Chapter 119
Chapter 119
Prologue, The God of Bountiful Harvest vs The Sukui God
When The God Who Is There opened the door, they tripped and broke the timeline. This is a branch after the epilogue of Part 3, so it's recommended to read that first.
Because of some mysterious popularity, the Bountiful Bastard joins the party.
I don't think this is the official history.
***
The sign's writing faded long ago, and now you can only read "Ketsu."
Apparently, it used to be written with characters like "Kaku" or "Katsu."
You get the idea, right? That massive tree jutting out from the belly of that huge mountain—that's the sacred object.
I don't know the origin, but that's the story.
A mountain god is something that grants blessings to humans. Like nature, it can be harsh at times, but is fundamentally merciful.
The god here was no exception, said to have answered the prayers of poor, unrewarded people.
But hey, don't you think a god that helps without asking anything in return is kinda scary? Nothing's more expensive than something free.
I'm not that crooked. Just one cigarette as payment, and the return is a rambling story until it's smoked out—how's that?
Much appreciated.
Well then, shall I talk? Though it's all secondhand, mind you.
This place is just a mountain now, but apparently there used to be a village inside. Maybe it was founded by fugitives, or maybe they had some reason they couldn't go down to the human world.
Harsh conditions. When the land turns rough, so do the people.
I don't know if it was the village chief or who, but the wealthiest family in the village had a twisted nature, more warped than a pine tree.
One head of the family forced a poor faith healer's daughter to marry him.
Things were fine at first, but she couldn't do farm work, and since it was an unwanted marriage, she didn't show any affection. Eventually, she became a nuisance. Guess even beauty gets old in three days. Not that I can tell what makes a face good or bad.
On top of that, a terrible cold summer hit.
They say hail fell in the middle of summer. A village surrounded by mountains wouldn't stand a chance.
What little they had in storage ran out quickly, and the villagers starved.
They did everything they could and waited for the will of heaven. They decided to send a messenger to ask the mountain god for help. To put it plainly, a human sacrifice.
The one who volunteered was that woman.
After being tormented by her husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, she probably thought going to the god was better than staying in that house.
The rich family was delighted that their useless bride was finally of use and took her to the mountain.
They say it was a night of freezing rain. If it were Mount Ibuki, even giant boars might've come out.
When the girl prayed beneath the great tree, the god heard her.
A white lightning bolt descended upon the mountain, wrapping the girl in something like a feathered robe, hiding her from sight. Thunder roared through the night.
According to the villagers of that time, pale blue flames raced through the forest, and they saw human-shaped shadows being burned away. They say the god fought the evil spirits that brought the cold summer.
By morning, the village was clear as if it had all been a lie.
When the villagers rushed to the Sacred Tree, the girl was gone. Instead, four branches had grown from the trunk—two thin like a maiden's arms, and two thick like a warrior's.
From then on, whenever someone did wrong in the village, thunder would roar even on sunny days, punishing the wicked.
The elders would scold children saying, "The married gods are watching you," and that became a common phrase.
They say the "Ketsu" character in this god's name might've been the one for a great hero.
And with that, the rambling tale comes to an end.
You're thinking I talk like I saw it myself, huh?
No way. I told you it's all secondhand.
But you know, legends are easily twisted. Best to assume it's all lies.
Open the lid on a supposedly pure and righteous god, and that's what you'll find.
Well, I'm different though.