Kawaranu Mono ＜Kirameki no Gōremu＞- Chapter 67

Episode 67 - Thank You

I am a golem.

Yes, I am a golem, not a Jizo.

(TN: Jizo are statues made out of stone, which is said to have a spiritual power for protection and longevity that predates Buddhist beliefs.)

I was led into the largest hall of the temple and was seated on a thick cushion in front of a statue of Buddha.

Sitting across from me is a one-horned monk in a purple kimono. And behind him sits hundreds of members of the demon tribe. They all put their hands together to worship me. The monk and the other demons all look exhausted.

“Thank you, thank you.”

“The Silver Jizo is here.”

“Buddha had not abandoned us.”

“I can still hear that terrifying loud thumping sound.”

“I saw it from up in the trees! The silver Jizo had a divine light on his back, and when he put his hands together and worshipped, all the evil spirits around him disappeared in an instant!”

“Yes, I saw it too! I thought it was all going to be over, but I was saved.”

“It's night and everything was bright!”

“The monk is right. The Buddha saved us.”

“I'm so grateful.”

“Thank you very much.”

The people of the demon tribe worshipped me with gratitude and appreciation. In front of me, a person who looked like a little priest of a temple was continuously bringing me offerings.

“Chuu!”

(Can I eat that?)

I shoved Jispo back into the pouch to shut him up.

“Look at that bag full of out-of-this-world patterns.”

“That must be the noble bag of Jizo's world.”

“Hmm. Something we don't understand, but it must be wonderful.”

“Oh, to have the chance to see something like that with my own eyes, I shall live a long time.”

“Thank you.”

“I'm very grateful.”

!? I'm not sure if the pouch is a pattern that is out of this world? It's the first time I've been complimented for my oblique understanding of what it is! No, it seems to be a compliment, but it is not a compliment.

I was more shocked than the fact that they called me the Silver Jizo.

{Log: The effects of [Enlightened One] have resolved the shock state}

The monk chastised the demon tribe members who were making a fuss.

“Keep it down, you'll embarrass the Silver Jizo!”

With a single word, the commotion subsided. The monk put his hands in front of him, bowed deeply, and thanked me.

“Thank you very much, Silver Jizo. If you had not saved us, we would have been killed by the evil spirits. Thank you very much once again for saving us.”

As if to match the monk, the demon tribe members behind him also bowed deeply and expressed their gratitude.

I had used a line light to create a halo, but I never thought I would be worshipped this much. Hmm, I'm scared of myself! But my efforts were not misdirected. The production of the halo had given me a sense of divinity!

Seeing that the monk and the demons had raised their heads, I used gestures to ask them why they were in this situation. The monk managed to understand and answer me.

“It is believed that the disturbance was caused by the opening of the portal to Hades.”

What do you mean? I tilted my head. The monk wrinkled his brow and continued with an expression as if he was chewing on a bitter bug.

“The door to Hades has been opened, and the inhabitants of Hades must have flooded into the world. They are trying to drag us, the living, into the land of Hades. They don't move very fast, and if there are only a few of them, they won't be able to reach us as long as we keep our doors locked and stay inside.”

I see. That's why they locked the doors in the villages and nobody came out.

“But when they gather in large numbers, their movements change. They break down the doors of houses, come in and attack the living. Therefore, all the people in the surrounding villages would gather at this temple to escape the danger. If we chant the sutras, they will not be able to enter the temple.”

So, the wandering corpses weren't doing the gate banging and wall banging because they wanted more chanting. After all, it was the right decision to help the temple people, as I suspected. Hmmm.

“At first, the lords sent out soldiers to try and defeat them, but they soon retreated. The inhabitants of Hades would not fall even if you cut them, and their cuts would turn into deformed forms. Swords and spears are ineffective against the flying spirits of the dead. I heard that magic was able to inflict a few hand wounds, but there were too many of them.”

I listened to the monk's story and agreed with him.

“Just as we were about to give up on ourselves after being pursued by the inhabitants of Hades, the Silver Jizo appeared and saved us.”

I see. After listening to the monk's story, I had a thought.

I wondered if Obon had anything to do with it.

What am I to make of my past thoughts? I had been thinking a lot. As it turned out, I was right in what I had done so far. But it had nothing to do with my ancestors. If I had known that premise, I wouldn't have joined the corpses.

At that moment, for the first time, all the pieces fell into place in my mind. I think I've finally arrived at the truth of the case!

Oh, yeah! In other words, this is what the old man from the guild wanted me to do! It wasn't like Obon in the other world is excessive.

The detective Golem is sharp as ever today.

I was lost in thought when the monk put his hands and head on the floor and asked me to do something. All the other demons, seeing this, also put their hands and heads on the floor at the same time.

“Silver Jizo-sama! Can you please close the door to Hades? As long as the door to Hades is open, this commotion will not stop. We can offer-”

I stood up and gently placed my hand on the monk's shoulder, making him look up. Interrupting the monk in mid-sentence, I nodded strongly in understanding.

The monk then put his hands and head on the floor longer than before, and muttered in a tearful voice, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.

At any rate, I gestured for everyone in the temple to take a good rest today, as they all seemed to be tired. They must have been very tired, and the presence of the silver Jizo must have reassured them. The demons soon fell asleep.

Anyway, I wish they would stop calling me “Silver Jizo”.

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