Covert Operation - 01

Nobu smiled at his younger brother as he entered his carriage. For this trip, he decided to let the whole group become low profile and it’s why he and his brother were sharing a carriage. He thought it was best to ride horses but from the Qi Zone to the Kaisen regions would be tiring. He could save his and his brother’s energy by riding a carriage until the group reached the outer walls of the Qi Zone. There, they could ride a horse all the way to Kaisen. This also gave him an opportunity to corner his brother.

He started the conversation, “You look good tying your hair like that behind your back, Kazuki. You almost look exactly like Miurio.”

His brother acknowledged the strange compliment with a little bow and then sat silently, avoiding his eye contact. He wasted no time and sat beside him despite the large space the carriage offered them. He couldn’t help but chuckle. He didn’t have anything else to say so he just blurted out, “Am I going to be an uncle, Kazuki?”

He watched as blood rose to his brother’s cheeks, making the man’s whole face red. His brother looked into his eyes, “How’d you know?”

“I visited you last night to have a little talk about our plans but you weren’t there. How was your visit?”

Instead of answering, Kazuki shifted the conversation. His brother held his hand, the one he stabbed himself with a dagger. Kazuki smoothed a finger over the bandage before applying a bit of pressure on it. Nobu tensed, “Ow!”

“Oh no, will the Southern Crown Prince be able to handle this war after stabbing himself in the hand?”

He glared at his younger brother and Kazuki returned the favor with an equally frightening stare.

“I did this for you, you ungrateful prick.” He groaned and pulled his hand away, “It’s not the hand I use my sword with. Don’t worry much. Besides, we’re kidnapping a prince, not murdering him.”

Kazuki chortled the moment he remembered his first war. Nobu almost killed that poor Northerner. He nodded, “They haven’t asked for a price yet.”

Nobu shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know why. That Northerner looks weak but he’s really smart. Perhaps, he’s saving it for later.” He leaned onto his brother’s shoulder, “I hope he doesn’t ask for too much. It’ll be on me if our kingdom becomes bankrupt.”

“I doubt they’ll ask for gold as price. They have gold as eye color. They are that rich.”

He couldn’t care. In fact, he found it pointless to pay a price for almost murdering the Northerner but rules are rules regardless of how silly it sounds. He just wished the war would be over after killing that Northerner but no, it won’t. They have to undergo a few complex ceremonies that’ll end up in sacrificing the Northerner, no different than an animal on the altar. Well, this time, he’d do it right. He’d end the war this time. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling comfortable leaning on his brother.

Kazuki felt himself stiffening under Nobu’s weight. He slowly shifted his body away, making Nobu fall but the man caught himself midway. Nobu glared at his brother, “I already hate you for being taller than me. Don’t make me hate you more. At least, allow me to take advantage of your height.”

His younger brother glared, even more, his eyebrows knitting against each other, but said nothing. He simply folded his arms and sulked. These were the moments Nobu felt really happy. Yes, bullying his brother and getting away from it. This was how he shows affection to his brother.

“Answer me: am I going to become an uncle?”

He heard his young brother sighing. “Listen, I slept with her last night. Last night. It’ll take a few weeks before we’ll know if you’re going to become an uncle. Besides, are you jealous? Do you finally feel remorse for letting someone as precious as her go?”

He chuckled, “Precious as her? She’s only precious to you, you lovesick moron.” He said it lightheartedly but still made sure to check if Kazuki felt insulted.

His brother scoffed, “I know that I am. Don’t remind me.”

...

The Qi Zone has two sets of walls: the inner and the outer. The inner comprises the cities, towns and everywhere people lived while the outer walls mostly had military settlements sprawled all around. There were several businesses like bathhouses here and the like but it was the military that consumed the area most. The military was on a neutral side, serving directly under the priests but was trained in the kingdoms closest near them. They inspected everyone who went in and out of the walls for security. These days, it wasn’t just wars that they had to be wary about but foreigners as well. There were some talks of foreigners slipping into the Qi Zone and wreaking havoc everywhere.

