Chapter 17 -3

"Kiba-kun, Sekiguchi-kun, you heard what my wife said now! The Kuonji family is definitely not the family possessed by Ohuber." Kyogokudo said in an excited voice, looking at me happily: "As I expected, it's very uncommon sense for Ohuber to be attached to a person." "What! This is what the local old people said, and there is also a report from the local police." "It's not like the old man has lived for five hundred or one thousand years, right? He only knows about seven or eighty years ago at most." "That's the way it is...they say it seems to be a legend from a long time ago, but it doesn't matter! Kuonji killed the child and manipulated the spirit of Mizuko..."

"It's strange to say. Mizuko's mischief is a new idea after the Showa era and citizens gained the right to vote. In the Edo era, seven-year-old children were not supported even if they died, and only the notorious order to show mercy to animals was issued. , It’s just that you don’t want to abandon the child!” "An order to be merciful to animals? Is it to protect animals...?" "Cats and dogs or something." "However, Kyogokudo, didn't you say before that Mizuko was mentioned in "The Lustful Generation" (translation: published in 1686, written by Nishizuru Ihara, describing the erotic life of five women)?"

"That's not Mizuko, it's a bird. It's not mischief, it's something that embodies the 'concept'. Don't talk about modern times, even in the folk society of the past, there is no such thing as children making mischief. Ohuber and Mizuko No connection." "So, what is Ohuber?" "Ohubo is spread in some parts of Shikoku. It is a kind of kappa (annotation: imaginary animal. Amphibious, shaped like a four- or five-year-old child, with a face like a tiger, a pointed mouth, and scales and carapaces on its body. , very little hair, can hold a small amount of water, when there is water on the head, when it lands, it has great strength, and can hold other animals into the water to suck their blood) A child monster with the head. I don’t know the details, but with "Zashiki-douji" and "Cangbeizi" (transliteration) seem to be the same kind. Do you know Zashiki-douji?"

Aoki spoke tremblingly: "I'm from Tohoku, so I know that Zashiki Waruji is a red-faced youkai. I heard that when he's around, the family becomes rich, and if he's gone, the family's luck will be bad." "Awesome! What a straight-forward explanation. As he explained, the so-called Zashiki-douji has the functions of "ups and downs of family luck" and "favorable wealth". This is exactly the same as the function of "possession". Must It should be noted that the nature of Zashiki Doji is just a feeling when he is at home, and he will be witnessed when he goes out. As for the stories about witnesses, most of them are told by people outside the family. When he left the family, it was also the time when the family was destroyed. In other words, the houses that prospered because of Zashiki-waraji...most of them are nouveau riche from other places...Talking about their "reason for their decline". The reason” can also work. What they think of is that it is Zashiki-Douji that has brought wealth so far. When this idea is fixed, the current prosperity will happen because of Zashiki-Douji. In other words, it is clear that Zashiki warji is a folk mechanism with the same performance as possession formation based on the characteristic of "going out". Therefore, it is a bit strange to define Ohuber as having the same function. I understand that this is the reason for possessing others. It becomes the distribution of one's wealth to others, and it is meaningless to use something that has the effect of "going out" from the beginning."

"So... how about it?" "Therefore, the legend about the Kuonji family mentioned by the old man may be a fabrication that started relatively recently, and this kind of doubt arises." "Wait a minute, Kyogokudo. We did hear from Mrs. Sawada Tomiko that there should be a "God of Boys" in the legend of the Kuonji family. Do you think this is also a fabrication?" "Ah, it's the legend of "Rokubusha". It's probably very old. By the way, my wife, what is the thing that the "Kuonji style" you inherited uses?" "Variety. Prince Shiki (Annotation: In Onmyoji, following the orders of the Onmyoji, able to freely change the elves who can perform incredible spells) and Dharma Boy (Annotation: A boy summoned by the Dharma Protector who protects the Dharma) God), Fudo Miaowang (Annotation: One of the Five Great Ming Kings and Eight Great Ming Kings, in the Buddhist scriptures, at first he appeared as an envoy of Dainichi Tathagata, and gradually appeared in an angry posture in order to save the sentient beings who were difficult to teach by Dainichi Tathagata) the boys of his family."

"That's right. Speaking of which, most of the summoned gods appear in the form of a boy. I heard that the word "boy" originally meant a low-status, servant. I don't know when it started to be expressed as a child. So I don't know. Where is the confusion. Zashiki-waraji is in the form of a boy, and that may be the long-term reason. The boy-god that Mrs. Tomiko mentioned is not Ohuber and Mizuko, but the god who uses the boy-like form as expressed in the text. ...In any case, Mizuko has nothing to do with it. Kiba criminal!" Kiba was startled by the sudden call, and straightened his back.

