Bushido Online: the Battle Begins: A LitRPG Saga

by Nikita Thorn

Ippei shrugged at the answer. Mairin had turned into a fox and was dashing around as she explored the shop.

  Seiki looked at the middle-aged man behind the counter, whose name was Minami. For some reason, the man reminded him of Hatsuo from Ichikeya, or whatever his clan was after all. “What can I do for you, young man?” asked the merchant.

  “Um,” Seiki glanced at Ippei. “The dojo...”

  “Burnt down,” said Ippei. Behind him, the white fox had leapt onto the expensive piece of lumber.

  “Burnt down,” repeated Seiki, turning back to Minami.

  “Oh, my!” cried the man, in alarm. “There has been a fire? Where?”

  For some reason, Seiki had a feeling he had just said the same thing to Ippei earlier. “South City,” he said. Then he realized he remembered the name of the dojo. “Nansei Dojo.”

  “Is Master Tsujihara all right?” the man asked, and he reached over to grab hold of Seiki’s arm. “He’s an old friend of mine. Are you one of his students then?”

  “Uh, yes. And, uh, Master Tsujihara is all right,” said Seiki, trying as politely as he could to pry the man’s grip off his arm, slightly surprised that Master Tsujihara was so well-connected socially.

  “I will have to visit him!” cried Minami. “Thank you so much for letting me know.” He looked around as he muttered something to himself about the dry weather and fire hazard.

  Then, all traces of worry erased from his face, he twisted his neck back to Seiki and said, “Master Tsujihara’s student, what can I do for you?”

  “Okay,” said Ippei, satisfied. “We’re done here. Now let’s get back on that cart.” He turned to leave, and the white fox jumped down from the piece of timber and leapt over the shop threshold.

  Seiki followed them, utterly confused. “What was that all about?”

  “Hope we’re not too late for the cart,” said Ippei, looking ahead as he zigzagged through the people.

  He then tried to explain. “After we get to the palace, we do that escort quest, then it’s back to the dojo, and they will send us to find someone to help fix the dojo, which will lead us to this Minami. Now when you come back later, you can just give him two hundred gold and you can move on.”

  Seiki was not sure that was the best explanation he had ever heard. It also did not help that Ippei was running at full speed through a thick crowd and Seiki could barely catch his words.

  Seiki looked at Mairin, who shook her head to say that she could not help him. “It’s your class quests, so I don’t know anything about it.”

  They made it back to the shop where they had gotten off, but Tomoko’s cart had already disappeared. Ippei did not seem worried. He took them through a shortcut and caught up with it at the next intersection. He got on, again paying ten silver. Seiki did the same. As for Mairin, she activated her fox form and hopped on. Tomoko noticed her and actually smiled.

  “Don’t you have to pay?” Seiki asked. The white fox just scratched her ear and yawned.

  “Kitsune Perk,” Ippei said. “In fox form, you can do a lot of foxy things, like slip through guards and hitch a ride for free, or go through small cracks. You can also literally smell danger. That was fun for a while, but it’s not for me.”

  Seiki took a peek at the fox, who had curled up into a ball, and wondered if she could talk when in fox form. Thinking back, he recalled that when they did the Loom quest he had never heard the fox talk. Looking at her fine white fur, he felt an irresistible urge to pet it, but he was afraid she would be offended. Suddenly, the fox sat up and stared at something to the left of the cart.

  Seiki followed her gaze but could see nothing. As the cart drew past, Mairin was still staring straight at the same spot, and Seiki tried squinting. The cart was too bumpy for him to really focus, but he thought he saw something slightly unnatural about the area, as if the air was somehow thicker.

  “Camouflage?” Seiki wondered out loud.

  Both Ippei and Mairin turned to look at him. Seiki kept his eyes on the spot. And as the cart turned a corner, he thought the air shimmered and revealed the shape of Hibi of the Shadow Manor [Level 19] who, Seiki could have sworn, was staring intently at him. The cart made the corner, blocking her from sight.

  “It’s probably nothing,” said Seiki when he noted his two travel companions were still looking at him. It was too brief of a glimpse, and he could not be certain he was not imagining things.

