Vega, Otherworlder Freedom Fighters

I have already heard rumors about the Imperial capital being a place where numerous Otherworlders have been kept after being summoned. Lady Reiha said that before it was annexed by the Shogunate two years ago, she made regular trips to Hitachi in order to meet with the Kiyomasa clan who runs Kyoga Sanctum and houses these Otherworlders who hasn't met or became retainers of Daimyos yet.

I expected to run into one of them here during our trip, but after I met someone who gave a keyword that could be identified by any modern person, I was brought to the place where every one of them are located.

"These are…"

"This is our group who has been given a house here in Kanae. We are all from the same world even though some of us were summoned from different times and dates."

As soon as I learned about them, I followed this man who brought me to a large house just outside of the Imai clan's lands and showed me his fellow Otherworlders, seven of them to be exact.

"Let me introduce all of us. This young woman right here is Kameko, she was summoned here a year ago and she came from 2064. She's good at acting since she was in a theater club in high school, and she's been using it to get information from playhouses that are frequented by government people. During our missions, she goes by the nickname of "Tifa"."

The guy pointed at a young lady with long, jet black hair who has an air of elegance around her, and yet, looks lively and approachable. She gave me a smile and waved at me.

"Next is this middle schooler boy whose name is Kisho who was summoned three years ago and came from 2047. He might look like a gentle and fragile guy, but this boy is very good at painting and has used it to gain funds for our secret movement. He's also well known around Kanae as an illustrator for several noble families and has been instrumental to securing allies within the imperial rule-leaning nobles. In missions, he goes with the nickname of "Tails"."

He pointed at a slightly short guy who has a shy expression on his face. Still, with everything that has been credited to him, I had some sense of respect for him.

"Next is this girl named Risako who was summoned five years ago and came from 2073. She's our resident survivalist given her experience during some kind of new war that our old world went into again. She has knowledge about guns and has been our spy and assassin for a long while. She goes with the nickname "Ada"."

The next woman is someone who has a serious expression on her eyes that seems to be constantly sizing up those who she is looking at. She wears a short yukata which exposes her hip, that has a knife that looks like it is razor sharp.

"Next is our resident kickboxer named Taka who has summoned five months ago and came from 2055. He might not look like it because he is sporty looking, but he is a chemical engineering student who makes whatever we need for out tasks. If you ever need something that needs some science to do, you can go and ask him about it. Because of that, he goes with the nickname of "Oz"."

The next guy is well-built and has a light tan on him. He certainly looks like the sporty and famous type even though he has expertise in a difficult academic subject.

"Next, this is Yoichi who was summoned two years ago and came from 2034. Being the eldest of us in year of summoning, but youngest in age, his youth may trick you, but he is really good with mathematics and strategy games and has been the master strategist in our missions. He goes with "Dhaos"."

The young boy was busy with writing some numbers on his notebook but did raise a greeting hand towards me.

"Meanwhile, this is a half-American, half-Japanese guy named Luke. He was summoned four years ago and came from 2072. He is good with machines and managed to infiltrate a Shogunate-owned train factory and become an owner of one train locomotive. Because of him, we can enter and leave the Shogunate capital of Yamato province. He goes with "Toad" as a nickname."

The thin-looking, blonde young man waved a hand to me and tipped his train conductor hat which I received properly.

"That leaves me as the last, my name is Motoyasu Michi and I was summoned here about two years ago and I came from 2067. I am the leader of this group called "Vega" whose aim is to bring down the Shogunate and return freedom to the people. My nickname is "Player 1"."

With all of their names now known to me, I proceeded to give my name… the one I had before I was reincarnated here.

"My name is Miyazaki Hiro. I was reincarnated here about three years ago and I died in our world by 2070. I am also after the Shogun and has been using my mercantile connections to enter the inner circle of the nobles who might be able to bring me near the Shogun after a while. It's a pleasure to meet all of you and finally know that I am not alone as an Otherworlder now."

"You sure aren't buddy. Come on, give it here!"

"Huh? Oh! Here!"

"Hahaha! See? This guy gets it!"

