The Long-awaited Truth
As told to me by old lady Risa last night, I decided to walk around the city of Hitachi and see for myself the truth that I cannot obtain through simply being told or made to believe by those around me.
"Ayato."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Can you join me in walking around the city today?"
"…I do not know for what purpose, but if you wish to do so, I will follow."
"Another thing…"
"Yes?"
"I want to cut my hair."
I can still remember it… a day before I left Naka castle, I had Chiyo trim my hair for me so I can change my appearance to fit my journey. It has been already a year and a half since then… my hair has become long, and I've been tying it in whatever way I can.
I decided that today, I should do the same to truly sense that I have some change to do.
"Does this look satisfactory to you, my lord?"
"It does. I'll take a bath first before we leave."
"I shall wait for you by the courtyard then, my lord."
"Yeah, thanks."
A new perspective, a new way to look at things… Perhaps this time, I can finally understand what it was the Granny Risa said I should see.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Still busy with the delivery invoices, manager?"
"Please stop teasing me about this, Former Grandmaster of the Blood Moon Fraternity…"
"Argh… Alright, I'll call that fair."
I was in my office today when a familiar old man entered and called me "manager". In response, I called him through his former title that I know of.
"…Why are you here, Namikaze-jii?"
"No need to hide it from me, you brat…"
"…"
"You and Iwasawa-sama still has some issues, don't you two?"
"…Yes."
It has been over a month since Iwasawa-sama joined the revolutionary group of Vega and lately, moved with them to further support their cause.
"Heigh-ho… Ahh… my old body's been failing me these past few days…"
"Did you come here to scold me, old man?"
"Far from it. I'm here to console you."
"Hah! And how do you think an old man can console me, huh?"
"Why? Didn't we first meet inside an empty Geisha's house?"
"…"
"Empty not because it was closed down or abandoned."
"…"
"But because you…"
"Old man…"
"…killed everyone inside."
"-!"
"What do you think you are doing by staring at me like that, huh?!"
"…"
Being reminded of that mission, I shot a murderous gaze towards the old man to intimidate him into shutting up. But instead of backing down, he returned the gaze to me that was more terrifying than mine.
"Get to the point, old man… why are you doing all of this?"
"I already told you. I'm here to console you since you're not the kind of man who will refer to rental women for comfort. As much as it is uncommon, I am aware of the reason why you are like that and I deeply respect it."
"…"
"Do you remember it? The question that I gave to all of the members of our fraternity when they joined in?"
"Of course. It's "Why do you wish to hunt the Untouchables"?"
"Do you still remember your answer?"
"I said that I wanted to be finally freed from all of the killings that I did for the sake of those powerful and rich people. To finally breathe as who I am and sometimes claim lives for the sake of a noble purpose."
"And Iwasawa-kou-sama gave you that noble purpose, right?"
"Yes… or at least, until lately."
"…"
We have all been against his joining to Vega. It was risky to side with a group whose true goals aren't clear or whose activities aren't clearly defined as safe for those who are innocent or sides with those who seek true peace.
"Iwasawa-sama seems to have been convinced greatly by that man that Ayato brought here that night. Ever since I served him, I knew that Iwasawa-sama is a man who is capable of being an adequate leader and thus, needs to develop that in order to truly change the lives of those under him… but…"
"But, what?"
"He has a fragile and volatile heart. I have been on his side for a long time and I knew that he had been on some low points where he ordered the death of many people and claimed neither glory nor blame for it. Just like the case with the bloody coup d'état in Fuku province, the killing and burning of the pleasure quarter near Aoya village and the burning of Yukonami bandit soldiers who sexually assaulted women and children in their own lands."
"…"
"Kurumi-dono has told him once that he also has the aura of someone who perpetrated a lot of killings, but his aura is different because it was warm and borne out of necessity."
"Why do you sound so unsure?"
"Because I know that Kurumi-dono lied and only said those words because she didn't want to hurt Iwasawa-sama."
"What?"
"She didn't want to say that none of them in that room had any differences… all of them perpetrated killings that in the end, was only done for their own ends."
"I believe my name is being spoken, Minori-kun?"
"W-Waah-!"
The old man slightly shook after Kurumi-dono entered the room by phasing through the wall. Save for this extraordinary entrance, she is also in her two-tailed form, telling me that she and Reiha-dono has been out on a patrol again."
