Human beings live
Human beings fall.
There is no convenient shortcut
to save human beings, except that.
(From "Discourse on Decadence" by Sakaguchi Ango)
The Meiji government was split over the path Japan should follow in the future,
and Saigou-san returned to Kagoshima.
Ah! I didn't know that samurai are not allowed to carry a sword anymore...
The reason for prohibiting swords, is because in the Meiji era, swords are no longer useful.
I've been making a living teaching swordsmanship.
I don't know what I should do from now on...
Thank you for the food.
Ah, it's Rie-dono. It was cold and delicious.
What? ! Hey! Hey! What are you doing? Thief! Ah~!
Ah~! Wait!
Return it back.
I'll turn you in to the police!
Wait! Not that...
What are you doing to my father? Get back, servant!
Ser... Servant! Kazuma...
Please forgive me... he hasn't eaten in days.
I can endure hunger. Kazuma.
Please forgive me. It is as you see it!
You used to be a samurai...?
That's enough.
Tomorrow, that could be me...
Huh? Huh? Huh?
SENTO TSUEMON
Alright. How about this?
Whoa! Are you sure you want to do that?
Eh? You're right.
When you say it like that...
No, this is fine.
It's just like the time we spent together in Satsuma.
When things get too hot you won't be able to see what's ahead. Hahahaha...
Damn! I overlooked that!
I thought it was just a matter of luck.
Hahahaha, to miss such a move.
Hahaha. How is it that you're the superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Department?
Damn it! Ha-ha-ha-ha...
The look of regret on your face is just like when you were a kid. Hahahahaha...
Hey, look at Chiyo too.
SENTO'S WIFE CHIYO
Dear, you are saying too much.
Oh, well, he and I are close.
Oh, don't worry about me, ma'am.
Here you go...
*Chabushi is a local delicacy from the southern part of the Satsuma Peninsula, mainly the area around Ibusuki City in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Oh, Chabushi! This is a nostalgic dish, isn't it?
The aroma of this bonito flakes and miso is indescribable
Ah~.
I've decided.
Hm? I'm going back to Satsuma.
What?
I'm going to Saigo-sensei
Wait. There's no point in stopping me.
I don't care if you're a successful merchant or if you've got a respectable government job,
but many of our fellow samurai are barely getting by
I can't overlook it.
That's why...
Chiyo said she'd follow me.
I'm ready to do the same.
I'm taking the wealth I've accumulated so far,
and I'll go to Saigo-san and the world...
Ugh! Hey, what's going on?
Dear? Ah...
Tsuemon!
Dear!
Tsuemon! Hey, Tsuemon! Dear!
Tsuemon! Dear! Hey, Tsuemon!
Dear...!
CASE 7 THE FINAL MOVE
This is... Poisoning.
Why did you bring him in?
This case involves the murder of the Grand Inspector's friend.
We have to solve it with the help of this most reliable guy.
You idiot. I'm right here, aren't I?
But Grand Inspector...
Whoa...!
I'm sorry.
Was your husband playing Go?
Yes, with Hayami-sama.
Tsuemon is a master at it.
So I used to visit him from time to time and have fun together.
We were just playing today...
He must have eaten something. (Smell)
He drank some Chabushi and suddenly started suffering.
What is Chabushi? It's a Satsuma dish.
It was my husband's favorite food.
That's why he drank it at least once a day.
So you're thinking it was poisoned.
Can you tell us more about what happened?
Yes... after I took a sip,
I was talking to Hayami-sama,
but she suddenly started suffering and
collapsed while pointing at someone...
Who is that person?
I will explain it to you.
Tsuemon was sitting here.
So he writhed around in agony...
and fell forward pointing his finger.
What was in that direction?
Me.
I'm sitting across from him.
What?
No way! You think.... Ah~
Calm down.
Hey! What the hell! It's fine.
(sobbing)
With Saigou's return to Kagoshima,
the disgruntled samurai are making disturbing moves.
If this continues, the fate of the new Meiji government will be in jeopardy.
Well, I guess so.
If Saigo makes a stand, we will be back to the war of Boshin.
