Chapter 141 The Spirit Birene
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Today was the day the People of Birene gathered for worship.
Ninim, Rilina, Nanari, Luruna, Sasami, Cocoa… all of them made their way to the chapel, joining their fellow countrymen in the ritual. Their purpose was simple: to offer gratitude and prayers to the spirit Birene, said to dwell at the peak of the Birene mountains, their ancestral homeland.
But worship was not the only reason to gather. The chapel was also where news spread, stories exchanged, and connections reinforced.
The Birene’s network was vast—stretched from the Yugan state capital of Livonia in the east to the edges of the Caesaran Empire in the west. Wherever their people lived, information flowed, and from this shared web of whispers and reports they managed to survive.
When Ninim entered the chapel, an older woman called out to her at once.
”Oh my, Nin-Nin. You’ve grown into such a beauty♪”
Ninim smiled back, returning the greeting. What for other peoples might have been just idle chatter carried special weight here.
”Truly, you’ve blossomed into a fine young woman.”
”Lur-Lur! Been a while, hasn’t it?”
”Nan-Nan, still as lovely as ever!”
Not only Ninim but Luruna, Nanari, all of them were hailed in turn. It wasn’t that they had unusually wide circles. It was simply that here, in this community, hundreds had known them since childhood.
Exiled from the Caesaran Empire, robbed, persecuted, passed from place to place, the People of Birene had endured by clinging together. The hatred they met wherever they went had planted a conviction in their hearts: no one could live alone. And so their unity became ironclad. That bond endured even now, every greeting in the chapel proof of it.
Talk, inevitably, drifted to the lord.
”So… this new lord of ours—what’s that thing he’s been putting up everywhere… the fil… fil… what was it again?”
”Filament Lamps, wasn’t it?”
”Yes, that’s it! They just started installing them in my quarter, and they’re incredible. Bright as day! Even lifts your mood.”
”Huh. In my area they haven’t been put in yet. But honestly, torches are good enough, aren’t they?”
”I thought the same—until I saw it. But it really is like the slogan said. Bright as the midday sun. I was stunned.”
”Then maybe I could work through the night if one were in my shop…”
”I’d hate that. I like the flicker of firelight. And what, does Lord-sama want us working till dawn now?”
The women joined in, too.
”Dinner prep’s easier with that light. I can finally see what I’m chopping.”
”My children trip less in the dark now. Less scraped knees, fewer tears—it helps more than you’d think.”
”That must be a relief. Consoling little ones is always the hardest.”
On and on the discussion spread, from group to group. Safety, productivity, comfort—the lamps changed everything, and everyone had an opinion.
Of course, not all comments were strictly about infrastructure. Some used the lord’s projects as excuses to air personal frustrations, attaching grievances that had nothing to do with him. A universal truth, it seemed—no matter the world or people, gossip always served as a vent.
Still, on the whole, Ayumu’s reforms were received warmly. For most, he was a bringer of hope. No one was about to rise in revolt. That, at least, was a blessing for Ayumu as governor.
Well—everyone except Sasami.
”That crappy lord is a short, stingy, shriveled excuse for a man! He got mad just because I stuffed a Cat-Tarou doll in his pillow as a prank! He’s just jealous of how cute I am!”
Yes, Sasami had her reasons.
She was born into poverty, raised by parents too broken to be proper guardians. There were many siblings, little joy, and always hunger. Yet she still loved them. Which was why, when she was sent off as a servant—mouths to feed reduced—she never complained.
But she was ten years old. Leaving home hurt. She cried herself to sleep the night before. And in her heart, the one who tore her away from family was Ayumu. How could she not hate him?
In truth, her words would be dangerous if spoken of any other noble. Even a minor slight could mean lashes, or worse, execution. Ayumu rarely scolded her, but any other lord would have killed her long ago. By comparison, Ayumu was practically a saint.
Luruna and the others reminded her of it constantly.
”Honestly, Sasami! If Lord weren’t so unusually kind, you’d already be dead for that tongue of yours!”
But that only made Sasami angrier. Everyone sided with the lord. Everyone made her the villain. And so she sulked. Fine. Blame everything on me. See if I care.
Still… deep down, she knew. Ayumu had given food distributions that kept her siblings from starving. He had installed waterworks so they no longer had to haul buckets kilometers from the source. He had provided hand-cream to spare the maids cracked, bleeding skin. All of it made life better. And for that, she was grateful.
Which was why, when she tucked that Cat-Tarou doll into his pillow, she had meant it as a joke. A thank-you, even. Surely he’d laugh. But no—he had gotten furious and forced her to eat the thing.
(How dare he repay his debt with cruelty!)
If she’d found her pillow stuffed with sweets, she would have been thrilled! Why couldn’t he see that?! Every time she saw his face, the grudge bubbled up again.
Even now:
[Sasami is holding a grudge]—displayed like an RPG status window across her mind.
And then there was Yoluminette. One time Sasami tried the same cheeky disrespect with her. The knight had turned red-faced, drawn her longsword, and chased Sasami through the halls.
(Wh-what was that?! That crazy woman! Going all-out against a child? She’s insane!!!)
Ever since, Sasami shoved errands onto Cocoa to avoid Yoluminette entirely.
Of course, Yoluminette’s reaction was the norm in this world. But raised in the slums, never used to nobles or knights, Sasami couldn’t grasp that. To her, Yoluminette was simply a terrifying, childish adult who might truly kill her.
(Honestly, I thought I’d die that day)
Would Sasami ever see Ayumu’s kindness for what it was?
Those around her—Luruna, Ninim, the whole Birene fellowship—could only pray to the spirit Birene that she would. Hopefully before it was too late.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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