“It looks like I’ve really been missing out. I’m so jealous.” Hinata said, pouting prettily, though her face was red with excitement, her brown eyes sparkling as she looked around, still in the elegant and old-fashioned sailor uniform of Hanafubuki. She csped her hands together, rubbing them eagerly as she tinued. “It’s just like being over there…”

  “Hinata, you’ve been well, I trust?” I said, greeting her happily as she ran into my arms. I gave her a hug, and her eyes were damp and her breath was ing fast, before I let her go when I heard someone coughing politely. Hinata backed away, a trace regretful, but she straightened her uniform and adopted a graceful mien. I turo the amused Mayumi-san, who greeted me as well, her own curiosity s.

  “Akio-kun…” she addressed me rather informally. “…is this… it must be, I ’t think of any other expnation…” Behind her was Miyu, as well as all their bodyguards, and a number of the new nobility, sons and daughters alike, who Shaeu and I had performed Chirurgery on, though there were a few female faces I didn’t reise, so letting my Eye shine a little, I established they had received Chirurgery, aly as well, as their works were still flushing debris slowly. If it’s something Shaeu has done, I trust her. Besides, getting further nobles in our debt is no bad thing.

  “… it’s time then?” Mayumi-san finished.

  “Not quite.” I amended. “But it’s a huge step closer.” Looking around, over the st two hours, Nie Ling and Ginneka had been worked to the bone, Shaeu and I stantly topping them up while Shiro kept them buffed. We had nht over dozens of Fae from our Territory, as well as rge amounts of equipment and samples to test. versely, on the mortal side we had gathered a number of the Bck Wolf pany, and they were helping out in the experiments.

  “Fug hell, manual bour… if my hands get all calloused, I’ll lose the pleasure of toug the soft skin of a woman.” Aliyah was grumbling, as she hefted a heavy metal girder on her shoulders. Behind her, one of the men of the pany quipped that she never got her hands on any cute girls anyway, and he had to duck as she swung the heavy metal burden at him aggressively. The man rolled away, ughing, knowing she wouldn’t actually kill him with it, and as she grumbled, she set the heavy weight down on a roped-off area of ground with a great sigh. “This isn’t what I signed up for… but I guess it beats getting shot.” She grimaced, before a faint surge of ruby energy was unleashed from her, and the ground liquefied, the metal girder sinking down until it vanished. “Get the GPR over here.” she called, and another merary rushed over, carrying a small device.

  “GPR?” Mayumi-san asked, and I expined we were testing rapid and enhanced stru teiques, and the grourating radar was used to check the results.

  “I do it with my Eye…” I finished. “…but I have more important things to look at, so use teology for what it’s best at...”

  “…and Mortal Engineering for what it is not.” Ixitt decred, hopping over, still as ecstatic as someone who had discovered they had won first prize on a lottery. “Greetings to you, Hinata, Mayumi.” As always, Ixitt didn’t bother with ies or social norms. Shaeu is the same. The Fae have their own s and polite manners of speech, but the two of them seldom bother, and not for the same reasons. “I expect you are eager to get started on the factory, but we have some issues to work out. But… now we make progress many orders of magnitude faster.” He smiled, eyes eager as he looked out over where Mortal Engineers were fussing over devices and samples excitedly, making notes, many marvelling over the ptops and tablet puters Ixitt had provided. With my money, of course. Mad sce doesn’t e cheap…

  Behind them, a number of ratkin and weaselkin were firing off assault rifles and pistols, others making he equipment was from the Bck Wolf, and was only allowed via special dispensation as part of the Ministry ws. Fortunately other more eye-catg ws took all the media attention. Also here was the dwarf Bjarki, who was looking towards the impressive structures of Tokyo proper in the distance, muttering to himself about such great feats of stru.

  “Issues?” Mayumi-san asked, and Ixitt expined.

  “Yes. Over the st few hours we have run mas, firming some results I have obtained before.” He shook his head mournfully. “I have so much to study, to learn, and so little time. But now we have the personnel avaible…” He paused meaningfully, and the nervous Nie Ling, who was sitting down, exhausted, sipping on a drink, shuddered. Seeing that, I sighed.

