Seeing Shizu off as she guided Azi on a tour of Shisayama, Ozen turned to his son, Yashimu. He was about to head off as well, but Ozen held his shoulder when he tried to move.
Yashimu didn’t know how to interpret that at first, but his upbringing as a noble allowed him to see past the amicable smile his father had, and saw the dignified light hidden in his deep brown eyes. It was also the slight pressure his father’s hand put on him that gave the unspoken message away.
What do you need? He shot the question with his eyes to Ozen, who let go.
“Come with me.” He told him. “Before you set off to prepare for the upcoming monster hunt, we should discuss about some of my new findings.”
“Findings? Father?” Besides Azi, what else had his father found out on his private patrol. Enemies? New Threats? Spies?
Yashimu held his thoughts in, veiling his lips with a calm smile of ignorant confusion.
“Yes, findings, it's about the others.”
That got Yashimu’s attention. By others, his father meant people like Azi. Vagrants and refugees without a home. Before Yashimu could dwell any longer on his theoretical musings, Ozen beckoned him to follow.
They made their way to an inn in the northern portion of the village. It was a discreet shop in the various size abodes, only having a capacity for maybe about 6 to 7 families of 4. While not with the abundance of capacity of other inns of note, it was well known for its cultural food.
But more importantly was the exclusive use of its private rooms for discussion, and how the walls were quite thick.
Because of that, the inn had a large size in contrast with its capacity, and its entrance didn’t help to give off the idea that it didn’t cater to many. If Ozen had brought his personal carriage, he could fit it through its doors, it was just that big.
Adored on the inn’s wooden framed entrance was a white cloth painted with the symbol of a hearth drawn in black ink, a common marking for inns.
As he entered, he gestured to the innkeeper he was familiar with. She was a woman with a large red coat over her white ensemble, and she led Ozen and Yashimu to a small private room, purposely lit dimly to obscure the sight of its inhabitants.
Sitting within the room was a man of similar age to Yashimu, wearing a more simple regal attire than him.
“My king, it is good to see that you’ve returned. I was worried when our meeting was postponed.”
Ozen and Yashimu gave a wave of greeting and moved to sit across from the man.
“As did I.” Said Yashimu. “Though now, it seems like we must get down to business like usual.”
“By your expressions.” The man observed. “I can tell, please, let’s take as much time as we need.”
Nodding to the innkeeper, the man gave his attention to Ozen as the door closed behind them. Shut tight, no one would be able to see into here.
"Thank you for coming, Manu." Said Ozen. "I know it was sudden of me to request this meeting from you in the middle of the night, but there has been a small development that I decided to bring to your attention this morning."
Shaking his head, Manu reassured that it was no issue.
"It is no problem my king, I am willing and able to meet you at any time. My work as village chief is quite taxing but I would not dare to deny the request of my king. Please, elaborate on this development you speak of."
Manu began to pour tea for the pair, he had warmed it while waiting for their arrival. It was a somewhat transparent greenish liquid, made by steeping specific dried leaves in hot water. The trick to a good brew was timing and patience, both things Manu had in spades.
He gave them a youthful smile and proffered a cup to Ozen which he gratefully accepted. Doing the same for Yashimu, they all clinked glasses as per tradition. Nothing like a shared drink to break the foreboding tension of a meeting.
After taking a sip of tea, they all sighed and sat for a moment. When Ozen was ready, he stiffened his chin up and said with a serious expression now marring his face.
"The boy Azi, the one I sent you a report about in the night. He is strange. His attitude makes me believe he is a foreigner, but his explanation of his possible amnesia brings into question if he even is a foreigner. He could be a resident of Yamato that has lost his memory and it could be possible that his family is looking for him."
Pausing to see if Manu was listening, Ozen continued after finding a nod from Manu.
"I need you to find any leads about his origins, he might live in one of the nearby villages but if you find nothing, spread the search further. Additionally, I need you to keep an eye on him. Can you do this?"
Taking another sip of tea from his own cup, Manu processed his thoughts. Reviewing word for word what the sudden messenger in the night said.
A boy, possibly no older than 15, black hair, brown eyes, no tail, and shaved ears. No, there wasn’t anyone like that in his village. Manu thought.
But why, why put so much attention on this one. Is my king testing me? To see if I can divulge information from the child, or maybe the child isn’t a child at all. A spy? My lord did say he might be from the west in his message, but we have no enemies there.
Manu was confused by why Ozen would be taking such precautions for this stranger.
"Really? Why go so far for some random stranger and why be cautious of him? Could he become a threat to the safety of the village."
"No, not a threat." Said Ozen. “Though it's not exactly clear. Anyone can be a threat with a weapon. But my instincts tell me that the boy might be a troublesome case to deal with.”
“Father? Have you really gotten that itch again.” Asked Yashimu. “That hasn’t happened these days, how long ago was the last time?”
