Not much to say today except that I am right now eagerly watching the clock until it's time to stream because I've got RWBY: Arrowfell installed and ready for a first look! It came out only a few days ago and seeing it in my Steam list but not pressing Play has been slowly killing me. Only a couple hours, though, and I can finally scratch that new RWBY content itch.
Until then, a surprisingly busy chapter that has confirmed my suspicion - my throwaway town is going to be a multi-chapter fixture.
Adam sprinted for the gate, hoping there wouldn't be too big of a crowd waiting. Blaine had just saved the entire town from a Manticore attack, so it made sense there'd be a throng of adoring fans waiting for his return. Men in awe of his strength. Women hoping to catch his eye. Children begging for autographs as they fought over who got to be Blaine in their next game of make believe. Even people like Adam who just wanted to catch a glimpse of greatness.
Maybe that's why people left the walls early. Blaine's victory had been so assured that they probably wanted to be the first to welcome him back afterwards. Adam hoped he could find a way to fight through the crowd and get close enough to see the Huntsman. He could always wait for the crowd to disperse and see if he could reach Blaine afterwards. Captain Zoster wanted to speak with him, so Adam could always wait outside his office. Either way, Adam would do whatever it took to meet Blaine and talk to him.
As it turned out, he didn't have to do much.
The only people waiting for Blaine were a few guards assigned to the gate. When he sauntered in, they shut the gate behind him and went back to their duties, barely even acknowledging the Huntsman as he passed. Adam heard a few grumbled curses from two of the guards, but that was understandable. No one liked having the Grimm attack, and it sounded like they'd had a lot recently, according to Zoster. With the guards returning to their patrols, no one stood between Adam and Blaine.
"Weird," Adam said to himself. Maybe the people of Tsubaki had just gotten used to having a Huntsman around, which sounded ridiculous. They had a superhuman Grimm-killing machine in their presence. How could that ever get old? At the same time, their complacency meant Adam had zero competitors for Blaine's attention, so Adam wouldn't complain as he raced up to the Huntsman and nervously called out, "Blaine!"
Adam's new idol looked around in confusion before zeroing in on the boy. "Who are you?"
"A-Adam," he managed, nearly tripping on his own name. "I'm Adam. I saw your fight from the wall. You were amazing!"
Blaine's confusion washed away, replaced by a brilliant smile. "Just some Manticores. Nasty beasts, but I've fought plenty of them before." Blaine looked Adam up and down, pausing briefly on Adam's sword. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"No. We just got here before the attack." Adam wasn't sure how Blaine could tell. Was it his clothes? Did he stick out that much from the locals? Or did Blaine just know everyone in town? "How'd you know?"
The answer proved far less impressive. "You're talking to me." Blaine glanced at the path Adam had just come from. "Ah, that must be your father."
"My father?" Instead of some ghostly apparition of Father Bernard, Adam turned to see Jean walking briskly toward them. "No, he's not-"
"You shouldn't run off like that, Adam," Jean instructed as he slowed to a stop beside him, sounding more like the parent he wasn't…until he continued, "I can't spend all day hunting for you."
A father would've been worried about his safety or him getting lost. Jean just didn't want to waste time. Still, he wasn't wrong. Adam could've at least said where he was going. "Sorry."
Jean didn't look too upset, instead offering a hand to Blaine. "Fine work out there against those Manticores. You from around these parts?"
"Got in about two weeks ago from the capital," Blaine answered, shaking Jean's hand. "I don't normally come this far south, but after hearing about Oniyuri and all the Grimm activity, I couldn't resist."
"You're part of the response team?" Adam excitedly asked. He hadn't heard much news since they left Higanbana, but Mistral had promised to send out Huntsmen to deal with the sudden surge in Grimm. It would take time, but eventually they'd clear out the Yuris and the highway would reopen. Depending on what was left, they might even rebuild in time.
"That I am! Part of the first wave from the capital." First wave? How many Huntsmen was Mistral planning to send? If Blaine could tear through a pride of Manticores so easily, then what could an army of Huntsmen accomplish?
"Captain Zoster mentioned other Huntsmen," Jean said, redirecting the conversation as Blaine started down the main road with his two new tagalongs.
"Flew in with a team of three. Pretty green. Can't have graduated more than four years ago."
