Kevin the Bored
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25 Conspiracy
🕑 Added 2024-12-31 13:01:34 +0000 UTCA/N: I'm not dead, sorry for the delay, I'm just moving house rn, and the new place is up 6 flights of stairs and we don't have any movers and I'm not exactly a beefcake. My everything hurts, washing machines are heavy cuz they have concrete in em.
Anyway. I have been struggling to find the time and energy to write anything with that going on, and we've still got some more stuff to go, sadly. :(
Once again, sorry for being so late with this chapter, not that I had a schedule anyway lol.
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Nurarihyon tried to not let his fellow Daiyōkai's dismissal of the human threat get to him. How they fail to understand what he can see, he does not know, it is obvious enough to him.
But evidently, he couldn't dismiss his annoyance as well as he'd have hoped, going by the faintly concerned expression on his new aide's face.
"Jorōgumo, if you have concerns, then speak them." He doesn't stop walking as he commands her, passing through the streets of Heian-kyō without a care for being seen.
After all, thanks to his Osore, Displacement, he is invisible to the eyes of the humans around him. The only actual struggle for him is controlling his Osore enough to hide from the senses of humans without using too much to hide from the senses of Jorōgumo too.
That said, there are still plenty of eyes following them, but that is just because Jorōgumo's human form is that of a beautiful woman. She has pale white skin that the humans must think to be powder and not her natural shade, pitch black hair tied up in a somewhat messy bun, though the loose strands of hair only exemplify her beauty, rather than detract from it.
Matching her hair, she has dark markings around her black eyes as well as six small black marks above her eyebrows and black lips. Once again, none of this is the result of makeup, which only makes her all the more attractive as her appearance is lacking in unnatural imperfections.
Her kimono is a light black, but not quite grey, and is decorated sparsely with pale dark green clouds of stylised smoke. The inner layer of white beneath forms a nice contrast while also complimenting her skin. Additionally, the wood-brown obi sash wrapped around her waist provides some more colour, preventing the ensemble from appearing too monocoloured.
Finally, she is wearing a pair of simple geta on her feet and is holding a wagasa, an unadorned pale red parasol, in her hand, shielding her from nothing, as the sun has already set.
"You seem..." Jorōgumo still hesitates to speak, even with his permission. He knows that she holds him in great regard and can more or less figure out the reason for her hesitance. She simply does not want to say anything that might dim his image in her mind. "..Troubled, my Lord."
"Your powers of observation continue to astound me," Nurarihyon half snaps back at her with a roll of his eyes and immediately regrets the harsh tone of his words when Jorōgumo turns her head down and purses her lips.
"Haaah, I apologise, Jorō, I should not have lashed out like that," he apologises, but she does not respond, making him sigh again in his mind.
How childish, he thinks with fondness.
Jorōgumo is a very young Yōkai. The fact that she could reach her level of strength so quickly is nothing short of astounding. The only Yōkai he can remember hearing about in recent history with such talent would be Hagoromo's student, though he doesn't know how far she has advanced these days.
Either way, Jorōgumo is a powerful Yōkai with even greater potential. A fitting member of his Hyakki Yagyō. Though the term translates to Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, ever since his own Hyakki Yagyō took heavy casualties a while ago, it has become more of an ideal. As such, it is really just a term for any number of Yōkai serving under a single leader.
He her picked up a short while ago and has basically been raising her. He doesn't think he's doing an especially good job of it though. He certainly never thought he'd ever wind up acting as any kind of father figure.
Still, as a result of this, he knows Jorōgumo very well, so even if it wasn't blatantly obvious that he had upset her, he at least knows how to move past his blunder.
First was obviously assuring her that he didn't mean to speak with anger, then is to simply move the conversation forward. She has a habit of remaining her silence when she is upset until the cause her of discomfort has passed enough that she won't have to interact with it.
In this case, that simply means that he has to go back and answer her question as if this little scene didn't happen, so as to assure her that it is something that can be forgotten.
Children are so troublesome, he thinks, not for the first time. Yet, the part that scares him is that he doesn't really mind dealing with this kind of trouble.
