Happy Life
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Today the rivets on the ceiling beam might have been surprised to discover that by the time they woke up, their roommate was already on her feet — or rather, on their bases — sitting at the table and scribbling energetically in a journal:
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VI. Center
3. Azure Palace — the seat of power of the ruling dynasty and political games. You can cross the bridge only over the cold bodies of the guards.
- Guard A — a sentry on the bridge. Despite his fearsome appearance and rough speech, he is capable of dialogue, which is rare for such a position.
4. Phantasmagoria — a theater staging dubious plays. Surprisingly, admission is free.
- Pigzon Tardbas — de jure an actor, de facto someone’s stray old man with a black soul. But his manners are polite.
- Actor A — a bartender who wiped the floor with raiders.
- Actor B — a corrupt guard, shamefully hiding behind civilians' backs.
- Actor C — a long-eared knight; arrogant, haughty, mortal.
- Actor D — a sorceress who made a serious mistake by trusting men.
- Actor E — a woman samurai, fled shoving a guard; lost a geta along the way.
5. Guillotine — a guillotine.
- Adorable Adalard — an employee; very lonely, but polite and kind. Did ostracism and his work leave such a mark on him, or is there still something unpleasant hidden beneath the "mask"? Loves oriental music.
- Dead Executioner — an otherworldly shift worker, even in death he serves the emperor, and is content with it.
- Musicians (A, B, C, or however many there were) — my "countrymen" from the Mitsurugiyan islands; the choice of venue might be due to the location's foot traffic?
6. Antitegum — the ministry of defense, you can approach almost right up to it.
- Guard A — a watchdog.
- Guard B — an overly diligent fool.
7. Ice Mountain — the headquarters of the "empire's knights," you can climb over the gate to the other side. They suffered the first attack in several hundred years this June.
- White Crimson — a guard knight, surprisingly patient and forgiving. An unconditional role model for all security forces of the empire.
8. Church of Arcelia — a giant ornate temple. The name raises certain uncomfortable questions.
9. Museum — a comical collection of amusing and tasteless exhibits, though there are some good ones.
- Swiftfang Miko — a tour guide, knows a lot and loves her job; amusing.
10. Mysteria — a diner. Interesting atmosphere, overall the food just fills the belly, but the pie is delicious.
- White Lavender — a pleasant employee, cute outfit.
V. Emerald District
6. Discordia — a little witches' shop, of no particular interest.
- Kijam Arabella — a saleswoman, the clumsy-cute archetype.
7. Melody — a balalaika shop.
- Melody Melody — a balalaika player. Interesting outfit and hairstyle.
8. Rabbit Hole — a cosplay shop.
- Alice — a saleswoman. A long-eared "Lolita."
9. Lepota — a pastry shop for girls or fat people.
- Ghisless Leona — a waitress. ...may Kamisama-tachi help her.
10. Vulture — a pawnshop. The atmosphere matches.
- Kichigai Kasu — an employee, a businesslike man, knows his clothes.
11. XXX — a maid café, huge prices, and the pay isn't very good.
- Yalik Ladya — "waitress." Polite and pleasant; possibly a secret agent undercover.
- Orianska — a waitress. Kind face and pleasant hairstyle.
- Hitorya — a waitress. I'd ask her for an omelet enchantment if I planned to lose weight.
- Nastya — a waitress. Apparently, of no small talent.
- Iyanakao — a waitress. I sense a kindred spirit.
- Kimika — a waitress. For refined perverts; the bows are cute.
- Adara — a waitress. I respect the hairstyle.
- Mircona — a waitress. Probably hasn't found her calling in magic.
- Tawawa — a waitress. As if chronically sleep-deprived.
- Dia — a waitress, model. I don't know what they see in her, there are cuter ones.
- Revanage Lord — the owner. An assassin with sharp blades of pure vacuum. Loves warrior women and empresses, inherited the business from his father.
12. Abundance — a convenience store.
- Ogma Arthur — a salesman. Either a nationalist rude guy, or a kindred spirit — hard to tell.
- Darius — a cheerful salesman, as if not bothered by a salary of one rem a week.
IV. Grand District
2. Airport — a place for flying tin cans.
- Lost Lother — an ojisama who adores cruel stories. Despises the rich and corrupt, but kind deep down. I hope he has grandchildren who visit him.
3. Police Station — a station for police.
- Ironboot Elliot — some high-ranking police official, a mountain of a man. A champion of truth and justice; his death is a great loss for the city.
- Loss Victor — a patrol guard, a thug and a madman. Tumbles well and waves a toothpick; after death, he'll head to the lowest circles of the Abyss.
- Guard A — a port patrolman, not very responsible, but observant.
- Guard B — a port patrolman, nervous and tense.
- Guard C — a port patrolman, diligent and silent.
- Guard D — the sentry-balancer of my cell.
III. Business Center
<adds to item 7>
- Thunderstrike Orros — the shop owner. A great guy, a skilled craftsman; with him, "anything is possible."
11. Fishermen's Guild — an organization for catching sea vermin.
- Zimbari Salmon — the leader. A rude, slimy shorty, the seamy side of the male gender, but compensates with charisma and good nature. Born a kraken.
12. Philosophy Guild — a club for those who like to chew over profound theses.
- June Lee — the leader. Genuinely enjoys the work and thinks a lot about members.
- Lammaris Hector — a philosopher, a sailor. His face is carved from wood, and not even an ant can slip between the concrete slabs of his words.
- Frost Prince — a philosopher, an aristocrat. A refined thinker, apparently a tourist.
II. Port
2. Young Drowned Girl — a seafood restaurant, not cheap.
- Roa Anna — a waitress. Hard to tell if her outfit is dictated by the establishment's design or its large expenses.
3. Anchor — an organization for sea travel.
- Niss Ellie — an employee. Inside, much kinder and more courteous than she might seem at a glance.
4. Room of Horrors — an abode of grief and suffering.
- Ghisless Mia — a tiny employee. I hope her soul found peace where there are no horrors.
- Black Knight — an employee;
- Girl — an employee;
- Deer A — an employee;
- Deer B — an employee;
- Deer C — an employee;
- Deer D — an employee;
- Deer E — an employee;
- Deer F — an employee:
Brutally killed and, by the will of Kamisama-tachi, shall be avenged.
I. Suburb
<adds to item 1>
- Gambler A;
- Gambler B:
Quarrelsome women who did not deserve their fate.
<adds to item 5>
- Spight Villiana — a trainer. Plays by her own rules, but does it well. Patient and pleasant.
<adds to item 3>
- Edin — a school security guard. Stern face, but a good head on his shoulders; some neighbors could learn from him.
- Morax Kayasa — the principal. A smart and kind woman, with a certain secret and a note of inappropriate cuteness.
6. Villa — a place of bodily rest and mental weight, the cradle of the universe.
- Hime Denka — an entity (the spot is left empty for now)
- Aria — a friend and executive assistant. After being relieved of her burden, she became friendlier.
7. Park — a park.
- Star Astellia — an actress. Despite a difficult past, she looks to the future with hope through sheer willpower.
- Creon — a wandering monk. Lacks vitamins and therefore suffers from memory problems and alopecia; loves cats, pleasant manners.
- Shiro — a cat. Corpse-colored fur, unruly temper, cute face.
