On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

One Hundred And Sixty-Nine

Tsumura-san continued. “This is my son, Minoru. He’s my vice-minister. Very well, now that introductions are done, down to business.”

“And who is the female?” Shaeula suddenly asked, and Tsumura-san waved off the question. “She is my secretary. Pay her no mind. She’s trustworthy and will not leak any information revealed here.”

Shaeula didn’t look too pleased at that, but she maintained her silence, only giving me a quick glance to ascertain my opinion. Well, I guess he’d know. Still…

“So, I was wondering when my lawyer is getting here?” I asked, and Tsumura-san gave a little smile, though there was scant humour in it.

“He won’t be coming. After all, this is not a criminal matter, but a matter of national security and international politics. Having the police and media involved is of little benefit to us.” he then spoke to his secretary. “Once we are done here, make a call to the media and explain the attack was a yakuza retaliation, and all the perpetrators are in custody, with no innocent civilian casualties.”

“Of course, Tsumura-sama.” She bowed deeply.

“Well, in that case, we are free to go then?” I interjected, getting another, slightly more irritated smile in response.

“Of course you may leave. However…” Tsumura-san was serious, and beside him his son Minoru-san frowned as if to tell me to listen carefully. “… in all seriousness, there is no benefit to walking away now. For either of us. Let me be clear. We have an idea of the situation you find yourself in. We are hardly as ignorant of these strange new gifts…” the word was said with a mix of irritation and wonder. “… as you would think. And neither are our allies.”

Yeah, the US has been our friend and ally ever since the war. It’s a huge deal them having hidden agents and committing effectively what are terrorist acts on our soil…

“You have appeared on their radar, and they found you valuable enough to risk this… catastrophe.” He continued, his piercing gaze pressuring me, but I steeled myself and met it unblinking, trying to keep as much of the initiative as I could.

“Quite frankly, the situation has many demerits, but since you managed to escape unscathed, or largely so…” he observed my state under the flight jacket I was wearing. “… it gives us an opportunity. Now, let me be serious.” He leaned forwards, intense. “I have an obligation to my nation. It is twofold, though they do not conflict. As a great noble house, the Tsumura have been instrumental in military affairs since the Edo period. We survived the Great War because we had to, lest all the finest traditions of Japan be lost forever. So we nobles, along with the shrines, temples and the Imperial Family, have a duty to uphold this. I will not bore you with the details, as Fujiwara-san will likely discuss this with you on Saturday, but just know that we exist to safeguard the best of Japan and its legacy. In addition to the burden of nobility, I also carry the pride of the military, and my duty is to prevent foreign enemies and internal agitators from causing chaos in this land. So as you can see…” his humourless smile was back. “… these events are clearly under my purview.”

“You should stop pressuring them, father.” Minoru-san advised. “When you are lecturing, it can get intense… huh?” he trailed off, realising Shaeula was only giving his father half her attention, the other half focussed on her juice and a tray of snacks, while I was holding firm, my Resilience keeping my mind clear. I see, so we were supposed to be intimidated. The situation is pretty imposing for a normal guy like me, I guess. Still, knowing I’m not going to be facing criminal charges and that they clearly need something from us, I have a fair few good cards to play in negotiating my way through this mess. Besides, he’s an important man for sure, but is Tsumura-san any more amazing than Shaeraggo, or hell, even Shaeula herself? I move in exalted circles now, surprisingly enough…

“I get the point.” I said, cutting to the chase, just wanting to get back to the shrine and put my thoughts in order about the events that had just taken place. “So, why don’t we be clear with each other? What are you looking for from me, from us?” And what can you offer us in return? I didn’t say it out loud, but a shrewd politician from a powerful family would clearly read the unspoken implication.

“Let me be clear. Fujiwara-san and the other two Great noble houses have been looking into the matter of these strange abilities ever since our connections in the shrines and temples started making note of them. To be clear, mystical, otherworldly powers are nothing new in countries as old as ours. Though newer countries such as the United States or those that have allowed their religions to wipe away the old order have likely completely excised, or at the least driven deep underground, their own practitioners. Still…” he allowed. “… such powers have always been feeble, mere tricks and trifles. Barely worth the effort to catalogue or research. We thought this new surge of the unknown was merely following that course, perhaps a small evolution. But…” he was looking directly at me, brooking no denial. “…that is not the case. The shrines, through an old friend, told us that there were now those awakened that had real, tangible powers that defied belief. And on seeing you, I know that to be true.”

