Author's Note:
Kept you waiting, huh? I'd like to credit my friend Endabend on Twitter for reviewing this chapter and providing me with feedback for its main star!
This chapter took a little longer than I expected due to a few various minor delays. Springtime allergies, work getting a little hectic this last week, and me stopping to make some edits to some parts of this chapter I wanted to improve on. But at last, it's finally done! For those of you who had been waiting, and those of you just checking in, I hope you enjoy the second Extra chapter!
~ EXTRA 2: Meetings Which Cannot Be Helped ~
[START]
The changing of seasons is quite the spectacle to behold. The hot air of summer slowly turns to a cool autumn breeze. Green tree leaves redden more with each passing day. This is the period of the year in which the life which so vibrantly flourished either dies out or lies dormant until spring returns to revive it anew. It is a period of change that comes each year without fail.
In spite of that, one thing remains constant: this shop doesn't receive many visitors. It is a place of solitude, with little to disturb one's innermost thoughts. I prefer it this way. The quiet provides me with ample time to myself, and plenty of freedom to examine whatever new finds from the outside world I've recently come across.
—Ah, perhaps an introduction is in order. Some of you may already know me, but I am Rinnosuke Morichika. I'm the proprietor of a curio shop known as 'Kourindou'. Here I deal in all manner of objects from the outside world. The outside world is a place filled with incredible technology, with new advancements occurring at a breakneck pace. That innovative spirit, however, also means that sometimes even the most recent inventions can be forgotten. And anything forgotten will eventually find its way to Gensokyo.
I acquire these lost curios and bring them to my store. The knowledge contained in them, their potential usage, and the ongoing history contained in each item I find… Thanks to my ability to discern the true name and utility of objects, I've made it a hobby of sorts to gather them and study them.
I don't mean to brag, but I've amassed quite a wide and varied understanding of the outside world. I may even be the most knowledgeable person in all of Gensokyo when it comes to the technology of the outside world.
Still. As I previously mentioned, I don't receive very many customers. In all likelihood, it's due to the location. There aren't many humans that are willing to leave the village, let alone travel so close to the forest. As such, in the rare instances where I do get a visitor, they tend to be some strange sort. Honestly, I'd prefer they don't come snooping around here. They usually don't come to make any kind of purchases, and they usually just end up bothering me in the process. It's a bit troublesome.
Regardless, today seems to be a quiet day. There's no sign of the usual ones stopping by to kill time. Given this opportunity, I decide to take care of a responsibility. No, perhaps 'responsibility' isn't quite the right word for it. It's more of an 'ongoing problem'.
In a shop where objects from the outside world are gathered, there exist things that I store away because I have no desire to sell them. For quite a few of them, it's because I'm personally interested in them. The rest, however, I keep locked away because they are likely safer in my care rather than anyone else's.
I don't mean that for the sake of the objects' safety; rather, I mean for the safety of Gensokyo itself.
(For instance, there was once a mysterious, godlike device that graced my store that had the ability to 'control things' not too long ago. I'd prefer not to think about that story again, for the sake of my own mental health.)
Here, tucked away in the deeper confines of my store, I keep an eye on these worrisome objects, though it's not really because I want to. I'm not some apocalyptic storekeeper who strives to keep the world safe, one dangerous relic at a time. If I could be rid of them, it would actually relieve me of quite a bit of stress. But for a particularly dangerous few of these items, there aren't many places I can think to send them.
The one I'm referring to right now is a recent find. Tucked away, sitting at the bottom of a shelf in a far corner. An ornate wooden box, it probably looks unsuspecting compared to my other wares. Even still, I've taken great care to set it away from any prying eyes. I always end up approaching it rather hesitantly, as if dealing with a wild animal that might maul me to death. In truth, it may one day do such a thing, though much like any other horrible death I wouldn't know it until it happens.
I slide the wooden case from its hiding spot and gently set it atop the store counter. Opening it, I see the tools stored within it: a pair of matchlock pistols, complete with a leather harness for them to be holstered in. One has a slightly refined design with its hammer reminding me of the wing of a summer bird. It feels light in my hands. The other is decidedly bulkier and heavier, its frame colored with black iron.
