A day later, the Kusanagi army's battle was finally finished.
"…How poetic. A bandit wanting to die a samurai's death…"
In front of Kyoko who just finished up the battle, the dead body of the enemy lord was kneeling in a seiza position with his abdomen slit open. He committed seppuku before he was caught.
"Still, a victory is a victory… It's time to clean up now."
Kyoko turned around to go back to their camp and rested with her soldiers who went through the fight too.
"Once everyone has rested, we will march towards the capital. Can I leave the clean up to you, Ishigawa-"
"Please, Hime-sama! Please leave that to me!"
She was cut off by the injured female general, Ayanami Mitsuha, who looked restless with her request.
"Haah… I get that you're feeling awkward with nothing to do, Mitsuha. But if you can't do it, I won't allow you to-"
"I can do it, Hime-sama! Please don't underestimate me!"
Since she can feel the desire from her, Kyoko sighed and let her retainer to take care of it.
"Haah… I'll be leaving to it to you then, Mitsuha. Still, don't do anything reckless."
"As you command!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The war was already finished at this point. Kyoko marched to the capital and met with Hiroshi. They sent a letter to the enemy lord, only to be invited into the castle and seeing the lifeless corpse of the leader being lowered from his throne.
"We're finished… finally…"
"Yeah. Him taking his life wasn't as we expected but at least we can go home now."
"Mm."
As they sat beside each other at the pagoda's roof of the castle, Kyoko and Hiroshi talked about what would happen now that things are over.
"As we agreed, I'll meet with the Daigo clan at the north to offer the alliance to them while you handle the Yamaguchi clan at the south for the same thing."
"Mm. You have connections with the Daigo clan while some Yamaguchi merchants offered to help me out to meet with their lord. I doubt that things will be too rocky for us."
"I agree. If things go south though…"
"We may have to fight again… it's not an impossibility."
""Haah… What a pain…""
Both of them sighed and groaned a complaint which, when they noticed they did so at the same time, made them laugh a little.
"You really have a lot of faces, don't you, Iwasawa?"
"But all of them are handsome, aren't they?"
"Pffft!!! In your dreams, idiot…"
After giggling at her joking insult, Kyoko's face went back to neutral as she asked.
"Why… exactly did you slaughter the enemies camp to camp?"
"It's out of guilt."
Unlike before, Hiroshi answered straightly and without any worry.
"Guilt, huh?"
"Yeah. I felt guilty since you guys faced the same trap as the one that I used against the enemy. I made me feel like it was my fault first and foremost."
"I see… I don't hate the notion of being guilty about it…"
"Kyoko…"
"But still, you shouldn't have charged to those places and placed yourself in harm's way."
"Huh? Why do you say so?"
Hiroshi turned to look at her and he wasn't sure if it was just the autumn afternoon's reddish sunset making everything bright to him, but for some reason, Kyoko's face looked reddish.
"I'd be really sad if you died, you know?"
"Ah…"
He wasn't sure what to feel or what to reply, he just looked at her softly before averting his gaze to the setting sun.
"You know… It's not the first time for me to be told those words but somehow… every time I hear it, I get happy to hear it."
"Hm?"
"I don't know if you'll be interested to hear this… but before I got here, I went through a lot of pain, grief and regret that if I can, I would wish to not remember them anymore…"
"I'm listening, go on."
Hiroshi heaved a deep breath and began to speak.
"I came from a family of 6. My father was a renowned doctor, my mother was a beautiful housewife. I had an elder stepbrother, but I rarely saw him with us since he already has his own life… I had two younger siblings named Mio and Yukari who are the happiness of our little family… I felt somehow that… that I had it all. I can remember myself being the happiest person in the world…"
As she silently listened to him, Kyoko felt a sense of wonder as she is hearing who he really is.
"However, not everyone is the same as us. With the country I used to live in, I can remember it being a ruined nation. Weakened by three great plagues… parts of it are irradiated and uninhabitable due to the aftermath of wars… a negative birthrate where there are more people dying than being born… a corrupt and self-serving elite that holds all the resources and services in the country…"
"That is… horrible."
"But the worst part of it all is that no one has any hope left in their lives… studying in schools and universities, working in offices to gain an income that they will spend on alcohol, women and other consumable items that brings them temporary happiness, waking up to the same cycle until they reach the end of their lives with nothing to name as their achievement in life… it's like a country falling headfirst to ruin, a cycle of social rotting that has no end."
As Hiroshi narrated it, his eyes began to water and his shoulders shook a little.
"One day, I had to do something at school and missed the train. Because of it, I had to walk home… Only to see that the place where our house is located is in flames. I ran to it, found my sisters crying outside of our house while the police are restraining a man doused in petrol while shouting: "It was your fault, Sensei! It was your fault!" Only then did I remember that my parents weren't there with my sisters. When I connected the dots, I finally faced the truth… They were burned alive at our home."
"…"
Kyoko isn't the kind who would be sharp regarding feelings, but even she felt the sadness in the young man's tone and placed her haori coat over his head to hide the crying man's face.
"With the money left behind by our parents, I lived with my sisters in a frugal life, acting like a parent to the traumatized Mio and the still too young Yukari. I tried to contact our stepbrother but he seemed to not want to take us under his wing… School life began to break down for me after that… the friends who said that they won't leave me began to back away, fearing that they might be harmed as well since I might be a target of another attack since my parents died in a murder-arson. They all left me behind except for one friend… one person who experienced the same loss and dejection. He was like a brother to me… I came to call him not with his overly-complicated foreign name but with a shortened nickname… Rai."
