----On the road towards the Capital----
"...That's everything that happened" Akame explained what everything happened on their side. Kurome was also traveling together with them. Of course, after a small talk between Green, Kurome, and Akame, they decided not to tell Gozuki the names of their attackers and only said that they were covering their faces.
"So Gin and Natala...didn't make it?" Tsukushi muttered with a sad expression while looking down and everyone followed her example. Despite them not being part of the team for a long time, they still were good comrades.
"I see...Once we arrive at the Capital, we need to send out a unit to find Cornelia." Gozuki said while carefully observing Akame, Kurome, and Green.
He was sure that Akame didn't like the sight of the burning city but there wasn't much he could do since it was his superiors' plan. He was also slightly suspicious of Kurome's presence but he didn't bother to think about it too hard. They all looked like they had fought the difficult battle so that's one evidence that they aren't lying.
"What?! Cora is alive?!" Both Akame and Green exclaimed in surprise.
"Tell them, Najasho" Gozuki instructed Najasho to explain what happened on their side and he proceeded with his stoic expression.
.
.
"So she is alive but she is being controlled by someone...And that someone said that if we kill him, she will also die. What a complicated matter." Green muttered with a thoughtful expression while holding his chin.
"She should be alive, I was forced to cut her but I didn't aim to kill her and with her endurance, I believe that she is still alive." Najasho frowned and said.
"Why aren't we going after her right now?" Tsukushi asked while looking at Gozuki with a pleading look in her eyes.
"You are all injured, you are in no position to fight another battle plus we all will have different missions once we arrive at the Capital." Gozuki shook his head with closed eyes and explained.
Although no one liked the idea of leaving Cora behind knowing that she is still alive, they had to agree that their conditions weren't the best.
-----(Inside the forest near the burned Hakuba town)-----
"You have a few options on what to do right now with your life. First: If you have any relatives out there, I will safely take you to them. Second: If you want to get revenge, you can start working under me and I will take care of you but you have to be hard working. Third: You can go wherever you want and I won't stop you. Fourth: You can commit suicide. It's up to you, what way you will choose with your own hands." Akashi explained to all kids that have finally woke up and stood still in front of him with Tetsu and Kana standing in forward in the middle.
"What--"
"Do you have anyone--"
Kids immediately started whispering and talking to each other since they all were from the same town so most of them knew each other.
"And if we don't necessarily want revenge? What will be required for us to do if we will go with you, sir?" Tetsu asked with a worried tone while throwing a few glances at his sister.
'I see, so he wants revenge but he still prioritizes his sister over revenge' Akashi nodded his head with a small smile.
"It's not a necessity to want revenge to go with me. You will be assigned jobs that suit you and those who want revenge will be training under me instead of working. You told me that you and your sister were selling regularly clams and other sea products, if you want, I can teach both of you about business and you will be working for me in that department." Akashi explained, making all kids gasp in surprise. Such an offer was unusual in these areas, after all, most people who need more personnel to take care of their businesses are abusing their power and usually don't bother taking kids into their care.
"Um, can we at least know your name, sir?" Kana asked while fidgeting with her fingers.
"No need to know that, you will get to know once you will decide to work for me, otherwise, we will just part our ways and never see each other anyway." Akashi replied to Kana without any consideration since telling them his name could be dangerous for him.
Thankfully he had his blindfold on and he was wearing just some rags. If any of those kids described his look, not many who knows him could guess that it was especially him. There are only a few people with pure red hair as him but he isn't the only one in this world.
"I will give you 30 minutes to decide..." Akashi said and started leaving.
"W-Wait, where are you going?" Tetsu shouted at Akashi with a confused expression.
"You are safe in this area and as I said before, you aren't my prisoners, you are free to leave if you want to. I will come to this place in 30 minutes, take your time." Akashi didn't stop walking and just waved his hand behind him.
.
After Akashi disappeared from their sight...
"...That blindfold man pisses me off!" Tetsu said with an angered expression while gritting his teeth.
"Tetsu, he doesn't mean anything bad, maybe he is just awkward dealing with children. But that's not important right now...what should we do, Tetsu?" Kana tried to calm her brother down while placing her hand on his back.
