Chapter 53:
All of the girls at the inn felt that something wasn't quite right with their beloved landlord when he got back from his meeting with the Imperial Archive.
The young man barely spoke of what transpired during his visit and instead focused on asking everyone's opinion about his management of the inn and the Academy in general. Despite their worry, the girls responded positively regarding his performance and claimed that the Hinata Inn and compound had not been in better shape in years. Shinobu even added that while he may not have been doing most of the manual labor around the complex anymore, he and Kanako had been handling the managerial tasks so efficiently that nothing was missed by the Imperial Housing contractors. Mutsumi added that his administration of the First Academy has been better than she had expected. This was confirmed by Kaolla and Motoko, who in addition to their normal training curriculum also assisted in the general housekeeping and clerical work in the Annex. Overall, every girl agreed that while their jobs kept them on their toes, they had nothing but praises for his management.
While he was still friendly and jovial, the gathered girls couldn't help but feel that somehow there was a dark cloud looming over their beloved Regent. Their worries grew when he merely laughed off a few more suggestive remarks made by both Kaolla and Mutsumi, and then excused himself saying that he needed to go over some paperwork in the Annex. And when Keitaro barely noticed Mitsune walking into the common room in clothes that were tighter and skimpier than Shinobu had been wearing recently, they decided it was time to find out what was bothering him.
Kanako was the obvious choice as she was not only the First girl, but also the person Keitaro had confided to the most. So after freshening herself up, the younger Urashima promptly went to the Annex intent on finding out what had been bothering her beloved Master. But when two hours passed and nobody had heard from her, the Molmolian princess was selected to investigate.
After a hurried disrobing, the young slave girl crept up to the Headmaster's quarters and slowly opened the door hoping not to interrupt whatever the Regent and First girl were up to. As she tried to look around, she prayed that their absence at the dinner table was because they were involved in something adequately rather distracting and lost track of time. Kanako was a very talented slave girl, after all. She had been known to weave her way through their beloved Regent's mental quandaries through the use of her unique skills and charms. Perhaps she managed to persuade him to open up to her in private.
"Come in, little sister," the First girl said humorously, taking the curious little princess by surprise.
Stunned, the dark skinned girl peeked around the door grinning sheepishly. It always amazed her how Kanako could tell wherever she was. "Oh…um…hiya big sis," she said with slight embarrassment.
The little princess walked in to see the older slave girl on the couch lying on her back with her head resting on the armrest and her arms going over her head and disappearing behind it. On each of Kanako's thighs were leather belts which Keitaro often used to attach her ankle cuffs to causing her legs to lay open when she was on her back. The Goth girl called it a "frogtie" and it was one of her favorite positions when restrained for sex. From the looks of things, that was exactly what kept her tied up for the past couple of hours. Literally.
"Umm…where's big brother?" the princess asked, looking around the room.
"He went to the records room downstairs," the older girl calmly answered.
"What? And he left you tied up like this? Something must be really wrong. That's not like him at all!" said the surprised princess. It was one of Keitaro's rules never to leave a restrained slave girl unattended.
Kanako blinked in surprise and laughed softly at the other slave's outburst. "I'm not restrained, little sister. See?" she said while lifting her unrestrained arms. The couch had been built with eye bolts cleverly hidden underneath the heavy base and it surprised the dark skinned girl that her sister's cuffs weren't restrained to it. To illustrate her mobility further, the First girl stretched her leg and touched the other edge of the couch with her pointed toes. Satisfied, that her point was made, she returned her limbs to their original positions and sighed contentedly.
"Oh, okay," Kaolla said in relief, "I just thought he may have forgotten to release you since he seemed all distracted and stuff. Why are you still lying there like that, anyway?"
"Because I'm still basking in the wonderful feeling of being used," the First girl said happily. "In my effort to find out what was going on with our beloved brother, I may have teased him a bit too much. One minute I was on his lap trying to entice him into telling me what bothered him, and the next I was pushed down onto the couch firmly restrained. Before I knew it, he was straddling my chest and with his cock in my mouth! He even held me by my hair and pushed himself into my throat deep enough that I couldn't breathe. It was both scary and exciting at the same time! We've rarely dabbled in breath play so it took me completely by surprise," Kanako explained.
