'It's not that simple. At least, for you. The leasing contract can't be broken, and it's locked for a minimum of 50 years. After that, the lands can't be sold or leased for another 50 years. In either situation, you lose the lands; however, the last option will allow you and your heirs to gain them back in 50 years.'
'What if I can manage to postpone any moves and obtain a coat of arms in two years?'
'So what? Look. If they get a hold of you now, they'll try to force you to sell the lands. They could force you to give them back, but that’s almost impossible without witnesses, who have to be very powerful. In your case, the official witness is Prince Oama. The deal was made, and there are no unwanted witnesses. They'll get nothing out of you. If you were an aristocrat, selling your lands could be taken as an invitation for the Emperor to take part in the act. Even though there are no laws stating that, and no one will say a word. At the same time, making gifts between families is quite normal, and these traditions shouldn't concern the Emperor.'
'How is selling not considered a tradition acceptable between families?'
'I don't know. That's just how the traditions are,' Akeno shrugged.
It seemed like I had to opt for leasing. Otherwise, I'd have to ask them to take the lands as a gift and preserve them.
'Who should I lease them to, in your opinion?'
'You don't have that many options. Well... unless you have a couple more families that can help you out. Since you are prejudiced in the case of the Koyama clan...'
'You're not entirely right, Akeno-san. I just don't want to ask you for your help too often. If I keep doing it, it'll mean that I'm dependent on you to some extent. I don't want to be dependent on anyone.'
'Right, right. Okay, try to ask the head of the Okhayashi clan.'
'Why would he help me? I mean what can I offer him in return?'
'Nothing. I don't know what you might have in stock, but I doubt he'll want anything from you. Anyway, you have a chance. He allowed his daughter to accompany you, after all.'
'Didn't she... yes, that's a silly question. In that case, I'd rather ask you for help. I trust you more.'
'I agree. As for trust... A seamlessly drawn-up contract would not leave him no chance. In addition, the Okhayashi line is known for... how shall I put it... if they enter a contract or make an agreement, they adhere to it and don't waste words. Honesty is the number one quality of an aristocrat, but honesty can take different forms. If you enter into an agreement with them, I doubt they would deceive you.' I didn't want to trade in one kind of trouble for another. I'd rather do it with the Koyama.
'Thanks for the explanation, Akeno-san. I'll have to think everything over. I'll do it later Because right now, I can't think straight.' Akeno just nodded. 'Okay, you mentioned some kind of business...'
'Yes, also connected with the Okhayashi.'
'Hm, that's interesting. I can't imagine what that could be,' I said, getting myself comfortable on the sofa and ready to listen.
'You see, Shin, the clans of Okhayashi and Koyama have not had the friendliest of relationships for over a hundred years. I can't even explain how it all started because the exact time is lost in history. The fact is that even my grandfather bickered back and forth with Okhayashi. There was no enmity or wars; Cold peace would be the best way to describe our relationship. If our interests ever crossed, there'd be a war. For now, we just mess with each other without crossing the line. However, in the last 10-12 years things have somehow calmed down, but I still remember how we took over a business they were about to buy, and then sold it to their competitors. Yes, those weren't pleasant times. One time, I ran into Dai, their present clan head, and his cousins at a gathering. I would have gone for them right there if it hadn't been for your father. So... This morning, we got an invitation in the mail. It's for the birthday party of their youngest daughter.'
'I see,' I was trying to quickly analyze the situation in my mind. 'That must be a conciliatory proposal. But if you show up as a group...'
'That will cause suspicion, even if everything goes okay. The conflict has been going on for too long. We can't miss it either because that won’t improve the situation any.'
'The head of the clan is too much for them. An heir?'
'Too dangerous. If it's another attempt to mess with us, it’s better I’m not there.'
'Are you sure? It could smell like war.'
'They won't go that far, but using the chance to present me in a bad light could be easily accomplished.'
'What about Kagami-san? As far as I know, she's pretty popular. They might look bad if they attempt to get to you through her.'
