Extra Chapter: The Girl from the Slums, Kichi.

Before I can even understand things, my real mama and papa disappeared, and I was taken by a couple who wanted to go to the capital of the province.

"This kid can be our way into Myoko."

"Yeah. Let's pose as refugees and get into Fujita territory. In that way, we can report to Lord Nachi without being in danger."

I was too young back then to not know it and I began to call them mama and papa although they didn't like to be called like that privately… they actually don't like me to talk to them at all.

"I said get off the table!"

"B-But mama… I am hungry… my stomach aches and I-"

"If you're hungry then go out and work, you little wench!"

When I was four, mama and papa stopped letting me eat at the table. They said that if I want to eat, I have to earn it… for a while, I can't do anything but cry silently and hold my tummy as it aches and groans.

At this time, I can only go to Ai-chan, a friend slightly older than me who knows where I can work in the city.

"Work? Why do you have to work, Ki-chan?"

"I am… I…"

I wanted to tell my friends that I can't eat at the house anymore… but I don't want them to hate mama and papa.

After all, it's only fair that I earn what I eat. Maybe mama and papa are worried about money.

"I always get hungry, and mama and papa are worried about our money…"

"Ah… I see. Hmm… I know an auntie who makes rice cakes that you can help out with."

My first work was with an old lady at the commoner's area of Myoko city. She makes rice cakes which she will sell in the afternoon as snacks. Ai-chan brought me to her and after we begged her to take me in, she groaned and handed me a cart where her rice cakes are stored. She told me to go around the city and sell them and if I can go back with all of it sold, she'll pay me a portion.

"Rice cakes! Rice cakes! Please buy some rice cakes!"

The first day was quite good. I sold most of them and even got to convince a weird guy with a hood to buy some.

"Hey mister, do you want some rice cakes?"

"Hm? Sure. I'll take two then."

"Thank you, mister!"

By the time I went back, the purse that she gave me was quite full and there were only three slices of the rice cakes left at the cart.

"Hrm… I didn't expect this."

The old auntie grabbed the purse and poured the coins out at the table and counted them. After that, she turned around and gave me the portion that she promised.

"Here's your portion."

"H-huh?"

But instead of money, what she gave me was the remaining rice cakes that was left from my sale.

"What? You don't want it?"

"I-I do! I just…"

"You just what, wench? You expect me to pay you money? Don't shit with me!"

"A-A-Ah! Y-y-yes!"

Reluctantly, I took the rice cakes covered in bamboo leaves and left the stall. On my way back, I opened the rice cakes, only to find out that it smells sour and feels wet… It was already spoiled.

"Urk! No… I have to eat… I need to eat."

Even though I know that it wasn't good anymore, I ate the rice cakes and forced it down with well water. It tasted bad, but at least my tummy isn't empty anymore.

I actually wanted some money to buy fresh food, but I guess the old lady also needs money.

For the next few weeks, I kept going back there and sell the cakes. I made sure to keep them away from the sun so once I go back to the old lady, my portion won't be spoiled. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but what I don't want to feel is the feeling of being hungry.

"Rice cakes! Rice cakes! Please buy some rice cakes!"

"Hm? Oi, that girl looks like an easy one."

One afternoon when I passed through the slum area to quickly go back to the old lady's stall before it gets dark, some bad guys stopped me and forced me to give them the purse.

"Come on, kid! If you don't want to be hurt, just give it!"

"N-no! I can't do that! This is the old lady's money!"

"You asked for it, kid! Boys! Get the cash!"

I was beaten up and my cart was torn apart while they were trying to find the purse. In the end, they found it and kicked me around before they ran away.

"Ack! Kah!"

They were bad guys, but maybe they also need money and can't find a job.

Dragging my broken cart behind me, I went back to the old lady and told her everything. I even showed how broken the cart is and my wounds, but instead of looking for the bad guys, she shouted at me and chased me away from her stall.

"You damned bitch! How dare you lose my money, you wench!"

"A-agh! S-sorry! I'm sorry, auntie!"

She pulled on my hair, slapped my face and shouted at me until she felt tired and left me sprawled at the road with the other slum people passing by me.

It hurts, but maybe they can't help me out because they have something important to do.

