Editing Horizon:GT3 Chapter7

==Chapter 7: Reunion and Happiness==
[[Image:Horizon_GT3_p191.jpg|thumb]]
''It occurs to me

''That piloting the Musashi wildly

''Has become normal since Mikawa

'''Point Allocation (Abnormal)

●

Ishin Suden smiled bitterly. A man and woman calmly descended the stairs. She didn’t know the woman, but the man she knew. They had met briefly twenty-odd years ago.

“That was when I was taking a trip to M.H.R.R. after finishing my inherited name, wasn’t it? I don’t know who told you I was there, but you suddenly showed up to greet me at the cafe.”

“The Protestants were looking for you and I deduced where you would be hiding from them. That aside, Urban VIII, have you chosen a place to stay the night?”

Musashi’s 5th Special Duty Officer gave her a questioning look.

…''Cautious, are we?

They likely wanted as many hints as possible about who she was working for.

“In that case,” said Suden. “Woman. The one next to Sakai. You arrange a safe location for me. That’s your job, isn’t it?”

“Sakai-sama? Over.”

The woman glared and Sakai looked away.

“”Um, ‘Musashi’-san? She helped me out a long time ago.”

The woman responded to this by shutting her eyes and sighing. Suden could feel a hint of a smile on her lips.

“What’s the cheapest option?”

“Dangling from the Musashino’s bridge. We can ensure your safety better there than anywhere else, so is that what you would like? Over.”

“And the most expensive?”

“You can sleep inside the Musashino’s bridge. We will not speak a word to you while on duty, so you will have a safe and restful time in a fully air-conditioned space. The only flaw is the high frequency of the Chancellor stopping by for ‘fun’. Over.”

“Hm, that sounds like the safest option in the long run.”

“Very well,” said the woman. She nodded and the cadena firma by Suden reacted. Based on the information displayed there…

…''No point in staying here.

“Okay, I’ll get going. Musashi Vice President, I look forward to tomorrow evening.”

●

''She seemed in a hurry,'' thought Mitotsudaira.

Sakai raised a hand in parting as he and “Musashi” left with Ishin Suden, but was that supposed to mean “you take care of the rest” or “we’ll take care of the rest”? Mitotsudaira wasn’t sure, but for now…

“We got out of that one.”

“That’s right. This gives me a lot more I need to research and consider by tomorrow.”

That was true, but one thing was bothering Mitotsudaira. After confirming that Sakai’s group had left the central street and disappeared down Remorse Way, she checked for any signs of nearby listening devices and…

“Ishin Suden was awfully concerned about her surroundings, wasn’t she?”

“What do you mean?”

'''Horizey:''' “Could the mini pope have a stalker!? Oh, look! Toori-sama is here for some unexplained reason!”

'''Me:''' “It’s not me! It’s not me! I’m not into girls that little! So it must be Ohiroshiki!”

'''Worshiper:''' “ ‘Must be’ my ass! Besides, I’m not into loli grannies who’ve been around longer than Principal Sakai! Young life has no need for all those extra factors! Got that!?”

'''Me:''' “Okay, clear out, everyone. The speech is over, so it’s time to go home!”

…''They never change, do they?

But Mitotsudaira had noticed something.

“One of the sign frames Ishin Suden opened was scanning her surroundings.”

'''Asama:''' “Was it an ether scan of some sort?”

'''Silver Wolf:''' “She didn’t bring a bodyguard with her, so it may have only been for security. And after checking that, she left with Principal Sakai and ‘Musashi’. In what looked like a hurry.”

'''Tonbokiri:''' “You mean…an attacker like before might still be nearby?”

'''Vice President:''' “Futayo, after grabbing something to eat, go stand guard near the Musashino bridge. We’ll look into the people arrested in the previous attack and send you whatever testimony they give.”

Hearing Futayo’s “judge” in reply, Mitotsudaira sighed.

A lot had happened. And if her king was already at the Asama Shrine…

“Then we will join the rest of you at the Asama Shrine. …Oh?”

Just as she was preparing to descend the stairs with Masazumi, she saw someone familiar on the central street down below.

A boy and a girl were looking up at them.

