The Bride Of The Sacred Forest God
Chapter 8. Before the Task Begins

After Ryuunosuke stopped crying and wiped away his tears, he grabbed Reda's hand and took her around leaving the other four servants still sitting glued in place.

As soon as the little fox left, the four maids just started saying the thing that was on their minds.

“I can't believe I'm going to see a scene like that. You see what that village girl did to Ryuunosuke?” kuroto

“I see. He continued to rub the head and tail of the little fox until he stopped crying. No human has ever wanted to do that so far.” Hakuren answered

“In addition..” Kuroto see the back of Nagi and Ginko. It was clear that the tails of the two fox demons were constantly swaying. “You didn't think of getting that elusan from a human girl, did you? Two foxes on this one?”

Nagi and Ginko instantly returned to their senses and their tails started to tense up.

“Si–si–who said we both wanted to be treated like that?! No kidding! Where could we possibly want to be stroked by human hands that smell fishy like her!”

“Nagi, don't talk like that. Hakuren, Kuroto, I can swear that this is not what you think!”

Seeing Ginko trying to defend themselves proves that they do want him too. Both men realized it.

“They want also apparently”

“They must be envious of Ryuunosuke. Trust me”

Both Hakuren and Kuroto chose not to say it. The two tengu stood up and took all the broken shoji.

“We replace all these doors first. The affairs of the village girl let it be the responsibility of Ryuunosuke”

Hakuren went to take the shoji back with Kuroto, while Nagi and Ginko were still sitting in his place.

“Again, are you okay?”

“I'm fine, right?! Why talk like that?”

“I think you think of that village girl as well.”

“Hah! How could I think of it!” Nagi tried to deny. But honestly, he thought about the girl as well.

There was a sentence that made him very amazed to this day.

[From now on we will fight, Ryuunosuke. We are fighting for Aragaki-sama to smile again huh]

The last sentence said by him was a sentence that quite touched the heart of Nagi who was a demon.

“For 200 years, no human would want to notice Aragaki-sama who never smiles at humans. He could say that and treat Ryuunosuke as well as that. Is this a good sign?”

The thought began to take control of Nagi a little. He remembered what the girl named Reda had said.

[I've promised Ryuunosuke to fight together so that Aragaki-sama will look at me a little while I am your servant. We promise to fight together]

[If I die now, then that means I have reneged on my promise and the Gods will not accept my spirit back to the afterlife. Even if my spirit is accepted, I have reneged on my promise with Ryuunosuke and it will make him sad. She would probably remember that and turn around to hate me]

Nagi looked at Ginko who had stood up.

“Ginko..”.

“Ya?”

“I...maybe a little hope on the girl..”.

“Again?”

“I understand he's human and I still hate him. Don't get me wrong!”

“Again, exactly what does i–” say

“Only, this is the first time I have heard there is a candidate ‘bride’ who wants to try for our master,” Nagi looks serious and looks at Ginko with a confident look while saying “Doesn't that mean we still have a little hope for Aragaki-sama as well?”

Ginko was surprised to hear that. He felt for the first time, the figure of Nagi who is known to hate and consider low candidates ‘bride’ can say so.

“Nagi, have you started to believe that a human being can remove Nushi-sama's hatred?”

“I can't believe it! I was just thinking.maybe there is at least a speck of hope that Aragaki-sama can be like the old days again.”

“I'm sure Ryuunosuke also wants it though possible.it's very impossible.” Ginko looks so pessimistic about the possibilities Nagi expects

Nagi stood up and immediately forgot what she said.

“Forget it. I think that hope is too high. Once rethought, it was impossible for the hatred of 200 years to be eliminated in just 3 months. That is absolutely impossible. Just forget that false hope and just let the girl live the last 3 months before she dies.”

Nagi picked up some shoji boards and took them out of the room. Ginko who was behind him fell silent.

“I know you were expecting that, Nagi. To be honest, I also hope Reda-sama can do something with all of this. But, as beautiful and as good as she is, she is still human. I don't hate her.but I don't like that country girl either.”.

**

Meanwhile, Aragaki who was in her room kept closing her eyes while sitting down and remembering all the things Reda said during the meeting. He recalled all the sentences and expressions and smiles that appeared on the girl's face.

The thing that was most inherent in his mind was a sentence that made him very upset.

[I don't care if I have to die after 3 months like the others. But, at least I will try to melt the hatred in Aragaki-sama's heart. I will serve Aragaki-sama until there is a human who will be your true love]

The expression the girl gave when saying it was a happy expression with a smile on her lips that made her look disgusted.

“Fall in love with humans, it's impossible. I would never fall in love with a human even though it was her”

“Whatever little Ryuunosuke likes him, I will never forgive their mistakes in the past. Every time I saw a human, I kept remembering the cold corpses and tears that fell from all my servants and followers”

“I tried to save them but they killed the people I loved. Until any time, revenge for this betrayal will never disappear.”

