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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 4 Chapter 1 - The Silkworm God (Part 3)

Alright here's the end of the first chapter

Ok tbh now that the official version of volume 4 is out i am not sure what to do with this translation. im pretty sure i said before that i would drop it once the official translations catch up and i do still mean it (especially now that i have so much on my plate) but i don't want to abandon this blog. Maybe i'll post summaries for the later books? idk yet

thanks to everyone who supported me so far!

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After a while, Shuuji arrived, looking fearful of her surroundings. Her face was pale.

“La…Lady Raven Consort, I told you to forget about the ghost…”

“Were you threatened by the ghost?”

Shuuji’s eyes widened. “You know?”

“Did it tell you that you’re cursed? Don’t worry, it was lying.”

“Is…is that true, Lady Raven Consort?”

Shuuji, looking like she was about to burst into tears, tried to cling to Jusetsu. Onkei stopped her. “No need,” Jusetsu told him, then took Shuuji’s hand. When Onkei let go of her, she crumpled down on the spot. She cried as she squeezed Jusetsu’s hand.

“Lady Raven Consort, I’m scared.”

“What scared you?” Jusetsu asked, soothing a sobbing Shuuji.

“Yesterday…it happened yesterday evening. After finishing work, I was walking in the outer corridor when something rolled down at my feet. When I stopped and looked, I saw that it was a cocoon. And then, more cocoons fell down, and just when I was wondering what was going on, I saw a shadow on the nearby lattice window…” Shuuji trembled. “It was dark inside, so I couldn’t see them very well, but they seemed to be a palace lady. She was standing beside me, facing me. Then, she spoke. If you meddle in my business any more, I’ll put a curse on you. It was a terrifying voice. I lost my nerve and ran into the room where everyone else was. When I told them that I saw a ghost, they said that we had to investigate, so I went back with them even though I didn’t want to. As might be expected, the ghost was nowhere to be found, nor the cocoons. I was just so scared and didn’t know what to do…”

So, she went to Yamei Palace again and told Jusetsu to leave the ghost alone.

“Hmm,” Jusetsu, who was listening with her head tilted slightly, nodded.

“By ‘terrifying voice,’ what kind of voice was it specifically? A high voice or a low voice? A thin voice or a thick voice?”

“Specifically…? Well…” Shuuji closed her eyes, as though to remember.

“It wasn’t a high-pitched voice. It wasn’t deep either…yes, it wasn’t a young voice. It was hoarse, like there was something wrong with their throat, and that might have been why I was so frightened. Because it wasn’t the voice of a young palace lady at all.”

“Do you recall hearing that voice before?”

“No, I haven’t—oh, but…” Shuuji put her hand to her mouth. “Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve heard it… No, but I’m not very sure.”

“You said you ran into the room where everyone else was. Who is ‘everyone’?”

“The palace ladies… I think they were all there, but I was also upset and don’t remember clearly.”

“Hmm, I see,” Jusetsu peered into Shuuji’s face. “Listen, that was not a ghost. The reason is that my barrier extends here. Ghosts won’t appear within it. It’s impossible.”

Shuuji was staring intently into Jusetsu’s eyes, as though drawn into them.

“Y-Yes…, Lady Raven Consort!” Shuuji nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushing. “Ah, then someone did something like that…? Who is it?”

“Most likely someone who doesn’t want to be investigated.”

The ghost that threatened Shuuji and the ghost that stole the cocoons were probably the same person.

Jusetsu had said that there were two ghosts, but one of them was fake.

“May I look inside the room?”

Before she heard a reply, Jusetsu went up the stairs and entered the room where the palace ladies were working. There was a fishy smell and steam enshrouded everything. Large cauldrons with boiling water were placed in two kilns. The cocoons were being boiled inside them. Palace ladies standing next to them were picking up boiled cocoons, quickly finding the thread end, and pulling out the thread. They were incredibly fast. The pulled-out threads were winded around thread reels.

After removing the material that would become silk thread, there was another palace lady who removed the cocoons with transparent larvae from the cauldrons, another who changed the water, and another who removed the thread from the reel. The palace ladies’ cheeks and hands were red from the heat, and sweat was beading on their foreheads and necks.

They were all silently engrossed in their work and didn’t even notice Jusetsu’s entrance. Jusetsu’s eyes landed on the kiln containing cocoons at the edge of the room. Even to an untrained eye, she could tell that there were some dirty cocoons mixed in. These were probably the bad cocoons that had been sorted out. Jusetsu immediately left the room so as to not disturb the palace ladies’ work. “Are those the bad cocoons you have at the edge of the room?” she asked Shuuji, who was waiting in the outer corridor. “Yes,” Shuuji answered.

“Are you going to throw them away?”

“No, we can’t present them to the emperor, but we take the thread and make them into palace lady uniforms or cotton.”

“Have they been kept there since yesterday?”

“Yes. The good cocoons are kept under strict guard in a separate room, but the bad ones are…”

“Then those must be the cocoons used to threaten you yesterday.”

Anyone who knew where they were could easily take them out.

“Then, who was the palace lady who pretended to be a ghost and threatened me?”

It’s not them, Shuuji said, looking towards the room where steam was leaking.

“If it was one of my friends, I would know who it was even in the dark. Even their voice…”

Jusetsu watched as the steam unraveled and disappeared.

“I think it would be quicker to have them come out before us than to find out who they are.”

As the evening approached, Jusetsu changed from her eunuch uniform to her usual black robes and headed to the mound with Onkei. She walked around the old moss-covered mound and looked up at the trees.

She had known that someone had been visiting this place from the last time she came here. She knew because the undergrowth had been trodden on.

“Niangniang, they’re here.”

At Onkei’s whisper, Jusetsu hid behind the mound. Onkei hid among the trees.

Under the dim shade of the trees, there was the sound of someone’s footsteps approaching. They were light. They were probably a slender person, not very tall. The person seemed to stop in front of the mound, but then slowly approached a tree, making sure that their footsteps were concealed. It was a large old tree with hollows everywhere. When he put his hand there, Jusetsu called out to him.

“The cocoons are no longer there.”

The man jumped and turned around, his hand still reaching inside the hollow. Jusetsu stood up, and Onkei also appeared from the trees.

“Do you remember my face? We talked behind the mulberry storage room today.”

He stared at Jusetsu’s face and let out a small “Ah.”

“You’re not a eu…”

The man who said this with a pale face was the young eunuch who had told Jusetsu about how they used mulberry branches to make dyes and firewood as he tied them together.

“I hear your name is Rijou.”

She had Tan Kai look into the eunuchs who worked at the cocoonery. Everything from their identities to finances.

“I know exactly what you did. You pretended to be the ghost of a palace lady, sneaked into the cocoonery, and stole the cocoons.”

When it became clear that someone had pretended to be a ghost, it became obvious that the palace ladies had nothing to do with the matter. If it had been a palace lady who stole the cocoons, they wouldn’t have needed to pretend to be a ghost. Just as Jusetsu had once suspected, one only had snatch some cocoons while working and claim that a ghost had appeared.

Rijou had a small stature and wide eyes. He could easily transform into a palace lady by putting on makeup. If he made himself look like a woman, it would be difficult for even those who knew him to notice. Just like how at first, even Shuuji didn’t recognize Jusetsu when she was dressed as a eunuch.

“Ah…ugh…”

Rijou’s face was pale, and he was trembling. He didn’t seem to be the most daring person. He backed away a step, then suddenly tried to run. Onkei moved quickly, but before he could do anything, Rijou tripped on grass and fell. Onkei grabbed his arms and pinned him down. Rijou struggled, but Onkei’s arms didn’t budge.

“N-No…I…”

Rijou began to cry. He was not yet twenty, a young man who seemed able to do both good and bad things with ease.

“I know this wasn’t your plan alone. You were probably instigated by the eunuchs in charge of taking the pupae outside. Did they tell you that you would make money?”

She asked him this, thinking that he would confess if she asked in this way. Rijou nodded readily.

“Yes…that’s right. But it wasn’t for money. At first, it was just a game between friends.”

“A game?”

“I would disguise myself as a palace lady and see if I get found out or not. It was…a bet.”

Jusetsu had heard that many eunuchs indulged in gambling. This was because there was hardly any entertainment here.

“So, have you been sneaking into the cocoonery since before?”

“No, at first I just wandered outside and bet on whether other eunuchs or palace ladies would recognize me, but it went so well that I was told that it wasn’t a bet anymore, so they told me to pretend to be the rumored cocoonery ghost. But doing only that would be boring, so we bet whether or not I can take a cocoon…”

Perhaps the prank went too far.

“I was planning to return the cocoons right away, because there was no point in keeping them. I thought I should drop them in a corner of the room and return them that way. But when Mr. Sekian learned about my plan…”

“He’s the eunuch in charge of transporting pupae. Is he not your friend?”

“He is my superior. Mr. Sekian told me that I should sell the cocoons to a silkworm farmer. That was scary, so of course I told him no, but then he said he’ll reveal that I stole the cocoons…he threatened me by saying that it was a serious crime…”

Rijou started sniffling. He looked very much like a child when he did that.

“Mr. Sekian said that because of his job, he was acquainted with carp merchants and knew of silkworm farmers who might be willing to buy cocoons. He said he would talk to them and sell the cocoons the next time he brought the pupae outside, so I should hide them until then.”

“So, you hid them in a tree hollow until the time came to go outside to deliver the pupae?”

“I knew this place because I come here to get firewood to use in the cocoonery. I thought that this tree hollow would be perfect.”

Keeping them close at hand could be dangerous in case someone investigates. Therefore, Jusetsu had the idea that the cocoons were probably hidden somewhere else, and this was the place that came to mind. It was supposed to be a place that no one went near, but there were signs that someone had been here. After looking around, she found a cloth bundle that had been pushed into a tree hollow, containing the two cocoons.

The thread was retrieved from the cocoons today, and the pupae would be delivered to the carp merchants tomorrow. So, Jusetsu deduced that he would be coming here today.

“You were the ones who threatened the palace lady, Nen Shuuji, yesterday.”

“I was told to pretend to be a palace lady again and to just stand there, so that’s all I did. He said that we were just going to scare the palace ladies a little. I thought it was just a prank. It was Mr. Sekian, not me, who dropped the cocoons and threatened her with a fake voice.”

As for Sekian, Tan Kai should have had him tied up right now.

In any case, it was good that the cocoons hadn’t been taken outside, but there was the danger that the Saname silkworms leaking out into the world. After informing Banka and Koushun, she had to leave the handling of the matter to them.

Jusetsu left the mound with Rijou tied up by Onkei. It was already completely dark. She suddenly stopped and turned around. The area in front of the mound became slightly brighter. There was a palace lady standing there. She turned towards Jusetsu and bowed once. Then just like that, she faded away and disappeared. Jusetsu stared at the mound, which had sunk into darkness once again.

She probably wasn’t a palace lady who died from the silkworms’ curse.

In fact, it seemed like she even loved silkworms.

Jusetsu wondered if she showed up in the cocoonery because she truly just wanted to take care of the silkworms.

After that, Jusetsu lifted the barrier around the cocoonery, but the ghost didn’t appear again, perhaps because this year’s silkworm cultivation was over.

“In a book written in the previous dynasty, there is a story about a woman who loved the silkworms so much that she refused to marry and was executed,” Koushun said. “It’s written as a story that circulated throughout the public, but it might have been something that actually occurred in the inner palace.”

“Then, by refusing to marry, do you mean that she rejected the emperor’s advances?”

That would probably be why she was executed.

“The fact that you knew such a book existed is astonishing,” Jusetsu said with some admiration.

After a moment’s silence, Koushun answered, “I learned about it from Shiki.” He was an honest man.

“Shiki knows most of the books in Koutou Academy.”

Reiko Shiki was a scholar of Koutou Academy. Before that, he was a deputy inspector in Ga Province.

Jusetsu had visited Koutou Academy before. It held a large number of books, from bamboo strips to paper scrolls. If he already grasped them all, then he truly was a talented man.

Jusetsu stared at the surface of the pond that spread out in front of him. A distorted moon was reflected on the rippled surface of the water.

The two of them were standing by the pond at Yamei Palace. Ei Sei was standing a little distance away, so no one could hear their conversation.

“You’re friendly with Shiki, aren’t you.”

Her murmured voice seemed to glide over the ripples.

“I wouldn’t call it friendly,” Koushun’s voice was tinged with perplexity. “He is my vassal, after all.”

He wasn’t just a vassal either. Shiki was probably the one person who could understand Koushun’s darkest depths. They both kept the cold flame of revenge burning in their hearts. It was something Jusetsu simply couldn’t understand.

Every time she thought about it, Jusetsu felt a feeling like smoldering embers. It was like she was being enveloped in fog or sinking into the deep sea. She felt insecure and restless.

“…What’s wrong?”

Koushun’s hand reached out and touched her cheek, then immediately pulled away. She looked up at him. He said that he would find a way to save her. Find a way to free her from Wulian Niangniang. If there was such a path, he wanted to choose it.

He heard Jusetsu’s silent cries for help.

When she heard that, Jusetsu had unexpectedly burst into tears. Koushun wiped them for her. Since then, she no longer put herself on guard when he touched her. And he also touched her naturally, without hesitation or indecision.

Some kind of barrier had been removed—completely removed.

Jusetsu wanted to ask Reijou, the previous Raven Consort who raised her, this question.

Is this okay?

Of course, I won’t get a “yes.”

The water's surface swayed. The distorted moon was hidden by thin clouds.

After a while, Jusetsu heard a new rumor from Jiujiu. It was said that the palace ladies of the cocoonery had begun visiting the mound. It was now a common rumor that the ghost of the palace lady was a guardian deity of silkworms.

This seems to be how gods are created, Jusetsu thought.

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#translations #koukyuu no karasu #raven of the inner palace #shirakawa kouko #koukyuu no karasu 4

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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 4 Chapter 1 - The Silkworm God (Part 2)

The theme got updated apparently

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That night, there was an unusual preliminary announcement.

“Dajia will be arriving here shortly.”

A boy eunuch came to Yamei Palace to inform them. It was still the first watch of the night (seven to nine pm).

Jusetsu found it bothersome that Koushun would be go out of his way to send her a message beforehand, but since there was no point in telling the messenger that, Jusetsu simply replied, “I see.” The boy eunuch noticed Ishiha, who was feeding Xingxing in a corner of the room, and had an “Ah” look on his face. Ishiha made a similar face. “Do you know each other?” Jusetsu asked Ishiha. “We were together at Gyokou Hall,” he said. For a time, Ishiha worked as a servant at Koushun’s residence.

