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“You, more than an hour late for breakfast? What has house Kurokawa come to?”
Satoru made his usual sarcastic jab as I placed my breakfast tray on the table and took a seat right across from him. In the end, I overslept for about an hour to recover from the fatigue accumulated from yesterday.
“Oh shut it. I had a rough day.” I began with a dry cough to clear my throat before stuffing myself with a mouthful of grilled ichiyaboshi horse mackerel. “You don’t look any better.”
Judging by Satoru’s messy hair and the freshly finished plates before him, he probably didn’t arrive not long too.
“You have no idea.”
The two of us exchanged glances, before letting out a synchronized sigh. I fully expected my friend to start picking off on all the embarrassing bits I found myself in yesterday, yet now I’m here with someone who could share the pain with. While not much, this did put a slight bit of comfort in my heart.
However, the chemistry was short-lived, as his expression quickly shifted into a frown upon noticing what I had been having for breakfast.

“Of all the things they offer here, you had to go with that.” My friend noticeably cringed as the smell of salted, dried mackerel reached his side of the table. Reflexively, he pulled his own chair a little further away from the table, distancing himself from the source of the pungent scent he never enjoyed, to begin with.

“Dried fish I can stand, but half fermented mummified fish? Really?”
“Hey, I actually like this. A lot.” I said, quickly downing the last bit of fish with a gulp of rice and moving on to the next course- a small clay jar sealed with a wooden lid. “Besides, they also have this.”
I opened the little container to reveal its contents- the inn’s specialty squid shiokara, or fermented raw squid, marinated in a fine mixture of salt, malted rice, sea urchin and squid innards.

The sight immediately caused Satoru to jump out of his seat, pointing frantically at my food as if condemning its very existence.
“This- you’re a part of what is wrong with this culture!”
Oh good, I got him all riled up.

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>>3084093
“Come on, wouldn’t you like to try the inn’s specialty? Here-”
I deliberately scooped a small piece of translucent raw squid covered in a thick, bright pink marinade
onto his plate, then enjoyed the spectacle as my friend’s expression gradually distort from slight frown to genuine disgust.
“I’m out of here.”
He took off in an instant, looking as if he’s just witnessed some serious degeneracy. While the scene certainly got me a few chuckles, I quickly remembered there was an actual serious question I was meaning to ask.
“Wait, so what’s today’s sche-”
Unfortunately, he has already left the table before I could finish the sentence, and was highly likely not in the best mood to turn back or answer my question.
I guess I sort of deserve this, after all. Worth it though.

“Morning.”
Another unexpected guest appeared at the scene shortly after Satoru’s disgruntled exit. It was a voice I was familiar with, and well… shared a rather shocking encounter that was still vivid my mind.

“Morning, Akasaka.” My friend greeted her in the same tired disposition from earlier, before quickly exiting the room. From the looks of it, he probably knew nothing about last night.
As for me, I could only manage a weak wave as she slowly walks towards my table.
“Hmm? Is there something on my face?” She asked, occupying the seat right next to me. Now face to face with her, I couldn’t help but question myself whether what I saw last night was real or not.

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>>3084100
“No.. no, not at all.” I hurriedly straightened myself, trying to purge that image out of the thinking process. “You look quite... lively, Akasaka-san.”
“Do I?” She toyed with the tip of those elongated bangs that covered half her face. “Regardless, I believe we have some matters to discuss.”
“With me?”
“Who else is here?” She answered in a deadpan voice, unconvinced by my effort to play dumb. “Meet me at my room once you’re done. It’s the second room left to the stairs on the first floor.”
She slipped out of the seat, placed her right hand on my shoulder then deliberately brought her face right next to my ear.

“See you later.”
There were no further details, no deeper explanations. Akane simply left me at that, then scurried out of the dining hall just as quickly as she entered.
I have very mixed feelings about how this may turn out.

Thanks to that little encounter, I found my appetite slipping away before I could finish the rest of my seafood delicacy course. In an unfortunate turn of events, I had no choice but to stuff them away, despite preferring not to let perfectly fine items go into waste. Slowly, I picked myself up and walked over to the exit, but to my surprise, the door somehow slid open by itself.

“Uwa, Nii-san!”
I was met by none other than my own sister at the opposite end, yet devoid of any signs of warm morning greeting a younger sibling would have for her older brother. Instead, she held the very obvious sign of frustration.
“That’s where you are, no wonder nobody answered when I knocked on your room.”
“Don’t tell me you thought I was still sleeping and waited outside”
“I actually considered breaking down the door once” Tewi crossed both arms on her hips “But this isn’t our house, so I decided not to do so.”

“Anyways,” My sister took a step back so as to not block my path. “You really have some explaining to do with Yanagi-nee.”
“Yanagi? Why? What happened?”
This question was instantly rewarded with a swift slap on the back of my head.
“How am I supposed to know?” She scolded. “All I know is that she’s in a very bad mood right now, and it most definitely has something to do with you. You should go find her ASAP.”

>Alright, I will do just that
>Sorry, but I have an urgent matter to attend to
>Before that, mind telling me about what happened last night?
>Write in

>>3084124
>Sorry, but I have an urgent matter to attend to

>>3084124
>Sorry, but I have an urgent matter to attend to

>>3084124
>Alright, I will do just that

>>3084110
>Alright, I will do just that

>>3084124
>Sorry, but I have an urgent matter to attend to

>>3084124
>Sorry, but I have an urgent matter to attend to
Let's get this one done over with first

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>>3086140
>>3086042
>>3084180
>>3084126
“Sorry, but I have an urgent matter to attend to.”
I get that Yanagi was probably a bit miffed about what happened yesterday, even though I couldn’t exactly pinpoint what sent her into such mood. There was also a very important matter I wanted to discuss with her, but all of those aren’t as urgent as Akane’s invitation, considering the nature .

