The elegant room smelled of fragrant tea.
The tea, brewed in an exotic-style teapot with a gentle *pok-pok*, had a reddish hue like hibiscus. She supposed it was simply called "red tea" for its color, and she savored the aroma. It was the kind of tea leaves one might serve with sugar and milk,
Maomao,
however, could not abide sweet tea and declined.
"So, what are your thoughts on the matter?"
The person whose very act of stirring tea with a spoon looked elegant—
Jinshi
—was adding milk to his cup, though at least that was the correct method for avoiding stomach trouble. Maomao sat on the opposite side of the table, drinking her tea across from him.
(Is this really all right, this arrangement?)
Momomi
had escorted her to Jinshi's room without protest, but from any angle, this was unmistakably a tea party.
Suiren
also seemed to have no complaints, so it was probably fine—but—
"Please, help yourself."
Suiren offered the tea with such a warm smile that it felt rude to refuse. Maomao decided she would take just one sip and then offer her thoughts.
"Understand that this is merely my opinion—"
"You mean to say that it's speculation, and may differ from the actual truth?
I
will not take your opinion at face value but will assess it objectively—would that be acceptable?"
"Yes."
Maomao had no choice but to concur. And Jinshi had just glanced toward Momomi. The deliberate use of "I"—was that for Momomi's sake?
"Then what would you like my opinion on?"
"About the Wind-Reading Tribe. Even things I already know are fine. Speak as though you're piecing it all together."
"As you wish."
With Jinshi's words, Maomao found it easier to talk. Not having to worry about overlapping with what he already knew, she didn't need to choose her words so carefully.
"Regarding the Wind-Reading Tribe, I heard from a former serf in a farming village I visited during an inspection—
Nianzhen—
He said the tribe was destroyed because of bride hunts and slave hunts in the past. I also heard that the Wind-Reading Tribe presides over rituals and is protected by the Dog Tribe."
Jinshi probably already knew all of this. He sipped his tea while popping cookies into his mouth. These were yet another variety of exotic
biscuits
to go with the tea.
"The rituals they performed were a method for preventing
locust plagues
in advance.
It was called autumn plowing—
besides improving the soil by turning over the fields, it also seems to be effective for exterminating pest eggs. For the finer details,
Rahan's
brother would know, I believe."
"So it's Rahan's brother. The Rahan clan is full of capable people. You have
genuine agricultural experts—
two of them, even?"
Rahan's brother again.
(Though Rahan only learned farming because he had no choice...)
With that peculiar earnestness of his, he'd surely throw himself wholeheartedly into the agricultural work. If he'd been born into an ordinary family, he'd have been ordinarily excellent.
"Where's Rahan?"
"We received word that he'll return tomorrow. It seems he's finished teaching the general tasks."
Bashan
reported. This time, his mother apparently hadn't taken his work away from him. With fewer jobs around lately, perhaps he had too much free time.
"Then have him come see me when he returns."
"Yes."
(Will this be all right?)
Maomao felt a touch of unease, but decided to set it aside for now.
"The Wind-Reading clan uses birds, according to what the former serf told us, but I couldn't determine exactly how. However, from the testimony of the suspicious individual captured today—
Kurumu—
I learned that the Wind-Reading clan was not destroyed, and their descendants survive with the knowledge of raising birds."
Kurumu had only ever conceived of the bird-raising technique in terms of selling pampered pets to the wealthy, but that wasn't it.
"If raised properly, birds could potentially help in locating insects, but that's not the main point here. If they also kept pigeons or similar birds, those would serve as an extremely effective means of communication."
Maomao voiced what she believed Jinshi had already figured out.
"I believe the Wind-Reading clan's greatest strength was their bird-based communication network. This is merely speculation, but it wouldn't be surprising if they had been operating as an intelligence unit."
Jinshi's expression did not change.
"Then what happened to the surviving members of the Wind-Reading clan?"
"This is speculation only, but—it appears that whoever purchased their technology took them under protection."
Maomao answered slowly, choosing her words with care.
"Who do you think protected them?"
"...I don't know. The Dog clan, perhaps, or some other faction."
"Why do you think it was the Dog clan?"
Maomao herself felt the answer was contradictory.
"The late Emperor's mother—I will use the term 'Empress Regnant' deliberately."
"Go ahead."
"Because she was the one who destroyed them."
"I see."
Jinshi's expression shifted to one of understanding. The woman who had turned the late Emperor into a
puppet
and ruled the nation was thought to be a pragmatic person. The ever-expanding harem, the ban on clearing forests—all of these presumably had their reasons. But there were many unclear points regarding the annihilation of the Dog clan.
「So you're saying the clan was punished for being kept secret from the imperial family and walled off — a clan that originally served more as an intelligence-gathering force?」
「That is one possibility.」
「I see. Then what if it wasn't the Dog clan?」
「As for that...」
This was difficult for Maomao to say, but Jinshi had probably already gotten wind of it. She glanced around cautiously. In Jinshi's room, of all places, no one should be eavesdropping.
「According to Kurumu's testimony,
Gyokuen's
wife,
Gyokuyō's
mother is believed to be from the Kazayomi clan.」
「That's correct.」
Jinshi answered clearly.
(He already figured it out?)
There was no need to even ask Maomao for her guess. Behind her,
crafting boar-tusk
pieces,
was Suzume.
She had apparently already investigated the matter long ago.
「I hear that his wife's abilities were a great help in Lord Gyokuen's business. But it's not what you're thinking, Maomao.」
「Wh-what do you mean?」
Maomao considered the age of Gyokuyō's mother. No matter how young she was, she must have been born by the time the Kazayomi clan was being hunted for slaves.
