Laura
There were far too few of her sisters at arms in the city. It was understandable, really; few Battle Maidens would choose an assignment within these walls. Not anymore at least; not since battle was denied them. Kazuko herself would not be here were it not her station and duty. Still, it was challenging to feel a leader of her soldiers still when the very same soldiers were nowhere to be found.

There were a few, of course. Tsumugi was still here, her dear youngest sister making herself useful drilling the ashigaru when Masanori was unable to work them. But most of the already small cadre she had brought with her were redeployed to other fronts once it became clear there was not to be a war. It made matters understandably difficult when military matters were needed—no other samurai from other families had the training to follow alongside her in battle.

Then there was the new problem. Kazuko absently toyed with her brush as she sullenly approved the request. She could not begrudge an ill father this request. Inadoma's retirement. With his health rapidly deteriorating he could no longer perform his duties as magistrate, a matter which the Ambassador had likely been far too lenient over. She knew it was not a dereliction of duty; still, it was as trying for the ailing Magistrate as it was for herself. It was only a matter of time before the matter would have to be addressed.

At least everyone involved saw it coming. Kazuko already put in a request some time ago for a new Magistrate. She was hoping it would have been denied, so she could enact another plan in the works. Instead, the newest listing of samurai in the city included a new Magistrate.

Of greater surprise was an Utaku joining their ranks.

"My lady." Fuyuko approached, a serious look on her face as she did so. "Utaku Mayu and Shinjo Keuken are waiting for an audience."

"Very good, Fuyuko-san. Show them in." Kazuko nodded, dismissing her servant to gather the two to her. While waiting, she took the time to straighten up the desk before her, placing the paperwork in neat stacks and straightening out her kimono. Now to welcome the newest entries to her ever-growing Embassy.

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Kenneth
When the door opens, a man stands on the other side. It's obvious he had a bit of Moto blood in him, broad, tall and stocky compared to those with only native Rokugani blood. The Samurai was dressed in traveling clothes, and light armor customary of calvary. The Mons on his jinbaori indicated his membership in the Shinjo family, over his heart lay the insignia of that same family's Magistrate Dojo. Together they formed a visual representation of his loyalties and priorities.

His attention was not focused on Ambassador within, but on the others just outside the door. It seems he was in the middle of telling a rather engaging joke when the door slid open. As quickly as he could, Shinjo Keuken stopped, and refocused his attention on the newly revealed Utaku Kazuko.

Hastily he made the required excuses to leave the prior conversation and approached the desk where Kazuko was seated. The Magistrate made a point of looking down, but specifically not at the Ambassador's desk, neither laying eyes on her documents, nor meeting her gaze. He purposely did not center himself on the desk, but made enough room to his left for other Samurai entering. Then, there was hesitation.

*Unicorn custom says a handshake is appropriate in this circumstance, but,* Keuken thought to himself,*We are not in Unicorn lands. Would the Rokugani bow be appropriate considering their location. The confusion is evident on his face temporarily, but Bushi are taught that often in dire circumstances that when met with a time sensitive choice, not choosing can be just as deadly. The new arrival thrust out his hand to shake.*

**"Revered Utaku Kazuko-sama, I am Shijo Keukun. It is an honor to meet you, even here so far from the plains where our spirits run free."**
James
In stark contrast to the somewhat gregarious new magistrate was Mayu, her hands folded behind her in quiet supplication at an "At ease" Pose as Fuyuko came to greet her and bring her in.

The Shiotome moved in behind Keuken, a couple of steps behind and a more silent approach of her footfalls. When she stopped at her position, she bowed, gracefully and low to the more senior Utaku, saying only two words as she did so before resuming her stance.

"Utaku-dono."
Kenneth
*With Mayu's response, Keuken looks back at her, surprised to see such strict Rokugani etiquette from one of the Famed Battle Maidens of the Utaku. Her forthright and succinct display made him question his own approach. Slowly his head returned to Kazuko, his hand still outstretched to greet the Ambassador. In this uncomfortable situation, he had no choice but to simply wait.*
Laura
Slowly Kazuko observed the two as they entered. The parade-ground formality of the Utaku was a pleasant reminder of her past as military leader. When had she began to consider that her past, she wondered briefly. The Shinjo, on the other hand, filled the room with an air of the reserved, respectful, yet somehow still casual and friendly manner his clan was known for.

