Teito Monogatari:
The Tale of the Imperial Capital
Part 2: Supernatural Babylon
Author: Hiroshi Aramata
Part 2: The Demon's Origin
Chapter 10: Early Morning at the Ministry of the Military
That night, Kōda Shigeyuki spent the time at Mori Rintarō’s residence without getting a wink of sleep.
He arrived at Rintarō’s residence at about two in the morning, rushing in like a madman. The household staff were roused from their beds even at such an inconvenient hour. Given the gravity of the situation, Shigeyuki barely spared the unfortunate staff a single thought.
Shigeyuki explained what had happened to Surgeon General Mori and requested appropriate action on the part of the army. They had to find Lieutenant Katō, who had been wounded, and retrieve Tatsumiya Yukari. The army must also acknowledge the fact that Katō had behaved in a manner unbefitting of a soldier and discipline him.
“That’s how it is, Rintarō. I admit to the crime of chopping off Katō’s hand. I don’t care what you do to me; just find the bastard!”
Driven by Shigeyuki’s fierceness, Rintarō responded with a firm nod. He sent a house steward to the Ministry of the Military immediately with instructions to have Lieutenant Katō detained. After issuing various instructions to his staff, Rintarō turned a half-doubting gaze on his old friend.
“Is everything you just told me true?” Rintarō asked.
“It is true, but I can hardly believe it myself. I definitely cut off his hand. It was such an uncanny experience. I felt like I was reenacting the role of Watanabe no Tsuna at the Rashōmon Gate.
“But that doesn’t matter right now. He took Miss Yukari. We have to get her back as soon as possible. I’m afraid that we’re already too late—she might be insane already. I’m begging you—you have to catch Katō!”
“I understand. All the arrangements are made. How about we go to the Ministry of the Military together?”
Shigeyuki nodded. “That sounds perfect. I can’t just sit and twiddle my thumbs here.”
Before he had even finished hearing the writer’s reply, Rintarō dashed out of the room and started getting dressed to go out.
***
The two of them arrived at the Ministry of the Military a little before five in the morning. Shigeyuki was shown into a reception room. Rintarō ran straight up to the second floor.
Shigeyuki waited in the reception room for about three hours. While he was fretting impatiently, Rintarō entered the room.
“Well, have you found out where he is?” Shigeyuki asked.
“I believe so. Just now, Lieutenant Katō returned to his post. An order has been issued for him to report to the Ministry of the Military at once, so he should be here shortly. Since there’s a risk he might try to escape us, two military policemen have been assigned to watch him. Now there’s no fear of his getting away.”
“Good. I’ll produce solid evidence against him that can’t be denied. After all, the man’s missing a hand.”
“Um, about that…” Rintarō looked down.
“What’s wrong?” Shigeyuki searched the Surgeon General’s face for a clue to his distress.
“Everything will be clear after Lieutenant Katō arrives. We don’t need to talk about this now.”
Shigeyuki nodded. “Come to think of it… when you were dispatched to Manchuria, you served alongside Katō, didn’t you?”
Rintarō nodded.
“So let me ask you this: that man Katō—what on earth is he? I can’t make sense of him. Why has he mastered every form of Eastern magic?”
“Now that you mention it, I remember that there was a strange rumor circulating in the unit about him. Actually, there were several.”
“Tell me about these rumors,” Shigeyuki said.
“One was that he doesn’t eat.”
“What? He doesn’t eat at all?”
“No, I’ve seen him eat, but as a rule, he never touched any of the food provided by the unit. When I first saw him giving all of his own rations to the other soldiers, I thought he was an admirable officer. But after a while, I began to have doubts. He never looked starved or hungry. It was like he didn’t need to eat. You know how esoteric Buddhist monks often abstain from eating cereal grains? All I know is that he doesn’t need food like ordinary people do.”
“And the other rumors?”
“This next one is bizarre, too. There was an officer assigned to the same operation as Lieutenant Katō. According to that man, Katō talked in his sleep in Korean.”
