Chapter 9.1

The one to tell Seishin of Mutou Tohru's death was Naka-Sotoba's manager old man Koike. 

"The Office's Manager's place's oldest son died," Koike came all the way to the temple to say.

"The office manager---Mutou-san, is it? Tohru-kun?"

"That's right. Junior Monk, what on earth is happening in this village?" Asked by Koike, Seishin was at a loss for a response. "I'm thinking aren't there too many deaths. Not just deaths. Even my son---" At that, Koike's mouth closed. "I, in all my years of living, hadn't seen anything as strange as this before now. Too many people are dying, too many people are going. This strangeness has been going on too long to think of as normal. Until now, the village had been the same as ever. What's happening to the village these days? Doesn't the Junior Monk think so too?"

"....That is true."

"The Junior Monk must know that there are rumors it's an epidemic."

"I have heard."

"As for whether it's true or what, what do you think?"

"I cannot know."

"They say there's something wrong with the Kanemasa's wife and daughter, don't they? We can't go thinking that that's spread to the folks in the village, eh?"

Seishin's brows furrowed. "That is not possible. Kirishiki-san's wife and daughter have a collagen disease called SLE. A collagen disease is not contagious."

"Then, the story that Kanemasa's doing something."  Seishin stared back at old man Koike's openly angry face. "It's the people of Kanemasa. It's been weird since they moved in. It's not just me, everyone's saying it."

"That is... unrelated, isn't it? Since they had moved in, so it is said but in truth the deaths had been occurring since before Kirishiki-san had moved in."

"I'm not just talking about the deaths. I'm talking about what's strange in this village. This village has started being out of sorts since that house was built up on the Kanemasa property in the first place."

"Koike-san," Seishin looked into old man Koike's eyes. "When you say out of sorts what, concretely, are you refering to?"

Koike was silent.

"I too will acknowledge that the village is strange. It is certainly true that there have been too many deaths, and that there may be a cause. But it is not related to Kirishiki-san is it? The family had moved in after the string of deaths had begun. I will also acknowledge that there are many moves. And an exceeding number of incomplete transfers. I cannot say what is strange or how, but they are not ordinary moves, and they are continuing is certain, I believe.  And with Koike-san's case being the tip of the brush, it is certain that something is strange. I will even acknowledge that the Kanemasa's house is strange. I will even acknowledge that Kirishiki-san and his family are eccentrics. However, what connection are you saying there is between Kirishiki-san living in a strange house and deaths and moves?"

"No... that's."

"How are you saying that they are connected? What are you saying that Kirishiki-san can do? Those who are gone were not by any means killed by anybody. It is clearly a disease. Kirishiki-san's wife and daughter are indeed afflicted with a disease but it is not one that can spread to others. It is futile to seek a connection. Even those people who had moves were by no means kidnapped by anybody."

"That's, it's true, but."

"I am begging with you to please think rationally. I understand that you are despondent but if Koike-san speaks of things thusly, the people of the village will end up believing it."

"This... wasn't," Koike averted his eyes. "really about my son in particular."

So Koike said but from Seishin's view it was clear that he was being influenced by the shock of being abandoned by his son. He wanted to make that somebody's fault, intending to make the Kirishiki household that had moved in from elsewhere bear that burden. It looked like a step towards unreasonable ostracization. 

"At any rate, for now let us focus on Mutou-san's family."

Koike murmured Aa dejectedly. "Right, that's what I came to consult with you about. I had heard from Mutou-san, but the family are parish members?"

Seishin nodded. "Yes. At Mutou-san's mother's thirty second death anniversary, he wishes to transfer her grave site to here."

Seeking the temple's approval to transfer the gravesite, the family entered into the parish. But, Seishin thought. Wasn't she likely cremated? Those of the village were particular about burials. They had a strong resistance to cremation. But, the Mutou family weren't originally those of the village. Until now they had cremated their dead. So they shouldn't have been opposed to it. They would probably be more comfortable with cremation, he thought.

"What shall we do about the burial? Until now they had cremated, and we can allow a grave for depositing ashes."

"No, it's going to go according to the village customs. Seems the Ozaki's Junior Doctor suggested that it'd be better to do it like they always had, though, but the wife said since they're here now..."

Seishin nodded. When Mutou had sought a grave plot, he had originally intended as much. As a member of the village, whatever may come he would leave it in the hands of the Mourning Crew and bury the body in the graveyard, thinking to thusly fully take root in the village. Mutou probably understood the circumstances, so he could be pursued to agree to cremation but he hesitated to push it too strongly now after the fact.

"In things like this, it'll be going all according to custom. I'll be asking you to go with a fitting posthumous name and to tend to the bedside sutras. The overnight vigil is today, and the service tomorrow, we can do it before noon as usual I was thinking?"

"...Very well."