"What, what?" "From the above reasons, it can be judged that the child of the Kuonji family was killed because of the inheritance of Ohuber's possession. It is a rumor that incites people's hearts! Next, we should abandon our preconceived notions." I see.Kyogokudo mentioned the investigation of folklore, which seems to have nothing to do with it, because that is what he wanted to talk about.This man is always like this. "Thus, let's think about the reason why the Kuonji family is thought to be possessed inheritance?...Of course, they were also influenced by the special family of Yin Yang Dao. But I speculate that the reason is bigger than this" This can also be known from the legend of the "six parts killing" mentioned by Mrs. Fuzi."

Kyogokudo turned to the head of affairs again and said: "In folklore, there is a motive for killing people from other places. Kill people from other places, take property, and the family will prosper as a result... But because of this, the family will be troubled from generation to generation. The old legend told by Mrs. Tomiko is based on This kind of motivation, but it is not just slander, rumors without roots will not become inheritance and take root. Long-term legends must be convincing in line with the internal theory of the community. In folk society, killing outsiders is like attaching The body is like the zashiki boy, and it has the function of explaining "too rich". In this way, the inheritance of Rokubusha mentioned by Mrs. Tomiko can be imagined as what happened to the Kuonji family in the ancient period of "too rich". In other words In other words, when it happens, there must be some kind of countermeasure.”

"what is it then?" "Probably the event that the Kuonji family became imperial physicians and gained power and financial resources! In the community, "wealth" has occurred. I think the ancient legend told by Mrs. Tomiko reflects this fact. Even the medical secrets with reason Biography has appeared. So the legend of killing outsiders has deteriorated over a long period of time, and has developed into a hereditary possession. Shikoku is a place where other beliefs in possession flourish besides Yin and Yang. : Transliteration. A kind of possession, small snake or fox attached to the human body) has many inheritances of possession. On the other hand, because each generation of the Kuonji family is a relationship between doctors, in fact, it is better to say possession inheritance It should be responsible for extermination. However, at some point, it was reversed, and the sad history of the Kuonji family unfolded. But... Even if I say that, it was quite a long time ago. I don’t think it has been since then Rumor has it that Ohuber possessed... the family of the spirit of the water child."

"I... have been rumored specifically about the family, but I have never heard of it from my mother... I only heard about this family because it is black..." "The so-called black is a lingo for expressing the possessed family. Ordinary people are called white, and the children who marry and give birth to the possessed family are called gray. After hearing what my wife said just now, we also understand what Kuonji uses, and it is not specific. The possibility of it is very high. But now the local elders have identified it as Ohuber. On the other hand, the people of Kuonji don't know about it. In this way, it is second to the ancient legend "Six Part Killing". This kind of inheritance "Possession of O'Huber" was fabricated when the Kuonji family left Sanuki, or after they left, so it can be deduced that it is definitely not a new inheritance!"

"Mizuko's assumption can also be said to come from here." Chuzenji Atsuko said. "However, although it is new, the object of this second lineage has been rumored for decades after the Kuonji family was eliminated. It is also known from the example of the first lineage... It can be speculated that the second lineage took shape what might have happened in the period.” "what happened?" "This hint is that the Kuonji family has come to the imperial capital Tokyo. This period is probably second only to the period when the Kuonji family was hired by the princes in the past and the second prosperity of the Kuonji family... In other words, is it a period of 'wealthy'?" "When we went to Beijing... I heard it was the third year of Meiji (Annotation: 1870)." "Oh, it really is the inheritance formed before and after the Meiji Restoration. So... I remembered a certain incident, and the beginning was also "killing foreigners"." Kyogokudo stared at the purser and said: "Of course you didn't know it