A Tree Beyond the Years — Chapter 9

WHY DOES HE INSIST ON GREETING ME SO PROPERLY EVERY TIME WE MEET?

IT'S ALMOST EMBARRASSING...

Especially When He Has No Need To Show Me Such Courtesy...

IN ANY CASE...

JUST WHO COULD THAT MAGNIFICENT PORTRAIT BE OF—

MY MOTHER.

AH...

FORGIVE ME, MY LORD. I SEEM TO HAVE TAKEN A WRONG TURN—

SINCE YOU ARE ALREADY HERE,

YOU MAY AS WELL PAY YOUR RESPECTS TO THE DEAD, NO?

I WAS NOT ACQUAINTED WITH YOUR LORDSHIP'S MOTHER BEFORE HER PASSING.

IT WOULD BE PRESUMPTUOUS OF ME TO OFFER MY RESPECTS NOW.

PERHAPS...

YET YOU LOST YOUR WAY AND HAPPENED UPON THIS PLACE —

THIS PLACE, LADEN WITH FINE FRUIT, WHICH MY LONELY MOTHER DEVOTED HERSELF SO DESPERATELY TO CREATING.

FOR ONE SUCH AS YOU,

I THINK IT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT.

I HAVE NEVER VISITED A SHRINE SUCH AS THIS BEFORE,

SO I DO NOT KNOW HOW I OUGHT TO PAY MY RESPECTS.

THIS SEEMS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE CUSTOMS OF AN ORDINARY HOUSEHOLD...

DO NOT STAY BURIED IN YOUR ROOM ALL DAY.

COME OUT AND PLAY WITH ME INSTEAD.

I BEG YOUR PARDON...?

WOULD YOU LIKE IT?

WAS THAT NOT

YOUR MOTHER'S POSSESSION?

THEN SHALL I GIVE YOU SOMETHING ELSE?

SOME GOLD?

A PAIR OF SILK SHOES?

OR WOULD YOU PREFER PEARLS OR JADE?

THIS MAN...

HE MUST BE UNDER THE BEAST'S INFLUENCE.

THIS WAS AMONG THE MANY THINGS I HAD LEARNED IN THE COURSE OF MY LIFE AS A BEAST HUNTER.

WHILE MOST BEASTS SAW HUMANS MERELY AS PREY,

SOME WOULD ENSNARE THEIR MINDS INSTEAD

AND TURN THEM INTO THEIR PUPPETS.

THERE CAN BE NO OTHER REASON

HE WOULD OFFER UP A MEMENTO OF THE DEAD SO FREELY.

HE HAS CLEARLY FORGOTTEN WHAT THIS TRINKET IS WORTH TO HIM.

?

I SHALL HOLD ON TO THIS FOR YOU, MY LORD.

HOLD ON TO IT?

DO NOT RETURN IT. IT IS YOURS.

I SHALL BE ON MY WAY, THEN.

I KNEW IT WAS NOT SOMETHING ONE SUCH AS I, A LOWBORN WOMAN HIDING BENEATH A MAN'S GUISE,

HAD ANY RIGHT TO SAY.

STILL, IF ANY PART OF YOUR SPIRIT REMAINED UNCLOUDED,

I WISHED TO ASK YOU NOT TO WOUND YOURSELF ANY FURTHER.

TO WAIT, JUST A LITTLE LONGER.

PERHAPS IT WAS BECAUSE A BEAST HAD TAKEN MY MOTHER FROM ME,

WHILE ANOTHER WAS SLOWLY CONSUMING YOUR LIFE,

AND THE PAIN WE BORE DID NOT SEEM SO DIFFERENT...

MURMUR

STRANGE...

UNTIL NOW, HE HAD ALWAYS HIDDEN BEHIND THAT PERFECTLY PAINTED SMILE.

BUT PERHAPS THIS

WAS HIS TRUE FACE.

IT WOULD BE A LIE TO SAY I WAS NOT AFRAID.

AFTER SKIPPING MEALS FOR SEVERAL DAYS,

I COULD BARELY SUMMON ANY STRENGTH INTO MY FINGERTIPS,

AND I HAD NO MEASURE OF WHETHER I COULD EVEN FACE

SO ENORMOUS A BEAST BY MYSELF.

BUT...

I STILL HAD YET TO BUILD FATHER

A TILED-ROOF HOUSE,

AND I HAD NOT FORGOTTEN THE ENEMY

THAT WOULD ONE DAY CRAWL ASHORE FROM THE SEA.

I WAS FAR TOO OBSTINATE

TO DEPART THIS LIFE WITH SO MUCH LEFT UNDONE.

THIS MAY JUST BE MY FINAL JOB.

THAT MAN, SO SIMILAR TO ME AND YET SO DIFFERENT.

IF THE END OF THIS JOURNEY

MEANT DELIVERING THAT AILING MAN FROM HIS SUFFERING...

THEN I SHALL GLADLY

SEE IT THROUGH.