"I'm here to see Colonel Mutsuki. It's urgent." Once they heard his brief explanation, the armed guards stepped aside to let him and Tsubaki pass the entry point without any more questions.
Days had passed since he sent the confidential report regarding Yukianesa's disappearance. That same day, Tsubaki had returned carrying a message summoning him at a specific time and date to Wadatsumi Castle's recreational tea room with no additional information.
Their footsteps tapped against the lacquered wood flooring as they made their way through the hall. At every corner, decorative statues and vases kept the wide corridors from looking empty. Only a few years before, this place had been filled with smoke and destruction. After the civil war and Izanami's abdication, peace returned to allow the people to restore the imperial citadel to its former glory.
When Jin got closer to the appointed spot, a light fragrance from burnt incense reached his nose. Ahead, he watched the young Imperator and their retinue leave the tea room. Once the group disappeared from his line of sight, he went to the sliding door that had been left ajar.
The one to open it first was a handmaiden. She bowed with a short apology, stepping out with an iron kettle in hand. Past the gap, Jin caught the sound of someone's voice requesting to be left alone to enjoy his drink. Soon, a second servant walked out. Just like that, the room inside was cleared out of unwanted eavesdroppers. After slipping off his shoes, he headed in with Tsubaki, who pulled the door shut behind them.
A charcoal brazier set by the entrance still gave off some heat. Compared to the rest of the palace, this room was humble in both size and style. Sitting on the tatami flooring with legs crossed, Kagura grinned when Jin came to a stop in front of him at the center of the room.
"Always so punctual, the two of you. Holding up well, Jin?" Beside him, a low table held up a tray with a set of porcelain drinking cups.
"I've had enough people treating me like glass, Kagura. I'm fine," Jin said with a click of the tongue. "What happened has happened. I don't have time to worry about the past."
He brought a small cup to his lips, downing the drink in one go. "Hah...Nothing phases you anymore. It's almost scary."
"Speak for yourself." While not here for casual talk, Jin allowed it for now. His mind could be off of work as long as he wasn't back at his desk.
Kagura set the empty cup aside before asking, "Any progress with getting Yukianesa to come back? I was pretty shocked to hear that something like that was possible."
"It's too soon to tell. Besides, it doesn't change the fact that I can't use it even if it returns to me." Following Tsubaki's advice, he had made a plan to gather a small investigation team sometime in the future. But he went against assigning the task as an emergency, putting it low on their order of priority. Truth be told, he didn't care for the Nox Nyctores as much as he probably should. The Black Beast had died in Ibukido along with his need to keep the sword close to him.
"Hm, that's a real shame. Let's hope that this problem is nothing more but a small hiccup." With that said, Kagura got up to his feet.
"So, what did you really want to discuss?" An unofficial meetup in a secluded place such as this one meant something serious despite Kagura's attitude.
"As you might've guessed by now, it's not about your missing Nox Nyctores... Rather, it's about another one." As he talked, he walked to the sliding door behind him. One glance at the outer balcony corridor later, Kagura pulled it back shut. "There's going to be unforeseen consequences if I lie or keep it a secret in my next formal report. You know how it is with the hotshots above us."
Coming to an understanding of what he had implied, Jin nearly breathed out an exasperated sigh. "You want us to cover for you, whatever this is about exactly."
"Close," replied Kagura, looking pleased with something he just thought. "I have to leave for Yabiko by today. Prep work is going to take a while. So…think of it as a favor you're going to do for us all!"
"What?" It sounded to Jin like a favor he couldn't refuse.