8. Kamimori — a place of peace and worship.
VII. 69th District
1. Hearth — a residential complex, insanely cheap.
- Ufebi Faemira — a landlord. Spreads fog for laughs, but isn't annoying.
2. Everything Will Be Fine — a psychiatrist's office.
- Goodwill Richard — an employee. Another victim of the capital.
3. Hospital — a hospital.
- Marya — an employee. Judging by her appearance, also a victim of underdeveloped imperial medicine.
4. Mansion — someone's elite plot; the decorations raise big questions.
VIII. 39th District
1. Carnelian — a guild of adventure lovers.
- Nishemet Raphael — the organization's secretary. At first glance, looks shy, but by the phantasmagoric thirty-two-tooth smile, you can see he enjoys life more than most.
- Garrett — a scout. A life-beaten wanderer who doesn't lose his composure even in tough situations; feels like a reliable professional.
- Merel — a wizard-scholar. An aloof dandy, collector of curiosities; can sustain an intellectual conversation.
- Keliandra — a sorceress. Flighty and restless, but nonetheless talented and able to prove herself in a responsible situation.
- Kilika — a sorceress. A big soft blob of carelessness and good mood, the Cow Queen.
- Mellis Kalina — a physician. Daughter of a half-dead man — at odds with him; knows her trade well, but doesn't follow her own advice.
Turning past a third of the journal and leaving room for herself for the future, the Nihonjin draws the missing symbols
in the corners of the following pages (this was absolutely necessary), and, straining her memory considerably, decides to outline the main events that happened to her, because quite a lot have accumulated, and many of them required reflection.
She filled this part of the journal not just in Nihongo, but even went the extra mile and invented her own cipher:
- Woke up, stretched, took a walk, laid a vengeful corpse to rest, had a snack of onigiri, walked some more, fell into a wormhole, woke up on the floor in a pentagram. Everything splattered with blood, lackeys in robes scurrying about, all while a strange woman plays the piano, an elf glares in all directions behind her, and a man of model appearance cringes obsequiously nearby (who was that? where did he go?). What's going on?
- Woke up to the sounds of construction, felt rotten. The elf called me to her superiors — some princess, another big shot. She complained about her health and seemed to blame me for it — as if I asked to be summoned god-knows-where like some low-level demon! Offered food, but I refused — who knows what might be mixed in there. Talked about existence; it turned out this is another world and she was very interested in what's in mine. Gave her some wrappers for shaved ice and she let me go for a walk. Strange, usually at such moments something unpleasant happens — either you're sent to war, or to bed. Thank the Kami — dodged a bullet.
- The first random person I met on this planet — a woman in a rabbit costume, dreaming of an 180cm sausage and curious about what's under my "kimonohoi." Is this one of "those" worlds?.. Found out in passing that wizards here are sent to work off student debt in the mines, and inside the city they're humiliated in every way. Serves them right.
- Wandered around the town, stumbled upon some very strange devilry in one shop — a mute cashier and a living doll, both clearly not local. Mental power alone wasn't enough to solve it, so I went to the library to read about astrology. The reading was informative but slightly ominous, and didn't solve immediate problems. In another junk shop, I caught a half-dead man threatening to dispossess its owner — turns out he's also a deputy. In my experience, this won't end well.
- Looked again on the other side, saw a bunch of cursed junk and found an old man; he told a scary story. A fawning fox, looks extremely suspicious, kept staring and asking for my name. With an enchanted doll on the counter with another Nihonjin name on it. Yeah, sure, I'm already running to tell. Threatened to expose him, so he just backed down and took the heat.
- Found a quest board — nothing changes from world to world. Mostly nonsense from shady people, the kind that feels like you'll go somewhere and get clubbed on the head. Visited the half-dead man — quite a joker, but underneath it I feel a vulture's grip. Tried to talk me into reputation trading, but I managed to politely decline. The second guild turned out better — found out there about a search for an author for a couple of articles. A completely pointless activity, relevant only for idle people with nowhere to apply their labor, but the princess's interview interested me — sounds like a trial not for everyone. Remembering her chilling appearance — either she'll kill me on the spot, or she'll get a kick out of it. We'll see.
- Went out of curiosity to someone's announcement; turned out to be a recent schoolgirl. Thought I'd just need to listen, but it turned out I had to talk too. And what can you say here? I'm not really into that, it spends more energy than disintegrating a demon to atoms, and the benefit is far less; plus I don't like people with their problems. Everything she did was her own doing, typical mistakes of youth — you just need to live through them, sow your wild oats and forget, turn them to your advantage and grow thicker skin — but you could see she was on the verge of harming herself. Felt a bit sorry for her, and I don't want to take that sin on my soul. Tried to cheer her up, cleaned her karma — seemed to work. Well, okay, let's hope this soul can be saved. Unusual, but pleasant. The old abbess would be proud, she was always nagging that I don't communicate with the flock.
- Chatted with the princess about theology. Turns out our systems have a lot in common, and that explains the invisible presence of Kamisama-tachi. I lamented that there are no jinja here and people are crushed by the dusty boot of everyday life; she just chuckled and promised to build one. I don't understand... Either she really cares about people, or she decided to have fun with someone else's culture, or maybe something else; time will tell, I need to be cautious — I noticed the religious question is very specific for her. Conducted an interview, during which she outplayed me and interviewed me herself — not a pleasant feeling, like you're at a firing wall. It was very hard to think of questions I could ask her; I mulled them over for two days, but I think it turned out decently. Let them not complain at the editorial office! They wouldn't even have been let in there! So I'll say if anything.
- Spent a whole day tuning into a single wavelength with Kamisama-tachi — it felt like I'd just gone out, but I didn't notice dusk falling. Found one excellent spot and two not-so-good ones. The excellent one in the forest — scenic, inspiring, and most importantly far from the fuss, noise, and smell of other people's trousers. The rest — traps for fools. A port full of pickpockets and drunks, lucky if not murderers; or next to the local temple — under the displeased gazes of potbellied dads and moms. No thanks, I'll pass.
- Wanted to ask the elf about these places, but something made me change my mind, lock myself in a chest with a key, line it with strong chains, and throw it into the deepest dungeon of memory. Bought some childish treasure junk, turned out to be a scam. Good warm-up. Remembered the doll, went to the old man — he gave me an address for some priest. Very hard to maneuver in conversations without revealing that I obviously know about it. Asked about the book — he says yes, I'm the author. Unexpected, but certainly not safe.
- Decided to feed that carefree rabbit something warm so she wouldn't kick the bucket; she pulled such a stunt that I regretted it ten times over, barely calmed down. She also spun me a tale about being a great warrior, yeah, sure, I can see that. At the entrance, I also ran into two ragged women — apparently they became that way after spending all their money. Heh, a lesson for them. But on the other hand — who knows what kind of perverts skulk around here? If only I'd left earlier... That scene I witnessed in the middle of the forest, I'd only ever seen after "special operations" of the "holy see," and even then very rare ones. Couldn't find anything out, but it looked like their work. Told the elf; she just nodded. The next day, everything there was polished to a shine, as if there had never been an uproar. Felt really awful.
- Went to clear my head, decided to try that stupid riddle from the book. Surprisingly, something was found, even though about a hundred years had passed since then. What I had to go through to get it, I'll probably try to forget.
