Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty-two: Old Friends
Shinrou looked at the outside of the house that Kazuho bought. He had been occupied in trying to make sense of the situation, and that he was suspicious of this at the end of the day. But he couldn't figure out who was still around and who had not left, making it harder for him to even guess it out.
Most of his contacts will have left Okiban, and perhaps most of them will have went further than just the capital, but he knew that most of them were no longer active. The Sasaki with their recent failures had lost their prestige, while the Satou lost most of their numbers as well. Thus, the two competing families no longer had their contacts and most must have went elsewhere in search. Either picked up by a new clan or abandoned it altogether. New clans rarely had the coverage old families provide.
Whether they will have chosen to serve the same masters was debatable, but they were no longer able to give protection to them. Something that crucial to them, even he himself had benefited from the secrecy provided. In the way that none of his enemies came after him or has tried to kill him yet. That could be considered a huge plus as well. He admitted it, that it was one of the few things that saved him from an early death.
Although not being around here for an extended period of time as an adult contributed to it immensely, but it was also that his own identity was kept. He walked through the streets, in hopes of finding them in the shadiest district. He knew that many depended on it, and their information were paid handsomely for it.
And their livelihood were adversely affected by the loss of their two biggest patrons, since he doubted many others had much uses for what they said, meaning the truth was far from their expectations as well.
He went outside, into the lower districts. He could see them easily, for they were marked by pain rather than anything else. The sight was more depressing, but clear and easy to find if someone looked deep enough. He walked deeper into the district, in hopes of finding the one person he wanted to do so at the end.
A shop at the end of it. One filled with tailors, and he knew was where he needed to go. He opened the door without another thought, deep into the shop inside. This was a place that he knew well after all. The shop on the outside was empty save for a single sign, done in such a way no one will have missed it. The kanji was in paint rather than using ink, with it being a bright splash of colors.
He entered inside.
He knew that she will have known who made it, because it was from this shop. As the woman inside all but ignored him, and made no move to acknowledge his presence. But where was the person he wanted to meet the most.
If she wasn't here because it was no longer viable, which was understandable in the first place. But if it wasn't, he wasn't sure what he will have chosen. At the end of the day, he decided that asking was the best possible solution. There was nothing better than doing so.
The shop was small, far smaller than he remembered. While he was looking for a person, where this place was deserted. Finding someone who came out, the one he didn't expect. Although the sign still held the same splash of colors.
"Do you know where is Oheki-san?" He went forward to a woman dressed in purple, a deep purple. Her hair was tied into a high bun, with few hairpins decorating it. Turning her head, she had narrowed eyes. A round chin, with a plump figure.
The woman all but ignored him. Pretending to get on with business, although there was not a single customer around at this time. Guess he will have to do even more to get her attention.
"Murasaki?" He asked her. She turned her head. Knowing just who he was facing, when back then she was nothing more than a girl who was hired because of her wits.
"She left, because of how perilous it was for her. She was never protected and is still wanted by all." The woman glared at him. Of course she will have blamed him, he never answered just where she was. Neither did he ever go deeply into just why it was like this. Even when they did nothing at the end of the day.
"I didn't know." He admitted it, the last time he even have a chance to see her had been several years ago. Never trying to contact her at all, for he thought that it was dangerous to do so. At the very least, it he could have sent something.
"She left without a word, and our shop has never dealt with anything supernatural since then." And it was left to do this,
"Thank you." Knowing that this encounter was anything but fruitful.
And he was obviously unwelcome her. Not wanting to intrude further, as it will have done no good nor will it have given him more answers. Murasaki showed her disdain, and she likely didn't know more.
Oheki left the place, thus rendering any need for him to search further. He crossed it off his list, the rest took more to find. Not something that he could find with ease or tonight. He walked into the streets, before he eventually chose to return back to the house. Because there was nothing here which was able to remind him of the past.
And it had only been five years since his last visit.
Kaede looked upon the house she was leaving. She wasn't abandoning her sake completely, just that she had other things which were of much higher importance waiting for her. A reason why she had to leave tonight. The city changed as well, but it wasn't as though she didn't know any better.
Albeit she was doing this without giving them a heads up of any sort. She sighed, but she came here without much warning. Since Sachiko did it at the drop of the hat, not that she could blame her after what she had received.
Either a cruel joke played on her, or was it a far sinister plot? Few could decide just how problematic it was, but she knew that it was far more. And that some intervention was needed to do it. Which was why Kaede was going out in the first place.
She went through the streets, on her own but more than able to navigate it. To the corner on one end, one which she will have opened at the same time. Rare that anyone will know, but for someone like her, she knew it. Fukusei was a place with many hidden alleys, unspoken rules and of course struggles.
Without a clear ruler here, this had in large allowed the city to be fragmented. She opened the door inside, where she saw a boy turning his head. "Aneki." He gave a wave to her, as it was rare she could visit her. He hugged her, missing her as she could only visit several times a year as compared to mostly staying here.
The boy was somewhere close to her head now. With hair styled into ponytail and a headband in his forehead, holding his katana around his shoulder. Dressed simply, in dark blue hakama and kosode.
"Just what are you doing here?" The man came out to meet Kaede. His hair was worn short, mostly because of maintenance. He was much taller than her, and for today chose a kimono. When he came, the boy chose to take a leave. The man was called Mamoru.
"I want to ask you about something." She copied another letter, having lied to Sachiko just how good she was.
"Did you find Kouya?" He asked.
"No, I did not." She admitted it. She wasn't any closer to finding him. The last they met had been before he took the next ship out of the country. Having become a wanted fugitive, at least by the underworld. But even then, he was also hunted and required to be hidden from the public.
There was no reason, although now she did find it suspicious. But instead, she gave that letter to him. He took it from her, standing up. Mutsu chose to lean against the wall. Neither of them found any reason to sit down as she knew that this will be quick.
"The Daimyo Saitou." She mentioned it, the man knew in an instant what she was asking about. Although he read the letter for good measure. "His activity in Fukusei."
"When he went missing off the shores, and not too long later was eventually declared missing. His body was found just a month ago." Things had came far too fast for a moment. Although he continued to stare at the letter. Even well after he had finished it.
"Anything you find wrong in particular?" She asked, looking at the fact that he had been looking at it longer than a moment.
"Nothing."
"All right." She stared at him. He looked away. Strange for him, but still she couldn't shake off the feeling that it was something more. Although she had no way to confirm it at all,
"Mind if I keep this." He took the letter. While standing at the side.
"Well, it's not as though I needed it." She copied it, and keeping it with him might be better in the long run as she no longer held it in her room which was dangerous to keep if she wasn't careful.
"Did you copy this using her handwriting?"
"Yes." She asked, although as always she was skeptical as to what was happening around him. Something just told her that it was far more than that, but when Mamoru chose not to show, he will keep it to the end. He left the room.
"Aneki, when will you be returning?" He went up after Mamoru left.
"Quite often, Mutsu." She ruffled his hair, even though the boy was now even more than close to her in height. She didn't doubt that he will surpass her in a year or two.
"Are you staying around here now?" He asked her. She gave a nod, which gave a smile to the boy.
"I'm leaving for now. Just wait for me to come, and if we meet don't introduce our connection as of yet." The boy nodded, as she went off. Knowing that it was not only strange, but there was something Mamoru found when he saw the letter. Something about her mistress, although she knew almost nothing about his relationship with her.
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