title, and finally I found the other one, working as a guard.
These are their ”unique” titles:
[Lv.7 Mother of the 9th Child of Miaree]
[Lv.10 Father of the 9th Child of Miaree]
Her mother was the servant and her father was a guard. When they talked to Akyuu, they revered her as ”-sama”. I was horrified after I learned this truth, and I became even more horrified when I thought that if Akyuu already accepted it as normal, considering her access to the previous Akyuu generations' memories, the attitude between the previous Children of Miaree and their parents might have been the same.
… But I also came up with another theory to explain this situation: her lifespan. All of them knew that the Child of Miaree can't live to be more than 30 years old. That's why they cut their ties with each other and forgot that they were once a family, so the only thing they would see each other as were mere Masters and their Servants.
That's… That's just sad… And wrong…
But now I'm here. She's already proven that she doesn't want to die early, too. I will fix her, I will make her live longer. Right now she's still 8 years old, so I still have time.
I stared at Akyuu.
”It's okay, it's none of Arah-san's business, I don't need one in the first place anyway.” She nonchalantly gave her answer as we walked.
'… Seriously, this girl.'
I looked at my surroundings.
There's people but not a lot of them, just 2-3 people at best.
'You're gonna get one, whether you like it or not.'
My walk turned into a jog, I passed Akyuu and then proceeded to stand in front of her.
”…Arah-san? What are you doing?” she took one step back. She felt something was about to happen to her.
I kneeled to bring myself to her eye level.
*hug* I hugged her.
*squeeze* I tightly hugged her.
After a few second of silence, I separated from her. Her face was slightly flushed.
”… I told you that I don't need it.” She said while averting her eyes.
'Even though she said that, she didn't even move when I hugged her.' I smiled.
”Then I'm the one who needed it, just take it as helping me instead of helping you.”
”… Stupid Arah.” She pouted.
”Yes, yes, I'm indeed stupid.” I stood up. ”By the way, Akyuu-chan, when is your birthday?”
”Ah, that's, it's in August.”
”August? Last month? Isn't that also when I came to Gensokyo?”
”Now that I think about it, Arah-san did indeed come to Gensokyo on August.”
”Then how about I just make that month my new birthday and then we can celebrate ours at the same time?” I suggested.
”… Arah-san, it's called ”Birthday” for a reason.”
”I don't care. I know it's late but I'm gonna make you a birthday gift, so look forward to it.” I smiled.
”… You don't have to, you know.”
”As I said, I don't care. By the way, just call me Arah from now on.”
”… Then please call me normally too.”
”Okay then. Let's continue our walk, Akyuu-chan.”
I held her hand and started dragging her.
”… Don't ignore me, please.” She said while walking with me.
-Akyuu POV-
”Arah-san…” I called him.
”…”
”Arah-san…”
”…”
”… A-Arah.”
”Yes, Akyuu-chan, what's the matter?” he finally turned his head in my direction.
”… It's this way.” I pointed with my other hand.
”Oh, wow, we almost went the wrong way. I was kinda worried there since you were quiet along the way.” He said while smiling.
”… Meanie.” I pouted again.
The store isn't that far, just a few blocks away from my mansion, but it's still a walk. It's tiring, but it's for books! I can't give up just because it's tiring!
”You look quite tired; want me to carry you again?” He offered.
”… No need.”
Arah-san's pills are too precious for this small walk, so I abstained from taking any right now.
”Then let's sit down over there for a while.” He pointed at a bench in front of a sweets shop. ”I also want to ask you something, so let's sit down.”
He led me toward it and started ordering some sweets from the shopkeeper.
We sat down while waiting for our order.
”Hm? What's wrong?” I asked.
He was looking left and right after he sat down.
”It's nothing.” he stopped looking around and turned toward me. ”Akyuu-chan, friendly Youkai usually come into the village, right?”
”Yes, the friendlier Youkai usually come to the village bar to get drunk or eat human delicacies.”
”But they never settle in the village, right?”
”Of course. If a Youkai were to live in the Human village, there would be an uproar about it. The majority of Youkai don't really like to go near the Human Village too, excluding the friendly ones, of course.”
”Is it because of the different existence between us and them that they don't like to near the village?”
”I don't know. When I asked the friendly ones, they just said they didn't feel anything when they went near the village. When I heard that, I noticed something about the friendly Youkai that come to the village.”
”What is it?”
”It's their purpose.”
Just as I said that, a waitress brought our order - tea and 2 sticks of dango - and Arah-san paid her.
”What timing.” He said while smiling.
”Yes.” I also smiled.
We sipped our tea and ate a dango.
”Their purpose?” He said after he finished one of his dango.
'I'm still half way through my first one... Arah-san, you should enjoy sweets, not just eat them outright.' I thought at him.
”*gulp* Hah~” I finished the Dango in my mouth, ”Yes, the reason why the friendly Youkai never attacked humans is because their origin stories never involved harming any human.”
”…I see, their origin stories. But ordinary people are still afraid of them despite their friendliness?”
”The majority are. It's understandable. But some of them already consider the friendly Youkai to be just like any other humans because they deal with them regularly. For example, the bar keeper, and any other stores that the Youkai frequent.”
”… Then, from what you told me, other than the friendly ones that go inside the village, no Youkai has ever been recorded as living inside the village?”
”Yes, that's pretty much the gist of it.”
”I think that's all I wanted to know. Let's finish our sweets and continue our walk.” He said while eating his other dango.
'… I wonder why he suddenly asked those questions.' I finished eating my dango while still pondering.
-Afternoon, Suzunaan-
”Excuse our intrusion.” I said as we entered the store. Of course, without Arah holding my hand.
Inside the store there's a mountain of books, and many bookshelves that are full of many types of books. Besides the many books inside the store, there's also an elderly person sitting behind the counter. It's the owner, Motoori Harusen.
”Ah, Akyuu-dono, is it that time already?” he asked.
”Yes, Harusen-dono, but I will rent more books than usual.” I answered.
”Ho~, is it because of that boy beside you?”
”Yes, he's the new guest in the mansion, he volunteered to help me.”
Arah stepped forward.
”The name's Arah. I'm a guest in the Hiedaa household right now.” Arah introduced himself with a bow.
”Hohoho, making yourself useful aren't you? Someone who doesn't work, doesn't deserve to eat.” Harusen looked amused by it.
”Haha, yes, when I saw she wanted to go outside, I thought maybe I could accompany her. She is sickly, after all.” Arah explained cheerfully.
”Hohoho, what a polite boy. But let's not make the lady wait, shall we.” He turned to his side, looking through the row of bookshelves, and yelled ”Kosuzu! Come here!”.
”Yes, Grandpa!” A girl's voice came from behind the shelves.
A few seconds later, a little girl, her red hair styled into twin tails, came out holding a duster in her hand and wearing an apron on top of her checkered kimono.
”What's the matter, Grandpa?” she said, and then noticed me and smiled. ”Akyuu-san! You came!” she rushed toward me and held my hand.
Her name is Motoori Kosuzu; she's my dear friend and also a reader buddy.