3/10

I was just finishing with cleaning up, and getting prepared to have lunch, when a silver-haired woman came in through the door.

"Good morning," she bowed. "Or, perhaps, good afternoon. It is 12:05."

"Welcome in," Masato said, coming out of the back and polishing a hammer. "How can I help…" He studied her, and in particular her icy, blue gaze.

"Ah, sorry, miss Izayoi. I almost didn't recognize you."

"Well, I am not dressed in a maid outfit all the time," she said. She turned to me. "I have come here to see if he is available. I won't keep him for too long. It's a request from my mistress, actually."

Masato chuckled. "Ohoho, is that so?" He leaned over the counter. "How is she doing, by the way?"

"Fine," Sakuya said. "She tends to become a bit surly this time of year, as spring rains around the corner." She looked outside. "Actually, it is raining right now."

I looked out, and gazed upon the light, showering rain with the solid gray sky directly above. "Indeed. Nobody truly likes the rain, but the land would become dry without it…"

"Also, she is a vampire," Sakuya said. "She has trouble with running water, and prefers to stay inside on days like this. But in the spring, it can rain for days on end, and milady is prone to cabin fever." She shook her head. "Anyway, she has summoned you once more. We will have tea ready for you when we arrive."

Masato crossed his arms and nodded. "Well, you go on ahead, but I wanted to show him some more cooking this evening, so make sure to bring him back before dark."

"Certainly," Sakuya bowed.

I changed into a suit to make myself presentable, donned my hat and threw on my jacket, and held the door for her like a gentleman. I also offered her an umbrella, but she politely declined. I then followed her out, shut the door behind me…

…and found myself immediately inside the mansion's foyer.

"Wha- huh?" I froze in place, startled. How on Earth… Did we teleport here somehow?

"Welcome back once again, Goro," came Remilia's voice as she gracefully floated down to the ground.

"I have brought him with me as requested, milady," Sakuya said, now inexplicably back in her maid outfit.

I looked around, with a somewhat silly, confused face, while Remilia giggled. "She does an exemplary job guiding guests here, does she not?" She flew up the stairs. "Come. We have important matters to discuss."

"...ah, right," I said.

We went out onto the mansion's balcony, which was shielded from the rain by some kind of forcefield, apparently cast by Remilia herself. She seated us at the far edge, beyond which the lake sprawled out.

"You don't want to stay inside?" I asked.

Remilia shrugged. "I like to observe the rain, even if I do not wish to cross it. I'm a vampire, but not so weak and so filthy that pure, flowing water free of disease is able to repulse me. In fact, true to my heritage I am a devout Catholic, even if I do practice arcane arts. Being able to see fates motivates me to avert my own, you know."

"I see," I said. Sakuya brought out tea and snacks, presenting us with a rather peculiar looking stew with bread, before bowing and leaving us to our business.

Remilia grinned. "Oh, I'm sure you will appreciate this, one of my dear, late mother's favorite recipes."

"It certainly doesn't look Japanese," I said.

"Of course not. It's a traditional Catalan dish, Mandonguilles amb Sípia i Pèsols. Ingredients for dishes from my home are nigh-impossible to come by in Japan, much less Gensokyo, and we owe quite a bit to Yukari bringing us this in exchange for our wine. You should consider yourself honored to enjoy authentic Catalan cuisine, and for good reason."

I took a spoonful of the stew. "I take it you want to praise me for changing the fates of those three."

"Indeed," she smiled. "And, I will say, that was quite the blast. We felt it down here in the mansion."

"I was surprised that they thought it was a good idea to store that much highly flammable, pure distilled ethanol in one place," I said.

"You are a fool for assuming youkai are rational enough to handle alcohol responsibly," Remilia said. "And yet brilliant enough to detonate it in order to escape an angry mob. Alas, you have caught the ire and bile fascination of Gensokyo's dark underbelly. I hope you are prepared to accept responsibility for your actions, lest you find yourself knee deep in… severe consequences."

There it is again, someone asking me to take responsibility for my actions…

She took a sip. "In any case, you have performed quite well. All three fates have turned away from ruin, at least for the time being, for all of Gensokyo is still headed into the maw of Hell. Still, you have more than demonstrated your worthiness of my aid. We have created invitations for all of the girls who gave you chocolate to come visit our indoor beach on the 14th. I applaud you for completing this task with time to spare."

"My appreciation," I smiled. "It did feel good to get back into doing detective work."

"I'm sure it did," Remilia replied. "We will send the invites out without delay. You needn't worry about preparing for that day, you'll just be expected to show up. Our staff will take care to make sure that we can provide the best White Day celebration possible."