'Firstly, she isn't Koyama by blood. Secondly, sending her will look like...'
'Cowardice?'
'That's rather overstated,' Akeno muttered. 'However, true.'
'How complicated. Does it mean Shina should go? By herself? I doubt that's a good idea to send two kids.'
'Yes. Shina alone. If we’d received an invitation for the whole family, it'd be different.'
'So, I need to look after her and cover her, if anything happens?'
'Yes. I'm against it, But the old man said, 'It's time to stop this.''
I wondered if asking them to preserve my lands would be an equivalent deed for the favor. I didn't want to go anywhere with Shina. However, since I was going to go there anyway, why not? I'm wasn't going to lie to myself: if anything happened, I would of course protect her.
'Deal. I'll look after her.'
'Great. Are you going to bed now?'
'No way. I have my hands full right now.' I might need a couple hours sleep. Who knows what else might happen today. I might just meditate in the car. 'I have to run around the city all day. Why do you ask?'
'Well, I'm thinking you and Shina should arrive together to Okhayashi.'
'Fine,' I said. 'We can go together. I'll come to get her this evening then. I'll be there by 8 o'clock.'
'You know, if you're going as a couple to the party, then you should get back earlier.'
As a couple. Hmmm. I hadn't thought of that.
'Don't you think it'd be better if...' I started. Then I looked at Akeno's imploring face and fell silent. Okay. Fine. I just don't want all that fuss with picking out clothes. You know how much I hate it.'
He must be terrified of them. It seems weird now that I had managed to get to know Rydon. He knew where I lived from the very beginning. I never noticed any prejudice against the Koyama. In addition, they ate lunch at the same table almost every day. How ironic. I get why we need to go as a couple. That way, I would be her official defender. Any move against her would be a direct insult to me. They wouldn't be able to get to her before they were done with me.
If I were talking to Koyama right now, I'd think that he was worried about the reputation of his clan. He loved his granddaughters and followed the principle 'being alive is all that matters.' The rest would follow. Akeno, on the other hand, superseded even Kagami, their mother, in caring for his daughters. If it weren’t for Kagami, Shina would have turned out to be a bratty witch. Mizuki would never grow up.
'I'll go get her, and you can talk about it,' Akeno replied cheerfully reaching for a pocket in his kimono.'
'Hold on! Please don't call Shina. I'll be there by 7 o'clock. I think that'll be enough time for her to mock me.'
'Okay, let’s shake on it.' As if I need that. 'Now that we have agreed, I'm going to go and surprise my daughter.'
'Wait a minute, Akeno-san,' I stopped him at the door. 'One last question. What is Bunja's 'kamontoku?''
'Hm, that question,' Akeno tousled his hair, 'I cannot answer. It is not my secret to tell.'
'Is it a secret?'
'The fact of inherited abilities is not a secret. What is a secret is which abilities exactly they possess. Although secret is putting it strongly. Shin, this knowledge won't help you because you don't use Bahir. So there is no sense in breaking my word.'
'What if I decide to learn it?'
&nb
sp; 'Don't twist the knife, Shinji, I would only ever violate the rules if your life depended on it.'
'Alright, Akeno-san. I understand. Giving your word is a powerful excuse. It's okay.'
'Well then. I'm going to go. Don't forget: be at the house at 7 o'clock.'
'I won't,' I sighed heavily. 'Goodbye, Akeno-san.'
* * *
When I entered the hospital room, I saw Tarot immediately. Sitting in a wheelchair, he was trying to balance on the rear, larger wheels. In the accident he arranged, the fool had managed to break both legs.
'One accident was not enough? You’re addicted now?'
'Hi, boss! I'm just having a little fun.'
'Yeah, what a funhouse. Yamashita is still in a coma, in case you didn’t know.'
'Why do I care? Life can be tough.'
'Tell that to his son. I don't believe for a second that he won’t try to find out what happened.'
'Umm.'
