[Otosan Uchi, the scary Tsai District] Zankoku Hon'o

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I would built a trebuchet." He said. "I was in fact scheming one for my gempukku, because those things are better done in advance. This is common, and the drafts are stored on a room not to risk their safety or asking your parents for help, although asking others for help is encouraged, and the senpais always know how to guide you to the answer instead of giving it to you."
He made a pause to allow everything to be processed out, taking a rolled big paper tucked on the obi of his kimono on his hands.
"You see, though... Mines is not within the room. It is with me. My sensei told me that since I was going to study under this new dojo, I would not need it anymore so I could take and develop it by myself at any time if I wanted. I thought about it later and got really concerned, because this could mean that I would not complete my gempukku. So I went to the forges because they are always the most busy place to find a senpai, but Kaiu-sama was there, and I asked Kaiu-sama if I would still complete my gempukku. She told me there were no problems. I wanted a more conclusive answer, but Kaiu-sama is Kaiu-sama, and I left the matter as it is."
Aiichiro sighs.
"Sorry, that was long. Do you want to see the draft when we get to the tower, though?"

[Kitsuki Shara]

"I would built a trebuchet." He said. "I was in fact scheming one for my gempukku, because those things are better done in advance. This is common, and the drafts are stored on a room not to risk their safety or asking your parents for help, although asking others for help is encouraged, and the senpais always know how to guide you to the answer instead of giving it to you."
He made a pause to allow everything to be processed out, taking a rolled big paper tucked on the obi of his kimono on his hands.
"You see, though... Mines is not within the room. It is with me. My sensei told me that since I was going to study under this new dojo, I would not need it anymore so I could take and develop it by myself at any time if I wanted. I thought about it later and got really concerned, because this could mean that I would not complete my gempukku. So I went to the forges because they are always the most busy place to find a senpai, but Kaiu-sama was there, and I asked Kaiu-sama if I would still complete my gempukku. She told me there were no problems. I wanted a more conclusive answer, but Kaiu-sama is Kaiu-sama, and I left the matter as it is."
Aiichiro sighs.
"Sorry, that was long. Do you want to see the draft when we get to the tower, though?"

Maybe this was how Kaiu expressed affection. Shara wasn't sure, but she nodded anyway

"Of course, I have never seen the plans for a trebuchet! Is it true they can launch a 90 kilo stone up to 300 meters away? To think that every engineer in your family has to design one themselves, that is fascinating. You're clearly very good at mathematics, what's 7x8.5?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Mines I would not be sure, but there are a lot of them that can do better than that. But it also all depends on positioning. Seven times eight and a half..." He stopped to think. Forgetting what was seven times eight, it was a matter of taking seven times seven and adding ten and a half. "Fifty nine and a half." He said after a dozen seconds or so.

[Kitsuki Shara]

"Mines I would not be sure, but there are a lot of them that can do better than that. But it also all depends on positioning. Seven times eight and a half..." He stopped to think. Forgetting what was seven times eight, it was a matter of taking seven times seven and adding ten and a half. "Fifty nine and a half." He said after a dozen seconds or so.

“...Close enough! Maybe we’ll have some maths classes in the dojo? Although I don’t actually know what sort of learning there will be. Have you heard anything?”

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Isn't math more of a courtier thing?" He asked. The Yasuki were indeed good at math. "I only learn the necessary part of maths for what I do, but I couldn't do finances like a courtier. So there should be?"

[Kitsuki Shara]

"Isn't math more of a courtier thing?" He asked. The Yasuki were indeed good at math. "I only learn the necessary part of maths for what I do, but I couldn't do finances like a courtier. So there should be?"

“I don’t know many courtiers, I should ask my parents how their math is. Maybe they’ve been good at it the whole time and kept it a secret? It would be a very Kitsuki thing to do.

Then again. Money isn’t anything a proper samurai should be involved in.”

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I got to meet two on my way to here. They did a lot of handling with money. A lot." Aiichiro looked quite astonished for a moment. "Do you think... They may be not proper samurai? If that's the case I should tell Ginkarasu-san."

[Kitsuki Shara]

"I got to meet two on my way to here. They did a lot of handling with money. A lot." Aiichiro looked quite astonished for a moment. "Do you think... They may be not proper samurai? If that's the case I should tell Ginkarasu-san."

“Yes.... but also no, Kaiu-san. If they’re not proper samurai that means a lot of samurai aren’t proper samurai.”

