Horizon:GT2 Chapter5

Chapter 5: Bread and a Powerful Nation

A samurai shows his honor by fasting

A Technohexen goes ahead and eats

What were we talking about again?

Point Allocation (Going Your Own Way)

●

Asama sighed at the news of the frozen change of residence requests.

…And when we’re in the middle of our investigation.

“Even if it is to prevent the culprit from escaping to Musashi, this feels like overkill.”

The Asama Shrine was in charge of Musashi immigration, but Mikawa had frozen those requests without contacting them first. She knew Tres España had demanded it behind the scenes and Mikawa couldn’t disobey, but…

“This explains why Rodrigo casually left just beforehand,” said Mitotsudaira.

Rodrigo had departed after gathering the information she needed.

The Mikawa representative had left at the same time, so the only person here other than Asama and Mitotsudaira was…

“Tenzou-kun, I didn’t expect you here. Musashi must be eager to get this over with.”

“Based on what I heard, they sent me instead of the 1st Special Duty Officer because they want to be cautious and avoid wounding Mikawa’s pride. Anyway, what is your first impression of this case, Asama-dono and Mitotsudaira-dono?”

“There is a lot I won’t have a good grasp on until I organize all this information,” said Asama.

“I doubt we have enough to arrive at the truth and they’ve made it clear they’ll prevent us from gathering more. This all feels so complicated,” said Mitotsudaira.

Asama agreed with that because a few facts had already been hidden from them and it was all but guaranteed they wouldn’t know how the evidence they did find related to each other.

“Okay, I can complain about the frozen request later. Let’s do what we can first.”

That also went for Tenzou who was here to supervise the investigation. He was here on behalf of the 1st Special Duty Officer, but…

“We need to focus on the investigation since this all sounds like such a pain,” he said. “Besides, the burning of the inn looks a lot like it was meant to cover up the evidence.”

“What do you mean?”

“It looks like the fire was started in multiple locations.”

Tenzou pointed out a few different scorch marks in turn.

“Based on the remaining walls and the state of the ground, it looks like the fire began from four or five different points.”

“You can tell that from the extent of the carbonization?”

“Judge,” said Tenzou, before taking another look around.

He took a step forward and opened a sign frame. Confused, Asama took a peek at the screen.

“Some pillars were piled up on the side of the road behind us to obstruct our investigation.”

After reading that, she started to turn around, but Mitotsudaira gestured for her to stop.

…O-oops!

“Tomo, don’t look at them, okay?” Mitotsudaira said on Asama’s sign frame. “The pillars probably come from this inn and they were piled up like that to clear them out of way after taking data on them as evidence, but they were also moved away to keep us from investigating them. They even have a sign frame saying ‘don’t touch’, don’t they?”

“Judge.” Tenzou sighed and wrote his message without touching his sign frame. “They clearly intend to cover up this case. The question is how far you intend to pursue it.”

●

Asama considered Tenzou’s question.

Mikawa appeared to agree with Tres España on this case, so if Musashi didn’t do anything, there would soon be no evidence this case ever even happened.

But something about this bothered her. Mikawa and Tres España’s response did of course, but also…

…It kind of feels like they left everything in our hands.

The Mikawa representative had told them to leave once their investigation was complete.

“Tomo,” whispered Mitotsudaira. “How about we go to the Main Blue Thunder tonight instead of having sushi?”

“Eh? Sure, if Toori-kun has it open. Hoping for some meat dishes?”

“No, after all this work, we deserve a tart as a treat. A whole one.”

Asama realized what she meant. She could immediately agree with that, so she responded.

“A whole one might be a bit much. Tenzou-kun, will you help us?”

○

Scarred: “Master Tenzou eats whole tarts? I never knew he enjoyed them so much.”

Asama: “Um, no, don’t take that literally. It was a sort of code.”

Gold Mar: “Oh, I get it! Ga-chan, you get it too, don’t you!?”