"Ohmigod! Are you okay?" the princess asked worriedly as her eyebrows shot up to her hairline.
The Goth girl laughed warmly at the younger girl's concern. "I'm quite all right, little sister. Despite his forcefulness, big brother never really hurt me or put me in danger. His thrusts were purposeful and timed to regulate my breathing. However, I must admit I got extremely aroused at being completely at his mercy like that. When he ceased violating my mouth, he crawled on top of me and began fucking me vigorously. I was in such a daze that I came almost immediately after I felt him inside me. A short while later, I came again when I felt his seed filling my pussy! He was so purposeful and assertive that I fell to a level of submission I had not been in a long while. The entire scene felt so wonderful that despite the after care he gave me, I still haven't had the urge to move from this spot," the she elaborated pensively.
Kaolla blinked at the dreamy look in her big sister's eyes. She knew all too well about the content, happy, and compliant mental state that submissive girls went into when their Dominants hit all the right spots. It looked like her big brother hit a grand slam and got Kanako so deep in 'subspace' that she hadn't completely returned yet. In fact, she appeared to be savoring the slow ride back to reality on purpose. The younger slave girl grinned as she wondered what she could do to get similar treatment.
"So you never found out what was bothering him?" the princess asked.
Kanako shook her head. "Not entirely. He said something about no longer completely trusting the Imperial Archive anymore and having to rely on the Urashima family records. In fact, he appeared to be rather cross with the Archive as a whole. I have not seen that determined look in his eyes since he went after the most corrupt Regents in the Academy for what they did to me. Whatever happened there struck a nerve and made him quite cross. In response, it looks like our big brother is going to his mental cupboard to uncork a few bottles of fury."
Kaolla blinked. "Bottles? Of fury?" she asked.
"It's an old expression," the Goth girl said with a smile. "While our big brother's patience is as deep as the Pacific, it is not without limits when it comes to certain things. Threatening those he loves is one of them. I believe he feels that our safety is being threatened by the Imperial Archive and he is planning on responding in kind. It would explain why he is hesitant to talk to us about it."
"Okay, so he's gonna go all 'Rambo' on somebody?" the dark skinned girl asked nervously.
The Goth girl laughed softly and said, "No. Big brother rarely resorts to violence. He always chooses the path wherein nobody is harmed, regardless whether they deserved it or not. Unfortunately, his methods are probably much more devastating."
"More dangerous than playing with explosives?" Kaolla asked skeptically.
The older slave girl chuckled. "There are many ways to destroy an enemy without resorting to munitions, little sister. It was one of the many things big brother learned when he was being groomed by the Urashima to become the next family head. While he never became the fearsome political and economic force they desired, he still retained everything they taught him. Most of this he used against them to gain his independence, my freedom, and to remove the old Regents and restore honor to the Urashima name. With the way he sounded earlier, I believe this time he is taking the fight to the Imperial Archive," Kanako said thoughtfully.
"What? Isn't that the Emperor's personal library thing? Wouldn't that be like…y'know, treason?" the dark skinned girl asked in worry.
"It really depends on what he's after them for. I trust that big brother wouldn't do anything so foolish unless it involves something very important. Despite great risk to himself and the family, he still went after the corrupt Regents and Urashima board members that Granny Hina couldn't because they were a threat to me and my freedom. And he doesn't do things in half measures either. His efforts became a crusade against criminals in the conglomerate and ended up restructuring the entire Urashima power base. Come to think of it, the Archive was the only place he did NOT look into when he was pursuing the corruption that plagued our family's enterprises. If my hunch is correct, I believe he is about to correct this oversight," the Goth girl replied.
"Oh…okay…so what do I tell the other girls?" Kaolla pondered.
