A Spectacular Service! All Pray For A Good Harvest!/Story/Chapter Eleven

*“Up next: the weather forecast for today. It’s a sunny, clear day, perfect for spending outdoors, with-“*

*『次はお天気のコーナーです。本日は全国的に快晴のところが多く、過こしやすい一日と―』*

Aren’t you glad we held the service? Listening to me is always the right choice. What else can you expect from a superstar, heh!

オレ様の言った通り、修二会をやってよかっただろ！さすがスーパースター！

You were mostly just running around causing problems, though…

大体面倒ごとしか起こしてないだろ……。

Huh! What’s got you so down in the dumps? This is inexcusable behavior for a bosatsu! Imitate me and keep your chin up, Jizou!

なんだ、疲れた顔をして！ 菩薩ともあろうものが情けない！オレ様を見習って背筋を伸ばせ！

We’re all bone-tired from all that running around to put the fire out yesterday…

昨日の火事騒ぎでみんなヘとへとなんだよ。

Huh, really? They seem to be doing just fine, though. Even better than fine, I’d say.

そうか？ あいつら、結構楽しそうだぞ。

I heard the talk. You played a magnificent oni, didn’t you?

話を聞いた。みごと鬼になったそうだな。

Lord Tamon! How- Why do you know…

多聞様！な、なんで知って……！

I’ve made sure to hear it all down to the finest details. A mask powerful enough to swallow you… it must have been very well-made indeed.

話はしっかり聞いている。お前を飲み込むほどの面……。さぞ出来が良かったのだろう。

I would have liked to see it for myself. It’s such a pity it ended up destroyed.

俺も見てみたかった。壊されたのが惜しいな。

I…! Thank you. Maybe it was worth it going through that whole thing if I could get Lord Tamon to compliment me…

……っ！ありがと。多聞様がそう言ってくれるなら、やった甲斐はあったかな。

As long as it was a good experience for you, Sanshi.

いい経験が出来たなら何よりだ。

The second-month service was a resounding success, thanks to the power of us Twelve Divine Generals. All of you did very well.

みんなも良くやってくれた。修二会が成功したのは、十二神将の力があってこそだ。

Yeah, that was one of the wilder experiences I’ve gone through!

ああ、パネェ経験になったぜ！

So much happened… but I ended up having fun. And Lord Dainichi Nyorai and Lord Jizou Bosatsu both praised us so generously…

いろいろあったけど……楽しかったね。大日如来様にも地蔵菩薩様にも、お褒めの言葉をいただいたし……。

Yup! Now the news that I played the perfect hero is making the rounds, and my popularity should be skyrocketing any moment now ♪

うんうん！これでボクが大活躍したってみいんなに伝わるだろうし、ボクの評価も上がっちゃったかも♪

I don’t know if it’ll have that exact effect, but it will certainly be the talk of the town. We nearly razed the whole temple to the ground because of that torch, you know.

それは分からないが、話題にはなるだろう。松明が爆発して、あやうく賛納寺が すべて燃えてしまうところだったからな。

Aha…ha… Look, I said I was sorry!

あはは―。ごめんごめん。

I had a damn terrible time right until the end thanks to you, Dainichi.

まったく、大日のおかげで最後まで散々な行事だったな。

Huh, you sure about that? The service was a smashing success, the oni chasing festival did exactly what we wanted it to, the huge cloud was vanquished… What more can you ask for, really!

そうか？ 修二会も鬼追いの儀式も成功したし、巨大雲も消えたし万々歳だろう！

Well, I’m glad the prayer for bountiful harvests was heard, at least. You only started on this project because you saw the cloud and knew what it meant, didn’t you?

まぁ、豊作祈願が叶ったのは良かったけどよ。巨大雲の予兆に気付いたから、修二会をやるなんて言い出したんだろ？

Nah. I didn’t really catch on until Mekira brought it to my notice. Aren’t I just the most amazing?

