Volume 2: Chapter 017: Percelis & The Powerful Grannies
Author: かっぱ同盟／友麻碧
Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3862be/
Translated by Zzonkedd
Edited by Gumihou
Gumihou: The author really, really loves her ランチ, ドレス,ドールハウス,ショーウィンドウ,キーワード,ヒント (Lunch, dress, doll house, show window, keyword and hint etc)
While some words could be taken as face value ‘dress, doll house, show window (shop window is probably closer)’, others have a more nuanced meaning to them.
However, since the translated language is English, most of the effect was lost. To maintain this effect, reader may expect to see words like ‘hoi poloi, avant garde, bon voyage, & bona fide sometime in the future.
I rarely leave the Holy Nation.
I am not allowed to. At most, I ‘left’ the temple for little mischievous excursions to take a peek at the outside world. I did my best not to be seen or caught. I warned myself not to make a fuss for the Holy Nation and usually come home after a short trip.
When I sneaked into the Royal Palace, [1] since the Royal Palace is attached to the Holy Nation through secret passages, surely that counts as ‘not leaving the Holy Nation’, right?
[1] Also, whenever I am at the Castle, I rarely even look at the Castle Town as I never intended to go there.Perhaps I should have been yearning to go somewhere lively and exciting, but I never did feel the urge.
I wonder why…
“… I’m lost.”
This is the first time I truly and properly leave the Holy Nation.
[1] Stepping out of the first-floor of the castle and into the corridors of shops for the first time feels different. Before, I had no desire to leave the castle, now however, there was this feeling inside of me, pushing me forward.I concealed myself with a hood and did my best not to stand out.
This pushing feeling did not tell me where to go exactly, and I ended up roaming between the shops lining the street, the residential areas, crossing streams, bridges and parks.
It felt like all eyes were looking at me. Though I have never felt uneasy or afraid of meeting people back when I was in the Holy Nation, [2] these people are strangers to me and I am in a strange place surrounded by strangers for the first time in my life. It is fine to feel a little anxious. [2] At least, that’s what I told myself.
I crossed yet another bridge and [2] at the apex of the bridge I looked over at the shops surrounding the foot of the castle. At one of the shop’s windows is a doll with curly hair and a bright red dress. It is still quite early in the morning and though there are people in the streets, most of the shops are still closed.
I walk over to the shop to take a closer look at the doll.
“Wow, so cute… she looks just like Makia…”
Rather, should I say that Makia’s beauty is comparable to these beautifully crafted dolls?
Makia is truly gorgeous and beautiful with her pale white skin, bright red lips and large, stubborn eyes. She leaves a truly powerful impression on anyone who sees her for the first time.
I saw her for the first time when she hugged Ulysses in the middle of the palace hall. Her presence also remained strong when she stood next to him, her vivaciousness not at all diminished by his princely aura.
“… …”
Compared to her, I looked plain and mediocre. As for my face, I looked too much like a child, [2] not at all like a woman.
The clothes I’m wearing are the same as usual, and the colours haven’t changed since… a long time ago. As for the style, it’s always something long and flowing, not at all flattering.
“Blood…”
A voice startled me.
My shoulders vibrated from the shivers that suddenly ran down my back. When I turned around, I saw a tremendously large man with rough hair and an overall scruffy look.
“Blood… give me…”
“Excuse me, but… who are you?”
Bloodshot eyes stare at me as he slowly approaches. An indescribable feeling of horror seized me and I clutched at the robe Ulysses had put on me as I pressed myself against the shop window.
The man [3] had extended one rough brown hand, the nails at the end of those hands looked too sharp and… somehow inhuman.
A sudden explosion in the direction of the bridge caused the man to look away and, before I even knew it, [3] I was running around a corner. I managed to escape!
[3] Run, I have to run!I clutch at the robe tightly, biting my lips in fear as tears threaten to spill out of my eyes. [3] What if I am caught? What then?