"Are they here too?" Adam could barely contain his excitement. One Huntsmen was awesome, but four? They'd hit the jackpot!
Or not. "They headed north," Blaine explained. "Been a few others come in through here, but none of them stayed. Everybody's fanning out to contain the area."
"But not you?"
"But not me," Blaine cheerfully echoed, turning to walk backwards as he answered Jean's question. "Why go hunting for Grimm when they keep coming to me? Somebody's gotta stay behind and look after the civvies."
An older couple veered out of Blaine's way with a grumbled complaint. Jean watched them go, earning his own glare. People mostly stuck to the edges of the street, watching the trio pass down the middle with poorly hidden snarls. "You've got quite the fanclub," Jean snarked.
But Blaine didn't seem to mind, waving away the angry looks dismissively. "Psh! People here aren't the most gracious hosts, I'll tell ya. Not too keen on outsiders, either. I must've killed a hundred Grimm for them by now, but you wouldn't know it with how these folk act."
It did seem a little odd. The Manticores alone would've seriously damaged the town. Those impressive walls meant little to a flying Grimm, not to mention what they'd do to those wooden walls if they started breathing should've been cheering Blaine on from the walls and showering him with praise when he returned, not avoiding him in the street like some sort of pariah.
"They didn't seem too friendly when we got here," Adam pointed out. Held at gunpoint. Wagons searched. Even their warning had been laughed off, though with Blaine around, they probably felt pretty secure. But the way Captain Zoster and his lieutenant spoke about Blaine, it was like they found his protection annoying.
Speaking of the Captain…
"Captain Zoster would like to speak with you," the lieutenant reported, rushing up to the three of them.
"He knows where to find me," Blaine retorted.
"In his office." The lieutenant wasn't in the mood to play games. "Now."
"Alright. Keep your pants on." Blaine rolled his eyes before an idea hit him. "Hey, you two mind coming along? Maybe you can talk some sense into the old man."
"We wouldn't want to inter-"
"Sure!" Adam cut in before Jean could drag him away, much to his mentor's frustration. He'd pay for that one later.
"Adam…"
"What? Soji wants to start trading with Tsubaki, so we need to get to know the people in charge," Adam reasoned. "Seems to me like Captain Zoster would qualify."
Jean wanted to refuse. Adam could see it plain as day. But there wasn't much Jean could do against Adam's mental acrobatics. They would need to get to know the heads of Tsubaki if they hoped to trade here. Soji would be furious if they passed up an opportunity like this. Rikyu might be in charge, but Soji pretty much handled the direct negotiations for the group, and he expected everyone to help establish a good relationship with each town they visited. After all, a happy customer was a well-paying one.
"Is that okay?" Jean asked the lieutenant.
"It's fine," Blaine assured them, steering the lieutenant away and marching the group deeper into the town. "Let's go see what crawled up the captain's butt today."
It only took a few minutes for them to weave through the busy town as people parted to make way, nodding respectfully to the lieutenant while giving the rest of their troupe barely any attention. Those that did weren't exactly the friendliest. Thankfully, most of it seemed directed at Blaine rather than Adam and Jean.
The lieutenant led them to a two-story stone building near the center of town. Two guards flanked the main entrance, snapping to a salute when they approached. The large, metal doors stood open, welcoming them into a spacious lobby. Other than a corkboard and a few pictures, including both the lieutenant and Captain Zoster, the walls stood barren. Several doors lined each side with a long hallway branching off in both directions near the middle. All of that went ignored as they rounded the wooden reception desk and took the wide stairs in the back to reach the second floor.
When they reached the second floor, the lieutenant had them wait outside an office as he stepped inside and closed the door. The placard beside the entrance read simply "Captain Zoster" and made it even more obvious they'd reached their destination.
After a few minutes, their escort returned and ushered them all in. "The captain will see you now."
Captain Zoster's room was about as spartan as Adam imagined. A single bookshelf. A map of Anima on the wall. A small table with a half-full decanter - something Adam had seen at a few richer client's houses and offices when Soji introduced him. The room barely felt lived in, except for how spotless everything was. Captain Zoster hadn't let a single speck of dust settle in his office.
The man himself sat behind a massive desk, the darkened wood clashing with the bright stone walls and dominating the space. Behind him, Adam could see out into the town through a large bay window, giving him a clear view over rooftops and down the sloped town to the walls and the forest beyond.