- Visited the exorcist. A strange guy, but that's to be expected. Worse is that he saw through me, but apparently it didn't bother him, just amused him. Played the balalaika and gave me a good lead on what could be done about the enchanted ones. It will be hard, but I'll try. They won't find anyone closer in this world. If not me, then who?.. The saleswoman on the first floor reminded me of a rabbit for some reason — a real one this time, not one sitting by a casino.
- This scene won't haunt my nightmares because I've seen much worse, but that doesn't make it any less bitter. About a dozen mutilated souls, including an unfortunate child who would surely rather be playing outside with peers than sitting in an empty dark room for days, entertaining random passersby. And this time I was late again — by just a few seconds... For some reason, I feel I couldn't have done anything here — as if the hand of a cruel demigod had destined that fate for her, and there were no options to overcome it. But maybe that's just my defense mechanism. What stung more than the act itself, paradoxically, was her miserable appearance and desperate crying when she ran out of the room. I know for sure that this scene will never fade from memory — I still remember it in photographic detail. For some reason, some events have such specifics... The guards came running at the noise and arrested me. I'm absolutely sure I'm in no danger, because the scene speaks for itself. An honest person has nothing to fear. Right?..
- Interrogated by the station chief. Tried to remember and describe everything as much as possible down to the smallest detail to help the investigation. My voice faltered a couple of times, but I tried to stay calm to be most useful. Now I think that perhaps, in another situation, this could be considered incriminating — after all, a random passerby is probably expected to be in tears and hysterics. But I've never forced theatrical emotions out of myself and don't intend to start now. However much I pity her, I must keep a cool head — ultimately, that is what will help avenge her. Put in a cell, spent two days. Amused myself by scribbling all sorts of things in this very book. These barbarians are almost no different from the Reimians — the journal's design suggests using it left to right. What nonsense.
- The end of my sentence came quickly and a bit unexpectedly — death screams in the corridor and banging on the door made me glad I was securely protected. Turned out the guard who brought me in was the killer. No wonder he appeared at the scene so quickly and even had the key to the slaughter room. I sensed something was wrong from the first second I saw him, and only sober thinking kept me from a mistake — surely he wouldn't butcher his entire squad on the spot. Right?.. At that moment, I most wished to get to the police station full of guards as soon as possible. At the end of the commotion, I met the princess; she told me some unpleasant things about the whole situation. I agreed to help. For what reason? Of course, for self-preservation, because he'll kill me sooner or later, so it's better to strike first. ...I could tell myself that if I were trying to hide fear or hatred under a mask of cynicism. But the answer is obvious — in a difficult situation, any person with will has a choice and knows what consequences it will lead to. After all, no one in my place would do otherwise — closing your eyes to brutality means condoning it. ...she said his heart needs to be cut out. My ritual tanto was forged for a single purpose of its existence, and defiling it with demonic blood is not that. But if it comes to that, I'll have to do it. May Kamisama-tachi and all my colleagues forgive me.
- On her advice, I went to "Carnelian" — this is the third time I've heard that name. Didn't expect to meet the little one from the forge there. But I guess that's explainable — a person needs a daytime job; it's not like she stands at a multi-tasking battle machine all day. The group seemed like tourists — where is even one brute with an odachi or naginata, and how do they complete combat tasks without them? Or maybe I'm behind the times, and the latest trend is bands of wizards? Maybe so. I haven't seen any ephemera here yet, maybe they haven't been invented, and this is the closest alternative. Well, I'll have to face him head-on; it will be fair. I want to look closer into those fallen eyes and see something human in them. Or maybe I don't — I don't know. The second option at least simplifies the task and somehow justifies the dead. At Carnelian, they treated me like some sort of trump card. Me! As if I'm a witch who can snap her fingers and split the earth or vaporize mountains. But I didn't argue, so as not to dampen morale. We spent a long time developing a strategy — all hope rests on the success of this plan; otherwise, darkness awaits. Spent the rest of the time in the library, but couldn't find anything critically important for the task. Nevertheless, some light was shed — maybe this detail will come in handy in the future. At the convenience store, I caught racial discrimination directed at me — first tensed up, then almost burst out laughing. Life can be more comical than fiction.
- Arrived at the scene, found the enemy; timely pursuit prevented him from getting far. Luckily, the mask worked — apparently, there was even less human left in him than one might think at a glance. Or maybe, on the contrary, it was a conscious choice? Too late to know now. I didn't see anything interesting in his eyes — just anger. The scout offered to finish him off so I wouldn't stain my dagger — how courteous of him, a true gentleman. Performed a purification. Didn't expect anything other than clearing my conscience before they chopped him up, but the result surprised me. I should somehow figure out and adapt the ritual for healing — it would be non-contact surgery. Though it's unlikely patients would survive it. What happened after — I don't remember.
- Lay unconscious for over a day, feeling depressed. Reported to Denka, though it probably didn't make much sense — she already knows everything — but formalities must be observed. She told me some things about it that worried me. Handed over the altar design — surprisingly, she liked it. Surprisingly, not because it's bad, modest though it is — everyone knows Nihon architecture is the best — but because it's extra trouble for her. Although maybe not — in her position, enough to snap her fingers and servants jump to do whatever she needs. Unexpectedly received a gift I'll never use, as if I were some mercenary. Refusing would have been met with displeasure, as I was given to understand.
- Went to the site, marked the work front, met with Kamisama-tachi. I know they will accept the souls of the innocent slain. A very pleasant place; I hope to move here in the future and finally free up the room at the manor, since it's already awkward living there at someone else's expense.
- Stopped by Carnelian to check on colleagues — fortunately, all alive and well. ...I think I've gotten a bit soft over the past few years. The Cow Queen forgot my gem; I hope it's not just out of politeness and she doesn't really need it. Met the boss — she invited me to a gathering. Went — I suppose that's expected of me. Chatted with the folk; they got interested in my faith. I'm not a missionary-converter, but it's nice. The boss asked about the technical details, but it's such a long conversation, and not in the most suitable situation at that moment, so I begged off. Now in hindsight, I think it might have looked a bit rude, but I didn't mean anything by it. Promised to tell and show everything at our next meeting at Kamimori — and I will definitely do so. Met the actress — strange I didn't see her earlier; maybe she'd finished her workday by then? Fortunately, she just works there and doesn't risk her life. She looks like she's doing well, found the strength to move on. That's heartening. By that point, I'd already forgotten about her existence after all the recent worries, and meeting such an unexpected glimmer of light was very pleasant. Overall, the gathering was good, but it's more of an exception to the rule for such events — because the people are decent.
- Walked around the city in a free state of mind for the first time in a while. Looked for material, met a nasty dwarf, visited the house of thinkers. The topic was interesting, the interlocutors solid, even if men — it was nice to step away from pressing issues for a while and play this mental game. Hope the freezer didn't think I was deliberately deconstructing his argument. But if he did — his own fault, shouldn't have covered the matter so broadly without leaving me options. But I don't think he cares. Stopped by the "abode of justice" — the number of curiosities per square meter exceeded expectations. The scarlet lady turned out to be a waitress from the pepper shop — thank Kami not some maniac sorceress — and her task turned out to be very mundane. Was it worth asking me such advice?.. Hope it helps her somehow. At the guillotine, I saw a most amusing picture — the unity of living and dead matter in a common cause. Admittedly, it was surprising — even I had never seen anything like it before. I wouldn't even be surprised if it's father and son. Perhaps the greatest Nihon thinkers could derive from this the principle of a completely new and harmonious world order. I'll need to think about that too. Walked some more through the center — almost got executed on the spot. I've relaxed a bit after the last task; need to pull myself together.
