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>>3004049
As it turned out, the intrusion of Igor provided the much-needed distraction to the marines for Satoru and me to get out of the bath, along with helping the overheated, barely conscious Ayafumi out without anyone questioning.
Ayafumi almost passing out from the heat was concerning, but equally alarming was the infatuation of the marine lot watching someone whose appearance can only be described as an underaged bishonen clean himself. The implications were, uh…
Let’s just say Satoru and I opted to not put any more thought into it.

Once we got to the dressing area, we immediately patted ourselves dry and changed into our yukata, alongside helping Ayafumu with a towel and some space to rest.
“I will return this favor one day”, he muttered under his breath while we placed him on a bench at the changing room to get some fresh air and cool down.

“All I wanted was a day to relax.” Letting out a long sigh, I laid back into the couch at the guest lounge. “Was that too much to ask?”
“Too much.” Satoru in the adjacent couch answered weakly with a withered expression, squeezing his temples and adjusting the cool wet towel placed on his forehead. If the encounter at the bath was any indication, his day has been way greater a disaster than mine. “Waaaay too much...”

While I still have some energy left in me, Satoru looked utterly burned out to the last fiber. It certainly made me feel quite guilty for that complaint earlier.
“Hey, you guys!”
Finished with her bath as well, Yanagi entered the scene just in time to see the two of us in our worn-out state.
“Uh… Are you guys okay?” Witnessing this mess, she could only bring up this topic in a rather awkward manner.
“Totally. I enjoy getting heat stroked as much as the next guy.” Even at such a dire state, Satoru didn’t hold back on his sarcasm.

“Do you really have be like that?” She sighed after her initial question was met with Satoru’s usual mockery. “Here, have these. The two of you need them more than I do.” She placed the two small bottles of milk she was holding onto our laps, then sat right to my side.
“Thanks,” I replied, sitting up to pick up the bottle, concurrently taking awareness of the pleasant scent emanating from Yanagi. Her freshly washed, slightly moist green hair gave off a faint lavender scent, complementing nicely with the floral patterns on her sky blue, silken yukata. She looked… gorgeous, for a better lack of a word.

“You must’ve had it better than we did.”
“What do you mean? We just went for a bath to stave off the cold.” Yanagi answered with a puzzled look. “I mean, the amenity and yukata they provided are pretty nice… did something happened?”

>Long story...
>I rather not dive back into that mess, how are the others?
>Indeed, the yukata does look good on you.
>write in.

>>3004056
>Indeed, the yukata does look good on you.

>>3004056
>Indeed, the yukata does look good on you.

>>3004056
>Indeed, the yukata does look good on you.

>>3004056
>Indeed, the yukata does look good on you.

>>3004056
>Long story...

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>>3004078
>>3004111
>>3004224
>>3005759
“Indeed, the yukata does look nice on you.”
The complement caught Yanagi completely off guard and took two whole seconds for her brain to process for an appropriate reaction.

“Eh?...W-what are you saying!? That wasn’t the question!”
That certainly wasn’t the question, but I would much rather not dive back into that mess. With that in mind, I continued on to divert the topic.

“I know, but the yukata’s color really fits you well, and -” It was halfway through the sentence when I was hit with the same realization that Yanagi experienced seconds earlier. I instantly felt a rush of blood into my head as my thoughts entangled into an unorganized mess, quickly followed by an indescribable urge to find a hole to hide. “Um, you know, it’s, uh…”

An unknown embarrassment, more than ten times the usual dose, invaded my system as I finally realized what my words meant, and what they might just entail. How did it come to this!? The original intention was just to avoid speaking about an unsavory event, not trying out some cheesy pick-up line.
“T-thanks.” Yanagi stuttered, her cheeks flushed cherry pink as her body tensed up, her gaze lowered to prevent any sort of eye contact. “I...I’m glad you liked....”