directly...It is equivalent to Mr. Tokizo's grandmother. It seems that she was once on the road. She fell on the road and was rescued by the ancestors of Kuonji...or your grandparents..." The old woman smiled as if she didn't care about anything. "It seems that you know it too... This is something that only I know so far... Tokura's grandmother is called Ruko... The money that person brought saved the Kuonji family... I heard from my grandmother." "That's right. . . . The inheritance of possession, the killing of outsiders, and O'Shuber, these lineages are intricate and deliberately combined, and then the Kuonji family line that was possessed by O'Shuber came into being. It's actually very strange. The second type of inheritance. It is not only a rumor fabricated by jealousy of the "family" who abandoned the village and lived in the central area, but I think it also reflects a certain event that cannot be made public..." "What event...?" "What you and your daughter did... your grandmother did too, didn't she?" The Purser's eyes were wide open, and he let out a moan that didn't sound like a sound. "Hey, Kyogoku, what does this mean?" "There is no evidence for this matter. Since there is nothing sufficient to prove it, it is speculation. When Tokzo-san's grandmother fell on the road, she probably did not give birth to a child, but came here to chase the child that was taken away... so tired It's over." "Oh!……" The purser groaned. "Your grandmother lost the child just like you. She was stimulated in the same way, so she took away Ruko-san's child. It's hard to imagine that Benro who gave birth would fall on the road, but there are examples of Benro holding a baby. Ruko In order to track down her own child, the lady came to Kuonji, and then died. Later, the child brought a large amount of money with her... This is conceivable... The money left behind became the former residence of the Kuonji family in Tokyo. A part of the funds... In this way, isn't it "the second killing of foreigners"? Then it is indeed the wealth brought by the baby, which is the truth of the second legend. But I think, your grandmother and Both of you have no malicious intentions, so you can't bear the slander and slander and leave your hometown, it is to cut off the cause of evil." "Fate and fate continue..." "No, it's not cut off." "Hey...it's confusing again! Please speak more clearly." Kyogokudo glanced at Kiba who looked puzzled. "History repeats itself... This kind of talk is disgusting." He said: "Even so, your grandmother raised Tokizo's father with a sense of atonement and gratitude. Treat him like a servant...but you can't even do that." "Hey, Kyogoku, what's going on here?" "I mean about Naito-kun." "what?" "Madam, the reason why Naito-kun's mother died was because you were going to take away the newborn Naito." "That lady...has a weak heart. I...didn't know. No, I don't know what happened then...?" "Hey, did you really take it away? Oh...so you paid for Naito's upbringing and school fees...So it's for atonement..." The purser showed a complicated expression: "It turns out... I want to raise him to think about the world. Mother... no, because of me, he lost his parents, but he can't, because he has to take care of the Kuonji family. So I think, at least be my daughter's husband Well. So, he can't be uneducated... Let him go to school... I think so." "Dean...do you know about this?" "If you say you know... then you know. I didn't even know what happened to that child... When this guy brought Naito here, I probably noticed it, but she seemed to want to hide it... I didn't say anything Yes. It’s useless to expose it anyway.... But, if Naito is a man who can be trusted a little... I think even if he can’t become a doctor, let him marry his daughter. Even if he doesn’t inherit such a hospital, the hospital is in My generation may be destroyed, but..." The dean showed regretful thoughts, twisting his face. Kiba asked: "If so... why did you do such a terrible thing? Kyogoku, didn't you seem to say that this person lost a child..." Kyogokudo looked around the old couple quietly, and then said quietly: "The unfortunate child you gave birth to is definitely not a child born after being cursed and haunted. Shut up, the side hidden in the great shadow is the curse. So... madam, I can say it. " "You...do you even know about that child...?" Kyogokudo nodded slowly, then turned his gaze to the dean and said: "Mr. Dean, unfortunately, I don't know much about medicine, so I would like to ask... What is the proportion of children who are the same as your first child? Then, this repetition in the same