Novel Vol 9 Ch 1 (The Reunion with Ōdanna-sama)

This scene at the Kakuriyo anime OP is actually a spoilers...

Below is my translation of Vol 9 Ch 1 to continue from Vol 9 Prologue (which has heavy spoilers). My original plan is that I will translate Vol 10 Ch 5 after this post, and then go back to finishing Volumes 7 and 8, none of which contains Ōdanna-sama.  However, it will be quite a while before we have any Ōdanna-sama chapters again (as in, at least one year). Vol 9 is basically about him, while Volumes 7 and 8 are about Aoi searching for him (but see my translation note too here). Thus, I wonder if I need to insert a translation of Vol 9 Ch 2 after this, then translate Vol 10 Ch 5. Let me know what you think.

I will return to translate Vol 7 Ch 4 in mid-late April June (2021, that is). To read my translation in other languages, check this tips. Click this for chapter list of Vol 9. 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 9: The Ayakashi Inn Bento Boxes for You

Chapter 1: The Reunion with Ōdanna-sama

P15

Though it’s midnight, I’m not even sleepy. Although it’s so cold, I don’t really feel it because of my nervousness. 

I’m Tsubaki Aoi, and now I’m onboard of the Bunmon tanuki’s airship. At the deck, I was staring at a red star in the frozen winter sky. The red star that very much resembles the colour of Ōdanna-sama’s eyes.

“Ōdanna-sama…”

(source)

I miss him. I want to see him. I want to know about him.

Does being in love involves these kind of feelings? 

I don’t know. However… I gently pulled out the hair stick that Ōdanna-sama gave me. The camellia flower is now completely open, as if symbolising my feelings. 

“The camellia… its petals will eventually fall… I wonder if that’s okay…”

While the camellia is now blooming, I wonder when the petals will fall. Ōdanna-sama did say that the deadline for my grandpa’s debt repayment is until the moment the petals of this hair stick flower fall. But…

P16

right now I wonder if that is no longer the case…

“For a human girl, you seem to respond well to the cold weather of the North, Aoi.”

“Ōgondōji… sama.”

Before I knew it, the golden-haired Zashiki-warashi stood right beside me. Ōgondōji-sama.

The first time I met her, I thought she was but a little girl. However, the truth is, she is the founder of Tenjin-ya, as well as a surrogate parent for Ōdanna-sama…

“Umm… Is …is Ōdanna-sama safe? I heard that you whisked him out of the Yōto prison.”

The one time that I met Ōdanna-sama in Yōto^, he was so weak that he couldn’t even maintain his human form. Well, at least I think it was Ōdanna-sama whom I saw back then.

“You always have questions for me. Well, I actually also have one for you.”

Ōgondōji-sama squints her sparkling amethyst eyes as she asked me this: “Aoi, what do you think now of Ōdanna?”

“…Eh?”

“Before, at the Tenjin-ya bungalow^^, I asked you why you didn’t want to be Ōdanna-sama’s bride. At that time, you said that you didn’t want to be pushed into doing something without knowing anything. Well, how is it now for you?

P17

… What do you know? What do you wish for? What have you chosen?”

I said nothing.

What do I know, what do I wish for, what have I chosen…

In the spring, I was kidnapped to Kakuriyo. In the summer, I was facing the case at Orio-ya. In the autumn, I was separated from Ōdanna-sama. And now in the winter… in order to rescue that oni, I am here now. Although there are things that I still don’t know, there are also things that I already know.

That Ōdanna-sama has always protected me, has always rescued me. I am sure that it has been like that since long ago.

I am attracted to that Ōdanna-sama. For the first time, a desire is burning within my heart. If that’s it what love is, well, then I am…

“Umm, I…!”

“Well, let’s hold off the answer for a moment. You might change your opinion once you know the truth.”

Despite asking me, Ōgondōji-sama doesn’t wait for my reply. Instead, she gives me a bundle of paper. It’s a newspaper. The Yōto Daily.

“This… they write about Ōdanna-sama here.”

