Heisuke shut the door behind him with a snap, letting his face drop immediately into a scowl. Dark eyes flicked to the room's other occupant.
The young lord didn't truthfully know much about the shaman, only that he had appeared more or less on Heisuke's doorstep three years ago and asked for shelter. When Heisuke had granted it, he'd been repaid to a greater degree than he could ever imagine. The priest had promised him all of Japan and an army to keep it—things that Heisuke was no doubt very interested in having.
But the route there was quite circuitous, and when he'd been attacked by his neighboring domain, he'd been about ready to throw the man out as an imposter, a charlatan and a deceiver. Until he'd learned what the conditions on his future empire really were, anyway.
“They've refused to give me the girl. But there's another possibility," he said without preamble. “The other daughter. Sayuri. I've agreed to take her instead, once the spring comes to this forsaken place and we can retake my castle." He hated the dark winter this far north.
The swap was admittedly disappointing. Reiko was a particularly-lovely specimen. Would be even moreso, if anyone had ever bothered to teach her how a woman should dress. She was also apparently head of this household, which meant its resources would pass to whomever she married. Sayuri certainly didn't have that benefit. But she was no hag, and all that mattered in the end was that he had a daughter of the blood, or so the priest had told him.
It was hard to tell what the man was thinking, or even feeling, since he kept a mask over his face. It seemed bird-like, almost like a crane's beak, and the metal was an obsidian color. The only thing that was present, besides his mouth, were the golden eyes that were too bright to be considered human. But that was what he claimed to be. He shifted in his seated position, raising his head to meet Heisuke's gaze, and simply stared at him.
"That is too bad. I heard the blood within the other girl was more potent. Nevertheless, if she is a daughter of the blood, she will do," he simply spoke, keeping his gaze steady with Heisuke's. "Without the blood, all of this," he made a simple gesture with his hand, "will have been for naught."
Heisuke grimaced. “Believe me, I understand that much." the warlord rubbed at his chin, moving down to scratch the stubble on his neck. He wasn't completely sure why the blood of one of the members of this family was required, but it was obviously going to be easiest to get it from one of the women, since they were weaker, and if he could get one alone, that would be for the best.
He wasn't completely foolish, however; he had no intention of simply attacking one of them. Not with six overprotective brothers around. Honestly, he had no idea why they were all like that for one sister but allowed the other one to be offered in her stead. Perhaps because she was head of household and they wished to keep their resources? That made sense to him. In any case, it was a viable solution. All that remained now was to wait.
“It will be better to wait until we're back in Edo to actually take it, of course. Perhaps we'll get lucky and one of her brothers will fall on the battlefield as well." Then they'd be able to collect the blood under the guise of funeral preparations. Heisuke didn't know how much they were going to need, after all.
A slight scoff escaped the man. "They are not so easily felled," he simply spoke. He didn't elaborate by what he meant, and allowed his gaze to drift away from Heisuke. "They are all warriors with merit, even if they do not appear to be. Fujiwara-dono has made sure of that," he continued, keeping his gaze on the paper folded in front of him. It looked like he'd been working on it recently, since he tied a red ribbon around it. Once it was folded, he tucked it into the sleeve of his kimono, and glanced back at Heisuke.
"Be patient, is the only advice I can give. It is still awhile yet before anything useful can come of this. Once I have the blood, it'll only be a matter of time before I can craft you the army you desire," he stated, and fell silent for a moment. He seemed to be thinking, or at least from his posture it appeared that way.
“Yeah, all right." Part of Heisuke was still waiting for the other shoe to fall on this whole thing. What he'd given this man was next to nothing compared to what he was receiving. A single night's hospitality and then a job for an entire army, and eventually, all of Japan? He certainly might like what Eiji was saying, but that didn't mean he trusted him any further than he could throw him.
So he took his advice with a grain of salt. So far, all the things he'd advised doing were things his other retainers had agreed would be beneficial, even without knowing the rest of the plan, so he hadn't had to risk much. Hopefully it would stay that way. Heisuke didn't plan to commit until he knew victory was assured. That was just good strategy.
“No one's suspicious of you, right? It's hard to go anywhere in this place without a servant appearing out of nowhere. It's like they're watching us. They probably are." The Fujiwara themselves were worse still. It was like they could smell him coming—none of them ever seemed to be in the least bit surprised when he appeared somewhere. Not even the little heiress.
"I have made precautions for such things. They are no more suspicious of me than they are of you. I am, after all, one of your retainers, and that is how I appear to them. Worry not of my own well-being. Take care not to give yourself away. There is a reason why I do not tell you much," he replied as swiftly as Heisuke had ended his sentence, as if he knew Heisuke was going to say that.
"And they are watching us, Akarui-dono. They don't trust us any more than we trust them. It is a... human quality, I suppose," he seemed to hesitate on the word he'd chosen, but perhaps he wasn't able to find something else, something more suitable. "But do not worry, everything is going according to plan. We will leave at the first sign of spring, and we shall take the Hino daughter with us. What happens between here and there, though, is up to the fates," he spoke, a sort of sly grin spreading across his face. It was the most expressive he'd been since he'd been with the Akarui household.
Heisuke thought fate was a bunch of bullshit, but he supposed shamans and priests were more or less required to believe in it, so he let it pass without comment. “As you say then."