いや？迷企羅に言われるまで、そんなの全然気づかなかったぞ。偶然の産物とはいえ、オレ様は実に冴えてるな！

Huh? This whole idea was just a shot in the dark then? Jeez, it might have magically worked out this time, but put yourself in the shoes of the people getting thrown around at your whims for once, why don’t you? The Twelve Divine Generals and Sanshi all had a hell of a time.

はあ？ってことは、本当に単なる思いつきかよ。今回は別としても、振回される身にもなれよな。十二神将たちも散脂も、大変だったんだぞ。

I know! I know that… I caused a lot of trouble for you this time. But it hurts to hear my plan called a shot in the dark, you know!

……それは分かっている！オレ様だって迷惑かけちゃったしな。だが、思いつきって言われるのは心外だぞ。

Uh-huh. You just wanted to get compliments and be confessed to, didn’t you? I can see right through you.

思いつきじゃないってんなら、何だってんだ。自分が褒められた繊悔されたりってのが、やりたかったんじゃないのか？

That’s not… entirely untrue…! But even I wouldn’t hold a whole service just for that!

ぐっ……それも、あるにはある。だけど、それだけのために修二会をやりたいなんてさすがのオレ様でも言わないぞ！

The second-month service is held with the intention to bring happiness to the people and bountiful harvests to the earth. I said it right at the beginning, didn’t I? That I wanted to hold such a service for such a purpose.

修二会は万民豊楽や五穀豊穣を祈る儀式だ。オレ様最初に言っただろ？ 豊作祈願のための儀式をやるって。

But how’d you know such a thing would even be necessary if you hadn’t caught on to what the huge cloud actually foretold?

でも、大凶作の前触れである巨大雲の発生に気付いてなかったんだろ？

The huge clouds have nothing to do with it. I will pray for bountiful harvests and happy people regardless. For this world is my own creation!

巨大雲があろうがなかろうが、 オレ様が豊作祈願をやらない理由にはならない。なぜなら、オレ様が作った世界のためだからな！

We’ve finally all managed to gather under one roof at Bonnouji. Of course I’d want to do something for the humanity I love and cherish so much!

せっかくこうして賛納寺に来たのだから、オレ様の愛おしい衆生のために何かをしたいと 思うのは当然のことだろう！

Dainichi…

大日……。

Heheh! You see, Jizou? Even I do think seriously about these things ever so often.

ふふん！そうだ、地蔵。オレ様だって、ちゃんと色々考えてるんだぞ。

Yes, yes, as you say. But here’s a thought: if you had these noble intentions since the very start, did it never cross your mind to share them?!

ああ、そうだな。大日の言う通りだぜ。けどよ、そんな理由があるんだったら最初から言ってりゃ良かったんじゃねえか？

For whatever purpose? Isn’t it just common sense that all sentient life is beloved to me? Why would I need to specifically vocalize that? It goes without saying.

なんでだ？すべての衆生が愛おしなんてオレ様にとっては当たり前のことなんだから、わざわざ言わなくてもわかるだろう。

Man, you are such a piece of work…

大日、お前ってやつは……。

And so I’m going to keep doing even more and more things for these lives I hold dear! Consider yourself warned!

ってことで、これからもオレ様は愛おし衆生のために、色々なことをどんどんやっていくぞ―。

Here’s a list I made of everything I plan to do in the near future. Looking forward to your cooperation with all of it!

見てくれ！手始めに、これから やりたいことリストを作ってみたんだ。地蔵、これを全部やっていくから頼むぞ ！

This is just a list of places you wanna sightsee! I don’t have nearly enough energy to hang with you through this whole thing…

はぁ！？やりたいことって、お前……。見るからに観光とか遊びとかばっかじゃねえか！こんなのまで、付き合ってられるかよ。

Hahah! Don’t be such a wet blanket! Come pay your respects to the beautiful world I created!

はっはっは―！! そんな硬いこと言わずに、行くぞ！オレ様の作った衆生を愛でに行くぞ―！