Sometime after midnight, the entire Tower appeared to be asleep save for those unlucky guards still on patrol. When it was Julius's shift, he tucked the strange device into his pocket and calmly went about his normal patrol until he was passing by Mimi and Beatrice's cell.
Julius looked around to ensure that he was alone and unobserved. "Miss Beatrice," He said in an urgent whisper.
Beatrice and Mimi stirred inside their cell. Luckily, the area was deserted and the few other prisoners held on this level were fast asleep.
"What is it, in fact?" Beatrice muttered as she sat up and slowly opened her eyes. "What do they want with Betty now?"
"Miss Beatrice," Julius whispered. "Please be quiet. Quickly, read this!" Julius said, handing over the letter.
Beatrice read it quickly as Mimi sat up in the other bed.
Beatrice 's eyes bugged out. "Roswaal! Roswaal wants to help us escape?! Why-Whoah!" She cried out in shock as Mimi took a flying leap onto Beatrice's bed, bouncing Beatrice into the air and nearly knocking the little spirit onto the floor.
Beatrice glared at Mimi but Mimi was too busy reading the letter herself to notice.
"Well, nothing is free," Mimi said good-naturedly. "Apparently the Roswaal is only willing to help you escape so that your friend will owe him a favor."
"Exactly!" Beatrice hissed.
"Begging your pardon, Miss Beatrice," Julius said quickly. "But under the circumstances, perhaps that isn't an unreasonable bargain."
Beatrice looked mutinous but she made no other objection.
Mimi frowned. "Julius," She whispered. "The letter mentions a treasure. What treasure?"
Julius reached into his pocket and pulled out the strange twisted object.
Beatrice 's eyes lit up. "Mother's Multikey!" She gasped.
"What?" Mimi asked.
"This was one of Betty's Mother's inventions!" Beatrice said, grabbing the item. "It can open any door even if it is sealed by magic!" Beatrice squealed in glee.
"What about this one?" Mimi asked.
Beatrice snorted. "Without any doubt!" Beatrice said, bringing the key to the lock.
Julius 's hand was suddenly in the way. "Miss Beatrice," Julius said apologetically.
Beatrice looked outraged. "Julius! What are you doing in fact?" She demanded.
"Miss Beatrice, even if that treasure can open the door, how do you intend to escape?" Julius asked sadly. "The outer doors on each floor cause an alarm if they are opened by anyone except for the mage on duty. Can the key also disable those alarms? And what of Master Puck? Moreover, while I will lay down my life to protect you all, I am highly uncertain that I alone could break out of this Tower. Recall that you do have your magic sealed. And even if we could reach the front gate, the drawbridge across the crevasse has been raised for the evening."
Mimi looked crestfallen. "You can be a real downer sometimes, Julius," She complained.
"But he does make some good points, I suppose," Beatrice sighed. "Julius is right. Before we can escape, we need to have a plan to get out of here. A plan that is a bit more clever than just walking out the front door. Or at least we need to get these accursed magic bracelets off."
"Preferably both," Mimi sighed.
Julius looked around again to ensure that they were still unobserved. "Of course. Miss Beatrice, if I may ask, what is your plan?"
Beatrice 's face was grim. "Step one, Betty thinks that we need to hide the key, I suppose."
"Of course," Julius nodded.
"Mimi will hide it!" Mimi said, grabbing the key and stuffing it under her pillow. She looked back at Beatrice expectantly.
Beatrice looked back at Mimi 's broad smile in exasperation.
Impressive! No one would ever think to look there in fact, Beatrice thought sarcastically. Still, Betty supposes we don't have any better options…
"Good work, Mimi," Beatrice said unconvincingly but Mimi beamed all the same.
"Now what, Miss Beatrice?" Julius whispered.
Beatrice looked awkward. "Step two, Betty needs to regroup and… think up another plan, I suppose…" She trailed off.
Julius looked pained. "Miss Beatrice, is it at all possible that you have spent too much time in the company of Subaru Natsuki? I sense that you have already adopted some of his more distressing traits."
"Hey!" Beatrice protested. "Betty and Bubby love Subaru, Julius!" She said defiantly. Then her expression became slightly sheepish. "Although… Betty and Bubby are hoping to pick up fewer of his bad habits, I suppose."
Dinner had been 'edible' which Subaru considered to be a serious upgrade for Emilia's culinary skills and he had made sure to praise her after every other bite.
The next morning, they continued to follow the North Caravan Road to the northwest. West of the Magolya Plateau, the land dried out into a prairie covered in green grass. Small farms and homesteads dotted the land along the caravan route.
They traveled all morning until they saw a huge city in the distance.
Emilia peered at it. "Subaru, is that Kyo?"
"I think so," Subaru replied. "I don't know Kararagi geography very well but Otto implied that it was the first major city that we'd find on this route."
"Then we should be there this afternoon!" Emilia said.
"Yeah. Do you want to skip lunch so that we can hurry up and get there?" He asked. "I feel like I'd rather have real food for lunch than more of the travel rations."
"Well, we still have some of the food Otto gave us but I agree. Let's just hurry on to Kyo."
That morning, Beatrice sat in her cage racking her brains for a plan to escape the tower and was coming up with nothing.
Betty never read many books about prison breaks, I suppose, Beatrice thought ruefully. Betty isn 't sure what to do. Betty had assumed that once they found a way out of the cell, Betty and Mimi would be home free. They'd just find Bubby and leave the tower in fact. But things are more complicated, I suppose. Without their magic, Betty and Bubby are helpless.
Without any magic or any way to fight, Betty, Bubby … and Mimi, She added with a sigh, Will need to sneak out of the tower and Betty isn 't good at sneaking, I suppose.
The sad thing is that the best plan Betty and Mimi have come up with so far is still Mimi 's suggestion that Betty and Mimi find a uniform, stand on each other's shoulders, and impersonate a guard!
Mimi was staring out the cell bars with an expression of extreme concentration.
Mimi hasn 't spoken in hours. Betty wonders what she can do to encourage this type of behavior in Mimi.
"Betty," Mimi whispered the moment that Beatrice had jinxed herself.
Beatrice sighed. "Mimi, Betty does not want to play another game of 'I, spy,' in fact."
"Betty," Mimi ignored her. "What is that?" She asked, pointing at the wall across the hall from their cell.
Beatrice glanced at it. Mimi was pointing at some kind of grate built into the wall. "Probably part of the ventilation system, I suppose."
"And those lead all over the tower?" Mimi asked excitedly. "Maybe Betty and Mimi could escape that way!"
Beatrice sighed. "Mimi has read too many of the wrong books, I suppose," She grumbled. "Stories always have people escaping through the ventilation shafts. But Betty has read plenty of books explaining why this wouldn't work. People don't fit inside ventilation shafts. They're too small."
Mimi gave Beatrice a queer look. "Smaller than Mimi and Betty ? " She asked pointedly.
Beatrice blinked and then bolted upright. She 's right! Betty, Bubby, and Mimi are tiny! We could fit through the vents, I suppose!
Beatrice raced to the cell door and stood beside Mimi, staring at the vent.
"The problem is that the grate is screwed down tight," Mimi muttered. "And Mimi's claws can't unscrew things. She learned that the hard way," She lifted a hand with a look of remembered pain on her face.
Beatrice gestured dismissively. "We have Mother's Multikey! It will unscrew the grate!"
"Really?!" Mimi said excitedly. "Let's go!"
Mimi raced back to her bunk to grab the Multikey but before she could grab it, she felt a weight on top of her and found herself being crushed down on top of the mattress.
The breath whooshed out of Mimi 's lungs as she realized that Beatrice had tackled her and slammed her down on her own bed.
"Wow," Came a voice from outside the cell. Mimi managed to look behind her and saw two guards standing there, staring at them. "A few more weeks and we might get to watch some 'hot lesbian action' in this cage."
Beatrice scowled at them.
Mimi wanted to hiss at the guards but she still lacked the necessary breath.
The guard continued to stare at them but Mimi and Beatrice didn 't twitch and after a moment, the guards kept walking on their patrol.
