Hakuoki Tenun no Shou: Chapter 2 - I'll go to Hijikata.
Chizuru Yukimura:
“I…”
I'll go to Nagakura.
I'll go to Hijikata.
I'm not going to either of them.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I'll go ask Hijikata."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"Alright then, I'll leave it to you."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Leave it to me."
I hurried towards Hijikata's room.
~Next Scene~
And on the way...
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Hmm? What’s wrong, Yukimura?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Ah, Hijikata!"
"I came to ask if you want anything for dinner."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I was on my way to the kitchen to make some tea."
"I see… So it’s already time for dinner, huh"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Were you in the middle of work?"
Getting so engrossed in his work that he forgets the time...
Is not something out of the ordinary for Hijikata.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"No… I wasn't in the middle of work."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"By the way, are Shinpachi and Harada in the common room?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I didn't see Nagakura, but Harada and the others are here."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I see."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Um... I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but..."
"Could it be that you're trying to avoid Nagakura...?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"You're surprisingly perceptive."
"Well, I suppose it’s not that hard to figure out with the way things have been going lately."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Do you not want to face Nagakura that much...?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"No, it's not that."
"It's just that, given the current situation, if we met, we'd probably start yelling at each other immediately."
"I don't feel like interrupting everyone while they are enjoying a meal together."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I see..."
...That's a relief.
So he’s not avoiding Nagakura because he hates him.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Hm? What are you smiling about?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh, nothing..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Now you got me curious. ...C'mon tell me."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Well... It’s just that everybody calls you the 'Demon Commander ’..."
"But to me it seems you’re actually very considerate of the others..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Of course."
"I'm not just yelling to vent my frustrations."
Hijikata turned his head to look up at the night sky.
His face, illuminated by the bright starlight, was remarkably handsome...
He looked almost like a Kabuki actor.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I know what the other members think of me right now."
"But a saint who just smiles and nods along can't keep those guys together."
"So I don't mind being called a demon or whatever."
"But things are a little different this time around..."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Different how...?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Usually, when I yell at Shinpachi and the others, it's partly to keep the new recruits in line."
"By acting like a ‘demon’, the recruits should learn to understand the severity of the Shinsengumi's rules."
"I thought they understood that well, but..."
"It seems things won't go the same way this time."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"What do you mean...?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"There is a chance... the Shinsengumi might split apart."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Split apart...!?"
I stood frozen, stunned by the unexpected seriousness of the situation.
It’s true that Nagakura's demeanor was clearly different from usual, but...
Chizuru Yukimura:
"No way... that’s not really going to happen, right?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"If things continue like this, that's a possibility."
Given Hijikata's position, he has to make a lot of difficult decisions.
So there’s no way he can take the situation lightly...
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I..."
"I'm sure Nagakura will understand."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...What makes you think that?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"It's clear that you and Kondo are not at fault in this matter."
"I think it's just a matter of various misunderstandings piling up."
"So if you take the time to properly explain things..."
"I'm sure Nagakura will understand."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...You're being quite blunt."
"You haven't known us that long, have you?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"It’s true I don’t know everyone very well yet..."
"But even so, having watched you all up until now... I was reminded of something."
"Once, I had a fight with my father, and started avoiding him because it was difficult to face him."
"But that only made our relationship worse, and at that point I didn't know how to apologize anymore."
"So to prevent something like that from happening again..."
"Don’t you think it's important to face each other with sincerity and properly talk things over before it becomes impossible to make up?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...To compare this matter with a simple parent-child quarrel..."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"! I'm sorry! I didn’t mean...!"
That must’ve sounded rude.
Just as that thought crossed my mind–
something warm was suddenly placed on my head. It was...
~Picture~
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Honestly... How naive can you be?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Ah..."
He looked at me with such gentle eyes that I forgot to even blink.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"This has nothing to do with you, right?"
"In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you hated our guts."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I..."
I never expected to hear such words from Hijikata.
I couldn't even meet his gaze.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"You're still young, and you probably haven't seen how nasty people can be, so you wouldn't get it."
"Even if neither party is at fault... there are plenty of times people just can't reconcile, no matter how much they try to talk it out."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"..."
