Editing Horizon:GT2 Chapter20 (section)

==Final Chapter: Politician and Laughter==
[[Image:Horizon_GT2_p469.jpg|thumb]]
'''That is foreshadowing for the future

''That is buildup for the future

''I’m not talking about your failure

'''Point Allocation (Now We’ve Done It!)

●

It took until late at night to sort the wild plants into edible or medicinal. Adele and Mukai were drifting off, so they were carried over to the Reine des Garous’s bed. There was some concern about Mary who also looked sleepy, but they began a last spurt of plant sorting.

During that, Masazumi reminisced while checking back through the rough version of the records Asama had compiled. But for the most part…

[[Image:Icon-24c masazumi komari.png|50px]]

…''Wow, I was really cringe back then.

She wished she could have come out of her shell more, but that had all happened a year ago. No, more like a year and four months ago.

''So will everyone be able to see this? Can’t I fix it up somehow?'' she wondered, but…

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“Do you need something, Tachibana Wife?”

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Today’s story brought back some memories for me as well, so I was thinking of checking those records for myself.”

She opened a sign frame and sat on a floor cushion.

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“After all that, Lady Rodrigo took the eastern route to the New World and then ended her name inheritance back home. She assisted us on some things, so it was a delight to hear this story about her. I recently sent a late summer greeting card to her in Tres España.”

[[Image:Icon-24c masazumi komari.png|50px]]

“It’s a small world out there, huh?”

Across the room, Asama and Mitotsudaira nodded while gathering up some of the plants, so they must have had their own thoughts. But then the Tachibana Wife sucked in a breath and resumed speaking.

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“May I ask a question? It is about your father.”

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“Eh? Go right ahead.”

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Judge,” she said. “Did he ever say anything about this incident?”

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“No, not a word. I thought he would be angry I had stayed out so late that night, but when I told him I had gone to the festival with the Asama Shrine Representative and her friends, he seemed deeply concerned.”

[[Image:Icon-27b night akire.png|50px]]

“Asama-chi, what did you do to him?”

[[Image:Icon-05b asama awate.png|50px]]

“I really think it was the ‘and her friends’ part that bothered him!”

But the Tachibana Wife seemed satisfied with that. She looked to Masazumi and…

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“While Kyushu is Tres España territory, when our aerial ships go there for trade, they generally cannot leave the coast. Because they must obey the history recreation of oceanic trade that began with the Age of Exploration. That gives Musashi a lot of influence since it can travel inland.”

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“Judge. I came to understand that after moving here. It came in handy in our time at England too.”

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Judge,” agreed the Tachibana Wife. And, “Then there is one thing about your reasoning that does not make sense to me. Why did Arima and Okamoto contact Lord Tadakatsu after arriving in Mikawa?”

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“Well…” Masazumi started to answer, but she too noticed something odd about it. “Lord Tadakatsu was from Mikawa and they were from Kyushu, so they shouldn’t have known each other.”

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Judge. I assume those two traveled to Mikawa because you were there, but the Musashi was also visiting Mikawa at the time. And they would have known the Musashi through trade.” The Tachibana Wife chose her words carefully here. “I wonder if the two of them arrived in Mikawa and went into hiding there while they sent a message through the checkpoints and awaited someone’s decision.”

That someone being…

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Honda Masanobu. If they knew you were moving to the Musashi, it would make sense for them to contact him since he is your father and they would have known him through trade. But before his decision could reach them, they noticed pursuit closing in on them and chose suicide.”

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“If that is what happened, then why did Lord Tadakatsu act?”

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“It seems reasonable to assume your father asked him to.”

[[Image:Icon-27a night.png|50px]]

“What do you say, Seijun?” asked Naito, sticking some red fruits in a bucket for drying. “That would mean your dad entrusted you with dispelling that vengeful grudge. If he did anything, it would have complicated matters, but not so with you. Maybe that’s why he gave you that knife.”

[[Image:Icon-24c masazumi komari.png|50px]]

“Hard to say.”

She said that, but she could say that someone at her father’s level had to have been aware what was going on. She had only come to realize that later on, but…

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“I used to think he had let me off the hook for what I did, but maybe it wasn’t that.”

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Judge. You can think of it as a nice ‘what if’ to help you feel better.”

The Tachibana Wife scooted back on her cushion.

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“That’s even more to add to the records,” Masazumi sighed with a bitter smile.

●

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“There really is so much we don’t know,” she said, earning quiet laughter from the others.

[[Image:Icon-16a mitotsudaira.png|50px]]

“If we knew everything, we wouldn’t end up at war so often.”

[[Image:Icon-24c masazumi komari.png|50px]]

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true…”

[[Image:Icon-05a asama.png|50px]]

“But it sounds like Arima-san and Okamoto-san were able to pass on satisfied and that’s what matters most. Don’t you think, Kimi?”

The Aoi Sister collapsed onto her side while covering her ears, but that seemed normal by now. But if the records she provided were accurate…

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“Does that mean I did a good job? I clearly lost that negotiation, but it wasn’t a bad loss.”

[[Image:Icon-16a mitotsudaira.png|50px]]

“It was your debut international negotiation,” said Mitotsudaira.

[[Image:Icon-24c masazumi komari.png|50px]]

“Unofficial, though. We both agreed to that. But, Tachibana Wife, what happened to Hinoe afterwards?”