"You want to watch 'hot lesbian action' between a spirit and a cat-girl who both look like they belong in primary school?!" The other guard said in disgust.
"I'm bored!" The first guard complained.
"You're sick is what you are," The second grumbled.
"Hey! If we can't have some fun with the prisoners, then what's the good of them?!"
Beatrice glowered down at Mimi. "Check for guards before acting, Mimi!" She growled.
Mimi flushed. "Sorry."
"Betty and Mimi can't run off half-cocked!" Beatrice hissed as she climbed off of Mimi. "We'll only have one chance to break out in fact! We need to pick our time carefully!"
"Sorry, Betty," Mimi murmured, shame-faced. "So what do we do?"
Beatrice thought for a moment. "Julius will be by sometime today. We'll tell him our plan and ask him where Bubby is, I suppose. We'll need to find Bubby before we escape."
Mimi nodded with a determined look on her face. "No cat left behind!" She declared, raising her fist defiantly.
Beatrice stared at her incredulously and then shook her head. "Tonight, when the whole tower is asleep, Betty and Mimi will try to stuff our beds so that it will look like we're are still sleeping. Then we'll explore the vents. We need to find Bubby and we need to find the exit before we really try to escape, I suppose."
Mimi nodded. "But, Betty," Mimi said. "How will we escape? The vents can 't bring us out over the canyon. We'll need to use the drawbridge and that means that we need to go out the front door!"
Beatrice nodded. "Betty knows that, Mimi. One… One step at a time, I suppose."
By the time they reached the city, Patrasche was beginning to stumble. This was a longer run without rest or a lunch break than she was used to and she cast hard looks at her master as they neared the end.
"We're almost there, Patrasche," Subaru said, rubbing her head soothingly. "Then you can get some good food and a full night's rest."
Patrasche snorted but she continued running, looking slightly mollified.
"Are we spending the night here?" Emilia asked.
Subaru shrugged. "I mean… we might as well. We're not going to get there until early afternoon and who knows how long it will take to find and meet with Otto's contact? For all I know, we won't be able to set up a meeting until tomorrow morning."
"Well, I can't say that I'd be averse to sleeping in a real bed for a change," Emilia admitted.
Subaru and Emilia approached Kyo. Unlike Lagunican cities, this town had no walls protecting it. The buildings were much smaller on average and they used wood in their construction more often than stone.
Subaru had started to rein in at the gates to speak with the guards station outside but the guards just looked at them curiously.
"Is something wrong, sir?" One of the guards asked politely. He was a young man with curly white hair and just a hint of curly ram's horns protruding from his head.
Huh. I guess they don 't care who's coming and going around here as long as they don't make trouble.
I guess that makes sense. I think that Kararagi is a free-trade zone between the cities so they don 't need to worry about inspecting goods or charging tariffs.
"No, I guess I'm just used to needing to stop and declare myself before entering a town," Subaru said awkwardly.
The guard smiled at him. "Lagunican?"
"Is it that obvious?" Subaru asked.
"That riding dragon is a good clue too, sir," The guard chuckled. "Have you been to Kyo before?"
"First time," Subaru answered.
"Have you come for the festival?"
"Festival?" Subaru echoed.
The guard 's face grew awkward. "Tonight is the Festival of Kararagi's Independence. It's the biggest celebration of the year. People from villages and farms all over come to the nearest city to feast and make merry until dawn. You didn't know?"
"First that I've ever heard of it," Subaru admitted.
The guard looked pained. "I'm sorry to say this, sir, but you may struggle to find accommodations this evening. The inns are full to bursting this time of year."
Subaru closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright. Well… It won't be the first night that we've camped out on the prairie."
"At least we can have some fun at the festival," Emilia offered.
Subaru nodded and turned back to the guard. "Say, could you help us find someone?"
"I'll try."
"We're looking for a merchant named Ebenezer Talpa. Any idea where we could find him?"
"Oh, sure! I know where his office is. You head toward the middle of town and then hang a left at the fountain. Look for the unassuming building next to the butcher's shop. You can't miss it."
"Thanks," Subaru said, nudging Patrasche into a walk.
"Have a nice day!" The guard called after them.
The streets of Kyo were simply alive with people. People were everywhere, walking, talking, playing games at street-side booths, buying food, or just wandering around with friends and family. The dense crowds stopped Patrasche in her tracks.
Subaru looked around with an expression of wonder on his face.
"Subaru?" Emilia asked in concern. "Are you alright?"
"I don't believe it," He whispered.
Emilia blinked. "Don't believe what?"
Subaru stared at the city. "This place… it's just like home, Mili!"
The city was awash in conflicting architectural styles but most houses looked like traditional Japanese buildings. Subaru saw that most people wandering the streets were wearing simple kimonos and similar old-fashioned garments. Street merchants littered the road, hawking goods from street carts and Subaru saw them serving any number of delicacies and treats that he remembered from festivals in Japan.
"Subaru, what do you mean?"
Subaru shook his head in wonder. "Those houses look like Minka ! " He said excitedly.
Emilia blinked. "They look like what ? " Emilia asked.
"They're… They're traditional houses where I come from. It's a design from a few centuries ago! And these people are wearing kimonos and even the food here looks the same! This is amazing!"
Emilia looked at the city curiously. "Is this really what your world is like?"
Subaru hesitated. "Well, it would be fairer to say that this is what it used to look like a few centuries ago. The only time that you 'd really see people dressed like this is for festivals or for special occasions."
Emilia blinked. "How could that be? How could this city look like your homeland?"
"I have no idea," Subaru admitted. "But it's amazing…"
"These people are wearing strange robes, Subaru," Emilia noted.
"They're called 'kimonos,' Mili. They-"
"Excuse me, sir," A young woman with dark hair said pointedly. She was wearing a guard's uniform and had a crossbow slung against her back.
"Yes?" Subaru asked.
"We ask that you walk your dragon during the festival, sir," She said. "The city is quite crowded today."
Subaru nodded and slipped off of Patrasche. He reached up and helped Emilia down and then he took Patrasche by the reins.
The guard made no more comments toward them and simply let them walk down the crowded streets.
Subaru and Emilia walked the streets hand in hand.
"Oh, wow!" Subaru said in excitement. "Takoyaki!"
"What?" Emilia asked in complete confusion as she felt herself being pulled toward a food cart sitting by the road.
The old, bald man working the food cart laughed. "An aficionado?" He asked.
"I haven't had Takoyaki since I was a kid!" Subaru shouted in delight. "How much?"
Emilia looked at the treats curiously. They looked like little balls of fried dough with red sauce on top.
"A copper each or a dozen for a silver piece but I'll give you one on the house since I love to see people enjoying them so much!" The man said with a good-humored laugh.
Subaru dug into his pocket and handed him a silver coin.
The man laughed as he handed Subaru a crudely woven bag filled with dough balls and the man tossed an extra one on top. "Enjoy the festival!"
"Thank you! We will!" Subaru said, laughing as they walked away.
Subaru wasted no time popping one into his house and swallowing it whole. "Mili, try one!" He coaxed.
Emilia picked up the ball and sniffed at it experimentally. Then she shrugged and tossed it into her mouth.
Her eyes bugged out. "Subaru! What's in this?! " She gasped.
"Octopus!" Subaru said cheerfully, eating another one.
Emilia fought not to spit the ball out due to the sharply unexpected flavors. She managed to chew and swallow it. "This is what people eat where you come from?" She asked weakly.
"Now and then. It's a festival treat," Subaru explained as they reached the fountain that the guard had told them about.
While Subaru wasn 't looking, Emilia spit out a few stray bits of Takoyaki. She found herself wishing that she had something to wash the strange taste out of her mouth.
"Hey there, handsome!" A voice called out.
Subaru started. He looked up and saw a spacious townhouse with a large balcony hanging above him. The large balcony was full of kimono-clad women of all shapes and sizes, human and demi-human. The only thing that they all had in common was they were all young and beautiful and they each wore a shiny, black collar around their necks.
Subaru looked at the girl who had called out to him, a slender, dark-haired beauty who proceeded to wrap herself around a pillar as if it was a stripper 's pole.
"Looking for some excitement?" She called archly. "Five silver and I'll give you and your lady friend a night that you'll never forget."