“Go get a room, you two.” Satoru expressed his utter discontent with an exasperated groan.
“S-s-Satoru!?”
“He--he’s just not in the best of mood right now,” I explained frantically, glancing at my exhausted friend who now used the towel to cover up his entire face.He must be cringing distastefully under the piece of moist cloth. “But anyways, Yanagi, were you going to tell us something?”

“Ah, right! I was going to tell you about dinner!” Yanagi answered, checking the clock hung onto the walls. “Captain Suwabe booked the entire dining hall for us. He’ll be present as well.”
The captain making an appearance? With his conditions, there must be some important matter he wanted to address personally.
“When will dinner begin?”
“In ten minutes, but we can get there early,” Yanagi replied promptly. She stood up, then carefully offered a hand to help me off the couch.

“I’ll catch up later.” Satoru immediately sliced into the conversation, much earlier than we could ask whether or not he would like to come with us, and before I could take Yanagi's hand.

>Make him tag him along regardless
>Go there with Yanagi first
>Wait here for Satoru to get better.
>Write In

>>3007137
>Go there with Yanagi first

>>3007137
>Go there with Yanagi first

>>3007137
>Go there with Yanagi first

>>3007137
>Wait here for Satoru to get better.
We should probably avoid being a shitty friend.

>>3007137
>Go there with Yanagi first

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“We’ll see you there then.”
I propped myself up and took Yanagi’s helping hand, pulling myself off the couch. With a light tap on the shoulder I bid a short farewell to my friend, and headed off to the dining hall with Yanagi in tow.

The sun was about to set and the sky has darkened considerably, but this part of Amekou was still bright. As Yanagi and I walked down the hall, we took a few moments to peek out of the windows and marvel at the view. Visible from the window was the mountainous terrain, painted glowing red by the sunset, sprinkled with pockets of light as reflected by streams and other bodies of water. I almost spaced out from the spectacle, had Yanagi not intervened and pulled me towards our destination.

Located at the end of this corridor was the inn’s banquet hall. Fitting with the overall design of the architecture, the banquet hall was as Zipangnese as it could get: a large, washitsu styled room with tatami and sliding doors decorated with paintings of flora from different seasons. With late spring being the current time of the year we’re in, the tokonoma walls in the corners were decorated with intricate weavings of nodafuji, a flower native to Zipang that blossoms around this time of the year. Instead of chairs, sitting cushions were placed in two orderly rows, forming a passageway in the center of the room, with one singular cushion- the main seat- at the end of said passageway.

Despite the formal nature of tonight’s dinner with the Captain’s scheduled appearance, the atmosphere in the room wasn't heavy. Quite on the contrary, the room was lively with chatter of the officers aboard the Yamato who have already taken their seats, socializing with their comrades in arms. While most were not even aware of our arrival, the one who did deliver their greetings passionately.

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“Subaru-kun!”

It was impossible to miss the Valkyria’s excited, enthusiastic voice. Turning towards the voice’s source, we were met with Margaret’s exceptionally tall stature, fresh out of bath and now in what I could only assume to be a specially tailored yukata. This was accentuated even more as she waved her arm at us as she approached us, like some sort of a guiding beacon.

And almost immediately, I felt a strong tug on my right arm, which turned out to be Yanagi gripping firmly onto it with both her hands. A short glance at her revealed that my childhood friend was already engaged in her ‘overprotective’ mode, facing Margaret as if she was some dangerous animal of sorts.

But thankfully for me, there was someone else around this time to place a lid on the boiling kettle before it inevitably spilled over.
“Ahem, Ms. Denisov.”
Akane emerged from Margaret's side, pointing toward the sitting cushion on the side. With no tact or warning, she tugged the Valkyria by the sleeve of her yukata with enough force to lead her back on her seat, like an owner calming down an overly excited pup. Even while back and sitting on her cushion, Margaret did not seem the slightest bit hinged, still waving at me to come over.

While I did want to wave back, I was interrupted by Yanagi’s forceful tug on my arm towards the cushions on the other side, as if telling me to find a better place to sit.
There were two unoccupied seats at the end of the center passageway, directly next to the main seat.
To the other end opposite of Margaret and Akane was the part where the marines conjugated, and in the center of their attention was no other than the marines aniki himself, as well as Koishimizu senpai on his side.