Taka-san reached his muscular arm and having understood the greeting he wanted, I slammed my hand to his and vigorously shook it which made him glad since he must've not expected me to get it.

"You say that you have mercantile connections? What kind is it?"

Risako-san calmly asked me, and I replied properly.

"I am aiming to sell high-class fashion clothes to nobles to win their favor. I have been successful so far and has even been commissioned by the Imai fief to create the wedding clothes for his daughter and son-in-law's wedding."

"Wedding… wait Risako, didn't you say that-"

"Yes, I think that's the wedding that is included at the Shogun's schedule. The timing aligns."

"I see…"

I continued to narrate my business until Michi-san stood up and was looked at by his groupmates.

"Everyone, do you think he fits the bill?"

"Definitely."

"He is an Otherworlder like us. He is in."

"He seems like our best way into the wedding area."

"My information aligns with his words. He is trustworthy."

"I-If you guys think he's good… I-I think so too…"

"My guts say he's good. Let him in."

Their replies seem to be positive as Michi-san approached and asked me a question.

"Would you like to join our group? Think about it, Miyazaki-san… we can all do this together if we help each other."

"Besides, our goals align. Your victory is also our victory."

"…"

They seem to not be a bunch of people with ill intentions. From the dates where they came from, it seems like all of them has experienced the hardships of life in one way or another. If so, I believe the reason they are rebelling against the Shogun is because of his actions.

"I just want to ask… what kinds of things do you guys do to disrupt the Shogun's rule?"

"There are several ways for that like sabotaging the activities of his underlings or exposing the wrongdoings of Daimyos and government officials that are aligned with him. So far, over half of our activities are successful. Most of the failures happen because we don't have enough connections with high-ranking nobles who can back us up in our operations."

"I see…"

Seems like they are trustworthy enough.

"Alright. I'll join you guys."

"Yosh!"

"Welcome aboard, "Leon"."

"L-Leon?"

"Why? Don't you like it? You can change it now if you want?"

"Oh… not really. I just didn't expect to be called like that already."

With all of that said, I was finally inducted into the group of Otherworlders whose aim is to remove the Shogunate's rule in Hitachi and free the other provinces under his control as well.

"We modern people are brought here by circumstances that must've been an act of fate. Even though he is an Otherworlder like us, Shogun Amanogawa Sora has proved again and again that he will rule like a dictator should. I think all of you have already seen what happened in Hitachi, right?"

"Yes."

"Definitely."

"…"

I haven't come to Hitachi yet since Minori and the others said that it might not be safe yet. But given that these guys seem to carry a heavy air after Hitachi was mentioned, I already thought that it must be terrible out there.

"We already know what happens when dictators gain power. They oppress their people and will clearly bring their lands into ruin… Our group exists so that kind of future can be avoided. We won't let that guy take our freedoms! Are you with me?!"

"Yes!"

"Right behind you, boss!"

"I can get behind that."

Seems like it's right. Our goals do align. My enemy and their enemy is the same. We should help each other.

"Well then, what can I help out in?"

"You said that you're selling luxury items, right?"

"Yeah. The first things I sold are clothes that came from the south."

"I see… Then can one of us join you, Miyazaki-san?"

"Join me in meetings? I think that won't be a problem, but what if my clients are Shogunate-leaning ones?"

"Don't worry. We know who to approach and not. We simply didn't have the right prestige or connections to make official visits to them since now."

I nodded to them, and they talked about who will be our group's representative in those meetings. In the end, they settled for Yoichi since he knows how to speak towards nobles in a formal tone.

"Now that we've settled for the negotiations with the nobles, we should start talking about the upcoming sabotaging of Shogunate buildings and exposing their wrongdoings. With that, Kameko, state your latest intel."

"Ahem… I heard from a Fukuhara noble that came to my play earlier that someone from the Shogunate will be visiting the Araki fiefdom soon. This seems to connect with Risako's reports that the Araki clan has been gaining a reputation in the Shogunate court for housing the spies of the Shogunate that reports the rebelling nobles in Kanae."

"I see… They will be coming by train, right?"

"Yes. They'll exit the border of Mikoto province and cross into Kanae through the Hyuuga bridge. I suggest we go there and sabotage their trip until we can expose the Araki clan to the other nobles and let them handle the traitors."

"I second that plan."

"Me too."

"Well then, next is the plan to extend the electric service from Hitachi to Kanae. What do you guys have to say about this?"

"If we let the Shogunate do that, they will gain the favor of the people. I believe we should also stop that until public opinion is against the Shogunate."

"I can arrange for some mercenaries to steal their supply of wires until they give up. That way, they will think that Kanae is too dangerous to invest utilities in."

"I think so too."

"Well then, I'll leave Risako-san to handle that."

"I won't fail, Michi."

Their planning went on and on and by midnight, the meeting was finished, and I was told to go back for now until things can be set into motion.

"Those guys are allies… I finally have some other people to lean on in this fight."

I breathed out a sigh of relief after learning that I am not alone in this fight now. They seem to be experienced enough to be dependable. With that, I am sure that I have a chance to meet the Shogun again and prove to him that his rule, which he explained when we last met each other, is wrong.

Tomorrow came and as I left my estate to meet with clients, I told Minori to go to the group's house first to pick up Yoichi who will become the group's representative in finding potential allies in the nobles.

"Good day, Miyazaki-dono! It is a pleasure to have you over in my castle today."

"The pleasure is all mine, my liege. It is an honor to be invited here today."

He and his two wives ordered formal kimonos for their selves and several Yukatas for their children. Having recorded their orders and the special designs they wanted to be placed on the clothes, I introduced Yoichi as my companion and left the room for a while to let them speak in private. But I stayed just outside of the sliding door, carefully listening if ever things would go south.

"You are Yoichi-kun, yes? The companion of Miyazaki-dono?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I am a companion of Young master Miyazaki, but I am not here as a representative of his company."

"Excuse me?"

"Let me get straight to the point, Your Highness… Would it be right for me to deduce that you are a supporter of the Imperial rule?"

"…Except for me and Yoichi-kun, can everyone leave the room for a moment?"

"As you wish, my lord."

"As you speak…"

The other servants and his wives left the room which allowed the two to speak to each other with no one else but me listening to them.

"Why did you ask such a question, Yoichi-kun?"

"I believe you have heard of an underground group that aims to remove the Shogunate's control over Hitachi. That is us, your highness… I and Miyazaki-dono are part of it."

"I see… So that's the reason why Miyazaki-dono has been going around and gaining the prestige of noble families… your group wanted to expand their reach now, huh?"

"Yes. That would be mostly correct."

Yoichi quickly turned the casual expression of the noble from business to serious as he seemed to convince him to join our cause. After a while, Yoichi called me back inside and we finalized our agreement.

"Hrm… I didn't expect this, Miyazaki-san… I thought you are just a clothier."

"I am a clothier first and foremost, my liege. I just happened to be a part of this secret movement against the Shogunate as well."

"Heh… I see. Well, my clan has long been debating whether to honor our service to the Emperor or join hands with the promises of the Shogunate. But hearing all of the things you two have told me, it seems like there is only one way for this to go."

The nobleman took off one of his rings and placed it on my hand. This ring has an embossment that spells his clan's name.

"You have my family's support in your movement. We will do our part to return this land to the Emperor's hands."

"We thank you greatly, my liege."

"I appreciate it."

Later that night, our achievement was celebrated by the group.

"Cheers!"

"Hooray for our first high noble connection!"

"Yahoo!"

There were only eight of us in the large house, but the celebration was joyous and mutual as everyone shared drinks and entertained one another with light-hearted conversations and once there are those who are already drunk enough, drunken singing and such.

"Come on, Kameko-chan! Sing for us!"

"Awright! I'll do it just for this once!"

Although it was quite enjoyable, I must admit that I'm not really much into parties and I excused myself in the middle of their drunken revelry to go outside and breathe some fresh air. But then, an old lady approached me from the outdoor hallway.

"So, you are the newcomer, huh?"

"Huh? Who are you?"

"I am Kiyomasa Risa. The landlady of this house and the caretaker of the Otherworlders who are in here."

"Kiyomasa… you mean, that Kiyomasa?"