"I apologize about that, Reiha-dono. I was telling Old man Namikaze about the thing you told me last week."
"I see… It's not like I forbid you to discuss it, but out of consideration of Hiroshi, I want as less people as possible to know about this."
"I promise not to tell it to anyone else, Lady Kurumi."
"It's alright, old man. No need to sound so formal."
Kurumi-dono returned to her human form and sat down in front of my table before heaving out an exhausted sigh.
"Has Reiha-dono returned as well?"
"Not yet. She volunteered to clean the last place we went to and told me to go home since I was the one who overexerted myself. She'll be back soon, don't worry."
"Wait… what did the tanuki young lady have to clean up?"
"Remains and miasmas of Yomi demons…"
"W-what?!"
"We two have been hunting down and finding their traces all around this land… without a doubt, we feel that this is some grave problem. Especially for Hiro-kun and his goal of setting peace for this country."
"…"
I handed a map of Kanae estuary to her and there, she crossed out another piece of land that they cleared earlier.
"Wait, wait… I don't understand… how does all of this connect back to Iwasawa-sama's issue with you?"
"Because Hiro-kun is being baited by the enemy into siding with them."
"Them?"
"The Yomi cultists. The ones who attacked our Sanctuary in Furuya province."
"-!"
The old man seemed to be having a hard time in processing all of these. His eyes began to bulge out at times due to the sheer shock of the revelations he is hearing.
"It was through my own and Kurumi-sama's independent investigations that we found out that there are some irregularities with the rebel group of Vega."
"L-like what?"
"Through my own investigations, I found out that some members wasn't actually summoned from the Otherworld but Strayed into this world and has been able to mask their presence until just recently. If I can pinpoint who it is, I can easily know why the Imperial faction seemingly sided with them quickly as if all of this has been prepared in advance."
"My investigations with Reiha were more on the supernatural kind. While disposing the demons that escaped and closing off the holes to Yomi, I talked with the dead bodies of people who died because of those demons. From their seemingly random words and statements, I found some correlations that went beyond being a coincidental similarity."
"W-what are those, Kurumi-dono?"
"Things like a certain man being close to the nobles and forcing himself on some of them while he is staying there, a strange man who hires their service or calls for their help, only to trap them into a lopsided fight against demons and a woman who abducts young boys and after having her way with them, feeds them to the demons."
"That's… terrible…"
"All of them cannot remember their faces… only the miasma that floats around their captors before their deaths."
I closed the ledger book that I was writing on and opened the notebook where I've been keeping the state of our investigation's process so far.
"Through the products of our separate investigations, I found out something that might relate the two unidentified perpetrators of our investigations to some members of Vega."
"This is…"
"A picture of the basement that Kurumi-sama went with me to. She said that Iwasawa-sama learned of a crime by the Imai lord in here and swore to make him pay for it. But now, he seems to not even be bothered with siding with him."
"I see…"
"Iwasawa-sama's moral standing seems to be changing into a place that we don't wish him to go to as he continues to believe on the principles and actions of Vega. As such, I have repeatedly voiced out my concern to him… but as you may already know…"
"Iwasawa-sama ran away, not wanting to listen to any of us."
"…Precisely."
All of us sighed, feeling that we have somehow failed to lead our master to the right path.
"Personally… I still hate Hiro's stubbornness to believe only what he wants to believe. It seems like he is a person who was rid of his freedom long ago and now, doesn't want to believe anyone else in fear that he will feel that sense of being deprived of his freedom again."
"Kurumi-dono…"
"But just like Inari-sama once told me… Humans cannot easily overcome their sense of pride and inadequacy precisely because they don't live long enough to know their true worth in comparison to the vast and infinitesimal breadth of the universe. Or mature properly to know that even if life seemingly has no meaning, it is precisely because of that reason that we are given the ability to choose what it would be."
"Umm… can you explain that better, Lady Kurumi? Even an old man like me can hardly understand it."
"Oh. Well, simply put… Hiroshi is chasing after a meaningless notion of peace through freedom. He has been convinced that only through dethroning that Shogun man can peace be won through liberating the people, but with the conversations I had with the spirits of the dead, I am convinced that the opposite is better."
