I joined the rest of my party that was going to be venturing into the heart of the Imperial party up on the deck after exiting the forecastle. All of us, myself included, were dressed in our full combat kits. Armor, weapons, and gear were obvious across each of our bodies, and we looked like we were dressed for war, not a meeting with the supreme ruler of this land.

  I mean, we weren’t going to do anything, but it was about presenting an image.

  For one, even if I wanted to, I hadn’t forgotten Renauld’s warning not to involve myself in combat if I ever wanted to heal the damage to my brain from all the concussions I’d suffered. Two, we’d…probably get slaughtered by the Imperial Guard, if we even tried to instigate something.

  But we still wanted to present a specific view of our group. For one, we had decided not to dress up in any court finery, even if it was presented to us. We didn’t want to appear as if we were foreign dignitaries or diplomats of any kind. We really shouldn't be implying that we represented Herztal in any capacity. Rather, we wanted to appear to the court as if we were nothing more than warriors and adventurers, the muscle to what was meant to be Kazuma’s leadership of our expedition. Part of the point to the charade soon to be underway was to finagle the Order of Solstice Flame into an acceptable position within Kawamara as their newest sect.

  I…had been asked by Renauld why we were even bothering to play along with this. After all, we were unlikely to be in any specific danger here since the bulk of Imperial displeasure was meant to be resting on the shoulders of Shacklock and his foreign Order. We were just a group of people who had been indirectly asked by the River Throne to assassinate their ancestral enemy in Tatsugan, after all, if we found it in our explorations of the island.

  And we had, ultimately. That would likely carry a great deal of weight in the court, when Masayuki briefed his liege on the real events that had occurred on Goryuen.

  My answer to Renauld had been…a little self-serving.

  I wanted the favors.

  I know, I know it was selfish of me to ask this of my companions. But over my time on Vereden, I’d found I had a bit of a…favorable touch when it came to playing politics. It came almost naturally to me, speaking the same language that the aristocrats of both Herztal and Kawamara danced around each other in. I was capable of maneuvering the waters of intrigue in a way that came as easily to me as breathing. It suited me, in a way. I knew how to speak delicately, boast properly, and guard my inner feelings when it came at the appropriate time.

  And I don’t think this natural talent came from the System, in a way that it would be a Talent instead.

  This was all me.

  So, I was angling for a few things here by playing a political game. I had talked Shurenga, Shacklock, and Kazuma into the specific plan that we were enacting because, the way I saw it, it suited all parties involved. The River Throne could save face with a heroic, convenient story about a scion from an ancient House rising to permanently slay their ancient enemy, once and for all. Shacklock had the chance to secure the future of not only his life’s work in the Order, but his only living descendants as well. And Shurenga…

  Well, I’m not really sure I knew what she was after. My best guess is that she was advancing the interests of her family in some way, with how she intended to present Azarus before the throne.

  Still, I don’t think it would be disadvantageous to my own interests.

  And my friends, too. I’d make sure they weren’t left in the lurch when it came to the accolades.

  At least the ones who had stuck around, that is.

  Down on the docks, it looked like General Hisakane was finished speaking to the assembled ranks of the Imperial guard who had greeted him. A messenger sprinted away at astonishing speed into the palace, considering the sheer amount of armor he wore. In the meanwhile, the General turned and nodded curtly first to the three people on his flagship and then to us on the Kaminari Maru.

  I’m not sure he even saw my own answering nod, but it didn’t matter. Instead of worrying about that, I turned to face Captain Satoru with a small smile on my lips. I bowed slightly to the man who had both ferried us to Goryuen and then away from it, keeping the promise I’m not sure I’d…really expected him to. “Thank you for service, Captain Satoru,” I said politely. “Please give my respects to your crew, including your first…mate…” I trailed off briefly, noting that said first mate actually…wasn’t with us.

  Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen the man since before the Kaminari Maru had sailed away initially.

  To my surprise, the Captain winced slightly before he returned my bow. “Ah…thank you for your kind words, Kuroshō. I will…convey them to the crew.” With the final exchange of pleasantries finished, I turned to face Azarus and nodded at him. Returning it, my Dwarven friend and one of the primary…well, set-pieces for the day stepped onto the off ramp and set off down it, Renauld following with him. I followed the Gnollish Healer clad in the immaculate robes of his profession, while my other furry companion took up the rear.

  I nearly tensed when I heard Liora speak into my ear, her words so quiet I was barely able to understand them. “I’m surprised, Nathan,” She breathed, a slight, amused tint to her words. “That you never noticed. To be fair, however, it took me quite a while myself.”

  I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Noticed what?” I returned in a whisper so slight my lips barely moved.

  I could easily hear the grin in her voice with her response. “Why, that it was the ‘first mate',” She said, in an exaggerated tone. “Who was the mysterious spy on the island with us.”

  This time, I turned to face Liora and blinked rapidly, uncaring about who was watching us. “What, really?”