The problem children radiate a barely contained malicious aura, like stray dogs growling when a stranger approaches them. Despite their hostile greeting, I'm a bit relieved to see they're as well-preserved as I left them.
At first glance, they wouldn't seem to be particularly special. Actually, if I'm speaking frankly, they're complete relics. Perhaps they were of fine quality for their time, but now they'd be considered outdated even for the frozen-in-the-Meiji-era Gensokyo. It's a little astonishing they weren't forgotten sooner.
Carefully, I remove them from their case and begin taking the usual measures to care for them. Disassembling them and cleaning them, I go the extra mile to add a slight shine to them. I'm not doing any of this because I'm fond of guns, however. I actually quite detest them; they're just far too loud and dangerous to handle, and I have no real use for something designed purely to cause harm. In spite of that, I treat them with even more caution than I would a newborn child.
The reason? These guns are dangerous weapons, far more so than any other in Gensokyo. At least to my belief.
I finish reassembling the newly cleaned pistols and gently reinsert them into their box. I really don't want to hold them for any longer than necessary.
Knock, knock. The sound of a visitor at the store's entrance echoes, cutting me out of my thoughts. I slam the box closed with a bit of fright. Was it Marisa? The last person I wanted nosing around something like this was someone who would hear the words 'dangerous relic' and think it sounded interesting.
In a bit of a rush, I hurriedly slide the pistols into their corner and approach the front door. The person doesn't immediately enter, instead waiting for me to let them in. That rules out Reimu or Marisa; they would have simply barged in by now, completely ignorant to any sense of personal privacy. A little on-edge from what I just had to deal with, I swallow my anxiety and open the door.
"Oh, there's actually a person here." There, standing in front of me, is a young woman I've never seen before. Her attire is decidedly both modern and foreign, unlike that of Gensokyo, dressed in hues of red and black. Her red jacket and long brown hair dance in the autumn breeze. "This is Kourindou, right? Am I right in assuming you're Mr. Morichika?" It takes me a moment to notice, but resting some distance behind her is a vaguely familiar large turtle who I can't immediately recall the name of.
"Yes, that's right. I'm the owner, Rinnosuke Morichika. Can I help you?"
The girl looks at me rather seriously. "I'd like to browse your store, if you'll let me."
It takes me a bit of time to overcome my shock. Truth be told, I haven't had an actual customer in a very long time. Eventually, I snap out of my daze and welcome her in. She introduces herself as 'Luka East', and the decidedly foreign sound sticks out to me. I can guess that she isn't Japanese, which only raises more questions. After some prompting, she shares a bit of her story with me.
"A spirited-away outsider, you say?" I do my best to hide my intrigue. It's not very often I'm gifted with the chance to meet an outsider. I've only ever met one other so far, and he came purely on behalf of a certain 'officer' from the village. This was perhaps the first time an outsider had come to my shop purely as a customer and nothing else. "In that case, I'd be more than happy to let you browse. Please, feel free to look around."
My words aren't really genuine—like I said, there are things here I don't intend to sell. But as they say, 'the customer is god'. I should at least pretend like that's the truth.
Luka browses the shelves with a discerning eye, occasionally reacting with minor surprise at some of my inventory. I can spot a hint of self-restraint in her eyes, as if she's holding herself back from buying anything unnecessary; like a grocery shopper with a sweet tooth holding back from treating themself to dango.
She stops and eyes a 'personal electronic transactor' computer sitting on one shelf, muttering a comment to herself. Yes, surely she's curious how I managed to snag such an advanced, cutting-edge naval military shikigami. Even I found it hard to believe when I ran across it. Considering shikigami were normally susceptible to water, it must have been quite capable to be assigned the ranking of 'commodore'.
Though I admit I'm curious as to why she's come here, there's a much more important opportunity right in front of me. An outsider has just entered my shop. Whilst I'm quite knowledgeable as I am when it comes to the outside world, there's still a fair amount I've yet to fully comprehend. If there's a chance to probe this girl, even just a bit, I should take it.
