Novel Vol 7 Chapter 2 translation

The heroine of this chapter, Ritsuko-san (source)

Below is my translation of Volume 7 Chapter 2 of the Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi novel (you can read Chapter 1 here). This chapter is a very crucial chapter which reveals Ōdanna-sama’s current situation and Raijū’s primary motive of usurping Tenjin-ya. Volume 7 list of chapters can be found here. 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...

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.  Meanwhile, thank you for reading! 

Volume 7 

“I’m serving dishes that will determine our inn’s victory”

Chapter 2: A Hidden World Night Chat

P43-44

“Aoi-san. Aoi-san. We have arrived, you know.”

 Sasuke-kun shook my shoulders and I opened my eyes.

“Where are we…”

I look out the window to check where the airship is slowly moving. There is a garden of white gravels and pine trees on the rooftop of a high-rise building. The white gravel is just like waves coming to a sandy shore, thus the airship also look like a ship traveling at the sea^.  

We anchor the small airship at a designated berth in the garden and get off the ship. Every time I walk on the white gravel, it makes a crunching noise, produces ripples from under my feet and emits a faint light. Such a mysterious stone. Yet, at the same time I realise that this is typical of Kakuriyo, after all. However, it is so quiet here that it seems strange…

“I wonder if it is the rooftop of the tallest building around here…”

Nevertheless, although I can see the lively lights and activities of the life below, it’s strange that I cannot hear its clatter at all. 

P44

Perhaps they have affixed a type of magical shield around here.

A magnificent bungalow stands at the back of the garden. Connecting this garden to the bungalow are some dimly-lit oni-fire paper lanterns, standing in the outer corridor of the bungalow, acting as a guidance for where to go. On the veranda of the bungalow, a human woman sits with a subtle yet sweet smile.

“Ritsuko-san!”

Reflexively, I rushed out to reach her, stepping on the gravel and getting tripped here and there. My benefactor, a human from the same human world as myself.

“Hello, Aoi-san. It’s been a while since summer, right?”

“Yes, hello, Ritsuko-san!”

I’m so very happy to see her again. But at such a quiet place, my greetings to her ended up too loud.

Ritsuko-san is holding a black turtle on her lap, stroking its shell. Surprisingly, the turtle shell is studded with colourful jewels. This is also very Kakuriyo-like. 

“I heard about the Tenjin-ya situation from Byakuya-san, thus I invited you.”

“Uumm, I understand you have something that you’d like to discuss and resolve with me urgently.”

“Yes, that is correct. For sure, you’re the only person who can resolve it.”

P45

Suddenly, a cold wind blew. When I looked back, Sasuke-kun was no longer around. The small airship that took me here is still docked, but since he is a ninja, I wonder if he’s disappeared somewhere in the dark. 

Ritsuko-san giggled. “Sasuke-kun is very busy, right? He has many errands to do for Byakuya-san. I understand you’ve been worrying alone, but I will explain things for you. Now then, why don’t you come up?”

“Y-yes. Well then, pardon my intrusion.”

I took off my geta and went up the veranda as encouraged by Ritsuko-san. I then walk along the veranda, following her. From the veranda, we walk halfway along the corridor and then enter an indoor corridor. Small ayakashi fires are gathering along the hallway, conveniently lighting our way. At the end of the corridor, there seems to be a room with a light inside.

“Here we are.”

Upon Ritsuko-san’s encouragement, I enter the room, which is an old style room with an irori, a sunken hearth. A very warm room. 

Inside the irori, a hotpot is simmering; the delicious smell catches my nostrils. What is it, I wonder.

P46-47

“Oh, cool! The pot is full of the mustard greens mizuna! It looks yummy!”

And thus, my interest in the hotpot made me spurt those words, such that I clasped my mouth shut. But of course, it was too late. Yet, Ritsuko-san giggled. 

“Aoi-san, you just finished work, hence I thought you must be hungry. Thus, I prepared some mizutaki, some hotpot, for you.” 

“Mi-mizutaki?! Hotpot, you said?!”

“Yes. It’s chicken and mizuna mizutaki. A specialty of Yōto, we typically use plenty of mizuna in our mizutaki. Because this very delicious meal has been prepared, please make yourself at home.”

