God's Tale Chapter 2: "The Month of the Gods"

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Chapter 2: "The Month of the Gods"

For a while after that, I spent my time alternating between looking at the "window" that showed the shrine and the window that showed the outside world. I didn't see many visitors at the completed shrine, but occasionally I would see a man in a hakama. He must be the priest who manages my shrine. Every time I saw him diligently sweeping around the shrine with a broom in his hand, a feeling of gratitude welled up inside me.

I never grew tired of looking at the world outside the window, either. The outside was like a scene from a Japanese history textbook brought to life. Just when I thought I saw someone with a sword at their waist or a person wearing an eboshi hat, I would also see someone in a T-shirt and shorts. The vehicles running on the street ranged from cars and motorcycles to horses and palanquins.

As I was looking at the street outside, there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, a small dog was sitting in front of the door. It was staring intently at me.

“What’s the matter?”
Even when I crouched down and spoke to it, the dog didn't move. Looking closely, I saw a piece of paper rolled up and tied to its collar. I reached out tentatively. The dog stayed still even when I touched the paper. It didn't seem like it would bite. I gently removed the scroll. As soon as the paper was removed, the dog turned around and left.

I sat on the sofa and opened the scroll. It was a visitor's wish. So, the dog from earlier must have been a messenger. I had imagined a shrine maiden respectfully holding up a scroll, so I felt a little disappointed. The person with the happi coat and headband had told me to ask the messenger if I needed anything, but I wondered if that dog could speak.

Anyway, I turned my eyes to the documents. The date of the general meeting must be approaching. Many of the same names were listed. It must be that priest. Rather than wishes, they were words of daily gratitude. He must be praying every time after he finishes cleaning. Besides the priest, there were a few other names here and there. Among them, there were even names that sounded foreign. There weren't many, but it seemed there were indeed visitors.
After that, the messenger dog brought documents every few days.

As I sat on the sofa reading those documents over and over, there was another knock at the room's door. I saw the messenger dog and reached out to receive the scroll.

“I have come to pick you up.”
The dog spoke. I was surprised and pulled my hand back.
“You can talk?”
“Yes, I am A-gyo, the guardian dog of your shrine. The one in charge of bringing you the documents is Un-gyo, and he does not open his mouth. Please forgive him.”
The guardian dog bowed its head. Then it stood up, walked a few steps ahead, and looked back.

“Now, let us go. To the Land of Izumo.”
“Wait, let me get ready.”
I hurriedly grabbed the stack of documents and the navy blue jacket from the closet, and dashed out of the room.

I followed the guardian dog outside the building. A green taxi was waiting in front of the building.
“I shall leave you here. I leave the rest to you.”
The guardian dog bowed to me and the taxi driver in turn, then ran back to its post. I was urged by the driver and got into the taxi.

“Customer, you were going to the Land of Izumo, right?”
“Yes, please,” I said.
The taxi started moving smoothly. I wanted to slowly watch the scenery flowing past the window, but the car seemed to be moving through the clouds, and I couldn't see anything from the window except white mist.

My heart raced at the thought that I was going to the gods' general meeting. I had no idea what was waiting for me. I clutched the documents I had brought from the room.

“Customer, what are you going to Izumo for?”
The driver asked through the rearview mirror.
“Oh, I have to attend a general meeting.”

Suddenly, the brakes were slammed, and the car lurched forward. I hit my forehead hard against the front seat.
“Ouch.”
The driver turned around to the backseat and said,
“Are you, by any chance, a god?”
“Eh? Yes, it seems so. Though, I only recently became a god, so I don't really feel it yet.”
“Is that so? I am very sorry. I have been in this world for a long time, but I have never seen a god before, so this is an honor.”

He reached out from the driver's seat to shake my hand. I responded, feeling bewildered. The driver smiled and started the car again. I became interested in the driver's comment about having been in "this world for a long time."

