Horizon:Volume 4A Prologue
Prologue: Those Who Touch the Meander with Their Feet
Where is
The end of complications
Point Allocation (Liberalism)
The light streamed down from high in the sky.
It was the afternoon sun of early summer.
More than just being merely warm, the piercingly hot radiance cast stark shadows over the land.
That wave of newborn shadows covered the grassland that encircled the forest for three kilometers in every direction.
Presently, the light breeze washed through the fields of cut grass, sending waves undulating through them.
However, there was a break in the waves; midway across the field, stretching north to south, was a little river.
South of the river with its shadow coloured waters, on the downstream of the north bank, sat two shadows. Cooling off with their legs below their knees plunged beneath the water; those two did not resemble humans however.
On one hand, was a sheet with girl characters from which legs protruded. On the other, was a dakimakura.
The dakimakura lightly kicked his bare legs up from the water. It was a nimble movement. Like long-time acquaintances, the dakimakura turned his air hole towards the sheet.
“Uwaaa, it’s still afternoon but the water’s so cold! It sure takes you back to your childhood days Koni-tan!”
“Ehh, having just us sneaking out from the reserve Provisional Council office is too much of a waste, Nobu-tan!”
They both sat together, swaying their bodies left and right while singing the opening to an anime.
“♪Don‘t look down on yourself, look up and take the top. Be calm and stand fast, your dreams will come true if you just believe. The cuckoo reaches the end of its limits. A HA . RA . KI . RI of purity!”
The singing dakimakura paused. And then, abruptly looked behind him to the north.
There, beyond grass tall enough to conceal a person were several white and black figures. They were a group of large transport ships bearing the coat of arms of Musashi.
Looking at them as they sat in the sunlight, the dakimakura muttered.
“Due to Musashi being refitted at Ariake, her special floating dock in Kantou IZUMO, all inhabitants and engineers not related to the repair works are to take their business outside.”
The dakimakura read the words aloud
“—We, the office of the Provisional Council, at our general assembly together with the Musashino battle group have decided to take control of the reserve Provisional Council office of No.1 port, however….”
In between his words, the wind blew.
Several of the battle group’s vessels anchored at the north of the harbor ascended by tens of meters.
However, they all stopped after rising by a certain amount of height.
Before the eyes of the dakimakura and the sheet, cargo was carried out from the edges of the deck and the side hatches.
On the Futonawa road linking the ships, the difference in altitude was used to facilitate the stream of cargo being transported.
“….so the afternoon transport commences? Originally, this harbor of Mito which is divided according to nation, would assign the eight component ships of the Musashi to the transport fleet overseeing its separation. Thanks to that, right now in every city in Musashi, after every lane has been reconfigured for transport shipping, the harbor which was separated from the forest is now also an arrival port.”
Again the dakimakura looked to the north at the bulk of the Musashi.
North where the distant green mountains lay, to a gap approximately 20km away.
“The entrance to Oushuu, Shirakawa….The Musashi will be refited at Ariake.”
“It’s because the Date who control Northeastern Europe, under the pretext of ‘being too busy at the moment,’ would not allow anyone north of there. The elites who control the West European region of Siberia, the Uesugi of Svet Rus are also withholding announcement of their decision. Meanwhile we can only pass the time.”
That may not be a bad idea, the dakimakura said to the sighing sheet.
“Time is welcome. It’s because while slowly approaching the completion of Musashi’s refit, I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to this eight-sectioned temporary residence. The decision by the Student Council after their defeat at Mikatagahara isn’t a bad thing.”
With that, the sheet let out a sigh different from the one before
“Preventing us from seeing the losses from the battle, leaving upwards from the Musashi or forming any undesirable unions, that’s what the eight sections do. On one hand, while it may be possible to descend to the surface, the unfamiliar and hectic lifestyle provokes changes in sentiments, ensuring negative feelings do not boil over.”
“The descent of the ship gives us the option of staying in Mito’s castle-town…..also, each industrial sector is producing parts for Musashi’s refitting. There are cases of people returning to the Musashi as those hoping to participate in the refitting works get special treatment. The provision of such a refuge means that unity can only recover.” “Is that Masazumi-kun’s decision?”