But what to ask first? There's such a wide variety of questions I could begin with. Perhaps how to make paper use of the shikigami she's just looked at? Yes, that would be an excellent place to start—
"Hey, what's this?" I hear her ask from behind me.
Still half-stuck in my own thoughts, I turn, thinking she'd picked up some 'mobile phone' or some other technology I could sneak knowledge from her about. I nearly scream when I see what she's actually holding.
A small, ornate wooden box. She's leaning down to pick up the very thing I just put away! Only now do I realize in my haste to hide it that I'd carelessly left it protruding from its hiding spot. And now as a consequence of my folly, this innocent girl is handling what is perhaps the most dangerous item in my store like a souvenir.
"Ah, that isn't—!" I barely manage to keep myself from shouting. Before my words can reach her, she's already begun opening Pandora's box. I don't consider myself a particularly athletic type, yet just this once my body moves faster than I've ever moved before. Right as she cracks it open and gets a look at the horrifying weapons hidden within it, I manage to pluck the box from her grasp and reseal it.
"Whoa!" She cries out, clearly not expecting my sudden reaction. "What's up? Is something wrong?"
I almost reflexively comment 'this is incredibly dangerous', but manage to hold back. I'd rather not sit here and give a complicated explanation. "This isn't for sale, I'm afraid."
"It isn't?" For some reason, there's a look of disappointment on her face. "Truth is, I was looking for something like that."
"... Eh?"
It takes her a bit to explain her circumstances. Afterwards, I'm left a little perplexed.
"So you're also a half-youkai." I absentmindedly comment, stroking my chin a little.
For some reason she frowns when I call her that aloud, but she shakes it off quickly. "'Also'?"
"I'm a half-youkai as well." Though much like her, I don't know anything about my parentage. Our kind is quite rare, for good reason. It felt strangely comforting to see that another existed.
That aside. From her description, it seemed she was trying to learn Spell Card rules but was struggling to perform danmaku by her own power.
"So you're searching for a weapon to channel the process through?" I guess.
"That's right. A gun, specifically." She sneaks another glance at the box I'm holding away from her. "I tried the village first, but then I remembered I don't really have any money or anything to trade. After I asked around, someone passed me a tip saying there was a store that dealt in goods from back home, so I figured I'd give that a shot."
"I see. Unfortunately, whoever gave you that tip was a bit misinformed. This is a curio shop, not a weapons store."
"Then, what are those?" She gestures to the box. "I saw two old-looking pistols in there. Are those some kind of family heirloom or something?"
'More like a cursed heirloom', I think. "Not exactly…"
Luka hums thoughtfully, studying my expression. She seems to notice my fear, but it doesn't deter her. "Then, is there any kind of deal we can make over them?"
This girl—she really has no idea what she's asking! "Again, I'm sorry, but I cannot sell you these."
"Why?" She can definitely see the anxiety written plain across my face. Her gaze finally turns cautious as she looks at the sealed weapons. "... Is something wrong with them?"
I'm silent for longer than I'd like to be. Should I tell her? Keeping the secret has only created a source of immense stress. I'm fortunate to have white hair, otherwise it'd be clearly visible.
Luka continues to stare at me with an earnest look of concern. "I'm kind of taking a stab in the dark here, but maybe I can help you." She seems genuinely worried.
"... While I appreciate your concern, I really don't think someone like you would be capable of assisting with this particular problem." I can't involve a stranger, much less an innocent outsider, in such troublesome affairs.
"That so?" She seems slightly offended by my choice of words. "We can't know for sure if you don't tell me what the issue is. How about you just fess up already?"
It seems like I was too optimistic before. Outsider or not, today's guest is yet another strange, nosy sort. I can already tell from her expression that she's not going to back down. Very well…
The explanation takes quite some time.