Shaeula yawned beside me. “This is all-all very well, but my Akio is the victim here. He may be strong, but he is not-not some monster. He needs his rest. Please tell us what you wish, and what you shall offer us in-in return, so that we may take to our beds.”

Cutting to the chase as always I see. The secretary paled, aghast, while Minoru-san looked away. For a moment Tsumura-san was frozen, before he suddenly laughed, breaking the tension. “My apologies, girl. No, Dannan-san was it not? This old man has a habit of over-explaining. It’s a military thing.”

“Call me Shaeula. I do not-not hold to these honorifics. Very well, ask us your needs.”

“Fine then. I’ll let Fujiwara-san explain what the nobles seek from you. As for me, I’m a military man, so let me be blunt. You are deemed valuable enough for the Americans to activate a hidden cell of agents to capture you and even bring in mercenaries onto our soil, staging a pitched battle in Tokyo. And I need to know why. Knowledge is what we lack, even our old friend Takakura-san is not fully versed in the details of the new paradigm we face. Without knowledge, an army is useless.”

That’s true. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, if you don’t know about abilities like Haru-san’s light, even the powerful can be taken down with ease…

At my understanding nod, he continued. “We have two confirmed gifted, to coin a phrase, in the JSDF. In a compliment of some two hundred and fifty thousand that seems rather feeble. Of course there may be more hiding their gifts, and I cannot say I blame them, as originally they were treated as though they had broken under the stress of the army. Now we know that isn’t the case, and they’ve been reassigned so we can explore their powers. They are however… not particularly impressive.”

Makes sense. Even with the Astral Emperor-candidates I’ve come across, there’s been a big variation in their skills and abilities.

“I see.” I allowed. “So you feel we must be significantly more powerful, if the USA has taken notice of us?”

“Exactly.” Tsumura-san nodded. “In addition, I feel you know far more about this whole mess than us. Let me be frank. The two of you defeated a professional team of armed agents, supported by mercenaries. As the Minister for Defence, if this didn’t concern me, I’d be a fool, no?”

“Well, this is all very well.” I sighed. “But I’m learning that sharing information carelessly has harsh consequences. It’s why I’m in this mess. So you’ll excuse me if I’m not too eager to share more.” I’ve been way too careless. It put my family and those I protect in danger. That is the one thing I can’t tolerate.

“Of course. Even a cursory name-search brings up this…” he gestured to his secretary and she passed over a tablet with a story about Shaeula winning a slots jackpot in Las Vegas.  “… and there were other strange events around this time that has your hand in it. So, let me be frank. I believe we can help each other.”

I nodded for him to continue so he did. “The US are still our friends, this incident won’t change that. It can’t. We have China making increasingly threatening moves, and other parts of the world are suffering instability. There are fifty thousand US Military personnel on Japanese soil, and their support is crucial in the Asian arena. But they overreached, and crossed a line they shouldn’t. Not that it will ever be made public, hence why you have no crimes to answer for. Nothing happened. Though of course, in private the US has a lot of explaining to do, and I expect that several trade deals, mutual cooperation pacts that have been on hold, and exchanges of mutual aid will be approved rapidly, to our profit. But what we need most right now is knowledge.”

Yeah, knowledge is power, it’s why Shaeula’s Mystic Eyes are so valuable. Even the information I got from Exposition-san was very helpful, even if it has a lot of holes and glaring omissions in it. My Examination skills are likewise information skills…

“And you believe I’m holding such knowledge? If I was, the price would be high, wouldn’t it?” I’m not going to let him push me around for making this mess go away, after all, he admits its in his and Japan’s interest too.

As Shaeula was snorting at my courage, Tsumura-san agreed. “Yes, but imagine this. If someone as … gifted… as you was to assassinate a president or high-ranking person from another country, it could lead to war. A Third World War. Nobody benefits from that. Not with such weapons as humanity possesses this time. However, just as Fujiwara-san is likely to offer you a fair trade, I will too. Firstly, money. The US always tries to solve things with dollars, so I expect we will receive plenty of charitable aid from their military slush funds. You will of course get your share. The second is that we will pressure then to cease their attempts to acquire you. I can’t promise they’ll stop, if you are as valuable as I believe, but it’ll delay them, and make them think carefully.”

