Novel Vol 6 Chapter 10 translation

Who wants to yank Raijū's ears now? Get in the queue.

Below is my translation of Volume 6 Chapter 10 of the Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi novel, the last chapter of this volume. I will delete this translation when there is an indication that the novel will be translated into English and I will replace it with the summary of the chapter.  Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this chapter, for it’s such a roller coaster chapter. I hope you have a peaceful and healthy Merry Christmas and a much healthier, peaceful and Happy New Year. Click here to read the previous Chapter 9. Click here to read Vol 6 chapter list. Click here to find out how to read this translation in other languages.

Please refrain from posting my translations elsewhere. If you need to quote it, please acknowledge my site for the quote, because translating from Japanese hardcopy texts to English is a really hard work...

Chapter 10. A Tumultuous New Beginning

P300

“Well then, stay strong, Kasuga.”

“Bye bye, Kasuga. Take care, yeah.”

“Be healthy. Don’t force yourself.”

The ayakashi of Tenjin-ya are calling out to Kasuga, who is boarding the airship along with her belongings. I gave Kasuga “the Ultimate Fool-proof Cookbook”^ full of easy and delicious recipe as a going-away present, compiled by yours truly.

“For sure, this book can help you enticing the stomach of your childhood fiancée, Kasuga.”

“Wooow, thanks a lot, Aoi-chan. That will help, because my cooking is bad!”

The smiling sweetly Kasuga. I feel so lonely, for I cannot see this sunny smiling face anymore. I shed tears despite myself. But while I’m at it, I also thrust a package loaded with a combination of the “Hell-manjū” and the previous version of the brown sugar stuffed manjū onto her.

“Here, please take this with you. A taste to remember.”

“Please Aoi-chan, stop crying…”

Kasuga being Kasuga, she shoves the package over to Chiaki-san who is standing next to her before wiping my tears with her kimono sleeve.

P301

“We’ll definitely meet again before long.”

“…Eh, what?”

“The two of us will be Hachiyō brides. However our destiny may be, we will be connected.”

“…”

However our destiny may be, we will be connected.

But, no, wait. I am not – 

… I am not a bride yet. 

But, not waiting for my quip, Kasuga cheerfully boarded the airship, looked down from the deck and waved at us.

“Bye-bye! Bye-bye, Tenjin-ya! Everyone, farewell! My Tenjin-ya!!”

Her always warm voice reverberates as her ship sails through the azure blue sky. I was weeping uncontrollably until the end. Yet, next to me, stands tall O-Ryō, with no tears whatsoever. A subtle, determined yet rather indifferent smile floats across her face somehow. It’s actually quite refreshing. She looks quite determined, standing tall like that. 

Eh? The ice bell that usually adorns O-Ryō’s bottle opener seems to be missing^.

___ Ring.

P302-303

The perfectly clear sound of the ice bell that can put the northernmost water to sleep tinkles down from Kasuga’s airship. By the time I notice it, Kasuga’s form has melted into the sky and disappeared.

Far and far away, sucked into the azure blue yonder. 

The first time of my seeing off someone in Kakuriyo.

Goodbye, Kasuga.

I am looking forward to the day I meet your cheerful smile once more.

About a month has passed since then.

By Ginji-san’s arrangement, the “Hell-ju” manju^ was commercialized shortly after the Autumn Festival. 

The hotspring manju were originally being sold at Tenjin-ya and at Jōsan, one of Ginten-gai’s shops^^. However, due to the autumn leaves season, we have been having tourists visiting the Kimon Land and thus the manju sales is having a record-breaking smash hit. We will see whether it will become a long seller from hereon, but first of all, for now, I can say that it has been a great success. 

Above all, I need to take my hat off to the staff at the basement workshop, who were able to establish a production system to produce this souvenir in such a short amount of time. Nowadays, the iron rat fellows in the basement are busy working so that the production catch up with the demand. What surprised me is that the “cheese” version (i.e. the manju kneaded with cream cheese without the bean paste filling) sells more than the “egg” version (i.e. the manju with the traditional bean paste filling). Although having cheese in manju may have been unusual, the demand for cheese in Kakuriyo has been steadily increasing, thus the appeal and success of the cheese manju. 

