Chapter 47: Grandfather and the Amulet
Chapter 47: Grandfather and the Amulet
I wondered for a moment if I should ask, but if I left this question unanswered, it would surely bother me for a long time. With the innocence of a child, I asked.
"What was grandpa like?"
"He was a very loving man and very hard working."
"I would love to hear about him too."
Thanks to my dad's prompting, I was able to hear the details of the story.
My grandmother, who spoke of her late husband, was not sad, but very happy.
My grandmother, who was a real rich lady, fell in love at first sight with my grandfather, who was a commoner, and after a fierce appeal, they got married.
The grandmother's father was opposed to the marriage, but they overcame his opposition and were successfully married.
To convince his father-in-law, my grandfather worked hard at his job and became a key member of a venture company, and eventually he was accepted. It is amazing that that company is now a major corporation known to everyone.
It was a development that could have been made into a drama just by hearing the brief summary of the story.
He must have been a very loving person, because he did it all for the sake of the grandmother he loved so dearly.
Maybe he died prematurely because he lived his life way too fast.
And I understood what she said about how mother resembled grandfather.
I could think of too many things that ring a bell, like the part where she attacked my dad, or the part where she was willing to risk her life for her son.
I am begging you, mother, please live a long life.
"Are my brothers coming to visit you?"
"No, they are busy with work. But we still keep in touch. Video calls are very convenient these days. Reika, please show them your face at least once in a while."
I had recently heard that my mother had siblings, but I did not know how they were doing now.
After listening to her while eating sweets, I learned that the eldest son, Suguru, has taken his grandfather's place, and the eldest daughter, Mirei, is married and has a child.
The eldest son already has a son in high school, and it seems that the future of the Miyano family is secure.
Yuya, who had been engrossed in eating sweets for a while, suddenly turned to his grandmother and said.
"Granny, you want some too?"
In his hand was a candy that looked like a flavor Yuya would like.
"Thank you. Oh my, it's delicious."
Yuya is adding the grandchild component on my behalf.
This kind of innocent kindness, I can't imitate it.
"What kind of games do you like to play, Yuya?"
"Hikoki!"
"Paper airplanes. I fly the talismans first, and then Yuya joins me in flying the paper airplanes."
"Thank you for teaching me. I'll try to learn how to fold them next time."
My grandmother became acquainted with our world when she became an Onmyoji related person.
She is one of the few people I can talk to about such things.
I replied as my grandmother asked me about my devotion in studying to be an Onmyoji, helping my father with his work, and about the friends I made in kindergarten.
Yuya also gave answers in a clumsy manner.
My grandmother squinted dazzlingly every time she heard us talk.
I can understand that feeling a little.
A children with so many promising possibilities awaiting them are too dazzling for a person whose prospects have been fading over time.
I am able to start over again, by some miracle, to make that change, which was supposed to be irreversible.
Once again, I must be thankful for my second life.
Grandmother and grandsons, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and son-in-law, we talked as if we were filling in the time we had not seen each other before, and before long the end of visiting hours was approaching.
"Well, then, it is time for us to leave."
"I would have liked to talk to you more, for sure, but we have no time left. Let's talk via video call sometime."
I felt a little sad to say goodbye to my grandmother.
But it was only for a moment. For my grandmother, who has adapted to the digital world, distance was not a big issue.
As we were preparing to leave, my dad pulls something out of his pocket.
"The one I gave you before is no longer in effect. Please take this one."
It was a small amulet - a "protective amulet" made by Onmyoji - that was given to my grandmother.
This amulet has the effect of counteracting defilements and curses around its owner. It is like an air purifier.
Naturally, it is much less powerful than a real amulet blessed by God. Even so, Onmyoji-made amulets are more convenient to purchase than the real thing, which is rarely available, and are therefore very popular in such circles.
It is said that even Ykai with a Threat Level of 4 are hesitant to approach an amulet that was seriously made by a professional Onmyoji.
The effectiveness of the amulet varies depending on the price.
I see. I've been wanting to do something for my grandmother.
I can make a rudimentary protection amulet for her.
"Dad, I want to give her an amulet too. Can I?"
"I don't have any ink available."
In other words, "making it by myself is not a problem"?
Then let's get to work.
"Grandma, can I borrow your ballpoint pen?"
"Yes, be my guest."
My grandmother watches me making an amulet with great interest.
It is not often that one sees an Onmyoji at work, so this is a natural reaction.
The most important part of the amulet is the talisman, which itself is so popular that it has been introduced on Onmyoji Channel.
In the Onmyoji industry, which protects mankind from Ykai and spiritual threats, the removal of impurities and curses, which are the root of such threats, is a matter of supreme importance.
Therefore, the method of making amulets has been shared among Onmyoji since long ago.
I pick up a ballpoint pen that I had left next to my notepad and fill the pen with the spiritual elements.
Unlike the specially made ink used by Onmyoji, ordinary ink has a very low spiritual power capacity and drains easily from the side it is filled with.
However, this problem can be alleviated by converting the spiritual power into spiritual elements. Higher upstream you go in the refining process, the higher the retaining power will be.
My father does not know this fact, which was discovered by me after testing it at home. Therefore, from the side, it looked like I was trying to overcome the problem by using spiritual power, and he was very impressed.
"How do you never run out of spiritual power? ......"
"Because I only have spiritual power."
To my chagrin, my dad's amulet performs better.
I think my handwriting is more beautiful than his, but it seems that it is more important in Onmyojutsu to capture the shape of the formation as well as some other key points. My father's amulet lasted for about a year, but my amulet ran out of power after three months.
According to him, "the spiritual power was leaking".
As expected, it seems that even if I studied a little harder, I can't outperform the experience of a professional.
Since there is my father's amulet, my amulet is just a bonus.
It is too much of a waste to use the land refinement jade for a free amulet.
I think the spiritual elements will suffice here.
Instead, I will at least put my feelings into it.
Without my grandmother, there would be no mother, and by extension, I would never have been born again.
To my grandmother, who gives her grandchildren her unconditional love, I give my thanks and wish you a long and peaceful life!
I draw a formation with all my heart and soul.
It is difficult to draw a formation with a ballpoint pen, as it should be written with a brush and sumi ink, because it is impossible to achieve the desired thickness and shading.
I drew the formation as closely as possible following the main points and then I put a large number of spiritual elements into the ink.
"Well, ......!"
My grandmother marvels at me.
It is rare for a four-year-old to be able to write so many kanji so smoothly, so it was only natural.
Although less effective, a ballpoint pen with a thin nib was ideal for drawing a formation on a small area of the amulet.
Soon the formation was completed.
All that remains is to get the contents of the amulet from the used one, refill it, and give it to the grandmother. It will be a nice gift from her grandson.
"Yes, Grandma. Here you go."
"Well, well, well! Thank you very much. I'll take good care of it."
"I'll replace it with a new one when the effect wears off."
It seems like she will keep this treasured item for a long time.
Neither the paper nor the ink is specially designed for this purpose, so it will not last long and the effect should be reasonable. It is really only a token of my feelings.
I am happy that she was so pleased, but I feel a little sorry.
Next time, I'll make something better at home and give it as a gift.
We left the hospital room for good this time.
In the end, I still don't know why we never went to see my grandmother before.
I don't know if something would happen if I found out.
We left the hospital room for good this time.
In the end, I still don't know why we never went to see my grandmother before.
However, there is no reason why I should not have gone to see my grandmother. ......
At any rate, I now know most of my relatives. As I have much less relatives than in my previous life, I want to take good care of them.
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T/N - This chapter was kind of tough to translate, so if you see any mistakes, please tell me down in the comments