The nature of truth

by hslippery

The Defeated Detective and the Chairman have a talk on what truth constitutes and why any of it matters. Philosophical one-shot.

Shinjurou walked flippantly through the elegant crowd, women dressed in long, colorful, frilly and sometimes billowing Ball gowns. Yet again, he found himself at another of these frivolous social affairs whose point was definitely obscure and useless to someone like him who never bothered with facades.

Surely, this invitation by Kaisho Rinroku meant that a crime was to take place?

Keeping his eyes wide open and absorbing as much information as possible, Shinjurou was almost knocked off balance Inga as he raced away towards the appetizer table. Well, atleast someone was enjoying this cockamamie affair.

A light knock on his shoulder bought Shinjurou face to face with someone he had not expected to see.

'Hello, Detective san.' Rie smiled sweetly, standing beside her father, the Inspector whatever her name was standing just behind the two.

'Hello, Rie-san. Chairman, it's a surprise seeing you outside at such an affair. Although I imagine I have you to thank for the invitation.'

Kaisho Rinroku waved his hands, modesty incarnate. 'Oh, no, it was just another courtesy JJ systems wanted to extend to you. We wanted an extra pair of eyes here. In case something went wrong.'

'Are you expecting something to go wrong? Have you received any death threats of any sort?' The Inspector immediately moved besides him, firing off concerned questions.

'Will you relax, Koyama san. Nothing but a precaution, everything is just fine. No threats, I promise.' Kaisho held up his hands placatingly.

'Well, I'm hungry. I'm going to hit the food table.' Rie extended her hand expectantly towards Shinjurou expecting him to take it.

'Why don't you and Koyama head towards the table. We'll join you later. I have something I needed to talk to the detective about.'

'You know,' Shinjurou wandered towards the edge of the huge ballroom, 'I think I understand why you always invite me as a guest to these crimes even though you are more than capable of solving these crimes yourself. Also, I always kept wondering why you would call me to these crime scenes when you ended covering up the truth anyway.'

'Oh? Why's that, Shinjurou-kun?'

'You expect me to be your conscience.'

The Chairman of JJ systems stayed silent as he took out a key to the antechamber.

'I didn't know you owned this place.' Shinjurou said as Kaisho waved him inside, then locked the door behind him.

Surveying the large dark beige room, Shinjurou said, 'You don't plan on killing me like you killed your opponents and critics, do you?'

'That blow was below the belt, Mr. Shinjurou.' The Chairman said grimacing.

Shinjurou's form slumped along the chair. He never sat lazily, but the absence of Inga and the relative privacy he found himself in with Kaisho made him feel rather free, and so he decided to show how unintimidated he felt by Kaisho's presence. He allowed a lazy smile to form across his face. By no stretch of imagination was Kaisho a naïve person, but even a naïve man could tell that the smile did not reach Shinjurou's eyes. In fact, if you squinted hard enough, it looked…derogatory, almost dismissive.

'Tell me, Chairman-' 'Oh, dispense with the pleasantries will you, Shinjurou?' Kaisho cut across. 'You address me as if I am still a person in official capacity. I know you don't see me like the others do.'

Shinjurou's smile widened. 'So, you think I see behind all the facades you have pulled over yourself?'

Kaisho's face formed a subtle frown, his flat eyes boring into Shinjurou's own as he readjusted his glass.

'You are assuming that my attitude towards people is different from who I am as a real person. Tell me, when you say facades, do you say it because of my-'

'I say it because you never show your real form to others.' Shinjurou waved his hand with a flourish. 'I am perhaps the only one who sees what the actual truth is. 'With the exception, perhaps, of that Inspector, what was her name?'

'Koyama'

'Yes, her.'

'You assume, because I sometimes present alternative versions to your version of the truth that I subvert reality?'

Shijuurou laughed derisively. 'Subvert reality? What are you, a god?' He wagged his finger at the Chairman. 'That's arrogant, even for you.'

'You don't really have a high opinion of me, do you, Detective.' He sighed rather dramatically.