P18

“Yeah. That kid is now a fugitive. It became a big uproar in Kakuriyo.”

I said nothing.

It’s so painful to read articles that talk so badly about Ōdanna-sama. Holding the newspaper, my hands trembled. How sad would it be for Ōdanna-sama to read this kind of stuff?

“The newspaper writes as they wish about lies and truth about the Master of Tenjin-ya. Simply put, because Ōdanna’s identity as a jyaki has been exposed in front of the ayakashi folks in Kakuriyo, his reputation that he has built for so many years crumbled. I also hear that many claims have been laid on Tenjin-ya.”

“C-claims…”

Perhaps Ōgondōji-sama has been in contact with Front Office Manager Akatsuki about this. I shouldn’t pity him^. However, I have no choice other than doing my best from now on.

“If Ōdanna-sama returns to Tenjin-ya, that inn won’t be Kakuriyo’s best onsen inn like it used to be. We will have to restart from zero… no, from minus, even. How many people will be on our side? It will only be difficulties and hardship. Even so, do you think that Ōdanna should still be the Master of Tenjin-ya?”

“Yes.”

I answer that question with no hesitation.

P19

“Everyone has been franctically trying their best because Ōdanna-sama is the Master of Tenjin-ya. I’m also not afraid of difficulties. I want Ōdanna-sama to come back.” 

Ōgondōji-sama stares at me with her eyes that seem to see through anything. She eventually sighs a little, which somehow feels like a relief.

“That kid is blessed, eh. He has good friends. In the first place though… he was but alone.”

“…”

Somehow, despite Ōgondōji-sama’s little girl form, I felt like I saw a mother’s love in her expression. 

-xxx-

At length, the Bunmon airship has arrived at the pier. It was midnight. 

So here’s where I will learn about things. Will I be able to meet Ōdanna-sama, I wonder…

“Ooooy!”

“Eh?!”

“Aoi, Aoi! It’s been so long!”

P20

“…”

What? Wait, but he’s here!

‘That guy’, for whom I braced so many hardship until now. Like, being arrested by soldiers in Yōto^.  Like, that accident in the Snowy Mountain^^. Even so, acting merely like a distance relative whom I couldn’t meet for a while, he steadily walks with arms wide open towards the airship from which I embark.

“Are you losing weight? You poor thing, you must’ve been going through such a trouble.”

“Yes, thanks to you, right?”

I don’t know why, whether it’s because of the kimono this approaching ‘Ōdanna-sama’ is wearing or something else, but I slowly step back. 

“Why are you running away?!”

“Why, that’s because you look the same,  Ōdanna-sama!”

Because, because, because…Ōdanna-sama! 

Because I heard that he has been stripped off of his human form to reveal the terrible jyaki form, my reaction is of course understandable*! That’s true that he doesn’t have the look of the Master of Tenjin-ya. More like the appearance of the youthful, hornless Southern Land fish peddler, wearing a maroon haori that he doesn’t normally wear. 

P21

Hiding behind Ōgondōji-sama, I suspiciously inspected this Ōdanna-sama look-alike. Ōgondōji-sama scathingly hissed, “You just can’t help yourself^, can you, Ōdanna?!”, to which Ōdanna-sama replied with “No way, what should I dooooo…?!” as he grabs his own head and turns pale.

Aah… indeed this is… this is the response of the Ōdanna-sama I know. Gradually, I calm down and start to get the grip of the situation. 

“Ōdanna-sama, you look so much better than I thought you would.”

“Oh, you finally come out, Aoi.”

I quietly emerge from behind Ōgondōji-sama and face Ōdanna-sama, who beams his radiant, albeit subtle, smile, and readily says, “I’ve missed you, Aoi”.  

Though it’s supposed to be a deeply emotional reunion, since I have the habit of dampening his enthusiasm, how should I react to that?

“I do have many things to say but… uhm… well, I also… missed you.”

See? See? I ended up replying with this kind of vague reply! However, as if nothing truly happened, Ōdanna-sama showed his good humour.

