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I’ve never been there before but I heard that there’s a fountain in Central Square right in the middle of the town. But there is also a square in every Section center, and each also contains a fountain. Their size is only about half of that in Central Square, though.
The Reincarnators Association is located in the Northeastern Section, and the Men’s Club is in the Southeastern Section. I live in the Eastern-east Section but I can reach whichever destination I want to go to just by going straight on the road in front of the house and turning a little.
I could also reach the two markets if I walked the same way, but this is my first time coming to the Eastern Section’s central square ever since I came to this world for a month now.
Normally, isn’t there a market in squares? People gather in the square and shops are lined up in such a place. I came here to see thinking that it’s going to be like that but there’s not a single establishment in the square. It was just an excessively spacious place with a fountain.
It has been one month since I came here and rain never fell even once. The sky was always a hazy blue, and the night was pitch-dark as always. I wonder where the water comes from? And I started finding it suspicious.
There is a well in every garden. It’s not a shared well but an individual well in each house. Saine never warned me about using water, and he also takes a bath every day.
Also, there’s a fountain in the square.
What’s up with this world’s water? I have no memory of my past life as always but I know about the water there. A stream is formed from rainfall. Underground water is formed.
Rain doesn’t fall so why does the water not dry out?
I found it mysterious as I approach the fountain. Water was vigorously spouting upwards. Water splashes up near the fountain, and when I breathe in, it feels somewhat refreshing. I closed my eyes taking deep breaths, I looked at the center of the fountain and my feet stopped.
There was a person in the fountain. Not a fish but a person. He’s diving as if searching for something, comes up for air, and then once again dives in.
[What are you doing?]
After repeatedly diving into the fountain and coming up for air, I asked the man who was grabbing the edge of the fountain. The soaked man looked up at me. He was a mesmerizingly handsome guy. He has sparkling blond hair, clear blue eyes, and white skin, he’s quite an unfamiliar guy.
[It’s none of your business.]
The blond hottie coldly tells me off. I’m used to the bluntness thanks to Saine but it still pricks my heart a bit.
Oh well, certainly, there’s nothing I can do to help.
[Are you looking for something? Can I help you?]
The big brother intently looked at me and came out from the fountain.
I think there was a term, damned good looking. I think that describes him.
All the men in this world are bigger than me but this brother is more than a head taller than me. But his body isn’t bulky like Saine’s. His neck and arms are thicker than mine but not to Saine’s extent. What kind of work does he do?
While wringing the hem of his wet clothes, the big brother intently looks down at me.
The clothes he’s wearing also look high-class. Everybody here generally wears similar clothing. My clothes are also the same. Dry earth-colored shirt and trousers. But this big brother is wearing long clothes. The cloth also appears to feel soft to the touch.
If this big brother was waiting in the Summoning Ceremony, most women will probably be delighted. That’s how appealing he looks. Yeah. Compared to the middle-aged men in the market, he’s most definitely preferable. We’re both men but I also think the same.
[A Reincarnator?]
He scoffingly said.
Muh. He looks good but he’s kind of haughty? But even that suits him.
[You’re right, but how can you tell?]
[Even an idiot can tell when looking at you.]
His eyes are scornful.
Well, I can guess what he’s trying to say. Looking at me and Haruka, no one will think that we’re born here. Even Kent and Duke who have the same physique as them can be detected, so I totally can’t deceive them.
[So the Ceremony failed.]
Oh, he sneered. He didn’t smile, he sneered.
[It may have failed but it’s not Saine’s fault. He absolutely would have never fallen asleep.]
A male Reincarnator is the result of a failed Ceremony, and the cause of that failure will be the one who is having the Ceremony so, in other words, it will become Saine, the husband’s, fault. The reason would seem to be that Saine didn’t take the Ceremony seriously or that he fell asleep.
But I can’t imagine Saine doing such an easygoing thing. I can tell from living with him for a month but, Saine is quite an efficient guy. He’s an early riser, he won’t eat until I’m seated, and he never leaves his clothes scattered around after taking them off. How do I say it, he lives cleanly. That’s why it’s hard for me to imagine Saine’s dozing off appearance.
I am certainly a failure from the Ceremony but I have to make it clear that it wasn’t Saine’s fault. That’s why I may have looked up and glared at the big brother a little but he doesn’t care at all.
Well, it makes sense. You probably wouldn’t mind being glared at by someone shorter than your shoulders.
[Saine? Is he your husband?]
Oh, shoot. It might’ve been better if I didn’t mention his name. Male Reincarnators are shameful after all. I was worried that I lowered Saine’s reputation, but the big brother didn’t seem to care at all and continued.
[The failure of a Ceremony is the priests’ fault. It has nothing to do with the guy spectating in the background.]
