While the dragon's word earned a silent approval from the mantis, at the Tortoise's last comment Susumu could not help but raise an eyebrow

"Praises indeed deserved Muhaki-san, especially concerning Edogawa-san's dedication in keeping Hantei-no-Kimi and Asahina-sama safe during the storm."

He crossed his arms, visually sizing the man

"It is a shame, however, that you did not even bother trying to look for them, or any other member of your crew for that matter, when they had gone missing...but I guess you were indispensable for the negociations with the port representatives."

Hinami was here of course. She was close to Hikari and was dressed accordingly with a rich furisode.

'' Asahina-sama. I can verify my sister's words as I was there when that happened. There some gaijin that claim they are descendants of Shinjo-no-kami, we met with an 'Ide' yesterday. This gaijin woman could speak Rokugani with relative ease and understood some of our customs, but like my sister I cannot verify if her claim is true or false.'' She commented.

Then she turned towards the rest of the explorers, '' While there's some merit in the idea of having good relations with the gaijin, I cannot concurr that this is the right direction for our mission here, Asahina-sama.'' She started.

''As a member of the Ministry of Proclamations and Protocols I must give my concerns about to 'much' friendliness towards the locals. Our culture and traditions are sacred, revealed and delivered to us by the Kami and the Heavens themselves. Since the founding of the Empire, our traditions have created a world of true harmony among the residents of Ningen-do. Those traditions could be endangered by gaijin customs if we proceed without cautiousness.''

Hinami turned around and looked at her fellow explorers. ''Are we going to forget about what Hantei Genji-heika, our beloved Shining Prince, created with the wise council of Doji-no-kami? Are we going to throw away what the Kami taught to us? No, I don't think so '' She said, opening her fan

'' Finally, I do find disturbing that some among ourselves are saying that these lands are not part of Rokugan. Since -all lands- in ningen-do belong to the Son of Heavens the mere notion that, somehow, this island is not part of Rokugan could be considered blasphemous. '' For just a moment her eyes looked at Zabieru. '' But surely I must heard wrong. A -true and honorable- servant of the Divine Emperor would never think about such heretical ideas, let alone mutter them.'' She turned agains towards Yajinden and bowed respectfully.

Hikari had a moment to speak, so had his captain, and even the dirty tortoise. Finally it was the Lions chance to step forward and he did so with resolve. He didn't look towards anyone his gaze respectfully on Yajinden. "I believe it is pertinent at this time That is be pointed out that Last night I challenged Muhaki Zabieru-sama to a duel. For his disrespect to bushido, my honor and myself. I have brought these allegations and word of my challenge to Doji Haruka as the acting Emerald Magistrate on our journey, and expect the duel to occur in the next few days. I gave Muhaki-sama himself chance to mention this himself, but it seems he deemed it unimportant."

"I will however take this time to bring up another matter that could effects the safety of all members of this expedition. Last night Muhaki-sama was kind enough to being up the dangers present in this land, to point out murder in the Tangled Ropes district of the Western docks is something that occurs so often as to be ignored. That any of our men and women that pass through it are liable to be killed or defiled, and that the members the Tarkhanate are the type to keep slaves, and could potentially kidnap are women and sell them in the country of their birth."

"I can think of only two conclusions from the fact that he didn't bring these facts up in this meeting today. something I once again gave him a chance to do. One that he is a liar, and he knows nothing of the various foreigners and this town, claim which helped gain him the position of captain. Or two he has willingly and knowingly decided to keep this information to himself, and in doing so endangered the lives of all who are on this expedition, including the two daughters of the Seppun Daimyo."

The Tortoise watched with mild amusement as the mediocre and idiots piled up in their assault.

He awaited in stoic silent as he awaited everyone to voice their opinion.

Bellena's eyes merely bounced from speaker to speaker and back to Yajinden to check his response to this exchange.

Like Bellena, Edogawa listened and watched Yajinden.

As the chance to speak goes around the room, Utsusemi unsurprisingly covers much of what Tori was going to say. But when Yasuhiro speaks up... well, that's just needlessly incendiary.

"We thank you for the information, Matsu-san," she says in a precisely neutral tone, that carries just the slightest edge of annoyance. "I pray your opinion on the handling of this information is another matter that can be settled with this duel. In the interim, this is not a matter that is unmanageable. I propose that junior sailors be required to travel the Tangled Rope in groups, with at least one member of the group sober. As clearly multiple nations are able to stably conduct business here, they must have methods of managing the risks; we can make contact with local law enforcement for information on how best to operate under current risks. If need be, simple bludgeons should be adequate for group self defense, and we can implement a basic self-defense training regimen among the crews; these slavers cannot go about a city with a military unit to assault groups while maintaining any form of order in the city, so I must believe they are picking off isolated soft targets. Let us ensure our crews do not offer them any."

Yajinden remained inscrutable behind his polite smile for the duration of communicating and venting.