「I hear that Lord Gyokuen's former wife was a slave. She was sold in Saō and kept as a personal maid until Lord Gyokuen purchased her.」
(A relative?)
She was undoubtedly from the same Kazayomi clan. But if Gyokuen's wife had been on the side that was destroyed, that changed things considerably.
「I know it may seem rude to dig into the deceased's past and speak of it so... but given the circumstances. It was something I had already looked into and known for some time.」
「So you already knew about the background check, huh?」
Suzume was getting carried away, putting on that smug look again, but she was caught by the consort and froze under a raptor's gaze.
「Don't let this slip to anyone around you.」
「Understood.」
*A slave from Sanduo.*
If a slave's son were to become the master of the Western Capital, problems would naturally arise. Where on earth had Suzume dug up such classified information?
「As for the consort's character, there are no concerns. I hear she was a gentle and intelligent woman.」
「Is that so.」
Maomao had thought there was no need to press further, but there was one thing she had to confirm.
「This is a slight digression from the matter of the Wind-reading clan, but may I ask about it?」
「What is it?」
「Regarding the village I was sent to scout, a few days ago,
Rikuson
visited it.」
「…Ah, that matter.」
Jinshi looked up at an angle. He seemed to be turning things over in his mind.
「I've looked into Rikuson as well. I know he went there for an agricultural inspection. Apparently, in the Western Capital, he'd been too busy with work to visit rural villages. This was originally something the Central government had asked about.」
Maomao tilted her head.
「Originally?」
It struck her as somewhat suspicious.
「Yes. The report from Xixi Province showed no significant agricultural damage. But without seeing things with his own eyes, he couldn't be completely at ease. So the task ended up falling on Rikuson.」
「…Is that really the case?」
「Why do you doubt it?」
「No reason in particular.」
When they had arrived at the Western Capital, his appearance had been rather disheveled. Maomao's suspicious mind couldn't help but wonder if he had been up to something shady.
「Suzume will explain the reason for his disheveled appearance.」
Suzume huffed, puffing up with indignation. Even in front of Jinshi, she insisted on referring to herself as "Suzume."
「Suzume.」
The raptor fixed its gaze upon a small bird of exceptional brazenness.
「Fine. Speak.」
「Understood. Suzume had already looked into it. It seems Lord Lu Sun was pursued by bandits on his way back. Maomao, you must remember — those bandits. The poor bandits whose arms Basen broke so decisively.」
「Yes, of course I remember.」
(Suzume, you used me as bait, didn't you.)
「Several of the bandits were captured and escorted away after a few hours. Furthermore, the mastermind behind the bandits was apprehended shortly after. An informant gave them up. Incidentally, one of the guides was the same person who had led Lord Lu Sun to the rural village a few days prior.」
To summarize Suzume's account: the guide had passed the guest's information on to the bandits, who then attacked travelers unfamiliar with the grasslands. And the reason Maomao's group and Lu Sun were both set upon by bandits was because the same guide had led the way.
「Suzume's group was truly attacked by coincidence, however —」
(Oh, don't you lie to me.)
「Lord Lu Sun's case appears to have been an attack orchestrated through yet another handler guiding the guide.」
「You mean someone wanted to obstruct his inspection of the rural villages?」
「That is one possibility. It may have simply been intimidation. Or perhaps, to turn things on their head, they deliberately posed as the victims — but this is the kind of thinking that is beyond Suzume.」
The clever thing about Suzume was that she always drew a line, no matter what. She relayed the facts without offering opinions.
(She'll use me as bait, though.)
Maomao harbored a small grudge.
「Understood.」
Jinshi ordered her to withdraw. Suzume snapped to attention and bowed crisply.
(From the look of things,)
Jinshi didn't seem to have fully grasped what kind of person Lu Sun was either. At least, from what Maomao had heard, he seemed like a man faithful to his duties.
Jinshi sipped his tea while gathering his thoughts. Maomao, too, took a mouthful of the tea, which had grown quite cool.
(It tastes like the kind of thing that makes you crave something sweet,)
Maomao thought — and as soon as she considered wanting something salty, a small snack box was quietly placed at her side. Shuren had set it down, offering a brief glance. Inside were simple rice crackers.
"Eating
snacks
all by yourself is dull — keep me company."
Jinshi said, holding up a confection.
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
Maomao ended up taking a loud, crunchy bite. She worried it might be rude, but the rice crackers with their salty flavor were delicious.
(She'll wrap some up for me later, right?)
She also wanted some biscuits as a souvenir for the quack doctor.
(But,
Ten'yuu
is going to be there.)
She could easily fool the quack doctor, but how would she handle Ten'yuu? Maomao thought it would be best to confirm this beforehand.
"May I ask a question?"
"What is it?"
Jinshi's face brightened slightly.
"Regarding the new medical officer named Ten'yuu — what should my standing be around him? If I come here frequently, I don't think I'll be able to maintain the pretense the way I do with... the medical officer, Your Highness."
"......That's true. About that ——"
There was a pause in Jinshi's response.
"I told him you'd been working as an etiquette trainee, so you've been an acquaintance from before. Please rest easy."
Suiren answered with a warm smile.
"An etiquette trainee......"
"Yes. For the most part, I haven't told a lie."
"Well... that's true, but..."
Maomao honestly found the term distasteful. An etiquette trainee serving in a refined person's household — generally, that was considered part of bridal training.
"I haven't told a lie."
Suiren repeated herself with the same smile.
Feeling ill at ease, Maomao bit into yet another rice cracker.