Ren awoke again to a familiar scene. The room was bathed in a warm glow, and his mind began to buzz with thoughts about his current whereabouts.

‘I need to find out what is going on here,’ he decided. ‘Then I'll try to learn more about those cursed swords called Jujin.’

With his plan formed, he began pushing his body to get up. The pain was noticeably less, and it didn't take him too long to stand. His first steps towards the door were still awkward, but there was an improvement. This prompted another thought in his head. ‘I wonder what happened to this body.’

As he emerged into the corridor, he heard a bit of noise, much like the day before. Satoru's bedroom was closed, but the dining room next to it had the door open. He headed in that direction, but his intention, this time, was to go beyond and investigate the source of the sound.

As he passed by, the old man greeted him with a smile. "Ren, come join me. Let’s eat together," he said, but Ren ignored the words and continued walking further. This prompted Satoru to step out into the corridor as well and observe what was happening.

Ren kept moving forward until he reached the kitchen – the source of the noise. It was a simple room divided into two distinct areas. On the right, he noticed a twin stove with a bit of flame still dancing within and two pots on top, their contents hidden beneath lids.

On the opposite side was a short table pushed against the wall, where Ayako was finishing preparing the last dishes. A tray filled with various treats in bowls awaited beside her for the completion of the meal. On this side, he also spotted a storage area, with herbs hanging from the ceiling and a wooden rack containing various ingredients, from vegetables to salt and spices, and even dried fish.

Ayako paused her work upon noticing him, and her gaze locked onto Ren. While she didn't say a word, her eyes seemed to be questioning him.

He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Satoru in the dining room, standing and observing from a distance, before deciding to take a few steps closer to the woman.

"Who... am... I?" he asked, struggling to produce each word with a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.

She tilted her head slightly, indicating that she couldn't understand what he meant by the question.

"You... son... is it?" Ren didn't verbally finish the question but instead pointed at himself.

"Are you my son?" she asked to clarify if she correctly understood his question while raising her eyebrows.

He confirmed this clarification with a nod.

"No. My son... Haruki... He became one of the few selected to travel to the Realm of Gods. We were so proud of him," tears welled in Ayako's eyes, and one rolled down her cheek, disappearing into the fabric of her clothing. "It's been almost ten years, and we've never heard back from him."

"Dead?" Ren asked, a troubling thought flashing through his mind. Was this Realm of Gods some sort of death sentence for those who entered it?

"I'd like to think that he's safe in there, continuing his journey to find the treasure, but the Divine Sovereign of the Radiant Throne never had a vision of him, and that can mean only one thing," Ayako's unspoken conclusion hung heavily in the air – her son was likely dead.

Ren couldn't help but revise his earlier assumption. ‘Are the people in this land foolishly sending young men to their deaths because someone told them it's the only way to leave this land?’ He wondered.

"I'm telling you this, and you don't even know what it all means," Ayako continued, her voice hardening. "As for who you are, I don't know. My husband brought you here one day but never told me anything."

Ren sensed a grudge in her tone, an underlying fear that perhaps her husband, Satoru, wanted to replace their lost son with him. It made him cautious about everything transpiring around him. He bowed slightly to Ayako before leaving, heading back through the corridor where Satoru awaited.

The old man remained silent, and his expression had lost its earlier warmth. As Ren reached him to enter the dining room, the two sat in silence. Even when Ayako returned with food, nobody spoke a word.

In this grim atmosphere, breakfast concluded. Ayako left first, taking the empty bowls on the tray with her, while her husband pulled out a pipe and signaled his intention to smoke outside.

Alone again, Ren pondered where he could find answers to the pressing questions he had. Then it struck him. 'Tsukiko!' He quickly realized that he hadn't seen her since yesterday, and she had said she wouldn't help him anymore. But perhaps he could persuade her to tell him something. First, he needed to find her.

With these thoughts in mind, he slowly got to his feet and walked toward his room to get some rest and to hide from Satoru and Ayako. As he slid the door open, he saw the cat sitting patiently on his bedding, as if it had been waiting for him.

„Were you listening to my thoughts?" he asked.

‘Yes,’ she replied in his mind, followed by a giggle.

‘Then can you tell me what's going on? Are those young warriors really sent to their deaths? What is this Realm of Gods? You said this is my chance to get a better life, so I feel you should at least tell me this, so I won't make a stupid decision,’ he thought, closing the door behind him and approaching his futon.

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Ren sat down, and the cat, Tsukiko, soon curled up on his lap, a comforting presence in this unfamiliar world. He gazed at the ceiling as they conversed in their unique way.

‘The Realm of Gods is a treacherous place, and it's easy to die there, but whether going there will get you killed depends on your luck, decision-making, and strength,’ Tsukiko replied.

Ren decided to lie down, gently moving the cat onto his belly. He continued his inquiries, seeking to understand more about this world and his place in it while petting the goddess.

‘So, is Satoru's son really dead? And what's the deal with this Divine Sovereign?’ He asked.

‘Yes, Haruki Noroi is dead,’ Tsukiko confirmed. ‘As for the Divine Sovereign, he is the ruler of this city. Each of the cities has its own family blessed by the gods. While they don't possess the powers found within clans, they are respected for their wisdom and their ability to have visions of those who enter the Realm of Gods.’

Ren pondered his options further. ‘So, do you think it's a good idea for me to get involved in this? Should I try to become a candidate or maybe even go to this Realm of Gods?’

