Three Hundred And Sixty

Three Hundred And Sixty

I spent a number of hours practising False Void Motion, until I had a basic grasp on it. The efficiency was truly lousy running it off converted aether, but it was definitely a trump-card type of ability. I could safely teleport a couple of times without draining my stocks too low for combat, and I had also experimented with using Void Motion on my sword or other items, in a similar way to how I had moved my spear in the past. It wasn’t cheap in terms of aether either, but the accuracy had increased significantly since my last effort that had missed a fatal blow on Kondou Kazuo. Again, in a combat situation I can use it to turn battles around in an instant...

Shaeula had been practising with her earth element, and was finding it rather weak, perhaps due to her nature, or her mindset, but in time she would likely grow more proficient. I then checked my Territory build queues, and they were ticking along slowly, but since most of the accumulated ether was currently being transported to Haru-san’s Territory to push her Ether Spires to Rank 3, there was no notable progress. Although there is one useful side-effect...

The adherence demands on me by the Divine Favour of Laverna was manageable, I was still bleeding out my limited adherence slowly, but with the extra tithed from Haru-san’s number of additional Spires, I was able to sustain it, and hopefully by the time all her Spires were Rank 3 in a couple of weeks, that trickle would be flowing in the other direction, my reserves slowly replenishing. I really do have to find someone who can use it, though so far, no luck... I was due to meet another number of potential candidates, this time from trusted Government staff and children of nobility who had the most promising answers on a questionnaire we had put together, but I wasn’t holding out much hope. It’s a very specialised Divine Favour, compatibility is going to be hard to find... well, perhaps if we searched for thieves and yakuza... That might have worked, but it wasn’t something I was prepared to countenance, not with the experiences some of us had suffered with under criminal Chosen.

With that done, I returned to the Material, having skipped out on sleep. Since I had rested after my mishap with my buffed Eye, I was feeling relaxed and rested enough, and the successes that Shaeula and the trainees had experienced only lifted my mood further. It was comforting to know that Shaeula was growing stronger almost as fast as I was. While a small part of me wanted to keep all the girls I loved away from battle, I was mature enough to know that was not only impossible, but doing them a grave disservice. No, they want to grow stronger, to protect themselves, each other, and me. They aren’t birds to be kept in a cage. Though I won’t compromise on doing my best to keep them as safe as possible...

To that end, I had a number of plans. But most of them would have to wait until after the weekend. I took quick shower, changed into a comfortable casual suit, and after checking in on Eri, who was doing her schoolwork remotely to keep up with her attendance requirements, and then Shiro, who was having a lazy morning, I headed out to my first of many meetings, this one at the Ministry...

********

“None. As I expected.” I sighed, going over the files in front of me. None of the people that we had considered were suitable to take the Divine Favour from me. “It’s annoying. The Favour isn’t a long term solution to our problems in terms of manufacturing and trade, but it would certainly push us ahead in both those areas as an effective stopgap.”

Haru-san, who was working on her laptop, fingers moving like lightning, her stats allowing her to do the work of three or four secretaries, which she complained was handy, as that was what I often asked her to do, let out an exasperated sigh. “Of course we won’t find anyone. We’re one in a hundred thousand, aren’t we Akio-san? If it was that easy, there’d be no way I’d have ever been chosen.” She shook her head meaningfully. “Well, we have a very limited pool of candidates, even most of the applicants haven’t been told a majority of the details. We can’t trust people that might leak our secrets or go to the press. The protests are still simmering, it wouldn’t take much of a spark to make them explode into genuine riots or civil unrest.” She rubbed at her temples. “Really, I’m searching so many minds with Telepathy, it’s like I’m going mad again.”

I felt a surge of sympathy at that. “If it’s too much, then we can scale back our efforts...”

“No.” Haru-san disagreed. “I’m just feeling sorry for myself. I can mostly control my Favour now, it’s only when I’m under a lot of stress or exhausted it sometimes activates unwillingly. Really, can’t a girl vent to her boss? I’d say you’ll never be popular with women until you learn to listen patiently, but I’d clearly be wrong.” She smiled, reassuring me she was fine, just letting off some steam. “Really, I think the way the world is now is far stranger and madder than any of my delusions when I thought I was crazy. But this is our reality now, so we make the best of it.”

“Yeah, I’m just feeling a bit frustrated myself.” I admitted. “There’s still a lot to do. The Chirurgery on the military, building up your Territory, mine and then pushing to Rank 4, restoring Eri to health and Tsukiko-san to life, sealing an alliance with Princess Eleanor, beginning tests on Material to Boundary Conversion, the joint venture with Ichijou house, more... the list is endless.”