After waiting *Just* Long enough for the Shinjo to become the slightest bit uncomfortable, she clasped the man's hand with her own, accepting the shake with a faint nod. Then, she gestured to the two to sit at the cushions provided.

Once all were situated, her hands began to move. The servant woman behind her, eyes transfixed on her lady's signs, began to speak. "Welcome home, Shinjo-san and Utaku-san. It is good to have you both here, now more than ever. I am Utaku Kazuko, Ambassador to Ryoko Owari. The woman speaking is Fuyuko-san. She serves as my translator, as I am unable to speak after attempts on my life. Any words conveyed by her are my words; please consider them with the same weight."

After an appropriate pause, she would continue. Often were the samurai not prepared for a mute Ambassador they would need a moment to take stock of how to handle this development. Kazuko would not begrudge that; such a surprising turn of events was not a common one amongst leaders. "I know you are both no doubt eager to be shown your lodgings here, but I thank you for taking the time first to meet. I pray the Five Winds were kind in your travels here?"

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Kenneth
*As Fuyoko speaks, Keuken at first seems confused, but then adjusts so that he is looking at Kazuko instead of the servant as what is occurring dawns on him. He listens intently to the Ambassador, and nods in agreement as she mentions lodging.*

"Thank you for such compassion, and I am indeed interested in seeing where I may lay my head. Of course, I do admit some weariness due to my travels, and the aches of so long a journey have indeed gripped me firmly, but I also have a growing curiosity about what is happening in this City of Stories, and how a humble magistrate such as myself can best serve the Clan."

*The weariness of which he speaks is evident on his face, but though his eyes lids may droop in exhaustion the spark behind the eyes themselves is bright and engaged. He seems eager both to learn and to serve.* 

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James
Mayu was analytical in her view of what transpired before her.

 The Shiotomes eyes flashed from Servant to Mistress instantly, a barely perceptible nod given at her understanding. 

"The Five Winds were indeed kind." She finally said, after the Shinjo had said his piece. She was not going to be big on prose or words here, so used to military briefings was Mayu.

"How many we serve?"
Laura
The Battle Maiden remembered how she missed the soldier's mentality. Debrief and deploy, mince no words and shatter the enemy with shocking efficacy. Unfortunately the time as the Embassy's herdswoman made such a near impossibility for her most days. It was a welcome change of pace whenever new bushi made themselves available for use.

"Good. It is agreeable that you arrived without incident." She inclined her head with understanding at the exhaustion slowly creeping through the features of Keuken. "Beyond our Embassy is a dangerous place, and we have need of you now more than ever. What have you heard of the city and our position in it?"

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Kenneth
*He drops his head slightly before he begins to speak,* **"I must apologize, Kazuko-sama, I have not spent a great deal of time in very political areas. My attention has always been in the safety and security of the people, and the enforcement of the Laws of the Empire. How and why those laws were made has not been important in my duties until now. I do wish to hear and learn anything you can relay so that I can do my duty to you, the Clan, and the Empire."**

*Keuken continues to look down not knowing if this will come across as normal or unprepared. He understood either take the Ambassador might have, but he prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best.*

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James
"The two of our clanmates who escorted me from the Unicorn Gate are to be commended then for ensuring I could enter without being accosted." Mayu said quietly, her voice unwavering.

Of course the presence of a giant temperamental horse probably didn't hurt either...

"From what I was told by my mother, I was lead to believe we had made gains in many areas, but still work was going to be required. And that the Scorpion present a challenge more and more by the day at present."
Laura
"Very good. I will not bore you with the minutia unless you require more information." The Ambassador readjusted herself slightly, taking one of the fried dough balls as she did so. There was so much she could discuss with them, but much of it was more the realm of the courtier than the bushi. "The city lies in Imperial control from now until the winter, when Governor Otomo Tanimaru-sama will decide the clan best suited to hold this place in his stead.

"The Scorpion seek at every turn to undermine our ancestral claim, and we have finally repaid them in kind for their attempts at inciting war between us and the Lion in winter. Alongside the Emperor's left and right hand we delivered the killing blow to their Opium Cartels within and without the city." The generally dour demeanor Kazuko wore turned upwards in a satisfied smile. It felt good to take out their clans' grievances in such a familiar manner. It was a small taste of what once they would have done to the whole city. A shame.