Art-Ga: “Eh!? Give me a second! Is it something Asama has but Adele doesn’t!?”

Flat Vassal: “No fair asking for a hint that narrows it down to like three things right away!”

Tonbokiri: “The code must have to do with how tarts are difficult to eat if you don’t cut them in half first.”

Silver Wolf: “Um, Gin? Why did your mortar just make this awful scraping sound?”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. It couldn’t be simpler. The tart refers to the job. They can’t complete the entire job themselves, so she was asking if Tenzou was willing to help out.”

Scarred: “Oh, now I get it. And here I was making a shopping list so I could bake Master Tenzou lots of tarts once we got back to the Musashi.”

Art-Ga: “I can only dump the new data in chunks, but the threads are still going strong. Anyway, get back to your investigation.”

●

Mitotsudaira heard Tenzou speak.

“Sorry.” He placed a hand on his head. “But a whole tart is too much for me. As good as Toori-dono’s homemade ones are, whenever I bring one home with me, my father and I end up fighting over it.”

…He didn’t catch on!

Was using a tart as a code too much of a girl thing? Maybe they had been expecting too much of someone who had never had a girlfriend, but Mary spoke up in his defense.

“D-don’t worry! I’m sure he actually knows what you meant!”

This is supposed to be in the past, you know? And this is getting to be a pain, so…

“Oh, is that what you meant? It would be my pleasure to help out.”

○

Smoking Girl: “That version of Tenzou is creeping me out.”

Gold Mar: “Yeah. I’m all for altering history to help the story go more smoothly, but that was creepy.”

Scarred: “Th-then let’s just say I whispered some advice in his ear.”

Asama: “Um, Mary? We can fix that later, okay? So calm down.”

Art-Ga: “So what happened after his cluelessness ruined your plans?”

●

Mitotsudaira forced a smile in front of the clueless ninja. She hijacked control of his sign frame and ran a search. She found a globally supported Ouija Board research site called Super Kokkurier and displayed its Iroha keyboard.

She spelled out “we aren’t stopping” with that and the ninja finally seemed to understand. He nodded and replied in the same way: “You’re really doing this?”

She nodded back.

…This is a big move.

Mikawa was working with Tres España to cover up the murder case in Mikawa, but Musashi would continue the investigation. Mitotsudaira and Tenzou were not important enough to make this kind decision on site. But someone here did have that sort of authority.

“Tomo, what will you do?” Mitotsudaira asked using the displayed keyboard.

Asama was a representative of the Asama Shrine. She was #2 with Musashi’s Shinto. As long as her father, the #1, didn’t intervene, she could generally speak for Musashi’s Shinto. And Asama placed her hand on the sign frame to spell out something.

“We can stop if it starts looking dangerous.”

…She makes it sound simple.

That was an awfully casual attitude for such an important incident, but maybe their role here didn’t require much more.

“I see,” wrote Tenzou. “Let’s hope we find some important information I can report back.”

His higher ups would decide what to do, but those higher ups needed enough information to base their decisions on.

That excuse would be enough to allow some slight intervention here. Mitotsudaira made a mental note to use the same excuse herself as she removed her finger from the sign frame.

They had a plan. Now they just had to figure out what to do here.

“Um, Mito?”

“Eh? Is something wrong?”

“Yes.” Asama pointed all around them. “Mikawa is mysterious phenomenon prone, so doing the Kokkuri-san here wasn’t the best idea.”

Mitotsudaira looked around to see the some Mikawa guards being chased by something like the disembodied legs of a giant dog.

●

“Oh? We have a divine transmission from Mikawa? Want to answer it, Ga-chan?”

It was the morning break. Naruze was eating a light snack on the mid-level platform of Asakusa’s mast. She nodded at Margot’s question and looked toward Mikawa.

…The mountain trees have gotten taller since last year.

That was probably true for every year going back millennia, but they would have at least been thinning out the forest alongside the road. But the road and cliff she had seen last year seemed to be hidden this year.

