EngelReise - Chapter 8

**Chapter 7 < | > Chapter 9**

After completing the samurai's challenge, Tomako is cheated out of a protected trip and the bonus fish he offered; however, she is left with a note--partial map, partial letter. Unfortunately, Tomako cannot read, hence her new objective to have it read for her. With Korion not so far away, it would seem that her quest to Krucifix is nearing with every second. It is in Korion where Tomako witnesses the Swats-Imperyean culture tension before her very eyes, as Swatslandic soldiers and Imperyean reactionaries clash. With her intent being to get out of partisan-filled Korion as soon as possible, she soon discovers that her trip to Krucifix may not be as simple as she had hoped...

## Chapter Reading

== Chapter 8 ­– *Council of Five* =

Thus far in her Dayaking venture, Tomako found difficulty primarily in what she didn’t know about surviving, but she was getting by. It was hard for her to comprehend that she hadn’t even traveled a third of the island’s length; fortunately, her destination of Korion was not far from here. As the afternoon was soon replaced by early evening, the woman again encountered civilization in the form of farm estates. Where there were farms, there was a nearby settlement or two to trade in. No doubt, Korion was nearby.

Tomako continued to travel over a series of hills ranging from large to small; at this point, the massive forests were no longer visible to her rear. The lack of vision of the forests brought about a comforting boost of morale, for if the map she discovered was accurate, this would imply she traveled three-fourths of the way between Korion and the forest she left. She could very well be an hour or so away, if not mere minutes.

As her horse persevered the final massive hill—as far as the map showed—the Imperyean found herself studying the confusing array of written characters on the same paper. She tried to understand the note despite her lack of literacy but didn’t find so much as a clue to what it could say. Try as she may, the note could not be understood.

*The prints left on the ground from his horse suggest that he departed for Korion. What could he have written, though? Perhaps he wants to meet me somewhere, or maybe he’s in distress and seeks my help…*

The recurring curse Tomako made on this day was aimed at her illiteracy. It was not uncommon for one in her position to be without such knowledge, farmers rarely received schooling for a variety of reasons, the most popular reason being finance. Tomako was simply one of the millions in Shimua to be refused schooling for reasons her father, Soga, kept to himself.

Thoughts continued to race along with a pitiful effort to understand the universal language. Eventually, she had to concede that getting help was the only way of figuring this out; such assistance could soon become possible as she reached the top of this hill, where many more farms came into sight in the greater distance ahead.

Tomako’s eyes darted all over the plains in awe. The many farms were not as qualitative as the one she grew up in but never before had she seen so many bundled together in the same area. Rice paddies were the popular crop of the land along with various fields of other vegetable foods. Even more easing to the mind were the many livestock visible in the distance. From horses to cows, she was back in a familiar setting.

Not all was good, though. Along with many prospering farms were also the charred remains of many, each razed property pinned with a Swatslandic banner. At least half of the existing farms had been burned down and their families ‘promoted’ to Svatpa. The destruction served as an immediate reminder of why Tomako was on such a journey. This was, first and foremost, a journey to liberate her own flesh and blood; the more she saw of these crimes, however, the more she wished to turn the journey into one that has her speaking on behalf of her Imperyean people.

Sitting atop her still horse with a determined face, Tomako stated aloud, “I will make their emperor aware of the torment his nation has caused us, and hopefully, my words will strike his heart like a well-landed poem.”

Of course, whether she would stick to those words was to be seen. At the end of the day, the journey was about her family. By her will, as of the moment, it would be a humble mission to try and make the emperor of Swatsland cease the farm razing. Wishful thinking, but something she would undoubtedly keep close to mind going forward.

Naturally, Tomako had become desperate for the reading of the note; technically, she still wasn’t sure if this paper was meant for her in the first place. A slight alteration in travel had thus been made as she made a single stop at one of the many farms. Wishing to savor time, this would be her only stop. Korion would have plenty of people available to read this note.

Her horse had finally been given a break, albeit a short one as he had been tied down to the farm’s hitching post. Beside him was a fellow riding horse, also tied down. Tomako made her way to the house’s entrance but did so while facing her horse in a reversed walk.

“Make friends with that horse. I’ll be back.”

Her horse said nothing. Tomako then, with a hand over her sword’s hilt, knocked on the door. She came with good intent but felt it necessary to still be prepared; she did, after all, come alone and with potential loot. Fortunately, she was not kept to wait for the door opened mere seconds after knocking. Before her stood a man of shorter stature and clothing of lesser quality than her own.

All the man had to do was catch sight of her sword to suddenly become nervous. “Y- Yes?”

Tomako bowed, “Greetings. I hail from the island of Kushyrin.”

This greeting did nothing to his paranoid face, “Oh?”

“I wish not to waste your time, however, I come with two questions,” she explained while pulling out the note.

“By the gods, are you here to burn our home?”

“No! No, no.” This led him to relax his shoulders a bit, though his curiosity remained as Tomako pushed the note onto him. “I was, first, curious if you could read to me this letter.”

A partial silence ensued with only sniffs and livestock sounding surrounding them. The man studied the writing to the best of his ability but soon shrugged and sent it back to her.

“I apologize, I couldn’t read to you even the most basic of words. I’d suggest seeking a more educated sort, perhaps in Korion?”

Tomako was let down by the lack of help; however, the mentioning of Korion kept her spirit alive.

“Which brings me to my second inquiry. How far am I from Korion?”

This question brought a smile to the man’s face, who was happy to be of assistance, “I trust you will be content knowing that the city of Korion is six hills yonder,” he said pointing in a direction.

The woman turned her head and exhaled in relief, “At last.”

“Leave now, and you may arrive before the sun sets.”

This was precisely what she wished to do, and so she gave a parting bow to the man. He received and returned a bow, then closed the door. Tomako was indeed content with the information. The note still required a reader, but the best news was that Korion was close.

*I only hope I have enough money to pull off the bribe…*

Tomako left the entrance with a small smile, but any joy had been wiped away upon returning to her horse. She was surprised to find the two tied up horses getting aggressive with each other; attempting bites and making disgruntled sounds.

“Hey, hey!” Tomako rushed in-between the two and broke them up. “I thought I said -” She looked up at her horse with closed teeth and a nervous expression. “I suppose you haven’t received the greatest feeding today. You and I both are low on food supply…”

She permitted the aggressive behavior with the pretense that her horse wasn’t running on an acceptable amount of food. For this reason, there was no better time to reach Korion. Considering both she and her horse barely made it to Korion with food, no doubt, she would need to evaluate her food storage situation. She would not survive a trip through the cold plains of Siberia under such food conditions.

Tomako continued her journey under the darkening sky. The clouds passed, the sun bled what little light it still could, and most honest folks had or were preparing to wrap up work for the day. There, under the fresh night, Tomako gazed upon one of the grandest sights of her life.

A city stood before her stretching far beyond her line of sight, its populace protected by walls, a massive castle in the center, and many ships anchored at the dockyard. She would never see her beloved Boshtang the same way again after witnessing this size and excitement. It was an appropriate size for the capital of the Imperyeans.

The woman remained over a final hill with a hand to her face in disbelief. *I knew Korion would be large, but this is simply madness…*

It was also her destination. With the moon rising and sun about to hide, there was no point in appropriating her departure for Krucifix right now; no officer in the dockyard would be working at this hour. Her best option, as she had expected, would be to rest here for the night and find a ship to Krucifix in the morning.