family is... ...is it really possible genetically?" Deep wrinkles formed on the dean's brows. He scratched the wrinkles with his fingers, and after maintaining this position for a while, he stammered to answer the questions raised by Kyogokudo. "From the perspective of the giant vision...it's not uncommon. But...the proportion is probably very low. However, in my short life...two, two births were personally present. So... ...In general, you can say that everything you want to say is right..." After listening to that answer, Kyogokudo turned to the purser again.The wives and daughters of imposing samurai seem completely smaller now.She nodded slightly after catching Kyogokudo's gaze. "Madam, at first... thirty years ago, the child I gave birth to was a 'brainless child'!" Brainless! By the way, Frog Face, the child that Enokizu saw in the hallucination of Mae Sawada Tomiko, the child who was cursed by the frog in the legend...Thirty years...that is, brainless!A baby born without a brain and a skull covering it? I had seen pictures of that unfortunate baby before in college.The head is completely missing, and the two eyeballs are just like...frogs...! I suddenly wanted to vomit and held my mouth. "The Kuonji family is... a family with a high proportion of such brainless children... I don't know if the family line is correct...? The reason is unknown. It's not just a mischief and a curse. It's a medical problem, and anger It's the same as being injured. It's not shameful, and it's not something that must be hidden. But the climate of this country does not make people think so. Not only are they brainless, but children born with congenital abnormalities...all have not been treated normally. It’s a sad fact, and yet, things haven’t improved.” After Kyogokudo stopped talking, he took a peek at the old woman.Even so, the grieving mother still maintained a little bit of stubbornness. "Deformed and handicapped children in folk society are sometimes treated as "fuzi" and sometimes killed as "devils". The Kuonji family belongs to the latter. Every generation, the brainless children born , was buried in the dark as a "cursed child". It has been going on for a long time. But we can't criticize this matter because it was taken for granted in the folk society in the past. However, it is different now, at least Your mother didn't follow the rules. So, you... you too..." Kuonji Kikuno's emotions had reached the limit, and he burst into tears.The husband sitting on the side looked at his wife sympathetically, and slowly began to say: "My personality hates superstition. When this family recruited a son-in-law, heh, there were many bad rumors. But half of it was based on the mood of fighting against this trend, so I decided to come here. I want to hit Boredom, old habits, etc., but the walls are too thick. Although I coped with it very competently at first, but... When I was pregnant with the first child, I was called by my mother-in-law. She said, If the first child is a boy, he must be killed. You must be aware of this. I am quite indignant. But... when it was born, it was brainless. I delivered it myself, and I was shocked... the mother-in-law saw that Suddenly after the child..." "do not talk!" The weeping old mother wailed in a voice like a little girl's. "Did you kill it?" Kiba asked: "If you kill it, isn't it murder? Even if it's your own grandson, even if it's a child with some obstacles, as long as you kill it, it's murder! Are you just watching silently like that?" "Mr. Criminal, even though you said that, it is rare for a brainless person to be born alive. Even if they are born alive, they will live for less than a few minutes because they have no brain. At that time... Maybe it was a stillbirth, and even the confirmed one There is no time." "but……" Kyogokudo advised the excited Kiba: "Criminal Kiba, no matter what, this couple has to watch their child die in front of their eyes, and they have already received considerable punishment. Don't blame like that again! At least it's not like the current medical science. I don’t know if it’s a woman, whether there is an obstacle, I don’t know until the end, let alone the past. If you don’t have a child because of the possibility of giving birth to an obstacle, then the family line will be interrupted. In the case of the Kuonji family , in short, if there is any obstacle at birth, then kill it according to the common practice of folk society... The only way to do it is to die anyway... What I want to know more is, how did your mother deal with that child? It will make you very painful, I don't have the heart to ask, but... because