The morning sun shone through the window. Koyoi looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling and, for just a moment, forgot where he was.
The village of the Boundary. I arrived here yesterday. I met the Headman.
"There are those who come across the Boundary," I had heard.
He sat up. His wound still ached slightly, but it was much better than yesterday. He picked up the pouch. It was warm.
"...Good morning."
When he whispered softly, the voice of the god of the shrine answered back.
"...Good morning."
"...Did you sleep well?"
Koyoi nodded.
"Yeah. I feel like I finally slept properly for the first time in a while."
After getting ready and stepping outside, the village was already stirring. Smoke rose from hearths. Preparations for the morning meal. Children ran about, and adults called out to one another. An ordinary village morning—yet this was "beyond the Boundary."
After finishing a simple morning meal in the square, the Headman sent for Koyoi.
"Follow me. We have things to discuss."
The Headman's house stood right next to the assembly hall. A simple wooden house, yet books and maps lined the living room. As they sat before the hearth, the Headman brewed tea.
"How is your wound?"
"...Much better."
"I see. The young recover quickly."
The Headman held out a teacup.
"We spoke of several things last night, but it was not enough."
Koyoi took the tea. It was warm. Bitter, but a taste that seeped into the body.
"You are a 'Collector.'"
The Headman's eyes fixed steadily on Koyoi.
"But do you truly understand what a Collector is?"
Koyoi thought for a moment.
"...Collecting gods. Picking up gods who are about to disappear and placing them in the pouch."
"Is that all?"
"...I thought that was all."
The Headman slowly shook his head.
"A Collector is not merely one who collects gods."
At those words, Koyoi straightened his back.
"It is not just collecting. The work is not finished until they are delivered."
Delivering. The word resonated in his chest.
"...Delivering?"
"Yes. Gods have places they ought to go. Places where they ought to be set."
The Headman took a sip of his tea.
"You picked up gods on the verge of vanishing. That was correct. However, it does not end with the picking up."
"Delivering the gathered gods to their proper places—that is the work of a Collector."
Koyoi squeezed the pouch. The god of the shrine and the god of the vacant lot. Two gods resided within.
"...Where is the place to deliver them?"
"That depends on the god. However, beyond this Boundary, there are several 'setting places.'"
"Places where Collectors have delivered gods since long ago."
A small voice could be heard from inside the pouch.
"...Yeah, I know."
It was the voice of the god of the shrine.
"...There is a place... I want to go."
The Headman looked slightly surprised.
"Does your god already know?"
"...Yes. Sometimes he says things like that."
"Then the matter is simple."
The Headman stood up.
"Let us talk as we walk. There is something I wish to show you."
The two of them walked along the path leading to the mountain behind the village. A gentle upward slope. Light filtered through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
"Collectors have existed since ancient times."
The Headman began to speak as they walked.
"When a god is about to vanish, someone picks them up. That is the Collector."
"But there is no meaning in simply collecting them."
At the side of the path, old stones lay piled together—perhaps the remains of a shrine. The Headman pointed toward them.
"A god once resided here as well. But they were forgotten and began to vanish."
"A Collector picked them up and delivered them to another place. Now they are enshrined there."
"That is the work of a Collector."
Koyoi stared at the remains of the stones. The god who was once here is living somewhere else now. The thought made his heart feel a little warmer.
"However—"
The Headman's voice grew low.
"There is something you must be careful of."
As they continued up the slope, the Headman went on.
"If you hold onto them too long, both you and the god will break."
At those words, Koyoi stopped in his tracks.
"...Break?"
"Yes. Gods are heavy. Heavier than they appear."
The Headman turned around.
"One is fine. Two, you can manage. But as it grows to three, to four..."
"The Collector's body will no longer endure it. The gods, too, will suffer from the confinement."
The pouch felt slightly heavy.
"...Sorry."
The voice of the god of the shrine came faintly.
"...I'm heavy, aren't I?"
Koyoi stroked the pouch.
"You don't have to apologize."
"...But..."
"Because I will deliver you properly."
The Headman narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched them.
"It seems you will become a good Collector."
"...Do you think so?"
"Yes. Being able to speak with gods—that is a significant thing."
They climbed further up the slope and came out into an open area. There, an old stone pillar stood. Covered in moss, the carved characters were difficult to read, yet it was clear they indicated directions.
"This is a signpost to the setting places."
The Headman pointed to the stone pillar.
"If you go further from here, you will find the first setting place."
"It may be the place your god wishes to go."
Koyoi looked up at the stone pillar. In the distance, mountains were visible. The path continued onward.
"...How long will it take?"
"A day's walk. But there is no need to hurry."
The Headman turned toward Koyoi.
"Before that, there is one thing I wish to ask."
The Headman's eyes fixed upon the pouch at Koyoi's waist. They were sharp eyes—eyes that seemed to be measuring something.
"Is your pouch not already too heavy?"
Koyoi caught his breath at those words. He looked down at the pouch. Indeed, it was heavy. Much heavier than it had been at first. The god of the shrine and the god of the vacant lot. Two gods. Were only two gods this heavy?
"...It is a little heavy."
He answered honestly.
"But I'm still alright."
The Headman slowly shook his head.
"'Still alright' is a dangerous phrase."
"Because it means the same thing as 'nearly at the limit.'"
A wind blew. The trees rustled, and leaves took flight. The pouch was certainly heavy. For the first time, Koyoi felt that weight in its truest sense.
"...I have to deliver them soon."
The words came naturally from his mouth.
The Headman nodded.
"Yes. If you understand that, then you are walking the correct path."
"Tomorrow, set out from here. Aim for the first setting place."
Koyoi stared beyond the stone pillar. The path disappeared into the forest. Beyond it lay the place to set the god.
The pouch grew a little warmer.
"...I want to go."
The voice of the god of the shrine spoke quietly.
"...I've been waiting for so long."