P303

It was difficult at first, but it later became a huge hit.

Following this hit, Byakuya-san said that major confectionery shops and souvenir shops in our land will start displaying the cheese-flavoured product on their shelves. I’m happy that what I have created is producing results. There’s a sense of accomplishment and also excitement there.

However, this success is not just because of me. The name “Hell-ju”, which is easy to remember and thus one of the reasons for its success, is attributed to Kasuga. Per Ōdanna-sama’s advice, the surface of the manju is branded with a cute stylish drawing of a “Hell-flower” spider lily (Cluster amaryllis). The product is now properly on offer thanks to the wisdom, experience and advice of the wise ayakashi at Tenjin-ya.

However, let’s talk now about a failure: mine and Ginji-san’s.

I decided to make a limited edition of the Hell-ju only for Autumn and this edition was on sale a little while later. There are two flavours: yam and apple.  “Yam” was made by kneading diced yam into the dough. This steamed bread was originally sold as the traditional version (with the bean paste filling) and it sold well. The “apple” version used apple jam wrapped in the dough. However, perhaps because I didn’t know what I was doing, from the onset I couldn’t sell that version to the level that made me proud. 

P304

Why does the cheese version sell well?

It indeed is popular to serve this type of pastry at the store. However, there is apparently a difference between selling this freshly-made pastry over-the-counter and as a boxed product, and that is the packaging.

Because of that, the “apple” version was discontinued within a week of its release. On that day, Ginji-san and I drank the mountain apple liquor after business hour. Turns out, whenever things are down, drinking sake would make you forget those things…

However, Ginji-san told me that there’s no such a thing as a failure; only a delayed success. All night long,  he kindly comforted me and got me thinking of why I failed when I was in the dump.

There’s one more thing that I’m concerned about. 

Ōdanna-sama is at the moment absent from Tenjin-ya, for he is heading to the Imperial Palace of Yōto. Ōdanna-sama has also told me that story prior to him leaving. I overheard that, apparently, he was privately summoned by the King of Yōto prior to the Hachiyō dinner meeting that will be conducted during the year-end holiday. However…

P305

“Say, Ginji-san. Why hasn’t Ōdanna-sama returned home? Is he okay? He’s been away for a week. I heard from Ritsuko-san that the Imperial Palace is a scary place.”

“Yes, it seems he hasn’t been able to return… But he is with our watchman Saizō-san, so he should be fine.  Ōdanna-sama also gets in touch with me every day through our communication system.”

“Is Ōdanna-sama… okay?”

“Yes, of course.”

Is that so… Well, he’s always on business trips anyway from the start… but…

One week. Two weeks. Ōdanna-sama has not returned home for that long. And in the end, we lost contact with him.

The upper echelon of Tenjin-ya are thrown into disarray. 

A messenger was dispatched to Yōto to seek for information from the Imperial Palace. However, by the King’s order, Ōdanna-sama cannot return to Tenjin-ya. The only thing that we receive is a reply that we must wait for contact. 

“What is actually happening?”

“There must be a big movement in the Imperial Palace and Ōdanna-sama must have been entangled in it.” 

The executives have grown more impatient, and so have I. I have no idea what is happening…That thing that Ōdanna-sama said in Moonflower, he might have had a premonition about it, thus he said it.

P306

However, since said person is in the Imperial Palace, I have no way of knowing what schemes are working behind the scene and, as the result, I have not been paying attention to my work. According to Byakuya-san, this is exactly what our invisible enemy expects. However…

Many things happen in the first ten days of December.

A messenger visited Tenjin-ya from the Imperial Palace. That messenger was, how shall I put it… he was very much related to me in the past. That is to say, he was none other than Raijū.

