Chapter 3 – Propaganda
-Sakuya Izayoi's POV- (Kourindou, entrance...)
Just as I have entered, three strange men have departed. Noticing the shortest amongst them giving me weird looks, I try my best to ignore him and walk straight forwards, towards the shop owner.
„Oh, Miss Izayoi! What brings you here?" Mr. Morichika greets.
„I am here on the whims of Lady Remilia."
„Ah, same thing like last time as well, if I may assume?" Mr. Morichika questions with a smirk.
„Indeed."
The shop owner grabs the newest manga available before presenting it to me.
„This one here found its way in here only recently." Mr. Morichika says, placing it in front of me and patting it.
I grab it and pay him the regular amount.
„Anything else?" Mr. Morichika asks.
„No, that is all. Thank you." I bow and take my leave.
„Come again soon!" The shop owner yells as I set foot outside.
Next stop, Human Village.
-Giovanni Mennini's POV-
This time around, the walk back went smoothly. No sudden interruptions or anything like that. The guards from earlier ran over to us and asked if we were ambushed or anything alike. Anton was quick to answer and told them that we ran into a youkai but managed to make it leave without further issues. He didn't mention him forcing us to hide in bushes, but I don't blame him.
„Now, let us in. I have a speech to hold for the entirety of the village." States Anton and the guards oblige, stepping aside.
We don't waste much time and hurry back to our HQ, if I may call it like that. On the way there, I notice several eyes staring at us. Some with a smile and others not so much. I hope Anton's speech can positively raise the atmosphere around here a bit for I have a bad feeling if it doesn't we will face repercussion.
We enter the HQ and each of us split up to do our things. Johann went into a side room he claimed as his own with the strange amulet he bought. Or traded, actually. Anton on the other hand... Hmm, he seems to have ran off into his room to try on that new suit. He wouldn't stop talking about it and how it was destiny and what not all the way since we left that shop...
...that reminds me... who was that maid which entered just as we left?
Maybe a servant of Akyuu? Possibly, but who am I to say.
„Ah, it appears you have returned?"
I snap out of my daydreaming and notice Mr. A standing in front of me.
„To me, it seems you all have found something of use, have you not?" Says Mr. A, with a slight smile.
„Oh, yes! Anton got a new suit so he is able to hold that speech later on. Johann also got himself something nice I guess and as for me..."
„Well, this beauty here!" I say, pulling out the revolver from my side pouch which barely fit but still managed to fit anyhow.
„What is that? I think I saw something similar to this once, but I do not know what it is." States Mr. A.
„Well, it's a... Firearm? Gun? Weapon?" I try to explain the concept of a revolver to Mr. A.
After a few minutes he seems to have gotten the basic idea.
„So, this is a device which shoots bullets out, if it is loaded, correct?" Asks Mr. A, trying to confirm his theory.
„Pretty much." I respond.
„...Fascinating."
I notice a curious look in Mr. A's eyes but before anyone has something to add onto this current topic, we are interrupted by Anton.
„Say, how is it?"
I turn around and...
Mama mia...
Anton looks like a noble, dignified and prestigious leader.
The dark green fabric combined with small golden chains, golden buttons and black fabric to point out the details more is a sight I didn't think I would see around here.
It looks like a mix between a monarch fancy suit and a world war two general uniform. Certainly something I do not remember ever seeing before in our world, which is the Outside World. This design must have been forgotten in time, never to be seen in history books.
„It looks magnificent!" I say, giving Anton an impressed smile.
He smirks, and opens his mouth to say something.
„Best thing is, that fool didn't notice this was inside one of the side pockets!" Said Anton, before laughing out of joy.
He pulls something out from behind him and places it on his head.
I immediately recognize what it is.
„A peaked cap? That has to be the cherry on top!" I blurt out.
„Indeed, Mennini, indeed." Anton looks satisfied with his new outfit.
„I say we should prepare for your speech, My Vozhd." Mr. A joins back into the conversation.
„I have prepared a list of known issues around the village which you can use as the base structure of your speech, if you deem it necessary." Says Mr. A, handing it over to Anton.
„Right, I will prepare myself for it. You go and summon the village populace into the village centre." Orders Anton, taking the list from Mr. A.
„My Vozhd, do you require anything else from us?" Asks Mr. A.
„No, that is all. Now get to it. The sooner we get them on good terms the better." Says Anton, before walking off. Leaving me and Mr. A alone once more.
„We should do as he ordered. Let us hurry, we wouldn't want to make the Vozhd angry, would we now?" Mr. A chuckles lightly to himself before moving outside the room.
„...Right..."
I take a deep breath of air and follow soon after, leaving the room empty.
-17's POV- (Earlier this morning... thirty minutes before Anton & Co ventured out...)
It was a crazy night. There is no other way to describe it.
Only a few minutes after Flandre was enveloped inside a bubble of sorts, Sakuya appeared out of thin air. Just before I even managed to process a simple thought inside of my mind, I suddenly found myself standing in my room.
For a second, I questioned if I was just hallucinating until now or perhaps even suffered a nightmare.
I have heard on one occasion, that if you suddenly have to sleep in a new, strange environment, you may face difficulties doing so. I do not remember the details, however...
Could it possibly include delusions?
Before I would start to dig deeper into the thought, I decided that it wasn't worth it. At the same time, I realized that I felt exhausted at last and shortly after laying down on the bed I fell asleep.
Which brings us here.
I have just woken up, not the best sleep I had but not the worst one either. I should be happy I even got the chance to sleep in the first place. Considering me and Mike could have ended sleeping outside in the wild and risk getting attacked by wild animals. ...Or that little girl...
Finally fully waking up, I stand up and stretch my limbs before deciding to leave the room.
„Ah, you are awake. Good."
Almost falling to the floor, I manage to hold my ground by clinging to the table next to me. Again, out of thin air, Sakuya appeared standing in the door frame of the now opened door.
„D-Don't... Please don't scare me like that..." I breathe out, and try to regain my bearing.
„I was meaning to wake you up now regardless. Lady Remilia is still awake and wanted to explain a few more things to you before retiring for the day." States Sakuya firmly.