Would she notice a lot more like that if she had an observation spell? With an observation spell, she would have an easier time knowing what areas were busier during her delivery work, so she decided to look into it. But…

“Mitotsudaira, Asama, and Tenzou went to Mikawa, right?”

“Right. Kimi-chan said she’s staying here.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t like mysterious phenomena.”

“That’s right,” said Margot, opening a Magie Figur in front of Naruze. It displayed the footage of Mikawa that Asama had sent over earlier.

“Look! Look at that!” said Asama on the video. “There’s a pair of feet skipping along that road! But that isn’t a mysterious phenomenon. It’s actually a dosojin summoned by a mysterious phenomenon. It tried to appear here, but messed it up and ended up like that!”

“How does that differ from a mysterious phenomenon?”

“An excellent question, Mito! A dosojin is a type of descended god. Oh, look, look! It’s chasing a mysterious phenomenon, which is running away in a fluster! That white coloration is rare, but there’s nothing to worry about during the daytime!”

“Why do those shrine maidens get so worked up over explaining stuff?” asked Naruze.

“It’s not nighttime and there are people here, so do we not have to worry much about dosojin? Oh, but don’t you get a +3 one-day travel safety buff to your divine protections when you see one of those? Anyway, when Kimi-chan saw this with To-chan earlier, she fainted and then insisted she wasn’t going to Mikawa.”

“This isn’t all they have there. But regardless…”

Naruze sighed and looked down.

A new area was taking shape on Asakusa below them.

“The festival’s main yard.”

An outdoor stage and plaza were being constructed on the container plaza at Asakusa’s bow, with lodgings surrounding them.

The laborers were at work and sounds of construction rang through the air. Naruze could see it all from this height. Similar sounds came from all across the Musashi.

“This isn’t the only festival. After having a week of lazy celebration on Asakusa, it all ends with the music festival. We’re supposed to make a preview appearance there to see how it goes, but the end-of-school-year festival’s big event is at the start, not the end.”

That was…

“The attack festival. A place where you can take out your final frustrations on your graduating friends. And they do the same to you. Two hours of students beating each other up with no concern for age or status sounds wild.”

●

“A festival of attacks? Musashi sounds like a dangerous place.”

Masazumi sat out front of her old house while she read some Musashi information on her sign frame.

Maybe it had to do with her request being frozen, but the sign frame from Musashi refused to close now. Well, maybe it would close if she knew how, but she didn’t. And she didn’t know how to bring it back if it did close. So she was reading the newspaper images it automatically displayed for her. Plus, she had a more pressing issue.

…What do I do about food?

She had no money. She had honestly been planning to eat with her father tonight.

There were a few places to eat at Mikawa, but supplies were unreliable thanks to the mysterious phenomena and prices tended to be high. But if she bought ingredients at the greengrocer or market, she didn’t have the cookware or a working stove to cook with.

“What am I supposed to do?”

She decided to leave the house to start with.

It wasn’t evening yet. The Honda house had a bamboo grove leading up to a mountain behind it. With a normal forest, she thought she might have been able to acquire some food, but she also doubted it would be that easy.

The closest neighbor was about 100m away and she had already harvested everything from the home vegetable garden next to the house over the past few months in preparation for the move.

…Are there any roots left?

She had no practical knowledge of such things. Her recent life had taught her just how much her mother had been doing in regard to the garden and what grew in it.

She had been thankful to her mother as she harvested it all, but the way she had harvested every last bit without considering a situation like this one showed how her perfectionism could be a bad thing.

What is wrong with me? She knew what the answer had to be.

“This is the bad thing about cultural-minded people.”

Wait, no. I can cook. I just need the ingredients first. So it’s not like I can’t do anything. Yes. I’m not useless. Good, good. How does this help me again?

“Masazumi, I see you’ve always loved making excuses.”

I must be so hungry I’m hallucinating voices now. And I don’t love it.

Still, she had to figure out what to do.

She could get water from the well. There was a washroom in the assembly hall, so she could use that.