“Ooooh Tenjin-ya, you must be impatient… you must be scared… you must find it so hard to understand eh…”

“…”

Hearing such a commotion, Ginji-san and I went to the main Tenjin-ya lobby to find Raijū surrounded by the Tenjin-ya executives. With a hateful and sarcastic smile plastered on his face, he spoke in a relaxed manner.

“In the end, without your Ōdanna-sama, you lot are just tradespeople without any particular powerful influences in the Imperial Palace.”

“Hey, shut up! If you have any business at Tenjin-ya, then be my guest sign in at the reception first!”

In response to Akatsuki’s aggressive and strong demand, Raijū laughs loudly and climbs up the main stairs of Tenjin-ya.

P307-308

Swish… swish… 

The gold ornaments adorning Raijū’s body reverberate impressively as he climbs up the stairs. At that time, I saw him glancing at me and licking his own lips in a harassing way. It surely reminds me of the various trauma in the past, yet Ginji-san stands firmly in front of me. 

“Don’t you get it? I’m here due to the direct order from the King himself.”

“…eh?”

“My words are the King’s words. I’ve got an important piece of news for you lot.”

And then, after reaching the top stairs, he turns and leisurely looks down on us. Flashing his teeth, he laughs. It gave me a bad feeling.

“From today onwards, your master is no longer that oni. Instead, your master is me, yours truly!”

“?!”

Surprised at those words, everyone is doubting their ears. 

Ōdanna-sama is no longer the master of Tenjin-ya…?

No, what the heck is this Raijū saying?! I don’t get it. 

“S-stop pranking! What rights do you have to say things like that!”

“Read. My. Lips. My words are the King’s words, didn’t I say so just now, Ginji-kuuuuun?  Well, anyhooo… the formal announcement will come soon. 

P308

“See, that oni held a grave secret that would have shaken Kakuriyo. That’s why he can no longer keep the Hachiyō seat for himself eh…”

“…a grave secret?”

Everyone is agitated even further. 

In Ōdanna-sama’s absence, important things are decided and executed. Such a bizarre circumstance would confuse anyone. 

“Your speechless faces are most interesting, eh? I even want some side dish with sake to enjoy this rare entertainment. Hey… the great cook Aoi-chan is hiding from me over there.”

Being singled-out like that, my shoulders shivered. I clasp my hand on my chest and fiercely stare at Raijū.

“Hohoho… is that supposed to scare me?”

“Not sure about scare, but you creep me out, you know!”

 “Ah-hahahahaha! That’s good! I don’t hate that kind of reaction. Well then, by all means, tell me what creeps you out. But, perhaps I’m actually a salvation to you, eh?”

I was curious to know what set Raijū in such a good mood when he took out a box. 

“Dun-dun-dun… What is thiiiiiiissss???”

P309

That box looks familiar. That is… that is..

“Hehehe… I sneaked into Ōdanna’s room just now and found this amazing thing. The written oath exchanged between Tsubaki Shirō and Ōdanna.”

“Ah…”

Yes, that’s it. When I came to Tenjin-ya, I was shown that thing of despair… The written oath signed by my grandpa to marry off his own grand-daughter!

“Hehehe… Since from now on that dude is no longer the Master, this thing no longer has its meaning, right…”

Raijū took out the written oath from the box and held it up high. 

I instinctively shout “Stop!” as I reach out for the oath. However,  my voice was drowned by the sound of the paper being torn in two and by the sound of Raijū’s laughter as he did so. 

“Ah-hahahahahaha! Yeeesss!!  That’s it, Ladies and Gents. Aoi-chan is no longer engaged to that Ōdanna. You can thank me now since I’ve released you.”

Raijū then tears the paper further into pieces and throws the pieces away. Paper scraps are fluttering down the stairs. That written oath have tied me down… yet, the sense of loss that hits me right now is so unbelievably great, even to me.

“Ah! Aoi-san…!”

P310

I involuntarily staggered, but Ginji-san supported me from falling without a moment of delay. Yet at the moment, no one raise any objections to Raijū. We are at his mercy. Dumb-founded, I’m looking alternately between Raijū’s triumphant face and the torn away promised oath. However…

“DIE, YOU IDIOT!”

