The New Shogun

"D-did I win?" Kuro said.

*Smack*

Sato suddenly kicked over the podium enraged.

"Are you *Bleep* kidding me!? I knew I shouldn't have chosen that idiot girl!"

A couple guards quickly retrained her before she did anything else too unhinged. Erika let out a yawn as she began to regain consciousness.

"What happened? Is the show over?"

Sato snapped at her.

"You moron, do you honestly still believe that this is all an act? You were never an actress."

Erika had a confused look on her face.

"But Shiina, what about all those people in the palace, or those scenarios I acted out? I thought you said it was all being broadcasted using magic to our audience."

Sato struggled as she tried to break free from the guards' hold. She continued ranting.

"You really are stupid, aren't you. Of course it wasn't. This was all part of my plan. Shogun Takashi was never going to let me have the opportunity to take over for him when he retired. When he tasked me with finding a replacement, I had to find someone I could easily manipulate into screwing up our country with dumb rules and regulations. Then when riots broke out, I'd swoop in and take the Shogun position for myself. Of course though, that *Bleep* over there had to *Bleep* everything up."

Kuro chimed in,

"So I guess this means I'm Shogun now. Thanks for that public confession Sato-san. I know how much you love the dungeon. Now you're going to be able to stay there 24/7... You guys can take her away."

The guardsmen holding her began dragging her off. As they did, she held up both her middle fingers as she shouted various expletives at Kuro and Erika.

Erika looked as if she suddenly came to a realization.

"Wait a second... So I was actually the real shotgun this whole time!?"

"I wouldn't feel bad about being tricked, Erika-san. It could have happened to anyone...probably" Kuro responded.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Erika asked.

Red, who crawled back onto Kuro's shoulder, muttered something in his ear. Kuro thought for a moment. He stepped forward and looked out at the crowd. He took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Hello everyone, I guess I'm the Shogun now. I look forward to leading our great nation. Despite being as young as I am, I promise I will work my hardest on behalf of every citizen... My first order of business will be pardoning my three friends who were wrongly prosecuted under the last regime. Next, I will repeal any new laws and tax changes that were made in the last week and change the city's name back to Unko. Our country's flag will also be changed back as well."

Some voices erupted from the crowd.

"The new flag isn't really all that bad."

Ryo turned to me.

"You know it's really not that bad. If you squint your eyes and tilt your head it looks kind of nice."

For some reason it seemed like Erika's unintentionally phallic flag had grown on the citizens.

"Alright... I guess we can keep the flag then." Kuro said.

Everyone in the crowd erupted into applause... Everyone except for Cal. Who was currently being given medical attention from his beating from the guards.

"Ehhhhh." He moaned.

"Looks like one of your legs and a few ribs are broken." The doctor treating him said.

"Could I at least get a hot female doctor to treat me?"

The doctor ignored him. Shortly after Kuro's speech, I met up with him and Erika. Erika looked at me with a guilty look.

"Is there something you want to say?" I said.

"I'm sorry I threw you in the trash, then became the dictator of a country, then threw you in the trash again, and then almost sent you to do forced labor in a sulfur mine... Is it alright if we go back to how things were before?"

I signed,

"Considering I'm bound to you for a lifetime, it's not like I really have a choice."

*Squeak*

"I'm glad the gangs finally all back together." Cal rolled up in his wheelchair, his leg was in a cast and his face was swollen and bruised.

Erika huffed.

"Cal... I'm almost sorry you got severely beaten by the guards, but I think this makes up for about half the times you've tried crawling through Brandy and my window while you were drunk in the middle of the night."

Cal smiled.

"I know you just like playing hard to get. Apology accepted, Erika... You know this is our second real adventure together, Arno. I guess I'm part of your party after all."

Erika and I looked at each other then spoke simultaneously.

"No."

"Ha, you guys are funny. I say we all go get a drink now that prohibition has been lifted."

He began wheeling his way toward the nearest tavern. None of us followed. He still wasn't getting the hint that neither me nor Erika really cared for him all that much.

Red, who was standing beside Kuro, laughed.

"Things are about to get entertaining now that Kuro's the Shogun. Thanks to you, I'm a few steps ahead with my plans."

"So long as your plans don't interfere with mine in the future, I really don't care what you do." I responded.

"I'm sure this won't be the last time our paths cross, Skeleton man. Put it there."

He held out his hand. I took hold and shook it.

"Um, Mr. Arno, why are you shaking hands with the air and who are you talking to?" Erika chimed in.

"Don't worry about it. That's not important, girl."

Next Kuro spoke,

"I really do appreciate all your help, Arno. Thanks to you, I was able to save the East Kingdom from Sato's tyranny... This isn't much, but please take this as a token of my appreciation."

He handed me a slip of paper. I inspected it for a moment.

Shogun Coupon

This coupon is good for one free favor from Shogun Hako Kuro.

*Note: this coupon has no monetary value and cannot be transferred to another owner.

"I'll be sure to put this in a safe spot when I get home." I said.

I wasn't really sure what was with high profile individuals on this continent giving away favor coupons, but I couldn't complain. I now had two prominent figures that owed me favors. I had no doubt I'd have use for these when I finally executed my plan to take over all of Circino.

Erika and I bid him farewell and returned to the inn in order to get our things so we could depart the next morning.

✨✨✨

*Bump*

I pushed Cal's wheelchair up a ramp into the carriage that would take us back to the West Kingdom.

"I-I can't w-wait to g-get home s-so Brandy can nur-nurse me back to h-health." Cal spoke, sounding like he had a bit too much to drink the night before.

Something told me Brandy wasn't going to give him any sort of sympathy, even in his injured state.

As Erika and I got into the carriage, I noticed her holding something in her arms.

"What are you doing with that?" I asked.

"You didn't forget our deal did you, Mr. Arno? You said if I got that spell down I could have a bonsy tree. Not only did I get it down, I also ran a country for a week, so I think I've earned this tree."

"Where did you get it from?" I asked.

"I took it from the palace. Shiina said something about it being one thousand years old and the oldest bonsy tree ever... I'm not really sure what all that means, but I'm naming my new pet tree, timberthy."

As much as I probably should have gotten on her about stealing a prized artifact from a foreign country's capital, I really didn't care that much. All that mattered was she made progress in her sorcery training and I was another step closer to regaining my full power. If a bonsai tree, that she would probably kill in a week, was what motivated her, then whatever.

This was the second time her wandering off on her own has caused us trouble. I would just have to make sure I kept her on an even shorter leash in the future.

*Clip* *Clop*

The mule pulling our cart started forward back towards the West Kingdom. We'd probably be home in Stercusville in the next day or two.