Chương 41: Book 1, Chapter 41: March

It was hard for Rin to believe. To think that there was a nogitsune lurking in these woods… Even worse, she had the power to befuddle minds! Still, it had to be the truth! It made their trek to Broadstream Town all the more perilous, and Rin was lucky she could watch for threats and think at the same time, unlike some people she knew. When she saw Sensei John and Mistress Yuki coming back, both looking tired, the former angry, and John even being injured, it was terrifying, even more than when she stumbled.

She was just so exhausted after killing that up-jumped bandit that she had collapsed, but… he should not have been that strong. He couldn't have been much younger than her, but his clothes spoke of no great noble house backing him! And yet, she struggled, her blows diverted with skill. The only reason she ended up winning relatively cleanly was that she surprised him with crushing brute force. Was it a sign that she was slacking in her training?

Then again, there was no amount of lessons she could cram in that would help if even half of what Yuki told her was true. Nine tails, the ability to influence the minds of the unprotected with a whisper… Fallen and weakened as this new nogitsune was, Rin had little doubt she could reduce her to a bloody smear. Sure, her Aegis might protect her from absolute effects, but that level of intense control implied that she was on a whole other level.

It'd be like fighting a shadow, even if she couldn't casually tear Rin apart. The fact that anybody here could stand against Sensei John was baffling by itself. Sure, Yuki disguised his Presence for those who might unfairly fear him, but when he used any sort of technique, his true voice shone through. It was cold. Emotionless. It was as if he were dictating what the word would be, and it fell into line without complaint.

She knew that there were many yokai and even Unbound who could defeat him, but they were far, far from here. It was hard to deny the impact of feeling him command heaven's wrath like one would a servant.

"Lightning," he spoke into the world, and so it would be, popping a man like a nut in a campfire.

"Heat," he commanded with terrifyingly little power, and the Nameless' spawn scorched black with all the precision of a learned scribe transcribing events, no shred of emotion colouring his power's tone. Her eyes traced John's form, glancing at his wrapped, injured hand, smelling of burnt meat, and the older, slightly less refined-looking gauntlet now adorning his right hand.

Where the previous one was deep woods and polished metal, this one was faded and cracked, with the occasional corrosion upon the steel of its body. It was bulkier too, and felt more like a brick than an elegant tool. Her eyes strayed to his damaged arm once more. He wore a glove to mostly hide it, but she could still see the edges of bandages leading up into his shirt. Was it to protect him? It made sense. Perhaps he was too… fragile for his own power, and needed something to dampen the vicious energies. Wait.

Was why Rin felt no emotion from him while he used his techniques due to John constraining his own power so it didn't destroy him? How strong might he be if he put his heart and soul into a strike? Just who was John back in his homeland? John began to uncoil, his tense shoulders drooping, and his gaze less scattered as the tree cover began to thin and they approached the village.

While still out of sight of the town, they were starting to pass growing fields of crops and the occasional farmhouse scattered between thick strands of trees and occasional slopes. She couldn't imagine the Nameless coming this close to their gold mine and risking discovery, although the possibility of the nogitsune intervening still existed. Still, if John and Yuki survived an encounter with them and the Greater Nameless, she was confident they'd be victorious if it were only the nogitsune.

Suddenly, the group slowed to a stop as Yuki paused next to a pond by the path, head swivelling to gaze at her reflection with a furrowed brow. Then, there was a twinge in the air, a thing of contradictions as both warmth and chill swept over her, and rich gold-black flames engulfed the kitsune! Much to her embarrassment, Rin jumped, and John twitched as the kitsune stood, mostly covered in magical fire without a care in the world. At first, Rin believed that she would disguise herself, but the fire didn't shrink.

No, it flared more brightly before slowly fading into naught but strange covered wisps floating in the afternoon light. She looked much the same, with her three tails puffed out in a fan, but her clothing was… different. It kept much the same shape, but where once was simple black and subtle gold thread was now an interplay between rich darkness and pure white, like she was split in two halves. On her left, fabric as dark as the night of a new moon, with fabric so fine that she couldn't see the threads.

On her right, white cloth as pure as fresh snow, with a subtle effervescent shimmer upon it. Framing everything, the previously subtle gold thread had grown to thick, shining bands so dense it almost appeared to be the metal itself with how it shimmered in the light. Like a skeleton, it seemed to provide structure, joining the two disparate sections into one coherent whole. Her jaw dropped. It was beautiful.

Sensei John, for his part, looked her up and down with a curious eye, expression unreadable as he examined Yuki's new clothes. A faint smile twitched onto his face.

"Subtle," he blithely remarked. Rin snapped to face him, eyes wide in disbelief at how borderline suicidal it was to refer to a kitsune like that, usually, never mind one you had only known for a few weeks. Just what type of relationship did these two have? Moment by moment, she felt ever more out of her depth. Then again, Yuki seemed a bit strange as far as kitsune went based on the stories she had heard, although she'd never say that out loud and risk finding out that said lenience only extended to John.

