Horizon:Volume 9A Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Loser at the Table

Hi!

First on the agenda

Is deciding whether or not

We’ll be taking this seriously!

Point Allocation (Whether or Not We’re Sane is a Separate Issue)

●

“This is…some decent…curry.”

Narumi had a question after hearing the Tres España Vice President’s comment with head hanging.

…Whether it’s curry or not, why not just eat it?

Another question occurred to her too.

There was clearly only a single mouthful of curry in the small bowls.

…Does such a small quantity even count as a dish?

Uqui: “Why are you staring at the bowls, Narumi?”

She answered his question by voicing the vague question inside her.

Unturning: “I was wondering if food is more about form or substance.”

Bell: “Wh-what do…you mean by that?”

Uqui: “She is saying they should have made yakiniku instead of preparing these showy little bowls.”

Blunt as always, aren’t you?

But in this case, the little bowls contained curry. That was definitionally different from yakiniku.

Unturning: “Curry is designed to be made in large quantities while still tasting good. So what is the point of putting it in such small bowls?”

Everyone fell silent. Eventually, the 1st Special Duty Officer spoke up.

10ZO: “I expected a complaint about curry being served in this context, but instead we get a philosophical discussion about the purpose of curry?”

Still Got It: “Testament. I was thinking the same thing.”

Should we really let the Reine des Garous listen in on our meeting with Tres España? Well, this is ending in war no matter what, so I suppose it doesn’t matter.

Vice President: “Why are you looking at me like that, Date Vice Chancellor!?”

You know why. But…

Bell: “Um, uh…”

The bathhouse daughter picked up one of the curry bowls.

Bell: “Isn’t this…the same as any curry…just divided up?”

●

“I see.”

Urquiaga heard Narumi’s response.

Her tone said she had accepted that answer. And that she was satisfied with it. Some might interpret it as a mixture of surprise and resignation, but…

“So you understand, Narumi?”

“I do,” she said, but she must have decided that wasn’t enough of an explanation and continued. “Curry is a universally beloved food. I see it as something that is easy to like, but also has a great breadth and depth to explore. So while I didn’t understand why you would want to divide it into such small bowls, it is indeed still the same curry. It’s all the same. This must be a message,” she said. “Tres España is trying to tell us that we are all individuals, but we are all the same on a deeper level.”

●

Gold Mar: “Oh, no. We’re dangerously close to this ending on a touching note.”

Asama: “Hold on. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

Horizey: “Okayyyyyyy!! We have arrived at Masazumi-sama’s Super War Declaration Time!”

Vice President: “We don’t have time for a war with Honnouji coming up so soon!”

Novice: “You probably shouldn’t imply you would go to war if we had more time, Takarazuka Honda-kun.”

Silver Wolf: “Also, Masazumi? We agreed this meeting would run on Kyou rules, but what exactly does that mean?”

●

That’s a good question, thought Masazumi.

Both sides had agreed to use Kyou rules, but there was no such thing.

…Given the circumstances and since we’re enemies, I was planning to use that fact to say what I wanted without worrying too much.

If she made a mistake, she could escape it by saying it didn’t “count” because of the Kyou rules. That was why she had agreed to the rules without defining them. She expected Tres España had done the same thing.

…That’s what it sounded like anyway, so we should be fine.

However, the city of Kyou did have its own etiquette.

Vice President: “I’ve heard that people in Kyou never say what they really mean.”

This information was at least secondhand, so there may have been other interpretations. But…

Circle Be: “Yes, that’s true. Kyou merchants love to say things in the most cryptic way possible, so you often have to decode what they really mean. Because it rarely matches their outward words and actions.”

So the merchants saw it the same way. And…

Vice President: “Futayo. You had planned to guard the Musashi until it arrived in Aki if the Battle of Mikawa hadn’t happened, right? That would have meant visiting Kyou, so were you taught anything about this?”

“Judge,” nodded Futayo next to Masazumi.

Tonbokiri: “My father said that Kyou’s people will intentionally say the opposite of what they mean to avoid taking responsibility for it.”