'Tell me, Chairman.' Shinjurou slumped further in his chair. 'Does the great Kaisho Rinroku believe in a religion? Did he ever believe in a faith? Perhaps the war destroyed his ability, or shall I say, his faith in a higher power?' Shinjurou leaned closer to the table. 'Does the Chairman believe in…justice?'

Kaisho's lips tightened into a thin compressed line, his face wrought with disapproval, perhaps a tinge of regret appearing on his face.

'Justice? Is that what you are looking for, detective? But then, why target me?'

'But since we're discussing what divides us, what do you think, Chairman? Is there a god? Or did humanity manufacture gods through its own imagination? Are we naïve enough to have believed in higher deities when there were none?'

'I don't see it, this reason to believe.' Kaisho's voice came out higher than he had wanted it to, a shakiness appearing in it as well. 'Why does man believe in something that does not manifest itself? How many times have men, women and children cried out to higher deities, begging with all their might for help? Why did no one ever respond? The war turned humans into monsters, capable of butchery and utmost barbarity. Tell me, Shinjurou, why did a god, if there is any, not respond?'

'Ah,' Shinjurou leaned back into his chair uprighting himself. 'So, if we can't see it, it's certainly not there?'

'I have seen no sign of such a deity.' A sudden smile appeared on the chairman's face. 'People create gods and worship them, is that not true, Detective?' To Shinjurou, the smile appeared like that of a shark. 'Do you do that for yourself then? Is your need to believe so strong that you have turned to your god? The god of truth? Is that why you seek the truth so desperately?'

This man's smile, Shinjurou decided, was not pleasant at all. At least not when he smiled this way.

Shinjurou allowed the silence to stretch…and stretch. At length, when he found that the Chairman would probably not be able to hold himself back from speaking further, he asked very softly, in a small voice, 'Have you found yours, Chairman?'

Kaisho Rinroku blinked at him, and the action reminded Shinjurou of an owl. 'What do you mean?'

'Your god, Chairman. Japan. Or perhaps the Japanese government. Or perhaps the Japanese people. Do you worship them? You have dedicated your life to redeveloping our society. Through means that may or may not be considered…power hunger, nay oligarchic. You have dedicated yourself to maintaining law and order for this society. For the country, apparently. For…' Shinjurou leaned across the table and held his breath for a full two seconds, pausing for dramatic effect, 'national security or national interests? Was that the euphemism that people have used over the years to further their own agenda?'

Kaisho pushed his spectacles back towards his eyes. 'Why, Detective, do you stress on viewing every move I make as a move to advance my own power? Can I not be doing this for public interest?'

'Public interest…' Shinjurou drew the word out, playing with it at length. 'Is that what it is? Tell me, Chairman, when you say public interest, and when you assume to make decisions for what you think is best for the people, do you not place yourself at a position that is higher than the regular people? Have you not, at that moment, accumulated power?'

'So, what if I have? I have made conscious decisions in the best interests of the people, haven't I? What would you rather have me do? Use the power that I wield to stop anarchy in this society, or simply let things go by? After all, all that good people need to do to let evil win is to do nothing right?'

'So…' Shinjurou put his legs up on the table, 'better you than someone else?'

'Would you rather have someone else make decisions? Tell me, Yuki Shinjurou, do you hate authority?'

'Why do you ask?'

The Chairman simply raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

Shinjurou sighed. 'Not particularly. Why?'

'Because in my experience, people hate to be told what to do. They may obey orders under certain circumstances, but in the end, they always hate following somebody else.'

'Your point being?' Shinjurou raised his eyebrow.

'Do you think it is easy making decisions from the top? Does it ever occur to you that you don't take responsibility for public safety, security and health and then criticize those who do take up the responsibility?'

'We criticize those' Shinjurou said, 'who abuse their power.'

'And you think a person in power cannot make mistakes?'

'Oh, everyone makes mistakes. But if that happens over and over again, or if someone tries to corrupt the reason they have been assigned power by the people, that's when we object.'

Kaisho sighed. 'Then join me. Put in your brilliant efforts into helping the government.'

'No thanks.' Shinjurou smirked.

'Why not? You see, what happens when good conscientious people refuse to take responsibility is that those who have no conscience take those positions.'

