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Soga Province, Southeast Honrai
927 A.R.
Ren set foot upon the first flight of steps that led upwards into the towering castle, where her lord, Kuroda Toshizo, awaited her arrival. It was just the first in several physical measures meant to slow down potential invaders as much as possible. The castle itself was classic, wooden Honrainese architecture, built on a raised foundation of smooth stone. Its guards, clad in ornate crimson lamellar armor and armed with halberds that gleamed in the sunlight, stood stoically as the Honrainese beauty passed by the checkpoint, dressed in the fine silk threads of a court lady. Though she worked for the same man that they did, the sentries merely understood her to be one of the lord's servants and nothing more. But she was far more than that, indeed. She was a kunoichi--an agent of deception, capable of fooling even her own allies on a daily basis. Under Kuroda's orders she was employed for the purposes of espionage, sabotage, and infiltration... tasks that she had a natural knack for.
Her long journey on foot would take her to the center of the castle at its second to highest point. She would pass many more guards on her way there; after all, a man as despised as her lord had to be as careful as possible. As she entered the room she sought, closing the sliding door behind her, a familiar figure was seated... that of her employer. The man, in his forties, was old enough to be her father, even though he wasn't. Dressed in the garb of a daimyo--a territorial lord--he was a figure of utmost importance in the province, as he ruled over it with an unapologetically authoritarian approach. He acknowledged her presence with a nod.
"... Ren. I have a special assignment for you," pronounced the lord in a deep, commanding voice, booming as it was even during his attempts at a more conversational tone. Some rulers who had inherited their positions were said to let their lives of relative luxury spoil them, becoming self-indulgent and lazy as the promise of unconditional comfort softened their bodies as well as their resolves. But not Lord Kuroda. His steely gaze was capable of cowing nearly any who stood before him, and the hardened, slightly worn features of his face coupled with his sturdy build seemed to directly represent the man's firm and uncompromising nature.
Though he had previously been described by Ren's own late parents as a cruel tyrant callous to the needs of his people, he had a presence about him that made it difficult for the girl to see him as anything other than a capable leader. It was difficult to say whether it was fear, respect, or some sort of odd sentiment that lay in between--but all she knew was that he proved very difficult to disobey. Yet there was still a hint of softness in him that was seemingly reserved to Ren, as he talked to her much more than he did with the others. It wasn't much of an indicator to someone on the outside, but for one who truly knew the man, it was certainly a sign of affection for him to utter more than just a few sentences to a person. With Ren, he could hold entire conversations or lengthy monologues and not seem tired or annoyed after the fact.
As Lord Kuroda's rule was primarily one enforced by military means, he employed agents such as Ren to blend in to certain parts of his territories in order to gauge the level of dissent present in them, as well as reporting the results. She was one of eight spies he employed for this purpose. Each had the responsibility of watching over a general area of each cardinal and ordinal direction; north, south, east, west, northeast, southwest, and so on.
"Many of your tasks up until now have been carried out in the southwestern parts of this land--but this time, I will need you to head east. You will be switching jurisdictions with Isamu." The name was familiar to her. Isamu was a youth she had trained alongside, having entered the fold only several months before she first started. He was a relatively positive sort, with good physical attributes, but had moments of slight awkwardness and was somewhat less skilled in social nuance and grace than the kunoichi. If Lord Kuroda was turning over jurisdiction of the eastern front to Ren, either Isamu had messed something up severely, or it was a situation that only she could handle.
After all, she was one of only two females on the entire team of the lord's espionage division. The other girl, Aya, specialized in a less innocent field than mere surveillance--her skills centered around assassination. In comparison, she was a far more experienced kunoichi than Ren; one who had already spilled the blood of many a would-be usurper or rebel. If Kuroda wanted someone dead, he would send Aya, without a doubt. But this time, it was Ren who was being called in for this mission.
"There have been stirrings of a potential rebellion in the port city of Murakumo," he declared. "This is particularly troublesome for me, as one of the more popular noble families, the Sagami clan, carries plenty of influence there. Their previous head, once loyal to me, passed away not long ago, leaving the command to his son, Sei... whose faithfulness to my cause is questionable at best. Despite his popularity, he tends to keep other men at arm's length--as Isamu has failed to get any insight about his true intentions," he explained, slight tics in his features expressing his disappointment on the matter. "But, apparently he is a womanizer of sorts... and that's where your skills would be most useful." The lord put extra emphasis on the final word of his sentence.
"The assignment is simple. I need you to get close to him, enough so to determine his allegiances--nothing more, nothing less. As good of a listener as you are, I am sure you'll be able to draw something out of him. According to intelligence, he orders courtesans from neighboring towns on a regular basis, so we will include you in the next troupe bound for Murakumo."