Azuma: “Oh, yeah. They definitely do that.”

Novice: “That must mean Tres España is asking us to follow that custom here. We play a verbal game where we say the opposite of what we mean and never agree to anything.”

Probably so, thought Masazumi. So to sum it up…

Vice President: “We must not say what we really mean in this meeting.”

●

Juana thought about the “Kyou rules” this meeting was supposed to follow.

Kyou rules were not a real thing.

But the circumstances worked against both sides if they ran this meeting like normal. Musashi had Honnouji coming up and Tres España was supposed to be working with Hashiba. In the worst case, this meeting could get them attacked by Hashiba and their affiliated nations.

So Juana wanted some kind of filter for this meeting’s conversations – something that would let them sidestep any accusations from Hashiba and their affiliated nations.

The Kyou rules would be that filter. That was the only reason she had agreed to the Musashi Vice President’s suggestion and now it had been established.

However, the city of Kyou did have its own etiquette.

…When negotiating, you assess a potential business partner while showing them your best hospitality. If you decide they are worth investing in, you go all in. If you decide they are not, you withdraw immediately.

●

Juana understood the Kyou rules to mean hospitality and a decision to provide support or not.

In other words, you showed the other side your best hospitality while keeping your intentions hidden. If you approved, you provided your full support. If you did not, you said goodbye.

This was different from being condescending.

Kyou had long been a city of commerce.

In ancient times, the Imperial Palace’s presence meant tax money from all across the Far East was sent to Kyou.

The surplus would end up in the market where it spread to markets further away.

The same happened with information. Information from all across the Far East gathered here along with the taxes.

So the people of Kyou did not see themselves as civilian merchants.

They were a part of the Emperor and the Imperial Palace. They saw themselves as government entities with a close connection to the Imperial Court.

This place had been the Far East’s “center” for a thousand years, so no one else could do what they did.

But even that changed with the times. Masters and servants swapped places and the rulers were quickly changed. Even within Kyou, there were divisions based on which group you supported.

This had led to Kyou’s conversational style.

They stretched out the process of making a decision so they could side with or distance themselves from anyone.

Juana saw that as the Kyou rules. In other words…

Juana: “We eat and hold a casual meeting while we secretly decide whether or not to support Musashi.”

Musashi would be doing the same.

Juana: “They will be deciding whether or not to support Tres España and the Testament Union.”

They were short on time, so they would want to make a quick decision. That meant Juana’s plan remained the same as before.

• Stall for time until Musashi has no choice but to accept our demands.

• It would be safest to keep a healthy distance between Musashi and us.

• Do not carelessly decide whether or not we will support Musashi or how we would do so.

That was why she had suggested the Kyou rules.

Flores: “Um, Lady Juana? Aren’t the Kyou rules just a word game? That thing where you never say what you mean, sort of like you’re always lying?”

Juana: “No. That would be much too dangerous. What do you think would happen if we came out and said the opposite of what we mean during a crucial international discussion?”

As soon as Juana said that, she heard a loud thud.

Someone had slammed a bowl down onto the table. It came from the Musashi Vice Chancellor seated at the very front of the Musashi group. With her bowl on the wooden table, she raised her eyebrows and shouted.

“Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!”

●

Flores’s initial reaction was confusion.

She didn’t understand what the Musashi Vice Chancellor could mean. Because…

…Ehh? But it’s really good.

She scooped the curry from the small bowls and tried each one. Each bowl had a different flavor: meat, vegetable, and plain. And each one…

“Aren’t these really well made, Lady Juana?”

“Y-yes. Even if why they are curry is still a mystery.”

“Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!”

The Musashi Vice Chancellor reached for another small bowl. And…

“Blech. Each of these is one of the worst things I have ever tasted!”

She scarfed it down.

“Please never feed me something so disgusting ever again! Definitely do not send my compliments to the chef!”

●

Tonbokiri: “There, I got everyone started on the Kyou rules!”

Almost Everyone: “Thanks for that!”

Asama: “Futayo earned some decent points up front, which should be a big help.”

