There are various anecdotes and legends in the world.
The genre differs depending on the country and people.
Among them, there are naturally stories about gods.
But…
“Hey Evia.”
“What is it?”
The scene unfolding before me was so surreal that, unfortunately, I couldn’t recall any related stories.
“Have you ever heard of a story where a human scolds a god?”
“No, at least not within my knowledge.”
Evia, standing beside me, seemed to share the same sentiment. She smiled as if finding it amusing, but her eyes remained fixed on the scene.
“Me neither. Furthermore, I’ve never heard of a story where someone makes a large fox sit in seiza next to them.”
A young girl, who was a god, sat in seiza with a large fox beside her. Before them, a woman stood resolutely. Although she didn’t yell or raise her voice, her resolute voice clearly echoed in the space. The fact that it was a scolding only amplified the surrealness of the situation.
I was witnessing a scene that realized the rare combination of a human admonishing a god. Moreover, a question arose: in any mythological tales, did humans ever hold such a dominant position in a conversation? Perhaps such stories existed in the past. But…
“Why do you always act on your own without a single word of consultation!”
“Because…”
“It’s not ‘because’!! We’ve been explaining this meeting for a month now!! This meeting is crucial and could have a significant impact on the future of Japan and even Earth’s civilization!!”
At least, I never thought I’d actually see a story of a human scolding a god in reality, like a parent seriously lecturing a child who’s been caught doing something mischievous. That’s for sure. The surrounding people probably felt the same. If they had predicted this, they wouldn’t have revealed such a state, and there would have been other ways to handle it.
Normally, if something like this happened, one would move to a separate room for the lecture. However, Kirie-san, who was in a fit of rage, was in a state of “untouchable god, unprovoked wrath.” The men, including myself, along with Evia and the others, were unable to intervene due to her intense spirit and could only watch the proceedings unfold.
Occasionally, personnel from the government side would cast accusatory glances at the Association, implying they were responsible. However, Abe and Naniwa, who remained, merely wore grim expressions. They probably wanted to stop her too, but Kirie-san’s current expression was so terrifying that even a Hannya mask would seem cuter. The sharpness of her gaze and the anger reflected in her eyes were enough to make any mischievous child freeze and immediately sit in seiza. It was so intense that it could be traumatic for a timid child. The sight of her hair swaying and a crimson aura emanating from her only added to the atmosphere.
“And you too, Moon Fox-sama!!”
Ah, the target of her anger has shifted. Internally, I thought, “You’ve got it tough,” and let the angry voice wash over me as if it were someone else’s problem, while feeling sympathy for the fox who was now the focus. Whether he or she, that fox was probably just caught in the crossfire.
The Moon Fox, who had been sitting beside Mimamori-sama, also straightened up at Kirie-san’s voice. Its hesitant glance towards Kirie-san confirmed my understanding that it possessed intelligence.
“Your role is to stop Mimamori-sama when she acts recklessly, or to be a messenger when you can’t stop her! So why are you cooperating with her?! That’s completely backwards! It was the same the other day! It was fortunate I was there, but what would you have done if I hadn’t been there?!”
And then I understood that what Kirie-san was talking about was the day we arrived. Indeed, I didn’t see a dejected-looking great fox that day. That means he overlooked Mimamori-sama’s actions. The fox’s whimpering, dog-like sound of repentance made me think it was a little cute, but neglecting one’s duties is unacceptable. As a salaryman, I firmly believe that should be reflected upon. However, I imagine if it had been able to stop her, it would have.
“Complaining like that won’t work!! For a while, you can expect no Inari sushi as offerings!”
“!?!”
While I found the punishment for this transgression to be rather cute, the Moon Fox looked as if the world was ending, reacting with extreme surprise. It anxiously questioned how long “a while” would be, its head adorned with numerous question marks.
“Naturally, Mimamori-sama too!! No sweets for a while!”
“How cruel?! What am I supposed to look forward to in life now!?”
I thought it was a bit exaggerated.
“You know, considering she interfered with a meeting between nations, this punishment seems a bit light, don’t you think? Or is it just me?”
The exchange proceeded so calmly, it genuinely felt like a parent and child talking, making me question if my opinion was mistaken. She had disrupted a negotiation between nations. I felt there should be a more appropriate penalty.
“Conversely, I ask you, how many effective punishments are there for gods? They wouldn’t care about human punishments in the slightest, would they?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true…”
Naturally, penalties like fines, imprisonment, or a criminal record are all human-imposed punishments. Whether they would be effective against a god is a question that arises first. In the human world, the death penalty and execution are considered extreme punishments, and they have been applied in the world of myths as well. However, the question of whether a god can even be killed arises, and legally, such severe penalties cannot be demanded for disrupting a meeting.
“…It’s difficult, isn’t it? Humans and gods.”
“You’re only realizing that now? To us, gods are to be revered. If you don’t want to get involved, it’s wise to remain indifferent. If you incur their wrath, you must either sacrifice yourself or appease them. At least, they are not to be judged by humans.”
Gods might judge humans, but there is no way for humans to judge gods. Listening to Evia’s words, I had to agree. From that perspective, the confiscation of enjoyable activities, which was happening before my eyes, was an exceptional measure. Evia continued, with a wry smile, as if exasperated.
