Volume 3 - CH 2.3

The antagonist of the series is revealed…

Translation Notes

1. The Japanese reading for this word is “dango”

2. The ancient Chinese believed that ingesting cinnabar will make you immortal

3. I don’t feel like typing the characters out but the “Gou” in “Gou-no-Kami” and “Goushi Palace” are different characters but very similar looking

Previous || Index || Next

The next morning, Kajou came to Yamei Palace with several books. It was a casual visit accompanied by only one of her attendants. Kajou, dressed in a light green dress, reminded one of a cool breeze.

“Thank you,” Jusetsu thanked her and accepted the books.

“It was my pleasure,” Kajou said happily. “Since it was a request from Ah-mei, I picked them out enthusiastically. If you need more, please let me know. I have many more in my palace.”

Jusetsu became a little puzzled by the happy Kajou.

“You don’t find this a nuisance?”

Kajou gave a refreshing and broad smile. “Goodness, of course not. I’m very glad that you’re relying on me.”

“…Is that so?”

“It is.”

Koushun also seemed to be pleased with Jusetsu’s request. Jusetsu still didn’t understand his feelings.

“This is for you, Ah-mei,” Kajou said, then took out a vessel from the pail the attendant was holding. Dumplings (1) covered in white honey were piled up in the celadon porcelain vessel. Jusetsu’s eyes were drawn to them, and Kajou smiled.

“Let’s eat together.”

She sounded like an older sister. Jusetsu, whose eyes were captivated by the dumplings, nodded.

“——Oh my, a ghost holding a turtle vessel?”

Jusetsu and Kajou were sitting across from each other, scooping up the smooth dumplings with spoons and eating them.

“And, there’s apparently an old tale passed down in the north, about an old servant who was killed.”

She told her what she heard from Koushun. The dumplings with white honey were sweet, chewy, and delicious.

Kajou, who was listening closely, put her finger on her cheek in thought and remained silent.

“Is there something wrong with the story?” Jusetsu asked.

“You said it was a story handed down. Stories handed down orally are bound to change.”

Jusetsu tilted her head a little. Kajou continued.

“An old servant who served a fallen noble house died after being treated unjustly and brought down a curse on the people involved—I’ve sometimes read such variant tales in books.”

“Variant tales?”

“It means stories that are very similar to each other. There is a certain template. There are probably similar stories in various places, and they are compiled in books and spread to even more regions. The story you told me is more in line with the pattern of the story in that book. ——What I mean is, the story might have been that type of story originally, but it could also have been in a different form.”

“A different form…” She never even considered it.

“So, this story might not have much to do with the inner court ghost?”

When she said that disappointedly, Kajou seemed to be in deep thought again.

“No…I’m not saying that it has nothing to do with the ghost, because the points about the turtle vessel and medicine are distinctive. However, I think you should think more carefully about taking this story as it is and confronting the ghost.”

Hmm, Jusetsu nodded. “I see.”

“I’m sorry if it was unnecessary,” Kajou smiled.

No, Jusetsu shook her head. “It’s interesting to hear different opinions from different people. It’s fascinating.”

Onkei had immediately replied that the ghost was a person of loyalty. Senri felt that this person must have had a sick master. Each of them said what they said because they were who they were.

“It’s fascinating…” Jusetsu murmured again.



Past noon, Koushun came to get her himself. Of course, he was accompanied by Ei Sei as usual.

On the way to the inner court, Jusetsu talked about her conversation with Kajou.

“Indeed,” Koushun replied calmly. “Kajou has a point. Even written materials can become wrong when they are transcribed.”

“So, I thought about it a lot, but…”

“What is it?”

“Medicine can also be poison.”

Koushun looked at her profile. “Oh?”

“Even good medicine can become poison if you give the wrong dosage. Even if it’s life-prolonging medicine, it might work for some people, but make others sicker. In the first place, all medicines that prolong life and longevity since ancient times are all poison.”

“Cinnabar is one of those.” (2)

“I don’t know if it is divine medicine or not, but even if the royal family in that story handed over the real thing, it’s not known if that sick young lady would have been saved. Rather—”

“You think she might have died instead?”

Mm, Jusetsu nodded. And, maybe——

“…”

Jusetsu had fallen silent, and Koushun didn’t speak to her any more than that.