this answer may become an important key..." Instead of his wife, who had been covering her face and crying, the abbot replied: "Mother-in-law...use a stone, hold a stone. The baby did not make a postpartum cry. The mother-in-law snatched the baby from me with the umbilical cord still tightly tied, and put it on the floor, chanting some spells while using Hit with a stone. The baby was in a strange state of not knowing if it was alive, so... soon..." "I heard that hitting with stones is... a rule passed down from generation to generation." The purser said in a weeping voice: "My mother is a strict person. I can't do anything against her. But a woman's body is incredible. Although the child is dead, the milk will swell when I hear the child's cry. I was in a trance for two or three days. For three days, for some reason, by the time I realized it, I was already holding the baby and breastfeeding. If it wasn’t for the obstetrics and gynecology department... there are no babies around here... maybe I wouldn’t have done such a thing. I took the baby...Naito away in my arms, but it was too late at that time, and the mother of the child was dead. For the sake of decency, the mother temporarily hid the child, but...Thanks to this, the pessimistic father also ..." "When the Kuonji family left for Tokyo, they should have abandoned everything in the past. But things like reputation, family lineage, and family background are consistent with curses, karma, and appearances, and they cannot be unilaterally abandoned." Kyogokudo said as if teaching a lesson: "Regional folk society has rules. There are also rules for the formation of curses. Meaningless slander and slander will not be formed. In folk society, the cursed party and the cursed party are secretly exchanging a contract. The spell is a means of communication established on that contract. However, modern society has lost the terms of that contract. Furthermore, within the community, the remedial measures for spells are also fully prepared. The success after hard work is regarded as the cause of possession, and the bankruptcy caused by one's own failure can also be attributed to Zashiki Warji. There is no such remedy in the city. Some just wear freedom, equality, and democracy. It is just the dank and dark discriminatoryism of the mask of socialism. The curse brought by the modern city has no different effect from the slander, slander, slander and slander. Therefore... you who cannot give up your habit... Finally, a third type of legend has been created.” "It's just this incident..." Instead of the old woman who was facing down and listening to Kyogokudo's words in amusement, Atsuko Chuzenji said as if to confirm: "That's right. Word of mouth and the like spread in one place for a long time, but urban legends are different. Their lifespan is short, but they spread widely in a short period of time. That's because of the addition of a homogeneous culture. , The development of media such as newspapers and magazines has also contributed to the relationship.” "Isn't that a popular magazine...?" "Yes. The son-in-law who disappeared from the secret room, the unborn child, the missing baby one by one...The bad rumors are the urban legends. And the protagonist of the third kind of legend--Miss Ryoko." Is it Miss Ryoko...? "What? It's not a joke...?" Kiba asked instead of me. "Miss Ganzi is just a poor supporting role. The main character is definitely Ryoko, right? Ma'am, Mr. Dean." no answer. "What's going on...explain it!" "It all started with a love letter." Kyogokudo looked at me with very sad eyes.Kiba, no, everyone in the room was looking at me. "Twelve years ago, a serious student named Makiro Fujino had a passionate love affair for the first time since birth. The object was the then fifteen-year-old Kuonji Keiko. He wrote a letter of his heart... and asked Sekiguchi-kun to pass it on." "Hey! But Takako said he didn't know about it. This tragedy, so to speak, started here." "Yes. The letter has not been passed on to Miss Ganzi." "Wait, Kyogokudo, I, I'm transferred. A vague memory..." "I understand, Sekiguchi-kun. But your letter was delivered to Ms. Ryoko." How can there be such absurdity?So, then when I... That, that girl is... "Nonsense! I showed her the envelope and said it was only for me. Are you saying that Ryoko-san pretended to accept the letter addressed to her younger sister? How could such a ridiculous thing..." "I didn't pretend at first. Sekiguchi-kun, that's probably what's written on the envelope of the love letter, right?" After Kyogokudo took out the pen from the pen holder, he quickly wrote