Chapter XVIII: The Sengoku Empire III

Onin

Sengoku Empire

The Great Plateau

Month of the Pangolin 8, 172 ,328 DE

At the aerodrome, twenty tower rise nearly a hundred meters into the air. Each tower has five or more airships docked at specialized mooring clamps. A general landing field has nearly two hundred more airships anchored to massive, two-meter-high bollards. Several dozen, huge spotlights spear the sky, making the boundaries of field, and as we approach, field personnel with colored lights guide another airship onto a mooring pad.

After bringing the Silver Princess down to a slow drift, Brigitte observes the landing field for a minute or so. "They use the standard signaling system. Do we land here?"

I nod. "Take us in."

As we near the huge lights surrounding the landing field, a human male shines a red light on the bridge window before shifting the shutter's position. With the light to illuminating an area around himself, he walks to a landing pad and stands next to one of the bollards.

"We have spool for mooring cables on the anchor winches but they need to be changed manually. You can get to the bow winch through that hatch." After pointing to the hatch in the floor of the bridge, I head for the stern of the airship.

In the floor of the small cargo bay, I need to move the cannon I am bringing for the entrance exams into my Core Real to get to the hatch. Opening the hatch, pull the pin holding the spool for the anchor chain, and using a two-meter-long pry bar, I slide it off the gear, onto the stationary shaft. On the other side, I manhandle the cable spool into position so it aligns with its gear, and after prying it onto the gear, I set the pin to keep it in place and disengage the winch

After feeding the cable through its eyehole, I open the cargo and jump out. Dragging the cable to the nearest bollard I tie it off. At the bow, Vorn, apparently with the help of a field worker, has tied off the other cable.

I send out Telepathy thread to Brigitte. *The cables are secured. Pull her down.*

While the winches pull the Silver Princess down to the ground, Vorn and a human female in a somewhat ornate red and green uniform approach. With a disdainful expression, the female looks me up and down. "You are the owner of this airship?"

The human is a cultivator, but she is only in the Formation Establishment realm. She would be considered rather strong in Shizukana Gake, but here, I doubt she qualifies as anything more than average. As I let a thread of Trinity fill my awareness with my irritation, her eyes open wide, and she shivers.

"Is that a problem?"

Visibly suppressing her uneasiness, the female shakes her head. "No. Not as long as you pay the mooring fees."

"How much?"

"Two Nibuban per day." The female regains control over herself, and odor of wariness in her scent is replaced by the arrogance that was originally there.

The monetary of the Heian Kingdom follows that of the Sengoku Empire. The same is true of the other kingdoms east of the Kami Kaze Mountains. A Nibuban is the most common silver coin, and is worth four Nishuban, the most common bronze coins. Above the Nibuban sits the gold Koban, which is worth four Nibuban or eight Nishuban . Two Nibuban can buy enough food to feed most commoner families for a six days. Laborers and others at the bottom of the hierarchy mostly deal in Mon , which are worth a fourth of a Nishuban.

With the amount of money I have available from the my designs that were sold under Old Man Jones' name, the mooring fees are nothing, but I can let a good opportunity go to waste. I look at Vorn. "Hey, smug cat. You're a prince. You should have lots money. Why don't you pay the fees?"

Vorn sneers. "Asshole dog, you probably have more money than me. You're Grandmaster Jones' ward, and that man is a walking, talking mint."

"And you're the princeling of a Jewel Kingdom. How could I have more money than you? I've been giving you free rides on my airship and you won't even pay the docking fees?"

With a look of incomprehension, the human female looks back and forth between Vorn and myself, but she does not say anything.

"I'm only riding on your airship to help your mangy ass, and you stole one of my steamer bikes."

"Without me, how would have found the mountain where your traitor aunt was playing house?"

"Hey, Beast! Don't piss him off! If you piss him off, how will you get me one of his sweet steamer bikes?" While yelling at the top of his lung Hoshi races toward us at a full waddle.

With a condescending expression, I look Vorn up and down. "I'll steal it."

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Tilting his head back, Vorn looks down his nose at me. "Try it."

Apparently seeing Hoshi as an easier target, the female field worker levels a hard stare on him. "I just want the mooring fees. Two Genpo a day."

With an expression of wide-eyed surprise, Hoshi looks toward the female and takes out some coins. "Here. Ten days. We're here for the entrance exams."