Gyoukou Hall, which was usually only visited by the emperor and eunuchs, was quiet even in the early afternoon. Perhaps it was because it was cloudy and looked like it might rain at any moment, but the inside of the palace was dimly lit and strangely cold, even though the weather was hot and humid. Only the sound of footsteps on the stone floor could be heard. They passed through the corridors and arrived at the treasure room. As expected, Ui was standing in front of the door.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

He bowed deeply. Invited into the treasure room, Jusetsu immediately asked, “Does the medicine that was in the turtle vessel still remain anywhere?”

“It does not,” Ui said in a monotone voice without his expression changing in any way.

“Are you sure? There must be some old medicine left here. Is it not there?”

“There isn’t any,” Ui said flatly. Jusetsu took in a faint breath.

“Is that so? –Then, regarding that medicine, does it matter if someone who is weak and sick takes it?”

Ui looked at Jusetsu with round eyes for a while, as if he didn’t understand the intent of her question or he was searching through his memories. He tilted his head slightly.

“I do not know.”

“Didn’t you say that it was a life-prolonging elixir? Is it true that anyone who takes it will prolong their life?”

“I do not know,” Ui repeated the same thing.

“In other words, there are no stories of such people left?”

Ui tilted his head to the other side this time. “I don’t know of any such stories.”

Jusetsu nodded. “I see. Thank you. –May I see that casket one more time?”

“Of course.”

Ui disappeared between the shelves like the wind. He almost immediately came back with the box in his arms. He wasn’t even breathing hard.

Holding the turtle vessel in her hands, Jusetsu looked at it intently. Koushun was also looking at it from the side.

“It isn’t a flashy masterpiece, but it’s a finely crafted item,” he quietly evaluated.

“Precisely, Your Majesty,” Ui responded. “This stone is a precious rock that can be mined from the northern mountain range, but it was considered too solid and difficult to work with, so the best craftsman of the time put their heart and soul into carving it. The design is both intricate and generous—”

“Ui.”

Jusetsu interrupted Ui, who was speaking like he was reading out from a book. Ui closed his mouth and stared fixedly at her.

“A ghost holding that vessel is wandering about. How do you think such a ghost can release its attachment to this world and cross over to paradise.”

That question always brought back unexpected answers, depending on the person she asked it to. She was curious as to how this person would respond, but the answer she got was succinct.

“Breaking the vessel will release the ghost.”

“Huh?”

“Breaking the vessel will—”

“Are you saying that I should break this vessel?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“If the ghost is holding the vessel, then it has an attachment to it. If you break the vessel, the attachment will disappear.”

It was a very simple and crude solution.

“Breaking the vessel is—not allowed. Right?”

Jusetsu looked at Koushun. Before, she had asked if she could destroy the biwa that was stored here. Koushun looked troubled. It seemed that it wouldn’t be allowed.

“Breaking it would be…problematic,” Koushun looked somewhat baffled as he said it.

“Is that so, Your Majesty.”

No one expected the keeper of the treasure room to suggest destroying a treasure. Jusetsu looked at his expressionless face. It was different from Koushun’s blank face. It was flat and lifeless.

“Then,” Ui continued in his monotone voice. “It is better to borrow the power of Gou-no-Kami.”

“What?”

“Gou-no-Kami’s—”

“No, what do you mean?”

“Goushi Palace is the answer.”

“…? Hmm?”

“You should bring that vessel to Goushi Palace and pray.”

Jusetsu glanced up at Koushun. He also looked like he had no idea what Ui was talking about.

“Why is that so?”

“The shell of Gou-no-Kami is used to decorate Goushi Palace. The ‘Gou’ in Goushi means Great Sea Turtle, the same as the Gou in Gou-no-Kami. (3) It is imbued with divine power.”

Jusetsu was speechless for a while.

“——What?”

A god’s shell was used as decorations? She was deeply confused.

“This is the first time I’m hearing of this,” Koushun said in a calm voice.

“The first emperor who built this imperial palace arranged it to be so.”

“The first dynasty of this palace…the Ran dynasty. It was Ran Yuu?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Why did he do that?”

“It was for protection against Wulian Niangniang, just in case. It is the same as a shaman. You may think of it as a wall.”

Jusetsu and Koushun looked at each other. What did he mean?