„I would advise you to head to the main hall while I wake up your accomplice." Says Sakuya, before turning around and walking towards where possibly Mike is still sleeping.
Wait... accomplice? As in the sense of someone helping to commit a crime? I can't get the feeling out of my body that Sakuya isn't particularly fond of us...
Oh well, not everyone will like you in life...
I do as Sakuya ordered and make my way towards the main hall.
On my way there, I managed to get lost twice, fooled by a fairy once and then almost went kissing the wall in front of me which appeared out of nowhere.
Eventually, I managed to make my way into the main hall just in the nick of time as Mike entered the room at the same time opposite of me.
He was holding his head as if he fell of the bed and face planted the floor. Sakuya was standing next to Mike as he entered, before she stepped in front, calmly walking towards the front door.
Following Sakuya with my eyes, I am quick to notice the owner of this mansion, patiently waiting near the exit.
Mike starts walking towards them, still holding onto his head with one hand, with me following shortly after.
„I hope you are well rested." Greets Remilia, a gentle smile on her face.
„I would have been if I wasn't suddenly honoured to meet the floor of the mansion..." States Mike, glaring at Sakuya, who glared daggers back in response.
„Now, now. Let us not waste time with such foolery." Orders Remilia, raising a hand slightly into the air to pull the attention towards her.
„I shall make this quick, for both our sakes." Says Remilia, opening her eyes and looking at both me and Mike.
„I will not fill your heads with irrelevant information, only what I deem of use to you." Says Remilia, with a composed posture.
„Once you leave the surrounding area of my mansion, you may run into youkai of any kind. Since you have no way to defend yourself, I suggest trying to avoid such encounter or be on guard all the time. Since it is day, youkai activity is reduced, but never fully..."
Remilia went on and on about what to be wary of, what to take into consideration and plenty more. I feel like I went deaf halfway through her explanation.
„...that should be obvious to you. Lastly, I suggest heading towards The Hakurei Shrine. The shrine maiden should be able to not only help you but possibly return you back to your world, if you so desire. That is all." Finishes Remilia, seemingly satisfied with herself.
So wait, the ticked to solve our problems is a shrine maiden by the Hakurei Shrine? Okay, I think I know where both I and Mike are heading.
„Fantastic, but may we also know how to get to that shrine in the first place?" Says Mike, in irritation.
„Sakuya will show you the path." Says Remilia.
„L-Lady Remilia...?"
Sakuya losses her footing for a mere moment before returning to normal.
„Sakuya, I want you to visit that outside world store again, for the usual desired item. While you go there I want you to tag along with these two until the point where the path splits." Orders Remilia.
Sakuya's hand slightly shakes before she asks.
„Milady, a-ar-"
Only to get interrupted.
„Also, visit the Human Village. We need new furniture to be delivered after yesterday night." Says Remilia, adding more tasks for the maid.
„I... Of course, Lady Remilia. It shall be done." Answers Sakuya, complying with the request and bowing her head down.
Remilia then faces us again and says.
„You are always welcome to visit. Now, i-"
Remilia was preparing to depart before suddenly, another interruption occurred.
„Big Sis! Big Sis!"
From out of nowhere Flandre comes running towards us, stopping only once we are barely a few feet apart.
„Are they already leaving?" Asks Flan.
Remilia sighs, before facing her little sister with a gentle smile.
„Yes, Flandre, they are. If you want to tell them anything, do it now. Remember the talk we had yesterday..."
Flandre immediately looks over into my direction and starts speaking.
„I am sorry for being a bad girl yesterday, mister. I hope you can forgive me and that we can play again sometime."
Flan says this while giving me the biggest puppy eyes I have ever seen.
...Well, I see no reason not to forgive her for being a bit too excited...
„I forgive you. No need to worry and... s-sure, next time we meet we can play again. Maybe even Mike wi-"
„Nah."
„-ll have a change of heart and play as well."
Flandre immediately cheered up and ran back the way she came in.
„Yay! I will wait for you until then!" Are the last words heard, coming from the depths of the mansion.
...Wait, I just remembered I wanted to ask about Flandre in the first place.
„L-Lady Remilia?"
„Hm?" Remilia turns to face me, a neutral expression is present on her face.
„I wanted to ask about why you didn't tel-"
„Yes, I have a little sister. Yes, I know what she did last night, I apologize for not acting swift enough. And yes, there is a reason why she usually remains in her room."
I was stunned by how she just answered me, not only my question but more, without hesitation that I forgot what else I was meaning to ask.
„So that was ya little sis? She seems like a good kid, honestly. But I ain't gonna look into this no further." Says Mike.
„Welp, allow me to thank you for the hospitality." Mike bows down before walking next to me and placing a hand down on my shoulder.
„The clock is ticking and we need to get a move on. Innit so?" Asks Mike. He seems to have gotten enough sleep to act silly for some reason.
„R-Right..." I answer.
„Indeed. Farewell." Remilia waves her goodbyes before slowly walking off.
„Ight, le-"
„Not so fast."
Sakuya suddenly blocks the way.
„Hey, what gives?" Questions Mike.
„Lady Remilia ordered me to tag along. Follow me and do as I say if you do not wish to see the consequences of not doing so."
Sakuya says that harsh enough for complete silence to take place.
Does she not know what tag along means?
„Jeez, alright!"
Mike rolls his eyes and we procced to leave after a long night, following the maid which I still believe has killing intentions against us.
Why do I think that? For starters, we barely left past the gate and she already threw a knife into the head of Meiling in record speed.
All that was heard was a loud yelp and a body hitting the dirt floor.
Note to self, never sleep on work with Sakuya close by.
As we walk, I take in the beauty of nature around us. The misty lake which still has a lot of mist around it to the trees which look like are centuries old.
We walked for about twenty minutes before we arrived at a road split from what it seems.
On the way here, we weren't attacked by any youkai. ...Oh, except a blue haired ice fairy.
However, before she managed to speak out, she was already on the floor covered in knives. Sakuya simply told us to ignore that "idiot" and move on. I have a feeling fairies are not treated very well in this world.
„This is where our time together comes to an end. I bid you farewell and may you reach the Hakurei Shrine in one piece." Says Sakuya, bowing down and walking off on her own.
Wow, she just left like that. Well, at least she was kind enough to wish us luck instead of just telling us to piss off or something.
„Well, here we go again... How much you betting we run into trouble?" Asks Mike, a smile plastered on his face.
„Only one way to find out." I return the smile and we continue our journey.
I already know something will hinder us from getting to that shrine right away...
-3rd Person POV- (Human Village, minutes before Anton holds his speech...)
After the chaos which the village had to deal with last night, many villagers are left confused. Plenty of the human villagers were unsure what was even happening, but the youkai living in the village were even more so...
Particularly a youkai who was hiding in plain sight, masked to be human, trying to live inside the village along with humans in peace.
That youkai was none-other than "Sekibanki".
A youkai in disguise, Sekibanki has red hair and eyes. She wears a blue bow with red trimmings and a red and blue capelet that covers part of her face. She also wears a black and red long sleeved shirt, as well as a dark red skirt and red and black boots.
She usually tries to avoid conflicts going on inside the village when she isn't involved in it in any way, but after last night, she got curious on what events have unfolded and are still unfolding.
Walking along the village roads, trying to see what the deal was that plenty of guards walked around in larger numbers than any other day.
„Come! Come! The Vozhd is holding a speech for all to hear! Come!"
Quickly, she noticed a villager running down the road trying to gain everyone's attention.
Sekibanki soon realized that a large crowd of people walked in one direction and from afar she saw a large gathering taking place. Never before seeing a gathering this large without any festivities to be around got her curious on what it might be about. Deciding she has nothing to lose she decided to join in and see what is going on.
After arriving at the location everyone gathered, she scanned the area and saw a podium in the middle with guards all around it, along with weirdly dressed looking villagers.
She swore she saw those villagers on few occasions, but they mostly avoided going out in the open.
„Calm down, calm down everyone! The Vozhd is here to hold a speech!"
Said the villager who she saw gathering people only mere minutes ago.
And to the villager's words, "The Vozhd" walked up and stood in the middle of the podium.
The Vozhd, also known as Anton Drevov, makes a coughing like noise to attract attention and force everyone to quiet down.
Suddenly, the village went silent.
Awaiting what he had to say.
„Villagers of the Human Village, many of you likely already heard of me. As you may know, I am the new village chief."
A few uninformed villagers gasp in surprise.
„Yes, but from now on I am to be referred to as The Vozhd, for a new age has arrived..."
The crowd stood in silence, waiting.
„...a new age of prosperity!"
„I have been informed all about your issues and problems and have decided to help you with all my power. I know many of you do not trust me, which is understandable. Alas, grant me a chance! For I will prove to you that with me in charge, you will be able to reach for the stars! No longer will you have to work hard to ensure survival! No longer will you have to rely on luck to have food on the table in desperate times! No longer..."
„...will you have to fear youkai!"
At that, the crowd got interested. Listening to every word Anton spoke.
„Yes, you heard me right! You live under tyranny! Fearing for your life each time you leave the safe haven of the village walls!"
The crowd agrees with slight sounds of confirmation.
„But that will change now! No longer will you need to rely on other people to defend you! No longer will you need to pray to gods to save you! I will defend you, I will protect you!"
The crowd appears confused.
„Me? How, you ask? Simple. I will help you all be able to defend yourself from youkai! New tactics, new weapons... I promise power, prosperity and progress in this village! I will turn this village into a luxurious place where nobody has to fear a thing! Fear will cease to exist as we will fight youkai head on and exterminate them once and for all!"
Large amounts of the crowd start cheering and clapping.
„If they dare attack and threaten us, only THEY will have their hearts filled with FEAR! Not the other way around! We will strike back and cut the throat of the snake and let it die for its crimes against humanity!"
The crowd is filled with various people, those who are ecstatic over what they hear to some simply just clapping in agreement.
„For decades you had to endure and now the time for payback has arrived! Let them come and taste our combined might and determination to put an end to this nonsense!"
„For I will never give you up! I will never let you down!"
„The Vozhd is here, and I am going to fix everything! Now, repeat after me!"
„Glory to The Vozhd!"
„Glory to The Vozhd!" The crowd repeats.
„Louder!"
„GLORY TO THE VOZHD!" The crowd repeats louder.
„I SAID LOUDER!"
„GLORY TO THE VOZHD!"
„GLORY TO THE VOZHD!"
„GLORY TO THE VOZHD!"
Soon, all that was heard was the chanting of the villagers.
Anton was feeling pure ecstasy, determination and total power.
Without another word, Anton walked off the podium and down to the villagers to personally talk with them, to create a stronger bond with the villagers.
At this point, Anton managed to charm the minds of enough villagers to not worry about them trying anything funny. Many still remained unsure, but supported Anton regardless.
However, a few still were cynical...
Just like Sekibanki herself. She not only knew that it was all bark no bite. But she also was feeling annoyed by Anton rallying humans up against youkai.
She was aware this could lead to horrible consequences and wanted to interfere.
But decided against it, as by doing so she risked drawing attention to her while also possibly getting on Anton's bad side. Which could pose a problem at the moment.
For now she decided the best course of action would be to warn her friends about this lunatic before something even gets the chance to happen.
...
On the other side of the crowd, at the edge of it, a silver haired maid could be seen.
-Sakuya Izayoi's POV- (Human Village, minutes before the speech...)
I arrived with a single task in mind.
Ordering new furniture to be delivered to the mansion. All the required replacements have been written down on a small piece of paper by Lady Remilia herself. I must not waste my time and make haste.
Arriving near the usual woodcutter and carpenter store, I was quick to notice the lack of people present by the market stands or generally on the village streets.
Deciding that while it was uncommon, it certainly was just village activities dragging the people away from their normal routines, it was not my concern.
Entering the carpenter store, I am quickly greeted.
„Welcome, welcome! Ho- Oh." Greets the store owner before turning around from his latest creation and noticing me.
„Ahem. Miss Izayoi, how may I help you?"