'Yes, 'umm.' I’ve made the arrangements, and you'll be discharged today. Get ready. You can stay with your father until you fully recover. I'm sure he can give you cover for a while. Meanwhile, I'll sort things out with the family.'
'Father is going to call the 'healers' right away. That will take a whole week of recovery.'
'Don't be a pain in the neck. You'll be safer there.'
'What about work?' he asked with a pitiful intonation.
'What did you say earlier?' I mimicked as if I were thinking. 'Why should I care? Life is tough.'
'You shouldn’t mock a sick person, boss.'
'It's not mockery, Nemoto-San. Here,' I threw two plump folders onto his knees, 'That is mockery. You deserve it, legless.'
Tarot spent the next ten minutes studying the contents of the folders. His reading speed was amazing, by the way, much quicker than mine. I doubt that he is capable of instantly memorizing whole pages of books like I can, but that's not considered reading, as I have to process what I memorized afterwards, anyway.
'As for the computer games, boss, it's doable. I can use my phone at first. This one though,' he shook the second folder, 'cannot be done without some sort of mobility.'
'No hurry with the shipyard. That’s one’s just for future contemplation. For now, just make inquiries and lay the groundwork.'
'Okay, I got it. As far as the games go, the technical aspect is feasible, but I don't know if it'll be viable.' This world had no online games, believe it or not. The 21st-century games haven't entered this arena yet. Sometimes it shocks me to make these discoveries.
'Then there will be. Trust me. Read the folder, and you'll understand. Your task is the usual: organize everything and find someone who can be put in charge of it.'
'The usual,' he said beginning to grumble. 'Can I put someone in charge of manga too?'
'Go for it. I don't know why you still haven't found anyone.' Now he was at a loss for words.
'That's not fair, boss. How many times have you told me about the importance and secrecy of it all?'
'So what? Have I once told you have to do it yourself?'
'Ugh.'
'Enough weeping. You're gonna draw unnecessary attention to yourself.'
'I'll remember that, boss. You’ll see.'
'Alright, alright. You've intrigued me.'
'Pft.'
'God, just look at this sensitive creature. Stop pouting like a girl. Do you know our security?'
'A little bit,' he said growing wary. I looked out the door and called a man standing nearby.
'Meet Sugishima Tsunao. He is your new guard. He is a single man, so he can guard you day and night.' To comply with the genre, Tarot was supposed to start playing tough and refuse. However, in reality, he wasn't a spoiled girl and accepted the fact.
'Got it. What kind of clearance level... What kind of information can be exposed in front of him?' Tarot asked without shying away.
'Hm, I haven't thought of that,' I looked at the man. 'Sugishima-San, you've served before, right?'
'Yes.
'You know what secrecy is, right?'
'No,' he answered pithily.
'I understand. Would you take the risk?' The man looked at me in surprise. 'My company, where you work, has been growing quickly. Soon the pace of growth might pick up. More and more people will start paying attention to us. The way things are at Shidotamoru right now is not satisfactory. There will be changes, shifts, transformations. You can take a risk and put it all on me. If we survive the boom, then we'll have significant growth. A fall is also possible and will definitely hurt. Since you have the opportunity to be closer to the management, your growth will be exceptional, but falling could be lethal. The choice is yours. You can leave it as is and go back to the office with all the other guards, or you can take second from the top clearance level, and this young man will hide nothing from you. You have to take new information into account when protecting this entity,' I waved my hand in the direction of the guy. 'What's going to happen if you misuse the information you have obtained or overheard at work?'
'Death.'
'Exactly. That's correct. I hope you won't let my age fool you.'
'No.'
'In that case, you have a couple of days to think it over. After that, you can either tell Tarot that you want to come back or say nothing. Got it?'
'Yes.' I like this style of conversing.
I wouldn't bring the first available guard here, you understand. I spent a week researching my guards' backgrounds and trying to find the right people for my personal use. It'd be nice to find a person to put in charge of my security team, a person who could also reform it, although not right away, of course.