“No, Aoi, I heard that you have been striving very hard for my sake. I’m sorry that we couldn’t have met sooner. After my human form was stripped off, it took a while before Ōgondōji-sama could ‘repair’ a very important part of me. I lost consciousness during that period; I woke up only yesterday.”

P22

“…?”

Repair…? What do you mean by ‘repair’?

And you just woke up yesterday… 

“Having said that, I’m now fine and full of energy. Although there are mountains of questions, despite my absence, my staff have been working excellently. It seems you guys have been taking initiatives in many ways.”

“Ōdanna-sama, what should we do from now on?”

“Eh? Hmm…”

In Yōto, the discussion over the dismantling of Ōdanna-sama’s position as the Master of Tenjin-ya has been going on. Hachiyō is now split into two fractions, each fighting for their chosen course of action. What does Ōdanna-sama plan to do to settle these issues?

“What should I do indeed… Shall I take it slowly?”

“Whaaat?!”

“Truth be told, until the Night Meeting starts, there’s nothing for me to do. Rather, I think we should do nothing. Not here, not there, not even Byakuya.”

“Wa-wait a minute. And that’s why you’re taking it slowly?”

“That’s right. Fortunately, we are in the North-western Land. Only the Bunmon tanuki knows that I am here. In this way, no one is going to leak out that the Master of Tenjin-ya is to be in disguise here as a student. In the first place, the locals here 

P23-24

are the type of people who are not interested in others. Yes, this actually is my brief New Year’s holiday!”

“We’re in a state of emergency, and you’re taking a New Year’s holiday?!”

Aah… turns out, I don’t understand Ōdanna-sama. I might have idolised this person when we were apart. Although the Tenjin-ya folks have been having a hard time here and there, when it comes to the person in question, he seems so disconnected and just wants to fully enjoy the New Year holiday. I am astounded. However…

“Aoi, I am hungry. Could you make me something? I want to eat your home-made food, you know.”

“Wh-what’s this, so sudden. You’re so docile, it’s scary.”

“I’m getting accustomed to being docile. Here, I am not Ōdanna, and you’re also not a bride of the Tenjin-ya oni who was brought in because of your debt. I am just me, you are just you. Isn’t it good this way?”

Ōdanna-sama is saying something that is not like him to say. Could it be that he doesn’t want to go back being the Master of Tenjin-ya?

“You guys. Sorry for spoiling your excitement, but we are in the Land of Bunmon. You must pay respect to the Bunmon Tanuki Director.”

Having observed the verbal volleys between me and Ōdanna-sama, Ōgondōji-sama finally interrupted and silenced us.

“Sure, got it, Ōgondōji-sama. I was planning to go to the Clock Tower^ once Aoi arrived anyway.

P24

Is the Director available?”

“Yep.”

I can hazard a guess about this director. The so-called Director might be… Kasuga’s grandma? Kasuga – and Chiaki-san – called someone ‘Grandma Director’.

“Look over there, Aoi. That big green Clock Tower.”

Ōdanna-sama points out at a direction where a big clock tower stands out brightly even in the middle of the night. The giant clock with Chinese numerics are indeed typical of Kakuriyo. Covered with climbing plants, the green bricks are magnificent. Even at night, the time is discernable from afar thanks to the burning oni fire. It’s rather late at night at 2:30 am. 

“That’s the base for the Bunmon North-western Land Hachiyō, the ‘Clock Tower’ of the Bunmon University. It plays the same role as Tenjin-ya in Kimon, so to speak.” 

Afterwards, Ōdanna-sama heads for the Clock Tower with such a carefree attitude. I hurriedly followed suit. Wondering whether Ōgondōji-sama went along with us, I looked back. However,  she was already gone, leaving only recognisable golden moth scales glittering in the air at one spot.

“Don’t worry. Ōgondōji-sama is busy, so she leaves things like this to us.”

P25-26

“Say, Ōdanna-sama… I heard from Byakuya-san that you were raised by Ōgondōji-sama.”

“Oh. So it seems that you already know about what kind of life I have and the particulars about me being the Master of Tenjin-ya, Aoi.”

“Yes. Not in details, but I got the big picture.”

