Chapter 92

2. The God of Bountiful Harvest

The path to Peony Pass was a suspension bridge that was far from what you'd call a proper mountain pass.

Black trees and jagged cliffs like sword peaks lined the way, and with the unstable footing, it felt like descending into the underworld. The sound of water echoing from directly below told us a river was flowing, but the water's surface far beneath was invisible—only a roaring darkness spread out below.

Esato, who was leading the way, showed signs of fatigue from behind.

"Maybe we should just pretend we didn't see anything and go home..."

"I can hear you, Esato!"

I gripped the rope handrail tightly as I moved forward. The black rope, sticky with grime, looked like it was made from gathered strands of frayed hair. Every time the heel of my pumps got stuck in the gaps of the planks, I winced.

Akitsu watched over me from behind.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes... I really should've worn sneakers instead."

Akitsu let out a small sigh.

"This used to be a proper mountain pass, just like the name says, but a big landslide caused it to collapse. There have been several natural disasters like that in the past. According to legend, the suspension bridge was built afterward based on the mountain god's advice."

"So it's always been a difficult place for people to live in."

Akitsu responded to my comment with silence.

After crossing the bridge, we came upon a path that looked like it had been forcefully carved through the forest. It seemed the villagers had paved it, but the eroded slopes and exposed tree roots looked like the aftermath of a rampaging beast.

Esato continued walking ahead without emotion.

"Esato, you can slow down a bit!"

"It's better not to stick together. If something happens, at least one of you can make it back and report it."

I jogged ahead to catch up beside him. Esato looked displeased.

"Were you even listening?"

"I've been through life-or-death situations too. I wouldn't do something like letting you sacrifice yourself, Esato!"

"Just like your father. No, if it were him, he'd have stepped forward himself. Then again, maybe I'm the one who's more like him..."

He stomped the ground several times as if to shake off the mud on his shoes, then gave up and matched my pace.

As we followed the animal trail, the view suddenly opened up.

There was a cave that looked like the mountain had been gouged out with a spoon. The stone-covered entrance was mossy, and a thin, cold breeze flowed out with a sound like a sigh.

There was a wooden sign labeled 'Peony Pass' and lanterns. The damp rocks reflected the red of the lanterns, making them look bloodstained.

Rather than a sacred feeling, a chilling sense of unfathomable darkness seeped through.

As we stood there frozen, a man wearing a down jacket and glasses came running toward us.

"Hello! If you'd like, there's no admission fee!"

His cheerful voice and merchant-like demeanor eased the anxiety that had hung over us. I gave a polite nod and began to speak.

"We've come from Tokyo. I work on creating guide maps for tourist spots. Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"

"Absolutely! I'm so glad. I'm actually from this area, and I've been researching local legends even through college, but people from outside rarely take an interest. I guess it can't be helped since there's not much documentation."

The man's eyes lit up as he led us into the cave. The air was thick and cold, and I felt as if a snake had coiled around me.

As I stepped forward, feeling water seeping into the soles of my pumps, a faint groan from Esato echoed.

"What the hell is that..."

The direction he pointed was dimly lit by a light. In the yellow, sticky glow, a human-shaped figure emerged. I thought it was a corpse.

As I took a step back, the man hurried over in a panic.

"Sorry! It's always a shock at first, right? Don't worry, it's just a doll!"

Looking closely, it was indeed an intricately crafted doll. It wore a white kimono and had long black hair. What was eerie wasn't just the doll itself, but that it looked abandoned—thrown onto the rocks rather than displayed.

Akitsu spoke.

"A yamabushi, right?"

"That's right. It's tied to a legend about the village's development. To put it simply, it's a yamabushi who tried to harm the village."

"According to the legend, the mountain god fought him off and caused a landslide."

"Exactly! There were several disasters afterward too, and people thought the mountain god still believed there was something evil in the village. So they put the doll here to show that the yamabushi had already been defeated. Wow, you really know your stuff!"

The man edged closer to Akitsu, rattling off the village legend rapidly. His flowing voice echoed through the cave. Even with her usual blank expression, Akitsu looked a bit troubled.

Just as I was about to step in to help, Esato grabbed my shoulder.

"Leave the curator to him. We'll do our own investigating."

"But..."

Dragged by his bony hand, I left Akitsu behind and headed deeper into the cave.

The cave had cracks in places, and thin sunlight dripped down like saliva. The protruding rocks had been worn round by dripping water, and the uneven walls reminded me of a beast's mouth.

At the edge of the path, sectioned off by rope, were countless stone lanterns and a shrine maiden doll impaled through the stomach by a stalactite, as if she had died that way.

"What a distasteful cave."

"Even if they were people who harmed the village, turning their corpses into dolls and displaying them is kind of terrifying."

"It's a gloomy place. Brings back bad memories."

Esato's low voice was swallowed by the darkness. I looked up at his profile as I continued forward step by step.

"This is a bit off-topic, but wasn't there a Territorial Divine Offenses in your and my father's hometown too?"

"That's not off-topic at all."

"Sorry... Does that have anything to do with my father's disappearance?"

"I don't really know how to explain it. Things were way too tangled back then."

Esato shook his head gloomily.

"What I can say is, your dad didn't do anything wrong by following the Territorial Divine Offenses. If anything, it was the opposite. He defied it and did something incredibly foolish."

"I see..."

I swallowed the words that came and went in my mind. The image of my father, heard only through stories, vanished before I could grasp its outline.

Just as I was about to speak, a child's voice echoed through the cave. A fiery wail bounced off the jagged rocks and came from all directions. Esato and I exchanged glances.

"Let's go!"

"Always sticking your nose into trouble..."

Making sure he was following, I broke into a trot.

In the faint light shining through a crack in the rock, two human figures appeared.

One was a sobbing girl, and the other was a terribly thin man holding her hand. I braced myself and rushed forward.

"What happened here?!"

The man turned toward me. Whether it was dyed or naturally pale, his grayish hair hung like withered vines. Half his face was covered by a white mask.

His sharp gaze almost made me flinch. As I fought off a sense of dread and approached, the man suddenly softened his expression.

"Are you this child's parent?"

His unexpectedly friendly voice caught me off guard. While I stood speechless, Esato let out a weary voice.

"How do you even get that idea?"

"Huh, guess not then."

The man shrugged. The girl stopped crying and looked between him and us.

I stammered as I asked,

"Um, what were you doing here?"

"What do you think? It's my break time, so I was smoking a cigarette here. Then this girl came running in tears, and I didn't know what to do."

"Are you the curator?"

"Yeah, I'm not a daycare worker, you know."

The man gave a troubled smile, his eyebrows and eyes forming a pained expression.

"It's always like this. There's always one kid who strays off the path and gets lost. Well, let's go find your parents."

With that, the man lifted the girl into his arms. She nodded obediently.

"You folks came to see tonight's festival, right? Enjoy yourselves. The more people, the better."

He lowered his mask slightly and smiled, then disappeared with the girl.

"That curator doesn't seem to get along with that guy in glasses from earlier."

"Esato, I can hear you."

I chuckled and glanced to the side.

A crack in the cave revealed a small space where rocks had fallen. I gasped.

In the dim space were cigarette butts, a single child's shoe, fragments of summer clothing, and a broken flashlight scattered around.