They had reached it. Kaede was not allowed in, just Sachiko and Masaki. Both of them entered the harbor with Isamu, knowing that this was their best shot no matter what other people thought. It was their best option in such a situation. Isamu had given her valuable information and also took him to her father. And if anything, Sachiko took the pistol Kaede gave to her.
She didn't say anything as to what it was doing on Kaede, but she thought that she will simply put her faith in her. If anything, it was handy to have if anything were to go wrong. She simply needed to aim well and shoot somewhere, anywhere will have an impact even if it is not lethal.
This was useful to have, she doubted it needed nearly as much skill as a blade will. It was rather light and she could hide it easily. Which she did, inside her sleeves. Carefully keeping it so that she will not pull the trigger on accident, perhaps she should think about getting herself one.
Isamu had taken her deeper into the harbor, where she had only entered it once. Just that one time where she waited for a ship, and the only time she could. After that a young woman will rarely be able to even leave unless her husband did, and she did not have any intentions to get married either. Thus, she knew that this place will unlikely be a way out. But one day, she know she can walk up the stairs of a ship.
Isamu stopped in a small warehouse, stored cargo. Although it was a little empty, allowing some space. She knew her father worked with merchants which made this place rather apt for hiding someone, and he had the connections to keep it a secret. The only reason why he was not found out.
He had to have a reason. Something which Sachiko knew that she was going to find out, it was too obvious not to make an attempt to. And if he was hiding, he knew that she guessed there was something more. He never sheltered her, or even made an attempt to disguise it. As a woman she was going to be treated as a pawn far more than a man will, she was going to be sold to the highest bidder if she didn't know it. Her father did not want that for her, not in the least.
He was odd, that much was true but he wanted her to be able to choose her life above all else. He owed her that much after all. Masaki had clung to her, uncertain of what was happening. Isamu opened the door and stepped inside before stepping out, and asking them to go in.
She stepped first and when it was safe then Masaki followed her. Being worried and a little scared will do the boy more good in the future, it will kept him wary about the dangers he was facing. And the fact that he almost became a Daimyo at such an age. Or will it be how her father plays it. Letting Masaki assume the title while he planned something out.
And in front of her had been her father. He had made an appearance at last. His hair was cut short, his face having grown quite a beard. And of course, he had grown thinner. Masaki was rather terrified, almost not recognizing him. She stepped forward first, it was undeniable.
"Isamu, take my son outside I need to speak with my daughter privately." He nodded, not asking why. But he did seem a little curious. Unusual for a father to trust his daughter more than his son, but he said nothing.
"Sachiko-chan, you did well." If anything, he must have guessed that she will have acted in such a way. That she will have done everything. She knew whatever he told her, and she never wanted to dig deeper. At least until now. But she knew that her father always had his own intentions and motives. She knew of his ambitions and goals, even more so than Masaki.
"You planned this?"
"I had to. At this point, the only way I could even make a swift takeover is if I let them believe I was no longer a threat." And thus make them believe that it was the end. Masaki will have convinced them that he did not know, albeit she didn't know why he didn't seem all that willing to be here.
"Are you bringing aid from aboard?"
He shook his own head. "I got them to stop interfering with the Shogunate. Took some time to convince other rebel groups to stir up enough trouble that they don't find it suitable to aid the Shogunate while they're struggling against us."
So that was why he took months. Even if the only people who were interested in their predicament had been two of the largest empires in the world, one in the north and the other in the west. But they had the ability to spare, and controlling their country could be beneficial and give them an edge over the other. In fact, Kyokuhi served as the balance. Both empires never outright attacked each other, one was too populous and the other the climate too harsh. At least without their assurance.
She didn't say anything, merely looking at her father. "After that, you're no longer bound by tradition and you'll be free to pick your next destination."
"Masaki, too?"
"Yes, even him. He can do as he likes, I don't want to hurt a boy too much." Even as the future seemed rather tough for him. With his death, Masaki inherited the lands and thus was a target. She gazed into his eyes, knowing that he didn't seem all that fazed to have a fourteen year old boy become the target. And that he found that it was necessary.
"By the way, who taught you to bring a pistol?"
