Chapter 5: Departure

  The first hour spent at sea was rather peaceful and quiet.

  Too quiet, actually. The kind of quiet that made Kazuki's modern mind expect something to go catastrophically wrong at any moment now. But nothing did. The boat moved steadily southward, the wind filling the sail, waves slapping rhythmically against the wooden hull.

  Honda stood near the mast, one hand gripping a rope for balance, scanning the horizon with practiced vigilance. Hattori had disappeared somewhere below deck, probably finding the most defensible position on the boat in case of attack. Daichi manned the rudder, occasionally barking terse instructions to his two crew members.

  And Kazuki stood at the port side, gripping the rail with more force than actually necessary, trying his best not to vomit.

  Seasickness, he discovered, was not something you could overcome easily with sheer willpower or modern knowledge alone. His stomach rolled with each swell. His head spun. Saliva pooling in his mouth, the telltale warning that his body was about to forcefully reject everything he'd eaten.

  "First time on the ocean?" one of Daichi's crew asked. The man was younger, maybe thirty, with kind eyes despite the rough exterior.

  "That obvious?"

  "Your face is green. And you're gripping that rail like it insulted your mother." He offered a piece of dried ginger. "Chew this. Helps with the nausea."

  Kazuki took it gratefully. The ginger was sharp, almost burning, but after a few minutes his stomach did settle slightly.

  "Thanks."

  "Name's Kenta. Used to get seasick too, when I first started. You get used to it eventually."

  "How long did it take you?"

  "About two years."

  Kazuki's expression must have been something strange, because Kenta started laughing.

  "I'm joking, young lord. Mostly. You'll adjust in a few days. Just keep your eyes on the horizon, not the waves. And don't go below deck unless you absolutely have to. Way worse down there."

  Kazuki nodded, following the advice. He fixed his gaze on the distant line where the ocean met the sky, and slowly, gradually, his stomach began to cooperate.

  This body is pathetic, Takeshi's mind complained. One month of training and I can do twenty push-ups, but ten minutes on a boat and I'm ready to die.

  Honda appeared beside him, moving with the easy balance of someone comfortable with motion. "Feeling alright, young master?"

  "I'm not dead yet. That's atleast worth something."

  "The bar for success keeps getting lower with you."

  "Adapting to circumstances. It's a survival skill."

  Honda smiled slightly. "You know, a month ago, you would have been in your room complaining about a headache. Now you're on a boat, actively fighting nausea, making jokes about it. The change is remarkable."

  "The change is necessary. The old Kazuki would never have survived what's coming."

  "And the new Kazuki will?"

  "The new one will at least try his absolute best."

  They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the water. The coastline was still barely visible to the north, a dark smudge against the horizon. To the east, south, and west, just the vast ocean. Endless blue-grey water under an overcast sky.

  "Honda-san," Kazuki said quietly. "Can I ask you something personal?"

  "Of course."

  "Why are you really here? Not the official reason, not because I'm your lord. The real reason."

  Honda was quiet for a long moment, his weathered face thoughtful.

  "I told you before. I'm a low-ranking samurai's son. Worked my whole life to prove I was worth something. And I've spent years watching men with famous names and no actual skill get promoted past me. Watching this domain slowly rot from the inside because the people in charge were too proud or too stupid to accept change."

  He turned to face Kazuki directly.

  "Then you wpke up from a fever, and suddenly you're talking about coal mines and improved steel and changing the entire domain. You're treating peasants like actual people. Paying them fair wages. Taking risks that actually matter instead of just maintaining the status quo."

  He paused.

  "You're the first person I've met in this domain who acts like the future could actually be different from the past. That's why I'm here. Because maybe, just maybe, following you means I actually get to be part of something that bigger. Instead of just serving my time until I die forgotten."

  Kazuki felt that familiar tightness in his chest.

  "I can't promise we'll succeed," he said. "I can't even promise we'll survive. This could all end badly."

  "It could. But at least we're trying. That's more than most people can say."

  Movement caught Kazuki's eye. Hattori emerged from below deck, moving with that unnerving silence that made you forget he was human.

  "Captain says we're making good time," Hattori reported. "The current is favorable. If the weather holds, we could reach Tanegashima in four days instead of five."