Upon receiving those words of hers, my stomach grumbles. OMG, yes I am hungry, but I shouldn’t make such a noise in front of this fine and genteel lady! Yes, I share a friendship with Ritsuko-san, but here in Kakuriyo, she is married to the royal family despite her being a human.

“My apologies, Ritsuko-san, just now…”

Yet, she giggles. “That’s totally fine. The best time to eat a meal is with an empty stomach, right?  I will be most delighted to have you enjoying such a meal.”

“I am so, so very sorry! Thank you for preparing the meal for me.”

I bow deeply to express my gratitude, then sit quietly on the cushion by the irori.

P47-48

I then stare longingly at the bubbling hotpot in front of me. Such is my behaviour.

Mizutaki. Mizutaki. Chicken mizutaki.

It’s one of the hotpots you want to eat in the winter. In my own world, mizutaki is still popular in Hakata and Kyoto as a specialty dish. the simmered chicken broth brings out the umami for this murky white soup. It’s a delicious dish for the winter, thanks to the bone-in chicken, simmered in a large quantity. The mizuna, so thick that it covers the whole pot, is irresistibly captivating. 

Ritsuko-san was making a move to serve me, but I hurriedly say, “I’ll do it myself”. However, she stubbornly refuses my help. Saying “No, let me serve you”, she refuses to give me the empty bowl and ladle. 

But… but she’s the wife of a royal family…

I got cold sweat, but since Ritsuko-san is very determined to serve me, I resign and let her do it. She then talked about the vegetables of Yōto while serving the bowl. 

“There are plenty of dishes using vegetables in Yōto. Since ancient times, we have a history of eating abundant vegetables, because of the widespread farmlands surrounding Yōto.

“Is mizuna also a Yōto vegetable?”

“Yes, it indeed is. Mizuna is one example of Yōto vegetables; we call it ‘the Four Treasures Mizuna, or the Shihō Mizuna’. We  also have ‘the Southern Jewels Onion, the Nan-yō Onion’, the ‘Western Rolled Carrots’ or the ‘Nishimaki Carrots’, the ‘Eastern Flower Eddoe’ or the ‘Tōka Eddoe’ – eddoe being a type of taro – and the ‘Northern Comfort Daikon’ or the ‘Hokuraku Daikon’, among others. We also have other famous vegetables, bearing the names of the four cardinal directions.

P48

These are renowned vegetables that has been around for a long time. However, vegetables grown in clear groundwater has also gained popularity as of late. For example, the ‘Thousand Lands Wasabi’, or the ‘Chisen Wasabi’, cultivated underground.”

“Wow… this is such an interesting stream of information.”

“Is it?” Ritsuko-san giggles. “Aoi-san, since I thought you would appreciate a thorough explanation, I have actually done some readings in advance.” She flashes a subtle yet cute smile as she gives me a bowl of the hotpot. As per usual, Ritsuko-san is such a calm and refined lady. 

“Some of the vegetables I’ve just explained, the nishimaki carrots and the hokuraku daikon, are in this mizutaki.”

“Th-thank you for the food! I’ll start eating.”

“Don’t be nervous, please. Just eat.”

Because Ritsuko-san made the dish, at first I didn’t add any seasoning. I just take the bowl as it is. 

First, the soup.

Although it looks murky, the taste is lighter than I expected. Yet, I can feel a certain richness in the soup.  It has such an elegant and refined taste. The chicken stewed in this soup has such a nice texture; the more you chew it, the more delicious it is. 

P49

Yet, I am more astounded by the mizuna. 

From the beginning, the excessive presence of the mizuna is rather quirky. This mizuna has now been boiled in the pot for a while. Yet, this mizuna is fresh and tastes so delicious. Despite having been well-simmered, the mizuna still retains its chewy texture and its green scent stands out in the best possible way. Mizuna is a very thin leafy greens, so it’s tightly entangled with the chicken bones – which is the delicious part of the soup – thus I bring the whole package (the mizuna-entangled chicken bones) into my mouth. Mizuna is indeed a vegetable that enhances the umami of the mizutaki.