'Great. Then go back to work.'
'Yes,' said Sugisima, and left the room.
'Do you think we can trust him?' Tarot asked.
'Heh, he was booted from the army for being too honest in a military courtroom. The commander was thrown under the bus and Sugisima was the only one who stood up for him. If you can't trust these people, who can you trust? Anything could happen, but my gut feeling tells me that you can risk a stab in the back if he's there with you. At first, however,...'
'I got ya, boss. Trust is good, but control is better.'
'Good job. Alright. Get well soon, legless. Be careful.'
I left the hospital and entered the parking lot. My driver was still Goro. While I was playing poker that night, he got a good sleep and even had dinner at the hotel restaurant. So, unlike me, Vasya-chan radiated energy and positivity. As I got in the car, I took out my cigarettes.
'Where to, Sakurai-san?'
Good question. I had been to the office; I visited Tarot; I talked to the Prince's representative. I was the official owner of Yamashita Corp, but due to my age, I couldn't manage it fully; consequently, a merger with Shidotamoru was out of the question. They were simply two different corporations that both belonged to me. I had to sort out some things, but temporarily, it was Tanaka who managed both corporations. I hoped that a month would be enough to hire new staff, and I'd be the rightful, although not legal, owner of Yamashita Corp. What should I do now? Looking at the clock, I realized that it was only 3 o'clock, and I had four hours of doing nothing. Some things could be postponed, and for now, I could take a nap or get ready for the birthday party. That's exactly why I was procrastinating and doing work instead. The last thing I wanted to do right now was try on clothes. If I contact Shina now, this could turn into a shopping spree. On the other hand, I could at least be certain that everything was ready to rock for tonight. It won't be great if I show up in a three-piece suit, even worse if it's the same one I wore to Crystal Eve, and the girl was wearing some modern party clothes. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, of course, but why risk that when I could do better. In short, I had to call Shina before I remembered I had something else going on.
I put down a cigarette and took out my phone.
'Let me just see where we're going next.'
I dialed Shina's number and was prepared to wait. I did
n't have to though as she picked up the phone right away.
'Shinji, little turd. Get home now.'
Is she trying to tick me off on purpose? If she needs me that bad, why didn't she call me?
'Easy, girl,' I was trying to sound like I was smiling.
'I said: get home!'
'And I said: easy, girl.' At moments like this, I think, I could really do without this?
'You’re obviously feeling brave over the phone? Get here and say that to my face.' Sickening.
'Shina, baby, is your father around by any chance? Could you put him on the phone?' Akeno knows better and stays away from the phone when he's home.
'Why?' Shina changed her tone of voice.
'Don't make me call your mother.'
'Are you going to tell on me? Are you? Decided to become a tattletale?'
'Shina, you're a terror, and it’s become harder and harder to communicate with you lately. If I have to tell on you to make it easier, that’s what I'll do.'
'You... You're scum, little one. No need to talk to father. Tell me what you want.'
'We need to pick out appropriate outfits for the both of us.'
'That's all you have to say.'
'Do you understand what you just said? I didn't even have time to say hi to you.'
'Pft.' Come now. I'm waiting for you at home,' and with that Shina hung up. So sassy.
'Let's go home, Goro. It's time to work as a manikin.'
Approaching the Koyama neighborhood, I asked Vasya-chan to slow down.
'Stop at that house. If nobody comes out within ten minutes, I'll go straight home. I reckon the guards’ll come out in about five minutes. If I get out of the car, we can speed things up a bit.' I proved my point. Literally a minute later, I was approached by a vaguely familiar man, who said that a pass was issued in my name, and all I had to do was register the vehicle.
'That's insane,' I mumbled, getting back into the car. 'It's definitely time to buy my own car. Go to my house, Goro. What do you think of moving closer, by the way?'
'For the sake of a car like this boss, I'll live wherever you tell me.'
Changing Masks Page 34