He spoke in a gentle tone, yet his words were so dismissive...
I was left speechless.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Neither of us is actually wrong."
"That’s why neither of us is willing to back down and come to a compromise"
"These kinds of things happen all the time."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"So that means..."
"That things between you and Nagakura might not be able to go back to how they were..."
"Is that what you’re trying to say, Hijikata?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Not necessarily."
"But given my position, I have to act with that possibility in mind."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"..."
Hearing the cold tone in Hijikata’s voice...
I realized how naive my thinking had been.
The Shinsengumi, especially the Captains...
Live in a much harsher world than I could’ve imagined.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Still... I've known Shinpachi since our days at Shiei Hall."
"If we could go back to the way we were, that would be great. But right now—"
"I can't just sit idly by and watch the Shinsengumi fall apart like this."
His words were filled with resolve—
I realized that he intended to resolve this matter by any means necessary.
Which made me feel relieved.
~END PICTURE~
Eventually, Hijikata's hand left my hair.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Well, even back in those days, the two of us had more than one or two shouting matches."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...I think I remember the others saying the same thing."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Yeah. Those three are certainly skilled fighters, but..."
"Not only did they not contribute a single penny to the dojo's struggling finances, but they constantly rack up debts."
"And if that wasn’t bad enough, they got into trouble with other dojos or drunkards when they went out drinking."
"You wouldn't believe how much trouble those three have caused Master Shusai and Kondo."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Hehe..."
His words may have been filled with frustration–
But despite that, his expression was very tender as he spoke about those three.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"But, no matter how much we yelled at each other…"
"Shinpachi would forget everything after just a night's sleep. That’s just the kind of guy he is."
"He hasn't changed a bit, that guy…"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Then..."
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened as he looked up at the sky.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...However, I can’t have him stuck with the same mindset he had in the Shiei Hall and Rōshigumi days."
"He's the captain of the Shinsengumi's second division."
"As a senior member, he's gotta be more self-aware of his position."
"If he doesn’t, we won't be able to maintain discipline as the Shinsengumi keeps expanding."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh..."
Despite Hijikata’s nostalgia for their Edo days...
He still thinks Nagakura has to change.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"So you're saying things can't continue the way they are now...?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...That’s right."
"We’ve got to make the Shinsengumi even bigger."
“We can’t back down now. Not after obtaining the Shinsengumi at the cost of eliminating Serizawa…
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...!?"
The word "eliminate" had an ominous ring to it, and I tensed up.
My heart skipped a beat as my blood ran cold.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Um... who is Serizawa?"
As I wondered if this was something I shouldn't have asked...
I gazed at Hijikata, waiting for his response.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"That man… He was the Chief back when we were the Rōshigumi."
With that brief statement, and the fact that Serizawa is no longer in the Shinsengumi...
I instinctively felt that I shouldn't ask anything further.
Amidst the chirping of insects, Hijikata looked up at the night sky for a while...
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Thanks."
"I feel like I've calmed down a bit after talking with you for a bit."
"He and I need to have a conversation… instead of yelling each other's heads off."
I felt a little relieved after hearing that...
But even so, after remembering Nagakura's attitude from earlier, the anxiety in my heart remained.
~Next Scene~
The next day, the sky was unusually overcast since the morning...
It was a very gloomy day.
While I was cleaning up after dinner, as usual...
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Everyone, please hang around for a while. I’ve got something I want to tell you."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Oh? What is this about?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"It'll be over in a bit. Please have a seat."
All the executives had puzzled looks on their faces, but...
Eventually, without anyone's input, everyone sat down on the floor.
Nagakura exchanged glances with Harada, Heisuke, and Saito, who were nearby.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"This morning, Sano, Heisuke, Saito, and I jointly submitted a letter of opinion to the Aizu clan."
"I wanted to report that to you all."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"You did what?!"
Nagakura's words caused a murmur among the executives.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...What on earth is going on? Explain."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Here's a copy of the letter. Please take a look."
After saying this, Nagakura handed the copy of the letter to Kondo and Hijikata.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Everything we want to say is written there, but basically..."
"Kondo's behavior these days has been outrageous."
