The Sorceress' Revolt - Ko Eiji's Story - Part 1 Chapter 4 by Translations by Ainikki / Anime Blog Tracker

The Sorceress' Revolt - Ko Eiji's Story - Part 1 Chapter 4

.post p { margin:0 0 .75em; line-height:1.5em; text-indent:1.5em; } The Sorceress' Revolt - Ko Eiji's Story Author: Toriumi Jinzō Translator: Ainikki the Archivist Part One: Sorceress Chapter 4 Gentle spring sunshine shone in the depths of Hakūn-do Cave. Hakūn-do Cave was an eternal paradise where it never rained or snowed. En Kō was dressed in old clothes that were comfortable to sleep in. He dozed in the cave beside the Rainbow Spring, where sunlight refracted into many colors over the surface of the water. The Book of Desires and Treasures, also known as the Heavenly Book, sat shrouded in mist from the floor of the cave to the ceiling high above. The carved stone was entirely concealed from view. Twenty-three years ago, part of the Heavenly Book was stolen by the young monk Tanshi. Since then, no human had set foot in Hakūn-do Cave. Most of the time, En Kō enjoyed the peace and quiet. He was the guardian of the cave and hadn’t had to defend against any threats in decades. It was unlikely that any more humans would find the cave. The rock bridge leading into Hakūn-do Cave had been erased by the goddess Kyūten Genyo. Although humans could no longer enter the cave, En Kō could monitor some human activity. The Heavenly Book automatically updated whenever human knowledge and ingenuity advanced a significant step. All the progress of human civilization from the very beginning could be read in the Heavenly Book. Human civilization and culture never changed suddenly. They gradually got worse or better. En Kō’s job was to protect the Heavenly Book from humans. Now that Tanshi had stolen a piece of it, he was supposed to observe what Tanshi did with his knowledge and see how human culture would develop. A strange sound resounded from the stone beneath En Kō’s feet. He woke up, rubbed sleep out of his eyes, sat up, and then bowed. The curtain of mist concealing the Heavenly Book melted away, revealing a halo of light. “Welcome, goddess Kyūten Genyo,” En Kō said. “En Kō. I caught you napping! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” The goddess’ voice was youthful and clear as a bell. En Kō chuckled and ran a hand through his gray fur. “Everything is so boring lately. I’d like to fight a lively human like Tanshi again.” “I could send you back to prehistoric times. You could fight with the other ape-men.” En Kō waved his hand exaggeratedly. “No, no. I don’t want to associate with ape-men any more.” The goddess laughed. “En Kō, as one of the ancestors of mankind… you should know that even humans are apes. Though I understand your admiration of human civilization.” Kyūten Genyo was worshiped as a Daoist goddess, but she was older than Daoism. Her true form was inspirational intelligence. Her real appearance and shape were entirely invisible. She didn’t have to speak to En Kō using a human-like voice, but she did because it made them both more comfortable. En Kō could speak with a voice, and so could she. Millions of years had passed since the creation of the world at the edge of the known universe. Humans were relative newcomers on the planet. Humanity had the potential to build a glorious future, but one terrible mistake could lead to catastrophe. The universe was vast and contained a multitude of mysteries. At the heart of it was a mysterious being that humans called God: omniscient and beyond all comprehension. Kyūten Genyo was the closest thing to this God that existed, but it would be a mistake to term her omnipotent. She watched over and recorded events, but did not interfere with individual choices. A human was always supposed to acquire the Heavenly Book eventually… but not just any human. Tanshi had passed tests of courage, determination and wisdom in order to possess his knowledge. Unfortunately, Tanshi was not the only one who possessed the knowledge from the Heavenly Book. He’d been deceived by the sorceress Sei Koko, who was using the Heavenly Book for her own evil purposes. En Kō folded his arms and grumbled. “Why do humans love war so much? Primitive apes were much more peaceful.” “Ironically, with every war, human culture advances.” “The humans have forgotten that they are apes. They bring shame on our ancestors.” En Kō scratched his head. “As civilization advances and culture develops, human desires seem to expand even more. Humanity has cultivated something called religion. They have split into tribes that disagree with one another and fight in wars.” “In the primitive world of apes, the only god is the sun. Religion is supposed to be for the sake of human happiness.” The goddess laughed again. “It seems you have become interested in human culture, En Kō.” “It’s all thanks to the Heavenly Book. It shows me the information I want, when I want it. I’m very grateful,” he said, bowing his head. En Kō’s knowledge of human society came entirely from his brief interactions with Tanshi and the Heavenly Book, which the goddess updated whenever something significant happened in human history. “I predict that this country will be attacked by a warlike tribe in the west in a hundred or so years.” 1 “Then country where Tanshi lives will be destroyed…” En Kō’s expression showed his anxiety. He had nearly killed Tanshi once, but now he was interested in what was happening in Tanshi’s life among the humans. He liked Tanshi, an ordinary man who’d transcended his own fate. He’d even secretly endowed Tanshi’s pewter staff with electromagnetic energies. “This country is in chaos. If we don’t stop the fighting between humans, their future will be hopeless,” the goddess said. “You seem to have some ideas,” said En Kō with a grin. He could always tell when his goddess had a plan. “In the hope of a peaceful future for humanity, I caused two wise souls to be born a dozen years ago. They have grown into fine young people.” “I am sure they are very intelligent, goddess. I am looking forward to what they will do. Perhaps I will no longer be so bored in this cave.” En Kō clapped his hands together in joy. “You are too quick to rejoice, En Kō. Everyone grows and changes differently. I am not able to interfere with any soul beyond causing the circumstances of their birth.” “I know. Tanshi has something to do with those two, though, right?” He gave the goddess’ halo a searching look. “Meetings and partings are human destiny. Lives can change depending on how the mind interprets events.” En Kō raised his hands dramatically and then prostrated himself. He wasn’t about to get a straight answer from the goddess about the two souls at the moment. “I see. I look forward to seeing what happens to them both.” “I am sure you will.” She chuckled. “Generous and merciful Kyūten Genyo, please allow me to see information about those two souls.” “It was your duty to watch over the fate of your descendants for a very long time. I understand your curiosity. I shall allow you to see them.” En Kō jumped up in excitement. “Thank you very much, goddess!” The goddess’ halo disappeared with an enchanting sound like the tinkling of bells. The winding weft of China’s Yellow River civilization was reflected in the Heavenly Book: a perfect copy of human knowledge and potential. En Kō couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Translator's Notes 1 The goddess is probably predicting the Mongol invasion of China in the 1200s. ↩

More like this