Subaru stared at the girl in disbelief.
A moment later, he felt himself almost jerked off his feet. "Come along, Subaru!" Emilia snapped under her breath, pulling him away.
Subaru heard the girls above them laughing before their attention was drawn away, calling out to other potential customers.
Emilia glared at him and Subaru flushed.
Emilia shook her head. "I don't want you talking to tarts, Subaru!" She said firmly.
Subaru snickered. " Tarts ? " He echoed.
"That's what they are! Don't tell me that you didn't know that!" Emilia said sharply.
Subaru shook his head. "It's just a really old-fashioned term, Mili," He said in a placating tone.
Emilia sniffed. "I'm using an old term to refer to the world's oldest profession. Now let's hurry up and find that merchant."
Because the streets were so crowded, Subaru and Emilia decided to put Patrasche in for the night at a stable that they passed so that the tired dragon could rest.
"How much?" Subaru asked the stable hand as they took Patrasche's reins.
"Five coppers for the night," The young boy replied.
"Fine," Subaru said, pulling the coins out of his purse.
"-But for one silver we have premium food and a rubdown for the dragon. And for two silvers we offer premium food, the rubdown, and a full breakdown and inspection of your saddle plus repairs. Replacement parts cost extra, of course," The stable hand said.
Subaru stared at the boy for a long moment and then handed him a silver coin.
"Thank you, sir!" The boy said cheerfully, pocketing the coin.
Subaru and Emilia left the stable.
"You know, I've never been 'up-sold' at a stable before," Subaru murmured.
"It seems like Anastasia comes by her peculiarities honestly," Emilia agreed.
"We have a delivery for Ebenezer Talpa," Subaru said.
Subaru and Emilia stood in a small office with a pretty young girl sitting behind the desk and a few comfortable chairs along the wall to provide seats for guests.
The girl had long blond hair and a shiny, black collar around her neck. "Master Ebenezer is in a meeting right now. If you could take a seat, he'll be right with you."
"Thank you," Subaru said.
"I like your necklace," Emilia said.
The girl looked stricken. She stared at Emilia for a long moment and then moistened her lips. "Thank you," She said weakly.
Subaru grabbed the confused Emilia 's arm and gently pulled her away from the desk, grumbling. He brought her to the seats at the far side of the waiting room.
"Subaru!" She whispered. "What's going on?"
"Emilia," Subaru grumbled. "That's a slave collar."
Emilia 's jaw dropped.
"I saw some of them in the slaver's camp that I broke open," Subaru said grimly.
Emilia stared at him. "Subaru," She whispered. "What do we do?!"
Subaru snorted. "What do you mean? There's nothing that we can do! Not unless you want to try to spark a revolution here before heading off to Girali. "
"Maybe we could buy her freedom?" Emilia suggested.
Subaru gave her a hard look. "Emilia, I don't know if you're keeping track but our money pouch is getting pretty empty. Besides, why her ? Why not that street sweeper that we passed on the way here or one of those 'tarts?' They all had collars too. What makes her so special?"
Emilia looked horrified and then she bowed her head with a guilty sigh.
Subaru glanced back at the receptionist who appeared to be doing her best to ignore the two of them.
Subaru, having already concluded that there was nothing that they could do, let his mind drift elsewhere.
How is this possible? Seeing that writing in English on the Great Tree the other day was surreal enough but this town looks like it could have been transported from medieval Japan. And that 's still ignoring that the Ryuzus somehow know the Greek alphabet.
All of this makes no sense! I mean, I noticed that Lagunica had more than a few similarities to medieval Europe but I guess I didn 't think too much about it. European castles and Lagunican castles look very much alike but I assumed that was convergent evolution. After all, they're designed as fortresses and there are only so many designs that make sense for that job. Same thing for weapons and armor. A sword can be straight or curved and that's pretty much it. Maybe it's because I don't know much about medieval Europe that I just couldn't tell if Lagunica was following the same designs unrealistically closely.
But the Minka houses. There 's no way that they just… stumbled onto the same design by accident. Hell, the design doesn't even really make sense out here! I recognize the steep roof designs that they're using. They were designed to deal with the heavy precipitation that we get in some areas back home. But Kararagi isn't an island out in the middle of the ocean, it's mostly grassland and prairie! So why would they end up with the same design?
The bigger buildings even have the same upturned corners on their roofs that I remember seeing on old buildings back home. Dad told me that was because of a legend that evil spirits hated curves and would bounce off the roofs. I 'm really pretty skeptical that Kararagi just inexplicably shares that same belief.
So where does this leave me?
…There's only one possible conclusion. I'm not the first person that came here. There have been others.
I remember Ram mentioning that other people show up here from time to time, claiming to be from 'beyond the Great Waterfall' as they put it, but they're usually dismissed as frauds after their claims don't hold up to scrutiny.
Now it seems like maybe a few people really did come here from my world before. Probably several times. I don 't think that the writing on the tree was written by someone who only knew English as a second language. If I'd really wanted to get my message out, I'd probably have written the same message in every language I know. The writing was just in English so that was probably the only language that the writer knew.
But why not write the message in a language that the people here could read?
Maybe he didn 't know the local script yet? It certainly took me a while to learn.
I suppose it 's not impossible that the same person that wrote that message also taught the locals how to design Minka. Maybe a native English speaker who enjoyed studying Japanese culture?
Of course, that still requires me to ignore the fact that the message on that tree is about a hundred times older than the language it 's written in. And that's a puzzle that's threatening to break my brain!
No. If I 'm assuming that Kararagi was heavily influenced by Japanese culture then I also have to conclude that Lagunica was somehow influenced by European culture. So now I'm up to at least two strangers from my world that visited at some time in the past.
And if there were two, why not three? Or three hundred?
And these strangers must have been pretty influential people to have transformed whole nations this way.
And what about the other nations? I don 't know much of anything about Vollachian culture at all. And all that I know about Gusteko comes from our brief visit to Siros but Anri told us flat out that Siros was an out-lier and not very reflective of Gusteko society as a whole.
Subaru took a deep breath. Why does this possibility bother me so much?
So what if I 'm not the first person to come here from my world? I'm the only one that's here right now.
…At least as far as I know…
Come on, what difference does it make anyway?
Well, it could make plenty of difference if people from my world are all handed Authorities as soon as they arrive. That would mean that anyone else from my world could pose a definite threat to me and Emilia.
It 's completely rational for me to be concerned about the possibility.
It 's not like I'm just worried that other people from my world having come here before would make me less special.
"Mister Talpa," The blond receptionist said, opening the door to the office and leading Subaru and Emilia inside. "You have guests."
Subaru and Emilia entered into a small office where a mole demi-human with enormous glasses and a long nose sat behind the desk.
He was short but extremely stocky and his hands were massive relative to the rest of his body. His legs were very short for his size and his arms very long. He wore a neat, tailored, blue suit.
Ebenezer lifted his glasses to try and focus on his guests, peering myopically at them. "I see. Welcome."
"Can I get you anything else, Master Ebenezer?" The receptionist asked.
Ebenezer shook his head. "No, I don't think so-"
"Thank you, sir," The receptionist whispered, slipping out of the room as fast as she could.
Ebenezer stared at the fleeing receptionist in confusion. He cleared his throat. "Now. What might I do for you?"
Subaru pulled a small box out of his satchel and handed it to Ebenezer. "We're delivering this to you. On behalf of Otto Suwen."
Ebenezer gave a great sigh of relief. "Oh. Thank the Gods," He murmured, taking the box. "I was afraid he'd screw this up and lose all these precious stones."
Ebenezer quickly unsealed the box and checked the contents. "Good they all appear to be here." He glanced at Subaru. "But why did he subcontract to you instead of fulfilling the contract himself?" He asked.
Subaru shrugged. "Otto is… a friend of ours. He's working on a contract for us right now and since we were coming out this way anyway, we volunteered to complete his delivery."
Ebenezer studied Subaru closely. "Friends of Otto?" He said sympathetically. "You must be trying to give him money too."
Subaru cocked his head.
Ebenezer sighed. "That boy has the most uncannily consistent bad luck that I have ever encountered. No matter how simple the job that I try to give him, somehow it always goes wrong."
"It sounds like Otto is more than just a business contact to you," Subaru observed.
Ebenezer nodded. "I met the lad many years ago. Back then, I was just a one-wagon merchant. I had a shipment of spices that were worth a fortune but they were withering in the humid air near Picoutatte. My ligers refused to move no matter what I did. I thought that I was doomed to bankruptcy since, if I didn't get moving soon, my entire cargo would be ruined. Then a boy with white hair appeared. He struggled to speak to me. For a while, I thought that he was retarded or something, but he finally managed to explain that my ligers had abscesses on their feet from our trip through rocky terrain and that was why they refused to move. I didn't understand how he figured that out but I got a healer out there to fix the problem and then I made my delivery. I made a great deal of money on that transaction, thanks to young Otto. That was the foundation of my fortune. Now I own shops all over the continent."
"Huh. Sounds like Otto was lucky for you," Subaru noted.
Ebenezer nodded. "Very much so! And ever since then, whenever I passed that way, I made certain to seek the boy out and thank him. His family seemed to view the boy as a simpleton or a burden and I could tell that he wanted to get away from them. So when he was old enough, I suggested that he separate from his family's business and become an independent merchant. By then, I was a Grand Master Merchant and I was able to give him some generous contracts to start him off right. But they all ended in disaster."
Subaru winced. "Did he cost you a lot of money?" He asked.
"No! Every single venture that we ever went into, we broke even! Right down to the last copper! It was the most incredible thing that I'd ever seen. At one point, I asked the poor boy if he'd somehow been cursed by a witch! Being unable to make a profit is among the worst afflictions imaginable! Just imagine, knowing in advance that any action, any plan, any venture, will end without improvement for you no matter how hard you try! It's a nightmare!"
Ebenezer shuddered. "I'm honestly not sure what to do," He admitted. "I'm certainly indebted to the boy and I wish to help him but the longer that this goes on, the more I wonder if I'm meddling with some sort of black magic here."
Naturally. If something goes wrong, it must be black magic, Subaru grumbled to himself. Blaming black magic for all your problems borders on being trendy in this world.
Subaru scratched his chin. "Maybe you're just not using him right," He suggested.
"What do you mean?"
"Well… You said that you always broke even, right?" Subaru suggested.
"Down to the very last copper," Ebenezer emphasized.
"Well, instead of giving him a 'sure thing' what about handing him a poison pill to handle for you?"
Ebenezer squinted at him, then took off his glasses and cleaned them. "I don't think that I understand."
"You're a master merchant," Subaru said patiently. "That means that you have to deal with all kinds of transactions and some of these contracts must be promised years in advance! There has to be some deal on your books that you're going to absolutely hate to fulfill! Something that's going to cost you an arm and a leg because of tariff changes, or supply line changes, or market conditions."
"Well, sure but what's your point?"
"Like I said, instead of giving Otto a sure thing and letting him try to profit off it, why not give him an absolute disaster? Make him facilitate a deal that you can honestly say is a nightmare that you're going to lose money on. Tell him that you expect to lose out badly on this so you can't share the profits with him and you'll give him a flat fee for taking care of it. But tell him that you'll also give him a bonus for every… hundred sovereigns that he saves above your projections."
Ebenezer mulled that over. "That's an interesting idea," He muttered. "Otto does have a strange talent for avoiding complete disaster. I suppose that he 's had a lot of practice."
Ebenezer 's squinty eyes widened. "Well… Why not? Why not try this? I actually do have a 'poison pill' as you put it that needs to be shipped this very week! Even in the best of cases, I'm already in breach of contract. I don't have nearly enough goods to fulfill the agreement and I can only hope to mitigate the damages collected at court. Even if the entire shipment is lost, it won't be much worse than I already expect."
"Let Otto try it," Subaru shrugged. "See if you can turn his weird luck to your advantage."
Ebenezer laughed. "A fine idea! You must be good friends of his! Let's see, how rude of me, I don't believe that I ever caught your names."
Subaru hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. Well, we're not in Lagunica anymore. Let's try this out.
"My name is Subaru Natsuki and this is my wife, Emilia."
Ebenezer 's eyes widened. "Subaru Natsuki of Lagunica? I never realized that Otto traveled in such exalted circles."
Subaru chuckled. "I'm hardly 'exalted' anymore," He pointed out.
"Ha! You're too modest, my boy! I've heard a great deal from Anastasia Hoshin about your inventions."
"You know Anastasia?" Subaru asked in surprise.
"Oh, yes! We've worked together many times over the years," Ebenezer said. "I know all about your unfortunate exit from the Royal Selection and that ludicrous trial. Rest assured, you are safe in Kararagi."
Subaru made a face. "I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of bounty hunters in Kararagi that would be willing to sell me back to the Kingdom."
"I doubt that," Ebenezer said flatly. "In Kararagi, there is a strong law against collecting a proscribed bounty."
Subaru frowned. "I don't know what that means," He admitted.
"You see, some decades back, Lagunica started issuing bounties against licensed slave traders in the other nations. They were essentially trying to restrict the slave trade that way," Ebenezer said calmly, not noticing Subaru's flaring nostrils. "It was sort of an end run around the law to try and make slavery illegal across the continent, or at least to make it unprofitable. In retaliation, the other kingdoms all passed laws putting heavy penalties on any bounty hunter seeking to capture and collect on a bounty that was 'proscribed' in their own kingdom. This included things like slave trading or, for example, charges of 'witchcraft.' There hasn't been a credible case of witchcraft in centuries. Now these laws against black magic are just an excuse for Gusteko and Lagunica to legally punish people who step out of line in the community," Ebenezer snorted. "If the Lagunican Assembly had the least bit of sense, they would at least have accused you of something credible! But any bounty hunter seeking to capture you would face criminal charges in Kararagi. Not to mention that their own guild would blackball them if not put out a bounty on the hunter in turn! Regardless, I think that you can rest assured, you are quite safe as long as you remain in the west."
Subaru nodded slowly. "Thank you," He said. "That was actually most reassuring."
Ebenezer nodded. "I do hope that you and your lovely wife," He said slowly, fidgeting with his glasses and trying to peer at Emilia, "Will consider settling down in Kararagi soon so that you can begin inventing again." He paused, "I am a player in the Kararagi Consortium just as Anastasia Hoshin is. As such I am privy to a great deal of information about her plans and the broader Consortium's as well. While I'd like to be of assistance to you in this matter, I hope that you can understand that it would be completely inappropriate for me to reveal that the Kararagi merchant consortium is quite nearly drooling over the prospect of your 'engine' and that you could almost certainly name your price for them."
Subaru gave him a small smile. "Of course. I'd never ask you to disclose any of that privileged information."
"I'm glad that you understand," Ebenezer said, not changing expression. He paused. "I should try to send information on that offer to Otto tonight," He mused. "He'll need to set out to Girali within the next few days to make the shipment."
"You could just give it to us," Subaru offered.
"Pardon?"
"Otto is already planning on making a trip out to Girali in the next few days," Subaru explained. "He's shipping some gear for us there. We can give him the instructions when we meet up with him there if you like."
Ebenezer 's eyes lit up. "Oh my! Let's hope that this is an example of good luck ! " He looked at Subaru speculatively. "You're headed to Girali?"
"Yes," Subaru said without offering any further information.
Ebenezer thought it over for a moment. "Well, you know your own business. I won't ask any questions. In any case, thank you very much, Master Subaru. Is there anything that I can do for you?"
Subaru thought for a moment. "Well, it's pretty late in the day for us to set out again. Do you have any suggestions of where we could find a good inn? I've been warned that lodging would be a problem tonight."
Ebenezer looked somber. "Yes, I'm afraid that it certainly will be. The city is virtually sold out during the festival every year…" Ebenezer thought for a moment. "Actually, perhaps I can help you! You see, I frequently rent out a small townhouse in the heart of Kyo but this year, the negotiations fell through, and it 's far too late for me to get anyone else to rent it. You could have it for the night if you like."
"How much?"
