Chapter 06
Someone I hurt

Ayaka and Chisato headed together to Ayaka's room, where Koharu, one of the housemaids, was already waiting for them to help Lady Kamisato to change her clothes. She had already prepared Ayaka's blue kimono with pink patterns on the bottom that resembled cherry blossoms; ideal and comfortable to wear at home.

Ayaka stood behind her folding screen with Koharu. The servant began to help her remove her armor, wristbands, and the rest of her outfit. For her part, Chisato sat on a chair to wait for them to finish. Meanwhile, they had no problem continuing the conversation that they had been starting from the hallway; when his father's prying ears were no longer close.

"So, do you still send letters to Kamaji?" Ayaka asked curiously from behind the screen.

"When I can," Chisato answered, sighing heavily. "And it gets harder and harder to do it without my dad noticing. If you only knew how difficult it was to convince him to bring me with him on this trip. Although now I realize why he agreed to the end."

The last comment was accompanied by sourness and annoyance that did not go unnoticed by Ayaka.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," Chisato muttered, brushing it off. "The important thing is that I'll go to Inazuma no matter what. Just to think that I'll see Kamaji face to face after such a long time…"

Ayaka couldn't see her, but just by listening, she could feel the emotion and joy that invaded her. Very different from her previous comment. A smirk of satisfaction graced Ayaka's face as if Chisato's sentiment had somehow rubbed off on her.

"You must be very excited."

"That falls short. Tell me, have you seen him on your visits to Inazuma? Has he told you about me?"

"The truth is that I don't see him so much, and it's almost always just for Yashiro Commission work."

A couple of minutes later, Koharu was already helping her mistress put on her kimono, then tie her pink obi with a thin white string.

"It's ready, milady," the maid told her once she finished.

"Thank you, Koharu," Ayaka muttered gratefully and then proceeded to come out from behind the screen. She showed now her new outfit, as well as allowing herself to wear her long, straight hair down, falling freely down her back like a waterfall. "Better?"

"You always look beautiful no matter what you wear, Ayaka," Chisato replied excitedly, even clapping her fingers a little.

"Thank you very much for your kind compliment," Ayaka mumbled, lowering her face a little in embarrassment.

"Let's go back then before they think we got away."

Ayaka and Chisato left the room to head back to the living room where their brother and father, respectively, were waiting for them. Koharu stood in the doorway, bowing to both.

"I don't know what your father could have against Kamaji," Ayaka commented once they were walking down the hall. "He is a member of one of the most important clans and a good boy, in addition to being intelligent and very educated."

"I know," Chisato sighed. "But he is second in succession to the Kujou clan. Or even the third, as there are rumors that his father would prefer first to leave the clan's leadership to Sara, even if she is his adopted daughter."

"I don't think that's true," Ayaka stated firmly. "I know that Commissioner Kujou trusts him a lot. And despite not being a skilled warrior like his two siblings, I get the impression that his entire family respects his diplomatic and administrative qualities."

"Even if it is so, the point is that my father obviously has other plans for me, in which marrying someone like Kamaji is not so beneficial to him. In fact, I'm beginning to think that he actually has your brother in his sights."

"Huh?" Ayaka exclaimed in embarrassment, stopping short in shock. "My brother and you? Are you serious?"

"Hey, don't look so scared at the idea," Chisato chided, turning to look at her with slight annoyance in her eyes.

"I'm... sorry... I didn't mean to..." Ayaka muttered, blushed, waving her hands a little.

Although in reality, the very possibility had been a bit shocking at first. And it wasn't that she had something against Chisato because, in fact, she had always liked her. Not to the level of considering her a "friend" as such, but as a company that was at least pleasant... in small doses. But from that to see her as his brother's wife...

Actually, if she was honest with herself, it was complicated for her to see anyone as her brother's mate. Ayato was so "particular" in some things that she often wondered if there really was someone out there who could fit in well with him. She supposed that sooner or later it would have to happen, but she still didn't feel quite ready for that moment.

Chisato snorted, but almost immediately, her good humor returned as if that hadn't happened.

"But you don't have to worry," the young Hiiragi declared, making them both resume their walk. "Ayato is very attractive and interesting, but my heart already has an owner. And no matter what I have to do, I'll be with him. I've already decided that."

