Necessary Corruption 17: Understanding between Peers (Patreon)

Commissioned by Kejmur

-VB-

Necessary Corruption
Chapter 17: Understanding Between Peers

-VB-

Dokigoro Mira stood out to me not because of her boobs but because of the way she held herself.

Or rather, how she looked upon me.

It was familiar.

Oh right, that’s how I look at people.

Indeed, I saw someone similar to myself: an opportunistic entrepreneur.

“Greetings, Dokigoro-dono,” I said as I gave her my business smile. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

She smiled coyly and bowed, flashing her really big assets through the deep cut of her kimono, which took more than a few exertions of physical restraint to not look at. “It’s an honor to meet the Lord of the Southern Rivers.”

… Wait, what?

“That’s a new title I haven’t heard of,” I replied earnestly. “How did that come about?”

“Many of the better networked nobles and hidden villages have heard of your exploits in the Land of Rivers, Takanori-dono,” she replied easily with the same coy smile. “How you defeated and subsumed the entire southern region of the Land of Rivers either through alliances or outright conquest. In fact, the River Daimyo fears you so much that he let you walk away with such a conquest.”

I don’t remember it like that. As far as I was concerned, I lost more than half of what I gained in that “campaign” against assholes, bandit-lovers, and backstabbers.

Sure, the rest of the castles fell into my influence and sway more or less, but did it still sting to have half of what I had gotten be taken away? Yes.

To me, the title felt more like an insult even if she didn’t mean it that way.

Instead I shrugged to her words before turning to Lord Jinshi. “I didn’t know I was that high up in the world!” I laughed jovially.

The other two chuckled along with me.

I stopped and petered off before my laughter could be construed as impolite (which was around 10~12 “laughs” depending on which tutor I referenced), and turned to Lady Miya with a grin. “Well, I do hope that my until now unknown title won’t put you off from working with me.”

“Oh no,” she replied immediately. “I’m perfectly fine. In fact, I would rather prefer to have a bigger patron.”

Patron?

“For what, if I may ask, are you seeking my patronage?”

She fidgeted, the first show of vulnerability in our conversation so far, if it wasn’t a trap to make me think that she was feeling vulnerable.

Here, Jinshi stepped in. “I find Dokigoro-hime here to be an ally of mine, Takanori-dono. It is unfortunate then that she is very close to losing her position as the heiress of her house because of a particularly shocking and irritating happenstance.” He turned to look at Miya knowingly, and the woman nodded slowly.

There was a dynamic here that I wasn’t sure about the details of, but I knew that Jinshi wanted me to intervene on her behalf.

Well, I wasn’t going to be acting so quickly anymore.

When I didn’t say anything, she spoke up. “Until very recently, I was the only child of the Noble House of Dokigoro,” she began. “My elderly father, however, was seduced by a woman of the allies of our rival house, and bore him a child. While he is my brother, he is also a bastard. My half-brother’s house and their allies, however, want to install him as the heir to my house.”

“You need me to kill him?”

She looked shocked at my suggestion. “God no! He is still my half-brother!” she yelled before realizing her error and bowing quickly. “I apologize, but I am not used to this kind of … affairs.”

“It’s alright,” I replied with a small smile. “But then what is it that you want?”

She fidgeted. “While I am against … removing … my younger half-brother, I have no qualms against the others.”

I hummed.

“I will take your request into consideration. For now, I have to talk with Jinshi-dono.”

She bowed and stepped out of the room.

I turned. “Trying to get me to strengthen your position, huh?” I asked with a half-hearted glare.

He laughed. “But you are so good at it! Besides, this isn’t just for my benefit; it’s for yours as well.”

“I know. You set this meeting up for exactly that, but I don’t want to act on this with just those vague promises. I want something concrete to either act as collateral or outright concession this time. I already handed you most of the Land of Waves.”

“True, true,” he replied as he stroked his moustache. “I’m not sure what you would like, though.”

I thought about it.

“How about … fleet basing rights?”

He blinked. “But you already own a port.”

“Ah, but there is a difference between my trade company’s ships docking in commercial ports and Takanori Clan’s official ships - warships or otherwise - docking in those same ports.”

He froze at the mention of warships.

“I hope you aren’t planning on doing anything … foolhardy. I know you enough to not do that.”

I laughed. “No, you are right in saying that I am not a fool. I merely intend to expand my influence outward, and there are only so many people who see power in money.”

“Force. You want to actually get involved in the big leagues?” he asked incredulously. “That’s where the ninjas are.”

“I know,” I replied softly as one of my most useful and loyal retinue, Yina, rose up from my shadows in all dark clothes and a bone white mask.

Jinshi looked in alarm, tried to shout, but stopped when Yina handed me a scroll. A report. She sunk back into the shadows and I opened the scroll to read it.

Yina was currently working with a mind reader, and in the short span of time Jinshi and I talked, they scanned Dokigoro Miya’s mind and reported the findings.

She was clean and truthful.

I dropped the scroll into my shadow, and it gobbled it up in one gulp.

Jinshi stared at my shadow and then back up at me.

“You are indeed a seijin, then, as the new lord reported.”

I smiled genially. “Perhaps. I hope that the information will not spread?”

He shook his head slowly and then he grinned. “I understand why you aren’t at all nervous about butting heads with the ninjas now; you have many of your own.”

“Many,” I nodded, answering his question vaguely.

“Very well. As long as you do not use the Wave ports during your times of war, I am more than happy to give you that concession for your help in securing the Dokigoro House.”