"Master Jun," Stas chose his moment carefully and approached the sensei.
"What do you want, little serpent?" the teacher grunted, finishing off another bottle of sake. Judging by the characters on the clay side of the container, it was ordinary alcohol. This meant that Jun was merely entertaining himself and not seriously trying to get drunk.
Still, Stas couldn't understand how anyone could enjoy drinking this donkey piss, mistakenly called "sake."
"Master, is it true that supreme warmasters are allowed to have their own retinue that will answer only to them?" Ordyntsev asked slyly. The conversation took place in Jun's house, which was temporarily granted for his personal use.
The students had to settle in an extension for the servants, even though the Citadel was nearby. The command decided it was time to turn the warmasters into an army, and if they ran home every time they wanted to, there would be no talk of discipline.
They were lucky, though. Many spent the night in tents and marquees.
"Come on, don't beat around the bush," Jun turned the clay jug into dust, which, obeying the movement of the supreme's finger, flew into the wall and seeped into it, leaving ugly white smears on the gray.
"I would like to ask you to accept two of my people into the retinue so that they can go to war with us," Stas explained.
Dealing with Master Jun had taught Ordyntsev an interesting rule, which he rarely used in ordinary life. It roughly translated to "Lie as little as possible."
The supreme warmaster had a remarkable ability to sense lies, and when you add his extraordinary intelligence, things got even more lamentable.
"Spill it, student. Tell me about them. I won't accept anyone I know nothing of into my retinue."
"I will tell you, sensei, but I would be very grateful if this information does not go beyond you," Stas requested cautiously.
"Don't worry," Jun chuckled, unrolling a new bottle of sake. "I won't snitch."
"The first one is named Mari," Stas began to confess honestly. "She's a fugitive from the Rinako clan, the shadow masters."
"I've heard of them," the sensei thoughtfully twisted around and scratched his shoulder blade. And if Stas remembered correctly, there was a remarkable scar there, as if from a strike with something like a long knife.
After training, the sensei liked to bathe in the nearby river. And the time of year didn't matter much to him. With his body, he could swim in Antarctica on Earth. His physique easily allowed such liberties.
"In direct combat, nothing special, but if you need to off someone secretly, that's something they love and excel at. One night, I had to kill them, and I got so tired of running around in the dark. And even then, more than half of them calmly walked away. So this girl is one of them? Does she know the clan techniques?"
"Yes, she does. Of course, she hasn't mastered all of them yet, but her father made her learn a lot about her clan."
Jun whistled.
"A little squirt with the knowledge of an entire clan? You're lucky you told someone like me... And you know what's funny? I might even know who her old man is."
Stanislav silently indicated that he was ready to listen.
"Yeah, hearken unto my wisdom," the sounds of noisy gurgling. "In short, between us supremes, a rumor went around. It was, I don't know, ten years ago? That Kenta Rinako, a supreme of the shadow clan, got himself tangled up with one of the old enemies, the shinobi clan, Aikatsu."
"Got himself tangled up?" Sometimes Jun's speech was so full of profanity and strange expressions that Stas just admitted defeat. Apparently, the Great Serpent, who had given him an understanding of the language, was not so vulgar.
"Yep, he fell head over heels for a formidable kunoichi from Aikatsu. To make it easier for you to understand, she was weaker than a supreme but way better at secret killings. And there, as it happens, secret love, clandestine meetings, and angry relatives on both sides."
Jun's eyes misted with memories.
"Ah, boy, love, I tell you, it's a terrible feeling in our business. Especially love for an enemy. The Rinako told Kenta to kill the kunoichi, and Shiori, that was the shinobi's name, was supposed to kill Kenta. And usually, that would be the end of it. Someone would betray the other, and only one would survive. But these two lovebirds decided otherwise and sent their two damned clans to hell."
The sensei laughed heartily.
"And since they knew how to hide, they apparently haven't been found to this day and are counted among renegades. And if this girl is the one I'm thinking of, then I would advise you, little serpent, not to let your guard down. Because her daddy and mommy are very serious people. Not everyone can hide from their former comrades so successfully for so many years. You might wake up one day and find your manhood cut off and neatly placed on a shelf. With kunoichi and warmaster women, there's always a problem in this regard..."
Jun shuddered through his body, and Ordyntsev slowly nodded. The master's words gave him something to think about. Of course, Stanislav had tried to find out about his subordinate's past himself, but since everything had to be done with the utmost secrecy, there weren't many successes.
Now, he could tell Mari a little about her past. And, at the same time, about the presence of two whole clans of assassins - blood enemies wishing for her death.
"Well, come on, surprise me further," Jun gestured invitingly. "I'm willing to bet the juiciest part you've saved for last."
"The second girl's name is Kaede, and she's a... yokai," Stas specifically waited for the sensei to latch onto a new bottle before dropping this news, but to his disappointment, the man calmly finished his drink.
And the next second, Ordyntsev had to quickly roll to avoid being hit in the forehead with a clay projectile.
"What, you thought I wouldn't notice?" the sensei smirked smugly. "As for the yokai... you've surprised me, indeed. But not enough for me to choke on the drink of the gods."
