"Has my life been worthwhile" Mitsu mused softly to himself"Have I done all that I could hope to do? All that I've wished to do"
Ocha looked over at the scrawny strategist, frowning. His face was drawn and his cheeks were a rather ashen tone, slightly sunk in, making his cheekbones appear especially large and angular. His body was giving way, but the light still shone in his brown eyes. They did not seem to be the eyes of a dying man.
"You know, Miss Ocha" he turned to her, smiling"I used to like to think that my strategies and plans would make me so famous that after I died, people would remember my name. Strategists would study my ideas, children would read my name in their history books at school, and maybe if I were really lucky, there would be a statue of me somewhere. And people would say"Isn't it a pity he died so young? Think of all the great things he could've accomplished if he had lived" ...That someday, someone might say my name when they talked about something, just like I know the names of the earlier rebels." He laughed, but it came out as a rather cracked harsh sound that sent him into a fit of coughing. Ocha watched silently. She felt her stomach tighten. If only someone could say something to make him stop. The pale-haired girl felt sick.
"Mitsu! Mitsu, stop" she commanded the strategist, stamping one foot to the ground.
He coughed a few more times, but in a much more serious tone. "I'm sorry" he apologized"When you sit around so much it's easy to start feeling sorry for yourself. I just wonder what I would do differently if I had another chance. I don't feel like I've done that much for the revolution. I don't think I'll see my sister and her children again, which doesn't exactly sit well with me. I care a lot for Lady Sanada and General Tej as well. They've been my good friends for some years now, and I want to be able to do something for them."
"You're going south so you can use your strategy, right" the girl inquired quietly. Mitsu nodded, causing the long feather on his yellow hat to bob up and down. "They'll appreciate that a lot, I'm sure. The plans are always the most important thing to Miss Sanada. She'll like to having your help again. When I left she seemed really busy."
"Is that so"
"Yes, certainly" she assured the strategist"Now, let's not waste anymore time." He stepped closer and she raised her staff"Off we go"
Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni
"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"
Chapter 72- Shivers Under Pressure and Cracks in Their Confidence
Candal watched silently as Aciano Gonzales, son of the esteemed general, strode through the western gate, into the Imperial compound. He had seen the young man leave earlier in the day, carrying a long pole. The young man rarely left the compound unless it was at his father's side. Something about this coming and going struck Candal, assistant to Kiyon de Silverburg, as rather unusual. And in these days, anything unusual was also suspicious. In this case, the direction in which the dark-haired young man had traveled was particularly suspect. The rebels were camped to the west, across the river, both in Jao-Nyang Fortress and near Kirov.
Aciano Gonzales, young and hopeful, was unaware of the cold gray eyes that followed him as he entered the White Hall.
The house Rema directed Sanada to was small, but the yard was accented with a white picket fence. Although the fence appeared to be much better made the one the she had encountered some days earlier, Sanada could not help but be reminded of Celan's hermitage.
The singer pushed the gate open and walked boldly up to the door, stopping on the step and knocking loudly. The strategist winced at the loud sound as she approached at a more leisurely pace.
"Hello, Dears" a somewhat elderly looking woman beamed at them as the door opened"What brings two young girls here today"
"You used to be a military engineer, right" Rema asked cheerfully.
"Yes, that's right" the woman chirped"Would you like to come inside and sit down? I was just heating up some water for tea."
"Oh, thank you! That would be lovely" the pretty girl grinned back. Sanada had not had the chance to say a single word. She took Rema's directing the conversation as an excuse to look around. It seemed like a nice place to live. The house appeared very neat and clean. The polished wooden furniture gleamed and a large vase of colorful paper flowers sat on a desk covered with battered papers and scrolls. The strategist chanced to stray away from Rema and their hostess for a moment to glance at the things on the desk.
She was greeted with sketches of catapults and siege engines, their trajectories calculated and plans drawn to scale. After seeing the Leblanc man's freehand scribbles of ballistas, this was like a dream come true. Sanada turned to see the singer following the older woman around the corner and hurried to catch up to them without her short detour being observed.
