02小说网>寤寐思服 > Draft 8 11（第2页）
Draft 8 11（第2页）
“Thankyousomuchforyourhelp!Hereismydeposit，andIwillebaaweekwithsomeflint，aswellasrentforusingtheworkshop。Withoutyoumyprojectwouldbeimpossible。”
“Youareverywele。siderbeingmyapprenticewhenyouaretwelve，okay?Haveaniceday!”
Kagamifeltuplifted，（“it’sanice，friendlytownindeed。”）
Kagamitheothetailorshop。
“Hi，wele，howmayIhelp?”
“Dearmister，Iwouldlikesomeclothesthat’smadejustforme。”
“Doyou，ah。Doyouhaveadrawingofwhatyouwant?”
“No，butIdrawhtnow，andyouhelpmedrawitright，ifthat’snottoomuchtrouble。”
“Sure。Here。”
Pencilinhand，Kagamithoughtofalltheuniformsshehadseeninmangabooks。（“Abroadsunhatwithflowerydecorations，plusatexturedribbon。Ashortcape，makeitred。Acorset，no，I’llwaituntilI’molder。Awhiteblousewithpuffysleevesandwristcuffs。Alongskirtwithlotsoflace，andmoreribbons!”）
“Ah，it’sverycute!Justadorableforasmallgirllikeyoutowearsomethinglikethis。”
“Thankyouforthinkingwellofit。IthinkI’llhreeblousesandtwoskirts。ThatshouldbeenoughuntilIoutgrowthemandneednewones。”
“Sure。Iwillmeasureyouandaddabittothesize，sothere’sroomforyoutogrow。ebaextweekandIwilltellyoutheprice。Choiceoffabric?”
“Ordinaryisfine。Iwillneednewoneseveryyear。”
“Allgood。Seeyouinaweek。”
“Thankyou。Bye~”
Havingpletedherlistoftasks，Kagamistillhadhourstospendbeforeheadingbackfordinner。Afteraskingabouttheabandonedquarry，shewenttogathersomeflintthere。
“Gatheringflintisfun。Ineverknowwhatcouldbeheldrightnowinmyhand。Itmightbechalk，orcrustofflint，oraregularflintstone，orsomeweirdlylookingflintthat’smoremind-bogglingthanmodernsculptures!”Kagamiwhisperedtoherself。
Standingupthtenherback，shesawalargerothedistahholesandgroovesonit。
“Ooooh，ararepieceofwatererodedlimestone。。。Theremusthavebeenastreamhereinthepast。”
Kagamiwalkedovertotakeacloserlook，andshethoughtsheheardpeopleversing。
“。。。Arashi’sthreatisminimalatthemoment。。。”
Kagamipeekedthroughacratherock，andsawsomepeopletalkingtoeachother;theonewhojustspokewasagirlwearingawhitekimonowithlightrubytrim。
（*Gasp*Himeyama!）
ChapterNine
Scheme（Inbou） 陰謀
Kagamisquintedandtriedtobetterfocushereyes，lookingthroughthecratherock。Therewerefivepeople，allwearingwhiteswingingsleevekimonoswithdifferentcolouredtrim。TheyweretheFiveofHimeyama。
Theohlightrubytrimwasanalyzingthesituation。ThatmustbeKasumi。
“Kageyamahasnoambitionatthemoment，whichhasn’tgedforyears。Ononehand，thatistheircorrectplace，yetoherhand，theyarebetrayingthemightyartsbyobjectifyingthemintomereacademicsubjects。Thesupremeartsofsword，magidalchemyaretobepanionstoroyaltyandnobility，andKageyamahasappropriatedthemandforsakenthem。”
“Arashidoesn’tfitinatKageyama。SheshouldbebroughttothenoblecourtofHimeyama，andservingYhnesswouldbeherrightfulplace。”Nowtheohemeraldtrimwastalking。ShemustbeMidori，addressingYukari，theirleader。
（“Evenwithherleader，Midoridoesn’tshyawayfromusingherwordstoespousegreedandvanityinordertofurtherherpurpose。DoesYukariknowthatsheisbeingmanipulated?AkishitoldmethatYukaritendstoholdthemback，I’llseeifthat’swhatwouldhappen。”）
“No。She’sweak。”Yukaricasuallyented，butnoonesaidanythingafterwardonthatsubjeoent，nument，e。Yukari’swordsseemedfinal。
“Yhness，”agirlwithrosequartztrimonherclothesspokeup，“ifKageyamadoesn’tsubmittotheextentofanunditionalsurreheymightprovidearecklessmodelforotherstoimitate。IfYhnessmakesanexampleoutofKageyamarightatthestartoftheunstoppablequest，therestoftheworldmighthaveacetowithepowerwieldedbyYhness，aowledgeYhness’ssupremacyoutoftheirows，andvoluntarilykneelandbowdownbeforeYhness’spresence。WhereasifKageyamaislefttoexistwithitscurrentwantonautonomy，maniacswhorebelagainstYhnesswouldpossiblyjointhem，increasingtheirnumbers。BeingweakmindedasKageyamaalreadyis，itprobablywouldbeswayedbytheill-ceivedideasofthoselunatiddecidetodefyYhness’sreign。”
“Possibly，probably，mightandwould。”YukarigavehercoldreplytoRyō。“Youshouldspeakplainly，andbeho:‘theymustalldieforamoreorderlyworld，sojustletmedothekilling’。Ryō，don’ttrytoimitateMidoriorKasumi。”
“Kageyamawill，withoutanydoubt，kneeldownbeforemeandsubmititselftomyreign。Ialonewilldecidewhentoinformthemonthedeadline。”
Withthesewords，Yukaricastaspellinmidairwithherlefthand，andvanishedintothinair。Therestfollowedsuitandweregoneintheblinkofaneye。
Kagamiletoutalongbreath。
（“Isurvived。IsurvivedanenterwiththeFive。I’mstillhere，andI’mstillalive。Whatarelief!”）
