13 Club 4

Reserved for Easy Going Scans. Do not use without my permission.

Page 1
Story 4: Investigation (Act 2)
Haji: These are---
Haji: Chigira...Hatsumi-kun's ashes and his possessions.
Haji: The diary and self-defense equipment he used before his death...
SFX: *Grip!*

Page 2
Natsumi: Becoming like this...
Natsumi: To think that he really died...!
Harumi: Haji-san...was it?
I apologize for speaking like this, as I have had a throat ailment in the past...
(Note to typesetter: she should use a different font to show that she speaks in a strange way)

Page 3
Natsumi: Brother...!
Haji: ...No, don't worry about it.
Harumi: When I heard about it on the phone, I did not really think it was true...
Harumi: But seeing his remains like this,
The truth is starting to sink in.
Harumi: Brother's death I mean---

Page 4
SFX: *Creak*
SFX: *Creak*
Harumi: ...But,
Harumi: I have come to a decision.
We shall hold his funeral tomorrow.
Harumi: Haji-san...if it is convenient for you, would you like to attend?
Haji: Ah...yes, if I may...

Page 5
Harumi: ...Brother will be pleased.
Harumi: Then I need to get a room ready...
Someone---
Natsumi: !
Natsumi: Harumi nee-sama.
Natsumi: ...
I will show him around.
Harumi: ...I see.
Then please so, Natsumi-san. TN: Sisters usually do not call each other -san, as it makes them too distant.

Page 5
Natsumi: This way.
Natsumi: Please be careful, as this is an old house.
Haji: ...This is amazing.
Haji: It's filled with treasures.
Natsumi: ...No, the really important things are shut in the storehouse.
Natsumi: ...This is the room.
Natsumi: There is one more room in the back, so feel free to use it as a bedroom.

Page 6
Haji: ...There's no need! This room will be enough.
Haji: But how many rooms are there in this house?
Natsumi: Around 20, if the detached house is included.
Haji: Detached?
Natsumi: ...Yes. Our mother uses it.
Natsumi: She is mentally ill, and is there to recuperate...
Haji(thought): ...
Natsumi: ...By the way, um...
Natsumi: What was brother like over there...?

Page 7
Natsumi: He left our home ten years ago...
Natsumi: And since he never contacted us...I was worried.
Haji: ...I see.
So you offered to show me around in order to ask me that.
Natsumi: Ah...
Haji: ...He was a good man.
Haji: He was very nice to girls, and had a strong sense of justice.
---Over there, even though he was part of a questionable mercenary group, he got along well with everyone.

Page 8
Haji: ...Well, he was a pretty virtuous guy.
Natsumi: ...
Natsumi: I see.
Haji: By the way, this a rather awkward question, but Chigira...
No, Hatsumi-kun, why did he leave this house?
Natsumi: !
Haji: Haha...
If it were me, I wouldn't even think about leaving such a mansion.
Natsumi: ...To tell you the truth, he did not agree with sister about the future of our home...
Haji: With Harumi-san?
Natsumi: ...Yes. She is a person who values customs and traditions.

Page 9
Natsumi: ---In our family, it is a custom for the younger sister of the eldest son to help with the family business.
Natsumi: But brother, just like father, hated following customs...so...
Haji: ...Sorry, seems like I made you remember something unpleasant.
Natsumi: No, it's alri---
!
SFX: *Pat*
Haji: Don't lose heart, Natsumi-san.
Please let me know if there's anything I can help with.
Natsumi: ---!!

Page 10
Haji: ...!
Natsumi: P...please stop it...!
Natsumi: E...excuse me...!!
Haji: Ah...
Haji(thought): ...Was it regrettable I wonder.
Box: ---That night, I thought about Chigira once again.
Box: Huge mansion--- lack of freedom... Not getting along well with the eldest daughter... About exactly why he planned to come back again after leaving here.

Page 11
Box: Next morning
Harumi: Arrange to have it delivered in the afternoon.
Woman: Understood.
Harumi: Oh? Are you going out?
Haji: Yes. I need to do a bit of shopping in town.
Harumi: I see...The funeral is in the evening, so please come back by then...
Haji: I got it.
Harumi: And also, I have a few things I want to ask about Hatsumi-san...

Page 12
Haji: As long as I know the answers to them...
Haji: ...Then, after the funeral is over, if you have time...
Harumi: ...That is fine.
There will only be our family customary practice left after that.
Harumi: It will last until late at night,
But if you are fine with it...
Haji: ...Yes.
Harumi: Then please do not forget.

Page 13
Clerk: Thank you very much---
Haji(thought): Tie, gift for the funeral...
Haji(thought): I don't have a suit...but oh well.
Haji: ...Ok, did I forget anything---
SFX: *Scratch*

Page 14
Haji: Fix me up a bit. Lightly will do.
Man: Sure thing.
Man: I haven't seen your face before, so are you by any chance the guest at Chigira-san's place?
Haji: Yeah. How did you know?
Man: Yesterday, a resident told me about it.
Haji(thought): ...News travels fast in the boonies.
Man: ...So, about Hatsumi-san's death---
Haji: Yeah, I'm a friend of his. I came to deliver his remains.
Man: Sigh...so it's really true.
Side: Knock on wood
Haji: ? Is there something going on in their home?

