Teito Monogatari:
The Tale of the Imperial Capital
Part 1: Great Spirit of Tokyo
Author: Hiroshi Aramata
Part 2: Nobuhiro Revived
Chapter 8: Underground Secrets
Yoichiro stared at the director's office, impatient. The door had been closed for almost two hours already. Just how long was this discussion going to take? Were they perhaps engaged in some kind of Zen-like contest of endurance? In any case, the director was in his office, and he wasn't coming out.
The director was a naturally cautious man. He would never let a visitor leave without thoroughly examining the contents of their report personally. He was speaking with Second Lieutenant Katō at the moment.
Today’s report would include the events of that strange night on Taira no Masakado's burial mound. It was no wonder that Yoichiro was anxious. If an unsatisfactory report was submitted, Yoichiro himself would be the next to face a barrage of questions, making the situation all the more urgent.
After a long while, the door to the director’s office opened. The director appeared in the doorway, his expression displeased. Second Lieutenant Katō followed him out, moving stiffly like a man made of ice.
The director turned around and whispered a few words into the lieutenant’s ear, then cleared his throat and disappeared into his office. The lieutenant quickly saluted and walked over to Yoichiro.
“With this, I’ll take my leave,” the lieutenant said.
“Please wait, Second Lieutenant Katō.”
“Do you need something?”
“Come with me for a moment, just over here.”
Yoichiro stepped out into the hallway ahead of the lieutenant. “Please tell me what you reported today.”
“Nonsense!” Lieutenant Katō spat out. "Why would I do that?"
“The director will thoroughly question any report he finds unsatisfactory. I’ll be the one who has to answer for what you've told him.”
"That sounds like your problem, not mine. Besides, you're worrying over nothing. I only reported the incident at Mitarashi Pond as a routine night investigation. I didn’t mention anything about the suspicious fire."
"I see. That’s a relief."
"I’m the one who led you to that mound, after all. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble. The grounds of the Ministry of Finance get curiouser and curiouser the more I research them. Take a look at this."
Lieutenant Katō took a round object wrapped in a white handkerchief from his uniform pocket and handed it to Yoichiro. Several small bones and shells were inside the handkerchief.
In the center of the handkerchief was a pentagram.
"What is this?"
"What do you see?"
"These are quite old-looking shells and bones. Are they artifacts from somewhere like the Ōmori Shell Mounds?"
"Don’t be ridiculous. I dug these up around the Ministry of Finance. When Ōta Dōkan founded Edo, this area was a shallow sandy beach where the Inland Sea and the shore met. The area right below the Imperial Palace was once the sea. To the south of Edo was a sandbar called Edo Maejima, which apparently served as a trade center for water transport and fishing. If you dig in this area, you’ll find shells like these."
“So, what about that bone?”
“What do you think the bone is from?”
“Is it a wild boar's?”
“No. This is a human bone.”
“A human bone?”
“That’s right. Given your deep connection to these matters, I thought I should let you know. With the help of the army, I conducted an investigation of the ground around the burial mound. I came to see the director today to report on that. To my astonishment, a considerable number of human bones were found at two of the investigation sites. This is just my hypothesis, but the burial mound might have been a sacred burial site for more than just Taira no Masakado's remains."
"What do you mean?"
"For our ancient ancestors, the burial mound was likely a holy site. Those who drowned or died in battle were given proper burials here. Perhaps human sacrifices were made to protect against disasters at sea—”
“Human sacrifices! Please don’t say such frightening things.”
“I’m only sharing my hypothesis. In any case, the more I investigate, the more fascinated I become by the mysteries of the burial mound. I want to know the secrets of this place. It's where Tokyo was born and nurtured. You could call the burial mound the navel of Tokyo.”
“Now that you mention it, my younger sister said that when she fainted near the Kubizuka, she saw countless dead Imperial Army soldiers. It was just an illusion, but she’s always been rather sensitive, so that detail troubled me.”
Lieutenant Katō appeared mightily interested in what Yoichiro had to say. “What? Your younger sister? Oh, that’s news to me. I didn't know that she saw that.” There was a light in his eyes that was almost cheerful.
"The neighbors scold her and tell her to guard herself. When she was young, my family thought she was possessed by a fox spirit. Haven't I mentioned that before?”
The light in the lieutenant’s eyes was as intense as sunbeams. "Excuse me," he said. "I fear I've lingered here too long." He turned his back on Yoichiro.
"Wait a moment, Lieutenant. I’ll be meeting Professor Nagaoka Hantarō from the Imperial University soon. We’re hoping to get support from the sciences for this project. Even if Professor Nagaoka isn’t available, I’m sure he can introduce us to some young, talented scholars. They might be able to help you as well.”
Lieutenant Katō faced Yoichiro with a brisk, efficient movement. “Invite me to your residence sometime. I’ll take my leave for today. Excuse me!”
Translator's Notes
大森貝塚: The Ōmori Shell Mounds was an archaeological site on the border of Shinagawa, Tokyo and Ōta, Tokyo, in the Kantō region of Japan containing a late Jōmon period shell midden and settlement ruin. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1955, with the area under protection extended in 1986.
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