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The Legend of the Parrot Storehouse and the Substitute HeadsAuthor: Kunieda Shiro
| Original Title | 鸚鵡蔵代首伝説 |
|---|---|
| Author | 国枝 史郎 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the shadowed valleys of Shinano Province, a young samurai named Kikuya arrives at the secluded Naya estate, harboring a dangerous secret: she is a girl disguised as a boy, fleeing a perilous past. Her enigmatic sister, Oshino, greets her with unsettling rituals—washing rows of lifelike "Substitute Heads" in a dim chamber, relics of the family’s warrior lineage. The estate whispers with mysteries: a cursed storehouse that echoes voices like a parrot, a spectral Jizo statue said to devour offerings, and rumors of Oshino’s husband, Lord Yūshin, vanished into darkness after contracting a disfiguring illness. \nKikuya’s curiosity draws her into a labyrinth of deception. A seductive stranger taunts her with cryptic warnings, while shadowy figures lurk near the Parrot Storehouse, guarding ancient gold and grotesque truths. As Kikuya uncovers grim family legacies—tainted bloodlines, hidden rebellions, and macabre traditions—she confronts a world where severed heads hold secrets and love curdles into obsession. Whispers of betrayal echo through moonlit bamboo groves, and every answer unravels deeper enigmas. What binds Oshino to the decaying Substitute Heads? Who—or what—calls from the storehouse’s depths? In this gothic tale of loyalty and decay, Kikuya must navigate a web of illusions before the past devours her future. |
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