“Oh? Masazumi-dono, Mitotsudaira-dono, what are you doing here?”

The 1st Special Duty Officer was there. And bowing their way next to him was Mary in casual clothing.

○

“Just out of curiosity, what were the two of you doing?”

Mary smiled and nodded at the Reine des Garous’s question. She thought back to remember.

“Judge. I had felt the Musashi suddenly stop, but Master Tenzou said they were only rebooting the ships as part of the repairs and showed me to some stairs leading belowdecks. He wanted to walk to the academy that way so he could ask for details.”

But the Reine des Garous shook her head and placed a hand on Mary’s shoulder.

“That isn’t what I meant. I asked what you were ‘doing’. You know what I’m asking, don’t you?”

“Eh? Oh, yes. …I was taking a walk with Master Tenzou while sipping on the matcha latte he bought me.”

“That’s it!” shouted Naruze and everyone else nodded deeply. Eventually, Mitotsudaira spoke up.

“The 1st Special Duty Officer is reliable, if unexciting.”

Asama and Mitotsudaira shook hands, but Mary wasn’t sure if she could join in.

●

Mary joined Mitotsudaira and Masazumi in visiting the Asama Shrine.

Masazumi suggested she go meet everyone there and she thought that was a good idea.

She had already greeted the others after the Armada Battle ended, but doing it in an everyday context would be different from on the battlefield.

So she arrived at the Asama Shrine.

…''Oh, so this is a Far Eastern shrine. And that is one of those torii things.

The place was very different from a Tsirhc church. The ritual of passing through the torii reminded her of indigenous festivals and the ceremonies for new members of a mercenary group, but the size, color, and design were different here.

She could tell she was entering holy ground. And the way it was such an open space yet a clearly artificial one was fascinating. When she stopped to take a look at an Asama Shrine advertisement poster, Masazumi turned around.

“Crossunite, have you shown her around the shrine yet?”

“Well,” cut in Mary herself. “Shortly before he could come here, we received word that Lady Asama and the others had arrived. But…”

“Judge. I had hoped to bring her by when Asama-dono would be here, right? And with Asama-dono here, it would inevitably turn into a sales talk regarding divine transmissions, Shinto services, and whatnot, right? So I thought we should wait until we had more time…”

“Good idea,” said Mitotsudaira who had gone on a bit ahead. Mary looked that way to see a light past the torii at the top of the stairs.

…''The others must be there.

The shadows moving in the light told her people were gathered there. She could also hear voices.

“Go! Just one more! One more!”

“Excuse me, everyone! Mary has arrived!!”

The way Mitotsudaira rushed up the stairs told Mary she was a good person.

Then Mary climbed the stairs, passed through the torii, and bowed.

The others were there in front of her. She had already met most of them when they held that “eating yakiniku bought with someone else’s money” party at England.

The lamps illuminated the shrine’s main building, the boys grappling and hitting each other for some reason, and the girls laying out the food. They all turned her way and Masazumi spoke to them.

“Everyone, Mary is here.”

“Hello,” said Mary and Tenzou stepped up to stand at her side. “Thank you all. I am Master Tenzou’s wife, Mary Stuart.”

They all collapsed outwards like they had been hit by an uppercut.

●

'''Gold Mar:''' “Tenzou, you’d better settle this quick.”

'''Art-Ga:''' “Yes. You need to go for it, do it right, and then go to the government office to sign the form.”

'''Asama:''' “Oh, make sure you do that through the Asama Shrine, okay?”

'''10ZO:''' “What are you people talking about!?”

○

'''Gold Mar:''' “Tenzou, I still think you need to settle that quick.”

'''Art-Ga:''' “Yes. You need to go for it, do it right, and then go to the government office to sign the form.”

'''Asama:''' “Oh, you already know to do that through the Asama Shrine, right?”

'''10ZO:''' “Again, what are you people talking about!?”

●

Thanks to the excitement over Mary’s introduction, Naruze felt like Mary had made a place for herself here.

…''She knows how to leave an impression.

After Asama gave her a dinner of grilled chicken and rice balls filled with beans, Naruze got to thinking inside the tent they had set up on the shrine grounds. Margot sat next to her with a plate containing an identical dinner.

