Four Days Later
My arm was in a sling as I hobbled my way into Ryota's office. I couldn't really come up with an excuse for why my right arm was mangled or why I had a stab wound in my side, so I just told Azu and Gen'en the truth. That I got into a fight with a dangerous young man while trying to get her an appointment with the Head Court Physician.
The good news was that First Lieutenant Tatewaki kept his end of the deal and we got to see the Head Court Physician. He even did a check up on me as well. The bad news was that there was nothing he could do for Azu other than give the same recommendation Gen'en had, a healthy lifestyle.
Other than that, it was hopeless. There was no procedure, no cure.
It was a little disheartening to go through all that trouble at those ruins for this outcome. But at least I didn't come out empty handed.
"I got your message." I said as I sat down and made myself comfortable.
Ryota turned around and opened a safe he had behind him.
"You're gonna have to get me one of those." I pointed at the safe.
I had a feeling that it might not be able to stop super powerful attacks but we needed somewhere to stash our growing reserves.
"I'll have someone deliver one to your restaurant."
He took out a case and laid it on the table before opening it up. Inside the case was filled up with gold ryos.
"190 ryo." Ryota said. "Second lieutenant said that in the next half year or so, the Daimyo is planning to release a new type of currency. Paper money. Easier to move. We'll have to prepare the casino for the change."
I nodded. This was something I was already used to and would welcome over carrying around a bunch of metal all the time.
"Did Shohei get paid too?"
Ryota shook his head. "He got a small bonus for assisting, but from what we saw and heard, we wouldn't have gotten in without your...performance or whatever it was that you did."
"It's called popping."
'Maybe I should give Shohei a small cut?' I thought.
Ryota waved his hand uncaringly as he stood and moved over to his cabinet to pour some drinks.
"What did you find in that place anyways?" I asked as he placed a cup of barley tea in front of me.
"We aren't sure."
"What do you mean?"
"There were more rooms deeper inside, some personal rooms that were mostly empty."
'Rin must have cleaned some of them out.'
"But for most of them, especially the large workrooms, we think it was some sort of physician's clinic or researcher's workshop."
"You think?"
"We don't recognize many of the tools or machines in there. Even after we consulted a physician we know, he couldn't identify them. But the books and scrolls in there were almost all medical in nature, and there were tons of them. There were a quite a bit of spiritual texts too, mostly about souls or something." Ryota shrugged. "It will take us awhile to go through all of them."
"Machines, you say?"
"They were strange machines that gave off light but didn't use any flames. All the higher-ranking seniors who entered Yamainu Castle before were saying something about the machines running on lightning."
'Electricity? How did the Matsumoto-gumi get their hands on tech like that?'
"Anything else?" I asked as Ryota took a sip of his cup.
"After interrogating the ones we caught and going through the documents we retrieved, Senior Brother Kurata said that the Matsumoto-gumi were using the drugs they got from the Shinrin-kai to partner with the Okuda-kai so that they could establish a presence in town.
The strange part is that even though they were doing business together, the Matsumoto-gumi and Shinrin-kai didn't even trust each other at all.
They also had a huge list of patrol officer's schedules and patrol routes, especially those on border patrol, as well as who is on their payroll and who they think can be bought. Second lieutenant said we hit the jackpot with just that list alone.
As for what the Matsumoto-gumi's objective is in doing all of that, we don't know. But it doesn't seem like money. All we know is that they're planning something big in the next year and they need influence in Yamainu for their plan."
"You mean they're still going through with the plan even though you took out their hideout?"
"It seems like it. That hideout was only a staging area and they're invested in whatever this plan is."
"Alright, tell me if you find out more. I don't want to get caught up in it if they plan to blow up the town or something." I said, downing the rest of my tea, preparing to leave.
"Oh yeah, I went to that meeting place." Ryota said. "And it was the black-market broker like I suspected. What I didn't expect, was that his specialty seem to lay in the bounty hunting business. If you ever come across active bounties or info and leads on them, bring it to me and I can get you paid by this guy."
I nodded.
"I also asked about sword arts and techniques for you."
"And?" I leaned forward in anticipation.
"He said the cheapest manuals you could buy are 25 ryo for the more inferior or widespread ones, like uh...the Wagarashi Family Sword Style or weapon reinforcement technique. And the really good stuff goes for thousands of ryo, some even costing 10000 or more. But I should let you know that most of these manuals are stolen and he won't let me buy the good stuff until I earn more trust with him."
'So I have to be careful if I do buy any of them. That's a lot of money though. But I guess it makes sense though, some of these manuals are the basis of power for some families and clans.'
Just when I thought I finally had some money, hearing those prices made me realize how powerful some clans and families were if a copy of their arts and techniques could sell for that much. Even if the broker was overcharging.