“How long has it been since you came here?”
“Well, I wonder. I don't really have a sense of time here, so it's hard to say. But, perhaps nearly half a century in terms of the living world? That's just my personal feeling. I apologize for not being able to tell you anything definite.”
“No, no. So, have you been a taxi driver ever since you came here?”
“No. At first, I went around sightseeing just like everyone else. I searched everywhere, thinking I might be able to meet Sakamoto Ryoma, whom I liked. But I got tired of that, and for a while, I even worked as an attendant at the 'port' of the Sanzu River. However, I heard a story about someone who accidentally ran into their son who had died young at the 'port,' and it scared me. So I quit being an attendant, and the next job was a driver. I used to drive a taxi just like this when I was alive, so I'm used to it.”

The driver laughed. I see, so that's how the common people spend their days in the afterlife. If I hadn't been chosen as a god, what would I have been doing in this world? Would I have chosen the same job I had when I was alive? What kind of work did I do when I was alive? I spent a little while letting my imagination wander.

“We've arrived.”
I was brought back to reality by the driver's words. He got out of the car and was waiting with the door open.
“You don't need to pay here. Please, you have arrived in Izumo.”
I got out of the car and watched the taxi leave. As I looked around, I heard a voice.

"Reception is here. For those participating in the general meeting, reception is here."
Walking toward the voice, I saw two women at the reception counter. A man about my age was already checking in. His clothes were modern like mine, wearing a crisp light blue suit. I called out to the woman who was free.

"I'm here to attend the general meeting."
I couldn't help but be curious about the man in the light blue suit standing next to me. Everyone who comes here is supposed to be a god. If so, is he also a god chosen by lottery?

"Yes, please show me the card with your number on it."
"A card?"
I reflexively searched my pockets, but I didn't remember receiving any such card.
"Um..."

As I fumbled around, searching the pockets of my pants and jacket, the receptionist looked startled and ran her finger down the register.
"Oh, is this your first time attending the general meeting?"
"Yes."
"Oh, I apologize. In that case, this card is your number. Please wear it around your neck."

The card I received had the number 83512 written on it. I took it and hung it around my neck. It felt a bit like an employee ID. A red circular sticker was stuck to the top right of the card.

The reception next to me seemed to have finished, and the man in the light blue suit had already started walking ahead as prompted. That's a shame. I wanted to talk to him. I wasn't sure if I could find him again in a crowd of 80,000 people.

"Please keep that card yourself even after the general meeting ends, and bring it with you next year," the receptionist smiled.
"The general meeting venue is straight ahead to the right, so please be careful on your way."

Seeing me off with a respectful bow, I walked in the direction the receptionist had pointed. After walking a little, the man in the light blue suit stopped and looked back at me. It was the man who had been at the reception earlier. When I gave a slight bow, he bowed back.

"Hello. Is this your first time attending?"
"Yes, it is," I said.
"That red sticker is the mark of a first-time attendee. Mine is blue, for newcomers who have been here for more than two years but less than fifteen."

The light blue suit held up the card hanging around his neck. Sure enough, it had a blue circular sticker on it. Relieved to have found a fellow god, I became talkative.

"Oh, I'm glad. I was feeling lonely all by myself. Ever since I got here, I've been nothing but confused. Suddenly being told I'm a god, being pressed about shrines, and being told to attend the general meeting in the Month of the Gods. To begin with, I haven't even accepted that I've died yet, and I don't have any memories, so I don't even know what kind of person I was when I was alive. I've been at a complete loss as to how to sort out my feelings."

The light blue suit listened to me rambling and smiled quietly.
"Um, by any chance, were you also chosen to be a god by lottery?" I asked.
"Lottery? Oh, I had heard there was a lottery, but that rumor was true, huh? No, that's not me. I purchased my rights."
The light blue suit stepped forward and leaned in close to my ear.
"From a devil."

I recoiled at the unexpected remark. Then, the light blue suit chuckled.
"I'm joking. Come on, let's go. We'll be late."
I followed behind the light blue suit, feeling nervous. I feel like my heart is still pounding. Wait, do I even have a heart? Well, anyway, I was surprised.

I stole a glance at the profile of the light blue suit walking briskly. He had a calm face. It must have been a joke after all. It might be a standard way to haze newcomers in this industry.