Saying that, she placed a hand on her chest as if reciting a solemn oath. And her hopeful gaze lifted to the ceiling, perhaps wanting to look at the sky that loomed above them.

Hearing her talk about her loved one like that made Ayaka happy. But, at the same time… a little melancholy.

"I hope everything works out in the end," Ayaka mused slowly.

"Thank you."

Silence formed between them for a while as they walked side by side. When they were already halfway to the room where the commissioners were waiting, Ayaka felt the urge to get rid of what was constricting her chest at the moment. And being a person outside the Kamisato clan, and with her own complicated story, she considered that perhaps Chisato would be able to understand her even a little.

"Hey, Chisato... do you remember Kazuha?"

"Who?" muttered the young Hiiragi, somewhat unsettled by the sudden question.

"Kazuha, from the Kaedehara clan," Ayaka clarified.

"Kaedehara...?"

Chisato pondered for a few moments on that family name, which was undoubtedly familiar to her. After a few seconds, her memory seemed to find the answer.

"Oh, sure!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "You talk about the boy you were going to…"

She shut up what she intended to say, for as she turned back to Ayaka, she felt the heavy aura surrounding her. And the thought that had come to her mind and that she was just about to pronounce took a more precise form in her head as well as its repercussions.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Chisato whispered, a little embarrassed. "Me speaking here so cheerfully about Kamaji when you…" She trailed off again, suddenly feeling careless with her words. "Why do you mention him all of a sudden?"

Ayaka sighed slowly.

"I thought… I saw him this afternoon in Inazuma."

"Really? I heard that he had banished himself or something, right?"

"Maybe it wasn't him," Ayaka clarified, sounding a little resigned. "I've been thinking about the past a lot These days. So, maybe I got confused."

"Do you still think about him? It's already been… ten years?"

"So so."

Chisato felt like she was seeing a side of the famous Heron Princess that she, and perhaps no one, had ever seen before. That radiant presence that almost always accompanied her seemed to have faded a bit. She would never have imagined that someone like Kamisato Ayaka would harbor a certain sadness like that inside her, especially for a boy she had met when she was a child.

"Well, cheer up," the young Hiiragi uttered, trying to sound jovial. "If what happened hadn't happened, who knows how terrible your life would be right now. Your brother was skillful in getting you out of that engagement before it was too late."

"Yeah... sure," Ayaka replied ruefully, turning to look at her with a half-smile that anyone could tell she had to work extra hard to maintain. "About my brother, please don't tell him about this. I don't want to bother him."

"Don't worry, as long as you don't tell my father about Kamaji."

"It's a deal."

Both girls laughed a little, although Ayaka was more out of obligation.

They followed the short distance to the living room in silence. The two of them sat down, drank tea with the two commissioners, and chatted casually. Of course, the topic of marriage came up several times, but they managed to handle it correctly.

As she had practically trained since she was little, Ayaka knew how to hide her true feelings at all times. And throughout the evening, who accompanied them was the radiant and famous Heron Princess. And the real Ayaka, with her worries and sadness, hid herself deep inside again, trying not to show her eyes at all.

At almost the same time that Ayaka and Thoma arrived at the entrance to the Kamisato Estate, on the outskirts of Inazuma City, near the west coast of the island, two men sat on benches outside a tea shop for travelers, admiring the sunset. It was a small and unassuming place but warm enough. The two had ordered some tea and sweet dangos, and one of them had also ordered a fried fish to give small pieces to the white kitten that he had hidden in his kimono.

Kazuha and her companion Tomo had managed to get out of the city by successfully avoiding the Tenryou guards. But even outside, they had to be careful, as they were apparently patrolling the roads rigorously. People said they were looking for a group of ronin who had been raiding travelers. So if the Tenryou Commission didn't stop them because they detected that they had visions, maybe they would do it because they confused Kazuha and Tomo with those thieves.

More reason to want to get as far away from Inazuma as possible.

However, Tomo was still reluctant to the idea. After all, they had come here for a reason… that Kazuha still didn't know. And instead of being more explicit about the real intention of this trip, Tomo insisted on going right to that tea shop to eat something and relax a bit. Kazuha actually craved a little tea, so he didn't refuse.

