Cursed 019: Undefined Terms

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Chapter 19:  Undefined Terms

It was 9 AM in a certain office in a certain building in Washington DC.

*Briiing*

A short ring from a cellphone sounded, and the woman with gleaming silver eyes, seated at the gorgeous, mahogany desk covered in papers, gave a slight sigh of irritation.

When she checked her phone, however, her expression tightened and she stood up.

“…It seems I will need to go to Japan for a bit.”

“Wha-, but Secretary Ergane, there’s still the matter of the reception at the Hirshhorn –“

“It’s not like I’ll be showing myself there, right ‘Acting Secretary’ Gershwin. Or should I say, the publicly acknowledged ‘Secretary’?”

“… *sigh*. But what is going on, that you need to go to Japan?”

“Fufufu. Something interesting, it seems.”

At that, the man who was seated at another, similar mahogany desk just gave up and sighed.

“To desert in the pursuit of something interesting… how like Minerva, I suppose?”

The woman, with her gorgeous, olive-colored skin and curly, dark hair bundled in the back, her prominent nose, and her smoky silver eyes was captivating in the sunlight as she just smiled coyly before leaving the room.

Glinting in the sunlight, on a slightly elevated, red satin pedestal on the woman’s desk was a gold medallion with an owl relief that had yellow sapphire eyes and an olive branch. Carved into it were the words,

For the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.

————–

But now, let us rewind a little bit.

——Kousei Side——–

Honoka, who had splendidly done a dogeza in front of Inari-ookami, was trembling as she spoke.

“I-I know this is shameless of me, with the transgressions I have done against O-Inari-sama, but I have a request!”

Eh… H-Honoka… what are you doing…?

“Hoooh. And what might that be?”

Inari-ookami’s mouth is smiling, but her eyes are pre-tty … not smiling.

“Th-that is, my master, Kousei-sama.”

Stop with the “sama”! It’s making me feel itchy!

“My master Kousei-sama has a matter that I request of O-Inari-sama to look into.”

… I do?

…Ah! It can’t be-! Honoka, you! If you noticed I completely forgot about it, tell me first! Ah, mou-! Putting her neck on the line like this-!

“That is… K-Kousei-sama has a problem with his Blessings …”

“If it’s that, then taking it to a shrine that analyzes the ‘special’ Blessings would be fine.”

Inari-ookami is clearly uninterested.

Or like, what are ‘special’ Blessings?!

“N-no, it’s not like that…”

Honoka is strangely tripping over her words. No, it’s not strange at all.

For the sassy, prideful Honoka to be like this in front of one of the great kami, it’s not weird at all.

“Ah, mou-!”

I stop her by putting a hand out. If she kept it up, I’m sure it would feel like torture to her.

“Um… what Honoka is asking about is for my sake… but first of all, what are ‘special’ Blessings?”

When Inari-ookami said “special Blessings”, I had glanced over at Daiki-san, but he also had a blank look on his face.

That’s why I thought that first, we should figure out what ‘special’ Blessings were.

But when I ask that, Inari-ookami looks genuinely surprised.

“… I would imagine you would know. They’re the Blessings that are only revealed for people on THIS side of the world. If you had your Blessings revealed through [Oracle] at a shrine, if you had [Oracle], [Clairvoyance], [Sixth Sense] or the like, they should have performed the ritual ‘Unleashing the Blessings’, which would have unlocked the Blessings that most people have long since forgotten about. Ah, could it be you never went to a shrine?”

“…I have been to many shrines all over Tokyo, though…”

I have, and I still have no clue about what you are talking about.

But I don’t have [Oracle] or [Sixth Sense], you know…

“Uh… Kousei-kun doesn’t have [Oracle] or [Sixth Sense], so I don’t think either of us know about something like that.”

Oh, exactly what I was thinking, Daiki-san!

There’s just too much information for me to process through right now, so I got a little confused.

Inari-ookami – eh, and Saru-san too? – sat up quickly.

“…Wh-“

“Nah, that’s impossible. Youkai and the things from THIS side of the world rarely take interest in anything that can’t see them. Or should I say, there are a lot of stuff from THIS side of the world that aren’t able to see those who can’t see them.”

Saru-sa – Sarutahiko-ookami said. He continued, while pointing to Daiki-san.

