Chapter 7: Circle
The moment Suoh stopped consciously maintaining it, the light sphere in his hand dispersed rapidly into the air.
Without any hesitation, he immediately attempted it a second time.
Remarkably, this time required no conscious guidance at all. The Chain of Fate and Soul Sleep instantly synchronized in resonance. Spiritual power flowed naturally through his body, and the sphere of spirit particles appeared in his hand once more.
"Excellent."
Suoh gazed at the sphere in his palm. With a thought, he made it expand and contract at will.
No matter how the size changed, the sphere maintained stable contours and a condensed luminescence. Not a single trace of disorder.
Easier than I expected.
No time for self-satisfaction. Suoh continued practicing spiritual power manipulation repeatedly, until it became as natural as breathing itself.
Within mere moments, he'd achieved his goal. Then he began attempting deeper layers of training.
Following his own instincts, he tried covering his entire right hand with spiritual power, gradually condensing it into a thin, even film—a soft membrane of light that enveloped his palm completely.
In the silent night, the faint glow of spiritual power interwove with moonlight, flickering in reflection across his jet-black eyes.
A long time passed before Suoh finally dispersed the spiritual power and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. Exhaustion washed over him immediately, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Everything in excess was as bad as deficiency. First contact with spiritual power had left him somewhat obsessed, consuming too much mental focus and spiritual energy.
He'd already made progress beyond expectations tonight. Pushing greedily forward would only backfire. After working out the stiffness from his limbs, he decided to rest.
"Hm, it got darker?!"
At that moment, Suoh noticed the circular marking on his chest seemed to have deepened in color. He froze for a second.
With his currently sharp vision and exceptional memory, this couldn't be an illusion.
After evening service ended when he'd been alone in the shop, he'd used a cloth to wipe himself clean and discovered this fist-sized circle at his heart—a mark that definitely hadn't existed before transmigrating.
At the time, unable to manipulate spiritual power, he'd found nothing unusual about it. His body showed no adverse symptoms either, so he hadn't dwelt on it.
He covered his fingertips with spiritual power and traced lightly along the circle's outline. The marking showed no changes.
Suoh withdrew his hand thoughtfully. Since he couldn't figure it out immediately, time would eventually provide answers.
What he needed to do in the coming days was find ways to increase his spiritual power reserves. He had much to accomplish.
"Sleep."
Pushing aside the clutter in his mind, Suoh burrowed back into the warm futon. The moment he closed his eyes, he fell quickly into dreams.
***
The Next Day
After breakfast, fully rested and energized, Suoh stood at the shop entrance with narrowed eyes and a relaxed expression, taking in the morning pulse of this world.
Looking toward the distant street, crowds gradually thickened. Various vendors were setting up stalls and awnings in front of their houses.
Yesterday had been rather rushed. He still needed to purchase certain items—particularly men's clothing.
Izakayas typically didn't open until the lunch service. The morning offered plenty of free time.
Before heading out, Terada-san had handed him a coin purse—an advance on his wages, she'd said. It felt pleasantly heavy in his pocket now.
"Tsukasa, morning!"
"Kotama-san, good morning."
Shortly after, Kotama's greeting came from beside him. He turned and raised his hand in response.
They'd made plans yesterday. Being new to the area, he wasn't familiar with West District 3's currency situation or shops. The warm-hearted Kotama had immediately volunteered to help.
"Let's go. I know a really good shop—quality fabric, fair prices. My family buys all our clothes there."
Kotama walked to his side with light steps, smiling as she spoke.
Before long, following her lead, they arrived at a clothing store.
Pushing through the door and past the entrance curtain, Suoh saw a woman in a navy-blue kimono sitting at the counter. Her hair was pulled into an immaculate bun, a few silver strands mixed among the black. Crow's feet were visible at her eyes' corners, but her gaze remained bright and clear. Traces of past beauty still lingered in her features.
"Welcome!"
"Oh my, what a pleasant surprise! Isn't this Kotama? It's been so long."
Hearing the door open, the proprietress knew customers had arrived. She set down her needlework, casually returning the sewing needle to its case before standing with a welcoming smile.
As she moved, her kimono's sleeves swayed gracefully like fluttering butterflies.
"Nishikata-san, it's been too long."
"This is Tsukasa—the new cook at our restaurant. He came specially today to get some clothes."
Kotama returned the greeting familiarly, naturally introducing Suoh at her side.
"Tsukasa? A fine name."
"And quite handsome too, though a bit young still. What a shame."
The proprietress smiled as she appraised the upright, black-haired youth beside Kotama. Her gaze carried a tailor's characteristic precision as she spoke with playful teasing.
"Thank you for the compliment. Good morning, Nishikata-san."
Suoh bowed respectfully with a composed smile.
"How lovely. I like him even more now."
"I recently finished some clothes from a new fabric shipment—very nice quality, perfect for you."
"Come with me."
Somewhat surprised by his natural poise, Nishikata-san's eyes crinkled warmly. She led them directly toward a section displaying dark-colored kimonos with simple patterns.
"This one would suit you well."
"Want to try it?"
Nishikata-san pulled a charcoal-black kimono with vertical stripes from the rack and held it briefly in front of Suoh, making a recommendation.
"It looks great."
Kotama nodded in agreement. The proprietress had excellent taste—that outfit would definitely complement Suoh's overall bearing.
"Alright."
Suoh took the kimono directly and walked toward the fitting room on the side of the shop. The curtain fell, concealing him. Soon the sound of rustling fabric emerged.
Moments later, the curtain parted.
Having shed his rough cloth and changed into the kimono, Suoh emerged with a slight smile. The soft cotton texture of the new clothes felt immensely satisfying.
The charcoal-black vertical stripes accentuated his upright frame perfectly. The cotton's smooth texture enhanced his naturally refined air.
His previously casually tied hair now fell naturally over his shoulders, softening his facial features and adding a touch of gentle warmth.
"My goodness, absolutely perfect!"
Nishikata-san's eyes lit up. She couldn't help clasping her hands together in praise.
"It really does suit you well."
"Though I feel like something's still missing... wait a moment."
Kotama's eyes sparkled thoughtfully. After a pause, she pulled a light-colored hair ribbon from a nearby display, walked behind Suoh, and gently combed her fingers through his long hair. With practiced movements, she gathered the strands and carefully tied them with the new ribbon.
"There. Perfect."
Taking half a step back to admire her handiwork, she smiled with satisfaction.
Suoh turned to check his reflection in the copper mirror on the wall. The person looking back had clear features and well-fitted clothing—completely different from yesterday's dust-covered, ragged version of himself.
"Good eye."
With his hair bound, the young man looked considerably more mature. Nishikata-san stood to the side, nodding with approval.
***
30+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces