Ryosuke was massaging his temple. His headache had worsened as he could not bring himself to sleep for days. This was still early morning, but he had been sitting here for more than a couple hours. The place he was currently at was a slight rise above the camp in South-east Province from where he could sweep the view of the camp almost entirely into his sight. The air around him brought the smell of soil and woods after light rain poured at the dawn. The morning rays warmed his back. The breeze swayed his tresses gently that it could soothe his ache even just for a split of a second. However, the sea of white tents slightly below him brought up the reason why sleep became impossible for him lately.

He and Takaki Yuya sat across each other in the tent, observing their opponent for a moment. He kept his impassive expression and started the negotiation.

“I want to make sure we hold onto our dignity of not leaking any of the talk we’ll have here.”

“You have my words,” Yuya answered.

“Fine. Then, let’s be frank,” he said. “What do you want?”

Yuya leaned onto the chair, “You’re the one who initiated this, so it should be you who explain first.”

“Fine,” he agreed. “South Province is still under Yamada’s reign, but as illegitimate as it is, I won’t deny your occupant in the region. I assume you’re not ignorance about the palace affair?”

“Okamoto’s rebellion, no?”

“Yes. Let’s be honest, do you or do you not ally yourself with them?”

“My family won’t stoop so low. Okamoto is Takaki’s eternal nemesis.”

He smiled, “As I expected then. A royalty should not be under any clan.”

“So?”

“I just need your cooperation to never bother my troop in the south region.”

Yuya analyzed his answer, “You plan to base your troop in there and direct your attack from the south so that it will be unnoticed by Okamoto.”

“And I don’t want your troop to crash into the fray,” he confirmed it indirectly.

“Why not choosing an easier path?”

“I don’t have to answer you.”

Yuya shrugged, “Fine. I have my own assumption. What will you offer?”

“As I stated in my letter, a peace and restoration,” he answered. “Living under the pressure should not be your long live wish, right? Let’s put an end to the dispute between Yamada and Takaki in our generation. I’ll restore your noble status with all its privileges and gave your people a fair trial. I promise not to give hard punishment unless they were committing war crimes. I could offer you the south or any region to govern as long as you ally yourself with my family. You and your people will live in peace and with better futures.”

Yuya took a time to consider his offer.

“It’s more than decent offer considering you only need to refrain from attacking my troop. No blood will be shed between us and you’ll get many advantages,” he persuaded further.

“How could I believe your words?” Yuya inquired.

“I believe you have gathered enough information about me, no? I am a man of my words, and worry not; I of course will provide you a written consent you could use to sue me in the Kingdoms Alliance Court shall I breach the agreement in the future.”

Yuya chuckled shortly, “Considering the offer, I believe the south region is the key in your strategy against Okamoto. How if I offer you another option?”

He refrained from showing any emotion, “I’m listening.”

“Honestly, I don’t care about restoration. Noble status will only hinder my life, but…,” Yuya paused before continuing, “I’m interested about the peace. I ask you, what kind of peace you offer?”

He repeated the question in his mind before answering, “A peace where there will be no dispute between Yamada and Takaki, and between our followers as well. You and your people can live normally and need not to hide like you’re doing now.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not the kind of peace I wish for.”

He narrowed his eyes, “Enlighten me, please.”

“I wish for a peace where there will be no fight for throne anymore, no fight for dominance among the houses, where everyone stands as equal, where one will be appreciated by their effort and achievement, not by the lineage they come from.”

“It sounds like utopia,” he remarked calmly, though in fact he was trying hard not to show his surprise.

“Is it?” Yuya crossed his arms on his chest. “Did you ever wonder why you should go to the different education than any other child? Or why your food and clothes are way better than the others? Or why should your life be more important than common people? Or why should people bow and curtsy to give you proper reverence? While in fact your blood is just as red as theirs, you breathe the same air as them, and you feel pain just like they do. Have you ever thought about that?”

He could not help but surprised, yet his mind rationally directed his speech, “What will you offer for that?”

“If you can promise me that kind of peace, you’ll not only be able to travel trough the south region safely, but also… you’ll have all my force with you.”

He was literally taken aback, but still managed to think and say, “How much your force worth it?”

A proud smirk appeared on Yuya’s face, “Remember about your assailants a year ago?”

“What of them?”

“Your father was not absolutely wrong to announce the attack as my people’s doing.”

He narrowed his eyes more, “Not absolutely wrong… so the truth was not far from that.”

“Yes. They were my people, yet they acted without my order,” there was resentment in Yuya’s tone.

“I’m wondering whether you’re aware that they used a particular poison to me,” he replied.

Yuya’s face darkened slightly, “I was aware. Frankly, your assailants back then were a bunch of traitors who sold their dignity to Okamoto. But worry not, I had taken care of them.”