"I am troubled," he says at last. "I am annoyed that my 'peers' are content to ignore the threat that the current era of humanity represents to our kind."
Jorōgumo doesn't verbally respond, nor does her expression shift greatly, but once again, he knows her well enough to notice the slight furrow of her brows, making him want to sigh again.
Children are so troublesome. Is it so difficult to communicate your thoughts through your words? I am not capable of reading minds.
"What are you thinking, Jorō?" He asks, making sure his tone is adequately warm this time.
"I apologise, my Lord. I do not doubt you, but I also I do not understand. Are the humans truly such a threat?" Jorōgumo glances at the street around them and the numerous people walking by, her impassive face falling into a frown that he only notices because of how well he knows her. "They are so weak?"
Nurarihyon sighs. This is exactly the problem that he finds so vexing.
He loves his kind, he is truly proud to be a Yōkai, and is willing to go to great lengths for the sake of his people. That said, he is not blind to their faults, and one of them is that no one seems to be able to see the danger he sees, simply because they are incapable of seeing beyond what is right in front of them.
"Jorō," he starts, getting her attention with the tone of his voice so she knows to pay attention. "None of these things around us are humans."
Unsurprisingly, she doesn't get his meaning. Scrunching her brows and looking more closely at the wandering people, trying to see something that isn't there, because she hasn't realised that she can already see it.
"These are not humans," he gestures broadly to the crowd. "These are animals. Monkeys. Do you remember the lesson I gave you on how one determines a being's position in the world?"
"Yes, my Lord. Low-class beings are civilians and non-combatants. Mid-class beings are foot soldiers, High-class beings are Nobles and powerful individuals, while Ultimate-class beings are Kings, Gods and Monsters."
Nurarihyon nods his head. "There are obviously exceptions, but as a general rule, that is accurate. Now, can you figure out what the difference between a human and a monkey is?"
She doesn't answer. He gives her a couple of minutes, but with no response and no change in expression to tell him if she's still thinking or not, he simply gives up and continues talking.
"The difference is that monkeys are just animals that have learnt to mimic humans enough to be almost indistinguishable, but they are not the same. Tell me, Jorō, what is the difference between yourself and the average, mundane spider?"
That she actually seems a little bit offended by his question is something he considers a good thing, as it should help her understand.
"The difference is great, my Lord. I am not a spider anymore. I am a Yōkai. I am capable of higher thought and am powerful."
"Exactly," Nurarihyon grins up at her, since she is taller than him. "The weakest sapient beings are all Low-class. That is why it is the lowest rung of the ladder. Even a new-born Yōkai is always at least Low-class. However, this system of ranking does not take into account the various animals of the world, such as spiders. No mere spider is even Low-class, because they are just animals, not capable of higher thought nor weilding any power, different to you."
He can see that she is starting to get it, so he keeps going to make sure. "Humans are the same as you in this instance. Do you know the average strength of a human? It is Low-class, and though they cannot go beyond High-class, they are still capable of achieving admirable things. Monkeys, however, are not even Low-class. That is the difference between the two."
His eyes drift to a passing family of the things, and all he can feel is revulsion at the sight of them, making his tone turn cold and hard as he finishes his lesson.
"These monkeys are just animals that mimic humans. They wield no power, they possess no higher thought. Just.. Soulless creatures putting on an act."
There is a brief lull in conversation, during which they continue to walk without pause, until Jorōgumo eventually responds. "I see. Then, how does one tell them apart, if they are so proficient at mimicry?"
"Just feel it," he quickly answers. "Don't look at them. Don't listen to them. No matter how real the act seems, they are just animals, no different from spiders and cattle. Just feel it."
Jorōgumo closes her eyes, and he knows that she is focusing her senses through her Youki, and he also knows what she is seeing through that sense. A whole lot of animals.
"I see," Jorōgumo says once more after another length of silence. "So it is not humanity that is weak, but these monkeys. Is this purposeful? Do the humans breed these monkeys in order to camouflage themselves? So that we underestimate them?"
