PreCursive

  Acc to the servant, Lord Ashiwara was only willing to give me the information that I wanted face-to-face. And only if I could present the sword that he had issio the same time.

  You know.

  The ohat I had already finished.

  After the servant had bowed and scraped away from me upon delivery of his message, I immediately made a bee-line back towards my inn. Ohere, I barely paid any attention to the young woman manning the weling desk as she bowed over it slightly in my dire. Instead, I marched my the stairs to my room and rifled through the pile of excess onry lying haphazardly in the er until I found the require sword. I held it up to light to i it, in case it needed any st touches before I delivered it.

  Ashiwara had issioned a katana, like most of my ers. Seemed to be a bit of a theme here in Hinaga. But only the bde itself, without the apanying hilt, or even any Enting doo it. That part, at least, I could uand. As miraculous as it was that I could work Onio ons, I wasn’t versed in the Kawamaran people’s particur varieties of Enting. The only time I had tried to replicate some of it for a ission, that er had gotten so offehat I think he wao challenge me to a duel.

  I think he would have if Venix hadn’t been there at the time. The man had been suitably intimidated by my massive Antium panion, though, and had backed off after a truly impressive huffing and puffing session.

  And thearred me with a reputation as a barbarously uncivilized Enter.

  I didn’t try after that.

  So Ashiwara’s issioned bde was a merely thirty-ish inch loh of bd blue Oninite, embzoned with my maker mark he ft hilt se. Here in Kawamara, that arently a very important distin that I had to include, as Venix had lectured me. It was styled in the form of a pi, representing a Spirit or animal that articurly important to me.

  Naturally, I had picked Fade.

  My mark was that of a horned wolf viewed from the side, curled into a circle surrounding a single rune. In the nguage of the gods, that rune had a single meaning. Something that was…really more of a pun, than anything else.

  Heart. The rune for the heart.

  It was the little things in life, that kept you going.

  Doh my iion, I ed the bde in a length of oilcloth I had on a workbend left for Ashiwara’s mansion.

  I didn’t even think of waiting up for my friends, sihis was the same inn we were all staying at.

  I could hahis myself.

  …………………………………………..

  I didn’t want to hahis myself. I could have really used backup right about now.

  I wasn’t in any danger or anything.

  (Theoretically).

  But gods, this was awkward.

  I made good time to what was essentially the noble se of Hinaga. I was used to navigating these streets by now, sidering how familiar I’d gotten with the area from my work. Hell, I even knew precisely where Lord Ashiwara’s manor was. Once I’d reached it, a different servant from usual had hurried me into a receiving room, leavih tea and the message that Lord Ashiwara would be with me soon.

  They hadn’t been kidding, as only a few mier, ‘Lord’ Ashiwara had burst into the room enthusiastically, pletely at odds with my previous iions with the Hinagan royalty. He didn’t even bother to close the sliding door behind him.

  Lord Ashiwara was…a bit of a shock.

  You see, I had never actually met the man when I accepted this ission. He arently a very well respected, very in-demand Arist in Hinaga high society. His focus arently on a popur local form of theater in the try that I had yet to experience, popur among the nobility. Lord Ashiwara didn’t have the time to set issions like his in person. Thus, the request had e in through an intermediary sent by the man.

  Which was sidered a bit…highly rude here. And even though I wasn’t actually Hinagan, I’d still been steeped in their crafting culture for long enough to pick up a few of their peculiarities.

  Hey, I wasn’t perfect. I had my pride, and I had to maintain some level of face among the other crafters of this city.

  The old bastards.

  So I’d snubbed him for a few weeks, even though I’d fihe Oninite bnk in like. A day.

  I was…kinda wishing I’d actually takeime to meet him first.

  Lord Masayuki Ashiwara was a tall, lithe man.

  Who wasn’t wearing a shirt.

  Instead, he only had on what I uood were called hakama pants, colored in a bright yellow, as well as his wooden sandals. He was covered from head to toe i, carrying what looked to be a battered wooden practice sword in one hand. Unlike most Kawamarans I’d met, his long, unbound hair wasn’t a shade of bck or brown, instead looking to have been dyed a bright…yellow.

  Not blonde.

  Yellow.