She frowns

“And that’s probably too many people to make such a big mistake. I think once we’ve finished our gempukku we’ll know more, it probably gets explained.”

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Yeah. It's an entire family too much." He replies, looking forward to see the gate that let outside the city. "This way, Kitsuki-san. Talking about families, I don't know barely anything about the Dragon. What does yours do? Courtiers, since you have told about your parents being ones?

[Kitsuki Shara]

"Yeah. It's an entire family too much." He replies, looking forward to see the gate that let outside the city. "This way, Kitsuki-san. Talking about families, I don't know barely anything about the Dragon. What does yours do? Courtiers, since you have told about your parents being ones?

Following the Crab out the gate

"They're magistrates so they solve crimes. We have very unusual methods in Dragon lands."
Lowering her voice
"Do you know that sometimes you can tell who committed a crime without even getting any testimony?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Every one of them is a magistrate? Are there a lot of crimes in the Dragon lands, or are most of them Emerald Magistrates, or are there few courtiers?" He asked. "Solving a crime without testimony ...How?"

[Kitsuki Shara]

"Every one of them is a magistrate? Are there a lot of crimes in the Dragon lands, or are most of them Emerald Magistrates, or are there few courtiers?" He asked. "Solving a crime without testimony ...How?"

"Every magistrate is a courtier, and most of our courtiers are magistrates. It's much easier to persuade people someone is guilty if you're good at persuading people."
Nodding at the testimony question
"Secret techniques, you have to look at things extremely closely and sometimes those things tell you what has happened."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"A lot of crab magistrates are not courtiers as far I know. I would say all of them I have seen together, which should be like 3 and they were all Kaiu. I think the Yasuki would be more interested in travelling around selling their things to other clans than walking around the Crab, too, as for what I have seen."
He looks around.
"So they are shugenja? They talk with things."

[Kitsuki Shara]

"A lot of crab magistrates are not courtiers as far I know. I would say all of them I have seen together, which should be like 3 and they were all Kaiu. I think the Yasuki would be more interested in travelling around selling their things to other clans than walking around the Crab, too, as for what I have seen."
He looks around.
"So they are shugenja? They talk with things."

"Crab magistrate sound different, I bet they're more percussive. But Dragon magistrates aren't shugenja, they're not talking to the spirits but sort of....reading the room? Like when you follow animal tracks and you can say 'that is a deer' a Kitsuki might be able to say 'that is a large man with a limp' "

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Noticing something that was caused like a man with a limp walked the room... I think it is a little too jumpy on logic, but if it works then it works." He replied. Crabs weren't famous for being philosophers. "The people on my city always told me that I should hope never to be visited by a magistrate. Don't know why."

[Kitsuki Shara]

"Noticing something that was caused like a man with a limp walked the room... I think it is a little too jumpy on logic, but if it works then it works." He replied. Crabs weren't famous for being philosophers. "The people on my city always told me that I should hope never to be visited by a magistrate. Don't know why."

Brightly
"Probably because then you'd be suspected for dishonourable or even criminal activities. I don't think you will be though, siege weapons are quite legal in your lands and you are an honourable samurai."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"That makes a lot of sense. I almost feel dumb for not realizing it earlier. But they aren't quite legal, they are very legal. Around the wall everywhere. We build villagers only to destroy them in the testing too."

[Kitsuki Shara]

"That makes a lot of sense. I almost feel dumb for not realizing it earlier. But they aren't quite legal, they are very legal. Around the wall everywhere. We build villagers only to destroy them in the testing too."

"Oh that sounds like fun, I've never destroyed a village before. Although, I wonder how the Lion would feel about it, they might not be able to get an honourable battle in if you turn up with ballista. It's probably something the Imperial observer decides I suppose."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I didn't, but everyone that passes gempukku has to test the engines somewhere. I agree that the Lion would not smile at that, but the Hida soldiers are both strong and trained to exterminate, so even without the engines they would suffer a lot of losses. But we don't really have the time to seek battle inside the empire.

[Kitsuki Shara]

"I didn't, but everyone that passes gempukku has to test the engines somewhere. I agree that the Lion would not smile at that, but the Hida soldiers are both strong and trained to exterminate, so even without the engines they would suffer a lot of losses. But we don't really have the time to seek battle inside the empire.

"That's for the best I think. The Dragon don't either, there aren't a lot of us and those of us around are busy thinking hard on the future."