"Good, you're here." Captain Zoster's voice betrayed not a hint of emotion, but his sharp eyes practically speared through Blaine before shifting to the rest of the arrivals. "Jean, was it? And Adam. Is there something I can help you with?" His question sounded friendly, but something about the way he said it made Adam feel extremely out of place. He wanted nothing more than to leave and never come back.
"I asked them to come," Blaine interrupted before things could get too awkward.
Captain Zoster barely flinched, holding a hand out to a pair of tall-backed chairs in front of his desk. "Take a seat. Lieutenant." Captain Zoster snapped and pointed two fingers at the chairs. "Grab two more seats for our guests."
Two? Adam didn't fancy himself a mathematician, but there were three of them and two chairs. Why would they need-
"It's okay, Dad. I'll wait outside."
Adam hadn't even noticed the girl before. With the tall chairs and her short stature, she'd been almost entirely hidden from view. As she stepped around to face them, Adam couldn't help but stare. Despite her size, she looked a little older than Adam. Her smooth, bronze skin made her light pink hair stand out even more as it hung in a loose bun behind her head. Yellow eyes practically shone as she took the three of them in.
"Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Camellia." She bowed respectfully to the two of them before turning back to Captain Zoster. "Camellia, these are two of the visitors that arrived today. Why don't you go show their friends to the inn and help them get settled?"
"Of course." Camellia walked between them, giving Adam a friendly smile as she stopped for just a moment. "A pleasure to meet you both." And with that, she practically floated out of the room, leaving the four of them alone in silence until the lieutenant returned with a folding chair for Adam.
"Sorry," the man quietly apologized as the metal thing creaked open, looking far less comfortable than the padded seats beside it. Being the youngest, though, the dreadful thing was all his. "Anything else, sir?"
"That will be all. Dismissed." Captain Zoster returned a salute from his chair before the lieutenant departed, closing the door behind him.
"Awfully militaristic there, captain," Blaine commented as he lounged in his seat.
"I prefer disciplined," Captain Zoster shot back. "Perhaps you could take some notes."
"I'll get right on that." Adam had a feeling he wouldn't. "So, sorry it took so long. Was a little busy with your Manticore problem."
"I saw," Captain Zoster acknowledged, though he hardly sounded impressed. "Iverson is fine. Physically. He still hasn't calmed down from playing bait for you."
"He's a strong lad. He'll be fine by morning."
"I'll ask that you don't enlist his aid any further." Captain Zoster's request sounded more like a demand to Adam. "In fact, I believe I made my position on using my citizens as Grimm lures quite clear yesterday. And the day before."
"And the day before that," Blaine continued. "What's the big deal? I'm handling the Grimm and no one's gotten hurt yet."
"It's the yet that concerns me." Captain Zoster took a slow drink from his glass, savoring the amber liquid that matched the decanter Adam had spotted earlier. "As I've said before, if someone must act as bait for your little scheme, then I will happily volunteer myself for the role if it means the rest of Tsubaki is left alone."
"No offense, captain, but Grimm sense emotion. I'm not even sure they'd even know you were there." Blaine sat forward, adjusting in his seat. "Look, I get it. You've got to look out for your people. But that's exactly what I'm doing out there."
"I fail to see how dangling them one by one in front of the Grimm is looking out for them, as you put it."
"Someone's gotta do it."
"No, someone most certainly doesn't." Adam jumped as Captain Zoster's fist impacted his desk, punctuating the final word. "I don't like your plan, no matter how effective you think it is."
Blaine laughed despite the rising tension in the room. "Think? I know it works! I've cleared every Grimm for miles in the last couple weeks. When I'm done, Tsubaki might just be the safest place on Remnant."
Was that why they hadn't seen any Grimm recently? But why would the Grimm keep coming like that? Having one person in the open wouldn't be enough. Sure, they'd be scared and all, but that wouldn't be enough to draw Grimm in so consistently, and over such large distances. It definitely wasn't something you could just turn on and off whenever you wanted.
"And when, exactly, will you be done?"
"When there aren't any Grimm left to kill," Blaine replied smugly. "I come. I kill the Grimm. Then I leave. And seeing as the capital's funding this whole thing, you're getting the deal of a lifetime. You should be thrilled."
"I'll be happier when we can get back to our way of life."