“So we have to establish the Buke Shohatto here? I wonder how this is going to turn out.”

“It all comes down to that Ishin Suden person.”

And that Ishin Suden had previously inherited the name of Urban VIII.

…''She’s from K.P.A. Italia, right?

That suggested this was all being led by K.P.A. Italia.

With that in mind, it wasn’t too hard to figure out the purpose of the attack on Masazumi before Suden arrived.

If they could end this with an attack, so be it. If not, then Ishin Suden could make an appearance.

But maybe it was her rough speculation as a Chancellor’s Officer that made her think that explained everything.

…''Still, this feels weird.

“What has you so lost in thought, Naruze-kun?”

“Judge. Just that we’ve been attacked and toyed with on our own turf.”

But then a thought occurred to her.

…''Huh? Isn’t this when…?

“Hey, um, Horizon?”

“Judge. What do you need, Naruze-sama?”

Naruze nodded and pointed toward the entrance torii and stairs. Horizon climbed the stairs in three large bounds while holding a large wicker basket.

“Eh?” gasped everyone as they watched Horizon skid to a stop on the gravel.

“Judge! For today’s delivery, the Blue Thunder’s owner and I have spent all day punching the bread dough, burning it at the stake, and hanging it up as a lesson to others! Then I brought it here without assigning it a price! Thanks to this, every meal for the next few days will be bread with a side of bread and an appetizer of bread! For water, I brought water!”

“Yeah, water would have to be water…” said Margot, looking away, and Naruze agreed, but Horizon ignored the comment and placed the basket on the table.

“Now, it’s time for bread, bread, and more bread for three meals a day! But I am sure you will tire of that eventually, so as a bonus the owner provided a large quantity of English-style fish and chips!”

“Oh, is that true, Vicereine Horizon!? Bring it out!”

Horizon reverently opened the basket. It contained…

“Bread.”

●

“What is the point of this, Horizon!?”

To deal with the immediate problem, Masazumi looked to all the bread the others were dejectedly lining up and taking.

“And I know beggars can’t be choosers, but surely there was something else.”

“The owner did prepare a wide variety of foods for you, but we got carried away and used it all for Naito-sama and Naruze-sama’s deliveries. The owner said ‘bread should be enough for my kids and their friends’, so if you don’t enjoy it, you will receive her bread-kneading palm strike from point-blank range next time you visit the Blue Thunder.”

The starving boys suddenly started chowing down on the bread.

“Man, this is good! Plain bread is the best!”

“See, Masazumi-sama? It is extremely popular. Girls, you had better enjoy it too! Naito-sama, I want to see you rejoice! You are rejoicing, aren’t you!?”

“Woo…yay…”

“Why are you people so willing to throw out your pride for a joke? Oh, and Horizon?”

“What is it, Masazumi-sama?”

Masazumi pointed to a part of the shrine grounds.

“Naruze was trying to point out that you were with us over there a minute ago. What happened to that?”

“Over there?”

“Judge. You at least did seem to be here when we all arrived at the Asama Shrine.”

Horizon looked to an empty space just big enough for a person to stand. The Aoi Sister was dancing next to that space, but that was probably meaningless. Then Horizon pointed alternately between the empty space and herself.

“…”

Eventually, she mimed grabbing some luggage in both hands and moving it from right to left.

Apparently satisfied with that, she gave a confident nod, looked to the others, and spoke.

“You were all hallucinating.”

○

'''Asama:''' “Ugh, n-noooooo. I-I’m going to need a host of corrections for this…”

'''Horizey:''' “Asama-sama! Hallucinate! You just need to hallucinate all your problems away! Now, try it!”

'''Unturning:''' “I think she’s trying to hypnotize her.”

'''Vice President:''' “So, Asama, can we just move on?”

'''Asama:''' “Fine, we can just call it a hallucination…”

'''Horizey:''' “Asama-sama, don’t let this get you down! This means we have moved beyond mere auditory hallucinations!”

'''Gold Mar:''' “Doesn’t that mean we’re getting worse?”

●

Mary listened to Asama’s question while eating her meal.

“This is going to turn into a sleepover here, but what will you be doing? Will you be joining us?”