I looked up at Ōdanna-sama’s profile as I try to keep up with his pace. As always, that face is filled with a calm and mature, if subtle, smile.

“But Ōdanna-sama, you never said that you were the second master of Tenjin-ya. I heard that from Byakuya-san that it was you who gathered the Tenjin-ya members in the early days.”

He chuckled. “It’s true that I wasn’t always the Master in the first place. However, those closest to me just called me ‘Ōdanna’ from the very beginning. As though it's a pet name, a nick name. To begin with, an oni child like myself had no track record and shouldn’t be trusted with a distinguished position. Therefore, in the beginning, Ōgondōji-sama held two posts as the Proprietess and the Master. Actually, it was a good few years after graduating from a university in this Bunmon that I was entrusted with the position as the so-called Master.”

“No way! You were a university student?!”

What a shocking truth. I hardly can imagine Ōdanna-sama as a university student.

“Even I have those periods as a small child and as a student. Consequently, I am quite familiar with this place. The townscape has changed a lot, but it’s very nostalgic. This is also my university uniform… it has not changed since that time.

P26-27

Ōgondōji-sama just pulled one out and brought it for me.”

Perhaps because he remembers his university days, with a somewhat innocent face, Ōdanna-sama flaunts his maroon-coloured haori. Even though it’s just a university uniform. 

At any rate, the Bunmon Land landscape is rather different from other landscapes in Kakuriyo that I’ve seen so far. The wide boulevard that extends to the Clock Tower is tiled in green, while all the surrounding buildings are basically light green square buildings. The simplicity and uniformity of the townscape is beautiful, but it does have a feeling of mystery.

“Bunmon is a large academic city comprised of the Bunmon University, multiple vocational schools, general hospitals and various research institutes, with the Clock Tower as the centre. Collectively, they are called the Bunmon Graduate School. The land is also home to a vast botanical park and the largest library in Kakuriyo. There is also a facility that doubles as a school and an orphanage for many young ayakashi, one of them would later become the current director.”

Ōdanna-sama further explained how the financing of this area is very different from other lands, and that its inhabitants are mainly talented people.

“Look. Even at this late hour, there are many white-robed ayakashi walking around hurriedly.”

“Yes. Their white lab coats are glowing because they’re walking on green tiles.” 

Speaking of the lab coats, we have one Doctor Saraku in Tenjin-ya, which exudes that type of feeling.

Since this land is governed by the Bunmon tanuki, there are of course many tanuki. However, other ayakashi are also present. According to Ōdanna-sama, ayakashi students from all over the country would have to pass a difficult entrance examination to come here. There are also many promising researchers living here.

P27

“Having said that, it means that Ōdanna-sama also passed the difficult entrance examination, right?”

“Well, Byakuya made me do the exam preparation like crazy…”

Farsighted! Ōdanna-sama is very farsighted!

“Since Byakuya was the educator for the King’s sons, he would also give lectures at the university here every now and then.”

“Ooohh… Indeed, being a school teacher does suit Byakuya-san, though he looks insanely strict.”

While listening to Ōdanna-sama’s story about his university enrollment, I’m also somewhat interested in the ayakashi folks walking down the road. The researchers wearing lab coats are mainly medical doctors. And then the swallow-coloured haori is the uniform of university students. I am interested in their behaviours.

“Everyone is eating something while walking. Either onigiri or some square solid food that I don’t know about.”

“Yes. Generally speaking, those guys are busy and industrious folks. They are indifferent about eating, so to speak. They don’t have the pleasure of entering an eatery and looking forward for the meals to come out. It’s like, they’re hungry and they finally realise that they are hungry, so now it’s time to eat, but they usually run out of time. Because of that, here they don’t have many delicious eateries. What flourishes here are the shops that mimic the Utsushiyo convenience stores.”

P28

“…Oh, yes, you’re right. I’ve noticed some familiar storefronts here and there. Apparently, those are the convenience store lookalikes.”

At any rate, so this land has many people who are not interested in food stuff.  It must be quite a lonely place for chefs. 

