Rakusho no Goku #13
2010.11.29(Mon)Juuni Kokuki — 十二国記
(The Twelve Kingdoms)
Rakusho no Goku — 落照の獄
(A jail of the declining Light)
By Ono Fuyumi — 小野不由美
Translated by o6asan
Eiko(瑛庚) asked him.
“Tenkei(典刑), you met Shudatsu(狩獺), didn’t you? What kind of human do you think Shudatsu(狩獺) is?
“He is a monster.”
Jokyu(如翕)’s reply was short and said in disgust. Without touching his tone, Eiko(瑛庚) asked more because of understanding he must have developed a feeling of hatred.
“Some parts are not clear in the record from Tenkei of State(州典刑). For example — He murdered the whole family in a neighboring village.”
When Shudatsu(狩獺) was asked about the motive of this, he replied that he had no other place to go. Just before this, Shudatsu(狩獺)’s murder scene was witnessed by someone. So, he thought of running away from the town where he attracted people’s attention and spending winter in an uninhabited village. But the village where he dug had some people unfortunately. So he murdered the whole family he said, but Eiko(瑛庚) remained suspicious. Basically the coldest period villages have no inhabitants. If residents bothered him, he could look for another uninhabited village. Most of near villages were empty.
After Eiko(瑛庚)’s words, Jokyu(如翕) said.
“No residents, no food. Maybe no firewood. He told us it was more convenient for him when he find out the house which had residents, his original thought is hiding himself in an uninhabited village though.”
“– more convenient…”
Eiko(瑛庚) murmured,
“Now, I see. But Shudatsu(狩獺) lived with his victim bodies at the same house. Why didn’t he move to another one at least?”
“He didn’t feel it necessary to do because bodies not smelling at the coldest period.”
Sotsuyu(率由), who was without saying a word until the time, sighed and shook his head. Eiko(瑛庚) had the same feelings. However, this is the man, Shudatsu(狩獺). He had a very perverted mind but reasonable. This fact made Eiko(瑛庚) more confused.
“I can’t understand about Shunryo(駿良)’s case. Why did Shudatsu(狩獺) kill Shunryo(駿良) for taking only 12 sen(銭) from him, although Shudatsu(狩獺) had about 10 ryo(両) in his pocket?”
“He did not tell. Being evasive, he doesn’t expressly say.”
“He hides something? If so, we have to bring out it.”
“I don’t know. About murder itself, he said it was troublesome if the boy had cried out for help. But he did not talk clearly about the reason he took money, 12 sen(銭), from the boy. The only he said is somehow he did.”
Somehow, Eiko(瑛庚) murmured.
“About Shunryo(駿良)’s case, Tenkei of State(州典刑) ruled this is a First-degree murder(賊殺). How do you examine it?”
“…… I remained some doubting. He already thought about killing the boy at the beginning point, or, taking money only. If he wanted to kill the boy from the beginning, it is a First-degree murder(賊殺). But if he wanted to take money only from the beginning and killed the boy because of fearing a cry out for help, it would be a Second-degree murder(闘殺).”
“What did Shudatsu(狩獺) himself say?”
“He wanted to take money only what he said.”
“If he had no idea of murder and feared the boy making noise, however, he would have waited until reaching a place where there are no people.”
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