  Several times over the course of our entire adventure on Goryuen, we’d speculated that there was either someone or something following us the entire time. Initially, we had chalked it up to the Shurengans after meeting them, and Sena had even corroborated that, saying we’d been shadowed since nearly the moment we stepped foot on the beach. But we’d had cause to doubt it had really been them when the Imperial subjugation fleet had known exactly where to find us. At the time, we’d speculated there must be a spy in our midst, feeding information back to the General and his staff.

  Now Liora was saying it had been that man whose name I…didn’t even…know…

  Huh.

  “It fits, I suppose,” I granted her as we came to rest on the immaculately carved stone and wood of the dock. Mostly constructed of what looked to be an immaculate white granite and a pale, blonde wood of a variety I didn’t recognize, the craftsmanship was beyond compare. I don’t think I’d ever seen such a…tastefully elegant construction style, as the kind that seemed to dominate the palace. “So, do you think they were…?”

  “An Imperial agent?” Liora finished for me, as we linked up with the contingent that had been on the General’s flagship. Shurenga had assumed a form where she stood as tall as I did, with her huge, flaming hair streaming in the wind behind her, while Sena stuck closely to her mother’s side. I couldn’t help but notice that she looked a bit…apprehensive, despite her age.

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  I’m guessing she might just have never stepped foot off of Goryuen in her entire, four-centuries-long life.

  Shacklock was still in his oddly colored coat, hat, and Herztalian officers uniform, while Kazuma had put on a slightly fancier version of his normal green and red robe, patterned with spider-lilies. However, what was new was that the Shōmetsu no Kiba was proudly displayed on his right hip, the obsidian and gold handle of the legendary blade gleaming almost menacingly in the light of Tarus above. It was interesting to note, though, that his normal katana was on his person as well, just on his right hip.

  Well, well. I think someone was trying to invite comparisons to his grandfather.

  Trailing behind the four of them was Venix, looking the same as ever. For once, he hadn’t bothered to put on his conical hat, leaving his antennae to sway in the wind. I exchanged a nod with the Antium samurai as we all came to a halt, as Liora finished her statement.

  “Look around, Nathaniel. Who isn’t?”

  ……………………………………….

  We were eventually led to a somewhat…lavish waiting room within the palace of Emperor Seimei, escorted by a sizable contingent of the Imperial guard, along with the General and Masayuki. On the way, I had to say that this was probably the most tasteful of the castles I’d spent any length of time in. Caer Drarrow, if it counted, had been a damp hellhole. The Citadel at Helstein was a tastelessly constructed pile of brutalism that I felt sorry for anyone who had to live in for a long time. And the palace of Duke Oslen was pretty much a pile of rubble by now, after the rise of Rhazal. But Seimei seemingly had more…tasteful decoration sense.

  Mostly constructed of the same pale blonde wood that seemed to be magically treated in some way, it possessed accents of both white marble and pure gold. I never passed through a single corridor that wasn’t open to the air in some way, letting vast amounts of sunlight illuminate each and every surface. Well dressed servants wearing immaculate white robes with similarly colored shear veils covering their faces bowed before our procession, standing off to the side and letting us pass. Decorative sets of armor weren’t uncommon to be found in the halls either, either standing alone or framing delicate works of art painted on wide stretches of canvas. I even recognized the subjects of many of those works.

  It's hard to forget the electric blue scales of Tatsugan’s projection, after all.

  Halfway through the palace, General Hisakane broke off from the procession without a word, marching down a separate corridor from us. With that interruption, Masayuki took up the task of leading us to our destination. The guards waited outside of the room we were led to, while the ‘Master of Ceremonies’ to the River Throne ushered everyone inside. I barely had more than a moment to take in the wide open, airy environs of the room before I heard Masayuki clap his hands. Look at him, I saw that the man, finally back in his black and gold robes instead of his armor, had an apologetic look on his painted face.

  “Apologies, honored guests,” He started with a smile. “But I’m afraid many of you will have to wait here while the Emperor, the font of wisdom himself, is briefed on the situation. The good General has gone on ahead to begin, but I’m afraid I’ll need to follow after him and leave you alone. A tragedy, I’m sure, but I believe you’re capable of entertaining yourselves in my absence. Refreshments shall be along shortly, I’m sure.”

  Before any of us could even get a word in edgewise, the Lord of House Ashiwara swept out the door in what seemed to be a hurry. Good thing, too, because I could tell that Shacklock didn’t much care for being sidelined like this. Uncaring about propriety, the old monster spat off to the side. “Bah,” He said in a disgusted tone. “Functionaries. Had more than enough of their kind in me years, I’ll tell ye that. I’m takin’ a nap,” He said, turning an evil eye our way. “Don’t none of ye whippersnappers bother me, or I’ll have yer hide.” With that, the Grand Marshall of the Order of Solstice Flame flopped into one silk lounge chair and promptly began snoring. Immediately, in fact.

  I sighed, exchanging a glance with my companions.