So can you please do something to prevent that from happening?
Just like the time of the bloodless siege of Edo Castle.
Huh~.
If you leave it to me, I'll go talk to him.
But in that case,
only if you promise to listen to everything Saigo has to say.
What do you mean by everything?
First, Lord Okubo, you and all the other government officials must resign.
Stop spouting nonsense!
I can't accept your offer then.
Of all people, you'd dare to interrogate me now!
I'm sorry, but that's the way it's been decided...
Well, you're also the one who discovered the body,
and the only person who can point a finger at you is the Grand Inspector...
You idiot! I'm sorry, sir!
It's just a formality, please forgive me!
According to inquiries from the neighbors, Tsuemon had been hoarding his fortune in secret.
So is it possible that you were after the money?
You idiots! I apologize!
Retreat!
Hurry up and go! Ah!
You idiots!
That Chabushi was made by this maid here.
But... It wasn't me! I've prepared the same as always...
It's okay. I'm not doubting you or Chiyo-san.
Please show me the ingredients for the Chabushi.
Miso and bonito flakes... Yes.
(smelling sound)
I'll borrow these.
Hm? Oh... hey, hey, hey...
A poisonous fruit? Probably.
Can I borrow this? I'll have the police check it out.
And... besides Hayami-san,
did anyone else visit this house on the day of the incident?
Yes. On that day, people came and went from the morning...
Who was it?
Kanpachi, the master carpenter, and Tenki-sama, a samurai. Those two.
Kanpachi had a dispute with his master over the betting money in Go...
Betting such a large amount of money?
You thought you were going to win
and wipe out the debt you've been having anyway?
You wouldn't mind, would you?
I refuse.
That's why he came back that day...
And?
My husband turned him away without seeing him.
At that time, he was meeting with Tenki-sama.
Who is that person?
He was an old shogunate retainer who started
a forestry business around the same time as my husband.
But he failed in business and became penniless...
So he asked him for money too? Yes...
Will you lend me some money?
This is as you see it!
He felt sorry for him. They were both samurai in the past.
He thought he was just lucky to be successful.
But he stopped lending him money.
He was going to fold everything up and return to Satsuma.
(sound of trumpets blowing)
What is it? A witch doctor named Shirotari is praying
in the mountains behind our house.
Not on the day of the prayer, but the day before,
this man Shirotari also came to our house...
Does he come often?
Yes, he often comes and asks for prayer money...
But when he told him he was going back to Satsuma and wouldn't do it anymore...
Oh? O-Ishi-sama's curse is upon you!
What a bunch of money-grubbing bastards.
That guy looks suspicious too.
What are you doing here?
Oh, you've been released already? Of course!
I'll take this case myself!
I will avenge my best friend's death.
I heard that Tsuemon-san was planning to return to Satsuma with all his wealth.
What?
I told them everything...
Were you planning to go to Lord Saigo?
Yes...
I respected and admired Lord Saigo.
He said he learned Go from him...
That's what he was proud of.
Did that position in the game stay the same?
Yes, because it was my husband's last game.
Now, ma'am, will you show me the kitchen?
Move, move.
What is it? That murdered man was Kanpachi, the carpenter?
Yes, and he was killed by the other two named, Tenki and Shirotari.
What?
The police seized the both of them on the spot.
Hayami-dono, it seems is interrogating them immediately.
It's all a sign from the gods.
Did you kill Kanpachi because of the signs?
Maybe he was trying to keep it all to himself,
Tsuemon's fortune.
You guys killed Tsuemon too, didn't you?
You killed Tsuemon and tried to split the hidden wealth between the three of you.
The tenement house owner testified.
He said he and Kanpachi were arguing furiously.
Where are you going with such a thing?
At this time of night.
You must have noticed something, right? Tell me!
I told you, I don't know anything!
Now you want to keep it all to yourself, huh?
Shut up! What the hell are you doing?
Wait!
You traitor!
You killed him with this.
The samurai's soul is in this!
That is of no use to me now.
It's only good for killing filthy traitors.
Damn it!
That bastard. It was going so well.
All he had to do was tell me where it was hidden.