'Oh no, you misunderstand me.' Shinjurou interceded rather abruptly. 'I have my own responsibilities. In my own way,' the chairman saw a glint in the detective's eye, 'you could say I serve Japan.'

'What do you do, then? I have always wondered,' Kaisho held his chin with his hand, 'does this have anything to do with that Inga woman? What do you do for her?'

'You don't want to find out.' The detective sported a feral smile, not something Kaisho liked.

'Nevertheless, Chairman, You built a world full of lies.' Shinjurou pointed an accusatory finger at the man he found rather reprehensible. 'Do you really think such actions come without consequences? Have you not learned anything from the Bettenou incident? All it took was one errant factor, and your entire deal with the government to subvert justice and use technology to further your own narrative came spilling out of the bag. Have you perhaps forgotten what the media had to say about that, what the people had to say about it? JJ Systems used government backing to falsely accuse people and send them to jail while lining its own pockets. Have you forgotten all those lessons?'

'No', the Chairman had a decidedly unfriendly look on his face.

'So…what are you going to do when all of that, all that lying catches up with you? When you find yourself in the place of all those who you sought to protect? The ideals you wanted to protect? The affluential industrialist, that Kano, who's wife you defended, the promoter of Yonagahime who's daughter you protected, all in the name of the country. Do you think those lies will not cumulate?'

The silence stretched log and hard. Shinjurou could hear the people talking outside in the garden. Peace did that to people. It made people complacent, careless.

'And how many times,' Shinjurou spoke, almost as if it were an after-thought that had just occurred to him, 'have you resorted to…dare I say illegal, or shall I call it "necessary" means to subvert public information?'

'What do you mean?' Kaisho's face darkened.

'Oh, being affiliated to the government as intimately as you are,' Shinjurou said airily, 'you obviously would never have committed a crime or done something illegal. After all, you are the law.' The Detective looked at the Chairman pointedly. 'Let us call it…extreme measures, shall we?' Shinjurou smiled sweetly in a mocking fashion, with an openly derisive laugh.

'I'm talking about Mizuno's murder [1]. You know, that military leader that died in the explosion of your car? The person you disposed off because he had knowledge of some of the dirty deals you made with the government?'

Kaisho pursed his lips. Shinjurou's eyes glared accusation at the Chairman. 'You murdered an innocent man to protect your narrative.'

The grey haired man sighed. It sounded rather like that of a parent who had been caught lying to his wife or children, that of a mature man trying to placate a younger person.

'Information needs to be protected, people need to be protected-'

'Otherwise you would be…what? Exposed for the sham that you are? Do you know how easily you discredited all the truths I came across?' Shinjurou's eyes burned like white hot coals boring into Kaisho's face.

'I am the defeated detective after all. I know how easy it is for the government to discredit the truth to gain favor or popularity.'

'All this,' Kaisho waved his hand, 'All of the excuses you just made, you do realize how childishly naïve you sound? You hold on to a childish notion of right and wrong. Good and evil. Have you never realized,' Shinjurou suddenly realized that the Chairman had just snarled, an extreme emotion showing on his face which Shinjurou couldn't quite place, 'that they are just fantastical tropes? That they existed in your childhood to assuage your curiosity? Do you not realize that they filled your head with righteousness and pushed you to hate those who acted outside the bounds of this society?'

The Chairman steepled his fingers crossing them, his eyes still displaying an emotion not quite discernible. 'When we were at war, do you know that we captured some of those terrorists? Do you know what we found from them?'

Shinjurou leaned forward, interested despite himself.

'They said they fought for the people. The people!' The chairman snarled his contempt. 'Can you believe the audacity of that claim? They killed the common people, and claimed they were fighting for the rights and the freedoms of our people. Do you know what they said? They said we as a society had lost our freedom to expression, that the government had muzzled rights groups and allowed the corrupt members of the society to oppress the system.'

'Is that not what you're doing?' Shinjurou's voice cut in edged like a knife.

'What?' Kaisho sputtered.

'The Information and privacy act was passed and you used it to control all distribution of information. Did you or did you not present…an alternative version of events to the public?'