“Yes, which is why we are trying to push on as quickly as we can with the Ministry and other matters, without sacrificing safety.” She consoled me. “We are making progress. Why not treat the weekend as a break? You’ll be in good company, right?” she winked.

“Yeah. I guess so. Well, I was just spoiled in how my sis and Kana managed to take Favours. I guess I can’t expect that sort of luck to hold forever.”

“You’re also forgetting that Kana-chan didn’t just take the Favour, she had to prepare herself for it, gaining earth element and more, right? Don’t worry, we’ll find someone. For now, just focus on one task at a time. Leave the trying to do twenty things at once to your overworked and underpaid vassal, who you are tirelessly trying to work into an early grave. I swear I’ll haunt you when you work me to death. Wait, I am already!”

“Yeah, very funny.” I laughed, my good humour restored once again.

“So what’s next on your agenda?” she asked, going back to her typing.

“I’m meeting Ixitt and Ichijou-san as well as several contractors out on the land we’ve earmarked for the new Ministry building, and our joint factories. That’s not for a few hours though...” I said, checking my watch, before realising I had put on a rather expensive one, out of habit rather than intent. I guess I’m definitely changing. Well, with my girls, I can’t look shabby and show them up when I’m with them, I’ll always have to keep relatively well turned out.

“In that case, I’ll have a car ready for you. While you wait...” she pointed to her screen. “Tsumura-sama has some of his pilots stationed nearby. You can always make a start on the Chirurgery?” She smiled happily, getting her revenge.

“Fine. You win. You take a break. I’ll get to work...”

“Aren’t you such a good boss?” her laughter followed me out...

********

“We can do it.” The contractor agreed, a big bear of a man, massive for being Japanese, and with a thick black beard, also unusual. “In fact, I’d love to take this job!” he boomed, his voice as loud as his scale.

“Well, I would also like to get started. My Mayumi is eager for this joint venture, to work with Hinata-chan. Oh, and you of course, Akio-san.” He was keeping his less warm manner of address since the meeting where Hinata and I had pushed back against the nobility, but I found that tiresome.

“Akio-kun is fine. I am a lot younger.” I said. “And since Mayumi-san is keeping her word and treating Hinata properly, I think we can be proper partners. So long as you remember that most of the effort comes from our side.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of forgetting that, Akio-kun.” He grinned wolfishly. “But conversely, you’re a very wealthy man just from the share in the Ichijou house industries you accrued by agreeing this joint project. So I think you could stand to be a bit more grateful.”

“Oh, I am.” I said, and meant it. “Your name also opens a lot of doors. I don’t deny it. But... well, I suppose arguing over the profits is premature.”

“Hardly.” Ixitt rubbed his hands gleefully. “We all know we shall be fabulously wealthy soon. But that is hardly all. Mortal Engineering, Science... all shall be advanced.”

The contractor looked a bit bemused at his enthusiasm, but the detailed plans we had presented him were holding his interest.

“Fabulous wealth, you say?” Ichijou-san laughed. “Really, I’m still curious as to what we’ll be doing here.”

“Well, now is not the time to speak of it.” Ixitt eyed the contractor, and taking the hint, we headed to another room. “You asked for weapons, the means to protect your country from war and woe, correct?”

“Well, it makes sense. Ichijou Heavy Industries does manufacture a number of crucial military assets, as well as export to allied countries around the world. Though I hardly think we want to be exporting anything involving these new abilities.” Ichijou-san replied.

“Well, perhaps not for now.” Ixitt allowed. “Mortal Engineering moves on, and what was once treasured works of artifice becomes old and antiquated rather quickly. Well, so much more so now.” he grinned. “As for the future...” he pointed to our set of blueprints. “... we should first work on the intermediary steps, that which makes us our wealth.”

Lastly, there was a Frenchman, Mr Arnault, who had brought his son. The young boy had been injured in a freak accident when a kettle of boiling water had exploded right next to his face, and even after a number of operations and painful skin grafts, the boy was still horribly scarred, and blind in his right eye, as well as deaf in his right ear. As the major shareholder in the famous fashion company LVMH and chairman of another equally famous one, he was prepared to spare no expense to heal his son, but modern medicine had failed him, until word amongst the rich and powerful had led him to Hinata’s door. “... so yes, fifty million euros total, ten million for the scars, ten million for his hearing, thirty million if you can fix his eye. In addition, well, our wardrobes could use a refresh, right? You have a lot of women, and they need clothing.” She grinned. “He promised that aside from the money, his gratitude would be eternal, and we would never want for champagne again.”