  I guess there was nothing to do but wait.

  ………………………………………….

  The wait was going to be longer for some of us than for others. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t for us to be summoned one by one.

  Because that’s what happened: when Masayuki returned to present to us the Emperor’s decision, the tall, steel-grey form of General Hisakane loomed behind him with arms crossed.

  “Emperor Seimei, in all his wisdom, has elected to hear your stories individually,” Masayuki told the room in a deceptively friendly voice that nonetheless brooked no argument. “We will begin with the young Lord of Higanashi. If you’ll follow me, my lord?”

  Kazuma slowly stood up from his own lounge chair, almost instinctively shooting me a wide-eyed, panicked look as he did so. I grimaced slightly at the sight.

  This…wasn’t ideal. I had been counting on all of us being in the room at the same time when we made our petitions to the throne. Some of our party just weren’t up to the intense scrutiny that comprised a royal interrogation. Moreover, I didn’t have confidence in their ability to understand the subterfuge that was likely going to occur in that room.

  I wasn’t the only one to make that connection.

  “Wait,” A sudden voice interrupted Masayuki and Kazuma before he could step towards the door.

  An old, sharp one.

  The room turned to find that Shacklock had abruptly woken from his ‘nap’, if that’s what the madman had even been doing. He was suddenly on his feet and looking more than a little irritated by the change in plans.

  “That ain’t happenin’,” Shacklock said bluntly. “Where the boy goes, I go.”

  Masayuki turned suddenly cool eyes on the Grand Marshall. “Apologies, Sir Shacklock, but that will not be possible. The Emperor has decreed that all involved in the events of Goryuen shall be questioned individually, and within his domain, his word is law.” He deliberately turned his back on the increasingly irate old man and laid one iron hand on Kazuma’s shoulder. “Please, come with me, young man.”

  It appeared that Shacklock was either out of patience or unwilling to be spoken to in that way. The withered old monster took one deliberate step forward, and a near scent filled the air as he bared the slightest sliver of his madness-inducing Mantle.

  In direct response, General Hisakane took his own step forward into the room. Ever so slightly, another Mantle was lightly bared to the world, peaking through its home in the Concord. I swore I heard an almost metallic ringing as if from a great distance, as if an enormous sword was being drawn from a gargantuan sheath.

  It was clear to me, even as I sat frozen from the rapid degeneration of the situation, that the General was meant to be here as a direct counter to Shacklock. I didn’t know how strong he was in relation to Shacklock, but he sure as hell seemed stronger than myself from the feel of his Mantle. Maybe even enough to even the scales.

  And the madman knew that. He also didn’t seem to care. Even though a fight between the two of them would be disastrous, to the extent that all of us here might be killed in the crossfire, Shacklock still seemed like he would go through with it.

  But everyone in the room, including me, had momentarily forgotten one important person. I think it was deliberate, too. After all, she’d been suppressing the bulk of her power.

  Now, though, she lost her patience.

  “Enough.” A stately, faintly irritated female voice echoed from Shurenga, filling both the room and ringing through my soul. It was like someone had taken a tuning fork and lightly tapped it upon the surface of it, as if it were nothing more than a marble. I shuddered at the feeling of what seemed like vibrations rocked my very own firmament. I wasn’t the only one, either. The entire room, Shacklock and Hisakane included, stopped what they were doing. Including their posturing.

  When I turned to face the Queen of Mt. Umetsuji, I detected a note of displeasure on the muzzle of Shurenga. “That is quite enough, good sirs,” She said disapprovingly, not moving from her chair. “There is no need for such a thing, as it is perfectly acceptable that we are questioned one by one. We have nothing to hide, after all. Isn’t that so, Sir Shacklock?”

  Shacklock studied the daughter of Tarus for a moment, and a faint sneer crossed his lips. Though, I noticed that disdain wasn’t the only thing visible on him, though.

  The faint intimidation that I’d always suspected Shurenga instilled in the madman shone through in the tense set of his shoulders. Shacklock turned his back on the General and lowered himself into the chair he’d been ‘dozing’ in without a word. This time, though, I noticed he was no longer pretending.

  He looked as alert as someone like him could possibly be.

  I relaxed now that it seemed confrontation had been avoided as Shurenga turned to face the shell-shocked form of Kazuma. “Do run along, young man,” She said in a much gentler tone. “You have an appointment to get to. We wouldn’t want to keep His Grace waiting, now would we?”

  A grateful Masayuki nodded at her and resumed guiding Kazuma out of the door. This time, his journey wasn’t interrupted, and they were soon out in the halls of the palace. The last thing I saw of them was their backs before General Hisakane closed the door on us with a narrow-eyed glare directed at Shacklock.

  As the intricately carved door slammed shut, I let a slight sigh escape me.

  Turns out, I’d been a bit…overconfident in the details of my plan. Either Masayuki or possibly the Emperor himself had seen through it.

  They’d gotten one over us.

  Now, we just have to wait to see the results.