Toshiko stared at the setting sun in the distance in a trance-like state as he stood by one of his family's black limousines with his arm resting over the roof of the car. He held one of the passenger doors open while the bright honeycomb-coloured light continued to dim, and the sun seemed to slowly disappear.
"You ready?" Asked Mila, who was standing behind him.
"Yeah." He answered as he got into the car. "To Ryu's…" He said to the driver.
Toshiko turned to look out the tinted windows to see the sun almost now completely gone.
He let out a deep sigh.
…
[Creak]...
As soon as Mila knocked on the door of Ryu's apartment the door slowly opened.
"The door wasn't locked." Said Mila as she turned to Toshiko.
Toshiko quickly pushed the door open, "Ryu?!" Toshiko shouted.
Mila flipped the light switch and the place was clean. Mila walked into the and dragged her finger across the tiny dining table, as Toshiko walked into the corridor.
"Dust." She said to herself as she raised her finger to her face. "I don't think he's been here as well. Check his room, maybe he came back recently for clothes or something."
"Nothing has been added or removed." Said Toshiko as he walked out of the corridor, with a disinterested expression. "He hasn't been back since he disappeared to wherever he went."
"We've come back here every day for the past month and still no sign of Ryu. Apart from here and your house, where else could he go?" Asked Mila with a worried expression.
"I am as clueless as you are." Said Toshiko as he looked around the room. "There's nothing here, let's go." He said with a hint of frustration in his voice.
…
Toshiko slammed the car door as he got out and went around to Mila's window, "He'll drop you off so where do you live?"
"Very funny I'll see you tomorrow," Mila said sarcastically.
"What do you mean? He needs to know where to drop you off, well if you're not comfortable with telling me you can just direct him to your house."
"I've told you several times that I live in the school's dorms and for the number of times you've asked I'm surprised you forgot… again."
"Huh… I guess I'm just burnt out. Take her back to the school dorms and I'll see you in the morning." He said to the driver.
Toshiko moved away from the car and it drove off as he waved. He walked into the estate and was greeted by all the guards and servants he met on the way. As soon as he reached the giant front door, it opened and one of the house servants was waiting for him inside.
"How was your day, young master?" Han asked as he took Toshiko's bag.
"Uneventful. Any message from grandfather?" Toshiko asked as the two began to walk.
"No, young master. H-"
"He must be coming back home tomorrow then. Is aunty still here?"
"You know she prefers to be called grandmother." Said Han to Toshiko who responded with a disgusted expression.
"You're quite mouthy for a loyal servant," Toshiko smirked.
"But no, she left for her mansion in the Northern continent earlier this afternoon."
"I see."
"And before you interrupted me earlier I was going to tell you, your grandfather hasn't left the house today."
"What?" Toshiko asked with a surprised expression.
"He's been taking all of his meetings here, in fact, he's still in one now."
Toshiko began to run across the house, he threw open one of the sliding doors leading outside and ran across the garden until he reached the other side of the house. He carefully opened the door and stepped in.
There was only one corridor in front of him, and he carefully walked down it and the further he went he started to hear voices. He turned to a door on the right and tried to hear what was being talked about.
He couldn't make out any of the words and as soon as he started to eavesdrop did the room fall silent. Toshiko, alarmed by the silence, took a few steps backwards and began to walk towards the door again.
"Clever trick." Said the voice behind him.
Tohisko immediately stepped backwards in fright. The man simply walked past him and opened the door Toshiko was leaning on.
"No, you can't go in there." Shouted Toshiko
Lars moved to sit at a small table across from Toshiko's grandfather. The room was one of the many tea rooms in the house and all looked identical.
"It was just your grandson sir," Lars said with a smile. "I'm sure he was just excited to hear his grandfather's home early." They both went into a burst of laughter.
"Please join us, Toshiko." Said his grandfather.
Lars looked at him and patted the floor signalling Toshiko to sit next to him. In reality, it was the only place he could sit because it would be disrespectful to sit at the head of the table with a literal head of the house at the table. Toshiko hesitantly sat beside Lars.