"You may tell them that big brother is fine but he has a lot of things on his mind right now. He may be somewhat distracted when we speak with him, but rest assured that we are in the forefront of his concerns. In fact, he's going to be rather possessive of us for the next few days so they shouldn't try to get his attention unless they really, REALLY, want it. They may end up with much more than they bargained for."
"Wow…like what happened to you earlier?" Asked the grinning younger slave girl.
"Most likely. While it would be nearly impossible for big brother to lose control of himself around any of us, he will still be somewhat forceful when it comes to dealing with a compliant slave girl. What he did to me was something I had craved for a while now. His current possessive mood not only provided him enough focus and insight to root out one of my deepest desires, but it also gave him enough impetus to act upon it. He will most likely put us through some very heavy paces if we give him the slightest encouragement."
"So you're saying we should avoid him?" the dark skinned girl asked in worriedly.
Kanako smiled and shook her head. "No. I'm saying that big brother needs something to focus on and fight for. So right now is the BEST time to show him how much you love being his slave girl…"
Unable to contain their concern for their beloved Regent any longer, each of the Academy's slave girls sought out Keitaro individually in an attempt to determine what had been causing his dampened mood and perhaps cheer him up a bit. Even though the young man seemed distracted, he made every effort to give each girl his utmost attention, warming their hearts and encouraging them to push even harder to return his love. None of them succeeded in extracting any more information about what plagued him, but they did convince him to allow them a chance to make him feel better. Every session was as intense as Kanako predicted, and each girl found their limits pushed in many enjoyable ways. With each intimate encounter, both Master and slave girl felt closer and more and more complete.
Keitaro took in every word his girls spoke and absorbed every little thing in their interactions as if using it to fuel a fire he kept hidden within himself. They motivated him, encouraged him, and made him realize what was his to lose if took the situation lightly. He was not about to make that mistake. The personal training and lessons from he got from Granny Hina taught him what to look for, where to look for it, and how to use it to his advantage. He just wished he didn't have to do any of this.
The behavior of these corrupt men was really starting to bother him. What was so damned difficult about being honorable? Did these people really need to feel superior by lying and cheating their way into advantageous positions? Whatever happened to relying on one's own merits? What about common morality, fair trade, or even ethics? Did they really believe that a fair compromise was a 90% – 10% split? Capitalism is all fine and good, but was dabbling in illegal trade practices, unethical corporate maneuvering, trading despite blatant conflicts of interest, and outright cheating really necessary? It was as if they were all trying to outdo each other in perverting the market!
And speaking of perverts, why the hell couldn't these men keep it in their pants when put in a position of authority over a bunch of submissive girls? Having lived in an inn with the most beautiful girls in the city, he knew how bad the temptations could be. But he loved these girls. Despite how they treated him, he knew that each of them came from troubled pasts. It would have destroyed the young man to betray their trust. So why was it so easy for these men to do immoral things to these compliant and suggestible girls with no regard to their feelings? Did people really feel the need to exploit those who trusted them?
The young man's contemplation was disturbed by the sound of the door to the records room slamming shut and then followed closely by almost a minute of coughing. He turned to see the Hinata Café's manager trying to wave off a cloud of dust.
"Good god, Keitaro…how can you stand being in here so long?" asked Haruka in between coughs and gasps for breath.
"Ummm…I got used to it I guess. It's not so bad once the dust settles. I got used to dealing with it having done several archeological digs in pretty old caves and tunnels. Some of these scrolls are really, REALLY, old. We're probably stirring up several centuries of dust," the young man reasoned absently.
"That's not the point. You'd really rather be in here than be out there with your girls?" the café manager asked.
"I'm in here to make sure I CAN be with the girls, Haruka. The Archive is threatening my Regent status," Keitaro explained.
The Oder Urashima snorted. "That's actually what I came to talk to you about. Your little argument with Archivist Yoshinaka is making the rounds. Something about you running off to talk to the Emperor?" The older Urashima remarked casually.