Ebenezer waved his hand. "Just take it! Like I said, I can't rent it now anyway. In fact, I'll do you one better," He reached into his desk and pulled out some slips of paper as well as a key, and handed them to Subaru.
"What are these?"
"Tickets," Ebenezer said, his long nose twitching. "The local merchant guild, to which I am a presiding member, does a great deal of charitable work and fund-raising during the festival. Many of the local businesses give us these tickets as a way of saying thanks. It's an invitation to a very exclusive restaurant and a dress fitting for traditional clothing during the festival along with some transport vouchers. Take them with my compliments."
Subaru slowly looked the tickets over. "This is extremely generous of you, Master Ebenezer," Subaru said slowly.
Ebenezer chortled. "And, since you are not a fool, Subaru Natsuki, you are now wondering just what my angle is? " He asked archly.
"The thought occurred," Subaru admitted.
"Well, I'll tell you. This is a naked attempt to buy your goodwill," He said without an ounce of shame. "Think of it as an investment. If half of what Anastasia said is true, you are likely to be one of the most powerful merchants in the world within a decade and I would very much like you to be fondly disposed toward me. I think that a few small favors now will pay off dividends in the future."
Subaru started to chuckle. "Well, thank you very much, Master Ebenezer."
"Don't give it a second thought, my boy!" He said, waving goodbye. "Just remember to pop in and visit the next time you come to Kyo."
"Thank you!" Subaru said as he and Emilia slipped out of the office, talking animatedly as they walked past the receptionist wearing the slave collar.
It took Subaru and Emilia a while to locate the townhouse. The sun was beginning to set when they finally found it.
They explained their presence to the building manager on the first floor and were quickly ushered up to the penthouse floor.
The townhouse was elaborately furnished and spotless.
The living room was all white with a large and comfortable sofa and a large balcony overlooking the lake below. The bed looked to be enormous.
Subaru looked around. "This place looks great! Way better than any place we've stayed since we left the Manor. Well, except for Anri's palace."
"I like the forest, Subaru," Emilia reminded him.
"I like it too!" Subaru chuckled. "But you have to admit this is… more luxurious at least."
Emilia was exploring the apartment. "Oh, Gods! There is even a bathtub ! " She squealed.
Subaru laughed. "I sense that you're warming up to this place."
"Do I have time to take a bath?!" She asked eagerly.
Subaru shrugged as he heard the water start running. "I don't see why not. It's hours until the dinner reservation that Ebenezer gave us and almost as long to that dress fitting."
"Dress fitting?" Emilia echoed with a grunt.
Subaru smiled, knowing that she was already taking her clothes off in her haste to bathe. "It's kind of a traditional thing for festivals. I'll tell you about it later."
"Alright," Emilia said distractedly, her focus completely on the bath.
Subaru scratched his chin. "Say, Emilia, how big is that tub?"
"Um. Pretty big, why?"
"Big enough for two?" He asked archly.
There was a pause and then he heard Emilia giggle.
"I don't know," She tittered. "I guess it depends on how… friendly they are."
"Do you feel like trying?" Subaru called, walking into the bathroom.
"Subaru! Hurry up and get in!" She shouted.
A few hours later when the pair had scrubbed themselves clean in the bathtub as well as done a few other things, they both felt much refreshed and they left the townhouse.
"So, we're finally going out on a date," Subaru said with a smile.
"A date?" Emilia echoed. She frowned. "You mentioned that once before, didn't you? It's part of the courtship ritual where you come from."
"Yup. It's taken us a few months but we're finally going on a date."
"What do you do on a date?"
"Well… you go someplace and spend time together and learn more about each other and have fun," Subaru said awkwardly.
Emilia digested that. "So where are we going?" Emilia asked.
"Well, we have that dress fitting and the reservation at the restaurant," Subaru admitted, watching an approaching carriage. "I have no idea where either is but we have these 'transport vouchers' from Ebenezer so…"
Subaru put up his hand and the carriage came to a halt in front of them.
They approached the carriage: a fairly ornate open-backed landau that was being pulled by an enormous, well-groomed white liger the size of an ox.
The driver was a young man with brown hair. He was impeccably dressed in an elaborate yukata.
"Good evening, Master and Lady," He said with a flamboyant bow. "My name is Uma. How may I assist you?"
Subaru handed him the transport voucher and showed him one of the tickets. "We're trying to get here," Subaru pointed at the ticket. "Do you know where it is?"
"Of course, young masters! Hop in! We'll be there in a few minutes!"
Subaru and Emilia climbed into the carriage and the carriage set off.
A few moments later, Subaru and Emilia found themselves traveling around a beautiful lake that was surrounded by pink cherry blossom trees.
"This is beautiful!" Emilia whispered.
"I haven't seen these trees in bloom in years," Subaru murmured.
Emilia looked at him. "You have these where you come from?"
Subaru nodded. "The days when the trees are in bloom are really important. Especially for lovers. People come from all over the world to see them…" He said in a somber voice.
"You're well educated about this!" Uma said in a jovial voice, misinterpreting what Subaru was saying. "This is White-Petal Lake. The entire town was built around it as water is hard to come by out on the prairie but the lake and its water source makes life bearable in Kyo."
"Oh, Subaru! Look! It's beautiful!" Emilia breathed, looking out at the shining lake.
The carriage drove down a broad boulevard that hugged the water 's edge. The lake was a vast shallow pool of nearly transparent water that shone silver in the moonlight.
"It really is beautiful," Subaru agreed, although he was looking at Emilia and not out at the water.
Emilia realized what he was looking at and she turned bright red.
Subaru shook himself out of his reverie. "Hey," He called up to Uma, "I know that we gave you a voucher but are you actually getting paid for this?"
Uma burst out laughing. "No worries, master! Trust me, freemen of Kararagi never agree to work if they're not getting paid for it! The vouchers are worth real money. I just need to bring them to the guild tomorrow and they'll give me coins so the vouchers are a fine form of payment. Except for the tip. That one is still on you, young master."
Subaru chuckled at this broad hint.
Uma stopped the carriage in front of a small row of businesses.
Uma opened the carriage door for them and helped them step out.
Subaru looked at the shop in front of them that was labeled "Luane's." The lights indicated that the store was still open.
Subaru and Emilia approached the store and Subaru noticed that Uma was following them.
"I can help carry your purchases, young master," He explained to Subaru's curious look.
Subaru nodded and they entered the building.
The shop was a small clothing store. It was clean and well-kept but it had the odd dustiness one often finds in places that work with fabric. The shopkeeper was an older demi-human woman with a smattering of green scales on her cheeks.
"Good evening, young master," She said politely to Subaru. "What can I do for you?"
"Um," Subaru handed her the ticket. "My wife and I are going out for a night on the town. We were hoping that you could give us some more appropriate clothing for the festival."
"Oh! Of course, of course!" Luanne said with a bright smile. She walked over and inspected Subaru closely. "I have a lovely green yukata that would look just splendid on you, young man. And who's the other…"
Luane seemed to notice Emilia for the first time and she clasped her hands to her mouth. "Oh, my… You're adorable ! " She squeed.
Emilia blinked in surprise.
Luanne was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Oh! I have just the thing! I have a simply wonderful kimono for you! You'll look like an angel! Come on, dear!" Luanne grabbed Emilia's hand and quickly pulled her from the room.
Emilia looked at Subaru in confusion before being yanked out of the room and the door slammed shut behind them.
Subaru frowned thoughtfully. "You know, I'm kind of surprised how people aren't reacting more negatively to my wife around here," He mused.
"You mean because she's a silver-haired half-elf?" Uma asked knowingly.
Subaru nodded. "Back in Lagunica, folks looked at her and thought that she was a witch," He said sadly.
Uma chuckled. "Because of stories about the 'Witch of Envy,' young master? Yeah, people in the West don't take those stories all that seriously."
Subaru blinked. "People around here don't believe in the witch?" He asked incredulously.
Uma shrugged. "Not exactly. Folks know that the witches were real and that they did terrible things. And they believe that the Witch of Envy destroyed most of the world but that was all a long, long time ago. No one has seen a real witch in centuries."
Subaru looked away and made a face.