[3] I mustn’t be caught.Eventually, I got lost running through the twisting back alleys and hit a dead end. It’s not a real dead end, [3] I can see the back of someone’s house beyond the wire fence. I just have to climb the fence.
[3] I grip the flimsy-looking wires and try to pull myself up-“Ouch!”
[3] I am too heavy, my hands too soft as the hard wires cut into my palm.Heavy footsteps sounded behind me. I look back and see a man leaning into the lane, his eyes unusually wide and unblinking. His nose twitches like a beast and then his unnatural eyes focus on me.
“Wh-what should I do… Ulysses…”
I couldn’t move from my spot against the fence. Tears begin pouring out of my eyes. I am the Shrine Maiden, but I can’t do anything in this kind of situation.
“Dear me, dear me, chasing after a young lady so early in the morning… I must say, hungry beasts sure are scary… hihihi~”
On the other side of the fence, an old woman with a bent back and a patch over her eye smiles at me.
“Egressa!!”
I know her. I know her very well. Because I know her, my hand tightened on the fence, and blood flowed from my hands as I desperately shouted, “Wh-wh-what should I do? Th-that person, th-that person—!”
“Do calm down, young Green Shrine Maiden. Remain as you are.”
Egressa has a cane with her all the time. However, she doesn’t need it to help her walk, as evident when she threw the cane aside and began to run.
Not shuffling forward but running, faster and faster too.
“…eh?”
[3] Her body suddenly propels forward and she leaps over the fence over my head. I am in total shock.Egressa lands just behind me and she doesn’t look old at that moment.
Her spine straightens and she stands as straight as a pole as she takes out a kiseru from her clothes.
A swing and magic smoke envelop the man.
Openly dismayed, the man retreats with a hand over his nose.
“Dear me, dear me, looks like demons really hate this smell. I guess that you’re really one after all, hm?” Egressa sounded weirdly cheerful.
“Now, you somehow sniffed out this child’s magic, hm? Hihihi, how about trying some snake venom?”
The smoke begins to gather and bunch together, forming into snakes. I am starting to feel frightened too. Urbanus’s Snake Spirit, Olgam, is sweet and cute, but these smoke snakes look too large and venomous.
Three snakes shoot forward, their mouths wide open as they [3] slither their oddly solid smoke bodies around the man’s arms and legs and bite down.
“…!?”
“Remain calm, Green Shrine Maiden. The venom I used is strong against demons.”
“Strong against demons…?”
The corners of Egressa’s lips lift and she taunted the man, whose movements had begun to slow down, saying, “What do you think? Does it feel good? Feeling sleepy?”
“Blood… give me…”
“You may drink all the blood you want in your dreams.”
The demon then collapsed, he was not moving anymore.
“… …”
“As expected, my poisons work quickly.”
Egressa places the pipe to her lips and inhales deeply, then, she slowly exhales the smoke.
“Um, Egressa, I have to go somewhere.”
“Hm? Where would a Shrine Maiden go aside from the Sanctuary?”
“I don’t know…”
I don’t know what I am talking about either. From Egressa’s expression, she must think that I am being contradictory too.
[4]“If you don’t know where to go, come help this old lady with her shopping.”
“Is that… alright?”
“Of course, this town is very dangerous right now so don’t leave my side, if you don’t want to run into anything scary again that is.”
[4] As we shop together, I start to talk, telling Egressa all kinds of things. Things I have never told anyone else.Slowly, we fill the shopping basket with canned tomatoes, dried fish, dried shellfish and other things with a long shelf life.
[2] The city bustles with life, but, no matter where Egressa goes, the noise seems to ebb and flow weirdly.First, there would be a pause as people gasped at her appearance, followed by a buzz of excited whispers tinged with a touch of fear.
As her companion, even with my deep hood, I could feel the eyes boring painfully into my person.
“Egressa… by chance… are the people afraid of you?”
“I suppose? The neighbourhood children run or cry if I try to talk to them. Screaming about how I’d eat them… who wants to eat a stinky little kid, eh?”
“Well… you’re a witch, after all.”