If Asama had ended with “what about you?”, Mary would have left. But thanks to the second question…

“I would love to join you.”

The girls behind her reacted with cheers, so that must have been the right answer. Asama and Tenzou exchanged some quick words, probably out of concern for her and she was thankful for that.

That aside, this appeared to be a political discussion. Mary joined in since they didn’t stop with her here and Masazumi raised a hand to draw attention to herself.

“Now, we’re looking at two issues: the ban on docking at IZUMO and the Buke Shohatto brought to us by Ishin Suden. I’ve figured out how the two are related. See, the Buke Shohatto will influence the Far East as a whole, so we should assume IZUMO is considerately giving us a chance to resolve this internal to Musashi.”

Masazumi had her Mouse open a sign frame and then drew a simple map of IZUMO and the Musashi. She drew a red line separating the two.

“The Buke Shohatto are a Far Eastern history recreation, so the provisional ruling nations can ignore it. But they still won’t like it if we suppress the Far Eastern forces they rule over and our world domination could free those forces from the provisional rule. If that happens, every single nation will be affected, so they could use ''this'' as an excuse to join forces and crush Musashi.

“So.” Masazumi looked to the others. “My concern is what nation is leading this push for the Buke Shohatto history recreation.”

The others were already holding their plates of food and seated on rush mats below the tent. Most of them had removed the ends of their tights and their shoes and attached purifying charms to the soles of their feet.

The white of the charms and the faint ether light of their activation stood out as Tenzou raised his hand next to Masazumi.

“First, do we have any evidence that any nation is ‘leading the push’ as you put it?”

“Judge. Suden said she was here on ‘a request’.”

“I see,” said Tenzou with a nod and Mitotsudaira raised her hand.

“Ishin Suden is from K.P.A. Italia, so wouldn’t they be behind this?”

“If so, why would they want to establish the Buke Shohatto?”

“Eh?” said the others and Masazumi shrugged.

“Listen. I took some notes about whether or not we should do the Buke Shohatto with Suden, but I was left with a question. After all, the Buke Shohatto will bind the Far Eastern nations under provisional rule and also influence the provisional ruling nations. So if the Buke Shohatto are established, it will work against the provisional ruling nations to some extent. So why would K.P.A. Italia be trying to to establish them?”

Mary made a guess based on what she had heard. She also had a document to work from, so as her first question…

“Master Tenzou, are the things happening here related to establishing the 13 articles of the Buke Shohatto?”

“Judge. Those articles will restrict the nations after we take over the world. But they are rather strict and could lead to abuse of the history recreation, so we are uncertain why Ishin Suden-dono is bringing this issue to Musashi now. So we told Suden-dono about the stance we took at Mikawa and England and that we remain an enemy of the Testament Union.”

“I see,” said Mary before realizing everyone’s eyes were on her. Naruze tilted her head.

“She catches on so quick. Being able to omit the opening exposition pages will be convenient.”

Mary had no idea what that was about, but it had sounded like a compliment. Then Masazumi turned toward Asama.

“Asama. Do we have any reports of protests or concerns from the other nations after what we said?”

“No, not a single one.”

Asama’s response pointed to a single fact.

“Suden hasn’t let the other nations know about the statement of hostility she provoked us into making. If she were only interested in taking us down, our previous conversation would have been enough. So why hasn’t she done it?”

●

Masazumi tilted her head.

“This is a big deal. And we were attacked. I think something is at work on a national level. But then what nation is behind it? Who requested that Suden provoke us into making a statement of hostility while also demanding we establish the Buke Shohatto that will give the Far East an advantage?”

It was all so contradictory and confusing. But…

“I don’t know who’s behind it, but conditions are different for each nation, which puts them each in a unique position. Their reasons, their interests, and what they would demand of us will change based on that position. So I think we need to start by learning what nation is behind this and only then work out the ‘why’.”

“Well to start with, do you have a list of possible nations?” asked Naomasa.

“The top of that list,” replied Masazumi, “is Tres España. With England next.”

●

“Why do you think Tres España and England could be behind the Buke Shohatto, Vice President?”

Adele asked this while eating the bread Horizon brought and commenting ‘It’s good! It’s so good!” The Vice President turned her way and pointed into the western sky.