He knew what the latter meant. “Thanks for informing me, but how does that relate to your offer?”

Another proud smirk appeared before Yuya explained, “Just so you know, they were not my best people. In fact, they were the middle lower. We’re staying low for the last twelve years not for nothing, mind you. I assume you’ve catch the meaning, but I’ll make it clearer. I’m confident that my force will capable to hold back Seiryoku army deployed near the south border. Oh, I assume you’re aware of their army by the way.”

“I’m aware,” he simply said while his mind working.

“Good. What I’ll offer you is while you’re forcing your way toward the capital, I can guard your back. I believe you’ve predicted that Seiryoku won’t only watch. They will only wait until whichever between you and Okamoto win before throwing in their army to Hakumei, taking advantage of the euphoria and exhaustion then striking with a swift motion.”

“That is within my calculation. And the bet is too high for your offer.”

“I haven’t finished,” Yuya rebutted. “If you can promise me the world I dream of, I will work with you to create it. I’m not telling you what kind of help I can give you. We’ll discuss it only if you choose this option. But, simply, I’ll give you all I have, even if you ask for my life I’ll gladly give it to you as long as you can guarantee that the world will really come true.”

It was the first time he could not give a proper counter.

“So, it’s up to you,” Yuya shrugged. “If you insist with your own option, I will refrain from bothering you during your battle with Okamoto as you ask, and you don’t need to offer me anything. Consider it as take and give. Your win over Okamoto means you get rid of one of my family’s eternal nemesis. But, if you choose my option, we’ll discuss it further.”

He took a long time to consider the options, yet in the end he could only answer with, “Give me time to think.”

 “Fine. I’m not the one in hurry here,” Yuya shrugged. “I assume this meeting ends here?”

He stood up, “Yes. I’ll send you my answer soon.”

Yuya stood up, “Fine. I’ll be waiting.”

Both of them stepped out from the tent.

He sighed and ran a hand on his hair. That meeting was awful; a total failure of him. He was supposed to be the one offering options, not the other way around. Moreover, the offer from Yuya was so tempting.

The peace and the world Yuya spoke of… that was also the world he dreamed of since a long time ago. Yuya’s questions were also the wonder he had since he was a boy. Hearing Yuya spoke about that was as though hearing his own mind spoke out loud.

Finally, he met his match. He met the man who had the same dream and the equal chance to make it possible to happen. If they worked together, he was sure the dream would really be a reality. In the mid of his contemplation these past weeks, he even had formed a plan, a new plan, that would accommodate that dream.  However…

He saw his troop preparing for morning training, lining up in the clearing beside the camp.

However, now his life was not only his own. He could not live for his own dream. The soldiers’ lives were in his hand. His actions would affect many people, many families. His decision would change their futures. He was more than hesitated. The bet was almost beyond his calculation.

He saw his soldiers sparing while keeping a formation. Suddenly, he imagined the view before him changed into a real battle. He could saw in his mind how much blood would be shed, how many dead bodies would scatter around the war zone… the crying mothers and wives and sisters… the orphan boys and girls… the ruined farming fields… the sorrow in the eyes of the refugees… the surprise of everyone if Seiryoku army crashed into the battle… and eventually the fall of Hakumei.

Another throb in his head pulled him out of his daze. He cursed the pain in his mind and resumed massaging his temple.

These past two weeks after the meeting with the rebels, he could barely rest. It was not that he had no time, instead he had so much spare time as his indecisive state had hindered any move of the troop. Yet, his mind refused to stop working. Sure he had taken a nap an hour or two everyday but that was all. He could not sleep more than that. Thus he believed from where the headache was coming: lack of sleep and lack of proper meal.

Returning to his train of thought, he remembered the occurrence after the meeting. He told General Shida and Yuto about the offer. They were taken aback. Of course, who wouldn’t? He had asked for their opinions, but they left the decision to him instead. He was the leader after all. He also had asked them to propose their ideas for a new strategy. They offered some, but none of them he believed would be feasible. Actually those were not bad. But assessing those, he found that one was too time-consuming, the other was too predictable or too good to be realized with their current strength instead. The most feasible one would still cost them more than the benefit they would gain.

Father… is this how you felt when you had to make decisions about me and Aniki? Were you also this frustrated and confused? This distress and pressure is suffocating me…

He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, then repeated it for some time, trying to calm himself.

What should I do, Father?

To be honest, he was tired, too tired to even care about putting on his stoic exterior. That was the reason he often spent his time in this place lately, separating himself from the others while trying to sort out his thoughts. He could not be seen weak. If he crumbled, the entire troop would lose their confidence.

“To whom do you need to look strong, Ryosuke?”

He could answer it now. He needed to look strong in front of everyone… everyone but Mirai. She had see