You never know. One could be closer than you think …
Uma was continuing his story. "Kararagi isn't a particularly superstitious area. We're more interested in tomorrow than yesterday. As a philosophy, it has its drawbacks but at least we're not constantly bogged down in racial strife like Lagunica and Gusteko."
Subaru sighed. He does make a good point. Maybe we should be looking at real estate around here.
Subaru picked up the green yukata off the wall.
"Do you need a hand, young master?" Uma offered.
Subaru shot him an amused look. "Thanks, Uma, but I think I got it."
A few minutes later, Subaru was dressed up in his robe and feeling very nostalgic.
Uma had stepped outside to tend to his liger and Subaru was just waiting for Emilia to finish.
The last time I wore one of these, my parents helped me get into it …
It took Subaru barely any time to get himself situated. The yukata was as easy to put on as a bathrobe although he 'd had to do it twice.
The first time he 'd wrapped the yukata around him so that the right side of the robe was over the left. He then remembered his mother lecturing him as a boy that this was how the dead were buried and that it was terribly bad luck to wear it like that.
I never remembered that rule. I always managed to forget which side went over the other until Mom called me out on it.
I guess it isn 't that bad for my luck. Otherwise, I would have probably died over a hundred times by now.
"Have you done this before, master?" Uma asked. "It's very unusual for a foreigner to manage that so quickly."
"Once or twice," Subaru admitted. "Say, Uma, do you have any idea where all of these ideas came from? The kimonos, the Minka, stuff like that?"
"Hoshin of the Wilderness," Uma answered at once.
"Who?"
"The legendary founder of Kararagi!" Uma replied proudly. "He led us to independence against the greedy nobles and taught us how to administer our nation. Most of these 'styles' that you refer to were introduced by him."
"What can you tell me about him?" Subaru asked sharply.
"The stories say that he was a companion of the legendary Sage Flugel," Uma recalled. "He was instrumental in the final battle to seal the witch away. According to legend, he even came from beyond the Great Waterfall."
Subaru 's heart started to pound. He opened his mouth to ask another question but the rear door opened and Luanne walked back into the room.
"Ta-da!" She cheered. The woman was practically beaming.
It took Luanne a moment to realize that Emilia wasn 't standing beside her.
"Come out, dear! Let everyone see you!" Luanne encouraged.
"Miss Luanne, I feel rather silly," Emilia complained from the other room.
"Well, why not let your fiance give you his opinion?" Luanne asked archly. "Come along, child. Let him see!"
A moment later, Emilia hesitantly stepped into the room, her face flushed and uncertain.
Subaru 's eyes widened.
Luanne had put Emilia into a purple kimono with a floral pattern across it. She 'd even found time to put Emilia's hair up while leaving two plaits framing her face.
Subaru just stood there, staring at her.
"Come on, Subaru!" Emilia said desperately. "Say something!"
Subaru suddenly remembered how to breathe. "You look exquisite , " He said seriously.
Emilia blushed even harder and she bowed her head, her hands twisting around each other. "Thank you," She said almost inaudibly.
"I told you that you'd look gorgeous in that," Luanne said smugly. "That kimono is some of my finest work yet!"
Uma chuckled. "It's true, Miss," He said appreciably. "You are simply beautiful."
Emilia turned bright red again.
Uma noticed that Subaru was suddenly regarding him with a cold expression.
Uma cleared his throat. "So! If you two are all set here, I suppose it's off to the Dreaming Jasmine!"
"Oh!" Luanne moaned enviously. "That's a famous restaurant! You'll have a great time."
"Speaking of which," Subaru murmured. "What do we owe you?"
"Counting the voucher, it's three gold coins for the pair," Luanne said.
Subaru blinked. That seems like an awful lot for clothes.
He glanced at Emilia. Then again, Emilia 's kimono is very nice. This feels like a night to splurge a little rather than nickel and dime.
Luanne handed Subaru Emilia 's folded-up clothing which he quickly tucked into his satchel.
Subaru nodded. "Thank you, Miss Luanne," He said politely.
Luanne gave a formal bow. "No, thank you, young Master!" She turned to Emilia, "And remember my shop the next time that you need to look your best! I do a special line of wedding dresses, you know!" She teased.
Emilia looked confused as they exited the shop. "Wedding dresses? They make special dresses for weddings?" She asked Subaru.
"Let's head to the restaurant. I'm hungry," Subaru asked, ignoring that question for now.
"Sir, would you like to stop here?" Uma asked differentially.
Subaru looked out of the carriage and saw a large pavilion with a crowd seated inside.
"Why would we want to stop here?" Subaru asked in confusion.
"I recall that you were interested in Hoshin of the Wilderness. I know that they're putting on a production about the legend if you wish to see it. We do have some time left before your reservation at the Dreaming Jasmine."
Subaru glanced at Emilia.
She shrugged.
"Yeah," Subaru said slowly. "Actually, I would like to learn more about this guy."
Uma reined in and helped the pair descend from the carriage.
"Enjoy the show!" Uma said cheerfully. "My old teacher Baihu is the storyteller tonight!"
"Subaru what are we doing?" Emilia asked.
"I'm just investigating something," He replied.
Subaru and Emilia entered the massive tent which was full of families in kimonos. The children all seemed very excited.
Emilia inspected the tiny stage as they approached. It seemed far too small for actors to use.
"Oh, my God!" Subaru gasped.
"What?!" Emilia asked in a frightened voice, looking frantically inside the tent for mabeasts or Witch Cultists.
"It's a Bunraku theater!" Subaru almost squealed, pointing at the stage.
Emilia stared at it, confused by Subaru 's excitement. "Is this a… puppet show?" Emilia asked in a voice that suggested she expected to be corrected.
"It's not just a puppet show!" Subaru said in an excited voice. "My family and I used to see these at festivals! Come on!"
Subaru grabbed Emilia 's hand and pulled her toward the stage.
Subaru and Emilia found seats on the floor around the small stage.
The crowd quieted as a tubby old man with a long gray beard and a straw hat took his place by the stage. "Thank you all for joining me for this performance. Tonight, we have shared many stories, some new and some old. Some dating even back to the time before the Great Cataclysm. And now, we tell a very special story of long, long ago. The story of Byakko, the White Tiger of the West."
Emilia felt Subaru stiffen. "Byakko?" He said out loud.
Emilia noticed that he looked disturbed and was about to ask a question but a neighboring patron had already shushed Subaru and so she kept her mouth shut.
The old man clearly heard Subaru but he just smiled at him good-naturedly.
A crude puppet of a white cat appeared on stage, wandering from side to side.
"Long ago, Byakko the White Tiger ruled over the region that would one day come to be known as Kararagi," The storyteller continued. "One of the greatest magical beasts that had ever roamed the land, the western plains were his domain alone and none dared to intrude on the white tiger's territory in fear of his incredible strength and power. And, at the time, there was little in the western wastes in those days to attract settlers in any case! It is written that in the days of yore, Kararagi was a wild land, full of intemperate heats and bitter colds and with little water. Thus the tiger's solitude was assured.
"But as time went on, things began to change. People began to move into ancient Kararagi. The white tiger was displeased by this and he moved to confront a family that had crossed the Tigracy River."
More puppets appeared on stage, these were of tiny people or at least tiny in relation to the size of the tiger. They looked like a small family with two children. The people seemed to be groveling on their knees.
"The man and woman begged for clemency from the mighty Tiger, asking for mercy to be shown to their innocent children if not to themselves. They did not know it then but they had said just the right thing. For Byakko, above all other things, respected strength. Including the strength that it takes to offer to take another's punishment upon yourself. But the Tiger was not appeased and he demanded to know what had brought these humans into his domain.
"The man said that he hoped to make a farm here and provide for his family. The land was savage but the man and his wife were willing to work hard to make their way. The Tiger asked them why they hadn't made a farm in the civilized East. The farmer explained that the eastern kingdom was in an uproar because a new ruler had seized power. This ruler was stern and greedy and the tithes of living under him had grown onerous. The farmer and his wife loved freedom more than comfort and so they decided to make their way out onto the wild plains and remain free.