"You see, guys. No gratitude." Blaine threw his hands up in aggravation. "I just killed almost a dozen Manticores for him, and he has the nerve to complain."
"It's not the results that bother me. Just the means."
"And what means exactly are the problem?" Jean asked, sensing it was time to finally enter the conversation.
"Yes, Blaine. Why don't you explain what you've turned my town into? I'm sure our guests would love to hear all about your innocent little trick."
Adam leaned forward to see around Jean better. Despite Captain Zoster's words, Blaine didn't look too upset. If anything, he seemed pleased at the moment. "Sure. I lure the Grimm in with someone near the gate, then kill all the Grimm before they get hurt. Why hunt the Grimm if I can make them come to me?"
"Isn't that dangerous?" Adam asked, earning the faintest smile imaginable from Captain Zoster. "For the person, I mean."
"No one's been hurt."
"Yet." Captain Zoster added.
"And they won't be. I'm not just some idiot with a gun. I'm a Huntsman. Killing Grimm is what I do." True, but Huntsmen didn't always win. If they did, there wouldn't be any Grimm left for them to fight. "And packs of Grimm are kinda my specialty."
"Because of your Semblance?"
Blaine nodded to Jean. "Pretty neat trick, eh? No Grimm's getting by me." Rather than explain what he meant, Blaine pressed on. "The point is, no one's hurt and the Grimm are falling in record numbers. At this rate, the whole forest will be clear in a month thanks to her Semblance."
"My daughter isn't some weapon for you to wield, and neither are my people."
"Camellia?" The sweet girl from earlier? She didn't strike Adam as some great warrior. "What's she got to do with this?"
Captain Zoster sighed as he sat back in his seat once more. "Camellia is…different. Special. She has a dangerous ability. One that should not be used so lightly."
Blaine disagreed. "Dangerous? Your child might have the greatest Semblance I've ever seen! She could be the key to freeing Anima of the Grimm once and for all. Maybe even all of Remnant someday."
"Really?" A world without Grimm? Was such a thing even possible? And what exactly could one girl do that could change so much? She must have some incredible power. Ideas swirled through Adam's head. Invincibility. Disintegration. Grimm repulsion. He'd heard of amazing Semblances before, but what if there was no limit on their power?
Unlike him, Jean decided to skip the guesswork and get straight to the point. "What sort of Semblance are we talking about?"
"The kind that could doom us all."
Blaine ignored Captain Zoster's dire warning. "That girl of his can draw the Grimm in. She can bring them all to one place. Drive them mad with desire. Imagine the possibilities!"
"Imagine the consequences."
"Wait," Jean interrupted before they could start another back-and-forth. "Her Semblance is a Grimm magnet?"
"In a manner of speaking." The captain folded his hands on his desk as he began to explain. "I don't know how, but Camellia can somehow absorb people's emotions, taking it all on herself or giving it to someone else. It's like sending up a flare for the Grimm. They'll stop at nothing to reach that target…and kill it."
"And what about the people she…absorbs? Is that what you said?"
"They're fine," Blaine promised. "We haven't seen any lasting effects so far."
"They become…well, they lose their emotions, if that makes sense." Jean nodded along to the explanation, but Adam felt lost. "They become shells of their former selves for a time. No sorrow. No joy. Just…apathy."
"Like the people on the walls," Adam thought aloud.
"Exactly," Captain Zoster confirmed. "They're still there, but they have no real motivation. They just sort of exist, going through the motions of life without actually living."
"Which makes them practically invisible to the Grimm," Blaine hastened to add. "Think about it. A single target to draw the Grimm in while the rest of the town might as well not exist to those beasts. Instead of guarding hundreds of people, you only have to protect one."
Adam's eyes widened. Camellia's power sounded incredible! Grimm were dangerous at the best of times, but what if you could direct them to a specific spot? Maybe hide the person in a bunker surrounded by traps and other defenses? You could pull the Grimm into their death while keeping everyone else safe. Or what if you put them on a boat? Would the Grimm drown themselves trying to get to them?
Jean must've sensed the potential as well. "It sounds like a useful weapon."