Keitaro shrugged. "When Granny Hina made me her Heir she automatically made me a member of the Emperor's court. His historians are trying to misrepresent a decree that his ancestors put together years ago. I'm just following court protocol by bringing it to his attention," he reasoned.
Haruka laughed and said, "I get that. I'm just curious what you told the old fart that made him shake up the hornets nest. They're all wondering what you're going to do in order to destroy the Archive."
"I wasn't going to destroy the Archive, Haruka. All I said was that I was going to challenge Yoshinaka's interpretation of the decree…"
"Right. And at what part does doing background checks come in?" The café manager said with a smirk.
"They were going to separate me from the Academy and put the corrupt old Regents back in place! That goes against all sorts of rules clearly outlined in the decree. Yoshinaka wasn't only trying to undermine tradition, but he was also threatening to establish a very bad precedent. I know he probably had help putting this all together so I want to find out who they are and go after them," Keitaro said offhandedly.
"Well, the way he said things, he made it sound like you're going to destroy the Archive," Haruka remarked.
"If the corruption I think exists goes up that high, I probably will. I'm a student of History, Haruka. That is where our honor will be judged, and the Archive controls it. The entire point of recording our history is to make sure we don't make the same mistakes twice. It's what the Archive was all about. I have too much respect for our country's history to allow a bunch of corrupt men rewrite the rules governing how the Emperor's decrees are managed so that they can satisfy their own blatantly immoral and unethical agendas. This travesty cannot be allowed to happen."
"Even if you stand to lose the Academy?" the café manager asked incredulously.
"If what the Emperor wants is a brothel then I want nothing to do with it. That's not what I've been led to believe the Academy was about. The scrolls I've read so far confirm that. The Academy was his ancestor's idea, not mine. I merely run the institution our family was decreed to create and manage. If he wishes to go against the traditions established by his predecessors and follow a path that goes against preserving our country's history then he will have to find someone else."
"But what about the girls?"
"While the girls are Members of the Academy, they are still my wards. My claim on them was not made as a Regent, but as the Urashima heir. And that is something only Granny Hina can change, not the Emperor. I made doubly sure of that when I placed my seal on their paperwork. Although that's pretty much moot given the verbiage I found in the Hinata Lease," Keitaro remarked as he rolled his eyes.
Haruka laughed. "Figured that one out, did you?" she said with a snicker. Granny Hina was right. The young man never noticed the implications of her 'suggestions' to the lease. The crafty old matriarch still had a thing or two to teach her Heir.
"I'll admit that I had not considered that when I forced the tenants into signing it. I had no intention for it to end up that way, but I'm glad it did. It gives us all additional protection," he said thoughtfully.
"Protection or not. Going after the Archive is still a very bad idea. A lot of things can still go wrong, you know," the café manager cautioned.
"A lot of things WILL go wrong if I don't do something. Do we really want to give a bunch of self-absorbed historians time to figure out a legal way to commit graft and open the door to exploiting any girl that goes through the Academy? They would essentially rewrite the law and then blackmail the Emperor over his own decree if left unchecked," the young man said seriously.
"It's not your job to police the government, Keitaro. We have specific ministries for that," said Haruka simply.
The young landlord sighed and said, "I know. I got very acquainted with them when we removed the corrupt old Regents a while back and I'll probably have to do it all over again. There's just nobody else who can do this, Haruka. I'm not doing this just for me and the girls, I'm doing for the family and whoever else gets involved with the Academy in the future. I'm going to be the Head of the family eventually so I don't want my tenure to start with a blemish like this."
The café manager regarded the young man for a moment then asked, "So you're not backing down on this?"
"No. If the Emperor still intends the Academy to stand for the same thing it did when it was first decreed, then I'm not giving up control without a fight. I'm not going to let them put Kanako, Kaolla, or any of the other girls in danger …"
"One would say you were being selfish about this. Are you just sure it's not about you not wanting to share the girls with other men?" Haruka prodded leadingly.
"WHAT? Good god, Haruka…where did THAT come from? It's not about that and you know it! They're not just slave girls to me. They're my sisters and my friends!" Keitaro replied in shock.
