 | Name | Glimpses of Mysterious Inazuma (I) |
| Type (Ingame) | Quest Item | |
| Family | loc_fam_book_family_1061 | |
| Rarity |  | |
| Description | A collection of Inazuman folk stories transcribed by a traveling writer from Fontaine. Its pages contain a wealth of myths and strange tales passed down orally by people from all over Inazuma. |
| Table of Content |
| Item Story |
| Obtained From |
| Gallery |
Item Story
| The Mysterious Maiden of Genbou A long time ago, there lived an official named Takehiko. Refined and elegant, this young man trained himself assiduously in both the cultural and martial arts, garnering the respect of his peers. One day, while visiting the home of the illness-stricken Emon no Kami, "Chief of the Gate Guard," Takehiko chanced upon the Chief's only daughter, a young lady named Sayohime. In the prime of her youth, Sayohime was as graceful in manner as she was beautiful to gaze upon, her every smile and gesture flowing with innate elegance and natural grace. It was love at first sight for both, and so deeply were they enamored that they secretly pledged their lives to one another behind her father's back, planning to formally propose their marriage as soon as they came of age. The years slipped by, yet before long, rebels began to stir up trouble. Takehiko resolved to follow the Shogunate's orders and join efforts to quell the rebellion. Upon hearing of his decision, Sayohime rushed to meet him. Tearfully, she said: "You will soon depart for the war, with no promise of when you may return. The battlefield is perilous, and I shall be cursed to wait alone. If you truly love me, then stay by my side, and grant me the honor of being your bride. I harbor no grand ambitions for glory, prestige, or wealth, and only wish to spend our lives together, happy, and in health." Afterwards, Sayohime recited a poem on the spot, which may be translated as such: How deep the suffering, how bitter it is to yearn. My sleeves are soaked through with anguished tears. Like autumn's morning dew, I will scatter as dust in the mirror for you. But Takehiko was unswayed by her plea. He replied: "Do not mourn our parting, beloved, it is but temporary. If I lived a thousand lives, for you I would keep my loyalty. We are born into the world in our proper time and age. How could I sit idly by and watch while a war is waged? I will return from battle with victory in my wake, then your hand in eternal union — our marriage — I will take." Having said this, Takehiko gifted to Sayohime a hand mirror of exquisite craftsmanship to be held by her during their wedding. He too bequeathed unto her a poem, which may be translated as such: Though my long quest may have no end in sight, neither does this oath to my future bride. Though the earth may see us a thousand miles apart, we share the same starlight that binds our loving hearts. And so they were separated; and so did months pass. A rumor spread of the defeat of the Shogunate's army, and how many soldiers had been grievously wounded or slain. The news devastated Sayohime, who took ill in her despair, and before long died of a broken heart. Takehiko returned from the war a hero, only to hear of his beloved's tragic passing. Wracked with uncontrollable grief, Takehiko made offerings to her with incense and fruits every single day. However, perhaps because she perished with such intense longing in her heart, burial proved insufficient to lay Sayohime to rest. Instead, she became corrupted by the Abyss, returned to the mortal realm as a demon, and visited Takehiko in the dead of night. Though she retained the youthful beauty of her corporeal visage, her new form had been stripped of vitality. All that remained of the tender hands that used to caress Takehiko's cheeks were bony appendages, darkened by death. Takehiko was a samurai, but the sight of this apparition sent him screaming in fear from his bed. He fled to the riverbank, begging a boatman to save his life by ferrying him across to the other side. By the time Sayohime caught up, no boats remained by the water's edge, so she leapt into the river, her legs turning into fishlike fins, and gave chase. After fleeing to Mt. Yougou, Takehiko, with magic learnt from the bake-danuki, hid himself inside a stone. There were as many stones scattered across Mt. Yougou as there were stars in the heavens. No matter how hard she tried, how could Sayohime possibly hope to find him? Just as she was at a loss, she dropped the hand mirror that Takehiko had gifted to her, all those months ago. It shattered on the ground, its shards all reflecting the stone that Takehiko had hidden himself within. Hugging the stone close, Sayohime wept bitterly as she expressed her undying love for Takehiko. She begged him to remember the oaths he had made to her, but Takehiko was still too frightened to reveal himself. At her wit's end, yet unwilling to be separated from her beloved once more, Sayohime turned herself into a raging ball of flame, consuming both herself and the concealed Takehiko, till they were naught but ashes. After finishing the tale, with great interest my friend asked me what I thought of it. "Speaking from our Fontanian perspective," I answered, "I find it doubtful that Takehiko truly loved Sayohime. The lovers we sing of in our operas are inseparable, even in death. If one should pass, loyalty would drive the other to join them. From Drest and Adsiltia's promise, to the duel in Tancrede et Chariclea, and even the farewell between Coppelius and Coppelia, this trope is a constant. If memory serves, we've an old fable that defines love like so: Even after all flesh, bone, and entrails have been sliced away, I still lie nestled with you in the marrow that remains. Takehiko promised a thousand lifetimes to Sayohime — even if she was corrupted by the Abyss, he should have joined her in eternal slumber. As a proud samurai of Inazuma, Takehiko should know the value of promises and oaths better than any of us." "Well, that's not wrong. In Inazuma, many people see Takehiko as a coward and a traitor to his beloved. However, it is not because he didn't return Sayohime's feelings. Rather, when faced with a demonic entity from the Abyss, Takehiko chose to run and hide inside a stone instead of offering her salvation. In the end, he was revealed by the very mirror he gave to her, and was burned to ashes. I suppose that's karma," my friend said while refilling her cup of tea. She continued, "It is said that this tale was originally inspired by a novel from Liyue. In that story, the protagonist never betrayed their lover, and the two were unable to meet for a long time because of the interference of evil-doers who transformed the girl into a monster and imprisoned her beneath a stone... Well, that's a bit distant from this version of the tale. What I'm more curious about is what'd you do if faced with similar circumstances. Suppose I was turned into a monster by the Abyss, and started haunting you, begging you to keep telling me stories..." "If your first instinct after being turned into an Abyssal monster was to come find me for storytime, that'd mean you were completely fine. After all, you're much more of a handful than Sayohime was in the story. Anyway, Miss Usa... I just so happen to have finished this cup of tea. Would you mind getting me a refill?" |
Obtained From
Shop
| Name |
| Kuroda Shop |
| items per Page |
|
its sethos