“I’d wager this one here gets [Involved in Mysteries] pretty soon… no, even if he isn’t pre-ordained to have it, the great I will bestow it on him. It’s for his own protection to unlock the ‘special’ Blessings, since it’s inevitable that he becomes involved from now on.”

“W-wait, hang on… that’s too much information… Seriously, wait! So you’re saying, there’s a whole list of Blessings that are usually inaccessible?!”

Seriously, you’re dropping too many bombs on us! Look, Daiki-san’s eyes have turned into dots!

“Fufufu. Indeed. To keep the mundanes from intruding into THIS side of the world… ah, Honoka wouldn’t know about that, though. The seal on those Blessings happened a little under 2000 years ago, not long after you were sealed, during the Darkening.”

The Darkening is a known historical event that didn’t happen in my previous world.

For some unknown reason, the highly advanced world was suddenly demolished. The reason this world is currently at roughly the same technological advancement to my previous world is because of this.

By the way, this world is older than my previous world.

“However… for someone with this much spiritual power to not have [Oracle] or [Sixth Sense] is beyond me.”

Inari-ookami leans in, staring at me like I’m some rare specimen.

“K-Kousei-sama has a Blessing that is unreadable by both the human machines and [Oracle], so I wondered if it wasn’t written in the Language of the Gods…”

Honoka said.

A glint lit up in Inari-ookami’s eyes.

“Hmmmmm? I see. And that is why this one here has risked her neck to petition myself. Hmph. It seems like she’s already your’s, Kousei-kun.”

Inari-ookami says it like she’s pouting, but she doesn’t look all that displeased.

Just when I was thinking that…

Eeeeeh-!

I-Inari-ookami-sama, your face is too close-!

“Well, for now let’s see what you have…”

“Aaaah-! No fair. I want to see too~.”

Ignoring Saru-san, Inari-ookami touched my forehead lightly, and …

…!

I feel like I’m falling backwards, but … I don’t think I am really.

“Hoho… I see. [Social], [Calculation], [Japanese Language], [Throw], and [Domestic Chores]. It’s surprising to see someone pre-ordained with [Throw] and [Domestic Chores] together… Let’s see, so the one in question is… … What is THAT?”

Although I feel a little dazed, somehow I hear that last statement, and it makes me feel very worried.

“I-is it impossible, then…?”

Honoka’s voice kind of fell. Oooh, her ears and tails are all drooping, too.

It’s kind of cute, but this isn’t the time to be thinking that.

“… I’m honestly baffled. I can read it, but understanding exactly what it means and how this boy received them… I’m at a loss. Oi, Saru, come here.”

“Heeeh, let’s see, let’s see… … Hm.”

The two kami have serious looks on their faces.

What is this, this feeling of impending doom?

While making a troubled face, Inari-ookami said,

“… Well, first of all, I understand why it’s written in the Language of the Gods. There’s not really… a translation for them.”

…Eh.

No, well, I guess that makes a lot of sense… no, I have no idea. What’s written there?!

Although it didn’t feel real this entire time, suddenly I realize that I’m so close to unraveling a mystery that I’ve lived with for 16 years and I’ve gotten impatient in spite of myself.

“Mm… well, if I were to say it, the main Blessing is something like… one that surpasses the limits of humans?”

Saru-san says.

Inari-ookami shakes her head and corrects him with,

“Fumu, it’s not the [Super Human] or [Transcendent Being] Blessings, though. It’s somehow… more like one that is not limited by the true sense of reality. Or one that is incompatible with the laws of reality?”

…First of all, what’s with those two Blessings? [Super Human]? [Transcendent Being]? Are we in some kind of manga?

Those are actual Blessings?!

And second, sorry, I don’t know what the hell those rough translations are trying to convey. I understand that it’s something kind of amazing, though.

Ah, Daiki-san has once again stopped processing information

“S-so, that weird Blessing is the one that draws youkai to me?”

I ask.

“Hm… well, the Sub-Blessing that’s at Lv10 is why you can see them so well. That’s a Blessing that normally only the gods and kami have. It has the meaning of possessing the eyes that can see the world as it is.”

“… What?”

I stare at Saru-san as he tries to explain.

“Well, basically, the weird veil that descended between the supernatural and the mundane during the Darkening doesn’t affect you at all. Let’s just call that ‘Eyes of the World’ or something.”

