The Blue Sylph

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

"Oh boy, we really need to get you out of this house, Ryuu" says Haruo bringing his hand to his temples "You speak like a poet or prose straight out of a scroll"

"However, you seem to have the right idea of things, I'm glad Takeshi managed to raise someone bold. Anyway, a direct attack to you would be the worst thing the Tiger could do right now. Your family is one of warriors, something the old men in the capital cannot claim. Should a direct confrontation arise from outside, you'll get your power handed out to you. As for us, I'm glad to hear you'll support us as your father did. Get your time to prepare Ryuu and recover your strength. We Boars can weather out the storm should it come to us"

"However... there is another issue I must speak off. My nephew, Kitsune? He arrived at your home, did he not?"

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

Haruo's eyes inspected Ryuu carefully as he spoke, the man shifting his posture a little in response to it "Indeed, indeed, while coming to see the young wolf is more than reason enough for the trip, there's no reason not to take the chance on speaking of more serious matters"

"And in this I ask, when do you plan to take hold of these lands, Ryuu? With Takeshi holed up in here, the old men in your capital seem to think they run your holdings. Needless to say, they know their coin well, but that's hardly all a ruler must consider" Says the Red Boar, growing intense "Takeshi, you ought to man Saida fort at your borders. The Tigers are moving, these twelve years have only made them recover and grow stronger from the wars your father fought to force them back. You need a strong presence at your borders if we are to move hard and fast if those kittens should even show their faces"

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

"It shall be done, Ryuunosuke-sama" says Chiyo, all smiles as she stands up and goes off to do what she does best.

"Good luck then, nephew. The Red Boar should treat you well, though I hope the meeting with the Horse ain't too boring" says Takeshi with a grin, as he takes hold of a bottle of sake to bring with him to the meeting with the Dragons.

As Ryuunosuke walked to his meeting with the representatives of the Boar Clan, he would notice a few unknown people scattered around the mansion. By their clothes, the common retainers of some of the people he would be meeting today, watching his gardens, chatting with guards or serving staff.

Then, in he went to meet with the Boar Clan representative. Sitting on the floor was a large, broad shouldered man, with long shaggy black hair and an abundant red beard. He must have been on his forties, some lines to his face, though his features and expression indicated a booming and cheerful man. Both of his arms were thick as the trunk of a young tree. His clothes were finely made though a little worn, red like the man's beard. The person before Ryuunosuke was Hatamoto Haruo, the Red Boar, Kitsune's uncle and brother to the Clan Head himself.

"Ah, he came, he came! Ryuu-kun, we meet again, ha ha!" says the large man as he rises to his feet, showing off his full height of near 2 meters. Thinking not of protocol, the man walks towards Ryuunosuke, extending one big strong hand to clasp it with him... and should he take it, bring him into a big hug and then pat his back "Man, did you grow up... No way you'd remember me, but I've met you before I did. Though at the time you were still a lil thing being held in Mizuho's embrace... yes, yes I see some of her in your eyes, Ryuu. Grown up to be quite a man, no? Hmm, though I think you can still grow a bit more..." says Haruo, patting his own broad chest "Gotta eat up tons, son! What has Takeshi been feeding you? Heard he's been on a spiritual vibe recently, hope he hasn't been feeding you nothing but bamboo shoots and vegetables. A man ought to eat meat and tons of it! Ehehe, if you come visit us we'll be sure to cook up a whole pork just for you!"

"Haruo-sama, you're not respecting protocol... and you're not letting Mitsumine-sama speak" says one of Haruo's retainers, with an expression that shows that he has to correct his lord's behavior quite a lot.

"Oh come on, Nabuta, we're practically family in here! Hmmmg but yes, yes, ought to let him practice his graces" says Haruo, winking one eye before sitting back on the floor "Well then... Hatamoto Haruo, of the Hatamoto Clan, rulers of Saita. Here to make a visitation upon Ryunosuke of the Mitsumine. A pleasure to meet you upon your dwelling, young Lord"

The Jade Monk - Modern, Fantasy, Quest

Definitely interested.

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

"I'm afraid they will be very surprised if you turn up back home, young lady" says Takeshi, scratching the back of his neck as he holds the letter from her elders in his hand, looking it over once again "Apparently, they expect you to remain in our care for more than one season. Needless to say, that won't be a problem on our end at all. My brother made it clear to me before... he told me to treat any of the Hakurou as I would my own blood. Thus, you may remain our guest for as long as you wish. However, if you insist on going back home against the wishes of your elders, I'll feel responsible about it. I'd need to hire a proper escort or take you back to your door myself. After all, they have entrusted you to our care and I couldn't face the memory of my elders or your own family if anything happened to you on the way there"

At this moment, a servant would step through the door, calling Takeshi to Ryuu's side "Hmm, my call... Well, at th very least I know that you plan to stay the night. Feel free to wander around the house at your leisure, though I'll ask you not to interrupt the meetings without asking for permission beforehand"

With that, Takeshi stood up, walking up to the door before looking back for a moment, a small smile upon his lips "Ah, by the way... it was a pleasure to meet you, Hakurou Touka-san. I hope you have a good stay with us"

---

Soon enough, upon another room a headquarters of sorts was set up for Ryuunosuke and his new friends. Chiyo and Takeshi were already within when Ryuu was made aware of it "Ah, nephew. Come in, come in... we need to think through what we do from now on"

"Ryuunosuke-sama, I'm afraid that we began to move before we received your orders. At the moment, each of the dignitaries awaits on a different waiting room. We do not know which party arrived first, actually... according to Nawabuta they all came at about the same time"

"With such groups, it seems like they've been staying at the village for a couple of days waiting for this moment. It's probable that the moment they saw one of their rivals make preparations to come here, they all dashed to the manor, not wanting to give anyone advantage" mentions Takeshi.