“Listen. Tres España lost to Musashi in the Armada Battle and Futayo repelled the Tachibana Couple. That proved they can’t effectively attack Musashi. So from now on, Tres España will have a hard time using their military might as a factor in negotiations with other nations.”

“But,” the 2nd Special Duty Officer continued for the Vice President. “By pushing for the Buke Shohatto, they can apply pressure to the other nations while working with Musashi to preserve their own interests, right?”

''I see,'' thought Adele. Tres España had hit rock bottom, so they were tripping up the other nations while joining with Musashi in order to preserve what power they still had. But…

“Didn’t they make that decision awfully quick? I mean, this would require predicting a loss to Musashi at the Armada Battle, so the decision would have had to happen shortly after Musashi was hired by England as a mercenary force.”

“Yes, there was barely any time for consideration. But to be honest, I think Tres España’s Vice President could manage this level of flexibility and preparation.”

“Agreed,” said the 5th Special Duty Officer. “She did a great job of ‘staying several steps ahead’ before too.”

“Judge, exactly. And Tres España is close with K.P.A. Italia, so they could easily have a connection to Ishin Suden. …That’s why I put them at the top of my list.”

Once the Vice President was done, Mary raised her hand.

“Then why is England second on your list?”

●

Mary thought maybe she shouldn’t be asking this.

Tenzou had told her a lot about the others, but aside from that she had sensed that they were all very considerate people.

She was sure of it when she looked at Mitotsudaira. That girl wasn’t avoiding her because she disliked her. Instead, Mitotsudaira’s knowledge led her to fear she might hurt Mary or just make her uncomfortable, so she was keeping her distance to avoid that.

○

'''Silver Wolf:''' “Th-this story is really hitting me hard!”

'''Bell:''' “A-a lot happened with Mitotsudaira-san…in the past.”

'''Scarred:''' “Judge. And I had the pleasure of learning all about that after IZUMO.”

'''Wise Sister:''' “Heh heh. And it was all the trouble she got into in the past that brought her to my foolish brother, so you never do know how things will turn out, do you?”

'''Silver Wolf:''' “Y-you’re just trying to make it worse for me, aren’t you!? Aren’t you!?”

●

To show the others their concern was unnecessary, Mary asked a question.

“''That'' would mean England is trying to use the Far East. Is that what you are saying?”

“Judge. I think England might very well want to use the Buke Shohatto.”

Masazumi shrank the simple map of IZUMO and the Musashi. This created blank space at the top and bottom of the sign frame. In the upper space, she placed a simple map of England at the correct scale. In the bottom space, she placed the mainland’s coast.

“The mainland will now see England as a friend of Musashi. Our arrangement allowed England to preserve their forces and they will have an advantage negotiating with the other nations.”

“Hm? Won’t the other nations attack them for joining with us?” asked Naomasa.

“England has preserved their forces and they are guarded by a barrier of sea and sky, so any nation attempting to attack them or apply economic sanctions will only harm themselves. Hexagone Française and the M.H.R.R. Catholics are engaged in the Thirty Years’ War and the M.H.R.R. Protestants are on friendly terms with England. Sviet Rus are friendly with England in the Fairy Queen’s time and Scandinavia will think twice before beginning a conflict with England since they view Russia as a threat. Outside of the history recreation, no nation will want to mess with England right now.”

“But,” said Mary. “There is still a nation that will clash with them, isn’t there?”

“Judge. They aren’t new to this conversation, but Tres España will. And Tres Portugal too.”

Mary had to nod at that.

“Even after the Armada Battle, England remains at war with Spain, but England ends up in a situation where they have almost no chance of defeating Tres España’s fleet in naval battles. For its own reasons, Spain’s plans for another expedition to England stall and the two nations end up in a struggle over the New World, but I don’t think the later history recreations will happen until both nations agree on how to cleanup and recover from the Armada Battle.”

“Judge. That battle left both nations worn down. Which is why I think either one would want to attempt to deter the other nations before that happens. They will want to avoid being attacked in that state.”

“That’s true,” agreed Mary, thinking about Tres España and England.