"Which means… having no freedom?"
"Wrong. It means balancing rule and freedom. The thing that that Shogun man has already done in this land."
"-!!!"
After she said those words, I remembered something that connected my thoughts to the records in my notebook that I was reading.
"M-Minori?"
"What's wrong, kid?"
"Damn it… Damn it all! Why haven't I thought about that before?!"
"Thought about what?"
"Hey kid, what did you see? Why do you look so pale?"
I can only curse myself after realizing that thing just now.
"Iwasawa-sama… he's in a group that is after his own life!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Come and buy some fish!"
"We're half-off with rice today!"
While walking past the marketplace, I immediately noticed the change in the atmosphere after leaving that area.
"…"
"…"
Dressed casually and walking around the town, Ayato and I blended well with the crowd of the marketplace. But after stepping into the residential area, everything was quiet.
"It's quite quiet, yes?"
"Yeah. The city is in a lockdown with only the military and noblemen entering the city's gates, so it isn't as lively as it used to be."
"Even the children seem to be wary with appearing on the roads."
"Though there aren't any passing carts or carriages… they seem to be scared of something."
"Yeah."
We have been walking around for a while, looking at the residents who seem to be living normally yet carries an uneasy expression on their faces.
"Michi-san is right… these people are being oppressed by the Shogunate."
"…"
"The roads almost has no differences, the houses all look similar, the people seems to be functioning properly, but it is clear that they are worried about something."
"I wouldn't really say that it is about the Shogunate, my lord."
"H-huh?"
"Pardon my words… but I know that there is something wrong with what you have just said."
I stopped on my tracks and faced the person next to me who also stopped and stood still.
"How so?"
"…"
"Answer me, Ayato."
"…"
"Che-! You bark when you're not asked and when you are being asked to, you remain silent."
"What is the point of telling it to you if you will not listen and understand it?"
"What?"
"Everyone… From Minori-dono to even Kurumi-sama… all of them are questioning their loyalty to you because of your recent actions and decisions."
"So what?"
"…"
"What use do I have for all of you if you will not support my decisions and respect my actions?"
I spoke those words with poison, pouring all of my pent-up annoyance of all of them who kept on telling me to leave Vega and continue the fight with them.
But I know better. I know that they are just being envious that I finally found people who are at my same level of knowledge who also shares the same goal instead of just waiting for my orders. Michi-san and the others have told me about this again and again after I told them this problem of mine.
"Is that really your true feelings about us, your followers, Iwasawa-sama?"
"…"
"Haaah… Kotori-chan really was right."
"What did you say?"
"She already warned me about dealing with the current you… she said that you have become some kind of obstinate and childish man who is obsessed with a group of people who is only fooling you."
"-!"
"I thought you really wanted to change your view by looking at the people in this place… but I have only disappointed myself."
"You-!"
"In the end, you really are just an immature and short-sighted person."
Ayato turned around to leave after saying all of those words.
"Get back here! You are-!"
*PAK-!*
"Agah!"
I tried to charge at him to grab him by the collar, but instead, he sent forward a kick that hit me on the chest and made me fall down to the ground in pain.
"You haven't actually achieved anything that you claim as your victory… you just made others to act in your stead after fooling them that you are worthy of their service."
"Take that back! How dare you insult your master-!"
"Master? You?"
"-!"
"I swore to serve a man who is wiser and more venerable than the you that I can looking at right now."
He turned around again and finally left as I tried to stand up amidst the pain of his kick.
"Darn it… Damn it all!"
"M-mister?"
"Get your hands away from me!"
"Kyaa-!"
Amidst my cursing of myself, a child extended his hand to help me up, but being filled with anger, I swatted his hand away and only snapped out of it after seeing his eyes that are welling up with tears.
"Aww… Uuu… Uwaaahhh!"
"Tsk! Why the hell is all of this happening…?"
Since it was a residential area, some people quickly peered out of their windows to look at the commotion. Fearing that I might have attracted unwanted attention, I ran away from the scene through the various alleyways of the place, not even looking back or at least apologizing to the child I just hurt.
I was just… too overwhelmed with everything… just too confused about what is the reason for all of these things that are happening and why my followers are so against my pursuit of freedom with Vega.
"Hey, Hiro-kun."
"M-Michi-san?"