“I see. Well, you’ve certainly done well.” I praised her. “I thank you too, grandfather, I know you’ve been lending an air of authenticity to her role here.” The money is nice, we can put that to use immediately. The shares in various companies are only valuable if the world remains stable... but I’d rather have them than not. The other bonuses, well... why not?

“As for our esteemed Japanese guests...”

********

“... can’t believe it.” The man, head of one of the Three Hundred, was saying to Takatsukasa-san, tears in his eyes as he rotated his arm freely. “I never thought it would move again, my doctor had given up on it.”

“That’s right.” another man said, looking at his wife, who was weeping soundlessly, hugging her own body. “It... it’s impossible.”

“I’m happy for her, I really am, but that one was pretty much torture for me, especially in front of Hinata.” I complained, though my tone was light. Seriously, I know I can actually regrow damaged tissue now, especially when I called in Shiro to change my buff over, but regenerating breasts lost to a cancer mastectomy was extremely embarrassing for me.

“I shall never forget this favour!” Her husband was crying too now, caught up in the emotion. “I’m not sure what use my company has, but as promised...”

“Oh, well, as a Takatsukasa, I believe I should follow the lead of my grandfather, Ichijou-sama and Fujiwara-sama and protect the nobility.” Hinata laid it on thick, just as she had with the other half-dozen members of the Three Hundred, their families, and also one son of a truly major house, nearly as high in standing as Tsumura house, who had been born with a deformed hand. Yeah, that was harrowing in a different way to the breasts. Having to break his hand apart and rebuild it was pretty gruesome.

“I shall do as promised, of course!” the man said between tears. “Anything you need, at cost, as well as the land we were planning to sell when we build our new offices.” After that, Hinata’s adopted father escorted the nobles and their family out, leaving us alone.

Overall, from the Japanese nobility we had gained a number of plots of land in Tokyo, most of them unfavourable, but still of use to us, as well as trade agreements and some money, though that was only a side benefit, and nowhere near what we were charging the foreign nationals. More interestingly, Hinata had managed to gain ownership of a rather nice Onsen inn in Hakone, somehow, and when that was added to the budget hotels I had extracted from Kondou Kazuo, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say I was in the hospitality trade. Though the hot springs are likely a lot nicer than the hotels... I had transferred control of the hotels to Hinata recently, and while she hadn’t made any changes to their management or operations yet, I had a feeling she wasn’t satisfied making modest earnings.

“Well then...” my father-in-law said, looking at his daughter with a happy but complicated expression on his face. “The foreign patients and their families have been moved to a private hospital, where doctors will check your work and ensure that they are satisfied with the results. Then payment will be collected. You’re rather rich now, son-in-law.”

“He’s a marriage partner that will not shame Takatsukasa house.” Hinata smiled at Sakura-san and her family. “You see that now, right Sakura? And with all the support behind me, I’m a worthy granddaughter of Takatsukasa-san. I’m sorry, but things have changed. I’m no longer the troublemaker you need to look out for. I appreciate it, even if I didn’t always show it, found it annoying...” she took a long breath. “Minoru-kun doesn’t want to be heir. I don’t blame him.” She laughed. “It’s hard work. But I’ll make sure he gets to be the hero he wants to be. Safely.” She met Sakura-san’s wavering gaze. “So, now I can look out for you. Really, is there something you want out of life?”

“I... I am a daughter of Takatsukasa house. I will marry, start a family and...”

“If you want to, great. Being in love is sweet. Find yourself a good match and I’ll be the first to congratulate you. But if you want more out of life, you need to decide soon. Well, if you don’t want to talk to me about it, then what about Motoko or Miyu?”

“Our granddaughter is alive with passion right now.” Fukumoto-san grinned to his opposite number. The old man had no answer to that. “Times are changing.” He continued. “The nobility... they have to change too. You three old geezers know it, why else form the Three Hundred after the War? The only way to stop a decline is fresh blood, fresh ideas.” He turned to Sakura-san then, who was looking a little distressed, biting at her lip softly in a rare display of immodesty. “Why don’t you listen to what Hinata has to say?”

“I know you think I’m flighty and unreliable, always pushing too hard, trying to be what I’m not... and you were right.” Hinata agreed, looking at her cousin earnestly. “I brought you here to show you how I’ve changed, though you really should have noticed by now. It’s a funny thing, love.” She smiled, and I found it stunningly pure and beautiful. “Now I’ve stopped worrying about chasing after Mayumi, or being equal to you, Sakura. Well, I still want respect, but now, not for vanity, or to make me feel better, but because... I don’t want Akio or the others being looked down on! It’s not for me, that makes all the difference. Though...” her beautiful smile turned wicked. “... I do confess, I rather enjoy being seen as a daughter of Takatsukasa at last. But Sakura... look, this day alone, I’ve garnered support for Takatsukasa house from both many of the Three Hundred, as well as foreign allies. I’ve got a rich husband. Takatsukasa house needs money to rebuild itself, but more than that... it needs a reason.”