"He treats us like his servants and acts like some kind of lord..."
"He doesn't do much for the Shinsengumi and just messes around."
"And to top it all off, he adopted Tani's younger brother without consulting us."
"The successor - the next chief of the Shinsengumi - was arbitrarily decided by just a few senior officials."
Isami Kondo:
"No, wait a minute. That's not my intention at all."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"We believe that this behavior violates the Code of Conduct, no matter how you look at it."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I understand what you're trying to say."
"But this kind of behavior is outrageous."
"Do you think it's okay to go behind our backs and report this to the Aizu clan?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"That's up to the lord of Aizu to decide."
"If they say anything, of course I'll respond to their summons."
"I don't know what's going to happen from here on out... So, Kondo, you'd better make up your mind."
Isami Kondo:
"..."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Are you going to change your mind and continue as chief?"
"Or are you going to continue to favor only those who say things that please your ears?"
"I'm not going to run away or hide."
"...That's all. Well, I'm going to get back to work."
With those words, Nagakura left the common room.
The remaining soldiers seemed unable to move from the spot immediately...
Despite the large number of people, the room was dead quiet.
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...You wound my heart, Nagakura. This is a real problem."
"I have plans later, so I'll have to excuse myself."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"I wonder if the lord of Aizu will really take such an opinion seriously...?"
"Well, I'm on patrol duty, so I'll be off."
And so, Takeda and Tani also left the common room.
Chuji Matsubara:
"I would have liked to hear a bit more detail, but..."
"I have something to do, so I have to take my leave."
One by one, the soldiers with other plans left the common room...
All that remained were the comrades from Edo.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Saito, it looks like your name is on this opinion paper."
Hajime Saito:
"Shinpachi asked for my consent, so I lent my name to him so as not to provoke him."
"I thought it would be necessary to keep track of Shinpachi's movements in the future."
"And yet, my name would end up being included in something like this..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I see. Harada, Heisuke, I guess the same happened with you guys?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Yeah. He's not the kind of guy who would change his mind even if you scold him."
Heisuke Toudou:
"If we had refused, he would have just left the Shinsengumi..."
"But I never thought it would become such a big deal."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...For now, I'll go to meet with the Aizu clan and check their reaction."
"Harada, Heisuke, you guys keep an eye on Shinpachi to make sure he doesn't do anything strange."
Sanosuke Harada:
"You got it."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Souji, Saito, you guys just carry on as usual."
Okita Souji:
"Okay~."
Hajime Saito:
"Understood."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Kondo."
"Tani or Takeda might come to talk to you about this."
"Please dodge their question so you won't be pinned down."
Isami Kondo:
"...Yeah, I understand."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Geez, Shinpachi, that bastard..."
"He's out of his mind, dragging the Aizu clan into this."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"..."
From the serious looks on Hijikata and the executives' faces...
It's clear this matter is getting bigger and bigger.
I wonder what will happen next...
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Yukimura."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Y-Yes!"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Your actions are to be the same as always. Just do your usual cleaning outside."
"However, make sure the other warriors don’t catch on to anything."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Yes, I understand."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"You better. ...Your emotions are easy to read!"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I'll be careful."
~Next Scene~
I decided to do some cleaning outside as Hijikata had instructed.
Perhaps because it looked like it might rain at any moment ever since this morning...
There were no signs of any prospective recruits, which might be for the best at the moment.
Just then, two figures emerged from inside the gate.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Ah..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"We're heading out now. Take care of things here."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Alright. Please be careful, you two."
Hijikata and Saito both wore unusually serious expressions.
They were probably heading to the Aizu domain's headquarters.
But just as they were about to depart…
An unfamiliar figure came running towards us from the street.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...!?"
He seemed unusually well-dressed to be just a visitor... I wonder who this could be?
Aizu Samurai:
"Is Hijikata or Konda here? I've come from the Aizu headquarters!"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...!"
"I’m Hijikata.. What can I do for you?"
"Though I probably can already guess what it’s about."
Aizu Samurai:
"Are you Commander Hijikata?"
"I have come to deliver this letter. Here you go."
