Mirai had returned working in doctor Hayato’s clinic for a week. After what happened in doctor Hayato’s house, everything went as usual. The first day of her return was a bit awkward, but after several patients, she and doctor Hayato could eventually converse normally.

“Ne, Mirai,” doctor Hayato suddenly called her when she tidied the examination room after the doctor tending a patient.

“What is it, Hayato-san?” She did not look back to him who had returned to his work desk.

“I’m just wondering,” doctor Hayato paused, waiting for her response, and after she gave him her attention, he continued, “Ainosuke only has a little similarity with you. Does it mean he is more like his father?”

She smiled, nodding, “Yes, very much alike.”

“No wonder then,” doctor Hayato smiled knowingly, making her sent him a questioning look. “I understand now why you never pay a look to the other men here. He must be so handsome.”

She blushed a bit when answering, “Yes, but that’s not the reason I love him. It’s because he is so…,” she recalled her memories, smiling, “I don’t know. I can’t find a word to describe him. Just… he can make everyone around him loves him dearly.”

Doctor Hayato chuckled shortly.

“Did I say something silly?”

“No, no. Just it’s amusing to see your usual compose face has that kind of expression.”

“What expression?”

At this, doctor Hayato smiled, his eyes softened, “When you’re talking about your husband your smile was different and your eyes… twinkled. You rarely show that expression, Mirai.”

“Oh,” was the only response she could form.  I guess it’s because I love Ryosuke so much…

“Ryosuke?”

She snapped out from the daze. “Did…did I say that out loud?”

Doctor Hayato smiled again, “Not loud, but enough for me to hear it. So, his name is Ryosuke?”

She gulped subtly, “Yes.”

“Just like the name of your kingdom’s prince, ne,” doctor Hayato remarked. “But I think Ryosuke is quite popular name in Hakumei just like in Ryuusei, right? I know several people that have that name. It’s a good name after all.”

She tensed a bit, but managed to answer, “Yes, I think so,” she readied herself to exit the room, “I’ll return to my desk, Hayato-san.”

“Alright,” doctor Hayato said, then added before she could walk out completely, “And Mirai…”

“Yes?”

“I do wish you’ll reunite with him soon,” his voice was sincere.

“Thank you,” she replied, smiling then closing the door.

**********

Yuri was riding towards his manor. He was quite surprise to see the change though Yuto had warned him before. His manor used to be a vast maze surrounded by high walls. The main building was in the center of the maze, could only be accessed by certain people as it was where any secret tasks were discussed, aside from the complexity of the path to reach the said building. Now, the vast maze had rebuilt to be a vast training ground and woods for simulation of carrying out missions.

He did not recognize the shinobi guarded the gate, but when he told his name, the guard widened his eyes, asking whether he was General Chinen Juudai’s son. He only gave a frown and a sharp glare as an answer, sending a message ‘Do you know any Chinen Yuri other than his son?’ And he knew his silent message was conveyed as the guard immediately sent another shinobi to report to his father.

He was invited to wait near the gate, and from where he was standing he could see a big building a distance away before the training woods. It must be where the rookies learnt basic theories before practicing the real moves, he assumed. After a time, he felt bored. Yet, just as he was about to walk around the training ground, he sensed a danger coming. With a swift motion he ran aside and leapt to the nearby tree then jumped to the next tree, evading the sudden attack of shuriken.

“That old man!” He gritted in annoyance as he spotted a figure of man approached him while chuckling.

He jumped down from the tree, maintaining his annoyed face and hissing, “Is that how you welcome your long lost son, Father?”

Another chuckled from his father, “Obviously. Come.” His father turned to a direction and he did not have a choice but follow him.

They headed to another gate at the side of the training ground, keeping the silence stretched out. After stepping through the gate, he saw a building in a distance. That was one story building. He still could call it a mansion as it was only slightly smaller than Yuto’s.

“That’s our new house. Don’t be disappointed if that is too small. I’m living alone after all.”

He shrugged, “I have used to live in a way smaller house for this past five years.”

“Good then. But you’ve slowed down,” his father replied and they continued talking.

“I don’t have a fit partner to spar after all.”

“Eh, isn’t that girl with you?”

He recalled his training with Umika, “Do you think I can go all out with her? She is still below my level.”

A chuckle was heard then his father’s voice followed, “I see.”

They walked through the front door.

“Seems this is not your first stop,” his father resumed the talk.

“I’ve been in Yuto’s house since yesterday,” he answered, following his father to enter a certain chamber.

“So, Yuto send you to me to get an explanation?”

“Sorry not to visit you first, Father,” he caught the implicit meaning. “I don’t know that you are…”

“Nah,” his father exclaimed, cutting him off. “Here we go.”