on the white paper and showed it to me: "Miss Kyoko Kuonji" "Do you remember Fujimaki's diary? This is the truth of what he said for a long time, "It's a small thing, but it's a huge fallacy"! I rarely use Kikyo's name as Kikyo. When I hear Kikyo, it's natural. It will remind you of Kyoto in Kyoto. Let alone the pronunciation, Kyoko and Ryoko are also very close from the literal point of view.” "You're playing sophistry again... You can't deceive me. You said you made a mistake, but KYOU, this KYOU word is as numerous as stars! I don't believe it." "I knew you would say that. I have already confirmed it. Director, I heard that your last family trip was indeed during the Sino-Japanese War..." "yes……" "Sekiguchi-kun, the day you came here—September 16, Showa 15—was the day when your depression hit. That day was the last family trip of the Kuonji family. I and Sengokuro in Hakone After a contact investigation, three guests, Kuonji Kakini, Kikuno, and Keiko, were registered in the lodging book. On that day, only Tokizo and his wife and... Ryoko were at home." "Then...then...then—" The girl I raped was Ryoko. All the muscles in my body are loose, the joints have lost their function as joints, and I have become a puppet. For me, Ryoko is a stronger taboo than Fujimaki.I knew that when we first met at Enokizu's office.The feeling of hugging her tightly is not the feeling of the previous life.My cells remember each and every one.Even my brain remembers memories I don't know. "me……" Say no more.Kyogokudo's eyes secretly stopped me. "Hey, we met." Enokizu said yes.Yes, indeed.Kiba's high-pitched voice sounded very far away: "Hey, if that's the case... the woman who received a love letter from Makino Fujino, dated Makino Fujino many times, and finally conceived is..." "Miss Ryoko!" "So, is that true...? Ah... Was Ryoko's partner at that time Mulang-kun...?" The dean was stunned.His skin was completely earth-colored, and his thick lips trembled: "Kikuno, do you know, do you know about this?" The dean called his wife's name for the first time. "At first... I didn't know. But... in September, I heard from Tomiko-san that the relationship between young couples seemed strange... So I went to find out. As a result, on the way, the door of the laboratory It's open...I glanced at it for a while...Mr. Mu Lang is not inside, there are old letters on the table, I don't intend to peek, but..." "What is written?" "It was a letter announcing a possible pregnancy. The date was New Year's Eve in Showa 15th year... Ryoko's handwriting. I can't forget it. The letter announcing pregnancy at that time. I was... confused. After ten years of hard work, I finally got married. Mr. Mu Lang, who had a stalker, actually had a private relationship with his wife's sister... Moreover, when he first came to propose marriage, Mr. Mu Lang and Liang Zi had already had a relationship. After thinking about it, I... wondered, could it be that Liang Zi and Mr. Mu Lang Conspiracy, to avenge the Kuonji family...?" "hatred?" "The... feud between the two of them! Thinking about it... I'm... scared... I can't sit still. And if that kind of horrible thought is true... it's so pitiful. It's completely different from that child. It doesn't matter... If you should be resented, you hate me. I quietly called Gengzi, and I asked her if Mr. Mu Lang and Liangzi met in secret? Of course... I didn't say anything about the past, but... Gengzi... It's like you don't know anything." "Oh, that's why Takako suspects the relationship between the two of you! Chief Purser, your worry seems to be the trigger of a great tragedy...!" Hearing this, Chrysanthemum showed a miserable expression, and the dean stared at the teacup on the table in a daze, muttering to himself: "Why didn't you tell me, why didn't you tell me a word...?" "You...didn't you say that you don't want to listen to annoying things, including the disappearance of the baby? That's why I'm so desperate..." "I know, I know, but..." "Purser, you really have something to do with the cover-up!" After Kiba shouted loudly, the quarrel between husband and wife finally came to an end.An unpleasant silence followed. "Please let me hear about Ms. Ryoko...I still don't understand." "Mr. Onmyoji... not everything is as you expected..." "Of course. I'm just reorganizing the scattered facts. You can't see the full shape of the tooth if it's missing." Kikuno smiled faintly, and for the first time showed a gentle expression, and began to say: "The first child...died in an unlucky form...and I got into another big incident of robbing other people's children. Doing it all over again...is