"This place is nicer, don't you think, Kazuha?" Tomo commented suddenly, sitting just to the right of young Kaedehara. He took small pieces of the fried fish with two fingers and brought them close to Tama's snout. She sniffed it, licked it, and then ate it all in one bite. "No crowds, fresh air, delicious tea, sweet dangos, and good friends. An ideal environment to open up about any concern that affects us, don't you agree?"

Kazuha couldn't help but roll his eyes, a bit fed up at the time, as the intent of that comment didn't go unnoticed.

"Do you still insist on wanting to ask me about that?" the wanderer commented, sipping his steaming tea shortly after. Sure, it wasn't as delicious as the one served at the Kamisato Estate, but it was still not bad at all. "I believed that one of the best advantages of traveling together was that we never questioned each other's past."

"It's hard not to do that when the past knocks on the door and becomes the present, don't you think?" Tomo pointed out artfully. However, his companion's silence let him see that he did not entirely share his idea. "It's just that I can't help but be curious about who this mysterious girl is and why causes such a reaction in the great Kazuha, who never runs away from any encounter."

Kazuha heaved a deep and almost painful sigh. Perhaps from fatigue, perhaps from resignation.

He raised his gaze to the front, silently contemplating the sunset.

He couldn't blame Tomo for wanting to know what exactly had happened. His behavior had certainly been strange, perhaps even somewhat worrying. Still, it wasn't so much that he didn't trust his old friend to talk about such things, but that… he really didn't want to. If he started talking about it out loud, the Kazuha of the past would become real and not just a mirage of a life that had long since ended. And in other circumstances and times, maybe he could deal with that; but not today… not with Kamisato Ayaka's downcast face still haunting his mind.

But still, Kazuha supposed he should at least give him a little explanation.

He brought his dangos, attached to a long stick, close to his face and practically tore one of them off with his teeth. And while he chewed it, he murmured slowly:

"She's someone my family and I hurt a long time ago. Especially me. And… I just don't feel ready to confront her about it."

Tomo watched him intently. His reaction was minimal; after all, it wasn't much information. Still, it was quite a bit more than he had until a few moments ago.

"I have a feeling there's a lot more story behind that," he commented in a playful tone, and indeed he was right. "But I also have a feeling that's all you plan to share at the moment, right?"

And again, he had been right.

"Why don't you tell me at once what exactly we came to Inazuma City for?" Kazuha questioned, sounding like a claim that was actually equal to or fairer than his partner's.

Tomo let out a small groan and somewhat resignedly decided to drop the subject for the time being.

"Patience, we're almost there," the wandering samurai muttered suddenly, sipping his tea.

That answer unsettled the young swordsman.

"What do you…?"

Before he could finish his question, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone approaching the tea shop down the road. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man, wearing a dark green kimono attire under beige hakama pants. Although, of course, what caught Kazuha's attention the most was the sword that that individual was carrying on his waist, which put him a bit on alert.

The stranger approached but did not go to the manager to ask for something to eat or drink. Instead, he did something that made Kazuha's senses even more alert: he sat on the same bench as them but on the opposite side so that his back was practical against theirs. He removed the sword from his waist and placed it beside him, leaning against the bench.

Kazuha glanced at Tomo, hoping that had somehow alerted him as well. Surprisingly, that didn't seem to be the case, and instead, he stared straight ahead with a completely nonchalant smile. At the same time, his fingers ran over Tama's tiny head.

"How's the jasmine tea, travelers?" Suddenly the strange samurai murmured, slowly but loud enough for just the two to hear.

"Pretty bitter," Tomo snapped back calmly. "I recommend the sakura blossom tea more. The specialty of the house."

Kazuha listened to this silently, intrigued. Those phrases might sound totally normal, but he knew immediately that they weren't. Was it… a key phrase…?

"Do you have the letter with you?" the stranger questioned suddenly, now a little more sharply.

"Right here," Tomó said, reaching inside his kimono with a hand.