"Satisfied, the white tiger gave them his blessing to remain for he too loved his freedom and his home in the wilds and wide, in lands where he need answer to no one. In time, more and more people came west, seeking open land and freedom and a few small settlements appeared."
Emilia watched as the tiger puppet walked off stage and small buildings popped up behind him.
"But these settlements never reached a large size for the people had come west to escape the crushing throng of others and did not desire to live too closely to one another. The years came and went and what had previously been the frontier became well known and civilization crept ever closer. Larger cities were built and men began to rule over other men. The White Tiger looked with disdain on the new cities and he moved further west, seeking to avoid what he viewed as a blight upon the land.
"The White Tiger still roamed the lands and many reported seeing him during their lives. The White Tiger could offer wisdom and counsel to the wise and virtuous or a swift end to the wicked. In times of hardship and war, the frontier people had often begged for Byakko's guidance in their lives but Byakko had always refused. Byakko was not like the Divine Dragon Volcanica. The tiger, like most cats, was too aloof to desire to make humans his pets."
The crowd laughed at that.
"The centuries rolled on and the White Tiger dwelled in the western plains alone. He wandered the wastes, watching the people but rarely intervening," The cat puppet prowled back and forth across the screen. "Long he bided his time, seemingly waiting for something.
"One day, by a strange chance, the White Tiger came across a group of savage bandits attacking a young man," A puppet that looked like a ball of wrestling bodies rolled across the stage, "Indignant, the White Tiger attacked and slew each of the bandits, rescuing their victim who was scarcely more than a boy. The boy thanked the White Tiger profusely and told him his name. However, the Tiger found fault with it. He claimed the boy's name was too long and too showy. A name should be short and practical. Therefore, he named the boy 'Hoshin' and said that he would only call the boy this. Where another man would be offended, the boy was delighted and thanked the great spirit profusely for his gift. He said that he'd been looking for a means to mark his life afresh in these lands and he sensed that this name was the way.
"The boy then asked the White Tiger for his name but the Tiger refused to answer. He told the boy that he had no name. Long ago, the White Tiger had been defeated in battle by a mighty foe. Feeling that his name had been dishonored by his shameful defeat, the White Tiger had cast it off and said that he would no longer acknowledge it. He had spent centuries searching for a new name, a name that would fit him properly.
"The boy confessed that he did not really understand but feeling that one good turn deserves another, the boy presented the spirit with a name of his own. He named him 'Byakko' which he claimed means 'white tiger' in a language from a far off land."
Subaru leaned forward, his face intent.
The puppets of the tiger and the boy sat together on stage. "The tiger was stunned. After all these years, he had found a new name, one that fit him properly. The tiger was thrown deeply off-step but he attempted to continue the conversation and he asked the boy what had happened and why the bandits had attacked him. The boy explained that he liked to make liquor and that these bandits had tried to steal it. Hoshin explained that he would have happily shared the keg with them but they refused his offer and attacked him, seemingly just for fun. The tiger asked why he had not fought back against the bandits. The boy sheepishly admitted that he could not fight. He was not big nor strong. Larger people had been picking on him for his entire life. He had grown to accept this.
"The furious tiger roared at the boy and demanded to know if he really had no ambition to be more than he was. The boy calmly replied that of course he wished to be more but had no expectation that he could be. The tiger suddenly realized that the boy had never shown fear of him. When questioned, the boy agreed that he did not readily give way to fear. He'd made too many mistakes in the past due to fear and now he had vowed to never let fear guide him again.
"Impressed, the tiger asked the boy if he wanted to be strong. If he wanted to be enduring. If he wanted to be the kind of man that other men could look up to. The tiger warned him that it would not come without pain and that it would not come without sacrifice but if the boy desired to be more than he was, the tiger could show him the path."
Emilia watched the screen where the boy puppet seemed to be jumping up and down in excitement.
"Thus the boy, Hoshin, became the student of the Byakko, the White Tiger and they spent many long years together. The tiger taught Hoshin the secrets of the plains. Of the plants and the animals and of the power of observation, to be able to see what others could not. He taught him the power of controlled fury and the boy learned to move like the wind and to strike like thunder. He could have become a warrior of legend but Hoshin thought little of such things. He simply desired a peaceful life full of good food, good friends, and living in harmony with the world around him.
"In time, the tiger told Hoshin that the day had come for them to part. Hoshin wept bitter tears at the loss of his closest friend but the tiger was adamant. 'It is the role of the student to travel far and wide and to learn things and to do things that the master has not. Thus does the student surpass the master. This day, I send you forth to become stronger and wiser than I.'"
The boy 's puppet was prostrating before the great tiger puppet, seemingly groveling but the Tiger was unmoved. Finally, the boy's puppet got up and walked off stage.
"At first, Hoshin was uncertain of what to do with himself. However, he wandered through the untamed lands with confidence. Few were foolish enough to attack Hoshin and those who were so foolish, he quickly taught to fear his name. Hoshin traveled with his companion, Byakuen, the first liger: a parting gift from Byakko. The pair wandered the wastes, seeing the sights, meeting people, and brewing a great deal of high-quality saki. As the boy traveled through the villages, he noticed something curious. The villages in the southwest were ideal for growing spices and they grew vast fields of them, far more than they could ever need. However, the villagers struggled to grow crops like cotton and flax so the villagers' clothing all looked shabby. The villages in the northeast grew a great deal of cotton and were well clothed and protected from the elements but their food tasted terrible."
The storyteller made an exaggerated expression of disgust.
The crowd laughed.
"Hoshin was struck by a remarkable revelation which he called the Great River of Worldly Goods. He realized that everyone wants something and that everyone has something that someone else wants. If a man could simply link these people together, then goods will flow and everyone will be much happier. So Hoshin undertook his new mission, to bring spices to the northeast and to bring clothing back to the southwest. He sold his barrels of fine saki to buy a wagon and managed to persuade Byakuen to pull the wagon. With a great deal of cajoling," The storyteller added.
The crowd laughed again.
I know exactly how the guy must have felt, Subaru reflected on Patrasche.
"Hoshin traveled the west for many years. In each village that he visited, he discovered a need that he could answer and he grew fantastically wealthy."
At this point, the crowd gave a loud cheer much to Subaru 's surprise.
Yup. This is definitely Anastasia 's kind of place.
"But to Hoshin, wealth was simply a means to an end. Wealth was power and a means to extend his ability to solve the problems he found. He was making the world a better place with every deal that he struck and that was enough for him.
"In those days, the people were languishing under the grip of a tyrannical king and his greedy nobles."
Emilia chuckled as a group of clearly demonic-looking puppets appeared on stage.
"During his travels, Hoshin made many friends in the lowlands for he was cheerful and clever and always as willing to share a story and a keg of saki as he was to hear and taste another's. However, the people toiled like slaves in the fields and Hoshin found that he could not bear to see them like this. He attempted to retreat to the wild places again and to seek out the White Tiger but the tiger eluded him and the wastes now felt lonely.
"Young Hoshin could not get the suffering of the people out of his mind and he returned to the lowlands. Hoshin urged the people to stand up for themselves. He knew what it was like to be scared and helpless but one must not give in to those feelings."
On the stage, the boy 's puppet was speaking to a large crowd of people.
"Hoshin knew from experience that such a life, based on fear, was not worth living. He said that the people should fight for a better life. The people were dismissive, reminding Hoshin that it was forbidden for them to hold a weapon at all, much less train to fight with weapons or to gather them for battle. The law said that should a peasant be seen with so much as a hunting knife, he would be slain by public disemboweling. Thus, the people claimed that they had no hope of ever defeating their masters or winning their freedom.
"Hoshin mocked them for thinking so simply and the people were angry. Hoshin offered a challenge. He told the men gathered around him to take up the farming tools that they had been working with and to attack him with them. To sweeten the deal, Hoshin even offered a full keg of his finest saki to any one of them that could land a blow.
"Now doubly motivated to strike down Hoshin, the men attacked with vigor. They surrounded the smiling Hoshin and lashed out with their rakes, their shovels, and their sickles. But Hoshin danced away from their blows like a reed in the wind and when the men were all panting with exhaustion, the still fresh and cheerful Hoshin smashed each of their durable farming tools with a single blow.
