"Unsanctioned Red-Light District in Honjo" "Momohanaya" "Hey there, mister!" "Come spend a little time with us." "Come on now, I don't have any money." "Uh-oh..." "What do you want?" "They're doing a sweep!" "What are you doing?" "!" "I'm not going anywhere!" "Do not misunderstand." "If you get on the register in Yoshiwara, you can continue to sell your wares openly." "It's my body!" "Where I sell my wares is none of your business!" "You have been selling your wares as you please before this, but now that you are here, you will follow the conventions of Yoshiwara." "We of the district will now bid on you." "You will work at the establishment that places the highest bid." "This one is still young." "Some polish could make her shine." "What do you think you're doing?" "!" "I know my own price best!" "I'll be damned if I go work for anyone else!" "I don't want to be used by anyone!" "Why, you..." "What is going on?" "You are from the Enforcement..." "Oh no, this is not a matter worth your troubles, Master Enforcer." "Ken!" "Kotoba dake ja tsutawaranai mono o The things you can't get across with just words" "Ichiban tsutaetai no wa naze?" "Why do you want to get those things across the most?" "Kutsuzoko o suriherashite Wearing down the soles of your shoes" "Hadashi demo tomarenai no wa naze?" "Why can't you stop, even when you're down to your bare feet?" "Kaban no naka ni hoshizora The starry sky is in your bag" "Arashi no yoru mo soko ni aru The stormy nights are in there too" "Soro-soro tabi ni dero It's about time you go on a journey" "Robou ni saku hana yo hana yo The flowers, the flowers that bloom by the wayside" "Goro-goro doro-darake Rolling around, covered in mud" "Mune o kogasu yoake yoake The dawn, the dawn that consumes your heart" "Soro-soro hashiri-dase It's about time you start running" "Kowareru made asobe asobe Play, play until you break down" "Odorou yo doro-darake Let's dance, covered in mud" "Mune o kogasu yoake yoake The dawn, the dawn that consumes your heart" "Chapter Fourteen" " Butterfly Dance" "Tsu kiha naya Tenpo Y ear 1 4" " April" "Ouma." "On an errand for the Lady Courtesan Ureshino?" "Yes'um." "Looks like you've settled in here completely." "Yes'um." "Ouma." "I think Ureshino might like this." "Come take a look." "These are..." "Confections made of rice flour dough." "Ya send your nail and hair clippings, and ultimately, a finger to our customers." "To tell them, this is how devoted I am to ya." "Do that, and the customer'll take it seriously and come rushing to us." "To deceive them?" "No." "To let them have their dream." "How far are you going?" "I know." "To the horse, right?" "Say, aren't there any other places you want to go?" "I'll take you around." "How about a theatre?" "Or would you care to look at summer garments at Echigoya?" "The place I want to go to..." "That's right." "That would be impossible." "What did you say?" "Are you Shuzaburo Kai?" "Who are you?" "I may not look it, but I'm..." "The heir of Fire Brigade Constable Kiuemon Kai, is that it?" "That's right." "A town constable has no grounds to lay a hand on me." "Do we look like town constables to you?" "Enforcers, huh?" "Oh, dear." "My spear is without equal..." "Edogen!" "What is it?" "Masa..." "These past couple days, you've been to Masa's establishment many times, have you not?" "Edogen, are you all right?" "The ground is dancing..." "Those men are bad news." "There is no negotiating with them." "Those are constables of the Enforcement." "Enforcement?" "Speaking properly, Arson Thief Enforcement." "They specialize in cracking down on heinous crimes, and they are permitted to pass judgment without investigating." "Pass judgment?" "It means, if they find someone bad, they can cut him down right then and there." "There are usually a few Enforcers in Yoshiwara at all times." "Why, Master Edo." "I was not aware that you were here." "Ah, Ebiya." "It is most embarrassing that you had to see this." "Who are you people?" "Oh, this is the head priest of Maejima Temple." "A head priest?" "I often hear of depraved monks coming to Yoshiwara, but now, head priests too?" "Please watch what you say." "What?" "It no longer exists now, but Maejima Temple is the oldest temple here in Edo." "You mean to say it has guarded Edo since before the Tokugawa family?" "Now, now, that is merely what they say." "More importantly..." "This wound..." "It is odd for a sword wound." "Meaning?" "Normally, a sword enters the body from the outer edge, like so." "A wound like this cannot be inflicted unless you thrust in and cut straight from there." "But making a cut like that..." "No, there is one way." "Dissection." "Allow me to say this with all due respect." "We before you are in the service of Lord Torii's estate, and you, Finance Magistrate Lord Atobe of Noto, have no grounds to question us." "Do not be so indignant, Honjo." "And Hanai, was it?" "The one who wishes to question you is this man over here, Hozaboro Ogasawara." "Lord Abe of Ise and I are merely acting as witnesses." "Then, to purposefully choose a