Chapter 10.1: Gaikoku hito

Li-Jua and Miller stepped into the tavern of Soranoe, expecting the same raucous atmosphere they had witnessed in the village streets, after all, with so many bustling market stalls and hard-working fishermen, surely this place would be full of life.

But the moment they crossed the threshold, they stopped dead in their tracks.

The tavern was eerily quiet.

Instead of a lively crowd, only three men sat at a dimly lit table in the back, hunched over their drinks in silence. At the bar, a single old man nursed a small glass of liquor, while a middle-aged bartender stood behind the counter, polishing a worn-out mug with half-hearted effort. The heavy scent of wood smoke and cheap ale hung in the air, but there was no chatter, no laughter, no music, only the distant sound of waves crashing against the docks outside.

Miller frowned, perplexed.

"What the hell is this?" he muttered. "This place is the exact opposite of Kita. Are you sure this is even part of the Sanmyaku?"

Li-Jua, equally disappointed, crossed her arms.

"I was expecting at least a bit of liveliness," she admitted.

Still, her mood bounced back quickly, and she shrugged with a smirk.

"Well, no one's stopping us from drinking the strongest thing they’ve got, right?"

Miller grinned.

"Now you’re talking!" he exclaimed. "If these boring villagers don’t know how to have fun, then we’ll just have to show them how it's done!"

And with that, they strode confidently to the bar and took their seats.

"Oi, boss!" Li-Jua called out, slamming her palm on the counter. "Two of your strongest drinks!"

The bartender barely reacted.

He didn't even bother to look them in the eye, simply grumbled under his breath as he continued wiping his mug.

"Outsiders..."

Despite his apparent displeasure, he moved with practiced efficiency, setting down two large wooden tankards in front of them. The amber liquid inside foamed at the top, the scent strong enough to make their noses tingle.

Li-Jua and Miller’s eyes lit up with excitement.

They grabbed their drinks immediately, clinked their mugs together in a wordless toast, and took a deep, long swig.

The alcohol burned its way down, leaving behind a strong, fiery warmth in their chests.

Before either of them could say anything, an older voice cut through the silence.

"Quiet down, children."

The words came from the old man at the bar, his tone low and firm. He didn’t even glance at them as he swirled the last drops of clear liquor in his small cup.

"This town doesn’t like strangers," he continued. "And we like loud strangers even less."

Miller, being Miller, was instantly offended.

"What the hell did you just say, old man?!" he snapped.

Before he could escalate things further, Li-Jua grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face against the wooden counter with a loud THUD.

"Ignore him, sir," she said politely, keeping Miller’s head pinned down with one hand. "He's just a dumb traveler with no manners. I sincerely apologize for the disturbance."

She released Miller, who groaned in pain but didn’t fight back.

Adjusting herself in her seat, she turned back to the old man and continued.

"Actually, we were hoping to ask you something."

The man didn’t respond, but she pressed on.

"We’re looking for someone and thought you might know a thing or two. Who’s in charge around here? We need to speak with someone who truly knows the people of this town."

At first, the old man said nothing, simply continuing to drink in deliberate silence.

It was only when he turned his head slightly that Li-Jua finally noticed something.

For the entire conversation, he had kept both eyes closed. But now, as he looked at her, only one eye opened, the other remained shut, revealing a jagged, cross-shaped scar running down the length of his right eyelid. It wasn’t just a wound, his eye was completely gone.

That wasn’t the only thing she noticed.

The sleeve of his left arm hung limply at his side, and now that she was paying attention, it was obvious, there was nothing inside. Either he had lost the entire limb or a significant part of it.

Despite his age, which Li-Jua guessed was well past eighty or even ninety, the man was physically imposing. His shoulders were broad, his posture firm, and his frame massive, like a warrior who had once been unstoppable in battle.

His hair, though short and silver, carried the weight of experience, and his remaining eye was a deep, unyielding onyx black, a gaze so piercing it could send chills down the spine of even the bravest soldiers.

Finally, he downed the rest of his drink, set the cup on the counter, and stood up.

"I have nothing to say to two kids like you," he muttered.

"Get out of this town."

And without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out of the tavern, leaving behind an unsettling silence.

The old man had been right.