“In Korean? How is that possible? When people talk in their sleep, it’s usually in their native language. The language that naturally comes out in sleep is the one you first learned after you were born; that’s the normal pattern. Does this mean that Katō isn’t Japanese at all?”
“Perhaps.”
“Listen, Rintarō. I had his origins investigated in great detail when I became aware of him. In Ryūjin Village in Kii, which he listed as his birthplace, there is not a single person who knows him.
“There’s something about Ryūjin Village itself that bothers me, too. That area is reasonably well known as a hot spring resort, but originally it was a place discovered by En no Gyōja, the founder of shugendō. Legend says he commanded demon gods, so he was an occultist whose practices coincide with those of other yin-yang sorcerers. Later, they say, Kūkai founded a temple in Ryūjin Village after receiving a prophetic dream from one of the Dragon Kings. The village is near Mt. Kōya, after all. The hot springs there are famed for their efficacy in curing illness. I think that Ryūjin Village was used as a place to train sorcerers in the distant past, or for Daoist alchemy. If Katō was indeed born in such a place, it would explain why he knows so much about Eastern magic.”
“Yes, I think you’re right,” Rintarō said. “My intuition tells me this sorcerer En no Gyōja was not Japanese.”
“Not Japanese?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
“But he founded shugendō, which seems so typically Japanese—”
Before Rintarō could finish making his point, a messenger arrived to tell them that Lieutenant Katō had just reported to the Ministry of the Military.
The two men ran up to the second floor.
When Rintarō and Shigeyuki entered the interrogation room, the three officers inside snapped to attention and saluted as one. Lieutenant Katō stood calmly in the center of the room with his back to them. He didn’t turn around when Rintarō and Shigeyuki entered.
Rintarō seized the initiative. He approached the man quickly so that he would have to salute. There was no way for him to conceal his missing hand when they were standing so close together.
Katō spun and executed a perfect salute. He wore snow-white gloves on both hands. While the right hand came up to perform the salute, he pressed his intact left hand firmly against his side.
It was perfect—too perfect. A man whose hand had been severed could never behave like this.
“Katō, you bastard,” Shigeyuki growled as he reached for the hand that he was certain he’d chopped off with a sword. The glove tore off before Katō had a chance to protest what he was doing. Shigeyuki yanked his uniform sleeve up…
There wasn’t so much as a scratch on Lieutenant Katō’s arm. His hand was unusually pale, perhaps, but it showed no signs of injury.
“Ka-Katō—” Shigeyuki was struck dumb. He let go of Katō’s arm and stumbled backward. He was certain that he’d cut Katō’s hand off, but there it was, plain as day.
“I am Lieutenant Katō, reporting for duty.” Katō saluted to Surgeon General Mori. “What do you wish of me, sir?
Rintarō took an involuntary step back. Sweat beaded on his forehead. “Report to me where you were and what you did last night, lieutenant.”
“I was out on personal business. I obtained permission beforehand.”
“Where did you go?”
“I went out on personal business. I went to Yokohama. There are witnesses.”
“Why did you go out?”
“Sir, I have been ordered to escort His Excellency Itō Hirobumi, who will soon be inspecting Manchuria. Since I am to depart for Manchuria soon, I wished to settle a few affairs before I leave.”
“You are going to Manchuria?”
“Yes, sir.”
Shigeyuki seethed. He lunged at Katō and yelled, “Give Yukari back! What do you want with her? Why won’t you just let her go?!”
The soldier coldly brushed his him aside, ignoring his words completely.
“If that is all you require of me, sir, I shall take my leave. I am scheduled to depart for Manchuria tomorrow.” His sneer was not quite disrespectful enough to merit a reprimand. He left the room without another word.
It was clear that Lieutenant Katō could not possibly have lost his hand last night.
Shigeyuki couldn’t bear to acknowledge that. If he did, he would have to accept that the bizarre events of the previous evening hadn’t actually happened. And if he accepted that, what would become of Yukari, who had vanished without a trace?
Translator's Notes
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