Chapter 770 – Guided to the Shrine
I took timber from the forest near Big Tree Village and carved a statue of the tanuki god using the AFT.
I worked hard without thinking about anything else but I ended up carving a shigaraki yaki tanuki.
When people mention “tanuki figurine”, a big ball sack will come to your mind.
Though I had expected it to some extent, I never thought I would really carve it like this.
Wearing a woven hat, a sake bottle, and a bank book.
Then, what will others think about this?
Maa, let’s just show it to others to hear their opinions.
I asked the lizardmen to take the statue of the tanuki god to the mountain northeast of Village Five where the shrine is located.
「…..r-revealing desu ne.」
TN: It’s basically a naked humanoid tanuki. Similar to a buddha statue in terms of body. Check it in the link above.
By the way, Pon is a man….male I mean.
TN: Finally, someone with gender.
Although he did not blush, his gaze was fixed on the crotch of the statue of the tanuki god.
I guess I made the ball sack* too big.
TN: Yes, that ball sack, testicles.
However, those big ball sacks have a meaning too.
「Is it lots of offspring?」
No, money luck.
The bigger, the better.
By the way, one of the tanukis with Pon is female so she’s blushing.
「The size is not realistic….too big….you can even see everything….ouuu」
……
「Let’s put a front cover to hide it.」
Yeah, do as you wish.
Is there anything else you’d like to fix?
If you want it to be a figurine and not wood carving, I’ll think of a way.
「No, I’ve actually never seen the god so I have nothing to point out. I’m also not particular about the material so…I think it’s fine as it is.」
I see.
Then, for the time being, this will be worshiped as a replacement for a shintai.
By the way, the silver foxes praised it for being charming and friendly.
-0-
Now, while we are at the shrine, let’s check the condition of the silver foxes.
It has been around ten days since they stayed here.
Have they gotten used to the environment?
……….
The silver foxes were all living in one apartment complex.
The red foxes, black foxes, and round-face foxes(tanukis) were also there.
I thought they were being reserved but it turns out that they feel safer when they can see their companions.
I see.
Also….just to confirm, are foxes who can’t transform into humanoids living here?
Inside the apartment complex is a fox heaven.
Everywhere you look, there are foxes.
There were also tanukis and sometimes, humanoid foxes.
Don’t you want to go to the mountain?
You prefer it here since it’s safer?
That might be the case but….
Don’t you find it too small?
You’re fine with it?
Well, once your population increases and it gets too cramped here, you can try moving to the next building.
Though that will be far in the future.
Who’s going to manage the remaining 15 vacant apartment complexes now?
Hnn?
You use the kitchen and toilets of other buildings?
Hahaha, I guess so since there are too many of you.
I don’t mind.
Tell Youko if you need someone to take care of them.
So, what’s with the board at the entrance?
Signboard?
This building you are using is called “First Fox Cottage”, the next one is called “Second Fox Cottage”, and so on.
I see.
I think that’s a good idea.
-0-
There is a big bath and changing room not far away from the apartment complex.
I thought about building a bath for each building but considering the fuel cost, it was decided to just build one for everyone.
It now runs like a public bath and I don’t think it’s bad.
The male and female sections are separated.
However, do the silver foxes even take baths….
「I’m grateful for the bath. It helps me get rid of beast smell.」
「No one dislikes warm water.」
「The children are happily joining us too.」
The foxes who have just taken a bath told us that.
It’s great that they are using it.
I’m sure it takes a lot of time and effort to change hot water but that is something that must be done right.
「Yes. We’ll do our best.」
Good good.
Ah, it’s currently winter.
If you are careless after taking a bath, you might catch a cold.
Wipe your bodies properly and keep your hands warm.
-0-
Next, we moved to the worship hall.
This is the place for worship and praying for the main shrine which is located halfway up the mountain.
The money box will be placed in front of the worship hall and the inside of the hall will be used for ceremonies.
However, there is currently nothing inside the worship hall.
We don’t even know what it needs.
When the big door at the back of the worship hall is opened, you can see the main shrine which is located halfway up the mountain.
It’s quite a view.
Good enough to boast to others.
In order to see this view, the worship hall is built on stilts which makes it higher than the surrounding buildings.