The two were smiling. They were probably good friends. It was adorable. Seemingly remembering his position, the boy eunuch hurriedly bowed and said, “Excuse me.” He was about to leave when Jusetsu took some boiled chestnuts on the tray and put them in his small hands. If he made Ishiha happy, then it might be a good idea to have him serve as the messenger in the future, she thought. At the same time, she asked herself if that was what a Raven Consort would do. Her heart was uncertain.

Jiujiu ran to the kitchen to prepare tea, and Ishiha retreated to his room. Koushun must have waited for the right time to come, since the tea was just ready when he arrived at Yamei Palace.

“There are no changes?” Koushun asked quietly, taking a sip of the gently steaming tea. His voice was quiet but held a hint of warmth, like the winter sun.

“Nothing has changed.”

Koushun’s expression remained unchanged by Jusetsu’s curt reply, and Ei Sei, standing behind him, only frowned. When she turned to look at him, he suddenly turned his head away. Normally, he would stare at her with a biting gaze. She was fine with it as long as he didn’t scowl at her.

On the table, there were the lotus seeds preserved in sugar brought by Koushun. They were Jusetsu’s favorites, which he often brought. After popping a seed coated in white sugar into her mouth, she looked at him.

“…What about you?” she asked quietly.

“Me?” Koushun looked back at her in surprise.

“You asked me, so I’ll ask you too.”

“I see. Well, as for me…”

He looked down a little thoughtfully. It was just like him to seriously think about his answer.

“I’m having a difficult time talking to the Owl.”

The Owl.

The executioner from Kakurenomiya who tried to kill Jusetsu. He was also the Raven’s brother. The Raven imprisoned within Jusetsu—

“…What do you mean by difficult time?”

The Owl said that he was currently imprisoned in Kakurenomiya. Apparently, it was because he had broken a prohibition against interfering with them. In prison, the Owl used a large conch shell as a messenger to deliver his voice. Only Koushun, who was injured by him, could hear him.

“It seems to depend on the tides and waves. It’s not a guarantee that his voice can reach me when I’m near the shell. But I can’t carry it around with me either.”

It would be acceptable if it was a small shell, but it was a large conch shell. It would raise questions if people saw him walking around with it, and moreover, talking to it. They might suspect him of being insane.

“…In the first place, the Owl approached us to find a solution, so there may not be a need to inquire further.”

Display your wisdom, the Owl had said. He told them to think of a way to save the Raven without killing Jusetsu.

“I don’t think so. There must be things that he knows that we don’t know. I would like to have more conversations to confirm that, but…”

“You ask me, but I wouldn’t know such things.”

“You were the one who asked, so I answered.”

“That’s not what I asked you about.”

“Then what is it?”

Jusetsu was at a loss for an answer. What is it? What answer did I wish to hear?

“…I asked about you, so your answer should be about yourself.”

“I believe I did do so.”

“I didn’t ask about the Owl.”

“How particular you are,” Koushun replied dispassionately, but spoke after thinking it over in silence for a little bit. “I am the same as you. There hasn’t been anything unusual. I’ve been sleeping well lately, and I am in good health.”

“I see.”

Jusetsu didn’t really know what she wanted to ask, so that was all she said. However, after hearing his words just now, she felt relieved. Perhaps that was what she wanted to hear from the start. Koushun didn’t talk about himself voluntarily.

“The head of the Saname clan will be arriving here from Ga Province soon, so there are many things to worry about, though.”

“Saname Chouyou is coming here?”

“Yes. He is presenting silkworm eggs.”

“Silkworms from Ga Province? He’s presenting eggs instead of raw silk?”

“It’s part of his compensation for the previous incident.”

He was referring to the incident in which the uncle of the family head, who had been living under house arrest, had plotted to regain his interests. In the end, his past injustices and murders were soon exposed, and it was said that Chouyou himself beheaded his uncle. Because they had doctored the rice taxes that they were supposed to pay to the central government, the Saname clan had to receive a very severe punishment.

“I desperately wanted the Saname silkworm eggs, but they are never taken out of the province. I couldn’t forcibly take them away. I’m glad I was able to unexpectedly obtain them due to this incident.”

That meant that he used this incident as a pretext to make the request. Koushun’s expression remained cool, though.

“Is it because the raw silk from Ga Province is such high quality?”

“The quality of the luster is excellent, and it is durable. The cocoonery in the imperial court have been conducting research on it for a long time, but we just can’t get that luster with other silkworms. The silkworm eggs presented by Saname are the highest quality among their silkworms. I want to use them as a base to make further improvements and eventually standardize the silkworm varieties of Shou.”

His tone was calm, but he seemed to be extremely ambitious and motivated. It’s unusual for him to talk for so long, Jusetsu thought. At the same time, what caught her attention was the fact that he desperately wanted the Saname silkworm eggs.

The Saname silkworms are worth more than I expected.

“There’s a cocoonery in the inner palace as well.”

Jusetsu was inwardly startled at Koushun’s words. Of course, the cocoonery ghost and the loss of the cocoons were a secret from him. Especially if the cocoons were worth that much.

“The silkworms currently being raised there are Saname silkworms. The Crane Consort is in charge of it.”

“Huh,” Jusetsu didn’t say anything more and simply made a sound of acknowledgement.

“Apparently, the Crane Consort also took care of silkworms when she lived in Ga Province. She is also very knowledgeable about their ecology.”

“Huh…” She remembered that Jiujiu had also said something about that. “Is that so?”

“You didn’t know? I thought you two were close.”

“We haven’t seen each other lately.”

Jusetsu didn’t go to other palaces unless invited. Before, she often received invitations from Banka, but recently they had stopped coming.

“I see. It seems like she hasn’t been feeling well for a while now. I should go visit her.”

“Is she sick?”

The curse incident crossed her mind. Was that still having a lasting effect? However, Koushun denied it.

“She appears to be depressed. It’s suddenly getting colder. It might be because of that.”

“You didn’t go to visit her?”

“I have. We’re exchanging letters as well.”

That was right, Koushun was a conscientious person.

“I’m about to go there today as well.”

“Then you should go quickly. You need not visit me.”

“I didn’t mean to stay too long, but I wanted to see your face.”

Sometimes, Jusetsu felt as though she was standing there motionless at Koushun’s words. In such cases, she couldn’t respond.

Koushun stood up. Even when she looked at his face, it was as expressionless as ever, and she couldn’t read his emotions. When he was about to go to the doors, he turned around.

“I just remembered something. About Hou Ichigyou…”

He was an old man who was an imperial sorcerer in the previous dynasty. He was being pursued on the charges of sending the Owl’s tsukaibe, Shougetsu, into the inner palace, and was arrested in the entertainment district recently.

“His fever has subsided and he’s on the mend. You’ll be able to see him soon.”

Perhaps it was because he had got caught in the rain for a little bit when he was arrested, or perhaps it was due to stress, but Hou became bedridden with illness. Due to his old age, he couldn’t brush off even a minor sickness. He was moved to the inner court for monitoring and nursing.

Jusetsu was relieved to hear that he was on his way to recovery. She had so many things she wanted to ask about sorcerers and the Raven Consort.

“I’ll come again.”

After saying that, Koushun left through the doors. Jusetsu stood up, opened the doors slightly, and watched him and the eunuchs as they left. The sun set, and the lanterns held by the eunuchs were flickering dimly in the darkness.

Jusetsu stood there for a while, watching the lights becoming more and more distant. Suddenly, she noticed a light approaching from a different direction and stared at it. It was the figure of a palace lady that stood out against the light.

Shuuji.

Jusetsu descended the steps and went to her. Shuuji hurriedly knelt when she spotted her.

“L…Lady Raven Consort.”

“What’s wrong? Did the ghost appear?”

“No, that’s not it. Um…”

Shuuji’s face was so pale that it could be seen even in the dim light, and her voice was trembling. Something strange had clearly happened. However, the words that came out of her mouth were completely unexpected.

“Please just forget about what I requested of you.”

“What?”

“Please leave that ghost be. Please—”

Jusetsu frowned. “What exactly is going on? Tell me what happened.”

“No, nothing happened. Please forgive me.”

After repeating “Please forgive me” over and over again, Shuuji finally ran away. Jusetsu silently watched her receding figure. It couldn’t have been nothing.

What happened?

The next morning, Jusetsu once again dressed in a eunuch’s uniform and headed to the cocoonery. Even if Shuuji asked her to leave it be, with that frightened appearance, there was no way she would withdraw herself.

Before she headed to the cocoonery, she had some trouble deciding who to accompany her.

“Yesterday was Onkei, so please take me with you today.”

It was because Tan Kai had said that. Jiujiu couldn’t stay silent when she heard that.

“If you’re willing to take someone like Tan Kai with you, then take me as well.”

“What do you mean, someone like me? You can’t be a bodyguard.”

“I’m worried about you because you’re lazy.”

It seemed that Jiujiu didn’t get along very well with Tan Kai. Since they were arguing, it didn’t look like they would be able to go out. “I’ll bring Onkei with me,” Jusetsu decided. “If it’s Onkei, then it’s fine,” Jiujiu immediately backed down. Tan Kai complained until the end.

“My apologies. I will scold Tan Kai later,” Onkei apologized as they went to the cocoonery.

“I don’t mind adding him, but three strangers would be too conspicuous, wouldn’t they?”

“I’ll try not to stand out, then.”

A voice suddenly came from nearby, and Jusetsu stopped. Tan Kai appeared from between the trees.

“Did you follow us?” Jusetsu asked, somewhat taken aback.

“Tan Kai,” Onkei called out to him in a subdued voice. Jusetsu could tell that his reprimand was strong enough to be held back so much. If Ishiha was called in the same way, he would probably cry.

“My role is to protect you, Niangniang. But there’s no point in leaving me behind so many times. It’s lonely to be left alone.”

When Tan Kai said he was lonely, Jusetsu felt like she had done something bad.

“…As long as you don’t attract attention, I don’t mind if you follow me.”

“Of course, Niangniang. I can be useful.”

“Tan Kai…”

Onkei’s stifled voice turned colder. However, Tan Kai walked alongside them with an expression of feigned ignorance.

Tan Kai was faithful to his own desires. This was all the more so because Onkei was a self-restrained and overly modest servant. He was the type of person who had never been around Jusetsu before. Tan Kai was clearly aware of his desires to do this and want that. That was something Jusetsu didn’t have. She wasn’t used to it, so she had a hard time dealing with him, but at the same time, her interest was piqued. She thought that Koushun and the others should imitate Tan Kai’s free-spiritedness to some extent.

“Onkei, what have you found out about that mound?” Jusetsu asked him as they walked.

“A veteran eunuch knew what it was. It’s a silkworm mound.”

“A silkworm mound?”

“It used to be a place to discard the silkworms that died during the rearing process and the carcasses of pupae created during silk production. However, it seemed to have turned into a mound where the silkworms are enshrined.”

“So it was a grave for silkworms?”

“Yes. Now, we sell the pupae to carp breeders, so there is no need for a place to discard them.”

“Carp breeders?”

“They say they make for good bait. Every time, the pupae carcasses are stuffed into bags and taken outside by the cocoonery eunuchs.”

She didn’t know silkworm carcasses could be used for fish food. It was much better than just throwing them away.

“The ghost of the silkworm mound, huh,” Jusetsu murmured to herself. She dwelled in the mound and took care of the silkworms in the cocoonery. Was she cursed by the silkworms even after death?

All things considered, she was a tranquil ghost.

She was a ghost with no stagnation, resentment, or bitterness within her body. She simply took care of the silkworms silently and returned to the mound once she finished. A quiet ghost.

“…What about the other matter?” Jusetsu asked Onkei to investigate one more thing in addition to the mound.

“There are fifteen palace ladies working in the cocoonery, and five more are added during the busiest periods. All of them are ladies of Hakkaku Palace, and when they aren’t looking after the silkworms, they return there.”

“They aren’t from Ga Province, are they?”

“No, they are all daughters of imperial capital merchants, wealthy farmers from neighboring villages, and scholar bureaucrats. The main caretakers are the daughters of farmers. Many of the farmers also raise silkworms, after all. Apparently, they learned how to raise Ga Province silkworms directly from the Crane Consort.”

“I see. You did a good job, researching all of that in only half a day.”

She thanked him. Onkei smiled slightly.

“Haha. Niangniang, are you thinking that the palace ladies are suspicious?” Tan Kai interjected. “The loss of the cocoons was the work of a palace lady, not a ghost. Isn’t that right?”

He was perceptive. Jusetsu had Onkei investigate the backgrounds of the palace ladies who worked at the cocoonery.

“If that ghost had been stealing cocoons, then the rumors should have been about that in the first place. However, that wasn’t the case. The ghost only appears to take care of the silkworms. Also…the silkworms of Ga Province are of high value. It would be reasonable to assume that someone took advantage of the rumors of the ghost to steal the cocoons.”

“You’re saying that it was a palace lady taking care of the silkworms who was able to do that?”

“The cocoons disappeared while the palace ladies were taking care of them. It would be difficult for anyone else to do it. They said that the room and clothes of the ladies were searched at the time of the loss, but there must have been some way to hide the cocoons. It is more reasonable than thinking that an outsider did it.”

“So, you’re going to go cross examine the palace ladies now?”

“I won’t do something like that. There is a palace lady I must question first.”

“That Nen Shuuji girl?”

“No. –Onkei.”

Onkei nodded as though he knew what she was thinking. “I know who the palace lady was who said she saw a ghost on the day the cocoons were lost.”

Jusetsu smiled. Onkei understood very well.

“That palace lady stole the cocoons?” Tan Kai asked.

“If it was the palace lady who stole the cocoons, we can blame it on the ghost who appeared,” Jusetsu replied.

“But the ghost does exist, so it wouldn’t be strange for it to appear that day. It’s also possible that another palace lady took advantage of the ghost commotion to steal them—oh, did that palace lady say that there was a ghost because she knew that the cocoons went missing?”

That doesn’t make any sense, Tan Kai answered his own question.

“Precisely. If one were to take advantage of a commotion, one would make a scene at the moment the ghost appeared in order to divert everyone’s attention. However, in reality, such a commotion didn’t occur. It was only after the loss was discovered that she claimed to have seen the ghost.”

“Then, they were trying to steal the cocoons and pass it off as the work of the ghost?” Tan Kai said.

“Perhaps,” Jusetsu replied. She then asked Onkei, “What is the background of that lady?”

“She is the daughter of a wealthy farmer.”

“Then, she must also have connections to sericulture farmers.”