So, you admit to killing Tsuemon, right?
Yes!
That's what I thought!
Wow, it's as if you've seen it all along!
But the case is under Hayami-sama's supervision, isn't it?
That's right, but I know someone who can give me all the details...
Oh! Then! (whispering) Sh~! Idiot!
So you're saying Shirotari made poisonous medicine from poisonous plants in the mountains behind the house? Yeah.
Hehehehe...
When Tenki came, Kanpachi snuck in from the kitchen and put it in the miso jar.
Okay, I'll report this to Shinjuro-dono too.
But that's strange. What is it?
Then why did Tsuemon-san point his finger at Hayami at the last moment?
If it was those three servants, doesn't it mean something else to the one who pointed?
You're starting to realize something too, aren't you?
The riddle may start here.
Something strange.
He must have wanted to tell us where he hid his fortune.
Over there! Search everywhere! Yes!
You two, look inside. The rest of you, search the yard! Yes!
Search in every nook and cranny! Search everywhere! Yes!
There's nothing here...! Hey, Grand Inspector? Over here.
It's not here either!
Damn it~ Where the hell is it? Search, search! Yes!
If it's not here after all this searching, then it must not be in this house anymore, right?
Looks like it.
Is Katsu here? Come out!
My master is not here!
Please leave!
Do you want to be beaten to death too? No!
I'm Katsu's wife.
Unfortunately, my husband is not home.
What can I do for you?
What?
I will hear your message on his behalf
If you think that's not enough, then,
you may cut me down.
I'll come back. Tell him! We'll be back.
Go!
Ah~!
I was so scared... Huh~.
(breathing heavily)
It's a good thing you were a woman.
What are you talking about? ! What's going to happen now? !
I'll protect you with my own body in that case.
You're always gone when it matters most...!
Now, I think I'll go do some sword practice. My body's been getting really dull lately.
So this is stew?
Delicious!
Thank you very much.
It's called stew.
It's a big hit. Delicious? Everyone says so.
Here. I don't want it.
Please, try it. You don't have to pay for it.
Is it good? Yes! Thanks, Sis!
I'm thinking of setting up an aid shelter here for children who have nowhere else to go.
An aid shelter? A place where hungry children can eat in peace, without worrying about money.
Fulfilling the "Duties of the Wealthy".
Oh... it's not that praiseworthy...
I've seen a number of incidents that occurred in this Meiji era.
I've come to think that I want to do something about this world.
It's all because I met you, Shinjuro-san.
As a woman, it may seem trivial to talk about such things.
But I will say it.
I am...
Eh...
You don't have to worry about it.
Shinjuro-san has been thinking about Rie-san very much.
But before that, there's something you have to do.
Go back to your hometown? Yes.
I don't care about hidden wealth.
Right now, I just want to pray for my husband's soul in peace.
He was a kind husband...
Even when our business was not going well and we were living on the edge of subsistence,
he always said with his Satsuma dialect,
"Don't worry about anything, everything's going to be fine".
and laugh heartily
But... there is only one thing I regret...
which is...
My husband wanted to help Saigou-sama.
The only thing I regret is that he was unable to fulfill that wish.
I'm sure it must have been very disappointing...
(sobbing)
(door opens and closes)
Thank you very much. You've been a great help.
I'm glad I could be of help. - Thank you.
I never thought I'd see this move.
Do you play Go? A little.
Do you know what this move is called?
Eh?
In this case, the murderer of Tsuemon-san has already been caught.
But there's still one question.
That is the hiding place of Tsuemon-san's wealth.
The clue is that he was pointing in a certain direction at the time of his death.
dying message.
It looked as if he was pointing at Grand Inspector Hayami, who was sitting across from him.
But it wasn't. Then what was it?
It's this.
A Go board?
To be exact, it's a particular move on the Go board.
Inspector Hayami, do you remember the game on the day of the incident?
No, not really...
Let's go back to the game. Go is a game of fighting for territory.
You can take your opponent's stones by surrounding them, and the more stones you take, the more your opponent's position is reduced.
In other words, these five white stones that black took were originally on the board.