“Even after I allowed them to keep the promise of their other ancestors by bringing the village girl to this place, they tried many times to kill me.”

**

Ryuunosuke happily pulled Reda's hand with his sweet little hand and took her around.

“Reda-sama, this is the kitchen. Ryuunosuke made that rice head here this morning. But, Ryuunosuke secretly made it because Nagi-sama just kept following me.”

“So. thank you very much, Ryuunosuke. After arriving at the hut later, I will eat the rest of the rice again.” Say Reda with a smile

Ryuunosuke wagged his tail in delight.

Then, he escorted Reda to another place. Bathrooms, hot spring baths for waiters, special places for Aragaki, reading rooms, changing rooms and gardens as well as laundry and finally Aragaki's room.

“In front there is a room belonging to Aragaki-sama.”

Reda's attention was diverted to a large sakura tree that continued to bloom.

“Ryuunosuke, is that cherry tree Aragaki-sama's favorite tree?”

“The tree is named sakura thousand hopes.”

“Sakura thousand hopes?”

“Then, the tree only grows once a year. But 200 years ago, after the events that occurred between the ancestors of Kamakura village and us, many of our friends died.”

“In that grieving day, the cherry tree finally grew and until now it never stopped blooming.”

“There is a saying that the cherry blossoms are the spirits of all our friends and family who died 200 years ago. I heard that the cherry blossoms are blooming in order to treat the sadness and sorrow that Aragaki-sama has.”

Reda who heard that felt very touched.

“The tree is proof of the love of all those who have died to Aragaki-sama and in the night when I came, Aragaki-sama was also looking at that cherry tree. I hope I can make Aragaki-sama smile back.”

Ryuunosuke pulls Reda's hand back to walk and meets Aragaki back.

“Aragaki-sama, Ryuunosuke came with Reda-sama back. We want to meet you.”

Ryuunosuke knelt in reverence, as did Reda. Aragaki did not see them in the slightest.

The little fox's ears came down and his tail began to sway weakly a sign he was sad. Ryuunosuke held onto Reda's hand to get her up and away, but Reda held her back for a while.

“We say goodbye to Aragaki-sama first, Ryuunosuke.”

“Aragaki-sama does not want to see Ryuunosuke.” The little fox looked very sad, but the girl gave him a smile and prostrated herself to Aragaki.

“Aragaki-sama, tomorrow I will serve Aragaki-sama. I asked for his guidance for these 3 months. Please help.”

“Reda-sama..”.

“Ryuunosuke too, let's say hello to Aragaki-sama.” Reda smiles at Ryuunosuke and asks him to give his master a greeting. With a smiling expression, Ryuunosuke greeted.

“A–Aragaki-sama, Ryuunosuke and Reda-sama will fight. Please help.”

Aragaki started to open her mouth.

“Ryuunosuke..”

“Yes?!”

“Bring that dirty girl away from this place.”

That sentence actually pierced Reda's heart deeply. Ryuunosuke is also sad to hear, but Reda asks Ryuunosuke not to defend her and obeys Aragaki's orders.

The two men left from before Aragaki after paying their respects. Ryuunosuke held onto Reda's hand and pulled her back to take her around.

After being content to drive around until nightfall, Ryuunosuke escorted Reda back to the hut inside the forest.

“Reda-sama, here there is no light. Tomorrow morning, I'll bring you some more clothes, breakfast and some candles and oil for the light here yes.”

“It's okay, Ryuunosuke. Everything will be fine.”

Ryuunosuke suddenly hugged Reda while crying.

“Hiks..pardon Aragaki-sama yes. Hiks..Ryuunosuke does not want Reda-sama to be hurt because of the hurtful speech from Aragaki-sama.”.

“I'm fine, Ryuunosuke. I don't feel hurt. Look at me, I'm smiling.” Reda showed a very beautiful smile to the little fox. Seeing that, Ryuunosuke smiled again.

“Tomorrow we fight, Reda-sama!”

“Umm, tomorrow let's fight Ryuunosuke! For the sake of making Aragaki-sama smile and become the master Ryuunosuke had hoped for just like before.”

Ryuunosuke ran back inside the main residence leaving the girl alone. Inside the hut, Reda lifted up her clothes that she was drying this afternoon and picked up the leftover rice she had brought the little fox with her at lunch.

While eating it, tears suddenly came out.

“Why...i cried?”

Unwittingly, Reda remembers the sentence Aragaki said to her.

[Ryuunosuke, don't be too high when praising ‘sampah’]

[Bring that dirty girl away from this place]

Unconsciously her tears kept coming out and in that night, all the sadness and pain from the insults she received came out in the form of tears. Reda sobbed until the rice in her hand was wet with tears.

****