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Chapter 772 – Fortune and Charms
Noon.
I visit Village Five and head for the shrine.
I have to go to the shrine to discuss the management of the shrine.
「You’ve become quite close.」
Niz, who joined me on my way to Village Five, said that.
She was probably referring to Kitsu-san, who ran up to me in her fox form and let me hold her in my arms as soon as we arrived at the shrine.
True. We’ve become quite close.
「I’m envious desu」
Really?
If only Niz would take her snake form….
No, sorry.
It isn’t good to pet a snake.
「Fufu, right desu ne」
Snakes are sensitive to temperature.
Human body heat has an adverse effect on them.
It’s not a problem for snakes to get entangled in people’s arms but it’s not good to touch them.
「No, that’s not the reason….」
Is that so?
Incidentally, the lamias, whose upper body is human and lower body is snake, are said to have no problem being touched.
Is their body temperature the same all the time?
Well, that would make sense.
There are so many wonders in this world.
Ah, my petting must have been too gentle.
Kitsu-san presses her back against my palm.
Good good.
-0-
After waiting for a while, Kon-san, ancestor-san, and Youko came so the meeting started.
Kitsu-san reluctantly leaves me, and transforms back to her humanoid form to preside over the meeting.
However, first of all, there is some additional information from ancestor-san about the lottery.
「When I looked into it, it seemed like there were already people who had thought of the mechanism that village chief had suggested earlier. However, it was banned as it turned out to be as bad as we imagined. The information about it was also sealed.」
I see.
So, the danger that ancestor-san and the others noticed is correct.
「In addition, we came up with countermeasures(rules) for it just in case but I found there are already rules for it. From limiting the sales of the lottery, limiting the price, limiting the content, controlling the purpose of the lottery, limiting the use of god, and so on. You can see how they’ve thought of it in detail.」
Ancestor-san brought out a stone tablet with the words “top secret” engraved on it.
It seems to be around 2000 years old.
Underneath the words “top secret”, the rules of the lottery are engraved in detail.
I can certainly see how hard they worked after seeing those details.
「For the time being, let’s use this as a standard. We will not sell lottery tickets though. If there are similar activities, please let me know so that we can use this tablet as the basis for cracking them down.」
Ancestor-san asked Youko.
Youko nodded in agreement.
So this will be the basis huh. However, what’s with the names lined up at the bottom of the tablet?
…..
By the way, can we keep this tablet over here?
「This is sealed information so I guess that would be trouble.」
Youko protested to ancestor-san’s answer.
「Are you telling me to memorize all of these?」
After some discussion, we decided to keep a copy.
I asked them if I would be the one who’ll carve a similar stone tablet but I was wrong.
It’s a stone tablet with letters engraved on it.
In other words, if you paint it with ink and press a paper against it, you can make a copy.
I see.
So that’s why it’s a stone tablet.
The ancient people were clever.
Hnn?
Wait a minute.
If we do that…. won’t the letters look like they’re reflected in a mirror?
That isn’t good, right?
I looked at Youko and she looked surprised.
「Village chief, can you read these letters normally? Aren’t these letters already carved in reverse? In short, it is meant to be copied from the start.」
Eh?
Is that so?
When I was told so, I realized that they were indeed mirrored letters.
I was not aware.
That means there won’t be any problem in copying it using ink.
Good.
-0-
Now that the lottery issue was over, a meeting continued in regard to shrine management.
The first major item in the meeting was the question of how to deal with Korin Religion.
It was decided that this shrine will be under Korin Religion’s banner since Niz and Kon, and even Youko, saw no problem with the doctrines of Korin Religion.
The doctrine of Korin Religion is like a set of rules on how to spread religion.
As long as the religion is not too strange, the Korin Religion will accept it.
-0-
The next meeting agenda was what I want to do with the shrine.
The financial problem is already solved by having a part of the taxes turned over to them but I don’t think they would mind having their own source of income.
I was quite alarmed by the lottery but I did my best to present it.
First, fortune.
I told them about a draw lots containing papers with “great luck”, “luck”, or “bad luck” written on them indicating their present fortune.
It’s not an oracle or anything like that but getting a great luck will usually make people happy and a bad luck will alert them to the fact that they have drawn bad luck.
Also, even if they draw bad luck, it is just their luck at the time they draw it and I think they can handle it if we say that it shows that you will be lucky afterwards.
I explained this but ancestor-san looked like he was thinking deeply.
「I think there’s a demand for that. However, who will be the god that will give the judgment?」
Judgment is such a big word.
Youko was also thinking.
「For criminals, death penalty should be imposed if they committed violent crimes. If they get “great luck”, won’t it be a problem if his life is spared….?」
Niz….
「If you get bad luck, there’s a possibility of resenting gods….」
Now I’m worried.
Ehto, no.
I guess it’s too close to gods.
Let’s move to the next one then, charms.
I was thinking of health or study charms.
When I said that, ancestor-san backed it up.
「If it’s about charms, most shrines have them.」
I see.
Then, there’s nothing to worry about, right?
Youko said something but it’s not basically against it.
「This is my suggestion, don’t tell them what the benefit of the charm is.」
I tilted my head.
What’s the point of a charm if you don’t say its benefit?
Niz answered my question.
「By wearing a charm, you can feel closer to god. That’s enough.」
Is that so?
「Even if we don’t tell them, the god’s authority is well known. Serpent god is money luck. Fox god is easy delivery. What a believer seeks is up to him. However, believing in god because it brings good fortune is not a good attitude. It is basically saying there is benefit in believing god.」
I see.
That’s true.
So, there’s nothing wrong with selling charms to people.
If that is the case, I would love charms to be made…..
Is there a special ceremony for making charms for each god?
Ancestor-san answered that question with a slightly puzzled expression.
「There are specialized rituals but no one can prove how correct those rituals are. As for me, I believe that if you make something while praying, the god’s response to your prayer will dwell in it.」
Fumu.
In other words, you are allowed to make it as you wish.
「I think it should be produced in a certain way though.」
Is it safe to say things like production or something?
「You’re making it so it’s production. However, it shouldn’t be against the god you’re seeking.」
Like making a charm of the god of fire by purifying it with water.
It’s true that the effectiveness of the charm may be questionable.
Since the beast gods that are enshrined in the shrine were animals, let’s just make charms that are related to them.
If we have any doubts, we can ask Youko or Niz so I don’t think we will make a mistake.
The question is whether or not the charms that are related to animals will be sought after….
The serpent god is for money, the fox god is for easy delivery.
If you know them, you would want their charms but if you don’t, you wouldn’t.
It’s hard if you don’t know the benefits.
「No, village chief, you don’t need to think so hard. When you give an amulet, you just don’t need to promise anything. There’s no problem with explaining what the god does.」
Really?
「We don’t want the believers to only seek benefits but….gods can’t afford not to gather believers.」
Is that how it is?
「That’s how it is.」
Well then, let’s make some charms and give them to people instead of selling them.
As for the production, let’s just make some as long as it’s within reason.