While running away into another wide main road, I heard someone call my name from a house door and recognized the leader of Vega.
"Sorry if it's a bit messy. I don't usually stay here since I am always needed in our headquarters or the Imperial faction's meeting room."
"It's alright… I'm not really picky about these things."
"Tea?"
"Y-yes…"
As he welcomed me into the receiving room of the house that I assumed he uses as a hideout in the city, I found it quite messy as he said.
There are dirty clothes at some places. Bottles of sake line a wall in the room and the tatami mats smell a bit… acidic to the nose. Even the owner of the house reeked of alcohol and stale sweat.
"Oh. Sorry if I smell a bit bad. I haven't taken a bath yet since I last came here."
"It's alright, Michi-san. I told you to just have a towel bath after all because of your wounds."
"Oh yes… I almost forgot about this bad boy."
He showed his wound that he got from the failed assassination attempt, and it still looked tender and inflamed, a sign that it is still on the process of healing.
"Here."
"Thanks."
He gave me a cup of tea before opening the windows and letting some air inside.
"What brings you to the city today? I don't think I gave you guys your agendas yet."
"Oh. I was just… having a walk. I am trying to distract myself from my issues with my subordinates."
"I see… them again, huh?"
"Yeah."
He sighed deeply after sitting in front of me, seemingly preparing to console me about it.
"I think they're just feeling inferior after everything they said about us before. That we will not be able to press charges to the enemy's side or achieve anything that will drive the public's support to us."
"Y-yeah… I know about that."
"It's innate to everyone, Hiro-kun… Everyone becomes jealous of someone or some people when they continue to undermine them, and they end up being the best and proving the naysayers wrong. I can say that since I have met a lot of people like that in the past world."
"…"
Michi-san took a smoking pipe and stuffed it with dried leaves before lighting it with a match.
"Sometimes, you just have to do everything to prove them wrong… even if it is something that no one is brave enough to do."
"Michi-san?"
"Remember this, Hiro-kun…"
Michi-san huffed some smoke through the pipe and began to look a bit drowsy and out of his usual tone.
"The world is all yours if you are brave enough to take it to your own hands… and to be able to do that, you must first be free from everything that is holding you back…"
"H-hey, Michi-san… those dried leaves…"
"Be free… from the control of others… the laws of others… the prejudice of others… the acceptance of others…"
"-!"
"Even the morality of others…"
I scooped out some of the dried leaves from his jar while his eyes slowly closed and from the smell alone, I was made aware of it…
"Cannabis sativa…"
The pungent odor of a plant more well known as Marijuana.
"Hehehe…. Ehehehe…"
"…"
*Bluk-! Bluk-!*
"-!"
While Michi-san was still inebriated in his pot session, I heard some loud knocking from under the floor and decided to slip away from his attention to look for a way below.
"T-this is…"
At the kitchen, I found a hatch door that is eerily similar to the one in the former estate of the Imai lord. I opened it and descended to a shallow tunnel that are under the house itself.
"H-hey…"
"W-what…?!"
"Help… me…"
In there was a naked woman chained to the floorboard and breathing weakly.
"Help… me…"
"H-How…? How is this possible…?"
Is it possible that Michi-san… and the corpses under the estate that time…?
"No… this is not happening… you are not real!"
"W-Wait! P-Please help me… I'm the only one left… please don't make their sacrifice be wasted…"
"Them…?"
The naked woman gestured with her chin, pointing it slowly and painfully to the right and there, I saw something that turned my stomach upside down.
"Urk! Guah-!"
"They… servants from the Umigoshi clan… and Araki clan…"
"-!"
"We thought we're only here to send messages… but that man… he defiled our bodies… and we can't do anything because it's the master's orders…"
"No… No, no, no, no…"
"Please… if you can't help me escape…"
"-!"
"Please just kill me…!"
*Byak-!*
"Argh!"
"…"
After she said those words, a gunshot rang out that echoed inside the narrow basement and hit the woman on the head. After regaining my composure, I drew my own gun and squinted to identify my enemy.
"I did say that you are free to do what you want, Hiro-kun… but this is not a pleasant one for me to just let you do."
"M-Michi-san…?"
"Come on, man. Make this easy for both of us."
"What?"