Without a word, I hand him the piece of paper.
„Mmm... I see..."
The store owner checks every requested item before placing the paper down and answering.
„I should be able to have everything done within a week. Delivery as usual?"
I nod, turning around to leave.
„I advise caution, yesterday night was wild. That new "Vozhd" person is a bit out of his mind."
...
„What do you mean?" I ask.
„Well, three Outsiders appeared yesterday and one of them has pretty much claimed the position of village chief. Guy wants us to refer to him as "The Vozhd" or something like that." Answers the store owner.
„Interesting. Where can I meet this man?" I ask.
„A guy barged in a few minutes ago, telling me that the Vozhd is holding a speech or something. I don't really care, but if you want to meet him I suggest going to the place where he is holding that speech." Answers the carpenter.
„And where is he holding it?"
„I think the guy said it was in the centre of the village. Just take a look and see if you find a gathering of people." Answers the store owner.
„Thank you. Goodbye." I say, leaving the store.
„If you need any more furniture, let me know!" Yells the store owner, before I fully left his store.
I should go and investigate this "Vozhd" person for Milady.
Was my excuse to make my way to the centre and see who this person is for myself.
-17's POV- (Meanwhile...)
We have been walking for a good while now. After Sakuya left to go down the other path, we continued on and after only a few minutes we managed to spot a giant Japanese gate in the distance on a hill, I think those are called "torii". Mike pointed out that's most likely where we should be heading and so we did.
Issue is...
„Gah! We've been walkin' down this path for ages and all I still see are fuckin' trees!" Complains Mike.
„Yeah, but it shouldn't be far now..." I say, starting to be unsure if that really is the case.
„Certainly, fucking, hope so." Says Mike, before calming down.
„Mate, sorry for being rude 'n all but I feel like we aren't making any progress and before we get somewhere it's gonna be night time again." Says Mike, clearly frustrated.
„I-I get you. I too would like to be somewhere safe before... night...?"
I come to a stop with my sentence as both I and Mike stare with utter shock at the sky.
We managed to get to a small clearing which allowed us to take a look on how far that torii gate is until...
„WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT FUCKING RED THING!?"
Mike almost roared with how loud he yelled that.
I felt my heart stop for a moment. How is that possible? The path should have taken us to that shrine! In confusion, I try to look around to see if I notice something unordinary, until suddenly I spot it.
„T-There!?"
In a turn of events, the moment I turned around I saw the torii gate standing on the same hill behind us, seemingly even further away than the first time we saw it.
„WHAT!?"
Mike yelled and looked towards where I pointed and almost lost his, already bordering the limit, cool.
„How... How the FUCK did we go past it?! That doesn't add up! It makes no sense! Zero!"
As Mike was busy pointing out logical holes on how it was impossible to go past it, I suddenly hear laughter coming from my right side.
Pretending to ignore it, I walk up behind Mike and put my hand on his shoulder. This action made him look at me and I signal him to be quiet for a moment and listen.
„Sunny, we pranked them soooo good!"
„Yeah! Probably one of the best reactions we got in a while as well!"
„For sure! That one screamed so much, he looked like he was going to pop!"
Before I manage to do anything, Mike has already gotten hold of a large rock and was about to throw it in the direction of the sound. All I managed to do is take a look at Mike's anger filled face and clenched teeth before following the flying object with my eyes.
Surprisingly, it actually hit something...
„Ouch!"
*Thud*
„Sunny!?"
Out of nowhere, both I and Mike see three small individuals, two standing ten steps in front of us and one laying down on the ground. Those are definitely fairies, that's for sure. But how did they appear out of thin air? ...D-Don't tell me Sakuya send those to get rid of us... No, that's ridiculous. Still, who are they?
„Ight, ya think this is fucking funny, eh!?" Not allowing them any time to recover from the sudden shock of a friend of theirs getting hit in the head and falling down on the ground, Mike started aggressively talking to them.
„Huh? Do they see us?" Asks the dark brown haired fairy.
„Until now we only could hear ya laughing your bums off at our expense!" Answers Mike.
„Luna! You forgot to mute us!" Says the fairy which got hit by the rock, slowly sitting up with a hand rubbing her head.
„I-I did? Oops. My mistake..." Says "Luna", the one with yellow hair and several curls, who obtains a comical sweat drop on her forehead while scratching the back side of her head.
„What? Were you stalking us!? Wait... Are you the ones responsible why we got fucking lost in the first place!?" Yells Mike furiously, solving the issue on how it was impossible to get lost.
„Uh oh. Girls, the cat's out of the bag! Let's make a run fo- Hey, where did Star go?!" Says who I assume is the leader of the group, now fully standing.
„What cat? We don't have a cat." Questions Luna.
„Forget about the cat! Go!"
„HEY! WHERE DO YA THINK YOURE GOING!?" Yells Mike, chasing after them.
Not wanting to be standing in the middle of nowhere all alone, decide to follow after.
„Hehe! You can't catch us!" Taunts one of the fairies as they quickly fly away.
...Darn, maybe there IS a reason why fairies are not treated that well after all.
Mike quickly gave up and sat down to take a quick breather.
I walk towards him and take a seat next to him.
„Ummm... What now?" I ask.
„Hell if I know." Answers Mike.
„Fuckers flew in the direction of that shrine, which means..." Says Mike before finally fully calming down and finishing the sentence.
„We are likely to run into them again and they can fuck around with us and maybe even kill us by leading us into a death trap or somethin'."
...
...
„Ight, sitting here won't do us any good." Says Mike, slowly standing up before giving me a hand to pull me up as well.
„The shrine is still the goal, but we have to go the opposite direction for now and hope for our lives we find someone who would be willing to help us... and not eat us..." Says Mike, looking at the sky.
„We still have plenty of sunlight left, but these trees caste a lot of shade for youkai, so in case they might be active despite it being day, we should be on guard. Considering..." Speaks Mike, looking around us.
„I have no idea where that path went." Finishes Mike, looking at me for any valid explanation.
„Wait what? It should be just over there! W-We didn't run that far off it!" I say.
