The Contract Between a Specter and a Servant Volume 3 Review
Student Masamichi would have died in a hit-and-run accident if Shino had not appeared and saved his life in the nick of time. But Masamichi had not expected that his enigmatic saviour would turn out to be a specter. Condemned by a Heian-era exorcist to live on in human form, Shino runs an antique shop, Bougyoudou, and Masamichi agrees to move in with him and become his ‘servant’ in return for him saving his life.
Bougyoudou is an unusual shop and some of its customers tend to be unusual too. But the arrival of a smartly-dressed Englishman, Christopher Selwyn, with a request from his aristocratic master, Lord Johnston, is one of the most unusual so far in Masamichi’s experience. Shino is invited to go to London to solve the mystery of a haunted house belonging to Lord Johnston – and, as Shino’s servant, Masamichi gets to go too! The young man is understandably excited at the prospect of a trip to England, although his worries that Shino might not have a valid passport are unfounded; the specter has adapted successfully to life in the twenty-first century.
Masamichi is very impressed by the elegant surroundings of the London hotel in which they stay – but after meeting the earl who’s employed them, they go to inspect the haunted house – and Masamichi is in for a terrifying experience. The restless souls of the dead are manifesting as poltergeists and objects are hurtling around in the darkness. Is Shino powerful enough to exorcise the ghosts – and can Masamichi help him without being injured by the flying debris?
It’s always fascinating for us Brits when the characters in a Japanese novel or manga pay a visit to our home country (see The Case Files of Jeweler Richard). How do others see us? I admire Kore Yamazaki for spending time traveling around the Cotswolds, Wales and Scotland for her researches into local folklore for The Ancient Magus’ Bride. But too often, though, the story ends up with our main characters rubbing shoulders with the English aristocracy and in this respect, Volume 3 is no different to many others. The hotel Masamichi and Shino stay in is none other than the Ritz! One rather endearing detail is when they are being conveyed by taxi from Heathrow Airport, Masamichi is delighted to see black-faced sheep in the fields, having only seen them on TV before.
How effective is this volume in the chills department, now that the supernatural element is firmly rooted in an old English house where a tragic event once took place? As usual, Michiru Fushino delivers a story in which the supernatural element is not overwritten and is all the more successful for being understated.
Michiru Fushino uses the Prologue at the start of each novel in this engaging urban fantasy series to show us glimpses of Shino when he was still a powerful yokai/specter in the Heian era, revealing more of the dynamics of the relationship between Shino and Tokifuyu, the onmyouji who entrapped him in his human form. This is also a volume in which the relationship between Shino and Masamichi is shown to be slowly evolving and changing both of them. Shino’s desire – hunger – for the chi (human lifeforce) emanating from Masamichi has not diminished even though it’s become a consensual thing between them. But what began as a basic transaction – Shino saved Masamichi’s life so Masamichi must reward him and feed his hunger in return – seems to be becoming less of a duty for Masamichi and is even stirring something that might even be described as feelings on the part of the cold-hearted specter. If this were a vampire story, we’d see that the vampire was becoming attached to his prey…
Saprophagous. It’s not every day I have to look up a word on the first page of a light novel but ‘feeding on decaying matter’ is one I hadn’t come across before (I’m surprised they didn’t explain it in the text as it’s not in everyday usage). And when it comes to terminology, the use of ‘spiritual medium’ still grates as onmyouji is a well-known term in manga, anime and games for the ubiquitous Abe no Seimei (see my Volume 1 review) so, as shikigami is also used here, why not onmyouji?
These little quibbles apart, this third volume makes for an engaging and at times genuinely chilling read, enlivened by many local details involving the trip to London. The relationship between master and servant is changing and both are becoming more emotionally mature and aware of each other. There’s an unexpected development toward the end of the novel (Masamichi is very much an innocent abroad) which again gives the reader pause for thought about the nature of Shino and Masamichi’s relationship.
Translation for Yen On is again by Eriko Sugita and – apart from my quibbles about onmyouji etc., it reads smoothly and conveys the story well. And there’s another beautifully detailed piece of cover art by Aki Aoi which adds to the volume’s charms.
Volume 3 of The Contract between a Specter and a Servant continues to offer a delicious blend of supernatural horror and everyday life. However, the real strength of this latest instalment in the story of Masamichi and his spectral master Shino is in their conversations and daily interactions. Shino is slowly (it’s taken many centuries) beginning to understand human relationships and even… perhaps?… develop some feelings of his own. Volume 4 is due out in May (digital) and June (paperback) and promises a trip to Kyoto and Shino’s roots (Heian Kyo) – I can’t wait!
Our review copy was supplied by the publisher Yen On.