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Judge. Tres España later decided to reenter Kyushu under Vice President Juana’s guidance. They chose one of the Vice President’s suggested methods, so an economic system centered on divine transmission infrastructure was established in Nagasaki.”

[[Image:Icon-19a haidi.png|50px]]

'''Circle Be:''' “Basically, they built up the remote shopping business with a focus on distribution. That lets them do business anywhere as long as they have a base of operations, so they don’t need to control an entire city as long as they have a small town to work from.”

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“And Ryuuzouji joined Hashiba first, so Hinoe could not remain Catholic. And while Ryuuzouji supplies Hashiba with mechanical dragon technology, Hinoe has taken the middle road by remaining neutral ground in Kyushu.”

[[Image:Icon-36 narumi.png|50px]]

“A peaceful resolution those two never even considered,” said the Date Vice Chancellor.

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Judge. Ryuuzouji must remain Catholic, but since Nagasaki is Catholic and close to Hinoe, Ryuuzouji relies on Hinoe as a relay point. And Hinoe is too important to Nagasaki for Ryuuzouji to go to war with them. The former Pessoa became the next Chancellor of Hinoe and he is working to recover their lost land. He was apparently Arima-sama and Okamoto-sama’s underclassman. But all of that…”

Horizon raised her hand to take over for the Tachibana Wife.

[[Image:Icon-22 horizon.png|50px]]

“I believe Masazumi-sama mentioned this near Kyushu when we were en route to England before.”

[[Image:Icon-24c masazumi komari.png|50px]]

“Yes, well, it’s my area of expertise. I know more about Europe and Kantou now, though. But anyway…”

Masazumi stretched. This had been a lot of serious talk, but…

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“The idiot was right about one thing: we managed to end it with a smile.”

[[Image:Icon-16a mitotsudaira.png|50px]]

“Judge. All’s well that ends with a smile. We did a good job with that back then,” said Mitotsudaira.

Just then, they heard laughter from the boys working outside.

[[Image:Icon-02a tori.png|50px]]

“C’mon, Tenzou! Ah ha ha ha ha! How did you miss that!?”

[[Image:Icon-13a tenzo.png|50px]]

“Ha ha ha ha ha! But, Toori-dono, you’ve gotten your dick stuck! Wa ha ha ha ha!”

[[Image:Icon-18 noriki.png|50px]]

“Ta ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

The girls exchanged a glance.

[[Image:Icon-26a naruze.png|50px]]

“Don’t they seem in ''too'' good a mood?”

[[Image:Icon-27b night akire.png|50px]]

“Was that Noririn laughing so loud?”

“Are they okay?” asked Masazumi as the arms showed them a pot full of plants.

[[Image:Icon-16a mitotsudaira.png|50px]]

“What is that?” asked Mitotsudaira.

[[Image:Icon-22 horizon.png|50px]]

“Well, everyone, I believe this is the pot we set aside for making a soup for the boys back when we first started,” said Horizon.

[[Image:Icon-05b asama awate.png|50px]]

“Umm, if that’s it, then what pot did Mary cook a soup in and serve them?”

Balfette took a look around before raising her right hand.

[[Image:Icon-08b adele awate.png|50px]]

“I thiiiink that was the pot we were sorting the poisonous plants and mushrooms into.”

[[Image:Icon-76a turenne.png|50px]]

'''Still Got It:''' “Yes, a lot of mushrooms that give you a wonderful high and make you laugh like an idiot grow near my house. The trick to an enjoyable evening is to boil a moderate amount and drink the result.”

[[Image:Icon-32b mary shinken.png|50px]]

“M-Master Tenzou!”

[[Image:Icon-16b mitotsudaira awate.png|50px]]

“My king!!”

The wolf dashed outside, but the laughter did not stop. Masazumi sighed, called up an encyclopedia on her sign frame, and looked up how to create an antidote.

[[Image:Icon-22 horizon.png|50px]]

“Masazumi-sama,” said Horizon. “You mentioned at the beginning that the story was why you do not carry a weapon.”

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

“Because I clearly don’t need one, right? After seeing all the stupid things you people can do, I decided carrying a blade is kind of redundant.”

She stepped outside with her sign frame and turned back toward the others in the doorway. They could all hear the laughter of the boys outside.

[[Image:Icon-31a gin.png|50px]]

“Master Muneshige’s laughter is like music to my ears.”

[[Image:Icon-24c masazumi komari.png|50px]]

“This really isn’t the time for that. And why are the rest of you laughing now!? You didn’t take those mushrooms too, did you!? I can’t have you wasting the rest of the night that way! So be careful!”

Masazumi wondered if she would feel comfortable letting those two see what she had accomplished since that day.

[[Image:Icon-24a masazumi.png|50px]]

…''No, I still have a long way to go.

''Because I’ve set my sights high,'' she thought, making herself laugh.

[[Image:Icon-22 horizon.png|50px]]

“Everyone! Masazumi-sama is laughing weirdly!” shouted Horizon.

''I don’t need your weirdly worried looks.



[[Image:Horizon_GT2_p478-479.jpg|thumb]]

–'''I’m on my way there.

<noinclude>
{{HorizonNavbar
    | [[Horizon:GT2 Chapter19|Chapter 19]]
    | [[Horizon:GT2 Afterword|Afterword]]
}}
</noinclude>