Day 15
The almanac had called it an inauspicious day. Yin does not offer sacrifices, not suitable for eating, be careful to build dikes… A day for staying indoors and doing absolutely nothing.
I yawned, pulling a coarse straw raincoat over my shoulders and glancing at the sheets of rain hammering the world outside my corridor. It was the kind of miserable weather that sank deep into your bones. A perfect day to stay home. Unfortunately, the Bureau of Onmyo didn't close for bad moods.
Yukinoshita stood quietly to the side, holding a pair of tall wooden clogs, or geta. She was beautiful. Even in the pre-dawn gloom, it was impossible to hide the elegant arch of her willow-like eyebrows, her intelligent, star-bright eyes, or the flawless quality of her skin. The girl was, for lack of a better word, a knockout.
She was also frighteningly capable. The morning bell had rung from a distant temple at three a.m., but I'd deliberately stayed in bed for another two hours, just to see what she would do. While pretending to sleep, I'd watched her. In that short time, she had cleaned the entire house. Not just tidied—cleaned. The place was spotless. I genuinely wanted to praise her, but I held my tongue. For now, it was better to remain indifferent.
Dropping my noble airs to try and connect with her didn't seem wise. It would probably just make her more vigilant. The whole situation was surprisingly similar to trying to tame a stray cat. If you rush a stray, it just hisses and bolts. The correct method is patience. You leave out a bit of fish, day after day, until your presence becomes a normal part of its routine. Only then can you even think about taking the next step.
Thinking about it that way, it really did feel like I was playing some kind of dating sim. I wonder what kind of CG I'll unlock when her favorability rating gets high enough?
I was still lost in my absurd thoughts when the wooden clogs appeared at my feet. I saw a slender, pale hand hesitate, about to move forward to help me put them on.
"It's fine," I said, stopping her. I waved her aside and slipped them on myself. As much as I enjoyed the idea of a comfortable life where everything was done for me, I had no desire to become completely useless.
Once the geta were on, I stared out at the rain-swept path ahead. "Can you read?" I asked slowly.
"I know some characters," she replied.
"That's good," I said, pitching my voice to sound like every arrogant noble I'd met. "You should make use of the books in my study. I find it… tiresome to converse with common folk who lack an appreciation for elegance."
"…Yes." Yukinoshita lowered her head. A moment later, I put on my conical hat and disappeared into the downpour.
Left alone in the quiet house, she let out a slow breath of relief, but her heart immediately felt conflicted. His words had laid bare the real reason for the nobles' disdain. It wasn't just about status or wealth. It was a fundamental rejection from the very core of their being. They truly didn't believe a commoner who couldn't read was capable of conversing with them. They saw them as another species entirely.
Was that why her own looks, which had been called cute and beautiful her whole life, seemed to go completely unnoticed here? Or were the aesthetic standards of the Heian period just that different? Annoyed at the small puddles splashing into the corridor, she sighed, grabbed a mop-like cloth, and went back to work.
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Braving the wind and rain, I arrived at the Bureau of Onmyo and knew something was wrong the second I walked in. The few colleagues who had arrived early looked at me with strange, darting glances. It was the look you give a rabid dog—something you want to avoid at all costs.
Did some nobleman decide to take his anger out on me? I wondered. It had to be work-related. My little side-hustle of slacking off and hunting was hardly a state secret, but it wasn't worthy of this kind of reaction.
My question was answered almost immediately. A servant appeared and informed me that Kamo Yasunori, the acting head Onmyoji, wished to see me in the reception room.
I entered to find him sitting quietly, dressed in immaculate white hunting robes. He was young and handsome, but he carried himself with the immense pressure of a man who knew his own power.
"Kyosuke," he began without preamble. "I heard you went to Ukyo yesterday."
"The rain was too heavy," I replied honestly. "I didn't go."
Kamo's eyes narrowed slightly. "As an Imperial Calendar Doctor, you can't even predict the day's own celestial phenomena? You failed to foresee weather that a child could have? Is there some lack in your learning?"
My expression soured. "I don't believe my abilities require your guidance, Lord Yasunori. And while your point about the climate has merit, I believe divining the day's fundamental luck is far more important."
The air thickened. Kamo Yasunori frowned. "In that case, go home and think it over carefully. I am assigning the duties of the Imperial Calendar to another."
"That's fine with me," I said, standing up immediately. I gave him a crisp bow, turned, and walked out.
The intention was obvious. He was looking for an excuse to fire me, so it was better to face it head-on. The truth was, the capital's climate was in chaos. A powerful entity that represented disaster had recently been driven out of Heian-kyō by the Onmyoji of the Genji clan, but its corrupting aura still permeated the very air. The epidemic hadn't ended, and the weather had become completely unpredictable. There was no way to make an accurate calendar right now.
Kamo Yasunori had to know that. His father was Kamo Tadayuki, the man called the "Strongest Onmyoji," the master of the legendary Abe no Seimei. There was no way his son couldn't grasp such a simple truth. This was a politically motivated attack, pure and simple. I decided it was better to withdraw from the Bureau now. When the struggle between the Fujiwaras truly ignited, Onmyoji like me would become nothing more than disposable pawns.
This was also where the history of this world diverged sharply from the one I knew. Here, the Genji clan, who were supposed to be samurai, were instead one of the three great Onmyoji factions. They held immense power, overseeing the royal family's most important rites. The idea that their leader, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, would ever become a vassal to Fujiwara no Michinaga was laughable. Why would a man who commanded both imperial and divine authority ever bend the knee?
I was certain that even if Michinaga became Regent, as history foretold, he would inevitably move to crush the Genji.
Politics is so damn complicated, I sighed inwardly. Just as I had yesterday, I collected my salary in advance—my severance package, I suppose—and headed for the door.
"I say…" Baoyin stared, his jaw slack, as I walked past with a bag of rice the size of a watermelon. He watched me disappear quickly into the rain, his eyes wide with shock.
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That night, as the almanac had predicted, the relentless rain caused parts of several manor walls to collapse and blocked drainage ditches throughout the capital. Farmers were forced out into the storm to make desperate repairs.
Day 16
Gengchen month, Guiyou day. A noble person will offer aid. Farming will be swift as the wind. Do not wait for the next rain…
Lying on a comfortable straw mat, I watched the scenery outside my home. The sky, washed clean by the storm, was a brilliant blue. It was a good day.
In the courtyard, which was overgrown with lush grass, a girl was hard at work. Yukinoshita, wearing a simple gray tunic with her pants rolled up to her knees, was tending to the unruly lawn with a hoe, her delicate feet bare.
She didn't notice that just outside the courtyard's side gate, another person was standing, watching her with a calm, hesitant expression.
The young man, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, pondered the situation. Michitaka is dying. According to history, his brother Michikane, who is next in line, should also fall ill and die within seven days. The man I serve, Michinaga, will then gradually rise to become Chancellor…
But he knew it wasn't a sure thing.
There may be others, he thought, his gaze unreadable. Others like me, in the same situation, but playing for a different team.
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