"Still, I am not so foolish to believe our challenges are over. While we have secured alliance with the Mantis while maintaining ours with the Crane, the Phoenix remain at odds with us, deciding to blindly continue down a path which will lead to their ruin." It was a sad surprise to hear they continued to push and court the Scorpion. For a clan who sought to follow the path of righteousness they could not have chosen a worse partner. "The Scorpion will no doubt seek reprisal. While removing organized crime was a statement to address the concerns of the common citizen, they were organized. Without doubt more common criminals will seek to take their place."

The long term and immediate benefits were clear. The interim was where the Children of Shinjo would have to prove the just cause of their choices. It was time to seize the momentum they had begun in the spring and push it forward into the future. "Do you have any questions?"

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Kenneth
*Kauken smirks at that,* **"I always have questions. Perhaps we could begin with: who are the Samurai who pose the greatest threat to the Unicorn Clan achieving our goal, and how is the ministration of the Emperor's law dispersed here?**

*While he speaks his words are presice and crisp, but his eyes wander to trophies or keepsakes the owner might display. He isn't searching for anything, not really, just a habit of his occupation that has become more reflex than intent.*

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James
"No questions, Utaku-dono."

 Mayu's voice was as sweet as it was rigid as it was quiet. The young woman was not one for asking too much, keeping stuck to what was in front of her and working from there.
Laura
"Both excellent questions, Shinjo-san." The Battle Maiden began to list off what Keuken sought. The ever vigilant family of his were keen to identify threats from afar—and neutralize them quickly if needed. Whether it was through violence or understanding depended on the danger. "Imagine every Scorpion as more than eager to plunge a knife into your heart and act accordingly. While the Phoenix Ambassador is a kind soul, his subordinates and minor functionaries seek to poison what little remains of our goodwill. The Lion circle is with a watchful eye, waiting for the first sign of weakness.

"And the Imperials," One hand idly circled around her cup as she considered how best to put it, "Are the Imperials. I do not know if you have had the honor of working with them before, but they run the city in the manner they see fit. And their view is a much . . . *Higher* One than any individual clan."

It was about as diplomatic a means as the Ambassador knew possible to speak of the frustrations of an Emerald bureaucracy. "Take for example matters of law, your second point. Governor Otomo-sama is watching the clans closely to determine who is best fit to be its steward. To that end, he has removed the position of Emerald Magistrate for the duration of his governance. Instead, he asks each Clan to provide their own Magistrates.

"Yet the authority of a Clan Magistrate has not changed. We are still only responsible for our clan's samurai and heimin, so when matters inevitably become more complicated we must work with other Clan's Magistrates and the Thunder Guard to extend our reach." It was confusing, and deliberately so. Still, it *Had* Worked so far. "It is Otomo-sama's belief that this demonstrates the collaborative spirit needed to lead such a cosmopolitan city."

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Kenneth
*Kauken takes in the information as it is relayed. He nods along with bits and pieces, formulating a plan of action so that he can move forward with purpose. As Ambassador Kazuko finishes her explanation, the Magistrate stays silent for a moment letting these threads of the city's political landscape slide into place.*

*The Kitsuki were famed investigators around the Empire, but few understood their method. Kauken felt this particular ignorance was a blessing. To him, each fact, opinion, and habit were a fiber that create a string in the collective design. Each person or situation was a thread, from threads a clever mind could weave a great artwork of reason, desire, emotion, and duty, of motivations and intention. Each city a new masterwork, each new bit of information revealing the grand motif. He was far from that final portrait now, but every tapestry starts as a collection of strings.*

*After a few moments Kauken adjusts and addresses the Ambassador once more,* "With your permission, Kazuko-sama, I will introduce myself to the magistrates of the other clans, and make myself familiar with Unicorn's holdings and property here. I have heard rumors and stories of gangs who roam the streets of Ryoko Owari Toshi. Are brigands still a concern within the gates, or were the rumors of such banditry just that, rumor?"

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Laura
"As with most matters in the city, it is more complicated than that." Once more the exhaustion of the assignment washed over the Ambassador. If only things were simple and straightforward, as they so often could be considered in the cities of home. "There are several 'gangs,' but their presence is tolerated and even cultivated by this city. The kajinin run extortion rackets and other petty crimes, but without them Ryoko Owari would not survive the month.