  “Look, Nie Ling…”

  “Call me Ling. When you say my full sounds like you are angry with me.” she said softly, and I held in anh.

  “Fine, Ling.” I persisted. “Yes, you’re w hard, but pared to what you were doing before, is this really a hardship? You don’t have to fight, or cause deaths, and you make the world a slightly better pce with your aid. I think you shouldn’t fet the situation that lead you to here, or fet to be grateful for another ce.”

  Hinata agreed. “Yes, even if you just think about how many of your rades in invasion died, I’d think you’d be a little grateful all you have to do is work.” She looked at me then, pouting once more. “I’m a little jealous of Motoko and Natsumi, you know. They’re at home, resting. I think they are more mentally exhausted than physically tired, but… it sounds like it was a lot of fun from what I hear!”

  “Do you want to fight then, Hinata?” Mayumi-san was surprised. Behind her, Miyu smiled softly, remembering her h start in the Boundary, and the efforts I had made to break her of her terror of battle. “I thought you were more like me, ied in the practical side.”

  “Fighting? That doesn’t i me.” She firmed. “But the challenges sounded a lot of fun, apart from the end… sorry Akio.” She apologised, seeing my expression, and I pulled her close for an.

  “It’s fine. Fungbō, I don’t care about that bastard, but even though Shungbō was a bit of a prick, he didn’t deserve that end.” No, it was a grizzly end, but perhaps some good has e from it… It wasn’t quite there yet, but I could feel the faint stirrings of Kin Bonding linkio Haanōbō, and alsbō and Tarōbō. I guess my words, the stupid bet… us fighting together… it all does mean something within me. I guess a part of me does see her, and by extension her brother and father, as family after all… “There won’t be a ime, though. Yes, some of the trials were fun. When we were in London, Motoko was a far daintier eater. I never knew she had su appetite. And that’s the joy in my life now.” I tightened my hug, rubbing Hinata’s hair, and while Ixitt snickered and Miyu looked on warmly, Mayumi-san looked down, her face slightly pink. “Finding out more about you all excites me.”

  “Of course.” Miyu said calmly. “In London, were you not usually with my grandfather or nitaries? Motoko-san is far too well-bred to shame herself. But… with you she show her true self. We all .” She looked at Michiru-san beside her, her expression happy.

  “Ohing about fighting is it brings in the wealth.” Hinata said to her friend, snuggling into my grip. “We have mount Atago now as well, right? Fire element?”

  “Yes, we should start filling Elemental Silos from the tithed energy soon. That gives us more options.”

  “So see?” Hinata said brightly to Mayumi-san. “Fighting isn’t my dream, but seeing what Akio sees, and geing new wealth and opportunities… even if I leave that to others, I o be strong enough to protect myself. I won’t be a weakness for others to exploit.” she promised.

  “All wise ses.” Ixitt agreed. “But ba the subject ress…” He pointed out where the testing was going on. Bullets were being fired, and they discharged with bursts of jade wind, ruby earth, and other colourful elements. Other Mortal Engineers were measuring damage to set-up blocks of crete, steel ptes and more. “…the ammunition works as pnned here. I think it will satisfy your aims, Mayumi.”

  She watched for a while, before g that. “Yes, father and grandfather want military teology, and I agree there’s moo be made. But I want a product that we sell everywhere, that everybody will want. And while military equipment may be that, we ’t sell those worldwide. I’m not a fool.”

  “You ’t have what nned.” Hinata teased. “But… if you have any ideas, we assist, though we’ll also be taking our half of your profits.”

  “Half of a massive cake is better than a whole cupcake.” Mayumi-san said piously. “Besides, our is are truly entangled.” Mayumi-san looked at me seriously. “We stand or fall together. After all, you have a rge minority stake in Ichijou Heavy Industries now. You’d hardly want that to be worthless.”

  “More like you want to use that t Akio in deeper.” Hinata shot back. “I’ve got my eye on you!”

