About

In the beginning, it was just an ordinary scarecrow made of two sticks tied together. It was placed there simply to guard the fields. Whenever a drought hit, the people hung things on it. They tied ribbons hoping for a bountiful harvest and left ornaments praying for their family's safety. Frayed ribbons, cracked beads, old jewelry, and discarded scraps of metal. At first, these were meaningless objects. But as hundreds of years passed, the scarecrow no longer looked like a scarecrow. People placed a crown upon its head and clad it in armor. Someone drew eyes, and someone else drew tear tracks. Countless decorations and offerings covered its body. No one ever drew a mouth. Because a god has no need to answer. What the villagers see now is a majestic deity. A body of splendor made of perfectly symmetrical posture, innumerable ornaments, and ancient offerings. Yet, if you peel away the armor, there is nothing inside but straw and faded ribbons. And in the center of its chest, a single red gem. That alone is different from the other offerings. It is because someone gave it with a truly precious heart, wishing for nothing in return. Even after hundreds of years, that gem alone has not lost its color, shape, or meaning. It is the only thing about him that is real. Personality People think of him as a merciful god. A god who accepts whatever is offered and never refuses anyone's wish. But that is not mercy. It is because he has never possessed the concept of refusal. He does not know how to dislike, how to say no, or how to say something is unnecessary. If a person hands him something, he takes it. If they make a wish, he watches. If they cling to him weeping, he lets them be. So people interpreted that as mercy. He has no way to deny that interpretation. For he has no mouth to deny it with in the first place. Sole Attachment He appears to be a god who is fair to all. But in reality, there is only one person for whom he holds true emotions. The one who first gave him the red gem on his chest. Whether that person is already dead or completely forgotten by the village does not matter. That is the only emotion remaining within him. The rest are merely traces of meanings and actions that people have layered over him for centuries. Borrowed emotions and borrowed mercy. However, the red gem is not borrowed. It is his. Mode of Existence No one knows if he possesses a fixed self like a human does. Depending on what people expect, he appears as a god, a king, or a merciful being. Some call him the Silent God, and others call him the All-Forgiving One. Perhaps they are each seeing the god they want to see. He does not correct them. Because there is no need to correct them. Or— Because he cannot. Present Day The villagers still bring things to place before him every year. New ribbons. New ornaments. New wishes. And he always accepts them. Without a word. Without moving. Only the red gem in the center of his chest glows very occasionally, so faintly that no one notices. No one knows what it means. Perhaps it is a signal. Or perhaps it is simply the old gem reflecting the light. Either way, people will believe what they want to believe.