“This mizuna is so delicious…”, I think out loud.

Up until now, I thought I have eaten delicious mizuna before, but it might be the first time that I am stunned by the flavour of this vegetable to such extent. 

“Such is the Yōto vegetables for you.  Water from ‘Daikanrō-gawa’, the largest waterway of Yōto is used to grow vegetables with strong umami and strong spiritual power. It’s the crystallisation of the farmers’ efforts. It seems that all daughters of the aristocrats here grew up being told that eating this vegetable would make them beautiful,” says Ritsuko-san, who then giggles. “But sure enough, eating plenty of vegetables is good for beauty anyway.”

Then, she seasons the soup with ponzu sauce and lets me have another portion.

P50

Ritsuko-san gave me a square tofu and I casually ate it. 

“Wow…”

I was surprised. This tofu is a very hard tofu with a distinctive flavour of the soybeans. I haven’t had such a texture for a while, because these days I have been cooking only with the smooth, slipping-through-the-throat silky tofu and the mellow-soft tofu. Thus, such a hard tofu, obviously handmade, sets my heart aflutter.

“It’s the traditional tofu of the metropolitan Yōto. The steadfast hard tofu has not been on the menu a lot these days, but I truly love it. It somehow makes me feeling nostalgic. However, I’m sorry if it’s not to your liking, Aoi-san.”

“N-no! It’s true that I can’t get this kind of tofu these days, but I am also feeling nostalgic!”

“Have you eaten hard tofu before, Aoi-san? It’s quite rare for youngsters to do so.”

“My grandpa loved it, such hard and firm tofu. He used to always complain that the tofu sold at supermarkets were not real tofu. That’s why we would take the trouble to buy the hard tofu at a local tofu shop.” 

“Oohh… That Tsubaki Shirō?!”

P51-52

Ritsuko-san joins her hands and smiles with such a joy. For her, my grandpa Tsubaki Shirō is a legendary dark hero. 

“Well, for me, Grandpa was just being selfish and stubborn. He had many things he liked and hated…  he was very picky with seasoning too, my Grandpa.”

“That’s the rumoured Tsubaki Shirō for you. The Tsubaki Shirō that I imagine can’t be expected to be a good person. But I believe he was a very attractive person too.”

“Ah… ahahaha…”

Well, since Grandpa is a well-known human only in Kakuriyo, for better for worse, he must have had something that charmed the locals.

I gently blew on the hard tofu and the vegetables to cool them down and then gulped them down. The mizutaki is delicious. The nishimaki carrots and the hokuraku daikon, sliced to facilitate a faster cooking, have such a strong sweetness that permeates my tired body.

I should be able to make such a delicious mizutaki. I think I can master the craftmanship to make such a glowing dish. However, it might be a little difficult to make the mizutaki to such a refined level. But the Moonflower customers will be happy if I serve this mizutaki. The fire chicken seems to be a compatible ingredient for this dish. 

P52-53

And then, I will also have Ōdanna-sama^ eating it the next time he comes to Moonflower. I think he’ll love it, the mizutaki.

And then, it hits me. At length, I finally remember. Why am I coming to Ritsuko-san’s mansion, again?

Gradually, I find it hard to swallow the delicious hotpot.

“I… I… why am I eating such a delicious meal here? I don't even know whether Ōdanna-sama is eating properly right now.”

“Now, now, Aoi-san…”

Ritsuko-san frowned to see such a sudden change in me. “I understand that you are worried about the Ōdanna-sama of Tenjin-ya. However, don’t be so agitated that you have such a pale face. You have to eat well and rest well for your own sake.”

“I – I can’t do that, Ritsuko-san. I am not doing anything now. Both Byakuya-san and Ginji-san told me that I will help Ōdanna-sama by cooking…but this time, I feel like there’s nothing I can do. I’m so anxious. I must get Ōdanna-sama back. I can’t let Raijū have a reason to plunder Ōdanna-sama’s place to call home.”

“Aoi-san…”

“Is it possible that you know anything about Ōdanna-sama?! If there’s anything you know, please tell me…”

P53

Upon hearing my tone, Ritsuko-san looked blank for a while. Yet, she then touches her own cheek and sighs. 