Tomako felt her stomach and groaned once more. Her hunger was striking back. The meal she prepared in the forest served her well but already it was time for something more. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a location she felt a fire could be started at nor was she certain of where to find burning material. The solution, in her mind, was as simple as the city before her. Surely, she could locate cheap food in the country’s capital with little effort.

“Let’s get some food and answers,” she spoke aloud.

With an anxious expression, the Imperyean ordered her mount to Korion, where the next step of her journey awaited. Of all the things she could seek out in the capital of Imperyea, it just so happened that food was what she desired most of all.

Within the walls protecting the city, Tomako was met by countless streets and alleys. The one structure always in her sight was the castle, a wood and stone fortress with thatched roofing. With such great quality coming from the castle, houses, inns, and more, it was made hard to believe that Korion once acted as a battlefield between the Imperyean and Swatslandic empires. That is, unless, the tales of destruction Tomako heard were exaggerated.

Perhaps more disturbing to Tomako than the lack of destruction was the endless number of Swatslandic banners throughout the city. At least in Boshtang and Wowa the Swatslandic *acted* as though the Imperyean people retained a certain degree of autonomy; here in the capital, Tomako saw a very different picture. The many banners and soldiers in Korion suggested tight control and great stability. Only here did Tomako truly witness the Swatslandic control Otomo and her father so often complained about at its greatest height. The heavy presence of Swatslandic soldiers also made her paranoid with having a sword to her waist. It would only take one soldier in a bad mood to have her arrested for this weapon, and here she had the gall to carry it in public.

Tomako moved through the central part of the city at a slow and steady pace, both desiring to ease up on her mount and to dissuade unwanted attention. Swatslandic military aside, she knew best not to attract too much attention on the streets, at night, when the wrongdoers were out and about.

*Then again, with so many Swatslandic soldiers around, how could crime exist..?*

Fortunately, the woman was not alone at night. She was passed and followed by fellow travelers, citizens, and merchants. It was, after all, still *early* in the evening. For this reason, she felt comforted knowing that her screams would still be heard if trouble were to arise.

For those coming minutes, Tomako searched left and right for whatever would convenience her first, preferably a merchant or inn. As it would appear, a major attraction existed down the street and to her left, where many individuals gathered at. Her attention was grabbed by music and laughter at this gathering, no doubt clueing her to an inn. With this in mind, she stopped to mull over her options but did not take long to reach the obvious conclusion.

*I can enter, eat, get this letter read to me, acquire information on getting to Krucifix, and have a merchant pointed out to me…*

It would seem that all of her needs could be resolved in one place; there couldn’t be a greater convenience. She prepared to move forward, but...

“Psst!” a voice came from behind.

She didn’t want to believe that a stranger was hailing for her, but sure enough, she would be approached to the left by a fellow horse rider. A true blood Imperyean, the man found himself staring at her katana, then up into her eyes. He himself was equipped with a sword of his own, and it was this sword that left the woman gasping.

*Somebody else who braves the Swatslandic..?*

Tomako opened her lips to speak, but the man inquired first, “You’re with the Kushyrian unit?”

“Uh…” She didn’t understand the question but still answered, “Yes, I am from Kushyrin. Pleased to meet you.”

He didn’t wait for a clearer answer, “You’ll find the others by the Swatslandic barracks tonight. We execute the plan as the moon shines directly over Korion. Do you need a reminder of where the barracks are?”

The woman hadn’t a clue of what plan he was referring to nor did she wish to know. Her honest answer was a confused, “No.”

“Very good.” The man gave Tomako a respecting nod, then trotted off toward a nearby alley. “Remember to drink plenty of water beforehand. The scene will get very hot…”

Naturally, Tomako was left with two lowered brows and a confused expression. There was a lot to wonder about for obvious reasons, yet she was so willing to believe that she was mistaken for another. Even so, this left her wondering if there was some other Kushyrian woman with a sword in the area. Either way, she would not be participating in whatever plan the man suggested. She had her own matters to attend to.

“Well, then…” she muttered before moving toward the inn.

Within the center of the inn, two men knocked their elbows over a table and connected hands. A decent sized crowd surrounded the table as a Swatslandic soldier engaged a former samurai in a ‘friendly’ contest of strength.

The Svatpean grinned, “Tell you what, sir. If you offer a surrender in the first five seconds, I’ll let you off. Anything after five seconds and we fight until an arm comes down.”

The former samurai narrowed his eyes, “Do you believe your daring insult makes you a stronger man? Not at all.”

“Mmm, well I declare that was a very salty response, sir.”

Tomako had chosen an interesting time to enter the inn. Most eyes were centered on the competition, including her own. She, however, continued past several tables, giving minimal attention to the arm wrestling at hand. In her hand was the letter to be read as she searched for a sort capable of reading.

Compared to her inn visit in West Wowa, this was significantly different. First of all, Tomako did not bother disguise herself in a kimono dress, instead, she walked in with her regular brown attire and even included her sword. Secondly, this inn was five times the size as the last, clearly flourishing even under the Swatslandic Viceroyalty. Lastly, the visitors were in far greater number, albeit, it wasn’t past midnight this time around. Her response to it all was that this was an experience she could once have only dreamt of having, for better or worse.

The woman passed by the competitive table, where the Swatslandic soldier found himself gradually getting the better of his Imperyean opponent.

“You’re good, but no match for me,” the Swatslandic taunted.

Tomako glanced at the wrestling for a moment, conceding that she was interested in the contest, but retained majority focus on the mission at hand. She looked around the inn while scratching her chin, contemplating on who could read for her. Finding someone to read the said letter was easier said than done considering the note could contain a very illegal subject. She couldn’t risk having just anyone read this aloud, especially if it were written by a rebellious samurai. The last thing she needed was to be arrested for possessing a letter of anti-Swatslandic sentiment. Furthermore, asking lower class citizens would most likely prove fruitless, for they may be just as illiterate. She had to tread carefully on this subject.

Of all the people present, there was one person who stuck out among the rest to the woman, and it was only because of a curious image of a horse he had tied around his waist. Bald, muscular, Imperyean, and with artwork of a horse to his gut. It took Tomako several moments to notice this individual, but the horse image was both strange and interesting enough to catch her eye. He was a suspicious character for sure in that he stood alone by a wall doing absolutely nothing. Her best guess is that the horse artwork acted as a sort of advertising, and if so, it worked on Tomako. She felt as though destiny was calling for her to approach this man about the note.

Her train of thought was soon disrupted following a bashing sound from behind. She spun around just in time to find a disgruntled Swatslandic soldier waving his hand in pain; Imperyean citizens cheered for the ex-samurai’s unexpected comeback victory.

“Ack!” the Swatslandic man panicked. “I demand another round, that was a slip of a match!”

Tomako returned her attention to the man of interest, and with seemingly no fear, she paced herself forward. While some took notice of her purple sword—an unusual sight to be seen on an Imperyean woman—the heated table competition was just what Tomako needed, a distraction that kept most eyes off her.

The strong man Tomako was approaching continued to lean against a wall with barely open eyes. As far as Tomako could tell, the man was simply listening to music and eavesdropping on inn occurrences such as the table contest. He did end up enlisting a look of interest and surprise as Tomako stepped up before him.