'I have a little over 250 ryo, so it doesn't seem like I can afford anything good yet. He did say that he couldn't get the good stuff yet. I guess I can decide after I master my water training, and I still need a weapon that can channel ki after that. I also have a new toy I need to practice with.' I thought as I subconsciously moved my left arm.
"Alright, tell me once you 'earn his trust'." Ryota nodded as I stood up and grabbed the case with my good arm.
When I stepped out the backdoor of the casino, I noticed that they had already started work on the two other buildings Ryota had bought.
As I slowly made my way back home, I sent out my periodic detection pulse. I felt two people behind me, just at the edge of my detection range. I would have usually dismissed this as normal but I felt two people again in the exact same positions when I sent out another detection pulse a few blocks later.
'Shit, is someone trying to rob me? How did they find out?'
I wasn't in any condition to defend myself and leading them back to the restaurant would have been a bad idea. So I decided to change my destination and made a turn on the street up ahead, keeping it as casual as possible.
Sticking to busy streets, I sent out another detection pulse just in case I was being paranoid but I found the two still following me.
10 minutes later when I was forced to step into a secluded neighbourhood near my destination, a figure in a bamboo hat and black cloak stepped out from the intersection ahead of me, blocking my path. I took the chance to finally look behind to see the two figures in plain clothes and also wearing bamboo hats. While I was doing so and without a word, the figure in front charged at me with a dagger in hand, their speed much faster than any normal human being.
I instantly tossed the case away, hoping they would prioritize the money over my life. I was wrong, because they completely ignored the case. I felt pain shooting through my injuries as I jumped as high as I could onto the outer wall of the property I was next to.
"He's getting away!"
The other two chased after me as I reached into my robe while circulating ki through my left arm.
"Fury." I ignited the flash bomb in my hand as I wound up and hurled it.
The three dodged as soon as they made it on top of the wall and my flash bomb sailed past them and exploded in the distance.
I pulled out my bokken to defend myself and I held on for a good 10 seconds before it was cut in half. They became weary when one of them feel to their knees after being hit by a wave of nausea emitted from the bracer on my left arm.
But with my injuries, and fighting with one hand—my non-dominate hand at that, and against three opponents who knew how to use ki, I was soon hit by a sharp prickling feeling in my back. I became extremely drowsy momentarily afterwards.
'These assholes drugged me.'
"Fury." I murmured.
I made one last attempt to fight back but they stepped back and waited for me to pass out, giving me no chance to fight back. I jumped off the wall, trying to make a break for it but whatever they injected into me soon had me fall to my knees. That was when I heard a voice speak up.
"I came out to see who was brazen enough to detonate an explosive over my home, but I find the four of you waylaying a guest of my family?" The demure Madam Miyoshi stood at the intersection of the street with a broom in her hand.
'Someone finally responded to my signal.' I thought in relief. 'And there was a fourth?'
She charged towards the three attackers.
"Take the kid away!" Someone called out.
The first attacker was doing something with their hands, but from my angle I couldn't see. It didn't matter though because Madam Miyoshi closed in with a dash and the handle of the broom hit them in the throat with deceptively fast speed. They collapsed instantly, choking and gasping for air on the ground. I felt someone pick me up but Renji's mother launched her broom in my direction like a harpoon.
"Hhuuu!" I heard the person who had picked me up grunt before dropping me back onto the ground.
"Retreat!" A wall of fire suddenly appeared, blocking off Madam Miyoshi from the rest of the attackers.
The fourth attacker appeared and picked up their fallen comrade as they made to retreat but Renji's sister also suddenly appeared at the intersection with a bow in hand and fired a powerful arrow that pierced through the wall of fire, taking down one of the attackers before they could get away.
The other three got away in the mean time. it was a little odd seeing two women in decorative robes forcing the attackers to frantically retreat.
"You took your time, Sumire." Madam Miyoshi said, picking up the broom and then swinging it to dismiss the wall of fire with a burst of wind.
"I had to dig my old bow out from where it was stored." Sumire said.
Madam Miyoshi pointed at the attacker with an arrow in his back. "Go call on someone to pick that one up while I take young Zai here into the residence."
"Yes, mother. Is he alright?"
"We'll find out once we get him inside." She said, giving the surroundings one final scan.
Even after all that fighting, her bun and clothing were still pristine. I pointed at the case in the distance after she pulled the needle out of my back and she was helping me up.
"And don't forget that case." She added.
She led me to the Miyoshi residence.
"I'm returning this to you, Mitsue." She said as she passed the broom over to the confused maid waiting at the gate. "Prepare a room for young Zai here. It's seems like the needle they lodged into him was laced with something unpleasant."
"Yes, Madam."
Once I was led into the room and laid down on the futon, I couldn't hold on any longer and passed out.