Chapter 516:

Orchestrated Move

Shift


Morning came though it wasn’t until the late afternoon that Yuki and Saki were freed from their duties. Periodically, they would see Yumi passing through the halls or in the court, but given the difference in status they couldn’t exchange words. As body guards, they had the tacit approval to look around. So meeting eyes with her wasn’t an issue at least. It allowed them to avoid mistakes.

Lord Kumasaka gave them rest from their assignments while he attended to personal matters within his office. As the treasurer for the Lord Matsushina, he worked long hours with many people forcing the two all over the city and court. Sharp with money and words, the middle aged man had valuable skills that kept him in the service of the Lord. Despite how it might have seemed, he also respected those that he kept. Far from the perfect human or probably even a good one, they felt for the situation of the world he was a better pick than most.

That didn’t mean that they didn’t have some troubled or sleepless nights because of their Master.

With a signal given to meet up, Yuki and Saki sat out at the far edge of the gardens of the Matsushina estate. A forest lined the garden’s border with the hills rising above it before reaching a cliff. It was the most out of the way location on the estate that also didn’t seem out of place for a gathering. But they still tried to keep their connections to Yumi loose.

A world where networking, position and association had as much value as the individual, the two balanced relationships to keep others in the dark. All the scheming happening in the court could have seen them dragged in if they weren’t careful. As bodyguards, the major players didn’t give them much thought and made it easier for them to slip in and out as needed.

Out of the corner of Saki’s eye she saw a shape move heightening her readiness until it could be confirmed to be Yumi. Turning out as an adult to be taller and a little broader with short dark brown hair, it was a little difficult to always remember it was their friend. Yumi from the previous worlds still seemed to lack something in her face that made her feel like an adult as narrow minded a thought as that was, but it wasn’t something that Saki noticed until this world. Perhaps it was merely the setting that did something to her.

Yumi took her spot apart from them with her back facing them trying to appear like she came to relax and clear her mind from the long day of dealing with bureaucrats and old men that only saw her as a jewel ring that adorned their finger despite any of her efforts. After so long in this world, such things stopped being a surprise or troubling her. She found her success through her own ways.

She leaned back against a wood post that supported the open gazebo-like structure surrounded by flowers. “You seemed urgent, did something happen?”

Moving a shogi piece over the board, Yuki played a loose game that any keen observer would have picked up on immediately. “We think we found another potential.”

A slight twitch in her eye came in a restrained reaction that nearly broke her poise to turn around. “You’re certain? Moriko fits things too well. You could have found a feint.”

“It’s someone you want to consider,” insisted Saki as she clicked a piece on the board.

“We’ve been in this world for almost fifteen years. It seems a little late for another player to join.”

“We can’t rule things out or use the past as the way things are going to be. This world is proof enough of that. Nothing’s happened. Them appearing might mean things are going to start happening.”

What Saki said had enough logic to it that Yumi couldn’t dismiss it outright as much as she wanted. She found Moriko early on and managed to get pretty close with her. It worked out in her favor and Moriko turned out not to be what she expected. But Saki was correct that nothing really happened. No major events occurred. For all of the scheming and backstabbing that happened, things were quiet overall. A war would break out that was merely rumor for them, but nothing like at the scale of the past worlds.

The only guess that she had for why nothing happened was because they were children. The world for whatever reason reset their aging and turned it back far in excess of what should have been necessary. Nothing about the setup for them in this world made any sense. She never had been able to put a good answer to why it was necessary, the other worlds didn’t require it. Yet if her guess was correct, things should have already started happening.

Despite her previous feelings that her personalities were trying to outright kill her, they showed themselves to have other motives. Sometimes she wondered if they might even align with hers. She largely found it unlikely given the way that they acted before, but it didn’t all neatly fit. They had a plan of their own, that she was certain about and she found it too roundabout if they were actually trying to help her. She just could never eliminate the feeling either since it was a possibility.

Her pensiveness sank deeper as a fake game of shogi played out near her. ‘Moriko for as much as she had done, hasn’t changed the status quo yet…that’s not to say that she can’t or won’t. She’s an oddity in this world that feels like there’s an explanation that is just not visible. Since I’m actually here at the ground floor of whatever will be happening, I need to be close to them so that it’s not the same battle to even reach them like before. It’s already been too long. I don’t want to be wasting more time…’

Chapter 516 – Orchestrated Move

Wasting time might not have been what Yumi wanted, but she had little power within this world and still no clear sign of what the goals were for her. Even at the end, she didn’t know until she reached the final minutes of the previous worlds what the conditions were. She resolved herself with the same unknown conditions for this world.

Finding the central point that the world turned around and keeping close to them would be the only option for her. However, the thought that she might have been wrong about who it was put doubt in her mind for the first time in fifteen years.

Yumi pushed herself away from the post that she leaned against and looked back towards the porch of the nearby wing of the estate. “I’m still not convinced that Moriko isn’t the one that we’re looking for. However, it would be ill-advised to just ignore another option. I can’t be in two places, so you’ll have to get close to her.”