>Suggest sitting with Margaret and Akane
>Mingle with Itaru, Hibari and the marine lot for the time being
>Occupy the seats that's closest to the Captain
>Look for Tewi

>>3012575
>Occupy the seats that's closest to the Captain

>>3012575
>Occupy the seats that's closest to the Captain

>>3012575
>>Mingle with Itaru, Hibari and the marine lot for the time being

>>3012575
>Suggest sitting with Margaret and Akane

>>3012575

>Occupy the seats that's closest to the Captain

Derp?

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>>3012579
>>3012719
>>3013854
As much as it displeased me to turn Margaret down, Yanagi’s wishes were no less as important.
I waved back to Margaret while shaking my head, then went as Yanagi insisted and found ourselves a more quiet spot, the empty cushions right next to the main seat. If I were not mistaken, the main seat was reserved for the host of the banquet, which is the Captain himself. However, I am rather concerned about his health, considering he looked far from his prime during the announcement earlier today.

Yanagi and I sat side by side at our spot and saved one more unoccupied one for Satoru. Watching our fellow crewmates having their jolly time while waiting for the Captain to arrive, I couldn’t help but think about our current predicament.

How much longer before our pursuers catch on to our trail?
How much longer before Formosa subjugate to the same fate as the mainland?
How much longer could the Captain hold off against his illness?
How many of these folks, who had made what they could to enjoy this brief shore leave, could last throughout this journey?
The thought of the unknown dangers looming over the horizon, inching closer day by day was… unsettling, particularly with what was at stake.

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>>3022294
“Subaru? Is something bothering you?”
“Ah.. no.” I was greeted by Yanagi’s hand waving right in my face, which I gently moved away in response.
“I was just thinking about this whole… incident. We’ve technically just declared war against the most powerful nation in this part of the globe, and are on our last resort- a suicidal race against time.” I glanced over the scene, with jubilant chatter and bursts of laughter coming from our comrades in arms. “Is having a vacation now really the best idea?”

“I don’t know.” Yanagi shrugged, watching on the crowd. “But this is what the Captain wanted, isn’t it? For everyone to at least have a fleeting, peaceful respite before heading out into danger again.”
“I wonder how much longer it would last.” I expressed my earnest, worrying thoughts.

“Not long, but you deserve it.”
My doubts were instantly answered, by a familiar voice which, while raspy and withered, still burned brightly with its last shimmer of light.
“Ca--Captain!”
“Had a relaxing day, Kurokawa-kun?” Captain Nagamasa Suwabe made his entrance with a light tap on my shoulder and a wide smile. “Lighten up, it’s said that being too tense shortens a man’s lifespan.”
With that sarcastic jab at himself out of the way, the Captain sat idly by into the main seat. He looked not much different than he was back in the morning, or the past few days for that matter.

Pale, sickly, and on his last legs, yet burning every fiber of his life to appear as lively as possible.
“It’s about the spirit. Morale is important, after all.” Satoru said, walking into the scene immediately after. Still haven’t completely recovered from his previous encounter in the springs, he swayed from side to side for a bit before finally finding and joining us.

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>>3022295
“Ladies, Gentlemen, it appears that I’ve been keeping you all waiting for a bit too long.” The Captain stood up, holding a small cup of sake in hand. As the host of the banquet rose so did the rest of the attendees, attention all pried onto him
“Allow me to toast you all for our success-” The Captain paused briefly as he bit into his lower lip, his brows furrowed. At the same time, I noticed his free hand clenching into a fist as if he was containing the pain, driving his body with sheer willpower to continue on.