…''England won the Armada Battle and their later battles only preserve the status quo.

They only needed a small recovery after the battle, so while they might want the Buke Shohatto, it wasn’t urgent.

On the other hand, Tres España had lost the Armada Battle and their later battles also only preserved the status quo.

…''But they do need to recover after the battle and they are promised further decline in the future.

The urgency after the battle was greater for Tres España. Plus, Tres España was friendly with K.P.A. Italia.

“So that’s why you put Tres España first and England second.”

“Yes, it’s a more urgent matter for Tres España,” said Masazumi. “So while other nations have their own possible reasons, none of them compare to those two.”

●

Masazumi saw Neshinbara raise his hand.

She gestured at him in a “what is it?” way and he pointed at the mainland on her map.

“I have to ask: why didn’t you include K.P.A. Italia or Hexagone Française on your list?”

“Judge. While they are opposed to M.H.R.R., they are facing Hashiba and Oda, who are from a period before the Buke Shohatto. They would only focus on the Buke Shohatto after their opposition to M.H.R.R. ends.”

“Naturally. Yes, exactly the answer I hoped you would give.”

“Yeah, sure,” said Naito, making everyone laugh quietly.

It was nice to see Mary among the laughing people.

But Crossunite raised his hand.

“Masazumi-dono. If it must be either Tres España or England, which do you think it is?”

○

'''Unturning:''' “Which was it?”

'''Tachibana Wife:''' “I think I know the answer, but I am curious too.”

'''Vice President:''' “Judge. I will be explaining the answer to that and I have evidence for it. So like I said before, I would like to turn back time a little. Back to the first day. Asama, can the records be sorted by time?”

'''Asama:''' “Yes, they can. …The first day, you said? As a record, we can make it a flashback. And by tagging the time, it can be correctly sorted chronologically.”

'''Vice President:''' “Good, let’s do that. On the day the Armada Battle ended, we were still calculating out all the damage to the Musashi and both Mary and the Tachibana Wife still hadn’t been allowed out of their embassies. …Now, let’s see what information we can find there.”

'''Horizey:''' “It is now time for Masazumi-sama’s Super Flashback Time!”

●

Masazumi thought back to the day the Armada Battle ended.

…''I remembered this earlier, but I guess now it’s a proper flashback.

That day had been so bad that “busy” seemed inadequate a descriptor.

After all, the committee heads were out working, so she had to actually do her own work. So she had been out visiting different locations since morning and she had designated the Blue Thunder a meeting place so she could contact the rest of Class Plum, but that had been a mistake.

“Masazumi-sama, I deeply apologize! All the failed experiments I had intended to serve you were sent out on deliveries, so all I have for you to eat today is bread. Yummy bread!”

“Could you not serve people failed experiments? But anyway, are you saying I can’t eat here?”

Horizon went to the kitchen and returned. She set down a glass of water and gestured toward it.

“This is water.”

“…Are you sure?”

Horizon couldn’t look her in the eye, so Masazumi grabbed the glass and Horizon’s shoulder.

“Hey, this really is water in here, right!? Is it or not!? At least tell me if it’s safe to drink!”

Two Technohexen spoke skeptically in through the open window.

“Ga-chan, I think Seijun’s lost her mind.”

“Yes. It’s unusual to get such water-like water at the Blue Thunder.”

“You know what this really is, don’t you!?”

“Calm down,” said Horizon before gesturing outside. “Now to explain, Masazumi-sama is about to visit the Tres Españan and English embassies.”

“Yeah, but first I want some time to gather my thoughts.”

Meanwhile, the cafe was getting busy as more and more people arrived to pick up deliveries. The owner seemed to be endlessly kneading some dough in the back, but…

“Kieeeeeeeeee!”

There was the occasional impact that shook the entire Blue Thunder. Each time, the workers and regulars from the nearby stores would peek inside and say things like, “I see not even the Armada Battle can stop the Blue Thunder’s deck-rattling stomps!” So this was all probably normal.

Still, Masazumi doubted she could concentrate in here, so she left. She wanted to prioritize her work.

“First, I’ll head to the Tres Españan embassy.”

She wanted to check on the boarding process and other information related to Tachibana Gin.

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