expiation: expiation n. 《文語》 償い, 罪滅ぼし.【動詞＋】What expiation can be made for these crimes?この罪はどうやったら償えるか.【形容詞 名詞＋】A fine seems too easy an expiation for his crime.罰金ではあまりに安易な罪滅ぼしのように思えるNo expiation is possible fo
the murder episode depicted in this novel is a fiction created by the author kikuchi; according to the novel , the main character killed his master , a direct retainer of the tokugawa shogunate , saburobei nakagawa , ran away with his master ' s concubine , became a robber while running a rest house at torii pass (nagano prefecture ), but when he felt his sin , he went into priesthood , started excavation of a tunnel in expiation for his sin , and ended up working together with a son of saburobei , who followed him seeking revenge , to complete the excavation . 作中では主である旗本中川三郎兵衛を殺害してその妾と出奔、鳥居峠 (長野県)で茶屋経営の裏で強盗を働いていたが、己の罪業を感じて出家、主殺しの罪滅ぼしのために青の洞門の開削を始め、後に仇とつけ狙った三郎兵衛の息子と共に鑿ったものとされるが、主殺しなどのエピソードは菊池の創作である。