“However, that was just the first stage of Ten-Go. From here on now things can only get harder for us. Our enemies will start pursuing us more relentlessly, throwing more and more of their forces to hunt us down. The other Great Powers will at one point take notice, and undoubtedly try their hand in manipulating us to their flavor. This is a journey paved by thorns, ragged rocks, and steep cliffs, all for the tiny ray of light that shines at the end of this tunnel, and we might all be fools to jump into this outrageous operation…”

He stopped, took a deep breath, and outstretched the arm that held the cup of sake to us before finishing it with a single gulp.

“But today, we celebrate!” He finished his toast. “Rest well and prepare for the journey ahead.”
“Ohhh!” The folks raise their own cups in unison, answering to the captain’s toast.
With the host’s introduction done and done, dinner officially began.

I scanned through the room one final time, searching for my sister among the guests. This action proved futile, however, as the noise and a whole hall of people made it hard for me to pinpoint where she exactly sat.
My vision then drifted towards the main seat, where the Captain sat, surprisingly relaxed, despite the pain he must have gone through earlier. In fact, he looked like a completely different man.

>Ask the Captain how he's faring
>See how the others are doing
>Try to find Tewi
>Inquire about any other events scheduled after dinner.
>Write In

>>3022320
>Ask the Captain how he's faring

>>3022308
>Ask the Captain how he's faring

>>3022320
>Try to find Tewi

>>3022320
>Inquire about any other events scheduled after dinner.

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As the servers began bringing out the courses for the night, I scanned the room once again searching for my sister among the guests. This action proved ultimately fruitless, as I still didn’t see her anywhere amongst the rows of attendees. I wonder where she is and what she’s up to this time, but that can wait.

I turned my attention to the main seat, where the Captain now occupied. Despite the pain he must have endured earlier, he looked surprisingly relaxed, almost like the ailment never existed.

The Captain’s injuries had always been shielded from the light of day except to a select few, and even the few that knew had no idea how bad it really was. To his credit, Suwabe-dono had done all he could to conceal this part of him, including this instance.
Watching the scene transpire as someone who understood the severity of his condition, I worry just how much his condition has worsened since the last time we talked in private.

“Captain.” I shuffled beside the Captain and whispered. “How are you holding up? Should I contact any medical personnel?”
“No, I’m fine.” He waved off my concerns in a half-intoxicated stupor. “There’s nothing more they could do that hasn’t been done already. Besides, I feel much better now.”
As he spoke, the Captain set aside a small, unfolded piece of paper wrapping, then proceed to treat himself to another shot of sake.

“Opioid…” Yanagi whispered, noticing the label and white powder residue on the wrapping. “Captain, how much did you…”
“Yes, much better.” He cuts her off before she could finish. The dosage he has taken was most likely far beyond the suggested dosage, but as he said, what else was an appropriate remedy?
Satoru appeared to understand his situation as well, stopping Yanagi from inquiring farther while shaking his head.

“I’ll manage, like always.” The Captain concluded, reverting back to a more composed stature as he downed another cup of sake.

>Leave him to be
>Take him out for a breath of fresh air
>Call in the medical team regardless
>Fill his cup and give him another toast
>Write in

>>3024495
>Leave him to be

>>3024495
>Call in the medical team regardless

>>3024495
>Take him out for a breath of fresh air

>>3024495
>Take him out for a breath of fresh air

>>3024495
>Take him out for a breath of fresh air

>>3024495
>Call in the medical team regardless

gonna bite us i nthe ass otherwise

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“Captain, you’re about drunk,” I said, tossing his arm over my shoulder, then holding him up by the waist. “Let’s get you some fresh air.”
“Hmm…”
Satoru, Yanagi, and I watched on precariously as the Captain cranked his head and stared into our direction like a malfunctioned Karakuri doll. We all half-expected him to put up some form of resistance, or completely lose control and puke his guts out.
Miraculously, neither of the scenarios happened. A few displeased grunts aside, Captain Suwabe accepted my suggestion without protest. Carefully, I held him by the shoulder and escorted him out of the room while everyone else was preoccupied with dinner.

