Saint's Prison - Chapter 97

The Visitor Deity from Afar.

Marebito.

It’s an ancient belief concept.

An outsider who visits a community.
A guest, a rare person, a stranger—these words refer to it. And also, a deity from another world… a visiting deity.

A resident (deity) from an isolated community’s outside, an otherworldly visitor, is said to bring fortune. Therefore, the people of old welcomed them and paid them homage.

Defining it that way, the marebito, the visiting deity, exists close at hand.

Come to think of it, isn’t the folktale of the “Rokubu Killer” also an example of the marebito belief system? A peasant was ultimately bestowed with wealth in the form of money and goods by the traveling Rokubu marebito who was lent a night’s lodging. The Rokubu played the role of a visiting deity.

Let’s think even more familiarly.

The event of welcoming and entertaining the spirits of ancestors (visiting deities) who return from another world and offer protection is Obon. The visiting deity, Namahage, who visits homes to dispel misfortune and admonish the lazy. Even the Western Santa Claus can be considered a type of visiting deity.

—Marebito is both a foreigner and a god.

I gather my thoughts up to that point and do a light stretch. Groaning deeply, I close my eyes.

After bathing with Amal, she went to her usual worship, and I visited the library. I thought this was a good place to reorganize the information and experiences I had and connect and unravel them.

“Hmm, I should have listened more carefully to his stories.”

At that time, I had little interest in folklore and was even annoyed by a friend who spoke about it enthusiastically. Now, the consequences have come bouncing back to me.

I piece together the bits of knowledge I vaguely remember and line them up. I’m not sure if this arrangement is correct, and it’s not something to discuss now. At this point, I’ll do everything I can think of and can do with all my might. It’s more a matter of methodology than of hindsight.

“…If I apply the definition of the marebito belief, then my position in Stonehurst is that of a visiting deity.”

Suppose I am desired not as a human, but as a visiting deity. What kind of fortune am I expected to bring?

“…Definitely, it has to do with my relationship with Amal.”

Only I am implicitly allowed to speak with Amal, to see her, to touch her, to address her. Because I am the marebito… a god, not someone from this world. If I’m not human, then it doesn’t violate the taboo of interacting with Amal. That must be what they think.

Conversely, it means that only a marebito can interact with her.

“…So, that’s why Priest Benedict invited me into Stonehurst without any resistance?”

If that’s the case, it somehow makes sense. It’s just a feeling, but could it be that what Sofia-san saw is due to her being a marebito from outside?

And if we can interact with Amal and supernatural beings, it means that Amal and those somethings can also interact with us. And as Johanna says, this place is where the otherworld and this world intersect. Daydreams, the restless, Shizuyo, everything is connected.

I rub my forehead and scratch my head. The faint scent of lemon from my hair slightly tickles my nose. Smelling it, I feel a bit more at ease.

So, what’s the difference between Sofia-san and me? Sofia-san is only temporarily staying here as a pilgrim, and she will leave once she recovers. On the other hand, there’s no such time limit for me.

Next is—

“—The difference between men and women.”

That’s right.
I’m a man, and Sofia-san is a woman.
That’s the biggest difference.

“Dream analysis. The chapel, the cup symbolizes the w*mb. Candles symbolize the male organ. The continuation of Shizuyo’s dream. The difference between men and women. Amal and me. The reason we’re allowed to interact. The reason Johanna didn’t blame me and Amal for our physical relationship. I’ve been thinking about it since talking about Shizuyo’s dream with Johanna… but could it really be that?”

The fortune Stonehurst expected from me is a child with Amal. Amal… a being to inherit the lineage of Amalthea.

That’s the very reason for my existence.

Calm down. Take a deep breath.

Did Amal know that? Knowing that, was she embracing me? If so, it’s just too pitiful.

“…No, Amal isn’t that cunning. Even if she knew, she’s hopelessly in love with me. There’s no mistaking that.”

But, I wonder why.

I don’t understand the meaning behind deliberately preserving the blood of Amal, who should be persecuted as a cursed child. And then, there’s the non-existent parents of Amal, her deceased twin sister.

“…Is that where the answer to the secret lies?”