Kouhei learned what his father, Shouhei, had asked Moriya to do.
“The first thing I must tell you is that Shohei Amakake is no longer of this world,” Gondo said.
…As I suspected. I had a feeling it would be like this.
I asked Gondo to follow my father’s footsteps because I thought if I found him, I would be able to understand Kanata. However, I also suspected that my father was likely dead.
My father’s sudden disappearance couldn’t be unrelated to my son’s predicament. My father must have had something he absolutely had to do, which forced him to disappear.
And if he could have returned, he wouldn’t have needed to disappear. Whatever he had to do must have been life-threatening.
“…I thought as much. Did my father perform some kind of ritual?”
“Indeed, you seem to have investigated quite a bit. Shohei called it the Ritual of Sealing the Heart. He said he wouldn’t survive if he performed it. I tried to stop him many times, but Shohei was a man who would accomplish anything if he set his mind to it… In the end, I had no choice but to yield. Shohei performed the ritual in a hidden room of the Amakake Shrine and died. He had a satisfied smile on his face, so the ritual was probably a success. As he had asked me beforehand, I took Shohei’s remains back to Kyoto and held the funeral.”
Gondo muttered, scratching his head.
“I see, so that’s the part about being against propriety. It’s questionable whether it constitutes aiding suicide.”
But it could be construed as illegal disposal of a corpse. My father made quite an unreasonable request.
“I apologize for my father’s undue request causing you trouble. Thank you.”
“I didn’t do it for Kouhei. I merely accepted the last request of my dearest friend. The other request was more troublesome. I needed Namihei’s address, but I didn’t know where he lived. I tried calling, but Kouhei was too busy to get a word in.”
…Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember such a call.
It’s kind of you to speak so politely to a man you wronged in the past. You priests certainly have broad minds.
“I deeply apologize for my rudeness on that occasion. Please forgive me.”
“I had no choice but to hire a private investigator to find him, but I couldn’t fulfill the request. The request was to deliver a letter to Namihei on his twentieth birthday, but it seems Namihei hadn’t checked his mailbox.”
A letter from my father addressed to Namihei! The entire secret should be written in that letter!
“Th-that letter, where is it now!”
“Some time after I mailed the letter, I revisited Namihei’s apartment while I was out on an errand, but the letter was still there, buried under advertisements. So, I retrieved the letter, and a few days later, I went to the university and heard the news of his death.”
“S-so you have the letter with you!”
“Yes, I still have it. Since there’s no Namihei to give it to, I’ve been wondering what to do about it.”
“Please, show me that letter! I beg you!”
“…Shohei lamented that his son had become obsessed with power. But Kouhei doesn’t seem that way now. He would forgive you even if you showed him the letter. Please wait a moment.”
Saying that, the elderly Mononobe stood up, returned with a paulownia wood box, and said, “Here it is.”
He handed me an envelope taken from the box.
The envelope was sealed with wax. Holding my breath, I broke the seal and took out the letter.
“Amakake, may I read it too?”
I nodded to Gondo’s question, unable to suppress my curiosity, and we both read the letter.
Although I had partially predicted it, the contents of the letter were astonishing.
My father was indeed a drifter from another world. He had infused his soul into the body of the deceased Shohei Amakake.
My father’s true identity was Yasakareigen, the heir of a noble family called Gosanke in his original world.
He came to this world due to internal strife, met my mother, and decided to live as Shohei Amakake.
However, he contracted Chimera Syndrome due to the side effects of his psychic ability called Nenshin Power, and his remaining lifespan was short.
My father was satisfied with his life and had no regrets, but he had a lingering concern, no, a worry.
The worry was that his grandson, Namihei, was also at high risk of contracting Chimera Syndrome.
Apparently, Namihei had a Unique Constitution where his Nenshin Power grew.
The letter explained a method to transfer his soul to another world to escape Chimera Syndrome, which he left behind as a final resort.
It also stated that my Nenshin Power was low, so the possibility of contracting Chimera Syndrome would be slim, but I had, in fact, contracted Chimera Syndrome.
My father’s prediction was wrong. Perhaps he wasn’t that concerned about me.
The collaborator in the other world was said to be a princess named Mikoto Gomon, but this did not match Kanata’s current situation at all.
According to my father’s plan, Kanata should have been living safely under Princess Mikoto’s protection.
But Kanata is just a soldier fighting on the front lines here. There must have been a miscalculation here as well.
Gondo’s voice brought me back to reality.
“This is a shocking revelation. This isn’t some elaborate prank to fool me, is it?”
“They say truth is stranger than fiction, but this is a bit too strange, don’t you think?”
“It seems you’ve gained something.”
Sipping his kelp tea, the elderly Mononobe watched us with calm eyes.
“Yes, in fact, my father, Shohei Amakake…”
“You don’t need to say it. What’s important to me is that Shohei Amakake was my friend. So, tell me just one thing: could I have been considered Shohei Amakake’s friend?”