To summarize it, the guns' ancient appearance isn't just for show. To date them more precisely, it's likely they were present during Japan's Warring States period. That would put their date of creation, or 'birthday', a few centuries prior to when the Great Barrier was erected. That would mean they had an immense potential to become tsukumogami, which would be dangerous enough on its own. A tsukumogami of an umbrella can already cause some trouble—a pair of guns would likely be even more troublesome. But that alone would have just made them 'above average' compared to the rest of Gensokyo. Threatening, yes, but not exceptionally so.
No, what marked these weapons as truly dangerous was what my ability told me about them. Specifically, their former owner.
There was a warlord with an infamous reputation during that period. Filled with ambition, they sought to unite the nation by any means necessary. Their bloodthirst was unparalleled, to the point that they proudly wore the title of 'demon king'. That person who laughed proudly, blasphemously, as they conquered foe after foe—they held a legitimate claim at being perhaps the most dangerous human to ever exist in Japan's history. Theirs was a reputation that even the most fearsome of youkai struggled to match.
Among many of their feats, they were also known as the first individual in the country to properly introduce the usage of firearms for military conflict. Their fondness of the firearm was well-documented, and it wasn't impossible for them to have commissioned a few unique works to be made for their personal use. The two pistols I had locked away just happened to be living proof.
The names I have given them: 'Cuckoo', for the refined weapon's similarity to that of a bird. 'Teppōheshi' (鉄砲圧し), for the black iron gun's weight being similar to the warlord's sword of choice.
"You named them?" Luka stares.
"I feel such names are only appropriate."
These two are weapons lost to time with the potential to become tsukumogami and the malicious reputation of a demon king. There's no other way to look at it; these troublesome twins have the potential to cause an incident all by themselves.
"It was purely bad luck that I ended up picking these up." I continue to hold the box cautiously, as if dealing with a bomb. "I assumed the box was some priceless object from the outside world. Instead, it's these terrifying things. I hope you understand now why I cannot simply sell them."
"... I don't really get the full history lesson, but I'll take your word for it." Luka seems to be thinking about something. "If they're so dangerous, why keep them around your shop?"
'I wish I could get rid of them!' I think to myself. "For now, it's to take care of them. If they've yet to turn into full-fledged tsukumogami, then it would be wise of me to care for them while there's still time. At least then, it would lower the risk of them becoming a malicious sort when they finally turn."
"And you can't send them to any village gunsmith, because if they turned while in the village…" She seems to realize the inevitable conclusion just as I did.
"Yes. It would undoubtedly result in disaster." The thought alone horrifies me. "As such, I've been forced to take this responsibility until I can come up with a better solution…"
"... Normally I'd bring up the obvious solution of 'just call Reimu', or something…" Before I can interject 'I thought of that already', "... But there's something kind of weird about that story. I didn't get any kind of evil vibes from those things. They just looked like ordinary guns."
"Well, you only peeked at them for a moment. Believe me, they're dangerous."
"You sure? If they're that old, their fire rate is probably horrible. I think an average semi-automatic would put them to shame." She eyes the box for some reason.
"...A what?" I'm caught off-guard.
"It's a kind of gun. Instead of having to do all the slow fuss with manual loading and prep, you can just keep firing until it runs out of bullets."
The casual nature of her description throws me even further off-guard. "Are these weapons some kind of common thing in the outside world?"
"Not exactly. Just my home country. The laws are kind of different per state, but basically anyone with a license can own one."
"Is it difficult to acquire such a 'license'?"
"Not really."
I take a moment to process the thought. A country whose citizens can freely walk around with such advanced weapons? With tools that can so easily cause so much harm with such little effort? It sounds terrifying. Though, as someone living in Gensokyo, perhaps I'm throwing stones from a glass house.
"Are you some kind of outside world firearms expert?" I ask.
"Kind of. I probably know a bit more than the average person, at least." She makes a gun shape with her finger and thumb. "I've shot some civilian-grade guns before, and seen quite a few others. So I can definitely recognize some normal guns when I see them."
I can tell what she's directing her words towards. It doesn't put me at ease. "I'm not certain I agree with that assessment."
"I understand the hesitation. Trust me, even back home people understand guns are dangerous. There's a whole bunch of discussion around them. But I think going a step beyond the norm and listing some wild backstory behind them to justify their supposed danger is a little excessive. They're guns, they aren't magically going to spring to life and shoot somebody."