I thought about her offer to handle everything for me, which was certainly convenient: I could use the time to begin my investigation into Seiga, and uncover the keywords which would lead us into her fortress.

…but on the other hand…

"May I… make a request?" I asked.

"Certainly," Remilia said.

I paused for a moment, before saying, "there is one invite which I would like to deliver personally."

3/11

It took some asking around the village, but I was able to find out where she and her family lived: on a farmstead near the outskirts, with frontage along the river and within sight of the bridge leading out toward the Garden of the Sun. As I approached it, the malodorous scent of animal waste mixed with mud filled my nose - a scent which, I suppose, one got used to growing up in the countryside. I recall Ren sharing stories of a farm that his grandparents owned, and how he'd assist them whenever he came over to visit as a child. Apparently, he could proficiently operate a tractor, which could explain his driving ability in the Metaverse, compared to me, who learned to drive via formal courses in mostly automatic vehicles, not the aging, lead-painted and stick-operated hunk of rust he fondly recounted. Certainly, a country mouse and city mouse dynamic existed between us.

And now history was poised to repeat.

I had decided to come in more traditional clothes with hakama pants, unsure how well her parents would receive the sharp suit straight out of old-fashioned film noir thrillers. Approaching the front doors, I heard what sounded like the quacking of ducks. Looking to the side, I saw, on the other side of the fence, several of them being shepherded into a walk-in hutch by Kana, with the males jockeying for position and butting at each other over mates while Kana tried to break them up, at least until they were inside.

"Good morning!" I called out. Kana didn't immediately reply; instead she finished with getting the ducks in and shutting the gate before coming to the fence to greet me.

"I apologize," she said, bowing. "They can be a handful sometimes, especially now since it's their mating season and the females will lay their eggs soon." She took off her hat. "What are you doing today?"

"I had some time, so I wanted to come visit," I said.

Kana looked back at the field. "Er, we're actually busy with chores at the moment…"

"May I help you?" I asked.

Kana smiled. "Certainly. Come, I'll show you where we keep our work clothes and our tools, then I'll make tea for you."

"I appreciate it," I replied.

"So your family raises ducks?" I asked, surrounded by lots of loud ducks near their watering hole.

"Yes," Kana said, unloading their food which consisted of grass, grains, and dead bugs. "Like I mentioned at the concert, we also have a couple of dairy cows, and chickens we raise for eggs and meat. We raise the ducks for food as well, but we also get hired by the rice farmers to help out with their rice paddies."

I looked back at the ducks, which ruffled and crammed into one spot as Kana spread the food, splashing water everywhere. "What do ducks have to do with rice paddies?"

Kana chuckled. "You really are a city boy, aren't you? We've been using ducks to help out the rice growers for generations. The ducks stomp on the rice as they go through the field, they leave manure which fertilizes the rice, and they eat bugs and parasites on the rice plants, which also feeds them. Then when they get fat enough, we kill them and sell them at the market."

"Er…" I winced at how casually she discussed killing dozens of animals at once.

"You weren't raised on a farm, so I don't expect you to understand right away," she said.

I shook my head. "Indeed. Ren also grew up in the countryside, and had trouble adjusting to Tokyo. On his first day of school, he had trouble finding the train he needed to take to get there, mostly because from where he was staying, he had to take one train to Shibuya, the bustling, high-rise core of Tokyo, full of billboards and thousands of people, then find the train to the station near the school."

"Haah…" Kana sighed. "Just thinking about how Outsiders live, based on what I've heard, makes my head hurt. I feel like I'd get dizzy and anxious having all those lights and people all in one place."

"Tokyo's a big place," I said. "There's probably more people living in apartments in two city blocks than there are humans and youkai in all of Gensokyo."

"How can people live like that?" Kana asked. "Even the villagers look all crammed together, whole families living in those small buildings. I need land, and animals. That's how I've lived my whole life."

"I personally haven't known much else other than small apartments with one, maybe two rooms," I shrugged. "You just get used to it, just as how you've gotten used to the smell of manure which I could whiff from half a kilometer away."

Kana smiled again. "I don't notice it, but Reimu has to pinch her nose whenever she comes to visit us."

"Reimu visits you?" I asked.

"On occasion," Kana said. "She blesses our farm to keep the fairies and youkai out. My parents are, I feel, some of the only people in Gensokyo who fully trust her to keep us safe from youkai. We've heard that Reimu lives in near poverty, so we try to give her what we can. We also usually feed her lunch or dinner when she comes too." She closed the duck food container. "We're just about done. Let's go get cleaned up so that we can have tea."