Nurarihyon stifles a huff at her question, but when he goes to answer that no, the humans aren't purposefully breeding monkeys, he pauses. Are they? He thinks to himself in doubt. He didn't think they were, but now that she says it...
It is sometimes hard to say if a beneficial coincidence is a coincidence at all, simply because if it were not a coincidence then it would be an impressive scheme instead. It is easier to dismiss coincidences when they are harmful rather than beneficial.
"I doubt it," he answers at last. "I find it more likely that the monkeys simply breed too fast to be effectively culled, like rabbits. Whether they do or do not however is irrelevant. What matters is that this smoke screen exists, and because of it our kind habitually underestimates humanity and dies for their folly."
"It is unlike you to express so much concern, my Lord. Are the humans truly so strong? You yourself admitted that they cannot reach your heights." Jorōgumo asks, and an instinctual part of him wants to call her an idiot before he remembers that she is just young and is ignorant, not stupid.
Hell, she's probably smarter than him. Give it a century or two for her to gain some experience and it will likely be him who is relying on her for matters of strategy.
"They are. Do not underestimate them. Ever." He makes sure to look her in the eye to ensure she does not brush off his warning. "I know I am repeating myself, but it is important. Do not underestimate them. It will be the last thing you ever do."
He has lost too many friends to humans, he has no desire to lose any more. That is why he is doing all of this in the first place. "Humans lack our strength, they will never have the same volume of energy as us. But they are tricky, and they are skilled. Humans have short life spans, but they make up for that by improving at an incredible rate."
He truly detests humans.
"They will never have our power. A human will never gain skill with the blade equal to a Tengu. They will never master illusions to the degree of a Kitsune. They will never possess the overwhelming strength of an Oni or the speed of a Raijū. They are a species that will never reach the peak of any field."
He gives her a moment to absorb his words, because he doesn't want to accidentally give her a sense of inferiority. No matter how dangerous they are, she should never have the thought that they are stronger than her. She needs caution, not fear.
"But they are versitile. They might not be particularly good at anything, but they can be reasonably decent at everything. This is where most Yōkai fall. A Tengu can be fighting a battle of swordsmanship against a human, only for them to pull out a bow, or some manner of Sorcery. Against an Oni they will move fast and pounce on weakness while against a Raijū they will hold steady and prepare a trap or counter-attack. They must be treated with caution, because they will trick and misdirect you. If there is one thing that humans can be called expert on, it is being able to capitalise on openings. They do not fight like we do. To them, the greatest of them, a fight is not a martial battle, it is a mental one. Never forget that."
He has had so many friends, too many, who have fought against humans with the belief that there was no chance they would lose. He has seen it happen over and over again. Yōkai looking down on their human opponents simply because they are weak, only to be defeated anyway.
Humans are almost always the weaker party, yet they are so used to being weak that fighting more powerful opponents has become engraved into their being. It is in their nature to fight their betters as equals.
Maybe that is what he hates the most about them.
"What are you thinking now?" Nurarihyon casually asks after another brief silence, not even needing to look back at her to know that she is once again holding back her thoughts.
"I am reassessing our purpose here," she answers. "If humans are so dangerous, is our current course of action wise, my Lord?"
"It is fine, do not worry," he waves her off, then cringes because he knows she doesn't like when he does that, and now she's going to pout at him. "Humans are dangerous, but they are still only human. You mustn't underestimate them, but at the same time, there is no need to overestimate them either. They become easy to manipulate with some experience. We won't face any problems."
The plan is pretty simple really. He intends to make the humans fight themselves for him.
He truly does not want any more Yōkai to be killed by humans, unlike his peers, who seem to be indifferent to the fact. But not him. He knows first-hand how dangerous a Special Grade Sorcerer is, and he knows the ruin all Yōkai will face if nothing is done.
Luckily, if there's one thing that humans can be counted on, it is that they will always fight amongst themselves. So he simply intends to stoke the fire a little bit and help them fall into infighting.
After all, nothing is better at killing humans than humans themselves.
"I'm going to go ahead," Nurarihyon states, not needing to elaborate his intentions as Jorōgumo simply nods her head in acknowledgement.