Not much of a doubt that he will notice. This was her first time, she had never even carried a pistol until now.
"A friend of mine." She wondered whether he will have guessed. Or even tried to do so.
"That maidservant who is always around you." She nodded. It was safe for them to do so, at least choose to do so at the end of the day
"She is useful although you should be careful remain wary of her." It was a warning of sorts, but he was right. It was normal to be wary, and Kaede even more so given her silence on many things. She was good at keeping her secrets and has not revealed anything more than just having two brothers. There was very little about her past that she did know. "And you should try to get her to give you one."
But they were friends; she knew that because of the pistol. Why bother to go through so much trouble to do something like this.
"Also, keep your mother discreet on this. I don't want her to think that something is wrong." Even as she knew that her mother must have guessed, but she stopped caring about this sort of things a long time ago. The only person she seemed to show much care for was Masaki given the effort she put into her letters, she saw that. Her mother and father had very little things to say to each other.
And the same could be said for her.
"Of course, chichiue."
She stood up and he asked for Masaki, leaving her with only Isamu.
"Whoever that girl was, she was good." Hiding this sort of things without him even noticing. "The pistol is a nice model, albeit from the west. The kind that you can only get in this city."
And not anywhere else. Firearms were still a rarity in this country, apart from Okiban and Fukusei. Other parts of the country still stuck to swords, as the Emperor had refused to endorse this sort of weapons. They tolerated them, but little more from that.
"It is." She held it, as the weight didn't get to her.
"Either way, it is better than learning the blade at this age." She never did learn how to, and she kept herself away from it. But now she knew that her life was going to change, things were going to be more dangerous.
"Did you come to this because of anything?"
"A couple of reasons. But mostly because I wanted to see a future where we'll be better placed in the world. The shogunate is the one keeping up with the world, but most of the country remains ignorant. And yet the shogunate does little to help with it." Mostly because the Emperor had refused this, and made most of the countryside suspicious. And because they were so cut off from the world, there was nothing that really threatened them.
"I see." He wasn't wrong to even think of it in such a way as well. It was reasonable.
"You and your father look alike, but nothing similar to Masaki. I guess he takes after his mother." She gave a small smile. They did look similar, she admitted that. Although she was curious, but didn't press any more.
"You are a little young to be a spy." But then again, her father had a penchant for having a strange mind. And doing the unexpected so this could not or will not have been as bad as they thought it will have been.
"That's why I was sent. No one will think about how a boy like me is, even if they keep their guards up. I am too smart for my own good, and I happen to have plenty of technique with the blade despite claiming to be from a simple farmer family." A little more comfortable around her than anywhere else.
"I can see that." It was easy to underestimate, the same why her father told her. Most will expect that she will remain ignorant, she will have been assured to be of use to the family. She didn't need to know more than who she married.
"I doubt you're much older than me."
"Who knows?"
"How old are you?"
"Eighteen in a month or so."
"I'm nineteen this year." Guess he was slightly older than her. And thus giving her very little to almost no right to lecture him in the least. "You're a little young yourself."
And of course he will choose to remind her of the fact. "The kid is fourteen, right?"
She nodded. "And well, you know what my father plans for him."
"Ingenious." She had to admit that it was. No one could tell, no one will have guessed. Not even her as much as she could keep up this charade.
"I doubt chichue will tell him much."
"It's better that he doesn't know. This is not something a child can fully comprehend." That their country needed to get itself awake, that they needed to know that they could delude themselves further. They avoided war for most part because their country was a waste of resources, and of little use.
It was not entirely fertile, with plenty of mountains that covered their land. Hence, it was better for them to choose to make an alliance. One which will benefit them, and only conquer if it was better to their cause.
"I have to agree. Not that I'm any different." She wasn't wrong to have suggested that. She had kept Masaki from the truth, and thus she was no better than the man.
"Can't say that it was wrong." But it wasn't right either, it had taken his chance to choose. She will have to live with it. But she could at least protect him too, and he could leave once it was all over.
Masaki had ran out, looking as happy as ever. And they went off. She had found answers, but deep within herself she knew that this was the beginning of a very very difficult time for her. But her father gave her his word, it was roundabout and the actual promise not there. But it was enough for her.