Captain Zoster slapped his desk, making Adam wonder how much punishment the thing could take. "There! Right there! That's exactly what I mean." Blaine rolled his eyes, evidently having heard whatever was coming their way before. "Camellia's not a weapon. She's a young woman. Do you know how hard it is to use her Semblance so much? Every day he makes her take more and more from people, all so he can play hero. Every day she comes back terrified and exhausted. It's too much!"
"She needs training. We have schools in Mistral that could-"
"No!" Captain Zoster's sudden roar silenced Blaine's offer. "I will not have my daughter dragged away to be turned into nothing more than a weapon. You would lock her up, demand she use her power for you, and never let her out of your sight. To protect her life, you'd stop her from living. I won't stand for it."
"No one's trying to take-"
"And you forgot the other part." The captain didn't care to hear whatever sales pitch Blaine had. Adam suspected this wasn't a new conversation for the two men. "Someone has to bear the burden of her gift." The way he hissed the word made it clear just how much stock he put in her Semblance's greatness.
"W-what do you mean?"
Captain Zoster's eyes bore into Adam's own. "Imagine all the anger, all the fear, all the pain of your life piled on you all at once. Now add it again. And again. And again. Every emotion of dozens of people all at once. And they're all yours to bear." The fear in Adam's eyes betrayed his thoughts. "Exactly. There's a reason he uses someone different each time. Because no one would ever agree to do it a second time. Iverson might not be hurt physically, but it'll be days - maybe weeks - before I let him out of his cell."
Jean latched onto the last detail with shock. "You locked him up?"
"I had to. He's on suicide watch, as are all the others that have agreed to Blaine's sadism." Adam half expected a fight to break out when the captain turned to stare down Blaine, but his face softened as he turned back to Jean. "I'm sorry. This isn't your concern. This is a matter for Tsubaki, not our guests."
"It's fine," Jean assured him.
"It really isn't," Captain Zoster replied. "Blaine likely hoped you could 'talk some sense into me' and let him use my daughter more," neither of them bothered to confirm his spot-on guess, "but I won't ask the same in return. Instead, let us speak of other matters. Unless you have anything else to report?"
Blaine snorted at the choice of wording. "Nothing to report, sir." The clumsy salute only further drove home how little Blaine cared for their host. "Grimm came. I killed them. Zero casualties. Same time tomorrow?"
"I suspect so." Blaine stormed off, letting the door slam behind him and leaving the three of them alone. "My apologies for that. He and I don't exactly see eye to eye, and my daughter had just come back exhausted and shaken. My emotions got the best of me, as I expect they will again tomorrow when we do this whole song and dance again."
"Why let him, then?" Adam asked. "He's already killed a lot of Grimm. Why not just tell him to leave? Or that he can't use your daughter anymore?"
Captain Zoster's smile looked a lot more genuine this time. "Because it is not my decision. Camellia can make her own decisions, as can the naïve imbeciles he's convinced to volunteer each day. As long as he does not force anyone against their will, I have no cause to step in. All I can do is continue to voice my displeasure and make sure my daughter is safe."
"Even if she chooses to go with him to the capital?"
"Even then," the captain answered, nodding to Jean despite how his words conflicted with what he'd just told Blaine. "Trust me. He's been pressuring her to go. She's told me as much. But she's also said she doesn't want to go. It's her decision, but it's my duty as her father to step in when I need to. Better he hate a stubborn old fool than be angry with her refusal. But this is hardly a way to welcome guests from so far away."
"It's not a problem," Jean assured him, trying to smooth things over.
"Even so, I hope you'll forgive an old man for being such a poor host." Captain Zoster's laugh helped relieve the lingering tension in the air. "Tsubaki doesn't see many travelers from outside the forest, especially by land. Do you really think the villages of Hinoki are more profitable than our northern neighbors?"
"Considering your neighbors are now a horde of Grimm…"
"Ah, yes. The Yuris. I suppose the forest would be a safer bet than passing by that tragedy. Guess we should expect more of your kind in the coming months." The captain stood and strode over to the map on the wall, tracing his finger through the large expanse of the Forest of Hinoki. "Tell me, what exactly do you trade in?"
"Tea, mostly," Jean answered, turning his chair slightly to face the captain's new position. "Rikyu and Soji can tell you more. I'm just security."
"And the boy?"
"Security in training." Hearing it said aloud filled Adam with pride. He'd started as nothing but a passenger - a stowaway from Katai running from an unfair punishment. Adam appreciated Jean leaving out that detail.
