Chapter 107

On to the Final Journey The Resistance uprising in the Yamato self-governing dominion ended with the dominion government’s collapse, and although the inner castle tower continued burning for another few days afterward, it eventually died out. Now there was nothing but a mountain of scorched rubble lying where the palace had once stood. Tsukasa wandered around the area. If he listened carefully, he could make out joyful laughter coming from all directions. The people of Yamato were cleaning up the debris; theirs were the voices he heard. Kaguya hadn’t needed to say so much as a word; everyone had gathered of their own accord. There were men and women, children and adults, and samurai and tradespeople all working together to get the job done under Kira’s watchful supervision. At the rate they were going, the castle would stand at its former glory in no time. Mayoi’s body had yet to be identified. There were many corpses among the wreckage, but all of them had been mangled so severely in the collapse that it was impossible to tell who they might have been. Still, there was no way she could have escaped the blaze, leaving little doubt that she was indeed dead. Kaguya had made an announcement to that effect, and that was the way the people of Yamato saw it as well. Their rage at the traitor princess who manipulated them had been fierce enough to ignite the sky, but her death went a long way toward quelling that fury, and now every face in sight was marked with a sunny grin. Tsukasa didn’t hear a single person wax nostalgic about the prosperity they’d enjoyed under Mayoi’s reign. He didn’t know what it felt like to be mentally dominated, but he imagined that becoming Mayoi’s obedient puppets caused tremendous pain and humiliation. Those were the emotions that colored the past three years of their lives, and none of them would ever get that time back. There were so many things they’d lost and would never reclaim. Grief did little to slow their efforts, however. Citizens worked hard to prepare for the coming trouble. The Freyjagard Empire had lost its self-governing dominion, and it wasn’t going to be long before it came to take it back. Much as Kaguya and the people wanted to rebuild their nation, the empire wasn’t going to sit back and let them. The word on the street was that Freyjagard was currently locked in a fierce civil war between the Bluebloods and the official army led by the Blue Grandmaster. The battle was all but decided, though, and the few remaining Bluebloods were being hunted down and picked off. Once the empire had its house in order, it would inevitably take action against Yamato. For Yamato to know lasting freedom, it would have to endure more conflict. The nation was weary, and the trial ahead was unimaginably grueling. If the people of Yamato were dismayed or anxious, they certainly didn’t show it. They had been given a second chance at protecting their homeland, and their morale couldn’t have been higher. Tsukasa gazed at them, impressed. They were a strong people. And Kaguya, the one uniting the citizenry, had already started preparing for combat with Freyjagard. The civil war restricted the empire’s options, and Kaguya took full advantage of that opportunity to organize Yamato as swiftly as she could. She’d sent letters to her chief vassals and their heirs across the nation, calling for a meeting on the restoration effort. During the interim, while her subordinates traveled to the capital, Kaguya invited Tsukasa for tea. After satisfying Tsukasa’s stomach with a light traditional meal, Kaguya served him some koicha tea that she’d kneaded herself. Meanwhile, Shura acted as her host’s attendant and carried away meal trays so she could bring some teacakes. Tsukasa knew the proper guest etiquette for Japan’s tea ceremonies, and he responded to Kaguya’s hospitality accordingly. “I see you are well accustomed to traditional manners, angel,” Kaguya noted with delight once Tsukasa had finished drinking his tea. “Hath our little hobby spread to the empire during these past three years, then?” “No, the world I’m from coincidentally has a similar custom.” “Oh-ho. I must say, then, I fear your world places too great an emphasis on ceremony. Never before have I had a guest deliberately avoid drinking from the cup’s front.” “Hmm. I think there’s a certain beauty in following the fixed format and observing the nuances of the process.” As Kaguya tittered and hid her mouth behind her sleeve, Tsukasa gave her a smile before lifting his empty cup again. “…And I must say, this really is a beautiful piece. The pale loquat hue is