“Hello,” she greeted. “I couldn’t help but notice the horse picture around your waist.”

He replied with a sound chuckle but not a friendly face, “I had a feeling this would help you find me.”

“Excuse me?”

The man’s brow raised at her, “The letter, remember?”

Tomako stared at this man without a clue, thus leading him to glance around the room uncomfortably. Eventually, the woman raised the letter she was holding and nodded.

“Oh, yes. I was wondering if you might read this letter for me.”

Now the man grunted, “Huh?” A slight glare followed. “You mean to say that you haven’t read it?”

She replied in a sweet and innocent voice, “Well, I can’t read.”

“…why am I not surprised..?”

Slight offense was taken, Tomako momentarily answering, “I’m sorry, have we met before?”

Instead of answering her, the man snatched the letter from her hand and said, “Allow me to read this letter to you…” The man remained silent for a few moments while reviewing the letter for himself. “It reads, ‘Woman, the challenge bestowed upon you was not told in full truth. A samurai could have completed the challenge by morning at worst. Despite assuring you that I would wait until the afternoon, I’ve decided to move on to Korion without you.’” Tomako was left with quivering eyes and an aggressive face. “‘I will, however, keep my eye out for you in Korion, believing the Council of Five will wish to speak of your purple sword with you.’”

Tomako couldn’t prevent herself from stomping her foot angrily, “He promised me that I would be rewarded for exiting the forest before the afternoon. A samurai warrior *lied* to me!”

“Hey!” The man standing before her narrowed his eyes. “Do not speak such belligerence about the noble samurai.” After handing her back the note, the man’s eyes came down on her sword. “Whatever his reasons were, surely, they were righteous. Either way, I would honor him by seeking out the Council of Five.”

“Council of Five..?”

A silence came to exist and no expansion to his comment ever came. Soon, he turned away from her, not giving her so much as a farewell. While Tomako viewed this as objectively rude, she recognized that her cursing of a samurai may have offended the man, especially given the fact he himself may have been one. She took what she could get, that is information, and walked off. The letter was nothing but an insult in her mind, but at least that was one issue resolved.

The man who had just been speaking to her observed with a single eye, soon, deciding to remove the horse from his waist and walk off slowly.

As the night carried on, the level of social activity in the inn dropped; Tomako, having isolated herself by the serving table supported this change. Though reluctant to do so, money had been dropped on a meal—fish and stew—to resolve her again empty stomach.

The male innkeeper, humble and healthy in appearance, spoke from the other side of the table. “What brings you here to Korion?”

Tomako slowed her eating to answer, “I hail from the island of Kushyrin, seeking a vessel that will take me to Krucifix.”

“Krucifix!?” The man struck his arm down in shock. “By the gods! What sane Imperyean would want to travel to Krucifix? They hate us!”

“So I’ve been told.”

The man’s confusion and disapproval expanded, “You do realize Krucifix is a radically different land, yes? The Krucifixans do not follow the same gods as us and are friendly only to their own people.” Her lack of initial response led the man to lean in and quietly explain, “…look, I know the Swatslandic occupation is stressful, but believe me, you will not be any happier living in the Kingdom of Krucifix…”

The woman interrupted, “I only intend to pass through the kingdom.”

“Wait, what? Why that would surely imply you intend to travel to the Kingdom of Quixang… or Kinchon… Kuchu?” Most of these kingdoms did not ring a bell. “Is this a one-way trip?”

Tomako swallowed with arms crossed, reluctant to answer, “I mustn’t speak much of my journey. My intent is best left unspoken.”

“Very well,” he concluded with a bow.

Those ensuing moments of silence were spent with a disorganized mind; Tomako concentrated on her food but also where to go from here. She made it to the city of Korion, next she would need to step foot on the soil of an entirely different nation, but not just any nation, Krucifix was the legendary rival of Imperyea. It could at least be said that she received hospitality in Imperyea, the same would not hold true if hosted by the Krucifixans. Before she could even worry about the Krucifixan people, she still had to worry about how to reach their country in the first place.

Tomako raised her head from her food and caught the innkeeper’s gaze just as he was about to depart. “How might I reach Krucifix from here?” Rather than parting away from Tomako, the innkeeper relaxed in front of her again. “I was informed by a few sources that I might find myself aboard a ship here?”

The innkeeper displayed a grim expression. This caught the woman by surprise, now anticipating an entirely different response from what she had been hearing from others.

His answer was, “Err… yes… but… perhaps not.”

“Excuse me?”

“There are ships here that conduct trade and diplomacy with the Kingdom of Krucifix, this is true. The problem then becomes that these ships are run and maintained by the Swatslandic only. The Swatslandic military possesses full control over who enters and leaves the islands of Imperyea. Leaving Imperyea is no longer a simple task, in fact, it is nearly impossible.”

Tomako’s eyes briefly widened along with a beating heart. “I was told that the Swatslandic may be persuaded otherwise with some wealth.”

To this, the innkeeper shrugged, “Try if you wish. The shipmasters are out on the docks every afternoon. I simply mean to warn you that, legally, you’d need a viceroyalty passport just to leave Imperyea. Even then, that would only mean you’re permitted to leave Imperyea, whether you *can* would remain to be seen.” He thought more on this with a closed eye and chin up. “Bribery, on the other hand, I cannot say for sure.”

“Ah…” The woman did not let fears of Swatslandic rejection hold her back, she pushed her clean plate forward and said, “I’m faithful I’ll be in Krucifix soon. For now, I must locate a marketplace and alley to sleep in.”

Of course, the innkeeper grunted, “An alley? No, no, no. Not in Korion of all places.” He pointed at her sword. “You may come armed, but thieves will come as you sleep.” Before Tomako could voice her opinion on the matter, the man proposed the obvious. “Please, I insist, rent a room for the night.”

Tomako’s brows lowered with immediate pressure. *A room is a luxury I could and should pass off, but at the same time, this is a very different occasion…*

He interrupted her train of thought, “And if your destination is Krucifix, I feel it’s fair to warn you that this might be your *last* ever opportunity to sleep in a comfortable bed. The Krucifixans would *never* have you in one of their inns. *Never*.”

“Okay…” she whined. “How much does a night take from my purse?”

“Three hundred and fifty coins.”

Tomako’s teeth closed in shock. *That’s fifty more than what the West Wowa inn was seeking..!*

When leaving Kushyrin, Tomako was in good wealth with carrying over seven hundred and fifty coins. Due to the expenses behind her, such as the boat ride to Dayaking, she stood with around four hundred and seventy-five. By accepting a stay at the inn, she would be left with only over a hundred. At that point, a bribe was about all she could afford.

Given this point, Tomako shook down the offer, “It would be impossible for me to accept such a deal. With all due respect to you and your inn, my money is best used elsewhere.”

“Am I to assume you came on a horse?”

Tomako closed one eye and returned a nod of suspicion, “…yes?”

“Those staying for the night will have their mounts fed, free of charge. Not a bad deal, eh?”

The woman closed her eyes, smacked over the cheek by this revelation. *So, a stay could reward the both of us…*

“Not to mention, you will be allowed a bath that you may or may not badly be in need of…”

Little offense was taken from this given that she could not have helped her cleanliness situation while traveling. Still, the thick price of the inn remained unappealing.

