Trials of Hiyoshi Onsen

Civil action

It had been some time since he last dealt with the complaints of Matsuno Takushi, but Aotsuki Tsukamoto had not forgotten his duty to resolve the fisherman's latest dispute. Previously, he'd visited Hiyoshi Onsen, a hot spring run by a Saru cabal of the same name. It was Takushi's contention that the hot water from that spring had changed the currents in Lake Biwa, altering the ecosystem and making his fishing trade far less viable. Upon spending a relaxing hour at the springs with his wife, however, Aotsuki had discovered another potential explanation for Takushi's unease. In the women's bath, Tokku-hime socialized with a woman who claimed to be Takushi's wife. Apparently she visited the onsen on a regular basis. With his keen insight into the hearts of men, Aotsuki picked up that there may be more of a marital than market side to this conflict.

Today, the Lord Aotsuki called upon his adviser, Abe no Seimei, to summon Matsuno Takushi and his wife Osano to the audience chamber of Ōtsu Castle. Both arrived not long later, well aware that it would not be seemly to keep the lord of the castle waiting. Upon meeting them, Aotsuki found Osano to be a woman of about the same age as her husband, although she wore the years better than he. Her calm expression and demure attitude were coverings laid over a sharp edge that was all too visible to the Champion of Amaterasu.   As tactfully as he was able, Aotsuki put forth the idea that it was stress between the married couple, and not displaced water currents, that was negatively impacting Takushi's fishing yield. Although obviously put on the defensive by the suggestion, the Golden Shield's caring attitude precluded any explosion on the part of Takushi. He admitted that their marriage had not been without its bumps, and Osano confirmed that he did not like her visiting the onsen so often. However, the fisherman swore with what Aotsuki could see was genuine honesty that he had seen a significant drop in the number of fish in his usual spots. That pointed to more than a simple marital reason for this issue.   In telepathic counsel with his adviser and wife, Aotsuki worked out that while the couple's tension was certainly a reason for Takushi's displeasure, his complaint was not wholly spiteful in nature. Tokku reasoned that, with the onsen peddling such brisk business with the Kappa of Biwa, those fish that normally frequented the area might have been scared off or eaten. That seemed to fit the other aspect of this conflict, so Aotsuki used it as his basis to form a course of action. First, he convinced Takushi and (much more easily) his wife to accept marriage counseling from a specialist. The two left the audience chamber directly for Nen'ami Jion's chambers, where the monk would work her resolutionist magic. Then, Aotsuki and Tokku called upon Shigeaki Fujino for transport back to Hiyoshi Onsen.   When they arrived at the edge of the hot spring complex, it was not Enjin who greeted them this time, but Sarumaru Ryō. The younger Saru was receptive to Aotsuki's request to see Enjin, but seemed equally eager to attempt to resolve any issues they might have on their own. So prompted, Aotsuki explained the situation, then finished by stating that he'd like to found a new hot spring at another part of the lake, so as to split Kappa traffic between the two. Meanwhile, Tokku-hime excused herself to seek out the baths and spread word of their plans. Ryō understood those plans and sympathized, but he couldn't recommend founding a new onsen just like that. The two more experienced saru, he explained, had been sent to Nijō Castle to run a hot spring there for Ryūzaki Sanosuke. With only Enjin and his own inexperienced self here, they couldn't spare anyone from Hiyoshi Onsen to manage a new operation in a way that would be up to their high standards. It was a problem of integrity.   That posed a problem for Aotsuki's plan, as nobody in his circles came to mind as having the acumen, attitude, and freedom to manage an onsen. He insisted upon seeing Enjin to pose the problem to the wiser ape, and Ryō assented. That Saru elder exited from a nearby sliding door not long thereafter and received an abridged version of events. Rather than answer immediately, Enjin asked Aotsuki how Ryō had responded to his request. When told that the young monkey had emphasized integrity, Enjin did not seem surprised. Instead, he took this as a sign that Ryō was himself now experienced and focused enough to run a hot spring up to the Hiyoshi standards. A heartfelt moment between the two then ensued, Aotsuki pleased that he'd both enacted a solution and apparently strengthened this mentor-student relationship.   When Ryō had left and Tokku had been given the go-ahead to recommend a new location to the present kappa, Enjin halted Aotsuki for one last thing. The old ape had somehow learned that Aotsuki was now the Champion of Amaterasu, Herald of the Sun. As a passionate worshiper of the Dawn Goddess himself, Enjin figured that such a rank entitled Aotsuki to the use of his services. As an old occultist with a breadth of knowledge and experience to call upon, Enjin stated that he would be at Aotsuki's side whenever he needed him. As a final request, the elder only asked that Aotsuki leave Ryō to focus on his new charge; a caveat to which the Golden Shield found easy to give his assent.