“Urgent? What else could be more urgent?” She glowered at me resentfully. “Are you just going to
leave Yanagi-nee like that?”
“I don’t intend to, but I have an appointment to make!”
Any further confrontation with my sister at this point would just end with her dragging me to prostrate in front of my friend’s room. Hence the most straightforward, logical step to take is to just run away.
Literally.

“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’ll make amends with Yanagi later!” I dashed off as fast as I could, leaving my sister in the dust. With everything that’s going on, the last thing I wanted was my sister coming in and further complicating the situation. Thankfully, this wasn’t one of those days where she felt persistent, and soon I found myself all alone and unobstructed to head to my intended destination.
Soon I reached the first floor and reached the room Akane instructed me to drop by. I looked upon the fine firwood door before me, decorated with detailed carving of kapok flowers and a small wooden tag with the calligraphed kanji ‘hanshika’ hanging on the side. Consistent with the naming convention of the inn, the room bears the name of flora found in Zipang and Formosa.

Unsure of what to expect, I took a deep breath, steeled my resolve and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Akane’s voice rang from the other side.
“It’s me, Kurokawa.”
“Come in.” Came a calm, immediate response, “Door’s not locked.”
“Sorry for the intrusion.” I announced as I pushed the door open and entered the room.

As soon I stepped in, I immediately noticed In contrast to the fully Zipangnese washitsu room I stayed in last night, this one was more of a fusion between Zipangnese and western design, with a small tatami area on one side and western furniture and bed on the other.
The room was surprisingly… organized. Almost too organized for a room occupied by guests.
Other than the small amount of luggage neatly stowed on the tatami, there were barely any personal belongings in sight. Everything here appeared barely touched- the teacups and sitting cushions were clean and in their original positions, and even the yuukatas were neatly folded, sitting idly on the cleanly folded sheets of a queen-sized bed.

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>>3088487
“Ah, you came.” Akane relaxed on a small sofa by the ‘western’ side of the room, with a book on her lap and a readily brewed cup of tea on the desk right beside her seat. “Please lock the door behind you. I’m not expecting any other visitors.”

I did as asked, and stepped further into the room. As I closed in, I noticed the other few personal belongings lying on the tabletop beside her: A pocket diary in an unmarked black leather cover, and a small holstered pistol that bore a striking resemblance to the one Satoru owned. If I am not mistaken, that should be the weapon she used use during our operation in Kure.

“Make yourself at home.” She invited me to sit on the empty bed, an invitation I promptly complied.
“This is… quite a room. Much larger than the washitsu I stayed in.”
“Of course, this is a double room after all.” Akane raised her cup to take a sip.
“D-Double room!?”

“You know the score.” She sighed and quickly switched to a dissatisfied frown. “I’m in charge of looking after a certain insufferable excuse of a man who unfortunately has invaluable knowledge locked in his head.”
She must be referring to Mori Osamura then. Cowardice aside, Osamura was nonetheless the mechanical genius who crafted the Valkyria Drive, and ultimately got special treatment over the rest of his team for being the most vital part in maintaining and repairing the thing.

“Speaking of which, where’s Osamura-san?”
“Went to clean himself after the mess he’s made last night. He won’t be back for quite a while.” She scoffed at the mention of his name. It was hard imagining Akane back there yesterday, but it’s even harder not to empathize with her current position, having to play the part of a loving girlfriend to someone she found laughably lacking as a partner.

“Anyways.” She placed away her cup of tea aside and crossed her legs. “I never thought of you as one of those peeping kind.”

I felt my heart sink as cold sweat seeped uncontrollably over my palms. I knew it was inevitable that this topic would be brought up, but no amount of preparation could possibly make me ready enough to tackle this subject. What I did wasn’t intentional, driven purely by curiosity, but there was no explanation here that wouldn’t sound like an blatant lie.
I still had to give it a try. There wouldn't be a point of coming here if I didn't.

“Look, Akane, last night was-”

“Relax, I was kidding.” To my utter disbelief, she broke into a lighthearted chuckle and dismissed the whole topic. “As a matter of fact, I’m rather thankful that you were there.”

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>>3088489
“Thankful?”

“You diverted the attention last night and saved me a heap of trouble,” She paused and threw me a suggestive glance. “And I feel I should repay you somehow. Perhaps there’s some things you would like to learn from me?”
To my surprise and to a certain extent horror, she had seen right through my intent.
“How did you know I was-”
“Woman’s intuition.” She gently teased, maintaining ger signature unsettling grin. “There’s quite a few dirty little secrets I know of, so feel free to ask away. Information on our biggest sponsor? On a close friend? On our enemies? Or would you prefer something more… personal?”

>How did you start working for the Denisovs?
>Do you know how Margaret keeps in touch with her brother?
>Anything on Igor’s identity?
>What do you know about our enemy that I don’t?
>Personal?
>Write in.

>>3088490
>How did you start working for the Denisovs?
>Do you know how Margaret keeps in touch with her brother?

>>3088490
>Do you know how Margaret keeps in touch with her brother?
>If so, can you make a secret recording of the conversation?

>>3088490
>How did you start working for the Denisovs?
>Anything on Igor's identity?
>Personal?

Anyone remember Igor? He shady

>>3088490
>How did you start working for the Denisovs?
>Do you know how Margaret keeps in touch with her brother?