A witch with an absurd amount of magical power so strong that it wafts around her like strong medicine. Then, there’s the creepy eyepatch. She took care of me when I was little, so, to me, she is more like a reliable grandmother.
Right now, Egressa is shuffling around with her cane again, looking very much like her age once more. It made what happened just earlier felt like a lie.
Just how was she able to move so fast?
Also, we’ve been walking along the shopping corridor for a long time now and I’ve become a little tired, but Egressa looks fine.
[2] Egressa even takes the basket from me, leaving me with a smaller bag to carry, and time to look around. However, this only leaves me with more time to ruminate over my thoughts. [2] There was no danger that I could see, the people were moving around normally, getting along with their lives, but somehow… I am uneasy. I don’t know why I am feeling like this. [2] I… have forgotten something… something to do with Ulysses.‘The Promised Place’… it was the only word that resonates within the depths of my heart.
[4] “… …?”We have… stopped walking?
[4] Egressa has been waiting for me to respond. When I look up at her, she gestures to a shop in front of us. It has the name [Verdant] over its door. The shop exudes a terrifying amount of magic power, just like Egressa.“It’s a fortune-telling cafe. Shall we have our lunch here?”
We entered the shop.
An old woman came forward to greet us. She has a completely different aura from Egressa with her friendly air and gentle smile.
“Not dead yet, Egressa?”
However, unexpectedly evil words suddenly came out from that nice-looking person’s mouth.
“Humph, you are as cheerful as ever, Skuldi. I see your cafe is as desolate as usual.”
“Speak for your own miserable little shop,” the woman called Skuldi widens her already wide droopy eyes at me. “Goodness me, isn’t this the Shrine Maiden?”
“… You can tell?”
“Of course, I was a Royal Palace Mage, you know? Now, I, Skuldi Esta, am just a retired old crone. A pleasure to meet you, dear.”
[2] What a surprise. The Esta and Medite are awarded the same social status in Miradreed, but I thought these two families were not on good terms.“I’ll have two of the usual.”
“Yes, yes,”
Egressa must be a frequent customer to have a ‘usual’.
Skuldi bowed to me and left, [2] leaving Egressa and me alone in the empty cafe. Egressa goes to sit at a table, placing her shopping basket on the chair next to her. I sit down opposite her.
“Shrine Maiden,” said Egressa, “Let’s ask Skuldi for a reading after lunch. That old hag’s divination skills are pretty accurate.”
“Divination?”
“Indeed, it could perhaps provide you with a hint towards what it is you are looking for.”
“…a hint…”
I muttered the word to myself as I lowered my eyes.
Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~
[5] “Woah!”
When lunch is served, I am shocked.
This was, after all, a suspiciously dark and lonely cafe run by a witch.
[5] The food was served to us in white porcelain bowls and plates. However, what really caught my eye was the food inside! [5] Three small white bowls contain the side dishes, a simmered tomato dotted with pretty green soybeans in the first bowl, a salmon carpaccio in the second and the third bowl containing neatly cut and arranged vegetable and Prosciutto rolls arranged in the shape of a flower. [5] The main dish was a piping hot gratin. It was still steaming when set on the table. Moreover, there is a piece of nicely browned hamburg steak on my gratin and none on Egressa’s!“This is a little freebie for the Shrine Maiden. Now, let’s plant the flag,” Skuldi smiles as she stuck a little Ruskia flag on a toothpick onto the hamburg steak.
[5] I take a sip of the drink that came with the meal, oh! [5] “Carbonated water with sugar and lime? It’s so wonderful, I never had anything so luxurious in my life!”“Hmm, I guess Holy Nation people tend to be rather frugal. So the food can’t be too interesting.”
“We always have either porridge or oatmeal.”
“… …”
Egressa and Skuldi were exchanging looks. However, I am too occupied with the food in front of me to think much of it. After a quick prayer ‘Thank you for the blessings from the earth’ I reached for my fork and tried the first thing that caught my eye.
“D-delicious~~~!!”