  The street they had turned onto was paved with flat slabs of stones, making for a noticeably smoother ride. Seiki peered around and saw that it was wider and had fewer pedestrians. On one side was a high white stone wall that ran the whole length of the street. The other side was a row of three-storied buildings that were completely uniform.

  Welcome to North City! City combat rules apply. PVP status: enabled.

  Seiki was starting to notice the distinct characters of the different districts of Shinshioka. South City was peaceful and charming. West city was lively and civilized. North City seemed formal to the point of being austere, and East City was simply lawless.

  After a while, Seiki observed they were going around the wall toward an opening. A large gray gate heavily guarded by Palace Patrols [Level 30 Elite], who eyed them warily as they passed.

  Welcome to the Palace District! Palace combat rules apply. PVP status: enabled.

  North City seemed to be built on the side of a hill, with the Palace at the very top. A Palace consisting of a group of several buildings, whose black tiled roofs Seiki could make out as soon as they went through the gate. The main road led straight up to the palace, and on the sides there were signs pointing to Tenkaku Shrine and Kiyoritsu Temple.

  It was as Seiki had expected: Tomoko’s cart was probably too shabby to be allowed on the main road for long. She soon turned her cart down a nearby lane and ended up going through a back door and zigzagging down what was marked the ‘Servants’ Quarters.’ She pulled to a stop at one black door, after which both Ippei and Mairin leapt off. The kitsune quickly turned back into human form, earning an immediate frown from Tomoko.

  They were in a small treed courtyard. Beyond the wall, grand buildings loomed high, and now that they were so near, Seiki was surprised at the scale of it.

  It was a big advantage having a guide, who had presumably done it twice already. From that courtyard in the Servants’ Quarters, Ippei skillfully led them through several turns and many more courtyards and gardens toward their destination. As Seiki gaped at the tidy walls and the trees around the Palace District, he could not help but feel a bit of regret that he did not get to explore the place for the first time on his own.

  “You’re doing that escort quest, right?” asked Mairin, as they passed through a narrow garden lined with cherry blossoms.

  “Nakatani letter first,” said Ippei. “Actually, the escort quest is optional for you.”

  “But you’re doing it, right? I skipped it at the time, so I thought I would do it now.”

  So, that’s why she has come along, Seiki thought to himself.

  The garden was connected to a large gravel courtyard, where a few guards in red and black uniforms were training. In front of them, shouting orders, was a man in heavy armor, with a mustache and a hardy face, who turned out to be Commander Nakatani [Level Unknown].

  Ippei went up to him and thrust the letter unceremoniously into his hand. “Here you go again, Commander,” he said.

  “Who is this insolent youth?” the Commander frowned, but did not seem to mind that much as he read the letter.

  “Oh, you’ll need to see this, too,” said Ippei, flashing him his metal seal, which the Commander took a look at and nodded.

  Ippei nodded to Seiki to do the same. Seiki was starting to think that Ippei was trying to get everything over with as fast as possible.

  Since Seiki was not quite as disrespectful in his manners, the Commander actually asked him his name. He told him he was a great friend of Master Tsujihara’s and that, in the
letter, the Master had recommended him to get some experience and gain honor with the Shogun with real combat.

  “I bet you can tell him to get to the point and he wouldn’t mind,” Seiki heard Ippei say from behind him, as the commander went on about how honorable it was to work for the Shogun.

  Mairin was giggling. “I heard someone pulled something with the Shogun the other day, claiming to be his lost son and tried to run up to hug him.”

  Ippei chuckled. “What happened?”

  “Jail time. One hour.”

  Seiki realized the Commander was still talking. “Sorry,” he said, turning his attention back to the man. “Could you say that again?”

  “The ambassador from Fuoka is leaving the city today. I’m sure there are a few spots left in the rear guard of the procession, where your skills could be of use. What do you say, Seiki?”

  “Wait,” cried Ippei.

  Ippei invites you to a group.

  You are now in a group with Ippei [Level 5].