- Denka voluntary-compulsorily offered to operate on the elf. Seems she thinks more highly of my skills than I do. Or maybe she coldly and rationally weighed all the factors, as if talking about a piece of meat — I can't say yet; she has both kindness and cruelty in her. Refusal wasn't an option, and I didn't want to refuse either. If it's in my power to positively influence this in any way, or at least try, then refusing this choice would mean not only cowardice but also meanness. Praise Kami — it worked. My soul hadn't felt such relief in a long time. Denka's reaction didn't surprise me but did calm my heart a bit — I wanted to believe that behind her strictness and laughing indifference to many matters, there is still some trait of softness, however fleeting — and so it turned out. If it weren't her, I would have left immediately, leaving them alone, but such people aren't used to such moments of tact and it could have been misunderstood — I had to stay. In conclusion, she offered me to ask something, and I asked what, pieced together in my mind, had long been tormenting my soul with doubts. Everything turned out both worse and better than I assumed. For now, I don't know how to digest it.
- Looked into the theater; they were putting on a strange performance showing a villainous samurai. Do you want trouble?! Not that it's beyond the bounds of what's acceptable, but what right do you have to assign such images? COLOnizers. Didn't find the card. Some old man tried to invite me for tea, but something about him repelled me beyond the obvious reasons to refuse. I don't even know what — perhaps the dozens of tormented souls clinging pitch-black to his own. Wandered through the museum — wild vulgarity. Laughed a lot at the fake celestials, but then blinked — they seemed real. Probably the sun was falling strangely through the glass.
- Visited another old man; he needed something. Turned out to be a scary story, so that everyone would suffer. I'm not especially good at making things up, especially on the spot, so I just dug into memory — real life is always scarier and meaner. He shelled out a considerable sum; I didn't understand why at all, very surprised. Saved up all his life, but had nothing to spend it on? He was pale with hunger alone — even though old people don't eat much. Brought him a snack; it wasn't far anyway, though I stood in line for an hour, and he got touched as if I'd saved a relative from death. Maybe he really has no one, so he has nowhere to spend his savings. A bit sad.
- Went to the academy; fortunately, they listened to me — both the guard and the principal turned out to be reasonable. She didn't ask many questions — knows her business. Brought her to the other side, and there was a very strange scene. I thought the owner would pass out. Awkward, and most importantly unclear, but not the time to dwell on it. We performed our procedure; to say I was surprised is... only slightly exaggerated. I had some idea of what to expect, but still — such a double hit was something incredible. Don't know yet how to process this information. When we finished, it was nearly night — decided to wait for the old man. He eventually told me a tragic, and most importantly such a stupid story that I wanted to strangle him. What idiots men are. Told him exactly what I thought; he got flustered — he knows he's wrong. Hope he takes it to heart and draws some conclusions, first and foremost for his own good; otherwise he's hanging like an andon in the wind — to put it mildly. But still, I don't hold it against him — I understand where it comes from, even if he masks it as "caring for her." Pull yourself together, you're a man. It's never too late to embark on a constructive path.
- Checked on the apothecary; he seemed to know nothing, but named the right place of purchase. Went to the bookstore, looked at the new stock — nothing in the assortment was needed, so I bought absolutely nothing, just wasted time. At the café, I was served by some poor thing — her mood was so unnatural for her appearance that I couldn't help but ask, but apparently she took it as a complaint from a dissatisfied customer. Hope not; left her a little tip. ...and only today, while writing the previous section, did I realize everything. What crude naivety to think I could help here in any way, and what shamelessness after this whole situation. I don't know what to do about it, or if I should even try to do anything; it's a question without an answer.
- The Little Pickles kept trying to talk me into a cat; I even seemed to hear their voices in my sleep, as if they have a cat-lovers club — well, okay, I went. I'd been to this park before; strange I didn't see the fellow. I don't really need a cat; I have nothing against animals, they're better than people in any case, but with my work profile, I doubt I'd be a great owner. But at least — I thought — he could live in my temple, delight the parishioners, and chase off pests. Charms do that better, but if the choice is between that and throwing him out on the street, I'd take him in. The cat, however, doesn't plan his life that far ahead; he didn't like me. Can't blame him; people by and large are not very good creatures; I understand him like no one else. Well, it wasn't meant to be. I hope this cat isn't a nazi? Then I could have recommended him to the boy from the convenience store. The fellow himself turned out a bit strange, but probably not bad. Time will tell, if we cross paths again.
- Wandered around various places, found the third key. The old ticket-taker was right! I'll have to visit him again to thank him. Came home, and half the room was piled with roses. With nothing else to do, spent two hours counting them all — turned out to be exactly six hundred and sixty-six; by the end I fell asleep. Burned the note later. Next time I see him, may Kami protect me from sin. And by sin I don't mean what he fantasized about, but retribution for all the sorrow he's sown. The next morning began with the elf holding a dagger at the head of my bed — probably wanting revenge for the suffering my ritual caused her. But no, the dagger turned out to be a gift. From the instructions for it, I understood that nothing good is in store for the near future, but I got to hear such a long tirade from her that I didn't think she was capable of. Seems she felt a little better; good if so.
- Felt like Reisen Reimu — played some golf. It was tough. Admission turned out cheaper on weekends — amazing. Should go again if I have rems and time. I'll invite the dwarf girl; let's see how she does, heh-heh. Though she's probably ten times better than me, with her talent for handiwork. Found a huge golden statue of a phantom near someone's mansion — I'll definitely ask the old man what's up with that. That's not tossing a cardboard box. Collected the next hint from the fisherman, dangled a carrot on a fishing rod in the form of "valuable information" in front of his nose, for irony's sake, but he didn't seem interested — told me everything anyway. I said what I wanted to him anyway, just to see his little eyes light up with greasy fire. And I would have told him even if I hadn't found anything here, so what. ...The next one was unrealistically hard to get; at that moment, I regretted taking on this task ten times over, and I think I plunged headfirst into that part of the capital that provincials don't dream of when saving up their salary for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Had to give up the "relic"; hope it's in good hands. I just wrote that and realize how comical it sounds, but what's done is done. The next two came easily — is this that mythical situation where the seeds of social connections sown earlier bear fruit? I never believed in that, so I'll consider it luck. Among other things, I finally submitted the article. Should have started writing it earlier; I was just taking notes — processing and translating such a mass of information into real text in one sitting was barely within my power, but they seemed to like it. I'll need to get a copy — just for memory and for the collection. To flip through someday and cringe at my own style.
[/spoiler]
Putting down the cherry pencil and stretching her fingers, she casually notes that this long writing session didn't tire her at all — recent practice is paying off — then looks at the clock — noon is not far off, time to get ready.
After thinking for just a few seconds for form's sake — since this decision was made the day before — today she decides to wear a Minjin dress for the first time. After all, trekking into the forest for three hours one way, catching branches with a long imperial gown or a baggy kimono — not a great idea. Critically examining herself in the mirror, Ayano realizes that on any other day, seeing herself in such an unfamiliar appearance might have greatly embarrassed her, but today her soul and heart were collected in a fist and set aside from emotional matters.