"Excellent. I believe everyone should learn to defend themselves." Adam wanted more than that. He wanted to learn how to defend others. "Tell your merchants I'll be happy to meet with them this evening. I'm no businessman, but I'm sure we can work something out."
"Shouldn't we talk to the mayor?"
Captain Zoster shook his head. "No need. He trusts me with all matters beyond the walls. His only job is to settle disputes peacefully."
"And if that fails?"
"Then I settle them less peacefully," the captain chuckled. "I'll make sure your group is supplied with new maps. Outsider maps are woefully inadequate. And feel free to mention my name when you visit the other villages. Mistral may be in charge of Anima, but the forest belongs to Tsubaki."
"That's an awfully bold claim," Jean commented, rising from his seat as Captain Zoster pointed them to the door.
"I'm simply stating the truth. Mistral doesn't bother with us. Too convinced that we won't be around long enough to be worth their investment. As long as we don't cause trouble for the capital, they mostly ignore us, which is how we like it." The lieutenant from earlier stood outside the door, waiting for them. "He'll show you to the inn. And when you see my daughter, make sure to ask her about her trees."
Adam had no idea what that meant, but Jean accepted it with a simple "thank you" and followed the lieutenant downstairs, leaving Adam to race behind and catch up. The walk to the inn was a short one, ending at a long building closer to the edge of town. Adam could hear the sounds of a stable somewhere nearby. As soon as they caught sight of Soji, the lieutenant excused himself and jogged back the way they'd come.
"There you two are!" Soji cheered as they approached. "How did your meeting with the captain go?"
Adam was about to ask if Soji had become a psychic when he noticed the young girl sitting nearby. Camellia bowed her head to them before sipping from a familiar bowl. It seemed Soji was already sharing their tea, both as a greeting and in the hopes of finding new customers. Camellia looked to be enjoying her drink more than her company as she passed the bowl to Blaine, who had apparently tracked her down again.
"Well enough. He said he'd be happy to talk business with you this evening." Jean must've recognized the hungry glint in Soji's eyes. "Go easy on him. The man has a lot on his plate."
Soji completely misunderstood, likely on purpose. "His plate and his cup shall overflow once he samples all of our goods!" Adam pitied Captain Zoster for the charismatic storm they were pointing his way. "I understand you've already met our new friends?"
"Briefly." Jean followed Soji over to the pair. "I trust Soji hasn't bored you to death yet?"
"He's been an excellent host," Camellia promised. "I've never had green tea before."
"A town run on coffee and cheap brown tea, can you imagine?" Soji seemed genuinely horrified at the lack of tea selection in the town, as if he'd discovered some terrible tragedy. Adam had a feeling he'd fix that.
"What's wrong with coffee?" Blaine asked, sealing his own fate. Soji whirled around and began lecturing on the virtues of tea. Adam had had to endure that one several times on the trail and wondered if they should tell the captain to reschedule for tomorrow. This could take a while.
Which left the two of them to chat with Camellia in the meantime. Jean tried to break the ice. "Your father seems like a good man."
"He means well," Camellia said. "He's just been…busy lately."
Well, that went nowhere. Adam figured he'd try his luck. "He said we should ask you about the trees?"
Adam whispered his thanks to Captain Zoster at the sudden change in Camellia. She practically bounced in excitement, an eager smile taking over her face. "Really?"
"He insisted," Jean added, taking it a step further. "Made them sound pretty important."
"He did?" Adam had no idea how trees could be so exciting, but if it made Camellia happy, then he'd gladly find out. "I can show them to you, if you want. They're just on the other side of town."
"I'll come too!" Blaine practically begged, sensing an escape before Soji could begin talking about the different types of tea and their history.
"We wouldn't want to interrupt," Jean answered with a cruel smile.
"Nonsense! Soji shouldn't miss this." The idea of a Huntsman being afraid of a merchant sounded ridiculous, but Grimm never spent an entire day debating the proper soil composition for growing tea or the perfect water temperature for brewing.
"I guess you two can talk on the way, then," Jean offered, deflating Blaine's victory just a little as Soji slid beside him and kept going without missing a beat.
"That was mean," Adam whispered as they picked up the pace, catching up with Camellia while putting a little distance between themselves and the rapid lecture behind.
"I've got no idea what you're talking about." Jean really needed to work on his poker face.