"Eh? You were robbed and the old lady doesn't want to take you in anymore?"

"M-Mm… I need a new job, Ai-chan."

"Let's see… I really have nothing in mind right now. I already gave the gleaning work at the war field to Yuuta and the castle doesn't have odd jobs yet."

"P-please Ai-chan… I really need to work…"

"O-Okay, I get it… Just wait until tomorrow and I'm sure I can find something."

"Thank you very much, Ai-chan!"

On my way back home, I crossed paths with a weird man who looked at me in a scary way.

"Oi, kid… you're in my territory."

"H-huh?"

"Do you know what happens to brats that cross my place without permission?"

"A-Ah… N-n-no…"

He is scary… he's big and covered in scars… and on his hand is a smoking pipe.

"If you don't want to be hurt, come with me and maybe I'll let you go after you do some work."

"W-work?"

Reluctantly, I followed the weird man to an old house at the edge of the slum area. There, I saw other kids sitting in front of tables and stuffing dolls with something that looks like salt.

"Here's what you'll be doing. You put these stuff in the doll and put them in this box. Sew them properly so they don't get seen and I'll give you some money after you finish a box."

"O-Okay… thank you for giving me work, mister."

I was happy that I know how to sew things. After all, mama doesn't sew my clothes, so I had to learn how to patch them up.

"What is this white stuff?"

"…It's opium."

"Opium?"

"Don't be too noisy, he'll hear you and beat you up if you're noisy."

"Ah… sorry."

The boy beside me who looks a bit older than me explained and warned me. With the way he can quickly stuff the Opium thingy in the doll and sew it shut, I think he's been doing this for a while.

"That guys sell opium to other provinces. We kids here pack them so they can get across the border without being found."

"I-is that so? What's so harmful about this white stuff anyway? They actually look like candy and-"

I was about to put some on my tongue when he hurriedly held my hand and looked at me straight in the eye.

"Don't do that… don't ruin your life."

It was at this moment that I saw his eyes are sore and reddish… and on his table is a pipe that has a faint smoke.

"O-okay…"

I finished three boxes by the time the sun rose up. I felt tired and had a short nap before the weird man counted my boxes and placed some coins at my table.

"T-Thank you, mister… I should go home now, my parents might be worried about me…"

"Go home? Are you shitting me, you brat? No one's going home here anymore!"

"H-h-huh?"

"You there! Tell her the three rules of this place!"

The guy beside me stood up and with shaky breaths, spoke those rules.

"We must remain quiet at all times… Do not waste the good stuff… and… This is our new home…"

At this point, I finally understood what mistake I made and even though I didn't like it, I had to stay there and forget about ever coming home.

"T-thirty mon?"

"Yeah, 30 mon for bread and 45 mon for rice balls. Are you buying?"

A mean guy at the side of the room sells food here. His prices are high to the point that my pay for six boxes can only buy one bread for the entire day.

"O-okay… here it is."

"Hm. Now scram!"

I worked there for two weeks. Every day was a cycle of working on the dolls, buying food and sleeping at the floor. But I can't do anything. I can't leave anymore. Even though they don't like to talk to me, I still miss mama and papa.

"Ah… is that…"

While I was using the washroom, I noticed that a small part of the wooden wall was already rotten, and I can fit in it in order to get out. I silently went back to the main room to take my belongings and the money I saved up and finished my dolls for that day.

"Hrm… 6 boxes, huh? Here."

"T-Thanks…"

Once the day was over and we were allowed to sleep on the ground, I waited until the weird man looked like he is getting dizzy from the thing he is smoking, and I went to the washroom to get through the broken wood wall.

"Hrm! Come on…"

*Ka-criyak!*

Suddenly, I heard some noises from inside and it was followed by shouts from the people inside.

"AGH!!! You traitors! I knew all of you are traitors!"

"H-hey! He's gone mad!"

"Get away!"

I was scared… really, really scared. I pushed my legs out of the wooden wall's hole and once I was outside, I ran away as far as I can.

*Tak-! Tak-! Tak-!*

"ARGH!"

"HELP!"

I can still hear their shouts as some noises that sounded like fireworks came from inside the house. From the noise, it seems like the weird guy was hurting the other kids.

I was really scared that I was crying while running away.

"And you! Where do you think, you're going?!"