"Miya-san, Hantei-no-kimi has great confidence in you. I will bring the matter to his attention but I surmise you can be hopeful about that appointment. We certainly need a spokesperson in the East Port of unwavering loyalty and credibility. The Miya have ever been on the forefront of bringing the goodwill of the Imperial House to the farthest reaches of the world we know and I don't see why it should change." A glance at Edogawa could mean that he didn't mean Suihime alone. "As for the reassurances the governor of the East Port might seek we would need to know more about his expectations to approach the matter."

His gaze moved to Keiji.

"Muhaki Yubari-sama has been very welcoming and accommodating. While we may have some concerns about how the city conducts its affairs I believe most of them can be addressed by sensible action that does not undermine the authority of our host. With the Imperial Explorers of rank now settled in various neighbourhoods, I believe some stability will naturally follow. Perhaps in the near future some form of cooperation can be negotiated between local law enforcement and forces at our disposal. At the same time, I think keeping the good practice that Imperial Offices become involved only in matters related to inter-Clan affairs or those lying within their specialised special purview. This should allow us to approach the matter of jurisdiction more flexibly without prejudice to what status the island has in relation to the Empire." A nod to Haruka, Hinami, Hikari and Akarei. "The rest may be handled by whatever force the governor of the West Port seems fit. I understand that there haven't been any serious incidents between an Imperial Explorer and a local?"

His gaze remained on Hikari.

"Th Ki-Rin matter is a inspiring our imaginations. However, we must remain cautious about to what extent people posing as the followers of Shinjo truly follow a Champion who is a descendant of the Kami, or at least are of the line appointed by her to lead. It is my understanding that she might not be among the living any more just like her Divine siblings. To determine the credibility of the accounts of people who seem to hold Shinjo-no-kami in high regard should be the purpose alongside establishing amicable relations. I realise some of you may have further insights on the matter, or will acquire them soon. Hantei-no-kimi wills to receive your reports as per a good precedence established by one of the captains."

Yajinden tilted his head.

"As far as a festival event is concerned, there are no holidays coming until the end of the month, but it is the month of Shinjo anyway. Perhaps some form of common celebrations between those who revere Shinjo-no-Kami could be found in a way that would not bring us into divisive theological debates. We might be advised to follow caution recommended by Agasha-san with regard to religion. The shrine in the port is not properly maintained and dedicated to a legitimate ancestor so perhaps ancestral worship of Muhaki Genjiko-shiryo can be fostered here as long as the priests stay there, or to the Fortunes that are closer to the hearts of the locals. However, this only can be a temporary solution and a site for the Temple to Sadahako should be found. I imagine a more pristine location inland would be more graceful than reconstruction of any of the existing facilities. We ought to endear the Fortune by her new place of worship, not disappoint her."

On Utsusemi's last suggestion he nodded.

"I will recommend to Hantei-no-Kimi for Seppun Hikari-san to conduct the burial rites for those lost at sea as the senior ranking Imperial priestess. A shrine to their memory should be consequently erected as well. Hantei-no-kimi has only words of praise for how the leadership has conducted themselves against the storm. It is advisable that we focus on the lesson of unity and cooperation within the corps we all have fostered during the entirety of the journey."

He sighed lightly before looking at Hinami.

"Seppun-san, your dedication to the Imperial Line and to the core values of the Empire is impressive and commendable. However, Lady Doji you have called upon ever was a gentle nourisher of acculturation that led by example and compassionate dialogue. The superiority of our culture cannot be found in our refusal to communicate or in avoidance to confront our ideas with those harboured by others. The Son of Heaven has mandated us to find progress in how w develop faculties of our great civilisation. Those may be best accomplished by transcending that what challenges them. I am hopeful that the Imperial Explorers will continue conducting themselves with decorum you are right to remind us of. As we have not incorporated lands of the Yobanjin into the Empire there might be lands which are not under Heaven. Whether this place is worthy of extending full Imperial authority to it or not shall be determined in the future and will likely be influenced by on our experience here. It is a matter I would leave for Doji-san to study. As a saibankan she is most qualified to consider legal aspects of our situation." Yajinden nodded to Haruka. "Hantei-no-Kimi would certainly entertain reading a report on the matter."

He looked between Zabieru and Yasuhiro.

"Hantei-no-kimi will be saddened to learn that disagreements of this magnitude occur between officers of the Navy. However, in the spirit of conducting ourselves in accord with Bushido regardless of time and place the matter is best left entirely to the Emerald Office to adjudicate so that law, honour and Imperial interest can be satisfied. It behooves the parties concerned to resolve the matter without delay. As Asahina-san cogently suggested deficiencies of local law enforcement and related displeasures shouldn't be considered as ones we cannot constructively address. In addition, I could provide testimony that Miuhaki-san was keeping Hantei-no-Kimi informed about potential dangers related to politics and local practices of foreigners on the island, and this meeting has been called by him to share his resulting insights on the matter."

He inclined his head again, allowing further remarks.

Though her training had not focused on such matters, Hikari was of course familiar with the rituals and prayers involved. Thus, she inclined her head to the declaration, with no objection.