"I decided to put my best paw forward," Yuki replied with a mild shrug. A hairline smile found its way onto her face, too.

"So you decided fancy clothes were the best way to do that?" John questioned.

"I didn't think about it before, but the ability to disguise your clothing is impressive. How does it work? Light manipulation, maybe?" Rin and Yuki's eyes met through the reflection as she opened her mouth to speak, and a gentle pulse of Presence that reminded her of a tranquil, glassy lake on a windless day bid her to remain silent. The conversation felt… easier than she remembered, almost like John didn't quite remember that she was here.

"No, this is its default appearance with me as its bonded owner." Yuki finally answered.

"The clothing itself is magical. It's old and storied enough that it has a simplistic spirit. Of course, it isn't lively enough to be a tsukumogami, but it can do simple things like that, adjust to the climate, and other such things." Silence hung over the pair momentarily, and John's emerald eyes searched Yuki with an unnervingly calculating expression. There was no telling what was brewing in the mind of a wise master like—" Magical clothing. Hmm."

He stared off into the distance, seeming to contemplate something.

"Was the clothing I made good enough to compete? I've seen you wearing it often." Truly, the workings of his mind were an enigma. Yuki, the centuries-old kitsune, paused, evidently caught off guard, and turned to evaluate John in return. Now that she thought of it, Rin had seen Yuki wearing some rather… unfamiliarly styled clothing a few times. She had assumed that it was something from her doubtlessly many travels, but to think that John was talented enough to make his own clothes was…

not actually that shocking, now that she thought of it. Given the incredible variety of artifacts around his home, he seemed to have a particular affinity with his hands. Besides, he spent five years on his own, and that required a certain level of handiness. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"They're good," she cautiously replied, "although not to the same level of clothes, admittedly. It was sweet of you, in any case! Magical or not, wearing the same thing every day is a bit of a bore, and annoying when it comes time to have them cleaned." Rin had been slipping down to the river in the mornings, although, with the revelation of a hostile nogitsune around, she supposed she'd have to figure out a solution.

An almost wry smile appeared on John's face, although Yuki seemed unbothered, and they lapsed back into comfortable silence, starting to walk back toward town again.

"Sensei?" Rin asked, finally cutting in. The man tensed a bit, turning quickly to her.

"Yes, Rin?" he inquired, tone perfectly level.

"Are there any extra clothes your humble student could use? I've been going down to the river to wash my one set, and I fear this news with the nogistune means it'd be ill advised to do that." Perhaps it was a bit blunt, but John seemed the type to appreciate that, given his isolation. Disbelief painted his face for a moment, but he ultimately nodded after schooling his expression.

"Yeah. Did I show you I have a room for cleaning yourself off and bathing?" he cautiously inquired. She shook her head quickly. All the way out there, in an area with no hot springs? Who had he had to man the furnaces to get things to the right temperature? The building didn't seem to have any sort of spirits occupying it performing tasks, and he had lived alone for five years, did he not? Perhaps it was just a matter of skill, and he had another artifact that made it easy to do.

She couldn't imagine it was terribly relaxing to have to heat water with your own ability every time you wanted to clean yourself off or relax.

"I'll show you when we get back," he said, turning back to face the front.

"There are people up ahead. John, position yourself as we discussed." Yuki commented, and that's where the conversation ended, none of them willing to continue in the presence of others. Subtly, the kitsune flexed her Presence, giving off a feeling of steely dignity and purpose, each stride carrying her forward like she was on an inexorable mission. John stepped forward, taking a position slightly behind Yuki and to her left.

Hurriedly, Rin stepped forward to emulate her sensei, but kept herself a step behind him lest she be interpreted as trying to usurp his place. Their pace remained steady, and a younger couple, both dressed modestly and holding baskets of goods, crested the hill in front of them. The woman had mouse-esque features, although Rin still had trouble telling them and rat features apart, especially when they only had the ears like she seemed to, and the man's more animalistic features weren't visible.

She was just lucky that becoming dragon-blooded erased hers. Ugh, having all that extra hair was so embarrassing. Upon seeing the procession headed by a three-tailed kitsune, the pair stopped dead in fear, eyes widening at their presence. Scurrying off to the side of the road, the two dropped into a deep bow, foreheads scraping the ground and being unwilling to look up as they passed. John's gaze lingered on them as they passed, lips pulled tight, although she couldn't begin to guess what he was thinking.

The trio continued, not saying a word and letting Mistress Yuki lead them into the town. As they began to run into more people and buildings began to rise around them, people acted much the same way, quickly stopping what they were doing to scrape as the kitsune and her entourage passed, or at the very least, quickly bowing before hurriedly leaving the area, ducking into buildings or down side alleys.