"This is the venue. Shall we sit around here?" said the light blue suit.
It was incredibly vast. Since over 80,000 gods were gathering, that was to be expected. The chairs were arranged in an oval, all facing the center. At first glance, it looked like a soccer stadium. However, the part corresponding to the soccer field in the center was quite narrow, and if you just looked at the center, it had an atmosphere like a courtroom. Fluffy white clouds covered the space overhead, forming a ceiling.

The venue was already packed with many gods. Everyone was dressed in various ways. As far as I could see, we were the only ones wearing modern Western-style clothes. My eyes were dazzled by the colorful costumes. From where I was sitting, the person in the center looked no bigger than a grain of rice, and as for the opposite side of the venue, I could barely recognize that people were moving. How are they going to conduct a meeting like this?

"The speaker will be projected in large size over there, so many people are looking that way rather than at the center."
When I looked up, a large man wearing particularly flashy attire was projected into the clouds on the ceiling. It seemed to be the person sitting in the center. Is that Okuninushi-no-Okami? Multiple images were facing various angles in the air, making it possible to see who was speaking right now from anywhere.

"Put on these earphones."
The light blue suit nudged my elbow from the next seat. He was holding out small black earphones. He explained in a low voice.
"It will be automatically translated into the language of our time."
"Thank you."
I also thanked him in a low voice.

Okuninushi-no-Okami stood up, and the murmuring died down instantly. I straightened my back in my chair.
"Another year has passed. The assembly of gods has worked very hard. It seems Japan has been safe and sound this year as well. I offer my sincere gratitude."
Okuninushi-no-Okami's deep voice boomed through the venue. He scanned the venue with a sharp gaze. I was glued to the image in the sky.

"This year, too, many people in the mortal world have visited us and entrusted us with countless wishes. Of course, there may be many trivial worldly desires among them. However, shall we not listen to those voices with sincerity?"

Applause broke out at the speech by Okuninushi-no-Okami. From there, a god dressed like a Heian aristocrat served as the moderator. He nominated several gods, and those nominated read aloud one wish chosen from among the requests entrusted to their respective shrines.

“The wish I have been entrusted with is, ‘May I pass the medical university entrance exam.’ A medical university is a place of learning for medical arts, and the person who made this wish must be recognized through a rite of passage to study there. I wish to fulfill this request with the power of the gathered gods.”
The one who was nominated was also dressed like a Heian aristocrat. Every time he spoke, the tip of his eboshi hat swayed.

After the initial statement of opinion, a few questions and answers were exchanged between Okuninushi-no-Okami and the god in charge.
“Why did you choose that one?”
“The person who made this wish desires to learn medical arts for their father who has fallen ill, but they do not yet possess the academic ability to be recognized in the rite of passage. Therefore, they came to my shrine. For me, precisely because I can grant a wish like this person’s, the reputation of my shrine as a ‘God of Learning’ in the mortal world will become even more solid.”
“However, if the wisher does not possess the strength to be recognized by the school, they will not pass the rite of passage without our help. Would helping such a person not lead to tarnishing the reputation of your shrine?”
“No, it is the opposite. The wisher aspires to academics for the sake of their father who has fallen ill, and by no means out of a desire for fame. If such a person were to have their wish granted with our help, the reputation of my shrine would only rise, and it would not be tarnished in the slightest.”

“That shrine had its Shikinen Sengu this year, you know.”
The man in the light blue suit whispered to me as I was listening to the discussion between the gods.
“Shiki-nen... what is that?” I asked.
“It is the rebuilding of a shrine’s main hall at a certain cycle to move the deity. It happens every twenty or thirty years. In other words, it means they achieved a merit in the world of gods this year. This Kamiarizuki assembly also has those with voting rights and those without.”

The man in the light blue suit gestured with his chin toward the documents in my hands. The many wishes entrusted to my shrine. I see. Based on the explanation from the trio in happi coats, I had imagined that since each god brings the wishes entrusted to their own shrine, everyone would be given an equal opportunity to speak. But in reality, among the eighty thousand gods, only a limited number of big names get the chance to speak at this assembly. A regular employee like me just sits there in silence. I felt a little embarrassed that I had been reading through the documents so earnestly and had been clutching them so tightly until now. I quietly folded the documents and slipped them into the inner pocket of my jacket.