  As they bickered, I looked at the tired Ling again. At first I wondered what use a lot of the Divine Favours were. Laverna’s makes sense. Bringing in ons and more would help one grow stronger. But Ling’s… now I see it though. A Territory be built through the help of others, and the reverse lead to many opportunities. Even with Yasaka-san’s Book of Providence, I get it. If I had that ability, I now think I could have used it to get stronger. Knowledge is power, after all. “How’s Yasaka-san doing?” I asked Ixitt. “I bet he’s pissed off having tain after only just getting back. Although he didn’t really have to do muount Atago…”

  “We are asking questions to help firm our results a our hypothesis. Now then.” He drew the attention of the girls. “We have cluded that it is possible to advance our pns, to aent. Many of the alloys failed, but some seem to persist, evehe aether leaves them pletely. Of course, we had to verify using Yasaka’s wisdom.” He tio expin as we walked around the bustling hillside, approag Asha’s Tree. She was standing there, watg it fondly, apanied by Kana, her family, Shirohebi, and also Haanōbō and Arangbō, who were still looking around with awe.

  I still ’t get over the fact we have a Rhyming Tree here, or should I say here as well, being as it’s the same Tree… it’s grown several inches just in the few hours I’ve been watg.

  As the first Tree to be present in both Astral and Material in more than fifteen hundred years, this Rhyming Tree will spread Nature, Wood and Water Elements freely, deepening the Ether density of the surrounding area, and increasing the effect of abilities that magnify such. Drawing oent attributes of both Material and Spiritual, the Tree and its bound other self, the Dryad Asha, will grow stronger in turn. The Tree is an embodiment of fertility, and the Earth Element the Tree radiates will dramatically increase the fertility of those bathed in it, with longer exposure proving more effective.

  Fertility again, huh? I looked at the pretty white and pink blossoms c the small Tree, the st calming. But then, Shirohebizumi… On seeing my look, the White Snake in his human form trotted over, followed by the Izumi family, Asha and the Tengu.

  “The atmosssphere here, it isss magnifit.” Shirohebi hissed. “It isss not too far removed from the ssshrine in the Boundary.”

  “To think, it has only been a few months since all this began.” Masaji-san, Kana’s grandfather said, rubbing at his , deep in ption. “To think my granddaughter, rebellious and poorly behaved, would bring the one who could revitalise our shrine, no, the faith as a whole.”

  “Hey, that’s rude!” Kana flushed. “I wasn’t badly behaved!”

  “Not just that…” Nagi-san, her miggled, looking youhan her age. “…our Kana found love too. She’s all grown up.”

  “Not yet, mom!” Kana protested, before her flush deepened, as she realised what she had implied. “I mean, oh by the kami…” she swore. “…I don’t know what I mean!”

  As gentle ughter echoed out, Masaji-san tinued. “You promised us you would bring our shri of the doldrums and into glory…”

  “And help me gather the power of adherence. And asss promisssed, you have, and you will.” Shirohebi looked at the Tree. “It isss rich with the power of fertility. And our ssshrine is once sssuch. Worssshippersss will e from afar to pray here. And the power will be gathered. Not all for usss.” They looked at Asha. “You too ssshould have a pce here. I am not too proud to ssshare.”

  The Izumi family looked surprised at that, before Kana jumped up happily. “That’s a good idea, Asha! I mean, the distin between kami and other spiritual beings is stupid anyway. I think you, or Hyath, or Shaeu…” She looked at the Tengu then, her smile wicked. “…or maybe even Yōkai like you… it’s all the same. If they’re on our side, I don’t see why we ’t respect them.”

  “Respect isn’t veion.” her grandfather said softly, but after asking Shirohebi if that was what they wanted, he ceded. “But… this site will be special. After all, the Tree of one of your women will be here. Will it grow as rge as in the Boundary?” he asked, and I nodded.

  “I think so. It’ll be a wonder of the world. And it’ll need proteg. Even when we move the Anchor, the Tree and the Ring Gates are vital. In fact…” In addition to the factory tunnels, we should link our e and here by underground railways. Though leaving a path for me to run along might actually be quicker… damn, who’d have thought I’d ever think that?

  “Pns are already in pce.” Ixitt promised. It was then that Keomi-, followed as usual by the taciturn, withdrawn Hotene-san, as well as the two sisters, shrine maidens of Shirohebizumi who had been excluded previously due to the quota, but now were also involved, came for Kana, dragging her away. She gave me a helpless ghter from her mother, before they too left to haher matters, leaving Asha and the Tengu behind.