>>3088523
Akane is quite an enigma as well if we're talking about shadiness, but I don't think she would give any substantial answers if we decided to ask anything personal right in her face.

>>3088490
>How did you start working for the Denisovs?
>Do you know how Margaret keeps in touch with her brother?

>>3088490
>Personal?

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>>3088834
>>3088551
>>3088514
>>3088513
At that moment, I was struck with a sudden realization: Who else in the crew that Margaret was the closest to? Most of the crew preferred to keep a safe distance with her due to her tall, imposing physique and her status as a foreigner… except for Akane, who was rarely not seen along with her side.

Perhaps Akane knew something about the Valkyria that I did not know.
“Do you know how Margaret-san keeps in touch with her brother?”
“Oh?” She leaned forward, pressing a hand on her cheek. “That’s interesting. I thought you would have already known, seeing how close the two of you are.”

“Akasaka-san, please.” I have to say, at times like these I always felt as if I was getting hoodwinked. Maybe that was why Akane was assigned to this specific duty. “We’re not…”
“I know, I know, you aren’t actually there yet.” She interrupted mid-sentence. “Though if you are, I wonder what could happen, hmm?”
Wait, was… was that a warning? And what's with that malicious grin that accompanied it?

“Now, back to topic.” She produced a loud clap, snapping away my confusion “Miss Denisov keeps a special receiver with her to take commands directly from her brother. Considering the distance between the siblings at any given time, they most likely communicate through transmissions on a very specific range of the high-frequency spectrum.”

Looks like Margaret was not lying about her methods of communication, but what impressed me more was Akane’s knowledge on this subject.
“How do you even know these things,” I asked, thoroughly impressed by her network of information.
Her reply was delivered by a sly wink. “Haven’t I mentioned earlier? I’ve got my sources.”

For a moment, I wanted to ask where these sources are but held back at the last moment as there’s no way she’s going to reveal such vital information unless absolutely necessary.
Instead, I decided to switch to a more general, possibly less sensitive question.
“Akasaka-san.” I inquired with genuine curiosity “How did you start working for the Denisovs?”

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>>3090347
The fact that she ended up working for the Denisovs always puzzled me to some degree. Europan countries all tend to hold a highly negative view for people of our particular ancestry, regardless of background.

"Well, prior to the war, I was an intern at their mechanical engineering branch in Karafuto. When the conflict broke out, they began looking for suitable fodders to test out their new experimental machines.” Akane shrugged casually, before assuming a more spiteful tone. “A filthy ‘Darcsen’ volunteer would be perfect for that role, don’t you think?”
“We aren’t Darcsens, Akasaka-san.” I gave a swift, stone-cold answer. It wasn’t enough to lit a flame of anger, but just enough to get me annoyed, especially since my encounter with that foreigner from Beiyang.
It wasn’t the fact that people of similar complexion were discriminated against in Europa, but rather the gravely insulting ‘Darcsen’ label placed on people of my heritage.

The word denoted people as uncultured, barbaric, and backwards, but the fact that our ancestors adopting Zipangnese names and culture was ironclad proof that they have chosen to abandon their old, savage traditions, and assume a clean page in history as part of Zipang for their children.

“Sure, but try convincing those foreigners that we’re nothing like our ‘uncivilized cousins’ in Europa. But I digress,” Akane leaned back and relaxed on her couch, driving the topic back on track. “Specialized equipment would be needed to pinpoint the frequency they use to communicate and access the contents of the broadcast. Standard hardware won’t cut it.”
“I see, so where can I get that equipment?”
“Don’t you have a friend who specializes in this field of expertise?” Akane suggested, clearly referring to Yanagi. “Why not ask her for help?”

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>>3090349
“Ah… about that…”
My stutter instantly caught Akane’s attention, as she stared at me with an eyebrow raised.
“Something happened between the two of you?”
“Well, she’s... not in the best mood, and I think I may have caused it.”
“I see, a quarrel between ‘friends’.” she listened with eyes closed. “Tell me, do you have any idea what might have been the cause? It’s better if we retrace your footsteps.”

“I was with her and Satoru last night until we bumped into you, Margaret, and Osamura-San.” I recalled our earlier encounter in the past night. “Satoru left with you, and…”
“Um-hm?”
“And I decided to stick around with Margaret-san to ask her about her brother.”

Her eyes narrowed, pondering while rubbing on her chin.
“And what about your friend?” Akane inquired farther, almost like a detective doing a criminal investigation.
“She insisted that I had an appointment with her, but I don't ever remember us planning to do anything together.”
“And what after your talk with Miss Denisov? Did you get back to Morishima?”
“Well, no, she left in a hurry, so I went straight to the-”

That last word never left my mouth as I witness Akane slowly burying her face in her palm.
“Is something wrong?”
“Kurokawa,” A muffled, irritated voice emanated from Akane, followed by a deep sigh. “That's no way to treat anyone, let alone a proper young lady like Morishima.”

“But she hasn't specified anything about...”
“That's not the point.” She lifted her face and looked me in the eyes with clear signs of frustration. “Try putting yourself in her shoes for a moment- you were on an outing with your close childhood friend, when suddenly they ditched you the second someone else showed up. Would you be fine with that?”

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>>3090351
It… makes perfect sense now.
In fact, it was amazing how I utterly failed to see through Yanagi’s intention the first time around.
Now that I understood what I have done, it only made me feel far worse for failing her as a long time friend, and as a decent human being in general.