very hard work. Even so, with the help of my husband...two years Then, I got pregnant with my second child. Is it... no brains again...? I was insanely uneasy at the thought of having the same baby again. Ten months into my pregnancy felt like years .But...it's safe...I gave birth to Ryoko. But the child is very weak and often gets sick....The child born a year after Ryoko is very healthy. Ryoko's development is very slow, and the two of them stand together. I can't tell which one is the older sister...and with the upbringing, Ryoko...has an ominous sign of being a woman from Kuonji." "Emblem?" "Yes. One day, 'blank' came, which means total unconsciousness, loss of sanity..." "Is this the emblem of the Kuonji woman?" "Fortunately, neither my mother nor I have that kind of thing, but it seems to happen to my grandmother often. That is to say, it is "God Possessed". When that blank comes, my grandmother will hear the voice of a thing instead of a human voice. .Then she talked about things that no one should know. I heard about it, so...I feel sorry for Ryoko. On the other hand...I feel horrible. But even if she is not like this, she is often sick and cannot function normally. Going to school...can't go outside to play...no friends...such a poor kid." "Is the relationship between the sisters good?" "Gengzi is a lively child... Ryoko is very mature, and even has something similar to philosophy... Genzi also sympathizes with her frail older sister, so I don't think there is a bad relationship. Although it is a somewhat indifferent family... ...that matter...before Ryoko became pregnant, anyway, I thought I was happy." "Didn't you...not notice that your daughter is dating a man?" "When Ryoko went out, she was like an ordinary girl... her period hadn't come yet. So... she came earlier... her normal life didn't change at all... I didn't notice." Is that... your first period? "Dean, what about you?" "I don't know. When Mulang-kun came to ask Jiaozi to marry him, that's the first time I noticed that the daughters have reached their young age." "Fuji Mu...Mu Lang recognized the wrong sister, but...don't you think it was weird when that guy came to propose?" "I don't think so. Because if Ryoko's pregnancy happened before, maybe I would suspect him, but I know that the pregnancy was one month after Mulang-kun came. At that time, Ryoko was already six months pregnant." "Is it preconceived...? It's a terrible thing to think, the belly has grown so big, but... I don't think it's pregnant. I don't seem to have that kind of self-awareness. But when I realize it... ...Ryoko's whole person changed completely. Ask her who the father of the child is, she insists on refusing to tell, and talking about giving birth to a child with an unknown father...it was unimaginable at the time. Then, Ryoko...became almost impossible Violent as if coping with... By the way, as if possessed by a wild beast...I was beaten...kicked by Ryoko several times...with scars all over my body. For the sudden domestic violence, I really don't know what to do ...However, I don't want to let Takako know. So, in short, I entrusted Takako to a friend's house for half a year on the grounds of etiquette apprenticeship... Then it's the turn to persuade Ryoko." "But... the New Year's Eve of the year is very strange. Now you say that Ryoko is not consciously pregnant, but of course she was consciously aware of it when Ryoko told Mu Lang in the letter." "Yes. I read the letter... I don't believe that Ryoko thinks the same way. That child lied to us... Anyway, that period was hell for me! Just keep silent and let her have it, I thought so too..." "Brainless...?" The Dean continued: "Yes. It is very possible for Ryoko to give birth to a brainless child. But if she does so, her constitution is very weak, and childbirth itself is life-threatening. Even from the doctor's standpoint, she is facing a situation that should not be approved. But , but it is already seven months, and abortion will be more dangerous. There is really no way.” "Ryoko's ferocity is increasing day by day... Finally, that... the place where the equipment in the pediatric ward is kept... the small room next to the study... she just stayed there and couldn't come out." "Aren't you going out? How did you get in?" "At that time, you could come in and out freely. But after locking the outside, you can enter from the inside door with the key... After you put the key on the inside, you can't open it from the outside." "The key is indeed a pediatrician... call it Mr. Yingye... I heard that he is keeping it... how did Ryoko get it?" "Ah, Mr. Campo..." "He