|The tourist (part 1)

Quesur, the land unseen by many; distant from human civilization and unreachable from the rest of humanity. It contained four districts/countries, with the center of it all being Quesetania. It wasn’t known as a country itself, in terms of size or resources, it just couldn’t be acknowledged as one. It originally had that status but Jade disapproved strongly. He could use the resources of all the other countries but still act independently of them.Rather he called it the central city, the place where people from all places could gather in peace.

The Southern region was known as Inferus, the western region known as Elisium, the eastern region known as Desnia and finally, the northern region,which was known as Bruma. Each region had a fixed weather system that gave the land a specific appearance and a unique beauty. For example, in Bruma, also known as the land of fog, it wasn’t rare to find freezing fog. The land was usually enveloped in fog or snow, temperature varied. There were multiple villages in between them but these villages existed outside the fixed weather systems and most didn’t need to bother with such problems.

“We’re finally here.”

Shinji and Setsuna moved past the large wooden gates of Bruma. Immediately, her fingers felt stiff and she shivered. It was her first time of visiting so it wasn’t surprising. The houses looked completely different in terms of design (the houses in Bruma had more of a japanese design compared to other places.) This breathtaking resemblance to the books that she had read filled her heart with satisfaction.

“It’s really the same as I imagined. I even did the famous shiver that all first timers do.BRUMA IS THE BEST!!”

“I’m glad you like it. Please, feel at home.”

“I sure will.”

She opened the wooden window of the carriage and screamed at the top of her lungs. All this elation left Shinji puzzled. She was acting mature just a few moments ago but threw all her maturity literally out the window. People slowly turned their attention towards the carriage. Of course, the carriage they used was not the usual Yatogami carriage but still, there were a few raised eyebrows.

“Hey, quit making a fuss or they’ll realize it’s me in the carriage.”

“Is that a bad thing??”

“Lord Yatogami??”

A woman spotted him from her market stall and gasped. Her loud voice alerted those around her and suddenly, the eyes of those around them glistened and they all approached the carriage, putting it at a temporary halt.

“Did I just hear Lord Yatogami?”

“Move it, I want to confirm.”

“Quit pushing.”

“You’re pushing too.”

Most of the admirers were middle aged women. With his looks, it was perfectly understandable.

“Oh, I see what you mean now. So many ladies are fawning over you.”

“What do we do now??”

“I should be asking you. Should my men take care of it?”

“They should stay out of it.This will take a while.”

He punched open the roof of the carriage.

“This is the only way out. I hope you’re skilled at concealing your presence?”

“Don’t patronize me, boy.”

“I was starting to see you as a younger woman.”

“Ho??”

“Anyway, we make our move now.”

They both jumped out at incredible speeds,their legs barely visible, leaving the people stunned. Only sharp eyes would have been able to trace them. They ran on top of the buildings.

“Just follow my lead.”

“I can see why all the ladies are nuts for you. I might fall for you if I’m not careful.”

“Watch it.”

“Just kidding…”

“Shouldn’t you be worrying about your men???”

“Huh?? I thought you had everything under control??”

“If and only if they don’t do anything without any orders given.”

She rubbed her chin.

“Oh, then everything is all good. So, what’s the plan?”

“After a while, they will leave the carriage alone and the scrabs will continue moving as planned until they reach their destination which is the Ryugo home.”

“Not yours?”

“I’m not living there at the moment. Anyway, we get there in a couple of minutes if we can keep up the pace.”

“Really impressive. It seems like you have dealt with stuff like this before.”

“I have. That is why I am already used to it. To be honest, I missed it.”

“Haha I’m sure the first time, you tried to come outside and speak with them, right??”

“.….”

“That’s a yes. Hahahahahahahahaha.”

She fell on one of the rooftops they landed on and rolled around in laughter.

“It’s not that funny.”

“I bet..You got tons of kisses all over your face, you closet pervert.”

Suddenly his face lit up and he stood in place, flustered.

“I had no such intention.”

“Is that so? Shinji-sama??”

