'Summoned? What for?' Jian asked, as he got closer, 'You like it down here? No sunlight, no bees, little to no water, stale air. Would it not be much nicer up there in the fresh air, rain and sun?'
She doesn't find much of value inside the dojo, the monks who originally inhabited the temple apparently not having been fans of luxury. She does find some old looking scrolls, that might have some value to the right person, though. In the zen garden, however, is where her interest is truly drawn. There, stacked up neatly, are several dozen barrels of gunpowder. Manuel whistles at the sight. "That would make a rather big explosion."
The lord sits in his chamber, sharing some tea with a beautiful young woman. Yuki begs pardon for the interruption, and Shintaro waves her away. "No problem, no problem. What do you need?" He looks both of them up and down.
"Mhmm. Indeed it will." Kyouka said with a nod, "So, see anything you like?" She asked with a cheeky grin.
She doesn't stop him. "Errr.... I think... To help him control the plants here?" She frowns, and crosses her arms in front of her chest, as he brings up her seclusion. "I-no..." She cries out in frustration. "It's so awful here! I wish I didn't have to obey master..."
"Indeed I do." He slips an arm around her waist. "So, employer, what will your first order for your new employees be?"
'Hmm, well,' Jian smiled, as he slowly circled around her, 'If you let me take that gem there, I will help to break you free from the master keeping you cooped up here, Koko. When was the last time you even talked to someone?'
She stomps her foot. "I can't let you take it! I can't defy my master..." She mutters under her breath. "Like I care about some dumb rock." Koko puts a finger to her chin and looks upwards, thinking. "I dunno. It would've been in the Great Forest, before I was summoned. Don't know how long ago that was. Bit hard to tell the time down here."
Midori made sure not to stare at the skimpily-dressed woman as she greeted the lord and his guest. “My apologies for disturbing you, my lord. My name is Midori Hara and I am looking for an acquaintance of yours – a woman named Kyouka. I was told that she might be here, or that you might have an idea where to find her, at the very least.”
Jian smiled at Koko while she was pondering, 'Hmm... this spell must be powerful to make you snap at me for merely suggesting it. Relax a little, I won't take it if you object.'
Kyouka nods, before sporting a cheeky grin as she grabs his crotch. "Don't worry. I'm a woman of my word." She whispered into his ear before leading them back to the tavern. Once there Kyouka goes in first to tell her men about the new addition to their ranks.
Shintaro smiles. "Hara, ah yes, I know your mother." He listens to her query. "Kyouka? She's probably at her tavern, if she ain't here in the castle. I'll give you the address. May I ask why you're interested in her?" The woman flashes Midori a smile. "Would you like some tea?"
"I'm not snapping because of the spell, I'm just... You're making me wish I could go outside." He frowns, before perking up. "Wait, I have an idea! You're a great and powerful adventurer, right? You can fight me, and if you win, then you'll be my master, and you can take me to the surface with you!" She looks up at him. "I can't hold back, but I'm sure someone like you could beat me." She flashes him puppy dog eyes. "Fight me, pretty please?"
Manuel grins back. "I'm sure you are." As they walk down to the tavern, Kyouka sees that the renovations are coming along well. The place is noticeably studier, though it doesn't look fortified to people on the outside. For all his laziness, Santo did a decent job. The nanban enter and begin to drink. Kyouka's mercs look at them with suspicion, but Kyouka has earned their trust, and they choose to extend it to the foreigners. Soon, they're drinking and conversing together, even if the nanban have a crude grasp of the language.
'If I beat you I become your master?' Jian raised an eyebrow, 'I did not know that that is how it works.' He looked at the spider on his shoulder, 'What do you think, little fellow?'
It hops around excitedly, and swings its front legs as though they were a person's arms, throwing punches. Koko smirks excitedly. "You'll be a much better master, right? You'll let me see the sun?" She pauses. "Oh, but if master hears us, he'll come up and kill you, though."