"By law, they're commodities. It's what they signed up for, and it's what you are mandated to treat them as," the Tea Shop owner said with a shrug.
"I don't care! They're precious to me and I made a promise to take care of them! I don't completely agree with what they signed themselves up for but I will still respect it. But that doesn't mean I'll just treat them like personal property. I will make sure the girls get what they crave, but not at the cost of treating them as if they're less than human!" The young Regent reasoned.
"But that's how they want to be treated, Keitaro. It even says that on the Emperor's mandate," Haruka reasoned.
"Actually, it's not. There are limits to how they can be treated even under the mandates in the decree. It's actually in different parts of the scroll so you have to take into account everything. The Emperor didn't want mere playthings to be tossed aside on a whim. He wanted them cared for as very prestigious personal assets. It was part of his plan to change the way Japan viewed concubines. Despite how we've cleaned house within the Urashima Conglomerate and got rid of all the corrupt Regents, we've still got a ways to go in order to get back in line to the vision outlined by the Imperial Decree many years ago."
The café manager paused a moment to digest this. "You have proof that this was the Emperor's plan all along?" She asked.
"Yeah, I've jotted down the important points and made note of where they were so that I can refer back to them later. That's part of what I've been doing in here. Since we can't really trust the Archive anymore, I figured it was my job as a Regent to come up with my own interpretation of the Decree. It was handed down to OUR family directly, so it's our job to ensure that we follow it to the letter. I've spent enough time in these records and looked through what our family had been doing historically. Wasn't hard since I've been working with history most of my life. After a lot of reading, I began to realize where we went wrong and why it happened. We're going to correct our family's mistakes and make sure it won't happen again."
Haruka regarded the man curiously a moment, then slowly began to grin. She then proceeded to snicker while staring at her nephew with a proud gleam in her eyes.
Bothered by the older woman's scheming demeanor, Keitaro asked, "Why are you looking at me like that, Haruka?"
"It's just that Granny was right. You ARE ready," the older Urashima praised.
"Ready? Ready for what?" Keitaro asked.
"To be the family head. Granny wanted to the family that you're no longer the pushover they thought you were. She needed to see you take on something that not just affects you, but also your sister, the other girls, and the rest of the family. Seeing how far you're taking this proves that all you needed was just a little push," the café manager reasoned.
Ketiaro sighed. "I was never really a pushover, Haruka. I just didn't care about anything other than the girls. It was a different time back then. The inn protected them so they were safe from everything else that was happening around us. Some things were not as important as they are now," he said softly.
"Hey, you don't have to explain anything. I knew you were still sorting yourself out back then too. Granny and I figured you'd never get your act together until you came to terms with how you felt about your step-sister. Your responsibilities had to take a back seat until you decided how to move forward with Kanako. Once you did, everything else fell into place as we expected. Besides, it's about time you finally chose someone strong, stable, and committed to be at your side," Haruka said bluntly.
Keitaro sighed, recognizing his aunt's reference to Naru. While she and his grandmother respected his decision to get engaged to his former fiancé, it wasn't without reservations. In the end, they were right…as they always were. Still, as much as being with Kanako was the best thing he had ever done, it wasn't without great sacrifice.
"Even though I can't marry her?" The young man asked.
The café owner chuckled. "Do you really need to? She's already yours in every way. And even if you did find a way to circumvent Japanese law, do you think marrying her would put her in a better situation than she is in now? You know why that rule was put in place for the Urashima head, right? Take a good look at your situation and compare it to the lives of our former family heads. Do you honestly think it applies anymore?"
Keitaro paused a moment, trying to understand what his aunt seemed to be hinting at. Could it really be that simple? Was he overcomplicating the relationship he had with Kanako and Kaolla that he was missing something vitally important? Would marriage really make it all better between him and his beloved sister?
"I guess it really doesn't matter right now. Still…I just…I don't think I'm quite ready to take over just yet," the young man admitted.
