Corpse March

Chapter 37 River Delta

“Any more questions, officers?”

“None on my part. Thank you very much for your cooperation, Lady Tsumugi.”

“Thank you for being so forthcoming as well, officers.”

Tsumugi gives the Disciplinary Committee a curt bow from within the Curia, one they do not return. As they walk away, Haru’s keen ears pick up vague mutterings. Something about ‘Lady Gleam being displeased’. But nothing more. 

“So how’d it go?”

“Pretty well, surprisingly enough. Probably means that Gleam’s given up. For now.”

“Still, a temporary victory is still a victory.”

“Agreed.”

“Hi-five.”

Haru raises her hand, fingers splayed out and Tsumugi gives it a little tap with her palm. 

“Oh c’mon, that wasn’t a real hi-five.”

“It wasn’t?”

“Of course not. A real hi-five has to hurt, y’know what I mean?”

“Huh. Okay. Let’s try again.”

Haru holds out her hand and Tsumugi promptly dunks Haru’s hand straight into the nether realm. It’s rare that she meets someone with physical enhancements as strong as her own so the stinging pain feels almost entirely new to her. Still, she doesn’t hate it.

“Fuck yeah, now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.”

“Are you both done?” Gleam’s voice echoes through the now repaired Curia. She sits at the head of a long table that Haru’s grown familiar with. 

“Yes, yes we are, thank you very much for waiting.” Haru pulls out a chair for Tsumugi. She breathes a sigh of relief knowing that she won’t be needing to speak on anyone’s behalf again. Tsumugi leans her staff against the table and takes her seat. 

Gleam clears her throat. “I believe we should start off this meeting with a discussion on the arrangements for Lady Kentomi’s funeral.”

“Of course, of course. I’ve already begun preparing the itinerary.” Jessica cleans her teeth with a toothpick. “A lengthy performance based on Lady Kentomi’s life and times is in order, I believe?”

“It will do the masses good to come to know Lady Kentomi as well as we did.” Tomoe chimes in. “Though, if you don’t mind, I would like to review the script for myself to see if it’s up to code.”

“I hesitate to give up a work written only by Takakumo’s finest, especially as I’ve already made my own personal edits, but very well. I shall have the manuscript delivered to you by tonight.”

“At the very least, Kagami can rest knowing that she has been immortalized in the collective consciousness.” Gleam suddenly speaks up. Beside her stands Kuroko, watching on with her usual glazed over expression. Whatever contract she signed onto with Gleam, it seems that it’s a long-term one. “I trust you have the food all arranged for as well, Jessica?”

“I’m struggling to fit the desserts into the budget but I believe I will patch over that problem in time.”

“Very well, then I suppose all we have to talk about now is the security.”

“I volunteer the Elites.” Tsumugi speaks before anyone else can. There’s a hint of desperation in her voice.

“...on what grounds?” Gleam picks up a saucer with a cup of tea resting on top of it. “My initial instinct moves towards electing the Deathless as security instead. They are Takakumo’s finest, after all.”

“That’s precisely the problem. The event would require too many Deathless to fully guard. That’s too many people pulled away from our borders.”

“I see…” Haru mutters under her breath. 

Haru’s starting to wizen up to the kinds of battles that happen in this room. Endless wars fought behind  endless facades. The true reason why Tsumugi so wants to wrench control of security from Gleam is because she’s unsure. Gleam’s first gambit failed. Who knows what she’s going to try and pull now? With security under her control, it should be that much harder for Gleam to try anything extreme.

“Forgive me, Lady Tsumugi, but I doubt that you have the expertise to organize the security of the funeral.”

“I fully agree. That’s why I’ve brought help.” Tsumugi raises her hand and rests it on Haru’s shoulders. “This is Haru Hamamoto. Before she became my wife, she was a security specialist. I’m sure that she has the expertise to handle security for such a large event.”

“Is this true?”

Haru takes a second, trying to gather up every crumb of suaveness in her body which only results in a malformed smile on her lips.“Why don’t you ask her?” She points at Kuroko. “We worked at the same firm.”

“Well, Kuroko?” Gleam does not turn her head. “Is she?”

“Yes, Lady Gleam. Haru Hamamoto was indeed a security specialist. Furthermore, she was responsible for bodyguarding multiple important personnel over the course of her career–”

“That’s enough, Kuroko.” Haru thinks she spots the smallest of grimaces on the corner of Gleam’s face. Murmurs begin to spread between seat neighbors. Gleam continues to stare at Tsumugi, her steely eyes unchanging. “Would you truly entrust the success of this event in the hands of an outsider?”

“By virtue of nuptial law, she is a bona fide citizen of Takakumo.”

“Hmmm… then very well.” Gleam closes her eyes as she takes a sip of her tea. “Haru Hamamoto will oversee security detail for Lady Kentomi’s funeral.”

Now the game’s changed. The problem is no longer what Gleam might do. It’s how Tsumugi’s going to respond to what Gleam’s definitely going to pull. If anything happens at the funeral, then this would be the perfect time to pin the blame on Tsumugi– get rid of one of her political enemies. After all, Tsumugi may have been able to worm her way out of the first gambit, but two is almost a pattern. And patterns, even implied ones, have a tendency to stick to people’s minds. No matter what– Haru clenches her fist– she has to make sure that she doesn’t mess up. 

“There’s also the issue of who’s going to… replace Lady Kentomi.” Tomoe hesitates as she uses the word ‘replace’. It’s so sterile, as though someone could just step up to the position and take her position like nothing happened– like no one died.