"With pleasure," I nodded.

After we changed out of muddy farm clothes and went back to the house, we saw a man, Kana's father, come down the path with a cart full of groceries and supplies.

"Hello there," I said to him.

He looked up at me. "Oh hey! Wasn't expecting to see visitors today. Are you-" He put his cart down, looked at me for a moment, then said, "you wouldn't happen to be Goro Akechi, would you?"

"I am," I bowed.

"Ohoho!" he chortled. "So the man himself comes by to visit at last! I've heard all about 'ya from Kana and the villagers, all the stuff you've been getting up to."

"Indeed," I said. "Would you like help bringing in all of that?"

"Of course!" he said. "Big strong fellow like you, wish I had one of those all the time."

"Yes…" Kana said.

Once all the groceries were put away, Kana brewed some tea for us and laid it out. We sat ourselves around the table, in the middle of the living room which had a window with a view of the river.

"Where is your mother?" I asked Kana.

"She's out visiting friends," she said. "She won't be back until evening."

"I see." I turned to her father. "By the way, you never introduced yourself."

"Oh, I apologize," he said. "The name's Gouki Samaon."

"Nice to meet you, Samaon-san," I said.

"Eh, you can just call me Gouki, I don't mind," he said.

I smiled. "Well, alright." I took a sip of tea. "The tea is quite good."

"Thank you," Kana said.

"Now then," Gouki said, "I've heard a lot about you, all those stories and rumors, but I want to hear from the man himself if all those stories are true."

"Of course," I nodded. "Now then, where to start…"

"Oh, I bet those youkai are all gonna be over you now," Gouki joked.

"Indeed, the operation didn't go quite as planned," I admitted. "But we still accomplished our goal in the end, which was to get the mountain hag to return the money to the villagers. I've heard the Ginza family has already reconciled and are now happier than ever. And the shopkeeper was glad to accept reimbursement for his wares."

"I bet," Gouki said. "Takes a special kind of someone to charm both Reimu and Marisa, stand up to youkai, and blow up their booze."

"And it doesn't sound like you have any fear at all," Kana said.

"Well, I am a detective," I told them. "Of course, one can't directly compare youkai to yakuza gangsters, but in the heat of the moment it really wasn't that much different than being in the middle of a smoky yakuza gambling den with all sorts of shady business and intimidation going on. Quick thinking in the moment can be just as important a skill to have as crafting a carefully laid plan."

"I see," Kana said. "By the way, what do you-"

*bark*

We turned around and saw a shiba-inu trot into the room, standing in attention in front of Kana.

"Is that your dog?" I asked.

"This is Naoki," Kana said, smiling, scratching behind his ears. "He's two years old."

"He's a good, responsible boy," Gouki said. "Never disrespects anyone, does a good job keeping the animals in line, guards the house… he may not look like much, but shibas are strong, determined and independent little things."

"I see," I said. I reached over to pet him, but he politely backed away.

"Ah, it takes him a while to warm up to strangers," Kana said, "but he'll never bite or growl. Shibas are rather like cats in a way."

"Is that so?" I asked. "I've never had one, or any pets for that matter, so I wouldn't know. Ren did have a cat who traveled in his bag wherever he went."

"Ren?" Gouki asked.

"A friend of mine Outside," I said.

"Apparently, he came to Tokyo because he was on probation for a crime he didn't commit," Kana said. "The accuser was someone Goro had been investigating."

"I see," Gouki said, sipping some tea. Somehow, he didn't seem too moved by that fact.

Kana looked back at me. "Anyway, what do you think of… well, the Day Breakers?"

…well, damn.

"What do I think of them…" I chose my words carefully. "Clearly, they must be a group of vigilantes bent on righting Gensokyo's injustices. I can certainly understand their cause, but I also want to know their identities and ensure their activities don't cause harm."

"Maybe they're acting because they don't think the 'incident resolvers' are doing enough?" Kana suggested.

"Possibly," I said. "Actually, they seem very similar to another case I had at the time I came here. That of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, or Phantom Thieves for short."

"Phantom Thieves?" Kana wondered.

"Did they steal ghosts?" Gouki snarked.

I chuckled. "Not quite. No, they called themselves that because they claimed to 'steal people's hearts' and make criminals confess to their wrongdoings, many of whom were people abusing their power and who were protected by the law and the system. Other investigators attempted to trace them and discover their identities, but failed at every turn. So I took it upon myself to crack this 'unsolvable' case, both as a matter of pride, and because I knew they could become a real menace depending on who they chose to target next. Much like the Day Breakers, they advertised their 'heists' with calling cards."