Normally, he'd have left a routine briefing at that. But the lord seemed somewhat discontent to do so. Ren could tell--there was more to be said.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a few moments before slowly opening them once more. "This was before your time... but when I was younger, back when my father had rule over this very province, there was a rebellion. It was led by one of his old comrades in arms, Hyogo. They stormed the castle, getting in by way of a few inside men that had been bought off. Along with my mother, I was able to escape... but my father was not so lucky. His head was put on display as he was labeled a tyrant, a dictator. So the coup was successful. But if the lord, my own father, was such an evil, despicable man like they claimed him to be, would that not lead to a better life for the people living here?"
"It didn't. What resulted was chaos, as Hyogo, the man who took the seat of power, had not my father's judgment nor his resolve. He allowed far too many voices from too many groups to influence him, and he quickly lost control over the region as the different clans fought amongst themselves in a mad rush for that same power. Then, he too, was killed in yet another coup only days from the first. It was... it was chaos. Murder, rape, and looting were rampant, hourly occurrences--and for what? Because of the discontent of a few who hadn't the slightest idea of how to contain the mess they ended up making?"
"It is easy enough for people to want to seek change, to seek a situation different from their own... but it is difficult for them to comprehend the effects of the change they so desperately yearn for. Some might have seen it as tyranny, but under my father's rule, the different clans of this province were at least united. It took intervention on the part of the imperial officials to set everything in order. And when they placed me in the seat as successor, I knew what had to be done. The events simply confirmed what I had known in my heart all along--that my father's policies were not wrong. In any land, there will be those who are discontent with their situation... and there always will be. If I must make a select few suffer, make just a few die, so that everyone else won't have to, then so be it."
A few moments of silence passed by. Ren knew that her lord was deadly serious about such a promise. He did have the capability to be callous and sometimes cruel, often having a hand in executing the accused himself. But this was her first time hearing the story, and it explained much about the motivations behind his steely resolve.
"At any rate, I simply thought it prudent to remind you of the importance of your mission, and of my place here in this castle. You are dismissed. Nobu will see to your equipment needs and coordination as per usual."
Unless she had anything to ask of her lord, the next order of business would be to visit Nobu, a trusted artisan charged with outfitting agents like Ren with all the tools necessary for the job.
927 A.R.
Ren set foot upon the first flight of steps that led upwards into the towering castle, where her lord, Kuroda Toshizo, awaited her arrival. It was just the first in several physical measures meant to slow down potential invaders as much as possible. The castle itself was classic, wooden Honrainese architecture, built on a raised foundation of smooth stone. Its guards, clad in ornate crimson lamellar armor and armed with halberds that gleamed in the sunlight, stood stoically as the Honrainese beauty passed by the checkpoint, dressed in the fine silk threads of a court lady. Though she worked for the same man that they did, the sentries merely understood her to be one of the lord's servants and nothing more. But she was far more than that, indeed. She was a kunoichi--an agent of deception, capable of fooling even her own allies on a daily basis. Under Kuroda's orders she was employed for the purposes of espionage, sabotage, and infiltration... tasks that she had a natural knack for.
Her long journey on foot would take her to the center of the castle at its second to highest point. She would pass many more guards on her way there; after all, a man as despised as her lord had to be as careful as possible. As she entered the room she sought, closing the sliding door behind her, a familiar figure was seated... that of her employer. The man, in his forties, was old enough to be her father, even though he wasn't. Dressed in the garb of a daimyo--a territorial lord--he was a figure of utmost importance in the province, as he ruled over it with an unapologetically authoritarian approach. He acknowledged her presence with a nod.
"... Ren. I have a special assignment for you," pronounced the lord in a deep, commanding voice, booming as it was even during his attempts at a more conversational tone. Some rulers who had inherited their positions were said to let their lives of relative luxury spoil them, becoming self-indulgent and lazy as the promise of unconditional comfort softened their bodies as well as their resolves. But not Lord Kuroda. His steely gaze was capable of cowing nearly any who stood before him, and the hardened, slightly worn features of his face coupled with his sturdy build seemed to directly represent the man's firm and uncompromising nature.
Though he had previously been described by Ren's own late parents as a cruel tyrant callous to the needs of his people, he had a presence about him that made it difficult for the girl to see him as anything other than a capable leader. It was difficult to say whether it was fear, respect, or some sort of odd sentiment that lay in between--but all she knew was that he proved very difficult to disobey. Yet there was still a hint of softness in him that was seemingly reserved to Ren, as he talked to her much more than he did with the others. It wasn't much of an indicator to someone on the outside, but for one who truly knew the man, it was certainly a sign of affection for him to utter more than just a few sentences to a person. With Ren, he could hold entire conversations or lengthy monologues and not seem tired or annoyed after the fact.