“Oh dear…” I muttered with a sigh. “What now?”
“You need to address the issue by putting her emotions before your own rationale.” Akane continued, lecturing me like an older sibling. “I know you probably weren't flirting with Miss Denisov back there, but that’s most likely not the way she sees it.”

“Is there a way to remedy to this?” I asked with my head down, still unable to get over that blunder.
“Well, maybe you can start with an apology, and follow up with a detailed explanation. However, she may or may not be willing to listen.” Akane suggested, crossing her arms confidently. “Or would you prefer an even more direct approach?”

>Can you accompany me on the way?
>I think I will do just that. Thanks.
>Any more suggestions?
>Direct approach? (slight nsfw)
>Write in

>>3090354
>direct approach

>>3090354
>I think I will do just that. Thanks.

>>3090354
>I think I will do just that. Thanks

>>3090349
So Zipang Darcsens were taught to hate themselves and their own kind elsewhere?

>>3090354
>I think I will do just that. Thanks.
>Buy something tasty for Yanagi

>>3090354
Btw, I wonder if there is any way at all a "slightly nsfw" approach in the current circumstances would not be something at least vaguely molesty.

>>3090354
>Direct approach?

>>3090438
Still curious as to how it will go. I mean it cant be grab her by the pussy right?

>>3090354
>I think I will do just that. Thanks.

>>3090354
>I think I will do just that. Thanks

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>>3090385
>>3090377
>>3090436
>>3091627
>>3093358
“I think I’ll do the former, thanks.”
“Glad to have helped.” Akane sat back onto the couch and resumed to her original relaxed posture “If you ever need help in these sort of things, feel free to drop by.”
That was probably a send-off if there ever was one, but there was one point of interest that piqued my curiosity, especially after our exchange.
“Akasaka-san, may I ask a question?”
“Hm?”
“Why do you do this?” I asked right before leaving. “As in, helping me out on something as personal as this.”

Instead of a quick, witty reply, as usual, Akane simply looked at me in mild surprise and have the question to hang in the air, having been caught by something she had not prepared an answer for.

The awkward silence that ensued made me realize that I might have stepped into sensitive territories, something I shouldn’t have brought up. But as I prepare to make an apology and a retreat, Akane was the one to break the silence, wearing a faint smile on her face.

“It reminds me of what it felt like to be a normal girl my age.”
For once, I did not find her smile as spine-chilling as it used to be.
“After all, what girl doesn’t like tales of romance?” She snickered, quickly reverting back to her usual, nature.

While it was for but a split second, I was certain that when she answered the question, she was genuine- and that I have, for the first time, caught a glimpse of the true personality behind Akane’s many ‘faces’.

“See you around, Kurokawa.”
“Take care.”
I waved at her before shutting the door behind me, leaving the first floor as quietly as possible to not garner any attention. Looking back, I felt as if I knew a bit more about Akane as a person. Those ‘faces’ that she had been putting up constantly, to the point of them being an integral part of her personality, almost seemed to crack for just a bit with my question, yet at the same time revealed more questions than it had answered. I couldn’t help but wonder the sort of life she led before the war, or how she truly felt about the person she has become.

After I reached the staircase, I immediately went to the second floor, and directly to the last room of the left hallway, standing before a wooden door fittingly enough embellished with the image of a fully blooming willow tree.
This was Yanagi’s room. Normally, a visit to a close childhood friend should have gone naturally enough, with me announcing my presence with a knock on the door. Yet at this moment, I found myself hesitating.

If Yanagi was really as vexed as Tewi had described, would she be willing to answer, let alone open the door knowing that it’s me?
If she outright refuses to interact with me, there wouldn’t be a scenario for Akane’s ‘script’ to play out. What other solutions could I possibly go for? Apologize out in the open like this? Hell, would that even work on her?

>>3094765
>Knock on her door and proceed normally
>Start with an apology right outside her room
>Message Yanagi with the device she handed me on the ship
>Write in.

>>3094820
>Message Yanagi with the device she handed me on the ship

>>3094820
>Message Yanagi with the device she handed me on the ship

>>3094820
>Knock on her door and proceed normally

>>3094820
>Message Yanagi with the device she handed me on the ship

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Suddenly, I remembered something. Or rather, one thing that I carried around since I boarded the Yamato.
From my pocket, I took out the pager Yanagi crafted for me. It was only able to hold five letters in one transmission, but that was enough to get my point across.
[I’m]
[here]

I transmitted those two words one after the other, then waited out for some form of response. This ended up with me staring blankly into a handheld device for approximately a minute for a single word to pop up on the transmitter.
[where]

The single word flashed out of the device, which prompted me to type in an immediate response.
[door]
Normally, I would have typed in [Outside] or something to that extent, but the five letter limitation thoroughly restricted what I was able to tell. To further elucidate my point, I turned around and placed my hand on the wooden door on Yanagi’s room.

However, my friend opened the door right before I got the chance to knock.
“What?”
Yanagi’s peeked out from the tiny slit, glaring at me with her burning, loathsome eyes.
“I…”
“No.” I felt a her hand gripping me over by the wrist. “Get inside.”
Her immediate demands were followed up by a strong tug that yanked me into her room, and the door behind slamming shut just as quickly as it opened.

“What do you want?” I was greeted by a less than happy Yanagi, still glaring at me angrily with arms crossed. “Why are you even here? I thought you’re too busy pleasing that gaijin woman.”
Subconsciously, she stepped forward as she berated my actions, gradually forcing my back right onto the door.