-xxx-

“Welcome to the Land of Cultural Gate, Tsubaki Aoi-san. Also to you, the Master of Tenjin-ya… I heard you just woke up yesterday, and you have finally come to greet me now.”

The Hachiyō of the Cultural Gate, the Director of Bunmon University, is a stern bispectacled elderly lady. She has the tanuki ears that Kasuga and Chiaki-san also have; her brown hair has streaks of gray hair and it’s tied at the back. Although her appearance is intelligent and crisp, she also possesses the same tanuki characteristics of a round face and drooping eyes. Her form is definitely that of a tanuki. Or… are those the features of her family?

“My apologies, Director. Although I am rather nostalgic of the Cultural Gate, I have been remiss in paying you my respect earlier.”

“For a fugitive, you’re considerably calm, Jinpachi^. Furthermore, for you to call me ‘Director’ is quite chilling, you know.”

“But you are indeed the Director, Natsuha^^.”

P29

Is ‘Natsuha’ the name of the Director in front of me? Because Ōdanna-sama said that name with a degree of familiarity, I failed to read the relationship between these two. I tilted my head slightly. Ōdanna-sama notices my confusion.

“Ah, actually, the Director, I mean, the Grandmother Director is –”

“Ahem!”

“Uhhh… this lady with the fashionable name of Natsuha was my university classmate. At that time, we were in the same group. She was the group leader, and she scolded me terribly every time I forgot my homework or being tardy.”

“What! Whaaaaaat!!!”

Well, look here, I’m all astonishment. I’d never be able to conjure out such a story. Besides, to think that Ōdanna-sama was unexpectedly a frivolous university student!

“It’s true. To this day, the younger look harking back to those heydays that you have right now is detestable, Jinpachi. Because here I am, a grandmother!”

“This is just the ‘under construction’ student look while I’m healing myself^. If you want, you can also change your look, Natsuha, you being a tanuki.”

P30-31

“I can do that, but I won’t. A Grandmother Director dressing up as a youngster is a laughing stock. Moreover, the tanuki disguise is not the same as your oni disguise, given our different life span."

“Hahahaha! I also have my own life span!^”

In the midst of the easygoing conversation, I am also interested in the fact that the Director has been calling Ōdanna-sama ‘Jinpachi’ for a while. ‘Jinpachi’ was the name that Ōdanna-sama used while masquerading as a fish peddler in the Southern Land. Although he said that it wasn’t his real name… was ‘Jinpachi’ an alias he had been using since his university days? Or perhaps… it’s actually not an alias, but it is his real name?

“Ahem. Ah… enough of the idle talk. Aoi-san is waiting, you know.”

“That’s right. She’s my wife, you see.”

“No, I’m not his wife yet… and I feel that this argument about us has been going on for quite some time.”

I straightened up my position to a formal one and paid the Director my respect. Upon having me bowing my head down, the Director says “Raise your face” and touches my cheek. 

“Tsubaki Aoi, ah, I know you. You’re the granddaughter of Shirō, who stirred troubles in Kakuriyo, right. I’m sure you’ve heard of that line for so many times by now.”

“Y-yes.”

As I said so, I unconsciously straighten up my back. Perhaps because of her low-tone, calm voice. 

P31

I am also ill at ease to have her gazing at me.

“However, Aoi-san, nowadays I hear words about your activities, not just as Tsubaki Shirō’s granddaughter, but as your own person. Why, we Bunmon tanuki have excellent hearing, you see.” The Director smiles meaningfully while pointing at her own ears.

I’ve also heard that before from Kasuga. The Bunmon tanuki weapon is information. They send tanuki all over the Kakuriyo country to gain the trust of public figures to obtain information that drives this world, and then curate them here. I’m sure they also know about my activities in Kakuriyo to date without me having to talk about them. Not that I feel I’ve done a lot. I’ve just basically been trying to overcome whatever comes my way. 

“It seems you’ve also been taking care of Kasuga a lot. After all, it was my granddaughter who was marrying out. Though I do think she should marry him and live in such a place, I don’t want her to die. For you to motivate that child, I thank you, Aoi-san.”