Kaisho's face fell further and Shinjurou continued, his passion unabated.

'You used the Yonagahime to raise popularity for the measures that the ruling government took against the terrorists, didn't you? And when their part was over, you had them disbanded just as quickly so that their secret would stay safe. When someone threatened that narrative, you killed them. So tell me, Chairman, if the terrorists fought you for certain rights, no matter how reprehensible their methods might be, and you still do the same thing over and over again,' Shinjurou put all his might behind his words, 'then what did you learn from the war?'

'The war wasn't a moral story from which you derive lessons, Detective.' The displeasure was plain on Kaisho's face.

'Do you want to know why I will never like you? Why I find your company a complete waste of my time' Shinjurou paused for a long moment. 'Because you never gave the truth a chance.'

'And that is also why we will never see eye to eye. You take truth to be an absolute. Can it not be that several truths exist? Why does truth have to be unique?' Kaisho Rinroku voiced his questions.

'You're just playing with words, Chairman, so that you can pass your own narrative. Do you really believe what you just said? Or perhaps,' Shinjurou drew a sharp breath, 'are you alluding to Bettenou? How she managed to twist the truth? Is that what you mean by multiple truths?'

'I have never understood,' Kaisho said with look of defeat on his face, 'why you always targeted me? What have I done to get on your wrong side? Truly, Shinjurou, I seek to understand what it is that you want from me.'

Shinjurou looked at the Chairman coldly. 'I need the people to know who you are in truth. Have you ever noticed how the Police and the common people, especially that woman Koyama look at you? They look upon you as a god, a man who can fix everything, a man who has all the answers. In the meanwhile, I know for a fact that the real Kaisho plays dirty backroom politics to protect his own interests.'

'Oh, so you ultimately want me to expose all my weaknesses and defects as a person? You have to know no one will do that willingly. So, what do you want from me, Yuuki Shinjurou? Do you want me to turn into a saint?' The coldness in Kaisho's voice matched Shinjurou's.

'I am the defeated detective, Chairman. When I see people, I like to see people for who they really are. When I see you, I don't see the godly know-it-all everyone else sees. I see the human behind Kaisho Rinroku, the one that would do everything to protect his own empire, even if that meant using the government to cover his dirty little games and kill people to make a profit, because ultimately,' Shinjurou tilted his face, a ruthless smile on his face, 'you are just a business man. You're no savior.'

'I have never claimed to be a savior.' Kaisho smiled, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

'No, you never did. You know, I always felt you were like Bettenou that way. You simply suggest something to people, and they simply believe it. No, Chairman, you certainly did not claim to be a savior, and I understand that you cannot influence people who believe that you are something you are not. However, ultimately, that will always be what draws me to oppose you, Chairman. Your false image. I will always try to expose you, and you will always try to stop me.'

Shinjurou smiled sharply.

Kaisho Rinroku smiled back. 'Such a shame, that.'

The door clanked open and Rie walked in surrounded by two others.

'Ah, there you are, you two.'

The two men stood up from their seats and the Chairman moved towards the Detective naturally. Despite himself, Shinjurou subconsciously took a defensive posture.

'Thank you for joining us, detective' But up close, he whispered, 'The truth is over-rated, Detective.' 'No, Chairman,' Shinjurou replied softly. 'The truth is what you turn the truth into. Coincidentally, we call that a falsehood.'

Kaisho warmly clasped Shinjurou's hand, the duo walking towards Rie. 'You should come more often, I like conversing like this.' He said loudly making sure Rie heard them.

'See! I told you they could get along if they tried.' Rie exclaimed, and turned towards the maid and Inga who had accompanied her throughout the party that was still in full swing outside and would probably continue well into the night.

'Hmm, I don't know, this looks fishy to me.' Inga voiced her deep doubts.

'Daddy, tell them you can get along with Shinjurou. You just had a friendly conversation with him, right?'

If there was one thing Yuki Shinjurou had never experienced, it was how to be a father. Parenthood incorporated its own share of gentle lies, he mused.

