>>5927047“If we get attacked, we have no recourse but to capitulate to their demands, be robbed, and then hire ninja to solve it to try and recover some of our losses later. In this case, we’re hiring you in advance because it’s inevitable. If we’re robbed, we’re coming to a complete stop and getting under the wagons until you handle it. That’s all we can do, we’re too slow to run, too weak to fight. As for carts, we have six, plus a larger one we live out of. The carts with food are less valuable than the ones with other goods. Two mules, six donkeys for six carts, each cart is covered with a tarp and is going to have between 80 and 150 pounds of merchandise. The bigger cart has personal effects, supplies, overflow goods, and has the two mules pulling it. We try not to just sit in it since it’s a waste of energy for our donkeys to pull people when we can walk.”
“How many are in our party?”
“Me, my parents, my uncle and his wife, my two cousins. And another guy outside the family who works for us. Eight. Plus you and your team, that’ll be another four. So we’ll be a dozen strong.”
“I see, I see… Seems like a low amount of weight for the donkeys, can’t they carry more than that?”
“Not long distance, not uphill. The grade of the terrain trends upwards as we head northwest away from the coast. Too much weight and they’ll be under strain.”
“Got it. Has Naoki been around?”
That question throws him off, and he’s shunted out of his element and into a less confident demeanor. “Um. No.” He says, breaking eye contact and turning a weird color. “Why? Has he said something?”
“No? Just asking. How do you guys know each other anyway, you go way back?”
“... Yes.”
That was a little strange, you think, saying your goodbyes. There’s not a whole lot more relevance that you’re really going to get here without being absurdly pedantic, so you give Akimitsu a curt farewell before heading on your way.
While you were talking to him it occurred to you that you should probably pick up some explosive tags and dinner on your way back, so you do just that.
—
The following morning you’re soaking your feet in the fake hot spring behind the inn, attempting to drink some coffee. You’ve never had it before. It’s not like it’s bad, but you can’t help but think it’s overrated. People must just like it out of tradition or something.
“Young man.” Hotaru says, coming outside. You’ve learned that she can’t resist bothering you if you look peaceful in the spring.
“Is the container you said you’d make ready?”
“Someone’s feeling direct! Yes, I said I’d make it and I did.” She says, handing you a bamboo container. It looked like something that might be commercially available in a store, if it weren’t covered in painted seals. Seals that you don’t really know the meaning of.
