By Herself Alone

Chapter Thirteen 

By Herself Alone (hitoride)

Kagami went by herself to explore how to guide the power from her old world into the world where she now lived. Her initial days were filled with hope.

Most authors suggested seeing the desired result as the way in which magic operates, but Kagami had great difficulty with that method when she started experimenting.

Should she imagine God cuddling the world, holding it like an infant? Should she imagine people happily eating shared meals with neighbors and those in need? Should she imagine warm coats falling from the sky on a cold day?

The more she imagined, the more Kagami felt awkward.

Maybe she could try imagining a vessel for holiness.

“The censer feels like a good idea, the sanctuary lamp maybe even better.”

Kagami spent every night alone imagining that she could see a vessel of holiness in front of her, and in it, held the power to bring everyone toward a better life.

It didn’t work.

...

The first frost arrived, and didn’t make much news; not even the gardeners were mentioning it in their conversation, for everyone was ecstatic over an exciting discovery:

Arashi managed to suffuse a sword with her aura, and that sword was able to fend off the frenzied magic elements in its surroundings. When placed in the chancellor’s office, the whole room became free of raging magic. It was already the fourth day, and it was still effective!

“Think of it! If a sword like that can be placed in a nursery, no baby needs to be sent to the caves again, and everyone gets to live with their whole family. Right now, only parents who are daycare staff in caves get to live with their own children.”

“Well, and Himeyama.”

“Well, yes, but Himeyama is Himeyama.” A group of students talked among themselves.

The news spread far and wide, and soon everyone, from towns to academies to villages to roadside fairs in rural areas, everyone was talking about the discovery.

“Your Highness.” Midori led the rest of her companions to appear before Yukari. “If every commoner starts to have their own children living together with them, instead of a fair starting point for every child, the society will separate into layers. It may cause the homogeneity of the commoners to disappear. This calls for intervention, if I may suggest.”

“Currently only the royalty and nobility at Himeyama have traceable lineage.” Kasumi gave her opinion after Midori had finished. “Once commoners stop sending their children to the caves, they will probably start making up family trees in a few generations, and maybe even fabricate some evidence to attach themselves to a shred of nobility.”

Yayoi spoke next, “all the service staff who had spent their entire lives in the cave, where would their purpose be found again? They don’t have any knowledge besides child care. Your Highness, Kageyama should be disciplined on the account of their recklessness.”

Yukari looked at them, then stood up to gaze out the window, as the four stood in place, waiting for her verdict in thrilled anticipation.

Turning her head slightly, Yukari started speaking at last. “Ryō, you kept your silence this time. I am pleased with your improvement.

“There is no offense in commoners having their families living together. I find no fault with commoners passing trades and training to their children. Himeyama has the sole claim on honourable lineage; outside commoners can delude themselves all they want, and will reap no profit from their frauds.”

“Understood...” said a disappointed Ryō.

“Kageyama is incompetent. It should take them only a day or two to realize a sword is not fitting for the nursery. They should have announced within days of their discovery that they will experiment how to achieve the same result with household objects, or maybe with a gemstone or rock. It has been a month, and commoners are buying up swords in the hope that Arashi could turn them into baby protectors.” Yukari spoke sternly, with wrath under her tone. “Kageyama has officially defiled the noble art of the sword by their lack of foresight, their inaction and their obtuse thinking. They have let swords become amulets and decorations.”

Yukari sat down at her desk. “Kageyama Academy will terminate their operation. Kasumi, Draft a brief notice. I will make my presence there on the day of the winter solstice to receive their unconditional surrender.”

The peaceful atmosphere at Kageyama evaporated overnight. The disturbed instructors met in the chancellor’s office with great anxiousness.

**************

To the Desk of the Chancellor at Kageyama Academy,

Due to your inexcusable misconducts involving Arashi’s discovery, Kageyama will cease to operate. On the day of winter solstice, all staff and students of Kageyama will present themselves to Her Highness with an offering of unconditional surrender.

[Date]

[Seal of Himeyama]

[Signature of Yukari approving this notice]

*****************

After reading the notice aloud, the chancellor asked the room for opinions: “Dear members of the staff, what do you suppose they meant by misconduct?”

Instructors glanced at each other, completely astonished.

“Perchance they meant we should write and inform them of the discovery?”

“I think they just wanted the news to be withheld from the general public.”

“But think of the joy of seeing your own children grow up!”

“I don’t see any reason for them to have been provoked into such indignation.”

“Maybe they feel that THEY should be the ones making important discoveries.”

“Himeyama sure has lots of pride.”

“What if they just really want Arashi to become their student instead of ours?”

“Could it?”

“They didn’t say: close down. They told us to present ourselves to them.”

“All staff and all students, too!”

“And unconditional surrender, so they could just pronounce what would happen to us and we would have to accept.”

The more they discussed, the more it seemed that Himeyama just wanted Arashi transferred, but it would hurt their vanity if they said it plainly.

Meanwhile in the cafeteria, students and service staff had been having their own debates on why Himeyama issued the notice, and with no classes running, since all instructors were in the meeting, the discussion lasted all day. By the time Arashi finished her own training and stepped into the cafeteria for dinner, the discussions and rumors and theories and ‘what-if’s and ‘my-best-guess-is’ all got altered into a casual sentence:

“Arashi senpai, I heard they want to send you to Himeyama...”

Arashi immediately left the cafeteria and raced to the chancellor’s office. Right before knocking the office door, Arashi heard a voice from inside “really, transferring her to Himeyama is the best option if that’s what their actual request is...”

“*BAM*” Arashi swung the door open, and started to speak with fury.

“How dare you make that suggestion! Kageyama is my home, and you want to rid me as if I am trouble? Even if that’s the best option, you should have discussed it with me first before debating feasibility!”

“Dear Arashi, please calm down.” Said the chancellor. “We were reading the notice and discussing what could be the motive. The conversation got carried to another direction, but we did not have the idea of transferring you when we called the meeting.”

“But transferring me to Himeyama is wrong in principle!” Arashi countered. “I want Kageyama to regain her former glory by rekindling valor and determination, and I detest the current state where people retreat from the outside world to be hermits in their offices. You are doing a disservice to the noble arts by your escapism and pessimism. You should be fighting Himeyama, and either live by your victory or die gallantly with swords in your hands.”

"I am fourteen, turning fifteen in a few days. You, who have lived with the companionship of sword and magic for more years than I have been alive, and who have excelled in the field thus becoming instructors, should at least have the same amount of bravery as I do!"

Arashi turned and started to walk out of the room. “I will have no share in this cowardice. I will go alone to battle Himeyama, and I am no longer a member of Kageyama as of today...”

Arashi’s words echoed down the hall as she left. The staff in the office froze, shocked. A couple of them also had shame on their faces, and quite a few with pity, and some with helplessness.

The chancellor covered her face with her hands and sighed:

"Teenager..."