Vice President: “Hmm. I know I approved saying the opposite of what we mean, but I feel like this isn’t how that’s supposed to work.”

Horizey: “Masazumi-sama, there is no use in crying over spilt milk.”

10ZO: “Doesn’t that imply that this was a mistake?”

●

Juana heard Musashi’s complaints about the food. First their Vice Chancellor and now their 3rd Special Duty Officer.

“Ga-chan, isn’t this stuff just vile?”

“Judge, it is. So vile I never want to eat another bite.”

“I know, right?” said Musashi’s vassal. “There must be something wrong with Kyou’s people if this is what they eat!”

Did they really have to take it that far? But Juana was curious, so she asked for confirmation.

“Musashi Vice President?”

“What do you need, Tres España Vice President?”

“Testament,” she said before getting to her question. “Is it really that bad?”

She saw the Musashi Vice President turn toward Musashi’s princess.

“You, glasses woman! Are you saying you do not find this curry disgusting!?” said Musashi’s princess. “First the texture of the roux feels awful on the tongue, then the flavor traveling across the tongue and into the nose is spicy and nothing more – it has no real flavor. The amount of vegetables is completely out of balance and they are undercooked, giving them this awful texture! I thought maybe the meat one would be fine, but even the meat is poorly cooked, giving it a crude flavor! Don’t you agree, glasses woman?”

How am I “glasses woman” with their vassal sitting right there? Or is she “glasses girl”?

But she did not agree. Because…

“First the texture of the roux feels wonderful on the tongue, then the flavor traveling across the tongue and into the nose isn’t just spicy – it has the most wonderful flavor. The amount of vegetables is perfectly balanced and they are cooked just the right amount, giving them the most delightful texture. Meat tends to overshadow the rest of the dish, but the meat here is cooked just right, giving it an elegant flavor.”

●

Flat Vassal: “Their Vice President loathes this curry!”

Art-Ga: “If she’s so critical of this, what kind of godlike curry do the Spanish normally eat!? Now I’m mad! I am so drawing her! …And done.”

10ZO: “Wh-why do you look so refreshed!?”

Asama: “Um, uh, Gin-san? You’re there, aren’t you? What do you make of this?”

Tachibana Wife: “Sorry. I was trying to sit this one out, but I will tell you that Lady Juana is incapable of lying during political discussions.”

Me: “For real!? If Hassan heard what she said, he might just drop dead on the spot!”

Gold Mar: “Maybe she just has terrible taste in food? And since the Chancellor isn’t part of this, we’d probably lose if Ture-yan showed up now.”

Still Got It: “Hee hee. I would like to try a different dish next time.”

Me: “You got it, maman! …Anyway, what’re you gonna do about this meeting, Seijun?”

●

Masazumi raised her right hand. These Kyou rules are a pain, she thought while speaking to Tres España’s Vice President.

“Don’t excuse me.”

“Huh?”

Okay, maybe that was taking it too far.

“I really don’t want to do the meeting right now.”

“But that meeting is very important to us.”

…What, you agreed to a meeting and now you’re trying to get out of it?

But Masazumi could see why that would be. Tres España was a representative of the Testament Union and was close to Hashiba. That was good for their reputation, but it also meant a lot of responsibility.

If this meeting ended poorly, they would be pressured by the other Testament Union nations. That would be a major problem while Tres España tried to rebuild.

…But if they succeed here as a representative, they can make a lot of progress on their rebuilding.

Was that why Juana didn’t want to do this? Was she trying to avoid the risk?

Masazumi was curious, so she asked about it.

“Why do you think the meeting is so important? I’m not at all curious.”

“Because we want to build momentum in our rebuilding. Why else?”

●

Silver Wolf: “Does that mean she doesn’t want Tres España to rebuild?”

Novice: “I smell a coup d'état! It’s a revolution!!”

Four Eyes: “Yeah, that’s definitely what’s happening here. I couldn’t agree more. You’re a genius, Toussaint. Oh, and this is using the Kyou rules.”

