"I have absolutely no idea," Stas shrugged, looking demandingly at Roku, who was trying to maintain an air of mystery. The Nobunoro family didn't particularly interest Stas; after all, they were in very different social strata.
"And that's a mistake," chuckled the senior servant. "Damn, it's gotten dark so quickly," Roku glanced out the window where the sun had almost set. "Maybe we should continue our talk tomorrow, same place?"
"No," Stas shook his head sharply, involuntarily recalling the alluring eyes of a particularly chatty Kuchisake-onna. The thought of testing the patience of bloodthirsty Japanese spirits didn't exactly appeal to the earthling.
If the "Japanese" themselves are quite the psychos, what can one expect from their malevolent spirits?
"Fine, let's do it now if we must," Roku said irritably, looking up at the sky. "Where should we start? As I've already mentioned, Nobunoro-sama has a sister, Mitsuko Kato. The daimyo's son dotes on her and spoils her in every way. He even took her from under their father's wing so she could live with him in his palace. His love for his sister was so strong that to this day, Nobunoro-sama has not taken a wife."
"Wait," Stas frowned suspiciously, looking at the senior servant. "Am I to understand that Nobunoro-sama and his sister, so to speak..."
"Be silent," Roku said seriously, cutting off the earthling. "Some things should not even be spoken of like this," he glanced around the room.
"Understood," Stas nodded slowly, amazed by the local customs.
"However, no matter how much Nobunoro-sama loves his sister, she turned out to be very... free-spirited," Roku chose his words carefully. "And although she was supposed to be closely watched by guards and special servants, she still found a way out."
"Roku-san, you know how to intrigue. Don't keep me in suspense," Stas smirked, feeling that he was already inadvertently interested in the court dramas. It felt like he was watching a soap opera where someone was about to jump out and shout, 'Julio, you have a birthmark on your butt just like me and my father, let's hug it out, brother!'
"By chance, a couple of my trusted servants happened to notice strange behavior from one of the palace's lieutenants. Akiro Yori, if you're interested. He was too frequently assigned to guard the part of the palace where the princess resided. Plus, he never forgot to inspect his warriors during that time."
"He's sleeping with the princess?" Stas whistled. "Sorry, I can't quite remember, but what's the punishment for that?"
"Slow boiling," the servant explained politely.
"And how is that different from fast boiling?" Stas inquired, genuinely interested.
"Oh, there are many nuances," Roku began to explain ceremoniously. "It all depends on the severity of the crime. If the offense is very serious, the water at first may not be very hot, and they will lower the criminal in slowly, starting with the legs, so he suffers as long as possible. If the executioner is experienced, the condemned may start to take on the color of cooked meat while still alive."
"I gather this is our leverage?"
"You're absolutely right," Stas noted suspiciously that Roku's smile didn't leave his face. Given the background of the whole situation, it was fishy.
Ordyntsev spent a few seconds pondering the reasons for such joy before accusingly pointing at the local.
"You planned to do this yourself, didn't you? It's all too timely. The information and the knowledge of the consequences. You were going to press him yourself, but something was holding you back. The risk that he would simply not listen to you, right?"
"Anything is possible," the senior servant did not take the bait, but his satisfied smirk gave him away. "However, now there are two of us, and together with your prince, three. He risks no longer being able to simultaneously silence everyone."
"You get a guard lieutenant obedient to you, and we get guards who will turn a blind eye to our departure." Stas rolled his own words on his tongue. "I definitely like the way you think."
"I can't say any less about you."
The two men nodded to each other satisfactorily. An unprincipled traitor and a cunning earthling mutually appreciated their collaboration. Each would have easily betrayed the other, but they saw far more benefit in a joint venture.
And, as it is well known, the strongest alliances are formed when both parties believe they have outwitted the other.
*****
"If you don't leave right now, I'll be forced to behead you, you foolish servant!" the guard roared, pushed to the brink. The other two guards standing sentry around the princess's door remained silent, but by their expressions, it was clear they shared their comrade's anger.
And how could they not, when out of nowhere, a sizable crowd materialized, consisting of a handful of ordinary servants, a senior servant, and the murky healer of the captive warmaster.
Moreover, these very trusted guards had clear orders – not to let anyone near the princess's chambers.
"Please forgive me, but this is very urgent," Roku insisted, seriously making Stas tense up. In this world, the price of a mistake was too high, and the senior servant, literally throwing himself on swords, did not inspire him at all.
After their talk, Roku sprang into frantic activity, and just a mere few days later, he called for Stas, describing the situation.
