An Extra Marble Lets Me See A Bit Of My Father's Memory
1483 Words
This day is full of surprises. First, my godfather had a surprise visit along with his son – which is also my godfather and Saiko’s dad. Saemon-san, Saiko’s father, surprised me too with his handsome looks.Now, saemon-san got something out – a red ball filled with glowing dust.
“Amaterasu’s Beads? But you already used it back when I was little,” I said in astonishment.
“Well, this is an extra bead, Shiro. When we used the artifacts to stabilize your body, a single bead stayed on the necklace. This is it,” he said.
He handed it to me. My hand suddenly tingled – like the ball was static. I could feel its warmth – making me remember how the Sun’s light felt back when I was young and global warming wasn’t that rampant. It gave me a sense of nostalgia and it suddenly glowed. A mist-like stuff floated from it and played a scene. I saw myself playing a kite, my Dad behind me shouting some encouragement as Mom sat on a red-checkered cloth and was making some sandwiches. It looked like we were having a picnic on a hill, though I didn’t remember it until now that I saw it again.
“To activate an Amaterasu Bead, you need to imbue the bed with an unforgettable happy memory that you have – a memory that makes you feel warm and cozy,” Saemon-san explained.
Somewhere in my mind, I thought, “Perhaps, that’s why this bead didn’t dissipate. Maybe destiny didn’t want to get this away from him”
“But this is only a single bead,” I said. “I thought that the necklace was the actual Amaterasu’s Beads.”
Sadao-san forked a slice of the cake. “To get a single bead, you need to defeat a middle to high-tier monster, specifically the ones here on Japan, though the probability of the drop is not the great. However, you can also obtain it by completing the System’s quest that is given exclusively to Rank-A to S Figures.”
“And only a single bead can be dropped by a particular monster or given as a reward by the System,” Saemon-san continued. “That’s why we helped each other – me, Father, and Takechi – to obtain the sufficient amount of beads.”
I looked at the ball. It seemed to glow brighter now I’ve known how it was obtained. If a single bead like this was so hard to obtain, how much more of a whole necklace.
“So you’re saying that you had to take more than one quest to fill the necklace?” I asked.
“Twenty-one quests, actually. The Itako advised us to obtain twenty-one beads to ‘lead the white one on a treacherous journey to peace’”, Saemon-san answered as he made his throat hoarse – mimicking an old woman.
[A/N: Itakos (singular form: Itako), also known as ichiko, are blind women who are considered as spiritual mediums in Japan.]
“Itako? You mean the blind oracles?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes, a very strong itako.”
I held the bead more firmly. “Something’s still bothering me. Why Amaterasu’s Bead? Why the Omnipotent Artifacts? How did you know that the Artifacts can stabilize me? What - ”
“Easy there, kiddo,” Saemon-san stopped me. “Don’t rush it all at once”
Sadao-san sliced a piece of cake, put it in a plate, and slid it next to me. “You’ve heard of prophecies, right? Statements that come from people who can communicate with spirits and etcetera. Well, those prophecies come from seers, oracles, Figures and people who are exclusively suited for the gift of seeing the past, present, and future – individuals who are able to peer into destiny.”
I ate a bit of the cake. “So, you’re talking about fortune-tellers and stuff?”
Saemon-san forked a strawberry. “Exactly, Shiro-chan. Well, not totally just fortune-tellers, but yes, people who can see destiny. Those people were the ones that we, the Heptagon, sought out in order to obtain quests. They were the ones who specified to us what particular quests can give us the Artifacts that we specifically need.”
“Yet, with the Omnipotent Artifacts, we didn’t fully stabilize your body, as what I’ve explained days ago,” Sadao-san continued. “So, the Heptagon did the Labors – quests that the System gives exclusively to Rank-S Figures.”
“Wait, wait,” I interrupted. “You talk of this system like it’s alive.”
“The System is the one responsible for assisting Figures on almost every aspect of their life,” Saiko answered. “The Menu, Notifications, and stuff that pop out as a message are all the System’s doing, Shiro,” she continued.
“Oh…okay. Thanks, Saiko-dono!” I said.
“Don’t mention it,” Saiko replied.
Saemon-san coughed. “Anyways, as what my father said, we did a set of Labors to obtain the Rank-SS items required to save you.”
I looked at him. “Labors? You mean the stuff that Heracles did?”
He nodded. “Nice one, Shiro, except, that no Labor can be repeated again. After consulting the oracles, and believe me, they’re very hard to look for, we managed to receive another set of Labors along with the caution never to reveal it to someone else other than the Heptagon.”
I forked another piece of cake. “So, you can’t say what it is to me?”
“Unfortunately, Shiro, you can’t. However, the oracles stated that ‘once the prophesies one has obtained the set conditions, he shall sojourn to the seven’s locations; they will reveal the Labor that they’ve executed, for that is what he’ll need for his upcoming journeys’, perhaps you know what these certain conditions are, young Shiro?” Saemon-san asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t really know what those conditions are. The previous prophecy also said that condition-stuff.”
“Yeah, I’ve already heard it from Father. For you to read it, I can’t still believe that you’re the prophesied one.”
I could feel my face getting red. “Y-Yeah, perhaps…” I looked at the bead. “Saemon-san, here…” I said and gave him the bead.
He smiled. “No, it’s yours already,” my godfather said and closed my palms along with the red-orange bead. “I believe that belongs to you exclusively.”
I tried not to tear up. I put it in my pants’ pocket. A warm sensation seemed to flow through me as it stayed there.
“Anyways, your house is almost complete. I estimate you can occupy it again tomorrow. Also, here, Shiro,” Sadao-san said and handed me a paper.
I thought it was a gift coupon or something but it wasn’t. “1,930,509 ¥,” it said with an underline. I had to blink twice to check if what I was seeing is true. It was. Sadao-san actually handed me a check amounting to more than a million yen. It was assigned to my name.
“T-This is for me?” I asked.
“Yes, Shiro. I converted the 3,000 gold pieces that you brought on a famous Craftsman. The amount was actually 5,000,000 million yen. The remaining is still in the bank,” he answered.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “A-Are you sure? I mean I don’t know what to do with this…” I stammered.
Nami stood up and went to the bedroom. She came back immediately with something in his hands. She showed it to us.
“Unlimited Buffet for Ten? But we’re only eight here,” I asked.
“Well, it’s a buffet so it doesn’t matter how many we are. Besides, you’ve got a lot of money to spend. C’mon!’ she said and urged me to stand.
“Well, what do you say, ‘Toosan?” Saemon-san asked.
Sadao-san chuckled. “I say we get to the nearest bank, cash out that check and get to that buffet!”
I had no choice but to stand and get dressed. In my pockets, the bead seemed to glow with warmth.
- Writer
