Chapter 226: Cherry blossom viewing party (1/2)
Chapter 226: Cherry blossom viewing party
And so…a few days passed after that.
Today, we are in the spacious grounds.
Right now we are literally in the middle of cherry blossom viewing.
The place was being filled with the merriness of drinking and singing.
At first, the residents were hesitant to eat and drink in a shrine that reveres Gods, but after a while into the cherry blossom viewing, they are completely enjoying it.
Explaining a variety of things probably played a big part as well.
Just that…even though this is the first cherry blossom viewing we will have, there were a number of sea races that were unable to participate.
This place isn’t that far from the sea.
Even so, I can’t move the shrine.
I was thinking about postponing the event because of that, but at that time, Serwhale-san requested me permission to expand the sea and reduce the land.
And said that we should do a cherry blossom viewing with everyone in the future after a few more times.
The Neptunes and Sari decided on the races that would be participating in the viewing this time, and has become a scene where the sea and land races are participating together.
Serwhale-san is currently drinking Sake, eating food, and enjoying the cherry blossom viewing with the land and sea races without exception.
…As I thought, Serwhale-san is truly worthy of being called as ‘-san’.
The crab people are beginning to dance, and the tuna people were earnestly looking at the cherry blossoms and the flowers as they drink the Japanese Sake of Asora in a small cup.
The other person that worked hard in this, Sari, was at my side in the beginning, but when I told her to move around the place, she obediently went to the many other races -centered mainly in women- and was enjoying herself in a calm manner.
Even now…eh? She is not there.
I search for Sari with my eyes.
…Oi.
I found Sari who is now sprawled at the top of a tree branch for some reason.
Ah, she is being brought down by the Lorelais.
This place has a large variety of drinks after all.
She probably drank a mix of things and got drunk.
It seems like there are people nursing them, so there’s no need for me to go.
“An open and tolerant God, is it. It is certainly true that in Edo there were festivals at the Shinto shrines, and it had become a place where people gather and enjoy their time. It is a hard to comprehend part, but after doing it myself and seeing it with my own eyes, I am kind of beginning to understand.” (Tomoe)
Tomoe is with me.
She is not the type that makes much of a racket. It seems she likes to do things in a calm manner.
Well, a cherry blossom viewing is something like that.
There are people that consider the cherry blossoms as a simple excuse to hang out, and there are people who truly enjoy looking at the cherry blossoms.
There are people that consider the drinking as the priority, and there are also people that prefer to go through the many food carts.
Sometimes people consider morning is better, some that night is.
Even so, there’s no need to fight over it.
I think that people have different ways to enjoy things.
You don’t need to get in the way of the enjoyment of others and just enjoy it in your own way.
“It is not like the people of the past viewed their God lightly and made a racket, okay? As long as you possess the emotion of respect as the root, I don’t think the actions that come naturally from it are strange.” (Makoto)
That’s how I think.
There are many unconventional festivals as well, but that doesn’t mean we are looking down on the Gods.
Being merry doesn’t equal to insurrection.
Of course, it is not only on the basis of respecting the Gods, and there’s also the motivation that they will do their best on their next festival.
All of those points together make me like the festivals and the events in the Shinto shrines.
That’s why I am happy that I was able to enjoy cherry blossom viewing in Asora even if it’s slightly different.
If customary grand festivals and seasonal events are born, it would be great.
It has already been decided that there will be a gate connecting this Shinto shrine from the land and the sea.
This is something that I will definitely do.
I want them to visit the shrine at ease, and even if it is a religion, I don’t want them to get lost or have people die like in the Ise pilgrimage.
“There’s someone managing the place, and since the place is so spacious, it can even be used to teach the children.” (Tomoe)
“In my opinion, it doesn’t need to turn into a learning place. I would be happy if it simply becomes one of the places where people can just enjoy their time.” (Makoto)
“Yes. Whatever the case, we have to be grateful for the Gods that have gifted us something nice.” (Tomoe)
Drinking her small cup of Sake, Tomoe looked satisfied.
Her change of mood is kind of…fast.
With the matter of the shrine maiden-san, Tomoe seemed to be kind of snappy, but right now, there’s no signs of that.
Mio, who is mostly just by my side, was also like that, but right now, she is going around the various food carts and bringing me food.
Even though I am not sure if I can finish the stacked boxes of food that we brought for the cherry blossom viewing.
She really is merciless.
I thought I had eaten quite a lot, and yet, I feel like the amount of food has increased, and I am pretty sure it is not just my imagination.