  Not only that, but the man was wearing full face paint. Red and bck lines decorated his face, radiating out from his lips and eyes in whorls upon a ft white base. It looked to be pretty masterfully dooo. It was actually fairly striking, and reminded me quite a bit of the aint that I’d see on Olgar ba Rhoscara. Softer, though, and not quite as angry.

  It was helped along by the fact that Lord Ashiwara was beaming at me in urained joy, his rich brown eyes alight iement.

  “You must be Kuroshō!” Ashiwara veritably crowed at me, striding quickly into the room. Around his slender form, I could see a couple of exasperated servants waiting, kneeling just outside of the door frame. “I’ve so wao meet you!”

  I froze in bafflement as the man pulled me to my feet then, asto his forwardness. The ma his practice sword down to pce his hands on my shoulders and just looked at me for a moment. He had to noticeably look down in order to meet my gaze, as the man was quite a bit taller than I was. Frankly, I would put him somewhere in the upper six-fe. Months ago, I probably would have squirmed under his pyfully assessing gaze, but now?

  I bli him in fusion.

  Ashiwara beamed.

  “Father, please,” I heard a new, exasperated voice say from the doorway. Ashiainted face affected a sheepish expression, a go of me to move away. When he did so, I was able to see the young man who had spoken.

  I’m guessing this was the young man I had the sword for.

  It was very easy to see the familial resembween the older and younger Lords Ashiwara. But while the elder seemed quite…etric, the new arrival was much more stolid. He was shorter, for one, without any of the colorful paint on his much piner face. His hair was shorter, much like my own barely there fuzz, and his frame was quite stocky. But it was easy to see that he took his fitness quite seriously from the exposed flesh of the practiiform he was wearing. The young man was also carrying a battered looking practice sword with him and covered i, much like his Father. From what I uood, he had to be around sixteen or seveo be going on his first hunt soon.

  I could see it.

  My eyes flitted from one o the other for a moment. “If I’ve interrupted your practice, my lords,” I said slowly. “I return in the m.”

  Please say yes. Ashiwara the Elder was creepi, from the iy of the gaze he still had fixated on me.

  “Nonsense,” Ashiwara the Elder said dismissively, dashing my hopes. “We were just about finished, weren’t we, Masahiro? Just a spot of te-night practice.”

  The young man stepped ihe waiting room to stao Father, grag me with an apologetic smile. “As you say, Father,” He dipped his head to the both of us briefly. “But…perhaps we didn’t o rush here? We’re hardly presentable at the moment.”

  Blinking, Ashiwara the Elder looked down at himself in puzzlement. A chagrined expression crossed his expression face. “Ah…you’re right. Please excuse us for a few more minutes, Kuroshō. We o go and freshen up.” Before I could even speak, the Lord of the manor hurried out of the room as quickly as he had came, fetting to take his practice bde with him. ‘Masahiro’ gave me another apologetic smile and bowed slightly before following after his Father, closing the sliding door behind him.

  Leaving me alone once more.

  I stood still for a moment after they had left. Eventually, I sighed and sat back down at the table, p myself a cup of tea from the set in the ter.

  Too bad this wasn’t the boozy kind.

  I kinda wanted a drink after that enter.

  ……………………………………………..

  “I, am Lord Masayuki Ashiwara, Master of Ceremonies for His Radiance Emperor Seimei of the Kawatsuyo Dynasty,” The much more dressed Lord Ashiwara said to me, after perhaps fifteen minutes of waiting. Both the Lord of the manor and his son looked to have taken a quick bath before returning, dressed in yellow and green robes. They were sitting across from me now oher side of the table. Iween us sat a tray carrying a new pot of tea and the required cups.

  As well as the still-ed sword bde I had e here to deliver.

  I noticed that the younger Ashiwara couldn’t help but stare at it in curiosity, even as his Father introduced himself. But he snapped out of his i long enough to smile at me in embarrassment. “Ah. And I am Masahiro Ashiwara, Heir of Ashiwara. A pleasure to meet you, Sir Kuroshō.” He bowed slightly at the waist from his sitting position.

  I retur, making sure to dip my head slightly. “A pleasure to you both, my Lords,” I said smoothly, finally ba familiar grounds. “Thank you for invitio your lovely home. I am Nathaniel Hart, known as Kuroshō in these nds.”

  Masayuki waved me off airily. “Oh, it’s not a problem, not a problem at all. Certainly not for su iing craftsman like yourself, Kuroshō,” He said with a wide smile on his curiously still-painted face. “I must say, you’ve beealk of the town since your dht sdalous introdu to the higher markets.”

