Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 50

In a hazy memory, a gray memory, a girl was dancing. She danced in the Keiko-jou (training hall) of the mansion, fan in hand, wearing a white outfit and an eboshi hat, perhaps an imitation of a shirabayashi (a traditional Japanese dance form), and moving her feet, singing and dancing as if she were chirping.

That's right, she is a dancer. In the past, it had a strong meaning as a ritual to seal, purify, or subdue the gods, youkai, or evil spirits. In particular, the dance performed here is one of the seven most influential of the 108 schools recognized by the Imperial Court.

The origin of her dance was a ritual developed by the priestesses of temples and shrines in northern regions to appease and seal off local deities...

The way she dances softly, gracefully, and fluently, but somewhat poorly, suggests that she is not a natural talent in the arts, but that she must have practiced hard over and over again.

Yes. She practiced secretly but desperately. Not for anyone, but just for one person to watch her dance...

Now she stops her formal dance with a final bow and walks over to him who was watching her dance while leaning against a pillar in a corner of the rehearsal hall.

"Hey, hey. How was that?"

"Hmm? Ah... that dance. Was it taught by the dancer who came last time?"

"Yes! Secretly. How was it? Was it good enough for you?"

Enrei-ji Temple, which has a long history in the Northern region, is a temple and shrine belonging to the Renge-sect (憐華宗). The sect's characteristic features of solemnity and splendor also led to the protection of the arts, and thus the temple became the patron of many famous artists, and there are many followers and related people.

In particular, the Renge style of Fusō-kuni dance, which bears the name of its own sect, was especially well protected and promoted due to its practicality in terms of ceremonial significance. In the process of expanding its territory in the northern lands, which were relatively late to be incorporated into the Fusō-kuni, many old deities were disgraced or sealed in the furnace of the spiritual veins, and there is a high demand for people who can engage in ceremonial dance to manage and reinforce the seals.

Now, a renowned dancer, who visited the mansion the other day to practice dance for her sister who was married recently, was also a child of such a temple and a master of the Renge style. Probably, her father had asked the priest to introduce her to a dancer for her sister's training as a part of the donation he had made to the temple. And apparently, the girl secretly asked such a guest for practice and received instruction from her in secret. The result was surprisingly good.

　"Don't get carried away, you brat. ......I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about that. I can't answer if it's good or bad."

　"I know you can't. I'm just asking if you thought the dance was cute?"

　The servant laughs and the girl replies with a slightly sullen expression, partly because she has been treated like a child. The conversation was too casual to be that of a master and servant. It was more like a brother-sister relationship, or a friend of a different age.