"You've already encountered them, haven't you?" Stas clarified knowingly.
"Oh, yeah," Jun grimaced. "Nasty business, fighting yokai. It's not without a good reason that these matters fall specifically to onmyodo. Trying to hit an enemy when they can become immaterial at will is far from enjoyable. And what kind of yokai is she?"
"A Kuchisake-onna."
"I haven't encountered that one," Jun thought for a moment. "Is she the one with the teeth growing in..."
"No," Ordyntsev quickly corrected. "She's the one with her cheeks slit, as if by a knife."
"Ah, you do love to attract and bring close all sorts of unusual filth, student," the supreme shook his head. "First magical beasts. Yes, I'm talking about you," Jun glanced at the wall where Leviathan was lurking. "Now the Rinako and a yokai. But alright, I'll take them in. Anything else you want to ask before you scram and stop bothering me with questions?"
"Yes, when and where are we going to move out from here?"
"No idea. I've only heard that the samurai we're supposed to report to will arrive in a couple of days. So I suggest you rest well because you might not get another chance later."
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
*****
"We're all going to die," Mei whispered in a dead voice. Eiji and Stas standing nearby said nothing, though their mood was equally grim.
The reason was the samurai commander who had arrived decided to line them up, all six hundred warmasters, and give an invigorating speech about himself and his future goals.
It's worth remembering that the same division consists of a thousand warmasters or three battalions of over three hundred warriors each. The Sumada alone managed to muster as many as five such divisions. And these weren't all the warmasters deployed for the war.
"Warmasters!" the samurai's voice, amplified by prana, echoed far around. "My name is Kero Jonoro. I am the commander of a two-thousand-strong samurai corps and a four-thousand-strong corps of ashigaru of the most luminous daimyo Akihiro Rashta! Under my command, your two battalions of the fifth division have been transferred!"
It was very quiet around, as everyone was interested in what would come next. Kero took a breath and continued to proclaim.
"I have been tasked with defending the fortress of Gaibatsu and preventing the enemy from advancing into our country! And I am determined to fulfill the daimyo's command at any cost honorably! If need be, we will all die, but we will stop the enemy!"
It was at that moment that Mei's defeatist thoughts emerged. And she could be understood.
Ordyntsev knew geography, and he couldn't miss a rather remarkable place on the map.
If you look closely, Rashta and Higatsudo, where the Mizuno live, do not share borders. Dozens of small countries and free cities that heavily profited from trade routes between the giants lay between them.
Nevertheless, there is only one place where the borders of these two great countries almost touch.
There are only a few dozen kilometers of road between them, next to which lies a fairly wealthy trading city and the surrounding fields.
On both sides, whether from Higatsudo or Rashta, stand magnificent and powerful fortresses that one could even see from the top of the opposite fortress walls.
It was to this place that Izuna sent Stas and Mei. The former was the man of his hated brother, while the latter was the daughter of Toshiyuki Eiko, who also worked for Jishin. Eiji was included simply as part of the package.
Yet one couldn't say that Izuna just threw them to be devoured by the Mizuno.
After all, six hundred warmasters is not a number that could be easily forgiven if lost.
That's why, along with the six hundred ordinary warmasters, six supreme ones were attached. Jun was the seventh.
As for advanced warmasters, there were dozens.
And let's not forget about the thousands of samurai and ashigaru.
This was a powerful fist that was supposed to meet the first blow of the new war heroically. And that was the problem because while the supremes were more likely to survive, ordinary warriors and warmasters would begin dying in droves.
Izuna didn't need to strain himself any further, for he did everything necessary already.
*****
Commander Kero didn't delay, so their army set out the very next day.
And although Stas had already commanded a fairly large detachment of warmasters, he had no subordinates this time.
Izuna used the argument that their team of advanced warmasters didn't need subordinates since their task was reconnaissance.
Does one need to mention how dangerous a business it was?
However, the appearance of Master Jun somewhat dispersed the trio's gloomy mood. On the other hand, where they alone could just quietly come and go, with the sensei, everything turned into a completely different kind of show.
But Stas was still glad how things turned out.
The sensei accepted Kaede and Mari into his retinue and also took over their team. Commander Kero was a bit skeptical before agreeing that a supreme warmaster would take on the role of reconnaissance.
After all, Jonoro had only been promised six supremes. The appearance of the seventh was a very pleasant bonus.
Since everyone was in a hurry and even Kero and his men knew how to use prana, they reached the fortress of Gaibatsu in just four days.
And just one look at several proudly towering rings of robust stone walls on the hills, diligently patrolling soldiers, a keep standing in the center of the fortress, and numerous stone moats, rocks, and stakes, was enough to realize that the fortress of Gaibatsu was prepared to sell its life dearly.
Ashigaru bustled everywhere; oxen bellowed loudly as drivers lashed them with rods to pull the carts faster.
There was also no getting through the rushing porters with voluminous chests on their backs or shoulders.
At the same time, the looks given to the arriving warmasters differed from the usual.
Stas smirked crookedly.
'One of human nature sides in all its glory. War is coming, and warmasters turn from despised freeloaders into 'dear brothers.' How convenient.'