  "Any signs of pursuit? From Karatsu?"

  "Not yet. But it's still early. Your brother might not have discovered your absence yet."

  "He knows," Kazuki said with certainty. "Nobuyuki knows for certain everything that happens in that castle. The question is whether he'll tell Father or use my absence for his own hidden purposes."

  "What do you think he'll do?"

  Kazuki considered. Nobuyuki was ambitious, hostile, and saw him as a threat. But he was also strategic. What would serve his interests best?

  "He'll probably wait," Kazuki decided. "See if I manage to come back. If I die at sea or get killed in Tanegashima, his problem will solve itself. If I succeed and return with valuable weapons, he'll claim he knew about the mission all along and supported it."

  "And if you return empty-handed?"

  "Then he'll use my failure to convince Father that I'm too reckless and incompetent. That I can't be trusted with real authority."

  Honda grunted. "Your brother is a real piece of work."

  "He's smart. And ruthless. Which makes him very dangerous." Kazuki looked at both of them. "When we return, assuming we do, there will be grave consequences. My father will be furious that I left without permission. Nobuyuki will use it against me. The court will whisper that I'm arrogant and disobedient."

  "So why do it?" Hattori asked. "If you know it will cause problems?"

  "Because the alternative is asking for permission and being denied. Father would never authorize this foolish trip. It's too risky, too expensive, too unconventional. But if I return with actual results, with proof that firearms do exist and they can be acquired, then the risk becomes justified."

  "Ask forgiveness rather than permission," Honda said.

  "Exactly. Though in this case, I might not get forgiveness. But I'll have the weapons. And sometimes that's enough."

  The morning passed slowly. Kazuki's seasickness gradually subsided to a more manageable level. He could stand without gripping the rail. Could even move around the deck without his stomach threatening to start a rebellion.

  Kenta showed him the basics of the boat. How the sail worked, catching wind and converting it to forward motion. How the rudder steered, the physics of it. How to read the waves, the subtle differences between safe swells and dangerous chop.

  It was fascinating. His engineering mind absorbed it all, cataloging the principles. Fluid dynamics. Force vectors. The elegant simplicity of technology that had existed for thousands of years.

  "You're a quick study, young lord," Kenta said. "Most nobles don't bother learning this stuff. They just expect us to handle it."

  "Most nobles aren't interested in how things work. I am."

  "Why?"

  "Because understanding how things work means you can improve on them. Make them even better. So they might work even more efficient."

  Kenta looked at him strangely. "You talk like someone who wants to redesign the ocean itself."

  "If I could, I would. But I'll settle for redesigning what humans build to cross it."

  By noon, the coastline had disappeared completely. They were truly alone on the ocean now. No land visible in any direction. Just water, the sky and the small wooden vessel that was their entire world.

  Daichi called for a break. The crew ate quickly, dried fish and rice balls, nothing fancy. Kazuki forced himself to eat despite his queasy stomach. His body needed the food, especially if the journey was going to take several more days.

  Honda sat beside him, methodically chewing his food. "Young master, I've been thinking about what happens when we manage to reach Tanegashima."

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "Go on."

  "We don't speak their language. We don't know their customs. We don't know if they'll even be willing to sell to us. How do you plan to negotiate with people you can't talk to?"

  It was a good question. One Kazuki had been wrestling with.

  "Hattori-san knows some Chinese," he said. "The Portuguese, as tehy call themselves, probably have Chinese interpreters if they've been trading in Asia. We might be able to communicate through that."

  "And if they don't?"

  "Then we use basic universal languages. Gold. Gestures. Demonstrations. Humans have been trading across language barriers for thousands of years. We'll figure it out."

  "That's optimistic."

  "It's realistic. The Portuguese are merchants. They want to sell their wares. And we aim to buy. Both sides are motivated. We'll find a way to communicate."

  Hattori appeared, settling down cross-legged with his own rations. "The young master is right. Trade transcends all language. Though I should warn you, the Portuguese have a reputation for being difficult negotiators. They know they have a monopoly on certain goods. They will dare exploit it."

  "How do you know?" Kazuki asked.

  "I've gathered intelligence. Talked to merchants who've dealt with foreigners in China. The Portuguese are aggressive traders. They drive hard bargains. And they're not above using force if negotiations don't go their way."