A month more, and then things would finally begin in earnest.
The young lord didn't truthfully know much about the shaman, only that he had appeared more or less on Heisuke's doorstep three years ago and asked for shelter. When Heisuke had granted it, he'd been repaid to a greater degree than he could ever imagine. The priest had promised him all of Japan and an army to keep it—things that Heisuke was no doubt very interested in having.
But the route there was quite circuitous, and when he'd been attacked by his neighboring domain, he'd been about ready to throw the man out as an imposter, a charlatan and a deceiver. Until he'd learned what the conditions on his future empire really were, anyway.
“They've refused to give me the girl. But there's another possibility," he said without preamble. “The other daughter. Sayuri. I've agreed to take her instead, once the spring comes to this forsaken place and we can retake my castle." He hated the dark winter this far north.
The swap was admittedly disappointing. Reiko was a particularly-lovely specimen. Would be even moreso, if anyone had ever bothered to teach her how a woman should dress. She was also apparently head of this household, which meant its resources would pass to whomever she married. Sayuri certainly didn't have that benefit. But she was no hag, and all that mattered in the end was that he had a daughter of the blood, or so the priest had told him.
It was hard to tell what the man was thinking, or even feeling, since he kept a mask over his face. It seemed bird-like, almost like a crane's beak, and the metal was an obsidian color. The only thing that was present, besides his mouth, were the golden eyes that were too bright to be considered human. But that was what he claimed to be. He shifted in his seated position, raising his head to meet Heisuke's gaze, and simply stared at him.
"That is too bad. I heard the blood within the other girl was more potent. Nevertheless, if she is a daughter of the blood, she will do," he simply spoke, keeping his gaze steady with Heisuke's. "Without the blood, all of this," he made a simple gesture with his hand, "will have been for naught."
Heisuke grimaced. “Believe me, I understand that much." the warlord rubbed at his chin, moving down to scratch the stubble on his neck. He wasn't completely sure why the blood of one of the members of this family was required, but it was obviously going to be easiest to get it from one of the women, since they were weaker, and if he could get one alone, that would be for the best.
He wasn't completely foolish, however; he had no intention of simply attacking one of them. Not with six overprotective brothers around. Honestly, he had no idea why they were all like that for one sister but allowed the other one to be offered in her stead. Perhaps because she was head of household and they wished to keep their resources? That made sense to him. In any case, it was a viable solution. All that remained now was to wait.
“It will be better to wait until we're back in Edo to actually take it, of course. Perhaps we'll get lucky and one of her brothers will fall on the battlefield as well." Then they'd be able to collect the blood under the guise of funeral preparations. Heisuke didn't know how much they were going to need, after all.
A slight scoff escaped the man. "They are not so easily felled," he simply spoke. He didn't elaborate by what he meant, and allowed his gaze to drift away from Heisuke. "They are all warriors with merit, even if they do not appear to be. Fujiwara-dono has made sure of that," he continued, keeping his gaze on the paper folded in front of him. It looked like he'd been working on it recently, since he tied a red ribbon around it. Once it was folded, he tucked it into the sleeve of his kimono, and glanced back at Heisuke.
"Be patient, is the only advice I can give. It is still awhile yet before anything useful can come of this. Once I have the blood, it'll only be a matter of time before I can craft you the army you desire," he stated, and fell silent for a moment. He seemed to be thinking, or at least from his posture it appeared that way.
“Yeah, all right." Part of Heisuke was still waiting for the other shoe to fall on this whole thing. What he'd given this man was next to nothing compared to what he was receiving. A single night's hospitality and then a job for an entire army, and eventually, all of Japan? He certainly might like what Eiji was saying, but that didn't mean he trusted him any further than he could throw him.
So he took his advice with a grain of salt. So far, all the things he'd advised doing were things his other retainers had agreed would be beneficial, even without knowing the rest of the plan, so he hadn't had to risk much. Hopefully it would stay that way. Heisuke didn't plan to commit until he knew victory was assured. That was just good strategy.
“No one's suspicious of you, right? It's hard to go anywhere in this place without a servant appearing out of nowhere. It's like they're watching us. They probably are." The Fujiwara themselves were worse still. It was like they could smell him coming—none of them ever seemed to be in the least bit surprised when he appeared somewhere. Not even the little heiress.
"I have made precautions for such things. They are no more suspicious of me than they are of you. I am, after all, one of your retainers, and that is how I appear to them. Worry not of my own well-being. Take care not to give yourself away. There is a reason why I do not tell you much," he replied as swiftly as Heisuke had ended his sentence, as if he knew Heisuke was going to say that.
"And they are watching us, Akarui-dono. They don't trust us any more than we trust them. It is a... human quality, I suppose," he seemed to hesitate on the word he'd chosen, but perhaps he wasn't able to find something else, something more suitable. "But do not worry, everything is going according to plan. We will leave at the first sign of spring, and we shall take the Hino daughter with us. What happens between here and there, though, is up to the fates," he spoke, a sort of sly grin spreading across his face. It was the most expressive he'd been since he'd been with the Akarui household.
Heisuke thought fate was a bunch of bullshit, but he supposed shamans and priests were more or less required to believe in it, so he let it pass without comment. “As you say then."
A month more, and then things would finally begin in earnest.