In my miniature, it was supposed to be a one-story building like the dormitory but it was changed to this because you can’t see the main shrine if it stayed at that height.
This is a change made based on on-site judgment.
I told them they were free to make any changes so there was no problem.
However, I think it is a little inconvenient now since the worshippers have to climb the stairs to throw money into the offering box that was installed in front of the worship hall.
The money box should be placed at the bottom of the stairs.
If a roof is installed, it can cover it from rain and there won’t be any problem.
Let’s ask Ria to do that next time.
-0-
We went straight to the shrine next to the worship hall.
It’s a big building.
And inside is divided into small rooms but the small rooms are only on one side of the passage.
As for why, it is said that the gods would not feel comfortable if their rooms were facing against each other like what we did in the apartment complex.
As a result, the wall opposite to the small rooms now can only be used for decoration making the space seem bigger.
It’s not bad.
Well, they only need to be careful not to put too much.
-0-
We look around some smaller rooms.
Serpent god, tiger god, monkey god, elephant god, cow god, goat god….
Yeah, there are few decorations but they look good.
Dragon god….
I spoke with Dors about the dragon god since it’s in the twelve chinese zodiac signs.
I asked if the dragon god exists.
His answer was neither.
Dragons are created by god so they are basically some sort of god.
Because of that, they can be treated as gods, however, since they exist on the planet, they can’t be called gods.
I don’t get it.
I just asked him what he thought about including a dragon on the shrine and he said there’s no problem.
That’s good but what should I do about the shintai then? When I asked Dors, he said I should just carve a statue.
Thus, I carved. However, I carved an oriental dragon god, one that looks like a snake with arms and legs instead of western dragons like Dors and the others. Perhaps because I thought it would represent the chinese zodiac.
And there are five of them.
There’s one in the center, and the other four are positioned on the east, west, north, and south of it.
All five statues have their mouths wide open as if they are furious.
I feel like the AFT put a lot of work into this statue.
It feels so powerful.
Are they acquaintances of the AFT?
When I showed the statue of the five oriental dragons to Dors, he was so surprised that he fell down on his butt.
He thought they were real.
He said that dragons like those exist in the past.
He said that it was a generation where someone like him won’t rise to the top.
He said that Raimeiren would probably be surprised too.
Raimeiren’s grandmother was like this?
Heh.
So, may I use this as a god statue?
「Y-yes. T-there shouldn’t be a problem.」
Thus, it became a shintai.
By the way, while we were having that conversation, Dors never directly looked at the statue.
Did they look like the dragons he knew?
-0-
Then, I asked the silver foxes to install it for me. When I went there to check it out….
I found that the room of the dragon god is the only room that’s fully decorated.
I heard that both Dors and Raimeiren ordered their families and subordinates to do something.
I see. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
The other rooms look like pauper’s rooms in comparison.
Also, why did they put so many luxurious items that even I, an amateur, know they’re super expensive?
Good thing there are a few devils stationed there as security guards.
That’s a relief….eh?
Are the silver foxes against it?
You’re fine with it?
They even eat with you?
Is that so?
But, didn’t the silver foxes hate other races?
When they explained that they were my wife’s (Hakuren) father’s subordinates, you accepted them?
Great.
Ah, you were wary of them for a few days.
I see.
Well, various people will come here from now on and the silver foxes are not aggressive as to be hostile to others just because they’re from another race.
I heard that Youko is strictly instructing them about that matter so there won’t be a big problem.
One less thing to worry about when the shrine opens to the public.
Hnn?
Is that a worshiper?
No, it’s Doraim.
The silver foxes led him here.
「Village chief, you’re here too. I heard that there are statues of our ancestors here so I brought a votive offering….ugyyaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!」
Doraim fainted as soon as he saw the statue.
When Doraim woke up after a while, he told me that he remembered his old memories of being scolded by Raimeiren’s grandmother.
Is that enough for someone to scream?
「So much that I have to scream.」
I see.
He also told me that I shouldn’t show it to Grafaroon, Hakuren, and Girar because they would feel the same.
O-okay.
I nodded and looked to the side and saw that Girar had already come to see the statue.
….
Too late.
-0-
AN: This will be the last update for this year.
Thank you for your support this year.
I’ll do my best next year
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