❦ 20th Record [Audio Memory]
[The radio plays the sound of a fire crackling, and the distant sound of night insects chirping. The voices, which start speaking almost right away, are that of an older-sounding man and Cloud.]
”This mountain is my home. In my youth I could have made my way from base to summit blindfolded, but now to have fallen from such a familiar path... I fear my age is catching up to me.” [A rueful-sounding chuckle.] ”It saddens me to say, but... perhaps the time has come to relinquish my duties.”
”By which you mean... God duties?” [There is a pause, filled with the sound of the fire, then Cloud speaks again.] ”The only one who could have broken my bond with the mugura mushi, is either the true God of the mountain, or a person with the powers of a God. My guess is, the unusual happenings on the mountain recently are due to the fact that your injury has prevented you from fully utilizing those powers.”
”Correct. Though, thanks to you, I should be able to resume my duties as of tomorrow, in spite of my leg. You can tell the villagers the mountain will soon return to normal.”
”Still. For a human to assume the role of a God... how did this come about?”
”I'm sure you've realized by now, this is no ordinary mountain. It is, of course, a [static obscures the audio here, for a few seconds]. There was once a rightful God here, suppressing the mountain's energy. Unfortunately there was a terrible accident. A villager killed the God by mistake. Soon after, the waters of the river began to smell of sake, and the vegetation began to over ripen, and rot. I, too, was a traveling mushishi in those days, my wanderings frequently leading me through these parts. When I learned of the villagers' misfortune, I took it upon myself to assume the role of the mountain God. My wife and I settled here.” [There is a rustling sound, like cloth brushing against cloth.] ”Sadly, she died soon after. The energy of this place was simply too much for her.”
”So. You're training this boy to be the next mountain God?”
”Yes, that's right.”
”His knowledge of the mountain was impressive, for someone his age.”
”Yes, well...” [There is the muted sound of cloth shifting, quieter than before] ”he is a child of the mountain. He has walked this terrain since he took his first steps.”
[There is a soft ‘hnnn?’ noise here, presumably made by Cloud-though it’s impossible to say for certain.]
”Did you notice the number of children in the village? The water that flows from this mountain has curious properties, one of which, it causes the women to be especially fertile. They can't afford to raise all of the children, so some are abandoned here on the mountainside. Of those, this boy is the only one who survived, the others falling prey to wild beasts. Sadly, his brothers and sisters who remained in the village were claimed by illness at an early age. When his parents learned that their son was still alive, they insisted on taking him home. That was a year ago.”
”Seems rather selfish.
”Perhaps, but their feelings are understandable. And I believe in the end... it's for the best.”
[There is the sound of a bell, or perhaps a gong... a deep ringing that sounds like it comes from far away.]
”So, tell me. Do you have a place you call home? Honestly, you strike me as more the wandering type.”
[The sound of liquid filling a drinking vessel.] ”That's right. You see... I have a tendency to attract mushi. I can't stay too long in any one place, or it becomes infested. You can imagine, I began honing my mushi-exterminating skills out of necessity.”
”So, you have no choice but to follow the winds, wherever they may take you.”
”True. But as you say, the wandering life seems to suit me.”
”Yes, well... as a man who will never again leave the shadow of this mountain,” [small laugh] ”I must confess I'm a bit jealous... but my wandering days are long over. For better or for worse, this mountain will be the final resting place for my bones.”
[The audio fades, and cuts out. After a moment or two of silence, Cloud can be heard to mutter,] ...so that's how it is...
[Chapter 6, starting at the very bottom right-hand panel, or Episode 11, starting at 7:55 (the English dub)]