Chapter 29: Settlement
Diva-sensei and Leaf were watching me closely, waiting for me to explain why we had carried Martina-jou to the chapel.
I couldn’t share the story from my time as Reiko, but how much should I reveal? Should I only mention the missing part of her soul, or go into the details about the spirit behind her? And in the first place, do guardian spirits even exist in this world?
After some hesitation, I decided to talk about the guardian spirits. Without that context, there was a risk that Martina-jou wouldn’t recover her consciousness.
“I’m not sure if this is from a memory I personally experienced or something I heard elsewhere, but I’ll explain the reason for bringing Martina-jou to the chapel.”
Leaf nodded along, understanding.
“Martina-jou’s current state is because the spirit behind her, frightened by the entity attached to me, fled. In doing so, it caused a part of Martina-jou’s soul, which had begun to merge with the spirit, to become missing.”
Diva-sensei’s face showed a subtle reaction—maybe surprise, or perhaps a slight upward twitch of the corners of his mouth.
“If we had left her like that, there was a risk that a malicious spirit could take advantage of the situation and possess her. That’s why we moved her to a sacred place, hoping that a benevolent spirit would attach to her. That’s the reason.”
“I see! So that’s how it was.”
Leaf looked convinced, while Diva-sensei seemed impressed.
“Hmm, I don’t know where you came by such knowledge, but it’s quite an insightful observation.”
“I-is that so…”
Since it wasn’t my own observation but one made by Tomoko, a friend from my Reiko days, I couldn’t fully take credit for the compliment. I wondered if Tomoko would be happy to hear that her insight was praised.
“My diagnosis of Martina-jou is quite similar. However, her condition is even more severe. You mentioned that part of her soul is missing, but in reality, only a small portion of her soul remains.”
“Oh, I see… Based on what I recall, guardian spirits are said to attach to a child from a young age, and as the child grows, the soul and the guardian spirit gradually merge, with full fusion happening around the age of twenty. Perhaps Martina-jou’s fusion was more advanced than I expected.”
At that moment, a thought struck me. If most of the soul is lost and supplemented by a guardian spirit, can that still be considered the same soul?
I remembered hearing about the “Ship of Theseus” during my time as Reiko. The philosophical question asks: if you replace all the parts of a ship, can it still be considered the same ship once every part has been replaced?
But what about in the case of a soul? Unlike the Ship of Theseus, the parts being replaced are entirely different from the original. In that incident with the two, people said it was as if they had become different individuals. Isn’t that essentially the same as being possessed?
And then it hit me.
What about myself? What is the nature of this “Rachel” being? Did the soul of “Reiko Ninomiya” take over the vessel of “Rachel”? If that’s the case, then where did the original soul of “Rachel” go!?
If the original Rachel’s soul remains, and I’m merely a guardian spirit-like entity, why can’t I recall most of Rachel’s memories? In the incident with those two, even though their souls were supplemented by a guardian spirit, their memories up until then remained intact.
What’s different between Rachel and Reiko’s case and the incident with those two? Soul, guardian spirit, memory… The connections between these three seem clear but elusive at the same time.
“What’s troubling you, Rachel?”
Diva-sensei’s voice interrupted my thoughts as I struggled with these questions.
“I was just thinking… If Martina-jou’s soul is mostly missing and supplemented by a guardian spirit, would she still be considered the same person? And what would happen to her memories in that case? I was pondering that.”
“Hmm, I see…”
Diva-sensei stood up, walked over to a bookshelf, and pulled out a book, which he handed to me.
“What’s this?”
I accepted the book and asked.
“It’s a textbook on Theosophy. I teach it as an elective subject. It covers the very questions you’ve been grappling with. If you’re interested, I suggest you take the class.”
Certainly, this is a subject that greatly interests me, but now that I’ve received the textbook directly from the teacher, I don’t think I can refuse. However, a small doubt crosses my mind given the current situation.
“Thank you very much. I will definitely attend your lectures… but, Sir…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“What about the entity possessing me? I’ve been worried that because of this entity, I might end up imprisoned or worse. But since you’re moving forward with teaching, does that mean I don’t need to be concerned about that?”
The reason I secretly moved Martina to the chapel stems from this very issue. I am fully aware of the danger posed by “It.” If “Its” existence becomes known, in a world that seems to have a low regard for individual rights, I feared that I might be imprisoned, confined somewhere, or, in the worst case, executed.
“If you had been the perpetrator, I would have had you arrested. But you’re publicly a student at this academy, and the daughter of a viscount as well. In this incident, you’re the victim. I don’t have the personal authority to make such a move against you. However… let me think.”
Diva-sensei stroked his chin in contemplation.
“Are you thinking of exorcising the spirit?”
This world has magic and spirits. I thought maybe there was a way to drive away the entity possessing me with some sort of power.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Asking for that is like asking to drain the ocean! It’s not something that can be done.”
“I see…”
I had a bit of hope, but it seems that’s not possible.
“Still, your situation is both dangerous and deserving of sympathy. Therefore, you are to report to me regularly and keep me updated on your condition. Also, if a situation like Martina’s arises again, don’t try to resolve it on your own. Come to me first.”
Is he telling me to rely on him…?
“Am I allowed to rely on you, Sensei?”
“You’re a student of this academy, and I am a teacher here. Of course, you can rely on me.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. Until now, everyone avoided me because of “It,” and I had been grappling with everything on my own. Now, for the first time, someone had told me I could rely on them.
“Wh-why are you suddenly crying!?”
“I’m just so happy… because for the first time, I have someone I can rely on…”
Saying that made the tears flow even more.
At first, Professor seemed bewildered by my emotions, but he soon regained his composure and handed me a handkerchief.
“Before being a teacher and student, you’re a child and I’m an adult. Children should rely on adults. Now, wipe those tears.”
I took the handkerchief and looked at Professor’s face. It was no longer the stern expression he usually wore, but instead the gentle face of an adult offering comfort to a child.