The messenger took a letter from his pocket as he said this and gave it to Hijikata.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Ideally, I would’ve invited you inside to receive it, but..."
"This seems to be an urgent matter. Is it alright if I read it here?"
Aizu Samurai:
"It's fine. They need a reply as soon as possible."
After hearing the messenger's words, Hijikata opened the letter and checked its contents.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"..."
...Hijikata, what on earth happened?
What's written in the letter?
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I understand. Tell them I'll explain the details at headquarters."
Aizu Samurai:
"Understood. Then, I'll take my leave now."
After saying this in a stiff tone, the messenger quickly left the scene.
Hajime Saito:
"What does that letter say?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...We’re a step behind."
"They want me to explain the details of the letter that Nagakura had sent."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...What are you going to do?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Well, I can’t say it was a simple mistake anymore."
"Right now we have no choice but to explain the current situation from our side of things."
"Let's go, Saito."
Hajime Saito:
"Sir."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Yukimura, your orders will remain the same as before."
"If anything happens, ask Souji..."
"No, scratch that. Go to Sanan for instructions."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Alright. Please be careful."
~Next Scene~
Afterwards, as I was mending clothes in my room after finishing cleaning...
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Are you there, Yukimura?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh, Hijikata. Welcome back."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Mind if I come in?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Not at all."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Oh, were you in the middle of needlework?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I just finished cleaning, so I'm sewing some rags out of some leftover fabric..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"That can wait. I need you to assist me with something as my page."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Alright. What should I do?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"After this, I want you to go out with Gen and buy some delicious sweets."
"Not anything expensive. I want something trendy and tasty."
"Be sure to stick close to Gen, got it."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Yes, I understand."
~Next Scene~
After that, Inoue and I finished the errand Hijikata had sent us on, but...
Why were we sent out to buy sweets...?
Heisuke Toudou:
"I was wonderin’ what this was all about when you suddenly summoned me in such a formal manner... but this really caught me off guard."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"It doesn’t hurt to do this kinda thing every once in a while, don’t ya think?"
"Gen, could you go and get Harada next?"
Genzaburou Inoue:
"Harada, right? I’ll go fetch him."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Yukimura, go get some fresh tea and some new sweets too."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Yes, of course."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...The sweets you and Gen brought seem to be quite popular."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Really? That's good to hear."
~Next Scene~
Afterward, I prepared tea and sweets as Hijikata had instructed.
The meetings with the Shinsengumi members seemed to be continuing...
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Um... Inoue?"
"What exactly is Hijikata doing?"
"He seems to be calling over each of the Captains one by one and talking to them."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"Toshi isn’t the type to do something like this without a reason... I wonder what this could be about."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Yukimura, I'm gonna take a short break. Could you make me some tea?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Ah... Yes! I’ll go make some right away."
~Next Scene~
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Here you go, Hijikata. Here's your tea."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Ah, thanks."
Hijikata seemed quite exhausted...
After letting out a sigh, he took a sip of his tea.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Um, Hijikata…? What exactly have you been doing this whole time?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"What, can’t you tell?"
"I’m trying to get the others’ honest opinion on how the Shinsengumi has been operating lately."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"WHAT!?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...What's with that reaction? Is it THAT surprising?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"N-No, it just feels a little unexpected..."
He glanced slightly at the ceiling as he started to speak.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...It doesn’t make sense if I keep tellin’ Shinpachi and the others to change–”
“But I myself just keep doing things the same as before."
"They have their own view of things."
"Whatever that view may be... I oughta at least hear them out."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"..."
His answer was so unexpected...
I was left speechless.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"What's with that look? You got no reason to act so shocked."
"You're the one who said to have an honest conversation with the others to get their feelings on the current situation."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Huh...?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"There are tons of things in this world that can’t be resolved no matter how much you try to talk things out."
"But that doesn't mean I’ll give up without trying."
"I considered what you’d said before, to 'face each other with sincerity' –"
“And thought it wasn’t too late to at least give it a try.”
"So I figured if we had some delicious tea and sweets, it might give us a chance to have an honest conversation..."
"It turned out better than I expected. Thanks a lot."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I didn’t do anything, really..."
I never imagined Hijikata would listen to my opinion.