The senior servant's spies just noticed Lieutenant Akiro slipping into the princess's rooms again. At that moment, he was guarded only by a part of the guards whom he trusted the most.
Ordyntsev thought the senior servant would come up with some complicated plan. However, what he was certainly not prepared for was that Roku would simply "grab him by the hand" and drag him straight to the scene of the "crime."
And now, here they were. The guards, knowing what they were risking, grew increasingly angry but were afraid to take decisive action, as that would certainly attract too much attention.
Roku, on the other hand, just raised his voice, apparently in order to be heard behind the wooden paper doors.
"I urgently need to talk to Akiro-sama! If I can't do that, I'll have to report this to Nobunoro-sama himself!"
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"Quiet!" a frustrated roar came from behind the door. "Let him through!"
Roku moved forward, then nodded at Stas:
"He's with me."
The shaken guards did not stop the earthling. From their eyes, it was clear they just wanted all this unhealthy bustle to end.
As he entered the parted doors, Stas quickly glanced back, noting that some of the servants promptly retreated.
Stas nodded to his thoughts. So far, Roku's game was reasonable enough, albeit monstrously risky.
'Walking straight into a lion's cage,' Stas thought involuntarily, 'especially knowing that I've just kicked him hard in the nuts, almost literally. I'm sure we interrupted them when they did not simply chat.'
Stas and Roku were greeted only by the lieutenant standing in the center of the room. The princess was nowhere to be seen, but Ordyntsev had no doubt that she was hiding right behind the closed doors on the right.
One look at the man's clothes and armor was enough to understand that they had been put on in great haste. One shoulder pad hung barely attached, and the breastplate was about to fall off due to a loosening knot.
"What in the name of all the demons of the underworld do you need here?!" the angered samurai barked. His hand unambiguously rested on his sword.
"Far more interesting, master," Roku bowed. "Is what are YOU doing here? After all, these are the princess's private chambers, and only a couple of female servants are allowed here. Therefore..."
The senior servant continued to ramble, confident in his safety, while Stas watched with widening eyes as the katana on the samurai's belt not only did not slow down as it left the sheath but instead sped up.
One glance at his bulging eyes was enough to understand that the warrior heard nothing, having fallen into uncontrollable rage.
'Damned overconfident fool! This samurai is going to simply chop us up now, without even hearing your "brilliant" plans! And after that, he'll be boiled alive, but by then, we won't care!'
"Daimyo Keiji Kato-sama, ruler of Hyugo!" Stas bellowed at the top of his lungs, causing all present to freeze in bewilderment. Including the blade that had almost left its sheath.
"What about Keiji-sama?" finally asked Akiro, somewhat calmly but still grimly.
"Keiji-sama will be very upset to learn that his daughter has become involved with a lieutenant from her own guard. However," Stas emphasized the word. "Roku-san and I really do not want to upset either Nobunoro-sama or Keiji-sama. And if we suddenly turn into two chopped-up pieces of meat, the aforementioned lords might have some legitimate questions."
Having said all this in one breath, Stas did not hesitate to inhale deeply in a demonstrative manner. Now, it was necessary to establish some sort of dialogue with the samurai, and normal human reactions were very timely.
"And why should such esteemed lords have any questions?" Akiro asked measuredly, slowly approaching the men and finally drawing his sword. "Two treacherous invaders broke into the princess's chambers with ill intent. We, the honored guards of Mitsuko-sama, were able to protect her from the threat. The healer who consorted with enemy warmasters..." The sword lightly tapped Stas's shoulder next to the neck.
"...And the betraying senior servant," the sword touched and remained on Roku's shoulder, pressing close to his neck. "I see no problem."
"Akiro-sama," Roku tried to bow out of habit but nearly cut his own throat on the blade. "If such a sad turn of events occurs, my little birds will be forced to start singing about you and the princess. Yes, they are just servants, but you understand, even such rumors would be enough for Nobunoro-sama to start a thorough investigation."
The samurai's face darkened at the words, yet he had no intention of retracting his sword.
"But even if no one believes ordinary servants, the healer standing next to me shared this information with the prince of the Sumada clan. And if our disappearance can somehow be written off, then the death of a prince of warmasters will be quite suspicious. Besides, who told you that the healer is acting alone?"
"Akiro-sama," Stas bowed cautiously and slowly to avoid getting a sharp blade to the head. "Yes, you can kill us, but we've made sure our death won't go unavenged. Moreover, if you're willing to kill us and die a terrible death yourself, think about the princess."