wasn't there at that time. The camp disappeared just before...it must have disappeared. So the Pediatrics couldn't open, it was closed at that time. So the key...is in the main room." "Hey, wait. Seki, you did say that the camp doctor with the key died in an air raid and it wouldn't open after that, didn't you?" "Miss Ryoko...that's how she explained it." I have lost the emotional ups and downs, and I replied like a bad actor, speaking bluntly. "Yingye died in an air raid? I haven't heard of it.... It was a disappearance that was completely unannounced, and disappeared just like that. Indeed... By the way, it was not long after Mu Lang-kun came to propose marriage. In short, we must first To deal with the patients he was treating at that time...Since then, the situation of diagnosis and treatment has been unsatisfactory due to insufficient manpower...It was also related to Ryoko's noise, anyway, the building was closed in the spring." "So, is Ryoko lying?" "Later, what happened to Ryoko who stayed in the room?" Kyogokudo corrected the track of the conversation. 「那里……门一关，连声音都听不清楚，只隐约听到里面传来，不让我生就不出来的哭喊声……三天以来，我站在门前哭着请求，然后第四天……我大声地告诉凉子，让你生！走出来了的凉子，就像……现在的梗子似的，很憔悴。但是像孩子似的欢跳着……以前的凶暴性简直就像假的凉子，从那以后……就在那梀小儿科病房开始过着待产的生活。虽然避着人耳目……但总之，凉子恢复了安定。但是，我……因为有无脑儿的经验……所以心境非常复杂。因为我有丈夫，可是能支持凉子的人……应该是身为父亲的人并没有……」 外面似乎传来雨声。遥远的雨声，比突然造访的静寂还要接近无音的状态靠了过来。 「果然……现在……是夏天刚开始的时候，凉子在……那间房间……现在的书房……生下无脑儿。」 在那个房间－－ 「我……和母亲所做的……一样地拿起石头……打死了那孩子。」 杀死了－－ 「凉子再度错乱了。体力上的消耗也很厉害，已到了彷徨在失死境界的程度……但是，虽然那么虚弱又……那孩子又变得像野兽……」 「抢了孩子吗？」 「是的，而且就在当天。我……尽管也是那样，但有三天站不起来……我慌张地把那孩子夺了回来，还给了母亲。我不想让那孩子犯下和我一样的错误。凉子抵抗了。我强硬地把孩子夺走了以后，她比以前更加地凶暴吵闹了……即使不如此，她也还处于产后期。我想她再这样下去会死掉……我和丈夫两人暂时把乱闹的凉子绑在床上。」 「还不仅如此呢。」 沉默了一会儿的京极堂说话了： 「还把杀死了的……婴儿……无脑儿……字包在福马林里……放在枕头边！」 「好过份……！」 中禅寺敦子抬高声音。 「是为了想让她知道自己的孩子死了！如果不这么做，那孩子会再抢人家的孩子好几次。那孩子的心情……我最能理解。为了让她了解只能这么做。而且，不负责任的生孩子是多么深的罪恶呀……！我也想让她理解这一点。一时的游玩竟产下这么可怜的孩子，我想让她知道一定会死的孩子的心情！的确……真是像鬼的母亲。我被怎么说都无所谓，我只想让她了解……」 「孩子……并非一定要死，是你杀死的！虽然很残酷，但那是事实。我理解你所说的大道理，但是你想过，你所做的处置对凉子小姐来说有什么意义吗？你不过是把自己遭遇过的事重新使用在女儿身上而已！你把代代相传的久远以前的无聊的咒语，完全扔给了女儿！」 "me……" 「你做错事情了。你所需要的是，充满慈爱的母亲的理解力和包容力，然后是切断旧因习的勇气和现代化。但这些你全部都欠缺。如果以此来对待凉子，至少以后不吉利的事件也能够迥避掉。太遗憾了。」 京极堂以严厉的语气说道，安静地站了起来。但接下来的问题，他以非常温柔的语调说出： 「后来，凉子小姐从那以后怎样了？」 「确实……如你所说，我想我是有欠缺的地方。身为母亲而不知如何灌注我的情爱……也许因为自己不曾被这么爱过也说不定……失去效果的期间……三天三夜、昼夜不分地哭喊着。我完全不懂。凉子……在镇静剂我在她枕边滔滔地……只是一直说着有如修身道德的教科书似的话。过了一个礼拜一天早上，凉子突然变乖了，承认自己的过错…………不，继续了大约十天吧……有很有礼貌地谢罪。因此……我把绳子解开……自由了以后……凉子再也不曾做过如野兽的动作，我……也安心了……」 「从那以后婴儿失踪的事件，还是发生了。」 「是的……在同年的九月和十一月……大约有两次。」 「这一回并非第一次，以前也曾发生婴儿失踪事件？那么……这一次也是凉子做的吗？」 「请等一下，刑事先生。的确发生了，但不知道是否凉子的所为。当然，我也怀疑过，可是既没有养育的形迹、也没有处理后的形迹。凉子一直过着没有变化的生活。所以……我想凉子不是犯人。当时我……我也曾想过，是不是凉子的对象、那个男人所做的让人讨厌的事。但那时……正处在混乱中，战争开始了……结果就不了了之了。」 「关于这一次，怎么样？你做了各种掩盖工作吧？」 「在夏天……第一个婴儿不见了的时候，我吓了一跳。那时候根本没有怀疑是凉子。……因为是过去的事了……可是，九月看到那封信……我改变了想法。如果牧朗先生当时的对象是凉子……那么就成为我当时怀疑的肇事者。九月、十一月，婴儿接连着失踪了……我对凉子和牧朗先生的怀疑逐渐加大。不过，如果两人是凶手……一个是我亲生女儿，另外一人是女婿，事件如果公诸于世……受到最大伤害的是毫无瓜葛的梗子。不久，可怕的是……警察开始搜查了。所以我慌张地跑到被害者那里做了尽可能做的事……当然是给钱什么的……总之，要求他们撤销告诉。钱花的是牧朗先生带来的钱。可是，其他就没有……」 「不止这样吧。你没有给产妇奇怪的药，使她们产生混乱吗？」 「我没做那种事。只是……我说了谎，说是死产，所以产妇也死了心吧……」 「你以为说了这种立刻会识破的谎言，瞒得过吗？」 "This……" 「不，这么说的话，我觉得那个产妇的样子很怪……嗯，给了安眠药的感觉……确实如果是普通的状态，那种谎言是行不通的……总觉得很怪。不过我绝对没有给那种药，也没有指示。」 「嗯……真是顺理成章。让护士辞职，不是为了堵住嘴巴吗？」 「不……那是……因为觉得恐怖，所以自动辞职的呢。」 「尽管这样，辞职的时候，不是给了一大笔钱吗？连工作都帮着找了。」 「钱是妻子……不，事务长给的。替她们找工作是出于亲切的心情。」 「我……想道歉。大家都很努力工作……因为都是好护士……」 「关于户田澄江怎样呢？澄江似乎知道犯人是这家的女儿。被敲诈了……然后下了很多毒杀掉的吧？」 「啊……澄江小姐……死了吗？在富山……吗？」 「在池袋呢。你不知道吗？」 「她回到东京的事……我也不知道。我一直以为还在那里的诊所工作……」 「我也不知道。吓了一跳……死掉了呀？那姑娘……」 「真的不知道？没有勒索吗？」 木场抱着头望着下面。一面斜视着他的京极堂问道： 「澄江小姐和凉子小姐很亲近吗？」 「啊……澄江小姐是有点儿与众不同的地方……不过，的确凉子经常生病的时候等……经常请她照顾，所以比其他护士更有交流也说不定……」 「原来如此。是这样的吗？」 京极堂听了这个回答后，闭起眼睛像是在思考什么似的。并没人问，菊乃又开始说了起来： 「我勉强……让他们撤销了告诉。虽然好……但接下来却不知道该怎么办……钱也渐渐减少……而这既没有证据，也没有解决的办法。我们家族之间的沟愈来愈深……就这样拖拖拉拉地过了年。然后，年一过……牧朗先生失踪了。……其实是死了……然后，梗子怀孕了。这和十年前完全一样。我一直以为这是牧朗先生所设下的圈套，要让梗子遭到和凉子一样的不幸！婴儿的诱拐是前奏曲……不过，我无法逼问凉子。肚子一天天大起来的梗子，简直就是十年前凉子的翻版。我不想再经验，而且也不想让她尝到，可是……」 「凉子把妹妹和自己当时一样地移到了那栋建筑物。那里原本就是梗子生活的地方，所以有移动的理由。」 「我……非常害怕，不去靠近那梀建筑物。我梦见好几次梗子像凉子那样地乱闹……杀死无脑儿的梦。但是说真的，过了十个月，总会有结论……不管好坏……孩子应该生出来的。但是，没有出生。我因为她怀孕的时间太长而累到了极点，我停止了向前看，然后一心一意地对可恨的牧朗先生……送出诅咒。多么愚蠢的女人呀！多么愚蠢的……母亲呀！」 老去的母亲久远寺菊乃，没把话说完，就痉挛似的泣不成声地号陶大哭着。 一直站立沉思着的京极堂，很快地抬起脸，走近院长前面说道： 「几乎……现出事件的原貌了。这就像……拼图似的东西，还有一个，画解开了的话……就很清楚地知道那里写着什么。院长先生，那位……小儿科的营野医师……是什么样的人？」 虽然是残障者般的眼睛，以及变成紫色的唇打着哆嗦，但觉得院长仍然拼命地保持着理性似的。 「营、营野吗……？那是为我负责小儿科的我学长的同窗……刚开始很勤快地工作。昭和七年，学长去世了，他就这样留了下来。对了……他对这个家家传的古文书和什么的非常感兴趣……经常出入当时的书房……像地窖的地方。因为太频繁了，终于的确是把地窖的钥匙交给了他……」 「这很有趣。人品怎么样？」 「不能说评价很好，所以虽然不见了也没找。」 "How to say?" 「对孩子……对女儿不礼貌呢。做那种下流的恶作剧。哼，是谣言啦。不过世间这么广，竟也有那种对还没成年的孩子抱着色情念头的不知廉耻的人！也许真有这回事。不过，现在……也成为不明就里的事了。」 「……小儿科的……凉子小姐的主治医生不是营野先生吗？」 「啊……小时候是以前的……学长看的。他死了以后，是营野吧。时间很短。」 「……喔，是吗？可是，太太，富子小姐所说的在六部杀的传说中上场的『秘传卷轴』，现在还在吗？」 「没有卷轴，不过我记得确实看过秘传的复制本。相当旧的东西，所以……我想是收在桐木箱里。内容……我倒不知道……」