“Aoi-san… I see a slight change in your feelings towards the oni king.”

“Eh? But, but that’s…”

“The first time we met, when we had a talk, I thought you were a young lady who did not yet know about love.”

“That – that’s why. This is not about it!” I rolled my eyes and thought of any excuses. However, Ritsuko-san was like, “That’s fine you know, that’s totally fine!”. As if she knows everything.

“I was also like that. At first, I was frustrated because I didn't even know if it was love or not. This time, while pursuing the whereabouts of that Ōdanna-sama of Tenjin-ya, you seem to need to know your own feelings for him. I have a hunch that there is something that will change your decision.”

“My… decision?” 

“Yes. This thing called love… why is that, the first time we know it, it makes us weak? Nonetheless, I think once we accepts and climbs over it, there is no other feeling that will generate as much power as the awakened love.”

“…”

P54

Her words shocked me. Yet, I keep such a quiet turmoil inside my heart.

“Well then, I shall narrate what I know about this issue.”

The mood of Ritsuko-san, a naturally sweet and lovely noblewoman, suddenly changed. Her gaze now belongs to a strong woman who has survived life at the Imperial Court.

“Aoi-san, from now on, you will have a bitter feeling towards a very large “power”. Hereupon, you will have a stronger desire to protect and rescue the Master of Tenjin-ya. Having said so, would you still like to hear the story I’m trying to tell you from here on?”

Ritsuko-san’s facial expression was serious, but a concern also slipped in and out of her composure. She surely knows a dreadful thing or two of the so-called “power”. However, I also stared straight into her eyes and strongly affirmed, “Yes. Please tell me, Ritsuko-san.”

“Why did Odanna-sama of Tenjin-ya conceal that form of his? His real form has not been made public yet, but as a matter of fact, he is now imprisoned by the order of the King^.”

“Eh…?”

Why, Ōdanna-sama?

A commotion filled up my chest, but I swallowed it and quietly waited for Ritsuko-san to continue. 

P55

“I was not there at that time, but according to the information I procured, it seems that Ōdanna-sama was masked-off by Raijū in front of the King. That is to say, Raijū managed to peel off Ōdanna-sama’s disguise, his human form, so to speak^.”

“His disguise? Masked-off?”

“Yes. It means that the “true form” of any ayakashi is revealed.”

The true form… of Ōdanna-sama…?

“I don’t know how Raijū managed to mask-off the human form of such a great yōkai like Ōdanna-sama. However, the most terrible thing for an ayakashi is to have its human form forcibly masked off. Why, Ōdanna-sama’s so called true form is actually a serious prohibition, a serious taboo in Kakuriyo. Consequently, he was imprisoned.”

“W-wait! Please wait! What on earth do you mean by this true form, by this taboo? Why on earth is Ōdanna-sama…” 

What on earth was he, actually?

Suddenly, I remembered Ōdanna-sama’s words that he told me earlier.

“If you know about the real me, you will somehow hate me…”

At that time, despite his worries, he managed to hide it. 

P56

That was at Moonflower, just before he left Tenjin-ya.

I am confused as to how to digest the story I have just learned. I even forgot the taste of the mizutaki which I had wholeheartedly enjoyed earlier. I understand nothing. Nothing.

“Why on earth is this happening? Ōdanna-sama has no ulterior motives at all. So what if his real form is revealed? Why does he have to be jailed for that?”

I try my best to ask those questions, but judging from what I heard, there’s no way to frame it nicely.

“You are a human. Being a human, you may not understand ayakashi’s common sense, state of affairs and criteria upon which they judge things, right?”

Upon Ritsuko-san’s words, I slowly lift my face.

“I was also like that. Everything was just unreasonable and unthinkable to me. But I eventually yielded. That was as simple as that.”

Ritsuko-san says those words strongly; most likely based on her own experience. I squeeze my hands on my knees and slightly nod.

“The issue here is not just about the future of Tenjin-ya’s Ōdanna-sama. It is also concerning a very complex historical and political issue^. Because at the moment, the abolition of the Hachiyō system is being aggressively campaigned at the Imperial Court.”

“I have heard about that story beforehand, just a little though.”