"Yes. The clan that handles the functions of the Kyoga sanctum. Unlike the main family though who run the temple itself, a scion of the branch family like me are tasked with taking care of the summoned Otherworlders and making sure that whoever they come to serve under would take care of them properly before they can join their new master."

"I see… So you are like a mother to them, huh?"

"Ohoho! You can say that it is like that."

The old lady carried a thin smile and even though I call her old as there are graying hairs on her head, her face still looks a bit younger than expected.

"Michi-san and the others… they sure are going on a dangerous task, don't they?"

"You mean their rebellion? Yes. Yes, they do."

"Did you… try to intervene then?"

"Even if I wish to do so, I can't really convince them to stop…"

Somehow, I expected the old lady to say more about it just like complaining about them, but instead, she just sighed and gave another thin smile.

"Why?"

"Didn't they tell you about it already? They want to be free. They don't agree with the Shogun's ideas about how things work and what can and cannot be done. As such, that is what happened."

"I see… So, this is what they really wish, huh?"

"It does. As they say, they came from a land where they are free, and they don't want to live in here without that same freedom. As such, they decided to act as they don't want to wait for so long to have someone else do it for them."

"Even if it is dangerous for them?"

After I asked that, the old woman giggled a bit and replied.

"Ehehe… Wouldn't it be hypocritical if the people who wants to be free just stops because someone told them to do so?"

"Oh."

"…Whether it is a simple rebellious phase, or they are full-fledged freedom fighters, the outcome of their actions will be the ultimate decider of what kind of place they will live in."

"…"

Hearing her say that made me understand that somehow, this group is more than a way for me to reach out to my goal of meeting the Shogun and stopping him from expanding his power over others.

This group are… equals of me. People who are here because we share something rather than being here just because they wish to follow me.

"Kou-sama. We will be recruiting some locals today to our gang."

"Hrm? Sure, keep safe, Ayato."

"Y-yes…"

"Kou-sama. We're going to the port today to pick up the package sent by Edogawa-dono."

"Is that so? Do bring the cart with you, Minori. I remember him saying that it was hard to transport by foot."

"…I will, Iwasawa-sama."

Weeks passed as we stayed in Kanae, taking our time to integrate in the local area and gain more following from the nobles who was interested in our items. At some point, most of our tasks became a routine such as Ayato and Old man Namikaze going out to continue spreading the name of their gang to keep everyone's attention and suspicion away from us and Minori and the other Crows facilitating the transportation of our supplies and delivery of products.

"Iwasawa-sama..."

"What is it, Kotori?"

"My subordinates made a new design for the catalogue. Do you think the clients would like it?"

At my office, Kotori entered and showed me a sheet of paper where a furisode Kimono is drawn with white crane prints.

"…I'd say that this is alright. But it doesn't look like it is pairable."

"P-pairable?"

"Yes. It looks good on its own right. But it is so unique that it would be hard to find another type of clothing that can be worn along with it. I say that you either redesign this or find a Haori or pair of shoes that can be paired with it so we can make a set for sale."

"Y-yes, sir!"

"Alright. Come back once you girls finish it. I'll be here if you need me."

"As you wish, Iwasawa-sama!"

"…"

During the few weeks since I became a part of Vega, I have been going around with Yoichi where we mostly found success if receiving support from nobles who has been gaining confidence in showing their dislike for the Shogunate as they became connected through our group. Although most of the major clans in Kanae is still siding with or is neutral to the Shogunate's expanding rule, I can say that we already have a front now that we can depend on once we state that we will be openly opposing the Shogun's rule.

"Here are my contributions for out cause… Don't worry. I already did my math and I made sure not to let anyone in my group know that this is where our profit is going to."

"Haha! You're the best, Hiro-chin! Give it here!"

"Hup!"

"With this money, we can reserve a time in the railroad for Luke-san's train to send over some compatriots to Hitachi."

"And once there, appeal to the Emperor to return to power…"

Vega has been doing good since my recruitment. Back then, Michi-san and the others found it hard to get enough influence to confidently do things beyond just minimal sabotage and information gathering. Now, with the connections they made through me and my regular contributions to fund our activities, Vega is building up to the day when we can be a threat to the Shogunate.

