Maxim's Fate(?)

Life, Identity

At the edge of Ago Harbor, Maxim reconvened with his party in front of the Matsumoto Black Galleon. Ōgon no Hakuhen was with him, a fact which immediately incensed Netabi Shigehisa. That the big golden man was looking abashed meant little to his victim. Shigehisa had been laid out on the docks in full view of the public and he was not about to let Hakuhen, that despoiler, enter his life once again.   Fortunately, Maxim too was of the opinion that Hakuhen would not join them aboard the ship. Instead, he, Shishikura Makiko, and Kashirin would stand guard outside. When he'd given orders not to make a scene, it had been to all three of them. One's failing was the others' as well. Makiko, although disappointed, accepted this with dignity. Kashirin did no such thing.

The Black Galleon had an aura of misfortune to it that Maxim's Binbōgami companion could not help but lust for. That she had, in her mind, done nothing wrong made it all the more unfair. Maxim was firm in his stance, however, and let none of Kashirin's whining get to him. Eventually, she simply vanished. That...was inconvenient. There was little Maxim could do to suss out his companion's supernatural levels of concealment should she wish to hide from him. With an ill feeling that he was being followed, the Knight Commander gathered Tanahase Muramatsu and Netabi Shigehisa to board the vessel.   In the daylight, the Matsumoto Black Galleon had a completely different aspect. Red carpet ran across the vessel's floor, while artisanal tables gathered clusters of shady-looking individuals at regular intervals. If Maxim had more experience with the concept of a "casino," he might have pegged this as one immediately. Soon enough, a hostess approached to greet them. This was Shō Hachiya, whom Maxim had met only briefly once before.   The bee-winged girl thanked Maxim and his contingent for coming with a polite terseness in her voice. She explained that the Incredible Flying Casino was not open just yet and impressed upon them to come back later. Maxim, however, stated that he was there on business. The galleon's owner, known to some as Matsumoto Ooawagaeri, had not followed through on his duty to send someone to Ago Manor for matters of trade. So the lord of this land, Maxim himself, had come to handle things personally.   This response seemed to set Hachiya off-balance. She laid out some basic spiel while glancing around, obviously looking for someone to pass Maxim and his companions off onto. From a nearby table, a solution presented herself. This was a girl with wide eyes, vivid red clothing and, most pressingly, a fluffy white cat apparently gnawing on her head. She beckoned Maxim over, stating that she had foreseen his arrival for some time.   Maxim, quite naturally, took this to mean that she would handle the matters of trade he wished to discuss. He paced to her table, but stopped short at the sight of the long, thick cards laid out in a pattern upon it. Nekoi Nekoi, it seemed, wanted to read his fortune. There was little that the Knight Commander wanted to do less at that moment, but a soft word from Shigehisa forestalled his reaction. A gentleman would accept.   So, resignedly, Maxim took a spot next to the table. With Muramatsu to his right and Shigehisa to his left, he gave permission for Nekoi to proceed. This visibly excited the small fortune teller. She explained that these were "tarot" cards she'd picked up from a foreign trader. While the method was still unfamiliar to her, she was learning quickly and would appreciate the practice. Maxim simply nodded along and waited for her to begin.   The cards were laid out in a shape not unlike an upside-down cross. Nekoi flipped the first card, revealing a pentacle. The Queen of Pentacles, she identified. This card, however, was reverse. This meant that Maxim's current situation was shrouded in fear, distrust, and suspicion. He may have found a place here in Japan, but many still suspected him, enemies and allies both.   The accuracy of this statement left Maxim momentarily stunned. His return from Gehenna had certainly not been met with unconditional acceptance. Nekoi, undeterred, revealed the next card. This showed a cluster of chalices. Once again, they were upside-down.   This, Nekoi explained, was the Nine of Cups, reversed. It revealed that the cause of Maxim's struggles was a question of loyalty. His loyalties were split. Those that distrusted him may have good reason to do so until he could claim but a single master.   Moving forward, she flipped the third card. This showed a young woman in robes, bearing a wooden staff. This was the High Priestess, representing secrets. Its presence here hinted that Maxim's future was still uncertain. His way forward was yet clouded. Perhaps he had yet to meet the person who could clear it for him.   All three now leaned closer to the table as Nekoi revealed the fourth card. This was to be Maxim's strength, represented by the Page of Cups. Except...that meant seduction. That couldn't be right, could it? It very well could, asserted Netabi Shigehisa. After all, Lord Maxim was becoming more handsome every time they met. Maxim himself couldn't argue that. Kitsuno's magics had kept his face particularly stunning of late. Still, was there more to Shigehisa's comment? Reading the other man's expression, Maxim found something unexpected there: platonic affection. Had they truly been growing so close?   A gasp from the table drew Maxim's attention back. Nekoi was shaking her head and looking between two different cards. This Page of Cups wasn't meant to represent his strength. She'd made a mistake. Instead, it told of the outcome of his struggle. Perhaps Maxim would, at the end of his journey, get married? Or, at least, otherwise closely tethered to another.   