nice, and the way the texture of the ceramic glaze calls to mind the idea of permanence is simply stunning. But what impresses me most of all is how gently the clay sits in my hand.” In Earth terms, it was roughly akin to a korai chawan Korean tea bowl. In Japan, such relics would normally be kept in museum cases beyond anyone’s touch, so holding one was exciting. “Many of my vassals prefer to keep such precious items tucked away safely in storehouses, but I find that too great a waste to bear,” Kaguya replied. “Vessels are not meant merely to be seen, but to be held and enjoyed as well.” “I imagine the cup itself is happier this way, too,” Tsukasa agreed. “I am told that the Lakan’s ‘white porcelain’ cups of stone are gaining favor in the empire, but I find I much prefer clay. The whims of fire and chance ensure that each individual item has a natural texture different from any other, and the stoutness of the earth comes through each time a cup meets one’s lips. No porcelain can offer that, I daresay. Still, I will confess to having an appreciation for the manner in which porcelain’s makers seek out beauty in precision and for how they have hewn as much harshness from the taste of their craftwork as they possibly can.” “Porcelain’s form and smooth surface cause the light to drape around it just so. It’s the kind of uncompromising beauty that only humanity can forge. In every world and every era, the inquisitive way people fixate on beauty always surfaces in the humblest of objects. Things we drink from, things we serve food in—like porcelain, and this cup,” Tsukasa said in admiration as he handed the cup back to Kaguya. “All are moved by elegance, and all seek it out. Simply living is not enough to fill our hearts. The way we yearn for beauty is the very thing that makes us human,” Kaguya replied. She tucked the cup away behind her back. After clearing away everything that sat between her and her guest, Kaguya sat up straight… “I thank you for accepting my invitation today. Once my vassals and their heirs arrive, I shall become quite busy indeed, so I had hoped to take this moment to return the favor for the meal you treated me to in the dungeon. Furthermore, I wish to apologize for the unkindness my people showed you and your cohorts in the time before I returned to the castle.” …and gave Tsukasa a deep bow. “You have my deepest apologies. Nothing can excuse the way we leveled our blades at you after you accepted my brazen request and risked your lives to help us reclaim our nation. If it doth please you, we wish to take responsibility by presenting you with the head of our next Samurai General in compensation. At present, that is the greatest atonement we can offer you.” “” Shura was next in line to become Samurai General, and when Kaguya offered up her head as part of her apology, she didn’t so much as flinch. With eyes closed, Shura silently waited for Tsukasa’s response. She had doubtless been prepared to pay for the misconduct with her life the moment she and the other samurai drew steel against the Elm delegation in the inner castle. If Tsukasa accepted, she would obey Kaguya’s order without hesitation. That willingness to lay down her life for others, and the culture that encouraged it, were both things unique to Yamato. The nation’s isolationist policies had sequestered them from the rest of the world for a long time, and over that span, it had developed a rather unique set of values. And it was due to those principles that Tsukasa felt he needed to clarify something. “We fought well and hard for this peace. I would just as soon not have any more blood be shed,” he stated. “I thank you for your lenience, angel.” “If we’re talking compensation, though, I do have a few questions I’d like answered.” “Oh? And whatever might those be?” Kaguya inquired, raising her head. Tsukasa directed his attention to Shura, who stood beside her ruler. “…I’m sorry to impose, but would you mind granting me and Princess Kaguya the room for a—?” “Ah,” Kaguya cut in. “ ’Tis about that matter, then. There is no need to pay Shura any special mind. As I mentioned, she is to be our next Samurai General. Knowing of Yamato in its entirety is a burden that her position demands.” Evidently, Kaguya had already deduced what Tsukasa intended to ask her about. He couldn’t help but admire the young woman’s insight. “In that case…,” Tsukasa began. “When Azuchi Castle tower got set on fire, Shura told me that Princess Mayoi had been slated for execution on charges of murder before she committed any treason at all.” “Indeed she was.” “And I take it…those accusations were