“I.. I thought you would be happy that I put your invention into good use!”
“Good use. Good USE!?” She took two steps back with eyes wide in disbelief. “So NOW you remember I exist!”
For a split moment I felt a small gust of wind raised by something brushing past my right cheek, barely missing its mark before making a crisp clatter as it slammed into the door behind behind me.
If I wasn’t mistaken, what just flew by was a teacup, the same sort as the ones seen in Akane’s room... except now shattered into a thousand smaller pieces.

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>>3095280
“What do you take me as? Some used glove that you can throw away and pick back up whenever you feel like it? HUH?”
The next thing that flew at my direction was a fountain pen, now stuck onto the wall like a thrown dart as I narrowly evaded it by ducking my head. The next thing I knew, I found myself dodging all matter of incoming objects- a notebook, an ink bottle, another teacup, a pillow, and whatever else object within Yanagi’s reach to add to the violent volley of projectiles.

“I’m sorry I left you there! I really am!” I pleaded earnestly, blocking off a small lamp with one of the pillows from earlier “Please, hear me out!”
The assault stopped, but not completely. My plea was just enough to halt Yanagi from hurling the antique wooden alarm clock she picked up from the corner of the room at me.
“You better have something important to say.” Her threat was accentuated as she still gripped tightly onto that solid block of wood and metal. Even from the distance, I could tell that thing was as heavy as a brick, and getting hit by that would be no laughing matter...

>I was only talking with Margaret to learn about her family
>Have you ever heard of high frequency radio transmission?
>It’s not what you think it is.

>>3095282
>>Have you ever heard of high frequency radio transmission because I had not?

>>3095282
>I was only talking with Margaret to learn about her family. I'm worried about their plans and goals regarding our situation.
>Have you ever heard of high frequency radio transmission?

>>3095282
>Have you ever heard of high frequency radio transmission?

>>3095282
>Have you ever heard of high frequency radio transmission?
>It’s not what you think it is.
Wordplay scenario, don't spend any time circling around the topic.

>>3095282
>Have you ever heard of high frequency radio transmission?
>It’s not what you think it is.

>>3095282
>Have you ever heard of high frequency radio transmission?

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“Have you ever heard of high frequency radio transmissions?”

“Huh?” Her freight train of anger screeched to a halting stop, replaced by confusion. The brick of an alarm clock was slowly lowered until it was at length with my friend’s chest. Good, I’ve got her attention now.

“I learned that our ‘sponsor’ from the empire has ways to directly contacts his sister.”
I continued to explain, deliberately omitting names and details that might rekindle Yanagi’s ire just to be safe. “I was investigating this matter last night, and learned that the contact was done through high frequency radio transmission.”

“Oh…” Her hostility was visibly dying down as well. This meant I am heading toward the right direction.

“That’s what I left to do last night.”

“Well you-” Yanagi stuttered, placing the deadly blunt item back on the ground where it rightfully belonged. “You could’ve just, you know, told me…”
That was not the whole story, sure, but it’s working.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized with a bow, “I should’ve done so earlier.”

“AHH!” Yanagi lets out a sharp cry, faced buried in both hands. It was the sound of frustration and embarrassment. A few deep breaths later, she lowered her hands and turned around.
“I... uh, um, I’m sorry…” she stuttered barely audibly, flustered and looking at the ground to avoid eye contact. “I was, uh, riled up for no reason.”

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>>3100856
“It’s alright.” I answered, I walked closer and patted her on the shoulder. “But right now I really need your help with this radio...”
“Su..sure” She interjected, lifting her head and immediately stared at me with eyes wide open.
“What is it?”
“Uh... I think we should clean that up first.”
The direction she was pointing made me realize Yanagi wasn’t looking at me, but rather at the wall behind me. I turned around to witness the full glory of Yanagi’s tantrum: a chaotic mishmash of broken porcelain shards lying side by side with pillows, metal scraps and scattered pages from unbinded books on the tatami floor, and that one fountain pen stuck firmly on the wooden door.
I’m sure some Europan painter would find this to be a modern art masterpiece… somehow.
“You’re right.” I sighed at the very sight before my eyes. “I’ll explain everything to you in detail while we do so.”

“I knew she can’t be trusted!!”
The flustered, retreated Yanagi who wallowed in embarrassment from earlier was gone, in place was the usual Yanagi fired up in high confidence while swiftly bagging away all the dangerous shrapnel in one clean sweep.
“There are still some gaps to fill.” I picked up a snapped piece of a coat hanger. “I need to find out exactly what Margaret’s brother is relaying to her.”
“Nothing good, I reckon.”
I carefully plucked out the fountain pen embedded on the wooden door and checked the extent of the damage. I turned back and looked at Yanagi, who had just finished up with the sweeping.

“Yanagi, is it possible for you to intercept his transmission?”
“That’s… quite a challenge.” She patted away the dust on the pillows and arranged them in a neat stack. “I may need to test if our antenna is capable of receiving the shortwave band. If not, I have to modify the reflective array on our ship or build a random wire antenna from the scratch to receive that transmission. After that, I will need to pinpoint the specific frequency those two communicate on. Subaru, do you know what frequency they use?”
…
…
That was so much information delivered in such a short span of time I was unable to digest them all properly. Hell, I don’t even think I understood half of what Yanagi was referring to.

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>>3100868
“That’s a no, right?” She shook her head in disappointment. “In that case, we are as good as trying to look for a needle in a haystack.”
“There must be some other way.”
“Let’s just focus on constructing something capable of receiving high frequency transmission first.” Yanagi concluded, setting the clock back onto the table. I can buy the materials when we are off to tow… aaaah!” Yanagi took a step back and stared intently at the clock with widened eyes.