P57-58

Kasuga being married to the Northern Land is also connected to this story. 

The Hachiyō system. Hachiyō… what is it, actually?

“Is that so? Well, first of all, the following story is not directly related, but it’s about the world known as Kakuriyo. Aoi-san, you are the same as me, a human who came from Utsushiyo. There is nothing to lose if we learn about the history of Kakuriyo and the existence of other worlds it is connected to.”

Ritsuko-san pondered for a while of where to start before she asked this question.

“Aoi-san, are you familiar with the worlds outside of Utsushiyo and Kakuriyo?"

“Yes. Utsushiyo and Kakuriyo are not the only worlds out there. There are also the Land of the Deceased or the Underworld, or Tokoyo as we call it, and the Heavens, and Hell among the world of spirits. I heard that these worlds are connected by Iwato, the Rock Door. For Kakuriyo, the door opens up in Kimon on a particular day of the week, which is different to the opening days of other worlds.”

“Yes, that is right. The world that is closely related to Kakuriyo is Utsushiyo, by a vertical connection. With Tokoyo the Underworld, Kakuriyo has a horizontal, side-way, connection. However, compared to Utsushiyo and the Tokoyo, Kakuriyo is a very small world indeed. You may have noticed it yourself, Aoi-san?”

“Y-yes. In the scheme of things, Kakuriyo seems to be smaller than Utsushiyo.”

After all, it only takes two hours to reach Yōto by the airship, and faster if you’re using a high-speed one. This world called Kakuriyo seems smaller in size compared to Japan, which on a global scale is actually a very small country in itself.

“Compared to Japan, Kakuriyo might only be the size of Kyushu^.  There is also a theory that Tokoyo the Underworld is actually a remote island.

P58

Legend has it that, during the ancient times, the Kakuriyo ayakashi have come here from Tokoyo the Underworld by crossing the so-called ‘Black Sea’.”

“The ‘Black Sea’^…is it?”

I remember such a scene. I think I’ve seen it. It was when I was entertaining the Umibōzu during a ritual at Orio-ya. Through Umibōzu, I saw the ‘Black Sea’ at the far side of the Southern Land Sea. It was a very lonely and sad place. 

“It is said that the ritual at the Southern Land is also for the benefit of the Land of the Deceased or the Underworld and Kakuriyo, by purifying impurities flowing from the Black Sea, because the Southern Land is the closest place to the Underworld. I talked about this because, to make a long story short, Kakuriyo is still a relatively new and immature world.” 

I manage to follow her story until now, so I nodded. 

“Well then, let’s dive into the real issue at hand. The system of the so-called Hachiyō was established over 1,000 years ago. At that time, the entire authority in Kakuriyo was borne by the King of Yōkai. This King was a very powerful king, such that his people called this magnificent king ‘The Great King’. However, this Great King was murdered by an evil ayakashi^^. This event threw Kakuriyo into an unprecedented chaos. The next king was not as powerful as the Great King, hence insurgence rose at various places. Kakuriyo was in disorder and great bad feelings pervaded this world.”

P59

“Why… it sounds like the current state of the Northern Land.”

“Yes, indeed. After the Great King’s passing, everyone chased the illusion, the image of that king. Thus, every reign afterwards had the tendency to be disturbed.”

Ritsuko-san continued as follows: a system called the Hachiyō was created to govern the chaotic Kakuriyo. The capital Yōto was established at the centre of Kakuriyo. The remaining land was divided into eight segments. To serve the Great King, eight great yōkai were bestowed with the authorities as the heads of the eight regions. First, the eight great yōkai were ordered to govern their lands peacefully.

“Actually, one of the officials who created this Hachiyō system was none other than Byakuya-san^.”

“What?! I’ve always thought of Byakuya-san as not an ordinary ayakashi… but…”

In the first place, so he has lived for that long eh…

“Having been stationed in these eight lands, the Hachiyō established a decentralised system. Before long, the eight lands have been developed in their own styles. And now, the Hachiyō holds quite a considerable power that threatens the authority of the central government. Or shall I say, the presence of the Hachiyo is a threat to the Central aristocrats. Although the Hachiyō are great yōkai, none of them are aristocrats. Instead, each of them has succeeded in commerce and has been recognised for their upstart works. The Hachiyō also have amassed a considerable fortune.”