She had a futon and a roof. All she really needed was food.

“Excuse me. Is a Honda Masazumi here?”

She heard a female voice from out front. She didn’t recognize it.

Wondering what this was about, she cautiously emerged. A Technohexen in an M.H.R.R. inner suit and an orange coat stood out on the road. She had a simple schale besen leaning against her side.

“Are you her?”

“Oh, judge. Who are you?”

“I’m a Musashi delivery worker. The Blue Thunder hired me to deliver ‘something you forgot’.”

Had Masazumi forgotten something there? She didn’t remember. But she knew there was something in the paper bag she was offered.

“Um, I don’t have any money.”

“I was paid up front. …Sign here.”

Masazumi hesitated when the Technohexen held out a Magie Figur.

“Use your finger. Do it so big your signature covers the whole screen if you want.”

The woman was probably used to people reacting that way. She smiled a little as she explained and accepted Masazumi’s signature. Then she took a breath and stepped back with her schale besen still standing upright.

“I hear your change of residence request was frozen. Powerful nations are always so selfish, huh?”

“Do you mean Tres España?”

“I mean all the powerful ones. This happens far too often. Don’t let it get to you.”

She pulled down her goggles and then looked to Masazumi again.

“Welcome to Musashi.”

“I haven’t moved yet.”

“You will. Trust me. Even if your request is never unfrozen, you won’t forget how they treated you. And that’s all it takes. You’ll have no choice but to join us.”

“What…?”

“Think of it as a Technohexen prophecy. And I doubt I’d greet you even if you do join us. This was just a whim. I won’t remember you if we see each other on the Musashi. But,” she said. “It matters a lot that the Blue Thunder manager was worried about you. If you’re ever in any trouble on the Musashi, just give her name. That’ll solve most anything.”

“Thank you.”

“Good answer. I’ll pass your thanks on to her.”

The Technohexen lightly mounted the upright schale besen. It looked a lot like she was standing up and grabbed onto the front wings at the nose. But then she shot up into the sky. That was the only possible description given the amount of acceleration.

The wind crashed into Masazumi and shook the house. But a moment later, the Technohexen was only a dot in the sky.

And she turned sharply to the north. Where the Musashi was.

○

Gold Mar: “Was that Wild Kamelie maybe?”

Vice President: “Hm, I don’t really know, but probably.”

Art-Ga: “Only she would fly off the Musashi with Tres España breathing down our necks. She can escape if a god of war pursues her and she’s close to Almirante, so she can talk her way out of most any trouble.”

Vice President: “She gave me the impression that Technohexen were all really aggressive, but I realized there’s a lot more variety after moving to Musashi.”

Art-Ga: “Yeah, we’re more the unaggressive indoorsy type.”

Vice President: “I sure sensed danger when I was heading home one day and saw a doujinshi of me being sold! It got so many things about me wrong!”

Asama: “Masazumi, Masazumi, that’s not the part that should upset you.”

Flat Vassal: “So you got some bread? That’s good.”

Vice President: “That’s the thing…”

●

Masazumi sighed and looked down from the sky to her hands.

The paper bag there bore the Blue Thunder’s three-leaf thunder logo. She considered eating it now, but she decided to at least check what was inside first.

“A basket?”

The paper bag only contained a wicker basket with a note in the center: Have some bread.

“…”

This again after everything? she thought, but it was possible the note said more.

She stuck her hand inside and realized something about the wicker basket.

“This is…bread?”

●

“Look at this perfect likeness, manager. I baked it just right so it is indistinguishable from a basket.”

“You’re perfect when it comes to detailed work requiring absolute precision, aren’t you?”

P-01s gave the manager a thumbs up and placed the kneaded flour dough in front of her. She looked through the kitchen.

“For this next one, should I make a plate or a vase?”

●

The first day’s investigation ended in the evening. On Asama’s request, Mitotsudaira only focused on the state of the crime scene and any information she could find there.