"The people all stared at Hoshin in astonishment. Hoshin told them, 'This is the power of true inner strength. I cannot give it to you. No man can do that. But if you wish to find the way, I can show you the path.' In awe, many of the young men and women begged Hoshin to become their master but he laughed at them. He was no man's master. He was simply Hoshin of the Wilderness. But he would welcome each of them as friends and comrades and he would be as eager to teach them all that he knew as he would be to learn from them in turn.
"Thus, Hoshin's followers began wandering the plains with their teacher, training in the arts of the White Tiger and learning all that they could of the land. Hoshin knew much of the wilds and understood how each plant could sweeten food or cure disease. Hoshin could make anything with his own hands and he knew all of the treasures that the wilds offered to the wise. And most importantly, most important of all, he taught his followers how to brew liquor," The storyteller said solemnly.
Another round of laughter swept the room.
"The travelers wandered with Hoshin for many years. Trained by Hoshin, these men possessed an uncanny insight into the people's problems and were often able to solve these problems by convincing people to work together for mutual benefit. As their master had before them, they found opportunities wherever they went and they took advantage of them to the great profit of all. And trained by their master, they feared no foe and would explore any corner of the land, seeking out its secrets and its opportunities. The people soon came to hold the wandering traders in superstitious awe, for good fortune seemed to shine wherever they went. Every town that these traders set up shop in would prosper with great wealth coming to all.
"In time, Hoshin met a beautiful girl named Kyoko and he became besotted with her. He plied her family with gold and treasures to prove that he could offer her a safe and happy life and eventually, they were wed. Hoshin built himself a large mansion near Kyo where he welcomed anyone who passed by with food and tales of his adventures. Any who came there seeking advice would get it and those who wished to find work to support their families received it. Hoshin knew how to see opportunities in every problem."
"In time, Hoshin and his students drew the attention of the king and his nobles as the traders were spreading dissent and unrest among the peasants. The nobility believed that only the king and his emissaries should have the power to remove and trade in goods from the villages where they were created because the king and the nobles' decadent lifestyles depended heavily on the income generated from these activities."
The crowd grumbled.
"To punish Hoshin and his followers, the king imposed a cruel embargo that refused to let any goods leave a town except when carried by merchants licensed by the king. Said license required each merchant to give up ninety-five percent of all their profits to the king," The storyteller said gravely.
The children booed and catcalled loudly.
Subaru just shook his head with a bewildered smile.
Oh, yeah. I can see Anastasia fitting in just fine around here.
"Hoshin and his friends refused. They ignored the law and they forced the king to try to catch them for years without success. In time, when the tyranny of the king and his nobles grew too onerous to endure any longer, Hoshin and his fellow traders led the charge against the tyrants and the people followed. The revolution lasted for years but by strength and cunning, they had the victory. The traders knew the land well and they knew how to lead the nobles' powerful armies into trackless swamps and hidden crevasses where they would become lost and fall to nature's wrath.
"Finally, the war was over and the power of the king and the nobles was broken!"
The crowd cheered.
"When the people rejoiced in their freedom, they offered the crown to Hoshin but he just laughed. 'What need have freemen for kings? What we need are friends! Let us all work together to build a new nation. Now we celebrate! The first round is on me!'"
The crowd all burst out into applause and good-humored chuckling. Subaru noticed that the children all seemed very excited by the story while the adults just look bemused.
"Hoshin and his student traders helped organize every city in Kararagi to hold elections so that the rulers of the cities would be chosen by the wisdom of the common man. Hoshin invented democracy on the continent and today, Kararagi is the only country free of inherited titles and inherited rule.
"Hoshin kept wandering for many years, always eager to see what was on the other side of every hill and to share stories and saki with new friends. But Hoshin was only mortal and the years slowly caught up to him. When he lay dying in the vast halls that he had built, heavily laden with honors and years, his students wept at his passing.
"But Hoshin just laughed. 'Why do you cry? Is it out of jealousy? I am embarking on the greatest adventure of all! What lies beyond the circles of this world? There are more worlds than these, you know!'
"In that hour, men say that Byakko himself appeared in the home and that everyone was stricken with fear and awe except for Hoshin who thought of nothing but how wonderful it was to see his beloved friend again after all these years. The Tiger gently lifted Hoshin in his jaws and bore him away. No one dared try to stop the tiger or to pursue him and Hoshin was never seen again.
"Legends claim that the body of Hoshin of the Wilderness was laid to rest by the White Tiger himself and that no man knows the location of his grave which to this day is protected by the power of Byakko, the White Tiger."
The storyteller gave a bow and everyone applauded.
"Thank you all for your patronage," The storyteller said, holding out his straw hat. "Any tips would be most appreciated. Also, in tribute to Hoshin, I have several glasses of saki for sale tonight."
While no one seemed inclined to have a drink, the people all lined up to put the money into the storyteller 's hat. Most of them were cheap copper pieces but everyone gave something to the old man.
Subaru gave the man a silver coin.
"Thank you, young master," The storyteller said with pleasure.
"Nice story," Subaru replied. "I had a question. Is it true that Hoshin claimed to be from another world?"
"Don't take the story too seriously," One of the parents said to Subaru in a low voice so that his children wouldn't overhear. "This isn't the true story and Baihu here took a lot of liberties with the material."
The parent gave the storyteller a copper coin and walked away.
Subaru gave Baihu a questioning look.
The storyteller gave him a smile. "I embellished a bit," He admitted. "That is part of being a storyteller. But yes, to answer your question, it is said that Hoshin came from another world. Much of modern Kararagi owes its shape to Hoshin's influence. He often spoke of the way that things were done in his faraway homeland and of the friends that he left behind."
Subaru digested that. "Was the tiger real?"
"Who's to say?" The storyteller said philosophically. "If there is a dragon in the east why should there not be a tiger in the west?"
Subaru stared at him. "I think that your logic is spurious."
Baihu chuckled. "There are many legends of Hoshin of the Wilderness and some are even more fantastical than the ones I related. Some say that Hoshin took the witches of Greed and Gluttony as lovers. That he led an army of mabeasts during the final battle against the King. There was even a story, probably spread by Witch Cultists to deceive us, that Hoshin once claimed that he himself was the rightful heir to the Authority of Greed."
Subaru 's eyes widened.
"We speak of events long ago, when the world was facing the Witch's onslaught. Legends are our only guide because real records of those days are few and far between."
Subaru digested that. "Just out of curiosity, do you know if Anastasia is supposed to be a descendant of Hoshin?" He asked.
"It is unknown if Hoshin fathered any children," The old man said. "Miss Anastasia explicitly does not claim to be one. I know her story well. She grew up on the streets and when it was time to choose a surname for herself, she chose 'Hoshin' in honor of the greatest trader of all time."
Subaru nodded slowly. "One more question. This may be something of a long shot but do you know anything about the Cragrel Moving Forest?"
"Of course! I have been there many times. A true wonder of the world!"
Subaru took a deep breath. "The largest tree. What can you tell me about the writing on it?"
"Not much," The storyteller admitted. "I understand that even wise men from the Grand Archives in Gusteko are unable to read much of the writing on the largest tree."
Subaru thought for a moment. "Can you tell me roughly how old it is?"
"The Great Eridu Tree is believed to be the most ancient living thing in this world, young man."
"So… it dates back to the Great Cataclysm?"
The storyteller burst out laughing. "Young man, that tree remembers the Great Cataclysm of four centuries ago as if it were yesterday! That tree is clearly thousands of years old!"
Subaru swallowed hard.
"If you'll excuse me, young man, I must prepare for my next performance," The storyteller said.
Subaru nodded and handed him another silver coin. "Thank you for your help."
Subaru looked pensive as he rejoined Emilia who was waiting for him by the tent entrance. "What was that all about?" She asked.
Subaru shook his head. "I'm not sure," He admitted. "But I have a lot on my mind right now."
Emilia started to ask a question.
Subaru forced a huge smile on his face. "Oh! There's Uma!" Subaru cut her off. "Let's get to the restaurant! I'm starving!"