"Good evening, Yuka-san."

"Why, good evening too, young Miyazaki…"

Best of all, even if she said that she will neither intervene nor help us, Yuka-san, my groupmate's handler from the Kiyomasa clan, said that she already talked to Kyoga sanctum, and they promised not to intervene in our rebellion.

"So, you guys will be starting all of it next week, huh?"

"Yes. Risako-san said that it is a good time since there would be a lot of free time slots in the railways and we can make a surprise rally near the palace by early morning when most people will be out to possibly support our fellow revolutionaries to appeal to the emperor."

"I see… Then that means it would be a busy few days for all of you until then, huh?"

"Yes… I can already hear Kameko-san and Kisho-kun sighing under their breath since we would be relying on them during the task."

"Well, well… That is just how life goes. You have to accept that great things can't happen without great work from you as well. Especially for rebels like you who are after something as great as freedom."

"Yeah… I kind of said that to them earlier and they seem to understand it with a sense of defeat on their face."

Once our meeting was over, I rode my horse back to our estate house where I walked carefully at the dark and quiet hallways to get into my room and have my rest.

However, as soon as I closed my room's door behind me, I sensed someone soflt landing on the floor and turned around to see the person I expected to be here.

"Minori…"

"I knew it."

"…And what if you do?"

"…"

Ever since I told him and the others about my recruitment into Vega, Minori has made it clear that he opposed my decision and has been keeping with it ever since.

"My lord, joining that group is not our best option. If you would reconsider-"

"I have made my decision, Minori. We will fight with Vega. That is final."

"But Kou-sama! This is clearly something-"

"Can you stop being so paranoid about people who share our own goals?!"

"…"

I understood that Minori finds it hard to trust just anyone, but he sure is overdoing it in the case of Vega.

"Vega has shown me that there is a way to defeat him. I used to think that it would be hard to reach that untouchable guy. But now that they are with us… with their willingness to free everyone from his rule and give everyone equal chance to be who they want to be, I knew it… I knew that I must join them."

"But Iwasawa-sama… They are Otherworlders. They do not understand the lives of the people of this world and-"

"What did you say, Minori?"

"-!"

Finally, he blurted out what is his real reason for opposing my decision so much.

"Otherworlders do not understand the lives of this world's people? They can't empathize or share in their hardships? Is that what you want to say to someone like me who is also an Otherworlder?"

"N-no! Please listen to me first, Iwasawa-sama! I do not mean to-"

"That's enough, Minori… I have heard enough from you."

"…"

"Instead of worrying about nothing, go and make yourself useful for our goal."

I took a notebook from my room's desk and placed it on his hand.

"Starting from now on, I'll leave the management of the business to you. You'll handle the ordering of items and their delivery. I'll just chime in whenever we have a client to meet or talk to about business. Here's the ledger, study it and take my place starting tomorrow."

"Tomorrow… what are you planning to do tomorrow, my lord?"

"…None of your business. Now, get out. I want to rest already."

"Kou-sama. I want to know what you will do tom-"

"I said get out!"

"…As you wish."

After he left my room, a sharp sense of guilt hit me while I am spreading out my futon.

Minori, or Kuro, as how he is called in official missions, has been a loyal subordinate of mine just after I became a Daimyo. I have been with him for a long time in both war and peace and I thought about him more as a close friend than a servant… But following some misunderstandings since I joined Vega, we have been growing distant as I try to show him that I know what I am doing.

"I need to focus on the right things… I can't always allow myself to be stopped."

Still, I have things to do to reach our goal. And I cannot afford to become lax now just because I have to listen to everyone's opinions.

Our goal is just, and our methods assured success. Michi-san guaranteed that when I joined Vega.

"A noble family sold to slavery…? There would a list for that, then."

"I see… Can I have that list then?"

"Sure. Just let me get the appropriate scrolls for it."

While the start of the rebellion is still far, I preoccupied myself with finding the family of Chito and Yukari, the two orphans that has been brought here by Sister Camilla who aims to return them back to their ancestral land.

"Here. These families are those who was sold into slavery by disobeying the Emperor or simply running out of money to be considered as a noble."