If she didn’t, then there was no point in getting her hands on one or two cocoons. She wouldn’t be able to make them emerge or breed.

“We don’t know the sexes of the lost cocoons, but if they crossbreed them with the silkworms from the sericulture farmers, they could create a silkworm breed that is descended from the Saname silkworms. Or, if the cocoons are a male and female pair, then the breed will be pure Saname. The closely guarded Saname silkworms will be leaked out into the outside world.”

“…It’s become serious, isn’t it?” Tan Kai scratched his head.

“It’s very serious. We’re preparing for the visit of Saname Chouyou. It would be very bad if the cocoons have already been taken outside.”

But this was the inner palace. There weren’t many opportunities to have contact with the outside world. The cocoons were probably still hidden somewhere.

“I think it would be better to inform Dajia—no, the Crane Consort first.”

“I’ll do it once we find out if it is the work of the palace lady. I’m also concerned about Shuuji.”

“She suddenly told you to stop investigating the ghost incident.”

“Yes. What do you think?”

“Yeah, that’s how it always goes,” Tan Kai said with a faint smile. “She must have been threatened.”

In front of the cocoonery, Jusetsu and the two eunuchs split into two groups. In order to avoid Shuuji’s notice, they had Onkei first ask for that aforementioned palace lady. Jusetsu and Tan Kai decided to wait for her behind an inconspicuous building.

Unlike yesterday, they went around the back gate and entered where no one could see them. Eunuchs were still working in the back building as seen from the front gate. They seemed to be cleaning with all the doors open. Some were carrying mulberry branches outside, while others were sweeping the floors with brooms.

“Was this the mulberry storage room?”

“Yes it was. They’ve finished taking care of the silkworms, so I guess they’re cleaning up.”

Jusetsu called out to one of the eunuchs who was tying mulberry branches together with a string. He was a small-framed, young, and quite good-looking eunuch. The eunuchs who worked at the consorts’ palaces were usually chosen for their looks. He seemed to think that Jusetsu was a fellow eunuch, as he wiped his sweat and casually replied with “What?”

“Are you going to throw away those branches?”

“Of course not,” the eunuch said with wide eyes. “You can’t waste even one thing in the inner palace. Everything belongs to Dajia. These can be used for dye or firewood.”

“I see. The pupae are also used as carp bait, yes?”

“Yep.”

The eunuch carried the bundle of branches and moved them next to the gate. There was a pile of branches there. While thinking about how these branches could be used for many purposes, Jusetsu went towards the cocoonery building. There was no one around the room where the silkworms were raised, because there were no more silkworms. On the other hand, she could hear the sounds of people working from another room.

“Now that the cocoon selection is over, the next task is to retrieve the threads.”

Hearing Tan Kai’s words, Jusetsu stopped. “Do you know much about silkworms?”

“I wouldn’t say I know much, but the family I was born into also raised them. It’s common for large mansions to build their own cocooneries and procure silk, in our dom…I mean, region.”

He was about to say “our domain.”

Jusetsu stared at Tan Kai’s face. She heard that before becoming a eunuch, he had been a bandit. But she didn’t know who he was before becoming a bandit. When he was captured by the constables, he was made to become a eunuch because of his good looks. Not only that, but there was an elegance to his features.

He might have come from some prestigious family. She wouldn’t pry into it unless he himself said anything, though.

“…When you say retrieving the threads, do you mean taking the threads from the cocoons?”

Jusetsu went to the back of the building.

“They boil the cocoons in hot water and look for the thread end. Then, they pull out the thread. I watched them do it when I was a child, and it’s really an expert skill. They boil the pupae inside to kill it. There is another way to kill the pupae by drying the cocoon, but that doesn’t produce the unique luster, apparently.”

Indeed, steam was coming out from the lattice windows of the room. As she peeked into it, a voice called out to her.

“Niangniang,” It was Onkei. There was a palace lady standing behind him. She must be the one.

“This is the palace lady who saw the ghost on the day the cocoons disappeared, but…” Onkei said, but he looked a little confused. Jusetsu wondered why. “She says that she wants to tell you about the ghost.”

Hmm? Jusetsu tilted her head. What is the meaning of this?

“My name is Man Jakusui,” the palace lady introduced herself and bowed. Jusetsu had seen her in the cocoonery yesterday. She was an unassuming-looking girl with slanted eyebrows. Her cheeks were as white and smooth as a cocoon.

“You want to talk to me about the ghost?”

“Yes,” Jakusui straightened herself. “Um…yesterday, I was hesitating over whether or not I should tell you right away.”

“What is it?”

“It was different.”

“What’s different?” Jakusui wasn’t getting to her point.

“So, um…” The reason Jakusui was stumbling over her words so much was because she didn’t know how to put it into words. Jakusui gestured frustratedly and repeated her words.

“It’s the ghost.”

Jusetsu was silent for a minute.

“The ghost was different. In other words, are you trying to say that the ghost you saw and the ghost from yesterday are different people?”

“Yes, yes,” Jakusui nodded several times.

What does that mean?

“When the cocoons disappeared, we were in the process of checking the conditions of the cocoons. We observed the progress of each cocoon on the holders and recorded it down. These records are important at every stage of rearing. They will be used as reference for producing more good-quality cocoons during subsequent rearings. As we were concentrating on this task, I suddenly noticed that the palace lady across from me was different from the one I was used to seeing, so I looked up. Then…”

It was a face I had never seen before.

“I heard that the cocoonery is haunted, so I thought, Oh, this is the ghost. I don’t even remember the details of her outfit or hair, but the ghost from yesterday had a completely different face. It’s more, well…childish, I feel. She had a cute round face and wide eyes.”

Also, she added. “Although it was faint, it looked like she was wearing makeup. We don’t wear makeup. This is to avoid accidentally contaminating the room and the silkworms, especially when the cocoons are formed. If the cocoons get dirty with white powder or rouge, they will be ruined.”

“But the ghost was wearing makeup.”

“Yes. I was busy, so I can’t stop working even when I think I see a ghost. Also, I was so scared and surprised that I couldn’t even make a sound. I guess you could say that I was afraid of raising my voice and being noticed… That was how I felt at the time. I tried not to look at her too much, but I tried to catch it out of the corner of my eye, and the ghost quickly moved from its spot.”

“Moved? It didn’t disappear?”

“She disappeared from my sight. She didn’t vanish into mist. Everyone around me was working busily, so once it disappeared from sight, it could get lost in the shuffle. But then, once we found out that some cocoons went missing, there was a big panic.”

Jusetsu pondered. If this palace lady is the one who stole cocoons, there would be no need to talk about this. All she had to do was to say that she saw a ghost, and that it was definitely that ghost. Because Jusetsu had no way of determining whether or not that was a lie. All Jakusui needed was to have the guts to stick with her lie, and if she didn’t, she would be coming clean. She didn’t need to talk about this unnecessary stuff.

“…Why didn’t you tell me right away yesterday?”

“I was wondering if I was imagining things, and what if the ghost cursed me too for telling someone about—”

“Cursed? What do you mean, you too?”

“Oh, um, there was a ghost commotion last night.”

“A ghost commotion…”

She suddenly had a realization. So that’s what that was about?

Jusetsu turned to Jakusui. “Can you call Nen Shuuji over here?”

“Yes, it’s no problem.”

Jakusui jogged back to the cocoonery.

“Are you letting that palace lady go?” Tan Kai asked doubtfully.

“Yes” was all Jusetsu said.

“Then, Niangniang, you think her story was true. That means…”

“There are two ghosts.”

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#koukyuu no karasu #koukyuu no karasu 4 #translations #raven of the inner palace

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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 4 Chapter 1 - The Silkworm God (Part 1)

hey guys im back~~~ this chapter was supposed to come out way earlier but i got sidetracked

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The moon sank into the sea and became two gods:

One the god of shadow, one the god of light

Eight thousand nights they spent at the sea.

The first god secluding in the black palace

The second god cavorting in the palace of the moon

And thus, one became Kakurenomiya

And the other became Sasaranomiya

Another god became the port of Kakurenomiya

This was the Great Sea Turtle God

The god had sinned, and was thus rent into eight parts

The flowing water carried them away from the palace

Its head was Jie, its arms were Bahuang, its legs were Gulu

Its carapace became canyons, its blood transformed into rivers

Its eyes became swamps, its breath became a maelstrom that called the tide

Ears of rice ripened in its rotting flesh and degenerated into seeds

The mulberry tree grows, the silkworm grows, and mankind grows

Its bones were made one once again, and the white turtle god was formed

His name was Gou-no-Kami

This god calmed the violent seas to protect ships

The descendants of these gods began

The bloodline of the white king, the emperor—

――From a ritual song of wubangs

There were bundles of raw silk packed in a wooden box in front of Banka. The milk-colored raw silk, resembling morning mist, had a moist luster. Her father, Chouyou, had sent her some of the finest raw silk from Ga Province.

Ga Province’s raw silk was considered to be of the highest quality in the nation of Shou. The province’s sericulture industry began with the silkworms brought by the Saname clan when they migrated here from Kakami, and it had the reputation it developed today after Chouyou devoted himself to selectively breeding the silkworms. Banka had been taking care of the silkworms since childhood under his orders. Spring silkworms, summer silkworms, autumn silkworms, late-autumn silkworms…everyday, she picked mulberry leaves, fed them to the silkworms, cleaned, moved the place where they made their cocoons during their maturing period, sorted them based on their shells after they became cocoons, and repeated that year after year.

Banka liked listening to the sound of the silkworms eating mulberry leaves. When she sat in a corner of the cocoonery and listened closely to the sound of silkworms feasting on the leaves, she felt calm as if being enveloped in gentle rain. It was the sound of life itself.

That was why, when she watched the sorted cocoons being boiled in hot water and their threads taken out, she felt a cold shadow in her heart. The sound of boiling water was the sound of life being torn away. However, the threads spun in this way shined coldly and was above all beautiful.

Whenever the silk slid over her skin, there was always a blue-black chill, like a winter shade.

Banka picked up a bundle of raw silk from the box.

The bundle was tied with paper. Banka stuck her finger in there. Unscrupulous merchants would cheat the weight by rolling in lead or scrap iron into the bundles. Of course, there were no such tricks in packages from her father, but there were other tricks. Banka’s finger felt for the paper string pasted to the back of the paper. Unlike ordinary letters, letters he didn’t want other people seeing were always delivered in this way. She removed the paper string and opened it carefully. A short sentence written in her father’s handwriting was on the thin strip of paper.

“Don’t get involved with the Raven Consort.”

Banka’s breath caught.

Why?

Her father’s written orders never contained reasons. Banka simply obeyed his words. That was why she informed him about everything that happened in the inner palace, and let him know how the emperor looked whenever she was near him. She could do these things only because she thought it was for the best interests of her father, and by extension, the Saname clan.

That was why she wrote about Jusetsu’s secret in her letter. The fact that she hid the color of her hair.

She told him the secret of Jusetsu, who saved her life, who she even wanted to be friends with.

After much hesitation, she weighed Jusetsu and her father, and in the end, Banka chose her father.

She didn’t know why her father, who knew Jusetsu’s secret, ordered her “not to get involved with her.”

However, she didn’t need to be ordered to do that. She didn’t know what kind of face she should make when she saw Jusetsu from now on. They could no longer be friends.

Banka stroked the raw silk. It was cool, but she felt a heat that bounced off her hand as she stroked it. It was the heat of life. Of harvested life.

I’m sure I don’t hold a heat like this.

Banka recalled the sorting of cocoons. It was the work of sorting the good cocoons from the bad ones. Among the bad ones, there was the so-called dead cocoons. The moth had died inside the cocoon and it rotted. A rotten, mushy cocoon.

I’m the same as them.

Unbeknownst to anyone, I rotted on the inside, and now I’m dead on the inside…

“I heard that there’s a ghost in the cocoonery.”

Jiujiu didn’t talk about that rumor until nightfall. As the weather got cooler day by day, the sun set earlier. As usual, Yamei Palace was quietly plunged into darkness without any of the lanterns lit. The sound of insects could be heard in the distance. The only people in the room were Jusetsu and her attendant, Jiujiu. Even though Jusetsu told her it was fine, Jiujiu stayed up with her until late at night. This was because of the guests who visited the Raven Consort at night. They relied on the black-clad consort would accept any request from searching for lost items to curse killings, so the people of the inner palace hid away from prying eyes in the darkness of the night and came here.

“Where?” Jusetsu asked back at the unfamiliar words.

“The cocoonery. It’s the place where the silkworms are raised.”

“There was something like that in the inner palace?”

“Apparently, there is a mulberry grove north of Hakkaku Palace. It’s located there. It was also there during the previous dynasty and the reign of the emperor before the last. The previous emperor’s wife disliked silkworms, so the cocoonery was demolished, but His Majesty built a new one. You see, the Crane Consort’s family runs a thriving sericulture business.”

“Banka’s family…the Saname clan?”

“Yes. The cocoonery was built for the Crane Consort. Apparently, she also helped raise silkworms back home. It’s the palace ladies of the Hakkaku Palace who work in this cocoonery, though.”

This is where we come to the main topic, Jiujiu said.

“People are saying that it’s haunted.”

“Oh? Is it a silkworm ghost?”

“No, it’s the ghost of a palace lady.”

According to Jiujiu, this was the story.

During the previous dynasty, there was a palace lady who worked in the cocoonery. One time, she accidentally stepped on a silkworm and killed it. But she kept silent without confessing her crime. After all, she would be punished if she did. That night, however, she suddenly began to suffer in pain and started to vomit silk from her mouth. The raw silk kept coming out without ever ending. Her body wasted away as more silk came out. When one of the palace ladies hurriedly cut the silk with a pair of scissors, she collapsed and died. Her hair had become white like raw silk.

“It’s the silkworm’s curse,” Jiujiu said fearfully and pressed her hand to her cheek. Jusetsu tilted her head to the side.

“Then is that not a story about a palace lady who was cursed and killed? I don’t believe it has to do with the ghost.”

“That’s where the story begins, Niangniang. The ghost of the palace lady who died from this curse is said to haunt the cocoonery. It’s said that she would appear there from time to time and take care of the silkworms while mixed in with the other palace ladies. She blends into the group while no one is paying attention, and once someone realizes that she’s there, she disappears. They say that she also showed up during the reign of the emperor before the last. The cocoonery didn’t exist during the previous reign, so it seemed that she never appeared, but—”

“After the cocoonery was rebuilt, the ghost appeared again.”

“That’s right, Niangniang,” Jiujiu nodded deeply.

