“W-Who do you mean by a girl I am closer to?”
“L-Local wife, isn’t there such a saying? Forming an impure and obscene m-male and female relationship like a short term contract... I was really wrong about you!”
Her accusations could not be understood, but it was clear that she was vehemently denouncing something.
Why a local wife? Wasn't that kind of expression out of fashion a long time ago?
'—Hoho, Kusanagi-san suddenly recalling a close friend from far away, then confirming his escape route, Yuri-san can feel that right... So, Yuri-san, this could be troubling. Have you heard of the term local wife? What, you don’t? It is also a form of relationship between lovers—'
Someone was talking to her behind his back, but of course, Godou had no idea.
What’s more, this person was also adding fuel to the fire.
'Hoho, Yuri-san must be thinking that Kusanagi-san could not have such a relationship as he is only in high school right? But you must not forget that he is no ordinary high school student, he is a king. One of the seven who are the incarnations of demons and rakshasa[3], the king of the magi. Having the courage to undertake such an affair is not impossible—'
'Ah, there is always a counter measure. It is easy and effective... Yuri-san just has to go along. Go on the trip as a pair and monitor his actions.'
She had been fed all these unnecessary ideas, but Godou could not have known.
Due to all this, Godou can’t help but feel perplexed at Yuri’s vivid imagination.
“No, please think rationally, such things are out of the ordinary right?”
“Then allow me to ask you, is there an acquaintance there at the place you are going?”
“Well, sort of, yes.”
“Then, is this acquaintance of yours male or female?”
“Umm, female...”
“What kind of a person is she? Is she a beautiful lady?”
“Umm, that's a difficult question to answer... Can I not answer it?”
Answering the continuous string of questions.
After listening to Godou’s answers, Yuri cried out,
“Too impure, Godou-san! I actually believed in you! I actually wanted to believe in you!”
“Eh? Umm, Mariya-san? If you think about it with common sense…….”
“It really is true! Hiding from me and Erica-san to have such an indecent relationship with another woman... You are too low!”
Being judged like this, Godou was deeply troubled.
To think the girl he originally asked for help would have such a peculiar misunderstanding.
If it is not clarified quickly, it could escalate dangerously. Though he didn't have a way with words, Godou needed to get through this somehow or another.
“According to Amakasu-san, if a boy tries to slide pass such a topic, it definitely means that there is something unacceptable going on!”
“Just what did that guy teach you?!”
History Compilation Committee member, Amakasu Touma.
Despite his relaxed and unfettered demeanor, Godou had always believed he was a person weird to the bone. But to think that he had done such a troublesome thing, just how is he supposed to correct the problem now?
“Mariya, please think calmly. Why are you imagining this? I really do not understand, just what kind of a person do you think I am?”
“A devil who tricks women! A sexual predator! Definitely not a normal human!”
Her tone became extremely emotional, and Yuri spoke without thought.
Just like a young child throwing a temper tantrum, Godou was greatly surprised to see this kind of side to her.
"Because even to this date, have you not done all sorts of ridiculous things!?"
"Umm, though that's not incorrect, I don't think I've done anything similar to harboring a mistress somewhere! And never will, I will never do something like that!"
Against Yuri in her current state, reasoning was useless, so Godou had no choice but to declare in such a strong manner.
By the way, if this dialogue was overheard, the listener would probably mistake it for an argument between couples.
How did it come to this? Godou couldn't help cursing his misfortune.
"If you say so... Please present the evidence."
Yuri whispered softly as she lowered her head. Godou instantly went "eh?"
"Take me along with you! Let me stay by your side, then you will prove your innocence! If you are truly innocent, then you can do that, right?"
"—What!?"
And then the closing ceremony was here.
It was the last day of the school term, but Godou did not attend school.
Early in the morning, just past six, he had finished all the preparations needed for the trip. He left his house and made his way to the bus stop.
The reason Godou didn’t go to school today was because he felt worried by the fact that there was a chance that Erica might just kidnap him and hold him captive. This would ruin the entire plan and all prior effort would be for naught.
Yesterday, it took him great effort just to calm the angry and teary Yuri who was throwing a tantrum.
Facing the Yuri who was trying very hard not to show her emotions but whose eyes were clearly red from crying, he was defeated in the end. Remembering this made Godou’s heart sink.
...Taking the subway, he reached Ueno station.
There at the central ticketing gate, somebody was waiting.
“G-Good morning. Umm... I will be in your care.”
Most likely embarrassed about her outburst yesterday, her face was all red.
Facing Yuri whose face was as red as an apple, Godou nodded his head.
Carrying a huge suitcase, Yuri was wearing casual clothing for the first time in Godou's memory. She was wearing a white short-sleeved dress and a large hat, most likely to shelter herself from the summer sun. This set of clothes, with her white complexion, seemed to suit her perfectly.