“Fine.” Money is helpful as it can give my loved ones a better life, and allow me to expand my Material Territory, which now I’m coming up to Rank 3 is worth it. Still, better is protecting them via the highest power the country possesses. Fujiwara Security is great and all, but… “I could use a few other things as well though. Since we are trading valuable information.”

Minoru-san winced and the secretary looked rattled, but I thought I caught a brief flash of respect and pleasure on the face of Tsumura-san, though it was quickly masked. “Oh, make your offer then.”

I exchanged a glance with Shaeula, and she nodded, reading my thoughts from my face. “In that case… the mercenaries, Aliyah and her brother. Go easy on them. At some point I’d like to talk to them too, but I’m not foolish enough to interfere with what you need to do. Still, they knew about my family and didn’t give any real intel on them to the agents. I owe them for that, and I pay what I owe.”

“I see.” Tsumura-san pondered it for a moment. “I can respect that. I’d much rather work with someone who is trustworthy and honours their debts. That is the Japanese way, the noble way. I’m pleased you are one such. Fujiwara-san will be pleased too. Is that all?”

Now this one’s a hard sell, but I had been considering a trip to the US to do this, so it all works out… “I’d also like access to some military items… proper anti-ballistic fabrics to make clothing, better security systems for my Territory… err, home, and lastly… guns..”

“Guns?” Tsumura-san raised an eyebrow at that. “Japanese gun laws are strict indeed, I cannot let a civilian just carry weapons. The others… that is doable. And why would you even need them?”

“Actually I just want to assemble and disassemble a variety of models a number of times. As to why… well, we are trading information, so I’ll give you a free taste. Let’s just say it’ll benefit me, just not here.” Shaeula’s pinwheels are the best thing I’ve designed, but I don’t have the skill to use them, and neither do most of my troops… but if we could manufacture guns in the Boundary and equip the weaselkin with them… just imagining massed rifle-fire with elementally-enhanced guns was enough to make me think I could conquer most foes. And I won’t be alone in thinking this. Other candidates will be pushing similar agendas… Besides, with my excellent memory and perception now, once I’d done it a few times I should be able to make replicas of the parts in the Boundary easily enough, and with that mad scientist Ixitt and our new dwarven friend who was only available for three moons, now was the perfect time to go on a forging spree.

“I see. A very strange request. But one we can accommodate. Minoru, fetch some firearms.” As his son scuttled off, Tsumura-san turned to his secretary. “Show him the profiles of the two.”

I wonder if he means the two candidates they have in the military? My thoughts were confirmed as the tablet displayed a pair of profiles, both males in their early twenties. Shaeula glanced at the tablet then went back to eating, after giving an unimpressed snort. On seeing that, Tsumura-san smiled, and this time it looked genuine.

“I see your girl is unimpressed. Oh, by the way, a message from Fujiwara-san, before I forget. The fire that destroyed her and her families’ documents… a terrible shame. Still, it somehow went unreported, but now the records have been amalgamated, so there should be no further issues. A shame, it seems other families lost their records too. Do you have any other distant relatives perchance?”

Fishing much? Still I’m grateful that Shaeula doesn’t have to worry about her identity here anymore. After all, if the police dug too much it’d come to light… anyway, I was planning to upgrade the Throne of Heroes as soon as the Anchor is done, so… “Why yes. I believe Shaeula has some other relatives who might be unearthed.”

“Fascinating. Anyway, what do you think of our brave soldiers? They would be world record holders in any sport of their choosing, but I still can’t see them fighting off a group of trained agents.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Their numbers were good, no doubt, but they didn’t seem to have any obvious special powers like Kondou had. Either that or they were hiding their trump cards, which wasn’t a bad idea. I’d be keeping most of mine under wraps here. I’d put their stats in the range of between 100-150… impressive enough, but…

“I can see you are not intimidated. I would be grateful if you could both run the same tests they did, to make a baseline comparison, and to give me an idea of why the Americans thought you so valuable.”

“Fine. I’ve no reason to refuse since I’m getting benefits. I do appreciate mutual wins, but I don’t take well to being cheated.” I warned.