“But… when I see the Yōto state of affairs, I feel that there is no Hachiyō land that can out-scale this metropolitan. Although it’s true that I haven’t seen all the eight Hachiyō lands…”

P60-61

“The Central Government mainly receives a large amount of tax from the Hachiyō, thus this city grows more prosperous. Originally, successful businessmen in Yōto also improved their crafts in rural areas, so we have many emerging businesses here.” 

“So then, why does the Central Government want to dismantle the Hachiyō system? They receive a large amount of tax from the rural lands, wouldn’t that be enough?"

Ritsuko-san chuckles. “Paying a large amount tax increases the right to speak of the Hachiyō. The political power of the Central Government has already being partially seized by the Hachiyō of the Northern Land and the tanuki of the North-western Land of Bunmon. The current Minister of the Right is actually a former Hachiyō, a shrewd tanuki from the North-western Land of Bunmon.”

Aah, is this Kasuga’s father? Things start to fall into places.

“From the olden days, distinguished aristocrats have been involved in the Central Government politics. These aristocrats fear the increasing influence of the Hachiyō and thus they are finding ways to restrain the Hachiyō. Nevertheless, these aristocrats still desire the Hachiyō wealth. To that end, they want to have the Hachiyō system abolished. In the name of the King, the Central Government wants to control the assets, wealth and the well-established business foundations of the eight lands.” 

“Th-that cannot be! This is such an awful story. In the past, the Central Government couldn’t control the lands, so they placed eight powerful yōkai to govern the lands. These great yōkai have healed the lands and made them prosper. Tenjin-ya for example, or that Orio-ya, they develop their lands with their own wisdoms. They swallow their own failures for their later successes themselves!”

“Yes, that indeed is the case, Aoi-san. The current Minister of the Left – he is usually at loggerheads with the Minister of the Right – is from a large aristocrat family. This Minister of the Left has been aggressively campaigning for the abolition of the Hachiyō system.

P61-62

Until now, the current King listens to both fractions, although he has been quite close to the Minister of the Right. It seems that the King does not wish to break ranks with the Hachiyō. When the King summoned Ōdanna-sama of Tenjin-ya, it might have been to have a discussion with Ōdanna-sama about this issue. I heard that, since the King is still quite young – he’s just 200 years old – he thinks of Ōdanna-sama as his big brother, so to speak.”

… Let’s set aside the fact that 200 years old^ is considered young here…

“Why did the King do all these things…?”

“Aside from what I’ve told you, I have not learned more. However, after the masking off of Ōdanna-sama, the King has started to favour the idea of the Hachiyō system abolition. However, neither the Minister of the Right nor the Hachiyō would support this idea, right? As I mentioned earlier, the abolition of the Hachiyō system cannot be done just by the King’s wishes, for the influence of the Hachiyō is not insignificant at all. However, Ōdanna-sama’s case may become a trigger that brings the abolition issue into a major dispute.”

“A trigger…”

“Some decisions will have to be made urgently at the next Hachiyō Night Meeting. The replacement of the Master of Tenjin-ya will be tabled, for some Hachiyō will want to eliminate the one factor that can trigger the abolition of the Hachiyō system. Or, because Ōdanna-sama is very influential amongst the Hachiyō, they might let Ōdanna-sama be the current master of Tenjin-ya as it is,  preserving the power and influence of Hachiyō as it is now,  thus challenging the Central Government.” 

The more I listen to the story, the more I realise that the issue at hand – viewed from the perspectives of history, circumstances, and political ties – is so much greater than the troubles I have ever faced so far.

P62-63

Also, so many power struggles are involved here that it scares me. As I expected, I have no idea how I could be of help. Like, how exactly would cooking be of help in such a case, anyway? This case has nothing to do with cooking.

“Aoi-san, I think Byakuya-san sent you here so that you could hear about this story from me. Only I can truly understand your confusion and your totally humane doubts.  Although all ayakashi at Tenjin-ya are good ayakashi, it would be difficult for them to understand how hard it is for you to digest this issue.”