“Wouldn’t ‘Eyes that Pierce the Veil’ be more accurate?”

Inari-ookami says, but Saru-san just replies,

“Too long.”

“Ah. Then, ‘Fairy Sight’?”

“What the hell is that? It’s not like he can see through illusions. There’s already a Blessing called [Fairy Sight].”

…There is?

“Then… ‘True Sight’.”

Inari-ookami sure is persistent.

“Hm… Yeah, why not. It’s different from [Eyes of Truth] and [Clairvoyance]. Sure, it seems to suit.”

“…Hold on. What are you guys doing…?”

I finally ask.

“Ahahaha, well, if there’s no translation, we just have to make one, right? So that one will be [True Sight] from now on.”

Saru-san laughs.

“Is that okay?!”

What is going on… Why do I feel like we’re changing ‘Reality’ here?!

“The Lv 4 one is something like [Enchant], but to a higher degree… or rather, that’s also something only gods have, huh? Um… How about ‘Bestowal’?”

“Ah-! That’s a good one, Inari-chan! Then, the Lv3 one would be… hm, it’s similar to kotodama, so let’s just call it ‘Super Kotodama’.”

“…Are you stupid? Since kotodama isn’t an actual Blessing, it’s okay to just call this one ‘Kotodama’, right?”

“Hm… it’s not really kotodama, though. It’s like, the realization of desires through the voice. Onseidama?”

“… ‘Voice of Power’ is fine, right?”

“Un, let’s go with that.”

“Waitwaitwaitwaitwait! First of all, what are all of those? Second of all, is it okay to decide those so easily?!”

Even if they are the great kami, that is, gods, I couldn’t stand to listen to it anymore and interrupted them.

“Ah, come to think of it, we were supposed to be explaining them, hm? Inari-chan, you explain it, it’s tiring.”

… Saru-san, don’t say something so irresponsible!

“Hm, well okay. So you have these Blessings, right?”

As Inari-ookami explained, she waved a hand and my mysterious Blessing showed up, as if written in light.

[xxxxxxxxxxx] Lv6
|Sub-Blessings>
||>[xxxxxxxxx]Lv8
||>[True Sight]Lv10
||>[Bestowal]Lv4
||>[Voice of Power]Lv3

Instead of the corrupted text, it’s just marked out text. It’s similar to how [Oracle] shows it to priests and priestesses, apparently.

Uwaaaah… those names Inari-ookami and Sarutahiko-ookami were coming up with actually overwrote the unknowns…

“Those three Sub-Blessings, that are now given names in the human languages, are ones that normally only gods, like us ookami, and the lesser kami have, which is why they weren’t translated for a while. [True Sight] means that you can see and experience everything THIS side of the world contains past the Veil that came down upon humans during the Darkening. This is why you can see all those youkai, and why it will be possible for you to experience all the supernatural and magical things that the mundane world has forgotten.””

“… Magic?”

Saru-san just nods as I look at him.

… I already feel dizzy.

Inari-ookami ignores the slight interruption.

“Bestowal is something that normally only the gods, like us ookami, have. The power to bless things so that they have certain effects. Among non-gods, there’s a lesser Blessing called [Enchant], but that requires a lot of technical things like spells and techniques. Bestowal is something like… hm…”

As Inari-ookami tries to think of something, Saru-san lifts up a piece of whitefish tempura.

Eh-! That’s the last piece! Since when did he… hey, I don’t think Inari-ookami ate a single thing yet, Saru-san!

“You, who put your all in cooking, have bestowed a bit of power in everything you make, you know. The desire for those who eat your food to remain healthy, to become strong, to eat it and be comforted; those strong feelings actually left that kind of power in your food.”

“Eh…”

I’m not convinced.

“Ah! Saru-! You, making me talk so you can just eat everything!”

Inari-ookami is actually angry-! Ah! She swiped the entire plate of inari-zushi away from Saru-san’s chopsticks. As I thought, THOSE would be popular with her… wait, now’s not the time for that.

“That… I noticed that as well, Kousei… sama.”

Honoka, it’s fine, forget the sama-!

Eh. Wait, … ah! Could the reason she was confused at the ramen shop be because of that?

