Clan Conflicts regarding the True Lock Key

Seiki is thrown in the middle of this clan conflict ever since he delivers a box to Ichikeya. This serves as an important storyline for both books one and two. Since this intriguing plot, at times, can be confusing as bits and pieces are revealed as the story progresses. Below is a chronological timeline of what (I think) happened.

<SPOILER ALERT>

[Before book one]

The Jigokuryu Clan, headed by Renshiro, challenges one of Kano Castle’s rice villages.

Kano Castle retaliates by launching a full siege on Jigokuryu’s clan territory, the Crimson Pine Mansion.

The Fuoka Army comes to Jigokuryu’s aid, but lost to Kano Castle eventually. The Jigokuryu disbanded. Renshiro feels indebted to the Fuoka Army.

While the Fuoka Army is away, the Rogami Clan takes the opportunity to invade the Fuoka Army’s home territory, with success. The Fuoka Army is now a wandering clan.

The Fuoka Army and the White Crane Order together obtain a very rare Pottery scroll as a reward from a hidden temple room. This is the *Ancient Scroll of Aoyama*, which requires Level 30 Pottery to learn. Unable to split the reward since neither of them has someone with a level that high, they come to a solution: the White Crane Order keeps the scroll inside a True Lock box, while the Fuoka Army keeps the key.

Someone (presumable Kano Castle) hires the Shadow Manor to steal the key from the Fuoka Army. To take the key, Nichi of the Shadow Manor ambushes Takeru, who was carrying the key, near the West Gate, killing him.

[Book one]

Kage of the Shadow Manor steals the key from his own clan, places the key into a box, hands it to a low-level player in Kakura (which happens to be Seiki) and asks him to deliver it to Ichikeya. Kage is then killed by his clan mates, who call him a traitor.

After being sidetracked by some events, Seiki finally delivers the box to Mimura of Ichikeya. He meets Hatsuo, who is later revealed as working for Mimura.

Taka of the Shadow Manor challenges Ichikeya, demanding to get back the key. Seiki is dragged into fighting him.

Ichikeya, the White Crane Order and the Shinshioka Scientific Society invite Seiki to Taira Mansion, hoping to recruit him.

Fuyu (reportedly) sold the Fuoka Army key to an undisclosed buyer.

Kano Castle wants Renshiro to have a piece of paper containing an instance puzzle poem without him knowing who it is from. They hire Ichikeya to do this.

Kano Castle hires Hatsuo, Akari and Teruo to invade the White Crane Order. They obtain a large amount to clay, enabling Teruo to achieve Level 30 Pottery.

[Book two]

The White Crane Order anonymously tries to contact Seiki to go to Nanamura, where they wish to recruit him. Seiki ignores the messages. Akari and Hatsuo somehow successfully insert themselves into the plan, making the White Crane Order think they are hiring the two as part of the recruitment test.

Fuyu of Ichikeya contacts Seiki, asking him to deliver a box to Kano Castle. Seiki leaves Ichikeya.

Fuyu anonymously contacted Renshiro, saying there is a ronin carrying a blood-locked Ichikeya box heading to Kano Castle. Renshiro assumes the box contains the Fuoka Army key and sets out after the box.

On his way to Kano Castle, Seiki runs into Akari, who is being berated by Teruo. Unsuspectingly, he rescues her and accepts her group invite. The Patrols arrive and to escape, Akari leads Seiki into an underground labyrinth, emerging outside the East Gate.

Fleeing a hidden ryoushi shooting at them, the two arrive outside Nanamura and Seiki is confronted by Hatsuo. They fight.

Members of the White Crane Order appeared, breaking up the fight. Hatsuo disappears.

Members of the White Crane Order invite Seiki into their territory. Seiki accepts, forgetting he is still in a group with Akari. Seiki realizes he had just helped an invasion.

At some point, Akari secretly invites Teruo.

The White Crane Order is in chaos trying to find the intruder. They finally catch Akari.

Akari reveals that everything is the White Crane Order’s recruitment test. Seiki recognizes the firing pattern of one of the White Crane Order ryoushis, confirming Akari’s story. Seiki is furious at the White Crane Order for tricking him.

Teruo, who is in possession of the Fuoka Army key, secretly locates the box and learns the scroll, making it disappear. He replaces it with another scroll, one that summons a rare monster. He leaves the key in the public clan box for Akari to find later.

The White Crane Order discovers Teruo, which is not according to their plan. Teruo mocks the clan and informs them they have been double-crossed.

Teruo is killed. Apparently nothing was stolen, leaving the White Crane Order confused.

Seiki leaves and continue into the Wilderness. He encounters Renshiro and the outlaws. They try to take the box from him but are unsuccessful. Renshiro writes to Ichikeya to ask for the box. Fuyu writes to Seiki, telling him give Renshiro what he wants. Seiki refuses.

The Rogami, having been anonymously informed by Fuyu about Seiki’s Sheathed Blade, ambushes the group. They pretend to want the contents of the box, but are actually after the blade. With help from the outlaws, Seiki unlocks the box and escapes with the piece of paper.

Without having to look at it, Renshiro says that the piece of paper contains an instance puzzle poem. As they part ways, he lends Seiki his armguard to keep the paper safe.

Seiki runs into the Rogami again, and he realizes they are after his Sheathed Blade. Seiki manages to escape with the help of Ippei and Mairin.

Akari invaded White Crane Hall, and is found looting their public clan chest. She blackmails them, demanding money. When they refuse, she drinks poison to kill herself, and hop from one spirit shrine to another. Hiro and Susumu chase after her.

An anonymous message informed the Fuoka Army of a theft at White Crane Hall, with the intruder heading towards the Fuoka Army. The Fuoka Army members ride out to help.

Seiki, Ippei and Mairin run into Akari, who pick-pocketed Ippei, stealing his sword. Hiro and Susumu arrive shortly after. An arrow (presumably Hatsuo’s) kills Akari. Seiki loots to take back Ippei’s sword, and found Fuoka Army’s key in her possession.

Akari wipes her account.

Members of the Fuoka Army arrive and concluded that Akari stole the key from the White Crane Order, who must have stolen the key from them in the beginning. The Fuoka Army prepares for war.

Seiki and his friends continue to Kano Castle to deliver the piece of paper. Yoshinaga receives it without taking a look, as this means his plan failed.

Seiki decides he must stop the siege. He and his friends ride to Nanamura. With the help of Kentaro, who produced several pieces of evidence, they eventually convince the existence of a Level 13 ninja with a Level 30 Pottery skills, proving the White Crane Order’s innocence. They discovered the rare-summoning scroll in place of the Pottery scroll.

The Rogami Clan takes this opportunity to lay siege on the White Crane Hall.

Seiki and his friends help fend off the Rogami Army by summoning the rare monster in the middle of the Army. Having to fight the rare, and also enthusiastic brawlers from the city hoping to join in the fight, the Rogami Clan is eventually forced to withdraw their troops and offers a month-long truce.

Seiki confronts Fuyu, demanding the truth. She reveals that whether intentionally or not, he has ruined Kano Castle’s plan twice already, the first being getting the White Crane Hall and Fuoka Army to go to war against each other, the second being Renshiro’s message.

[Book three]

Kano Castle anonymously sells a treasure poem to the White Crane Hall, hoping one of the members could trigger an instance ....

Seiki and his friends, along with Kiku from the White Crane Hall, manages to clear the instance.

Kano Castle sends Fumiya, a level 29 ninja, to the instance to steal the loot, making sure no one learns about the existance of level 32. With careful planning, Seiki and his friends defeats the ninja.