Chapter 4 Ozen's Court

Decem 4th of 4831 AS

In the capital Kujyuri, Ozen sat upon his throne with his council off to the side and his son, Yashimu, standing behind and at his left side. Today, Ozen was robed in his imperial regalia which consisted of a green and white robe that had ornate patterns sewn into its seams and hems.

The added details to his garments added to the majesty of his attire. The materials used were of high-quality linen and were smooth like silk but sturdy as leather.

Finally, the green cape that Ozen wore had a large emblem of Kujyuri's national symbol embossed on its back. The emblem symbolized the recent feat of the Ozen's past that impressed the emperor enough that he had given him his title of Great General and alias of Great Reclaimer.

The emblem that signified Kujyuri was of three tools crossed together, one the left was a hoe, in the middle was a sword, and on the right was an axe. These were the common tools used by the citizens of Kujyuri who followed Ozen to reclaim large swathes of territory for his people and to gain merit with the Empire of Yamato.

While his feat came with great merit, it also came with issues that now bite him in his behind.

Years before Ozen was King of Kujyuri while it was still a newly founded nation of the Empire of Yamato, Ozen was a part of the founding leadership and inherited the position from the original founder.

The lands of Kujyuri were quite scarce of any settlements as the mountainous regions and large swathes of forest made it difficult to develop the land into anything resembling a city or large village. At best their nations consisted of small, scattered villages.

So, in order to better the lives of his people who yearned for more land and space to grow. Ozen made expeditions personally into the forests and mountains to find more viable locations where he could start larger settlements.

The expeditions were harsh as the monsters that lived in the mountains and forests were fierce and numerous.

The kengiri and larger packs of beowolves in the past were difficult to defeat as the terrain made it a struggle for a large force to operate effectively.

Being a talented warrior, Ozen and his compatriots like Kajima sallied forth to meet the enemy with unhesitating will. In a few years, Ozen had tripled the size of the nation and this caught the attention of the emperor.

Ozen soon received support from the Capital Yamato. This was a rare occurrence as a division of the emperor's royal guard had arrived and began to aid Ozen in his endeavor.

With the new support at his back, Ozen continued to expand Kujyuri until it began to rival the other nations run by Great Generals.

This was when the issues began to show itself. When the emperor awarded him the position of Great General and had ordered the current king to abdicate the throne to Ozen. It was the Emperor's way to show recognition but to also subtly tell him to stop expanding.

If Ozen had expanded any further, his nation would be seen as a possible source of a coup or rival to the other nations run by the Great Generals at the time. So, the emperor had given the title to him as a way to prevent the other nations from attacking under false pretenses and as an early warning to Ozen.

This was when Ozen had shelves his weapon and began his Kingly Life. While the emperor's solution to the issue worked, it was now causing a new issue in his court.

In the present day, Ozen sat on his throne and performed his royal duty.

At the feet of Ozen's ornate marble stone throne was a member of his council who recited the recent letter from Shizu. It stated the following:

*

Written Decem 1st of 4831 AS

Dear My King and Father Ozen,

I bring good news. Currently, progress of Azi's combat training has been going smoothly as he has shown incredible adaptability and resourcefulness. His large magical reserves, that I reported previously, not only allows him to cast magic but can even reinforce himself to fight for long periods of time and block steel swords. He was able to take my strikes head on and sustained little damage.

In my opinion, myself and Yashimu could with 100% certainty defeat Azi, but we would have difficulties winning against him. Azi's weakness is that he still lacks the grit to truly master the art of war or martial arts.

Additionally, in a recent hunt for edible game, Azi hesitated and needed to be coaxed to take the life of an animal but he shows to have no aversion in killing monsters like kengiri, gengiri, and beowolves. I have been unsuccessful in rectifying his hesitation, but a solution will come.

Lastly, Azi has been meeting with the twin blacksmiths Ben and Bail lately. They are currently working on a project that I don't know the details of, but I believe it has to deal with metallurgy.

