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CHAPTER 21 – CHIEF OF ONMYO
Lily felt like she had heard this name before, she was startled. Wasn’t this the name of the current leader of the Bureau of Divination?
When Fujiwara no Ayaka was promoted to the post of minor counselor, Kamo Tadayuki assumed the post as head of the Bureau of Divination. A position completely different from ordinary posts within the organization, it is a post managing both Divination and Onmyodo. Though it was only a fifth rank position, this was the highest court rank any Onmyoji held in the entire Heian Dynasty. Only a top-ranked Onmyouji could hold this post.
Kamo Tadayuki looked at her with deep profound eyes, “Was it you, who created a ruckus and injured all these people in the Great Hall of the Onmyoro?” Lily couldn’t suppress the shudder in her heart.
“It’s her!” Ichijo clung to a pillar and pointed at Lily “This, this woman not only broke the emperor’s gift, but she also injured all my subordinates and wanted to kill me!”
“If I wanted to kill you, do you think you’d still be able to stay alive till now?” Lily retorted coldly.
“Silence!” roared Kamo, “This is my Bureau of Divination’s upper ranked minister1, you dare to speak insolently towards Lord Ichijo?”
Immense pressure radiated from Kamo freezing Lily and forcing her back a few steps.
“Kujo, what is this woman’s identity?” Kamo inquired.
“Lord Kamo, this woman is Kagami Lily, she claims to have been sent here by the Chief Advisor to assume an office.” Kujo and the others came out and answered.
“What? The Chief Advisor?” Kamo’s expression changed, “Wait, what do you mean claims?”
“She claims to have been sent by the Chief Advisor.”
“Have you confirmed this?”
“This… we haven’t…”
“Fool! You allowed this woman to enter the treasury without checking? Why did you not investigate?” Kamo roared, the immense pressure forced Kujo to immediately kneel.
“My Lord, official duties delayed us…”
“What position did you arrange that she was able to enter the treasure and smash antiques?”
This time Lily answered: “Onmyo no Jojo, Lord Kamo.”
“Onmyo no Jojo?” Kamo was astonished and stared at Kujo in anger “Kujo Nishimoto, in regards to your antics I’ve kept one eye open and one eye shut, but this time you’ve gone too far! No confirmation and you assigned a ridiculous position. If this woman’s message is fake then arrest her, but if her message is real why would you arrange a cleaning job to humiliate her? A person processing enough power and skill to match Seimei being treated like this? Breaking a few flower pots is entirely reasonable2!”
“My Lord…… but……” Kujo and Fuen were stunned by the censure. The one who caused the trouble was Lily, yet they were being blamed?
Kamo turned to face Lily and praised her, “Lady Kagami is skilled, it is my failure that allowed these subordinates to sabotage you. It’s only a few flower vases, as long as you feel better, breaking a few is fine.”
“What!??? But, but those were gifts for the Cloistered Emperor’s longevity feast!” Ichijo cried out.
“Lord Ichijo, calm yourself, it seems like this was just a misunderstanding. As for the longevity feast gift, I will sort out the issue.” Kamo declared. Ichijo had the same rank as him, but as an upper-ranked minister, Kamo could only be polite.
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“Lord Kamo.” Lily bowed, “These vases were broken due to Lily’s unskilled cleaning, it was carelessness and not anger. Lily would not vandalize over such a small issue. Lily will find a way to compensate.”
“Lady Kagami, we can discuss this later3. However, I will still have to send someone to verify your claims.”
“How would Lily dare counterfeit the Chief Advisor’s orders? This would not benefit Lily at all.”
“True, I feel that Lady Kagami is not a deceiver4. As soon as the investigation is complete, considering your strength, if you’re willing to stay I will personally assign you a position.”
“Thank you, my Lord.” Lily saluted.
Seimei walked up, “Lady Kagami, can you teach me swordsmanship? I reciprocate with Arcane Arts, we can both benefit.”
“Thank you for the praise, however, I’m not too interested.” Lily coldly answered.
“Lord Kamo!” Ichijo could not control his anger, “You are the head of the Department of Divination and Heian-kyo’s greatest and most prominent Onmyoji. Your words, I Ichijo will allow, however those vases represent the chancellor’s wishes to the Cloistered Emperor. Who will take responsibility if the Chancellor is offended5? This woman might be a bit skilled, but in this Heian-kyo there are plenty of stronger masters. Why are you so partial? If I don’t get a satisfactory answer, I can only ask the Secretary of the Interior for an answer!”
“Ahaha, Lord Ichijo, don’t be hasty. This present, I have said I will resolve it. Since Lord Ichijo is so concerned about this, let’s go to the treasury now. We shall choose a better gift, one with mystic power and gift it to the cloistered emperor6, wouldn’t that be much better? Do you think he likes ancient antiques? Or perhaps a mystic weapon?” persuaded Kamo.