Then, where were they?
According to a good Go player, they should have been lined up like this.
I see.
Now, black moves to get the five white stones.
Why doesn't White just put them here and get out of the way?
It's like he made him take them on purpose...
The first step is to bait the opponent with an abandoned stone,
and when the enemy is attracted to the bait, it is time to finish the game.
Black places the stone here and takes the five white stones.
White plays on the empty space.
Then black has no more moves to make, and the situation reverses at once.
The name of this technique is... "Below the Stone".
At the time of his death, Tsuemon was unable to speak due to the pain in his burning throat,
but he had something he really wanted to say.
And that was... he suddenly pointed to a line on the Go board that said,
"Below the Stone"
Because that's where Tsuemon-san's hidden fortune is.
Kanpachi, one of the criminals who played Go, noticed it.
Perhaps he saw the Go board that was left untouched on the day of the incident
when he snuck in after Tsuemon's murder to look for clues to the hidden place.
So he tried to keep it all to himself and was killed by his friends.
Then the hidden wealth...?
Is there a stone nearby that stands out?
Ah, it's in the back hills.
The big stone where Shirotari worshipped.
It's this way.
Ah...
What's going on?
There's nothing inside. Someone must've taken it and run away.
I'm going back to Satsuma. I'm going to Saigo-sensei
I'll take care of it.
It was Hayami-sama?
He's the one who made the move in the first place.
He realized... what it meant.
Below the stone...
If that's the case, then it means the Grand Inspector stole it.
There's no proof, it's just a theory that the property was in that place,
and Chiyo-san won't press charges.
If only someone would do for him what her late husband was trying to do at all costs.
Hey! No way. I knew this would happen...
That "Below the Stone" message was meant for Hayami-san.
He wanted him to accomplish his own ambition.
Then, Hayami-dono is planning to work with Saigo-san?
Oh no!
There's been another rebellion by the samurai families in western Japan.
What? Again? I was the first to receive word by telegraph.
I have to hurry up and write.
The Shinpuren Rebellion in Kumamoto, the Akizuki Rebellion in Fukuoka, and now Yamaguchi.
Oh, my God! It's happening again!
It's the rebellion of the disgruntled samurai again!
<The disgruntled samurai, who had been treated coldly by the Meiji government,
finally exploded in frustration and started a series of rebellions in various places.>
They must have been preparing for this all along
So, where are these samurai headed?
Satsuma, where Saigo is.
Sensei! I'm a samurai myself. I know how you feel!
The samurai lost their status and in the end their swords were taken away
and everything was stripped away by the government!
It's all for the sake of creating a new world.
But that doesn't excuse the current government's overly cruel methods!
Not only those who caused the rebellion,
but even those who were even remotely involved in it will be executed...!
It's as if they're saying that all samurai should die!
Even now, I do not know what is the right thing to do.
If that happens, the Western powers will be watching this country with an eagle eye,
and they will surely come to take control of it. Okubo is desperately trying to do something,
but if this riot goes on any longer, it may be impossible.
Then what should we do?
It's up to Saigo. - Hmph! Ah!
What's the matter, Shinjuro?
I'm asking for your help.
The one who ended the Tokugawa era and created the foundation of the Meiji era...
was Saigo...
It was you!
We wanted to create a new country.
where everyone could be free and happy regardless of their status.
And this is it?
We can't let that new world be destroyed!
There are many who have died as its victims,
and many more who have lost their pride!
Why do nothing!? Why are you sitting on your hands!?
Ahh!
It's not like I know everything either.
I never thought that the times would move this fast...
I'm not sure what to do.
But there are too many people who don't understand that!
Now that you have come back from America, you should have a better idea of where Japan should go from here!
Aa~! Ugh!
Can't you do something about it? Sensei!
I'm not sure I can convince Saigo this time.
I can't move even if I wanted to.
I'm going to Kagoshima.
I'm going to see Saigo!
FINAL CASE THE WILL OF THE RESTORATION
Respect the heavens, love people... Something strange.
What? Checkmate.
This man wants to kill you, sensei!
He's a secret government agent!