The books Azi's has been recently reading seem to point in that direction. I suspect that he is attempting to create a new metal as the hammer he has used the past few days is made of a material I have never seen before.

The same can also be said for his gloves and goggles. The thaumaturge Touma has sensed that these items contain magical energies similar to that of his hammer.

Overall, my relationship with Azi is stable. We seem to get along as apprentice and knight.

Awaiting response.

Signed,

Shizu - Ordained Knight of Kujyuri.

*

Stating the last contents of the letter, the council member moved to join his fellow members at the side of the throne room. Ozen nodded to them and spoke.

"Thanks council member Jerome, as you have all heard it seems one of the seeds I have planted has already begun to bud. With this, I would like to request for more funding and support from our noble families to fund future endeavors that are similar to Azi's case."

(Author's Note: Noble Families are Ordained Knight Families)

At Ozen's statement a round of mummers ran between the group of council members. The members were currently divided into two factions. One was in favor of Ozen and the other that held little respect for him.

The previous speaker, Jerome, who was in the later faction and stepped forward to make his retort.

"My King, while the report does bode well. This does not immediately resolve our current manpower shortage. Our relationship with nearby nations is also still strained from your ascension to Great General and they are not willing to send troops as extra manpower.

Additionally, by the sound of the letter, this Azi may be producing results, but he is only one man. WE are a nation of hundreds of thousands that have to manage an enormous part of the Empire's reclaimed lands from foul monsters. I cannot, in good faith, move more funds to this endeavor to hire vagrants and orphans."

"Agreed." Said another council member who opposed Ozen. "I recommend we employ mercenaries from other nations to bolster our forces, they fight for coin so there is no need to worry about them being spies from the other nearby nations."

"We also have many peasants. They will make for good cheap labor."

Again, a mummer sounded out between the council members. The majority nodded in agreement and posed their support behind Jerome's claim which irked Ozen as he was already aware that the majority of his council was against him.

He was unable to act due to their enormous wealth that the nation depended on for foreign trade, so his power was limited by their greed and ambitions.

The council members in opposition to Ozen had been a thorn in his side ever since many of the previous council members had retired due to age. Beforehand the council members were wise old men who were allies and seniors of Ozen during his rise to power.

Now, the council members consisted of strapping young men of ages between 23 to 25 and very few were in favor of Ozen.

While Ozen was well loved by the peasants of Kujyuri, it was different for some of the knight families who had gained their title from their parents' recommendation with the previous king.

The ones against Ozen had a hint of disdain for him due to how they looked down on the once previous peasant now turned King, but they held back their comments and instead put on a mask of fake sincerity to hide their true emotions.

Ozen, understanding this, only furrowed his brow and stated plainly.

"Do you question my wisdom, council member Jerome?"

"No not at all, but I am warning you to not put your faith in the lower rungs of our society. There is a possible better course of action than the rerouting of funds to help all the lost vagrants of our society."

Sighing, Ozen hid his exasperation at Jerome's stance on the matter, as he sounded like a heartless bureaucrat which funnily enough was what Jerome was.

Yet, Ozen could tell that Jerome's voice was tinged with nepotism concerning the class based society they had adapted since joining the Empire. Wanting to set the man straight, Ozen stated plainly with a furrowed brow.

"It seems we need to discuss this in detail, please make time for me later today. I will need your advice on more potential solutions."

"It would be an honor my King."

Nodding, Jerome stood at attention and bowed before walking off to the side to join the other council members.

Ozen planned to make an example of him by ordering him to organize a group of mercenaries and having him lead them as a kind of punishment and a lesson to give Jerome more life experience out in the field.

Jerome was only 24 years of age and was married, but while he was a knight he never took part in any wars or hunts personally as he mainly spent time in the capital getting rich off of the peasants through commerce. Ozen wanted to have the young man experience what being a leader in the field really meant and believed that sending him to Shisayama would also let Shizu whip him into shape.