“Yanagi, what’s wrong?”
“We have to catch the last shuttle to the city!”
What? Shuttle? City? What has this got to do with the current topic?
“We don’t have time, come on!” Yanagi clenched tightly on my wrist and barged out of her door, dragging me along as we hurriedly raced towards the inn’s lobby .

“Well, took you two long enough.”
Satoru watched smugly as Yanagi and I managed to hop onto the last shuttle seconds before it was about to depart. Tiredly, I sank into the seats right next to Yanagi, equally out of breath for dashing through half the inn in less than a minute.
“Satoru, why haven’t you told me about this?”
I inquired my friend sitting in the seat in front of me, who only shrugged at me panting heavily and trying to catch my breath.
“Well, you never asked.”
Oh, he’s definitely heard me from earlier. Asshat.

The shuttle bus eventually took us to the same train station Tewi picked us up at the day before. Unsurprisingly, the three of us were the last batch to arrive, and it wasn’t difficult to spot where the rest of our group are, with Margaret’s towering self acting as a lighthouse amidst the sea of pedestrians in the bustling station.

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>>3100893
Right as I was about to go and rejoin the group with Yanagi and Satoru, I heard a familiar voice pop up behind me.
“Nii-san!”
My sister ended up as the first to greet us as she ambushed us from behind with a big embrace. I was expecting for her to make jabs at me for almost appearing late to this gathering, but her attention was more focused on another topic.
“Ah, good, you made up with Yanagi-nee.” She happily locked the two of us in her arms.
“Yep. All good now, right? Yanagi?”
“O-of course! Eh, hehe…”
Yanagi let out an awkward laughter to shield her embarrassment from the irrational outburst earlier.
All’s well that ends well, I suppose.
“Let’s go! The others are waiting!”

Just about everyone was there at the station, it appears.
Itaru was naturally with his own group of misfits, with Hibari standing arms crossed on the side. The marines aniki’s presence alone drove both Satoru and Ayafumi to keep a distance, in fear of being dragged into whatever shenanigans he might cook up this time.
Margaret smiled like a bright sunshine and waved at us as we approached. Oddly enough, Akane did not accompany her this time, I reckon she had to watch over Osamura again.

>Stay with Yanagi
>Ask Satoru about his plans for the day
>Go with Margaret, hopefully it would be possible to get more information out of her.
>Spend some time with Tewi.

>>3100908
>Stay with Yanagi

>>3100908
>Spend some time with Tewi

Best way to not piss off anyone

>>3100908
>Spend some time with Tewi.
Moreover inquire about her diplomatic mission yesterday

>>3100908
>Go with Margaret, hopefully it would be possible to get more information out of her.
I suppose sticking with Yanagi is us going out to shop for radar parts. In comparison, getting to know the specifics of Margaret's method of contact should be the priority here.

>>3100908
>Stay with Yanagi
Btw high-frequency radio is short-range and line-of-sight. There should be a relay somewhere nearby, likely up high.

>>3101304
skywave uses hf band as well though

>>3101317
Hmm, you're right.

>>3100908
>Spend some time with Tewi.

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>>3100988
>>3101145
>>3101481
Gathering more information from Margaret on her elusive brother may be a good idea, yet so is hanging around with Satoru and Yanagi like the good old days.
However, there is one more option that takes precedence over both of those others: family.

“Hey, Tewi.” I turned and caught my sister’s attention, who was following right behind me.

“What do you plan to do today?”
“Dunno, why?”
“I was thinking we should do a little… catching up, maybe?”
“Speak normally.”

“I want to take a detour to our house here,” I whispered, wanting to keep my plans a secret.
“Oh, getting mightily nostalgic, ha?” She replied with a playful smirk. “Sure, why not.”
Like Kure, my family had an estate here, and this probably will be the last chance I have to pay a visit to my childhood memories before Yamato sets sail again.

“You two going somewhere?” Satoru took notice, one hand adjusting his glasses.
“Yeah, I suppose.” I scratched the back of my head, taking a short glimpse at my sister. “This might take up the entire day.”
“Very well then, I’ll get materials for the array.” Yanagi gave me her assurance. “I think there are a few places that…”
“What are you all talking about?”
My friend instantly zipped her mouth shut the moment Margaret barged into the conversation, no doubt taking notice at our little congregation.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Margaret without the gleeful zeal. Like an over-enthusiastic child, she quickly skipped towards us in wide steps, and while she did not speak farther, her eyes clearly conveyed the message of “What is it?” and “Can I go too?”

“Denisov-san, please allow the siblings some privacy.” Satoru drew her attention with a light tug on her wrist, followed by a short whisper by her ear. Surprisingly, Margaret was actually quite receptive to the topic this time around.
“Oh?” Her most immediate action was to take a step back, and for once actually giving us some personal space to fill. “I’ll see you two later then, Subaru-kun, Tewi-chan!”
“See you later…?” The two of us waved back at the Valkyria, albeit awkwardly. As we were about to leave, Margaret went back to her usual self, now in search of another fruit ripe for the picking.

“And Morishima-chan? Where were you discussing earlier?”
“Ehh, we were discussing some shopping locations for, um, local items?”
Unable to bear her full frontal assault, Yanagi tried to smudge her intentions away with an ambiguous half-truth.
“Really? Can I come along?”
Except for this move only worked against her flavor. Filled with childlike curiosity only made Margaret more persistent in her intention to join. In the end, she regardless cornered Yanagi farther and farther into an inescapable, awkward position.
Just as Akane said, no one could stop Margaret once she made up her mind.