“Three hundred and fifty coins is too much. I’m sorry…” she said in a humbled voice.

The innkeeper immediately countered, “Three hundred?”

“Agh!” Tomako displayed an irritated look, but quickly capitulated, “Very well. But…” she raised her finger in a very strict fashion, “I wish to feed my own horse with the free food. No enlisted handler.”

“Oh…” without objection, he replied, “Of course.”

As what remained of the early night died, Tomako had her horse fed, her own stomach filled, and her temporary room scouted. The room was small, included a bed, window, and praying table. This only reminded her of the slightly larger room she had back home. At the end of the day, she felt justified in silently protesting the cost. The room Otomo lent her was far greater and that was free; this was practically a scam.

Nonetheless, Tomako finally found a moment to hang all her clothing up on a string to dry off after a wash. The woman herself had the pleasure of isolation as she enjoyed a bathhouse that the inn was providing. Here she could truly relax for the first time since leaving Boshtang, where Otomo had allowed her a bath. The bath and clean clothes were what helped calm any anger she was having over the inn cost.

Tomako remained perfectly still and with both eyes closed as the steaming water swallowed everything up to her throat. The process of washing was over, at this point she was simply trying to relax before bed. Finding a relaxing moment was not easy for a woman of such little patience and so much anxiety, even in such warm water. She had to force herself to think away from the journey.

“Everyone claims the Krucifixans will be aggressive to the heart…” She formed a slight smile and shook off this notion. “I say, with the gods holding my word, I will treat each and every person I meet in that land with the utmost respect. If they do not like me for my blood, I will commit to having them like me for my character.”

The woman swished her hand around in the water, growing ever more optimistic about Krucifix. Despite Otomo’s claim of this being a fool’s quest, Tomako’s will to see it through was not declining. If she could step foot on Krucifixan soil, it would, for the most part, be set in stone that she sees this journey to a fruitful end or die trying.

“And if I can best the challenges of Krucifix through kind words and determination, I can do so for every other nation and its people that I encounter. One day, when I reach Swatsland, it will be my kind and selfless nature that touches their emperor’s heart, and he’ll have no choice but to do what is best for my Imperyean people.”

The Imperyean lowered her brows in slight embarrassment, then dipped her body down into the water even more. *I’m talking out loud again…*

With her horse fed, the note read, her clothes drying, her body washed, and her destination of Korion having been reached, all there remained to do was restock on supplies at a market. As for her Krucifix endeavor, she was now dropped three hundred coins due to her inn visit; worst of all was that she would need to pay even more for the supplies. All in all, it became true to her by now that her bribe to the Swatslandic would be a very humble one, and if successful, would likely have her entering the Kingdom of Krucifix with no money. At this rate, she would need to make the impossible and locate a source of income in Krucifix.

For the time being, Tomako needn’t fear for her financial situation. She was a talented equestrian who also held bartering skills; Krucifixan spite aside, finding work would not be too difficult. Instead of fretting over this, the woman enjoyed a more luxurious stay for the night.

The woman slept soundly in bed and was garbed in a very thin bathrobe patterned with red and pink flowers. While she indeed slept in peace on this night, the same could not be said for the rest of Korion…

Due to the nearby window, her small room was illuminated a dim orange, during which, shouting and screaming of men and women could be heard both outside and inside the inn. Despite the discourse around her, Tomako continued to sleep, but her twitching brow would suggest a gradual awakening. In her unconscious mind, the sound of a shouting man was normal, it was not until the sound of an explosion that she awoke in a cold sweat.

“H- H- Wh- Wha..!?”

Tomako tossed her sheet aside and jumped out of bed, this perhaps being the quickest awakening of her life. Only now did she notice how her room glowed orange, the shouting of persons, and the sounds of clashing metal. Without any hesitation, she grabbed EngelReise and approached the window.

*By the gods, what goes on out there? I hope my horse isn’t in trouble…*

She raised her chin over the window and proceeded to widen her eyes. Revealed to her was a city on fire and with citizens running around in a frenzy. Panic and fire were all she could see, but soon, there was also the sight of fully-equipped Swatslandic soldiers could moving in formation. The woman, flabbergasted, could say nothing on the matter nor do anything to improve the situation.

*Is there a war going on..!?*

In various parts of Korion, a battle was waged between the Swatslandic and several bands of reactionary partisans. The Swatslandic soldiers were armed to the bone with swords, shields, and heavy armor wherever applicable. They moved down streets and did what they had to do to suppress further insurrection. Any citizen caught outside was a potential rebel and therefore could be captured.

Near the castle, about one hundred Imperyean reactionaries stood with their traditional weaponry. Spears, katanas, and longbows were the most popular weaponry on this side, but also common tools like pitchforks and hammers. This particular band of men and women were commanded by a few armored samurai warriors. One samurai stood with a massive green banner over his back. Near the Swatslandic barracks, a second band of reactionaries existed with a similar loadout of weaponry, they were represented by a purple banner. Then, closer to the inn, a third band existed with a yellow banner. Most of the reactionary infantry were equipped in only tunics, the exception being the armored samurai that led them. Just as the Swatslandic feared, much of Korion’s citizenry had armed themselves to join the insurrection.

The samurai leader of the green banner forces faced the city’s castle and pointed toward a line of Swatslandic defenders.

“Into the fray, by honor! Death be upon Viceroy Harling, damn he!” the samurai shouted.

Given the order, the band of green Imperyeans charged toward the Swatslandic line of shields. Each man of the Swatslandic defense stood their ground in a perfectly adjacent line. Over their heads were castle wall cannonry, the very kind that won them the Swats-Imperyean War.

The Swatslandic officer who led this particular defense moved through the many shields over a horse. “On the cannon’s mark, we march toward the Imperyean savages!”

The four cannon batteries on the castle wall took aim at the charging Imperyeans. Despite being quite aware of the cannonry facing them, the reactionaries continued their charge. It was only as they neared the defenders that all four cannons blew.

In a matter of seconds, the morale of the charging men took a bad drop as several bodies were blown back by the releasing shrapnel of cannonball fire. The charge continued, but with little organization and chemistry to be found between soldiers. With this, the Swatslandic defenders initiated their counter-attack by marching forward. Each man moved with a shield out and a sword hidden behind it.

The samurai with the green banner locked his sword back in preparation to thrust into an opponent. “Knock the shields down with sheer strength!” he ordered.

Finally, the two groups met, but his plan of beating down the shields did not work as he had wished. Even with every muscle and willpower he could muster into his thrust, the shield before him could not be taken down. This was a common occurrence for the reactionary forces, they were met with very prepared defenders.

With this, much of the Swatslandic defenders bashed the Imperyeans with their shields, thus knocking many of them to the ground. Many would then be swiftly executed by swords brought out from behind the shields. Surviving Imperyeans got the fight that they wanted, but with a plan falling apart, many fought with no knowledge of how to best these shielded men. Their plan assumed that the Swatslandic would complement their defense with shields, not rely on them.

On the other side of the castle, the yellow band found no better situation, possibly even worse. Unlike the green band, the yellow band not only received devastating cannon blows but also an onslaught of missile fire from lines of castle archers. The reactionaries, without shields and armor, were falling with every passing second. The Swatslandic infantry before them was having a field day in repelling any attacks. Very little Swatslandic blood existed on the ground, but the grass had been forced red with the lives of Imperyean reactionaries.