That’s generally so, said the dakimakura. However,
“But a part of the arrangements did not stem from Masazumi. They were from the Student Council’s juniors.”
“I see. You speak of Ookubo and Kanou then?”
Aa, nodded the dakimakura.
“The Ookubo girl…..Before the population census of Mikawa, she was a peer who took on the title of Ookubo. Like me, after the census, she too came to Musashi. However, looking to keep a lower profile, she took on the dual titles of Tadachika and Nagayasu. The automaton she inherited and which followed her from Mikawa, Kanou; to call her capable would not be a mistake…..Not on Masazumi’s level but she’s a rising star of the second years.”
“Ku…..That style of speaking, vaguely knowing that connections exist, it’s most regrettable…”
“The Honda and Ookubo are two houses locked in strife over the Testament Descriptor. I’ll have much to gain if she makes friends with Masazumi. However….government is not just limited to internal issues….is that not so, Koni-tan?”
“Jud….In the south, Edo is carrying out the history recreation of the Korean Invasions. Consequently, the maneuvers of the Hashiba armies prevent any advance north. Also, there are the corresponding actions of the Date, Mogami, Uesugi and the Kantou force?”
“That’s right….Earlier during the battle of Mikatagahara, do you remember what Lord Yoshitsune said?”
Jud, nodded the sheet. Turning his air hole to the dakimakura,
“—Get the Date and Uesugi to our side.”
“—therefore, allying with the Date and Uesugi on our own initiative would be desirable.”
The young boy with glasses, sketching a map of Oushuu in chalk on the black board said.
Wearing an arm band with the words “Secretary Neshinbara Toussaint” on his short sleeves, “well, that’s largely understood,” he thinks as he surveyed the classroom, sparsely furnished with seats.
This was class Third Year Umegumi of Musashi Ariadust Academy, located in the aft section of Musashi’s center-rear ship, Okutama.
Looking ahead, out the window, the entirety of the Musashi could be seen. And with that, the full expense of the interior of Ariake, the specialized, large scale dock that the Musashi was enclosed in.
Viewed from here, Ariake was a vast hall.
Overhead bridges spanned from left to right and lifts ran along the walls and ceiling. The entire scene was similar to the roofed IZUMO harbor.
The Musashi buried in its heart however, was different until now. The surfaces of the eight ships were covered by many sheets draped over them and they were encircled by scaffolding or otherwise, completely bare.
…..It was in the middle of repairs. And on top of that, this included the fitting of weaponry. Drastic changes to allow for the martial activities of various nations were being carried out beneath each cover. All that had been for the implicit purpose of defense and they had now reached the testing stage. Whatever they may be, whether they be attractive or are called guns, it’s fine, Neshinbara thought.
A girl’s voice came from the side.
It was Oriotorai, who had removed her jersey jacket. She was checking the draft of a report from an advance scouting operation on the relocation of dining areas on the exterior and interior of the ship.
“Yes, yes, this used to be for the purpose of self study but is now a situation meeting, so I can’t just look the other way right? Although the task that Asama, Mitotsudaira and Masazumi have is a trifling affair, one must still be firm in it no? .....Eh, what? From Neshinbara’s viewpoint, it seems like we need to ally with the Uesugi’s Svet Rus.”
Ah, Jud, Neshinbara continued.
“According to the Testament, during the time of the Sekigahara campaign, the Date were on the side of the Matsudaira. The Uesugi were on the side of the Hashiba. Fundamentally, getting the Uesugi to our side is a next to impossible proposition. In between, there’s the large nation of the Mogami, however, this was a nation that was reduced after the Sekigahara campaign so aiming for a temporary alliance would be useful.”
At this, the words started flowing from within the classroom.
It was the gold, six-winged Knight. She was engaged in exchanges with the Magi no Figura because of Naruze, who was facilitating the shipping in of outside goods.
“The way things are going now, the Mogami are in decline. Wouldn’t that leave the Date the supreme rulers of Oushuu? In that case, we just accept the shield to the rear the Date provides and borrow that authority to ally with the Uesugi….what do you think?”