For today, the three of them were waiting to see what happened.

Tomorrow, they would call for assistance from Musashi. A few people there had practical investigation skills.

So on the way back with Asama, they chatted lightly while passing through the checkpoint and arriving on the road leading to the landport.

After comparing notes on a few things, Asama changed the subject.

“We need to more or less settle this tomorrow, don’t we?”

“Yes, we do. If things stay frozen too long, it will affect trade. And the Chancellor’s Officers want to avoid anything that would have long-lasting effects.”

There were a few problems, but the biggest one was Tres España’s request.

“So they’ll only grant permission for people to move from Mikawa to Musashi after the investigation is complete, huh?”

“What right do they even have to tell neutral Mikawa and Musashi what to do?”

It was unusual for Asama to state an opinion on international issues.

But the Asama Shrine was in charge of managing new arrivals. It had to be a pain for a nation of another religion to intervene.

“You really are a daughter of the shrine, aren’t you, Tomo?”

“Everyone on the Musashi is a child of our shrine. That’s what it means to be the main shrine.”

Asama clapped her hands and repeatedly tapped the inquiry clicker until a sign frame appeared.

<I’ll set that bastard on fire. By, god.>

“That sounds bad,” said Mitotsudaira.

It occurred to her that Tres España’s provisional rule territory included Oouchi and Ootomo land. They had a lot of long-lived who came from the Minamoto clan, but the Testament said the Ootomo converted to Tsirhc and destroyed their local shrines and temples.

And Sakuya was a major god and known for being on the rougher end of things.

“Hmm, maybe I should be thankful our god is motivated.”

○

Flat Vassal: “How did Tres España handle the destruction of the shrines and temples, Gin-san?”

Tachibana Wife: “Why is everyone staring at me so expectantly?”

Asama: “That’s right, everyone. This has to be a painful story of past cringe for Gin-san.”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh heh. Did you really think that would help?”

Unturning: “So what actually happened?”

Tachibana Wife: “To be honest, it happened before I entered high school, so I don’t really know. Excuse me while I ask some of those who were involved.”

○

Flores: “Lady Juana! We came all the way to Kyou, so let’s go see the view from the ancient Kyoto Tower! Then let’s buy some shichimi yatsuhashi at the plain souvenir shop below!”

Juana: “Have you forgotten we are trying to reduce our budget, Flores? And heading out at night can lead to a lapse in morals, so it is not allowed!”

Flores: “You say that, but you’ve eaten one of the wasanbon custards in the inn fridge each day we’ve been here. Hold on, the coffee milk is gone too!”

Juana: “Don’t open my room’s refrigerator! And what did you want anyway?”

Flores: “Oh, right. Gin wants to know how we did the Ootomo history recreation of the shrine and temple burnings.”

Juana: “You mean when Ootomo converted to Tsirhc? Well…”

●

It was a hot summer day.

Juana was trying to start a few businesses and hand them over to the committees and civilians as a way to develop the region and acquire capital through trade with the other nations.

How were they going to construct the Grande y Felicísima Armada? These new businesses were Juana’s way of acquiring the necessary money.

She had already done what was necessary to earn the people’s trust and lead them. Namely…

…Tres España’s Tsirhc conversion.

The Reconquista. The Tsirhc conversion of Spain was actually the region’s third conquering and it had changed most of the land’s religion to Catholicism. But a lot of areas had remained primarily Shinto and Buddhist.

This was simply because the infrastructure was a lot cheaper if they remained Shinto.

That was why Juana had started a Shinto-based joint divine transmission company for Tres España.

Spain’s postal service was privatized sooner than in other nations. The García family of the Ceballos region was in charge of that and a name inheritor had been appointed recently.

Once something the nation or religion had handled was privatized, it could be operated much more flexibly. So Juana had followed the Ootomo clan history recreation by merging Tres España’s Shinto infrastructure with Catholicism. In other words…

“If some areas keep their Shinto infrastructure, it will create a discrepancy in contract prices. Instead, we will form a group contract with Shinto, giving everyone the same contract terms. And with a group contract as large the entire nation of Tres España, we’re sure to get a good discount.”