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

“Told you? Who—”

Ran Yuu?

“Ui, you—”

Jusetsu took a step toward Ui, but he closed his mouth and stared vaguely ahead with nothing reflected in his smooth eyes.

“Please go to Goushi Palace,” he repeated. He showed no more sign of speaking beyond that.

“Shall we go there?” Koushun asked. After thinking it over for a while, Jusetsu nodded.

“I still have things I want to ask you,” she told Ui before leaving the treasure room with Koushun. They were heading to Goushi Palace. It was a palace located near the inner palace.

“Defence against Wulian Niangniang…just in case…”

Jusetsu muttered as she walked briskly. What does that mean? What was Ran Yuu thinking?

They climbed the steps and entered the palace. It wasn’t a very large building. They had a musician play the biwa for them and send a ghost possessing a cloth mask to paradise. At that time, she didn’t get a good look at the palace’s structure…

Jusetsu looked around the palace. It had a cold stone floor, several pillars supporting beams, and couches, a table and folding screens.

Jusetsu suddenly pulled back. The stone floor. It was laid with polished round stones—but that wasn’t the only thing. Something that looked like mottled tortoiseshell was embedded here and there. They were light grey, not brown, and difficult to distinguish from the stone. Looking at the entire floor, one could see a large floral pattern made from these embedded objects.

Is it these?

Jusetsu headed towards the center of the pattern while staring at her feet. There was a table at the center of the flower.

“…Koushun.”

She received the turtle vessel from Koushun and put it down on the table. She moved back a little and knelt down on the spot.

She touched the flower pattern with her fingers. It was hard, but not as cold as the stone and contained a mysterious warmth. Suddenly, she smelled a fishy, damp smell.

“This is…the smell of the sea,” Koushun murmured.

The smell of the sea. Jusetsu never smelled it. But she also felt a feeling of nostalgia, like she knew it well. Her fingertips suddenly felt wet, and she drew back her hands in surprise. The flower pattern wavered and rippled.

Water?

The flower pattern swayed like the surface of a lake and shone a faint silver. Before she even had time to be startled, bare legs appeared from behind the turtle vessel on the table. She looked up to see the ghost of the old servant standing there with his head hanging down. He was holding out the vessel. His hands were trembling.

He’s wailing.

Looking up at him from the floor, she could see his expression clearly. The ghost was crying.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice was hoarse and thin. Sobbing, the old servant apologized again and again.

“My lady…my lady…it’s all my fault…”

He was constantly blaming himself in between his sobs. Jusetsu listened to him intently.

“I thought that if you took the medicine…you would be saved…”

As I thought.

Jusetsu stared at the old servant’s face.

“You gave that life-prolonging medicine to your mistress, didn’t you.”

The old servant didn’t react. It seemed her voice didn’t reach him.

“…Then, in other words?” Koushun asked.

“The medicine he received from the royal family was most likely the genuine article. He gave it to the sick young lady. However, rather than prolonging her life, she died.”

“…So the medicine became poison?”

Jusetsu nodded. The old servant thought that the young lady would get better if she drank the medicine. And yet—

“It must have been too strong for the sickly lady.”

The people who gave the medicine to the old servant probably did so out of the goodness of their hearts. Perhaps they felt sorry for the old servant’s desperation.

Jusetsu could only furrow her brow and stare at the sobbing old servant. There was nothing she could say to him, nor would she ever be able to reach him. What could she do?

She looked at the floor. The flower pattern still shone with a faint silver color and was undulating. She slowly brought her hand closer.

“…Gou no Kami.”

Did he have another name? She didn’t know. She simply called out to the god.

“Will you save this person?”

She touched it with her fingertips. It didn’t feel cold. It had the warmth and feel of lukewarm water. Like water warmed by the sun. It swayed and bumped against her fingers, making a watery sound. It felt terribly nostalgic, even though she had no memory of it.

The sea.

Suddenly, her fingers were drawn in with a strong force. It wasn’t that they were grabbed and pulled in. It felt like a power of absorption. Her hand was sinking into the water.

Jusetsu put her hands on the floor and resisted the force. However, the power of absorption was so strong that it felt like if she exhaled, she would be swallowed up in that moment.

“Jusetsu!”

Koushun held her in his arms. Jusetsu could finally breathe. As she inhaled, she pulled her hand back with all her strength.

