∗∗∗
AFTER Munakata left, Akari began cheerfully clearing away the teacups. She had a paying job that coming weekend. She’d been so excited, she’d even thrown caution to the wind and served rice crackers with the tea.
“Mistress Akari, are you really going to take on the job?”
“I am. It doesn’t seem dangerous, and I want the pay.”
“But helping to curate a literary collection…?”
Tomohito looked so concerned, it almost put a damper on Akari’s enthusiasm. She thought back over Munakata’s job request again.
Basically, Munakata had tasked her with retrieving Kotogatari from a private residence in the city.
Apparently, high-class nobles were in the habit of collecting Kotogatari that housed the spirits of yokai as lucky talismans of sorts. In fact, Kotogatari could be found among the books of many a private collector. Households of a certain social status often employed Narrators to come and check their libraries when the time came to sell old books, just to make sure there weren’t any Kotogatari among the mix. Munakata wanted Akari to help with this sort of job.
“There really is a shortage of manpower with the Narrators, isn’t there, if they need a layperson like me to help.”
“There have been a lot of yokai rampages recently. The Narrators are busy rounding them up. But even so, to make use of you this way is just…”
Tomohito trailed off, looking anxious. Akari had filled him in on the job description once Munakata had left, but Tomohito didn’t seem supportive at all.
Munakata had explained to her that all she’d need to do is go through the books and look for any Kotogatari—nothing dangerous at all. Akari had said yes at once, but looking at Tomohito now, she was wondering whether she’d made a mistake.
“Tomohito…is retrieving Kotogatari really so dangerous?”
“No, Munakata’s explanation was accurate. And it’s rare for any private collector to have possession of a Kotogatari that houses a dangerous yokai. Even if that was the case, professional Narrators would be called in immediately. You wouldn’t be in any peril. At least, that’s my guess.”
“So what’s the problem? You think I’m incapable of curating Kotogatari, is that it?”
Akari was relieved, but the relief gave way to indignation. Eyes widening, Tomohito rapidly shook his head.
“Never would I even think such a thing! You are highly capable, Mistress, and you have a natural gift for recognizing Kotogami! My only concern is that perhaps any Kotogami retrieved would become too attached to you. I should hate for an uncouth spirit to become a nuisance to you!”
Akari rolled her eyes internally as Tomohito stumbled over his words, desperate to appease her.
Akari had just learned that, sometimes, Kotogami could manifest themselves as noncorporeal spirits, like ghosts, and humans who could see them in this state were said to have “the knack” to identify Kotogami. It seemed that Kuroe, the dog spirit who had snarled at Mayoi from the front step, had appeared in ghost form today. Apparently, Munakata had brought her along in ghost form on purpose to test whether Akari could see her.
As he explained it, Munakata guessed that Akari had awoken this ability by living in close quarters with Kotogami over the past few weeks.
“That’s not going to happen. I’m not actually going to read any of the Kotogatari; I’m just going to sort through the books. Nothing strange is going to happen at all.”
“But even so… Oh…all right. I understand. It might actually be a convenient opportunity.”
Suddenly, the fight seemed to go out of Tomohito.
“But still, there is always a slight risk of danger. Would you agree to bring a different Kotogami with you to act as a bodyguard?”
“A different Kotogami? Do we need to go that far?”
Akari frowned. Surely he was overreacting? But Tomohito doubled down.
“Kotogatari housed in private collections are rarely well taken care of, and if there are any spirits that require re-enshrinement, well, that could be dangerous.”
“But I…”
“There is no need for you to narrate, I assure you. A Narrator’s ‘narration’ is generally only required when making use of a Kotogami’s powers. But to merely manifest the presence of a bodyguard, or should I say spirit guard, you will only need to call them forth.”
“That sounds intimidating enough!”
Akari tipped her head to one side in trepidation. But Tomohito seemed so insistent.
“Can’t you be my bodyguard? I sort of assumed you’d come with me anyway.”
After all, hadn’t he kicked that Raiju clean into the side of a building? Surely he was more than strong enough to act as her bodyguard.
But Tomohito looked conflicted and apologetic.
“I shall accompany you, of course, but I won’t be able to protect you if the worst happens. And if there is another Narrator there, I may not be able to protect you by myself…”
“Oh, I see…”
Tomohito’s earnestness had started to work on her. Still, she was surprised he wasn’t jumping at the chance to help, like he usually was. Maybe she did need another Kotogami. She didn’t like it, but that extra money was too tempting.
“All right. But I have no idea which Kotogami to call on.”
“Thank you, Mistress! I have a recommendation, so let us go to the library at once!”
“What, right now?”
Tomohito grabbed the tea tray from her hands, looking greatly relieved as Akari blinked at him.
“Yes! Don’t you want to get to know the Kotogami in question first, rather than bringing along an unknown entity on the day of the job? Luckily, you have a full week to get acquainted and become firm friends! …Mayoi, the teacups.”
“On it. Off you go, Mistress!”
“Oh, all right, then.”
Mayoi had appeared from somewhere and now waved her off as Akari turned to reluctantly follow a decidedly chipper Tomohito to the library shrine.
Filled with enshrined spirits, the room had the same peaceful, divine atmosphere as ever. Akari had insisted on giving it a thorough cleaning as well. She wouldn’t have felt right about leaving it dirty.
Looking around at the bookshelves, Akari wondered how she’d ever managed to sleep in here. Finally, she turned to Tomohito.
“So what should I do? Which one should I choose?”
Please let it be the least annoying one possible, Akari thought. Tomohito pointed to a bookshelf on the right, where a Kotogatari tome sat taking up considerable space.
“This is the one you should awaken for this occasion. Please stand in front of the bookshelf, then clap twice, bow once, and remove the Kotogatari from the shelf.”
Akari stood in front of that section of shelving, noting the presence of the traditional shrine adornments—the thick rope garlands and the white zigzag-shaped Shinto ritual paper slips. As instructed, she clapped twice and bowed once. All of a sudden, the air in the room seemed to hum, and Akari could feel the divine energy. Carefully, she reached out toward the shelf.
The shelf was above Akari’s eyeline, so she couldn’t get a good look at the book’s spine as she grabbed it.
Pulling the book off the shelf, she turned it over in her hands. It was bound in the classical Japanese style, its cover made of gray-blue washi paper that had been reinforced. It’s different from Mayoi’s Kotogatari, Akari noted. It was a thick and somewhat weighty tome.