Just what are these things? They are all so, so, absolutely delicious!
“I suppose, if you are raised on nothing but boring Holy Nation food, everything here would be delicious to you.”
“What was that, Egressa? My food is pretty delicious?”
The two have started muttering at each other again, but I am too hungry to care. I had missed breakfast and the food in front of me was just too delicious.
As I ate, the tension in my body started to unravel and tears started to roll down my face.
“Shrine Maiden? What is it? Is the gratin too hot?”
“No, no, it’s… it’s just so delicious…” Though tears keep falling down my cheeks, I cannot stop stuffing food into my mouth. My face must have been quite the sight, [2] covered in tears, snot and food debris.
Skuldi came over with a piece of white cloth and wiped my face even as I continued to cry and hiccupped.
I am such a child.
“Well, you did just experience some scary things.”
“I left the Holy Nation without telling anyone and I couldn’t find what it was looking for and caused trouble for Egressa…”
“Now, now, who’s troubled? Do you think I get to have lunch with the Shrine Maiden every day? Hihihi, that grandson of mine has been neglecting his old grandma after the birth of his son. It’s been a while since I’d seen him.”
“Indeed, indeed, my grandchildren are all busy with their palace duties and have completely forgotten about poor old me… So, I am deeply honoured to have the Shrine Maiden dine at my humble cafe.”
[2] After the table was cleared away, Skuldi brought me some bright green melon gelato for dessert.“Aaahh, this is bad, I’m out of tobacco.”
“Don’t you dare smoke in here. That thing’s poisonous for the Shrine Maiden. This is why I can’t stand Medite mages.”
The two of them had started up their quarrel again.
I said nothing, eating my gelato with a silver spoon as they sniped back and forth at each other, [2] are they really fighting?
“Hey, um… do you have a good relationship with each other?”
“You are asking this after seeing us quarrel, Shrine Maiden?”
“Hohoho, old relics are like cats and dogs from long ago.”
They say that, but if they are really on bad terms. Egressa wouldn’t have brought me here.
“Back in our heyday, I was the ‘Snake Empress’ and this one goes by… eh, what was it again?”
“You’ve finally gone senile, Egressa?”
“Oh, right, she was the ‘Rainbow Witch’.”
“Rainbow?” I tilt my head to the side, [2] trying to imagine how someone earned that moniker.
Egressa eventually sneaked out her kiseru and began to puff on it. She must have cast some sort of barrier spell because none of the smoke approached me. Instead, they all float over to Skuldi’s side.
Egressa continues, “Back then I was not the head of the family yet and was part of an investigative team that sneaked into the Northern Continent through the East… ahem, let’s just say I travelled a lot, eh?”
“You’ve been to other countries, Egressa?”
“When I was young, yes.”
Skuldi titters, “I was the Royal Palace Mage who sorted and cross-referenced foreign reports, so we bumped into each other a lot and, well, let’s just say field agents and the control office have different ways of doing things. You could even call us rivals.”
“Hihihi… a rival, eh? You’re just out to get me because I snatched your affaire d’amour,”
“Just thinking about that bit of history pisses me off.”
“It’s all in the past, so just forget it.”
“It’s all forgotten anyway,”
Skuldi says with a smile as she reaches over to pinch the back of Egressa’s ragged hand.
I truly cannot tell whether these two old women are on good terms or not.
After the dessert bowls are cleared away, Skuldi places seven stones on the table.
The stones are all in different shapes though roughly the same size. They come in seven different colours.
“Well, it’s thanks to these that I am called the Rainbow Witch.”
“These stones?”
“Indeed… I shall guide the Shrine Maiden in search of certain keywords locked in the deepest parts of your soul.”
[4] She arranges the stones into a circle. A piece of paper with my name on it in the centre.I guess this is one of the powers of a Naming Witch?
Skuldi holds her hand over the seven stones and chants something out loud. The stones begin to glow.
“Red for anger, amber for anticipation, yellow for happiness, green for love, blue for confusion, indigo for sorrow, lavender for hate. Please touch each stone once.”
