10-12 (1)

by Mizukami Kyouka · 2026-03-31

I was utterly exhausted and thought I wouldn't be able to climb the hill. However, I suddenly heard a horse neighing from ahead. Was the groom returning, or was a packhorse passing by? Only a short time had passed since I parted ways with a farmer this morning, but there's a gulf between people who say the same thing for three or five years. The presence of a horse meant that I was at least close to human habitation. Encouraged by this, I decided to try again.

When I reached the front of a mountain house, I didn't feel any particular difficulty. As it was summer, the sliding doors were not closed, and this particular house was wide open. Suddenly, a man appeared, without any warning. I instinctively called out, "Please, please," as if asking for help.

The man, who said "I'm sorry," said nothing else, hung his head limply, and turned his face sideways as if blocking his ears with his shoulders. He stared intently at me with vacant eyes, like a listless child. Even moving his pupils seemed too much effort for him. He wore a short-hemmed, sleeveless hanten, tied at the chest like a single-piece garment, with a protruding belly that swelled like a drum. It was as if a grotesque figure, like the stem of a pumpkin, was fiddling with something in one hand while letting the other hand dangle in the air.

His legs were sprawled out as if forgotten, and without a waist, they looked as if they might fold up like a noren. He must have been twenty-two or twenty-three years old. With his mouth agape, his upper lip curled in, his low nose and protruding forehead were prominent. His bangs grew like a rooster's comb, reaching his ears. He was like a mute or an imbecile, a boy who seemed about to turn into a frog. I was surprised. There was nothing wrong with me, but his condition was clearly abnormal.

"Excuse me, I have a small request."

I called out again, but he didn't react at all, merely shifting his head to rest his left shoulder as a pillow. His mouth remained open, as if he wasn't thinking about anything.

Such a person, if things went badly, might suddenly grab me, twist my navel, and lick me instead of answering. I took a step back, but no matter how deep in the mountains we were, I couldn't just leave such a person alone, so I raised my voice slightly and said,

"Excuse me, is anyone there?"

From the back door, the neighing of a horse was heard again. "Who is it?" a woman's voice came from the pantry. Namu Sanbo, her white neck was covered in scales, and her body crawled along the floor, dragging her tail, trying to come out, but then she retreated again.

"Oh, a monk," appeared a small, beautiful woman, her voice clear and full of kindness. I let out a big sigh and, without saying anything, just bowed my head and said, "Yes."

The woman knelt and sat, leaning forward, peering through the twilight at my dejected figure standing there.

"Is there something you need?"

She didn't offer me to rest, and the inn seemed to be empty, as if she had no intention of accommodating anyone. I thought that if I delayed, I wouldn't be able to ask for help, so I stepped forward.

I bowed respectfully and said, "I am a traveler crossing the mountains to Shinshu, but could you tell me how much further it is to the inn?"

"Sir, it's still more than eight ri."

"Are there no other houses that would offer lodging?"

"That is not available," she said, staring intently at my face with clear eyes, without even blinking.

"No, actually, I heard that if I go about one cho further, there's a house that will let me sleep in an upper room, but I'm completely unable to walk. Any storage shed or corner of a stable would be fine, please, I beg you," I said, thinking the horse's neighing had come from this house.

The woman thought for a moment, then suddenly turned sideways, took out a cloth bag, poured water into a bucket placed near her knees until it overflowed, scooped it with her hand, and looked down.

"Ah, I shall put you up. I have enough rice to cook for you, and since it's summer, although the mountain house is cold, you won't be inconvenienced by anything at night. Come now, in any case, please come up."

Before the words finished, she sat down with a thud. The woman immediately got up and stood, saying clearly, "Reverend, about that, I must make a small disclaimer." I replied, trembling, "Yes, yes."

"No, it's nothing else, but I have a habit of being sick with listening to stories from the capital. Even if you keep your mouth shut, I will try to force you to tell me, but will you, even if you forget, tell me then? Is that alright? I will ask you by force, but you must not speak. Even if I say 'by all means,' I will surely make sure you refuse to speak."

She said something as if there were some circumstances. It seemed like the words of a woman from a solitary house whose height of the mountain and depth of the valley were unfathomable, but it was not a difficult precept to keep. I merely nodded.

"Yes, that's fine. I will not go against any of your commands."

When the woman finished speaking, she relaxed and said, "Come, come, it's dirty, but quickly over here, make yourself comfortable. And shall I wash your feet?"

"No, there's no need for that. Please lend me a rag. Oh, and it would be helpful if you could wring that rag out thoroughly for me next. I had a terrible experience on the way, so I feel so disgusted that I want to wipe my body. I'd like to wipe my back once, if you don't mind."

"Yes, you've worked up a sweat. You must have been very hot. Please wait. They say that for travelers, a bath is the greatest luxury upon arriving at an inn. We can't even offer you tea, let alone a bath, but if you go down the cliff behind here, there's a beautiful stream, so it might be best to go there and wash up."

Just hearing it made me want to fly there.

"Yes, that would be most welcome."

"Well then, I'll show you the way. I'm just about to go wash rice myself." Saying that, he tucked a bucket under his arm, put on straw sandals from the veranda, and went outside. Bending down, he peered under the wooden veranda and found an old pair of geta. He took them out, clapped them together, dusted them off, and arranged them.

"Please wear these. You can leave your sandals here," he said gently.

I raised my hand in a bow and began, "I'm much obliged, this is truly..."

"Since you'll be staying with us, well, it's a bond from a past life, so please don't hesitate," he said first, with a cheerful laugh.