Flower Spelling - Chapter 45
Final Chapter – And Once Again
Sailing from the port of Kobe, the boat made smooth progress in fine weather, aided by the wind, passing through Osaka and arriving in Fushimi, Kyo. As Fushimi was a key point of water transportation, numerous boat wholesalers and inns lined the streets, and the Uji River, flowing nearby, was filled with countless boats loaded with people and cargo.
After parting company with Katsu, Sogetsu and Sakamoto first headed for Teradaya, a traditional Japanese inn.
The landlady, Otose, had been in sole charge of the business since her husband succumbed to death a few years earlier, and during the incident with the Satsuma clan, she and her daughter remained steadfast and protected the bookkeeping room. Once the matter was settled, she immediately ordered her servants to replace the bloodstained tatami and sliding doors and re-opened the business within the next few days.
Sakamoto, for his part, was pleased to say that he was one of the many people who supported the Sonn? j?i.
I see, so this is Mr. Ryoma’s regular lodging. That’s why the name “Teradaya” sounded familiar to me.
Alone, she scurried through the crowd, so as not to fall behind the swift Sakamoto.
Nestled between two large bridges, the Kyobashi Bridge and the Horai Bridge, Teradaya was no ordinary inn, as Sogetsu had vaguely envisioned it to be, rather it was a boathouse with a large number of boatmen. The inn was jammed with people awaiting boats and their luggage, and Sogetsu had to clutch her luggage tightly to her chest lest it fall inadvertently.
“Hey! I am back.”
Upon hearing Sakamoto’s loud voice, a woman who had been instructing a man who appeared to be the head of the bookkeeping shop turned around. Recognizing the large figure of Sakamoto, she came over to him with a broad smile plastered across her face.
She appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Although she was small in stature, her movements were swift and her body seemed to be brimming with energy.
“Well, my dear, it’s Mr. Sakamoto. I am amazed to see you here. Still dressed as dirty as ever, I wonder what you are up to again.”
“It has been a long time, yet you are relentless… Actually, I would like to send my companion to Choshu’s residence in Kyo.”
After being shoved forward by Sakamoto, Sogetsu took off her bamboo hat and bowed, introducing herself.
“Looks like someone with a reason.” Otose, intuitive as she was, recognized the situation at once. “We can’t discuss matters in this place, so please come up.”
Leaving the clerk in charge, she led them to the back of the building. Having settled down in the room, Sakamoto inquired as to the state of the town.
Otose chuckled at the impatience of the man who seemed to be leaning forward but explained the circumstances in detail as if she were well-informed.
“Unfortunately, the position of the expulsionists has only worsened over the past August. The Emperor’s wrath against Choshu has not yet abated, and now the Aizu has been assigned the task of guarding the town, patrolling the streets in squads daily. In particular, it is widely rumored that the Shinsengumi are highly skilled and that if they spot anyone even slightly suspicious, they will be immediately drawn out, whether they be ronin or townspeople.”
“Shinsengumi…”
I have seen it on television before. As I recall, they wore blue dandara haori and killed a lot of people… So he was an enemy of the Choshu??Even so.
“When I was in Kyo last summer, the Shinsengumi was a name unknown to me… Is it a recently formed organization?”
Otose waved her hand dismissively. “Apparently. the name ‘Shinsengumi’ was given to the group after the August disturbances. Up until that time, they were called the ‘Mibu Roshi group’. People in Kyo called them the ‘Mibu Wolves’ and hated them for their violent conduct.
Otose continued to update them on the situation in Kyo, and finally, she said, “If you two are going to Kyo, you ought to be really cautious.”
Following Otose’s advice, Sogetsu and Sakamoto refrained from visiting the Choshu domain’s residence and opted to observe the conditions in the town for the time being.
Aside from Sogetsu, Sakamoto was a defector from the Tosa clan, and if found by a Tosa samurai, he would have been slashed without question. Sitting side by side in front of a teahouse near the Gojo Ohashi Bridge, they slowly gazed out over the street through the gaps between their bamboo hats.
At first glance, the town of Kyo appeared calm and peaceful, as if the events of August had not occurred. Nevertheless, the absence of the Choshu clansmen, who used to operate with such pomp and circumstance, and the presence of Satsuma and Aizu samurai in their midst, clearly set it apart from the past.
??Then.
A beeping noise from across the street caused Sogetsu to turn her head. At precisely the same time, a towering samurai rushed past in front of her at great speed. Following him were several samurai who appeared to be his captors.
She didn’t see it clearly.
It was a gut feeling.
“??Mr. Katsura!”
“What!?”
Her body was already moving before she knew it.
“Oh, hey, Ms. Misaki! Hold on! …Oh, damn it! Landlady! I’ll leave the bill here please!”
Sakamoto sprang to his feet in pursuit of Sogetsu.
“Are you absolutely positive about this, Ms. Misaki?”
“No doubt, that’s Mr. Katsura!”
“We have hit the jackpot! What a stroke of luck! So what are you going to do about it, what’s your plan?”
“No! But he was being hunted. I have to save him!”
However, Katsura was nowhere to be spotted among the crowds, and there was a myriad of narrow alleys stretching out at both ends of the street.
“Damn, which way did he go!”
“If it’s Mr. Katsura, I am certain he will attempt to go to the residence.”
“Right!”
The pair dashed into the alley on the right without a second thought. The narrow backstreet was silent as if the bustle of the main street had never existed.
“??This way!”
