The History of Otanuki Daishi-sama: Orenge Asuka and Kaihouin Hotaru Communities [SS V1]

Chapter 41 

The concept of gods is something created by humans.

In truth, even monsters are something created by humans.

These two are fundamentally the same; they are merely a way to categorize 'phenomena that humans cannot understand.'

If it brings good to people, it becomes a god, and if it harms people, it becomes a monster.

I am an entity that failed to become either a god or a monster.

When I close my eyes, I remember.

Why did I take what was in her hand back then?

The Kaihouin family, as its name suggests, was created as a house to 'open the law.'

It is a house with origins in the ancient Shugendo and Nara Buddhism, and it became a noble family after the Meiji Restoration.

'Hotaru. You were born to open the law in this world.'

My father said this and stroked my head just once.

My mother only gave me a sad smile.

Later, I came to understand that this was due to the family's regret of sacrificing a child to fulfill the Kaihouin family's long-cherished wish.

Creating an artificial god.

That was the long-cherished wish of the Kaihouin family.

For that purpose, I was born using long years and much blood.

To be the guardian deity of the family, and eventually a pillar to support this country.

After a thousand and several hundred years of time and obsession, my existence was supposed to change from a monster into a god.

I was separated from my parents and cut off from the human world from the time I became conscious, learning the non-human law.

By the age of seven, I had become a monster, unseen and unheard, existing outside of the world, and I was to proceed on the path to becoming a god, but this path was destroyed by the pure goodwill of a single girl.

'Hey. Don't stay there, come and eat some oranges with us.'

Those words, the sweetness of that mandarin, and the smile of that girl turned Kaihouin Hotaru, who was no longer human, back into a human.

Even now, Kaihouin Hotaru cannot forget.

The taste of that mandarin was probably the best in her life.

Once upon a time.

The island of Shikoku was a paradise for tanuki.

A tanuki trying to escape to that island was at a loss in Aki Province.

The tanuki no longer had the strength to swim to Shikoku.

A samurai returning from guarding his lord passed by.

"Oh.

There's a tanuki here.

I'll kill it and make tanuki stew."

"Wait, samurai.

I am a transformed tanuki who caused trouble in the capital.

I fled after causing mischief in the capital, but wouldn't you like to know the location of the treasure I hid?

I'll tell you if you let me go.

And if you take me to Shikoku, I'll protect your family for generations."

In Iyo Province, where the samurai's family lived, it was said that the children of the samurai's family who drove away the venerable monk Kukai died one after another due to a curse.

Even venerable monks could not prevent curses, so who knew what would happen if he was cursed by a tanuki that caused trouble in the capital.

"Alright.

I'll take you there.

But if someone sees you on the boat, you'll end up getting killed.

If you are truly a transformed tanuki, disguise yourself as a human to avoid suspicion."

"Understood."

Saying this, the tanuki transformed into a monk and arrived at Iyo Province on the samurai's boat.

The tanuki, still in the form of a monk, thanked the samurai with tears in its eyes.

"Thank you, samurai.

As thanks, I will ensure your family's prosperity for generations.

The samurai declined the offer.

It was the Sengoku period, and the samurai was returning from the burnt capital of Kyoto.

"I don't need it.

I saw hell in the Kyoto war.

The great lords and nobles fell in the war, and Kyoto was burned to ashes, bringing the age of the end of the Dharma.

Tanuki.

Since you have taken the form of a monk, if you want to repay me, use that form to pray for the world in this age of the end of the Dharma."

"Oh. If that’s all you ask of me."

Saying this, the tanuki left on a journey still in the form of a monk.

After a while, a renowned monk appeared in the samurai's dream and spoke to him.

"I am Kukai, known as Kobo Daishi.

The tanuki you saved has trained and accumulated virtue as you requested, and is now a highly respected monk.

The tanuki told me about you, and as a gesture of gratitude, I appear in your dream.

There is an orange tree growing at the foot of the mountain in your domain.

Take good care of it.

Surely that orange tree will bring prosperity to your family."

The samurai’s name was Kasugano Saburouemon.

The Kasugano family took good care of that orange tree and flourished as village headmen.

And so the story ends happily.

This is a folktale passed down in my family.

The Kasugano family is an old family, and it is true that they settled in Ehime Prefecture as village headmen.

Although various embellishments and modifications were added over time, it is true that the Kasugano family has a large mandarin orchard, and there is indeed a shrine dedicated to Kukai near the middle of the mountain, where the orchard is located.

The mandarins harvested from the fields near that shrine are tastier than those from other fields, but due to the liberalization of beef and orange imports, people started to eat fewer mandarins.

I wanted to go against such times.

But as a child, there were limits to what I could do.

So, I called these mandarins "oranges" and distributed the mandarins from near the shrine to everyone.

I was confident only in these mandarins.

In fact, everyone enjoyed eating these mandarins called "oranges."

"Hmm?"

"Asuka-chan, what's wrong?"

"…Nothing."

Somehow, I felt like there was one more girl in our class.

Sometimes there would be one snack too few, or one futon too few for naptime.

But when the adults or we counted, the numbers always matched perfectly.

That girl simply watched us play quietly and smiled.

At that time, I wondered why she didn’t play with us.

That night, I had a dream.

A monk appeared in my dream and offered me a mandarin.

"If you want to play with that girl, give her the mandarin you have."

The next day.

I brought a mandarin to kindergarten.

"It's a mandarin!

Asuka's brought mandarins!!"

"Call them oranges!

Otherwise, I won't give you any oranges!!"

I distributed the mandarins to everyone.

I thought I had brought enough for everyone.

I found the girl who was always smiling quietly in the corner.

I realized I didn't have any mandarins left when I tried to give her one.

The monk in the dream suddenly came to mind.

"Hey.

Don’t stay there, come and eat some oranges with us♪"

I split my mandarin in half and handed it to the girl.

The surprised girl looked alternately at my face and the mandarin I offered, then took my mandarin.

When the girl put the mandarin in her mouth, she clearly smiled and murmured.

"It's delicious."

"My name is Kasugano Asuka.

What's your name?"

"…Hotaru.

Kaihouin Hotaru."

"That's how we met."

'nodding'

"So, that's how you and your sister met."

"…"

Kasugano Asuka, who shared this old story at the tea party, and Kaihouin Hotaru, who sincerely appreciated it, were both deeply moved.

However, Runa Keika-in, the host of this tea party, was speechless.

The tea snacks for this tea party were mandarins that Kasugano Asuka brought and called oranges.

"Runa-chan, Mio-chan, if you eat these mandarins, you'll surely be blessed.

After all, they're the revered mikans from the tanuki sama!"

'nodding'

The connection made through mandarins grew, and one day they would become like sisters.

Kasugano Asuka and Kaihouin Hotaru were sure it was thanks to these mandarins.

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Translator Note

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With this 1st arc is over , I'm so happy I could die . And this chapter is V1 ( light Novel) short story , You can find Them in Overlap websites!