Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 371: Arc 5, - 65: The Days Ahead

’That night—what a night for all of us. It’d change the course of history in Burnetrout; or am I just being overdramatic?

The documents Fumeko got out of our dangerous escapade, paired with Alicia’s concrete evidence, was enough to notify—not publicly—all the authorities involved. That includes the police, the GAS and the Grand Alderman herself.

What exactly did Meko get? Multiple land rights owned under various pseudonyms of presumably cultists. Building ownership, permissions for entry, licences from contractors—basically a list of their secret bases of operations in Dolpool.

She also got a short list of IDs, places of work and social connections of potential next victims within the cult. Apparently they’re the low-ranking ones.

Even so, there’s a full-fledged investigation that’s opened up to find the potential victims, in hopes for literally any information. Also, a lotta of the victims’ homes they did track down within the multiple hours, were abandoned recently.

We learned this all the following evening, when Kazuo finally returned home, looking like he was running on nothing but coffee for the past who knows how many hours.’

The rain had not let up and thunder still roared outside every so often—not a storm, but a light drizzle.

With nightfall sometime soon, Kazuo had changed into a fresh pair of clothes and he had poured several documents onto the dining table in no particular order.

Hotaru walked up and set a hot cup of coffee next to him, shuffling the mess of papers aside.

Kazuo finally looked up and thanked the redhead with a nod before his fingers wrapped around the cup for the warmth. He seemed tired, yet dark circles had not taken root under his eyes yet and nor did he let his posture falter.

"Do you need help sorting through all this?" the wolf-girl surveyed, trying to glean the words.

"It’s fine, I can handle it," his other hand moved and lifted some of the papers to examine. "You girls did enough as it is."

"It’s not like we’re doing this for pay or glory. Although, with the case becoming what it is, I don’t suppose that’s off the table anymore as it was."

"It definitely could be true. Still, going against the Deuctus Cult head-on was always an option, but never a good one. We’ve always had to deal with them through tactics, manipulation, entrapment.

So you can understand why we were and are still hesitant with letting any of you march up and bring the fight to them—it’s suicide for most," he spoke as he continued his work.

"Then what did the police do when the cult first emerged?"

"When the cult first really came into the light, was when the fires broke out. The police had a lot more to deal with on top of the cult. Regardless, the police who did go head-on, became the examples for our excuses.

They were spread thin; which I’m sure will happen in the days to come. It’s a rare sight to see an event that breaks a society. But when that happens, a lot more people are willing to do things they wouldn’t or couldn’t do before—terrible things.

Which is why," he sighed. "Authorities want to keep this secret so badly. Rapidly increasing crime rates are just as bad as any sort of cult activity."

"How so?" Hotaru’s ears bristled. "I’d say one’s clearly more terrible."

Kazuo put the papers down. "It’s the little tragedies that break us. A city in flames will one day rebuild its monuments, but it really doesn’t take much to break a person and cause them to do the most atrocious things."

She gave a moment’s silence in reply; and she gave a smile in return, "That’s a bit too bleak, isn’t it?"

"Maybe I’m just a little tired," he massaged the bridge of his nose and slowly got up.

"Or need to relax every now and again," Hotaru peered over to the sofas.

There was a blonde, who lazed like a cat in the Sun across the single sofa, with her legs, arms and head draped across the armrests—her eyes closed.

Beside her, stood Asobi who was behind Kineko. Kineko watched the blonde’s face before she poked the side of Jotou’s cheek with a stick.

"Mngh..." Jotou’s brows knitted as her face got poked.

"It’s not nice to poke someone with a stick kid; where did you even get that?"

"I found it at the park with Aunty Pointy-Eays," she raised the random stick she found.

Asobi raised her wand in unison, "It’s Kineko’s magic wand!"

"That’s nice kid, but don’t pick up random things you see at the park," Kazuo made his way to the stairs.

"Magic stick, tuen Aunty Spauky-Eyes into a small dwragon!" Kineko casted. She then poked Jotou in the face once more. Kineko pouted. "Aww... She’s dead."

"No Kineko, she came back from the dead," the elf corrected.

"Huh?" the child turned, wide-eyed.

"Sobi..." Hotaru leered from the dining table.

"Yeah, your magic made her come back from the dead and turned her into a dragon, see?" Asobi pointed to the blonde.

...

"Roar..."

Kineko gasped.

Meanwhile, Kazuo sauntered up the steps. As his hand reached for his room door, he turned, "Hey kiddo."

"Hi dad..." Fumeko lifted her head up as she came down from the third floor. "Going to sleep?"

"No, just need to look through some old things. If I pass out, I pass out," he shrugged one shoulder. "Just get Kineko dinner and get her to bed."

"Sure," Fumeko looked to the wall. "Hey dad, I wanted to ask... What comes next? What do I do from here? I hoped I’d make it this far, but..."

"Well..."

"Do I get to become an official detective?" she quickly interrupted and glanced to him.

He gave a dry chuckle, "That’s... not quite how it works kid."

"Then how did you get it," she squinted.

"It’s much easier to weasel your way into any position anywhere when mass chaos is happening all around said anywhere and they need all the help they can get."

"So you cheated."

Kazuo sighed, "Sure kid." He took a moment to look—really look. At how far his daughter had come... He still marvelled at it.

She still seemed so little, but her eyes gave away how much she had grown in the little time he did not see her. His stare continued and paused at the purple headband. "Just hang in there kid. I’m sure you’ll be a detective soon enough."

"Like I’m not already."

He laughed to himself as he saw her scowl. "Tiffany?"

"She went back home."

Kazuo gave a nod, "Well, she’s welcome to stay here anytime."