  “I see you are here as well.” Mayumi-san said to Asha. “Is it like the others, or…?”

  “No, I am freely able to walk the mortal world.” Asha said, idly looking down to the grass at her feet. Pretty flowers were blooming, probably her gift in a, and Mayumi-san looked dowhralled. “My Tree too.” One hand stroked the bark tenderly. “I wonder…will we replicate the terrace here?”

  “Not unless we work out a way to deal with the wind. I suppose we could enclose it in gss…” I mused. “Besides that…” I looked at the Tengu Ling had brought over. “How does it feel to see the mortal world?” As I said that, several huge lorries of goods were being driven up to the shrine, and I could see Ginneka, her tail standing on end, looking at them balefully. Sorry, but we all moved for tomorrow’s grand opening of the Spring of Clear Refles. I was also enjoying the drinking party in the Boundary, and the atmosphere there was intense, with so many beings ing and goiweewo worlds.

  “It is quite the shock.” Arangbō admitted. “Fungbō, my fool of a brother… if only he realised. We have been isoted too long, the world has passed us by. When you arrived at our door…” Haanōbō dipped her wings at that, embarrassed. “…our fates were set in stone. Fortunately, my dear sister is charming and found a new brother, so…”

  Her frosty silen respoo the teasing made him chuckle, and he tinued. “… what could have been a disaster turned out merely to be a ce meeting. Ohat promises much. And mortal alcohol is entig indeed. I see why those fiends from the Hyakki Yagyō will trade highly for it.”

  “How high they fly…” Haanōbō observed some aeropnes, far distant. “We looked down on the earth, the dirt, calling those without wings fools, disdaining them, but… are we the fools, brother?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “It’s simply that we strive for what we don’t have, and together, we get it. Isn’t that what sce is all about?”

  Haanōbō g me, yellow-gold eyes hard, and she probably wao say something like why did you answer me but wisely kept her silence. Ixitt nodded, agreeing with me.

  “Yes, and that is what we seek here. Everything has a reason. Eveher follows rules. And here it is much easier to tease them out. There surely is a reasoain alloys of the material from the Materia Tree and muals remain, and others do not. We vert aether to lightning element, and lightning to your electricity, but the reverse is yet elusive. And knowing there are principles behind it, we solve these issues.” He tio expin, and whe into the retionship betweeher density and loy of items and brings brought to the Material, dispying some graphs, the girls tuned out.

  “I uand knowing is important.” Mayumi-san said. “But we turn it into profit?”

  “Of course.” Ixitt ughed. He poio where several Mortal Engineers were carrying a solid-looking gss box, the seals reinforced with metal. Within it was a lump of some anic matter, and seeing the colour aure I realised it was a k of Duke Myrcoxriath. Seeing my ed gaze, Ixitt reassured me.

  “Have no fear, we are taking proper precautions with the remains of the Duke.” he promised. “But this proves my point. Demand for poor Hyath to culture more of the fungal growth outstrips the time she spend on it. She has many other matters to attend to, including you.” His smile was wry and a little amused. “But the material is too precious not to use. Even equipping everyoh the new Brigandine armour is an exhausting task. Now…” he addressed Hinata and Mayumi-san seriously. “We certainly wish to make wonderful, equipment and items for those of us who require them. We he best. But the Territory, and to a far greater extent, the Seelie Court, Japan… there is no way we meet such demand. No, the aim is to mass produce. But it is not possible. No matter how strong Hyath is it would take her many decades to produough of the fallen Duke to equip your armies with uniforms. Even making them would take master Bjarki many long years. No, that will not do, their time is better spent elsewhere, after setting the initial produ in motion.”

  “Of course. Opportunity cost and eies of scale. I know business.” Mayumi-san said proudly. “Bespoke items have their pce, as the daughter of Ichijou house I ’t be seen wearing something others . But… making a dozen yen from ten thousand is more thahousand from one person.”

  “Exactly. We will of course have the best of both worlds. But… research is expensive.” Ixitt chortled. “As for mass produ, we o be sure we have uood the underlying meisms, the point where we create adequate stocks. Hence why I o send our alloys to the boratory for further iigation. It may well lead to further avenues we explore with the help of Yasaka.”