Her calculations said this would cost 15% more than if people used the Shinto infrastructure on an independent basis, but this would allow people to use Catholic and Shinto spells through the “hidden” setting, so the convenience outweighed the increased cost. The Student Council and the committees had given their approval, but…

“What is the meaning of this, Chancellor? We need to destroy the shrines and temples to secure the joint Shinto-Catholic infrastructure. We have the Far Eastern people’s agreement and the Testament Union has authorized us to switch to the new infrastructure if we go through with the destruction.”

When she asked that question in the hallway one hot summer day, the Chancellor turned around and smiled her way.

“Juana. I think that probably is the correct option. But even if you say they have agreed to this, I have my doubts. Those people have long relied on their gods and buddhas, so even if destroying the shrines and temples is more convenient for them, I wonder how they feel about this on an emotional level.”

“Then…what are you suggesting we do?”

“We stop.”

She wasn’t sure what he meant by that. But he smiled and nodded.

“Tres España stops managing the existing shrines and temples. We officially cease all upkeep. The locals can decide for themselves whether or not they will preserve them and we can support the construction of Catholic cathedrals.”

“You mean…?”

“We privatize the divine transmission industry. It will still report to us, but under civilian control, it is none of our concern what the locals do with the shrines and temples we have abandoned. Because on paper, they have already been written off. So…”

She understood the rest, so she nodded.

“Testament. The people at the proposed cathedral construction sites will likely refuse our support, Chancellor. Because they already have a structure that serves that purpose. Yes…the shrines and temples we have abandoned will be as good as gone on paper, so how they use them will indeed be none of our concern.”

○

Juana: “Anyway, that’s more or less how it happened, Flores. Do you under- why are you leaning back in the sofa glaring at me?”

Flores: “You exaggerated that like crazy, didn’t you? I bet I know how it went down. The setup is the same, but the second half was more like this.”

●

One hot summer day, Juana caught up to the Chancellor in the hallway cutting across the center of the domed school building.

“Chancellor! Chancellor! I am getting an explanation out of you today if it’s the last thing I do! The committees and I went to so much trouble starting a joint Catholic and Shinto company to greatly reduce divine transmission costs, so why have you done this!?”

“N-now, Juana, try to calm down. Just calm down. How about I buy you a grilled squid?”

“Now is not the time for calm! Oh, but I will take that grilled squid. …Anyway, Chancellor! You will explain why you stopped the destruction of the shrines and temples!”

“Eeeeeeeek!”

○

Flores: “You can’t convince me it didn’t happen that way. And that’s what I’ll be telling Gin.”

Juana: “W-wait just a moment! Don’t rewrite the past!”

○

Tachibana Wife: “So it turns out Tres España’s shrine and temple destruction was done through the privatization of the divine transmission business. Which means, if you can believe it, Master Muneshige was involved.”

Flat Vassal: “I see. And it was while he was doing that work that he met Gin. Right, 4th Special Duty Officer?”

Tachibana Wife: “Wh-why wouldn’t you address me there!?”

Art-Ga: “These things happen. …Anyway, Tres España seems like it has pretty strict Catholic leadership.”

Unturning: “So with all that established, what was happening with Mikawa and Musashi?”

Vice President: “Well, I found myself in some real trouble…”

●

Masazumi walked through the Mikawa outskirts during the evening.

She was on the way back from the local assembly area. It was technically a government office that could handle a number of tasks, but here on the outskirts, it had become a place for the elderly to kill time and a daycare for children.

When Masazumi was in her 1st year of high school, she had even tutored a class for elementary schoolers there. It had been a little embarrassing having them call her “sensei”, but it had also helped her feel a connection to the local area.

The two-story building was adjacent to a small cafeteria where she could have ordered food if she had any money. Unfortunately, she could only order some water to go with her “bread”.