Thud!!!

If you think you heard a dull sound from behind Raijū, 

“Aaaaarrghhh!!!”

Well, Raijū’s body was unceremoniously thrown off and rolled down the stairs just now. With his cold eyes, Byakuya stands at the spot where Raijū just stood.

What’s with this guy…it seems Byakuya-san has just kicked Raijū from the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, Raijū is lightly vomiting blood. 

OMG, we have a homicide at Tenjin-ya!

“Pffft… As expected, you came out, you white demon. Do you want to kill me or what!”

“Whatever you say, I am indeed ready to kill.”

Sharper than usual, Byakuya-san snaps close the open fan at the corner of his mouth. While the Tenjin-ya employees straightened their posture the moment they heard the snapping sound of Byakuya’s fan, 

P311

Byakuya-san looked down at Raijū with a look that got colder and colder by the moment. 

“Why are you showing your face at Tenjin-ya? I don’t remember inviting you. Why don’t you jump off the cliff now and die a million times!”

“And you’re expecting me to do that?!^”

Ignoring Raijū’s words, Byakuya walks down the stairs and picks up a piece of the torn oath scattering at his feet. Yet, he snorts as he clasps the torn piece.

“If you seriously think that our Ōdanna-sama of Tenjin-ya went to the Imperial Palace without expecting that you’d pull such a thing, you truly are an idiot. I can’t stop laughing!”

“… eh?”

“This written oath is a fake one. The real one is in a place you won’t be able to find.”

“Eh?”

I’m the one who reacted before anyone else. Seeing my reaction, how a vague surprise was registered in my eyes, Byakuya-san said “Oh-ho…” and chuckled. 

“What a praise-worthy relief, Aoi-kun!”

“Eh? N-n-not really, it’s not like what you think!”

As expected, I blurted my usual response.  Behind me though, Ginji-san stroked his own chest and sighed a relief. 

P312-313

However, Raijū of course doesn’t look amused.

“Ha. Byakuya. While you always think that you have the upper hand, it can’t be more wrong, you know. From now on you are at my disposal, because I’m now the new Master of Tenjin-ya, right…”

“Fool. No matter what the King’s orders may be, first and foremost you should know that it’s impossible.”

From inside his sleeve, Byakuya-san takes something out. What’s that… A splendid silk pouch. He imposingly opens it and takes out a gold rectangular item out of it.

“Behold, the Gold Emblem!”

“The Gold Emblem?”

“Yes. It’s the verification emblem for the Hachiyō of Tenjin-ya. It’s indispensable whenever important matters need to be decided. In Tenjin-ya, only Ōdanna-sama and Byakuya-san are allowed to handle it.” Next to me, Ginji-san explained for my benefit.

Somehow you can tell from the reactions from the surroundings that everyone understands what is implied here.

“In addition to the King’s order, approvals of all Hachiyō at the Biannual^ Dinner Meeting are needed for the inauguration and resignation of any Hachiyō, and the Gold Emblem is indispensable for these purposes. The next Dinner Meeting is at the end of the year, or perhaps the New Year. Until then, whatever you concoct, our Ōdanna-sama is still the Master of Tenjin-ya.”

“Pffft. Ultimately, it’s just a matter of time then eh? The Hachiyō cannot oppose orders from the Imperial Palace.” Raijū finally got up. He blew blood from the corner of his mouth and shrugged with such a calm and ‘whatever’ attitude.

P313

“Well, that’s fine. Then I just leave Tenjin-ya in the hands of you lot for now.  However, this place will surely be mine after the next Dinner Meeting. But resistance is fine. I’m not particularly interested in running another inn, and a story that is full of turmoil seems to be more interesting to me.”

“…”

“However, one thing is certain. That “master” of yours… he’s not coming back here, you know.”

And then, he stylishly flipped his thin haori cloak and disappeared from this place in a flash of purple light, leaving a momentarily bright lightning bolt.

What’s just… what’s just happened?

Silence reigned, but I understand nothing, and I am in a big shock. 

