[Historical Novel] Gate of the Underworld Chapter 2: Star Cluster (1)
Does what is reflected in those eyes represent the hollow efficacy of the powerful?
Or is it the truth of the human world?
Carving the voices of the defeated into history,
The man known as the Black Brush—Tachibana no Hayanari makes his entrance!
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《Gate of the Underworld Chapter 2: Star Cluster (1)》
As one crossed the Kamo River and approached the crossroads of the Six Paths, the roadside overflowed with beggars, those unable to move who simply sat there, and even those who had already become corpses; the scent of life and death mingled in the street, stinging the nostrils.
In this place, a living hell created by the dishonesty of the government, stood Rokudo Chinno-ji Temple, rumored to possess a well that led to the underworld.
Passing through the temple's south gate, a swept-clean precinct opened up, and within a silence different from that outside the gate, there was a quarter called Bokuan, enclosed by deep brown wooden fences.
From Bokuan, illuminated by the winter sun, leaked the faint, dry scent of ink and the tense whispers exchanged by the students.
In the main hall, a pair of six-panel folding screens depicting sages of the Tang Dynasty were placed, and on the partitioned wooden floor, covered with hemp mats, Ono no Takamura and Tachibana no Hayanari sat facing each other.
The charcoal in the brazier held a faint red glow, and white breath rose before words were spoken.
"...That is the report from the Northern Barracks."
Takamura, clad in ink-colored formal robes, concluded the report from Ikuri in a detached tone while adjusting his sleeves.
Takamura's low, resonant voice was restrained, yet it carried his usual tone, which felt faintly passionate.
"If the offerings have been stolen three times, the Northern House of the Fujiwara will surely change their tune."
Hayanari, who had tucked his graying topknot into his ebony cap, looked at Takamura with a somewhat philosophical smile.
"The stolen goods are being managed by Lord Fun'ya, and he is funneling them into the market to turn them into wealth."
"If we leave it to Lord Fun'ya, there will be no trail to follow."
Hayanari held his hands over the brazier, continuing the conversation while keeping his eyes on the red of the charcoal.
"Come to think of it, I heard Lord Ono has been appointed as the Vice-Envoy to Tang."
The whispers of the students that had been audible from beyond the wooden doors until just a moment ago fell silent, leaving only the sound of ink being ground in the ears.
"Being the Vice-Envoy to Tang means that Lord Ono has been distanced from the Crown Prince. It is rumored in the Ministry of Ceremonial that this is all a scheme by Lord Fujiwara the Middle Counselor."
Hayanari was, on the surface, a government official registered at the University Bureau of the Ministry of Ceremonial.
"You certainly have quick ears."
Takamura, who rarely let his expression break, offered a bitter smile at this moment.
"It may not be immediate, but by next year or the year after, the talk of 'go to Tang' might well be brought up."
"That is quite a leisurely outlook."
Hayanari raised the corners of his mouth and peered into Takamura's face. The charcoal in the brazier popped softly, and the red glow dimmed slightly.
"I feel sorry for the Crown Prince, but by becoming the Vice-Envoy to Tang, the time I can move freely has increased. I can take this opportunity to advance the activities of the Enma Party one step further."
Takamura answered without changing his expression, but a firm resolve was contained deep within his words.
"As expected of Lord Ono. You never fall without getting back up."
Hayanari did not drop his polite tone toward Takamura, who was twenty years his junior.
A cold wind slipped through the edge of the folding screen, slightly shaking the air in the hall.
"I am merely recording history here with my students. I may not be able to be of much help to Lord Ono."
"What are you saying? It is the righteousness of our Enma Party that Lord Tachibana, by doing this, sheds light not only on the history of the victors, but also on the people who do not submit and those living in the city—people whom the people of the capital never even tried to see—and leaves them for posterity."
The sound of the brush stopped abruptly.
"I am grateful to Lord Ono. I was disgusted by how the history of the country was being twisted by those in power. Lord Ono has bestowed upon this brush a task that will be the culmination of my life. I will continue to quietly record the righteousness of the Enma Party here at Bokuan."
Hayanari softened the corners of his eyes as he slowly shifted his gaze to the garden. The winter sun had risen high, making the shadows just a little deeper.
From the gaps in the wooden doors, the sound of ink being ground and the steady conversation of the students recording history leaked out without ceasing.
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Afterword
Chapter 2: Star Cluster has finally started!
This time, with the appearance of Tachibana no Hayanari, the Black Brush who uses his pen as a weapon,
the figure of the Enma Party has begun to take shape little by little.
The "words" and "records" that connect the front and back of Heian-kyo
possess power no less than that of military might or politics.
How will Hayanari, who holds that power, interact with Takamura from now on,
and how will he confront the Northern House of the Fujiwara?
In the next section, will there be a direct confrontation between Takamura and Fujiwara no Yoshifusa at the New Year's banquet?!
Please look forward to it.
The next installment, Chapter 2: Star Cluster (2), is scheduled for release on September 20th (Sat).