false?” “What?!” The shocked yelp came from Shura. Tsukasa ignored her and went on. “The first time I met Princess Mayoi, I sensed that her hatred for Yamato ran deep. She could have butchered its people and not lost a wink of sleep over it. Recognizing that was precisely what made me question the story of her crime. Hers wasn’t the sort of loathing that could be sated by murdering a mere three maids.” “………” “It wasn’t until Aoi told me what she learned from Shishi, about the Yamato custom that’s been going on for generations, that all the pieces fell into place. I had the sequencing backward. She didn’t commit those murders because she was full of hate. She was full of hate because she was framed. “I assume, then, that Princess Mayoi refused to take part in the ritual suicide. Thus, you decided to have her killed. You wanted to use her as a tool to convince the masses of the Yamato imperial lineage’s nobility and virtue. In other words, the fault for Princess Mayoi’s betrayal and the entire tragedy that followed lies with you… Or rather, with your lineage and its institutions, doesn’t it?” Shura’s eyebrows shot up in rage. “How dare you! The princess would never—” However… “Indeed.” “…Huh?” …the moment Kaguya confirmed Tsukasa’s theory, Shura’s anger turned to confusion. “Prin…cess…? What…are you…?” “Impressive as always, angel. I am awed at your piercing insight. To be seen through so thoroughly doth take from me my desire to mislead you.” As Shura stared in blank shock, Kaguya revealed the truth to the new Samurai General. “For the three centuries in our recorded history, the Yamato imperial family hath always had a code. When one of us takes the throne, all their siblings kill themselves. Watching the royals comply with the harsh rule and lay down their lives inspires loyalty and pride in the people. That act forms the bedrock of Yamato’s unity. However, there are aspects of the custom kept from the public. The brothers and sisters of the ruler do not surrender themselves of their own will for the sake of Yamato. Rather, they are raised for the sole purpose of dying when they are told.” “……?!” “Aside from the firstborn, any child of the emperor’s is immediately isolated in a residence on the city’s outskirts and reared as a sacrificial lamb under the watchful eyes of the Special Forces. They are granted no freedom, nor permitted the joys of living, such that when the appointed day comes, they shall be a convenient tool so sick of existing that they shall embrace death without hesitation. Such was the way my sister Mayoi was brought up. However…” Kaguya’s face contorted in annoyance. “…when the time came to pull her out of the storehouse for use, that fool refused to kill herself. Her death would have embodied the imperial family’s devotion and fostered respect in the citizenry. Yet she had the nerve to abdicate her responsibility out of a petty desire to live… It should go without saying that I could not suffer that to stand, and the Special Forces and I were forced to employ our backup plan, branding that idiot a criminal and dispensing the death penalty.” “S-so wait, Princess, you…? You really…?” The color drained from Shura’s face, and Kaguya nodded. “Indeed I did. Mayoi slew nary a soul, and for that matter, nary a soul was slain at all. She was innocent as a babe. The entire affair was a scheme concocted by the Special Forces and me. The angel accused me of inciting Mayoi to treachery, and I cannot deny the charge. However, the empire’s invasion would have occurred regardless of my sister’s actions, so I would ask that he not hold me accountable for that.” Kaguya sat with regal dignity even as she confessed this barbarous deed. In no way was she debasing herself. In her eyes, her actions carried the weight of absolute justice behind them. “I… I… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!” Shura could not agree. Her ruler’s methods were too much to bear. The wolf byuma hadn’t so much as blinked when Kaguya ordered her to present Tsukasa with her own head, but now she looked downright horrified. Shura fled the tearoom as fast as she was able. “…Are you certain that was the right call?” Tsukasa had anticipated Shura’s response. That was the whole reason he’d asked her to leave the room. If Kaguya was concerned, she didn’t show it. “I told you, did I not? In time, Shura will become Yamato’s Samurai General. She will need to know the whole truth, as her father Shishi did before her… Had you not asked your question, I would have told her myself in time. So please, your concern is unnecessary. Shura is a strong and intelligent girl.”