“She didn’t seem to have harmed or cursed the other palace ladies, but the Hakkaku Palace palace ladies are terrified.”

“Did you hear that from them?”

“No, from a palace lady at Enou Palace. I heard it when I went there to get scrap paper for Ishiha’s writing practice.”

Yamei Palace’s boy eunuch, Ishiha, was currently learning to read and write, and he needed all the paper that he could get. That was why they asked for scrap paper from many people.

Every palace had chatty palace ladies, and Jiujiu gathered gossip whenever she went on such errands. She got useful information, as well as trivial ghost stories.

“If it didn’t come from the people involved, then there is no way to know how true it is.”

“Shall I ask a palace lady from Hakkaku Palace, then?”

“You need not go that—” Jusetsu stopped and looked at the doors. Xingxing the golden bird was flapping its wings. They had a visitor.

“Niangniang,” the voice that came from the other side of the door belonged to her bodyguard eunuch, Onkei. “I’ve brought a palace lady who got lost in the woods.”

Yamei Palace was surrounded by a lush forest of laurels and rhododendrons. The forest, which was dim even during the day, was even darker at night when the moon was covered with clouds like today. One could lose their way if one wasn’t careful.

When the doors opened, Onkei brought with him a petite palace lady who had an anxious expression on her face. She knelt in front of Jusetsu and bowed. Onkei went back outside after saying, “Tan Kai will slack off immediately if you take your eyes off him.” Tan Kai was her other bodyguard eunuch. Contrary to the taciturn and austere Onkei, he was chatty and often lazy.

“Lady Raven Consort, I have come to ask you for a favor.”

After saying that, the palace lady prostrated herself in front of Jusetsu as kowtowing towards her. Her feeble voice sounded strained. She seemed to have an urgent request.

“I cannot hear you very well from there. Come here and sit down.”

Jusetsu pointed to the chair across from her. The palace lady stood up, looking somewhat puzzled, and hesitantly walked over.

“Your name?” Jusetsu asked bluntly.

“My family name is Nen, and my given name is Shuuji. I belong to Hakkaku Palace, but I mainly work in the cocoonery.”

Jusetsu met eyes with Jiujiu, who was standing next to her. She knew that even without going to Hakkaku Palace, if something really happened, someone would come here. But she never expected them to show up at such a convenient time.

“Is there a ghost haunting the cocoonery?”

“You knew about that, Lady Raven Consort?”

As expected of the Raven Consort, Shuuji said in awe, but Jusetsu corrected her. “No, I merely overheard the rumors.” It would be troublesome if people thought she could read minds.

“I heard that it’s the ghost of a palace lady.”

“Yes. Apparently, it’s the ghost of a palace lady who died from the silkworm’s curse in the previous dynasty.”

Shuuji’s story about the ghost was the same as the rumors Jusetsu heard from Jiujiu.

“Before I knew it, that ghost was in the cocoonery. When I was carrying the mulberry leaves and feeding the silkworms, I was so busy that I barely even glanced at all the palace ladies’ faces. Then, when I suddenly looked up, I saw an unfamiliar palace lady giving mulberry leaves to the silkworms. I cried out in surprise, and she suddenly disappeared. There are others who had seen her besides me.”

Shuuji said that since, the ghost had often appeared in the cocoonery.

“But if that was all, I wouldn’t have come here to consult you, Lady Raven Consort. Taking care of the silkworms is a busy job, so we honestly don’t have time to worry about one or two ghosts. She appears suddenly and disappears just as suddenly, and she’s harmless, so everyone soon got used to her. We were more focused on successfully raising the silkworms and making them into good cocoons.”

But then…Shuuji’s face clouded over.

“Someone has been harmed?”

Shuuji nodded. “Yes. But no one has been sick or injured. No, it’s more worrisome than that.”

With a pale face, she lowered her head.

“Worrisome?”

“Cocoons have gone missing.”

Jusetsu was somewhat disappointed. “That’s worrisome?”

“It’s very important to us. The silkworms raised in that house belong to the Crane Consort, and by extension, His Majesty. We must not let even a single one die in vain, much less letting them go missing.”

“How many are missing?”

“Two as of now.”

“How do you know that only a few have been lost? You must be raising a lot of silkworms in the cocoonery.”

“It would be almost impossible to tell when they are larvae, but when they are matured silkworms, that is, ready to make cocoons, they are moved to a cocoon-making area made of straw called the cocoon holders. We put one silkworm in there each morning, so we would know if the cocoons that have formed there are missing. The missing cocoons were the ones that had been completed and all that remained was to remove the fluff, but yesterday, when we suddenly took our eyes off them, they were gone…”

“Are you saying that’s the work of the ghost?”

“Of course, at first, we thought that maybe they had fallen out of the cocoon holders for some reason, so we searched not only the floor, but also the entire room. We even searched the palace ladies’ clothing. But we couldn’t find them. In the midst of all this, one palace lady mentioned something. She said that the ghost had appeared right before the cocoons went missing. She thought it was the aforementioned ghost, so she let her be, just like everyone else… I have never seen the ghost take a cocoon, but there is no other way. After we entered the house, no one left until the loss was discovered. Even so, the cocoons weren’t found in the room or the clothing. So it cannot be that one of us took them. In the first place, we are the ones who will be punished if a cocoon goes missing, so there is no way one of us would do something like that.”

“Indeed, your logic is sound,” Jusetsu nodded.

“Because the cocoons have yet to be collected, the cocoon numbers haven’t been reported to the Crane Consort yet. So, we all decided to claim that the cocoons died. …Um…”

Shuuji glanced at Jusetsu.

“I won’t tell the Crane Consort.”

After Jusetsu said that, Shuuji looked relieved and continued talking.

“However, if the ghost appears again and takes more cocoons…starting tomorrow, we will have to collect the finished cocoons. After collecting them and sorting them into good cocoons and bad, if some of the good ones disappear, it will all be over. They are counted, so we can’t cover it up.”

Punishment would then await them. That was why Shuuji called it worrisome.

“The ghost of a palace lady who died after being cursed by the silkworms is now taking their cocoons…” Jusetsu murmured.

“Even if you cover up the loss this time, it would difficult to do it again in the future.”

“Yes. In the Crane Consort’s cocoonery, we raise silkworms three times in spring, summer, and autumn. I feel my body wasting away when I think of the possibility of this happening again.”

Shuuji covered her face with her sleeve. Hmm, Jusetsu pondered.

“If it really is the work of ghosts, then we would be one step behind if we take our time investigating the ghost’s circumstances. For the time being, I can create a barrier in the cocoonery to prevent the ghost from appearing…”

“Can you really do that?” Shuuji raised her head.

“I cannot say anything unless I see the ghost.”

“Yes, by all means, please go ahead.”

Shuuji looked overjoyed enough to clasp Jusetsu’s hands, but her expression immediately darkened again.

“Lady Raven Consort, I have another problem.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the missing cocoons. If it’s true that they are completely gone, then it’s fine, but if the ghost took them somewhere else, that would be a problem.”

“Why?”

“The silkworms in that house are Ga Province silkworms. They are not local. In the event that those silkworms emerge and cross-breed with wild or domestic silkworms in this area, that will cause great problems. It will ruin their breed.”

“Ah…I see.”

Problems like that exist? She thought

“Then, do you want me to find the location of the cocoons?”

“The moths emerge from their cocoons after about ten days. We have to find them before that…”

Shuuji covered her face. She seemed overwhelmed by this sudden disaster.

“I think it would be a good idea to explain the situation to Banka—the Crane Consort. I don’t think she would give you a severe punishment.”

“…That may be true for the Crane Consort, but…” Shuuji trailed off and looked down. “Her father…”

“Banka’s father? The head of the Saname clan?”

“Yes…” Shuuji’s gaze wandered. “The Crane Consort’s father is very strict, and she cannot go against him. If he tells her to hand down a strict punishment, she will obey him.”

He’s the man who told Banka to choose between her own life or the life of her adopted sister.

The Saname clan was cursed by a god to have the youngest daughter of the clan head to die at fifteen. In order to circumvent that, a girl younger than Banka was adopted into the clan. Banka begged her father to save her sister, but he told her that she herself should choose to die instead if that was the case. As a result, the adopted daughter died, and Banka lived. Jusetsu wondered what kind of man Saname Chouyou was for forcing his daughter to make such a choice.

Shuuji covered her mouth with her sleeve.

“I’ve said too much. Please forget it.”

Jusetsu promised to go to the cocoonery tomorrow, and then Shuuji left.

“The Crane Consort seems to be an easygoing person, but her father is very strict. Even the palace ladies are afraid of him,” Jiujiu, who had been standing by in silence, opened her mouth like she couldn’t wait to speak. “The behavior of a consort will probably reflect the inclinations of her family to some extent…”

Jusetsu turned her face to the window. She couldn’t see Hakkaku Palace from here.

If Banka—Hakkaku Palace was at the will of Saname Chouyou, that was something to think about.

Koushun probably already knows about it.

The face of the inscrutable young emperor appeared in her mind. Neither his consorts nor their families were something for Jusetsu to worry about. From the start, the Raven Consort had nothing to do with the outside.

“…”

Jusetsu narrowed her eyes at the melting darkness of the night outside the window.

A lush green mulberry grove could be seen on the other side of Hakkaku Palace.

“Is that it?” Jusetsu muttered. “Yes, niangniang,” Onkei answered from behind her. He was accompanying her to the cocoonery this morning.

“The mulberry grove has been around since the previous dynasty, and it was still maintained even when there was no cocoonery.”

“Why are silkworms raised in the inner palace?”

“It’s more the imperial palace rather than the inner palace. There is also a cocoonery in the outer court. They say that breed improvement and research are being conducted there. Originally, raw silk for the emperor and imperial family were produced there.”

“So, the cocoonery in the inner palace is for the consorts?”

“Yes. I heard it used to be quite large.”

Since Onkei said that, Jusetsu imagined a small hut. However, the cocoonery that appeared before her was quite a respectable building. It certainly didn’t have the magnificence of a consort’s palace, but it had three buildings roofed with blue-glazed roof tiles, and it was encircled with mud roof walls. From the front building, they could hear the sounds and voices of the palace ladies busy at work, and in the back building, they could see eunuchs coming and going with bundles of firewood.

“The mulberry storehouse is in the back, and the cocoonery is in the front.”

Onkei explained. He was sent here as a spy on Ei Sei’s orders, so he knew most of the things here, which was helpful. He was a beautiful eunuch with cool eyes and a single scar running across his cheek. He was a skillful guard, but he was also a very capable servant, with his attention to small details, a shadow-like unassumingness in all things, and his efficiency in carrying out tasks.

Jusetsu headed for the building in front. Before she could climb the steps, the doors opened and a palace lady hurried out. It was Shuuji.

“My deepest apologies for not noticing your arrival, Lady Raven Consort. I was watching the outside, but I thought you were a eunuch…”

“That’s fine. It would be unfavorable to me if I were recognized from a distance.”

In order to not be recognized by Hakkaku Palace, Jusetsu came here dressed as a eunuch. It really was convenient. Although Jiujiu, who wanted to dress her up, complained about it.

Jusetsu peered into the cocoonery and saw that the palace ladies seemed to be collecting cocoons. When they heard that the Raven Consort was here, they stopped what they were doing, got onto their knees and bowed.

“Continue your work. Other people will suspect something.”

The palace ladies obediently returned to work. There were rows of shelves and long tables, and on top of the tables, there were bellows-shaped objects woven from straw. When she saw the cocoons hanging from them, she thought that they must be the tools called cocoon holders that Shuuji talked about last night. The palace ladies removed the cocoons and placed them on trays.

“Right now, we’re collecting cocoons. After this, we will remove the fluff stuck to them and separate them into good ones and bad ones. The difference is whether or not they are suitable for turning into thread or not. Double cocoons consisting of two silkworms becoming one cocoon, thin cocoons, cocoons with holes, cocoons with rotting dead moths inside, cocoons soiled with urine and other bodily fluids, cocoons with marks left from the holders…they will all be removed,” Shuuji explained. “Furthermore, the good cocoons are divided into those that will be used to make thread, and those that will be made to emerge to lay eggs. The thread will be offered to the Crane Consort, and after that, she will present them to His Majesty.”

“Once the good cocoons are selected, not a single one of them will be lost, right?”

Yes, Shuuji lowered her eyes. In other words, there could be no deferment. Jusetsu put her hand to her hair and realized that she didn’t have her usual flowers there. Even though she dressed as a eunuch often, she kept forgetting about it.

She held her hand out forward and gathered heat in her palm. A light crimson haze flickered, tangled, and intertwined. The haze transformed into petals, one by one, and formed a peony flower. Jusetsu blew on it.

The flower turned into smoke and scattered. It floated around, swimming between the palace ladies.

The pale red smoke gradually gathered in one place and began to take the form of a person. It was the figure of a woman. A simple hairpin was tucked into her chignon, and her pale, slender face had well-shaped eyebrows that looked as if they were drawn with a brush and thin-lidded eyes. The long robes that enveloped her thin body weren’t in the current fashion, but her modest yet elegant appearance gave her the look of a court servant.

Shuuji let out a small cry and covered her mouth with her sleeve.

“T-That’s the ghost of the palace lady I saw!”

The other palace ladies had also stopped what they were doing and stared wide-eyed at the ghost.

The ghost suddenly moved amidst those stares. She soundlessly went towards the door. Jusetsu leaned back halfway and made way for the ghost. The ghost disappeared as though sucked into the door.

She went outside.

“L-Lady Raven Consort—”

“We’re going after her,” Jusetsu interrupted Shuuji and called out to Onkei. He quickly opened the door.

When they went outside, they saw the ghost from behind about to leave through the gate. Jusetsu followed her. There were no sounds of foodsteps or rustling of clothes, but the ghost’s gait was similar to that of the living. What was different was that the hem of her robes didn’t flutter and her sleeves didn’t sway. If such ghosts were to simply stand still among the palace ladies, even the people next to them wouldn’t realize that they were ghosts. Among the many courtiers in the inner palace, there might be ghosts mingled in with them, pretending to be the living.

The ghost left the cocoonery and headed further north. That was the outskirts of the inner palace. It was a neglected area with unkempt, overgrown trees, and there was no one in sight.

Jusetsu, who had been chasing the ghost, came to a slightly open space and stopped. There was something like a small burial mound covered in dense moss and grass there. The ghost had stopped in front of it. The sun shined down on the mound, and the moss glistened faintly. As they watched, the ghost seemed to melt into the mound and disappeared.

What is this mound?