“…yes…” I nervously touch the stones one by one.
With each touch, Skuldi made a startled expression.
“…anger is ‘the fool & hero’, anticipation is ‘evening’, happiness is ‘birth’, love is ‘white flowers’, confusion is ‘marriage’, sorrow is ‘death’, hate is ‘Holy Nation’, and… the rainbow bridge leads to ‘past life’.”
She spokeeach [6] word carefully.
“That is the extent of my vision. I am not entirely clear on the meaning behind these words, however, the word that stands out most appears to be ‘past life’.
“Past life?”
“Yes…”
[2] Each time those particular words are spoken, my heart seems to thump harder. Sweat began to drip from my forehead.“Each life that exists on Maydea is given meaning through its ‘name’. Therefore, words have great meaning and oftentimes, intentions and meanings are controlled by their names. The same is true for your past life. Should you wish to know more, you must recall the name of someone or something important to you. I’m sure you can find your answers by remembering certain important keywords,” Skuldi smiles as she touches my trembling cheeks. Her frowning eyes are at odds with her smile.
Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~
After leaving the Fortune-telling Cafe Verdant, we continue to trample all over the Royal Capital shopping streets. The number of things bought by Egrassa is staggering. [2] Without an attendant servant, she carries nearly everything herself. Even so, she isn’t phased at all.
I still think she is mostly accompanying me as I desperately search for… [2] something. I’m not even sure what I am doing now.
“Sorry Egressa, I… I think we should stop now.”
“If you say so.”
“I mean, I can’t seem to find it. The thing I’m looking for. Skuldi even gave me a reading, but I can’t seem to remember anything at all…”
“… …”
The words Skuldi had given me seemed to somehow aggravate something inside of me. I know they must be significant. But how? In what way?
“I have come so far, but I feel like there is a door sealing my heart away. Just what is it…”
“The key to opening that sealed door is probably the missing ‘name’ that Skuldi mentioned earlier.”
“I can’t remember anything…”
We are standing by the side of the road. I had stopped walking and was just looked down.
Egressa was looking up. [2] Her hunched-over posture meant I could see it when she looked at me once again.
“Would you like a little assistance? A little jostle to shake up the bag of memories, eh? Hihihi~”
“Is it… possible?”
“Indeed, Skuldi did say that the most significant word is ‘past life’. Therefore, the answer must lie in your past life.”
“Past life…” Once again, my heart began to thump loudly.
“If you really wish to know, I shall help you. Come to my store, it looks like it will start to pour soon.
Hihihi.”
“… …”
I place a hand on my restless chest and nod.
Then, I look up, determined to face whatever is to come.
Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~
It is my first visit to Midgard’s Miscellaneous Magical Merchandise. The store is dark and suspicious-looking, exactly how Urbanus describes it.
“Haahhh…”
[2] Despite the crowded streets, the area right in front of the shop was empty. It was as though there was a barrier that prevented people from approaching it.“Go on, go on, do come in Shrine Maiden.”
Upon entry, the first thing I see are various magical devices and items.
Rows of sparkling crystals line the shelves and there are even some skull-shaped candlesticks.
“Now, Shrine Maiden, I think we should try regressive hypnosis.”
“Regressive hypnosis?”
“You may also call it Past Life Therapy. It’s a good way to get rid of your trauma. People don’t get over their past trauma just by forgetting, you know? Remembering and properly dealing with traumas is the best way to get over them. Now, it’s going to be a painful process so brace yourself.”
“If I do this, will I remember everything?”
“Yes, well, so long as you can grab hold of the name.”
“Then, I won’t back down,” I said, nodding hard to myself.
I would rather know than live without knowing. If the answer lies in my past life, then I must go and seek it out.
Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~
As Egressa prepares the bed, I try to calm my mind.
Finally, I take a deep breath and lie down. Incense had been lit, it smelled a little bitter.
“Now, Shrine Maiden, calm your mind. I’m going to put you to sleep. Recall the words divined by Skuldi earlier.