After more discussion on the other topics concerning Kujyuri's finances, economy, and relations, the meeting was then adjourned and the council members left the throne room.

When all, except himself and Yashimu, were out of the throne room. Ozen turned to Yashimu and asked.

"Do you believe Jerome to be a threat?"

"No." Answered Yashimu. "While our intelligence says otherwise, I believe we need only re-educate him to better let him understand where he really stands as a knight of Kujyuri. I expect you are going to give him a task related to dealing with mercenaries and peasants?"

"Impressive, you are correct Yashimu." Praised Ozen. "I plan to send him to Shisayama to transport supplies to help replace the damaged weapons from the increased fight against the monsters."

"Shizu will also be a good influence on Jerome as she will likely beat him into shape in no time." Laughed Yashimu.

Chuckling at his statement, Ozen then turned his focus onto a different matter.

"How are Rulu's preparations?"

"Almost completed." Answered Yashimu. "We plan to set out tomorrow morning. I have doubled her guard detail and I will also be accompanying her throughout the trip to ensure her safety."

"Good." Responded Ozen. "I hope this goes well."

"As do I, WE! Are taking a large risk by acquiescing to Rulu's demand to see Shizu, but it's difficult to convince her at the age she is now."

"Yes, so be sure to watch over her very closely."

"Yes Father!"

"Changing topics, what became of the blue glowing stones you found in Shisayama."

"Well, the scholars have not been able to find it recorded in any of the known texts in our library and the same can be said for Yamato's top scholars. On the other hand, the thaumaturges have been using them as a catalyst for their staves. I have heard that they amplify magical energies and spells like no other catalyst than before."

"*Sigh* That is a relief, with this we have a card to play against our aggressive foreign neighbor to the west. With it, our future skirmishes with them will go more smoothly."

"Speaking of the future, what should we say to Shizu in your response letter?"

"For now, tell her of the Rulu's arrival and continue her monitoring of Azi. Also, tell her to find out more about what Azi is doing. I want to know what that boy can do to figure out just where he can be of use."

"Yes father. In any case, that boy seems impressive. I was amazed that he has lasted this long as Shizu's apprentice."

"As am I, but tell me Yashimu, do you believe what Kajima said in his personal letter to me was right? Am I controlling and manipulating people like Azi as a tool? Am I damning them to a fate worse than death?"

"I do not know father, only time will tell."

Sighing at Yashimu's words, Ozen knew he was putting too much hope and pressure on Azi by making him Shizu's apprentice. He knew that her training would push him to his limits but he felt it was necessary for the sake of Kujyuri's future. To help the lives of everyone in the nation, Ozen would burden himself but now, he had to burden others to pick up what he could not carry.

On top of the nation's issue, the ever-encroaching dangers of Kujyuri's foreign neighbors to the west was of concern and the potential internal instability from the divide within the council members spelled a possible future disaster in his nation.

With even more worry on his plate, Ozen has to also be concerned for Rulu's safety during her upcoming trip to Shisayama.

All of this took its toll on Ozen's state of mind and he felt that there needed to be a concrete solution this instant but knew that it was impossible due the lack of support he had from the council. These worries irked him and in his desperation, he was putting his hopes onto Azi and others like him.

The boy was strange as the daily reports that came in from Shizu showed just how much untapped potential Azi had. In this recent letter, Ozen saw some hope in the prospect of Azi's venture into metallurgy.

He thought that if he could fund Azi's research, they might be able to use it to gain support from the council or offer it up to the emperor to gain his favor in dealing with the foreign neighbors.

Yet even as King of Kujyuri, all he could do was wait and this caused Ozen to sigh for a second time, he then spoke to Yashimu with a firm tone to hide away his worry.

"Go Yashimu, make your preparations. I will deal with the council members while you are away. Protect Rulu and protect Kujyuri."

"Yes Father!"

With a firm salute Yashimu then left the throne room which left Ozen to his own thoughts as he tried to figure out the next actions he could take to buy more time for Azi and the many others he had put his hopes into.

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