He pointed his gun at me and I did the same towards him although I was reluctant to put my finger on the trigger after seeing who he is.
"I'll shoot you on the arm and say that the Shogunate tried to assassinate you. You'll forget that you saw this and we will return to normal… We'll use your position as an important businessman to press the charges to the Shogunate and everything will go well…"
"What the hell are you talking about?! Why do I have to be shot for something that they'll definitely do anyway?!"
"Let me tell you a secret then, Hiro-kun. The Shogunate won't kill you."
"What…?"
Still fuzzy-minded because of the narcotic drug, Michi-san waved his hands around, including the one that is holding his gun.
"The Shogunate is full of methodical!"
*Byak-!*
"Prudent!"
*Byak-!*
"And boring sons of bitches who doesn't do anything interesting for anyone!"
"Stop shooting or I'll shoot too!"
I shouted that after seeing him continuously shoot the body of the dead women behind me.
"See, Hiro-kun… my problem with the Shogunate isn't about them ruling the city or making things peaceful, my problem with them is they took away everything that I loved in this place since I came here 15 years ago!"
"-!"
"Back then, I gave no jackshit about who is ruling the capital so long as there are whores in brothels and alcohol on my cup. But now? Now that the Shogun bastard took over, everything is gone! There are no more courtesan houses or alcohol bars!"
*Byak-!*
"-!"
"What kind of hellhole did he want to make this country into by getting rid of all those good stuff?"
While he is speaking loudly and holding his gun, someone went down from the hatchdoor and I immediately recognized her even if her naked body is covered with sweat and love juices.
"What are you being loud about, Michi-kun? You ruined my playtime with my kids…"
"R-Risako-san…?"
"Oho! Hiro-kun, did you come here to play too? Too bad, it seems like Michi smoked some good stuff again and killed all of his dolls."
"-!"
Finally, I understood why Minori and the others wanted me to leave this group.
"Do you understand my pain now, Hiro-kun? My anger towards the Shogunate who took all the fun things from here?"
"Argh, shut the heck up, Michi… I'm not done with my boys yet. What if this place becomes raided again like the last one?"
"Shut your trap, Risako! Just go back to you kids, you shotacon!"
"Alright, alright… you drugged sack of crap."
"No… It can't be…"
"Where were we again? Ah, yes… I have to shoot your arm."
"No!!!"
*Byak-!*
Finally gathering all of my anger to him, I pulled the trigger and hit him squarely on the left chest.
"Argh! AAAHHHH!!!"
"YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER!"
"NO!"
*Byak-!*
"I TRUSTED YOU!"
"STOP!"
*Byak! Byak! Byak!*
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE REALLY AFTER FREEDOM!"
I repeatedly shot him randomly and finally, he fell on his knees while coughing up blood.
"Haah… haah… haah…"
"You're not really wrong with saying that…"
"What…?"
"I wasn't exactly after freedom…"
He raised his hand that has his gun and pointed it under his chin.
"I just want to experience again the things that I was freely given in the past world…"
"Past world… what do you mean?"
Before snatching the trigger, he spoke one last thing that allowed me to connect it to the dream that I had when I was attacked by a demon in Gensokyo.
"That Law Spirit… even in this new world… he still hinders our freedoms."
*BLOOK-!*
"-!"
Michi-san pulled the trigger and it pierced his head, scattering his blood around the basement as I sat there as if my ability to process and act upon things that robbed off of me.
"Law… that name…"
However, before I can finish my thoughts, I heard several stomping noises from above and shortly after, the sound of three gunshots alongside the wailing of a woman.
"Search this hatch door and get those boys covered before transferring them to the hospital. Cover the woman's wound, before cuffing her. We still need her for interrogation."
"Yes, General Furutani!"
A middle-aged man entered the tunnel and looked down at me. On his torso is a light armor with the Shogunate's insignia on it.
"We've been recently informed about your presence, Kirin Lord Iwasawa… Who could've known that you still decided to push towards here?"
"Who are you…?"
"General and Direct Retainer of the Shogunate's Imperial Army, Furutani Garou… I am here to raid this hideout of the terrorist organization of Vega… and save you from their clutches."
"W-why…?"
The man stopped for a moment before stating his reason to take me with them.
"My friend and master, Shogun Amanogawa Sora requests your presence along with those who are with you."