I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Extra Chapter 3
1-3. Uchikage-Ojichan
Before the Oni Castle Second Palace.
After passing through the grand main gate and greeting the guarding Onis, climbing several staircases will lead you to where you can meet him.
The traditional Japanese-style mansion is an impressive sight even from the outside, with its strict architectural design.
However, young children don’t fully appreciate its value.
I open the lattice door of the entrance and remove my shoes.
“Excuse me!”
“Ah, wait-, please be patient, Yuuzen.”
“Ehehe!”
I placed the basket I was carrying on my head and ran down the hallway. After passing through the veranda and turning a few corners and sliding doors, I stop in front of a room and slide open the door.
This is the room known as the Shiroshoin, essentially a workroom.
The room is designed in the traditional Japanese shoin-zukuri style, with shelves and a tenbukuro, unlike the usual hanging scrolls.
In the center, an elderly man is sitting. There are several scrolls and sheets of washi paper stacked beside him, which he picks up to examine the contents. If necessary, he will rewrite with a brush or store them in a lacquered box designed for this purpose.
The old man raises his slightly long white hair. His single, beautiful horn is also somewhat lengthy. The deep wrinkles on his face tell you he’s an elderly Oni, but his eyes still seem to hold a youthful vigor.
He has a slim physique, and though he may not look very strong for an Oni, he possesses the most formidable power in this Oni Village.
The old man is dressed in a navy-blue kimono with the Oni Village’s family crest embroidered on the back. Behind the crest, a long katana and its scabbard are depicted. The circle surrounding them resembles a bell, with a part missing.
Seeing the old man, my expression brightens, and I call out his name.
“Uchikage-Ojichan!”
“Huh? Oh, Yuuzen. Have you come already?”
“It’s been a while!”
“Yes, it has.”
I dive at him enthusiastically, but he catches me effortlessly. He pats my head.
“Yuuzen, how’s your mother?”
“She’ll come later! Let’s play!”
“Oni games can be dangerous. But if it’s you, Yuuzen, it should be fine. So, what should we do? How about fishing? It’s autumn, and it’s the best time for treasure fish. You can still catch some good-sized ones.”
“Fishing! Let’s go!”
“Then, we need to prepare.”
Saying this, Uchikage-Ojichan places all the documents next to him on the desk, separates the scrolls and papers into a tray-like container. He stands up, puts them on a different shelf, and takes off the haori he was wearing, hanging it on a dedicated hanger. Uchikage-Ojichan’s left leg is missing from the knee down, so he wears an iron prosthetic. Apparently, it has a structure that only Uchikage-Ojichan can understand, and he seems to be doing the repairs himself.
At that moment, my mother arrived. She bows lightly and smiles.
“Hello, Uchikage.”
“Oh, hello, Karna. Do you have any troubles? If necessary, you can stay here…”
“It’s alright. If that person has a place to return to, it’s sufficient over there.”
“…As I mentioned before, their seal…”
“Yeah, I know. But it’ll be fine.”
I wonder what they’re talking about. Uchikage-Ojichan looks a bit troubled, but my mother continues to act cheerful. Is it a sad story? I don’t quite understand.
Uchikage-Ojichan takes a deep breath and starts talking as if he’s gathering himself.
“Yuuzen was persistent about wanting to play. I was thinking of going fishing. What about you, Karna?”
“I’ll do some shopping first and then study agriculture. Is it alright to go to the usual rice field?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. However, there was supposed to be harvest work in the field today. It would be good to gain some experience there.”
“Thank you. I’ll go there then. Yuuzen, be a good boy, okay?”
“I will!”
After energetically replying, my mother pats my head and leaves the room, walking down the hallway. Uchikage-Ojichan lets out another sigh but nods and acts cheerfully again.
“Alright, Yuuzen. Let’s go.”
“Yeah!”