///
Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
///
In the past, it was the Imperial Family that ruled the realm.
As the head of the Minamoto clan, he could have accepted that.
The Imperial Family rules with the authority and Blessing of Amaterasu-Ōmikami, he could accept serving such an Emperor, both personally and professionally.
What he cannot accept however, is Fujiwara no Michinaga making a mockery of the court and taking over the realm in all but name. In the time since Michinaga took power, almost every high ranking official's name now starts with Fujiwara.
As if that were not bad enough, Michinaga clearly expects his Minamoto clan to serve as a subordinate clan to his Fujiwara. It infuriates him.
Naturally, if it was his clan in such a position of power, he would certainly not reject it, but that is just the way politics are. No one can have too much power, unless that someone is you. The main issue is simply that Michinaga out played all of them in this little game of influence, and now something must be done.
Luckily, Yoriyoshi is not the only one who thinks that it is about time for some changes to be made, which is why he is here, meeting with Taira no Tadatsune, the current Head of the Taira clan, which just so happens to be the only one among the Great Clans that officially has a Special Grade among their name.
He hopes that fact will soon change. Not that he expects his own son, Yoshiie, to become a Special Grade. Rather, he is placing his hopes in Mitsunaka's son, Yorimitsu, also known as Minamoto no Raikō, The Fastest Sorcerer in History.
Now, a meeting such as this cannot happen just anywhere, but fortunately, Tadatsune has already secured a good location to meet.
The manor of Fujiwara no Sumitomo. After all, who would suspect them of discussing a rebellion against the Fujiwara clan inside of the manor of a Fujiwara?
According to Tadatsune, Sumitomo and Michinaga are not on good terms, and as such, Sumitomo is fully willing to join them in their rebellion.
Obviously, he doesn't fully trust either of them, and he knows that the feeling is mutual. Rather than calling them allies, it would be more accurate to say that they are simply agreeing on a temporary ceasefire so as to concentrate on a greater threat.
The usual pleasantries of being welcomed into another's home were rather rushed, as none of them want his presence here to be wildly known. Even if they do have an excuse prepared, it would naturally be better to not have to use it in the first place.
Soon enough, he was sitting opposite Taira no Tadatsune and Fujiwara no Sumitomo, while standing at each of his flanks he has the elderly Minamoto no Tsunemoto and his son, Minamoto no Mitsunaka, both of whom resemble Mitsunaka's son Yoshiie, albeit less feminine, though still somewhat androgynous.
Comparatively, Tadatsune almost looks like a muscular bandit, despite his noble bearing. His face is set in stone with a strong jaw and sharp eyes, and his hair is a mess of wild short hair coloured a mixture of violet and scarlet.
Sumitomo meanwhile looks about as one would expect of a Fujiwara. His back is as straight as his hair, which is as black as his clothing. He is clearly not a fighter, just a politician at heart, the kind of man who jumps at every opportunity and doesn't hesitate to throw his allies to the side if and when it benefits him.
"I am still against this," Tadatsune states, and he has to consciously avoid rolling his eyes at the man's need to repeat himself.
"Your opinion is duly noted," he drolly responds to the brute.
"While I do not disagree with the plan, such as Taira-dono does," Sumitomo interjects, and a part of Yoriyoshi wonders if the man simply takes every opportunity to voice his own thoughts simply because he loves the sound of his own voice. "I do still have some concerns about including a Yōkai in our.. Business. It seems risky in and of itself, and that is without considering the consequences that will befall us should the Principle Clans hear of this."
"Do you intend to tell them?" Yoriyoshi plainly retorts.
"Of course not!" Sumitomo looks appropriately panicked at thought of obeying the law that he once again reaffirms his notion that the man is the epitome of a politician.
"Then it is fine, is it not?" He continues, his voice flat, annoyed at having to explain this. "None in this room would admit it, leaving only the Yōkai who could accuse us, but who would believe them over us? Besides, I need them to ensure my plan is executed smoothly."
Tadatsune scoffs at his words. "Hmph. Having to rely on those beasts. Have you no pride?"
