Chapter 32 - Jōkyō 3 (1686), Part Three

“Master. Lady Myōbu says she will come three days from now together with the divine messengers intended for Lady Kana.”

Fūka, who bore a pale-blue teardrop-shaped mark on his forehead, relayed the first half of Akomachi’s message to Yasutomi,

“And she has instructed you to make all necessary preparations.”

While Ruka, who bore a dark-blue circular mark, delivered the remainder.

“Understood. By the way, what are the divine messengers Kana is to receive like, in your estimation?”

“…They are still young, but both are ‘pattern-bearers.’ Furthermore, one commands wind and fire, while the other commands water and plants—each possesses two attributes. I believe that within ten years, they will most likely be capable of becoming divine foxes.”

Fūka answered with a trace of frustration. Fūka and Ruka were “mark-bearers” and therefore ranked highly among the Kiko, but “pattern-bearers” stood at the very top. Furthermore, being capable of wielding two different powers placed them almost within the realm of divine foxes already.

“They are truly that exceptional…?”

“It only shows how dearly Lady Kuzuha regards Lady Kana.”

Yasutomi sighed at Ruka’s words. Strong divine power alone was enough to draw the attention of many beings. And that included not merely humans, but gods and those beings known as ayakashi as well.

Princess Kana’s unusually strong divine power had been evident even before her birth, so through Kuzuha’s concern, a new barrier had been erected around the estate. It had been intended to protect an infant not yet even born from unwanted interference by other gods.

At times, gods became extraordinarily attached to humans.

Indeed, his wife Chino still enjoyed the favor of Lord Michizane’s spirit and was protected by his power over lightning, one of his divine authorities. Consequently, whenever Chino became displeased or seriously ill, dark clouds invariably gathered and lightning struck.

For that reason, when Yasutomi married Chino, both the Imperial Court and the Tenmangū shrine imposed various conditions upon the marriage, but the point emphasized most strongly was that Chino was forbidden to leave Kyoto.

The Imperial Family, which still feared Lord Michizane’s curse, had probably wished to keep his favored kannagi within sight even after she retired from that role, lest they provoke his displeasure.

Though, in truth, quite a number of lightning strikes had already fallen around the estate when Yasutomi first proposed marriage. Fortunately, perhaps thanks to the barriers surrounding the residence, there had been no damage.

Yasutomi believed that Lord Michizane probably had no intention of harming the Tsuchimikado family, which had deep ties to the deity Inari. After all, despite the spectacular lightning strikes around the estate, no fires had broken out, and the crops in their territory had suffered almost no damage.

(Now that I think of it, our lands had an excellent shiitake harvest that year…)

It had happened more than ten years earlier, but they had harvested such an extraordinary quantity of shiitake mushrooms that people still spoke of it. The harvest had been especially abundant in the place the household called the back mountain, where officials had been stationed to oversee nearby villagers gathering them. The villagers had been permitted to take a portion home with them as well, and Yasutomi remembered how delighted they had been.

(And thanks to that, we had no trouble finding gifts to send people for quite some time.)

For a fleeting moment, he wondered whether that might actually have been a wedding gift from Lord Michizane, but quickly dismissed the thought as absurd.

(More importantly, I must think about Kana. This strange fate awaiting her likely means either that some god will take a particular liking to her, or that some great ayakashi will set its sights upon her.)

Either possibility involved an existence far too powerful for a human to confront, so Yasutomi fully understood that he would have no choice but to rely upon the principal deity and the others in such a situation. As her parent, however, he resolved to do everything in his power so that his daughter would not be helpless when that time came.

(Still, it seems the names I prepared are too small to contain their potential. Unless I give them names of greater stature, those names might hinder their growth. And if possible, I would like names compatible with our family crest, the swallowtail butterfly…)

Yasutomi took out his yatate writing set and unfurled a scroll, then closed his eyes.

(Wind and flame… water and plants… and a butterfly taking flight…)

He sank deep into thought. He remained that way for a long while, but eventually opened his eyes and wrote two new names upon the scroll.

Three days later.

At the shrine building known as the Main Sanctuary in the rear of the estate, the maids had been at work since early morning assembling an altar and arranging numerous offerings. With help from Saki and Natsume, Princess Kana was already dressed in a white ritual robe and white divided hakama.

(Ugh… my heart is pounding from nerves…)

Even seated on the stool prepared beside the altar, she could not stop fidgeting and simply could not settle down. Her mother, Chino, had drilled ritual etiquette and prayers into her thoroughly over the past two days, but even so, she could not help feeling nervous.

Looking at her father Yasutomi, seated immediately beside her and perfectly composed in an entirely white purification robe, only seemed to make her more nervous rather than calm her.

Before long, mist began gathering around them, and Akomachi appeared accompanied by her retainers. Today, she had assumed human form from the beginning.

Everyone present immediately prostrated themselves, and Yasutomi delivered a formal greeting.

“Lady Myōbu, we are truly grateful for your visit on this occasion. As master of this household, I, Yasutomi, offer you my heartfelt gratitude. I also humbly give thanks for the extraordinary consideration you have shown my daughter Kana.”

“Heh heh. Have I kept you waiting? Time flows differently in the Immortal Realm and this world, so matters do not always proceed as one would wish. Come now, you two. Step forward!”

