“Brother dear, I’m happy to be taking a soak with you.”
I was all serious as I swiftly placed the tip of my Masamune Kuki against my heart.
“I’ve always longed…to take a relaxing soak in a family bath…”
With my straight face still in place, I quickly sheathed my sword.
Rei slowly put her head on my shoulder.
Her black hair was a little wet, and the air had made it cool to the touch, tickling my shoulders. Heavy from the moisture, it had a frighteningly glossy sheen as her fingertips swam gracefully under the rippling water’s surface.
Rei closed her eyes and leaned back against me, apparently completely at ease.
The tips of her fingers slowly traced the outline of my body as if to confirm that it was there.
“You and Snow are the only family that I have. I’d like the three of us to take a bath together one day.”
“I wouldn’t mind that, but I’ll be taking part as a drowned corpse… Are you prepared for that?”
That was barely within the category of a loving family.
Having thus decided, my breathing returned to normal, and I began to relax.
“Rei. I want you to tell me about the Sanjo family’s Magical Eye, The Tale at Dawn.”
Rei made a loud splash and turned her body toward me.
“Why do you want to know about the Sanjos’ Magic Eye?”
“Hey… Don’t look at my body like that…! It’s embarrassing…!!”
“S-sorry.”
She would have seen every part of my body if the water wasn’t so creamy. She blushed, covered her chest with her hands, and turned the other way.
“My master told me about it. That woman basically knows everything. I want to get stronger, and I’m working hard to open my Magic Eye, The Tale at Dawn.”
“I see. Well, there’s no way that a member of the family would give you information about its Magic Eye, and relevant materials are locked away in a large safe at the main residence. Even I was told that I couldn’t open it until I officially inherited the family name.”
The original Hiiro character wouldn’t have known that, but I was aware of it from my knowledge of this game.
It was no wonder the Sanjos wanted to keep information about its Magic Eye hidden. If a guy like Hiiro, who was hostile, uncontrollable, and a symbol of disgrace, were to gain its power, there was no telling what would happen.
The opening of the Magic Eye was also related to the feuds between family members.
For that reason, Hiiro, a direct descendant who met the conditions for opening it, was like a bomb that was extremely dangerous for the Sanjos.
“The Magic Eye is said to be based on a hereditary tradition. If you were to open it, family members who refused to recognize your bloodline to date and wanted me to be the heir would suddenly get into an awkward position. Once people realized that you opened The Tale at Dawn, it’s only natural that those who have been working behind the scenes to make you the heir would appear en masse. They would fuss over you as the rightful heir and try to seize power within the clan. That’s why we can’t have you open our Magic Eye.”
Hiiro’s parents and grandparents had already passed away, and without a spouse, he existed as the family’s sole direct descendant, ultimately without allies.
Those from the branch families had destroyed the physical evidence that proved that he was indeed the rightful heir and insisted that Hiiro Sanjo wasn’t a direct descendant. Because of that, they would be in trouble if I came to them with The Tale at Dawn, which would prove I was who I claimed to be.
The Sanjo family wasn’t unified.
Everyone looked as if they were standing behind Rei Sanjo, but there were also those looking for an opportunity to take advantage of her and bring her down to benefit themselves. Some were eccentrics who valued bloodlines and tradition, plotting to prove that Hiiro Sanjo was the rightful heir and to make him the family’s banner.
In short, trouble would break out if I opened the family’s Magic Eye.
“Don’t worry. Even if I do open the Magic Eye, I’ll make sure no one finds out.”
“Yeah, I’ll help you do that. I’m experienced at hiding things and plotting.”
With my back still facing Rei, I whispered, “I hear that when The Tale at Dawn is opened, it strains the brain and the eyes. I want to know how bad that would be. Let’s say I forced it open… How long could the human body endure it?”
Rei answered after a brief pause. “From what I’ve heard…sixteen…no, fifteen seconds max. Someone once forced it open using yin-yang sorcery and ceased to be human after ten and six hours… I don’t know what that means, but I don’t think it ended well.”
In the original game, you have to wait for the cooling-off period to pass during your turn. I didn’t think it was set up to open the Magic Eye by force.
That was why I wanted to know what would happen if you forced it to stay open, what the time limit was, and how much strain it would put on your body.
“Fifteen seconds…”
“The Tale at Dawn is said to have been founded by the strongest sorcerer the Sanjo family ever had. Legend has it that she could see everything, but after making the world aware of her power, she created a monster, and it caused many casualties. A record remains of an ancient ritual for cursing individuals, but it’s said the ritual had the effect of forcing the Magic Eye open and that everyone who took part died.”
“Thanks for the warning; I’ll keep it in mind. I have no intention of forcing it open. I just wanted to know what happened as knowledge.”
“Ever since ancient times, no one who has been involved with The Tale at Dawn has ever found happiness. All those who opened it swore it was a cursed eye that could see ghosts. The Magic Eye is cursed. Or rather, it may be the Sanjo blood that’s cursed… Those before our time—Kiriu, Kaou—if only that usurpation drama over Kabane Sanjo hadn’t occurred…”
Rei was aware of the tragedies that had affected the Sanjo family, and she spoke with her head down, as if she were talking to herself.
Having played the original game, I also knew the outcome, which was why I could be careful about how I handled The Tale at Dawn.