"Ahhh!"

Because I was panicking, I didn't notice that I ran around the area and instead of arriving somewhere far from the broken house, I ended up near it and was caught by the weird guy.

"You think you can escape?! I can't let you live now after you saw what's in there!"

"H-help! Help!"

The weird guy took out something with a handle and a metal tube, if I can remember correctly, Ai-chan once called it a "gun".

"Die, you brat!"

"NOOOO!!!"

However, before he can point it at me, someone from the alley behind him appeared and stabbed him with a sword.

"Urk! What in the hell are-"

"…"

"ARGH! NO! NO!"

That person took out his sword which made the weird guy to shout in pain.

"…"

"A-a-ahhh… I am…"

"…"

That person didn't speak to me. They just had a hood over their head and a necklace with a blue flower on it. They knelt beside me and pointed to a street nearby, probably telling me where to go.

"T-T-thank you…"

"…"

They nodded to me and before I left, they gave me a pouch that felt a bit heavy. From the clanking inside of it, it sounded like coins. I bowed low to thank the person and ran away from there quickly.

"Hey! Hey! Don't point that at me! I will give you anything you want!

*Ka-clack! Byak!*

The last thing I heard what that shout from the weird man and another fireworks noise.

"Kichi! Where are you, Kichi?!"

From afar, I heard Ai-chan's voice shouting my name. It seems like she was trying to find me.

"Ai-chan! Ai-chan!"

"K-Kichi? Kichi! Where did you go to, you rascal?!"

"Hik! Urh… Uwah… Uwah!!!"

Once we met up again, I hugged her tightly even though she is scolding me. I cried and cried and cried because I was so scared. It was already noon when we talked properly.

"Haah… I don't understand a single thing about what happened, but it's good that you're safe now. You were gone for a long time, you know…"

"Hik-! I know… but I can't leave that place and the guy in there was so scary and-"

"Okay, okay… I get it… Haah… Let's go to my shack then and get something to eat. Look at you, you haven't bathed for two weeks, you reek like fish!"

"I-I don't! T-that's mean, Ai-chan!"

"Geh… let's go. I'll give you something to eat while I'm warming some bath water for you."

It was my first time to go to Ai-chan's shack at one of the corners of the slum area. She said that it was an old house that she settled in after her parents sold her into slavery, but she was able to escape from the merchants and hide here.

*Gyuu~!*

"Hah… There, take some food in that basket while I'm preparing some water for you."

"Ah… thankies."

"But just enough, alright? I also need to eat after I clean you up!"

I ate some of the daifuku buns at the basket and patiently waited for Ai-chan as she is boiling some water for me outside. Once, she brought in the pot, she mixed it another pot of water that has some leaves. She then used a mortar and pestle to crush some flowers, seaweed and seashells that became some kind of sweet-smelling lump under it.

"W-What is that, Ai-chan?"

"Hm? It's soap. You need it since you smell too bad."

"Argh! I don't smell bad! You're just mean, Ai-chan!"

She gave me a bath and used that soap on my hair and body. It smelled so sweet and fragrant that once she rinsed me and I was about to reach for my clothes, I finally understood why she kept on teasing me earlier.

"Guah! It smells like fish!"

Ai-chan gave me some of her clothes while she is washing mine. They felt big and airy, so I stayed inside and watched her clean my clothes.

"You're amazing, Ai-chan…"

"Hrm? Haha! Feel free to praise me more!"

"Ai-chan is amazing!"

"Hah!"

I have always been curious about her. She's only eight-years-old, four years older than me, but she can already do so many things that I haven't seen many other kids do.

"Hm? Well, I've been going around the country ever since I escaped from those mean merchants. I once tried to go back to my family, but instead of apologizing to me, they tried to sell me to another merchant so I knew I can't go home anymore."

"So, you've been alone all this time?"

"Yep! Me and me alone!"

While she is beating my clothes with a paddle to remove the stains on it, we continued our conversation.

"I've been doing all kinds of odd jobs so I can eat. I always looked for old and abandoned houses that I can live in, and I've been saving up for a while to hitch a ride to Yamato province and start in there anew."

"Yamato province, where is that?"

"It's the capital of the country! It's where the Shogun lives!"

