Chapter 511:
Shift
“You’re right, that’s a bad idea,” confirmed Nerine, not that I needed such a thing. “You’re smarter than this.”
“It just goes to show how poor the situation is.”
“Maybe it could work,” encouraged Seiji. Trust him to remain optimistic in this scenario. He wasn’t even in danger from any of the fallout. Nerine would be able to make whatever moves necessary to isolate him from the situation. But I knew that wasn’t why he was acting like that. It was just how he was.
“It could also make things worse, Seiji.”
“But do we have many options? Something could happen soon if we’re not careful.”
“He’s right. I don’t like it, but waiting might not be a choice. So I have to do something.” This sort of felt like it went against things for me. Ever since I met Aya things were never the same. The course that I was on now couldn’t be turned away from. I was too far in to go back. I swear I almost cared about what happened.
Not likely…
Chapter 511 – Silent Piece
Further debating wouldn’t do anything to change what might be happening. The longer we went the worse things could get. It was unfortunately just as likely that things were already down a path that I couldn’t change. This was a world with a script.
But if there was one thing that I was consistent about wasn’t playing by anyone’s script. So they’d have to deal with a little shake up in their plan. I just needed a plan first and only a little bit of one was formulating. ‘Hopefully something comes in while I’m on my way.’ Any sort of help was needed at this point.
Normally I would have taken my family carriage, but that was more dangerous given what might be a foot. Hurrying through the city on foot made it slower, but it was worth the risks. I had to arrive at the location rather than be interrupted or even killed.
A half hour march through the nobles district, I managed to arrive at the Izumi Clan’s estate. However, as I would expect, just like those at mine, there were guards watching the gate. I foresaw this happening, but it didn’t make it any easier. I either had to go through them or find a way around them, not that I had the physical capabilities to do such feats.
Watching for a moment at the gate, I heard a noise behind me. I immediately turned around with my hand behind me hovering at the hilt of my short sword concealed beneath my kimono. They were someone in plain clothes looking like a peasant, maybe a farmer, hardly anyone that someone would take any interest in along the street.
They walked past me without any further attention. Just enough to grab me, but no more than that to look suspicious. I noticed my kimono sleeve contained parchment mysteriously. Tilting my head over my shoulders, I watched them continue on disappearing into the mingling of people without any effort. ‘One of Nerine’s spies…’ Finally something I could use, hopefully.
Doing my best to remain not a target of suspicion, I carefully examined the contents of the note. ‘Damnit! Things are on the move. Rumor’s become truth now.’ They confirmed that a move was already in action against the Izumi Clan. Likely my parents meddled because I still hadn’t beaten Aya. She showed me up, though thanks to my efforts of actually trying to best her my worth had risen quite a bit. Aya was the prized candidate to become the direct advisor to the Lord. Anyone that competed with her and had her attention automatically grew in value. Not that my greedy parents saw things that way. Aya was an obstacle for them in their path towards a secured future.
I looked back at the guards. ‘No sign that Aya’s made a move or at least, not that they’ve noticed. Not sure what that means…’ She was smart enough and scheming enough to already know about it and have a counter of her own. Perhaps, she’s only planned on stopping the attack, but not doing anything? I could hope for that, but I don’t know.
Time for my stupidity to continue…
Marching up to the guards, I made no effort to hide myself or be ignored. I wanted their attention since I had to go through them and if I made any sort of suspicious behavior in front of them, I wouldn’t get through.
“What you want, kid?” barked the guard on the right.
Fortunately, I could play up my age to my advantage, being only a teenager and close to my original age before this all began I could use that. Looking a little scared and lost, letting them feel in control, I looked up at them with a glance. “U-um…can you let me in? I-I’m supposed to meet…”
“Get lost kid! We don’t want you around here.” They immediately went to their katana at their sides to increase their intimidation. Considering that I was just a teen that would normally have been enough to run anyone off.
I grabbed onto the sides of the armor a little worried about what might happen. Hopefully they didn’t try to get too violent. “P-Please! You’ve got to listen to me. I-I just want…”
As I figured, he went only to grab me with his open hand. I didn’t really have much of a threatening presence, so they didn’t see the need. “Do you realize where you are, kid?”
“Y-Yes, that’s why I’m here. I-I’m here to see…” I looked away, playing up embarrassment for their sake. “…Aya…you see I…”
“Quit your stammering boy!” He knocked me back on my butt. I anticipated it happening sooner, didn’t make me anymore prepared for it. A little bit of the pain was softened at least.
“Please, sir. I just…you know…as one man to another…” That got a laugh out of the guard who started to see the picture I painted. “I just have to see her one time, please. I managed to get the courage to come out here embarrassing myself like this. Can’t you please just once?” This was so painful, but it was the only way I could think to get inside. It’s not like these guards knew what I’m dealing with here on a regular basis and given that, would make it even less likely that they would let me in. “Please!”