As Lord Kuroda's rule was primarily one enforced by military means, he employed agents such as Ren to blend in to certain parts of his territories in order to gauge the level of dissent present in them, as well as reporting the results. She was one of eight spies he employed for this purpose. Each had the responsibility of watching over a general area of each cardinal and ordinal direction; north, south, east, west, northeast, southwest, and so on.
"Many of your tasks up until now have been carried out in the southwestern parts of this land--but this time, I will need you to head east. You will be switching jurisdictions with Isamu." The name was familiar to her. Isamu was a youth she had trained alongside, having entered the fold only several months before she first started. He was a relatively positive sort, with good physical attributes, but had moments of slight awkwardness and was somewhat less skilled in social nuance and grace than the kunoichi. If Lord Kuroda was turning over jurisdiction of the eastern front to Ren, either Isamu had messed something up severely, or it was a situation that only she could handle.
After all, she was one of only two females on the entire team of the lord's espionage division. The other girl, Aya, specialized in a less innocent field than mere surveillance--her skills centered around assassination. In comparison, she was a far more experienced kunoichi than Ren; one who had already spilled the blood of many a would-be usurper or rebel. If Kuroda wanted someone dead, he would send Aya, without a doubt. But this time, it was Ren who was being called in for this mission.
"There have been stirrings of a potential rebellion in the port city of Murakumo," he declared. "This is particularly troublesome for me, as one of the more popular noble families, the Sagami clan, carries plenty of influence there. Their previous head, once loyal to me, passed away not long ago, leaving the command to his son, Sei... whose faithfulness to my cause is questionable at best. Despite his popularity, he tends to keep other men at arm's length--as Isamu has failed to get any insight about his true intentions," he explained, slight tics in his features expressing his disappointment on the matter. "But, apparently he is a womanizer of sorts... and that's where your skills would be most useful." The lord put extra emphasis on the final word of his sentence.
"The assignment is simple. I need you to get close to him, enough so to determine his allegiances--nothing more, nothing less. As good of a listener as you are, I am sure you'll be able to draw something out of him. According to intelligence, he orders courtesans from neighboring towns on a regular basis, so we will include you in the next troupe bound for Murakumo."
Normally, he'd have left a routine briefing at that. But the lord seemed somewhat discontent to do so. Ren could tell--there was more to be said.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a few moments before slowly opening them once more. "This was before your time... but when I was younger, back when my father had rule over this very province, there was a rebellion. It was led by one of his old comrades in arms, Hyogo. They stormed the castle, getting in by way of a few inside men that had been bought off. Along with my mother, I was able to escape... but my father was not so lucky. His head was put on display as he was labeled a tyrant, a dictator. So the coup was successful. But if the lord, my own father, was such an evil, despicable man like they claimed him to be, would that not lead to a better life for the people living here?"
"It didn't. What resulted was chaos, as Hyogo, the man who took the seat of power, had not my father's judgment nor his resolve. He allowed far too many voices from too many groups to influence him, and he quickly lost control over the region as the different clans fought amongst themselves in a mad rush for that same power. Then, he too, was killed in yet another coup only days from the first. It was... it was chaos. Murder, rape, and looting were rampant, hourly occurrences--and for what? Because of the discontent of a few who hadn't the slightest idea of how to contain the mess they ended up making?"
"It is easy enough for people to want to seek change, to seek a situation different from their own... but it is difficult for them to comprehend the effects of the change they so desperately yearn for. Some might have seen it as tyranny, but under my father's rule, the different clans of this province were at least united. It took intervention on the part of the imperial officials to set everything in order. And when they placed me in the seat as successor, I knew what had to be done. The events simply confirmed what I had known in my heart all along--that my father's policies were not wrong. In any land, there will be those who are discontent with their situation... and there always will be. If I must make a select few suffer, make just a few die, so that everyone else won't have to, then so be it."
A few moments of silence passed by. Ren knew that her lord was deadly serious about such a promise. He did have the capability to be callous and sometimes cruel, often having a hand in executing the accused himself. But this was her first time hearing the story, and it explained much about the motivations behind his steely resolve.
"At any rate, I simply thought it prudent to remind you of the importance of your mission, and of my place here in this castle. You are dismissed. Nobu will see to your equipment needs and coordination as per usual."
Unless she had anything to ask of her lord, the next order of business would be to visit Nobu, a trusted artisan charged with outfitting agents like Ren with all the tools necessary for the job.
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