"My name is Datsa Leblanc" the gray-haired woman introduced herself.
"Leblanc" Sanada gaped"Like Tiro and Celan"
"Oh? You know them" Datsa asked, taking two more teacups out of a cupboard and setting them on the counter"They're my nephews." She lifted her teapot and poured some steaming water into each of the cups"How are they doing these days"
"Tiro's just fine" Rema giggled"He's a really nice guy."
"However" Sanada interrupted her companion's laughter"His brother is another matter entirely. My name is Sanada Morin, and you've probably heard that I'm a rebel nowadays. My attack on Rupanda involves having some way to conquer the city's walls and so I have been seeking the aid of an engineer. The only one we knew of was Celan and so I dragged him back to our encampment at Jao-Nyang. He hates me and he doesn't actually want to have anything to do with us. The only thing keeping him at work is a dagger at the back of his neck. Rema here mentioned you to me and so I was hoping that there would be some way we could employ you."
Datsa sighed, looking sadly down into her cup of tea"That child has always been troublesome. There was nothing that unusual about his working for the Imperial government, but the way he went into retirement and changed his name. I think he may have done something he came to regret."
The three woman sat in silence at the table for a few minutes, all caught up in their own thoughts. Datsa pondered her wayward nephew, Sanada considered a way to repay the engineer for her help, and Rema's mind simply wandered peacefully.
Eventually the oldest of the three broke the stillness"I want to teach my nephew a thing or two. Just give me a moment to pack up a few things and we can hurry back."
"You're, uh, not going to hurt him, are you" Rema wondered curiously.
"Not physically" Datsa clarified"But I'll show him what being a military engineer is truly all about"
General Arturo Gonzales stormed through the White Hall. Starlet, a minor military commander had approached him in his office with the news that she had seen Candal and some guards hauling his son off to the dungeons. Her information had been rather vague as she was uninvolved with the incident and had been standing on the far side of the parade ground, picking up some ropes left out from a training exercise that morning. Although the general was unsure of the details, something about Lord Kiyon's assistant putting his son under arrest seemed very suspicious. Aciano had gone out earlier to take a look at things outside of the city, but it was not as if he were a rebel spy.
The tall man headed straight to the dungeons. When he arrived, no one appeared to be present. Even the usual guard who stood at the door was not present. He hurried down the corridor, scanning each of the cells as he went. All were empty. He continued on down the worn staircase to the lower level of the dungeon where more serious offenders were kept. These cells were below the ground and no sunlight reached the prisoners. There were captives present here. They appeared dejected and mournful: likely the most miserable citizens of the Aronian Empire. However, Arturo was focused on finding on particular person, so he did not stop to contemplate the plight of those who might never again see the light of day.
"Father"
The call stopped him dead in his tracks. He had almost passed by his own son without so much as a second glance. "Aciano" he shouted, rushing to the young man. He grabbed the bars and shook them angrily"What's happened? What are you doing down here"
Aciano's face was dirty and a large, purplish bruise darkened his left cheek"Lord Candal is making accusations. He has told Lord Kiyon that he believes I am traitorous. Father, you understand me, do you not? I spoke with some of the rebels because I am determined to see both sides of this conflict. I went to gain knowledge for the betterment of all. Needless war is an empty thing."
"Yes, I know..." the downcast general intoned softly, eyes averted from his son's tired-looking face.
"What will they do with me, Father" the young man inquired, knowing full well what consequences might await him simply for the act of speaking with the rebels.
"If they can, they will kill you."
Aciano laughed mirthlessly"It's somewhat ironic. When I went to speak with the rebels, I was afraid they would throw me in a dungeon. I never suspected it would happen to me back home. I don't think the rebels would have really wanted to kill me either."
"You idiot" Arturo sobbed"It was such a foolish thing you did. I will have to work hard to keep you from the gallows, Aciano."
"But if anyone can do it, I know you can, Father" his son smiled sadly. At first he began to smile in reply, but a sudden feeling stopped him. General Gonzales wondered how sincerely his son believed his own words.