I was surprised, and at the same time...
I realized that Hijikata is much more considerate than I had imagined.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I showed you a rather pathetic side of myself, didn’t I?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"No, not at all...!"
"I'm just happy that I could’ve been even of little help to you, Hijikata."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Well, don’t start celebrating just yet. Wait until this whole matter is settled."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Alright."
After a light stretch, Hijikata turned back to me.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Now, this is where the real work begins."
"We need to question Takeda and Tani about this matter."
"...Yukimura, go and get Tani first."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Yes, understood."
~Next Scene~
Sanjyuro Tani:
"So they want to hear my side of things, huh..."
"I gotta be honest, I don't think there's anything worth talking about."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I'm sorry, I was only instructed to summon you..."
"But I've heard that they've asked all the Captains the same thing."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"...Hmm, I see."
Chizuru Yukimura: Chizuru Yukimura:
"Hijikata, I've brought Tani."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Good. Come on in."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Well then, excuse me. So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"
...I hope Hijikata's plan works out.
With a silent prayer in my heart, I left the room.
~Next Scene~
While Hijikata was talking with the Captains, the sun had already begun to set...
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...Regarding this matter, I have nothing to hide."
"Please, I beg you, do not misunderstand my intentions."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You can go back now."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...Thank you. If you’ll excuse me."
Turning on his heel, Takeda quickly disappeared from in front of Hijikata.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"It looks like your conversation with Takeda is over."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Yeah."
"Now I got to summarize all the opinions I received today."
"I need to concentrate on this, so please make sure no one comes near my room for a while."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Yes, of course."
~Next Scene~
Afterward, I returned to my room and continued my needlework.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Alright, then."
It's getting a little too late to keep doing needlework.
I'll continue this tomorrow.
It would be a waste to use up the lamp oil, too...
It's almost time to prepare dinner, so I should go help out in the kitchen.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...!"
As I left my room, I noticed someone in the courtyard.
Is that... Takeda and Tani?
They seem to be talking about something, but I couldn’t hear what they were talking about from where I was standing.
They seem to be concerned about being seen, as they kept looking around...
And then they went outside.
Where are they going?
Worried, I decided to secretly follow them.
~Next Scene~
The two arrived at Mibu Temple.
Perhaps because it was almost dinnertime, there was no sign of anyone in the temple grounds.
I hid in the shadows and observed the two of them.
Kanryusai Takeda:
"I never imagined things would turn out like this... Tani, what exactly is going on?"
"Surely, we won’t get punished, will we?"
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Hey, calm down man. What did Hijikata ask you? And how did you respond?"
Kanryusai Takeda:
"He asked about that marching record. ...Of course, I couldn't just reveal the whole story."
"I had no choice but to give a plausible explanation and gloss over it."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Hijikata has a strangely sharp intuition. He might have noticed something was up..."
"Well, there's no evidence, so we'll probably get away with it."
"...But I gotta say, I never imagined Nagakura would get the Aizu domain involved."
"I thought it would be great if we could just sow discord among the Edo-born executives."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"What are we going to do now?"
"If this incident damages the Aizu domain's reputation, we'll have no chance of recovering."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"There's nothing we can do about it now. What's done is done."
"Anyway, we just have to insist that Kondo was aware that those two had to be removed."
"...We also have to somehow finalize the matter of Shuhei's adoption."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"Regarding that adoption… isn't it a bit early to act on that?"
"If it becomes public knowledge, the Shiei Hall faction will surely oppose it."
"Especially Okita will absolutely be against it."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"That's why it's important to gradually build up a false narrative."
"Besides, I’m pretty sure Okita is aware that he won’t be the next Chief of the Shinsengumi."
As the two of them were talking–
people who appeared to be worshippers entered the temple grounds.
Sanjyuro Tani:
"...There are people coming. Let's move this conversation to the Maekawa residence."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...Yes, let's do that."
The two turned around and left the grounds of Mibu Temple.
...What should I do?
I'm curious about what’s going to happen next, but...
What if Tani or Takeda notice me midway through...?
How should I proceed?
Amidst all this, I decided...
To get a little more information.
It's too dangerous to go any further.
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