„Exactly. Yet I can't see it from here, only that rock." States Mike.
„...What if... there never was a path to begin with...?"
I say, unsure if that is the case. Taking into account that the fairies managed to get us lost in the first place, I wouldn't take it for impossible that the road was just a mere hallucination.
This makes no sense, even if hallucinations can be that powerful, but apparently this seems to be the case.
„Bullshit. Those flying rats just made it invisible or something. If they can make themselves invisible as we saw, who say they can't make the path invisible?" Questions Mike.
„M-Maybe... but still, what do we do now?" I ask, trying to end this conversation about Schrödinger's path.
„As I said, the only thing we can do." Says Mike, starting to walk in one direction.
„W-Where are you going...?" I ask, unsure of Mike's actions.
„No idea. Let's just hope somewhere safe." Answers Mike.
Not wanting to be left alone, I follow suit.
Please, just let us get to that shrine safely and in one piece...
-Fujiwara no Mokou's POV- (Meanwhile...)
*sigh*
„Everything is so quiet all of a sudden... Eh, not like I mind."
Not much happened in the past few hours. Ever since I put out those fires, everything was peaceful. I haven't seen or heard anyone being lost or have ran into anyone while I was walking around for a morning stroll.
I checked up a few times on Keine, as far as I can tell... it's no better but also not worse.
The cold rags might have helped, however I still think I could do something else to help her...
Maybe... No. No, I can get her into shape by myself. ...I will only consider it when it would look really bad...
Argh, enough of that line of thinking! Why does that bitch have to annoy me at the worst times in both real life and mind?
Deciding I had enough of my mind I go ahead and collect more herbs and material which I could use.
After collecting a handful of flower petals and bamboo roots in hopes of growing the variety of options available to me, I return back home.
On my way home I encounter nothing or hear nothing at all.
„...Strange..."
I say to myself as I glance around, trying to see if I spot anything, anything at all.
„Even if nothing is happening, I have a gut feeling I am missing something... Peh, perhaps it's just an incident, that lazy shrine maiden should hurry up in that case."
Shaking it off as something which isn't of mine concern, I slide the door open with my shoulder and enter, letting the door open for fresh air to enter.
Walking over to the kitchen section, I place down the future ingredients of tea, balm, whatever I come up with which works and head over to where Keine is laying down.
„Heya, you fine down there?" I ask, kneeling down.
„Oh...? Mmm... I am holding up just... fine." Says Keine in a tired voice.
„Still sleepy? You almost slept more than I in a whole month by now!" I say, slightly chuckling.
Keine gives me a stern look.
„Mokou, you should sleep properly. I can... make you a... sleep schedule if you can't make one... yourself."
„Tsk. Keine, Keine... even when sick you just can't help yourself but to worry. Fine, I will sleep more often, alright?" I ask, jokingly rolling my eyes with a smile on my face.
Keine smiles back and nods in satisfaction of me promising to improve my sleep schedule.
Which I most likely won't, at least not now when I have to fix Keine up back to good health.
*cough**cough*
Keine shortly after closes her eyes again.
„Want me to make you something for lunch right about now?" I ask, lightly tapping Keine's shoulder.
„...Sure... but don't forget to include yourself, you too need to eat." Answers Keine, her eyes still closed but a smile present.
„Heh, of course."
Standing up, I head over to the kitchen before asking.
„Does yakitori sound good to you?"
„...I don't mind!" I hear Keine answer.
„Then yakitori it is."
-Mike Victorn's POV- (Meanwhile... nearing the Forest of Magic...)
„Do you see anything yet?"
„Mate, not wanna be a dick... But if you ask that question one more time, I will leave you on ya own."
We've been fucking marching slow but steadily in one direction and found nothing other than more fucking trees. 17 kept trying to talk to me or start a conversation, not realizing I wanted him to hold it before some youkai notices our presence.
I swear, if not for those flying Tinker Bell wannabes we would have already been nice and safe by that shrine if not back in our world. Only cause our luck must be at the lowest point it seems, do we have to deal with shit like this.
We keep walkin' until suddenly I get a whiff of something foul in the air.
„Hold ya horses..."
As I say that, I stretch my arm out to stop 17 in his step.
„What is it? ...y-youkai...?"
Before 17 starts formulating any conclusions, I answer him straight on.
„The air smells... funny..."
...
...
„What?"
Turning my head to face 17 I begin to explain.
„If we keep going into this direction, we might die. The air in that direction doesn't seem normal."
Pointing with my left hand in the direction where the stench spreads from.
„Huh? ...I don't smell anything."
17 says after smelling the air a bit, lookin' around.
„How can you smell it?"
Ight, that's it.
„Ight, that's it. History lesson time with uncle Mike."
„Eh?" 17, boy, don't look confused and just listen.
„I told ya I'm a janitor, yeah? Well guess what, I was workin' once in a factory of sorts for some quick buck at night. Nothing out of the ordinary, right?" I question the sentence.
„R-Right...?" 17 seems to think so... hehe...
„Wrong!" I exclaim with a quick laugh.
„Middle of the night. All alone just walkin' down a maintenance tunnel. When all of a sudden..." I wait a bit, building the anticipation before answering.
„BOOM! A pipe fucking decides to be a little bitch and explode outta nowhere! Guess who has to fix it in time before damage is done? Fucking me! My manager was one hell of a lucky bastard that I knew what to do or else he would have been fucked!"
„Wait, you managed to fix a pipe, which exploded, leading to a gas leak, all alone in the middle of the night?" Says 17, looking at me as if I was shitting him.
„That's not important right now! Thing is, I got a nasty sniff of whatever gas that pipe was emitting. Now wait! Here is the deal breaker! After that fucking incident, they decided to "promote" me!"
„Oh, well that's great!" Says 17, thinking that was a good thing...
„Hell naw it wasn't!"
17 expression is left stupefied.
„They literally made me check the gas pressure of EVERY. SINGLE. FUCKING. PIPE. In the whoooole facility, every day!" I say, starting to laugh my ass off.
„What a joke, eh!?"
„Ha...ha...ha...?" I can tell 17 is unsure whether to laugh or not. Eh, screw it. Let's get to the point.