“What the heck are you lot doing! Assistant executives, handle the business sales! Executives, onwards to the main conference room.” Only Byakuya-san could put things in order for this place. Only him could gather and convene the executives with such a determination.  

“Aoi-san, are you okay? You look quite pale.”

“… Ginji-san…”

“It’s of course not unreasonable, your reaction. Such a ridiculous thing, this whole thing is. However, first we must quickly establish Ōdanna-sama’s safety and we must also protect Tenjin-ya somehow…”

P314

I feel such anxiety that blocks my throat and makes it hard for me to breath properly. Everyone also feels the same way. However, Ginji-san stands with such a strong composure. And then, he calmly gave instructions to the employees and called on the flustered Akatsuki and Chiaki-san and everyone else whom Byakuya-san has tapped on the shoulder earlier. 

After coming to a halt, Tenjin-ya once again races back to work.

“…”

However, my uneasiness does not stop. 

Ōdanna-sama’s so un-oni-like conducts and smile…

I have an unpleasant premonition that the calm days that I took for granted would disappear into the haze.

Earlier, Ōdanna-sama gave me an obsidian black key. I have hung that key securely with my pendant, hidden beneath my kimono. Now, through the layers of my kimono, I pressed that key against my chest. 

The only “Master” of Tenjin-ya is Ōdanna-sama.

Ōdanna-sama’s place to belong.

Ōdanna-sama’s… secret.

Which of those can protect me now?^

-TBC in Vol 7 Ch 1-

Translation note:

Following Kakuriyo Translation & Fan Translator By Choice, I put the page numbers of the original novel volumes (the Japanese version) in the translation to enable any readers who can read Japanese and have the books to examine the related pages. If the last sentence of a page goes over the next page, I will put a combined page number as an indication. 

I use mainly Jisho.org for Kanji searching, though at times Romajidesu.com and Nihongo-pro.com are used as well. I use Google Translator to have a rough guess of the meaning of phrases, but then I consult my trusted Japanese grammar book for the closer approximations of the meanings (the “Japanese the Manga Way” by Wayne P. Lammers – I would have otherwise tripped on nuances such as “kita”, “iku” and “okimasu”). 

P300: ^The book title is胃袋鷲掴み料理帳 and I don’t know how to translate it. However, 胃袋can be translated as ‘dietary needs’, 鷲掴みas ‘a tight hold’ and 料理帳is definitely a ‘cook book’. Hence, I took the liberty to translate it as “The Ultimate Fool-proof Cookbook”.

P301: ^O-Ryō has a bottle opener adorned with an ice bell. In Vol 6 Ch 1, Kasuga borrowed it and commented how it made a nice sound. O-Ryō retorted, saying she wasn’t going to give it to Kasuga. But now, it seems that O-Ryō has given her ice bell to Kasuga, which means the two girls have made up before Kasuga left…

P302: 

^ Fan Translator by Choice translated 獄まん(jigoku-man) as “Hell-ju”, and I use it here.

^^The shop at Ginten-gai is called 上産屋 but there is no ofurigana in that section, hence I don’t know how to read it. ‘Jōsan’ is my guess, because 上 can be  read as ‘jō’ and 産 can be read as ‘san’.

P311:

^ the original sentence is 「もう転げ落とれた直後ですか！？」. It must be an idiom that I don’t know here, “falling off the cliff” and “die a million times”…

P312:

^ Biannual here is twice a year, not once every two years (“Biennial”). During the story of Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi, the first Hachiyō dinner meeting was in early summer when Aoi went to the Eastern Land and Ōdanna-sama skipped that meeting to rescue her. The second meeting of the year will be in late December or during the Japanese New Year (early January).

P313: 

^ The sentence is 私に守れるものは、どれが？, and although どれ ‘dore’ should be translated as “which one” (as in, which one would protect Aoi now, Ōdanna-sama’s Tenjin-ya, or his secret? Although I thought it makes more sense to me to translate the sentence as “Who will protect me now?”, I chose to translate it as per the original sentence.