I’m relieved to hear that. I was the one who came out at the Ceremony and was a bit worried about Saine. It looks like I can get some good information today.
[Which priests did the Ceremony?]
[What do you mean?]
[The Ceremony. Which family summoned you?]
Even if he asks me, I have totally no idea. The Ceremony is performed by priests but is it done by clans?
[There should have been a symbol drawn on the floor, you don’t remember?]
[A symbol……? Now that you mention it, there was something with a white outline.]
[White, huh…… That must be the Kanryuu.]
The big brother laughed upon saying so. This time, he’s giving off a ridiculing vibe.
[You and your husband were unlucky. The Kanryuu’s Ceremony’s success rate is low. Even though it’s low, they excessively stand out.]
[Are there a difference in skills when performing the Ceremony?]
[Of course, there is. The white crest symbolizes the Kanryuu Family and the red symbol belongs to the Dorius Family. The blue crest is from Seiga, and the black crest is from Daryss. There are others but if it’s in the Eastern Section, these four families perform the Ceremonies.]
[Ohh, brother, you’re so well-informed.]
The big brother slightly puffed up his chest when I was amazed and he continued to explain.
[There are 47 Priests in this entire town. There are 8 Priest households when you combine the North, South, East, and West Sections.]
[Are 4 of them in the Eastern Section?]
[The eight households each have territories. Only the four households that I mentioned earlier have territories in the Eastern Section, and it doesn’t mean that these four households only perform Ceremonies in the Eastern Section. The red-crested Dorius has Ceremonial spaces in all four Major Sections.]
[Ceremonial space……]
[It’s the place where you were summoned. A Ceremony is held by the family. Although there are 47 people with the rank of a Priest, you don’t necessarily have to be one if you want to assist in the Ceremony. As long as you belong in the same household, as well as have the knowledge and the strength.]
[By strength, do you mean the power to summon a Reincarnator?]
[That’s right. Simply chanting some words isn’t enough. They pull them in with power. That power resides in the blood and in order to use it well, one will need knowledge and experience. Even if one is born in a Priest’s household, he cannot obtain the title of a Priest without accumulating training and passing the tests. Conversely speaking, someone who isn’t a Priest will have insufficient strength, experience, and knowledge.]
[If many of them are so insufficient, won’t the Ceremony not go well?]
You’re talking nonsense. When I looked up at the big brother in astonishment, he laughed lightly and also looked down at me.
It pleasant. It feels the same as when Saine laughed. When a person who rarely laughs does so, the score immediately scales high up.
[That’s why the Ceremony that the white-crested Kanryuu Family fails a lot. There may be 15 people performing the Ceremony but only four of them are actual Priests.]
[What the heck is that!?]
I unintentionally shouted.
No, that, it will fail for sure.
[The one with the highest success rate in the Eastern Section currently is red-crested Dorius. They have 7 Priests alone. That’s why even if the Apprentice Priests are included, they can perform the Ceremony with only 10 people.]
[Uwaah… I can never tell Saine that.]
The Ceremony’s failure was bound to happen. There’s no way I can tell him that. That white-crested clan, he’ll definitely kill them all.
[I mean, doesn’t everyone know that? People normally converge on places with the good success rate, right?]
[He doesn’t know. The Ceremony list is being managed by officials, and the officials will discuss with the Priest Guild which household will hold the Ceremony. The townsfolk cannot assign the Priests to perform the Ceremony and, in the first place, they don’t know the Priest Guild’s arrangements.]
[Why do they perform the Ceremony even if it fails? If they know it’s hopeless, they should stop.]
[They can’t stop. Even the Officials want to ask the places with high success rates. If a man like you appears, it would provoke the anger of the man having the Ceremony, and once people like that increase then dissatisfaction will erupt. That’s why they honestly don’t want to hand it over to the white crests.]
The big brother wrings his long hair and the water drips.
[But, Ceremonies need stamina. No matter how high the success rate is, it can’t be done in succession. The three households can’t continuously do it after excluding the white crest. Even if the frequency of the Ceremony is reduced, there’s no difference in the number of complaints.]
This man is very handsome but is he not interested in his own face? The big brother took off his coat and hung it on his shoulder after wringing the water out.
It’s just a matter of course but he’s really manly. Or rather, he’s rough. Or rather, he’s rough.
[Nobody knows this but 10% of the 1 million ales needed for the Ceremony go to the Priest Guild. And then the officials get 10%, the Head Priest gets 10%, and the remaining 70% goes to the household who performed the Ceremony.]
[……The reason why they keep on performing the Ceremony is because of money?]
[That’s how it is.]
The big brother laughed ironically and left.