Faint noises carried them through the maze of alleys. Around a corner, they were met by the sight of Katsura, surrounded by three shogunate officials.
Both sides had their hands on the hilt of their swords ready to pounce.
“Mr. Katsura!”
A moment later, Sogetsu and Katsura’s gazes intersected upon the street.
The arrival of the unexpected third party caused the shogunate official to turn his head in dismay, while Sogetsu was holding a short barrel from his pocket.
“??Get down!”
At roughly the same instant that Katsura bent over, Sogetsu’s short barrel shot into motion.
Without pausing, a charging Sakamoto struck the shogunate official. Katsura, taking advantage of the distraction, swiftly escaped from the enclosure.
“You are…”
“Quickly!”
Stopping Katsura from questioning, Sogetsu grabbed Katsura by the arm and started running.
“This is a peculiar encounter, but I am Sakamoto Ryoma, a ronin who defected from Tosa clan. Nice to meet you.”
As they sped along, Sakamoto introduced himself, somewhat gleefully and out of place.
?
The trio successfully reached the Choshu residence without being overtaken by the shogunate officials. The empty and deserted interior of the residence reflected the true state of affairs in Choshu at the present time.
With Sakamoto waiting in the other room, Sogetsu faced Katsura alone.
“Sogetsu, where have you been all this time? Do you have any idea how worried we all were?”
The rage in his quiet voice brought a renewed sense of selfishness to Sogetsu, and he winced. However, she came back with all her heart.
“I am deeply sorry.”
After bowing her head gracefully, she recounted everything that had transpired.
“I see, Lord Katsu’s naval school.”
Once the conversation was over, Katsura lowered his head.
“??Forgive me.”
“… Eh?”
“In the first place, I should be the one to apologize. I said I would protect you, but I was too preoccupied with politics to have any regard for you. It was as if I had abandoned you.”
“Of course not, it is only natural for Mr. Katsura to be devoted to politics. Everything is my fault. I don’t try to change, and resented myself for not changing, and I am being selfish. And to top it all off, I left without even saying a word…”
“No, when Yaji and Shi informed me of your involvement with the Aizu clan, I should have known how you felt. They were both anxious about you. I stayed in Kyo for a long time, searching for you.”
He had defied order to return and remained back in Kyo.
“He asked me to convey his apologies to you if I ever met you, and I told him to tell you that in person…But Sogetsu, why have you come back? I am glad to know that you are safe, but I suppose you are not unaware of the current situation in Choshu. Ever since that political upheaval, Choshu has been pulled down from the political stage. It is no longer in a position to protect you. I regret to say that you will be safer in the naval school.”
“I don’t wish for your protection. I merely want to lend my help.” Sogetsu shook her head resolutely.
“You have done so much for me, yet I ran away. This time I want to help Choshu. If there is anything I can do, I will do it. Please!”
??When did you develop this expression?
Katsura gazed at Sogetsu as if he had never experienced this sight of her before. In the past, she seemed childish for her age and somewhat soft and frail. But now, the woman standing in front of him, with a determined spirit in her pupils, was bearing down on him with a resolution that could not be retracted.
“… Indeed, you never cease to amaze me.”
As though he was defeated, Katsura relaxed his shoulders.
“To tell you the truth, we are in desperate need of manpower. Nobody in the town can move freely.”
Sogetsu gave a nod. If she is anonymous, she can operate discreetly.
“It’s dangerous work. If something happens to you, I can’t guarantee I’ll always be there to save you.”
“I am prepared.”
“Good. Then I shall welcome you to Choshu. Not as a guest, but as a full-fledged member of Choshu.”
“Thank you very much!”
“There will be no mercy. You will have to work as hard as possible.”
“Yes. Please feel free to put me into use.”
Katsura stood up and beckoned Sakamoto into the other room and thanked him again. Sakamoto laughed it off and patted Sogetsu on the head, saying he was happy.
“Yes, you have a nice smile. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. We’ll meet again if we both live long enough. Take care.”
As she watched Sakamoto departing, Sogetsu’s heart swelled with memories of the past few months. She wondered how much she had been supported by this man.
“??Mr. Ryoma!”
Unable to resist, she faced his massive frame and shouted with all her might.
“Up until now, thank you so much for everything! I’ll do my best… and this time I swear I won’t run away!”
“Oh! You can do it! I’ll see you around!”
“Yes, surely! Take care of yourself too, Mr. Ryoma!”
Sogetsu waved her hand so hard that she felt her shoulders snap. As Sakamoto vanished into the darkness of the alley, Katsura lightly urged Sogetsu on.
“Now then, let’s get to work. First of all, let me introduce you to the people who are still at the residence.”
“Yes.”
“… This is really a mysterious thing.” Katsura chuckled, walking ahead of her down the corridor.
“Eh?”
“When I found out that you had left, I was concerned for you, but also hoped that you would be able to live in peace, away from the bloody politics. But now that I see you here, I feel strangely relieved.”
“…”
“??Oh, by the way, I haven’t told you yet.” Katsura glanced back at Sogetsu with a serene smile. “??Welcome back, Sogetsu.”
The words brought tears to her eyes before she could stop them.
Not that she has given up on returning to her homeland.
Nostalgia persists in her heart.
Nevertheless.
For now.
For those who have cared for her, she hopes to do what she can for them here.
–
Swiftly wiping away her tears, she took a deep breath with a sobbing smile on her face, and slowly, with all her heart, bowed her head.
“… I am home??!”