The samurai with a yellow banner had, with intense effort, knocked down one of the shielded men and delivered a swift death. “Wear them out!” he shouted. “They are only strong when stroked by their own ego!”

Immediately after saying this though, said samurai had been mortally struck by three arrows almost simultaneously. With the fall of their commander, the morale of the remaining yellow banner soldiers fell as well. Even if they were to prevail against these Swatslandic defenders, they were now without someone to issue further orders. For such reasons, many of the yellow soldiers would turn and retreat.

Finally, the purple band was attempting to burn down the barracks but was being devastated by heavy infantry. The Swatslandic heavy knights, shielded and in full armor, delivered a storm of power upon these soldiers. With so few weak points on the heavy infantry, the only chance the reactionaries had of taking these war machines down was to surround them fast. This was impossible for countless reasons, most of which involved the archers and light infantry backing the heavy knights up. Unlike the other two bands, the purple did not have to worry about any cannonry, this was more simply a case of being overpowered in a fair fight.

As many of the purple banner soldiers fell to arrows, several others were brutally floored and tossed around by the heavy knights. Only the bravest of souls remained to fight off knights with seemingly no weakness.

Korion burned and panic remained, but all the Swatslandic were losing was sweat and sleep. Whatever goal the reactionaries hoped to achieve on this night never had a chance to begin with. Just like in the Swats-Imperyean War, the Swatslandic were plain and simply too hard to defeat.

Unknowingly to Tomako, this was not a coincidental time for her to be in Korion; this was, in fact, a very common occurrence that the Swatslandic were often prepared for. It was only one of the countless attempts to liberate Korion from Viceroy Harling…

That following day was regular for most citizens of Korion but disturbing for Tomako, who until last night had only heard about warfare. Now she saw with her own eyes the horrors of battle, the aftermath wasn’t a pretty sight either.

At a fair pace, the woman and her horse traveled the city, her destination finally being the dockyard. Along the way, she laid witness to horrifying scenes. The Swatslandic had properly dealt with their own dead, but the remains of the reactionaries had been put into piles all throughout Korion for everyone to see. Furthermore, dead reactionaries hung from tree branches. Along with the many piles and trees of corpses, there was visible destruction dealt to many structures. Korion had turned into a city of nightmares for the woman who lived a life away from such imagery. It was an eye-opening experience for her.

*With all due respect to the fallen, how can people like Otomo so badly wish for war with Krucifix when battle brings out such dark results..?*

The imagery disturbed her so much that she couldn’t bother with looking for a merchant to get supplies from. She wanted to head straight for Krucifix and leave all this behind.

With enough pacing, Tomako was fortunate to have escaped the darker parts of Korion and now found herself faced by ships of incredible size. Some ships were recognizably Imperyean in design, others were clearly of Swatslandic design; the latter was evident by massive sails and great decking. Though she hated to admit it, with Imperyean and Swatslandic ships both visible to compare, she could understand why the Swatslandic navy crushed their Imperyean foes in the Swats-Imperyean War.

The dockyard was fairly removed of citizenry, but sailors were in good numbers. With Tomako being the only one on a horse, she easily stuck out the most.

“My goodness…” she muttered.

Her eyes searched for anything that might suggest ‘Krucifix,’ but she couldn’t help but get distracted by the warships. Massive in size, sails that reach up to the heavens, and cannonry all over was what made these ships the best. There were many of these ships, to which had come to be known in Imperyea simply as ‘lightning ships’ in that initial reports from the Swats-Imperyean War suggested that Swatslandic warships practically fired lightning upon armies. Her first problem was with the warships, rather, she did not know if this is what would take her to Krucifix or if something more meager would do so. Regardless, the war vessels impressed her with ease.

“Wow…” she muttered some more.

Just after muttering this, a passing Swatslandic sailor stopped by her horse with a friendly enough face, “Have you never seen a galleon before?” Tomako looked down at the man and attempted to hide her sword behind her horse. “You may not believe me when I say that Swatslandic ships aren’t even the best Svatpa has to offer. That honor likely rests with our rival Kingdom of Victoria or perhaps even the Kingdom of Dinamox. They have impressive ships as well, I’d dare say.”

Tomako turned her attention to the sailor, though she had little interest in the topic of warships and certainly no knowledge on Svatpean kingdoms. There was only one kingdom she cared about for the moment.

“Where might I find a ship willing to take me to Krucifix?”

The sailor, conveniently knowing, turned and pointed to a particular ship. There a much smaller vessel existed, this one without any cannonry.

“Eh, if you’ve got clearance to leave Imperyea, check in over there.”

She intended to do just this, trotting off in the pointed direction. Hearing a Swatslandic sailor speak of needing clearance somewhat scared her, but she still had money to offer and a point to make. For this reason, she continued forth with confidence.

At the docked ship in question, a shipmaster stood by the vessel’s deck on supervision duty. Sailors of this vessel both delivered and unloaded crates, barrels, and sacks of traded goods. As one might suspect, the only business Imperyea ever had with Krucifix was trade, and this policy did not change under the Viceroyalty of Imperyea.

The shipmaster, bored standing around, was secretly delighted to find Tomako approaching him over a horse. Things only became more interesting as he caught sight of her katana. Given the recent reactionary attack, the man had every reason to be paranoid of her intent, not to mention it was an offense warranting arrest for an Imperyean to be armed in the Viceroyalty.

Tomako slowed her horse as she neared him, then dismounted once close enough. While it might have been a good strategy to conduct negotiations in her kimono dress, she bet herself that the Swatslandic would find more respect in her adventuring attire, the conception being that people from Swatsland respected the ambitious, determined, and powerful.

The shipmaster folded his arms behind his back, “I welcome your presence, lass. How may I be of service?”

A humbled bow was returned, “I am Togami Legend of Kushyrin, on a very humble mission to Swatsland.”

“Swatsland? In Svatpa?” He looked away for a moment, his initial question being if the woman was insane or of a noble privilege. The latter theory was easily removed given her lower-class appearance. “Perhaps you’ve mistaken me for another. I cannot bring you to Swatsland,” he explained with a laugh.

Tomako nodded, “Of course. But you can bring me to Krucifix, correct?”

An awkward silence followed before the man reached his hand out. “Potentially. Do you have a viceroyalty passport?”

The woman’s heart beat nervously in the coming moment and with eyes darting left and right as she tried to fabricate anything that could see her aboard the ship. Sneaking aboard the ship would be almost impossible with the shipmaster on point, not to mention, she refused to leave her horse behind.

Unable to think of anything, she soon answered, “I am on a humble mission on behalf of my Imperyean people. I must be allowed to enter Krucifix so that -”

“Irrelevant,” he lectured. “My question was if you’re allowed to leave the islands, which you may only do with a viceroyalty passport.”

Tomako panicked, “Um, technically, no, but…” she raised a finger, “My intent is that of peace and honor. I think you will find that my pot of honor more than covers the expense needed to reach Krucifix.”

This argument went over the man’s head and left him lowering his eyelids. “Sorry, peace and honor won’t get you aboard this ship.”

“Really?” her eyes widened, “Not even my pot of honor will suffice?”

He gave her a bored blink, “No.”