"Shogun? What is that? Is it tasty?"

"Haah? You've never heard of the Shogun before?"

I moved my head side to side to tell her that I don't and that's when she sighed and answered me while rinsing my clothes off.

"I heard that the Shogun is a good guy. He gives jobs to people so they can live comfortably, lets children to study things so they can live a better life when they're older and best of all, he doesn't care if you are a poor person or a rich noble, if you need help, he will help."

"Wow! I don't understand it, but it sounds cool!"

Ai-chan heard my words and giggled before hanging my clothes at the bamboo clothesline and sat beside me.

"I want to go to Yamato and live a good life. I've lived in Haguro since I was born and I got nothing but bad luck… maybe the heavens will smile upon me once I go to Yamato."

At this point, I realized something that I didn't think about before.

"Does that mean that… you'll go away… and we can't see each other anymore?"

"…Yes."

"Hah-!"

Hearing her reply hurt my heart. Ai-chan was my dearest friend. One of the few people who wasn't mean to me. And now, I heard from her that we may not see each other again.

"B-B-but… Ai-chan… You are-"

"It hurts me too to not be able to see you guys anymore… It really does. But I can't live in Haguro anymore… Every day that passes, I feel more and more tired of being in here that I just want to leave…"

"But… I and the others… We will-"

"I will miss you guys too…"

Ai-chan hugged me tightly while I was crying and I felt that she too, was crying. She must've thought about this for a long time and even though she hates it, she decided to give us a proper goodbye before she left us.

"…"

"Come on! We don't have all day in here!"

The day finally came, and we followed her to the commoner's area where a caravan of merchants is hurriedly packing up their things.

"Everyone… seems like this is a goodbye."

"""…"""

All of us friends were silent… we still wanted to convince her to not leave, but we all know that this is what she has decided on.

"Ai-chan… Don't forget about us, alright?"

"Yeah! Don't forget about us!"

"Write letters… no, we can't read it… Just tell us all about it we you see us again!"

"Ahaha! Come here, you guys…"

We gave her one last hug before the leader of the caravan called for everyone that they'll be moving away.

"Chigusa, don't eat weird stuff from the ground anymore, okay?"

"Y-yeah!"

"Shizuka, chickens don't have to take a bath, alright?"

"I-I know already!"

"Kichi, stay strong and use that place wisely, okay? I've kept it for your use only."

"Understood!"

"And you, Yuuta."

"W-what?"

"Stop chickening out before it's too late."

"Argh! I'm still thinking about it!"

All of us friends watched as she hopped on one of the carts at the caravan. We stood there and watched over her until we can't see her anymore.

That day, I promised to myself that I don't want to be weak anymore and I'll one day have enough money to bring all of us friends together again in Yamato province.

"Flowers! Please buy some flowers!"

The place that Ai-chan gave me the directions to is a flower patch outside of the city that she comes to when she makes soap. I was supposed to use them to make soap, but since I forgot about the things she used and how many it has to be to make it work, I just decided to sell the flowers straightly.

"Hey mister! Do you wanna buy some flowers?"

I don't get much money out of it, but I am happy with selling these flowers that reminded me of Ai-chan.

"…"

I approached a guy sitting in front of a snacks store and he has a hood over his face. He raised a mon coin towards me, and I felt excited since he seems to want to buy.

"Ah! Are you buying?"

However, he flicked his thumb down which made the coin disappear and then waved his hand around to show that it was completely gone.

"Wow! Where did it go?!"

I was so amazed of what I saw and he snapped his fingers near my face before placing his other hand behind her ear and out came the coin he was just holding on the other hand.

"WOW!!! How did you do that?!"

He lifted his hood off and I finally saw his face. He has a short and neatly combed hair and a pair of plain, black irises on eyes that carried a sanguine expression. His mouth had a gentle smile as he took one of the blue-violet irises on the girl's basket and placed the coin that he used for his magic trick on her sleeve pocket.

"Thank you, mister! I really liked that trick too!"

But before I can leave though, the young man held me by the shoulder to stop me as he snapped the flower's stem and leaves to leave only the flower that he carefully placed over my right ear.

"Mister… this is…"

"You should wear them too to attract more customers. Flowers are meant to be admired after all."