The wandering samurai took from that site a dark blue envelope. And without looking at the man behind him, he placed the envelope on the bench, right between Kazuha and him. The stranger reached his hand back, quickly grabbing the envelope before anyone else saw it. Even Kazuha didn't look closely enough to see if there was anything written on it.

The stranger opened the envelope and took out a piece of parchment, which he began to read quickly in silence.

"Are you Mr. Masakatsu?" Tomo asked curiously after a few seconds. The stranger did not respond and instead continued with his reading.

Kazuha was greatly tempted to question his friend about what was happening exactly. However, if something distinguished the young Kaedehara, it was that he always knew very well how to read the air of the situation. And that of those moments was dense and delicate. And since Tomo seemed to be in control somehow, the wisest thing would be not to say or do anything he didn't tell him to. Otherwise, it might cause more problems than anything else.

After a couple of minutes, in which the man had perhaps reread the letter at least once, he returned the parchment to the envelope and placed it inside his own kimono.

"Who is the boy?" he questioned suddenly, Kazuha startling a little when she felt alluded to.

"He's a very good friend of mine," Tomo answered quickly. "He is trustworthy; I vouch for him."

"I'll have to believe you," added the stranger. "Her Excellency Sangonomiya speaks highly of you in her letter."

"The appreciation is mutual," agreed Tomo. "Then…?"

"I'm not Master Masakatsu. He couldn't risk coming here for obvious reasons until we verify your identity."

"I understand; he is a cautious man. But then, what would be the next step to take?"

The man was silent for a moment as if he himself doubted what the proper answer to that question would be.

"For now," he said after a while, "I'll take the letter from the Divine Priestess and the instructions for her request to Master Masakatsu. Come back tomorrow at the same time, and I'll have your answer."

"Perfect," Tomo exclaimed enthusiastically. "And about the payment… Miss Sangonomiya fully understands that this is not cheap, but her resources are currently limited. So, she wanted to see the possibility of negotiating somehow with Mr. Masakatsu how it could be done..."

"That won't be necessary," the stranger interrupted abruptly. And for the first time in that strange conversation, Kazuha could tell that Tomo had been taken by surprise. "The Master doesn't do this for money, but to help people who are suffering. He only requires that materials and labor be paid for. And in the case of this request, these have already been covered."

"Really?" Tomo muttered a little incredulously, looking slightly over his shoulder. "And might I know by whom?"

"To a benefactor who shares Master Masakatsu's desire to help more innocents not lose their visions for no reason. And that's all you need to know."

Kazuha noticed in Tomo's eyes that he didn't entirely agree with that statement. Although it seemed to him that more than mistrust or skepticism, his partner felt intrigued, confused... and perhaps a little misplaced. It was likely that he had planned in his mind the different paths that conversation could take, including that the person who arrived was not directly the one he expected. But that last warning about someone else paying, whatever it was he'd gone to purchase, certainly seemed off his predictions.

The man quickly stood up from his seat with the clear intention of leaving at once. But before doing so, he added in the same way as before:

"I'll see you tomorrow again. Don't follow me."

And saying that, he walked away with a relaxed and calm step so as not to attract anyone's attention at all.

"What was all that about?" Kazuha questioned slowly, once they were alone.

Tomo seemed to gradually recover his usual calm. Still saying nothing, he hurriedly finished his tea, and right after, he stood up with his dangos in one hand and the other leaning against his sword.

"Let's walk a bit, shall we?" he proposed suddenly, and without waiting for his answer, he began to walk, although in a different direction from the one that the man had gone.

Kazuha hurriedly downed the rest of her tea in one gulp, setting the cup down on the bench to the side. He stood up quickly then and followed Tomo closely. He hoped the samurai would tell him what was going on once they found the right place.

Author's Notes:

—The mysterious samurai that appears at the end of this chapter is another original character not based on any existing characters in the game. We will know a little more about him later.

I want to take advantage of this space to thank everyone who has supported the English version of this story with your readings, comments, kudos, and votes on the different platforms. I really appreciate your interest and the effort to read it, even though I know the translation is not the best. I really hope you like the direction this will take because as you can see, there are many things planned that I want to tell you about. And your support helps me to continue writing and translating it. Thank you very much again, and we will continue reading each other here.