Summons to the Archive

Political event

In the northern reaches of Mino Province, young Daimyō Aotsuki Tsukamoto stood now before a hulking castle of pinkish hue. The result hadn't been exactly what he had in mind when he'd asked Alice of Hearts to create it. Still, the fortress seemed functional enough and Saitō Dōsan wasn't overly-concerned by its unique coloration.   All that remained now, as Shigeaki Fujino reminded him, was to choose a name. Aotsuki thought on this for a short time, then came to an answer: Kaneyama Castle. Those few assembled murmured their approval. Directly translated, that would be something like "money mountain." An auspicious name that surely reflected the fortress' opulent design.

As Aotsuki gazed fondly upon his newest construction, something occurred to him. It had been his intention that Dōsan himself would move to command this fortress. But, then, that would leave Inabayama Castle without its traditional ruler. Certainly, Kuroda Kanbei could step in to take command. Aotsuki trusted her well enough. But the Kanbei-Dōsan team had proved quite effective in handling Mino Province, so it seemed a poor idea to split them up.   Fortunately, Shigeaki Fujino was there to present herself as the new castle lord. It was a joke, at first, but the more Aotsuki thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Fujino was away at all hours and in all parts of Japan, but beyond her quarters at Wakigami Castle, she didn't have any place to call a home base. With her at the helm, Kaneyama Castle wouldn't exactly benefit from a strong military hand, but Fujino could use a formal headquarters, a staging point, and the pastel castle suited her well. What's more, she could easily bring in reinforcements in the event of an attack from either of the neighboring provinces.   So it would be. Until a more fitting lord presented themselves, Shigeaki Fujino would have command of Kaneyama Castle. The psychic herself was a little nonplussed at her joke being taken so far, but certainly wasn't about to refuse. A wide grin lit her face as she brought Aotsuki and Alice back to Inabayama.   It was Aotsuki's intention, then, to check up on the situation with Crow. Having finally delivered that fugitive into Saitō Dōsan's custody, he was eager to follow up and discover what the big man had planned. As they met in the castle's top-floor meeting room, however, it came to light that Dōsan had already handled things.   Crow had incurred a massive debt. The kind of debt he wouldn't be able to pay back for years. Plus there was something about bizarre posters and trouble in other cities. Dōsan had decided that it would be best if Crow remained in Inabayama Castle for now. The Saitō Clan would pay off his debt from their own coffers and Crow would keep himself busy in the stables, the kitchen, and anywhere else he could work towards paying it back.   Kuroda Kanbei had, apparently, told the poor soul that his head would explode if he wandered too far from the castle. Neither Aotsuki nor Dōsan knew if that was true. It would certainly be within Kanbei's power as they understood it... Aotsuki resolved to ask her about it later.   Still, the situation was satisfactorily resolved for now. It had been one of the first things Dōsan asked of him and the improvement to Inabayama's stability would be a small but effective change. Unbidden, an image of three hulking figures came to Aotsuki's mind. Hoshiro, Toshiro, and...who was the third? Or were there only two? Anyway, perhaps his next task could be bringing those boys formally into Saitō Dōsan's employ. They should be around somewhere, since Momoyama Shunkei was stationed in the same castle.   As the young Daimyō opened his mouth to float this suggestion, he found himself violently interrupted. From the nearby corner of the room, a blossom of black flame exploded out of the ground. The accompanying roar sent both Aotsuki and Dōsan on the defensive. Their hands gripped their weapons, but the two figured revealed beyond the blaze showed no overt signs of aggression.   Aotsuki recognized the first's sallow form immediately. It was Chitosemaru, the woman who had recently begun accompanying the Shogun in their box at the Mōri Tournament. She looked as unpleasantly smug as ever, and her companion did not help with that impression.   Tall, broad, and with impossibly voluminous white hair, this man was obviously a Demon. His four horns swept back from his face, leaving blood-red eyes free to gaze disdainfully at Aotsuki and Dōsan. Despite the intensity of their entrance, they did not, at least, seem to be here to fight. Indeed, Chitosemaru introduced herself with an air of formality, then claimed she was here on behalf of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki.   Building a castle, or creating one as the case may be, was not something that a Daimyō was permitted to do without the approval of the Shogunate. Aotsuki's new Kaneyama Castle was, therefore, a gross violation of the law. Fortunately, Yoshiaki was feeling very generous toward Aotsuki. So long as the young Daimyō were to travel to the Imperial Archives within the day and formally register the castle, there would be no reprisal against him.   At this last, the demon opened his palm to reveal an iron-red key, floating just above. The thing hovered forward toward Aotsuki's own hand, but the young Daimyō did not reach out to grab it. Eventually, it fell to the ground with a clatter. The sound elicited a patronizing scoff from the demon. Aotsuki made a sharp remark in turn, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.   That key, Chitosemaru explained, would allow Aotsuki access to the archives. They would meet him there, unless he would rather face the consequences of defying the new Shogunate. Without any further explanation, the woman and her demonic companion vanished the same way they had appeared. Leovoso, she had called him. Aotsuki had a bad feeling about both.   That had been a show of force and an invitation to what was obviously a trap. Aotsuki bid his companions not to touch the key, then summoned Abe no Seimei and Yatsukahagi to ask their opinion on the matter. According to his adviser, it was wise of him not to have taken the thing. Accepting such an item could be seen as tacit agreement to an unspoken contract. If Abe no Seimei's limited knowledge of demons was certain on anything, it was that they thrived on oaths and deception both.   The key itself was certainly magical, but none present could identify exactly how. In which case it would be best, Aotsuki commanded, if no one touched it where it lay on the floor of Inabyama Castle. They would need to consult a specialist. Was there, perhaps, someone left in the Oda Clan who could shed more light on the matter?   Dōsan rumbled to life. There was at least one. The brother of Akechi Mitsuhide, Akechi Mitsutoshi. He was a strange, esoteric sort. If anyone had insight into Oda Nobunaga's studies into demonology, it would be him.   In that case, another visit to Odawara Castle was in order. In truth, Aotsuki wasn't certain what to expect there. His last visit had been on the night they'd attempted to absorb the remnants of the Oda Clan. Then, as now, a demon had interfered in their plans.   In the meantime, Aotsuki consulted Seimei on one last matter. Would it be possible to ward their castles against demonkind? His adviser considered, then suggested that it would be possible, but not easy. To ward a single castle would take great expense and days of work. To do so for all the castles under the Aotsuki Clan's purview would likely be a project measured in weeks.   Aotsuki accepted the news gravely and considered his options.