“Hmmm, if I recall, the last time this happened would be 2 years ago in the previous war. As you know, I am a good judge of character when it comes to observing people and their demeanors. I can read my enemy and ally alike. But! When I look at that boy, I get the feeling something is missing. He looks like a boy, but that mature demeanor doesn't fit him.”
“What do you think it means?” Manu asked.
“Could he be a spy?” Yashimu added. “Children indoctrinated to kill is a possibility, rare, but possible. Perhaps a foreign nation in the west has made a move, or maybe the north?”
“Spy?” Ozen dwelled on that. This Azi boy is not very capable, physically speaking. He had no muscular endurance, his skin was so white and he has such a tiny frame compared to everyone else.
“No, But I’m surprised Yashimu, I thought you were getting along with him. Why are you so suspicious of him now? Earlier, you wanted to hire him for odd jobs.”
That was correct, Yashimu had done such a thing and his accusations of Azi were for being in agreement with his father. Yashimu, while trusting of people and close with the common folk, he still kept a distance, maintaining a professional connection rather than personal.
“I did.” Yashimu answered. “He would make for a good helper.”
“Then why the dubiousness of his character now?”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Because he’s still an unknown. His past is a mystery, my offer was to only delve deeper at a comfortable distance.”
“I see, good move my son.” Ozen gave an impressed smile to Yashimu. He had come a long way from his days in the academy. As his father, Ozen found pride in him, in fact, he found pride in all his children, as quirky as some of them may be.
Refreshing himself with a sip of tea, Ozen continued.
“Azi is an unknown, and his past is something we will need to uncover. My instincts are telling me he went through some kind of trauma in his past.”
“What kind?” Manu asked.
“I have no clue, I can’t see entirely through him, but it seems to have hardened him. He looks naive to the world but this contrast is concerning. He might show the effects of this trauma outwardly in the future and this too is concerning. He may have entirely forgotten about his trauma, but it might resurface. In any case, he is a special case that could be a byproduct of our nation's issues."
Ozen was referring to the current situation his nation, Kujyuri, was in. For the last 2 years since the last noteworthy war, the increasing population of lost or displaced citizens due to subsequent smaller skirmishes with neighboring hostile nations, left many on the outer border without homes or families.
Kujyuri was not the only victim of the increase of refugees, the other nations making up the empire suffered casualties as well, but Kujyuri faced the brunt of the issue. This was due to how these smaller skirmishes and frontline battles took place along a large stretch of the nation's frontier border.
Ozen had Manu bring out a map from the pack he had put down in the room. With small wooden pieces, he explained the refugee population situation. It took some time, but when he was finished he looked at Yashimu and Manu, gauging them.
They did not have any questions, they knew the situation as well, a tell that they’ve kept themselves busy. Good. Ozen thought. They’ll make fine men one day.
"Ahem! As of the war 2 years ago, we cannot be picky about who we accept in these times. We need as many able bodies as we can get. Even though how I met Azi was suspicious, time will decide what he will become in the future. With this in mind, I am willing to keep helping people like him. The effects of the previous war have left us with a noticeable spike in orphans and vagrants. Many of the fathers from our country died in the war and this left their families without their breadwinner. Many possible talents were lost from simple starvation or poverty.
To this, Ozen sighed and took another sip to wash down the bitter taste that had formed in his mouth. He hated knowing that families out in the frontier of his nation were suffering. He had only known when reports came in, and those took days to arrive to his hands.
By the time he responded to the first, there was nothing left to save, albeit giving the deceased a burial and sending off, saving their souls from damnation.
“It wasn’t your fault, father.” Said Yashimu. “We weren’t fast enough, that was all.”
“Yes, we were too slow, which is why at best, the aid I give to people who are lost like the boy. He is only a drop in the bucket to the current lack of manpower we face. It’s the reason why I have personally come to Shisayama to aid in the hunts as we are becoming too short handed."
Ozen groaned since his work as king was never ending, more so with all the recent traveling activities he had to take upon himself to personally monitor the frontier. Shisayama was the midpoint and made for a perfect place to watch as the situation developed.
A matter of days to travel helped to reduce the number of fatalities in the frontier, but there was a downside.
"I understand your reason, but why help from here?" Yashimu inquired. "You are doing good by watching over our people at a closer distance, but eventually, you’ll need to return to the capital. I cannot see how your time spent out here, helping orphans and culling monsters, would fix the root problem of what created them in the first place. Your trust in these strangers may backfire and your presence outside the safety of the capital is a risk. Our allied nations are still vying for the emperor’s favor and they have been making moves to steal power from us. I don’t want to suggest anything drastic, but we are running out of time to find a solution. We should look north for now.”
"You speak true Yashimu." Said Ozen. Their hostile neighbor to the desert up above, were prime targets for resources and manpower. While the opportunity stood, it invited risks, risks he knew his son had already factored in by the acute look in his eyes.
He always was a skeptical and thorough thinker, too thorough at times.