Novice: “Goddammiiiiiit! Why do I have to be too smart for my own good!?”

10ZO: “I’m going to assume that was following the Kyou rules too. …Anyway, Masazumi-dono, that isn’t completely out of the question.”

Scarred: “Judge. Tres España is currently working to rebuild after the Armada battle. But they are also dealing with some slight internal conflict.”

Tachibana Wife: “Excuse me. To explain, Tres España was worn down by the Armada battle, but the responsibility for that mostly fell on the academy – primarily the Student Council and the Chancellor’s Officers.

“However, Tres España’s commerce is more privatized than in other nations and its authority has been decentralized into localized jurisdictions. If the rebuilding is rushed, there is a concern the privatized businesses or the local jurisdictions will plot to come out ahead of the academy.”

Horizey: “In Musashi, anyone getting any funny ideas would have their transport ships requisitioned during a war to wear down their strength. Does Tres España not have anything like that? Or do you just punch them?”

Tachibana Wife: “I appreciate the advice, but I imagine Tres España has taken measures to avoid a path to rebuilding that lines private pockets. Which is why they would not want this meeting to introduce a new path to rebuilding or any support thereof. In other words, I think Tres España wants to avoid discussing any business interactions with other nations and instead focus on the international politics.”

Tachibana Husband: “I agree. Lady Juana often develops new industries, but she runs them quite strictly. She prefers to play it safe in business. The Chancellor is the same there. I doubt she wants to make any dangerous decisions with Musashi when Tres España’s domestic situation is still so uncertain.”

●

“I see,” said Masazumi to everyone’s opinions.

…So there are multiple approaches you can take here.

She had assumed Tres España would want Musashi to support their rebuilding, so she had planned to use it as a bargaining chip.

But she had assumed wrong.

She needed to better understand her negotiating partner.

“Tres España.”

“Yes?”

“Judge,” she began. “Whatever your plans might be, we have no intention at all of lending a hand in rebuilding Tres España.”

“None at all!?”

“Yes.” She nodded. And to show she meant it, “Judge. Nothing you say can change my mind on this.”

●

Flores: “Um, Lady Juana? I think you should give them one of your famous lectures.”

Juana: “N-no, I am sure they have their reasons. Besides, we are not here to pester them into helping us there. We didn’t expect their help in the first place!”

●

Juana saw that as a nasty first move.

Tres España was the most influential of the Testament Union nations that could arrive here in a hurry.

But they were close to Hashiba and they were Catholic, so they had set up a jinmaku to prevent any other nations from intervening and set up the poorly-defined “Kyou rules” to set the stage for the meeting.

No other nation could join them.

So they should be able to reach a mutually-beneficial conclusion.

…So what are they doing!?

Musashi had rejected the entire idea of international support right off the bat.

This was going poorly from the very start. And the other side was showing hostile behavior, like they were opposed to Tres España even being here.

…There must be more to this.

But what would make Musashi so stubborn here?

Just then, a voice arrived from the jinmaku entrance.

“The stew bowls have arrived.”

The next dish was here.

●

Adele watched as the hors d'oeuvre trays were removed and new bowls were brought in.

They were lined up in front of everyone and the Chancellor reached for his right away, but then he made an odd grunt and froze in place.

Adele looked below the tablecloth to see the arms hopping up and down, so they were likely responsible. Could I get the Chancellor’s share? she wondered, but she blamed the curry. Only getting three tiny bowls of such perfect curry had only made her hungrier.

“Now, then,” said the Tres España Vice President. “Please enjoy this minced conger and shrimp stew with green beans.”

Ohh! Adele felt her heart rejoice. She could imagine what this would be like. She wasn’t familiar with Kyou food, but as a Far Eastern stew, it would likely have a subtle flavor. If it didn’t use miso, it was probably more of a soup with a seafood broth or lightly seasoned bonito broth. This was likely meant as a palate cleanser after the strongly seasoned curry.

These Kyou cooks know what they’re doing.

Everyone followed the Vice President’s lead in opening their bowls.

It was curry.

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