The fifth card was the King of Cups reversed. This was Maxim's strength and, according to this card, it lay in misleading others. Duplicity. Dishonesty. Injustice. These were all weapons in the Knight Commander's arsenal. For his own part, Maxim was dubious. Did his knight's honor mean nothing? No, these cards were telling a false story, or perhaps it was the teller's inexperience showing.   As for other challenges that Maxim might face on his journey, Nekoi displayed the Ace of Pentacles, reversed. This meant misbegotten riches or poor information. Perhaps Maxim would find others who would tempt him to evil ends. Perhaps he already had.   With that, the telling was done. Nekoi looked up with an expectant expression and asked how she'd done. For a moment, Maxim considered his answer carefully. Eventually, he answered that many of the cards had a ring of truth to them. Obviously, Nekoi was quite skilled. The little fortune teller was obviously pleased at that. Even the cat on her head began to purr.   But, of course, they had dallied here long enough. As a seer, Nekoi knew who Maxim was here to meet. She turned and opened the ship doors behind her to reveal a crimson-cloaked figure standing within. Then, Nekoi gaped. This wasn't...who Maxim was supposed to meet. How could this be?   Like a storm, Shōjō swept out from belowdecks and into Maxim's company. She had something to sell him and he was about to hear about it. Today, it was powdered Wamp bone. According to Shōjō, this stuff would cure anything, even demonic influence!   To say that Maxim was skeptical would be a gross understatement. Still, he adopted the cloak of the gentleman once again and merely asked where Shōjō had acquired such a thing. She'd traded for it, apparently. That wasn't too outlandish, given that materials from the Dreamlands were lately making their way into Japan's trading ports. What was outlandish was the price Shōjō demanded. Five thousand koku could feed an entire town for a year.   Behind him, Maxim heard Shigehisa clear his throat. Was he about to insist that Maxim take the purchase? Because it's what a gentleman would do?! No, as it turned out. The strategist was instead of the mind that a gentleman would banish Shōjō from his sight for daring to make such an absurd offer. So relieved of his worries, Maxim gave a counteroffer. He would pay one hundred koku for the box, and Shōjō could take it or leave it.   The red-cloaked girl chewed her lip as she considered. A hundred koku was still a princely sum, and likely far more than any reasonable local would ever give her. Still, it seemed, Shōjō could not help but push her luck. She came back with an offer for one thousand.   Fortunately, Maxim was saved from having to respond to this absurdity by the appearance of another figure on the deck. Apparently, while his attention was absorbed with this farce of bartering, Nekoi Nekoi had nipped off to gather the person he actually wanted to talk to. This turned out to be a dark-skinned woman in rich clothes of a foreign cut. If her exotic features were not enough of a clue, the pointed tips of her ears made it obvious that she was not of local descent. She introduced herself as Kravann, a trader from the Dreamlands, and suggested that Wamp bone dust might be worth more than a hundred koku currently.   Muramatsu perked up at the name. This, he assured Maxim, was someone he'd leaped at the chance of hiring from the Dreamlands. Although she'd gone through many hoops to get here, Kravann was set to be a part of The Wolfpack. This was glad news to Maxim. He'd had good relations with each Elf he'd met in Albion and was happy to welcome one to his organization. Kravann, apparently, did not know what an Elf was, but she was pleased to offer her expertise. She and her new assistant would move their belongings to Ago Manor forthwith.   As if summoned, a sallow figure edged into the light from belowdecks. She looked more like a ghost than a human, with black hair hanging lifelessly over a gray-skinned face. Maxim was fortunate enough not to know that this was none other than Shōjō's mother, no doubt traded to Kravann for the box of bone dust in the first place.   With that settled, all that remained was Maxim's original reason for visiting the ship. He had yet to meet the Black Galleon's trademaster. That, as it turned out, was Nekoi Nekoi herself. They'd been associating for the entirety of their visit. Nonplussed, Maxim left Muramatsu to it. The two would discuss anything relevant to the Galleon's stay in Ago. Muramatsu would then retire to Ago Manor later that night and bring Maxim up to speed.   This visit had certainly been less chaotic than Maxim's first venture onto the Black Galleon. Still, he was glad to put it behind him. As he and Shigehisa made to leave, however, the other pulled him aside for a short private conversation. The strategist had been watching Maxim's behavior throughout this entire visit. Quite frankly, Shigehisa was impressed with the aplomb and tact this "foreign barbarian" had shown in his dealings here. His work here was done. Maxim had, at some point, become quite the Japanese gentleman.   Although warmed by the praise, Maxim did express that he was sorry to see Shigehisa go. He'd hoped to make the strategist another member of the Wolfpack, but it seemed that loyalty to the Tachibana Clan came first. Still, the two had somehow become allies, if not outright friends. Shigehisa would leave come the morning to rejoin the Tachibana as they dealt with the conflict brewing in Central Japan. Fate willing, they would meet again.