The Grand Adviser's Account

Political event

Ah. A moment. Yes? You wish for a fuller account of the event which transpired this evening in the tombs beneath our castle? Very well. But know that I only speak of this because I hold no doubts as to your loyalty to the clan. Not a word must leave this room. The truth may damage our relations with powerful allies. Indeed, the remnants of the esteemed Minamoto Family.

The incident began when our honored allied Daimyō, Aotsuki Tsukamoto arrived at the castle near to evening meal. I understand that he was coming from business at Owari Castle and had previously contacted me regarding Shax. Upon hearing that the demoness was absent, he chose a different path for his visit.   What? Oh, yes. My informants soon placed Shax at Ago Manor in the care of Lord Maxim. So long as no word of any extreme happenings reaches my ears, we can safely leave her as, simply, his problem. Indeed.   Now, back to my account. Lord Tsukamoto first traveled to the quarters of Minamoto no Yoshitsune in our southern wing. Not long ago, he traded three swords and a favor to Musashibō Benkei in exchange for Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. Yes, the same Tsurugi who now accompanies him. Mm? Yes, by the power of Amaterasu, I have been assured.   Please, I hold you in the highest esteem, my lady. However, if you continue with these interruptions, we shall be here all night. Ah...yes, I was speaking of the favor. Lord Tsukamoto promised to help Lady Minamoto in discerning the source of some "dark presence" within Wakigami Castle. As we both know, the child is not one to forsake his word easily. Not at all, in fact. This presented a problem for me, you see.   I knew full well—have known for some time—that this "dark presence" was none other than Taira no Kiyomori , Lady Minamoto's most despised ancient enemy. Kiyomori's Black Ocean Society is friendly to the clan, and to our Princess-Daimyō in particular. Therefore, they have been accorded a place in the chambers beneath Wakigami Castle from which to operate.   It does not take a scholar of The Tale of Genji to understand that this was a precarious situation. Should Lady Minamoto discover Lord Taira's presence, she would no doubt be implacable until the latter was dead. It behooved me, then, to develop some plan for that eventuality. With Lord Tsukamoto's conversation, his knowledge of the Taira Family's presence, and his inconvenient honesty, that eventuality had come to pass. Fortunately, all the pieces I required were already in place. I quickly contacted the Lord Kobayakawa and instructed him to don his costume.   Ah yes, the costume. My lady, are you familiar with a demon called "Priska"? Yes, the one under a geas to speak only in that strange Western language. French, I believe. Frankly, I find her unbearable. However, her skill with fabrics and powders cannot be overstated. In the Princess-Daimyō's absence, I have seen fit to give Priska several projects to occupy her. This was one such: a near-perfect replica of Taira no Kiyomori's battle armor. Indeed, the precision with which she managed to capture its every tatter and dent is nothing short of incredible.   Returning for a moment to Lord Tsukamoto, I could not in good faith reveal the entirety of my plan to him at this point. He has an overabundance of integrity, that child. While admirable, it also makes him a potential snag in any decent plot. To him, I said only that he should play along and take the Ladies Minamoto and Musashibō to the place where they once faced Taira no Kiyomori beneath the castle. In the meantime, I called in a favor with the cult of Kuzunoha . Her temple would be—   What? Yes, I do consider it a cult. The Matsumoto, the Taira, and that fox deity's followers, all wrapped up in ancient mysticism and overbearing ancestors. What else would you—   Ah yes, apologies, my lady. I have brought us off track, you are quite right. Ahem, the door to Kuzunoha's temple would be in the same place where Lord Tsukamoto last encountered it; opposite the Princess-Daimyō's laboratory. Yes, you are correct. This was yet another precaution. Should the ruse fail, the temple could simply move itself to another place in its own way. Thus, we would at least buy some time before needing to reckon with Lady Minamoto and her formidable retainer. Any good plot has layers, after all.   When Lord Tsukamoto and his two companions appeared, Lord Kobayakawa was in position and prepared. He did quite well, given his complete lack of presence. Only a single slip-up, calling his foes "darlings," or somesuch. Naturally, Lord Taira would never utter such language, but it seemed to go unnoticed by Yoshitsune and Benkei, which is all that matters.   They clashed and—   ...   Yes, my apologies, it seems these constant interruptions are giving me a headache. No, no, I meant nothing by it, my lady. I will of course be happy to answer your question. Why indeed did the Shichiseiken, Minamoto no Yoshitsune's legendary blade, not simply skewer Prince Frederick on the first thrust? We know that the Lord Kobayakawa is a moderately capable fighter, but nowhere near the skill that would allow him to face a Kensei.   That is why I sought the help of one of Lord Tsukamoto's own practitioners of magic. Yes, likely the one you are thinking of. You will forgive me if I do not call her by name, out of respect for her discretion in dealing with other clans' matters. Regardless, she had crafted a powerful magical shield around Lord Kobayakawa before the battle began. It was that, not his clumsy parries, which stopped Lady Minamoto's attacks. Powerful warriors though they are, we are fortunate that neither of the kensei present are schooled in the higher arts.   With the deception complete, I requested that Lord Tsukamoto deliver the final blow. Have you seen his technique before? It is really quite remarkable. Drawing what seems to be pure sunlight into his sword, he thrusts it through his foe without leaving so much as a wound. It is not the body that is wounded, but rather the subject's will to fight. That served perfectly for our purposes. Wielding that ephemeral blade of the sun, Lord Tsukamoto ran our "Taira no Kiyomori" through. A fatal blow, to all concerned.   Of course, in order to sell the deception, I ensured that Lord Kobayakawa was fitted with a pouch of blood. At the right moment, he could puncture the lining of his cloak and spill the blood across the floor. With such— I'm sorry, where did the blood come from? Ah, it's probably best to leave that question for another time. Now, with such a blatant display and with Lord Tsukamoto's power well known to them, Lady Minamoto and Lady Musashibō had little reason to doubt the veracity of what they had seen.   Certainly, such a death for the dreaded warlord Taira no Kiyomori had to seem somewhat anticlimactic. Such is none of our concern. They believed it, and thanked Lord Tsukamoto for his hand in putting an end to their eternal struggle. And yes, as far as I am concerned, their struggle is at an end. While Lady Minamoto still seeks vengeance, I believe that Lord Taira has turned his attention to loftier goals. He offered no protest when I suggested that he and his group relocate to Tōdai-ji for now. Indeed, they already have an ally stationed there that will no doubt be pleased to see them again.   In truth, it was my original intention that the Black Ocean Society move their operations away from our country entirely. One of their number, Ashiya Dōman, already resides at Queen's Landing in the Dreamlands. It would be a simple thing for the others to join him, once this "plague" business is settled.   Lord Taira would not entertain the idea, however. His plans, his ambitions, still fully concern the future of Japan. Yes, I agree. That will be something to communicate to the Princess-Daimyō ere her return.   That, then, is my account. Yes, a deal of things make more sense in light of this explanation, don't they? It was not perfect, but my scheme seemed to serve its function. I only hope that the Lord Tsukamoto's integrity was not so damaged by participating in the deception. Perhaps I shall ask him about it later. Or, perhaps, his goddess shall set him on the right path.   Now, I would normally entertain questions, but I have spent too much time enjoying your company already. I must return to— Ah, you were planning to leave anyway? Of course, my lady. Allow me to see you back to your chambers.