"I'll have to apologize for the king always making your grandfather work more, sadly he is the most trusted advisor." Lars laughed.
"Don't make it sound like I hate the work I do, you're giving a bad picture to the future head of the kuroi-ha."
"If he makes it." Lars sneered as he took a sip from his cup.
"Of course, he will." Toshiko's grandfather laughed
Toshiko had no idea what was being talked about and just joined in with an awkward laugh.
Toshiko's grandfather looked down at his cup and swirled it. He then slowly turned to look at Lars, "Now for the first matter at hand." The moment he said this the relaxed atmosphere disappeared.
"But of course. My reconnaissance trip to the southern continent at the request of my liege brought only a handful of notable reasons for the current conflict going on there. Permission to use this as a learning experience for your grandson?"
"Go on." Said Toshiko's grandfather.
"Central's government consists of one ruling body." Continued Lars
"Yes, the Isochron." Interrupted Toshiko.
"The Isochron consists of mainly the royal family-"
"And the church. yes I know"
"Toshiko." His grandfather snapped as he glared at Toshiko and picked up his teacup.
As I was saying, the Isochron didn't always exist and the royal family acted alone for a very long period."
"How do I not know this?" Toshiko asked with a dumbstruck expression.
"It was deemed as information not needed to be published due to the lack of records and how little it contributes to the general history of the world." Lars ranted as he flaunted his hands.
"The early royal family went around and let's say 'colonised' the other continents but it would be improper to use the word 'colonise' because all they did was teach them better methods of doing things and we in return learnt more efficient methods of production and various technology."
"Okay.."
"This is where the 'colonise' comes in. The continents they travelled to were either made to or agreed to be ruled by central."
"So they forced them into agreeing to be ruled?"
"Not exactly." Toshiko's grandfather laughed.
"Coerced would be the right word." Lars finished. " But even after giving their consent to be ruled by the now-called Central, all the royal family did was teach them governance and let them come up with their own rules while obeying the few now-global rules of the Isochron."
"Uhuh.."
"So now the southern continent was done relatively half measured and they weren't taught to rule over themselves. They were and still are a people drawn to great figures and symbols. It was the reason why the big hats then made saviours out of the king and the pope."
"That's completely evil. An entire continent was manipulated into a decision." Said Toshiko with a disgusted expression. @But wait if they idolize the king and the pope how did conflict suddenly break out? They don't believe in the Isochron anymore?"
"Nothing like that." Answered Lars as he stared at his teacup on the table. "There's really only two reasons, they feel neglected. They haven't had any visits from the king or pope in years, they only receive letters from the cardinal vice."
"Given the history of the south, I can understand why that would bring issues. An unknown continent found on the brink of collapse, colonized and given stability by the pillars of our world but the very pillars, neigh their saviours are nowhere to be seen." Said Toshiko's grandfather.
"They can no longer pray and receive no answer as per usual is what it is."
"I understand that reason but there's still an even bigger question: how would that bring about a civil war?" Asked Toshiko.
"And thus I come to the second reason. Insurgents." Said Lars as he placed his cup on the table.
Toshiko's grandfather made a confused expression, "They are people against central?"
"Half of central, the royal family and dignitary houses. But there is a plot twist. They claim to be funded by…"
"The church." Toshiko's grandfather finished.
"That can't be it. If there was any reason for conflict in the Isochron, the first place violence would break out would be the Isochron itself."
"True, but regardless it is what I saw and heard with my own eyes and ears. I would just dismiss it.."
"But there's no reason for there to be conflict in the Isochron, isn't there?" Asked Toshiko.
The two fell silent and took sips from their cups.
"For the last matter to address." Said Toshiko's grandfather who then turned to Toshiko. "Leave the room."
Toshiko had a puzzled expression but complied. He got up and walked towards the door.
"We'll be seeing more of each other in situations like this so keep your wits about." Said Lars.
Toshiko walked out of the room and Lars closed the sliding doors in front of his face.
Toshiko walked out of the building and looked over to behind where the windows were. He thought about eavesdropping and strongly felt he should go around the corner but he resisted.
end