Yae Village was a very small village, but the shrine was built very large. The people devoutly worshipped the Fox God Inari, praying that the god would grant them peace and happiness.
Living in the shrine was the Yae clan, responsible for guarding the village and serving the god.
At this time, inside the luxurious shrine, there were two small pink-haired girls. The smaller one was lying in bed, her face somewhat pale, clearly suffering from some kind of illness. The larger one was carefully holding a bowl of brown medicinal soup. With one hand supporting her sister's back, she slowly brought the bowl closer to her sister's lips with the other.
"Rin, come, drink the medicine, and you'll get better. When you're well, big sister will take you to see the cherry blossoms on the back mountain next year, just like before," Yae Sakura said, painting a picture of the future while feeding her sister medicine.
This was just a simple wish. When her sister got better, when next spring arrived, when the cherry blossoms on the back mountain bloomed, she could take her sister to see them. At that time, Rin would definitely be very happy and would have the most beautiful smile, more beautiful than the cherry blossoms covering the mountain.
Yae Rin took small sips of the brown medicinal soup, coughing softly from time to time. The overflowing soup trickled down from the corner of her mouth, drawing a brown line on her fair skin.
The medicinal soup was extremely bitter. With every small sip she swallowed, the little girl's brow furrowed a little more.
In fact, Rin knew in her heart that the medicinal soup was not of much help to her condition. Her father had consulted countless doctors, but every one of them was at a loss, only prescribing a simple tonic to strengthen her constitution.
Moreover, it had not rained in the village for several months. It was already autumn now. If there was no more rain, this year's harvest would be ruined, and there would be no cherry blossoms next year.
Even so, Rin tried her best to drink every sip of the medicinal soup. Because this was the soup that her sister personally brewed, only by drinking it would her sister feel a little at ease. This was also the only thing Rin could do for her sister.
Watching Rin finish the last sip of the medicinal soup, Sakura's uneasy heart finally calmed down a bit. She put down the empty bowl and gently wiped the medicinal soup from the corner of her sister's mouth with a handkerchief. Her movements were very gentle, as if afraid that too much force would hurt the small person in her arms.
After helping her sister lie down and tucking her in again, Sakura gave a few more instructions before leaving with the empty bowl.
Not long after Sakura left, a young man in a black haori walked in gently.
Seeing the visitor, although Rin was ill, her strict upbringing still made her struggle to sit up on her knees and call out softly, "Father."
Seeing that Rin was about to get up, the man hurriedly stepped forward, pressed down on Rin's small body, and said with a slight tone of reprimand, "How many times have I told you? Since you are ill, you don't need to bother with these formalities."
Hearing her father's reprimand, Rin lowered her head without a word, looking as if she was admitting her mistake.
Seeing Rin's appearance, the man sighed. How could he not know his daughter's stubbornness? Although she looked gentle on the outside, she was extremely stubborn on the inside.
The man sat beside his daughter, gently stroking her soft pink hair, his eyes filled with sorrow, and said softly, "You remember everything I told you yesterday, right?" His voice was extremely soft, as if he were talking to himself.
Hearing her father's question, Rin's body stiffened. A moment later, she recovered and replied softly, "Rin remembers everything."
"If there were any other choice, I..." The man did not continue. After a long while, he spoke again, "This is the mission of the Yae clan."
His voice was very soft, but also very firm, as if to convince his daughter, or perhaps to convince himself.
...
One day before, in the main hall of the shrine, a man in a black haori sat at the head, while a group of villagers in various clothes sat on either side.
"Lord Head Priest, it hasn't rained for several months this year. We should prepare for the ritual!" a villager shouted.
"That's right, that's right! The fields have been without water for a long time, even the Shiomi River is almost at its bottom," another villager echoed.
"Half of the village has been without water for days. If this continues, we won't even be able to supply water to the shrine!" an old man shouted loudly.
The Head Priest quietly listened to the villagers' chattering. After they had calmed down a bit, he said in a deep voice, "Then in your opinion, what should be done?"
Hearing the Head Priest's question, the villagers immediately fell silent. Even though they had already discussed the plan before coming, no one dared to speak it out loud.
After a long time, an old woman looked up at the Head Priest, her upper body straightening slightly, and said in a sharp voice, "According to the method passed down from our ancestors, when we encounter such a great drought, we must sacrifice a maiden from the shrine maiden's lineage."
As soon as these words were spoken, the main hall immediately fell into a dead silence, so quiet that even the sound of breathing was barely audible. Everyone silently looked at the floor in front of them, trying their best to minimize their presence.
Everyone knew that this generation of the shrine maiden clan had two girls, the younger of whom was chronically ill. Now, during a great drought, when it was becoming difficult to support her, wasn't it perfect to offer her to the gods? It would prevent more people from dying and also please the gods.
Of course, everyone usually only thought about this in their hearts, and no one dared to cross the Head Priest. After all, the Yae clan was a family that served the gods. They were the spokesmen of the gods and held the highest status in the village.
But now, after such a long drought, if the ritual was not performed, the village would soon be gone. Who would care about the Head Priest then?
Hearing these words, the Head Priest immediately stared at the old woman who had spoken, his eyes like sharp swords, as if to gouge out her heart and see how she dared to say such a thing!
Faced with the Head Priest's sharp gaze, the old woman was at first afraid, but then she thought of the villagers who had plotted with her and immediately stared back at the Head Priest without yielding, continuing to shout, "Don't forget, we provide for you, the Yae clan, and you must provide us with protection. This is your responsibility. Are you trying to escape it?"
Faced with the old woman's accusation, the Head Priest's expression remained unchanged, but his gaze became even sharper.
With the old woman taking the lead, the other villagers also began to clamor, shouting for the ritual to be held and for a maiden from the shrine maiden's lineage to be offered to the gods.
The Head Priest could face the accusation of one person without fear, but when everyone started to cause a commotion, he was also powerless.
After a long while, he shouted, "Enough!"
The villagers immediately stopped and looked at the Head Priest.
"The ritual will be held as scheduled. You may all go back now," the Head Priest said. After speaking, his tall body seemed to deflate like a leaking balloon.
Hearing these words, the villagers understood that the Head Priest had compromised. All of them showed joy on their faces and stood up to leave one after another.
After the villagers had left, only the man in the black haori, the so-called Head Priest, remained in the spacious hall. He stared blankly at the empty hall, his heart heavy, as if a thousand-pound stone had been stuffed inside, a stone named "Yae". Besides that, there was no room for a father's love for his daughter.