It was like an aura of silence followed them, smothering all conversation and the flow of life with their very presence, leaving stillness in their wake like a passing storm. John shifted, glancing at the people they passed, even as they trekked down an unfamiliar street. He didn't look directly at any specific person, but Rin could see the subtle tilt of his head as he tracked them.

Soon enough, the trio came across what seemed to be decently maintained, but clearly underfunded, barracks, with a fenced-in training area where a few men were sparring lightly with wooden gear. One by one, they noticed their approach and froze on the spot, like they were staring down predators, quietly whispering to one another while they assumed they were too far to hear. Of course, they weren't. Her ears may not be as sharp as a kitsune's, but they were still better than a mortal's.

"Oh shit, that's the kitsune from the woods, the one who burned that tax collector!" One whisper shouted.

"Did the Sergeant do something to piss her off?"

"Maybe she just wants tribute."

"No, she'd just send John and Yumi."

"Man, that guy gives me the creeps. Why do you think he lurked around town for so long? What changed?"

"Who's that with them?"

"I think that's the lady he was ranting about a few days ago, with the destroyed restaurant… I heard she asked to be adopted."

"No, you idiot, she asked to be his student. Shut up before they hear!" Rin kept her gaze fixed forward, rosy pink colouring her sun-kissed cheeks, but she tried to pay the childish gossip no mind. They knew nothing, the same way most don't. Still, she said she was sorry. Did people still have to keep bringing it up? She ought to… Do nothing at all, because anything would probably make it worse, actually. Rin had learned that lesson the hard way.

As Yuki stepped onto the property, they suddenly remembered their manners and dropped to their knees, bowing, foreheads touching the ground in dead silence, not daring to look up at their procession. Midway through the lot, Yuki halted, and both John and Rin stopped behind her, maintaining a respectful distance. The silence stretched unto infinity, none of the men willing to risk a glance up to move. John, finally, cleared his throat.

"Is Sergeant Okada in today? If so, would someone mind retrieving him?" he politely asked, far more so than he probably needed to be. Silence greeted him. Several heads slightly rose, not looking at him, but glancing at each other, as if they were daring one another to move first.

"You there, over by the door," John said, locking onto one man, who immediately flinched.

"Would you please retrieve Sergeant Okada or whoever is in charge today? Everyone else may relax."

"Yes, my lord!" the man quickly spouted, shooting up and running inside like a beast loosed from a trap. Glancing where he was, she could see a small puddle of sweat where his head was against the ground. Everyone else looked around, haltingly getting to their feet, although they fell into… what could generously be described as parade rest, if you ignored how they all looked ready to bolt like wild hares.

They tried to keep their eyes straight forward; some shifted awkwardly, but they glanced at their group when they thought they wouldn't be seen before snapping back to attention. This may have been their first time seeing a yokai in person for some. She recognized the stressed-looking man who sprintedout the doors from the day she harassed John and Yuki at the noodle shop. Once outside, he hurriedly dropped into a bow.

"I am at your service, Lady Yuki. How may this humble servant assist you today?" He was far more composed than his men, although if Rin were in his place, she knew she'd be terrified.

"Rise," Yuki ordered, voice steely. The man hurried to oblige.

"We have a task for you. Our investigation has borne fruit." The man paled.

"Do you mean…" he trailed off, glancing around and unsure how much he could say.

"Thirty of the tax collectors died in a scuffle last night when I caught them misappropriating their collections to local yokai," Yuki explained.

"The time had come to remove them from the town. Gather your men, form a cordon around the area. I will, personally, be making sure the problem does not happen again." At this point, he was rivalling a ghost and dipped again.

"Of course, my lady, it will be done." A glare was all it took for the men practicing in the yard to begin gathering their things, swapping out their practice weapons for real ones, off nearby racks, or rushing inside to retrieve gear or other comrades. More men showed. Hurried speech passed between Sergeant Okada and another man, presumably the second in command. They asked John and Yuki occasional questions, although they seemed too scared to question them too deeply.

Within minutes, they had something serviceable planned, and they broke off in various groups to encircle the area. They followed behind the last group, trailing them through a steady stream of worried and confused villagefolk. They needn't be too bothered; their problems would be over soon enough. With the encirclement complete, they walked onto the scene, passing a few local militia setting up a line in the street. Rin had never seen the tax collector's base before, but it seemed to be… a ryokan with a hot spring?

She had never seen a hot spring around here. How curious. Out front was a single man, limbs shaking as he looked from side to side, a spear grasped like a lifeline out in a storm. His armour was ill-fitted, and deep bags were set under his eyes from what must have been a long watch. There was nobody else on the street, but he still searched like there were enemies that might pop out of every shadow.

The second the man saw them, his eyes widened in fear, and his weapon slipped from his shaking hands, clattering against the stone below, rolling out of reach. Still, he made no effort to flee, no attempt to call out to his allies for aid, like he was consigning himself to their tender graces rather than taking his chances with his allies inside. He threw himself into a bow, whimpering.

"Please, have mercy!"