The Director bows her head for me.

“N-no! Kasuga wasn’t motivated just because of me. Moreover, please don’t worry. Kasuga is doing well.” 

The Director chuckles. “She does have the dumb luck, despite being seriously injured, that impudent kid^. 

P32

Well, that impudence was inherited from her dad, I suppose.” 

Kasuga’s dad. The Minister of the Right in Yōto. I’ve also met him before coming here.

“Aoi-san, because you must be exhausted just for coming here, a long conversation is meaningless. For now, please return to Ōgondōji-sama’s ‘Poppies Villa’.”

“Y-yes!”

Although I readily responded, where exactly is the so-called ‘Poppies Villa’ of Ōgondōji-sama’s?

“And you Jinpachi. Have a bit sense of crisis. Although for a long time you’ve always been an elusive guy,  still, it’s time to settle down. Don’t trouble your young bride.”

“Got it. I’ll definitely not trouble Aoi.”

“Well, I think I’m already in quite a trouble…”. Spontaneously and mercilessly, I rammed into Ōdanna-sama’s declaration he made with such a neat and cool face. But when a man who looked like a secretary came into this room and whispered something to the Director, she said (mainly to Ōdanna-sama), “Well then, Aoi-san, take your time. Also Jinpachi, don’t do anything conspicuous in Bunmon,” and then left the room. 

What shall we do afterwards, I wonder. While I ponder on it, Ōdanna-sama looks into my face and says,

P33-34

“You must have just heard about Ōgondōji-sama’s Poppies Villa in Bunmon, right? You’ll be there shortly, Aoi.”

“Ōdanna-sama?”

“Of course I’ll go with you. We will sleep and eat together under one roof for a few days.”

“Generally speaking, we also stayed under one roof in Tenjin-ya.”

Nevertheless, Ōdanna-sama looks happy, as if he’s looking forward to it. Although I thought of our reunion, Ōdanna-sama acts as he’s always been, or rather too energetic at that. He actually looks boyish; gone are the impression and aura he usually donned at Tenjin-ya…

“Eh?”

Ōdanna-sama suddenly came to a halt. Inexplicably, I also stopped and looked back. With a serious look on his face, Ōdanna-sama looks down at me and said,

“Aoi, the flower on the hair ornament has bloomed.”

“Eh…? Ah, yes. That’s true. It happened when I was at the Northern Land.”

Ōdanna-sama didn't say a word.

What’s this sudden topic about the hair ornament?

I don’t know what Ōdanna-sama is thinking about with that facial expression of his, yet he gently touched the hair ornament adorning my hair. Although this hair ornament was still a bud when Ōdanna-sama gave it to me, a flower resembling a camellia is now in full bloom.

P34-35

Silence reigned for a while. 

His hand slightly touched my cheek. Immediately, my heart started to pound like crazy, hence I changed the topic with a high-pitched tone.

“Oh, right, Ōdanna-sama! You said you wanted to eat something, right? Does Ōgondōji-sama’s villa have a kitchen?”

“Of course it has a kitchen, but my request is for the morning. Aoi, right now you first need to sleep. You look very exhausted.”

“Eh?! No way! How does my face look right now, exactly?!” On reflex, I grabbed my cheeks with both hands. It’s so embarrasing! I can’t keep showing my tired face to Ōdanna-sama!

Maybe that’s why he’s been staring at my face. It’s true that, until now, he has often seen my worn-out figure after Moonflower’s business hours. However, I can’t show my exhausted face during the long-awaited reunion! It was unexpectedly frustrating!

-xxx-

Upon entering a narrow slope from the main road, we climbed the garden lantern-lit slope and arrived at an open space en route to find an old manor.

P35

“Aoi, that’s Ōgondōji-sama’s villa.”

“Ah.”

There is a bamboo grove at the backyard and the whole atmosphere reminds me of the Moonflower. Of course, compared to Moonflower, this place is a lot more grandeur. However, the ambience of this house is rather refined. I’d like to think that this is how a Zashiki-warashi house would feel like.