"...We can't take care of each other alone without anyone's support. All of our savings burned inside that fire." Tetsu muttered with a hard expression.
"...Kana? Do you trust him?" Tetsu glanced at his sister and after staring for a few seconds, he asked her. He knew that he was hot-headed and Kana was much better for deciding about these things.
"...I think that he doesn't mean anything bad. What is stopping him from taking us with him by force? Yet he even allowed us to leave." Kana looked towards the location where Akashi disappeared before she replied while holding her chin and looking at the ground.
Kana was an extremely intelligent child for her own age but she was still inexperienced because out there exist also nobles who like to make kids feel secure, happy just to see their expression of despair once they start to abuse them. There are many sick people high in power. Fortunately for them, Akashi wasn't one of them.
"I guess you are right..." Tetsu said with absent-minded expression.
'If we will go with him, I will be able to avenge my father, and Kana will be able to work in business management which has been her- I mean our dream. To take care of a big shop with many different types of merchandise. However, I can't expect that man to protect us for the rest of our lives, I need to get stronger for Kana's sake!' Tetsu thought and clenched his fist with all his strength.
"Tetsu, is your name, right?" One of a few kids approached the siblings and asked them with a nervous expression.
"Yeah" Tetsu turned his attention to a newcomer and nodded his head.
"It looks like you know that person more than the rest of us. None of us have any other relatives so we have no idea what to do...Can he be trusted? What will you do?" The kid asked with a hesitant expression since he already heard out everyone's opinion and nobody has any idea what to do.
Tetsu was caught off guard with such a question since if he is going to tell them that they can trust him and then it turns out bad, he will be blamed for all of their misfortune.
"I...I believe that he won't do anything bad to us, so I am going with him to get stronger so I can finally protect Kana! However, please don't take my word for it, this is our decision and everyone should make their own too." Tetsu started fidgeting but then he remembered his little "fight" with Akashi and his words thus he calmed down and answered with a calm tone.
"Brother..." Kana on the other hand got embarrassed by Tetsu's words and tried to hide her face behind her hands.
After 30 minutes passed by...
Akashi returned and saw that none of the kids were missing which slightly surprised him since he expected a few of them to run away from an unknown man.
"I don't know if I should praise all of you for your courage or reprimand you for your naivety. Form one row and each of you will tell me what they want to do." Akashi said with a stoic expression before he sat down on his original position while waiting for the kids to do as he said.
.
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After everything was done...
'Who would have thought that everyone would choose to come with me...Something must have happened when I was away, quite a big change in 30 minutes if you ask me.' Akashi thought while glancing at Kana and Tetsu, gesturing for them to come to him.
"What is it, sir." Tetsu asked while standing at attention like a soldier.
"...It's Akashi, what did you two do? You are the only one I can think of who would be able to influence everyone." Akashi said after a few seconds of staring at Tetsu who tensed up a bit under his stare despite not being able to see his eyes.
"Alright, mister Akashi. That's...we simply told them that we are going because we trust you and that they should decide themselves too..." Tetsu replied, trying to sound as much formal as he could but it was evident that he never did something like that except for politeness to his customers.
"Is that all?" Akashi asked since he was sure that it wouldn't be enough to influence them.
"What else could it be?" Tetsu asked with a beaming smile and closed eyes.
"I don't...maybe boys decided to show their strong side in front of your cute sister. As for girls..." Akashi said with a small smile, making Kana blush in embarrassment, then he continued but he stopped and looked towards Tetsu once again, puzzling him.
"Forget it, not possible..." Akashi finished and turned around to finish preparations for the journey.
"W-WHAT?!! What was that supposed to mean?!!" Tetsu shouted at Akashi's back but he didn't even stop walking not to mention turning around to pay him attention.
Everyone naturally heard their conversation so boys started to laugh and girls started to giggle while looking curiously at Akashi.
"He-he"
"Kana! Not you too! Aghh!!!" Tetsu started pulling his hair out of his head due to being the center of attention.
During this small moment, kids completely forgot about the horrifying things they have seen and had their good amount of laugh. They even started thinking that going with this unknown man might not be so bad.