Pouting a little as Inari-ookami swiped more food out of reach of his chopsticks, Saru-san sighed, then pointed his chopsticks at Daiki-san.

…That’s bad manners, you know…

“Haven’t you noticed anything while eating the food he prepares? The fact that you never had a cold, the fact that you calm down after eating it… that sort of thing.”

Daiki-san has a blank look on his face, then slowly says,

“I… haven’t been with him long enough to notice that I’ve never had a cold or anything… but come to think of it, the stiffness in my shoulder has disappeared and hasn’t come back…”

Ooooi, that’s just a coincidence!

“Fufufu, it’s fine. Although he hasn’t noticed, all of the ones on THIS side are already fully aware. Even with just this, we can tell.”

Inari-ookami… woah. The plate’s all cleaned up already-! She licks her fingers in satisfaction after polishing off the plate of inari-zushi.

“Well, it’s not just limited to cooking. The strong feelings of making something for a certain purpose will manifest itself as a blessing on what you are making. It’s easier for you to bestow power while doing something you’re good at, though.”

“H-heeeh…”

I don’t know what kind of face I’m supposed to be making with this.

“Well, that last one, [Voice of Power], is similar. With your voice, you are able to activate something that you strongly wish to happen. It’s not like whatever you say is fine… well, it’s also usually a god-only Blessing. The power to manifest your desires with your voice… you should be careful with that, Kousei-kun. For a god, whose body is made for such powers, the strain that comes from using it is trivial, but since you are human…”

… Eh… Don’t tell me, I could maybe die from it?! No, not ‘maybe’ – that’s a certain possibility, huh?

“Hm, but ain’t it troubling, Inari-chan? A simple human having Blessings that only gods would have… and then there’s the problem that we haven’t seen that Lv8 Sub-Blessing, nor the Main-Blessing before.”

Oh, come to think of it…

“W-what is that Lv8 Sub-Blessing?”

I can’t help but ask, feeling like I don’t actually want to know.

Saru-san frowns.

“It’s like… possessing the power of blessings and not being limited by them… something like that?”

“No, it has more of a connotation of having unlimited access to the font of power from which Blessings are bestowed… kind of. Either way, it’s unprecedented. If I were to say what Blessing it’s most similar to, it would be the ability to manipulate Blessings, which is ONLY for the gods, but it’s not quite the same… Because of that, I’m hesitant to come up with a name for it.”

Nononono, I don’t need the name, I’d much rather prefer to understand what it does-!

“Because we don’t understand that one, nor the Main Blessing, it’s hard to get a full picture of what this Blessing does.”

Inari-ookami said with a frown.

I am also confused about what it means for me, Inari-ookami.

She continues on, saying,

“You have a lot of privileges of the gods, and yet you’re missing quite a few that would balance it out. And above all, you’re human. I don’t really understand it, but it’s definitely this unique Blessing that draws things that hunger for power towards you, as well as your incomprehensible ability to perform spells and techniques without actually understanding. Although there are some other details, basically, what you wish with all your being will happen.”

“S-so, it’s not like some curse or something?”

Inari-ookami makes a bit of a complicated face and says,

“Well… who knows?”

Ehhhhh.

Saru-san, don’t laugh! This isn’t funny-!

“Ahahaha… ah, well, stuffing this much power into a human body almost seems like a bad joke, see? There’ve been gods who enjoyed overloading a human with power until he self-destructed … without knowing whether this Blessing was given to you or innate, and without knowing exactly WHAT it is consists of these exact Sub-Blessings, it’s hard to say whether or not you acquiring it was a bad result or a good result.”

Saru-saaaaaan… I want to drop into an orz and just cry, but I’m seated so it’s not possible to do it easily.

Suddenly, Inari-ookami says,

“Well, I guess I’ll give HER a shot.”

And then typed out a text message on her smartphone.

… What has happened to my life, where I am only given half answers and more worries, and where two gods are in my house, with one of them using a smartphone?

No, wait, hasn’t this current life always been this crazy mess of confusion?

Aaaargh!

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<a/n: There was a bit of a (life) situation, and then I also messed up and overshot how much I wanted to write in the chapter for OriginStory, so rather than rehash the whole thing and take forever beating my head against a wall, I switched rotations to give me a “break away” so I can go back to looking at the OS chap with a fresh mind. OriginStory/VendM next.>