Li-Jua sighed, realizing that she and Miller had been too loud, too out of place. If they truly wanted information, they would need to blend in, to adapt to the quiet, reserved nature of this fishing town.

Before she could say anything, a voice called out from across the tavern.

"Hey, you two!"

Li-Jua and Miller turned their heads toward the back corner, where the three fishermen sat. One of them, a burly man with a weathered face and a half-empty mug in hand, gestured for them to come over.

"Don’t mind old Kataude," he said with a chuckle. “Old Kataude is a grumpy old man," the fisherman continued. "He's been here for about ten years now, already the oldest in the village. He's a retired fisherman who, they say, had the misfortune of falling prey to a sea monster while fishing one day in the open ocean. He’s not a bad person, but he has a short temper when it comes to strangers."

Li-Jua and Miller exchanged glances, they both understood the opportunity. Without hesitation, they grabbed their drinks and made their way to the back table, pulling up a couple of rough wooden stools to join the men.

As they settled in, Li-Jua offered a slight bow.

"Apologies for the disturbance," she said. "We’re travelers, and it’s been weeks since we’ve had a good drink. We didn’t mean to be disrespectful."

Miller, in a rare moment of social awareness, gave a nod in agreement.

"No problem at all," said the fisherman who had called them over.

Now that Li-Jua was up close, she could tell these men were true seafarers.

They wore lightweight tunics with blue, semi-waterproof cloaks, common attire for coastal workers in the region. Their boots were mud-streaked, likely from trekking back and forth between the boats and the shore, and their arms were thick, the kind of built strength that came from pulling heavy nets and battling the sea every day.

The second fisherman, a younger man with a thick beard, took a sip of his drink and leaned forward.

"You know, the tavern is usually more lively," he admitted.

Li-Jua arched an eyebrow.

"Really? It seemed... quiet for a place like this."

The third fisherman, an older but sturdy man with salt-and-pepper hair, let out a deep chuckle.

"That’s because we’ve been working non-stop for the past three weeks," he explained. "We’ve been preparing."

Miller tilted his head.

"Preparing for what?"

The bearded fisherman grinned.

"Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Grand Festival of Soranoe."

Li-Jua's curiosity piqued.

"A festival?"

"That’s right," the first man confirmed. "Perhaps you've already seen it, but our markets have been unusually crowded these past few days. People from the borderlands and distant islands gather here to make offerings to the guardian sea gods, those who protect the coastal villages and islands."

Miller scratched the back of his head.

"So it’s a religious thing?"

The older fisherman nodded.

"Yes. Tomorrow is the Great Offering, a sacred ceremony that marks the beginning of the festival. It’s a long-standing tradition, one of the biggest events in this part of the empire. And this year, the one leading the ceremony is none other than the Emperor’s Fifth Leaf..."

He took a sip of his drink, then looked directly at them.

"Aricia the Saint."

Li-Jua recognized the name immediately.

Aricia, the fifth-born daughter of Emperor Mugen, was once considered one of the strongest candidates for the throne, before the emperor fathered Crown Prince Akio.

Her deep connection to Ordo Arcanis, the Church of the Elemental Gods, had propelled her into the hearts of the people, making her one of the most beloved princesses of the empire. Unlike the other heirs, whose power stemmed from their military, economic, or diplomatic strength, Aricia wielded spiritual authority. To the devout, she was not just royalty, she was a living symbol of divine will.

This religious influence had come from her mother, Lady Suzuno, one of the emperor’s principal concubines and the Duchess of Alta-Rium. This duchy, located in the western region of the empire, was among the most powerful and influential territories in all of Mugen. Through her mother’s noble bloodline, Aricia had secured her position as a favored child of the empire, at least until the birth of the prince.

But all of this meant something even more significant, something that made Li-Jua glance at Miller, who also seemed to have realized it.

Aricia was Ishi’s cousin. Or rather, more accurately, she was teh cousin of the future Akio’s prince bride Li-Rei.

Li-Jua took a sip from her drink and cleared her throat, masking her intrigue.

"And what exactly do these festivities entail?" she asked, feigning casual curiosity.

The first fisherman waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, it’s nothing extravagant, really," he said. "But it’s the closest thing we have to a celebration. It keeps things lively, and with all the travelers coming in, the town sees a lot more trade."