I'm reminded she's a recent arrival to Gensokyo. "I think you're underestimating these two just a little…"
"Oh, I'm not underestimating anything. Like I said before, I come from a country where these things are routine. Guns are dangerous, that's just a fact. The discussion gets lost around that danger too, actually. People start getting stuck arguing on all sorts of talking points, like civil liberties, who profits from an open market for them, and so on. It's always a messy conversation, even if it's one that has to happen. You see,—"
… She's suddenly gotten lost in some strange rant. I don't really understand any of it, but it seems like she's the sort who gets easily caught up in her own thoughts. I get a sense of deja vu, like there's a shrine maiden rambling on about her day right in front of me.
As fascinating as this conversation is, I'd better cut this short before we lose the topic. "What do you mean to say, exactly?"
"—ah," She snaps back to attention and clears her throat. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I seriously doubt your so-called 'demon guns' are anything I haven't seen before. I can probably control them the same as any other gun I've used. If you don't believe me, then I can hold them for a second to prove it. My 'control' versus their 'evil', if you want to think of it like that."
I can see the resolve in her eyes. Her determination is certainly quite intense. It doesn't cure my anxiety, but it does tell me she's likely not to back down even if I refuse her.
"... Only for a moment, is that clear?" I give in. At this rate, it would be better to let her see for herself the danger in these weapons. I mentally brace myself to seal them back inside their case in the event something goes horribly wrong.
Carefully, I set the wooden box on the counter. With a click, the clasps open and the box reveals its horrid contents. The pistols are still radiating their usual malice; the stray dogs obviously still don't take well to strangers. Luka, however, doesn't seem to pay that any mind as she gently pulls them from the box and holds them in her hands.
It's a little humiliating to admit, but I reflexively shield myself. I expect something dramatic and horrifying to happen right away. Perhaps the pistols would turn themselves on Luka and preemptively fire. Maybe they would curse the poor girl who dared to so carelessly wield them. I mentally drill myself to respond as soon as something goes wrong.
… And yet, nothing happens. She stares, shifting the pair in her grasp and studying them carefully. She plays with Cuckoo's hammer a little, which makes my entire body tense up, but nothing happens. She runs a thumb across Teppōheshi's frame. Still, nothing.
She holds them closer to her face, as if she hasn't already tested her luck enough. "Are these loaded?"
"No, of course not. Do I look crazy enough to leave such terrible weapons loaded?"
Nodding, the insane woman points Teppōheshi as if preparing to fire it right through one of my store windows. A scream catches in my throat.
'Are you mad?!' is what I want to say, but I silence myself.
It takes me a moment to notice, but her finger isn't on the trigger. It rests on the outside, against the frame, as if disciplined to not fire unless she intends to. She glares at the pistol almost expectantly. No, to be more exact, she's daring it. Daring it to fire without her command. She sneaks a look at Cuckoo, and points it as well. Her fingers fold in to rest deliberately on both triggers. Even though she isn't pulling them back far enough to fire, I feel like I'm going to pass out.
But neither one fires. There's a brief moment of silence. The tense air makes me feel like I'm suffocating. Luka's locked eyes with both pistols and does not blink at them, like an authoritative general exerting control. It takes me a moment to realize it, but the usual evil atmosphere that the pistols bring is all but completely gone. In Luka's hands, they are just two ancient pistols.
Her eyes study them, like a trainer getting ready to give a command. Then—
Click! Click!
She pulls their triggers, and neither shoots. There was no intent to actually fire in Luka's body language. It's as if the two simply heeled to her command.
With a satisfied nod, she lowers them. "They look pretty normal to me. How much for these girls?"
"Huh?"
"Oh, right. I don't have any Gensokyo money…" She taps her foot worriedly. "Hm…"
"Um, h-hold on for just a moment!" I know what I've just seen, but I haven't quite accepted it. "Those guns, they're still—"
"Just normal guns." She holds them up, finger once again off of their triggers. "They don't seem very demonic to me."