Already out of options, Tomako reached for her bag of coins and sighed, “Okay, very well. I have one hundred-some coins with me at the moment, if money is the issue, and am prepared to offer whatever is necessary to progress in my travels.”

The shipmaster faked surprise, “Curses! You need at least *two* hundred coins to bribe yourself onto this ship!”

Tomako’s jaw dropped, “Wha—a! Really!?”

“No. I was jesting you.” Irritation was his next expression. “On your way, then.”

“But, wait, surely -”

“What do you fail to understand? You’re not getting on the ship. Make yourself disappear or risk arrest for disturbing the peace.”

Tomako gasped, “But I’m trying to make peace, not disturb it!”

After stomping his foot, the shipmaster shouted, “Away!”

The woman knew not to push her luck, ultimately agreeing to back off and get back on her horse. She couldn’t help but find her eyes watering, but she wasn’t going to give up on her journey here. There were other methods of getting off Imperyea, she just hadn’t discovered them yet.

While moving away from that vessel, she mulled over what to do next. *Firstly, I need to make some more money. Perhaps a bigger bribe will get me aboard the ship. If all else fails, I can return to Kushyrin, return to Otomo for a new idea…*

She picked up speed, wishing to distance herself from the Swatslandic navy as quickly as possible. As she had now come to understand, Korion was a target for partisan attacks, and fear of witnessing a second attack was enough reason to convince the woman to get out of Korion as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there would be a delay in her Krucifix travel, as it would now appear. The even larger issue was that she no longer had anywhere to stay. Even if she wanted to stay at the inn for the second night, she lacked the money to do so. Things had truly taken a turn for the worst on this day.

“Togami Legend!”

The call of a man struck Tomako so much that she brought her horse to an instant halt. Her body tingled with a shock, for there was only one person she had revealed the fake name ‘Togami Legend’ to in Korion, and that was the shipmaster. This was what created even greater surprise, for the man hailing her was not just a new face, but an Imperyean at that.

A man of Imperyean blood had run up to the woman and the look on his face was of immense surprise and vice versa. Tomako had no idea what to make of this situation, all she knew was that these two had never met.

Tomako answered, “…yes, sir?”

With huffs of exhaustion from chasing after a horse, the man would ultimately do nothing but catch his breath beside her. Swatslandic sailors made occasional glances to the two, but nothing beyond glances. Soon, the stranger looked her in the eyes.

“Your sword…” Tomako grit her teeth and looked at her weapon. “I recognized you from its color.”

Tomako lowered her brows, “What of the color? Does it not merely fashion the purple color of my Kushyrin?”

“Oh, no, no, no! That is no ordinary weapon, Togami.” Tomako froze her perplexed expression, awaiting a clearer answer. “That sword belongs to the Council of Five, the very men who seek you now.”

“M- Me? What? Who is this Council of Five?”

Her question went unanswered. “Yesterday, Daigon informed the Council of your intent to reach Krucifix.”

“Who is Daigon!? By the gods, I mean no offense, but, I have no idea what you’re talking about!” she panicked with overwhelming distress.

He tried to calm her with a hand motion, “Listen. Allow the Council of Five to speak for themselves, I am but a mere reserve unit from the island of Hippinshu.”

“Reserve unit? Hippinshu? What the - ugh…” Tomako grabbed her forehead out of frustration, then muttered, “…I wish for nothing more than a cup of tea right now…”

The man placed a hand over her horse’s rear with a request, “May I ride with you? I will direct you to our samurai enclave.”

*Samurai enclave..?*

Tomako puckered her lips, “With all due respect, I have no reason to travel to your… enclave.”

“The Council thought you might say that, which is why we come prepared with an offer.” Tomako raised her brows. “The Council would like a few words with you. If they get what they want, you have been promised delivery to the peninsula in Krucifix.”

The woman became silent, then with low brows asked, “…this is all over my sword? Forgive me when I say, I highly doubt this council will bring me to Krucifix in exchange for such simple information.”

“Will you please?”

Tomako narrowed her eyes and bit her lip, looking back toward the vessel she had been denied access to. This all sounded too good to be true, and she knew better than to trust a stranger. Yet, she had to admit curiosity as to why the color of her sword was of such significance to this council and why they would go to such lengths to acquire her presence. There was more to this than she was being told, but if Krucifix was a reward for her assistance, it might be worth checking in on.

After mulling it over, Tomako made a very reluctant decision to positioned herself closer to the horse’s neck, allowing for more space in the back. The man, with a smile, positioned himself behind her and pointed to their immediate left.

“Two hills that way and into the forest. We should be there in no time if you’re as talented of an equestrian as Daigon claims.”

Tomako moved her horse forward but with lowered brows of suspicion. *Daigon..?*

Her plan of taking a Korion ship to Krucifix had been put to a halt, but now she was on a detour that could allegedly end her up in Krucifix anyways. With any luck, she wouldn’t need to stay in Korion for long. The many piles of corpses and tree-hung soldiers spoke for how much she wanted to stay.

The horse Tomako and this man rode was not used to the extra weight and strange body positioning. Rather than being on the very center, Tomako was seated closer to the neck and their guest seated closer to the rear. Fortunately, this was not a long trip in any sense. Having already passed both hills, the two were in the forest that the main said hosted the Council of Five.

Just as dark as the last forest they were in, Tomako was only fortunate to find that it was light out. The fact that this man led her into a dark forest did, in truth, have Tomako regretting this decision. Were it not for the fact that he somehow knew her alias, she would assume the worst intent and try losing this man. She trusted he was a man of legitimate intention for her, but hardly.

“We’re almost there. Head past that slanted tree, you’ll find a black bear cave.”

This led the woman to grunt, but she did as instructed. “Bear cave? Now, wait, this sounds dangerous.”

“Fear not, we’re not going in the cave. Our settlement is behind it.”

An even more paranoid Tomako turned her head a slight bit, “Settlement? As in, a place of various residents?”

In those coming moments, they approached a rock formation which included a cave. The dark cave put a chill down the woman, but she was directed toward a narrow rock valley.

The man finally replied, “We’ve built a settlement of large size, but in order to stay out of Swatslandic eyes, we picked the most undesirable of places to go. This bear cave intimidates people, including the Swatslandic, and the rock formation does well in hiding our settlement.”

Tomako moved through the valley while also examining her surroundings. While the valley did appear to be naturally formed, she could easily identify chiseling and mining that widened the valley.

She decided to slow her horse, “Why would the Swatslandic be looking for you?”

The man didn’t speak for a few moments, “…well, I shouldn’t say much, but, let’s just say our enclave exists to preserve and eventually restore the traditional ways of Imperyea. Puritonism, samurai, sovereignty, *Imperyean* leadership.”

Tomako went ahead and defined this, “A nationalist—like my father.”

“Eh, nationalist, reactionary, patriot, whatever terminology you prefer…”

Exiting the valley revealed the unexpected, one of the last things Tomako envisioned seeing in such an unorthodox location. Therein what one might consider a very small gorge, hundreds of men and women came into sight. So much surprise was taken in that she felt it necessary to make a complete stop.

There were structures but only fifteen or so, one of which was in the shape of a castle tower. Camps existed throughout the gorge, each identified by a colored banner. Within each camp, there existed conversation, sword practice, archery, studying, makeshift building, religious worship, and more.