“Normally, it’s up to the President or Vice President to appoint people to their positions but…” Nui winces. “That’s not exactly possible at the moment–”

“Perhaps we can put it to a popular vote?” Tomoe takes a sip from her glass. 

“Forgive me but Lady Tsubame’s decree was clear, Lady Kuroihoshi.” Nui calmly explains in between sips of green tea. “Only the President or Vice President may select the next Vice President.”

“Fair enough. Then the position shall remain vacant for the time being.” Tomoe shrugs and relaxes in her chair. Everything seemingly going according to plan. “Though, I expect that conflict will only escala–”

She’s interrupted by the sudden opening of the room’s double doors. A cool wind blows into the room. Framed by the door frame in a picturesque dramatic entrance, is Florence, panting from exhaustion. “Pardon… the… intrusion.” He has an envelope in his hand. 

“You’re late. Where have you been?” As per usual, Nui’s scolding voice is the first to let itself be known. 

“I’ve come to deliver Lady Kentomi’s last will!” He takes a moment to catch his breath. As he pants, he opens the letter in his hand. More murmurs, Haru cherrypicks her favorite ones. 

“Last will?”

“I haven’t heard of anything like this happening before.”

“How interesting.”

Florence pays them no mind and begins to read from the last will. “To my esteemed wife who came first before all others, Kikimi. I bequeath bestow and devise with all fiduciary entitlement my position as Vice President of Takakumo City.”

“I– I never–” Tomoe stands up, disbelief written all over her face. Jessica shoots Tomoe a glare as if asking “What the hell is going on?” 

Even the normally collected Tsumugi is slack-jawed at the development. “K-Ki-Kikimi?” 

“You know who that is?” Tomoe turns her attention from Florence to Tsumugi, desperate for some kind of answer. 

“W-well, I… I…”

“That would be me, actually.”

Tsumugi is saved from having to answer. A chorus of turned heads and a refrain of hushed mutterings. “A soldier?” “This must be a joke.” “Who on earth…?” “She can do that?”Haru loses track of who’s saying what, her attention is solely focused on Kikimi. And, it seems that Kikimi’s attention is solely focused on her. 

Her eyes are wide, vacant, and empty. As if just the sight of Haru’s face is enough to make her stomach churn. But her eyes quickly go from looking at her to looking straight through her. Oh, Haru suddenly realizes. She’s looking at Kuroko. And Kuroko’s looking at her. Ah yes, that’s right, Kikimi was on the decoy train, and the decoy train was massacred by Kuroko. Haru supposes that massacres are never easy on the psyche. Even for hardened veterans like Haru, much less for someone like Kikimi, who looks like she’s about to collapse. 

“Wh–why…?” She raises a shaky hand and points at Kuroko. “Why is she still alive?! She killed all those people!”

“She was acting under orders.” Gleam cradles her fingers and rests her brow on them. “My orders. I take full responsibility for–”

“ENOUGH!” Kikimi storms forwards, furious. Tsumugi backs away from the table, Haru does the same. She slams both her hands on the table and points at Kuroko. “That– that– THING is an intruder in our city!”

“Kikimi, please, calm down.” Florence tries in vain to soothe Kikimi’s raging temper but it’s no use, she ignores him completely. 

“I’M PRESSING CHARGES! GUARDS! GUARDS!” 

“I believe I made myself clear.” Gleam stands up, her hand on her sword hilt. “She was under orders. I’m taking full responsibility for Kuroko’s actions.”

“Lady Gleam, if I may intercede.” Nui clears her throat as she stands up as well. “As Lady Kuroihoshi stated earlier. This was nothing more than an unfortunate accident–”

Kikimi interrupts. “An accident that was willfully committed and claimed the lives of forty people–”

“An accident that Lady Gleam had no way of knowing would occur. The monarchs are, after all, our mortal enemy. Letting them live would be a crime against Takakumo– nay, Lady Tsubame herself.”

“I… partially agree.” Tsumugi pipes up from off to the side. “The whole operation was my and Tsuki’s idea. My… naivete led me to believe that no one would be hurt, much less killed. If Gleam is to blame, then so am I.”

“Lady Tsumugi…” Kikimi gives pause. For what, Haru isn’t sure, but neither is Kikimi. “Forgive me.” She almost visibly deflates and so does everyone else at the table, finally able to relax. 

“No, no. I understand that watching those people die took its toll on your psyche.” Tsumugi says it so cleanly, so clinically that even Haru’s impressed by her nonchalance. Then again, that might just be her way of coping, retreating from the horror of what she’d done.

“Councilors, I believe that Kikimi… Lady Kikimi is exhausted.” Florence wipes the sweat off of his brow. “I will lead Lady Kikimi to her new quarters in the Curia.”

“Yeah… I think that I would like that, actually.” Kikimi staggers backwards, like she’s about to faint. Silently, and without any more ado, the pair retreat out of the Curia, away from everyone’s prying eyes. 

“I think...We can table this matter for after the funeral. We have our plates full just preparing for it.” Tomoe ladles more miso soup into her bowl. “All in agreement, say aye.” 

There’s a universal “Aye” from all around the table.  

“Anywho, regarding the performers for the actual event, I’d like to get…” The moment the conversation returns to the logistics of the festivities, Haru’s attention drifts away from the discussion and towards the problem of Florence and Kikimi. Just when did those two get so chummy?