“Could you stop it? Let’s get moving.”

“Alright, alright. I’ve gotten my fair share of laughter. Seems like I’m also getting used to the temperature.Time to get serious.”

She sprinted past him with a speed rivalling his. She was quite fast, perhaps even faster than him.

“So it’s a race??”

He set his footing and scampered through the buildings. It didn’t take long for him to catch up.

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“I didn’t even think about it.”

“Seems like you’ve been having fun.”

“Haaa, aren’t you having fun too??”, said Setsuna as she grinned.

“I can’t deny that.You are clearly getting slower, though.”

“I was trying to be considerate.”

“Don’t be. If there’s anyone needing it then it’s going to be you.”

“Ohhh. I love your confidence. Let’s put it to the test then.”

“You’re on.”

They both hit top gear and raced through the city till they reached the center of the northern district. Who knew jumping on rooftops could be so much fun?? They both walked through the gates of the Ryugo home. She walked with her head down, due to the bitter taste of defeat. Unsurprisingly, the carriages were not there yet but they were still welcomed by maids and man servants.

“Is this heaven?”

“I don’t understand. Don’t you have maids at Desnia?”

“We do…But these guys look happy. Really happy, compared to those I’ve seen. Is there some trick to it?”

“Now that I think of it. There might be something special that my dad used. It’s simple.”

“And what’s that??”

“Perhaps it’s equality??”

“Equality?”

“Yeah. That has to be it. Nothing is forced upon anyone as long as they aren’t rules placed by the Kagesame clan. My Father was a fan of discipline but he had a habit of spoiling those that deserved it, I guess. Weird logic.”

“That’s truly amazing.”

“If your servants are unhappy and fail to hide that unhappiness, then maybe they’re just not good at that their job.”

“Hmmm.”

“Well, those are just my thoughts on it. If you think these people are happy, then it’s because of my Father and not me.He was a great ruler. The best Bruma ever had.”

“I think you’ll become a great leader one day.”

“What are you insinuating? I would never ever be on his level. Never.”

She raised her hands up purely out of habit, but from the flow of the conversation, she was pushed to the corner unaware.

“I didn’t mean that. I was just praising you. Well, enough of that. Let’s head inside. We have something important to discuss.”

“Hmm.”

“Let’s go. Wouldn’t want to keep them waiting.”

From his room, he noticed multiple sounds at once. The leaves splitting in two.. The footsteps from the Engawa,extending all the way to the gate, the different voices all swirling around and hitting each other and bouncing back. And finally, the sliding door.

“Father, Shinji is back with the second in command of Desnia. They just arrived.”

“I’m aware. I’ll wait for them to come in. Why don’t you show her around?? Maybe, the sight of the lovely garden will help lighten her mood.”

“Yes, Father. By the way..”

“It’s just recovery training. Nothing intense. If I don’t do this much then I might consider myself retired.”

“Okay. Make sure you don’t push yourself too hard.”

“I won’t.. You don’t have to worry about me so much.”

“Yes, Father.”

“On second thought, no.. Just remain the way you are. You’ll soon be leaving me.”

“Father, please calm down. You’re acting like I’ll be gone forever.”

“I’m already missing my sweet little…”

“Father!!!!”

He basked in laughter as she pulled him back and forth, trying to stop him from saying any more nonsense.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Keiko, I’ll stop all the embarrassing parent talk. Now go and meet them. Besides, I’m pretty sure he’ll be thinking of how cute you are and how much he missed you.”

She hesitatingly walked out and slammed the door while he returned to his sensory training almost immediately.

“I wonder what is truly in the mind of Lord Shinji?? Is it vengeance?? or the same type of anxious feeling I’m getting??”

The smile he had on slowly faded and unease slowly lurked in. Keiko walked out and saw the both of them in front of her.

“Who’s this chick, she’s really pretty.”

“Knock it off, Setsuna.”

“My name is Ryugo Keiko.It’s a pleasure to have you, Miss Soragami. Would you like to take a walk with me to the garden?”

“I would love to.”