„Anyways, the point is... I inhaled so many different gasses be it by accident or not back then, I pretty much can tell whenever something is in the air."
...
...
„That's... pretty impressive." Says 17, nodding his head, agreeing with his statement.
„Yup. Only time I may fail to notice is when I am dead tired, but at that point I honestly can't be bothered."
„Okay, soooo... what now? Do we... turn around or..." Asks 17, pointing in multiple directions for some reason.
„Nah, if we just filter the air we should be good to go." I answer, looking in that direction.
„With what, a piece of cloth? Leafs?"
„Oh, another Einstein? Well, I like ya better than the first one! Who was that guy called again... something... Minili or... Melini..." I joke around a bit.
„Don't think now's the time for... jokes..."
17 was sayin' when he suddenly went completely silent on me.
„Oi, ya alright? Something the matter? I know, not one of my best but that's no reason t-"
„Look at that... plant over there." Says 17, pointing at something in the direction I was planning to continue going.
Squinting my eyes, I manage to spot what 17 spotted.
It was a strange lookin' plant, lemme tell ya that. Other than that, nothing seemed that off. This is a different world from what that vampire child told us. So no wonder there are new or unknown plant species around.
„Yeah, I see it. What about it?" I ask.
„I swear I saw it move..." Answers 17. Pffff!
„Yeah, you see 17... Plants do move when, I dunno, they want to be exposed to the sun, get pushed around by the wind..." I humour myself, thinking 17 was trying to make a joke of his own to pay me back.
„No, seriously. It actually moved." ...
„Oh yea? Tell me how, then." I smirk, starring at 17.
„W-Well...Oh! Look now!"
I swing my head to the side to get a good look at that plant again. Noticing a butterfly approaching and slowly landing on that suspicious plant, which actually looks like a blooming flower now that I think about it.
„Aww, look, a butterf-"
*Chomp*
...
...
„...Did that fucking plant just open up with a set of sharp teeth to annihilate that small butterfly...?"
I ask. Appearing seemingly composed on the outside.
„...Yes."
...
...
„Ight, let us forget we saw this and head this direction instead."
Taking the lead, I avoid going anywhere near that fucking plant and wander into a new direction.
„Y-Yeah, this event... never had any witnesses..."
As we resume walking, I can't stop hearing that chomp sound it made in my mind. It sounded exactly like... like when poor Paul was mauled by that devious disguised little runt.
Shaking my head to try and forget about it, knowing it would only hurt poor ol' me in the long run, we continue to walk until a gust of wind comes out of nowhere and we hear someone yell at us from above us.
„Yo! Who are you guys, ze?"
-3rd Person POV- (Meanwhile... Anton & Co, inside their HQ...)
After the speech and a bit of small talk with several villagers which wanted to talk with Anton, they made their way back to discuss what to do next, now that they should be relatively safe from the inside.
Alas, only the inside. The outside was still weak. Anton wanted that to be changed immediately. First, however, they need to focus on a few loose ends...
„I had my followers inform me about the wellbeing of the village at the moment. There are a few blank pages which need to be addressed as soon as possible now that we have solidified your power, My Vozhd." Mr. A said, seriousness reeking from him.
„What are the issues in need of being taken care off?" The Vozhd inquired, resting his hands on the round table they were seated next to.
„Let's see..." Mr. A said, being handed a scroll by a follower of his.
„Foremost, the Hieda Temple School. The school teacher is missing and no one is available to teach the village children. What would you suggest, My Vozhd?" Mr. A said, taking his eyes from the scroll and placing them onto Anton.
„Hmm... Do we have anyone else qualified enough to fill in the r-" The Vozhd was saying when he suddenly was interrupted.
„I shall take the school matters into my hands, if you do not mind."
Everyone turned to look at who spoke, it was none other than Johann. With his brown fedora blocking most of his face, he continued speaking.
„I can handle that sector for now until a perhaps better replacement is found." Johann said, moving his head up, looking at the rest of the people present through his round glasses.
Mr. A didn't seem to care about the idea of Johann being around children to teach them. The Vozhd was a bit more concerned but since Johann did prove to be reliable his doubts soon evaporated as he agreed.
If Mennini was present, he likely would have shown concern. Since according to Mennini, Johann is one creepy individual which mere presence could already cause children to suffer nightmares.
Alas, Mennini was not. For Mennini was sleeping in a small room located on the opposite side of the building after helping move heavy crates filled with vegetables and more around town.
In other words, Mennini was too exhausted to be able to attend the current discussions.
„Very well. I trust you will do a good job?" The Vozhd asks, expecting a yes of sorts.
Instead, he was surprised to hear something else.
„I cannot promise something which I cannot guarantee. I merely will attempt to teach them as one would expect. If they won't co-operate, I cannot be blamed." Johann stated.
After a moment of silence, the Vozhd nods.
„Understandable. Just don't do anything reckless." The Vozhd said.
„Of course." Johann answered.
„Good. With that settled, let us move on the next thing on the list..." Mr. A said, as he once again holds out the scroll to read what is written on it.
„This was about the Hieda Temple School. Now, we must address the issue of Hieda herself." Mr. A stated.
„Hieda?" The Vozhd questioned. Eager to hear what it was about.
„Hieda no Akyuu has decided to not co-operate with us or you, My Vozhd. Claiming you to be a madman."
Anton grits his teeth in annoyance upon hearing this.
„As a result, she denies us access to any information which the village holds. This is a direct insult and will hurt us in the long run. What do you suggest we do about little Akyuu, My Vozhd?" Mr. A asked, an evil grin forming on his face.
Anton pondered, but quickly deciding on what to do.
„I say, if she doesn't wish to co-operate willingly, we simply force her to."
„Mr. A, if you know anything which could force her on our side willingly or not, you may take action and do so." The Vozhd calmly said.
Mr. A flashed a wicked smile, before answering.
„I can think of a thing or two..."
„Moving on..."
(The small room on the opposite side of the building...)
„...N-No..."
...
„...Th...That can't...be..."
...
„...This...no...this is... false..."
...
...
