The Heavy Seed (episode)

The Heavy Seed is the ninth episode of the anime series.

Synopsis
Ginko visits a village where bountiful harvests always occur after natural disasters. However, after every harvest, an individual in the village falls ill and dies.

Plot
Ginko hears rumors about a village that has bountiful harvest after natural disaster occurs, but after harvest someone dies. Visiting it, he speaks with a boy Sane and asks him about the harvest. Sane explains that after bountiful harvest, someone sprouts auspicious tooth in their mouths and when the tooth falls at the end of autumn, the person dies. He tells him that the tooth is taken by the head priest as only he could see it after it falls and that he is also considered the next priest, as he too can see some things others can't.

Meeting the head priest, Ginko speaks about Narazu seed, but the priest explains there is no such seed there and tells him he can leave. Ginko realizes that the priest knows what Narazu seed is and he confirms that the previous head priest told him a mushi-shi sealed a "light vein" in it. He explains what is it and that if you plant it, it area will have good harvest, but will take one life from those who benefit from it. As they discuss what one would do if they had such seed, the priest confirms he would use it as it will save many lives.

Later Ginko leaves and intends to inform everyone about the seed, but the priest follows him, knowing that he intends to destroy the harvest and make villagers go elsewhere for a year. Knowing that most won't return, he wants to stop Ginko, but falls unconscious. Sane explains that the priest wasn't feeling very well recently and has been taking medicine. Inspecting the medicine, Ginko realizes its poison. When the priest wakes up, he tells Ginko he made decision to be the last sacrifice to the seed, and since it targets the weakest person, he has been weakening himself with poison. He tells him how the previous priest brought the seed to the village and how they had to use it. He was forced to use it again, but didn't knew his wife was sick and she ended up sprouting the tooth. Now after the tooth falls from his mouth, he intends to make Sane destroy it.

After a good harvest, the priest sprouts the tooth and end of autumn it falls and he dies. Ginko takes the tooth, telling Sane to never speak of this. He reveals a conversation with the priest, who really loved the land and wanted to see it prosper. Ginko explains that if he swallows the seed he could be revived, but the light vein will continue to live in him and will make him immortal being. As the priest had agreed to this, Ginko makes him swallow the seed. In the morning, the priest wakes up. A legend was told after that, that a man became ageless and immortal and travels the land, returning from time to time to convey new farming methods to enrich the land.