It couldn’t belong to the ghost. It was difficult to imagine that a mere palace lady’s burial mound would be located inside the inner palace.

“Whose mound is this?”

She turned back to Onkei, but even he had a rare unknowing look on his face.

“I shall look into it.”

“Please do so.”

After that brief exchange, Jusetsu looked around. The area was surrounded by trees. There were old trees with ivy entwined around them, young trees lush with leaves, and trees that had already rotted and fallen. It was quiet. Judging by the trampled undergrowth, it seemed that it wasn’t completely unvisited by people. Did they come here to visit the mound? After checking the surroundings, Jusetsu returned to the cocoonery.

Shuuji was standing alone in front of the room from earlier, looking like she had nothing to do. Apparently, the other palace ladies moved to another room to remove the fuzz from the cocoons.

Jusetsu told her about the ghost disappearing into the mound, but Shuuji didn’t know anything about the mound either. In fact, this was the first time she heard about it.

“The outskirts of the inner palace are frightening, and as a woman, I can’t go there unless I have serious business…”

That did seem to be true.

“It would be easy to keep that ghost out of the cocoonery, but…” Jusetsu cut herself off there and pondered for a bit. That wasn’t enough. The cocoons must be found.

“I ask for your assistance,” Shuuji bowed to her. Jusetsu wasn’t a god, so being begged like this made her extremely uncomfortable.

“…Very well. I’ll create a barrier for now. Then I’ll see what I can find out about the mound.”

She took out a spindle wound with thread from her breast pocket. She went out to the outer corridor and asked Onkei to hold the end of the thread, then ran it along the floor, making a circle around the cocoonery. Finally, the barrier was created once she tied the ends together. It was a spell she used many times before. It wasn’t the Raven Consort’s spell, but a sorcerer’s spell.

She had learned it from Reijou, the previous Raven Consort, but in the previous dynasty, when sorcerers were able to frequent the inner palace, this kind of work was probably their job. They must have been valued.

No, it probably went beyond that.

She recalled the words of Ui, the keeper of the treasure room.

It was for protection against Wulian Niangniang, just in case

He told me that he couldn’t feel safe without the power to fight back…

There was probably a good reason why sorcerers were so highly regarded during the previous dynasty.

“Avoid stepping on the thread as much as possible. Though, as long as it doesn’t break when you step on it, it doesn’t matter.”

After giving Shuuji those warnings, Jusetsu left the room. The palace ladies were waiting outside, and they all knelt upon seeing her. Jusetsu was perplexed.

“Thank you very much, Lady Raven Consort.”

“I didn’t do much. Don’t make it to be more than it is. You were the ones who said that it would be all of you in trouble if outsiders learn about it.”

Even so, the palace ladies didn’t rise until Jusetsu passed through the gate. It seemed that the palace ladies of Hakkaku Palace held the Raven Consort in particular reverence, especially after the incident in which she saved Banka. Despite the fact that she really hadn’t done much.

“And there’s also the cocoons…”

After leaving the cocoonery, Jusetsu stopped once and looked back. The gentle green of the mulberry trees shone in the morning sun. Here and there, there were sections where branches had been cut, probably for feeding the silkworms.

I’m good at looking for lost items, but…

It was different when it came to cocoons. Because they had no owner. Tracing lost items from their owners wasn’t difficult. However, cocoons were…

“Onkei,” Jusetsu called out to him while still looking at the mulberry grove. “In addition to the mound, there is something I want you to investigate.”

Yes, came his short reply.

Previous || Index || Next

#koukyuu no karasu #koukyuu no karasu 4 #shirakawa kouko #translations #raven of the inner palace

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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Thank you for translating volume 3 of Koukyuu no Karasu! I love your work 🖤 Will you be translating volume 4? I'm very curious about what will happen!

Yes i will be starting it this week! One of my favorite characters is introduced in it so i cant wait to get into it!

#ask #sasara speaks

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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Hello, are you planning to translate "Wadatsumi no Musume"? Thank you!!

Uh....maybe? But it will probably be after I finish the main series

#ask #sasara speaks

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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Interview with Shirakawa Kouko in Musashi 2019-12

Here it is, the long awaited interview! Luckily for me, this magazine has e-versions and you can still buy old copies

Fascinated by tragedy and forbidden love

The main character of the Koukyuu no Karasu series, the Raven Consort (Jusetsu), lives in the inner palace, but maintains an aloof assistance and doesn’t perform night duties. She’s a very mysterious existence.

She is a woman with the blood of the previous dynasty, and a consort destined to be executed if her true identity is discovered. In the series, the current emperor, Koushun, is the one who goes to her to seek peace of mind.

Why did you decide to write this kind of work?

I’m afraid I might be misunderstood, but ever since I was little, I have loved stories about girls with unhappy upbringings. It wasn’t until I was in elementary school that I became aware of stories of tragedy and forbidden love, and it all started with Prince Otsu, who was arrested on suspicion of treason and conferred with death. When I discovered this poem in the Manyoshu, I was greatly impacted.

Today, taking my last sight of the mallards

Crying on the pond of Iware,

Must I vanish into the clouds!

I was deeply moved by the feeling of regret conveyed in this poem. Since then, I had come to love tragedies, and in this work as well, the Raven Consort isn’t allowed to have feelings for the emperor, and she is forced to bear the harsh fate of not even being able to go out of her residence.

As the past of the Raven Consort, whose mother was brutally murdered and who was then adopted and imprisoned within the inner palace, gradually became clear, I found myself thinking, “Shirakawa-san, you’ve done a terrible thing.”

The Raven Consort and Koushun are in a forbidden relationship where the two of them weren’t even supposed to approach each other in the first place. I fundamentally like Cinderella stories and happy ends, but this time I’m thinking about how to end this story.

Koushun also has a painful past in which his mother and friend were killed by the empress dowager, so the two of them resonate with each other in that aspect. What kind of thoughts did you put into his character?

He was also influenced by Prince Otsu, but I like to write about young men in unfortunate circumstances. Koushun is a quiet and emotionless young man with a dark shadow, but he holds a storm in his heart. I write him so that we can sometimes catch glimpses of that. What I like most is writing scenes that show glimpses of the instability and fragility of a normally calm young man.

And that’s why the men Shirakawa-san portrays are close to the hearts of modern women.

A staunch lover of ghost stories

The Raven Consort deals with those who died leaving their feelings behind in this world. She takes away the sorrows of those who become wandering ghosts. It’s quite a scary story.

Ever since I was a child, I have loved strange, slightly scary stories and ghost stories. That’s why this story is something I wanted to write one day. China has many ghost stories, and there are even many Japanese classics that are patterned after Chinese ghost stories.

Chinese ghost stories are bloodier than Japanese ghost stories, aren’t they?

In Japan, the yuu in yuurei (ghost) means “fleeting,” which gives off a transient and ephemeral image. However, in China, ghosts have vivid and strong characters.

Also, I was surprised that there are many Chinese stories that have no logical connection or an unclear cause and effect. Perhaps it is the national characteristic.

How did you come to like ghost stories?

There is a temple behind my childhood home, and on Monday mornings there was time to read sutras before going to school, and in summers there were tests of courage, so ghosts and religion are things that are familiar to me.

In Volume 3, a new religious organization called the Eight Truths Sect also appears.

That is a religion I created, but the myths and beliefs in the work take reference from those of Japan and other island nations. The story takes place on a large island, and the sea is a key word in the story. Some Chinese myths also have themes of the sea and rivers, which are also very interesting.

I love mythology, but when it came to write a Chinese-inspired story, the hurdles were high and it was difficult to take the first step.

There are a lot of things you have to study in order to write a story that uses China as inspiration, such as the systems related to the eunuchs that appear in this series.

Eunuchs are castrated males, and their position varied widely depending on the era. There are cases where it’s a punishment, but it is also a way for commoners without backing to get ahead in life.

Even though it’s a fantasy, I can’t even compose a story without studying the history, culture, and systems of the country that serves as the background, and I’m still studying as I’m writing.

Okamoto Kido was the catalyst

What inspired you to start writing?

The first was Okamoto Kido’s Collection of Chinese Bizarre Stories (中国怪奇小説集). I fell in love with Okamoto Kido after reading The Curious Casebook of Inspector Hanshichi, but then I got hooked and ended up at Chinese Bizarre Stories. When I started writing Koukyuu no Karasu, I read it again, and if I hadn’t come across this book, I might not have been able to write the Koukyuu no Karasu series.

Okamoto Kido was translating Chinese stories, wasn’t he?

That’s right. Okamoto Kido’s writing was good and concise. But, he would casually mix in beautiful expressions. His writing isn’t difficult, but it isn’t easy either. Even if the times change, they will never get old. I could feel the depth of his education.

People of culture in the Meiji era had no choice but to read foreign books in their original form, so they had to be proficient in foreign languages. They also had to have a good grasp of Chinese poetry and other works.

You’ve written a lot of series that are structured as a collection of short stories.

Since I took Okamoto Kido as my role model, I also like short stories. There’s also the fact that I’m not good at long-form stories (laughs). That’s why I try to finish each series in about five volumes.

The Raven Consort’s model is Fan Bingbing

The beautiful Raven Consort always dresses in black and has a strong visual impact. Do you have any stories or people you modeled her after?

There was a drama about the life of Empress Wu Zetian called Wu Zetian, and Fan Bingbing, who played the empress, was very beautiful. The story was set in the Tang dynasty, and the costumes were wonderful. Although Wu Zetian didn’t dress in all black, the character of the Raven Consort was inspired by her.

The story is a fantasy, but you wrote it with the Tang dynasty as inspiration.

Yes. The Tang dynasty is my favorite. If I hadn’t watched that drama, I don’t think I would have settled on the Tang dynasty.

I think the reason why people who aren’t familiar with China can easily read the books is because the characters are well-defined and easy to visualize.

Since I myself do not know much about China, I have taken care to write these books in a way that even those unfamiliar with the history can understand.

The story has a strong element of fantasy as well as mystery.

I love fantasy and have been reading it since I was young. Among foreign authors, my favorite is Patricia A. McKillip. She is a fantasy writer who has written works such as the Riddle Master trilogy and Winter Rose.

For domestic authors, it’s Miyabe Miyuki. I stared reading mainly her contemporary mysteries and fantasy books when I was in high school, and I’ve of course read her ghost story series Hyakumonogatari.

Since you debuted with Cobalt Bunko, you’re strongly associated with light novels, but what kind of works do you plan to publish in the future?

I recently published a Japanese-style fantasy called Mikazuki-tei Hana Zukan. The main character, a detective, opened a detective agency in what used to be a daimyo’s garden during the Edo period, but encounters mysterious things there. I would love to write horror and historical novels in the future.

I’m looking forward to it.

#koukyuu no karasu #Raven of the Inner Palace #translations

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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Koukyuu no Karasu World Map

The world map (apologies for my bad cleaning and typesetting)!

Koukyuu no Karasu takes place in the central island Shou

Wadatsumi no Musume takes place in the four southern islands Karoku, Kada, Uka, and Shamon

There’s another series called Akehime no Omeshibito (it’s sort of a prototype version of Koukyuu no Karasu) that takes place in Ake (east of Shou)

#koukyuu no karasu #raven of the inner palace #maps

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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 3 Chapter 4 - The Twilight Orb (Part 3)

And that’s the end of Volume 3!! The story is only getting started.... Thanks for following along!

The author is coming out with a new book set in the same world called Wadatsumi no Musume next month and I can’t wait to read it!! I’ll translate the world map later and post it

There’s also an interview the author did during book 3′s release and I’ll translate it soon

Here’s my Ko-fi if anyone is feeling generous.

Until next time!

Translation Notes

1. I couldn’t think of an alternative that captures the meaning of dim sum so I’m sorry if anyone got taken out of the novel

Previous || Index || Next

“I heard that Saname Chouyou cut off his uncle’s head himself.”

Koushun nodded at Meiin’s words.

“It’s difficult to cut off a person’s head with a single sword stroke. Chouyou is a man of great skill, isn’t he.”

Meiin made a face that said, That’s not the point here, and Koushun smiled faintly.

“It seems that they had quite a lot of trouble with him for many years. The fact that he was family meant that they had even more trouble dealing with him.”

“I heard that he was an elder. Even though Chouyou is the head of the family, his uncle was older than him, and he would have been reserved when it came to him. If he treated him with disrespect, the whole family might condemn him, since the Sanames respect their elderly more than anything else. Well, the uncle was a thorn in their side, so to speak.”

Koushun gazed at the lotus pond and narrowed his eyes. It was raining lightly. Amidst the foggy scenery, white lotuses dimly emerged out of the fog like stars.

“…That thorn is no more.”

“Yes, he isn’t.”

“He has taken a very aggressive approach, marching into his uncle’s mansion and beheading him without waiting for the province’s ruling.”

“Yes.”

Chouyou’s uncle made contact with Un Eitoku and tried to get him to put pressure on Chouyou so that he could be reinstated as the administrator of his former domain. In the event that he returned to his position, he promised Eitoku that he would under-report the profits from the domain and give them to him as a bribe. In addition, he had been lining his own pockets by mismanaging the taxes he was supposed to pay to the imperial court when he was serving as the domain administrator, and he had poisoned the deputy inspector, Reiko Shiki, who had been investigating his personal affairs. The death penalty would have been appropriate for his deeds.

“Including the amount of money he embezzled, the Saname would have been responsible for paying that vast sum…but even so, it was in Chouyou’s best interest to get rid of his uncle.”

Koushun murmured, and Meiin glanced at him.

“He was able to get rid of his uncle under the pretext of ‘for the sake of the Saname.’ His uncle, disgruntled with being put under house arrest, criticized Chouyou considerably and became obsessed with ‘Saname’s earnest wish.’”

This information came from the reports from Shiki and the spies sent to Ga Province.

“Saname’s earnest wish?”

“Returning to Kakami and becoming its rulers, apparently.”

Meiin looked amazed. “Abandoning the fertile lands of Ga Province and setting out on rough seas to a place you don’t even know if you can reach safely? How many of their ships will be wrecked? It would be one thing if it’s Ikahi Island.”

“Even so, they must have some kind of longing for returning to their homeland. Chouyou’s uncle preached the dream to the younger members of the Saname clan, and apparently gained some support.”

“Innocent young people are easily influenced. It’s so beautiful that it’s more like a dream than an actual dream.”

“I guess they couldn’t overlook that. Doing something that would mislead the young is an unpardonable offense.”

Koushun thought that this was what Chouyou was most worried about. However, punishing his uncle without prudence would invite backlash from the young people. It would be logical if, after getting the imperial court involved, the person who caused the disturbance compensated with their own life in order to “reduce the damage to the Saname clan.”

