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Renga Master:My lord will soon join Lord Hideyoshi on the frontlines. But before he goes, he must secure Harima's borders. To do so, he has welcomed Lord Ukita Naoie, daimyō of Bizen, to attend a rengakai today.
Yasuke:A military alliance forged through poetry.
Renga Master:An affirmation of the ties that bind our existing alliance, to be clear.
The two passed by the castle commander speaking with a swordmaster.
Castle Swordmaster:Tokubei, I must inquire about those men from Chugoku.
Tokubei:Lord Kanbei has demanded the presence of all guests from the west of the country. This includes those men. Now excuse me. I must see about my wife.
Yasuke and the renga master went up the stairs into the residence area, where they met Ukita Hideie. The renga master bowed to the young lord.
Renga Master:Ah, the young Lord Ukita Hideie. I trust your meeting with Lord Kanbei went well.
Hideie:I... I think so. Yes. Oh. Who is that with you?
Yasuke spoke to Hideie.
Hideie:You are unlike many of the guests we have here! What are you doing in Himeji?
Yasuke:I am here to meet Lord Kanbei, my lord.
Hideie:I see. Based on your appearance, it must be something serious.
Yasuke:The young lord has an intimate understanding of this place.
Hideie:As a hostage in the care of Lord Hideyoshi and Lord Kanbei, I have seen many faces come and go. I serve my father. To keep the alliance between the Ukita clan and Lord Hideyoshi strong.
Yasuke:It sounds like your father sees great promise in you, young lord.
Hideie:Yes, I suppose. Goodbye for now.
Yasuke then returned to follow the renga master, who brought him to the house where Kanbei was in.
Renga Master:Lord Kanbei! Your other guest has arrived.
As the renga master stepped aside, Yasuke got down on one knee and bowed to Kanbei.
Kanbei:Yasuke, is it? A great honor. I heard you stayed by Lord Nobunaga's side to the very end.
Yasuke:Your reputation precedes you, Lord Kanbei. The honor is strictly mine and Naoe's. I understand Lord Hideyoshi owes much of his success in Chugoku to you. And much more besides.
Kanbei:People exaggerate, and greatly at that. But! We are not here to talk about me.
Yasuke sat down.
Kanbei:There is an impending attack on Lord Hideyoshi's allies. Orchestrated by a man who operates in the shadows.
Kanbei:To destabilize our efforts against Mitsuhide. To stop me from marshaling allies and march towards Lord Hideyoshi. I would rather not speculate. I wish to expose this man and his forces in Harima. Which is where you come in.
Yasuke:I do not wish for any misgivings regarding my presence here. I serve no master.
Kanbei:Yes, yes. Forgive me. A curtness that comes with one too many nights spent on the battlefield.
Yasuke:I understand. Our common enemy unites us.
Kanbei:Today's rengakai serves as a reminder of our alliance with Lord Ukita Naoie. An ally we rely on to secure Harima's borders.
Yasuke:The boy's father.
Kanbei:You've met, then? Hideie was part of the terms of our alliance. He is young, but a bright, precocious boy. A perfect token for the continued goodwill of the Ukita clan. Above all, young Hideie understands his role. He has quickly learned to tamp down his instincts for sentimentality.
Yasuke:My lord, young Hideie is only a child. His sentimentality is only natural.
Kanbei:In our work, sentimentality is a liability. For daimyo and warrior alike. We judge ourselves on how we fulfil our obligations. If you did not believe this, then we would not be talking now.
At that moment, Hideie walked in.
Hideie:Lord Kanbei, I must interrupt. We will be starting soon. My father has arrived.
Kanbei:Of course. Thank you, my lord.
The young lord then took his leave after bowing to both Kanbei and Yasuke.
Kanbei:Many of Lord Hideyoshi's allies will be gathered in one place. Do you understand?
Yasuke:Yes, my lord. You expect our quarry to strike today.
Kanbei:Understand what we will face up ahead. Afterwards, I hope you will join us at the rengakai.
Yasuke:Of course, Lord Kanbei. I will join you shortly.
Kanbei:I would accompany you myself, but my leg simply refuses to do what I ask. Lord Hideie will show you the way.
Yasuke gave a bow and stood up, following the young lord out of the residence.
Hideie:Good to see you again. You seem important.
Yasuke:The young lord is perceptive.
Hideie:It's not every day I escort a samurai to a rengakai filled with daimyō and officials.
Yasuke:It is an honor to be escorted by you, my lord. Perhaps you could enlighten me on the rengakai itself.
Hideie:A rengakai can be many things. A demonstration of insight or a means to reflect on the nature of things. Given my father's presence, it is likely a declaration of intent. An extension of the alliance. between our clans.
Yukinaga:You are... Yasuke? A pleasure. Lord Konishi Yukinaga.
Yasuke:Lord Yukinaga. What brings you to Harima?
Yukinaga:I am assisting Lord Naoie in the reconstruction of the temples and shrines that were destroyed in previous years.