Let go of me!

She chanted that in her mind, and her chest became hot. Heat flowed from her chest to her arms, from her arms to her fingertips. The force that was sucking her in seemed to slacken, and her arm slipped loose. There was a dry sound, like something popped, and Jusetsu fell backwards with Koushun.

“Dajia!” “Niangniang.” Ei Sei and Onkei, who had been watching the situation, rushed over to them. Koushun lightly raised his hand to restrain them and got up. Then, he put his arm around Jusetsu’s shoulders and held her up.

“Are you alright?”

Jusetsu nodded. She was out of breath and couldn’t speak for a while. She pressed her hand against her chest. That heat. An unpleasant heat.

She suddenly looked up at the table and let out a small “ah.” The vessel had split right into two. The ghost had also disappeared. The flower pattern on the floor had gone back to normal, no longer that silver glittering water.

“It’s broken,” Koushun said nonchalantly. It was the emperor’s treasure. Everyone except Koushun stared at the treasure with bated breath.

“There’s nothing you can do about something that’s been destroyed. This is how the ghost disappeared, right?” he asked Jusetsu.

“…Yes.”

There was no sign of that ghost anymore. She couldn’t hear his crying either.

“If that’s the case, then it’s fine.”

It was a quick thing. Jusetsu let out a small sigh.

Right at that moment, a charcoal-colored sleeve stretched out from the side and picked up the vessel that was on the table. No one had noticed him approaching.

“Ui.”

With that expressionless face, Ui stood there with the pieces of the vessel in his hands. No emotion or intention could be sensed from that face.

“W-When did you—”

Ei Sei was unusually flustered. He was looking at Koushun, seeming to be at a loss as to how to deal with this. Koushun stood up.

“Ui, just as you said, the ghost disappeared once the vessel was broken.”

“Yes,” Ui replied in his monotone voice. Jusetsu stood up as well. She stared at Ui’s face intently. She had always thought that it seemed familiar. It was just as she thought. This expression wasn’t a face.

“Ui, you…”

You have the same expression as Shougetsu.

“You’re a doll—a tsukaibe.”

His eyes that looked like gaping holes were directed at Jusetsu. Eyes that were smooth and seemed to reflect nothing.

“Yes, I am.”

Ui said it like it was nothing.

“Whose tsukaibe are you? Wulian Niangniang’s? I don’t believe you’re the Owl’s.”

Ui tilted his head to the side a little. “Until this moment, I was Wulian Niangniang’s tsukaibe. Before that, I belonged to Gou-no-Kami. I was created by Gou-no-Kami.”

Gou-no-Kami’s tsukaibe.

“Gou-no-Kami has gone into hiding, so I was made Wulian Niangniang’s property. But, Gou-no-Kami has summoned me again—”

The flower pattern on the floor wavered again and emitted that silvery light.

“This is the end. It seems that Wulian Niangniang is no longer strong enough to detain me. This is where I take my leave. So long, princess of Ran—no, princess of Hi.”

The ground beneath Ui’s feet transformed into water, and his body sank down.

“I shall leave you for a short time.”

Ui and the turtle vessel he was holding sank into the water. At the same time, the light disappeared and the floor returned to how it was before. No one spoke for a while.

“…Did he call me ‘princess of Hi?’” Jusetsu’s voice was hoarse. “What does he mean by that?”

Even at a time like this, Koushun spoke with a quiet, unwavering voice. “The Ran clan was from a minority tribe in the north. It’s said that they descended from a old dynasty, but…”

Jusetsu had also heard that story. They were the descendants of a family that once ruled the country or the descendants of priests.

Was that the Hi dynasty?

After thinking about it for a while, Jusetsu shook her head. So what did that mean? Being a Ran survivor was already a troublesome fact, but what was the significance of a long-gone dynasty like the Hi dynasty?

“What’s certain is that we’ve lost one of our treasures, and the treasure room’s keeper…”

Koushun murmured, sounding just a little lonely.



That day, Jusetsu headed for the Winter Ministry.

“I see, the treasure room’s keeper…”

Jusetsu told Senri about what happened to the turtle vessel as they sat at a table in the middle of the outer corridor.

“It was the Great Sea Turtle who created Ui, but because the god had ‘gone into hiding,’ he became Wulian Niangniang’s possession, and now he has returned to the Great Sea Turtle—what does all that mean?”