„AAAA!"
-Giovanni Mennini's POV-
I wake up screaming. Throwing myself off the makeshift bed I made to sleep on. Breathing and exhaling rapidly, I try to calm down. Once I do, I try to think...
Think about what I dreamed about...
...nothing.
I... I can't recall the dream.
I know I had to been dreaming, since I was screaming. I had to have had a brutal nightmare, but I cannot find it in my memory.
Deciding to just let it go, I let out the last bits of tension and walk over to fix myself up in the washroom.
Once done, I hear noises coming from the other side of the building. Quickly coming to conclusion that it has to be Anton, Johann and most likely Mr. A discussing, I hurry up to try and join them before I miss something which I didn't already.
I doubt anyone will enlighten me with what I missed in detail, but oh well...
Coming to a stop outside the room they are currently in, I take one last deep breath of air, before sliding the door open and steeping inside.
„Now onl-"
They turn to face me, Mr. A begins to chuckle lightly.
„Ah, Mennini. Finally deciding to join in?" Says Anton, shaking his head with a smile.
„Yeah, I hope I didn't miss anything too important..." I say, scratching my right arm.
„No, not at all, Mennini." Says Anton, slowly moving over to me with Mr. A doing the same.
„Uhhhh... Why do I feel like I don't want to know what's next to come...?" I say, unsure of why they are approaching me slowly.
„Nonsense! We just realized that there IS indeed one important thing which you should know about." Says Anton, patting my shoulder and placing his hand on it.
„Oh yeah...? And that is...?"
I ask, only for Mr. A to put a hand on my other shoulder, before whispering into my ear.
„You have been tasked to venture out on your own for a little mission."
As he finished talking, I immediately tried to get some distance but find myself unable to as both Anton and Mr. A suddenly hold me in place.
„Mennini, don't you dare think you can run away from us!" Says Anton, slightly annoyed.
„Why me? I don't want to go somewhere dangerous!" I yell, trying to break free but to no avail.
„Don't make a scene! Mr. A reassured us that if you head out now you should be safe!"
„The key word being "should" doesn't sit well with me at all!" I protest.
„Dammit, Mennini!"
*Pow*
„Oomph!" I spit out... as I fall... to my knees...
„...That... hurt..."
„Get yourself together, Mennini! Johann is going out on a mission himself, so it's not only you!"
After recovering from the punch to my gut, I stand up, visibly still shaken.
„C-Cant I at least have some guards follow me?" I plea.
„My apologies, Mr. Mennini. But my followers are busy with their own investigations and the guards are needed to protect the village in case of emergency." Informs Mr. A.
„The task at hand is better to do alone anyways." Adds on Mr. A.
„...Alright... What do I have to do..." I reluctantly agree to do whatever they planned.
„It is rather simple. We need you to go towards Youkai Mountain and see if you spot anything which looks like a cave or place for an excavation to be held upon." Says Anton.
„...Excavation? Why? Do we need raw minerals and ores for something?"
...
...
„Precisely." Says a voice from the table, it belonging to Johann.
„We talked about arming the village to the teeth while you were asleep. One idea that struck was modernizing the weapon department by changing the blessed close combat weaponry into effective anti-youkai long range weaponry. In order to achieve that, however, we quickly realized a lot of material would be needed. Mr. A explained to us that he is eager to see such weaponry of the Outside World and in order to have a chance to be able to provide the material for it, we should find a location which is rich with the necessities."
...
Sometimes I think Johann is just holding all the talk inside him just to vomit it out at once.
„Okay, but... what if I can't find anything? What do we do then?" I question, unsure whether that plan has any structural integrity at all or if it was just made on the fluke.
„That is where Johann comes into play." Says Mr. A.
„While you go hunting for that, Johann will venture into the Bamboo Forest of the Lost in search of Eientei." Says Mr. A, before going over to a shelf and searching for something.
"Eientei" ? What even is that, some kind of animal?
„Ei...tei...? What is that?" I question.
„A place in that forest. Johann will be going there to strike a deal with the owner of it." Explains Mr. A, pulling something down from the shelf and heading back towards us. Anton remaining silent and listening for now, just like Johann. Although, Johann is examining something in his hands.
„What deal? H-How much did you already set in stone while I wasn't present...!"
„Simple. In case we can't make our own weaponry... We can use the lunarian ones instead! That's the big idea behind this!" Exclaims Mr. A.
Lunarian... I think I want to go back to sleep... I have heard enough new things for today...
„On a few occasions, I and my men have been around the general area where Eientei is located. We managed to see for a few quick peeks that those moon rabbits and rabbits were producing lots of things, including their weapons." Explains Mr. A.
...
Moon rabbits... I think Mr. A lost it. No way. No way is that actually real. I rather believe pineapple belongs on a pizza than that! ...No. Pineapple on a pizza is still far less believable. I will never forgive people for ruining traditiona-
„And so!"
I snap out of my daze to see Mr. A was still talking.
„If Johann manages to convince them to sell their weapons to us, we will be able to not only properly defend the village, but begin the extermination process in record time, and claim all of Gensokyo for humans!" Says Mr. A, laughing like a maniac.
„But... aren't those "moon rabbits" youkai...?" I ask.
„No, they come from the moon. They are Lunarians. Not youkai." Says Mr. A. ...I don't know what the difference is...
„And you believe they will agree to help us?" I question Mr. A. Expecting some weird and confusing answer again.
„They might or might not. It is at least worth a shot." Responds Mr. A.
„In the end, we might just stick with what we have now. We are just dipping our feet into the water to test if it is warm or cold, after all." Says Mr. A, metaphorically.
„So we don't even know for sure... huh..."
„Now, Now, Mennini. We must think about the safety of the humans in the Human Village. The better geared we are the better we are able to protect everyone." Says Anton, placing a hand on my shoulder again, honest smile glued on his face.
*sigh*
„Okay, let's just hope we find some success in this..." I state, still not fully convinced this is the right thing to do.
„That's the spirit, Mennini!" Exclaims Anton.
„Good, good... Now, we should all start doing our tasks. The Vozhd and I will work on the inner issues of the village which we need to fix while the rest of you two go ahead and prepare for your mission." Says Mr. A.
