Blue Hydrangeas | Kamisato Ayato (R18)

Prologue

A sight of a handwritten letter, pure white pages adorned with black ink, assuming it was written using a quill's feather, was neatly placed on the foreign affairs office desk. Therein lies an official stamp of the Kamisato insignia at the bottom of the letter and on the envelope seal as well. The writing had been pristine and elegant, the words conscise- it was a formal invitation to the Kamisato Estate written by a certain Yashiro Commissioner, Kamisato Ayato.

There has been a lot of talk in town about how the head of the Kamisato clan is the grandmaster of political affairs; he had earned the title due to the dangerous game he plays with people's positions and lives. Despite the gruesome work he had done, his complexion and exterior remained pure, as innocent as his inner child who only wanted to get by- while drinking boba tea every now and then.

But the fact remains; the Kamisato bloodline is of noble origin and the common people would be honoured if they could ever, have a chance to pursue one.

Meanwhile the nation of Antares had their own talk of the town, aka the Warmonger bloodline. Those who have inherited it, commonly regarded as the Messiah or Martyr that would protect the nation from further destruction or calamity. But in truth, a lot of the commonfolk were starting to think of how tragic it is to be a warmonger; to feel obliged to annihilate thousands of enemies at once, strategize and leading the army; risking their own life over and over again in the process. It was as if warmongers are natural-born grim reapers in the battlefield and nothing more, nothing less.

Hence, the term Executioner was created.

Astreanova Antares might not be the first warmonger, but the Executioner role belonged to them alone. The texts and journals that were written about them would go as such;

"This is the Executioner, who decided to dismiss gender. They had preferred to not be seen as their gender at birth, due to their line of work."

"Vengeance had raged inside the soul of a warmonger for centuries to come. Another genocide was committed yet again by the army commanded by them. The nation of Antares had previously declared war against the worshippers of a false god in a neighbouring nation who condemned the people to hell during the end of times. The executioner immediately took a number of them out."

"Murder or execution became a duty to be fulfilled, as great power bears great responsibility. The warmonger blood had became a gift to those who desired it, but a lifelong curse to those who acquired it. It was evident how warmongers do not live long- as they are in the frontlines of war the whole time. Nevertheless, the executioner accepts their destiny."

When the Executioner had received the invitation letter in their hands, they had no choice but to assign their troops as temporary escorts before arranging for them to set up a military base just beside the nation of Inazuma. A political arrangement was made to meet the requirements of both nations and the representatives.

Astrea sighed in the middle of the night, lying down on the bed, alone with their thoughts.

Kamisato Ayato and Kamisato Ayaka.

I wonder if this visit is truly worthwhile.

Guess we'll have to find out.

The anticipated arrival was liaised smoothly by Thoma, the tall blonde man who is in fact, the Kamisato housekeeper and a trusted associate of them. As far as the honorifics go, Thoma didn't hesitate to address the newcomer as 'Lord Executioner'. He introduced himself and then led Astrea to the Narukami shrine for blessings and good fortune.

"The Almighty Shogun is all-knowing and all-seeing. Best to pay your respects first, Lord Executioner. Besides, the famous lady Guuji Yae wants to meet you." The blonde smiled.