The second fisherman nodded, adding, "The Ordo Arcanis acolytes also use the ceremony to inspect the seals in the sea cave, to make sure they remain strong."

At the mention of seals, Miller, who had been half-listening, suddenly perked up.

"Seals?" he repeated, his interest piqued.

The older fisherman, the one with salt-and-pepper hair, leaned in slightly.

"Aye, that’s right," he said, lowering his voice slightly. "Since you’re not from around here, it might sound strange, but just as the imperial highlands have ancestral dragons, those wild, indomitable creatures that act as the natural regulators of the world, like Doku Ryū, the Venomous Dragon, we have our own beast."

Miller narrowed his eyes.

"Not a dragon, then?"

The fisherman shook his head.

"No. A sea creature."

Li-Jua and Miller exchanged glances.

The fisherman took a long sip of his drink, then set it down with a heavy thud.

"The Great Nippurufisshu. An ancient beast," the fisherman continued, voice low. "One that once devoured everything along these shores, man, fish, and even entire boats. A monster from a time long before our ancestors settled here."

Li-Jua's fingers tightened slightly around her mug.

"And these seals?" she pressed.

The fisherman sighed, rubbing a hand over his weathered face.

"The Saint placed them."

Li-Jua's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Herself?"

The fisherman nodded.

"Aye. It happened when she was still a child. That was when her divine powers first manifested. The beast had resurfaced after a long slumber, causing chaos along the coast. But Aricia, with her blessings from the gods, sealed it away in the depths of a cavern beneath the cliffs."

Miller let out a low whistle.

"So that’s why she’s here, huh? To make sure the thing stays locked up."

The fisherman shrugged.

"That’s the story, at least. The festival’s been held ever since. Every year, the acolytes check the seals, and the people make offerings to keep the sea gods appeased."

Li-Jua leaned back in her chair, her mind racing.

There was no such thing as a "holy power."

Not in the way these villagers seemed to believe.

A child, untrained, untested, manifesting divine magic so powerful that she could single-handedly seal away an ancient beast? It made no sense. Even if Aricia had been born with an immense gift, no one could wield that kind of magic without guidance, study, and refinement.

And yet, the villagers spoke of it as though it were divine will, as though the gods themselves had placed their mark upon Aricia, granting her a power beyond comprehension.

Li-Jua wasn’t buying it.

She had seen true power, real, untamed, unstoppable power, and she knew firsthand what it took to even come close to controlling it.

She and Ishi had fought Doku Ryū, the Venomous Dragon, one of the empire’s legendary beasts, a creature so powerful that its presence alone could alter the very balance of nature. And even with all Ishi’s strength, all her cunning, she had been utterly powerless against it.

If Aricia truly possessed the ability to seal away something of that caliber as a child…

Then why had the Emperor of Mugen been so desperate to find Ishi?

Why had he obsessed over acquiring an heir with Ishi’s unique powers?

If he already had a daughter with that level of devastating magic, why had he poured so much effort into securing another?

It didn’t add up.

Something about this entire story stank of deception.

But Li-Jua wasn’t about to offend the fishermen by questioning their sacred beliefs.

So she nodded along, pretending to be enthralled by their tale, keeping her suspicions locked away behind a well-practiced mask of polite intrigue.

Then, Ishi asked the question that changed everything.

"When is the Saint expected to arrive?"

One of the fishermen smiled.

"She’s been here for a few days now. Stays at the only inn in town."

A beat of absolute stillness.

Then—

Li-Jua and Miller simultaneously choked on their drinks, spitting out their beer in a synchronized spray of disbelief.

"She WHAT?!" Miller coughed, his voice nearly cracking.

The only inn in town.

The same inn where Ishi and Pil were going.

Miller and Li-Jua locked eyes, their expressions mirroring the same pure, unfiltered terror.

If Aricia and Ishi crossed paths, if the fifth-born daughter of the Emperor came face to face with the fugitive princess to be—

It would be their end.

"Well, thank you for the information, but we really need to—" Li-Jua blurted, stumbling to her feet.

"—GO!" Miller finished, practically jumping out of his chair.

Before the bewildered fishermen could react, the two spun on their heels and bolted out of the tavern, sending the door crashing shut behind them.