“Oops. But don’t be self-deprecating because of that. We have an important role, too.”
The man in the light blue suit took out a round push-button with a cord from under his chair.
“It’s time to vote,” the man in the light blue suit winked.

“Now, gathered gods, I wish to ask whether this wish is acceptable or not.”
Okuninushi-no-Okami raised his voice. Looking at the screen above, I noticed that it had switched from the speaker’s face to text before I knew it.

‘May I pass the medical university entrance exam.’

The wish under discussion was written in italicized decorative text. The face of the god who proposed it was also shown in a small wipe window in the bottom right. While feeling bewildered by the sudden production that looked like a daytime information program, I followed the man in the light blue suit and took out my voting button from under my chair.

“Now, those who deem this wish acceptable, please express your intent.”
I pressed the button with my thumb. When I glanced at the man in the light blue suit, he was gently covering the button with his left hand. I see. Is that the etiquette? I hurriedly hid my thumb with my left hand. On the top half of the screen above, six zeros were lined up. On the left side of the bottom half was the text of the wish from earlier, and in the bottom right, the face of the god in charge was still displayed in the wipe window.

“What is the result?”

As the voice of Okuninushi-no-Okami boomed, the numbers began to move. They increased vigorously and quickly reached ten thousand.
“It is approved at fifty thousand votes,”
the man in the light blue suit said. His eyes remained glued to the increasing numbers. The speed at which the numbers increased slowed down once it reached around thirty thousand. I almost laughed at the variety-show-like production, but the atmosphere in the venue was serious. The god in charge had his hands clasped in front of his face. Who on earth was he praying to? Even though he himself is a god.

The number had already exceeded forty thousand. The audience was watching with bated breath. The number continued to increase slowly, and the ten-thousands digit switched to a ‘5’.

“Congratulations.”

Amidst the cheers and applause, the voice of Okuninushi-no-Okami rang out. The god in charge was twisting his face as if he were about to cry, savoring the joy.

“Man, that was nerve-wracking, wasn’t it?”
The man in the light blue suit said in an excited voice.
“It really was. My goodness, what an incredible excitement.”
I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere of my first assembly of gods. In the center of the venue, there was a commotion as if someone had just hit a walk-off grand slam.
“This meeting is quite interesting, isn’t it?”
The man in the light blue suit grinned at me.

After that, two more gods brought up agenda items, and each time a tense vote took place. The second wish was rejected, and the third was approved with a higher number of votes than the first. After the final greeting by Okuninushi-no-Okami, the assembly was adjourned. I was exhausted from the tension of my first assembly of gods and the thrill of the voting.

I parted ways with the man in the light blue suit just before the exit of the venue. It seemed he had spotted a god he knew. He left saying, “I’ll be going now,” and disappeared into the crowd. Dragging my heavy feet, I was pushed by the waves of people and made my way outside the venue. Just as I wondered how I was supposed to get home from here, the familiar Komainu appeared before me.
“I have come to pick you up.”
I got into the taxi I had taken on the way there, this time with the Komainu. Perhaps due to the relief of having safely made it through the assembly, I fell asleep in the car.
“We have arrived.”
When I woke up to the voice of the Komainu, I saw my usual place of residence. I felt as if it had all been a dream.
“Thank you for your hard work at the assembly. The next one is in a year.”

The Komainu bowed and drove away. I returned to my residence and took the folded documents of wishes out of my jacket pocket. I carefully put them away in my desk drawer. I had managed to finish my first assembly safely. The next one is in a year. I wondered when the wish I had presented would be brought up as an agenda item. Would I be able to reward the people who made the wishes?
In the first place, should I believe everything that man in the light blue suit says? Come to think of it, I missed asking for his name. I decided to ask for his name when I see him next year, took a glance at the ‘Window,’ and got into bed. It had been a long day.

Having finished my duties for Kamiarizuki, I felt like I had finally become a member of the gods.

Chapter 3 follows

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