“So…he basically used his uncle indiscretions?”

“It would have been easy for Chouyou to stop him before he made contact with Eitoku.”

Chouyou’s uncle put the noose around his own neck. He was trying to outwit Chouyou, which was exactly what Chouyou wanted him to do.

“I don’t like it,” A furrow appeared between Meiin’s eyebrows. “Isn’t this also akin to using Secretariat Un as a pawn?”

“He expected that Eitoku wouldn’t take his uncle’s offer no matter how much he was offered in return, but…”

It must be complicated for Eitoku as well. It meant that he was taken advantage of in anticipation of him refusing to take bribes and ability to pay attention to past wrongdoings.

“He had a bitter look on his face,” Meiin smiled wryly. “Even though he knew he was being used, he couldn’t help but investigate them. Yes, he was very complimentary of Shiki’s usefulness, which was rare for him.”

“Is that so. I’m glad,” Koushun’s answer was short. He thought that Eitoku would like Shiki. Eitoku liked young people who were brilliant but had no backers.

“I’m surprised that you decided to send Shiki, Your Majesty. I introduced him to you, but he has only been here for a short time.”

“That’s because…he’s a greedy person.”

“Greedy?”

“When I was the deposed crown prince, I was keenly aware of my lack of power. He also knows that he can’t do anything without power. He’s different from people from distinguished families who have it from the beginning and don’t even realize they have it. I thought that Shiki wouldn’t miss the chance to get close to Eitoku and have him acknowledge him. Even if he was in communication with the Sanames, he would join us even if meant reneging on that.”

Meiin’s eyes widened, and he didn’t say a word. After some time, he came back to himself and cleared his throat.

“…Do you not trust Shiki?”

“I trust him in a sense. Trusting someone doesn’t mean placing unreasonable, self-centred expectations on them. It’s about seeing the person you’re dealing with for who they are.”

He had to look at people honestly and properly, without bending them to suit his own convenience. That was what he believed.

In that sense, Koushun also trusted Chouyou. He wasn’t a man who would do something so foolish. And—he still couldn’t tell what his true goal was.

They must continue to focus their attention on the Sanames.

“You’ve truly matured a lot, Your Majesty. I’m sure that’s why Secretariat Un has made up his mind to retire.”

After the Saname affair was settled for the time being, Eitoku asked to retire.

“No, it’s not so much about me, but rather, I think he was frustrated.”

“About what, Your Majesty?”

“The fact that he was seen by Chouyou’s uncle as someone who could be bribed—a weak spot in the imperial court. It must have been unbearable for Eitoku to be seen as such by others.”

Koushun would give the title of Grand Minister of the Department of State Affairs to Eitoku, not retirement. This was an honorary position with high rank but no real authority.

“As the leader of a distinguished family, he will not be lost for some time to come. In the meantime, I want you and Gyoutoku to do your best.”

“I will do my best with all my heart and soul,” Meiin bowed with his hands locked in front of his chest. He was newly appointed to the position of Chancellor, and Un Gyoutoku was to be appointed to the position of Chief Minister of the Chancellery from his old position of assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites. Earlier, Koushun had met with Gyoutoku and discussed this.

“It seems that Eitoku is unsatisfied with Gyoutoku’s mildness, but I think it’s a quality that’s difficult to find in a person. The two of you together would be just the right balance.”

“Because I lack warmth, after all,” a smile appeared on his intelligent face. He then turned his gaze to the lotus pond. “Ah, the rain has stopped.”

The clouds in the sky cleared before they knew it, and the damp lotus buds were sparkling. Squinting his eyes at the glare, Koushun thought, I have to go see Jusetsu. He promised her that he would visit her again.

There were things he wanted to talk about with her.

Jusetsu was invited to Hakkaku Palace by Banka. Banka had completely recovered, and her complexion looked well. She was treated to dim sum as thanks. (1)

“Those gifts came from my great-uncle. It seemed that Hakurai smuggled the bracelet in there. I didn’t expect it to be so horrifying. If you hadn’t saved me, I would have died.”

Thank you very much, Banka thanked her.

“No…that curse was originally meant for me, after all.”

“I’m glad it was me instead of you. After all, if you have been the one to collapse, no one would have been able to help you.”

The fever must have been painful, but Banka didn’t even voice any resentment towards her.

“My great-uncle was cheerful, generous, and pleasant. I wonder how he ended up like this…”

Banka’s great-uncle, in other words Chouyou’s uncle, was beheaded. Jusetsu heard that there had been some kind of wrongdoing involving his domain. The source of this information was Tan Kai.

“Hakurai has been banished from Ga Province, and the Eight Truths has been dissolved. I didn’t like either of them, so I’m relieved.”

Banka popped a baked rice cake with dried apricots into her mouth. She seemed to like apricots.

“You said that Hakurai was cozying up to your father…”

Jusetsu remembered that she had said something like that when she was delirious with fever. When she reminded her of this, Banka tilted her head to the side.

“Did I say that? When I had the fever? I don’t remember that. Hakurai curried favor with my great-uncle. My great-uncle has bad knees, and he told me that he got better after receiving Hakurai’s prayers. I wonder if such a thing can really happen. I think he was tricked. I’m sure everything that happened this time was instigated by Hakurai as well.”

Banka frowned in displeasure. She seemed to despise Hakurai quite a lot.

“…What kind of man is Hakurai?”

“How? He’s about the same age as my father. I think he’s in his forties. He has a lot of gray hair for his age, and he doesn’t wear his hair in a topknot. He has a strange hairstyle. He has cold, creepy eyes. I don’t think Hakurai is his real name. I wonder where he came from.”

Jusetsu asked her if he had any connections with her, but there was no way to know for sure.

“I think the people of the Saname house would know more. Do you want to know?”

Jusetsu nodded. “If possible.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble for me. I’ll write a letter back home. –Hey, may I call you ‘Jusetsu’?”

Jusetsu was a little perplexed, but answered, “You may.” A smile broke out on Banka’s face.

“Oh, I’m so happy. You can call me ‘Banka’ as well.”

She felt like she had a similar exchange with Kajou. She had asked her if she could call her “Ah-mei,” and that Jusetsu should call her “Ah-jie.”

When she first met Banka, she thought that she was a hard-to-read princess, but now she saw her as a bright and carefree girl. However, Banka would sometimes stop talking and lower her head. It seemed that she wasn’t entirely carefree. Was she thinking about the girl who died due to the Saname curse?

Even when she was leaving Hakkaku Palace, Banka suddenly lost her smile and stared at Jusetsu’s face for a short while.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked her, but Banka just shook her head and smiled weakly.

After seeing Jusetsu off, Banka returned to her room and asked her attendants to leave. She placed a piece of paper on her table, and then prepared an inkstone and brush. She had to write a letter to her father. Banka often received gifts from back home, and each time she wrote a thank-you letter to her father, including information under the pretext of telling him about her current situation. This was her “role.”

There were a lot of things to write this time.

About the curse. About how that caused her to break out in fever. About how Jusetsu saved her. She assumed that the attendants would probably report on this as well—.

Banka didn’t pick up her brush and simply stared at the pale blue hemp paper scattered with gold leaf.

She knew at a glance that the bracelet was no ordinary gift. It wasn’t something that matched her great-uncle’s or her own taste. It was an ugly toad’s bracelet. She hadn’t known it was cursed, but she had a hunch that there was something wrong with it. Even so, she hesitated for a while over whether or not she should give it to Jusetsu. Was that what her father intended?

However, Banka didn’t give it to her. She didn’t want something bad to happen to her.

Would her father be angry at her? What if it was sent here on his instructions?

Banka’s shoulders slumped. She didn’t want to be scolded by her father. She didn’t want to feel discouraged. Even more than that, she didn’t want to be abandoned as a useless daughter.

But Jusetsu was an innocent girl. Just like Shouzen. She couldn’t bear to see her suffer or worse. She never wanted to be involved in the death of an innocent girl ever again.

Even now, she felt like Shouzen was watching her from the side. She felt like she was calling her a coward. A coward who abandoned and killed her beloved sister in order to save herself—.

Banka covered her ears with her hands.

Father, what should I do?

The face of her father appeared in her mind. A face that was strict and didn’t tolerate clinging to others or crying. His cold face when he told her to choose between her own life or Shouzen’s.

However, it was precisely because of that strictness that her father was respected and adored by the people of their clan and land. Even Banka respected him. That was why she didn’t want to be disdained or made despondent.

Banka picked up the brush. She wrote about the recent situation, including the curse. And then, she put the brush down.

Should she let her father know about that?

Banka once put a gardenia in Jusetsu’s hair. That was when she discovered it: Jusetsu dyed her hair. Her original hair color seemed to be white or silver. She had no idea until then.

Was this something she should let her father know? Or was it something trivial that she shouldn’t even bother with?

However, it surely has to be a secret Jusetsu wanted to hide. That’s why she dyed her hair. She kept that a secret. If that’s the case—

It wasn’t a trivial matter at all.

Banka picked up the brush and put it down again. She repeated this several times. The faces of her father and Jusetsu alternated in her head. Jusetsu was a good girl. Banka wanted to be friends with her. She saved her.

She let out a sigh.

After a long period of hesitation, Banka picked up the brush.

As a gift, Koushun brought some unusual food. Jusetsu stared at the bowl that was piled high with the treat. It smelled sweet. Plum fruits were covered in a thin coat of candy.

“Candy was coated onto the plums and hardened. It’s sweet. I thought you might like these kinds of snacks, so I brought some here.”

Listening to Koushun’s words absentmindedly, Jusetsu picked up one of the candies. It was glossy and shining, like a star. Hesitantly, she bit into it. The candy coating crumbled as soon as her teeth bit into it, and when she bit into the plum, the soft, sour fruit and crunchy, sweet candy mixed together and filled her mouth. This was—an unknown deliciousness.

“Wonderful.”

Koushun smiled faintly at Jusetsu, who only said that word.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Jusetsu closed the lid of the vessel, thinking that she should give some to Jiujiu, who had already retired for the night, tomorrow. Koushun watched as she licked the candy off of her fingers. Uncomfortable with his gaze, she wiped her fingers with a handkerchief.

“…So, what business do you have with me tonight?”

“Ah…” Koushun was silent for a moment, seemingly searching for the words. Jusetsu waited. “I have many things I need to tell you. First, there are two things to report.”

Koushun raised his index finger.

“I heard the Owl’s voice.”

Jusetsu frowned, not understanding. “Voice? What do you mean?”

“A few days ago, I was presented with a large conch shell. It was a rare item, with a jet-black shell that shins rainbow colors. The voice came from it. The voice of the Owl. It seemed that I’m the only one who can hear him. He said that it was because I was wounded by him before.”

As usual, Koushun spoke about anything in his matter-of-fact way. Jusetsu pressed her fingers to her temples and tried to sort out his words in her head.

“…And so?”

“Apparently, the Owl is in prison because of the recent events. He can’t help you. Instead, he told me provide wisdom.”

“Wisdom?”

What did that mean?

“How to rescue the Raven—how to rescue you.”

Koushun’s voice was quiet, as well as his eyes that were staring at her.

“…Rescue me?” Jusetsu’s voice was hoarse.

“Yes.”

A silence descended upon them. Jusetsu didn’t speak, so Koushun started talking again.

“There might be a way to free the Raven without killing you. I would like to find it.”

“But,” Jusetsu raised her voice. “Then—what would happen to the Summer King?”

What would happen to the Winter and Summer Kings when the Raven was freed?

“I don’t know,” Koushun’s answer was simple and straightforward. “However, I have doubts as to whether or not it would be safe if we keep things as they are. The situation is different now than it was a long time ago. I believe there might be new wisdom that can be derived from that. There may be a best way forward.”

And then, Koushun raised another finger.

“We’ve captured Hou Ichigyou. That’s the second report. As a sorcerer, he knows things we don’t. About Gou-no-Kami and Wulian Niangniang as well. His knowledge would probably be very helpful.”

Jusetsu was staring intently at Koushun, who spoke quietly without any expression on his face.

Why?

“Why…” Jusetsu bit her lip.

“What is it?” Koushun asked.

“There’s no need for you to go that far, is there?”

When she said that, Koushun fell silent and peered at her face.

“There is a need. Because we’re friends.”

Koushun’s voice was always quiet, but it was decisive and resolute, not matching that stillness.

“There are many things I have to give up after weighing them against other things. I thought that I couldn’t let you leave this palace. But—if there is a way, I want to choose it.”

What about you, he asked.

Jusetsu squeezed her hands together beneath the table. She wanted to scream, Save me, but she knew she couldn’t do that.

But now Koushun was trying to scoop up that cry.

As her chest grew hot, she lowered her head.

“…I can’t do it…” She squeezed her hands tightly. “I…can’t choose it.”

“Why?” Koushun asked quietly.

“If I’m…if I’m saved,” Jusetsu closed her eyes. “I would feel guilty towards Reijou.”

Towards Reijou, who spent her life alone as the Raven Consort. Towards Reijou, who loved and raised her—.

“…Jusetsu.”

Jusetsu suddenly opened her eyes. That was because Koushun’s finger was touching her cheek.

“I’ve never met Reijou, but I can imagine how much she loved you. Jusetsu, don’t you forget. Just like you had Reijou, she also had you.”

Koushun’s voice permeated gently into the bottom of Jusetsu’s chest.

“Save yourself, who was loved by Reijou.”

It felt like there was a hot lump in her throat. It gradually rose, making her lips tremble.

She felt like her cry for help, tossed into the darkness, had been received.

Koushun’s finger wiped Jusetsu’s eyes. It was then that she finally realized that she was crying.

Something that had hardened slowly softened and melted away.

Koushun’s hand gently caressed her cheek.

Injou was playing on a rocky beach. Water dashed onto her every time the waves washed ashore and broke on the rocks, but she didn’t care at all, observing the small fish and shellfish left behind in the tide pools. Hakurai watched her from a distance. The sea breeze caressed his hair and made the hem of his robe flutter.

The left half of Hakurai’s face was covered with a cloth. With his remaining right eye, he shifted his gaze to the sea. In the distance, the shadow of an island was faintly visible.

“Is that Bahuang Island?”

Hakurai confirmed with the man standing next to him. The man was wearing a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face. He brought no attendants with him as he came to see Hakurai off. He had virile features and a sharp gaze. He might put on a kind smile for his people, but he never did that ordinarily.