Camellia pointed out important buildings as they went, singling out her favorite stores, a local restaurant, and even the house of her best friend as they walked. Their path led them through the outskirts of town, away from the earlier action of the northern wall, until the buildings started to give way to a sizable clearing.
Behind them, Adam could still hear the bustle of the town, but that began to fade as they entered a stunning orchard. Dozens of trees stood just inside the wall, some easily twice as tall as Jean himself. Bright red and pink flowers nearly covered most of the trees. Adam sniffed the air as they got closer, but unlike the roses he used to grow, nothing stood out to him.
"They're beautiful," Soji summarized, having abandoned his conversation as they reached the trees. Camellia carefully plucked a few leaves off one of the trees and came back to them. "Did you grow these yourself?"
Camellia giggled, the light sound mixing with the gentle splashing of a rock fountain nearby. "One or two, but most of these have been here long before I was born."
"And you care for all of these by yourself?"
"A few of the girls in town help, but I've been in charge of them ever since mo…for a while now." Adam caught the unfinished word, but no one was foolish enough to comment on it.
"You've done a fine job, Camellia."
"Please. Call me Cammie. It gets confusing otherwise." Cammie handed the leaves over to Soji, who distributed them to the rest of the group. Adam wasn't sure what they were meant to do but decided against the idea of eating it. "These are Japonica trees. There's more growing in the forest, but it's easier to harvest from the ones inside the walls." With the amount of Grimm that called the forest home - or used to, before Blaine thinned their numbers - Adam wouldn't want to venture out just for some leaves. "A lot of people like to make tea with them, but I prefer the oil."
"For cooking?"
Cammie seemed to find Adam's words hilarious. "Not quite," she laughed. "The oil of the Japonica seeds is a great moisturizer. It's great for your skin and hair. We trade it to a lot of the women of the other villages. We've even sold some to the bigger cities, but that was years ago."
Soji snapped his fingers as he finally found some hidden riddle he'd been trying to solve. "That's where I've heard the name before. Tsubaki oil! It was all the rage in Oniyuri for a while, but the man who sold it there died in an airship crash."
And just like that, Soji enthusiastically killed the mood. "He died?"
"Oh…um…"
"No, it's okay," Cammie assured him. "We all sort of assumed it when he didn't come around anymore. He was such a nice man. I'd hoped for a happier ending is all." Better than dying to the Grimm, Adam wisely decided not to say. She probably meant a more peaceful passing surrounded by loved ones. The type of idealist picture of death that Adam didn't really understand. Dead was dead. At least his had been sudden, rather than suffering through a horrible illness or something.
After a brief, awkward silence, Soji went right back into business mode. "I've never traded in beauty supplies before, but we already do trade in Mistral. The people in Oniyuri swore by your oil. I'd be willing to bet the capital would do the same. All they need is someone to supply it."
Cammie caught on quick. "Someone like you?"
"Perhaps in exchange for a finer tea? Something a little more suited to finer palates like your own?" And just like that, they lost Soji. Cammie proved an agile sparring partner for the experienced man's savvy mind. Within minutes, the two seemed to be nearing a proposition and hurried off to meet with Captain Zoster, bidding them a distracted farewell as they walked and talked some more.
"They make quite the pair," Blaine joked once they were gone. "Guess I'll have to keep my eye out for this Tsubaki oil in the capital when I get home."
"You'll probably beat us there," Jean commented. "We've still got a long way to go before we reach Mistral."
"And then what?"
"Then we turn around and do it all again." It was a little weird to hear it said, but most businesses were repetitive like that. Restaurants sold the same meals to get more ingredients. Stores sold the same goods to buy more merchandise. Ships sailed the same waters. Once you found something that worked, why wouldn't you keep doing it? "How long you think you'll be stationed here?"
More like how long until he leaves. Jean seemed to agree with the captain on Blaine. Adam didn't really know what to think. On the one hand, his tactics made a lot of sense. Everyone had volunteered and the results spoke for themselves. But on the other hand, he was purposefully endangering someone every time. Did the needs of the many justify the suffering of the few?
Blaine shrugged "Another week or two at most, I'd imagine. Once the Grimm numbers die down some more, I'll call it quits and head home."