“But—“ Yuki immediately started to protest having to follow Aya.

Snapping a piece down on the board, Saki interrupted him. “We’ll see to it.”

“Good, I’ve got another meeting to attend. So I’ll leave this to you.” Yumi turned about walking back through the garden before disappearing into the depths of the halls and rooms of Lord Matsushina’s estate.

With his arms crossed, he looked across the game board as Saki, their game was a long and empty path that would lead to nothing. “And how you plan to do that? It’s not like we can just walk over there.”

She glanced up at him, keeping her guise at a game for a little longer. “We could.” A slight change in his face told her a clear ‘No’ that she already expected. “We’ll have to encourage the Lord, if he doesn’t already have plans to see her again.” Her hand moved another piece in an illegal move, a sign to Yuki.

A heavy sigh came from his lips as he gave the gesture to concede the game and stood up. No one was in his sight as he feigned his disappointment in the game. While Saki began to clean up the board, he bent down to finish pulling the pieces back to their container. “We need to be on guard.”

Nodding back to him, she picked up the board as he held the containers and started to walk in the opposite direction that Yumi entered from. It wouldn’t be long before their Master would be needing them again. They returned to the waiting room where the personal guards of the Lord stood preventing anyone from entering. These men could be found anywhere throughout the estate, hence why they could be relieved of duties from time to time. Though once they left the estate, the situation would return to as it would normally be for them.

As a day, with a small blip on the radar, it averaged out to a typical day for them. Returning to their home, the Master greeted his wife and three children. Given the usual orders to stick to the shadows, they watched the family interact into the early evening before their meal. The entire family gathered for dinner, including the grandparents from the Master’s side as well as his sister. If it were a special occasion, the count could be twice or more.

Nothing further changed up their routine for the night. Their schedule remained fixed for some time with no signs of meeting Aya once again. The fact that they would have to see her again troubled even Saki, though she kept that from Yuki as he did enough worrying for the both of them. It gave her a little bit of piece of mind to see him acting like that, maybe even fueled a bit of a masochistic joy.

About two weeks since their first visit, they sat at their separate table at the edge of the private chambers for Kumasaka. Being inside the mansion, the guards outside on the perimeter duty had more to concern themselves than Yuki and Saki had. They did remain earnestly vigilant, but there was always so little to do.

The Master stretched, separating himself from his work for the sixth time in the last hour by Saki’s count. She looked at Yuki for a silent agreement, though he had some reservations. No protest from him gave her enough of their agreement to proceed. “Excuse me, Master, but perhaps a change of environment would aid you.”

He glanced over at Saki with a stern look for her to speak for him. “You would presume to know what I need?”

“Clearly not, Master. I’m merely a servant, your sword. But I do also have eyes, sir. You looked restless.”

A small groan came from him with his hand trying to act like he wanted to resume his work. “Maybe you’re right. I find myself missing…” He quickly trailed off as he caught himself being more open than he should have been in such company. Putting down the brush, he stood up and looked out the window at the rising moon. “Juro, Michiko, we’re going out.”

They stood up quickly at attention. “Yes, Master!”

The visit proved useful to him as it recharged him and brought focus back. But it did also do more than one thing, which Yuki and Saki hoped might happen. Visits to Aya began to become a recurring diversion for him.

Saying that they became used to Aya and her aggressive manner would have been misrepresenting Yuki and Saki’s interactions with the woman. Holding their own probably oversold what they did. They never lost against her, though it felt more often like a retreat than anything. She proved a troubling sort of person that they didn’t know how to deal with. Additional meetings did nothing to change that sort of relationship.

Another night like any other seemed to be in the cards for them. Within the perfume filled personal chambers of Aya, they sat at their side to watch while she spoke with their Lord. Typical conversation ran through local and regional politics, which for someone of her position always surprised Saki that she knew as much as she did. She must have other clients with loose lips.

However, tonight turned out to not be the same as any other night like they planned. As things seemed to be winding down for an end of the conversation, the topic went away from what had been common for them.

“You’re quite a remarkable woman. How has no one made any claims to you?”

“Who’s to say that they haven’t?”

“A woman like you has plans. I know this isn’t the end that you see for yourself.”

Aya smiled the same well guarded one that she always used with him and any other that visited her. “You have keen eyes, my Lord.”

“It’s part of my job to see talent and watch those of interest.”

“Are you saying that something has caught your attention?”

“For some time, a rare flower like yourself yearns for more light.”

“And what exactly do you purpose I do about that? I’m debited to this place with no escape.”

He nodded as though he was thinking, but that merely was a cover. They both played a game the other knew too well. It looked a little exhausting to watch two people skirting around something when they were both aware. It seemed like an unnecessary power move that did little other than try to maintain the image before the other.

“Anything is solvable as you no doubt already know.”

“What you’re suggesting would be no simple task.”

“I know the right people.”

“Is my Lord making a claim?”

“Are you accepting?”

Yuki and Saki stared at each other once they saw the final pieces being laid before them. They both agreed in silence at what was happening.

Pieces were on the move.

Eytha
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