“Turn right… ack… then up the stairs when you see them.” With the absence of everyone’s attention, the Captain reverted back to his sickly, tired self.
“Captain, you…”
“Heh.” He chuckled wryly, trying to catch a breath between his words “Even opioids have their limits, it seems.”

“It's best for you to rest for the day, Captain.” I dragged him along the halls, then up the stairs into the second floor. “Let's see, your quarters should be to the…”
“And the fresh air?” He interrupted, nearly breaking into another coughing feat.

“Captain, I sorry to say that you are not in the condition to…”
“Gah, rubbish! Kurokawa, don't give me that same babble the doctors give me every day.” In a surprising rush of strength, the sickly captain pushed me away and began walking on his own.
“Come, there's something you need to know.”

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>>3030277
Following the Captain’s lead, the two of us ended up outside, on a balcony that jutted out from the right wing of the inn. Apparently, this was supposed to be one of those “design adjustments” made in order to accommodate the angled hillside the building sat on. In order to make this part of the building appear less awkward from asymmetry, this overextended portion was refurbished into an elongated viewing platform.

From here, the vibrant chatter from the dining hall echoed from a floor below, mixed with the flowing torrent of water of a stream which ran just under the inn.
In stark contrast to the unrelenting showers in the day, a dark, moonless, and cloudless night had taken the center stage. The moisture from the day’s rain still lingered in the atmosphere, but the skies above had been replaced by a grand river of dazzling starlight, gently illuminating Amekou with their dim radiance.

The Captain planted himself on an obsidian stool, and stretched his arms out As if relieved from a day's work.
“All these years on the seas sniffing salt… At last, I got a fresh earthen air.” He gazed gravely into the horizon over Amekou’s mountains. All of a sudden, the man looked far more composed and sober than earlier.
..
…
“Radiation poisoning, Kurokawa.” The Captain spoke with a cough. “It’s been eating me away from the inside for quite some time now.”

“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” He grumbled, sitting upright. “Enma-sama really hates my guts, so he’s decided to make the last part of my life as painful as possible.” The Captain paused for a second, smirking at his own joke. “But at least, I could hand this to someone trustworthy.”

Slowly from his robes, the Captain took out what appeared to be a fairly ‘normal’ bamboo box. The size and dimensions were just enough for it to function as a glasses case. However, there was a catch.
Its one single lock, made from pure gold, was imprinted with no other than the insignia of the Miko-hime.
“Captain, th… this is?”
“Zipang’s most sacred treasure, entrusted to me by the Miko-hime herself.”

He opened the box gently, and showed me the contents within:
A note, and a microfilm. Truth to be told, it wasn't as aesthetically convincing as I expected.

“This film here stores the whole stash of wealth Zipang has accumulated ever since it was unified.” He continued to explain. “Enough to rebuild our country three times over.”

>I… I cannot keep this.
>That was an exaggeration, is it?
>Are our enemies aware such a thing exists?
>Write in

>>3030284
>That was an exaggeration, is it?
>Are our enemies aware such a thing exists?

>>3030284
>That was an exaggeration, is it?
>Are our enemies aware such a thing exists?
>But what does this mean for us?

>>3030284
>That was an exaggeration, is it?
>Are our enemies aware such a thing exists?

>>3030284
>That was an exaggeration, is it?
>How's that going to help when there's no land to build a country upon?

>>3030284
>Are our enemies aware such a thing exists?

Oh this should get interesting.

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“Captain,” I stared at the contents suspiciously. “That… that was an exaggeration, is it?”
"Hard to believe at first.” He closed the box and placed it in my hands. “But you will once you’ve read the contents within that little microform.”
“You… you’ve seen the contents?” I stammered out, a part of me still unwilling to believe what secrets that thin piece of the film held.
“By the final stages of the war, Miko-sama knew very well that defeat was inevitable, so she entrusted it to the hands of the only ones that could get it out of the country- the navy, under your father’s command.” The Captain continued, leaning onto the backrest of his seat. “While the initial plans failed, I was able to recover it during our time in Kure.”