“He was undoubtedly my best friend. That’s why he entrusted everything that followed to you, Mononobe-san. My father would have been content having been mourned by you.”
“…I see. It seems I was able to do what I had to do. Now, it’s Kouhei’s turn to do what he must.”
“I will certainly accomplish it. Thank you very much, Mononobe-san.”
“Shohei’s grave is behind the shrine where I served as chief priest. Since you’ve come all the way to Kyoto, it would be good to pay your respects.”
Kouhei and Gondo bowed deeply to Mononobe and then left.
We checked into the reserved inn and decided to wait for Fumiyo and the others to return.
Gondo seemed to enjoy hot springs and quickly changed into his yukata to head to the large public bath.
Even after chasing various incidents, this bizarre event was probably a first for Gondo.
He probably wanted to soak in the hot springs and clear his head.
I took out a magatama from my pocket and placed it on the table.
The mysterious glow of this magatama was calming.
I had learned how to go to the Otherworld, which was what I wanted to know most.
However, there was a problem: a brain-dead body was needed on the Otherworld side.
Perhaps Kanata accidentally possessed the soul of a clone subject in that laboratory.
What would happen if I tried to transfer without a vessel? The risk would be too high.
The best thing would be to contact Princess Mikoto and ask for her cooperation.
What would I do upon arriving in the Otherworld? What could I do to help Kanata…
Wait, wait. Think logically. I need to establish a way to go first.
Failure is not an option. I must plan and prepare meticulously.
“You’re thinking very hard, aren’t you?”
“Fumiyo? Don’t surprise me.”
Fumiyo and Airi must have returned without me noticing.
“Uncle Kouhei, I’m home!”
“Welcome back. How was Ginkakuji?”
“It was the best! I took so many pictures!”
She chirped, holding up the children’s camera hanging around her neck.
…She’s such a cute daughter. Henry-san must have had such regrets, to die leaving behind such a lovely child.
“There are many temples and shrines in Kyoto besides Ginkakuji. We’ll be staying for a while, so you can visit them leisurely.”
“Yes! Tomorrow, we’ll go to the five-story pagoda! And Nijo Castle too! Uncle Kouhei, let’s go together!”
“Alright. It might be nice once in a while. I’d like to go to Byodo-in Phoenix Hall.”
“That’s the place on the ten-yen coin, right! Let’s go, let’s go!”
When I patted her head, she smiled, showing dimples on her cheeks.
“Airi, Mama needs to talk with Kouhei-san, so play in the other room.”
“Okay, Mama!”
Airi gave a cute salute and ran towards the back room.
“…She’s a cute girl. Where did you find her?”
“How did you know she was adopted?”
“Of course I knew. If you remarried a man with adopted children after divorcing me, that child would have to be around Namihei’s age.”
Otherwise, it would mean she had the child outside of marriage.
From what Gondo told me, Henry O’Hara was a serious and sincere man, so he wouldn’t be the type to have an affair.
“That child’s hometown is Bosnia. Henry brought her back when he went to Sarajevo for an interview.”
…Bosnia, huh. A country that’s still not very peaceful. It’s probably better not to ask any further.
“I see. I’m sorry for asking intrusive questions. I was just a little curious.”
“It’s fine. Did you find anything out?”
“Yes, I gained more than I expected. Look at this.”
I showed Fumiyo the letter I received from the elderly Mononobe.
After reading the letter, Fumiyo sighed deeply and placed a hand on her forehead.
“You must have been surprised?”
“Yes, I certainly was. I always thought my father-in-law was a mysterious man, but I never imagined he was a foreigner from another world. Did my mother-in-law know?”
“I don’t know. But my mother was rather air-headed and oblivious, so if she had known, she might have just dismissed it with a ‘Oh, really?'”
Fumiyo chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Hehehe. That’s true. So, what are your plans, Kouhei?”
“What else can I do? I’m going to the Otherworld. I can’t help Kanata by staying in Japan.”
“That’s for the best! That way, Kouhei-san can say goodbye to your illness too!”
…R-right! If I go to the Otherworld, I can get rid of Chimera Syndrome!
“…Your face tells me you never even considered that. Are you surprised, it’s your own life?”
“…I have no words to retort. I can only say I’m terribly absent-minded.”
Fumiyo smiled gently and said something unexpected.
“…Welcome back, Kouhei-san.”
“It’s not ‘welcome back’. We just arrived in Kyoto, you know?”
“That’s not what I mean. Kouhei-san thought about helping Namihei, or rather, Kanata Amakake, without considering himself. A departed spirit wouldn’t think that way. Kouhei-san has brought life back into your heart and returned to the world of the living. Therefore… welcome back, Kouhei-san.”
…I didn’t want to die as a departed spirit. I wanted to die as a human being, even if I was going to die.
I’ve been recognized as a living person by Fumiyo. What a joyous thing this is.
I want to express my gratitude, but the words won’t come out.
The words I managed to utter were cliché and uninspired.
“…I’m home, Fumiyo.”
This concludes the Special Chapter. The Princess Arc will begin tomorrow.