Before leaving, she leaves a note on her desk, indicating the coordinates where she should be looked for if she doesn't return by nightfall — if something happens to her, even if she doesn't manage to wait for help, at least the servant who finds this note can inform the princess of her fate. Finally, finishing all preparations and skipping breakfast, she heads to Lepota to meet Bazhena
[spoiler=
]VI. Center
3. Azure Palace — the seat of power of the ruling dynasty and political games. You can cross the bridge only over the cold bodies of the guards.
- Guard A — a sentry on the bridge. Despite his fearsome appearance and rough speech, he is capable of dialogue, which is rare for such a position.
4. Phantasmagoria — a theater staging dubious plays. Surprisingly, admission is free.
- Pigzon Tardbas — de jure an actor, de facto someone’s stray old man with a black soul. But his manners are polite.
- Actor A — a bartender who wiped the floor with raiders.
- Actor B — a corrupt guard, shamefully hiding behind civilians' backs.
- Actor C — a long-eared knight; arrogant, haughty, mortal.
- Actor D — a sorceress who made a serious mistake by trusting men.
- Actor E — a woman samurai, fled shoving a guard; lost a geta along the way.
5. Guillotine — a guillotine.
- Adorable Adalard — an employee; very lonely, but polite and kind. Did ostracism and his work leave such a mark on him, or is there still something unpleasant hidden beneath the "mask"? Loves oriental music.
- Dead Executioner — an otherworldly shift worker, even in death he serves the emperor, and is content with it.
- Musicians (A, B, C, or however many there were) — my "countrymen" from the Mitsurugiyan islands; the choice of venue might be due to the location's foot traffic?
6. Antitegum — the ministry of defense, you can approach almost right up to it.
- Guard A — a watchdog.
- Guard B — an overly diligent fool.
7. Ice Mountain — the headquarters of the "empire's knights," you can climb over the gate to the other side. They suffered the first attack in several hundred years this June.
- White Crimson — a guard knight, surprisingly patient and forgiving. An unconditional role model for all security forces of the empire.
8. Church of Arcelia — a giant ornate temple. The name raises certain uncomfortable questions.
9. Museum — a comical collection of amusing and tasteless exhibits, though there are some good ones.
- Swiftfang Miko — a tour guide, knows a lot and loves her job; amusing.
10. Mysteria — a diner. Interesting atmosphere, overall the food just fills the belly, but the pie is delicious.
- White Lavender — a pleasant employee, cute outfit.
V. Emerald District
6. Discordia — a little witches' shop, of no particular interest.
- Kijam Arabella — a saleswoman, the clumsy-cute archetype.
7. Melody — a balalaika shop.
- Melody Melody — a balalaika player. Interesting outfit and hairstyle.
8. Rabbit Hole — a cosplay shop.
- Alice — a saleswoman. A long-eared "Lolita."
9. Lepota — a pastry shop for girls or fat people.
- Ghisless Leona — a waitress. ...may Kamisama-tachi help her.
10. Vulture — a pawnshop. The atmosphere matches.
- Kichigai Kasu — an employee, a businesslike man, knows his clothes.
11. XXX — a maid café, huge prices, and the pay isn't very good.
- Yalik Ladya — "waitress." Polite and pleasant; possibly a secret agent undercover.
- Orianska — a waitress. Kind face and pleasant hairstyle.
- Hitorya — a waitress. I'd ask her for an omelet enchantment if I planned to lose weight.
- Nastya — a waitress. Apparently, of no small talent.
- Iyanakao — a waitress. I sense a kindred spirit.
- Kimika — a waitress. For refined perverts; the bows are cute.
- Adara — a waitress. I respect the hairstyle.
- Mircona — a waitress. Probably hasn't found her calling in magic.
- Tawawa — a waitress. As if chronically sleep-deprived.
- Dia — a waitress, model. I don't know what they see in her, there are cuter ones.
- Revanage Lord — the owner. An assassin with sharp blades of pure vacuum. Loves warrior women and empresses, inherited the business from his father.
12. Abundance — a convenience store.
- Ogma Arthur — a salesman. Either a nationalist rude guy, or a kindred spirit — hard to tell.
- Darius — a cheerful salesman, as if not bothered by a salary of one rem a week.
IV. Grand District
2. Airport — a place for flying tin cans.
- Lost Lother — an ojisama who adores cruel stories. Despises the rich and corrupt, but kind deep down. I hope he has grandchildren who visit him.
3. Police Station — a station for police.
- Ironboot Elliot — some high-ranking police official, a mountain of a man. A champion of truth and justice; his death is a great loss for the city.
- Loss Victor — a patrol guard, a thug and a madman. Tumbles well and waves a toothpick; after death, he'll head to the lowest circles of the Abyss.
- Guard A — a port patrolman, not very responsible, but observant.
- Guard B — a port patrolman, nervous and tense.
- Guard C — a port patrolman, diligent and silent.
- Guard D — the sentry-balancer of my cell.
III. Business Center
<adds to item 7>
- Thunderstrike Orros — the shop owner. A great guy, a skilled craftsman; with him, "anything is possible."
11. Fishermen's Guild — an organization for catching sea vermin.
- Zimbari Salmon — the leader. A rude, slimy shorty, the seamy side of the male gender, but compensates with charisma and good nature. Born a kraken.
12. Philosophy Guild — a club for those who like to chew over profound theses.
- June Lee — the leader. Genuinely enjoys the work and thinks a lot about members.
- Lammaris Hector — a philosopher, a sailor. His face is carved from wood, and not even an ant can slip between the concrete slabs of his words.
- Frost Prince — a philosopher, an aristocrat. A refined thinker, apparently a tourist.
II. Port
2. Young Drowned Girl — a seafood restaurant, not cheap.
- Roa Anna — a waitress. Hard to tell if her outfit is dictated by the establishment's design or its large expenses.
3. Anchor — an organization for sea travel.
- Niss Ellie — an employee. Inside, much kinder and more courteous than she might seem at a glance.
4. Room of Horrors — an abode of grief and suffering.
- Ghisless Mia — a tiny employee. I hope her soul found peace where there are no horrors.
- Black Knight — an employee;
- Girl — an employee;
- Deer A — an employee;
- Deer B — an employee;
- Deer C — an employee;
- Deer D — an employee;
- Deer E — an employee;
- Deer F — an employee:
Brutally killed and, by the will of Kamisama-tachi, shall be avenged.
I. Suburb
<adds to item 1>
- Gambler A;
- Gambler B:
Quarrelsome women who did not deserve their fate.
<adds to item 5>
- Spight Villiana — a trainer. Plays by her own rules, but does it well. Patient and pleasant.
<adds to item 3>
- Edin — a school security guard. Stern face, but a good head on his shoulders; some neighbors could learn from him.
- Morax Kayasa — the principal. A smart and kind woman, with a certain secret and a note of inappropriate cuteness.
6. Villa — a place of bodily rest and mental weight, the cradle of the universe.
- Hime Denka — an entity (the spot is left empty for now)
- Aria — a friend and executive assistant. After being relieved of her burden, she became friendlier.
7. Park — a park.
- Star Astellia — an actress. Despite a difficult past, she looks to the future with hope through sheer willpower.
- Creon — a wandering monk. Lacks vitamins and therefore suffers from memory problems and alopecia; loves cats, pleasant manners.
- Shiro — a cat. Corpse-colored fur, unruly temper, cute face.
8. Kamimori — a place of peace and worship.
VII. 69th District
1. Hearth — a residential complex, insanely cheap.
- Ufebi Faemira — a landlord. Spreads fog for laughs, but isn't annoying.