"Indeed, plus, it's a polite time of the day to make visits upon a host" adds Chiyo.

"Anyway, we have a list of the four we ought to meet. We have a delegation from the merchant Horse, one from naval Dragons, one from our allies the Boar and the last party seems to be our own people, Ryuunosuke" says Takeshi, looking up at Ryuu.

"Indeed, it is the elder of the village paying his respects to you Ryuunosuke-sama... as well as a dignitary from Otawa" says Chiyo.

"Otawa being the biggest food supplying city on the Mitsumine Hold, remember Ryuu?" comments Takeshi "They are being quite polite, coming here to speak to you on the very first day of renewed meetings"

"Anyway, yes... those are the four parties currently waiting. My girls and I will try to keep them comfortable though they all seemed quite keen on being met" says Chiyo, bowing her head.

"Hmm... well then, we must see who to speak to first, Ryuu. At the very least, I can delay things for you. As the nominal ruler of the lands until the moment I passed on the title to you, nephew, my words and presence still carry much weight. I can meet with a party on your stead and handle things for quite a while. Thus, the party I meet will be entertained and handled until you finish speaking with the other three. If I had to pick, I'd deal with either Boar or Dragon. I tend to get along with their people a lot more than the merchants of the Horse. As for the people from Otawa... It would be unwise for me to see them. They know our situation a lot better than the foreigners to our land. They know me and instead will be looking forward to meet up with you and nobody else. Still, they are all under your rule, so politically, they may seem like the least risky choice to leave for last"

"Anyway, this is only my counsel, Ryuu. The choice remains yours. I'll meet with anyone you wish me to meet or indeed, if you are not confident holding your own, I'll accompany you in your meetings. I see you have made some new friends, if you invited them to sit with you in this meeting... I'd hear their counsel as well and who you wish to take to each meeting" says Takeshi, keen eyed as she looks upon those sitting before him.

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

"Hmm, then you may be quick to make up your impressions... or simply one to trust your instincts. Still, I hope you may stay long enough to change your mind. It is not often that we get a chance to host one of the Hakurou" says Takeshi before he smiles and then lets out a small laugh at the tale of the spiritual class "That is Kanaka for you. She's a polite and good girl, but she's always looking out for her big brother. That is when she more keenly shows her inner fire"

"And yes, I know the reason for your visit, Miss Hakurou"

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

"Wow, wow, slow there young lady... seems like you've had some harsh experiences acting as intermediary between humanity and the Kami" says Takeshi "I imagine that sort of stuff happens a lot in such an important center of worship. Did Ryuu ask you to intervene in his behalf to the Kami in a rude way, young lady?" asks the uncle as he reaches over carefully for the blade.

As she bids, he does not take it out of its sheath... but still, it's balance could be felt as exquisite as was the woodwork to make sheath and hilt resemble a single long piece of dark wood. Truly the work of a master. With a contented nod, he returns the blade to Touka.

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

"My, it must have been quite a meeting for him to have given you such a great impression, young lady" says Takeshi with a bit of humor in his tone at Touka's powerful tone "Though he may surprise you yet. He's surprisingly spiritual, giving much thought to our ancestors and the Kami of the land. If I had not retained him here all these years, I'm sure he would have loved to make a pilgrimage to the old lands"

Then Takeshi slowly extended his hand, looking at the blade the young woman held "May I take a look at it? The blades of the Hakurou are always a treasure to hold in ones hands and to delight the gaze upon"

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

You didn't come off as angry, jiwon, I was just trying to cover my bases and not sound angry myself. I understand your points and your modification of the post was everything I could wish, thank you very much. :)

Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

The thing is that it is a bit too much. He inferred the whole fundamental principle of a revolutionary for the time system of accounting made by one of the experts of the field, how it works instantly realized its utility and why it is beneficial and all from a cursory look at an unexplained example written in a code made to make the whole thing unintelligible.

I raise this point for two reasons, first that this implies that Ryuunosuke is not only smart, not only smarter than most in the whole country but a veritable genius to crack Hana's code and from a few character be able to deduce what lies before his eyes and understand its benefits. And secondly, I feel like Ryuunosuke's insight steals value from Hana's accomplishment. This is something she has worked for near her entire life as a dedicated economist, and Ryuu, who is a general scholar with no mentioned specialty in economics or management, was able to get the insight as to how it all works from a cursory glance. Even if he recognizes the worth of her discovery, by saying 'why didn't I think it first?' he is undervaluing her accomplishments and the expertise she may bring to the table for him.

Now please, don't take this the wrong way. This is no serious matter nor do I intend to sound preachy or to chastise, however, if I bother a player of mine with a comment of this nature and ask them to change something, I wish them to understand WHY I'm asking it of them.