“Fundamentally, as far as I know, I’ve never heard of a human being able to speak so unilaterally to a god. The fact that this is happening in reality suggests that, to that god, that woman is someone whose words hold value.”
Just as I had thoughts about the punishment, Evia seemed more intrigued by the nature of this conversation.
“That’s true.”
Regarding the point Evia raised, I had also had similar thoughts. The notion of being on good terms with a god is something one occasionally hears in fairy tales. I had heard that Kirie-san and Mimamori-sama attended the same school. If this current situation is an extension of that relationship, it’s quite odd.
“Heh.”
“What is it? Did you find something interesting?”
“No, at first, I thought their relationship was like that of a parent and child, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was different.”
“Oh? And how do you see it now?”
“It’s nothing that significant.”
Initially, I inferred their relationship based on their appearances, likening them to parent and child. But after hearing Evia’s words, the content of their speech, and the lack of formality, and especially the sense of distance, I realized my initial impression was mistaken. It now appeared as if the serious, committee-chairperson-like Kirie-san was scolding Mimamori-sama, who was a problematic friend.
“I simply thought they were good friends.”
“It might be a fleeting moment. Gods are capricious.”
“Even so, this scene isn’t a lie.”
I replied playfully to Evia’s teasing remark, and a smile flickered across her lips. Eyes from the government side glared, as if urging us to be more serious.
“Oh, is something wrong?”
Evia displayed her boldness by not paying attention to Kase’s gaze and instead questioning its intent.
“No, you are remarkably calm. Considering your conversation was interrupted.”
Kase paused for a moment at Evia’s bold retort, then continued. It went without saying that she was implicitly questioning whether Evia was trifling with a national discussion.
“If I were to be shaken by something of this magnitude, I wouldn’t be able to hold my current position.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is.”
To resume discussions with the scolding as BGM was quite remarkable, but Evia acted as if it were perfectly fine.
“So, what do you think? Your impression of seeing a god?”
“…”To the average person, the existence of a god is dubious. Only devout religious followers believe. Most people wish they were real, while dreamless realists would definitively deny it. It’s probably unnecessary to ask which camp Kase belongs to. She clearly sees Mimamori-sama as just a girl and seems to believe this scene is just a prank. She appears to think that the Moon Fox is also part of some special performance. There’s an atmosphere of doubt, as if questioning if that is truly a god. She probably doesn’t disbelieve entirely, but leans more towards doubt than semi-belief.
“I… can’t really say. Unfortunately, I am an atheist.”
“I have no intention of making any pronouncements regarding religion. That part is sensitive for us as well. What’s important is that we share the understanding that we believe her to be a god, while you doubt it.”
“And does that have any relation to our meeting?”
It is natural to harbor doubts about Evia’s words, which assert that believing in a god is crucial.
“Who knows? It might, or it might not. All I can say is that the appearance of a being claiming to be a god here might have a reason.”
Evia’s intentionally evasive response only increased the suspicion. I wished she would stop messing around and took a step back, as if to protect her usual demeanor.
“The fact that a mere child is not kicked out and is sitting here comfortably receiving a lecture… it probably means something, right?”
And with that, Evia forcefully steered the conversation back to Mimamori-sama, the party involved. The fact that an organization implicitly recognized by nations would not expel Mimamori-sama, who appeared to be a young girl, from this room lent credibility to Evia’s words and left Kase without a counter-argument.
“Exactly! That’s right!! Yup!”
For Mimamori-sama, who had been waiting for an opportunity to be freed from the scolding, Evia’s words were a lifeline. Kirie, standing before her, still looked like she had more to say but resigned herself to it, staring intently at us. I didn’t miss the sigh of relief from the Moon Fox behind her. As if to emphasize that her legs weren’t numb from sitting in seiza, she stood up with a surge of energy.
“This matter! It will be troublesome, I’m sure! But rest assured!! I’ve decided to take charge from here on out!!”
She declared it with such boldness that it sounded like a drumroll. However, despite the confident statement, everyone in the room, including myself, thought: “We’re all doomed.”
“Sagami-san. Soon, a joke will cease to be funny.”
Kase was the first to voice this inner thought with a displeased tone. She had been interrupted during an important meeting with a child, losing valuable time. This series of unconventional actions, which she had overlooked as mere childishness, was now something unacceptable to her, a professional negotiator.
“A joke? Of course not. Didn’t I say it?”
However, a god would not overlook such words that seemed to insult them.
“I said, I’ll be in charge from now on.”
If the power of words exists, this must be it.
“Anyone object?”
Heavy words were uttered. There was no physical change to my body, but a tangible pressure was conveyed in her irrefutable words, bringing silence to the room.
“Don’t worry, okay? I won’t take sides with either party. However, since I’m intervening, let’s move things along swiftly from here on!”
Her words, promising the resumption of discussions with surprising energy despite the atmosphere, paradoxically felt like a harbinger of further turmoil.
Today’s Word:
A single decisive word can make it easier to decide on a course of action.
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*The first volume of the book is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
An e-book version was also released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume 2 was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content consists of revised and expanded versions of the material posted on Shousetsuka ni Narou, with the addition of unpublished intermissions.
Please also consider purchasing the new releases!
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