  "Pirates with better ships," Honda muttered.

  "Essentially. But they're also rational. They won't kill potential new customers. Bad for business."

  Kazuki considered this. The Portuguese in this era were indeed rather aggressive. Colonial expansion, religious conversion, and trade monopolies were their favorite game. But they were also pragmatic. They adapted to local conditions fast. Made alliances when necessary.

  "We'll approach them respectfully," Kazuki decided. "Show that we're serious buyers with actual resources. Offer them something they want, exclusive trading rights to Karatsu's coal and iron, maybe access to our port as a base. Make ourselves valuable as partners, not just customers."

  "You're thinking already long-term," Hattori observed.

  "I am. One purchase of firearms is good enough. An ongoing relationship with Portuguese traders is even better. They have more than just weapons. They have navigation technology, shipbuilding knowledge, maybe even access to other foreign innovations."

  Honda looked impressed. "You're not just buying weapons. You're buying access to a whole network of foreign knowledge."

  "Exactly. The firearms are important, but they're also just the beginning. If we can establish ourselves as reliable Portuguese trading partners, we get access to everything they know about the outside world."

  "Ambitious," Hattori said. "Also dangerous. The Ryuzoji won't like a small domain having independent foreign contacts."

  "The Ryuzoji can complain to the gods for all I care. By the time they realize what we're actually doing, we'll be too valuable to crush."

  The afternoon brought wind. Strong wind. The boat began to pitch and roll more violently. Kazuki's hard-won stomach stability disappeared immediately. He spent the next two hours at the rail, fighting nausea again.

  Daichi seemed unconcerned. "Just wind. Not a storm. We'll be fine."

  "Define 'fine,'" Kazuki managed between deep breaths.

  "Probably not dead."

  "Your standards for success are refreshingly low, captain."

  Daichi laughed. "Boy, I've been sailing these waters for thirty years. I've seen storms that would make you pray for death. This?" He gestured at the choppy waves. "This is nothing. Just the ocean reminding you it's bigger than you."

  "Message received."

  The wind continued through the evening. By the time the sun began to set, Kazuki was exhausted. His stomach had settled into a constant low-level nausea. His legs ached from having to constantly adjust his balance. His hands were raw from gripping ropes and rails.

  This is harder than any training session with Honda, he thought. At least on land, the ground stays still.

  Night fell. Daichi ordered the sail partially lowered to reduce speed. Too dangerous to sail at full speed in the darkness, he explained. Better to move slowly and safely than heading quickly into hidden rocks or reefs.

  The crew worked in shifts. Two men always awake, watching for danger. The others sleeping below deck or on the open deck if the weather was calm enough for it.

  Kazuki found a relatively dry spot near the mast and tried to catch som esleep. But sleep wouldn't come. Too much motion. Too many unfamiliar sounds. His mind wouldn't quiet down.

  He stared up at the stars. They were brighter out here, far away from any town lights. The same constellations he'd seen in Tokyo, but somehow more vivid. More real.

  "Can't sleep?" Honda settled down nearby, wrapped in a rough blanket.

  "Too much thinking."

  "About what?"

  "About what comes next. About whether we'll actually succeed. About what happens if we fail."

  "Want my advice?"

  "Always."

  "Stop thinking so far ahead. Focus just on tomorrow. Just get through tomorrow. Then worry about the day after that."

  "That's surprisingly zen for a warrior."

  Honda smiled in the darkness. "Warriors who think too far ahead get themselves killed. You have to be present. Deal with what's in front of you. The future will arrive on its own schedule whether you worry about it or not."

  Kazuki let that sink in. It was some good advice. Takeshi had spent his entire previous life worrying about the future, planning for contingencies that never actually came, paralyzed by hypothetical scenarios.

  "You're right," he said. "Tomorrow, we just try to survive. That's enough."

  "Get some sleep, young master. You'll need your strength."

  Kazuki closed his eyes. The boat rocked. The waves slapped. The sail creaked.

  And somehow, finally, sleep came.

  He dreamed of Tokyo. Of his old apartment. Of the moment the earthquake hit. But in the dream, when the ceiling beam fell, he didn't die. He caught it. Held it. Pushed it aside.

  And walked out into a world that looked like feudal Japan.