"I have plenty." He responds, his voice once again as dry as sand. "They may be foolish beasts, but even fools and beasts have their uses. They just need a proper guiding hand."
"Is it truly necessary to rely on them?" Sumitomo asks once more.
Tired of this line of questioning, he glares at the man, and his voice turns somewhat snappish as he replies, "Do you have a better method through which to acquire That Monk's corpse? Besides, if there are any complications, we can simply shift all of the blame to the Yōkai."
Predictably, Sumitomo wilts under his glare, because he does not in fact have a better plan. The security is simply too tight, and none of them have the ability to sneak past it.
The Legendary Nurarihyon however? Is there any place that disgusting thing cannot go?
And to think it was so easy to get that beast's cooperation. Some vague promises about convincing the Principle Clans to leave some areas of land untouched for Yōkai who wish to live peacefully that he does not intend to follow through with, and the beast was dancing in the palm of his hand.
Even with his impressive influence, getting those overly stubborn bastards of the Principle Clans to change anything about their policies would be a matter of difficulty that he has no desire to bother with.
And for a beast, Nurarihyon is at least somewhat intelligent, which means that the little monster will more easily be able to accept his excuses of 'Change takes time' and 'Next year will be different'.
Before the conversation can go any further, there is a soft knock on the door.
"Enter," Sumitomo answers as the host, and the door is slid open to reveal an attendant sitting respectfully on his knees and not looking up at them.
"Fujiwara-sama, Honoured Guests. There is a man and woman who claim to be expected."
"Send them in," Sumitomo commands, and the attendant bows even lower before sliding the door shut and only then getting to his feet and shuffling to escort the guests back.
The five of them remain silent as they wait for the Yōkai to arrive, and they are not left waiting long.
The first through the door he recognises as Nurarihyon, even if he has never met the thing before today. Other than the excessively large skull, it almost looks just like any handsome man would look, but to the eyes of an experienced Sorcerer, he is clearly anything but human.
The woman that follows however, almost enchants him with her beauty the moment he lays his eyes on her. Unlike Nurarihyon, she does not have any inhuman characteristics on display, and even though he can still tell that she is not human, he cannot deny the beauty that she represents.
However, no matter how beautiful, she is still a Yōkai, and Sumitomo is the only one who seems to have forgotten that as he stares at her with open lust.
The door slides shut behind them, and Nurarihyon sends them a grin that comes out threatening, though his glare is only for Sumitomo. "Greetings, Humans."
The woman doesn't speak, nor does her expression shift from calm indifference, as if she is a painting come to life.
"Nurarihyon," he greets in turn with a simple nod of the head, remaining at least somewhat polite, even if the effort is wasted on this beast.
"Since I do not like any of you, and none of you like me," Nurarihyon begins, not bothering to sit or regard them with any sense of caution. "Let us get to the point. Minamoto and I have already discussed what I am getting out of this little partnership of ours, so whaddaya want of me in turn?"
He tries not to react to this little beast calling him without any honorifics, and a part of him wonders if it is purposefully being impolite just to get a rise out of him, or if it truly simply does not know any manners. It's not like he knows how these animals are raised, if they are even raised at all.
Still, it is right about one thing. The quicker they get to the point, the quicker they can be free of one another's presences.
With that in mind, he leans forward and sends the beast an insincere but polite smile. "Tell me, are you familiar with the name Genshin?"
///
A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!
I don't like when I'm reading things and it feels like one side of the story is doing all the scheming while the other side is exclusively reacting. Hopefully the transition in this chap will make it feel like both sides have their own thoughts and biases and that neither side is exactly 'right' or 'wrong'.
Cuz in real life, people have biases that they believe are facts, and conflicts only arise when two opposing biases cross paths and cannot reconcile with another.
Also, I was thinking about that scene where Flamme is talking with Frieren when I wrote Jorōgumo's personality :P
Comments
cocobum
Thanks for the chapter.
Lucy Edwards
That's exactly what's going on, yes.
sinclair
Breaking news! Old man tries inducting a new member into the cult of Genshin Impact!
