the Twelve-faced Moon: A Loona fanfiction

Chapter 51 Deal or no Deal

Busan at night,bustling. Sooyoung,cloaked thoroughly, made way to the establishment where Gojiro of Shikoku,Ran Geun's trusted spy awaits her. Navigating herself through the seedy part of the city she ruled,wishing none of Sua's agent would noticed her. It is surprising for her to hear Gojiro had an interest in her conflict with her older sister,with each steps her mind wander off,what could he had in mind about these,that he sent a secret missive to her and told her to meet in one of the Busan's port many watering hole.

This establishment she headed to first of all is the last place one would find a highborn lady lurk around. As she entered the the place,greeted with loud and bawdy music and raucous crowd around,drunk and made merry. Sailors and dock workers,courtesans and bards mingled as she looked around. Walking towards the bartender she said "am here to meet with the shadow". As soon as she said that,the grizzled bartender point with his chin towards a table at the corner,where seated a short-haired clean shaven man in his forties,sharpening a dagger.

"Gojiro?" she asked the man as she approach. Amongst her father's men,she knew almost all. but Gojiro,is the most secretive one. a shadow. Not many is known about him,nor her father ever told anything about Gojiro's role in his conquest nor before that.

"lady Sooyoung. Apology i must met you in such a place. Please,have a seat." He said with silky sounding voice,clear to hear even in the crowded place,he lost all trace of Sun Islander accent too. He then sheaths his dagger

"i've been to worst places. Care to explain the reason such as why you want to meet me in these kinds of places?" took a great difficulty for Sooyoung to get here. Navigating the routes,avoiding the city patrols and peering eyes that might recognized her identity.

"i am sent here under your mother's order. about the conflict between you and lady Sua. She told me to put a stop on it. with every means necessary."

Sooyoung scoffed "after all this time,mother starts to intervene and made her move" She then took a glance towards the sheathed dagger "and for whose throats does that dagger intended? Mine?"

"depends"

"you're hesitating didn't you"

"say,you can get rid of the nuisance that is your older sister. what would you do,after?" he asked,with emotionless eyes.

now,Sooyoung understood what Gojiro is to her father,his concealed dagger. Cerebral killer lurking in the shadows. But his question does gave Sooyoung pause. What would she do? It never crossed her mind before. All she ever did was just countering every move Sua throws at her. The Sun Islander mercenaries,the webs of allies,the merchants pricing war,embargoes,embedded spy loyal to her in other lords and counts councils within and beyond the Southern Gyeongsang border. The fear that if she just sat there and twiddle her thumb,Sua could just march on to Swanfort and take the city that her father bestowed to her to rule and by her keen judgement of mercantile matter,made it prosper. All that drove her to do it. her older sister jealousy over her drove her to do so.

"honestly,i don't know"

"you must know. As we spoke,the Kyoto Three are amassing clansmen on the Iki island just south of Tsushima. Awaiting only the right time to strike"

"the right time,hmph,yeah right,awaiting Sua's command,more like it"

"is that what your spymaster told you? ought to get a better one. the Kyoto Three wouldn't bow down to a mere governor's whim. Sua's word is not their command"

"Are you saying they had another plan in mind?"

Hearing that,Gojiro shook his head in disbelief "this is why i advised against placing a pampered boys and girls in line to rule as a governor in the first place,but Captain wouldn't listen" he took a swig of ale before continuing "have you ever learned how the power dynamic in the Four Sun Isles are?"