"Thank you."

The clerk handed me a sheet of parchment where seven family names are written and when they were brought to the slave market.

"…Since Yukari and Chito said that it was their grandparents who arrived in Europe… that would mean that the years can be narrowed down to…"

I did all the necessary computations and in the end, narrowed down the families into two. The Enomoto and Kataoka clans.

"The Enomoto clan was a family from Kanae estuary that was among the most affluent in the area. They served in the higher court of the Emperor but was knocked off their pedestal after the war between the Shogunate and the Imperial forces. Even though the two sides eventually settled to halve the responsibilities of running the country, the damage to the treasury of the Enomoto clan and the losses their members sustained in the battles ultimately led them to be decrepit and decide to be sold as slaves than endure shame and living as poor people."

There were records about the grown-up men being taken in by pirates who would later be the predecessors of the Arakami pirates or Daimyos in the north in need of good soldiers. The women, meanwhile, were snapped up by Oiran house owners where they became Geishas. The remaining children were sold to an assortment of buyers, some of them of foreign origin.

Even though the Enomoto clan fits the description of how Chito and Yukari's grandparent would've come from, I went and looked at the Kataoka clan's record just in case.

"The Kataoka clan was said to have sold out the Imperial army's formations and plans to the Shogunate during the war between the two factions. Even though the Shogunate made use of this information, they didn't acknowledge the Kataoka clan as a trustworthy subject and spoke about their treachery to the Emperor after the peace treaty was signed. As punishment, every member of the Kataoka clan was sold into slavery, but because of their traitorous history, none of the locals bought them. However, there is a record from one of the slave traders who handled their sale that some foreign merchant bought one boy from him along with another girl… wait…"

"Is it possible that…"

I was slightly intrigued after learning this. If both the Enomoto and Kataoka clan became slaves at the same time frame… Is it possible that both family lines became Chito and Yukari's predecessors?

"Hey!"

"Ah! W-What is it?"

"I need some help in finding ledgers from this date."

"I see… Let me look for it."

Since the two clans have records of other family members being sold into slavery, some of them would've ended up with offspring that I can use to perform observations with.

"Here. These are the ledgers during the time after the Shogunate-Imperial war."

"Thank you."

I took the stack of record books on my table and started to look of slaves sold with those two family names.

"Too far… was proven infertile… died young… died young… died young… died in battle… died in battle… committed suicide during work… didn't have offspring…"

The Enomoto clan members were numerous, but almost none of them showed promise with having any living family members to this day.

"Found it! Was sold in an Oiran house and was taken in as the concubine of a Daimyo… Had two children who later won a succession crisis in the- What?!"

As I read the last line, I was shocked to discover a truth that I didn't expect.

"T-the Handa clan…?"

The records spoke enough to let me understand what is happening and about to happen. Because an Enomoto woman was taken in by the late Daimyo of the Handa clan, it is highly possible that Handa Ichizuka, whom I met just before, is someone from the Enomoto clan.

"Then how about the Kataoka clan members?"

I opened another ledger book and painstakingly tried to find traces of them around the pages.

"Aha!"

Finally, in the last page of the last record book, one member of the Kataoka clan surfaced and stated the following words.

"One Kataoka Kojima was sold to Madame Izumi Ine as a… wow, I didn't expect that…"

Let's just say that this guy hit it big even as a slave since his owner is one… "active" woman.

"He and the Madame bore an offspring that due to the wealth and connections that he inherited from his mother, later started the… oh no… this can't be real…"

If all of this is just a coincidence, I would probably be laughing out loud even though I am in a library.

"Darn… so Chito and Yukari… may have come from both the Handa and Imai clan?"

That's right. My main clients in the present, are also the last living people in the world who shares their blood.

"I can deduce that Yukari's blonde hair and blue eyes may have come from a rare recessive-recessive outcome in the gene pool which is highly unlikely unless one or two Europeans are included in the family tree… if so, that would mean… they came from the two clans, had European parent or grandparent… and was born with Chito being the twin with a pure dominant trait and Yukari having the double recessive trait."

Fraternal twins… it is highly likely that what I just said was what happened during their conception.