Nobu and his brother exited their carriage. There was a huge smile on his face as he saw the tall outer walls. Kazuki wondered what caused the smile but it faded away and left a rather nostalgic look on his brother. He didn’t dare ask about it. He knew Nobu would just deny it like he usually does but he had an inkling that it must be connected to the one he gave his hair to. He racked his brains: if the person was from the North, it must have taken intricately careful planning to meet up but being in these walls must have lessened their troubles….except for the long distance that has to be traveled. He couldn’t fathom how his brother could love like that but knows that when one loves, one does intense sacrifices for the sake of it. He shook his head and let his thoughts go.

He turned and saw an expected but expected face. It was the familiar face of the person he was trying to hide away from. The person saw him as well; his cheeks blushed but quickly curtsied to him. He felt uneasy but returned the bow regardless. He searched for his brother and found him walking with the others towards a stable. He furtively eyed the person for one last time and hurried to his brother’s side. He felt a bit comfortable being by his older brother’s side but still couldn’t help but feel annoyed at him.

“Kazuki,” Nobu handed him a rein, and there, he snapped.

He sharply took the rein, “Why is he here?”

“Who?”

He turned his head. The crowd blocked the sight so he tilted his head up. He finally understood. Nonchalantly, he grinned, “Oh, your former lover, wasn’t he?”

Kazuki sighed impatiently.

“I thought the both of you ended nicely---“

“We didn’t end up nicely! Besides, no one ends up with their previous lovers nicely!”

He had no words to offer as counsel so he simply laughed. He shrugged his shoulders, “Well, I don’t know…….nor care. I rather,” he pulled a strap tight, “try and survive in this war than whore around with other men.” He did one last check on the straps around his horse. The horse whined but he disregarded it. Annoyed, Kazuki loosened up the straps on the horse.

“Brother, come on! You’re trying to suffocate your horse here---“

“Much better than falling while riding, don’t you think?”

Kazuki turned to his brother, whose hands were folded. He glared, “Seriously---“

“Seriously. You still don’t think like a soldier.”

“Well, what did you expect: that I’d harden out after the first battle I fought?”

Nobu laughed as he watched his brother inspect his own horse, “I kind of did.” With nothing else to do, he looked at the man and caught him staring at Kazuki. When the man noticed him, the man blushed and quickly looked away. He raised a brow, “Seems like we still have feelings for each other----“

His brother stiffened and sharply turned to him, “Just him. Don’t include me.” The boy returned to his duty. His brother groaned when he couldn’t secure one of the ends, “Why don’t we just ask the soldiers to do this?”

“Because I’ve asked them to do something else.” He patted his younger brother’s head, “Besides, you need to learn how to properly strap a horse or you’ll fall, just like how you seem to fall for everyone who cannot sustain a long term relationship with you.”

He could hear his brother grumbling. He chuckled at this childish display of annoyance and ruffled his brother’s hair. In the end, he brushed off those clumsy hands and checked the straps himself. He shook his head repeatedly, just to rub it in his brother’s face.

“You still don’t know how to check your horse but you sure know how to fuck with too many people.”

He glanced at his brother and saw the boy’s face was completely red. He bit himself on the lip to prevent himself from laughing. He knew he reached the limit of Kazuki’s patience and would not try him more. Instead, he asked a rather sympathetic question (he thought), “So how did it end?”

Kazuki shrugged and leaned on his horse, “It felt empty.” He absentmindedly brushed his hand across the horse’s body. His touch was so gentle he seemed to touch a human body, rather than a horse’s.

Nobu raised his brow when he saw that kind of touch. Was his brother going for horses now? He cleared his throat, “That’s always your excuse---”

“No, it’s not---“

“You always say that your relationship with former lovers always felt empty.” He turned himself parallel to his brother, “Or at least, they become empty. Even your relationship with your wife has become empty. Miurio and I see it to be perfect. Haven’t you given it some thought? The problem could be you.”

Kazuki frowned. He opened his mouth a few times but found nothing to say. He didn’t want to let his brother’s words sink under his skin but they were, gradually. Out of defiance, to defend his pride, he explained, “He wanted me to divorce Yura publicly. He told me I was miserable with her. If I wasn’t, why was I looking for another lover? I told him it was because I am a young man. Sexual desires are strongest at my age. He didn’t believe me.”

“Neither would I.” Nobu turned and climbed up his horse. He leaned his body to his brother, making it seem that he was falling to his side. He smiled, “But whatever your problem is, we can talk about it later. Sun falls within a few hours. We’ve rested enough.”