Heaving Through Corrupted Lungs • Private [Izayuki]

Ever since she had returned from Sakuramori to Silver Moon Inn, the bakedanuki had tried taking naps in the sun on the rooftops of her guildhall. The noise of the city, the fountains of the garden, and the birdsong filtered out the unwelcome silence so she could sleep a little more peacefully. Nightmares from what happened in Morgate Town still plagued the tiny canine, who found sleeping for long intervals near impossible. Once again she was on the roof, laying on a large, flat, and smooth stone in one of the above ground flowerbeds. Part of her was shaded by a large blooming plant, while the rest of her was exposed to the warm sunlight. The light highlighted her pale-colored pelt, which was closer to a lighter silver than before, contrasting from the dark grayish silver fur she once had. The change in her fur color was a side effect of her previous ordeal, a sign of stress alongside her physical constitution having been messed up by the hell demons.

The tiny tanuki had fallen into a light sleep, not perfectly at rest, but still gaining a few winks of shuteye. She was instantly stirred out of it, however, as the familiar voice hit her ears. Opening one pale crimson eye, the canine lifted her head, quickly scenting Astrid in the garden. Yawning, the ayakashi slowly sat herself up, knowing that if Astrid was looking for her, it was likely important. Astrid had joined the guild several days ago, and within that time, the tanuki had been through a lot, and was only just beginning to recover. Kiru’s outburst was likely what the silvernette had come to talk to her about, along with the ace’s rash reveal of some of their goals. Hopefully, such a thing had been taken lightly by bystanders. “Over here, Astrid,” the tanuki called, fluffy tail flicking behind her as she sat on the edge of the flowerbed.

It usually always happened this way. A member of the guild would notice something was off after spending enough time in Black Rose and would ask the guild master or an ace about it. Unfortunately, it happened sooner than Izayuki should have liked thanks to Kiru’s outburst in the restaurant when Astrid joined. In silence, the silver-furred tanuki listened to the silvernette’s questions. She had an idea of what her daughter was asking, but the slayer was not outright about it. Nevertheless, it was not surprising that she had questions after what went down not too long ago.

“It’s easier to explain if I give you an example,” the tanuki answered honestly, an inquisitive expression on her canine face. “Do you remember the Kingdom of Navrick? What do you know about them and what they were like-- the people, the king, the culture, and whatnot?”

She would begin simply. She knew that Astrid was the example legal mage if there ever was one. The slayer was loyal to the Magic Council and the laws of Fiore, as any good mage must be. However, Izayuki suspected that the silvernette knew nothing of the corruption underneath the mask of the face of Fiore, the governing group of mages. In revealing the truth to Astrid, she could only hope that the silvernette would believe her. If she did not and turned against Izayuki and Black Rose for it, it could prove disastrous.

“Navrick was a peaceful kingdom with innocent civilians. They wanted no part in any war,” Izayuki explained gently. “The kingdom was so weak that it had no defenses or strong army. The only defense it could boast was the Infinity Clock, its only means of protecting its people. The Magic Council took their possession of it as a threat and as such, instructed guilds and Rune Knights to attack them and to kill innocent soldiers and civilians.”

The tanuki paused, sitting closer to the edge of the flower bed. “I tell you this because Black Rose witnessed what they did to both Navrick and the blindsided guilds. The king eventually gave up the Infinity Clock to the guilds, but they’re left without any protection presently, and to put it bluntly, the Magic Council continues to do more than questionable stuff,” the ayakashi continued. “They’re suspected of destroying a peaceful neutral guild and still have us legal guilds at their beck and call for such horrific deeds.”

Izayuki stopped another few seconds to let it all sink in. She could only hope that Astrid would believe her. “As for Black Rose’s secret, we have a quiet organization underneath the surface dedicated to stopping them somehow, and hopefully seeing them overturned and replaced,” the guild master said, pushing the truth forward. If Astrid did not agree and found them treacherous and evil, things likely would go sour. She was putting a lot of trust in her daughter and hoped that none of the information would be used against her or her guild.