Red Shoal Island Pasture
Hearing Hiroaki claim that this place was once a continent utterly shocked Sakura. Even if her past life's grasp of geography wasn't the best, she knew that the separation of continents was a process measured in tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of years.
Could this island's history truly stretch back that far?!
Swallowing hard, Sakura asked, "What was this island like tens of thousands of years ago?"
Sorayama Hiroaki looked somewhat perplexed by her question. "Tens of thousands of years? No, no," he said, shaking his head. "According to my grandfather, our ancestors arrived here much, much more recently than that."
"Hm? It wasn't?" Sakura felt a wave of confusion. Is this world different from Earth, then?
"Indeed," Hiroaki continued. "Though, it was just something my grandfather told me as a sort of fantastic tale. Our ancestors have lived near the sea for generations; none ever ventured inland. So, when exactly this place became Red Shoal Island, nobody truly knows. Honestly, I don't really believe the continent story myself. This island had no written language in the past; everything was passed down orally. Discerning truth from fiction is impossible. But you seemed quite interested in these old legends, so I thought I'd share it with you," he finished with a cheerful smile.
Sakura stared at Hiroaki, momentarily speechless. She realized the old man was essentially humoring her, treating her like a child by retelling a story his own grandfather had used to entertain him.
Still, Sakura filed the information away. It was a story from before Red Shoal Island had writing. Regardless of its truth, the fact that it survived likely meant it held some kernel of significance.
"Then, do you know why Headman Soga is so protective of that torii?" Sakura shifted topics.
"Ah, well, that's mostly just Kazuo being stubborn," Hiroaki sighed. "In the old days, Red Shoal Town used to worship two things: the Tsugami Altar and that torii gate. Legend claimed the Tsugami Altar protected us from sea monsters and natural disasters, while the torii ensured bountiful harvests year after year. But after the disaster several decades ago... well, no one worships the Tsugami anymore. Truth be told, no one really worships the torii either, but because Kazuo insisted so strongly, we never tore it down."
"I see," Sakura responded neutrally, processing this new information. So, the torii likely does have an effect on harvests—the thriving cattle might be proof. That suggests the Tsugami Altar probably had real power too.
Kaiyuki said the Tsugami were a race. So, Red Shoal was worshipping a people, or perhaps an individual from that race. And Kaiyuki also said the Tsugami Clan is extinct... which means the Tsugami who protected this island must be dead. That explains why the altar was useless during the disaster decades ago.
"Do you know anything about the Tsugami Clan?" Sakura asked tentatively.
"Tsugami... Clan?" Hiroaki repeated the term, frowning slightly in thought. "You mean the Tsugami?"
"Ah, never mind," Sakura quickly pivoted, seeing he was unfamiliar with the 'Clan' designation. She decided against revealing her conversation with the Kaiyuki. "Do you know about the carvings at Headman Soga's house?"
"Ah! You mean the wooden carvings on Kazuo's family altar?" Hiroaki asked.
"Yes," Sakura nodded.
"Hm, that's strange," Hiroaki mused. "Kazuo usually keeps those carvings hidden; he never shows them to outsiders. How did you get to see them?"
"Haha, well... I sort of peeked," Sakura admitted, sticking her tongue out sheepishly.
"I see," Hiroaki chuckled. "That figures. He guards those carvings like precious treasures, won't let anyone near them. I only saw them myself by chance once. I asked him about them, and he just said they were passed down through his family. I don't know any more than that."
"Is that so," Sakura murmured, disappointed. Hiroaki seemed to know even less than Soga about the island's deeper secrets. While she'd gleaned some useful context from him, the core truths remained elusive. Headman Soga must be hiding the real secrets of Red Shoal Island. What the ordinary residents know are just legends.
"Well, thank you for your time, Grandpa Hiroaki. I should get back to patrolling," Sakura said, standing up to take her leave.
Instead of heading to the beach, Sakura went towards the site where the torii had stood.
She found Headman Soga there, overseeing Shino and a few villagers as they worked to reinforce the base of the re-erected structure. Seeing Sakura approach, Soga just snorted derisively and pointedly ignored her.
"Headman Soga," Sakura began, deciding flattery might be the best approach for now. "Without that torii moved, the island would constantly be targeted by those monsters. The people of Red Shoal will surely appreciate the contribution you made to resolving this."
"Hmph! This is my duty! I don't need you to remind me!" Soga snapped, still clearly furious.
"Hehe," Sakura chuckled nervously. Seeing he was still angry, she tried a different tack. "Well, now that the sea monster threat is gone, the shipping route between here and Ise Town can reopen soon. That's good news, right?" She paused. "Actually, I had a few more questions I wanted to ask you, Headman. Is now a convenient time?"
Soga glanced sharply at her, then grunted. "Follow me. To my house."
"Shino, sorry to leave you with this," Sakura called apologetically to her teammate before turning to follow the Headman.
Under the moonlight, Sakura walked behind Headman Soga back to his residence. Soon, she found herself once again in the familiar ten-mat tatami room.
They sat facing each other in silence. Finally, Soga broke the tension, his voice gruff. "You said you had questions for me? What is it?"
"Regarding the mission," Sakura began formally, "it's essentially concluded now. We eliminated the monsters' leader, and the remaining ones are unlikely to return. We plan to stay for a few more days just to monitor the situation before departing."
"Is that so. Understood," Soga replied stiffly. "You may stay here as long as you deem necessary. However, I can no longer offer provisions or lodging at the town's expense."
This old man is really holding a grudge, Sakura thought, forcing down her irritation. She took a breath and asked seriously, "Headman Soga, do you know of the Tsugami Clan?"
A flicker of surprise, a subtle tightening around his eyes – Soga was clearly startled, though he tried to hide it. His lack of formal training betrayed him. "What Tsugami Clan?" he retorted, his voice slightly faster than before. "I know nothing of any clan. We only worship the Tsugami here."
"Then," Sakura pressed on, "do you know of Seijutsu?"
A long silence stretched between them. Finally, Soga forced the words out through gritted teeth. "I do not know. Isn't your mission finished? Does this have anything to do with it?"
"No, not directly," Sakura admitted smoothly. "It's mostly personal curiosity. But rest assured, I have no ill intentions, I'm simply curious. If you're willing to share what you know, Headman, I'd certainly be willing to offer my assistance should you ever need it in the future."
"And you expect me to trust you?" Soga bit out, the unspoken accusation regarding the damaged torii hanging heavy in the air.
"I already know a portion of the truth," Sakura stated calmly, applying pressure. "The monster told me."
Soga's expression shifted rapidly through several emotions – anger, fear, resignation. Finally, clenching his jaw, he spoke. "I do not know much. I can tell you what little I know... but you must promise me something in return."
"No problem," Sakura agreed instantly and readily. Whatever he asks, if I can't do it, it's not like he can force me. "So, tell me. What about the Tsugami Clan, or Seijutsu?"
"As I said, I don't know much," Soga began, sighing. "You know that written language came to this island with outsiders. Before that, we had none. However, my family possesses an ancestral handbook, passed down through generations. Before we had writing, I merely considered it a peculiar family heirloom. It was only after the outsiders brought literacy that I learned things... things unknown to the other islanders."
"What does the handbook record?" Sakura asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"The handbook is only a few pages long, and parts of it are damaged," Soga paused, then continued, his voice laced with uncertainty. "But from what is written... it suggests that the Soga family... might be descendants of the Tsugami Clan."