2. Everything Will Be Fine — a psychiatrist's office.
- Goodwill Richard — an employee. Another victim of the capital.
3. Hospital — a hospital.
- Marya — an employee. Judging by her appearance, also a victim of underdeveloped imperial medicine.
4. Mansion — someone's elite plot; the decorations raise big questions.
VIII. 39th District
1. Carnelian — a guild of adventure lovers.
- Nishemet Raphael — the organization's secretary. At first glance, looks shy, but by the phantasmagoric thirty-two-tooth smile, you can see he enjoys life more than most.
- Garrett — a scout. A life-beaten wanderer who doesn't lose his composure even in tough situations; feels like a reliable professional.
- Merel — a wizard-scholar. An aloof dandy, collector of curiosities; can sustain an intellectual conversation.
- Keliandra — a sorceress. Flighty and restless, but nonetheless talented and able to prove herself in a responsible situation.
- Kilika — a sorceress. A big soft blob of carelessness and good mood, the Cow Queen.
- Mellis Kalina — a physician. Daughter of a half-dead man — at odds with him; knows her trade well, but doesn't follow her own advice.
Turning past a third of the journal and leaving room for herself for the future, the Nihonjin draws the missing symbols
She filled this part of the journal not just in Nihongo, but even went the extra mile and invented her own cipher:
- Woke up, stretched, took a walk, laid a vengeful corpse to rest, had a snack of onigiri, walked some more, fell into a wormhole, woke up on the floor in a pentagram. Everything splattered with blood, lackeys in robes scurrying about, all while a strange woman plays the piano, an elf glares in all directions behind her, and a man of model appearance cringes obsequiously nearby (who was that? where did he go?). What's going on?
- Woke up to the sounds of construction, felt rotten. The elf called me to her superiors — some princess, another big shot. She complained about her health and seemed to blame me for it — as if I asked to be summoned god-knows-where like some low-level demon! Offered food, but I refused — who knows what might be mixed in there. Talked about existence; it turned out this is another world and she was very interested in what's in mine. Gave her some wrappers for shaved ice and she let me go for a walk. Strange, usually at such moments something unpleasant happens — either you're sent to war, or to bed. Thank the Kami — dodged a bullet.
- The first random person I met on this planet — a woman in a rabbit costume, dreaming of an 180cm sausage and curious about what's under my "kimonohoi." Is this one of "those" worlds?.. Found out in passing that wizards here are sent to work off student debt in the mines, and inside the city they're humiliated in every way. Serves them right.
- Wandered around the town, stumbled upon some very strange devilry in one shop — a mute cashier and a living doll, both clearly not local. Mental power alone wasn't enough to solve it, so I went to the library to read about astrology. The reading was informative but slightly ominous, and didn't solve immediate problems. In another junk shop, I caught a half-dead man threatening to dispossess its owner — turns out he's also a deputy. In my experience, this won't end well.
- Looked again on the other side, saw a bunch of cursed junk and found an old man; he told a scary story. A fawning fox, looks extremely suspicious, kept staring and asking for my name. With an enchanted doll on the counter with another Nihonjin name on it. Yeah, sure, I'm already running to tell. Threatened to expose him, so he just backed down and took the heat.
- Found a quest board — nothing changes from world to world. Mostly nonsense from shady people, the kind that feels like you'll go somewhere and get clubbed on the head. Visited the half-dead man — quite a joker, but underneath it I feel a vulture's grip. Tried to talk me into reputation trading, but I managed to politely decline. The second guild turned out better — found out there about a search for an author for a couple of articles. A completely pointless activity, relevant only for idle people with nowhere to apply their labor, but the princess's interview interested me — sounds like a trial not for everyone. Remembering her chilling appearance — either she'll kill me on the spot, or she'll get a kick out of it. We'll see.
- Went out of curiosity to someone's announcement; turned out to be a recent schoolgirl. Thought I'd just need to listen, but it turned out I had to talk too. And what can you say here? I'm not really into that, it spends more energy than disintegrating a demon to atoms, and the benefit is far less; plus I don't like people with their problems. Everything she did was her own doing, typical mistakes of youth — you just need to live through them, sow your wild oats and forget, turn them to your advantage and grow thicker skin — but you could see she was on the verge of harming herself. Felt a bit sorry for her, and I don't want to take that sin on my soul. Tried to cheer her up, cleaned her karma — seemed to work. Well, okay, let's hope this soul can be saved. Unusual, but pleasant. The old abbess would be proud, she was always nagging that I don't communicate with the flock.
- Chatted with the princess about theology. Turns out our systems have a lot in common, and that explains the invisible presence of Kamisama-tachi. I lamented that there are no jinja here and people are crushed by the dusty boot of everyday life; she just chuckled and promised to build one. I don't understand... Either she really cares about people, or she decided to have fun with someone else's culture, or maybe something else; time will tell, I need to be cautious — I noticed the religious question is very specific for her. Conducted an interview, during which she outplayed me and interviewed me herself — not a pleasant feeling, like you're at a firing wall. It was very hard to think of questions I could ask her; I mulled them over for two days, but I think it turned out decently. Let them not complain at the editorial office! They wouldn't even have been let in there! So I'll say if anything.
- Spent a whole day tuning into a single wavelength with Kamisama-tachi — it felt like I'd just gone out, but I didn't notice dusk falling. Found one excellent spot and two not-so-good ones. The excellent one in the forest — scenic, inspiring, and most importantly far from the fuss, noise, and smell of other people's trousers. The rest — traps for fools. A port full of pickpockets and drunks, lucky if not murderers; or next to the local temple — under the displeased gazes of potbellied dads and moms. No thanks, I'll pass.
- Wanted to ask the elf about these places, but something made me change my mind, lock myself in a chest with a key, line it with strong chains, and throw it into the deepest dungeon of memory. Bought some childish treasure junk, turned out to be a scam. Good warm-up. Remembered the doll, went to the old man — he gave me an address for some priest. Very hard to maneuver in conversations without revealing that I obviously know about it. Asked about the book — he says yes, I'm the author. Unexpected, but certainly not safe.
- Decided to feed that carefree rabbit something warm so she wouldn't kick the bucket; she pulled such a stunt that I regretted it ten times over, barely calmed down. She also spun me a tale about being a great warrior, yeah, sure, I can see that. At the entrance, I also ran into two ragged women — apparently they became that way after spending all their money. Heh, a lesson for them. But on the other hand — who knows what kind of perverts skulk around here? If only I'd left earlier... That scene I witnessed in the middle of the forest, I'd only ever seen after "special operations" of the "holy see," and even then very rare ones. Couldn't find anything out, but it looked like their work. Told the elf; she just nodded. The next day, everything there was polished to a shine, as if there had never been an uproar. Felt really awful.
- Went to clear my head, decided to try that stupid riddle from the book. Surprisingly, something was found, even though about a hundred years had passed since then. What I had to go through to get it, I'll probably try to forget.
- Visited the exorcist. A strange guy, but that's to be expected. Worse is that he saw through me, but apparently it didn't bother him, just amused him. Played the balalaika and gave me a good lead on what could be done about the enchanted ones. It will be hard, but I'll try. They won't find anyone closer in this world. If not me, then who?.. The saleswoman on the first floor reminded me of a rabbit for some reason — a real one this time, not one sitting by a casino.