"Aren't the levels low enough? Captain Zoster said you've been luring Grimm from further and further away. The immediate area has to be clear by now." In other words, when would enough actually be enough for Blaine?
"Think about it, though. If we could increase the range even more, we could clear out the entire forest!" Adam wondered how many Grimm they'd have to kill for that. The Forest of Hinoki wasn't exactly a small place. "Every Grimm we kill today means one less killer tomorrow."
It was a shame Grimm didn't reproduce naturally, or killing one might mean more of a ripple effect. Natural predators, like wolves, grew from packs over time. Killing one might mean one less litter, which would have a ripple effect over time. Killing a pack would have a bigger effect.
But Grimm weren't like that. Even if some of them resembled animals, they definitely weren't. They didn't need to eat. Didn't drink. Didn't sleep. Didn't tire. They were merciless killing machines that existed only to hunt and kill people. Adam didn't really know where they came from - his limited books at the orphanage had never covered that - but they didn't have any reproductive organs. Their appearance wasn't natural, though. Researchers had cleared an entire island of Grimm and came back years later to find more had spawned in their absence. Adam doubted a bunch of Ursai had swum to the island, though he'd like to see them try.
On second thought, swimming Grimm sounded terrifying.
"What about you, Adam?" Blaine's question broke Adam out of his trance. "What do you think of my methods?"
Both Blaine and Jean waited expectantly, each with their own opinions. Should he agree with Jean? Jean might be upset if he didn't, but he didn't control Adam's thoughts. There were definite benefits to Blaine's approach. Risks, too. Jean had some good points as well, though.
Adam gave his honest opinion. "I don't know."
Adam expected disappointment, but neither side seemed bothered. Blaine was quick to speak up. "Then I guess I'll just have to convince you. How's tomorrow sound?"
"Tomorrow?" For what? To watch him fight more Grimm?
"Tomorrow evening. Soji mentioned you'd been training to use your aura but hadn't quite gotten the hang of it yet." Adam's face flushed with embarrassment. Curse Soji and his big mouth! "Why don't I see if I can help? Maybe give you some pointers on fighting, too."
Really? A Huntsman wanted to train him? Even if it was only a single session, Huntsmen were pretty much the ultimate warriors. They specialized in aura use and combat, far beyond what Jean could do. And one of them was offering to train him for free?
"Yes!" Adam blurted out before realizing just how foolish he sounded. "I mean, I'd love to."
"I'm sure Jean's been doing fine, but it never hurts to get an extra perspective." Blaine clearly didn't want to offend Adam's current trainer, but Adam didn't care. He'd give anything to learn from a pro. "And while we train, I'll tell you what it means to be a Huntsman. What it means to protect people."
"Sounds an awful lot like indoctrination," Jean groused.
"Nonsense! Call it a philosophical debate. You're welcome to listen in and offer any counterpoints you want." That smoothed things over a bit. "And maybe you can help me tomorrow as well, Jean. Maybe Captain Zoster would get off my back if I had someone else out there to cover the civilian."
"Now that I can agree to," Jean answered.
"Fantastic. Tomorrow it is, then." As Blaine walked away whistling some merry tune, Adam could only think about one thing. Tomorrow, he'd get training from a real Huntsman.
Tomorrow, he'd learn to master his aura.
Such an optimist, but as the kid in Angels in the Outfield would say, "It could happen!"
Don't know why I'm surprised that a throwaway town that I made for a single chapter stop has somehow grown into a multi-chapter event with potential economical impacts for the caravan and lessons that might shape Adam's worldview a bit, not to mention a Semblance that could be ridiculously OP if used properly. Had to make sure it had some reasonable drawbacks, but gotta say that Blaine has a pretty effective idea going. Kind of like in Before the Dawn's big finale. All the Grimm will see is that big beacon luring them in, letting Blaine slaughter them without even being noticed.
As usual, I went down a research rabbit hole with the Tsubaki tree. Turns out, you can make tea with the leaves, but there's very little information on it since people mostly use the Camellia Sinensis plant instead. The only useful info I found was, ironically enough, on a page entitled Taurus Rising. I swear I can't make this crap up.
Anyways, off to get some food and then get ready for the new RWBY game! Been avoiding spoilers like the plague to the point that I barely know anything about the game, but you know I'm gonna have fun!
Next chapter: Adam gets to train with a real Huntsman (sorry Jean).