  The voice from the void spoke again: Change the world with your knowledge, or suffer for eternity.

  I'm trying, Kazuki thought in the dream. I'm really trying.

  Then try harder.

  He woke to shouting.

  The sun was already up. He'd slept longer than intended. Honda was already on his feet, his sword drawn. Hattori had materialized from nowhere, weapons ready.

  Daichi was at the rudder, his face grim.

  "What's happening?" Kazuki demanded, scrambling to his feet.

  Kenta pointed to the south. "Ships. Three of them. Closing in on us fast."

  Kazuki looked. Three vessels, larger than their fishing boat, their full sails unfurled, moving with clear purpose.

  "Pirates?" Honda asked.

  "Matsuura," Daichi said, his voice tight. "I recognize the flags. We're in their hunting waters."

  "Can we outrun them?"

  "In this boat? Against their war vessels?" Daichi laughed bitterly. "Not a chance."

  Kazuki's heart pounded. Second day out, and already encountering a crisis.

  "What are our options?"

  "We fight," Honda said grimly. "Or surrender and hope they're merciful enough."

  "Pirates are never merciful," Hattori added. "They'll take everything we have, probably kill us to avoid any witnesses."

  "Can we negotiate?" Kazuki asked.

  "With what? They're pirates, not merchants."

  The ships were getting closer. Kazuki could see figures on their decks now. Armed men. A lot of them.

  His mind raced. Takeshi's analytical thinking combined with Kazuki's desperation. What did they have that pirates might want? Gold, yes, but gold would just get them killed after the pirates took it. Information? Connections?

  Wait.

  "Daichi," Kazuki said urgently. "You said you used to be a pirate. Did you ever sail with the Matsuura?"

  "Years ago. Why?"

  "Do you know anyone in their fleet? Anyone who might recognize you?"

  Daichi's eyes widened with understanding. "Maybe. If Gorou is still alive, and still sailing. We sailed together fifteen years ago."

  "If he's on one of those ships, can you signal him?"

  "I can try. No guarantee he'll care. Or that he's even there to begin with."

  "It's better than nothing. Honda-san, Hattori-san, weapons ready but not fully drawn. We're going to try talking first."

  "And if talking fails?" Honda asked.

  Kazuki looked at the approaching ships. At the armed men on their decks. At his small group of seven against what looked like at least fifty pirates.

  "If talking fails," he said quietly, "we're probably already dead. So let's make sure talking succeeds."

  The pirate ships surrounded them with practiced efficiency. Thirty minutes after first spotting them, Kazuki's small fishing boat was boxed in, nowhere left to run.

  A voice called out across the water. "Lower your sail! Prepare to be boarded!"

  Daichi complied, shouting back. "Gorou! Is that you, you old bastard?"

  Silence. Then: "Daichi? Daichi the Shark?"

  "Unless there's another Daichi with eight fingers on these waters!"

  Laughter echoed from the pirate ship. "I'll be damned! You're alive! I heard you died in a storm five years ago!"

  "Close. Lost good men and my ship. Been fishing since."

  "Fishing! What a waste!" The pirate leader, Gorou, apparently, appeared at the rail. He was massive, maybe forty years old, covered in scars and tattoos. "Who's with you?"

  "Paying customers. Taking them south."

  "Customers?" Gorou's eyes swept over Kazuki, Honda, and Hattori. His gaze lingered on Kazuki. "That one looks like nobility."

  "Sharp eyes as always."

  "Nobility means ransom money." Gorou's tone shifted, less friendly now. "How much are you worth, boy?"

  This was it. The moment that would determine if they either lived or died horribly.

  Kazuki stepped forward, ignoring Honda's warning hand on his arm.

  "My name is Matsudaira Kazuki," he called across the water, his voice surprisingly steady. "Third son of the Daimyo of Karatsu. And I'm worth far more as an ally than as a prisoner."

  Gorou's eyebrows rose. "Bold words from someone surrounded by fifty armed men. What makes you think I won't just take you prisoner anyway?"

  "Because I'm heading to Tanegashima. To negotiate with the foreign merchants. The ones with the thunder-weapons."

  That got Gorou's attention. All the pirates leaned forward.

  "The foreigners? With the magic sticks?"