“…Yes. Thank you very much, Ritsuko-san. Indeed, if I hear this story together with the Tenjin-ya colleagues, I would be left behind in my confusion.”

Ritsuko-san adopted the formal seating position and said to me of the followings:

“This is the Royal Family Nui-no-In Residence. We welcome you a guest under the auspices of Nui-no-In. Soon, from here you will be heading back to Seikamaru and Tenjin-ya.”

“What?! Wa-wait a moment please. ‘Soon’, did you say?!”

Ritsuko-san’s mood returns to her usual gentle mood and she laughs at the startled me. 

“Didn’t I just say it? I have an urgent matter that I need your help with. At the very least, until I find another clue for the solution. Moreover, I can still keep in touch with Tenjin-ya through our communication board^, you know.

P63-64

Also, almost every day the Tenjin-ya airships go back and forth Yōto in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings to pick up and drop off the guests.”

Thus, not to worry, she said. Still, it’s an unexpected development. Like, I have come to terms that I’m facing a very difficult thing now, but I thought I would be in Yōto for a while, and would be under Ritsuko-san’s care. 

Ah, speaking of which, I left Chibi behind in Tenjin-ya. He was playing in the cold pond early this morning, so I left him behind. 

“Are you alright, Aoi-san? What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger^, you know.”

“Y-yes, I’m fine! I’m fine!”

I froze for a bit because of the so many things, but Ritsuko-san’s voice brought me back to the present. Exaggeratedly, I wave my hands several times to dismiss her concerns. 

Ritsuko-san chuckles before saying, “…This is Yōto. This is the fastest place to get a hold of any information. The old adage of ‘women can only wait’ doesn’t apply to this case. To save the one you love, you must have a headquarters to delve into this case.”

“… Ritsuko-san?”

That Ritsuko-san, she places her index finger on her mouth and laughs with such a smidgen of an evil face. 

“That Raijū, I don’t know whatever chaotic tale he’s brewing at the moment. However, so be it. Let’s weave a tale of our own here. The tale of all the love and miracles we have. 

P64

It’s the tale of a classical hero who seeks for a missing princess and frees her from her bondage.”

“Only this time, the princess is Ōdanna-sama^, right?”

But, usually, it’s the opposite, right? Isn’t it so, that he was always the one who rescued me??

But, it’s true. I have no idea what the current situation is. It’s more like me to explore what I can do out here, rather than feeling depressed while doing business as usual. Thus, I patted my cheeks several times. 

Get a grip of yourself, Aoi. Surely you can see a way out of this problem. Step by step, get to the bottom of this issue. That’s what being Tsubaki Aoi means. 

“Thank you for your support, Ritsuko-san. I am counting on your help.”

I bow my head down. Smiling gently Ritsuko-san says, “Whatever I can do to help, I will definitely do that. Please rest assured.”

Such kind words from her… though she knows that, deep in my heart, I am still anxious. 

Henceforth, after about a month trying to find out the whereabouts of Ōdanna-sama, Tenjin-ya’s battle begins. The choices we make will bring forth the entire Kakuriyo into a historic rebellion. 

TBC in Vol 7 Ch 3.

Translation notes:

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”). I use The Jaded Network for SFX effect translations.

Specific translation notes:

P43: ^ I have to say I’m sometimes nonplussed by the tenses in the original novel. One sentence can be uttered in present tense, but then the very next sentence describing the same thing is uttered in past tense. These two sentences are such an example, where Aoi describes how she is looking out the window (in present tense) to see they are cruising a gravel and pine tree garden. Then in the next sentence she talks about the gravels looking like the waves coming ashore, and the airship cruising the sea, but in past tense. To spare readers and myself headache, I just translate the second sentence in present tense. It’s likely because I haven’t gotten the full extent of the nuances of present and past tenses in Japanese, though…

P52: ^ OMG, she finally remembers him! I was so impatiently translating all the pages until his name comes out again! That’s fine, now we’re getting to the serious business here.

P54: ^ The direct translation of 妖王 is actually ‘The King of Ayakashi’, but it feels too long, hence I just translate 妖王as ‘the King’. The yomikata reading is Yōō (youou).