  “Okay, now accept,” Ippei said.

  Seiki looked at Mairin, unsure how group quests worked.

  “Oh, I accepted the quest a long time ago,” said the kitsune. “Just never started it.”

  Seiki accepted the quest, which turned out not to be called escort, but Rear Guards [Level 5], with a promise of 125 XP. The Commander told him to go to the gate in front and wait for the procession, which should be coming out within ten minutes. “Talk to Lieutenant Kato to confirm your participation.”

  Commander Nakatani then added, “We don’t normally just accept anyone, but I trust any student of Master Tsujihara’s.”

  “Invite?” said Mairin as they left the Commander and his troops behind and made their way toward the designated gate.

  Seiki tried to but he could not, since Ippei was the one who had initiated the group.

  Ippei looked at her in surprise. “You’re doing this with us?”

  “You bet.”

  “But you’re already Level 8. You’re just going to up-level all the monsters.”

  “Hey, why else would I come all the way here?” said Mairin. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you die. Plus, it’s more XP for you too.”

  Ippei seemed a bit concerned. “Not so sure about kitsune heals, to be honest,” he said. “No offense. I had a kitsune. Couldn’t seem to do anything to keep people alive.”

  “That’s because you were probably doing it wrong,” Mairin giggled.

  “Probably,” Ippei agreed, not seeming to mind.

  “Well, Seiki here took on the Loom Lady basically in his starting clothes and with only one ability, and we didn’t die. He can tank, right?” Mairin turned to Seiki expectantly.

  Seiki had heard the term before, but was not sure what it meant.

  Apparently Ippei did, but was still not convinced. “Won’t it be easier to do your own instance? As a kitsune, they give you your own NPC tank and healer.”

  Mairin breathed out noisily. “What’s the fun in that? NPC tanks are terrible. That’s why I skipped it the first time.” She turned to Seiki. “Seiki? Tell him. You can tank, right?”

  “Yeah, sure,” said Seiki, then he thought he should make sure he understood what he just agreed to do. “Uh, tank?”

  Mairin winked at him. “Just do what you normally do.”

  Ippei shrugged and decided to take the path of least resistance.

  Ippei has invited Mairin to join the group.

  Mairin seemed excited. “Here they come!”

  The gate opened, and beyond it was an expansive stone-paved courtyard that was most likely the inner part of the Palace. On the ground, the deliberate openings in the stone pavement seemed to have been especially made for the large pine trees at least three stories high, which were planted in an organized line that led from the main gate on the left toward a wide staircase of a large hall.

  Lieutenant Kato [Level Unknown], in uniform, was overseeing the opening of the gate, and Mairin ran up to him and told him that they would like to start the escort quest now. Despite the nonstandard term, the Lieutenant apparently understood her and nodded. He told them to fall in with the rear guards at the end of the procession.

  Rear Guards [Level 5] Quest Progress: Stage 1. Follow the Rear Guards and see the Ambassador off the Palace District safely.

  The procession was drawing nearer. There were pairs of mounted Guards walking in front, carrying blue and red flags. Beyond that, in the middle of the procession, was a horse-drawn cart with an ornate red roof with red curtains, which must be where the Ambassador was hiding.

  “Nothing happens for now,” said Ippei. “You walk with them until Stage 2, then things go crazy. Don’t step on the shadows. If you have to choose, step on traps but not shadows.”

  “Shadows?” asked Mairin. All of a sudden, she gasped and collapsed.

  On the ground was a dead white fox.

  Mairin [Level 8]. HP 0/232. Lootable.

  Seiki stared. Behind her, the air wavered, and Hibi of the Shadow Manor [Level 19] in all black materialized, looking a bit surprised. “Well, turns out you can kill this one,” she said, looking at the bloody dagger in her hand.

  Chapter 11

  In shock, and sparing no thought to the level difference, Seiki grabbed his bamboo sword. “Why?” he cried.

  You are on an official mission and cannot harm other citizens.