Compared to her usual attire of the school uniform or the miko outfit, this was a refreshing, new look. It made Godou’s heart skip a beat.
Remembering that he was about to go on a vacation with this beautiful lady, Godou’s heart began to beat faster.
...Isn’t this just like eloping?
“Th-Then, shall we go?”
“Y-Yes.”
Godou and Yuri began to walk together.
For some reason, it really felt like an elopement, thinking about this made Godou deliberately look ahead, unable to look Yuri in the face. But she should feel the same way right?
Just like that, they entered the ticketing gate without saying anything to each other. In order to take the tram to Narita airport, they made their way to the main hall.
...After that, nothing special happened. Yuri finished her check in.
It turned out that Yuri and Godou were on the same flight and were even seated beside each other.
Of course, it was thanks to the secret efforts of the History Compilation Committee.
The Committee's efforts also enabled Yuri to obtain immediate permission from the Mariya household...
Most probably, the one active behind the scenes was the familiar History Compilation Committee member — imagining Amakasu Touma secretly laughing to himself, Godou couldn’t help but sigh.
Putting so much effort into this, just what was he thinking?
As for his old friend in Sardinia, Godou sent an email stating that 'another person will be coming.' There was an immediate reply of 'very interesting, no problem.'
The other side was also fooling around.
Thinking he was getting trapped into a weird situation, Godou started to feel depressed, when Yuri suddenly said:
“Erm, Godou-san, about the person who would be looking after us... Just what kind of person is she? If it is possible, can you tell me about her?
Most likely unable to bear the silence, she suddenly came up with this question.
“She is a mage. On further
thought, she is definitely one of the main culprits who gave me this body.”
Seeking entertainment that day, her proposal lit the fuse which led to Godou having a decisive battle against a god.
Of course, there was the accumulation of various chance factors that finally led to the current result—
“...So it is like this. The person, whom Godou-san is depending on, is surely a beautiful woman.”
“Umm, Mariya, you clearly have not met her yet. It is not right to have such preconceptions.”
“But I must be right? Looking at Godou-san’s face, I am sure. It is definitely true.”
I really hope you do not apply your prescient abilities at this moment.
Facing the miko whose perceptions surpassed human wisdom, Godou shook his head.
“No, even though she is female, I never harbored those kinds of thoughts towards her. She is from the same generation as my grandfather—an old person. This is the truth!”
But despite Godou's frantic denials, Yuri only stared coldly.
“Even though what you say does not feel like a lie, but it is not the whole truth right?”
“It will take a long time to explain. Definitely not something which can be explained immediately!”
“About that point, you need not worry. Luckily, time is of abundance here. From here to Italy will take about half a day. So, no matter how long you plan to explain, I will listen to you seriously.”
Finally reaching the Keisei Ueno station, they boarded the express train and secured their seats.
After reaching Narita, they made their way to the airport. Having boarded their plane bound for Europe, they would need to endure the twelve-hour flight—it was just as Yuri had said, there was plenty of time.
Just like that, together with Yuri who seemed to be in a good mood, they began to spend the long flight together.
Since it was like that, he might as well explain everything from the start, so as to prove his innocence.
“Fine, I understand. I shall start from the very beginning. I am not used to telling this type of story so please forgive me for anything that you don’t understand.”
“...From the beginning, you mean right from the start of everything?”
“Ah, yes. We must trace back to the spring break after my middle school graduation.”
Kusanagi Godou back then was in a transition state, neither in middle school nor high school.
As it was not yet the first of May, he was still fifteen years old.
And a completely normal human who could not possibly battle a god or usurp their authority.
The few days which drastically changed the life he knew forever.
The few days where he met Erica Blandelli and many other different people, building up friendships and having battles. All of these felt so nostalgic now, the story of the beginning.
And so, Godou slowly began to tell his story.
Chapter 1 - Light from the East
Part 1
A certain night in the latter half of March, in the Nezu area of Bunkyo ward in Tokyo.
In the living room of the Kusanagi home, two old men were enjoying alcohol.
Godou was also there, sitting at a corner. But he was there only to pour the liquor, moving back and forth to deliver the bottles of warmed sake.
...With one whiff, he was able to tell if the sake was warmed to the right temperature.
Actually, this was one of Godou’s skills. But to have such a skill at an age of fifteen, it doesn’t feel right at all. But still, it was a skill that was trained by his grandfather from a young age.
“—So, why do you suddenly want to go to Italy?”
The one who asked this was grandfather’s old friend, Takamatsu-sensei.
He was from the same generation as grandfather, a professor at a private university within Tokyo who taught western history. It was also because of this, both Godou and his sister Shizuka called him 'sensei.'
“Eh? I am only going there to meet an old friend.”
The one who answered was the one who was leaving for Italy in just two days' time, Kusanagi Ichirou.
Even though he was a person who liked to travel, he had rarely left the country recently. However, during this spring, he suddenly said that he wanted to go to Italy.