“Welcome back, Ōdanna-sama. Welcome, Tsubaki Aoi-sama.”

The one who greeted us was not Ōgondōji-sama. Rather, it was a young-looking black-haired Zashiki-warashi. She has straight bangs with long waist-length black hair, close to the normal Zashiki-warashi that everyone imagines. She is wearing a red kimono with butterfly patterns.

“I’m back. It seems Ōgondōji-sama isn’t home, eh?”

“She said that she’d be away for a while.”

“Is that so. Ah… Aoi, this child is a Zashiki-warashi butterfly.  She is entrusted with the villa management and hospitality in Ōgondōji-sama’s household. She will support us with our newly-married life.”

“If you’re hoping for that thing^, I won’t give it to you, you know.’

To her credit, Miss Butterfly wears a straight and quite face despite her being such a young Zashiki-warashi. I follow her to my sleeping quarters. Of course, it’s a different room^^ from Ōdanna-sama’s.

P36

It’s late at night; the time period when the ayakashi are going to sleep soon. Because I’ve been able to stay calm and awake until such a time, I seriously think that I’m getting used to the ayakashi time now. Somehow, my heart, which used to be at wit’s end, has unintentionally come to appreciate it. Is that because I’ve finally been able to meet Ōdanna-sama, the one that I’ve been missing so? Perhaps because he looked much better than I previously thought.

Although the Hachiyō Night Meeting is imminent, and although I’m still not in a situation where I can feel at ease, that night, I was able to fall asleep much quicker than I have been as of late. The rather sweet fragrance of the room also helped me to sleep. 

What shall I cook for Ōdanna-sama tomorrow, I wonder?

-TBA in Vol 9 Ch 2-

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.

Seigo Nakao’s “Japanese-English English-Japanese Dictionary” has proven to be very useful as a companion to Jisho.org. To assist with grammar, I also use Naoko Chino’s “All About Particles”, Kakuko Shoji’s “Japanese Core Words and Phrases”, Kakuko Shoji’s “Common Japanese Collocations”, Kakuko Shoji’s “Basic Connections” and Kamiya Taeko’s “Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication”.

Specific translation notes

P16: ^ Yep, this is the negative effect of jump-translation. The Japanese sentences are 「妖都で一度だけ会った大旦那様は、その姿を保っていられない程、弱っていた。あれはやっぱり、大旦那様だったと思うから。」, or "Yōto de ichido dake atta Ōdanna-sama wa, sono sugata wo hotteirarenai hodo, yowatteita. Are wa yappari, Ōdanna-sama datta to omou kara".

It seems Aoi has seen Ōdanna-sama again in Yōto during this ordeal, possibly when she sneaked into the palace in Vol 7. That brazen girl would sneak into the jail to find Ōdanna-sama. But, he would have been unconscious by then, too weak to even maintain his human form. This is so saaaad!!!

(note that Aoi used 会った which meant ‘met’, but I think it should be interpreted as ‘saw’ because Ōdanna-sama was unconscious)

But at least it’s another reason to go back to chronologically translate Vol 7 Ch 4 soon! And I really really want to grill Raijū now for putting the kind and noble Ōdanna-sama into such an ordeal, just because the latter is a jyaki!

Update 7 Oct 2022

Since I've finished translating Vol 7 Ch 4, I now have a different interpretation of this sentence in p16. It seems what happened was this: Aoi was shopping for cooking ingredients in Yōto when she heard someone called her name. When she followed the call, she was transported to a shadowy square, where she saw a form that she thought would be Ōdanna-sama. It seems what happened was: Ōgondōji-sama had rescued Ōdanna-sama from jail just around that time, and at that time Ōdanna-sama was conscious. However, since he was very weak, he could not maintain his human form. When Ōdanna-sama was already a fugitive (perhaps Ōgondōji-sama transported him in invisible mode across Yōto), he saw Aoi shopping around in Yōto, so he called her. Sensing that Ōdanna-sama wanted to talk to Aoi, Ōgondōji-sama spirited Aoi away so that she could at least hear Ōdanna-sama  in private (instead of in the middle of a Yōto street). However, since Ōdanna-sama was in his jyaki form, he didn't want to show himself to Aoi. He just called her several times, then apologising for not being able to show himself, and left. 