Ordyntsev was irritated by this approach even on Earth. It's quite easy to criticize the military during peacetime.
Questions like, "Why are we spending so much money on the military? They're not doing anything, just painting the grass[1] and messing around! Let's cut their expenses and spend the freed-up funds on something useful" come up naturally.
But when problems suddenly arise that only the military can solve, all those who previously weakened their countries' combat readiness suddenly realize that there's no one to protect them, and they don't want to take up arms and risk their lives.
So it turns out, the longer it's been since the last major war, the less respect there is for the military.
And the old saying that "if a state doesn't want to feed its army, it will feed someone else's" is forgotten.
*****
The distribution at the fortress went quickly. As a supreme warmaster, Jun was quickly provided with a fairly decent personal space. Stas, Mei, Kaede, Mari, and Eiji were placed nearby, albeit in a former storeroom.
They had to work hard to clean up, and even then, the smell of rotting rice continued to permeate the air, seeping into their bedding.
The start of the war with Higatsudo was predicted at any day, and the enemy was almost within walking distance, so there was no talk of reconnaissance, much to their sensei's disappointment.
To somehow alleviate the boredom, the sensei sought someone to talk to.
And somehow, it came to be Kaede's turn, who, along with Stas and Mari, was standing watch on an unremarkable section of the fortress wall that day.
Mei and Eiji were still sulking at Stas, so they didn't want to join him on watch, but Jun didn't care as long as there was a watch.
It was nearing morning, so their trio lazily peered into the approaching dawn.
"Hello, everyone," the master waved and listened to their disjointed greetings. "Hey, you're Kaede, right?" he turned directly to the yokai.
"Yes, master," the spirit glanced questioningly at Stas.
"Don't be shy," the sensei noticed their glances and, approaching the wall, leaned on its battlements. "I just have a couple of questions about ones like you. It's not every day you get to talk to someone like you without them trying to kill you for it."
With Stas's silent nod, Kaede nervously smiled and turned to Jun.
"Of course, sensei of my master. I will gladly answer your questions."
"Relax," Jun chuckled. "Less formality, I'm not going to eat you. Or has my student been saying bad things about me?"
"No, not at all," Kaede shook her head. "Shiro only spoke well of you. For example, that you're an excellent teacher, whose methods are so good you could even teach demons something. And it would be great if you went to hell and taught them there and..."
"Ahem!" Stas coughed sharply, his eyes wide behind Jun's back.
"Bless you, student," the master said kindly. "But we'll come back to that. Definitely. Now, my first question is... tell me, why are some yokai so angry at humans? I'm not even talking about inherently aggressive yokai," Jun stopped Kaede, trying to articulate his thoughts better. "You see, once a fox spirit attacked me, what's it called..."
"Are you talking about a Kitsune?"
"Exactly. The wretch was weak but terribly annoying with her illusions. It was damn hard to land a hit on her. She defended her stupid grove as if I wanted it. Yet I just decided to cut through it. When she got on my last nerve, I turned her grove into a stone plateau." At this point in the story, Kaede visibly flinched, looking warily at Jun.
"However, years later, severely wounded, I stumbled into a mountainous area in the northwest, closer to the lands of the fiery Hizoru. Imagine my surprise when I met an ugly old hag who, nonetheless, helped me get to her home high in the mountains, then treated my wounds and let me rest for a couple of days."
Jun gestured animatedly with his hands.
"I don't understand! I specifically asked onmyodo about these yokai. Kitsune are not considered evil spirits. And that old hag who sheltered me was a damn Yamauba, a mountain witch who devours careless travelers. And you know what? When I recovered, she let me go calmly. No matter how I tried to talk to her, she just stayed silent as if mute. This question has haunted me ever since. Why do good yokai kill while evil ones can help?"
Kaede pondered deeply, twisting a lock of black hair around her finger. Jun didn't interrupt her.
"There are many reasons," the Kuchisake-onna finally spoke. "I think the main thing is what we are born from. We are born from strong emotions. Often bad ones. But people are not made up only of bad things. What makes up a person in life changes and carries over into us. Therefore, that Yamauba, most likely, died of hunger, consumed by resentment and anger, but at the same time, was a very good person. Even though her essence said to kill you, she was stronger than her instincts."
"Hmm, interesting," the sensei nodded.
"Besides," the yokai continued, "we also change. Of course, slower than humans, but we do change. Perhaps over many decades, if not centuries, that Yamauba grew tired of killing innocent travelers. Or maybe..."
Kaede didn't finish, as the fortress alarm bells rang out. The main bell was followed by smaller ones.
"What's going on?" Jun roared a question at the samurai running by.
The man didn't stop but managed to shout back.
"The last reports have come in! The forces of Higatsudo, together with Mizuno and their allied clans, are advancing along the entire border!"
'It's begun.'
[1] Translator's note: this is a reference to an anecdote where soldiers were painting wilted grass green at their encampment to make everything look perfect because the leadership anticipated an inspection. Well, it started as an anecdote, but now it's a common belief that commanders during peaceful times make those serving their mandatory year or two do all kinds of stupid things or something outright corrupt, like building a country house for some general or tending to crops there.