The old capital had been the home of the nation’s emperors for over a thousand years, both during the age when the shogunate had led the central government, and a great many years before it.
Before the change of the nation’s capital, the elite families at the top of society—now referred to as the peerage—had also resided in the old capital, managing the Imperial Court and supporting the emperor.
Families who produced a great number of Gift-users were no exception.
Since the old capital sat on ancient lands, tales of the mysterious and the uncanny were numerous, widespread, and well established. These supernatural oddities would never fully vanish from the old capital, and Gift-users would always have a role to play there.
With the emperor’s move to the imperial capital, the population of the old capital declined.
Yet the old capital remained a place of history, folklore, and the supernatural.
Kiyoka and Miyo were inside a limited express train bound for the old capital from the capital station.
Outside the window, lush fields and mountains flew by, beneath pure white clouds and a pristine blue sky.
“Wow…! This train is so much faster than a normal one! The scenery is gorgeous, too.”
Miyo’s heart leaped in her chest at the novel sight, and she couldn’t stop herself from letting out a tiny shout of joy.
“Don’t get too worked up. You’ll wear yourself out before we even get there.”
“Oh… That’s true.”
She might have been acting a bit childish.
Ever since she met Kiyoka, Miyo would always act like this when seeing something new for the first time. The pattern was always the same—no matter how many times she self-reflected on her immaturity, she would forget everything in the moment and again be overcome with shame. Why was it so impossible for her to learn from her mistakes?
Kiyoka chuckled lightly as he watched Miyo adjust her posture in her seat, concealing her embarrassment.
“Don’t get so down about it. Our trip’s only just begun, and you’re going to see countless new and exciting things. Keep up your stamina.”
“I will…”
Miyo nodded, using the wide-brimmed hat in her hands to hide her face and overcome the awkwardness.
Miyo was wearing a white one-piece dress instead of a kimono today. The dress, with modest lace decorating the bottom, had come highly recommended from her older sister-in-law, Hazuki. Miyo had tied up her hair with the ribbon she had received from her mother-in-law, Fuyu.
Kiyoka, on the other hand, was dressed extremely light, wearing a white shirt and black trousers instead of his usual military uniform or casual kimono.
He looks dashing no matter what he wears…
Since the limited express was faster than a normal train, the trip from the capital to the old capital took a half day. They had departed early in the morning, and they would arrive early in the evening. Since it was the height of summer, they would likely arrive before it was pitch-dark out.
The interior of the train wasn’t all that crowded.
There were men in business suits who were presumably traveling for work, families with children, other married couples, and even students. Despite the speed of the train, half a day was still a considerable amount of time, and the tickets weren’t cheap. There was still some time before the Obon Festival, which likely explained the lighter number of passengers.
Would this count…as our honeymoon?
Miyo and Kiyoka were currently heading to the old capital to visit the Miyakoujis, the family from which the Kudous had branched. Despite the Miyakoujis’ status, the Kudou family had branched from them a very long time ago, so the two clans’ connection had become little more than a formality.
Nevertheless, Kiyoka had certain obligations as the head of the Kudou family, and one of them was to report his marriage to the head of the main family.
They had decided to time their marriage announcement trip to coincide with the tea ceremony the head family was organizing in the old capital.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay leaving work, Kiyoka?”
Miyo checked in with Kiyoka despite herself. She had already confirmed and reconfirmed this with him several times before today, but her worry still lingered.
Even Miyo could sense the dark shadow the Earth Spider had cast over the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit.
After it broke the seal and fled, the Earth Spider’s whereabouts were a complete mystery. The Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit was scrambling to gather information and search for the Grotesquerie, but they didn’t appear to be making much progress. While the Earth Spider hadn’t caused any harm yet, it would only be a matter of time if they couldn’t locate the creature.
Under normal circumstances, Kiyoka wouldn’t have had the time for a trip to the old capital.
“I’m sure things will be all right, Miyo. Staying in the capital and chasing after the Earth Spider wouldn’t get us anywhere anyway.”
“Is that so?”
“To be honest, we’ve almost exhausted all our leads. While the Earth Spider’s lingering presence is powerful and unique, the traces it leaves vanish with time. And unfortunately, we don’t have any other clues to go on. Unless one of the Earth Spider’s legs causes another uproar like what happened with Kimio Nagaba, there probably won’t be much progress.”
Kiyoka gazed outside the train window, looking despondent.
“It’s eerily quiet. While we can’t afford to fall behind…the old capital should have information on the Earth Spider we won’t find in the capital. This trip may not tell me the Earth Spider’s location, but it might lead to clues on how to defeat the thing or a stronger method of sealing it.”
Though Miyo nodded along at Kiyoka’s explanation, she still couldn’t picture the creature.
While Miyo knew the Earth Spider was a terrible and mighty Grotesquerie, she had practically no sense of how, or why, it was so terrifying.
The Earth Spider had existed since ancient times, and there were many records of the warriors and Gift-users who had battled it throughout the ages. Supposedly, a particularly large number of these tales and legends had been passed down in the old capital, the nation’s historical seat of power.
However, not one of these historical figures succeeded in completely eliminating the Earth Spider, and as a result, the creature remained a terrifying force to this day.
The Grotesquerie was so infamous that even someone ill-informed of the world at large like Miyo had heard of it.
But since she had never seen it with her own two eyes, no amount of imagining on her part would make it feel real.
I’m sure I wouldn’t be any help against it, either…
Although the Earth Spider might be powerful enough for Miyo to see, the supernatural abilities of the Usuba family didn’t work on Grotesqueries.
Even Dream Sight, the most powerful of the Usuba family’s Gifts, was no different in this regard.
Miyo swore to herself that if she couldn’t help Kiyoka with her Gift, then she would support him in other ways.
Just then, her stomach growled.
“Oh!”
They were having such a serious conversion, and now she had completely ruined the moment. It was just one embarrassment after another today. One was hardly expected to be on their best behavior while traveling, but there was a limit to this.
As Miyo grabbed her stomach and looked down with burning cheeks, she thought she heard Kiyoka give a faint laugh.
“Seems about the right time to eat.”
“…I agree…”
Miyo took out the lunch box they had bought before boarding the train.
She removed the cover of the wooden box to reveal a richly colored assortment of food. Rolled omelets, rice covered in salt and sesame seeds, grilled fish, broiled root vegetables, pickles, and more were all neatly packed tight into the box.
“It all looks delicious…!”
As Miyo typically ate food she made herself, she rarely had the opportunity to experience the excitement that came from lifting up the cover of a boxed lunch filled with unknown delights. This was also her first time eating a boxed lunch that was made to be eaten on a train.
That was to say, it was impossible for her not to feel giddy.
“Seems like someone’s enjoying herself.”
“I am!”
Kiyoka broke into a grin as he watched Miyo nod with a huge smile on her face.
“Let’s eat, then.”
“Okay. It looks scrumptious.”
“It sure does.”
They brought their hands together in gratitude, split apart their wooden chopsticks, and began digging into their lunch.