  As Ixitt tio expin about the breakthroughs he was seeking, I couldn’t help but think about it. He’s right. There are definitely underlying rules. And if we master them, it ges everything. The items we had retrieved from the Tower of London, as well as items I had made myself, ba the early stages of my jourhey were different, but had some oures. As I sidered it, I could hear the noise of a helicopter in the distance, getting closer. Surely that’ll be her… Security around Shirohebizumi shrine was tight, and nothing was allowed in the airspaear it other than authorised flights. As the helicopter came into view, clearly heading for us and the nding site we had on the hill, Mayumi-san asked who was ing.

  “It’ll be Yukiko-san.” I said. At that Mayumi-san looked puzzled, before Hinata grinned.

  “Get used to it, he means Princess Mikasa, the Priestess of Ise.” Hinata crified. “It’s not like he isn’t informal with you either, Mayumi.”

  “That’s true. But I’ll let it slide, sidering he’s your fiancé, Hinata.” she said grandly. “And times are ging. He is qualified to call me by my name.”

  “Is this the same Mayumi who was always harping on about her precious noble bloodlihe pride a of Ichijou house?” Hinata rolled her eyes. As the two of them argued jovially, the helicopter nded, and as the ramp came down, Yukiko-san stepped out, her expression eager. She saw me, opened her mouth to speak, only to freeze, eyes wide. Oh yes. It’s quite the sight here, isn’t it?

  As if to prove my point, Yukiko-san pulled off her gsses, which my keen eyes notio longer had lenses with any degree of correerely simple gss for etic purposes, and was rubbing her eyes. After blinking a few times, she came over, shocked. “Akio-san, what’s going on? Has the Boundary swallowed up Tokyo?”

  Ign Ixitt’s ughter, I shook my head. “ly. I’m just putting some assets to use.” Following my gaze, her own eyes gliernly as she saw Ling.

  “I see. If today wasn’t what it was I’d…” she shook her head, cutting off her angry thoughts. “No, it doesn’t matter, not today. So… where’s Tsukiko? Is she here?”

  “No. She’s decided to wait until she saw you.” I said. I had offered her the ce to see if Ling could have brought her to the Material, and there was no reason to think it wouldn’t work, but she said she was in no hurry, and she was enjoying herself currently in the Boundary with my other body and Shaeu, Shiro and some of the others. As I told her Yukiko-san had arrived, she nodded happily.

  Ba the Material, I offered Yukiko-san a room iraining school, which she accepted. Mayumi-san looked a little surprised at that. “You haven’t brought a bodyguard, Princess Mikasa. Aren’t you ed…”

  “What reason do I have to be worried?” she said. “I trust Akio-san, and he wouldn’t jeopardise everything he’s built to take advantage of me.”

  Mayumi-san looked at me, befng at Hinata, a slight smile on her face. “I don’t know, it seems that a tie to the Imperial Family would certainly round out his es…”

  Hinata scoffed. “If Akio wants to wihe Imperial Princess, he would do so. And he has o resort to foul methods to win her. Do you even know what you are implying? You probably still think babies are made by holding hands…” she teased her friend mercilessly.

  “Nonsense! I am fully versant with biology!” she shot back, and as they bickered bad forth again, I had to agree with Mayumi-san. Though not about me attag the Princess, obviously.

  “Mayumi-san raises a good point. The logistics of entering the Boundary safely away from home is a stant challenge. Fortunately it’s not something I’m ed with anymore. So I’ll stand guard, nothing will happen to Yukiko-san, as she well knows. Nobody here would be so foolish.”

  “Even so…” Mayumi-san looked at her bodyguard and Kazumi-san. “…I am surprised that you go about unapanied.”

  At that Yukiko-san shrugged. “I like to keep a low profile. As Princesses go, I’m fairly disappointing, I admit. But…” her brief gloom dissipated. “… that doesn’t matter. What does is… Tsukiko.”

  “All right. I’ll show you to your room and stand guard outside.” I promised. Yes, Tsukiko-san. It’s time to fulfil my promise…

  ShipTeaser