I also feel like the stacked boxes of food are not matching the numbers of before…
“Well, Mio is enjoying herself in her own way, so that’s fine huh.” (Makoto)
Looking at Mio who is easily slipping through the tumult of people and drunks, I give up on the choice of eating everything.
I will just do my best to my utmost limit.
That’s for the best, probably.
“Waka-sama, regarding the magic power that is being taken when paying visits to the shrine, it seems like it isn’t to the point of bringing any harm to someone’s health.” (Shiki)
“Shiki, I told you that it is fine to take a break from work right now. In the first place, Touda told us that already.” (Makoto)
“However, it seems like there’s differences between people and considering that it is not a set amount, I thought it would be best to investigate just in case…” (Shiki)
“Well, yeah. Thanks, Shiki. For now, come drink and eat. Also, watching the many flowers that Touda has bloomed is kind of nice, you know?” (Makoto)
Touda made the cherry blossoms bloom just like she said.
There are many varieties of cherry blossoms, and there’s also the ones that only bloom in summer and fall.
In Japan, this spectacle can only be seen after growing them in a greenhouse and setting up the appropriate environment, and yet, this view is being spread in this grounds and in the forest.
It is quite the sight.
People that like this could probably be able to stay here for several days looking at it.
“No! I have a mountain of things to do like investigate the vegetation of this land and the environment of this forest.” (Shiki)
“Rejected. You will do cherry blossom viewing. Your work is done.” (Makoto)
“B-But…” (Shiki)
“If Shiki is working, other people might begin doing it as well. That’s why, today is a holiday. You have done plenty enough with just the investigation regarding the shrine visiting.” (Makoto)
“…Understood.” (Shiki)
Yup.
Shiki has an addiction with work.
I also have a lot of work that I have to prioritize over sleep, so I do understand his feelings though.
In my case, as long as there’s nothing real big, I will certainly be working everyday, but…I don’t think that’s the same as being an addict to work.
The words that Shiki says: ‘I am okay’ and ‘I have free time’, I am beginning to understand that taking those words of his in face value is dangerous.
How to say it, this disposition of his is contagious or should I say, feathers of a bird flock together.
The subordinates of Shiki and the people that are closely related to him have the same trait.
Different from Tomoe and Mio, he was originally a hyuman, which is probably playing a big part in it.
Mio and Tomoe seem to have found sleeping as pleasant, but it looks like Shiki was not the type who liked sleep to begin with.
I remember him saying that when he became a Lich and was unable to sleep anymore, he was delighted.
Sadly to say, even when he made a pact with me and obtained a hyuman body, for some reason, he still possesses that constitution of being okay even if he doesn’t sleep -no, maybe it is more fitting to call it an ability.
It does seem like his workplace is the same, so I would like him to be a bit moderate with that special constitution of his.
For now, it looks like he is obediently doing cherry blossom viewing, but I am unsure if he will be able to hold for 30 minutes. It is Shiki after all.
“Touda, about the shrine visiting, I didn’t ask the detailed parts like the differences between people and the issue that it isn’t a fixed amount of magic power taken. There won’t be any problems occurring with that, right?” (Makoto)
After that fight on the name of a custom, we returned to the Shinto shrine with Touda, and we heard from her about the three temples counting the Shinto shrine.
From what she said, what I didn’t know at all was about the part about the homage, worshipping, and praying; well, in other words, the parts that were done when praying in front of Gods.
Saying it simply, just like when someone pays homage in a shrine with money, you also consume magic power here.
“Of course. Well, there are always exceptions in everything, but regarding the difference in individuals, it is simply to consume magic power that’s fitting depending on the capacity of the person. For people that have ten thousand, a hundred is taken: for people that have a hundred, one is taken. That’s how it would work. So it would mean, the people would be offering around 1% of their total in normal visits.” (Touda)
Touda was actively making contact with the residents.
When called, she would immediately appear close and answer, which was slightly mysterious.
The Orcs, Eldwas, Mist Lizards, Arkes, Winged-kin, Gorgons, and the fairies that are traumatized by Ema; it felt like she was going around introducing herself to everyone.
Truly a business-like attitude.
Thinking about her role here and in the Kuzunoha Company, I feel like she has the disposition for deployment.
Just that, in my opinion, if I were to go head hunting for personnel, rather than people who are outstanding, I would prefer people that have reasonable skills and will be working together until the end.
I have finally noticed that those are the requirements I am looking for.
It is also because we haven’t done the pact yet, but I feel like Touda is the former type.
I feel some sort of stiffness in her that’s hard to express in words.
It doesn’t only apply to her. I have felt this kind of thing a lot of times while in this world.
In the companies of the Showa era, being diligent was more important than skill when looking for personnel, but it is probably an old way of thinking in this era.