And also due to that, Takamatsu-sensei specially came to see him off with bottles of alcohol.
...Grandfather also used to be a professor in folkloristics, but was already retired. Now, he passed his days leisurely. Too leisurely, sometimes. Godou really wanted to tell him off.
Even though he really wanted to thank him for doing all the household chores.
But to instill in his grandson knowledge about alcohol's taste, aroma and even origins, to be popular among all the women who frequented the shopping district (both old and young), and to frequently meet older women (which Godou believed to be beauties in the past) on the street, seeming to know many of them, Godou felt like there was definitely a problem.
“...That old friend you mentioned is a woman right?”
Takamatsu-sensei, grandfather’s old friend, said with some disgust.
As a side note, this person would always say something like “you look so similar to Ichirou...” whenever he saw Godou's face. Come on, inherited DNA is bound to cause facial similarity, so please do not have these weird concerns.
“Ah, now that you brought it up, you know her too. Yes, do you remember? Lucretia Zola the Italian foreign student back when we were in university?”
“Oh, that woman. Hey, don’t tell me you have kept in contact with her all this time?”
“No. It only started recently. I sent a letter to her Italian home address she gave me before, and a reply came back. That thing she left behind in Japan forty years ago eventually came into my possession. If possible, I would like to return it to her personally.”
“Wait a minute! Didn’t you promise Chiyo you would never see that woman again? Did you forget already?”
The conversation was getting out of hand.
Chiyo was the name of Godou’s grandmother who passed away a few years back.
Back in the old days, grandfather was a handsome man. He possessed the gift of conversation to skillfully win people’s hearts, perfect diplomacy, and outstanding observational skills. In other words, he was very popular with women.
And he never refused anyone.
Due to grandfather being like this, grandmother sure had it tough.
“Promise... Wasn’t it that I will not see her off at the airport?”
“It’s not that! I’m sure you remember, you’re just playing dumb. What’s more, you're not obliged to go personally, all you need is to send it over by air mail.”
Towards grandfather who was acting like he didn't know, Takamatsu-sensei pointed out the situation.
“It looks like something precious. Wouldn’t it be troublesome if it is damaged on the way there? And I also wanted to visit Italy once and have a nice chat with Lucretia Zola whom I have not met for such a long time.”
“Ichirou, do you even know how to speak Italian?”
“No, not even a word. But things will work out somehow, so it will be fine.”
If this was said by any ordinary old person, he would either be a very relaxed person, or is suffering from dementia.
But it was not the case for grandfather. When Kusanagi Ichirou was still an active folkloristics scholar, he was like a celebrity in field research. Specializing in studying different traditional arts and cultures, he would often go to various countries to investigate.
The places he went to investigate would sometimes be isolated village communities.
He was able to integrate himself into their community quickly, build good relationships with the villagers and even acquire a few village secrets which are usually not told to outsiders. What’s more, most of these villages are situated in Southeast Asia, China, India and other foreign countries. He was able to easily overcome language barriers that would usu
ally stop other people.
It could be said to be at a superhuman level.
“A precious item... Just what did that woman leave here in Japan?”
“About that, remember the group of buddies during university that would usually go on trips together? At that time, there was a certain incident concerning about a curse from a guardian god and if I remember correctly, twenty died and it caused a great commotion.”
“Curse!?”
Hearing such an unbelievable story, Godou shouted out unknowingly.
Stealing a glance at his grandson, Ichirou smiled and said.
“Yes, it was a story I heard during my time at the research institute. A group of good friends went to Noto for a vacation. At that time, many, many things happened.”
“I remember that it caused quite the uproar... That witch seemed to have hidden herself somewhere and did weird things.”
“W-Witch?”
From Takamatsu-sensei’s mouth came an extraordinary phrase, Godou was even more shocked.
A curse followed by a witch, just what happened back then?
“...It is the woman that Ichirou is going to meet, foreign student from Italy nicknamed 'witch.' A girl with a strange presence, I do not know when it started, but people started to call her by this nickname.”
“However, she always smiled and answered ‘Yes, I am a witch’.”
With all this said, Takamatsu-sensei started to look a little upset, while grandfather was still very happy.
Most likely reminiscing old happenings, he closed his eyes and continued:
“She was a very interesting woman. She got along well with cats and birds, was able to find lost things immediately, and predicted the next day’s weather with greater accuracy than even the weather forecast... Oh, and she was very fluent in Japanese—Basically on the same level as locals such as us.”
This woman, together with the younger Ichirou and Takamatsu-sensei, had gone on a hot spring trip.
During their visit to a hot spring inn at a remote village, strange things had happened.
“There were lots of people dying from heart attacks, over a span of merely half a month, with roughly twenty victims. There was neither an epidemic nor a murder incident so rumors spread that it was retribution brought about by a local earth god's curse.”
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