“Sounds good.”

--I tried maintaining composure but I ended up ignoring him. What’s wrong with me?

“On second thought, never mind. No need for all that boring stuff.”

“Hey.. Setsuna.”

--They’re already on a first name basis??

The familiarity between the pair caught Keiko off guard, After all, Shinji hardly interacted with women and when he did, there was a distinct wall that separated the two but this woman closed off any form of distance between them. Just what was going on?

“Yeah,that was rude of me. I’m sorry. Instead of admiring the beauty of your garden, why don’t we go to the hot springs together, eh? Just you and me. What do you say??”

“Hold on. We are supposed to ---”

“Shinji filled me in with all the details so relax, we’ll do all that...But after all that exercise, how would I be able to have a decent conversation??”

“Exercise???”

--What ‘exercise’ did they participate in?

“...”

“Shinji,you can come too if you’re interested.I for one won’t mind a little peek.”

--What is she even saying?? Why isn’t he reacting? Have they done something like this before?

“Don’t create misunderstandings.”

“Oh, I see now. She’s your lover.”

“Yeah..”

“My bad then.”

She grabbed Keiko’s shoulders and smiled. As she turned, the man behind her wore a rather distasteful look.

“Huh?What’s with that look??”

She tilted her head and stared at him. Keiko interrupted the two and pushed her towards the direction of the hot springs near by.

“L-let’s be going now.”

“Fine. I have a feeling we will be close friends. Keiko-chan…”

“Huhh??”

Later, at the hot springs. Setsuna was busy trying to undress Keiko while she struggled to keep her clothes on. It was the hot springs so the idea of keeping one’s clothes on was idiotic but in this case, the hot springs was not even important anymore. Setsuna was a much bigger problem than anything that could come from the hot springs. Her closeness was not always met with the same response, at times it even drove people away.

“Eeeeeeek.”

“I like that. I really do but now’s not the time for moaning.”

--How the hell is she this strong?

“C’mon. You’re still gonna go naked anyway so why the fuss??”

“Because you’re forcefully undressing me. Don’t tell me, you’re also into women??”

“Hmm. Good observation. I don’t know. I’ll love to find out. Let’s find out, shall we??”

“I DECLINE!!!!!!!”

“I won’t touch you, okay? Now relax and take your clothes off.”

“kyahhh”

She screamed as Setsuna pulled her into the water to get a better feel of her chest.

“How old are you? How heavy are these?What do they even weigh??”

She examined every bit of her exposed body,Keiko slapped her without any restraints and the water sprang and swung rapidly but Setsuna didn’t flinch.

“Forgive me, I don’t react well to being touched from no where.”

“Haha that’s not necessary. I was the one being too familiar. Damn those boobs.”

Keiko uttered a sigh of relief and examined her face further, there were no marks or traces. Just how strong was she?

“Yeah, I should have asked first before touching them.”

“I STILL WOULD HAVE SAID NO!!!”

“All this fuss over something small like that? Hasn’t Shinji squeezed them yet?”

“Wh-Wh-What are you talking about?”

“Hmm.. Why do you sound like a virgin??”

“Because I am!!!!”

“I blame Shinji for all this.”

“What are you saying??”

“With the way he is around all the ladies, I figured he would have at least been experienced in this field.”

“Which ladies??”

“Haven’t you seen your dear Shinji getting naughty with the townspeople?? It’s truly a sight for sore eyes.”

“Don’t say it like that. Most of the time, he’s trying to escape situations like that. He is not just focused on that kind of stuff.”

“You sound disappointed.You wish he was, right?”

“Huh?”

“Besides, there isn’t any guy that isn’t interested in that kind of stuff. You just have to catch them off guard and expose their weak point.”

“What are you suggesting I do?”

“Picture the amount of physical contact you have with him. Then multiply that number by five. You’ll surely catch him off guard if your opportunities are that high.”

“You think so?”

She looked down at her reflection in the water. Setsuna used the opportunity to reach for the floating tray of alcohol. “Just a little will do.”, she thought to herself.