It is true. I don't entirely get what happened, but their mannerisms almost completely changed the moment Luka held them. "E-Even so, I can't just sell them so easily. If something were to happen—"
"It won't. Look, just think of it like we had an understanding." She twirls Cuckoo for good measure, which makes me nearly shriek, but the gun doesn't seem to react. There's no murderous intent; it's as if the stray dogs were simply panting happily in their new owner's arms. "If you wanna get stuck with the supposed 'crazy violent demon guns', be my guest. I'm offering to not only take them off your hands, but I'm even gonna pay you for them. Isn't that practically a steal?"
Bargaining with me in my own store. I'm mildly offended by the sheer audacity of this girl, but she does have a point. If these dangerous things were heeding her command, then it wouldn't hurt for me to consider a trade.
"... Let's suppose I'm willing to discuss the matter. What will you use as payment, in that case? I've no real interest in money, so don't mind that." Money is helpful only as a tool for bartering, usually for food. I'm not really pressed for that at the moment.
"Hm." Luka returns the guns to their case and searches through her pockets. "... Ah?" Then, with a bit of surprise, she produces a handful of small metal coins. It's obvious they aren't any of the sort that circulates in Gensokyo. "When did I have spare change…?"
"Is that currency from the outside?" My sharp eyes pick up on their elaborate designs right away. While they all share a face that I presume belongs to a key figure in the outside world, each bears a different design on the opposite side. Narrowing my gaze, I discern their names. "'50 States Quarters'...?"
"Wait, how did you know what they are?"
"It's my ability."
"Oh, I see."
I study the coins and their designs closely. A herd of horses running across plains, a sprawling mountainscape, a woman bearing a torch over what I could only judge as a futuristic city. "What are these designs supposed to mean?"
"They're commemorative. The mint back home started making them recently, to celebrate each individual state's joining the country. You know, 'United States'. The designs are based on the local landmarks."
I'd heard the name before, reading through some of the curios I'd found. I could gather they were some sort of important country, given their name kept coming up. So this was the place Luka was from?
"I see. So they came together to unite as a single country, and these are meant to celebrate that history?" Considering all the myriad parties in Gensokyo, all of whom were vying for some kind of control, the idea sounded almost harmonious. It would have been comparable to the warring states simply unifying instead of fighting one another. Was this really the same country that freely lets its citizens march around with firearms?
"We're not that special, just another country in a world of others." Luka's expression shows only disinterest. "If anything, I'd say we have an overinflated sense of pride about ourselves."
So she says. Either way, these seem rather valuable. "In that case, I'll take the coins for payment."
"You sure? Didn't you just say something about not caring about money? Heck, these things are barely worth the metals they're made from."
"I mean that I'm not interested in monetary value. I'm merely bartering based on what I perceive as valuable, that's all." It's the same across all of Gensokyo. Besides, if I'm simply taking anything as payment to get those cursed weapons out of my shop, some valued collectibles are indeed a steal. In fact, "If it concerns you so much, then you can feel free to stop by this shop in your free time and explain some of the technology I've got lying around."
She considers my proposal, then nods. "Okay. Sounds good."
It's a rare feeling, making a transaction like this. Thinking about it, I've kind of made out with an amazing deal, haven't I?
'At the very least, I've gotten rid of that source of stress', I think to myself as I watch the newcomer fly away on her turtle companion.
… … … 'Genbu', wasn't it? No, that's not quite right. Hm…
Author's Note:
Rinnosuke is a fun character who doesn't get enough love, in my opinion. He's a fun character, being this kind of overly-dramatic, long-winded know-it-all. It's kind of a shame he got memed to death back in the day with the strange "MANnosuke" meme, since his normal character is honestly already pretty funny.
… Is MANnosuke still a thing these days? Actually, don't tell me. I'd rather not know.
That aside. In an attempt to stay true to his character (and have a fun writing exercise), I tried to write this in the first-person style of a chapter of Curiosities of Lotus Asia. Did it turn out okay, I wonder? I had fun either way.