“Bahuang Island consists of several islands, large and small. The largest island is called Big Island. That’s the island you two are heading for,” the man—Chouyou—said. “The boats come and go every day, the fish are delicious, and the fruits are plentiful. The islanders are also very peaceful and carefree. –Don’t disturb the peace by displaying your bad habits.”

The corners of Hakurai’s lips lifted and he simply smiled back.

“Seeing with only one eye must be very inconvenient. I’ll give you a servant. He’s a hard worker who can do anything from cooking rice to repairing a house. If you don’t have enough hands, you can hire whoever you want after you reach the island.”

“There’s no need for that, sir. I’ll live quietly and frugally. I have Injou with me as well.”

Chouyou glanced at Injou. “Will she be useful?”

Hakurai laughed. “In her own way. She was born in a fishing village, so living near the sea would suit her better.”

“Rouko in Gei Province, was it?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a poor village.”

“So, when I asked them if I could take her, they were delighted. Of course, I paid them handsomely.”

Chouyou cast a sorrowful gaze at Injou. If Hakurai had visited that village a year later, that girl might have been bought at a bargain by a procurer of bad character and sold to some run-down brothel. She was a young girl with tanned skin and dark eyes, and was beautiful even for a child.

“I had long surmised that the Hatan people were a people close to the gods, but Injou was an unexpected find.”

As the spray of the waves grew higher, Hakurai called out to Injou. “Injou, come over here.”

Injou didn’t react right away, but after he called her again, she finally turned around. She leisurely walked over to him. Although she seemed to be a slow-witted girl, she was the only one who could serve as a vessel that could communicate with Hakumyoushi.

Various items washed onto the beach from distant places. Shells, pieces of broken glass, drowned bodies, lost souls, gods. That was why fishing grounds were also called gathering places.

When he first met Injou, she had been collecting shells on the beach. She told him that she sold beautiful shells and pieces of glass as souvenirs at a nearby inn town. Such items became amulets as flotsam from the land of the gods. There were many children on the beach who were also collecting sea shells. All of them were barefoot and wearing rough clothes.

There’s a god at the bottom of the sea.

Injou had said that.

When you put a shell to your ear like this, you can hear his voice. The god lives at the bottom of the deep sea. The bottom of the sea is pitch black, the same as the night, so the gods are asleep.

But, this god is awake. He says he’s waiting.

For what? Hakurai had asked her.

For me.

“Mister, look at this. It’s a sakura shell,” Injou approached and showed him the shell. “It’s not chipped anywhere.”

Injou’s eyes were sparkling. That was because shells without any chips or cracks could be sold at a relatively high price.

Hakurai let out a sigh. “You don’t need to do such things anymore.”

She wasn’t living a life where she had to walk around barefoot selling shells. However, completely ignoring Hakurai’s words, Injou gleefully put the shell in a small pouch and put it in her breast pocket. The pouch was dirty and worn-out, made by her mother in the past.

While Hakurai frowned, Chouyou held out his fist to Injou.

“Put your hands out,” he told her, and Injou did what he said, looking confused. Chouyou dropped an avalanche of shells into her hands. They were all small, but they were silver-lipped pearl oysters with a rainbow-colored luster on the inside. These were one of the shells used to create mother-of-pearl.

“Wah…!” The shimmering shells made Injou’s face flush. “These will sell for a very high price!”

That’s not the point here. Hakurai pressed his hand to his forehead, but Chouyou narrowed his eyes with a gentle expression on his face.

“I was told by the merchant that the quality of these shells isn’t suitable for mother-of-pearl. I heard that you liked seashells, so I gave them to you.”

“Thank you.”

Injou had a big smile on her face. She carefully put the shells away in her pouch. Because Hakurai never knew what kind of words might come out of her mouth, he didn’t let her appear in front of people. Even if she did, he didn’t let her speak. It was better to keep her mysterious.

Hakurai took out a handkerchief and wiped her wet clothes and hair. Injou obediently let him do it. It wasn’t that she hadn’t become attached to him, but she still called him “Mister” and didn’t call him by his name.

Because that’s not your real name, she said. She was right.

“Let’s set off now.”

Hakurai put his hand on her back and they headed for the dock. After a short walk, they came across a pier. There was a ferry there waiting for passengers.

“The servant should be on Big Island’s dock to greet you. He should have finished cleaning the house by now.”

“I am deeply grateful for your kindness.”

With a face that didn’t take Hakurai’s gratitude seriously, Chouyou looked towards the island.

“You should take a rest for a while. Your wound must still hurt.”

“…I even borrowed the divine treasure from you, and now this plight has befallen us. I feel ashamed of my own stupidity more than I feel pain.”

“There’s no need to worry about the orb. It was originally a cursed object that couldn’t be destroyed even if we wanted to. I’m even grateful to you,” Chouyou glanced at Hakurai. “You’re the one who lost the Eight Truths you so carefully nurtured.”

“I don’t care about such things anymore.”

Yes. The Eight Truths had collapsed, but that didn’t matter to him. As long as he had Injou and Hakumyoushi, everything was okay.

“Very well then. –This is where I see you off. Take care of yourself.”

“Yes, sir.”

If he had really wanted to, he wouldn’t have taken the risk of coming to see him off. It would be bad if Hakurai, who was supposed to have been banished from Ga Province, was seen here exchanging friendly words with Chouyou. However, Chouyou came to see him off out of a strong sense of duty.

“If you ever need me again, please call on me.”

Just like this time, when he was sent to deal with Chouyou’s eyesore of an uncle.

Hakurai and Injou headed for the boat landing. Chouyou watched them for a while, but eventually left the rocky shore and went away.

Even if she was called with the name Injou, she couldn’t react immediately. Because it wasn’t her real name.

Injou, who was still being rocked by the boat and peering into the water, turned around after her name was called several times. Hakurai had a scary look on his face.

“Don’t look in. You’ll fall.”

“I can’t see the bottom of the sea.”

Despite growing up in a fishing village, Injou had rarely been on a boat. It was a man’s job to go out to sea. Girls like Injou and boys who aren’t old enough to go fishing yet were either picking shells, mending nets, or listening to the elders’ folktales.

Especially on stormy days, she would sit while hugging her knees by the fireside and listen to the elders’ story. The other children would be there as well.

That’s right, she wondered if that childhood friend of hers was fine. A boy who had gone to the capital. They would sit together and listen to old tales.

Injou looked out at the dark indigo sea. Every time the waves rocked the boat, she murmured her name. In order to not forget it.

“Ayura…Ayura.”

I mustn’t forget that boy’s name as well, she thought. She pressed her hand against her pouch over her clothes. It held the shells she was given.

I wonder what he’s doing right now.

That boy was a crybaby, so maybe he was crying right now. She was worried.

Ishiha.

“Ishiha.”

Her whisper was crushed beneath the waves and sank to the bottom of the sea.

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#koukyuu no karasu #koukyuu no karasu 3 #raven of the inner palace #shirakawa kouko #translations

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sasaranomiya · 2 years ago

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Koukyuu no Karasu Volume 3 Chapter 4 - The Twilight Orb (Part 2)

An unexpected twist???

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On that day, Koushun came to Yamei Palace while it was still light, which was unusual for him.

“I’m a little busy, so I can’t stay here for long, but I came to see how you’re doing,” he said matter-of-factly without even sitting down in a chair.

“You needn’t come if you’re busy,” Jusetsu said in exasperation, but Koushun didn’t say anything and just stared at her face.

“…What?”

“If you’re well, then that’s good.”

Just as Jusetsu was wondering what that was all about, Koushun was already outside the doors.

Gazing after him as he left, Jusetsu rose. She was about to leave the room when Xingxing started to kick up a fuss, but she ignored it and chased after Koushun.

“Koushun.”

Koushun seemed a little surprised by her chasing after him.

“…Was there something you have to tell me?”

“No. I’ll see you off until you’re outside Yamei Palace.”

“…See me off?”

“Yes.” Even she herself wondered what she was doing.

Koushun slowed his hurried pace and matched Jusetsu. Ei Sei glanced back at her, but instead of giving her a sharp look, he abruptly turned back around.

She was thinking of talking about Banka, but that wasn’t something that could be done in a short distance, and it wasn’t something she had to talk about right now. It seemed Koushun had the same thought. “I have a few things I want to talk about, but it would be difficult to keep it short,” he said. “I’ll talk with you later.”

“Are you busy?”

“A little.”

It was a meaningless conversation. Once in the woods, the area became dimly lit due to the thick foliage, but it was still extremely humid.

Jusetsu stopped walking when they reached the edge of the woods. Koushun turned around.

“I’ll come visit again.”

There’s no need for you to visit—that was what she would have responded a short while ago.

“Okay.” That was all she said, and she watched him leave. The shadows darkened, perhaps because the sun was covered by clouds. Jusetsu was left behind in the dim forest.

The cries of the spotted nutcracker echoed.

Koushun returned to the inner court from the inner palace and headed for Koshi Palace on foot. He had summoned Shiki there.

Quietly located in a corner of the inner court, Koshi Palace was a small, unusual palace. Its outward appearance was simple, the pillars not even painted red. The decorative tiles depicted an old man riding a large turtle, and cast-iron lanterns hung from the eaves. Once inside, one would find a line of copperplate flags hanging along the walls. They shook and made a rattling sound when one passed by. No one knew why the building was designed this way. The stone floor was engraved with stars in gold paint.

There was no furniture except for a folding screen, a couch, and a table. Shiki was kneeling next to the couch. Koushun sat down on the couch and told him to raise his head.

“…There is a place I would like for you to go,” Koushun said quietly. Shiki glanced up at him and nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“It’s close to Meiin’s house. It’s a mansion in Tourin Row.”

Shiki looked up in surprise. “That’s—”

“I’ll have someone of the Northern Command act as your escort.”

A soldier of the Northern Palace Guard. Tourin Row was the area where the Un estate was located.

“I want you to meet Eitoku. If you tell him that you’re here on my order, he will meet you.”

Shiki silently waited for the order of what he was going to do when he met Eitoku. Koushun leaned toward him, who was still kneeling.

The image of Eitoku, who he adored as his teacher since childhood, flashed through his mind and disappeared.

There was a commotion at Yamei Palace when the dim light of the evening was deepening.

Xingxing was the one who started making a fuss, but before they could feel the presence of a visitor, something akin to a scream rang out.

“Lady Raven Consort! Lady Raven Consort, please help us!”

It was Senjo’s voice. She was terribly distraught. She flew in when Jusetsu hastily opened the door.

“Lady Raven Consort…”

It seemed that the attendant, who was not accustomed to running, had run all the way here. She collapsed to the floor, panting. Jiujiu went to the kitchen to get water, and Jusetsu ran to her side to help her up. She rubbed Senjo’s back as she coughed, gave her the water, and waited for her to calm down.

“What happened?” Jusetsu asked once she settled down.

“Lady Banka…the Lady Crane Consort suddenly collapsed.”

“Collapsed? Did she suddenly become ill?”

“No—I don’t know. She’s suffering from a high fever.”

A high fever.

She recalled the story about the curse she heard from Banka during the day.

“We called for the doctor, but something strange happened when Lady Banka collapsed—”

“Something strange?”

“In the evening, a package arrived from the Saname clan—this is a common occurrence. Fabrics and accessories are often sent to her. This time, there were several accessories. It seemed that something strange was mixed in among them. It was a bracelet, but as soon as Lady Banka put it on, she collapsed.”

“…Was it coated with poison?”

Senjo shook her head. “That was the first thing we suspected, so we immediately removed the bracelet to check.”

However, there was no evidence that poison had been applied to the bracelet or implanted.

“And then, Lady Banka developed a fever…Lady Raven Consort, what do we do?”

What do we do…how am I supposed to know?

“I am not a doctor.”

“Isn’t there any way to cure her? Prayer, or anything… Anyway, will you please take a look at Lady Banka?”

Jusetsu weakened. What could she do even if she saw her? But, there was one thing that concerned her: the fact that Banka had a fever, just like the Saname curse.

“I can’t promise anything,” Jusetsu stood up. “For now, I will take a look at her condition.”

“Thank you very much,” Senjo prostrated herself. It was as though she was entreating a deity, and Jusetsu felt uncomfortable. Accompanied only by her escorts Onkei and Tan Kai, Jusetsu hurried to Hakkaku Palace.

At Hakkaku Palace, the moment she passed through its gates, she could feel the unsettled atmosphere. Eunuchs and palace ladies rushed back and forth in the corridors, and attendants were also going in and out of Banka’s room. When Jusetsu entered the room, she saw Banka lying on the bed. Her face was visibly red, her eyes were moist with fever, and she was panting in pain.

“The doctor left just now…he prepared some medical decoction for relieving her fever, but she seems unable to drink it.”

The elderly attendant by the side of the bed explained the situation. She was the oldest of all of Banka’s attendants. Her name was Rokujo. She was pale and trembling with agitation as she tried to calm herself down.

“Where is the bracelet?” Jusetsu asked, and one of the attendants brought a box that had been placed on the table. It contained a gold bracelet.

Gold? Even though Banka prefers silver?

Jusetsu frowned as she held the box and looked at the bracelet.

This is…

These kinds of things were immediately recognizable. Just like the time with Senjo.

“This is a cursed item.”

The attendants in the room gasped or let out faint screams.

“W-What does that mean, Lady Raven Consort?” Rokujo asked fearfully.

“A curse has been laid on this bracelet. Did you say that this was in a package sent by the Saname clan?”

“Yes—oh, but this isn’t a gift for Lady Banka.”

“What?”

“Lady Banka wrote a letter to the master saying that she wanted to be friends with a consort because she was close to her age, so perhaps this was a gift for that purpose—”

“Wait. What are you saying? By consort who’s close to her age, you don’t mean—”

“She was talking about you, Lady Raven Consort.”

Jusetsu’s gaze returned to the bracelet. “So, this was meant to be a gift for me?”

Was that why it was gold instead of silver.

“Yes. However, when Lady Banka saw the bracelet, she said that it wasn’t pretty and that it didn’t suit the Lady Raven Consort, so she decided to give you a hairpin that was presented to her and keep this bracelet as her own.”

“In other words, they were switched. This was originally supposed to be for me.”

Rokujo nodded.

The one who was supposed to be cursed was me.

This was a deadly curse. Someone was trying to kill Jusetsu. But why?

Jusetsu stared closely at the bracelet. The gold bracelet was inlaid with a milk-white gem. Where the gem was set, there was a decoration carved into it… She looked at it closely.

The carved details were in the form of a toad. The toad was holding the gem. That was what was carved.