Page 15
Man: Well, you're the customer...
Man: But please don't tell other people that I told you anything.
Man: As you can see, this town is not doing well.
I heard that when my old man was still alive, this place was pretty prosperous.
Man: The previous generation---no, Hatsumi-san is dead now, so two generations ago, of the Chigira family head...
Man: Apparently made a blunder.
Because of that, the town is like this now.
Haji: Is the Chigira family really that influential?
Man: In Taisho's Meiji period, they were powerful and dominated the town's economy. TN: Taisho was from 1912 to 1926.
Whether it be fishery, or production of goods---
Man: My old man said that manufacturing was definitely left solely to Chigira-san.

Page 16
Man: ...But,
People say the Chigiras have a strange custom.
Haji: Custom...?
Man: I think it was called "Monoimi".
It's when the family head needs to change, all the females relatives gather together and predict who would have the strongest business abilities.
Man: Rumor has it, two generations ago, they made a mistake in the predictions...
The next family head is supposed to be the second son, Akihito-san, but...who knows.
Haji(thought): ...Predictions...?
SFX: *Snap*
Haji: Uwah!?
Man: Hey, I'm done. How is it?
Haji: ...

Page 17
Haji: Thanks for the interesting story.
By the way, are there any sightseeing spots around here?
Haji: I have a bit of time on my hands.
Man: Sights huh... We don't really have anything like that...
Man: ...Oh yeah.
Man: There is a stone used to enshrine a god over at the mountain side.
It's called "Otobiki Stone". TN: Otobiki means "music-playing"
Man: They say that way back when, people used to play ancient Shinto music and dance there in order to invite the god.
Man: See, it's that one.
Man: I think you can get there in about 30 minutes by foot.
Haji: ...Thanks.

Page 18
Haji: ...Th...this is certainly...
Not meant for sightseeing...
Haji: The path is pretty twisted too...

Page 19
Haji: ...Woah...
Box: XX Prefecture Cultural Historical Site - Otobiki Stone ~It is believed to have been made before the Tumulus period.
It was a stone made to worship the god, and rituals were performed here.
Box: The origin of the name "Otobiki" comes from the ancient Shinto musical ceremonies.
Haji(thought): ...Seems just like a normal stone no matter how you look at it.
Kudan: Apparently it used to be called "Hotobiki Stone" in the past.
Haji: !!

Page 20
Kudan: ---Haji-san, was it?
What a coincidence.
Haji: Y...you are...Kudan-san, from yesterday?
Haji: I came here this morning.
Haji: Did you come to even places like this to collect "strange stories"?
Kudan: Yes.
Kudan: Legends and forklores are treasure troves for such stories.
For instance, the rock that your back is facing right now...
Haji: !!

Page 21
Kudan: About ten years ago, a human skeleton was discovered under the rock.
Kudan: People say that maybe the name came from "Hotobiki" rather than "Otobiki".
Haji: Hotobiki...
You say?
Kudan: "Hoto" is a word in Old Japanese---it refers to the female sexual organs.
Kudan: And I believe "hiki" here does not mean "to play", but rather, "to saw".
In other words---
Kudan: During those ceremonies, women were offered as sacrifices and chopped up---
Is what happened.
Haji: !!

Page 22
Haji: Wh...what are you saying, Kudan-san.
Haji: Don't surprise me like that...
Kudan: Kukuku...my apologies.
I was joking.
Haji: ...
Kudan: By the way, Haji-san, where are you staying?
Haji: Ah, the house of my friend that I mentioned before---
Haji: ---Look, you can see it from here. It's that mansion.
Kudan: I see...I was thinking of staying at the inn in front of the station,
But it was out of business.
Haji: That is unfortunate...
Do you know what to do?
Kudan: ...If you are able to help me,
It would be much appreciated.

Page 23
Haji: Which reminds me, about the story I heard yesterday, did it happen in this area?
Kudan: Yes...it kind of went like this...
On New Year's Eve, there was a visitor was at the house of a ruined merchant.
Kudan: The guest was physically attractive, so the daughter of the house took a liking to him.
That night, they shared the same bed.
Kudan: "It hurts, it hurts!"
...Secretly listening to the exchanges in the bedroom, the parents heard the daughter's voice.
Kudan: They dismissed it as pain from her loss of virginity.
Kudan: However, the next morning,
Only the daughter's head and arm remained. The rest have all been eaten.

Page 24
Kudan: While the family mourned for the loss...
Something mysterious happened. Sales improved, and the merchant became the wealthiest in the area.
Haji: So it was exchange for the daughter's life. How unpleasant.
Kudan: Yes...and there are all manners of rumors for events after that.
The last portion of the text was---
Haji: ...Oh. We're here, Kudan-san.
Natsumi: Ah, Haji-san, welcome back.
The funeral will begin in one hour.
Natsumi: ...And that person is---
Haji: He's an acquaintance of mine.
I happened to come across him, and since he has nowhere to stay, if it's not too much trouble---
Natsumi: !

Page 25
Box: "Was the invited guest
A god,
Box: Or a demon---?"