"Sounds supernatural," Gouki said. "Sounds like a bunch of ghouls."

"I didn't want to think it was supernatural at first," I said, "but eventually I realized that the nature of their crimes defied conventional explanation." I finished my tea. "I did get as far as coming up with a profile for them; I determined that they were all teenagers, just like myself. Actually, I began to suspect Ren himself around the time of the mishap that sent me to Gensokyo, as he admitted to being a fan of the Phantom Thieves. I had a hunch that he was a Phantom Thief himself, or at the very least was familiar with most of their members, or was possibly a confidant. Given his circumstances, he certainly did have a motive to at least associate with them. Alas, I'll never crack that case, but I'm hopeful that I can help Reimu and company uncover the identity of the Day Breakers."

"You seem like the man for the job," Gouki said. "And you certainly have a hell of a reputation, talking over stubborn youkai, being friends with Reimu and Marisa, and blowing up that cave. I have high hopes, and I'm sure everyone else does as well."

I smiled. "I appreciate the compliment."

We talked for a while longer, until the time came for me to head back to the village. Kana saw me out, which gave me a chance to hand her the invite.

"An invitation?" she asked.

"This is in return for the chocolate you gave me last month," I told her.

"I see. Well, thank-"

And then she read the invite, and who it was from.

"Er… no, this… this can't be right… right?" Her hand seemed to shake. "I mean… if this is real, my parents, and especially my father, wouldn't-"

"You said you wanted to see Gensokyo outside the village, correct?" I asked, in a somewhat stern tone. "Besides, I myself was able to arrange this, and can keep the situation under control. Just tell your father I want to take you out on Tuesday, since you gave me chocolate. I'll take this invite, and we'll destroy it before the day is over."

Kana blushed. "I mean, sure, but if I tell them that, they'll get the wrong idea…"

"It's either that, or them scolding you," I said. "I know they have the best intentions in heart, but if you want to fulfill your wish, you'll have to trust me, and know that I can keep you out of trouble."

Kana paused for a second. "Well, alright. You'll come by then?"

"Absolutely," I nodded.

"Thank you…" She walked back inside the house. I wasn't sure if she'd accept the offer in the end; she could still refuse, after all. But we made a deal, and I made it clear to her that I wanted to uphold that deal. Sometimes, that involves pushing one's comfort zone. No one knew that better than me; I had been doing almost nothing else since coming to Gensokyo.

When I returned to the shop, I saw flashes of yellow go on and off from inside. When I stepped in, I saw their source: Masato testing out newly installed lights.

"I'm back," I said.

"Oh, hello!" he said. He stepped down from the stool he was on. "Those engineers came while you were away. Reimu supervised them as they installed everything, making sure they didn't get into any trouble." He examined the lightbulb. "I'll say, those kappa girls really know a thing or two. Lights, heat, a device to cook food, and they completely rehauled the bathroom too. I'll be the talk of the town after this!"

I smiled. "Don't forget who made all this possible."

"Heh, I won't." He sat down. "So, who did you visit today?"

I sat down across from him. "I visited Kana and her father."

"Kana's father… you wouldn't happen to mean Gouki Samaon?"

"That was his name."

Masato smiled. "Me and him go back a ways, although it's been a while since we last spoke. We used to get up to all kinds of no-good business and pranks. I grew out of it, he never quite did. From what I hear, he's still kind of a boisterous jokester. I'm actually a little surprised he has a wife and kid."

"He did seem quite the character," I commented. "And they also have a lot of animals."

"Of course," Masato said. "The rice farmers all rely on their ducks to help maintain their fields. I'll bet they're busy getting ready; some of the rice farmers are already planting."

"That's what Kana told me," I said. "My old friend Ren came from the country too, and had quite a bit of experience on the farm."

"And then he came to the city," Masato said. "I bet that was a shock for him."

"Indeed, especially considering the circumstances under which he did so," I sighed.

"Well, yes… a shame that injustice like that happens out there," Masato commented.

"It happens here, too," I said. "Like that mountain hag coercing money from villagers."

"Reimu told me all about it," Masato said. "She said you blew up their liquor supply." He crossed his arms. "You'd better watch your actions. Things like that can get the wrong sort of people chasing after you." He smiled. "But then, the fact that you were willing to stand up to them is impressive, much less get results. Most of the people who came in today were singing your praises. That means you'll have to live up to them from now on. I hope you're ready for that, and take responsibility for your actions."

"I… I will," I said.

"Good." He got up. "Now then, why don't we get started on dinner?"