"Anyways, I can call this a sufficient hypothesis with these records and computations alone, but I don't have the technology to do a DNA test to make a concrete claim."

I can't just go there, state my case and everything will go smoothly… this will be a hard fight especially since the wedding of the two young people of the two families are being highlighted as a major event in Kanae's inner politics.

"They will not acknowledge Chito and Yukari's existence… maybe they will even assassinate them as possible threats to the agendas of the two families."

Deciding what to do next was hard for me. If I state that I hold in my homeland, vital people that can easily unite their families, it will make me someone of equal importance to them. But if I just keep a secret, the wedding will happen and Chito and Yukari's existences will have no political value.

"What to do…? What to do…?"

In the end, I decided to keep it in for now and see how things will go. There are still a few months before the wedding, and I can always just say it to the two families and have them join Vega's frontline later.

"Iwasawa-sama. Welcome back."

"Oh, Kotori. The house seems… quiet."

"Everyone is asleep now, pardon their absence. They have been hard at work anyway."

"I see… Sorry that I arrived back late at night again."

"Hehe… No need to apologize, my lord. I am still occupied with my own work myself."

"Really?"

After I arrived back at out estate house, I was greeted by no one else but Kotori. I noticed that it was quiet and forgotten for a moment that I came home from Vega's headquarters in midnight as usual.

"Let me bring your dinner to your room. Please go ahead and unwind in your quarters, Kou-sama."

"Mm. Thank you, Kotori."

I climbed to my room and changed to my casual clothes before Kotori brought me a small bowl of rice and fried fish to eat before I rest. Because it was already too late at night, she made sure to not place too many to make sure it won't upset my stomach.

"…Thank you for the food."

"Was it good, Kou-sama?"

"Yes. Was it your cooking again?"

"Yes. As you have guessed."

As days passed here in Kanae, I began to feel more and more well about deciding to push forward into the capital than return prematurely back to Kiko. Although I do still miss the friends and family that I have there, I have things to do here that will surely bring me to the answers that I am seeking.

"Kotori… I have a question."

"What is it, Iwasawa-sama?"

"How is… Minori doing now?"

"Minori-dono, yes? Hmm… I noticed that he became more focused on his job of managing the business. It seems that he no longer has the wary expression on his face unlike before."

"…I see. That's good enough."

"Good enough?"

"You see, Minori and I had a fight about me being a member of Vega. He said that it is dangerous, and I may end up attracting unwanted attention for helping a group that would likely not bring any tangible results. He said that it is better if we do things our own way than pairing up with them."

"…And what happened with that, Kou-sama?"

"Well, I insisted and told him that I will keep on helping Vega as its member… I even allowed one other member to come with me on my meetings with nobles so we can gather their support for later."

"That sounds good, my lord."

"Yeah. That's why I am puzzled with why Minori insists that Vega will fail."

Minori and I usually agreed on things, but in this one, we didn't have such a thing. It might just him being used to doing things by himself or with those whom he is familiar with, but I am sure that because we are modern humans and has better knowledge that people from this world, we have a greater chance to succeed in our mission.

"This is just my humble opinion, my lord… But even though I understand that you want to trust these people because all of them came from the same world as you did, is that really enough to trust them fully?"

"What do you mean?"

"It is just I said, my lord… You and they share the same world, but is that similarity enough for you to place all of your trust and resources onto their hands?"

"…"

"I can say all of this because I myself fought in a civil war where I had to fight people that I once thought of as friends… And as you may know, many of them did their duty to go against me even if we shared the same birthplace and knew each other our whole lives."

"Kotori…"

"Yes, my lord?"

"You should leave now. I want to rest."

"…As you wish, Kou-sama."

Kotori stood up from sitting in front of me and left the room silently as I looked at the full moon outside my bedroom.

"…No… Don't think of that again… I don't believe that those things will happen again."

What Kotori said was something that made sense… but I don't want to think about those things again. I don't want to be reminded of the horrors that I saw in my past life.

"Things will be well… nothing about this will fail…"

That is how I comforted the unease in my heart as I slept…

Little did I know that sometimes, the people we give our trust to… are also those who will break it into pieces.