  "They're not magic. They're just technology. And I'm going to buy some."

  "What's that to me?"

  "If I succeed, I'll know how to get more. I'll have contacts with the Portuguese. And I'll need people who know these waters, who can move goods quietly, who aren't bound by traditional trade restrictions."

  Kazuki let that sink in.

  "I'll need pirates, in other words. Professional ones. Who can be trusted to honor agreements."

  Gorou stared at him for a long moment. Then he laughed, a booming sound that echoed across the water.

  "You're either the bravest lord I've ever met or the stupidest. Maybe both. You're offering to hire us pirates?"

  "I'm offering a business relationship. You help me move goods. I pay you well. Everyone profits. Better than random robbery, which is unpredictable and dangerous."

  "Also more fun."

  "Also more likely to get you killed by angry daimyos. My way, you get steady income and my protection."

  Gorou considered. His crew was listening intently. Kazuki could see the calculation happening in their minds. Pirates were criminals, yes, but they were also businessmen. And business was always about profit.

  "What kind of payment?" Gorou finally asked.

  "Twenty percent of profits on any goods you transport. Plus a base rate for protection services. All in gold, not empty promises."

  "Thirty percent."

  "Twenty-five. And I'll provide you with coal from our mines at cost. Good fuel, consistent quality."

  Gorou's eyes narrowed. "You're that coal mine lord? The one everyone's talking about?"

  "I am."

  "Heard you're rather clever. Didn't hear you were crazy enough to try negotiate with pirates."

  "I'm full of hidden surprises."

  Another long pause. The sun beat down on both sides. The boats rocked on the waves. Kazuki's fate hung now in the balance.

  Then Gorou suddenly laughed again. "Fine! We have a deal, young lord. Twenty-five percent, coal at cost, and you don't get robbed today. That's what I call successful negotiation!"

  Kazuki felt his knees go weak with relief. He didn't dare show it though.

  "Agreed. Do we shake on it?"

  "Later. When you actually have something worth transporting. For now, safe passage to Tanegashima. But young lord?" Gorou's expression became serious. "If you're lying to me, if this is some stupid trick, I'll hunt you down personally. Understood?"

  "Understood. But I'm not lying. This is proper business."

  "Business with pirates. Your father knows about this?"

  "My father doesn't know about a lot of things I do."

  Gorou laughed again. "I like you, boy. You're either going to die young or become someone important in the future. Maybe both. Safe travels!"

  The pirate ships pulled away, leaving Kazuki's small boat unmolested.

  As soon as they were out of earshot, Honda let out a breath he'd been holding. "Young master, that was insane."

  "But it worked."

  "This time. You just made a deal with pirates. You realize that, right? Actual pirates."

  "Sailors with flexible morality," Kazuki corrected. "And now they're our sailors with flexible morality. Big difference in ym eyes."

  Hattori emerged from wherever he'd been hiding. "Impressive. Most lords would have tried to fight or beg for their lifes. You turned it into a business opportunity."

  "Economics transcends morality," Kazuki said. "Pirates need income just like everyone else does. I'm just providing a legal-ish avenue for them to get it more easily."

  Daichi was grinning ear to ear. "Young lord, you just negotiated with Gorou the Red and lived to tell about it. That man has killed multiple lords just for looking at him wrong. And you convinced him to be your employee."

  "I convinced him we could both make some profit. There's a difference."

  "Is there?" Honda shook his head. "You're either a genius or we're all going to die badly because of your strange schemes. I can't decide which yet."

  "Why not both?" Kazuki felt almost giddy with relief. They'd abrely survived. He'd gambled and won.

  But also, he'd just hired pirates.

  Father is going to absolutely kill me, he thought. If I even survive long enough to tell him.

  But that was a problem for future Kazuki.

  Present Kazuki had just successfully navigated a pirate encounter through negotiation.

  He'd take that for a win.

  The boat sailed on, carrying them south toward Tanegashima.

  Two days down. Two or three more to go.

  And already, the journey was proving to be everything he'd feared and hoped for.

  Dangerous. Unpredictable. Absolutely terrifying.

  But also alive. So completely, intensely alive.

  Kazuki looked at the horizon, where Tanegashima waited.

  The future was out there.

  And he was sailing toward it.