This was… most unexpected.
On one hand, now I know some secrets of my country that I wasn’t even aware of, and the real mission behind Operation Ten-Go.
On the other hand, father’s legacy only weighed more on my shoulders. It was as if I was left with immeasurable debt, an obligation that while still being determined to settle it through.

“Captain.” I asked, a sudden rush of duty, dignity, passion, and adrenaline seared through my blood. “Are our enemies aware of this item’s existence?”
“Enemies?” The captain laughed, pacing slowly to the platform’s edge. “Which one specifically?”
“The Khaganate? Beiyang?”
This sudden tonal shift had really caught me over by the ropes. Unable to really start thinking properly, I formulated the most obvious answers to the Captain’s question.

“I’m not sure if the barbarians know, maybe the Sima princess, but...” He looked at me sternly in the eye. “Do you really think they are our only enemies out there?”
The words flew out of nowhere, but I instantly realized the implications of those words.
“No.”

“Precisely.” The captain continued his slow walk along the platform’s edges. “The moment Yamato left port… no, even before that, there were already outside actors sitting by the edges, eyeing us like some fattened chicken ready for the slaughterhouse.”
As he continued, the sickly Captain’s voice raised higher and higher, and his slow pacing sped up into a brisk walk.
“This treasure notwithstanding, the Atlantic Federation would be fools not to take any interest in acquiring the Yamato for their own benefit. Knowing those slimy bastards, I’m sure their plans had already been set in motion…”

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>>3034041
“And Gallia?” I brought up the small, neutral Europan country that made news some years ago. Their influence in the Far East wasn’t as prominent as the Federation, but their colonies here do happen to be quite near Formosa.
“Them too.” He answered with unwavering certainty. “That country might not be in the best mood for another conflict now, but they certainly won't mind trying to secure Yamato for itself. Especially considering who’s running their show here.”

I had to admit that I knew little about Gallia, despite the tiny nation’s impressive record in the two Europan Wars. What I did know, however, was that the man in charge of their colony down in Palawan participated in both conflicts. Even if the country was technically ‘neutral’, what Captain Suwabe said here might very well happen.

“And to answer your question whether or not the Sima Princess knows about the treasure…” He paused for a moment and wiped a little drop of sweat off his forehead. “Have you ever thought why she specifically took interest in you?”
…
…
It took me a second, but the dots finally began to connect and form a larger, clearer canvas.
“See, I recovered the film, but never Miko-sama’s edict. As far as I know, Kagetora had it… hidden in some safe back in his office in Kure Naval Base.”
“Meaning Sima-dono most likely knows about the treasure’s existence as well” I completed the last piece of the puzzle.

“Most likely,” The Captain replied with a nod, then a long sigh. “But I fear it’s not just that.”
Having circled the platform for one full round, he returned back to the original obsidian seat under the willow tree. Now slouched and mentally exhausted, Nagamasa Suwabe buried his face in his palms.
“Captain?”
“Kurokawa, remember when I told you that I recovered this thing back in Kure?
A more accurate description would be that I woke up in the Denisov Foundation's safehouse after Haruna sank, with the treasure placed neatly by my bedside. This time it came with a letter from the Denisov family head himself, stating he would do provide all assistance necessary to aid our cause"

I'll end the thread here. Not much, but I'm glad that I've finally managed to get the plot to start running.

As usual, I'll be here till the thread dies for any questions or suggestions

>>3034047
I'm not well versed in the worlds lore, but uh.. What does any of this mean?

>>3034066
It means there's a gigantic stash of money AND a giant rogue nuclear battleship running around freely in Not!East Asia and every single party/nation/political nation want to have it for themselves.

>>3034066
Right, I probably shouldn't have thrown out everything like that on the get go.

Lore wise, Gallia is the side you play as in
the 4 main games, a small country that's a cross of Finland and Holland during WWII.
Atlantic Federation is basically the entirety of Western Europe/Allied powers. Though over here I'm only going to focus on one specific country from that lot in this quest.

>>3034412
>>3034082

Ah, Danke.