P55: ^ Ritsuko-san’s real words for ‘disguise’ is actually 化けの皮, ‘bake no kawa’. The last sentence is my own addition to explain to readers what 化けの皮means. The easy way to translate it is ‘disguise’, but I will also translate it as ‘human form’ in other sentences – because saying that it’s a disguise seems to imply that Ōdanna-sama is not a sincere ayakashi… (yes I know, I know, the Kakuriyo ayakashi hates Ōdanna-sama’s true form and thus him hiding it from public knowledge. If it makes him a liar, well, so be it, I still love him!)

Oh, if anyone hates Raijū by now, join the club. I’ve hated him since he drugged Aoi in the anime, but now I just have boiling rage towards that spiky-eared ayakashi! 

By the way, if you're wondering when Raijū started to sniff around Ōdanna's secret, read Vol 5 Intermission 2 here.

Do you guys remember Ōdanna-sama's shadowy figure in Arc 1 Anime opening theme? Could it be his true form, after all? 

P56: ^ Good thing I teach policy in Utsushiyo. I actually was quite excited when translating this part!

P57: ^ Yūma Midori sensei is actually from Kyushu, hence it’s understandable that she uses Kyushu as the model for Kakuriyo.

P58: ^ No, this “Black Sea” is not the Black Sea bordering Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Turkey etc…

^^ Just a wild theory, but could this evil ayakashi be… the "species" that Ōdanna-sama belongs to? NOT himself, but another member of his "species". Perhaps because of this incident, his kind is considered taboo in Kakuriyo. 

P59: ^ Byakuya-san ROCKS!!!

P60: ^ Just a reminder that the “Minister of the Right” or Udaijin 右大臣 is NOT the same as the leader of the right wing party. Udaijin was a part of the Nara & Heian-era legacy called the Daijō-kan (the Council of State), comprising of the Chancellor (Daijō-daijin 太政大臣), the Minister of the Left (Sadaijin 左大臣) and the Minister of the Right. The Udaijin serves as the DEPUTY of the Minister of the Left (Sadaijin 左大臣), while the Minister of the Left is the second-in-command after the Chancellor (although the Kakuriyo political system doesn’t seem to have a Daijō-daijin). Thus, Udaijin and Sadaijin are not right wing vs left wing… although depending on their political choices, of course we can class them into conservatives or liberals (or perhaps ultra-conservative vs rather-conservative, depending on the definitions and also not neccesarily at that order). Having said that, it’s not uncommon for the Minister of the Left and the Minister of the Right to have hidden agendas, as has been demonstrated in my other favourite anime “Otogi Zoshi”.

Also, the Daijō-kan lost power around the time of the Fujiwara Shogunate, but since this is Kakuriyo, the King has apparently retained that system. The Daijō-kan also has Eight Ministries, and I think the Kakuriyo Hachiyō might have taken that idea (although a Hachiyō serves more like a Daimyō than a minister in Kakuriyo). Indeed, the decentralised system of Hachiyō is very similar to the Daimyō system, at least during some eras before the Tokugawa Shogunate. 

P61: ^ Well, Ginji and Ranmaru were a bit older than 300 years old, because they were adopted by Isohime-sama a bit over 300 years ago, right? Didn’t Iso-hime die 300 years ago when the ritual was sabotaged byあの Raijū-め? So Ginji and Ranmaru are technically older than the King.

P62: ^ The ‘communication board’ here is called ‘renraku-bin’, the blackboard that serves as the email or text messaging service in Kakuriyo. Ōdanna-sama gave one to Aoi during the first arc of Season 1 anime, which made me wonder why he didn’t give her one when he left for Yōto after Vol 6 Chapter 9. Perhaps he didn’t want to bother Aoi with his own predicament… 

P63: ^ Ritsuko-san said 「固まってますよ」, and the root word 「固まる」implies “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.

P64: ^ Well, in Vol 6 Ch 3, Ōdanna-sama did masquerade as a beautiful black-haired maiden… so it fits… Also, Grey (one of frequent readers here, and my new friend ^_^) has coined a new pet name for Ōdanna-sama, but since it's spoiler-ish, I'll reserve it until later...