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“So, how did that little diplomacy thing you did yesterday go?”
If anything, I might as well bring up the topic while we’re alone.

“Exceptionally well, actually.” She proclaimed with a victorious smile. “What, you aren’t still salty about last night, are you?”
“Oh of course not,” I replied sarcastically and bluntly right in her face. “I’m just curious as to the details and how you plan to make up to me.”
She responded with a small bump with her elbow. “You need to have some faith in your sister, Nii-san. You won't be disappointed!”
Knowing my sister, I will probably end up disappointed one way or the other.

“Nii-san.” Tewi pulled me off course onto another route. “Before we go, let me introduce a new friend!”
New friend? I was vaguely reminded of my sister speaking about doing diplomacy last night, before tossing me out of my solitary bath a minute later.

The two of us continued past Amekou’s old post office, passing just by the front door.
“You’ve got business here?” I inquired, scanning the exterior of the old structure. Despite being just a post office, this was a landmark in Formosa with quite a bit of history behind it.

At first, it was constructed as a fancy town center by Carolingians during the Age of Exploration. Later when the then young Yu Dynasty kicked the Carolingians out of Formosa, it was rebuilt as a residence for wealthy government officials. The establishment became what it was today when Zipang officially added Formosa under her sphere of control.
As of currently, this was the oldest standing building in this sector.

“Wait here, I’ll be back shortly” Tewi stopped me in my tracks, then switched directions and headed right up to the stairs straight to the main gate of the said building. My sister appeared to be calling out for someone, but at this distance, it was a bit hard to make out what exactly she was doing.
That was until she descended with another young lady in tow.

“This is ‘Saya Shinjou’,” Tewi stepped aside to introduce her new friend. “And Saya, this is my brother Subaru…”
Her words did not end on a high note, as ‘Saya’ wasted no time and hide behind my sister. On the other hand, I almost instantly recognized who ‘Saya’ really was.

>”Lady Khoshut!?”
>”You've… certainly blown away my expectations this time, Tewi.”
>Greet her, pretend to know nothing about Saya’s true identity.
>Write in

>>3106132
>”You've… certainly blown away my expectations this time, Tewi.”

>>3106132
>”You've… certainly blown away my expectations this time, Tewi.”

>>3106132
>Greet her, pretend to know nothing about Saya’s true identity.
Is our sister hot?

>>3106132
>Greet her, pretend to know nothing about Saya’s true identity.
On one hand I have no idea how realistic our acting will be, on the other hand it's best not to startle Amile especially after our exchange with her back on the ship.

>>3106132
>”You've… certainly blown away my expectations this time, Tewi.”

>>3106132
>”You've… certainly blown away my expectations this time, Tewi.”

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>>3109778
>>3109781
>>3106430
>>3106216
“I know, I know.” Tewi tried to reassure and calm her friend at my expense. “He could be a bit of a dumbass sometimes, but don’t worry, he doesn’t bite.”
I was a bit conflicted by just how willing my sister was to paint me in an unsavory manner, but nevertheless no less impressed by what she had managed to achieve in such a short amount of time.

“You’ve… certainly blown away my expectations this time, Tewi.”
This was the only adequate line I could produce after connecting all the dots together. I honestly was expecting some ordinary gift or a timed prank from my sister, not having a friendly day out with the princess of the Khaganate which we abducted.
However, Amile still appeared very cautious towards me, if her untrusty glance is any indication. I suppose that was to be expected, especially after our little exchange on Yamato.

I took a glance at the frightened princess, who still very much tried to hide behind my sister, then to Tewi herself. I honestly did not know how she managed this, but it would be a sin for me to ruin her efforts through my sheer ignorance and incompetence.
“Come on, Tewi, let's get going,” I commanded, taking my sister’s hand. “Shinjou-san, please come along too.”
“Let’s go,” Tewi warmly welcomed her to our company “There’s quite a lot we’re going to do today!”
She then quickly hopped beside me, tugging me on the shoulder.
“Alright brother, you have one shot at making an impression. Where are we heading?”

“What? Why am I in charge all of a sudden?” I whispered at my sister, careful to keep our exchanges under the radar as much as possible.
“Because I’ve done my part to get this whole thing ready. Now it’s your turn.” She stated in a rather serious manner before disengaging from me and attending to her new ‘friend’ behind.
I suppose this was just another part of my sister’s diplomacy mission after all. Truth to be told, I have no idea what I was in for, but there’s no bailing out now.

>Let’s head straight back home first
>Shinjou-san, when’s the last time you tasted crab? (fish market)
>Let’s show Shinjou-san around and perhaps find something to her liking (shopping district)
>Write in

>>3110188
>Shinjou-san, when’s the last time you tasted crab? (fish market)

>>3110188

>Shinjou-san, when’s the last time you tasted crab? (fish market)

>>3110188
>Shinjou-san, when’s the last time you tasted crab? (fish market)

>>3110188
>Let’s head straight back home first

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“Shinjou-san, when’s the last time you tasted crab?”
“...Crab?”
She took a step back, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed as I turned to speak with her. Amile was anything but shy about her utter distrust in me- In fact, I’m pretty sure anything to come out of my mouth at this point would only fuel her doubt in me.

“It’s a popular local delicacy, and now happen to be just the season! Wouldn’t you like to try some?”
Tewi hopped in right in time to break up the tension, no doubt having read through this awkward distance that existed between the two of us.
“I-I suppose…” Amile uttered quietly under her breath. For now, it seems that Tewi was the only person she had a sliver of trust in, which really does bear the question how she managed such a feat.
As for the princess’s attitude towards me, I understand the relationship between us wasn’t exactly friendly, but isn’t this difference a tid bit extreme?