I’ll be fine. This happens a lot. At any rate, by the time she finished her dinner, the closing time music played. The ancient tune had been excavated from the Mikawa ruins. It was only the melody. They hadn’t managed to recover the lyrics, but the title was supposed to be Kinta’s Great Adventure, or something like that. There were rumors that the lyrics had been recovered, but they were too inappropriate and everyone involved was executed for their crimes.

…Why would they play that here?

“Vice President, you complain a lot!”

Hm? Oh, the elementary school kids must be talking.

“Heh heh heh. She thinks I’m in elementary school!”

Let’s just say one of the elementary school kids is crazy.

At any rate, she walked around the interior of the building out of old habit. When she bowed toward the receptionist, the woman smiled in a “long time, no see” kind of way. She would have heard that Masazumi was moving to Musashi, so the smile may have also meant “why are you here?”

At any rate… I’m saying “at any rate” a lot. Not that it matters. She left the building and found it was unexpectedly bright.

…There are lights on.

This wasn’t streetlight spells set up alongside the road. She thought it might be a mysterious phenomenon, but it wasn’t that either.

“Did they add some torches?”

She thought they might be doing some night construction, because this was clearly a temporary measure. Torch spell charms were hanging from the ropes strung up on the trees and roofs at the crossroads and along the road.

She didn’t understand the point at first, but then she remembered.

…There was a murder on the western hill, wasn’t there?

The rumor was some merchants from P.A. Oda were killed and then burned. If so…

“I can’t let it scare me.”

These lights meant the murderer was still hiding in Mikawa. That was when something finally clicked for her.

“Oh, that’s why.”

This explained why she couldn’t move to Musashi.

The murderer was still in Mikawa.

●

I can’t believe this, thought Masazumi, sighing below the moonlight and torchlight.

She had heard about the murder case while at the meeting place, but she hadn’t linked that to her situation until now.

She hadn’t noticed any connection to herself until she saw these torches and realized the murderer was still in Mikawa. Not that the murder case did have any connection to her. But…

…So this is what it means for powerful nations to be selfish.

She understood now what the delivery woman had meant.

One word from a powerful nation and the Far Eastern people were restricted whether they had anything to do with the case or not.

Masazumi had no involvement with the murder case. She only wanted to move to Musashi.

But a powerful nation’s decision had stopped her and she was stuck here in Mikawa.

In a way, she had no home at the moment. And…

…The murderer is here in Mikawa too, right?

Of course, if people were allowed to move, the murderer could use that to board the Musashi and escape.

“Wait.”

Masazumi still had her open sign frame. She had figured out how to flip between pages, so she swiped her finger along it.

She didn’t know how to move multiple pages at once, so she had to swipe again and again. Until…

…There it is.

She found the warning message attached to the frozen request notification.

<Daytrips to the Musashi are still allowed>

Good, she thought. She could at least stay on the Musashi during the day.

She would still have to return to Mikawa during the night, but she would be safe enough as long as she locked up. And the sign frame would be sending her vital signs back to Musashi. So…

“I just have to get through the night.”

The night had already started. She was out in the night without making any kind of preparations. If she had known, she would have gone home before nightfall.

…I should hurry.

There were still lights on in the homes. It wasn’t time for bed yet. So if anything did happen…

“Judge.”

She could shout for help and she had the knife her father had given her for self-defense.

…Not that I know how to use it.

Her gym classes at the Mikawa academy had taught her how to use a wooden sword, but a fake blade made of wood was nothing like a real one made of metal.

She could at least draw it and threaten someone with it, but it was possible that would only make them more serious about attacking her.

Regardless, I need to be careful, she told herself, making sure her feet kept moving.

Just then someone arrived from the side.

…Eh?

It happened so suddenly she didn’t have time to shout or draw her knife. The person approached so fast it was like suddenly running into a wall.

“…”

The surrounding lights illuminated an arm dressed in black moving in to cover her face.

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