'Yes, dear. We just had a very good conversation.' Kaisho Rinroku said mildly with a gentle smile, and looked pointedly at Shinjurou.

'Ah, yes. That is, we did have a good conversation. It was a pleasure, Chairman. Let's do this again sometime.'

'Yay' Rie celebrated and hugged the maid, while Inga looked at him amused, probably having caught on with the façade he had just thrown up.

'Don't invite me to one of these accursed balls of yours again, Chairman.' Shinjurou whispered harshly once out of Rie's earshot. The Chairman merely smiled, saying nothing.

'You'll come again, won't you?' Rie asked as they stood at their door to wave goodbye, her question almost a plea.

Shinjurou almost said no. 'Yes, I will. If you invite me, I will come back.' Her father smiled his gratitude at the falsehood, and Shinjurou just realized he had said something he hadn't really wanted to say, out of necessity.

Rie turned back then, but not before Shinjurou caught her face reddened, a blush on her cheeks.

'She likes you, I think.' Kaisho said, after the maid had bowed her head and followed Rie back into the house, and Inga had started prancing his way towards the gate, collecting flowers on the way.

'She likes what she thinks I am.' The detective said harshly.

'Ah.' The chairman expostulated. 'I've been in love.' He offered tentatively.

Shinjurou could sense a confession.

'When I lost her, Rie's mother, I mean, I found love to be…a pastime. Something trivial, perhaps. Not worth pursuing except as a pastime. Rie though, I love her.' He said carefully, and Shinjurou felt he was trying to say something.

'Don't worry, there isn't anything between me and your daughter.'

'Yet.' Kaisho added to his statement.

'What?' Shinjurou almost coughed his surprise.

'When she makes you hers- and she will, make no mistake, Rie always gets what she wants- don't hurt her.'

'She simply sees me as someone who brings out the truth. There's nothing more over there. You're imagining things, old man.'

'And you don't think that's reason enough for someone to fall in love? My, Detective, I didn't know you were so young.'

'I'm not naïve!' Shinjurou ground out through his teeth.

'Until later then.' The Chairman waved his farewell, and left Shinjurou standing with more questions than he had come with to this accursed party.

'He beat me again.' He said to himself. 'I cannot seem to ever defeat him.'

'Let's go, Shinjurou.' Inga waved at him, and with a long-suffering sigh, Shinjurou set off after Inga towards the gate.

Author's Notes:

All right, I know the attempt at romance was a little forced. But you can't blame a guy for trying. Besides, I always thought even if Rinroku never got along with the Detective, he certainly made sure his daughter respected what the Detective stood for.

I've been waiting for a long time to do a philosophical piece on Ungo. I feel that it doesn't get enough recognition in the first place as an anime, much less as a work that is based on philosophical overtures and a work that incorporates philosophical aspects not just about the art of ruling, but also how governments deal in subversions and lies to further their own narrative.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed…

Here are some quotes that influenced this particular fiction, all from Ungo.

Quotes that influenced this story:

People's comments on Shinjurou's work: He's the little upstart that always shows up at crime scenes to criticize chairman Kaisho's brilliant deductions. The papers have dubbed him the defeated detective.

Kaisho Rinroku: Let me ask you one thing. Why do you seek so desperately to reveal the truth? I wonder…is there always one truth?

Kaisho Rinroku: After you've been in love a few times, at best you realize how trivial it all is. But even that doesn't make you any smarter. Yet despite that, without love, life cannot ever exist.

Kaisho Rinroku: 'A beautiful outcome?' 'I thought you might like it.'

Kaisho Rinroku: If all humans were saints and sages, all truths would be exposed. And every just cause, expedient, ideal and lie will no longer be necessary, correct? But will that day ever come? All we can do is better ourselves little by little.

Yuuki Shinjurou: Wrong. People fall. They unmask their essence, their truths, their souls from within…People want for beauty, they favor luxury, and they lust for pleasure, yet all the while, they know and love what is right. For each and every evil there is, there also exists justice. I want to love people, I want to know their beauty. And also, I expose souls.

[1] Mizuno was a Military commander and part of the Full Circle, who died in the car explosion that happens in Episode 10.