  Sdalous? What was so sdalous about it? I’m…pretty sure I had never ht insulted anyone, nor had I set out to cause trouble.

  You know.

  Other than that one guy.

  “It was thought that Oninite was a near-worthless metal,” Masahiro said, staring back down at the ed bde in renewed curiosity. “It’s not quite as powerful as materials such as Mithril or Lunar Basalt, a’s so much harder to work with. I’ve heard some Swordsmiths describe it as overly stubborn and wrathful, much like its monstrous namesake. Most Grandmaster Smiths only ever work it to produce ceremonial pieces. Not the practical work that you produce, Kuroshō.”

  Stubborn and wrathful, huh. I could see that. Oninite had a tendency to try and kick back with some of its stored natural Aether in the f process. For a normal Smith, I could see how that would be a problem. But not me. I could just dissipate that Ather in the Melding process. Hell, I could use it as well. It acted as a near sedary fuel source.

  “Nobody is quite sure how such a young Smith is managing it,” Masayuki interjected, the look in his eyes gaining a new, calg glint. “Especially not when the crustiest of old fogies ’t manage quite what you , Kuroshō. ossible f method could you have learned on the mainnd, hmm?”

  I just met the man's eyes and smiled at him. “I was blessed with good teachers is all, my Lord,” I said calmly.

  Sileween us, for a moment, as we very obviously took each other’s measure. The slight increase in tension in the room drew the attention of Masahiro, causing him to look up in fusion.

  This man…he wasn’t quite as dim as his etric attitude and speech might indicate. I could tell.

  Masayuki Ashiwara was as sharp as any bde. He would never have risen as high as he had if he wasn’t.

  A small smile crossed his painted face, and he dipped his head in my dire with a slight smile. I gdly retur, reizing the aowledgment as what it was.

  Warrior to warrior.

  Masayuki broke the near standoff by suddenly g his hands, causing his son to jump slightly. “Now!” He said loudly. “Enough with the formalities! I believe you had a reason for ing here, yes? Perhaps something to do with the offer I sent via my servant? And maybe to do with this bde that I’ve been waiting so patiently on? Quite curious how quickly you produced it on short notice, hmm?” He said in a knowing, teasing voice.

  I smirked ever so slightly, unashamed. I thih knew what was going on, and I was gd to see that this Lord had an ued level of restraint and humility t as well.

  I think I could grow to like Lord Masayuki Ashiwara.

  “Hands move swifter with the right encement, my Lord,” I said smoothly. “As I’m sure you well know. If I may…?” I gestured towards the ed bde. At Lord Ashiwara’s nod, I picked up the ed bde and undid the twine on the oilcloth, revealing it to the room. I couldn’t help a proud smile from crossing my lips at Masahiro’s hitched breath, as the light from the nterns caused a blue shimmer to race down the bck bde’s length.

  Holding the bde in both hands, I prese to the Elder Ashiwara almost ceremoniously, bowing my head slightly as I did so. He took it without a word, iing the bde curiously. “No tool marks at all,” Masayuki said almost wly, twisting the length of Oninite bad forth. “It’s as if it un out of the Aether itself instead of being fed by the hands of man. I’ve only seen the like once before, and that was a gift to the Imperial line by the gods themselves. Astonishing.”

  “Father, if I may?” Masahiro asked breathlessly. With a doting smile and a nod, Masayuki passed the bde to his son.

  I have to say, I quite liked the look of wonder on the young man’s face as he looked down at the raw form of his new bde.

  Masayuki seemed to as well, judging by the much warmer look that he was now fixih. “You’ve more than delivered on my ission, Kuroshō. And now it’s time for me to deliver on my payment. The requisite gold shall be delivered to your current domicile, but I don’t believe that’s what you’re most ied in, hmm?”

  I dipped my head again with a small smile at the man’s teasing tone. “Lord Ashiwara is as wise as he is generous.”

  Ashiwara nodded, as the smile on his face faded slightly. “I’m given to uand that you are searg for mysterious metallic doors, yes?” At my nod, the man uedly sighed. “Then I indeed help you. In my time in the Emperor's court, I have learned of one such pce. What you seek lies in the shadow of one of the most dangerous areas in all of Kawamara.”

  “Mt. Gorenzan.”