The woman’s only reaction was to reach for her cheek, to which the man accompanying her asked, “Surprised? There are a lot of Imperyean citizens who have taken up our cause, and these are only the few who choose to live with us.”

Tomako silently turned her body and looked into his eyes. “The few?”

“Only the Imperyean elites live here. Our organization exists all throughout Imperyea. In Kushyrin, Dayaking, Hippinshu, Craykon, Cheyprin; every village in Imperyea has members who have sworn to answer the call of war when needed. The mass majority of Korion’s citizenry belong to our organization. Given the right attack, most will rise up alongside us.”

The woman nodded, “So, I’m to assume the eruption from last night was your doing?”

“Last night was one of many messages to Viceroy Harling. A fruitless endeavor, in terms of victory, but a clear enough message that there is no Viceroyalty of Imperyea, only the Imperyean Empire, then, now, and forever more.” Tomako continued to stare at him without expression and he soon pointed forward. “Go on, to the castle.”

She looked forward with widening eyes. While it was not a castle fortress like seen in Korion, it was still shaped like the top of an Imperyean castle. Tomako felt out of place, and for the most part, still confused as to why she was here. At any rate, if there was any chance that this experience could get her to Krucifix, she would take it without objection.

From within the castle tower, in an almost pitch black dark room, a conversation between powerful men existed. Standing by the entrance door were two armored samurai warriors acting as guards, unmasked but with helmets. Both guards kept to themselves as their masters spoke.

One continued, “… then perhaps our focus must shift onto the Swatslandic navy. Their ships may be strong, but they are still wood, and wood does not go well with a torch.”

“And how would the burning of ships help us attain our goal faster?” another argued.

“Simple. Just one of their lightning ships should be very costly, demanding of resources, and take long to build. Most importantly, the travel time between Swatsland and Imperyea would have their emperor grinding his teeth. If we made regular attacks on dockyards, Swatsland could find themselves stranded on the islands while waiting for new ships, of which would be inevitably burned as well.”

While the one who argued remained silent, a third man gave an approving hum and replied, “And fire can be made with ease; soldiers, however, cannot.”

“Precisely. We would lose less by burning ships, but the Swatslandic would lose much. Ships, supplies, trade goods, weaponry, money; we have the human resources to pull off such a grand scale ship torching, we should consider our options...”

But the original arguer inserted himself again, “The destruction of Swatslandic shipping would only fire back upon us. Yes, it would force the Swatslandic to stop the abduction of farmers, but the brutes would simply tighten their control over us and find other ways to profit off our laborers. If we burn their supplies, they will treat their stomachs to the food that *we* produce. Mass Imperyean starvation would be inevitable.”

And then a rebuttal, “Fool. If anything, it would result in a promotion of autonomy, a step in the right direction for full independence. The Emperor of Swatsland is not blind to the financial repercussions of handling an overseas empire *without* ships. As soon as he realizes that no ship is safe in Imperyea, he’ll consider granting us autonomy, if not independence and an immediate withdrawal of Swatslandic blood.”

Finally, a fourth voice chimed in, “I agree with the notion that a loss of shipping will apply pressure onto the Swatslandic. However, we must continue our military operations as well as burn their ships. The one way we will scare the Swatslandic away is by stranding them and continuing to spill their blood with nowhere to run. We must *enforce* the idea that they and their ridiculous ways are not welcome here!”

The four men continued their debate with arguments, theories, and facts. This continued until, finally, the castle door creaked open, effectively pausing the debate. Tomako had been pushed through the door by the man she traveled with, almost falling as a result. The two samurai guards instinctively grabbed her.

The woman held her breath with petrified eyes and absolute silence, the man who had brought her here closed the door and left her. She hadn’t a clue what to say nor who she was faced with. The man abandoning her here felt like a betrayal more than anything.

Raising her chin up, Tomako grunted in response to a colorful scene. Hanging from the ceiling were special lamps of specific glass colors; from left to right were green, purple, red, blue, and yellow lamps. Each hanging lamp illuminated specific spots of the room and it was in each of these spots that fairly silhouetted men sat before hanging banners of matching colors. What occurred to Tomako as most surprising was that each banner was stitched with the image of a corresponding Imperyean island.

The red banner featured Dayaking, the purple featured Kushyrin, the blue for Craykon, green for Hippinshu, and yellow for Cheyprin. These were the five islands of Imperyea. Tomako’s eyes, of course, went right for the purple Kushyrin banner, but below it was the *only* empty seat in what she presumed to be the *Council of Five*.

In the center seat, below the red banner of Dayaking, a man in red, black, and gold armor extended his hand out toward the woman. “Men, release the woman!”

The samurai to her right warned, “Great Lord, she is armed.”

“Release the woman, she poses no threat!”

The left samurai let go of Tomako without objection, allowing for her to hit the floor. The right samurai was more reluctant to do so.

Tomako was quick in getting back up to her feet, to which the red figure next asked, “By the sword to your waist and your presence before us, you are a distinguished warrior woman?”

“No, I am not,” she confessed. “I was recommended to come here, on behalf of my… special sword..?”

The red-armored man had nothing to say until the blue-armored man whispered to him, “Togami Legend.”

“Togami Legend!” the red man shouted. “As we have come to so recently understand, you were bestowed such a sword by a man of high honor, none other than the great Otomo Nushikuo.”

The woman held her katana up, “I was entrusted this sword, ‘EngelReise,’ by Otomo the ex-samurai.”

The four men in the room exchanged nods and approving murmurs, such led Tomako to ease up a little bit, hoping for a peaceful and mutually beneficial meeting.

As the attention soon came back to her, the red man finally replied, “Indeed…” He stood up from his seat and waved to his fellow chairmen. “Well met, Togami Legend. We are known throughout the shadows of Imperyea as the ‘Council of Five.’ We are the surviving Great Lords of Imperyea’s five islands.”

Tomako’s eyes widened greatly, then in a panic, she dropped to her knees in unquestioning loyalty. “Fo- Forgive my rude behavior, Great Lords of Imperyea. I believed all of you to have fallen or been deposed of in the war with Swatsland.”

The yellow man—Great Lord of Cheyprin—answered, “All Great Lords survived, as you can see, but we were indeed deposed of by the Swatslandic conquerors.”

The red man—Great Lord of Dayaking—continued, “With the Emperor of Imperyea dead, we Great Lords have banded together for the first time in history to form a surviving enclave of leaders. Only here in this forest does the Imperyean Empire survive.”

Tomako made lip motions of awe as she gazed upon four of five Great Lords, but naturally, the missing Kushyrin Great Lord raised the question, “What of the Great Lord of Kushyrin?”

In a somewhat irritated tone, the blue Great Lord of Craykon answered, “You tell us.” Tomako, with quivering eyes, looked down at her purple sword. “Visitations from him are rare.”

“I… see…” Her mind, bouncing around in shock and awe, remained on the special sword she held, but soon returned to the Great Lords. “I wish not to waste your time any further, great clan leaders. What do you wish of me?”

“A proposition,” the Dayaking Great Lord answered. “You wish for Krucifix to receive you, and we are some of the few, if not the only, with the connections to get you there.”

Tomako’s eyes fluttered for a moment, followed by an energetic nod, “Oh, yes! I will do anything for such a reward.”