Ichijo nodded, “Um, that is certainly true, let us choose a gift immediately!”
“Yes, let us go right now.” Kamo agreed, “I may not have the authority to release the treasure, but we can choose and send a requisition request from the department of interior.”
At the side, Lily started feeling uneasy, they weren’t going to the prized hall were they?
Still, Ichijo was unwilling to spare Lily, “Even so, this woman still injured many including Lord Sukeya. On top of that she has no manners, how can she be pardoned?”
Kamo’s face fell, “Lord Ichijo, I still have to warn you on this matter.”
“How so?”
“Though destroying the longevity gift is a crime, if you really harm someone sent by the Chief Advisor, do you really think you’ll have an easy time? Doesn’t the chancellor still follow the Chief Advisor’s wishes?
“Ah… this…” Ichijo suddenly understood, if Lily was really sent by the Chief Advisor, then the issue was completely different.
“You, Kaga… Lady Kagami, why didn’t you answer earlier?” Ichijo asked Lily.
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“The situation is still being investigated, so Lord Ichijo, please stay calm.”
With that, Ichijo stopped talking.
Kamo gave Lily a look, “Could I trouble Lady Lily to come with us? I have a few words for you. If you were really sent here by the Chief Advisor, then this matter is nothing but a misunderstanding. But if not, then there is only punishment, I will personally catch you and hand you over to Lord Ichijo to dispose of!”
Kamo Tadayuki was not a simple kind man, within his bones he carried a sense of slyness.
“That’s more like it.” Ichijo agreed
Kamo roared at Kujo, “What are you doing, send someone to investigate now!”
“Yes, Yes!” Kujo looked at Fuen, “You, go!”
“Ah? Me?”
“What are you waiting for? Go!”
As the lowest-ranked official there, Fuen had no choice but to stumble off. Kamo called a few healing Onmyoji and sent the injured off with them.
“Lady Kagami, this way please.” Kamo lead
“Yes,” Lily answered calmly as if nothing had happened.
“Seimei, you shall accompany us. You’re more familiar with the prized hall.”
“Yes, teacher.” Seimei agreed obediently.
The group arrived at the treasure, at the outer hall they were all examined by the Clairvoyance Mirror.
Both Seimei and Kamo were carrying storage devices. They left the devices with the outer hall guards and then entered. Lily also entered after the procedure.
Kamo also possessed the treasury key. There were only three copies of the treasury key. Sukeya had one, Kamo had one, and the last was stored as a backup in the Ministry of Internal Affairs secret safe. As Kamo opened the Vault, Lily’s heart filled with anxiety.
Kamo faced Lily, Kujo and company, ordering, “All of you, wait here.”
He led Semei and Ichijo in, giving Ichijo an introduction while walking. Ichijo had never been within the vault before. All Lily could do was to assume a pose of calm serenity through the worry she was feeling. Regularly she would not pay attention to men so she didn’t look around, if she started looking now it would be abnormal. The three had entered the vault for a while, but there was no detectable activity within it. The vault, though dark, was enormous and filled with various treasures, gradually Lily felt the atmosphere turn unpleasant.
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“What!??”
They could hear Kamo’s exclamation, the treasury was uniquely built. When the door was closed, nothing inside could be heard, however the door was wide open now.
“What!? Here, here too7???”
“No!” This was Seimei’s voice.
“What’s wrong? What’s the matter?” Ichijo’s voice was full of questions.
Not a moment later, Lily could feel the treasury shake from the immense pressure. A heavy aura filled with Kamo’s fury and worry. Quick footsteps echoed loudly. Kamo, Seimei and Ichijo quickly ran out of the treasury.
Kamo’s face was completely green as he questioned the guard “These few days, has anyone entered the treasury?”
The guard was taken aback but answered, “I was not on duty these two days, but I do have the records here.”
He brought out a book and read “Five days ago, my Lord, you entered the treasury with permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and withdrew thirty magatamas, and other than you…”
The guard continued to read, “It’s listed that only the new janitor, Kagami Lily entered the treasury yesterday, after exiting today there’s been no one else.”
References
Robinxen: The raw used the term “yamen” but there’s no obvious Japanese equivalent for the Chinese term. Here’s the wiki link for those interested! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YamenRobinxen: I wonder if she’s seen as some kind of indiscriminate weapon.Robinxen: This guy is completely reasonable!Robinxen: No she’s definitely about to lie regarding the theft you’ll discover soon.Robinxen: The asshat who assigned her cleaning duty obviously!Robinxen: Oh wow they’re getting right to discovering the theft.Robinxen: Exposed!