After filling out a receipt and handing it to Hoshi, the female stalks away.

"Are you two getting married?" Brigitte keeps a straight face, but her scent gives away her amusement.

Vorn frowns at Brigitte. "After last night, do you really think I would be interested in him?"

Putting on an innocent expression, Brigitte shrugs. "You could be one of those twists that goes both ways."

Vorn expression turns cold. "I'm not some sick bastard that fucks other men."

"Even if he does, that smug cat knows better than to try anything with me."

Vorn snorts. "It's after midnight. Do we find lodging or stay on the airship?"

I look around. "Stay her tonight. We can find the Sengoku delegation tomorrow."

* * * * *

With the oncoming dawn turning the eastern sky grey, I have the back cargo hatch open, while I finish checking over the steamer bikes. As I open up the boiler on the last bike, Vorn enters the cargo bay, but he stays quiet, until I am finished.

"Pass these down to me. It's faster than using the hoist." Seeing Vorn pick up a steamer bike, I jump out the cargo hatch.

Vorn sticks his head out. "Ready?"

"Drop it."

I catch the falling steamer bike by its frame and set it down off to one side. Before I get back under the hatch, Vorn has the next one in hand.

As I set the third and last steamer bike on the ground, Vorn jumps down from the airship and looks toward the mountain with a frown. The morning air is much colder here than in Shizukana Gake. Winter will soon lay claim this land. Chilly fog blankets the lower slopes of the mountain.

After a time, Vorn speaks in a soft tone of voice. "You know, discounting the Four Middle Empires this nation is about the most corrupt on the Great Plateau."

"What's your point?" I keep my voice as quiet at Vorn.

Vorn lowers his voice to a bare whisper. "I wouldn't be surprised if one or more of the noble clans has some ties to my aunt. We came east of the Kami Kaze Mountains because we heard rumors of strange behavior from the Ferocious Beast in the Demonic Wildlands below the Asuka Kingdom. It turned out be nothing. We never even found any rumor about her. From the Sengoku Empire until your kingdom, we travelled through the Demon Wildlands, and Cross' dog attacked me after just a few days in your kingdom."

I snort derisively. "It's not my kingdom. I just happen to live there."

"Fine. The kingdom where you live. The point is I don't have much belief in coincidence, and there wasn't much time for someone to get a message to my traitor aunt, and her to send Cross' dogs. I think she knew I was coming, and it makes the most sense that someone here warned her."

I shrug. "I'm not good with plots and betrayals. My mind doesn't work that way. The shitty old man's does, and he has nothing good to say about the Sengoku Empire. I don't trust humans to begin with. We should keep our eyes and noses peeled for any hint of trouble."

Hearing Hoshi's heavy footsteps inside the Silver Princess , I motion for Vorn to stop talking, and ten seconds later Hoshi's head pops out of the cargo hatch.

After jumping out of the airship, Hoshi looks at the three steamer bikes. "Three bikes? Is one for me."

Vorn scoffs. "Why would we have one for you? Are you forgetting about Brigitte?"

Hoshi's mouth falls open for a few seconds. "Why would she need one? She's Beast's airship pilot, isn't she?"

"She's my Disciple."

Hoshi gapes at me. "Won't that make Aoi-chan mad?"

"Why would I be worried if Aoi is mad about Brigitte being my Disciple?"

Hoshi shakes his head. "Sometimes, you can be really dense."

Vorn snickers. "Oh, he's dense alright. His skull is like a block of solid Ironwood. He's completely oblivious to that poor girls affections."

I turn a cold glare on Vorn. "You know damn well why I ignore her."

With his smirk turning into a frown, Vorn nods but does not say anything.

Hoshi's head snaps back and forth between Vorn and me. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Things you're better off not sticking your nose into." The solemnity of Brigitte's word match the stare she levels on me from the cargo hatch.

With a snort, I turn to Hoshi. "It could endanger you and clan if I explain some things to you."

"You're serious?"

I nod. "Dead serious."

Hoshi swallows. "Forget I asked. I don't even remember what I asked."

I turn a cold stare on Brigitte. "We're going to look for the Shizukana Gake delegation. Keep an eye the airship."

Brigitte frowns. "Aye, Master."

"Let's go, Hoshi. That bike is yours." I point to the third steamer bike.