“I know so. Believe me, you can do it. Besides, Shinji is more of a boobs guy.”

“How do you know that?”

“I caught him staring at mine.”

“Really????”

“Just kidding.. Even when it was right in front of him, he didn’t even look. That kid. Oh, sorry for that. Anyway, I’m rooting for you.”

“I see. Thanks.”

“You love him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I really do.”

“So he’s the dense type?”

“I have a feeling he’s not.”

“He must be. Pretty girls like you are so hard to come across, so that’s the only explanation.”

“Pretty?”

“I will grope you till you’re on the verge of tears if you say you’re not pretty. What will you say about me if you don’t consider yourself pretty?”

For a second, she saw someone else speaking in the body of the lady in front of her. Someone with a very strong resemblance.

Inside her memories, a door was opened. A door that led to a certain scene from her childhood.

[

“Keiko-chan. You’re so pretty.”

“Soragami, you mean it??”

“I do. I mean, your face, even your hair is so pretty.”

“It’s not anything special. My face is not as gorgeous as yours and even my hair. It’s so short, and looks so plain and dull.”

“If you don’t believe in yourself, who would believe in you?”

“Huh?? But---”

“Forget it. Shinji, who’s prettier between me and Keiko??”

“What??You two just met today. Don’t make her feel uncomfortable. What’s with the question?”

“Just answer…”

“I can’t…I can’t pick between the two of you.”

“Great..That means there’s no clear winner. As much as you deny it, you’re just as pretty as I am, Keiko.”

“I….”

]

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Keiko??”

“Huh??”

“I’ve been calling out to you for a bit.”

“My bad.”

“Someone’s been daydreaming, hehe.”

“Also..”

“Huh?”

“You look really similar. I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“Then it’s not me you saw.”

“Oh..”

“What’s it??”

“Nothing. Just a feeling.”

Shinji was in his room, all that he had seen and heard weighed down on him. His brief holiday unveiled the harsh reality.He really was a target for the black reaper. If he was not cautious, he could lose his life at any moment. Compared to Quesetania, Bruma was his home. Although he didn’t know each and every single local that resided there, he still had an unwavering sense of security that no other place could replicate. That feeling stood even firmer, given that he was at the Ryugo home (second in command under normal circumstances). His magic has always been a hit or miss in terms of responsiveness, talent or no talent factored in, hard work would have been required to get these powers under control. Although, that wasn’t the most important thing on his mind. Occasionally, his mind would wander to different directions. He had his incoming marriage to think of, the possibility of his family being alive. The legendary weapons made by the legendary Lady Sumire. Anymore of this and he might have been completely swallowed.

“Everything happens for a reason. These problems are hitting me this hard because they demand to be solved but I’ve been doing nothing but running away. That’s not right. What is the usefulness of a powerful but foolish ruler?? I guess it shows the wide gap between me and my father. My Father was wise and powerful. The very representation of perfection and although I am his son, I am no where near in any sense. How do I act like something closer to him?? Reaching him is out of the question, but what can I do…To be someone that would make him proud??”

He slapped his cheeks and drew out a sheet of paper with a pen in his left hand and brainstormed the various solutions to each individual problem that stood in his way. The main keywords were “Keiko”, “Happy”, “Regret”, “Power”, “Garden”.

After a while, he laid on his bed and this time, he managed to fall asleep. Moments after, Yoshida knocked on the door repeatedly… until Shinji sprung up and left a fist sized hole in it. He moved back a step or two as Shinji slowly opened the door. His sinister smile frightened Yoshida even more.

“Oh, Yoshida. I didn’t know you were there. I was planning on shaking up some of your organs.”

“Liar, you were trying to kill me just now.”

“Haha…Perhaps.”

“Keep those killer instincts to yourself though. Imagine if that was Keiko. Wouldn’t want you killing your wife a few weeks to your wedding.”

“Oh, I totally forgot about her. I hoped it was you, though.”

“That’s just being reckless.”

Shinji frowned and held the door with a firm grip.

“Stop it.”