“Shinjou-san, let’s go to the portside bazaar!” My sister happily took over the reigns of the conversation. “It’s definitely worth paying a visit!”
“We’ll head there then.” I reinforced my sister's suggestion, pointing to the direction where Yamato was supposedly docked. “We should be able to find an appropriate restaurant there.”
With the destination clear in mind, I took the initiative to lead the group’s way.

A 15 minute short walk later, we reached the bazaar, or more specifically, the fish market of said bazaar. Despite the conflict with the Khanate looming over the horizon, the market turned out surprisingly lively, with vendors busy tending to their booths, with all sorts of seafood laid on ice cubes in boxes right before them.
Of the variety of seafood in display, one stood out most from its abundance- the gazami crab.
The late spring was the breeding season for gazami crabs, and each year these crustaceans would crawl out from their deep seafloor dwellings into the shallows of Northern Formosa and the Ryukuyu Islands to spawn. It was no surprise that the fish market was in no shortage of these blue-ish crustaceans, each claustrophobically stack atop one another in plastic containers filled with seawater.

Upon arrival, I immediately began digging through the stands for ingredients for an ideal lunch.
The key to picking out the best crab of the bunch was to examine whether or not the individual carried eggs. But aside from that, what was more curious was Amile’s reaction exploring the fish market, likely for the very first time in her sheltered, aristocratic life.

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>>3114604
Lifting her skirt to her knees, the princess treaded carefully on the eternally wet floor, showing confusion towards the chaotic, unorganized mess that laid bare on the stalls all around her. Hooking her arm tight onto my sister’s, she tried her best to not bump into pedestrians or to the stands holding raw food, yet at the same time couldn’t hide her fascination to take a closer look by the variety of freshly caught sea creatures presented before her.
Quite appropriate for someone who spent the bulk of their life in an inland nation, I must say.

“I’ll take these.” I made a purchase of two bundles of gazami crabs, tightly tied together with a hemp rope, stacked upon each other like some sort of totem pole. With the purchase finished, I turned to the shy but curious Tengar princess.
“Want to hold it?”
Amile’s reacted with a soft ‘eek’ as she stumbled two steps backward, her eyes still trained intently on the wriggling totem with intense discomfort. For this, I was rewarded with what could only be described as a ‘Do you want to fucking die!?’ glare from my sister, to which I immediately responded by retracting the bundle of crabs and placed them into the paper bag they came in.
I guess this was a bit too much for her.

“Anyways.” I figured to to divert the topic before my sister actual tries to kill me. “This will be our lunch main dish. We can get some things on the side as well.”
“Shinjou-san, is there anything else you would like?” My sister suggested guiding her off to the side and pointing to the other stands around.
Amile’s sight wavered around the various stands, unable to give a concrete answer. For her, this was a new experience, and just about everything here was completely alien.

>Would you like to try something special?
>Is there anything that caught your interest?
>Let’s get you a memento
>Write in.

>>3114608
>Is there anything that caught your interest?
Giving her the choice is important to building rapport.

>>3114608
>Let’s get you a memento

>>3114608
>Is there anything that caught your interest?

>>3114608
>>3114616
>Is there anything that caught your interest?
Probably shell out some money for whatever she's interested in. Else right now we're doing a terrible job at trying to get her guard down

>>3114608
>Is there anything that caught your interest?

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>>3114616
>>3114759
>>3114794
>>3115101
“Is there anything that caught your interest?” I inquired in an attempt to catch her attention. She did not respond immediately but rather trained her attention onto a smaller container situated placed right next to the crabs.
To that end, I craned my head over to investigate the sort of marine life contained in the bucket, only to find a whole cluster of probably the most simple organisms sold in this market.

Spiky sea cucumbers - or namako, as we would call it.

“Young man! You want da namako?”
The master of the vendor was only happy to push his products more, especially to the customer who just purchased some of his catch. To emphasize his point and keep me on the attention hook, the man sank his hand into the water-filled container, then plucked out a rather large specimen, dangling the ancient soft-bodied animal right in my face.

Sensing the unusual grip from the vendor, the lumpy black object suddenly tensed up, then In a split moment, squirted out a torrent of seawater from its cavity, then returned into its initial lumpy state in the hand of the vendor.

“Oh, It like you, young man!”
The master of the vendor joked happily as droplets of seawater rained miserably down on my head. It was unsavory, but I’ve had worse experiences before. To pour more salt onto the wound, I could even hear Tewi giggling from the sides.
Amile, on the other hand, made some whispers to my sister, who then came close to relay her message.

“She’s asking if we’re going to eat them like that.”
“Like what?”
“Raw,” she answered in deadpan, an answer that I honestly cannot decide whether to laugh or facepalm.
“You’ll see later,” I replied, trying to remain a straight face. “But before we go…” I stared right at the thorny sea creature, then back at the vendor.
“I’ll have him as well,” I told the fisherman with an all-too-happy smile.

I know just the correct way to season this son of a bitch.

Right, that will be the last update for this thread, and archived.
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/3084077/

As usual, I'll stay around for questions, etc. until the thread sinks.

>>3118168
Whens the next one chief, and uh.. How the fuck does Sea cucumbers get seasoned?

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>>3118190
Chilled sea cucumber essentially, can be mixed with black fungus and vinegar
Next thread will probably be up on Friday or Thursday