The green Great Lord—Great Lord of Hippinshu—raised his hand, “*Anything*?”

This was met by Tomako’s frightened face, “Um, preferably anything outside the realm of murder or perversion…”

The Dayaking Great Lord expanded on this, “Where might you stand on assisting us with a military takeover of Korion, as a *non-combatant?*”

This was a question that left uncertainty in the woman, who displayed this with a nervous head tilt, “Non-combatant? How could I possibly aid you without drawing Swatslandic blood?”

“A plan we’ve put together this past month. It is one of many ideas we could try that might result in the removal of Swatsland from Korion. The plan calls for a woman capable of playing a character.” The Dayaking Great Lord leaned forward and snapped his fingers. “I will not lie to you, the only reason we propose this plan of seizing Korion over other plans comes solely with your convenient arrival into the area. If you help us take Korion, we will see you to Krucifix.”

Tomako crossed her arms and dared to ask, “But why me? Do you not already have women available to design this mission for?”

“Indeed, we do,” the Dayaking Great Lord answered. “But surely a woman who holds such a prestigious sword is best suited for the job. If you are so willing to embark on a fool’s quest of such caliber, surely, you will be willing to help your country with such a daring task.”

She winked at him skeptically, “And what task do you have in mind?”

The Dayaking Great Lord turned to his blue Craykon companion for an explanation. “It is our *third* plan, but no less efficient than the first and second. One thing we all know the Swatslandic for is their intense consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially given holidays and celebrations.” Tomako turned her head with a nod. “If one were to create a reason for celebration, the Swatslandic garrison in Korion would celebrate through the night and drink themselves into their own graves. What will warrant the mass drinking is for a supposed ‘Queen of Krucifix’ to arrive at the castle and request that their nation becomes a vassal of the Swatslandic Empire. Surely, Viceroy Harling is foolish enough to fall for such a delusion.”

Tomako raised both her hands, “Now, wait. This sounds complex. Too complex for me. I don’t even know what a vassal is, and I doubt I come off to anyone as royalty, let alone Krucifixan.”

Two of the men chuckled at her claim, while the Dayaking Great Lord replied, “Please. The Swatslandic are blind when it comes to Shimuans. We all look exactly alike in their eyes.”

The woman thought about this before asking, “And how might I fool them into believing I am a Krucifixan queen while I am clearly not?”

“You leave that to us. We have the resources, knowledge, and inside help needed to pull off such an operation. The question is whether you could stomach such a task for us in exchange for a trip to Krucifix.”

Several moments passed, most of which Tomako spent weighing in the pros and cons of accepting this proposal. Though she wouldn’t admit it, a partial force holding her from accepting was a tad bit of shyness. Posing as the wife of Krucifix’s king would draw a lot of attention, and she did not come from a social background. This anti-social background on its own could be enough to sink the entire operation.

With a breath taken, Tomako stood tall and replied, “I will do my very best, honorable Great Lords.”

As three Great Lords gave approving nods, the blue Craykon Great Lord cupped a hand over his mouth and shouted, “Daigon! Show our noble friend around the camp. I will join you two soon.”

Given the word, the samurai to Tomako’s rear-left grit his teeth and opened the door back up. Tomako turned to the man, somewhat intimidated by his very strong build and tough face, yet at the same time, there was something about him that rang bells in her mind.

Daigon spoke a familiar tone, “Come along, woman…”

Tomako stepped forward with him but stopped to grunt after reviewing his character. Daigon was a man with an identical body and set of armor to the samurai that gave her the forest challenge, along with a similar attitude. At the same time, he had a very similar face and body to the man she so recently met at the Korion inn, wearing the horse to his waist. It was like a combination of the two men, which led her to wonder the obvious…

With a raised finger, she dropped a brow and asked, “Hey, by chance, are you -”

“You’re not getting your pufferfish…” he lectured before exiting the structure with her.

To be continued!

**Chapter 7 <** **| > Chapter 9**

## Author Notes

#### First 'Two-parter'

As DeviantArt has a limit on how many characters can exist per literature submission, the term 'two-parter' refers to instances where a chapter is too big to be submitted as one singular entity, and therefore is submitted in two separate parts. This was the first two-parter for EngelReise, as I stubbornly insisted on this chapter ending with Tomako meeting the Council of Five, even if it meant making the chapter very long in length. Beyond this point, I endeavored to try and keep two-parters in low quantity, ideally reserved for season finales, as I did not want ordinary chapters to compete with season finales. Even though the concept of a two-parter only applies for DeviantArt, the term is still used generally across platforms as a simple way of communicating that it is a special length chapter.

#### F-Zero: Seppuku - Queen Disguise Callback

Once again, an F-Zero: Seppuku reference slips into a chapter of EngelReise, this time with more subtlety than the last. The Council of Five's plan to disguise Tomako as the Queen of Krucifix and infiltrate a head of state's domain is a direct callback to F-Zero: Seppuku - Part 2/3: Chapter 37, where Chiya Flower was disguised as the future Queen of Mysteria to infiltrate the Magican Empire. There is little more reference here beyond simply reusing the same plan, but the intentions were to put Tomako in a similar position as her spiritual predecessor, Chiya.

## Chapter Illustration

This chapter illustration depicts what Tomako would have seen upon entering the Council of Five's domain. Five banners exist, each displaying the color and shape of each of Imperyea's islands, and below each banner is the Great Lord of each island, sans Kushyrian.

Created with Adobe Photoshop, the entire drawing is mostly made from basic shapes and some blurs. It is unknown where the samurai come from, however, each appears to have been put through some kind of 'image trace' process, likely through Inkscape.

When this chapter was released, the world of EngelReise still took place on Earth, and therefore the geography of Imperyea matched that of Japan. As such, the original chapter illustration featured the outlines of Japan's home islands on each banner, while the updated illustration instead used silhouetted islands of the fictional planet EngelReise now takes place in.

## Characters Introduced

#### Daigon

Technically making his debut at the end of Chapter 6, Daigon is only formally introduced at the end of Chapter 8. Daigon is a respected samurai and Hero of the Imperial Court who now serves the Council of Five as a rebel. The man is first brought into the story when he helps Tomako light her fire upon entering Dayaking, where he then challenges Tomako to race through a forest with a false promise of a pufferfish reward. Tomako, unknowingly, meets him again in Korion, but is surprised to discover that she does not recognize him due to her inability to read the letter he had left her, informing her to meet him in Korion. Once relations are finally officially established between the two, Daigon is tasked with showing Tomako around the rebel encampment, leading into Chapter 9.

#### Council of Five

The Council of Five is a council comprising of the five former lords of Imperyea's five islands. Without an Imperyean emperor to lead them, these men undertake a mature responsibility of governing their reactionary rebel cell as a team rather than rival pretenders. Despite the name, there is in effect only four Great Lords present in the Council of Five, as the Great Lord of Kushyrin is absent. When Tomako meets them, they inform her that the sword she carries, EngelReise, gave her away as someone with a connection to Otomo Nushikuo, and therefore of interest to them. Seeing an opportunity to disguise Tomako as the Queen of Krucifix and insert her into Swatslandic-controlled Korion Castle undercover, they propose to her that if they help them out, they will appropriate a ship to Krucifix for her. Tomako, reluctantly, accepts their proposal.