They reached a small alley after walking through the chamber. The alley was hidden behind a huge painting, leading to underground floor. Just as he expected, there was still this kind of layout even though the house had been rebuilt. He descended the stairs behind his father and walked through the dark alley. He had to narrow his eyes to catch the view before him. It was a bit more difficult with the pitch black darkness. He had not used his eyes a lot for this circumstance. The nights in Ryuusei were not this dark as the sky was always bright with stars and moon. After a time, they entered a chamber, and his father turned out the light. The sudden brightness had him winced, adjusting his eyes.

“Your body has not slowed down much, but let’s see how your brain works now.”

He narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher his father’s words.

“Though you’re no longer a shadow, you should still remember the first rule, right?” his father added.

The first rule of a shadow was to always question whatever he saw, being aware all the time.

“The change of the city layout and also the manors of the nobles. The change of patrolling guards pattern. The different system in the checkpoint. The different atmosphere. The different way you built the training ground now…. Should I list everything?”

His father chuckled, but then pulled him to his embrace. “Welcome home, son.”

“You have got old, Father,” he returned the embrace and after his father chuckled, he added, “Glad to see you alright.”

His father pulled away then sat down on a couch. He sat across his father.

“How is your mission?”

“Everyone is alright. We have a prince from Mirai, now,” he noticed the change of expression on his father’s face, so he added, “Is it wrong if I call Ryosuke’s son as a prince?”

His father sighed before answering, “What Yuto have told you?”

He told his father about the points of Yuto’s explanation and also the information from Aoyama Hatori about the fact that Hakumei was no longer a kingdom.

“I’ve the bigger part to explain things then,” his father said eventually. “I’ll tell you from the easiest part.”

He shifted his sit to make himself comfortable before his father started.

“First, about Yuya,” his father spoke. “He left his post because Sieryoku army retreated from the border. King Arata was assassinated, and the crown prince was not present since he was in our custody. Thus it generated dispute between the remaining sons of Arata, fighting about the right to claim the throne. Their army was pulled to their territory to quell the havoc.”

“The assassination was too convenient to be just a coincidence,” he remarked.

“Yes, because it was not a coincidence,” his father made a serious look. “It was Kei’s doing.”

“Aniki?”

“Yes, at the same time you departed to Ryuusei, he departed to Seiryoku.”

Assassinating the king of the most powerful kingdom… the chance to come out alive was almost none.

As though reading his mind, his father continued, “Kei had been pronounced missing in action. He never returned from his mission.”

His heart became heavy all of a sudden. Kei… they were only together for a short time, but he had grown to like his presence. His brother… was he really… dead?

“We owe him big deal then,” he eventually said after a time, the heavy feeling lingered.

“Yes, and knowing his character, we shouldn’t dwell over him. He wouldn’t want that.”

He could only nod his agreement.

“You sure you can listen more?”

“Don’t worry, please continue,” he answered.

His father drew a breath before resuming his speech, “It’s about the motive of Okamoto’s rebellion.”

He leaned a bit forward, propping his elbows on his thighs. His father showed a distant gaze.

“I got a top secret mission from Shohei half a year before he decided to arrange the marriage between Ryosuke and Mirai,” his father started. “That was to investigate Okamoto’s businesses. The arranged marriage itself was decided because we noticed the suspicious movement and the growing financial strength in Okamoto. Yet, it was so difficult to find solid evidence about their wrongdoings, and seemed they started to sense Shohei was up to something as they tightened the security in every of their manors and business locations. Then so many things happened after Ryosuke’s marriage that a bit distracted me from my mission and caused the Intelligent Bureau failed to notice the swift maneuver Okamoto had been doing. Thus the rebellion broke out and we couldn’t push them with a proper counter force. Yet, though it was unlucky, it was the best chance for me to sneak in and carry out my investigation. That’s the reason I was so late in joining the troop back then.”

“Did you find what you’re looking for?”

“Yes, and it was quite big and shocking. The main reason for Okamoto’s rebellion was a gold mining in Ishiyama.”

He knew Ishiyama was a small town in North Province, but…

“We only knew Ishiyama as a supplier of low workers, a poor town with only a stone mountain and barren land,” his father continued, answering his wonder. “But behind all of those, there is a huge deposit of gold we never knew. That’s what Okamoto had been hiding for almost five years, counting the time until the rebellion.”

Now he understood.

“So, they staged the rebellion to avoid the punishment?”

Private mining was not allowed in Hakumei. Because in Hakumei’s law, any mining was in the kingdom’s possession, no clan was allowed to take an advantage of it. Thus, conducting an illegal mining would be severely punished. And since gold was so sensitive, the most important precious metals as it was needed for molding coins of currency in every kingdom, mining it illegally would be accused for committing treachery. The consequence would be the massacre of the said clan.

“Yes, for if they did nothing, sooner or later they would be found out, and it would be the end of Okamoto clan. Moreover, it was not the only crime they committed. In the mining, they overworked their employees; even they practiced slavery which had been declared as forbidden action ever since Shohei rose to the throne. Thus it would double the punishment.”

His father paused to t