After that, Johann stood up and walked past me, out of the room. Nervous as I am, procced to follow after him, knowing better than to chicken out at the last possible moment.
With that, I have sealed my fate. I just hope my fate isn't to die on that task of mine...
-Reisen Udongein Inaba's POV-
„Medicine! Medicine for sale! Come and buy!"
...
...
Huh, guess today the sales aren't as good as normally...
After coming to the Human Village in disguise to sell medicine as per usual, I found it to not be as lively as the last time I was here. Did something happen?
Only after recently arriving, I decided to just give up since nobody seemed to even bother to as much as look into my general direction!
I just hope Master Eirin isn't going to be angry that I barely managed to sell any medicine today...
As I begin walking towards the village gate, the one which road would take me to The Bamboo Forest of the Lost, I am suddenly, to my surprise, spoken to.
„Excuse me, ma'am."
I turn around and see a man dressed in brown approach me. I cannot shake the feeling of anxiety off of me as he approaches closer to me.
„Yes, sir? Do you wish to buy some medicine?" I ask with a slight smile forming on my face in hopes of getting a few more sales.
„Not at the moment, no."
...
And there goes my smile and hope...
„I was wondering... Are you heading towards a location which is known as... Eientei?" Asks the man in brown.
„Huh? Yeah, I was just about to go there. Do you need something from Lady Eirin?" I ask the man.
„Depends. Do you mind if I accompany you? I do not know the terrain that well and would like to avoid getting lost." Asks the man in brown.
„Uhhh... No, not at all." I respond.
Afterwards, not a word is spoken anymore. The man in brown walking closely behind me as we walk off and near the entrance of The Bamboo Forest of the Lost.
...
...
„May I ask what your name is, ma'am?" Suddenly asks the man after we enter the bamboo forest.
„H-Huh? Oh, right! My name is Reisen Udongein Inaba. People other than my master call me simply Reisen." I inform the man.
„Johann von Hochmär, it is a pleasure meeting you." States the man in brown, Johann, who has a weird sounding name.
„Oh, you must be an Outsider! Do not worry, I will get you to my master r-"
*Thud*
...
...
„TEEEEEWIIIII!" I roar from the hole I have just fallen in.
„Here, allow me to give you a hand."
I look up to spot Johann kneeling down and stretching his hand down into the hole for me to grab.
Deciding to take his offer, I grab his hand and he helps me out of the hole.
„T-Thanks, I appreciate it." I say, trying to regain my composure before I lose it and aim to find that little rascal with the undying love for traps.
„My pleasure. Now, may we proceed?" Asks, Johann. His face as stoic as ever.
Thinking about it, his facial expression hasn't changed ever since I saw him. I did notice his round glasses, which are hiding his eyes that they were lowered a bit but other than that, nothing else. The moment he talked to me back in the Human Village as I was leaving it, till now I believe he didn't even flinch or look shocked about me falling into a hole.
What a weird human...
Deciding not to dwell on that thought for too long, I nodded and resumed walking, with Johann following close behind.
-3rd Person POV- (Human Village, meanwhile...)
While Mennini and Johann left to do their assigned tasks, so did Mr. A and his followers.
Mr. A tasked many of his followers to go to Suzunaan and print out several copies of posters which Mr. A drew in his spare time. Those posters were in fact, propaganda to slowly feed the minds of the villagers in the village to gain even more support. Both for the Vozhd and the SHA/SHS. After all, Mr. A had a dream to turn into reality.
The followers were tasked to have the posters be placed in several locations inside the village while he and his elite followers deal with something else... a certain problem...
A certain Hieda related problem...
And deal with it they did. Since the Vozhd granted Mr. A the permission to force Hieda into co-operation, he desired to do so immediately.
Breaking down the front slide door and having his followers storm the place, he quickly headed to the library, where he knew Hieda no Akyuu would have all her chronicles and other important works stored.
As he entered the library, several followers followed after him. Hieda no Akyuu stood up from her pillow seat and with an angry expression yelled.
„What is the meaning of this!? I have not granted you entry to my household!" Akyuu stated.
Several servants were grabbed by Mr. A's followers and forced on the ground, unable to do anything.
„Oh, not to worry, dear Miss Hieda. I just decided we should talk about our future co-operation." Mr. A said, with a wicked smile as he neared Akyuu.
Akyuu stood her ground. Not getting intimidated.
„I already told you, I will never help you! No matter what!" Akyuu stated, crossing her arms and emitting a puff sound.
„Oh, if that's the case, then..."
*flick*
Akyuu froze in fear.
Mr. A has lit a small match on fire, showing it to Akyuu.
„If you do not co-operate, then neither will I behave... To be honest, it would be a shame if a fire were to consume all these books and mounds of history..." Mr. A said, pulling out a random book and setting it on fire.
Akyuu watched in horror as it slowly started to be consumed by the fire, until she snapped out of her frozen state and tried to reach for the book to save it.
Mr. A comically held it just out of her reach, chuckling while doing so.
„Ah, ah, aaah! What will it be, Miss Hieda? The fire consuming it all or you helping out?" Mr. A firmly stated.
...
...
With no other option at her disposal, Akyuu decided to give in, despite how much she scolded herself for it.
„Fine, I will grant you access to every information you need... but know that I will never forget what you have just done." Akyuu said, hate burning in her eyes as she stared at Mr. A.
„Oh, do not worry, I know that very well..." Mr. A said, before diabolically laughing, knowing everything has once again gone according to his plan.
-People/Factions and their allegiance/opinion towards The Vozhd, Anton Drevov-
Johann von Hochmär – Loyal
Giovanni Mennini – Somewhat Loyal
Mr. A – Somewhat Loyal
Mr. A's followers (The SHA/SHS) – Accepting (Loyal to Mr. A)
Paul Garmith – ?
Mike Victorn – Suspicious
17 – Indifferent (Friends with Mike)
Villagers – Accepting
Guards – Mostly Loyal
Youkai – Slightly Irritated
(More factions will be added when the need arrives...)