Six Crimson Cranes

Shiori spends five days in a dungeon at Castle Bushian before Lady Bushian moves her to another room to interrogate her. On the way, they run into Megari, Takkan’s 10-year-old sister, who is extremely excited to meet Shiori and suggests to her mother that they have lunch together. In the guardhouse, a young woman named Zairena greets the group; as part of Shiori’s interrogation, Zairena does not recognize Shiori as one of the assassins who killed her parents, friends of the Bushians.

Lady Bushian explains that two weeks ago, Takkan left for a hunting trip and did not return. Through miming, Shiori tries to convey that Takkan gave her the emblem more than a month ago in exchange for food. Lady Bushian allows Shiori to stay at the castle to help in the kitchen until winter passes, but Zairena worries that Shiori is possessed. Shiori reclaims her satchel, with the starstroke inside. Zairena brings Shiori to an inhospitable storehouse to sleep, rather than the servants’ quarters as Lady Bushian promised. Despite the terrible conditions, Shiori makes peace with her new home because the privacy will allow her to work on the starstroke net.