  As Seiki was struggling with his inability to even will an attack against the ninja, he learned there was a very good reason why violence against other citizens was prohibited on Palace grounds. Two Palace Guards immediately reached Hibi. At the same time, Seiki noticed Taka of the Shadow Manor [Level 19] standing right there, as if he had popped out of nowhere. The ninja cried in frustration at his companion, “Did you really have to do that?”

  “Who dares raise a weapon on Palace grounds!” one of the guards cried, shooting what appeared to be a long chain from his sleeves, which immediately wrapped around Hibi. As soon as it tightened around her body, she evaporated into thin air.

  The Palace Guards turned to Taka. “You! You with her?”

  Taka cursed. His left hand threw up a long rope whose end shot straight upward and attached to the edge of the roof with magical precision. Within seconds, the ninja was half way up the rope, with the Palace Guards yelling at him to surrender from below. One even shot an arrow at him, but Taka blocked it with his silver glaive as he continued his ascent.

  “Didn’t know you two were this much trouble,” said Ippei, seemingly more entertained than worried as he watched the ninja make it to the top of the roof.

  “This had nothing to do with her,” said Seiki, troubled. “I think they were after me.”

  From above, Taka shot Seiki a brief hostile glare before turning and running off before the guards could shoot more arrows at him. Below, the guards quickly lost interest and went back to their posts, just as the beginning of the procession emerged from the gate, announcing its arrival with horse hooves sounding busily on the stone pavement.

  Lieutenant Kato was leading the front guard on his black horse. “You three fall in with the rear guards when they pass,” he reminded them, not seeming to have noticed that Mairin was no longer alive.

  “Good thing we had the seal, then,” said Ippei. “Or the Lieutenant would look very ridiculous talking to three corpses.”

  Seiki understood then that Hibi must have tried to attack him first, but could not. From her comments, perhaps she had attempted to land a strike on Ippei as well. Seiki eyed the white fox on the ground, which now seemed so frail and tiny. He remembered from his quick research that kitsune were originally foxes that turned into humans, not the other way around. At that moment, he wondered if he should keep her possessions safe for her.

  He bent down, but Ippei grabbed his arm. “Don’t touch her. Her stuff is secure. Looting is a fifteen-minute offense here. Palace rules are much stricter.” Then he noticed Seiki’s expression. “Hey,
this happens all the time. Never seen a death before? She’ll be at the Palace morgue pretty soon.”

  It was not the first time, but Seiki could not help but feel that it was somehow his fault. He watched as one of the palace guards leaned over her and dispersed her body into smoke.

  Ippei sighed, observing the row of soldiers slowly walking past them. “Now this is all a mess. Maybe we should start over.” He shouted ahead, “Lieutenant Kato! Maybe we can do this some other time!” Some of the guards turned to frown at his blatant lack of manners in front of the ambassadorial procession.

  Do you wish to abandon Rear Guards [Level 5] Quest? If you do, you may attempt it again in 24 hours.

  “If we quit, is Mairin locked out of the quest too?” Seiki asked. After all, he knew the girl had come all this way just for this quest.

  “Think so.”

  “Well, it doesn’t hurt to try,” he suggested, not ready to give up quite yet. He actually had no idea what he would do for the next twenty-four hours if he had to wait for the quest to reset, considering the dojo had already burnt down. “And Mairin can join us later, right?”

  Ippei shrugged. “If she still wants to get all the way back here from the morgue at the other side of the Palace.”

  “And if we fail, we can make another run in twenty-four hours?”

  “Yeah,” said Ippei. Then he chuckled. “Well, if you want to see what it looks like, I suppose we can try right now. But just so you know, we’re not going to last very long, since it’s already been tuned to three players.”

  The first stage of the quest turned out to be short and uneventful, just like Ippei had said. As they followed the uniformed rear guards marching in line, Seiki could not help feeling that they were completely out of place.

  “How far away is the morgue?” Seiki asked again.

  “About five minutes running,” said Ippei. “Kitsune are faster. But don’t put your hope on that. She will need to go claim her belongings from the Palace Bureau of Rites first. We’ll probably be there ourselves soon.” He nodded. “At least, they’re much more courteous than the one in the City.”