He finally spoke and even gave me a smile that made me smile too in return.

"Thank you, mister!"

"You're welcome, little girl."

I was so happy about it… but two weeks later, I woke up and saw something that made me cry so much that it attracted the attention of our neighbors.

"Uwaaaahhhhh!!!"

"Poor girl…"

"I feel more sorry about her than those two filthy mutts that she is crying for…"

I didn't know who it was, but someone killed mama and papa. I saw them at the living room, mutilated with slashes and stabs that killed them.

"Take her out for a moment… I don't want the crime scene tampered with for now."

"Yes sir… Come on, kid. We'll let you cry later but we have to do our works for now…"

Some guards went inside our house and told me to leave for a moment, I didn't want to leave mama and papa's body there, but someone familiar appeared outside of the house.

"Let me take her for now. Handle the investigations properly."

"I-Is that…"

"The Shogun?!"

He was dressed in casual clothes, but our neighbors suddenly bowed down to him. I didn't understand why.

"E-everyone, bow down!"

"Y-yes…"

I was confused about what was happening and I raised my eyes to look at the person's face again.

"Wait… you are…"

"Hello there, little one… I believe we've seen each other before, haven't we?"

It was the guy who showed me a magic trick and bought one of her flowers only to give it back to me two weeks ago.

"Mister… Dad and mom are… Hik!"

He knelt beside me and opened his arms to hug me.

"There, there… Just let it go…"

He patted my back while I was crying mama and papa's deaths.

"Amanogawa-Uesama… This crime is…"

"I am aware… Investigate thoroughly and never let this be out of justice's reach."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

He lifted me away from the place while talking to one of the guards. I didn't understand why the guards who would usually be mean to us is talking to him so carefully.

"Can you tell me your name, little one?"

"Kichi… Hik! My name is Kichi, mister."

I was still stifling because I was crying, but I still answered him.

"Kichi-chan, then…"

"How about you…Shk! Mister?"

"Hm? My name is Amanogawa Sora. I am the Shogun."

This was how I met Mister Shogun just after my parents died… He took me under him like his own child and made me feel the care and warmth of a family that I haven't felt before.

"My, my… Don't mature too early, dear. I wouldn't want you dabbling on love and grown-up stuff too early when I can still cuddle you like this… Mumumumu~!"

"Ahaha! Chia-san! Stop it!!! Ahahaha!!!"

I even felt the sense of care and love from Chiasa-san, Mister Shogun's wife and who I consider now as my adoptive mama.

"Are you liking the music, sweetie?"

"Mm! I don't understand it, but it's fun!"

""Ehehe… so cute, so cute…""

We even went to the beautiful city of Hitachi where I heard some beautiful music before we finally went to Yamato province.

"Ki-chan? Anything bothering you, sweetie?"

"Huh? Nn, nn… It's nothing, Chia-san."

"Is that so? You shouldn't frown too much. This cute, little face of yours will get older if you keep on doing it."

"Is that the reason why you look so young, Chia-san?"

"Ara? You nosy, little tart… Don't flatter me too much, or I'll give you some sweets!"

"Sweets?! You're beautiful and kind, Chia-san!"

"Ahaha! You're too precious…"

I became the Shogun's child and I've received all the things that I once cannot even imagine about having before.

But…

"Ai-chan…"

"…Endou-kun. I trust that you've watched over her all this time?"

"Of course, Chia-senpai! That kid was someone working with me after all."

"Well then, let's show our little cutie pie her reward for enduring such a harsh life."

I didn't understand what they were talking about while I was half-asleep, but when I woke up tomorrow morning, I already wanted to cry.

"Good morning, Young Lady."

"You… Is that really-"

But this time, it wasn't because I was sad or in pain.

"Or would you prefer that I greet you in this way… Ki-chan?"

It was Ai-chan… She was dressed in a servant's uniform and greeted me a good morning with that same smile that she used to give me back then.

"Uwah!"

"There, there…"

"You're here… we finally met again!"

Mister Shogun once told me that of all the things in the world, a promise that's been kept is one of the happiest things to happen to someone. And right now, I was feeling that.

"Let's go down and eat breakfast, Ki-chan."

"Mm!"

I am Amanogawa Kichi. I came from the slums, but now, I am the Shogun's child.