Urged on by Akomachi and practically pushed from behind by her retainers, two fox cubs tumbled out before them.

“Kyuhn!”

“Kyuu.”

Both still possessed the soft, fluffy coats peculiar to young foxes. One bore a pale indigo flower pattern upon its forehead, while the other bore a crimson-red flame pattern.

The more powerful Kiko bore marks upon their foreheads, though most displayed no more than a small mark colored according to the attribute of power they could wield. The fact that these two possessed such clear, distinct patterns alone made the strength of their abilities obvious.

“These are the ones of whom I spoke previously. Both belong to Kuzuha’s clan. They are still Kiko, but even in my eyes they show considerable promise, so their prospects are excellent. The one with the flower pattern excels at controlling water and plants, while the one with the flame pattern can command wind and fire. Yasutomi, I trust you have considered names for them?”

“Yes. I gave the matter a great deal of thought.”

(My foxes are a flame child and a flower child! And how adorable they are! Their tails are so fluffy!)

Her earlier nervousness completely forgotten, Princess Kana stared dreamily at the adorable foxes she was about to receive, until she heard a pointed “Ahem.”

(Ah! This will not do! This is no time to sit here staring. I must compose myself!)

She hurriedly corrected her posture, only to feel her mother’s oppressive gaze boring into the back of her head, and immediately realized her mistake.

(I shall be getting a lecture later…)

When she cautiously raised her eyes, they met those of her father, who looked somewhat exasperated.

“Very well, Kana. Let us begin the naming ceremony at once. These are the names.”

“I receive them with gratitude!”

The princess reverently accepted the folded paper her father handed her and tucked it inside her robe.

Once a divine messenger formally received a name, the person who bestowed that name became its master, and it would serve that master faithfully until the master’s death. For that reason, the naming ceremony was considered both sacred and extremely important.

Yasutomi recited a purification mantra over water that had been drawn from the well beforehand into a ceramic vessel, and Princess Kana used that water to purify her hands and mouth. She then knelt before the altar and shuffled forward on her knees. Upon reaching the altar, she sat formally in seiza, bowed deeply twice, and began reciting the Secret Inari Prayer.

“The Divine is one and without form, empty yet possessed of spirit.

Since heaven and earth first opened, when we reverently worship Kunitokotachi no Mikoto,

the spirit abides in heaven, the spirit abides on earth, the spirit dwells within mankind, flowing from the deity Toyouke…

…

Thus do I humbly recite the Secret Prayer of Inari.”

After completing the entire prayer, she bowed twice again, clapped her hands twice, then bowed once more before proceeding to the naming rite. She unfolded the paper her father had given her, bowed twice, and read aloud.

“I am Kana, daughter of the Tsuchimikado family. I hereby humbly conduct the naming ceremony for the two divine messengers bestowed upon me by Lady Myōbu.

The one who bears flame shall be named Suō. The meaning entrusted to this name is: ruler of the wind that blows throughout the world without end and never remains still. Bearing the flames that destroy evil, aid me in my flight and serve me throughout my life.

The one who bears flowers shall be named Kaō. The meaning entrusted to this name is: ruler of the flowers that fear not even the cold of winter, but bud and blossom forth. Possessing the strength of flowing water, aid me in my great leap forward and serve me throughout my life.”

When she finished reading, she poured sacred sake into a cup prepared before the altar. Taking the dagger placed beside it, she made a small cut on the tip of her finger and allowed several drops of blood to fall into the cup. She reverently raised it above her head, then placed it before the fox cubs.

The cubs cautiously approached and licked the sacred sake mixed with Princess Kana’s blood. At once, the princess and the two foxes were enveloped in white light. Within that radiance, Kana felt the core of her body grow hot and sensed that something had been bound tightly together. She could feel a powerful connection between herself and the fox cubs.

(Now they truly are my foxes!)

Princess Kana’s heart overflowed with joy. But the naming ceremony was not yet complete. The final words still remained. Turning once more toward the altar, she declared,

“May the abundant blessings of Lord Inari guide us ever along the true path, and with deepest reverence and humility, I hereby proclaim that the naming ceremony has been completed.”

She then bowed twice, clapped her hands twice, and finished with one final deep bow. Everything was now complete. She had barely released a relieved sigh when—

“I have become Kaō! I offer my greetings to you, Master!”

The flower-patterned fox cub leaped into her arms. Then—

“What are you saying? I am first! I have become Suō! Master, I offer you my greetings!”

The flame-patterned fox cub hurried over as well and sprang into the princess’s arms as though demanding to be held.

(Ah, they are so fluffy.)

“Princess, we humbly thank you for bestowing names upon us!”

“My name is Kana. Suō, Kaō, I shall be counting on you both.”

“At your command!”

As Yasutomi watched Princess Kana smiling with the two fox cubs in her arms, Akomachi silently approached his side and spoke.

“Still, Suō and Kaō… You have given them exceedingly grand names, Yasutomi.”

“I believed them worthy of such names.”

He answered with his head bowed.

(If those two grow into beings worthy of their names, they will become a tremendous source of aid to my daughter. And if so, perhaps whatever fate awaits her will become at least a little kinder…)