"...Fair enough. I recall she left with Hoderi. If we see her again, we'll interrogate her," Sū ěr set down the magatama and stretched.
The flood of spiritual energy hadn't been entirely useless. The edges of the Yasakani no Magatama were showing their original jade color, but the interior was still pitch black. At this rate, purifying it completely would take a long time.
Faint voices drifted in from the street. The diligent humans and youkai were starting their day. There was no sound from next door; it seemed the hardworking flower youkai had gone out again—since they settled here, Yuuka often disappeared for days, returning covered in wounds.
The way she looked at Sū ěr while licking her wounds always made his skin crawl. Fortunately, he had crushed her so decisively in their first meeting that she didn't plan to challenge him again until she felt she had closed the gap. Otherwise, Sū ěr felt he'd never have a moment of peace.
Opening the door, Sū ěr took a deep breath of the damp, chilly morning air. The tip of his nose felt moist. The sun rose slowly behind the tethered islands; though it cast an orange-red glow, it held little warmth.
What's for breakfast? Sū ěr pondered.
"...Lord?"
A familiar, timid call came from the side. Sū ěr didn't have to look to know who it was.
"Daigo, haven't I told you that you don't need to call me 'Lord'?" Sū ěr turned and crouched down to speak to the child.
With reddish-brown hair—a rarity—and a freckle on his nose, the boy's hair was now clean enough for Sū ěr to want to pat it. He was seven or eight years old, a neighbor on the same street.
Because his name was pleasant [Daigo/Great Enlightenment] and he learned to keep himself clean quickly, he had become quite close to Sū ěr over the months, though he couldn't break the habit of using formal titles.
"Mother said... to give this to you..." Though clearly embarrassed, Daigo stammered for a while before holding out a basket from behind his back.
The small basket held a few scattered fruits. They weren't large, but for a season approaching winter, finding such fruit in the wild was impressive.
"Alright, I'll take it." Sū ěr had known why he was here before he even showed the basket. He nodded, went inside, and returned with four pieces of cake.
"Tell your mother 'thank you' for me, okay?" Sū ěr took the fruit and placed the cakes in the basket, smiling.
"Mmh! Thank you, Lord!" With a final bow, Daigo scurried off toward his home.
Sū ěr gaze swept across the street, suppressing those who were staring greedily at the boy's back. He shook his head and went inside with the fruit.
This wasn't the first time. The cakes he made were a luxury in this world devoid of fine cuisine. The excessive sugar and smooth texture were things the humans of this era couldn't even dream of—essentially priceless. Such a treasure wasn't equivalent to a few fruits.
The first time, he had just given the boy some leftovers because he liked the name. The next day, the boy's mother had him bring fruit as a "thank you." Somehow, it had turned into this routine of exchanging fruit for cake.
Though he hadn't met the mother, Sū ěr didn't dislike her small scheme. Even for ordinary fruit, a mortal woman risking the dangerous wilds to gather them wasn't easy.
It was the survival wisdom of an ordinary human in this age.
Life continued in this quiet, mundane way, but even without deep political insight, Sū ěr smelled the storm brewing.
"Lord? Lord! Something's happened! Something huge!"
It was an afternoon while Sū ěr was napping on his porch when Daigo woke him with those words. Is it just me, or is this kid sounding more and more like me? Do kids learn that fast?
"Alright, alright, calm down. Don't panic." Sū ěr held the jumping child still. "Slow down. What happened? Why are you so frantic?"
Sū ěr stern tone calmed the boy. He swallowed and pointed toward the city center. "There... they're taking heads!"
"?"
"An execution! Heads are coming off!"
Seeing Sū ěr still looked confused, Daigo shouted and made a slicing motion across his neck, as if his own head were the one at risk.
"Another one who defied Okuninushi? A god or a youkai? Relax, it's not that rare. More importantly, aren't you going to introduce your new friend?"
Gods were one thing, but bold youkai who had just manifested were everywhere, often acting on whim and desire. Youkai being publicly executed for breaking Izumo's laws was common. It wasn't strange at all.
What caught Sū ěr eye was the "new friend" Daigo had dragged along—or was it an old friend?
A juvenile Oni. It was the brat who had been close to Hoderi back in that underground city. He was staring at Sū ěr without a hint of fear, appearing surprised to see a familiar face here.
If he was here, did that mean Hoderi was too?
Was this a coincidence?