time when Lord Torii is away paying his respects at Nikko is..." "Speaking of Torii..." "What is it that Torii has tasked you to do?" "During this past occasion in Nikko," "I hear you attempted to obtain a shard of the Killing Stone of Nasu." "What was your purpose in doing so?" "Answer, you two!" "You have been seen commanding a pack of Youi as well." "Is that right, Ogasawara?" "What do you mean?" "To hunt Youi is the purpose of the Barbarian Knowledge Enforcement." "And yet, you too have Youi among your subordinates." "What are you speaking of?" "The horse." "And that foreign girl." "If you people are still harboring that foreigner and her horse..." "If such a thing were true, the Barbarian Knowledge Enforcement would be investigated thoroughly." "Your meddling is unwelcome!" "I am very sorry." "If I had not allowed the Killing Stone to be stolen, this would not have happened." "Indeed!" "Not only did the Western Ones cause a commotion, but it also gave them cause to question us!" "It cannot be helped." "More importantly, hadn't we better silence the Barbarian Knowledge Enforcement before Lord Torii returns?" "Considering their reaction, he has yet to tell those two that the foreign girl is still alive." "As for the girl, she appears to be hiding in Yoshiwara." "Capture her and Ogasawara and his men will lose face." "Taking a woman out of Yoshiwara will be extremely difficult." "However..." "This is Yoshiwara for you." "Business seems lively." "You laid-back fool!" "If it weren't for Genbatsu's request," "I would not have come to this foul place again." "I won't mind if you go back." "It's too soon for a child like you." "What are you saying?" "!" "One moment, please." "You are dressed like a man, but..." "I am..." "This one's just a jester." "We've been invited by Genbatsu Edo of Maejima Temple." "Why, if that is the case..." "He is waiting for you at the Tatsunoya, over there." "Tatsu noya" "That's a great red." "No matter what paint you use, you can't create this red." "But you know," "I've seen an even deeper, richer red scene than this." "A red scene..." "Just as I expected." "I thought you might know about it too." "The Other World." "The Other World?" "That's what Yukiatsu calls it." "Is he..." "Who are you calling a jester?" "!" "Drop it already." "Ouma..." "Where are Genbatsu and Abi?" "Yukiatsu..." "Yukiatsu?" "Huh." "This old man?" "Hey, I don't know who he is, but he's talking about you." "Hey, kid, are you a good swimmer?" "Hey!" "The Ohaguro Ditch in these parts can be 15 hands deep, but spare me any water games..." "Never mind that." "Talk to me about this Other World of yours." "Ryudo, this guy..." "Who the hell are you guys?" "!" "Do not resist!" "Wait, no need to be so rough..." "Come over here!" "The culprit behind a murdered courtesan?" "!" "Shuzaburo Kai." "He calls himself Kyousai Kawanabe." "He is a disciple of master painter Dohaku Kano." "Painter?" "And why would he kill a courtesan?" "It is not as if he has admitted to it yet, but that boy..." "Kyousai, was it?" "He seems to have a number of odd tendencies." "Do you know what a ryokumouki is?" "No idea." "This is it." "A woolly turtle..." "I've seen them in paintings." "One day, when it was pouring outside," "Kyousai supposedly found a ryokumouki drifting down a river." "But when he picked it up..." "It turned out to be a man's freshly severed head." "A normal person would have run away." "But Kyousai took home this freshly severed head, that was not a turtle, and apparently he was secretly rendering it in paintings." "In other instances, he appears when there are fights and fires, and paints those scenes." "Many have witnessed this." "An obsession." "He is always searching for subjects for his paintings." "And finally, he's grown to want to paint the innards of a person." "That can't be..." "The woman was neatly cut open from the waist up her back." "Just like the dissections that doctors who studied Western learning do." "One can only imagine he wanted to see her innards!" "So why is At..." "Ouma being held?" "While her identity is unclear, they think she may be his accomplice." "What the hell?" "I truly thought it was a turtle, but when I reached out," "I was shocked to find a freshly severed head." "And the hair became wrapped around my hand and wouldn't come undone." "Soon, I lost my footing in the deep current..." "I took it back and looked at it over and over again, but that was nowhere to be seen anymore." "Is that where you want to go?" "Why do you think that?" "Who knows?" "You just sort of have that look in your eyes." "A look that says you want to go..." "Somewhere that's not here, somewhere completely different." "Don't you go." "I don't know if that place is Heaven or Hell, but there are plenty of enjoyable things here too!" "It doesn't seem that way." "The women here have been bought with money, and are forced to entertain men." "This town is surrounded by the ditch, and you can't leave it freely." "But it's not as if the women have to entertain any man that comes by." "Become a Lady