Senri blinked and looked at her face.

“Before, you told me that you wondered why the ghost of the old servant has appeared now of all times. At that time, I was at a loss as to whether or not to say it, but…”

Come to think of it, he did seem like he wanted to say something.

“What is it?”

“…This is my personal theory, but faith comes in waves,” Senri spoke in a voice as gentle as basking in the sun. “It may safely be said that it has trends.”

“I understand that,” Jusetsu nodded. There was the desolate Seiu Temple and the new beliefs in new gods arising in many places. Beliefs came and went.

“Why is it that the shrines of Wulian Niangniang have become deserted in rural areas, and the belief in other gods has grown stronger? The Great Sea Turtle god, who was worshipped in ancient times, is now nowhere to be seen. –I believe these are all due to the weakening of those gods.”

“Weakening?”

“If a god’s power weakens and no longer brings benefits to the people, their faith will fade away. Little by little, like the waves receding. And then, faith will gather in a god with a different power. I believe that gods can also be replaced like that.”

“A god’s…replacement?”

“It’s more like a struggle for supremacy. There are many temples to many gods in this country, from big to small ones. Aren’t the gods competing against each other for power?”

Jusetsu recalled Shougetsu’s…the Owl’s words.

Koushou made the Raven eat flowers. She continually fed them to her. They were poison.

The Raven has already—lost itself.

And then, Ui’s words.

It seems that Wulian Niangniang no longer has the power to detain me.

Was Wulian Niangniang weakening?

“Then…does the fact that Ui has returned to the Great Sea Turtle God means that that god’s power has returned?”

“I believe there’s a high possibility of that.”

“But on the other hand, Wulian Niangniang…”

Senri had a difficult look on his face. “I can’t say for sure that my theory is correct. However, I believe that Wulian Niangniang was in a similar crisis in the past.”

“Crisis?”

“When the Winter King was killed. The world was plunged into war after that. A new Winter King hadn’t appeared during that time, and Wulian Niangniang remained silent. Why was that? It is said that the country was devastated because of this silence, but since the war continued, it is natural that it was devastated. However, I also think that the silence was due to some kind of crisis that Wulian Niangniang had to deal with. It is all hypothetical, just my supposition.”

“No…it was very helpful. It is not something I would have thought of, since I have no knowledge of such things.”

When she said that, Senri’s eyes narrowed into a smile. “Thank you very much.”

“Lady Raven Consort, Master,” an acolyte approached them. “His Majesty is calling upon you.”

“What, Koushun also comes to see you?”

“Yes, sometimes. I play Go with him in Master Gyoei’s place.”

“It must be tough playing against him.”

Senri smiled at Jusetsu’s words. It seems that he was a good opponent. A strong one.

“You’re here too?” Koushun, who appeared in the outer corridor, said after seeing Jusetsu. “Do you play Go with Senri too?”

He probably said that because of the Go board on the table.

“No,” Jusetsu shook her head. “I came to ask his opinion.”

“I see. I came here to play Go with him.”

However, Senri pointed to the chair he was sitting on. “Why don’t you play a game with the Lady Raven Consort today?” he suggested.

Jusetsu frowned. “I won’t play with him.”

“Because you hate to lose.”

Jusetsu hated how Koushun said that with a cool face.

“You don’t think you can lose?”

“I don’t care about losing, though.”

She considered throwing the stones at him.

“Sit there.”

Jusetsu pointed to the chair across from her. She then took off the lid from the bowl and gripped a stone. Koushun obediently sat down. Senri bowed with a smile and quietly left. Jusetsu watched him from behind. He wore the same grey color as Gyoei, but he looked completely different from behind compared to Gyoei.

“…It’s helpful to hear other people’s opinions.”

“It is.”

“It makes me realize how little I know.”

“Is that so.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a while.”

“What is it?”

“Gyoei died, didn’t he?”

Koushun’s hand, about to put down a Go stone, stopped.

“Looking at how you and Senri remained silent, I don’t think it’s because of his age. Was it suicide?”

“…”

“Then, he must have taken responsibility. –Was it Gyoei who let Shougetsu into the inner palace?”

Jusetsu repeated her words with a calmness that surprised even herself.