"He's a good guy. For him to stay without a care for what may happen to him…"
"Anything beyond that feels too cloudy for me to remember… When I try to pry that foggy memories, I just get a headache and nonsensical memories like people wielding supernatural powers and such…"
It's useless… If it's not the truth, I don't need it.
"But all in all, I feel like that part of my memory is filled with pain and regret… like there is something there that I shouldn't remember yet want to remember."
"…Iwasawa."
"Yeah?"
"Feel free to talk to me about it. You shouldn't keep it inside for too long."
"I know… I already have someone who does that for me…"
Hiroshi spoke, remembering his fiancé, Aoyama Chiyo.
"But still. Thanks for the concern."
"You're welcome."
Later that night, a victory party was held outside of the castle. The Kusanagi clan made merry with drinks and party food while the Iwasawa army simply sat on their tables and enjoyed the food and drinks with not much hubbub on their parts.
When asked about the lack of action at their part, General Shimura said that as a sign of condolence, they don't want to show excitement while the family of their enemies are mourning their dead. This sounded like the words of a killjoy to some Kusanagi soldiers but the notion was not foreign to them, there is indeed, some virtue with respecting the peace of the fallen.
The subjugation of the province was left to the Kusanagi clan who is the real ones who are formally under war. So, with nothing else to do there, the Iwasawa clan bid their farewells, marched southwards to Fumetsu castle of Shinka in accordance with the wish of their lord to pay respects to Lord Kenji for supporting their campaign and back to the town of Tohou where the army was welcomed by the nobles, bureaucrats and their own families.
"The war has been won and we have proved our might… still, for the 16 dead soldiers in our line, we commend their bravery in battle and award them with post-humous awards and grants of support to their families. You have served your country bravely and honorably. In your rest, we shall do the same for you."
After the ceremony, the force was disbanded, and the soldiers went their own separate ways to their own families and homes. Luckily, the highway was already finished and the newly established shuttle wagons that offer cheap transportation to settlements made the trip back to home a convenience. Also, the train service now has three engines on their line, shortening the waiting time as the fluidly orchestrated trips made transportation more reliable.
"M-my lord!"
"It's the daimyo! Bow down!"
"The general is here too…"
After Hiroshi and Nobisuke boarded the train, the people around them was shocked and lowered their heads in reverence of their leader.
"Come on now, no need to be too stiff around me. I'm just a normal passenger like all of you right now. No need to bow down, everyone."
Hearing that, the people confusingly looked at each other and raised their heads to see the kind smile of their young lord.
"Sir! You can take our seats!"
"Huh? No need, young man. We arrived late so no need to give up your seats for us."
"Please, my lord. It would be a shame for us to rest on our seats while watching you standing at the aisle…"
"T-thank you, then…"
Two young soldiers spoke to them and stood up to offer their train seats. Hiroshi felt bashful with the offer but with the insistence of the two, he and his general sat down and after almost an hour, they arrived at Naka train station.
"Iwasawa-sama…!"
"Banzai!!!"
His arrival at the station was met with a cheer from the local garrison and the officers of the army guarding the castle.
"Thank you everyone… it's so good to be back here now after almost three months."
"We are honored, your highness!"
As he walked to the exit of the station with his retinue, he was surprised by his people who decorated the place to celebrate his arrival.
"Iwasawa-sama!!!"
"Welcome back!!!"
"Welcome back, Iwasawa-sama!"
The citizens cheered from all possible places. From the street sides, the windows and even the roofs, people threw flower petals to welcome their lord back to his land.
"Now, Iwasawa-sama. Please ride the horse as we continue to the castle."
"E-ehh? I feel too shy going through this again and again but… I guess I can't waste the effort of everyone…"
They continued down the route to the castle as the celebration of his arrival became warmer and warmer until he arrived at the castle gates, bowed an appreciating bow to his people and went inside to finally rest.
"Agaa! So tired!"
"Same…"
Hiroshi and Nobisuke fell down at the office, not caring if anyone can see them as the fatigue of the trip and the ceremonies took a toll from them.
"Hiro-nii!!!"
"Argh! Not now-"
*Ka-byag!*
"Fu! Bu! Ki!!!"
"Uffu!!!"
A childish voice echoed from the hallways and knowing who it is, Hiroshi braced himself as the doors opened and a child jumped to land on his stomach.
"I caught Hiro-nii!"
"Agack-! I…I got caught by Rinne."
"Hiro-nii is a dummy!"
"Oh, come on. Stop already!"
Before he is forced to say as the kid asks, a woman's voice spoke up and took the child away from the tired young man.
"Iyaaa!!! Not again, Chiyo-nee! You're always spoiling my fun!"
"I am not, Rinne. But you shouldn't charge towards Iwasawa-sama when he is clearly tired!"
"Mmph! Spoilsport! I hate you! Bleeehhh!"
Before the young woman can reply, the kid ran away top speed as two maids chased after her as well as Nobisuke who is the only one in here who can catch her.
This left the two at the office, behind closed doors and in silence.
"Hey there… can you help me up…?"
"A-ah! Yes…"
She gingerly took his hand and shoulders and helped him get up to his feet.
"I guess, I should say it now since I'm officially back…"
"?"
"I'm home, Chiyo."
Hearing his words, the young woman giggled and replied before kissing him softly at the cheek.
"Ehehe… Welcome back, Hiroshi-sama."