Haruka chuckled. "It doesn't have to happen right NOW, you know. Granny Hina isn't going away anytime soon. Besides, the Urashima clan really just wanted to see what you were made of. When the family got wind of what was going on, they got nervous and wondered if you had the balls to stand up to the Imperial Government," the café manager said with a smirk.
"It's just the Imperial Archive. They barely represent the Imperial Government. It's more like they represent a bunch of old, mildew covered scrolls," the young man joked.
"Still, they're part of the government. And it's going to cause waves going after them like this…"
"I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect my little sisters, Haruka. Not only is it my responsibility as a Regent, but it's my duty as their big brother and protector. I'm not going to let them get abused again," Keitaro said firmly.
"Good. That's what Granny Hina wanted to hear. Several prominent members of the family figured you'd fold under the pressure, but she disagreed. The crazy old bat reminded them of what you did to get your sister free from her contract. And then she casually remarked how you made sure they could never take her away from you again by retaining exclusive control of nearly a third of the family's assets. You should have seen how fast they shut them up after that," laughed the older Urashima.
"I wasn't trying to be greedy, Haruka. The money is still invested in the organization. I just took away their ability to reapportion it," the young man defended.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's money they can't play with anymore. That was the fastest way to send a message to your cousins and they got it loud and clear. Now you have everyone's attention. As soon as I tell them what you're up to, you'll probably get the support of the family in Okinawa and Yokohama immediately," Haruka reported.
"Really? The Otohime's will support this?" The young Regent asked in surprise. He didn't think the usually passive Okinawans would want to be involved.
Haruka laughed. "Right. You assured a promising future for their most precious daughter by not only establishing a family precedent in claiming Kanako as your own but also by re-opening the First Academy back here in Hinata. You really think they won't want to help you after all that? The Otohime are neither stupid nor ungrateful. They're not going to let your Regency dissolve for any reason if they can help it. You have them in your corner whenever you want them, Keitaro."
"But, I don't want to trouble them, Haruka. I mean…it's my fight. I'm the Regent, and this is my job. And part of being the Heir is the pledge to protect the family…them included! I can't let them get involved in something like this," Keitaro explained.
"No, family protects each other. THAT is what family is all about. It's not just you going after the Archive, it's the Urashima. As the Heir, you represent all of us so don't think you're alone in this. You have the backing of the family head and some very powerful members of our clan. Not to mention a very talented bunch of girls out there who are really, REALLY, worried about you," the café manager stated frankly.
"But I'm responsible for their safety and…" the young man argued.
"And they're responsible for taking care of you and making you happy. Are you telling me you're NOT going to let them do their job? Do you really want to disrespect the pledge they took to serve you in all ways…including this?" Haruka asked pointedly.
"Not if it gets them in trouble," Keitaro reasoned.
"Before they were your slave girls, they were a pretty strong, talented, and resourceful bunch of girls. Are you saying that they became mindless sex toys once you claimed them?"
"Well…no, of course not…"
"So why not let them help you? Like you said, it's not just you anymore, Keitaro. You're as important to them as they are to you. You keep saying that you don't want to treat them as like property. But wouldn't leaving them out of this fight pretty much do just that? Don't leave them out of this. Let them help," Haruka urged.
The young man pondered a moment then said, "All right. I'll think about it."
"Good. Besides, they're really enjoying this possessive and protective side of you. All they want to do is serve you, Keitaro. And while they really, REALLY, enjoy it…serving you doesn't always have to be something that involves fun and games in the Annex," hinted the owner of the Hinata Tea Shop teasingly.
Keitaro sighed and said, "If you say so, Haruka."
"I do say so. So remember what I told you, you got help if you need it. The family is going to be watching and waiting."
"I…I just hope I don't let them down…" the young man said worriedly.
Haruka smiled and said, "I can understand that. But I also remember how you went against nearly impossible odds for your sister and won. You did all that for just ONE girl who was close to your heart, Keitaro. I can only imagine how hard you'll fight to protect six…"
"It's not like I….Wait…six?"
The café manager merely grinned at the young man's confused look.