“Rest assured, both I and Fujiwara-san are only interested in protecting Japan and its heritage. Work with us and perhaps a new noble house can be born, the Oshiro house. We’ve been trying to bring in fresh blood that understands the importance of the old traditions.”

Now that’s tempting. But not enough for me to risk it all. After all, the average Japanese person only thinks of the nobility as some old, very rich houses owning tons of land and businesses. Though they seem to have much more influence than I thought…

Shaeula snorted again, obviously less impressed, as she was a noble herself, but I merely smiled back non-commitally. And with that, we were taken to a gymnasium, where Shaeula and I ran through a series of lifting, punching, sprinting, cognitive and puzzle tests. As the secretary was recording the results her face was becoming more and more strained, as numbers that exceeded the possible were continuously racked up.

“Well, I can see how you crushed those agents.” Minoru-san observed, as he had returned with a dozen guns ranging from pistols through shotguns and sniper rifles. There was even a cycling grenade launcher, which was a sight to see. “That punch force can shatter bone easily enough. Hell, it can punch through metal.”

“I don’t understand why you seem so much stronger than the other two.” The secretary spoke up for the first time. “It’s like children versus adults. Even the girl makes them look like trash…”

Like trash? Ouch. I wisely decided not to comment on that, as Minoru-san started walking me through the disassembly process of the various guns. He looked pleased at my surprise, and told me that he was a soldier too, and had served before working with his father.

“Even so…” Tsumura-san stroked his chin, deep in thought. “It can’t just be your strength that motivated the Americans. The two dead agents… their deaths were unusual.”

All right. so long as I keep the Boundary under wraps for now, I can let slip a bit more. There were targets for shooting set up in one corner of the gymnasium, as well as targets for archery. On seeing the bows I let slip a little grin, and Tsumura-san didn’t miss that. “Are you a practising archer?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“No, but my sister does traditional archery, she really loves it. It just made me think of her.”

“Such arts are ones we wish to preserve against the changing times. Swordcraft and Spearcraft too.  Our family has long passed down some traditional arts, yet fewer and fewer of our sons and daughters take it up.” He looked at his son, who shrugged. “The rise of firearms killed it off, alas. But there is still value in preserving it, even if some troublesome children take it too far.”

“Well, I’m studying the spear and sword myself.” I admitted.

“You are? Fascinating. Anyway, my question stands…”

“Shaeula?” I asked her, interrupting her as she was solving complicated block puzzles. Lifting one small hand she channelled wind, and the target at the end of the room was split into pieces, leaving everyone stunned.

“I’d do the same with fire, but I don’t want to set off the smoke alarms.” I grinned, though the real reason was I was largely tapped out after the battle.

“Was that… some sort of telekinesis?” the secretary asked, stunned.

“Hardly. It was the elemental wind.” Shaeula disagreed. “Though I shall not-not speak of it, unless Akio allows.”

“I think you can see it isn’t just strength that a gifted can have.” I declared, still working on the guns, sliding parts together for the sniper rifle. “As for any more information… I think I want to hear what Fujiwara-san has to say before I make any decisions.”

Tsumura-san nodded, still looking at the split target, and the faint gashes in the wall behind. “That is reasonable. Still, you have answered my concerns. As an assassin, the two of you would be without price. Able to kill from a distance yet completely unarmed…” he swallowed, perhaps imagining what would happen if we turned the wind on him. “I shall be at the gathering on Saturday, so we can talk more then.” he turned to his secretary and asked her to make arrangements for us to be transported home.

I spent some time finishing up with the guns, and then we were shown out back to an expensive military car, ready to whisk us to Shirohebizumi shrine. Before we left, Tsumura-san exchanged some final words. “You are wise to keep information on your abilities secret. The nobility and shrines here have made the same decision, and the Diet likewise, those that know. Other countries will be doing the same. But cracks… cracks are already starting to show in the secrecy. You should make allies, before it’s too late. The US won’t be the last that comes after you. Remember that.”

Yeah, don’t I know it. Enemies here and in the Boundary. The only way to be safe is to be so strong and well-connected nobody can threaten us. Perhaps this was a good step towards that goal. Now I’m looking forwards to Saturday… but shit, my suit is ruined. I’ll need to get a new one…