Courtesan and you can even choose the men you entertain." "You wear kimonos and ornamental hairpins that you could never get your hands on outside, and fill your stomach with expensive sake and food on your customer's tab." "To top it off, your term of service ends at 27." "Every woman can walk out of here with impunity when they turn 28." "There are poor farmer's daughters who collapse in the streets, and girls who live their entire lives as servants." "Compared to that, this is paradise." "Even you could live a life that's like a dream here." "It's so strange." "Listening to your words, somehow, it makes me want to believe you." "Is that right?" "How are they doing in there?" "Is something the matter with Ouma?" "Did something happ..." "Now, then, let us hear your side of the story." "With regards to the Office of the Barbarian Knowledge Enforcement, we have received confidential documents, but pardon me, you hardly look like retainers of the Shogun." "I swear, this is so bothersome!" "At any rate, Ouma is not involved in the killing of any courtesan!" "We're taking her back with us!" "Hold it!" "You had better be prepared to pay if you mean to defy the Enforcement!" "You want to fight up here on the cramped second floor?" "I am used to making arrests in cramped houses!" "Hey, how long are you going to make me wait?" "I promised I'd be back home early today, so..." "You..." "Why, you!" "Hey, kid!" "What are you doing there?" "!" "Hey." "You left yourself open!" "Master Ichino!" "Yet another courtesan has been killed..." "What in hell?" "!" "It's the same wound, but much larger." "A double suicide..." "Then, this man is the culprit behind the murdered courtesan..." "Good grief." "I can finally be cleared of these charges." "I mean, isn't that right?" "These two just died." "And at that time, I was a stone's throw away from you people." "Let him go." "Kiyohana..." "This woman, too." "That's strange." "Is something the matter?" "Both this woman and the courtesan named Masa, found dead this morning, had tattoos that have vanished." "Tattoos?" "The first row house courtesan found dead was Masa." "The woman just now was Shinonome, a room-holder." "Why these two?" "Neither of them are high-ranking summoned lady courtesans." "You can find their kind at any establishment..." "I only believe what I see with my own eyes." "Even a summoned, who costs two and a quarter ryo a night, can still be boring." "These two had an odd allure about them lately." "Allure?" "Something that seemed to well up from inside them, you know?" "So, when I saw them, I wanted to draw them." "A butterfly tattoo, huh?" "They were exactly the same tattoo, so I remember." "I had thought that a skilled tattoo artist must be coming here, but..." "But there was no trace of a tattoo on that woman's body." "They say that courtesans tattoo the names of men on their arms and then burn them with incense when they part ways." "Right, even though it leaves a terrible burn." "But there was none of that, either." "Then where did the butterfly tattoos go?" "Kiyohana!" "I will have a word with you today!" "How can you remain in a place like this?" "!" "An establishment that entertains any man for a mere 100 mon!" "If you want to speak to me, pay up 100 mon!" "Why do you not understand?" "Mado no soto no sora o mitara Outside my window, looking at the sky" "Kumo ga haato no katachi ni mieta yo The clouds looked like they were in the shape of a heart" "Iki o ookiku suikome ba If you take in a deep breath" "Kokoro ga ookiku natta ki ga suru ne It makes you feel like your heart's grown bigger, doesn't it?" "Ai to wa nanika?" "What is love?" "Nante kono toshi ja wakaru wake nai kedo There's no way I'd know that at my age" "Itsu no hi ka wakaru toki ga kuru no kana I wonder if there'll come a day when I do know" "Mado kara mieru ki no eda mo ha mo Outside my window, I can see tree branches and leaves" "Mainichi mainichi nobite-iru yo And they grow every day, day after day" "Kore kara mo nobite-iku yo ne They'll continue to grow from now on too, won't they?" "Konna toki ni wa konna uta ga niau At times like this, a song like this is just the thing" "Jibun no ima omou kimochi o kuchizusame Sing whatever you're feeling right now" "Aishite-iru to iu suteki ni hibiku kotoba ga The words "I love you" have such a wonderful ring to them" "Mirai ni iru jibun o kitto ima no nanbai mo ookiku Surely they'll make my future self many times greater" "Yasashiku sasete kureru no kamo shirenai Maybe many times kinder than I am today" "Preview" "Preview In time, chrysalises become butterflies." "In time, chrysalises become butterflies." "But not necessarily." "Some chrysalises never hatch, and some chrysalises become moths." "But they are all chrysalises." "A chrysalis that does not wish to become a butterfly bobs afloat in the mud." "Next Time Cha pter Fifteen Woma n of Rashomon Alley bobs afloat in the mud." "Next Time Chapter Fifteen Woman of Rashomon Alley" "Next Time Chapter Fifteen Woman of Rashomon Alley Chapter Fifteen:" "Woman of Rashomon Alley."