Cute Kunoichis:Volume2 Epilogue
Epilogue[edit]
“The Raging Gale sky fortress made an emergency landing on the outskirts of the New Sapporo Domain. It was in an empty field, so there was no damage to the surface.”
“I see,” said Sugiyado.
The interior looked a lot like a chain café, but it was actually an ordinary convenience store’s eat-in area kept separate from the 1st floor store. There were plenty of more fashionable places in New Sapporo Domain, but there was one thing he refused to compromise on as an instructor.
That thing was an incredibly common snack food.
A convenience store was the best choice when you were in search of some Happy Churn.
Ouka sat in the counter seat by the 2nd story window. Instead of her cutting-edge ninja outfit, she wore a fluffy sweater and a miniskirt. But instead of relaxing, she sat straight up like an honor student who had just been called on in class.
“It was apparently designed so it can’t take off again under its own power once it lands. It needs special equipment like multiple single-use rockets if it’s ever going to be made airborne again. The landing has been taken as an effective surrender, so Princess Karin and the rest of New Sapporo Domain intend to deal with them.”
“How are things regarding Princess Karin?” asked Sugiyado while munching on the oval snacks.
Ouka gave him some well-made tea she got from the store’s dispenser. But she was also pouting her lips a bit, perhaps because she had been left down on the surface.
But she was professional enough to not let that get in the way of her report, which was charming.
“New Sapporo Domain Lord Hatsunaga should recover soon.”
There was no pause in Ouka’s response.
There was even a hint of hope there.
“But it was Princess Karin who commanded New Sapporo Domain all this time and resolved the Brown Bears problem. The Brown Bears were the result of a policy approved during Hatsunaga-sama’s time as lord, so this is being seen as the daughter cleaning up the mess her father made. This has proven her ability and increased her influence.”
“…”
People were taking an awfully relaxed view of this when the entire city could have been destroyed depending on where the Raging Gale had fallen.
But Sugiyado did not look down on the people for that view.
It only proved that Princess Karin and the other domain officials were doing their part to keep unease from spreading.
“The Brown Bears incident was a policy failure that threatened New Sapporo Domain and the Hokkaido Area as a whole. Princess Karin apparently intends to publicly announce what happened. I imagine Hatsunaga-sama will choose to retire and claim it is to assist his recovery.”
“This is about Abashiri’s special prison. The other Hokkaido Area domains aren’t going to approve.”
“The leaders might not, but they can’t avoid the displeasure of their people. This is too much to placate the people by reducing taxes.”
So in a way, the Brown Bears were getting what they wanted. And Princess Karin hadn’t lost the “puppy” she hid with her thick junihitoe, but it wasn’t all good news.
“The Raging Gale and all equipment aboard are being confiscated as evidence.”
“Including the Brown Bears’ teacher? Including Lignum Vitae?”
“The metronome will be treated as evidence for a while, but it will not be destroyed.”
Ouka stopped there.
An awkward air set in, like a student standing in front of the blackboard but finding she couldn’t write the answer to the problem.
“About New Sapporo Domain’s luxury residential district…the area full of second houses. The armor plating that fell there was found with evidence of certain components having been removed. And there is no sign of Ekaterina of the Cyrillic Empire or Oniyuri of the ABC’s Kingdom.”
“There’s no point in pursuing them. And it isn’t your fault. They aren’t the type to screw up bad enough to be found.”
He meant that to make her feel better, but Ouka puffed her cheeks out a bit. Their ranking as ninjas was apparently more important than he thought.
“Hmph.”
“Hey, my Happy Churn!?”
“These are off limits for now.”
She slid the snack food over from the counter seat.
He wanted to snatch them back, but Happy Churn was fragile. Fighting over them here might cause them to break apart and that was about the saddest thing he could imagine.
He did his best to feign calm as he asked another question.
“You said ‘for a while’. What happens once the trial is over?”
“The plan is to build a museum and keep the Lignum Vitae on display there. The circumstances leading to the Brown Bears’ creation will be accurately recorded and displayed to the public like something from a wax museum. That way the harmful policies of New Sapporo Domain and the Hokkaido Area as a whole will not be forgotten.”
“Will that change things at Abashiri too?”
“Princess Karin has decided to eliminate the entire behind-the-scenes system there, including the Brown Bears. Even if that means ignoring every message sent by Edo who would prefer this is settled more discreetly. It is hard to say how much of an effect this will have. If the rot has reached the very foundation of the special prison, it could mean eliminating the entire prison and distributing the prisoners around the country.”
“…I see.”
Whatever the case, the incident was over.
Edo’s Tenshukaku had only just gotten back on their feet after Oniyuri’s massacre and they were about to be shaken to their core again. But that was none of Sugiyado’s concern.
He had repaid his debt to that old man and eliminated all of his regrets. He had no real reason to remain in the newly peaceful New Sapporo Domain.
“Ouka.”
“Yes, Sensei?”
“I have one last question. Am I officially dead?”
“Um.”
The twintails girl’s shoulders tensed.
Sugiyado had been tentatively considered dead after Abashiri’s special prison was engulfed in flames, but he needed to know for sure.
Ouka bit her lip before finally confessing.
“It wasn’t possible. The fire has been extinguished and all of the bodies recovered from the burned areas have been identified. They were checking dental and genetic records, so I doubt they would overlook you.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” said Sugiyado Souha without any real emotion.
Take care of that kid.
That had been his promise to the old man. If it got out a prisoner had escaped Abashiri special prison, walked around like a free man, and participated in an incident affecting the entire Hokkaido Area, it would be a major blow to Princess Karin who Michihiko was trying to support. That made this a problem he had to deal with.
“Wait, Sensei. You aren’t planning on returning to Abashiri, are you?”
She sounded like she was trying to talk him out of it, but he also sensed a dangerous mood in the air.
He detected the sort of determination that would lead her to do just about anything if it would protect her teacher.
And not just her. Bara, who was wearing a red dress and sipping coffee at another table, Hoozuki, who was working with loose leaf paper and a highlighter, and Asagao, who was on her phone, all suppressed their voices.
But.
They wouldn’t be in this position if a single act of self-sacrifice would solve everything.
“Did you really think that would be enough to fix this? My recapture wouldn’t change the fact that I had broken out. My sacrifice wouldn’t save Princess Karin from scandal.”
This wasn’t a problem that could be solved with a ninja sword or shuriken.
They needed to dig deeper and erase some records.
(Honestly. There goes any chance of serving out my term and getting a second chance at an honest life.)
He sighed.
“Fine. The Brown Bears framed Murakami Michihiko for murder, right? I want to testify at his trial and have him found not guilty. Can you prepare to have me appear in court as a witness?”
“Um, uh. I can of course, but wouldn’t that still reveal that you broke out of prison?”
“What are you talking about?”
He looked at her like she had come to school after summer break and said she had forgotten to do any of her homework.
The instructor taught her one of the most basic facts.
“Ever heard of witness protection? If an important witness in a ruthless organized crime case would be at risk for testifying, there is a system in place for hiding their identity. I testify in court, prove Murakami Michihiko’s innocence, and the Shogunate’s system erases my Sugiyado Souha identity from existence. …I hate to admit it, but this will also protect Princess Karin by avoiding the mass media and online news. And ninjas already have their identities erased from the official systems, so the job should be even easier than usual. That way I can be with you, but no one can ever find me.”
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