Chapter 292: The Servant with a Hint of Darkness
“By the way, the room where the Spirit’s Branch is kept should have been locked. When did you notice that?”
“There was a report from the patrol on the night of the full moon that there was a presence in the room… something unusual. So, I opened the door the next day to check.”
Auro, were you about to say it was noisy?
Could it be that our Spirit’s Branch is throwing a party on the night of the full moon? This is bad; I can almost picture Haniwa dancing in my mind.
“When did the Priest arrive?”
“I spread a rumor. Not to the outside, but internally. I knew the Spirits were starting to gather, so I wanted to conduct a little experiment before it became common knowledge.”
Auro bows with a smile.
He checked how the rumor spread. It feels so much like a managed society—it’s scary, really scary!!! Where is our island headed?
“…Moderation, please.”
I warn Auro while a goat nibbles at my sleeve.
“Yes.”
It’s good that he agreed, but why does he look even happier than before with that smile?
“Is there anything else I should inquire about?”
“Hmm. First, the Spirit’s Branch we installed has no effect on repelling Black Spirits. Its range is similar to that of Naruadeid’s Branch, and while an increase in Spirits should keep the Black Spirits at bay, I wanted to let you know just in case.”
“Understood.”
“There’s nothing specific we need to do to maintain the Branch—oh, wait, cleanliness is a requirement, so please spread the word.”
We should enforce daily bathing, regular baths, at least changing clothes every three days, and putting trash in the trash bins.
“Yes. Since some may not know what to keep in mind, let’s regularly post specific guidelines in the plaza and have the public announcer read them out loud.”
With a high illiteracy rate, just posting or distributing them won’t be enough.
The public announcer is responsible for announcing laws and regulations. They are trusted individuals who circulate news from the government throughout the town. In larger towns, they shout at every corner, but since our island is small, they only need to read it out at four or five locations.
However, since this is a newly established nation, there are frequent announcements, making it quite a task. We’ve also set up a place—like a school or a temple school—where people of all ages can learn reading, writing, and arithmetic, so literacy rates should improve over time. I hope they do their best.
“Do you think the Priests will leave quietly?”
“They will have no choice but to retreat quietly. However, there is a possibility that they might express a desire to stay, abandoning their status in the Temple.”
If they’re low-ranking Priests sent to this remote island, it’s better for them to serve the real deal.
“Sounds troublesome.”
“Normally, we would place someone compatible with the Spirit’s Branch there, but it’s hard to determine what kind of direction the Branch has.”
It’s tough when they ask about the direction.
While the King’s Branch might have a personality or direction, the Spirit’s Branch typically doesn’t. It just exists there. When Auro mentions direction, he means what attributes the Spirits that gather around it would have.
But our Branch doesn’t specify any particular Spirits… I wonder if there’s something with Karn’s Branch? It feels like it’s open to anything that comes its way, and the shape seems to influence its personality. People say it’s noisy. One of the three branches feels particularly assertive.
“Someone who can stop the Branch from going out of control, perhaps.”
“Isn’t chaos something that occurs when one breaks the Oath to the King’s Branch?”
Auro looks unusually puzzled.
“I’m talking about the kind of chaos that throws parties without permission. If it stays contained within the room, that’s one thing, but if it starts wreaking havoc in the fields at night, that would be a problem—ah, sorry. The Spirit’s Branch usually doesn’t move, right?”
I let my imagination run wild there.
“Let’s select an Observer. Even if there are some odd behaviors, we need someone who can manage them so that it doesn’t lead to fear among the residents or rough treatment.”
Auro is talking about ‘managing’ again!
It’s fine if he says that in front of me, but I want to tell him to soften his words a bit when in public. Before the contract, he rejected with a smile, and after the contract, he seemed suspicious, but he hadn’t spoken so directly about treating people like game pieces until now.
I’ve come to understand that Changelings seem to be treated poorly in human society. Auro and Kiel likely have experienced being treated as mere game pieces by humans. So, while it’s a given that they shouldn’t be aggressive, there’s no need to force them to get along with the majority, and if they can manage their own interactions, that’s fine.
“By the way, I’ve noticed large leaves occasionally falling in front of the Spirit’s Branch’s room.”
“Huh?”
“They have pictures of musical instruments drawn on them. Should we prepare some?”
Haniwaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!