“A reason?” Sakura asked, unable to fight her curiosity.

“Yes. Fujiwara house is the true guardian of the nobility, and is invested in our security and stability against threats within and without. Hence Fujiwara security, Hanafubuki academy and more. Ichijou house is invaluable to the country with the Military and Heavy Industry. Takatsukasa house... well, what do we have, Sakura? Old glories, the oldest lineage... nothing else. No, we’ll be the house mediating the Chosen. Sure, there’s overlap, such as Tsumura house in the military, and Takakura house with the faith, but even so, we’ll stand above. Look...” she said seriously. “You would have married Akio here if ordered, right? I know it was mooted at one point. It made sense, really. Hence why I’ve stepped in and taken that role.”

“I would have, though his pedigree would have been a shame...”

“You don’t get it. His pedigree is that he’s the leader of the Japanese Chosen. Perhaps one stronger will come along in time, though I have my doubts about that...” her wicked, sly grin returned. “...but even then, our influence is solid. There will be no disgrace from Akio taking the reins. Far from it. Takatsukasa house will be revitalised, and live on for as long as Japan does. Seriously, Sakura... you need to find something you want to do. Well, if you want to help me rebuild Takatsukasa house, I’m all for it. If you want to marry out, as long as the man is good for you, I’ll support you all the way. If he's trash though...” she glanced at me, and I took the hint.

“I see you as family, Sakura-san. After all, you’re Hinata’s cousin, sister or whatever. All I know is... we didn’t do this to hurt you, or ruin your family. So if you have worries, you can come to us. But... I know it won’t be that easy to change your mind about us. Even so, if you’re ever in trouble, we’ll be there.”

“I...” she looked at us then, before fixing her gaze on Hinata. “... it is very frustrating. You have always caused me problems, embarrassed me so many times in front of our peers. The way you fawned over Mayumi-sama, not realising she saw you only as an amusing toy... yet somehow now you are standing beside her! The others of the Three Hundred mocked you for foolish pride, while the Fifty-Seven laughed at your overinflated ego and pride. Now nobody laughs, everyone wants to curry your favour. I simply cannot fathom it. How did it change? Am I the fool?”

“Not a fool.” I said gently. “Merely seeing Hinata change. Hell, I’m struggling to keep up with her ideas myself!”

“Hardly!” she laughed at that. “I couldn’t put any of my plans into motion without your support, and those of the others. Sakura... this is what you need to know. As nobility, the higher you are, the lonelier you are. Miyu, Motoko, you... even me... we all are princesses in our own walled gardens and the bigger garden that’s Hanafubuki. But we’ve shattered our walls. I shall run Takatsukasa house as an empire, supporting Akio financially and with political influence. Motoko and Natsumi are finally gaining their independence, the freedom to wield their weapons as their heart desires. Even Miyu is free to dance as much, no, more than she wishes.” Hinata giggled. “She is starting to pick up some colourful language from the others, and uses it to describe you sometimes, Akio.” She paused, reorienting her thoughts. “So, Sakura, step out from the walled garden, the birdcage. And find what you want to do.”

“All right, I think that’s enough.” Fukumoto-san said. “I think she understands, but for a sheltered girl such as your cousin... no, sister, you’re right, Akio-kun, this is rather awkward.” He laughed good-naturedly. “... such thoughts run counter to her upbringing and nature.”

“Yes. Take all the time you need. Just rest assured, Takatsukasa house is safe in our hands, and we have no intention of gutting its legacy.” I promised. “Only restoration, and a new purpose, for a new Japan, and a new world.” It’s easier to build when the foundations are already in place...

“All right. Well, I’ve said my piece, Sakura. You’ve seen what we can do, the tears, the gratitude. Think about what you can do to match that.” She smiled at Minoru-san then, who had been watching quietly, careful not to interrupt. “Well, Akio has more visitors to deal with, so why not come with me, Minoru-kun? We’ll start your new training regimen. Sakura... no, I’m not going to rush you.”

“Yes, I will take my granddaughter home.” Takatsukasa-san said, a touch ruefully. “We both have much to think about. Perhaps I have misunderstood your intentions a little.” He looked at me then, and I shrugged.

“Maybe so. Well, that’s the beauty of family, and we are family. There’s always time to talk things out. But for now...”

“Yes, I know. I’ll send Kana-chan to you, right?”

I nodded. It’s been a while, the neutral shrines and their trainees have barely been here since Kyoto. It isn’t that I don’t understand why, but... time to clear the air...