‘I can't give you that answer. You should live your life according to your desires. I've given you a chance to find happiness, but I can't tell you exactly what to do. That would be taking away your free will. I've already broken the rules once, and I can't afford to do it again.’

‘Can you at least tell me more about those candidates? What does it really mean to become one?’

She explained, ‘Candidates are well-respected. They are given permission to participate in the competition between the cities to find those who will be chosen to go to the Realm of Gods. The competition happens every year, but you don't have to join it right away. Candidates can train under the best masters in the city, receive financial support due to their title, and are granted a house and many privileges. There are even young women who vow each year to marry a candidate, so becoming one means you can choose a wife who would happily be yours.’

Ren was interested but wary. ‘Those are all the good things, but there has to be a downside, doesn't there?’

‘Yes,’ Tsukiko acknowledged. ‘Becoming a candidate means you may have to risk your life one day. If chosen to go to the Realm of Gods, you will face a treacherous and challenging path. But the rewards are equal, if not greater.’

‘So… How can I become a candidate?’

Tsukiko responded with a laugh, adding, ‘I can't tell you that. You'll have to find your own answers.’

Their mental conversation ended, but Ren remained deep in thought. His body was gradually regaining its strength, and he felt less tired than the day before. As he lay with his eyes closed, he pondered his options and the mysteries of this world.

Suddenly, a noise from the corridor brought him back to reality.

‘If anybody can provide me with more information, it should be Satoru. For some reason, I am yet to discover, that man is really keen on me becoming a candidate.’ With this idea, he began slowly getting up, making the cat jump off him. Tsukiko gave him a slightly irritated look, as she clearly was enjoying a nap, but it quickly disappeared as she sat down on the floor and began licking her paw.

Ren got back on his feet, pushing through the pain, and then headed out of the room, trying to look for the old man. He found him outside on the porch. Satoru sat on the stairs looking at the empty street and smoked his pipe.

The arrival of an unexpected guest was enough to catch his attention. Despite the rather cold atmosphere during breakfast, he smiled. "You are getting stronger day by day. How about today you join us at lunch as well? It should be ready soon."

Mostly ignoring the offer, Ren sat by him on the stairs. "H-how can I... Can-di-da..." He mumbled out with a weak voice, a bit frustrated at how hard it was for him to speak.

"So you've made up your mind? Good... It is a wise choice. I will help you to the best of my ability," Satoru's voice showed signs of excitement, as he had to fight with the corners of his mouth to keep a serious face, suitable for such an important conversation, but to Ren, it was obvious that the old man was very happy about his decision. "You don't have much time to prepare if you wish to try during the next selection tournament, as it is in three months. You always can wait a whole year, but..." he paused.

'Of course, there is a but. You want me to participate as soon as possible. Why are you so impatient? What is your real goal here?' Ren asked himself.

"If you would want to give it a try now, then I would suggest trying and obtaining a Jujin. That would be a huge chance for you. The regular blades are no match for the cursed swords. With a weapon like that, even if you lack the skills, you can best many other participants. And if you somehow can trap a ghost within the sword, then you shouldn't find problems in becoming a candidate."

"H-how…"

"How can you get a sword like that? It's simple, you need to ask one of the blacksmiths who can make one, but they won't just give it to you. If you were already a candidate, then you could persuade them with some coin, but for somebody who isn't a candidate, it will definitely be harder," Satoru explained, taking breaks to inhale the smoke and then exhale clouds of grayness, which each time obscured the vision for both of them.

'Irritating,' Ren deemed in his mind. "W-who... The b-be-st..." he stuttered aloud.

"Who is the best among the blacksmiths?" A smirk emerged on the old man's lips. "I see you are aiming high. I like that. The best would be Isamu, but that old fart will never give you one of his blades. He always demands that any candidates who come to him undergo a trial of sorts so they can be rewarded with his blade if they succeed, but it's always something insane. I heard once that he demanded they would catch and bring him a mountain goat. You might not be aware, but catching one is very, very hard. They can climb the walls like nothing else, so all those poor idiots who tried broke their necks trying. If you ask me, you should try elsewhere. When you get better, I can take you and we can visit a few of the blacksmiths, maybe we will persuade one of them. What do you say?"

Ren nodded. As soon as he did, the door behind them slid open, revealing Ayako.

"The food is ready," she informed, prompting both of them to get up and follow her.

Inside the dining room, a feast awaited for them. They ate in silence because the wife's mood was still bad, while Satoru's significantly got better, to the point that it was easy to spot.

With a full belly and feeling tired, Ren left for his room, where Tsukiko awaited him, lying on his bedding. The fact that she was forced to move once again clearly annoyed her a bit, but it was obvious that she enjoyed laying on top of him, curled into a ball, way more, so she didn't complain in Ren's mind.

'I've decided,' he thought after a moment of lying down. 'I'll try to become a candidate. I'll try to get myself one of those Jujin swords. I only wish they would tell me why they are so special. What are they called cursed swords?'

'Because they can cut through any regular weapon. When a single strike can kill you, and you can't deflect them in any way, it's much harder to win, don't you think? But the blades can also trap a spirit or a ghost, which makes them transform into a form called Maken. Those blades are even more special,' she explained.

'How?'

'Depends on the sword. Each has a different power, but they all are deadly. Now let me sleep.'

Understanding that he won't get anything more from her, and exhausted as well, he allowed himself to drift away to the realm of dreams.