- This scene won't haunt my nightmares because I've seen much worse, but that doesn't make it any less bitter. About a dozen mutilated souls, including an unfortunate child who would surely rather be playing outside with peers than sitting in an empty dark room for days, entertaining random passersby. And this time I was late again — by just a few seconds... For some reason, I feel I couldn't have done anything here — as if the hand of a cruel demigod had destined that fate for her, and there were no options to overcome it. But maybe that's just my defense mechanism. What stung more than the act itself, paradoxically, was her miserable appearance and desperate crying when she ran out of the room. I know for sure that this scene will never fade from memory — I still remember it in photographic detail. For some reason, some events have such specifics... The guards came running at the noise and arrested me. I'm absolutely sure I'm in no danger, because the scene speaks for itself. An honest person has nothing to fear. Right?..
- Interrogated by the station chief. Tried to remember and describe everything as much as possible down to the smallest detail to help the investigation. My voice faltered a couple of times, but I tried to stay calm to be most useful. Now I think that perhaps, in another situation, this could be considered incriminating — after all, a random passerby is probably expected to be in tears and hysterics. But I've never forced theatrical emotions out of myself and don't intend to start now. However much I pity her, I must keep a cool head — ultimately, that is what will help avenge her. Put in a cell, spent two days. Amused myself by scribbling all sorts of things in this very book. These barbarians are almost no different from the Reimians — the journal's design suggests using it left to right. What nonsense.
- The end of my sentence came quickly and a bit unexpectedly — death screams in the corridor and banging on the door made me glad I was securely protected. Turned out the guard who brought me in was the killer. No wonder he appeared at the scene so quickly and even had the key to the slaughter room. I sensed something was wrong from the first second I saw him, and only sober thinking kept me from a mistake — surely he wouldn't butcher his entire squad on the spot. Right?.. At that moment, I most wished to get to the police station full of guards as soon as possible. At the end of the commotion, I met the princess; she told me some unpleasant things about the whole situation. I agreed to help. For what reason? Of course, for self-preservation, because he'll kill me sooner or later, so it's better to strike first. ...I could tell myself that if I were trying to hide fear or hatred under a mask of cynicism. But the answer is obvious — in a difficult situation, any person with will has a choice and knows what consequences it will lead to. After all, no one in my place would do otherwise — closing your eyes to brutality means condoning it. ...she said his heart needs to be cut out. My ritual tanto was forged for a single purpose of its existence, and defiling it with demonic blood is not that. But if it comes to that, I'll have to do it. May Kamisama-tachi and all my colleagues forgive me.
- On her advice, I went to "Carnelian" — this is the third time I've heard that name. Didn't expect to meet the little one from the forge there. But I guess that's explainable — a person needs a daytime job; it's not like she stands at a multi-tasking battle machine all day. The group seemed like tourists — where is even one brute with an odachi or naginata, and how do they complete combat tasks without them? Or maybe I'm behind the times, and the latest trend is bands of wizards? Maybe so. I haven't seen any ephemera here yet, maybe they haven't been invented, and this is the closest alternative. Well, I'll have to face him head-on; it will be fair. I want to look closer into those fallen eyes and see something human in them. Or maybe I don't — I don't know. The second option at least simplifies the task and somehow justifies the dead. At Carnelian, they treated me like some sort of trump card. Me! As if I'm a witch who can snap her fingers and split the earth or vaporize mountains. But I didn't argue, so as not to dampen morale. We spent a long time developing a strategy — all hope rests on the success of this plan; otherwise, darkness awaits. Spent the rest of the time in the library, but couldn't find anything critically important for the task. Nevertheless, some light was shed — maybe this detail will come in handy in the future. At the convenience store, I caught racial discrimination directed at me — first tensed up, then almost burst out laughing. Life can be more comical than fiction.
- Arrived at the scene, found the enemy; timely pursuit prevented him from getting far. Luckily, the mask worked — apparently, there was even less human left in him than one might think at a glance. Or maybe, on the contrary, it was a conscious choice? Too late to know now. I didn't see anything interesting in his eyes — just anger. The scout offered to finish him off so I wouldn't stain my dagger — how courteous of him, a true gentleman. Performed a purification. Didn't expect anything other than clearing my conscience before they chopped him up, but the result surprised me. I should somehow figure out and adapt the ritual for healing — it would be non-contact surgery. Though it's unlikely patients would survive it. What happened after — I don't remember.
- Lay unconscious for over a day, feeling depressed. Reported to Denka, though it probably didn't make much sense — she already knows everything — but formalities must be observed. She told me some things about it that worried me. Handed over the altar design — surprisingly, she liked it. Surprisingly, not because it's bad, modest though it is — everyone knows Nihon architecture is the best — but because it's extra trouble for her. Although maybe not — in her position, enough to snap her fingers and servants jump to do whatever she needs. Unexpectedly received a gift I'll never use, as if I were some mercenary. Refusing would have been met with displeasure, as I was given to understand.
- Went to the site, marked the work front, met with Kamisama-tachi. I know they will accept the souls of the innocent slain. A very pleasant place; I hope to move here in the future and finally free up the room at the manor, since it's already awkward living there at someone else's expense.
- Stopped by Carnelian to check on colleagues — fortunately, all alive and well. ...I think I've gotten a bit soft over the past few years. The Cow Queen forgot my gem; I hope it's not just out of politeness and she doesn't really need it. Met the boss — she invited me to a gathering. Went — I suppose that's expected of me. Chatted with the folk; they got interested in my faith. I'm not a missionary-converter, but it's nice. The boss asked about the technical details, but it's such a long conversation, and not in the most suitable situation at that moment, so I begged off. Now in hindsight, I think it might have looked a bit rude, but I didn't mean anything by it. Promised to tell and show everything at our next meeting at Kamimori — and I will definitely do so. Met the actress — strange I didn't see her earlier; maybe she'd finished her workday by then? Fortunately, she just works there and doesn't risk her life. She looks like she's doing well, found the strength to move on. That's heartening. By that point, I'd already forgotten about her existence after all the recent worries, and meeting such an unexpected glimmer of light was very pleasant. Overall, the gathering was good, but it's more of an exception to the rule for such events — because the people are decent.
- Walked around the city in a free state of mind for the first time in a while. Looked for material, met a nasty dwarf, visited the house of thinkers. The topic was interesting, the interlocutors solid, even if men — it was nice to step away from pressing issues for a while and play this mental game. Hope the freezer didn't think I was deliberately deconstructing his argument. But if he did — his own fault, shouldn't have covered the matter so broadly without leaving me options. But I don't think he cares. Stopped by the "abode of justice" — the number of curiosities per square meter exceeded expectations. The scarlet lady turned out to be a waitress from the pepper shop — thank Kami not some maniac sorceress — and her task turned out to be very mundane. Was it worth asking me such advice?.. Hope it helps her somehow. At the guillotine, I saw a most amusing picture — the unity of living and dead matter in a common cause. Admittedly, it was surprising — even I had never seen anything like it before. I wouldn't even be surprised if it's father and son. Perhaps the greatest Nihon thinkers could derive from this the principle of a completely new and harmonious world order. I'll need to think about that too. Walked some more through the center — almost got executed on the spot. I've relaxed a bit after the last task; need to pull myself together.