“… …”
Red… for anger: The Fool & the Hero
Amber… for anticipation: Evening
Yellow… for happiness: Birth
Green… for love: White Flowers
Blue… for confusion: Marriage
Indigo… for sorrow: Death
Lavender… for hate: Holy Nation
The rainbow bridge: Past Life
“… …”
I closed my eyes and a nostalgic scent filled my senses.
[7]A world opens up before my closed eyes.
As my consciousness sinks, it feels like I am floating upwards towards a pure white light.
Swish… swish…
Pale leaves swayed in the wind.
The sky peeked through the gaps of giant trees.
As for the largest tree in the centre… is that… the large tree from the Sanctuary?
Birds chirped.
A small animal scampered up the tree.
How strange.
Now, the tree is in a place where the sky cannot be seen, but here, ‘at that time’ the leaves spread out under a gentle sunlight.
At that time?
“White Sage, will you grant this child a name?”
“I’m no Naming Witch… is it really fine?”
A nostalgic voice, followed by laughter.
There are three figures under the base of the big tree. A woman, a young man in white and a baby tucked within the woman’s arms.
Who are you?
“Well, let’s see… Eltear, that’s right. The child shall be called Eltear.”
“Ah, the Wisdom Tree, how wonderful.”
That’s right.
‘I’ was named by this person.
The name I received was Eltear.
kacha…
A door was unlocked somewhere, but it was not enough. There should be another name I needed to unlock the truth.
“The Green Shrine Maiden. I shall not be called that for long. This child will bear this name in the future.”
“Thank you for your hard work. You were a magnificent Green Shrine Maiden, and you fulfilled that role wonderfully.”
“… …”
The woman looked a little tired and relieved, but somewhat lonely. She then caressed her child’s forehead and then looked at the young man.
“Please, take good care of this child. Just as you’ve taken good care of me ever since I was born.”
“Shrine Maiden…”
The young man nodded slowly.
“Of course, I shall watch over this child until ‘the very end’.”
“Thank you, White Sage… Yunosis-sama…”
Ah.
I’m sure I know that name.
It is your name, ‘Yunosis’
Author: Illustration by みてみん (Mitemin) I received permission to post it!
Gumihou: I didn’t receive permission to post it, but um, I hope it’s alright?
Anyway, since I didn’t receive permission, here’s the link to the art
https://488.mitemin.net/i55139/
[1] First she said she ‘rarely leaves’ then, she ’leaves for the first time’
…miss?
Anyway, give additional details to fix this.
[2] Also added details to Percelis’ wonderings per her personality. [3] Adjusted details re demon encounter [4] Fixed the next scene, because seriously?As I helped her with her shopping, I told her a lot of things. Things that I had never told anyone else.
“If you don’t know then feel free to help out this old lady with her shopping. We can go around town and maybe you’ll remember something… Hihihi.”
The canon action and dialogue is clearly reversed anyway.
[5] Fixed the food scene, because information is all over the place [6] ‘keyword’ keeps popping up, I’m not sure it means what you think it means author-san. You might as well say ‘word cloud’, which is actually closer to what these words are supposed to represent. Putting ‘key’ in front of ‘word’ just makes it unnecessarily cluttered. Like all the random ‘…’ and the scattered ‘exactly’, ‘because’ etchttps://www.datasketch.co/blog/text-visualization-word-clouds/
Ah, found out why ‘keyword’ is used. It’s 扉のキー ‘key to the door’. The terms aren’t exactly transferrable, it’s like putting a triangle peg into a square hole.
Anyway, the theme of doors, keys, and words appear to be significant in the story, hence the overuse of ‘keyword’
[7] Edited the past life experience, author may have trouble with description. That’s okay, Gumi will help make it even more dramatic
Come join kitchennovel’s subscription!
Or, you can still support us through Patreon or tip us via Kofi~!
Although… it’s, um, you only get half the benefits… but, the decision is in your hands!
Do also comment at Novelupdates and raise our ratings!