"The Opium Cartels were an issue, but we have eliminated them. There are still pockets of so-called organized crime. As much as it pains me to say, we have learned the hard way that to bring the city to heel we will need their support." Without them, the city would turn to disorganized crime. Anarchy was a poorer alternative than what existed already. Kazuko wondered when she had become used to accepting some of the ways the city functioned, when her great zealotry faded towards pragmatism. Had the city changed her, or was her mind opened to the strange and foreign way the world beyond her people's border worked? "If you would like to receive more information about the connections we have made below the surface, my second Utaku Masanori-san has led these efforts.

"In addition, there is a matter a matter of internal security I need to discuss with you, a matter of some . . . Delicacy. If you do not think yourselves capable of keeping our clan's secrets contained, I will dismiss you now and no tarnish will come to your reputations."

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Kenneth
*As Utaku Kazuko explained the realities of the City of Lies, the Magistrate's stomach began to turn. Though he gave his best attempt as passivity, the idea that not only were the gangs somehow needed for this city's survival, but that crime had grown and metastasized long enough to become 'organized' was antithetical to the lawman's sensibilities, a fact discernable from his face.* 

*His imaginings conjured the image of a long dead doe in the forest, abandoned by even the least discerning of beastial scavengers, fungi blooming on the decaying flesh in bright oranges, reds the color of rust or dried blood and violets as deep as a moonless evening. The corpse was this city, and the mushrooms; the gangs feeding off its rotting and desiccated remains. The Emperor's Justice must be sought with vigor and determination in a festering pit like this one, but Keuken did not know if he was up to the task.*

*The Shinjo made a note to speak with Utaku Masanori, and pushed the rest away, ignoring any shame or emotion that the Ambassador may have inadvertently expressed when she described the necessity of Criminals in an Imperial City and how that may reflect on the Imperial Family and the Son of Heaven. Instead he focused on there here and now, not courtly matters which may be the concern of those with greater purpose than he.*

*As the delicate matter that concerns clan security was broached, he made no attempt to depart, only bowed deeply from his cushion at the desk and said,* "I live to serve."

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James
Mayu silently nodded along to the instructions and information as it was given, making mental notes as she parsed between the lines of Kazuko's words. She surmised, when Kazuko was done, that she would need to seek out this Utaku Masanori for some additional info, but it could wait until she was settled for the time being.

Giving a brief curt nod to Kazuko, she assumed that was the end of the briefing and they'd be dismissed. However, upon hearing the internal security matter, her eyes went from the door to the fellow Shiotome again and Mayu's hands went from in front of her to behind her back - asign for Kazuko to continue to what she had meant to continue too without needing to verbally affirm.
Laura
"There is a member of our own who has gone rogue." She did not attempt to sugar coat the information now. They were safe within these walls, and the two already made their devotion to the delicate matter clear. No holding back. "The previous Ambassasor's second, a gunso by the name of Moto Orichi, disappeared after my predecessor's untimely death. We understood the need to mourn, and granted him his space."

She took a small parchment and displayed it before the two. On it was a hastily drawn map of the outlying fields, with several locations marked on it. "He and the retinue of ashigaru who joined him have not returned, and while he has yet to act, the fact we remain one step behind his movements is troubling."

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Kenneth
Utaku Kazuko's words visibly struck Keuken. A torrent of thoughts and speculation ran through his mind in an instant. Taking a moment to compose himself, he took a few deep cleansing breathes, returning his focus on the matter at hand.

Each bit of information was a fiber which formed a thread which compose a string which wove a tapestry. The more information he had, the clearer he could read the tapestry. 

Gone was the jovial man sharing jokes with the servants and hemin, replaced by a stalwart samurai ready to do his duty for his clan and the Empire. When Shinjo Keuken finally spoke even his voice sounded different, comfortable, confident, and sharp. 

*"I need to know everything."*

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James
Mayu's eyes narrowed at the explanation, and her jaw set firm.

When the Shinjo said he wanted everything, she almost wanted to nod in agreement, but instead her eyes went to Kazuko as if carefully judging this situation.

"What was he like, this Moto? Are we to expect an attack on us or our allies?" She asked quietly.