A toad. The god that was killed by the Saname…

Jusetsu peeled off the sheeting of the box that contained the bracelet. A curse talisman was pasted to the bottom of the box. The handwriting was familiar. Curses were difficult to grasp as individual characters, the flow of the brush, the way the ink blurred, and the sweeping strokes and upward turns all reflected the idiosyncrasies of the writer, just as in the case of characters. The handwriting was very similar to the talisman used to curse Senjo.

Banka muttered something, and Jusetsu leaned in closer to listen.

“…I’m sure, it’s…Hakurai…”

“Hakurai? Are you saying that this curse is the work of Hakurai?”

Banka nodded slightly.

“I…hate…that man…”

She wrung out her voice under her labored breathing.

“He…cozied up…to Father…” Banka said, sounding half-delirious.

Hakurai—the founder of the Eight Truths. He tried to curse Jusetsu, the Raven Consort.

Could Senjo’s curse also be…

What if, apart from the purpose of cursing Senjo, there was some other intention, such as testing the power of the Raven Consort, or harassing her?

“Lady Raven Consort, what do we do?” Rokujo asked weakly.

“…I will break the curse.”

The attendants let out cries of relief and astonishment. Jusetsu asked them to leave the room and was left alone with Banka. She placed the bracelet and the box side by side on the table and stared at them.

A toad spell.

She remembered hearing about that. It was a spell used by sorcerers. The items they used, such as toads, snakes, and poisonous insects, differed depending on the person. The bracelet was adorned with a toad and a grayish-white stone, which was said to be obtained from the head of a frog. It was called a toad stone.

According to one theory, silver was made from condensed moonlight, and gold was made from concentrated sunlight. Wulian Niangniang, who was Yeyoushen, was weak against light. Was this bracelet gold because of that?

Jusetsu glanced at Banka. Her face was hot, and sweat beaded her forehead and neck. Her breaths were fast and shallow. She wiped her sweat with the handkerchief placed by her side. Banka opened her eyes slightly and tried to look at Jusetsu with unfocused eyes. Lady Raven Consort, she seemed to say with a hoarse voice.

“No need to worry. I’ll break the curse,” Jusetsu told her. She didn’t know if Banka heard her or not, but she knitted her brow slightly and closed her eyes.

Jusetsu pulled out a peony from her hair. Whether it was a toad or snake, these curses could be broken by breaking the curse tool.

The flower transformed into pale red smoke that drifted in the air. She drew it close with her fingers, manipulated it, and shaped it into an arrow. Jusetsu grabbed it and aimed it at the toad stone on the bracelet. She swung down all at once. The arrowhead shattered the toad stone—or at least, it was supposed to.

“!”

The moment the arrow hit the stone, the arrowhead slowly unraveled and disappeared as though it was being sucked in.

“…This is…”

The same thing happened with the Owl.

What does this mean? At that time, if I remember correctly…

It’s pointless to fight with your own family. If you’re going to fight, use a toribe.

Yes, that was what the Owl told her.

Jusetsu scrutinized the bracelet. She was able to return the curse cast on Senjo. Why couldn’t this spell be broken? A toad spell. Toad. The same as the god who cursed the Sanames.

“…I need the power of a god?”

The Sanames were cursed. At the same time, they possessed a sacred treasure. An orb that held the power of a god.

I can also use that.

Jusetsu glared at the bracelet, but raised her head and ran to the lattice window. She opened the lattice. The starry darkness was spreading.

Which way was Yamei Palace? Jusetsu looked around. It didn’t matter. She was calling it anyway. The answer was given to her by the Owl.

“Sumaru!”

Jusetsu’s sharp voice resounded in the darkness. What felt like an incredibly long time passed before she heard the flapping of wings.

The flapping of its wings and its raspy cries tore through the silence. White spots appeared in the darkness. Brown wings. Jusetsu stretched out her arm. The spotted woodpecker flapped its wings restlessly as it descended and perched on her arm. Its claws dug into her arm, and Jusetsu’s face twisted a little in pain. However, this wasn’t the time to complain.

“Sumaru, give me one of your feathers.”

The spotted woodpecker let out a cry, as if giving permission, and Jusetsu plucked out one feather from its wings. When she shook her arm, the spotted woodpecker flew away. The feather transformed into a double-edged sword. The shining brown blade was dotted with white spots like stars. Jusetsu slashed through the air with the sword, making a light whoosh sound.

Jusetsu stood in front of the table. She looked at the gold bracelet and raised her sword. She swung it down with all her might.

The blade made a hard, sharp sound. She felt some resistance pushing her hand back. A gray-brown smoke began to disperse from the toad stone. It enveloped the bracelet, as though to protect it. Jusetsu dug her heels in and pushed the sword down with even more force. There was a sensation like breaking through a membrane. She heard water splashing furiously. A deafening, piercing, and unpleasant cry resounded.

The voice lingered for a long time, but gradually became quieter and thinner, and then finally faded away. She looked and found the smoke had disappeared, the stone was shattered, and the bracelet was broken in half. As she looked on, the bracelet crumbled like ashes.

Silence returned. Jusetsu let out a breath.

She heard a knock on the door.

“Lady Raven Consort, what was that sound just now…?”

It was Rokujo. “You may come in now,” Jusetsu said. The door opened, and the attendants nervously entered. Rokujo was the first to run to Banka’s bed.

“Her fever…!”

She touched Banka’s forehead in surprise. Banka’s complexion had returned to normal, and her breathing became regular and calm. She was sleeping well.

“Lady Raven Consort,” all the attendants knelt before Jusetsu. They were prostrating themselves as though worshiping a god. “Thank you very much, Lady Raven Consort…”

“There’s no need for this. That curse was originally directed towards me.”

Jusetsu backed away at the sight of the attendants. She wasn’t a god, and she didn’t want to be worshipped.

“No…! What would have become of Lady Banka if you hadn’t been here, Lady Raven Consort?”

Rokujo began to cry, perhaps out of relief. The other attendants also began to cry or soothe each other, and the room became noisy. Jusetsu slipped out of the room quietly. Onkei and Tan Kai were waiting outside the door.

“Are you injured, Niangniang?” Onkei asked.

“No,” she responded and began walking away. She was exhausted. The moment she exited the gate, she staggered. Onkei and Tan Kai held out their arms at the same time to support her, so she didn’t collapse to the ground.

“I shall carry you on my back.”

Onkei turned his back to her and knelt down. Under normal circumstances, she would have refused, but right now she found it too exhausting to even open her mouth, so she silently entrusted her body to his back.

Why did the leader of the Eight Truths, Hakurai, try to kill me?

The Owl, who also tried to kill her, didn’t hold a grudge against her. He only tried to kill her out of necessity.

But, this curse was different. There was a clear intention to have her “die painfully.”

The depths of her heart went cold.

Am I hated?

Is it because I’m despised?

When those thoughts crossed her mind, her heart trembled, and she couldn’t move. She no longer knew what to do. And she didn’t even know if it was her own heart that was trembling with fear, or if it was the Raven’s.

I don’t know anything.

Jusetsu felt like she was still that child cowering in the darkness of night. There was no one to point the way. Reijou raised her so that she could walk on her own two feet, require no one’s help, and never need to ask for anyone’s help. That was who the Raven Consort was, after all. Jusetsu had also intended to live her life without asking for anyone’s help.

However—.

In the darkness, she felt the warmth of Onkei’s back, and for the first time, she wanted to cry out from the bottom of her heart for someone to help her.

Shiki was led down a hall in the Un mansion. Instead of sitting in the chair offered to him, he waited for Un Eitoku. The soldier escorting him was waiting outside the door.

The room was very modest. The desk and cabinet were probably made out of good-quality rosewood, but they weren’t painted with expensive black lacquer or decorated with mother-of-pearl. The blue-and-white porcelain vase on the stand didn’t seem to be too expensive.

It wasn’t all that surprising. One could tell by Eitoku’s appearance that he didn’t like extravagance. The room was clean, but not luxurious. Perhaps that was what it meant to be a distinguished family.

After making him wait long enough to fully examine the furnishings in the room, Eitoku arrived. He threw a cool glance at Shiki. At times like this, Shiki always felt like he had been stripped naked. People of distinguished families always looked at him like he had nothing. It was probably subconscious. That was why it showed in his glance.

“Sit,” Eitoku told him after sitting down himself.

“No, I shall remain standing.”

Shiki could have obeyed him without any protest, but he stubbornly refused. His Majesty never looked at me like this. He simply looked at Shiki with a transparent, colorless gaze. That was why Shiki served him. Koushun never broke his polite demeanour even for someone like Shiki, but possessed a dignified and noble manner.

“So,” Eitoku cast a sharp glance at Shiki, who was still standing. “What sort of business is so urgent that you need to meet with me at this hour?”

“I am here at His Majesty’s command.”

Eitoku’s mustache fluttered. “His Majesty, you say. What kind of order is it?”

“I understand that you have been patronizing a silk merchant from Ga Province lately.”

“His wares are good. That is all. –Ga Province is associated with the Sanames, though. Could it be that His Majesty thinks that I’m working with the Sanames and plotting a rebellion?”

Saying this frankly, Eitoku laughed, while Shiki stared at his face without smiling. Eitoku grimaced, looking displeased.

“Speak your business now. But even if you say you’re dragging me before His Majesty on suspicion of treason, I won’t believe you. His Majesty isn’t such a fool. Now, tell me what you want. This is no time to vague.”

Eitoku’s voice held the confidence and composure that had supported Koushun for many years. It was a calmness that came from trust of Koushun’s intelligence.

That finally brought a soft smile to Shiki’s lips. “I feel the same way.”

Eitoku looked puzzled.

“I apologize for doing something so audacious as testing you. His Majesty has charged me with giving you a message. ‘Tell Reiko Shiki everything you can find out and use it.’”

Eitoku’s eyes widened.

“Please let me know how I can help you. I will do my best.”

“—Has His Majesty noticed?”

“Just as you said earlier, His Majesty is no fool. His Majesty knows you well, just as you know him well. You were investigating the silk merchant from Ga Province under the pretense of being swayed by him. You used your ‘ears’ in the inner palace to investigate the Sanames.”

Shiki took a step toward Eitoku and lowered his voice.

“What His Majesty wants to know most of all is who is working with the Eight Truths. –It’s not Saname Chouyou, right?”

Eitoku looked in Shiki’s eyes and nodded firmly.

The copper banners were shattered. Hakurai, who was standing in the center of the room, let out a groan and crouched down, covering his left eye.

The toad spell was broken.

I can’t believe it. Does she still have that much power left? That was a spell that borrowed the power of a divine treasure—.

There was a burning pain in the left half of his face. A lukewarm liquid overflowed from between his fingers. Blood dripped onto his clothes and the floor.

Groaning, Hakurai groped around in his pocket. The divine treasure he took out—the Twilight Orb—was shattered into pieces. In Hakurai’s palm, it turned into dust and vanished.

How stupid.

Hakurai pressed his handkerchief against his left eye and stumbled out the door. The main house was noisy. He could see torches burning. Hakurai put his hand on the wall and staggered on unsteady legs down the corridor toward the main house.

Someone was talking. It was—the voice of this mansion’s owner. It was the Saname elder’s voice.

“What are you trying to do, Chouyou! Pointing a blade at me—at me!”

Hakurai turned the corner of the corridor and appeared in front of the main house. Standing in front of the door was the master in his nightwear and a man facing him. The man was in his forties with sharp features. He was accompanied by his retainers, who were holding torches behind him.

He was the head of the Saname clan, Chouyou.

“Do you think you can talk your way out of this, Uncle? I understand that you were trying to infiltrate the Un clan by sending your own man to the capital, and that you were scheming to regain your own vested rights as well.”

“So what? I’m the Saname elder.”

Chouyou looked coldly at his uncle, who didn’t even attempt to make an excuse for himself.

“Yes. The Sanames take care of their elderly. It is precisely because we respect you as our elder that we have turned a blind eye to you until now.”

Chouyou let out a somewhat theatrical sigh.

“Have you forgotten in your old age what you did during the time of the empress dowager, conspiring with the worthless chief official of Ga Province, who bought his position with money? You falsified the profits of the domain, put it all in your own pockets, bribed the chief official to turn a blind eye, and poisoned my subordinate who tried to inform the central government of your wrongdoings. When the empress dowager was overthrown and the chief official dismissed, you came crying to me when you found yourself in a dire position. If the matter came to light, not only you, but the Saname would also not be able to escape punishment, so I dealt with the aftermath and protected you. All I asked you to do was to never leave the mansion. And yet you’re still dissatisfied with that?”

Chouyou gave his uncle a chilling look. His uncle turned pale. His gray hair was disheveled, and there was no longer a shred of the Saname dignity in him. He staggered back, but perhaps because of his weak knees, which he hurt on a regular basis due to his age, he fell onto his behind.

“I…I simply wanted to fulfill Saname’s earnest wish! To gather strength and return to Kakami! That is all. You also understand, don’t you?”

The old Saname elder looked up at Chouyou as though pleading. Chouyou simply looked down at him coldly.

“You have never thought about the Saname. You’re only thinking about yourself. Secretariat Un is of a different caliber than the former chief official. A paltry bribe won’t work on him. On the contrary, your contact with Secretariat Un has aroused suspicion, and your past wrongdoings will soon be revealed. That isn’t all. That deputy inspector you poisoned is now a scholar who serves the emperor. We can no longer cover things up. The Sanames will be punished. All because of you.”

Chouyou put his hand on the hilt of the sword hanging from his waist.

“I asked His Majesty to grant his forgiveness in exchange for your life. I hope at least your head will become useful to us.”

There was a flash of light.

His skill was magnificent. With a single stroke, the head detached from the torso and flew into the air. Blood spurted out. Chouyou stepped back and dodged the blood. The retainers behind him immediately rushed to the body and head and started cleaning up.

Chouyou turned his gaze to Hakurai. Hakurai was kneeling there. After Chouyou looked down at him fixedly, he said, “You must leave Ga Province.” It was an order of exile.

“Yes,” Hakurai answered obediently.

“…Did you injure your eye?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll let you receive treatment for it, at least. Bring him to the mansion and call for the doctor.”

A servant approached. Hakurai called out to Chouyou’s back as he was about to leave.

“Injou is in the detached house. A little girl is there. She will come with me as well.”

Chouyou turned around and looked at Hakurai briefly, then motioned to one of his servants.

“You should learn from this and stop this sect leader nonsense.”

After saying that, Chouyou left for good. Hakurai watched him intently as he disappeared into the darkness.

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#koukyuu no karasu #koukyuu no karasu 3 #shirakawa kouko #translations #raven of the inner palace

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