The two guards looked between each other clearly debating their action. I smiled a little internally seeing that it was working. It only took a few seconds before they looked back at me. “Fine, lover boy. I’ll escort you to Lady Aya.”
“Thank you so much, sir!”
“Don’t thank me just yet,” he remarked with a laugh. They knew the nature of their mistress as well as I. It wouldn’t work on her, but it got me inside. The rest relied on her, which shouldn’t be too bad. The woman did have a fascination with me.
Inside, the Izumi estate made the Hirohata grounds look tiny. I knew that she was a noble, but this sort of status felt like their clan could have been the Lord. There was a small thicket of bamboo with a pathway through it. It ended in a small pond filled with fish, likely koi. We bypassed the main entrance to the mansion and came to a courtyard. Wings spread out over the grounds disguising the overall size.
My mind started thinking about the scenario and whatever my parents had planned. It was so large that something could happen in one part of the mansion and no one would even know. Scattered guards patrolled the grounds, but there were just too many places to sneak in. We were going to have to be careful. Hopefully, Aya had a way to counter things that didn’t disrupt the whole field. ‘I can’t believe I’m helping the woman that I hate…this is a twisted story. But this isn’t how I want to defeat her. It’s got to be me.’
“Lady Aya, you have a visitor,” announced the guard at the foot of the porch steps. It was likely the back door to her room.
“I don’t recall anything scheduled,” called out the familiar voice of the woman that got under my skin.
“I think it’s someone you will want to see, Lady.”
“Very well.” Distant shuffling of feet came closer as she approached. The door slid open slowly with Aya catching enough of a view to see me. It then slid fully open with a grin on her face, clearly she found this very amusing. “You’re right, Masaru. I did want to see this.”
“You know this young man, Lady?”
“Yes, very well. It’s safe. You can trust him.” The guard Masaru bowed and departed our company. He watched as he returned the way he escorted me. Only once he got out of the immediate range of her voice did she speak to me, before I even turned back around. “You’ve come at quite the late hour, Norio Hirohata. What do I owe to your visit?”
“Trouble…” I prefaced for her before stepping up on the first step. I stared up at her making it clear to her the severity of the situation. She read me easily and stepped to the side inviting me while glancing around the grounds with her suspicions now on alert. Aya knew well enough the power moves that happened inside the Lord’s court.
Half way to the threshold of her room, I realized that she had been too calm before. ‘Does she really not know about the attack planned? How is that possible?’ Once I said we had trouble, she immediately went on guard. This didn’t make any sense. How could someone so talented miss this? My allies picked it up and we’re all a bunch of teenagers at the adults’ table.
Inside her room, she slid the door closed behind me and directed me towards a table at the center with cushions around it for guests. A quick glance to absorb her room certainly didn’t make it feel like it was a girl’s room. Bookshelves lined the wall ahead of me, likely filled with what made her mind so dangerous. Behind me was a desk and to the right a futon. Surprisingly basic for a noble’s room, it surprised me a bit.
Aya joined me on the opposite side of the table. Her trademark smirk disappeared, no longer trying to dominate me at every turn. “What do you have?”
Direct, she’s probably already making plans and forming strategies in her mind. “I just learned of a plot against you. It appears my nervous parents have gone behind my back to try to secure their position.”
“You have proof of this?”
“My spies learned of it, but no evidence. I find this to be rather distasteful.”
She went pensive for a moment absorbing the information I gave her. Plans quickly filtered through a mind that I could never understand even with all of the shoji I’ve played with her. “We’re going to need evidence if we’re to expose them.”
“Expose.” I paused, not ready for things to go that far. It was what I expected from her, a quick decisive blow to end the enemy resistance, but they were my parents. What happened to them affected me. I can’t have her removing them and thus removing me from being able to defeat her. “I thought we could prevent the attack and make it clear that there would be no chance for success. It’s why I came to you. I’d rather avoid bloodshed and turmoil. Keep things are they were before.”
“That’s not possible,” shaking her head, she became fixated on the single purpose. Damnit! “They already feel like they’re losing and making a move to flip the board. What you’re suggesting will just forestall it.”
“But we just need a little bit of time. I can take over the clan in a couple more years.”
“No, you’ll do it now.”
“What?!” She already started thinking that far out?
“You said it yourself that you find what they did distasteful. Remove them and put the blame on them and be the one that exposes it all. You escape blame by association and earn favor for cunning and guile. The court is cutthroat.”
“Yes, that might work—“ Suddenly a scream broke through the mansion in the distance as the lights suddenly turned out in Aya’s room. We both leapt up to our feet as the guards rang the alert. “Damnit, I was too late!”
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