Thus, the 会った should indeed be translated as "met", instead of "saw" because Aoi did meet Ōdanna-sama, and he was conscious, yet in his shadowy form because he still had his human form damaged.

Later, Ōgondōji-sama fixed Ōdanna-sama's artificial core (i.e. the artificial version of his psychic heart). However, since the damage that Raijū did was quite significant, it took Ōgondōji-sama a while before she could fix Ōdanna-sama. During this time, Ōdanna-sama became unconscious, and he only woke up the day before his reunion with Aoi in this chapter. 

End of update 7 Oct 2022

P16: ^^ Ōgondōji-sama meant the Moonflower

P18: ^ The Japanese sentence is 「対応しているのは番頭である暁なんだろうなと思うと、暁が不憫でならない。」but I’m not sure why Aoi thinks that Akatsuki is not to be pitied (暁が不憫でならない). 

P20: ^ Yep, she sneaked into the Yōto prison, alright! Volume 7, I’m coming back soon!

^^ And yep, translating and summarising Volume 8 as well…

* The Japanese sentence is 「化けの皮が剥がされて大変なことになっていたって聞いたのに、当たり前のようにいるから！」- which to me implies that, although Aoi knew that Ōdanna’s true form as a jyaki has been exposed, here she finds him in his usual human form. That’s why she stepped away from Ōdanna. FYI ‘atari mae’ 当たり前 denotes the idea that something is very obvious, like ‘mochiron’. I take it that Aoi refers to her stepping away from the poor guy…

P21: ^ Ōgondōji-sama said「随分と避けられているじゃないか、大旦那」, “Zuibun to yoke rarete iru janai ka, Ōdanna”. 避けるmeans “to avoid”, 避けられているmeans “can be avoided”. It sounds to me like Ōdanna could’ve not approached Aoi with such open arms, which could have scared the girl, but the poor guy did it anyway cos he missed her so!

P23: ^ The Clock Tower is written as 時計塔, which indicates that it’s a Japanese-style clock tower, with Japanese hours written on it. 

P28: ^ Remember this name? Jinpachi 陣八 was the name Ōdanna used in the Southern Land when he masqueraded as a fish peddler! That time, Aoi asked him whether it was his true name!

^^: 夏葉 is the way ‘Natsuha’ is written 

P29: ^ Ōdanna said「これは学生の頃のように化け直しているだけだ」, “Kore wa gakusei no koro no youni bake naoshiteiru dake da”. It literally means “This is just the fixing/healing disguise (as myself) that resembles (my) student time.” It's roughly translated as, "This is just the fixing/healing disguise that resembles myself during my student time". Because 'naoshiteiru' is present continuous, I take it that Ōdanna needed to have this disguise while he’s still  building up his own energy reserve once more. Thus, I took the poetic licence to translate it as "the 'under construction' student look" while he's healing himself.

P30: ^ Yes, my dear Ōdanna, and you gave part of it to save Aoi’s life… (read Vol 9 Prologue again here…)

P31: ^ Okay, so not only Aoi was injured in the Snowy Mountain, apparently Kasuga was injured too! Whatever happened to both of them in Volume 8, I wonder… 

P35: ^ Okay, this is MA+17. Aoi actually said 「つっこみ待ちなら、つっこんであげないからね」, “Tsukkomi-machinara, tsukkonde agenai kara ne”. Now, in Kanji, つっこみ can be written as 突っ込み and Jisho.org actually puts ‘(penetrative) sex; intercourse’ as one of the meanings! It literally can be translated as “If you’re hoping for sex, I won’t give it to you, okay?!”  -- OMG, I’m self-fanning right now!!!

^^ Whaaaat?!?!? But, but, buuut!!! --- damnit, I know Ōdanna-sama is a gentleman, but I was hoping for something eeelse!!!