“He must have hated me,” Reijou appeared in her mind. Reijou, who lived alone, grew old, and died, just as the Raven Consort should. “I suppose it’s natural.”

“…Jusetsu.”

Koushun’s voice that quietly called out her name was something that shook the bottom of Jusetsu’s heart. It always did. This time it sounded even deeper and stronger. Feeling a sharp pain at the back of her nose, Jusetsu swallowed her breath.

“I’ve told you this before, you’re too considerate. You’re so considerate and thoughtful that it makes people angry instead.”

“…You did say that.”

Are you angry? He quietly asked.

Jusetsu shook her head. “You’re concerned for me…but then, who will take care of you? Are you going to keep the pain of losing Gyoei to yourself and never tell anyone?”

All the while keeping those wounds open.

“…There are many who worry about the emperor.”

That wasn’t what she’s talking about. The back of Jusetsu’s chest hurt. This pain was for Koushun’s sake.

“You accept your wounds as a matter of course. That’s because you think of them as your punishment. I thought that way as well. But…” Jusetsu looked down at the Go stone in her hand. “Some time ago, I exorcised a curse put on an attendant of Hakkaku Palace.”

Koushun nodded.

“The attendant’s life was saved by her betrothed, but she deeply regretted leaving him to his death. However, I think that regretting like that would also mean denying the choice that her betrothed staked his life on. So, I—”

Jusetsu sighed.

“I can’t say it well. But I…don’t want to deny my mother’s decision at that time.”

She tried to say more, but couldn’t find the right words.

“Is that so,” Koushun said. He seemed to understand what she was trying to say. “I see…”

He didn’t say anything more after that. He also stared at the stone.

“I’ve never considered it a good thing to associate with others,” Jusetsu put a stone on the board. “But there are many things that you are able to see when you interact with people.”

Even if that’s the wrong path for the Raven Consort.

What people did with the best of intentions didn’t always bring good results. So maybe this was all a mistake as well. I might be falling into a dark pit, little by little, little by little.

Still, I cannot think that I would have been better off without the connections that I have now.



After she returned to Yamei Palace, a familiar attendant visited. She was no longer wearing the white coral ornament on her sash. It was Ki Senjo.

“I have come to deliver a letter from the Lady Crane Consort.”

Senjo was holding a tray in her hands. There was a letter on the ostentatious brocade cloth. Wondering what it was about, Jusetsu picked up the letter and spread it out. The writing was beautiful, as one would expect from a consort. Contrary to the Crane Consort’s mysterious impression, the contents were terribly ceremonious and formal. However, it was simply an invitation to tea.

“…She shouldn’t have gone out of her way to send a letter like this.”

Senjo, who apparently didn’t know what was in the letter, looked dumbfounded.

“She asked me to have you write an answer. May I please ask you to do so?”

Jiujiu started to grind ink with an inkstone. Jusetsu hesitated over how to reply. Her eyes caught on Senjo’s tray. The brocade cloth was embroidered with tortoiseshell crests in gold and silver threads.

“Are those turtles?”

Senjo looked down at the tray after she murmured that.

“Are you talking about this cloth? Of all the ones that the Crane Consort owns, this one is the finest. The Lady Crane Consort was reluctant at first, saying that the tortoiseshell pattern wasn’t cute, but after much deliberation, she chose this one, saying that the ones with dyed flower patterns were too light and that she couldn’t find any other brocade that she liked.”

“All that for a single piece of cloth?”

“Since this is the first letter she’s delivering to the Lady Raven Consort, she agonized over how to write it. The Lady Crane Consort wants to get along with you.”

That was surprising. Jusetsu’s impression of her was that of a “girl who’s difficult to grasp.”

“Not cranes, but turtles?” the person who cut in was Jiujiu, who was rubbing out the ink. “Since it’s Hakkaku Palace, I thought you would use a crane crest more often.”

“Tortoiseshell crests are everywhere at our palace. The attendants also favor that pattern for their ruqun… It is the crest of Lord Hakumyoushi, after all.”

Hakumyoushi. The god the Eight Truths Sect worships.

Jusetsu, who was about to pick up the brush, lifted her head.

“The tortoiseshell crest is the crest of Hakumyoushi?”

“Yes. Because Lord Hakumyoushi is the Great Sea Turtle God.”

The brush fell onto the table.