The lieutenant's gaze, to Ordyntsev's great pleasure, twitched. The earthling's tone took on soothing notes.
"Think about how Mr. Nobunoro might treat her. And Keiji-sama's reaction is unknown. Why doom the fates of all present," Stas glanced meaningfully at the closed door from which the princess was undoubtedly eavesdropping. "If we can come to an agreement? And no one will get hurt..."
"What exactly do you want, healer?" Akiro interrupted him, but the sword, to the sweating Roku's great relief, lowered. "Why are you here?"
"I want you to help us with the escape of the prince of the Sumada clan from the palace. After all, you are in charge of the guards and monitor their schedule. Allow us to slip away unnoticed."
"No," the samurai shook his head. "I can't do that. If a prisoner escapes under my guard, it will be an indelible stain on my honor."
"Akiro-sama," Roku's voice took on a dangerously sarcastic edge. "When you ordered those merchants to be cut down for allegedly insulting the guard, your honor was silent. As I recall, one of the treasurers asked you for a favor? There was such a big unrest that it could be heard even in the daimyo's palace, but you're still here."
Akiro Yori gave the overly talkative servant a dark look but did nothing more.
"Unlike those pathetic merchants, the loss of such a renowned prisoner will not be forgiven. I cannot do that."
"What if the blame for this falls on someone else," Stas suddenly spoke up. Roku looked at him in bewilderment, but Ordyntsev did not even glance at him.
The earthling had no intention of enlightening the overly eager local about all his plans. He needed to know just enough information to be useful but not enough to become a threat.
The samurai looked at the healer with much more interest.
"What if," continued Ordyntsev. "The blame for the abduction of such an important prisoner falls, let's say," Stas paused thoughtfully. "On the clan of warmasters, Sansa? What if their people suddenly attack and carry away the prince, and your guards, although they fail to prevent it, still valiantly protect the princess from them, let's suppose? In that case, there will be no questions for you. The savior of the daimyo's daughter, doesn't that title sound good?"
Silence hung in the room while the samurai and the servant stared at the smirking healer.
"And how do you plan to do that?"
"Let's just say, Akiro-sama, that the legendary Sumada clan is very interested in rescuing the prince..."
'Even if they don't know it yet.'
"...Therefore, their people are patiently circling the palace. They will help stage this little show, and everyone will come out on top. I'm sure you all know about Lord Nobunoro's deep 'love' for the Sansa clan? If everything is done right, I doubt he will spend a lot of time thinking about who is really to blame."
'And hopefully, by the time he realizes something is amiss, he will have already managed to significantly thin out the ranks of one spiteful clan.' Stas instinctively touched his neck, which had only recently lost its bruises.
"What happens when Nobunoro-sama realizes it wasn't Sansa?" Roku pointed out a slippery moment.
"Then it will simply turn out that esteemed Akiro Yori defended the princess not from Sansa, but from some other enemy warmasters who cunningly disguised themselves as Sansa."
Stas watched with satisfaction as everyone present worked hard at thinking.
"Without evidence, no one will believe us," Akiro finally spoke. Stas mentally noted that the lieutenant began to think not about a reason to refuse the proposed plan but about how to implement it. "There will need to be dead in the confrontation."
"Don't worry about the dead," Ordyntsev reassured the samurai, smiling. "After all, you, of all people, should know that in our world, corpses are one of the cheapest and easiest things to come by."
Roku giggled at the simple joke, but Akiro remained unimpressed.
"And what do you need for that?" he asked an important question.
"First of all, I will need the ability to exit the palace freely and unnoticed. Also, as I am not a local, I will need an experienced guide who knows all the nooks and crannies of this city. Who lives on what, where to find certain people. And if Roku-san can help me with that, then I might also need protection. Akiro-san, do you have someone outside the palace who can aid with this?"
Stas wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of falling into the hands of local bandits and ending his life in a roadside ditch.
"There is someone," the lieutenant nodded dryly. It was visible that he was burdened with conversing as an equal with "dirt," but he was trying to contain himself.
"Does this mean we can count on you in this matter?" Stas concluded.
"Yes," Akiro sheathed his sword. "But if you try to betray me, you won't be able to hide."
"Don't say that, Akiro-sama." Ordyntsev's lips stretched into a satisfied smirk. "Each of us will get what he wants and deserves. After all, we are all interested in a successful outcome."
'Human baseness is incorrigible. But how pleasant and convenient it is to work with it.'