Yasuke:I thought Lord Naoie was a military ally.
Yukinaga:Lord Naoie is concerned with the well-bring of the people, especially now that it is Lord Hideie's home. These shrines and temples are a reminder to the young lord Hideie that his father is always present. Even when he is not.
After the conversation, Yasuke continued to follow Hideie to the house where the rengakai went underway at night, with Kanbei and the other officials present. Yasuke himself participated as well.
Yasuke:The rains will continue in a different form. Another battle, same war.
Upon hearing Yasuke, the gentleman sitting beside spoke to him.
Rengakai Participant:Interesting.
Yasuke:Apologies, my lord. How might I refer to you?
Rengakai Participant:This battle you speak of... What do you make of it?
Yasuke:Only time will tell who was correct in choosing to follow Lord Nobunaga or go against him.
Rengakai Participant:I see. So, you know about Lord Nobunaga's passing. You sit in the company of daimyō. And yet. You are no merchant. Not a monk, nor a poet. I would ask why you've come here. But I think I already know the answer.
Yasuke:Which is?
Rengakai Participant:For similar reasons that I am here, I presume. Who do you serve?
Yasuke:I only seek to help the people of Harima, my lord.
Rengakai Participant:A conundrum. Despite all we do, all our capacity for greatness, we are inevitably bound to someone in our power. This rengakai. The terms of engagement are set by Lord Kanbei's hokku (starting verse) on the imagery of seasons.
Yasuke:The third poet's stanza should reverse the hokku, should it not?"'
Rengakai Participant:The third poet must not speak of seasons, even if his heart tells him it is the correct choice.
Yasuke:It would appear my lord has already prepared his lines for this rengakai.
Rengakai Participant:A stanza my son wrote for me. We do not see each other often.
Yasuke:I am sure your son would appreciate his father's recognition of his talent.
Rengakai Participant:I will read it once my business in Harima is settled. My visit here has informaed what I will speak about.
Yasuke:What might that be?
Ukita Naoie:Regret.
Yasuke:...Ukita Naoie.
Ukita Naoie:The hagi flower. Yearning for soil it knows. Petals fall silent.
Renga Orator:"The hagi flower"—
At that moment, stomps and screams could be heard outside the room.
Woman: (screams)
A shot from a teppō fired into the room, narrowly missing Kanbei.
The officials stood up
Alongside Naoie, Yasuke fend off and eliminated the attackers. Naoe joined Yasuke shortly after as the guards checked on the bodies.
Naoe:Another group of rōnin outside. Some of them got away.
Yasuke:Why would these men come here only to escape?
The castle commander arrived to report to Kanbei.
Castle Commander:Lord Kanbei. A handful of guards are dead. Commander Tokubei is nowhere to be found.
Kanbei:His body was not found among the dead?
Castle Commander:No, my lord. All casualties have been accounted for.
Naoie:Except for one. They have taken my son. My. Son.
Kanbei:Lord Naoie. We must trust that whoever took Hideie will not harm him. There is no value in doing so. I will order a barricade of all roads in and out of Himeji. We will find him.
Naoie:A barricade? I want our men on alert. My own security detail within Himeji. We should hope my son is found soon. For his sake. And for the sake of this peace Lord Hashiba Hideyoshi so desires.
Naoie then left with his guards, giving Naoe and Yasuke the space to speak to Kanbei.
Kanbei:Could this be our man in the shadows?
Naoe:Those attackers. The ronin. You smelled it too, right?
Yasuke:Incense. An overpowering smell. Unlike any incense I have ever come across.
Naoe took a side look at Yukinaga nearby, who was speaking with a guard.
Kanbei:In a few days' time, Lord Naoie and I will draw up the next terms of our agreement. A meeting in Himeji Castle.
Naoe:Not without Hideie. We'll set out on a path to find him. I suspect that same path will lead us to the man responsible.
Castle Commander:Lord Kanbei. We've arranged for transport back to your home in Himeji. You will be safe there.
Kanbei:Yasuke. Naoe. Exercise caution and discretion. The alliance cannot be threatened at this time.
Naoe:Hideie is innocent. Just a boy. His safety comes first.
Yasuke:You have our word, Lord Kanbei.
From afar, Yukinaga bid Kanbei farewell and left the castle while Kanbei returned to his home.
Naoe:These daimyo used the boy as a pawn in their political game.
Yasuke:When you trade in human lives, everyone us up for barter.
Naoe:Not if we can help it.
Yasuke:Then it is a good thing we have leads. The castle commander, Tokubei, is missing. There is also that strange scent.
Naoe:Our target has been busy. But we know what to look for.
Naoe and Yasuke attended the rengakai in Himeji, meeting Kuroda Kanbei and Ukita Naoie. When Naoie's son Hideie was kidnapped by an unknown assailant, Naoe and Yasuke promised Kanbei to pursue leads to bring him back.
