Chapter 10
Tutorial: The Great Bath (2)
“Do you know why I was chosen?”
It was a blunt question—but of course, it was the one I most wanted answered.
“I’m sorry, but I do not know,”
Shia-Yun replied without hesitation.
“It is said that the ancestral spirits choose the one who will save the kingdom from crisis. However, the sorcerer who performs the summoning ritual always loses their life, so in truth, no one knows for certain.”
I see.
Still, in this case, Princess Leafa is alive—even if she’s asleep. Maybe once she wakes up, she’ll be able to tell me.
But when will that be…?
“What about the other ‘Marebito’ who were summoned before me?”
“The first summoning took place around seven hundred years ago. It is said that the First Marebito purified the ‘Evil’ that had attacked the kingdom at the time. Then, about five hundred years ago, the Second Marebito was summoned, and about three hundred years ago, the Third.”
“Wait—so I’m the first Marebito to be summoned in three hundred years?”
“That is correct.”
That means… I’m practically a legend.
Three hundred years, huh?
That would be around the time of Tokugawa Yoshimune’s Kyōhō Reforms back in Japan. It feels impossible to believe that time could still be connected to the present.
Guess all that university exam cramming is finally paying off—but I probably can’t expect much advice from my predecessors.
“What exactly is jūryoku—‘cursed power’?”
“It is said to be the force that allows a sorcerer to appeal to the ancestral spirits, a power that manifests directly from the soul.”
“Can anyone use it?”
“No. Only those who are spiritually connected to the ancestral spirits. I am not a sorcerer myself, so I do not understand the sensation, but it is unknown how one gains such a spiritual bond, or how one acquires cursed power.”
“And you have to seal that power into a jufu—a talisman—for it to work?”
“Not necessarily. One can manifest it directly on the spot without a talisman. However, when a great amount of power is required, or when the power must be sent over a long distance, talismans are needed.”
“I see. Then, since the water’s still hot, that means Princess Leafa’s soul is still alive, right?”
I asked brightly, like a student answering their teacher’s question.
Shia-Yun’s eyes widened slightly, and then—“Ah…”—she lost her words.
Her red eyes quickly filled with tears, and she gently covered her face with both hands.
Her pale, translucent shoulders trembled faintly.
“I-I’m… so sorry…”
Her voice broke.
I could tell that all the feelings she had been holding back were spilling out, as if a dam had finally burst.
—Her soul is alive.
That one phrase must have snapped the tension inside her.
Her devotion to Princess Leafa overflowed, and she couldn’t hold back the sobs that escaped in quiet gasps.
She’s really been holding herself together all this time…
The gentle ripples from her trembling body spread across the surface of the bathwater, forming circles that reached all the way to where I sat.
I felt bad thinking it while she cried—but the moment felt warm and peaceful.
—I hope Princess Leafa wakes up soon.
That was all I could think.
But I didn’t know what words might accidentally hurt her, so I kept the prayer inside my heart and stayed silent.
Of course, there were still countless things I wanted to ask,
but for now… this was enough.
With that thought, I looked up at the high ceiling above, hazy in the drifting steam.