"Yashimu, it may be the solution to our problem but I believe more in our people than in conflict. Even these singular strangers can cause ripples in our nation, and I will not risk another war with our more hostile foreign neighbors to just acquire more land and cheap labor through slaves.”
While slavery was banned in the Empire of Yamato, some nations could get away if no one knew. Yet Ozen would know, and he wouldn’t tolerate that.
“Instead, I will do what we have done before and that is to plant new seeds of possibility in our nation. Currently, the seeds we have planted in the past have borne their fruit, but the harvesting of these fruits is coming to an end. The older generation is dying out, and I am getting old.”
A fake smile crossed across Ozen and Yashimu found that heart stopping.
“If nothing is done, we will inevitably face a dead end, so it is time to plant new seeds and let the old plants die to become the nourishment for new ones to take their place.”
Ozen's mannerism and tone of voice changed to one of grim determination.
"With the seeds we plant now, we can find a solution, but we must buy time at whatever cost to ensure that the new seeds will fully grow. For now, the issue at hand is the increase in monster attacks, a lack of weapons to arm our troops, not enough specialized talent, and of course my successor. So, Yashimu, I need you to step up in this hunt as I believe I might one day have to leave you in order to buy the time we need."
A breath caught in Yashimu's throat as he spoke his response.
"I.. I understand Father, but please do not take any risks. I know that after losing mother, you have changed, but please, we still need you. All my brothers and sisters, and especially Rulu, need you, our father. So please, no more risks."
Concern covered Yashimu like a tide of desperate sadness. He feared what his father might do in the future, if Ozen so chose to, Yashimu knew he would give his life for his people and his family.
In response, Ozen sighed as his gaze went down to the cup of tea in his hand. He remembered the taste of it, it was sweet, sweet like the one his little Rulu made for him.
He knew he’d never get to taste it again when he died.
He knew his children would suffer without him. Many of them were still unprepared to take on the world without their father.
Of them all, only Shizu and Yashimu were somewhat qualified. They were experienced Ordained Knights of the nation, while the others had little experience in war and politics.
This was especially true for his youngest, Rulu, who had not even taken a step out of Kujyuri's capital city since the day her mother died.
Looking up from his cup, he found Yashimu almost ready to burst into tears. He gave the best reassured smile he could.
"You are right Yashimu, but understand that there will be a time when my children will not be able to rely on me even if I am still alive. Your self-sufficiency is crucial, so while I'll do my utmost to help you all. I need both of you to do your best."
Ozen addressed them both, Yashimu and Manu..
"Both of you. Please. Do your best."
The pair of young men swallowed hard, it was like they were saying an inevitable goodbye to him. Not wanting to spoil this moment with their king, no, their beloved father and leader, they returned a smile through their hardened expressions.
"Yes, My King!"
“Thank you.”
Giving thanks, Ozen clinked his cups with them again and then focused back onto the topic of the upcoming hunt.
"On another note, how is the progress of your preparations?"
“A moment please.”
Opening the bag he carried at his waist, Yashimu retrieved a book and opened it to scan its contents. Manu did as well, going through his own recorded information about village events.
"We are almost complete." Said Yashimu. "We have successfully hunted an overly adequate number of predatory animals and monsters in the proximity of the village. What is troubling is that the number of monsters we found were much higher than the findings of last month’s report.”
“I concur.” Manu slid his opened book across the table and moved a few wooden pieces on the splayed out map.“The forests have still gotten harder to hunt for the villagers, they’re running more into monsters rather than game. Do you have any solution Yashimu?”
“No, we don’t know why this is happening. The game should’ve come back after we eliminated the recent packs of monsters. In light of this, I am forming a hunting party to investigate the current situation of the surrounding area. We suspect a dangerous monster has made a nest in the nearby forest. If we find one, we will have to eliminate it or drive it off. But should we be unable to find anything, I will leave some troops behind to run security for the village's night watch and patrols."
“That will work.” Manu said. “Weapons will be an issue, our blacksmiths might not be able to keep up with the increase in troops, but I will see what I can do.”
“Good.” Nodding with a bit of pride in his expression, Ozen chimed in.
"I'm glad to see that you have thought this through. Shizu will be joining Yashimu after her business is completed with Azi. When you are ready, you can begin the hunt. In the meantime, Manu, please bring me to your office. I will need to discuss the details concerning the hunted prey we currently have and will receive after my son’s upcoming investigation."
Manu nodded in affirmation to Ozen, but before Manu could rise from his seated position. Ozen halted everyone with a hand.
"Additionally! All that we have said here does not leave this room, AM I UNDERSTOOD!"
"YES! We UNDERSTAND!"
With that their lips were sealed, and unbeknownst to Azi, he’d be dragged into a somewhat odd position in their minds.
A strange boy, yet a hopeful survivor of possibly dire times. People grew from disaster and strife, tribulation allowed growth if one could surpass it.
A thought Ozen had as he left the inn. The sun shined in the sky and warmed him from the winter’s night. The snow had begun to set in, and while he could hunker down, he had to keep moving, no matter the cold.