"Really?" Fumeko furrowed her brows. "Isn’t it already a bit crowded in here?"

"A visit once in a while isn’t gonna topple the roof," he took a gander at the ceiling as he said. "Besides... I don’t mind the noise. It’s a nice change."

"Hm," Fumeko made a noise just to respond. She briefly glanced to the ceiling before looking back to her father, "So about the case—from here on out, are we helping you or not?"

"That. Didn’t say it earlier, but one of the men we chased down near Cape Iris slit his throat and jumped into the sea. Needless to say, things are gonna get more vile from now on."

"I think I’ve seen worse," as morbid as it was to admit.

"Have you now."

"I-I was more so... Are you... okay with me- us, staying here? I know you said you don’t mind the noise, but we have money and, can find a place to stay just fine," her gaze veered away.

To that, he simply shut his eyes and chuckled.

Fumeko glared, "What’s so funny?"

"Nothing kid," he looked to her once more. "Your hair’s getting a bit wild, isn’t it?"

"I- Yeah," Fumeko held her twin-tails forward. "I tried cutting my bangs a little once and that’s about it. I only actually got it cut once, after leaving; I didn’t want to cut it too much though. I didn’t cut it for a while, cause, you always cut my hair..."

...

She practically hid behind her locks of hair.

Kazuo’s lips pressed together, "Do you want me to cut your hair kid?"

"Yes... please. It’s getting annoying," she replied, looking away.

_

Within a few moments, there lied a makeshift tarp on the bathroom floor, a chair in front of the sink and mirror, and Fumeko in some shabby old coat over her entire form.

Kazuo held a pair of scissors and stood behind her, realizing what a bird’s nest his daughter’s head had become. Her unfurled hair could easily go past her knees.

He snipped the scissors a few times, "Well, I always cut till your waist, but how long do you want it?"

Fumeko looked at herself in the mirror... She tilted her head to the left and pouted in thought. "How about short? Something like Alicia’s?"

The scissors snipped close a little more forcefully.

"Dad?"

"Just a reflex," he eased his grip on the scissors. He breathed and glanced at her through the mirror, "Something short like Alicia’s... I’ll try my best kid."

He measured his fingers through the side of her hair, against the back of her neck. "Headband."

Fumeko’s eyes went up and she traced a hand over the hard plastic. She took it off, careful not to tangle her hair in the teeth of it. She held it tightly in her right hand while Kazuo pushed down any stuck hair.

He picked up a comb and lined it up, like he had done many times before. With steady hands and a reasonable judgement—"Snip!"

Seeing a couple of long strands of hair flying down to the floor, Fumeko’s face scrunched... hoping that was not a mistake.

He pushed the comb through each tangle, making Fumeko wince at each one before he cut it off. "I’m surprised that headband’s survived everything it’s been through."

"It’s surprisingly sturdy plastic."

"It’s definitely lucky. The stories it could tell," he sighed.

"You told me it was my mother’s... But you never actually told me how you got it," her thumb traced over it.

Kazuo slowly brushed her hair back, keeping hair meant to be at the front, away from his scissors. The focus in his eyes mellowed, "I made a promise to your mother—in the fire.

I don’t know what all happened before that house came crashing down, but she was protecting you as much as she could with her body.

A beam had fallen over her and you were in her arms, crying faintly while she was weak from all the smoke and burns. She was on the ground and I couldn’t lift the beam out or pull her out without harming her, but she was already on the brink...

She raised her arms to me with you in her hands, with that plastic headband hanging off of her thumb and asked me to take care of her baby with her final breath in tears.

I had little time to think with all the fires around and took you out of there as fast as I could. I wasn’t sure whether or not you were gonna make it; some of your clothing was burnt, but were noticeably put out—it didn’t stop it from scarring you though.

Till you were healthy, I kept an eye on you; and did so after that too. Eventually, I decided to take you in and I wanted to protect you."

Fumeko eyed the sink instead of replying.

"Listen, kid; I really am sorry—for everything."

Fumeko shifted her shoulders a little; her head felt heavier on one side in contrast to the other. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"I wanted to protect you from the world so badly, when I should’ve been preparing you for it. It just didn’t feel safe outside with everything that happened and I realize that’s hardly a good excuse for the years I kept you here."

"You don’t have to worry about me so much dad... I can take care of myself—I’m not a baby anymore," she spoke bluntly.

Kazuo’s brows lowered, "Kiddo, I’ll always worry about you; I wouldn’t be your dad if I didn’t."

Fumeko looked down...

"But just because I worry about you, doesn’t mean I don’t believe in you."

Her head tilted back up a smidgen.

"I’ll always believe in you, even if I doubt it myself—just know that; that’s the truth. You can stay here as long as you want kiddo, the world’ll be yours soon enough," he gave a bittersweet smile.

She... could not help it. The smile fluttered onto her lips as her face reddened. "Dad..."

Kazuo paused for a moment and flapped the scissors. "Yeah kid?"

"...Thanks—for everything."

Kazuo closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, then continued cutting her hair.

...

...

"Don’t thank me till you see the back of your head kid."

_

She came down the steps with her hand on the railing; she glanced at everyone downstairs as one after the other they looked up.

In her usual pinafore and shirt, Fumeko stood. However, all their gazes immediately went up to her face, for her hair had been cut into a blunt bob, ending around the middle of her neck.

It varied smoothly in length from front to back and her feathery bangs framed her face perfectly. Her purple headband sat neatly in the dark browns of her now less ruffled strands that seemed to bounce a little as she moved.

Her somewhat uncertain eyes turned confident instantly and she flaunted the back of her hair with a flourish of her fingers, "How do I look?"