- Denka voluntary-compulsorily offered to operate on the elf. Seems she thinks more highly of my skills than I do. Or maybe she coldly and rationally weighed all the factors, as if talking about a piece of meat — I can't say yet; she has both kindness and cruelty in her. Refusal wasn't an option, and I didn't want to refuse either. If it's in my power to positively influence this in any way, or at least try, then refusing this choice would mean not only cowardice but also meanness. Praise Kami — it worked. My soul hadn't felt such relief in a long time. Denka's reaction didn't surprise me but did calm my heart a bit — I wanted to believe that behind her strictness and laughing indifference to many matters, there is still some trait of softness, however fleeting — and so it turned out. If it weren't her, I would have left immediately, leaving them alone, but such people aren't used to such moments of tact and it could have been misunderstood — I had to stay. In conclusion, she offered me to ask something, and I asked what, pieced together in my mind, had long been tormenting my soul with doubts. Everything turned out both worse and better than I assumed. For now, I don't know how to digest it.
- Looked into the theater; they were putting on a strange performance showing a villainous samurai. Do you want trouble?! Not that it's beyond the bounds of what's acceptable, but what right do you have to assign such images? COLOnizers. Didn't find the card. Some old man tried to invite me for tea, but something about him repelled me beyond the obvious reasons to refuse. I don't even know what — perhaps the dozens of tormented souls clinging pitch-black to his own. Wandered through the museum — wild vulgarity. Laughed a lot at the fake celestials, but then blinked — they seemed real. Probably the sun was falling strangely through the glass.
- Visited another old man; he needed something. Turned out to be a scary story, so that everyone would suffer. I'm not especially good at making things up, especially on the spot, so I just dug into memory — real life is always scarier and meaner. He shelled out a considerable sum; I didn't understand why at all, very surprised. Saved up all his life, but had nothing to spend it on? He was pale with hunger alone — even though old people don't eat much. Brought him a snack; it wasn't far anyway, though I stood in line for an hour, and he got touched as if I'd saved a relative from death. Maybe he really has no one, so he has nowhere to spend his savings. A bit sad.
- Went to the academy; fortunately, they listened to me — both the guard and the principal turned out to be reasonable. She didn't ask many questions — knows her business. Brought her to the other side, and there was a very strange scene. I thought the owner would pass out. Awkward, and most importantly unclear, but not the time to dwell on it. We performed our procedure; to say I was surprised is... only slightly exaggerated. I had some idea of what to expect, but still — such a double hit was something incredible. Don't know yet how to process this information. When we finished, it was nearly night — decided to wait for the old man. He eventually told me a tragic, and most importantly such a stupid story that I wanted to strangle him. What idiots men are. Told him exactly what I thought; he got flustered — he knows he's wrong. Hope he takes it to heart and draws some conclusions, first and foremost for his own good; otherwise he's hanging like an andon in the wind — to put it mildly. But still, I don't hold it against him — I understand where it comes from, even if he masks it as "caring for her." Pull yourself together, you're a man. It's never too late to embark on a constructive path.
- Checked on the apothecary; he seemed to know nothing, but named the right place of purchase. Went to the bookstore, looked at the new stock — nothing in the assortment was needed, so I bought absolutely nothing, just wasted time. At the café, I was served by some poor thing — her mood was so unnatural for her appearance that I couldn't help but ask, but apparently she took it as a complaint from a dissatisfied customer. Hope not; left her a little tip. ...and only today, while writing the previous section, did I realize everything. What crude naivety to think I could help here in any way, and what shamelessness after this whole situation. I don't know what to do about it, or if I should even try to do anything; it's a question without an answer.
- The Little Pickles kept trying to talk me into a cat; I even seemed to hear their voices in my sleep, as if they have a cat-lovers club — well, okay, I went. I'd been to this park before; strange I didn't see the fellow. I don't really need a cat; I have nothing against animals, they're better than people in any case, but with my work profile, I doubt I'd be a great owner. But at least — I thought — he could live in my temple, delight the parishioners, and chase off pests. Charms do that better, but if the choice is between that and throwing him out on the street, I'd take him in. The cat, however, doesn't plan his life that far ahead; he didn't like me. Can't blame him; people by and large are not very good creatures; I understand him like no one else. Well, it wasn't meant to be. I hope this cat isn't a nazi? Then I could have recommended him to the boy from the convenience store. The fellow himself turned out a bit strange, but probably not bad. Time will tell, if we cross paths again.
- Wandered around various places, found the third key. The old ticket-taker was right! I'll have to visit him again to thank him. Came home, and half the room was piled with roses. With nothing else to do, spent two hours counting them all — turned out to be exactly six hundred and sixty-six; by the end I fell asleep. Burned the note later. Next time I see him, may Kami protect me from sin. And by sin I don't mean what he fantasized about, but retribution for all the sorrow he's sown. The next morning began with the elf holding a dagger at the head of my bed — probably wanting revenge for the suffering my ritual caused her. But no, the dagger turned out to be a gift. From the instructions for it, I understood that nothing good is in store for the near future, but I got to hear such a long tirade from her that I didn't think she was capable of. Seems she felt a little better; good if so.
- Felt like Reisen Reimu — played some golf. It was tough. Admission turned out cheaper on weekends — amazing. Should go again if I have rems and time. I'll invite the dwarf girl; let's see how she does, heh-heh. Though she's probably ten times better than me, with her talent for handiwork. Found a huge golden statue of a phantom near someone's mansion — I'll definitely ask the old man what's up with that. That's not tossing a cardboard box. Collected the next hint from the fisherman, dangled a carrot on a fishing rod in the form of "valuable information" in front of his nose, for irony's sake, but he didn't seem interested — told me everything anyway. I said what I wanted to him anyway, just to see his little eyes light up with greasy fire. And I would have told him even if I hadn't found anything here, so what. ...The next one was unrealistically hard to get; at that moment, I regretted taking on this task ten times over, and I think I plunged headfirst into that part of the capital that provincials don't dream of when saving up their salary for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Had to give up the "relic"; hope it's in good hands. I just wrote that and realize how comical it sounds, but what's done is done. The next two came easily — is this that mythical situation where the seeds of social connections sown earlier bear fruit? I never believed in that, so I'll consider it luck. Among other things, I finally submitted the article. Should have started writing it earlier; I was just taking notes — processing and translating such a mass of information into real text in one sitting was barely within my power, but they seemed to like it. I'll need to get a copy — just for memory and for the collection. To flip through someday and cringe at my own style.
[/spoiler]
Putting down the cherry pencil and stretching her fingers, she casually notes that this long writing session didn't tire her at all — recent practice is paying off — then looks at the clock — noon is not far off, time to get ready.
After thinking for just a few seconds for form's sake — since this decision was made the day before — today she decides to wear a Minjin dress for the first time. After all, trekking into the forest for three hours one way, catching branches with a long imperial gown or a baggy kimono — not a great idea. Critically examining herself in the mirror, Ayano realizes that on any other day, seeing herself in such an unfamiliar appearance might have greatly embarrassed her, but today her soul and heart were collected in a fist and set aside from emotional matters.
Before leaving, she leaves a note on her desk, indicating the coordinates where she should be looked for if she doesn't return by nightfall — if something happens to her, even if she doesn't manage to wait for help, at least the servant who finds this note can inform the princess of her fate. Finally, finishing all preparations and skipping breakfast, she heads to Lepota to meet Bazhena
My sword, my trusted ally, unphased by my aspect.
Ment