Hantei Jama appeared on the floral road leading to the shrine, with a small entourage of Tsugiko and Suru. He was still out of hearing distance.

Suihime bowed deeply as Yajinden addressed her idea, pleased that she had been asked to continue. "Thank you Asahina-dono, I shall continue to prove Hantei-denkas confidence to be correct. However, I must bring something forward to the gathered captains on regards to the Unicorn clan."

She took a moment to consider how to word it.

"I met with one of their religious leaders yesterday. One Iuchi Mahasin. She is a quite wonderful and insightful woman, however her mannerisms have filled me with deep concerns. She and many other of the Unicorn worship The Lost Daughter, or Shinjo-no-kami as we know her. When I spoke with her on the matter, she attempted to convince me to 'entrust myself to her guidance'. They revere Sinjo-no-kami as the only true goddess, and she referred to the other kami as 'irrelevant relics of the past'. I don't know if she is just an extreme, or if it is a belief among the Unicorn proper, but it is a concern if the Unicorn were to return to Rokugan and this this a religion they uniquely follow. It would cause no short amount of offense, as she got quite angry when I pointed this out, although perhaps a fully trained courtier could have handled the situation better than I."

She looked to Utsusemi as she added "she also seemed extremely against any kind of artistic gathering."

"This is quite troubling, Miya-san. I shall bring this matter to the attention of Hantei-no-Kimi immediately. I hope you'll excuse me..."

Yajinden bowed and rose, then moved fluidly across the flower beds to meet Jama. He prostrated before the Prince, then was called to his side and talked for quite a time.

[An opportunity to talk between yourselves before Jama comes.]

"She tried to convert you? This has not been my experience with the Ki-Rin I've met. The one I met did seem to revere Shinjo-no-kami, as indeed one would expect from someone claiming to be Ki-Rin, but made no such attempts at conversion. The extremism some of them might harbor could be related to what I was told of Shinjo-no-kami's final fate. Apparently she met a very disturbing end in the southern lands, beyond where the Crab perform their duty. It might be that this sacrifice elevated the Kami above the others in their eyes."

The Tortoise smiled triumphantly as Yajinden brought the Matsu's accusations to the ground. The whole affair had been fairly enjoyable, in particular, the words of jealousy from the Mantis or the thinly veiled xenophobia from the Matsu. Now, in this small pause to the meeting, it was time to remind the place to the two paragons of mediocrity.

"Ah," his gaze set on the Mantis. "I see you are blessed with the gift of clairvoyance Mantis-san. I was beginning to wonder why you were here, though, I was sad you couldn't properly stave off the sedition among your crew. Bit of an uneasy resolution there, one has to wonder when they will rise again in discontent," he let a small chuckle out.

"But still I can see your power does have flaws or perhaps the storm clouded your amazing gift?" his smile widened. "Because if not you would have seen that my focus, even above my own security, was to protect and rally my crew so even if I died both Hantei-no-Kimi and Asahina-sama would have had the necessary crewmembers and supplies to survive the aftermath of the storm," he shook his head. "But I'm being unfair. You had no way of knowing such. Yours is not a clan accustomed to oceanic voyages. It must be overwhelming."

"But do not worry," his tone was gentle and warm. "My door is always open and I would take the time to properly you school you in the nuances of oceanic travels."

He turned to the Matsu now. "You must forgive me for not including you, an inexperienced and unproven naval officer, in my reports," his tone was apologetic. "I will, however, remember you when I need an archer," he paused as he remembered something, a tinge of sadness crossing his face. "A pity the Teppodoka Marines have moved from bow and arrow to flint and locke."

He finally turned towards Suihime.

"The preachers of the Lost Daughter are as dogmatic as they are intransigent," he sentenced. "We do not need courtiers to parlay with them, for not even a silver tongue can turn stone into water."

Bellena let out a sigh and rolled her eyes while shaking her head. "It's not about intransigence..." She said quietly at first.

"Each of the faiths on this island are equally intransigent. I would suppose that each of you, if your Kami or ancestors were being blasphemed against would not hesitate to stand up and fight in their defense. The same is true of those who follow the Lost Daughter." She said a bit louder.

"But to say that any of these groups are intransigent misses the main issue at stake here. The question is not whether or not each of these groups believes their faith is superior to all others... the question is how much each of them are willing to sacrifice to find some form of peaceful coexistence." She continued.

"I lived in the heart of the Tarkhanate for 10 years of my life. Never once did I experience violence on account of my faith. The members of the faith of the Lost Daughter are more than tolerant to believers of other faiths... but to attempt to convert one of their own to another faith is a grievous insult. One that they consider to be equally hostile to physical violence. Those who wish to live peacefully must subjugate their own belief systems to some degree to avoid contention. To challenge their faith and attempt to assert superiority, will only result in antipathy." She continued.

"And herein lies the crux of the issue that all of you are faced with. 'Progress' is not a linear thing... it is simply exchanging one thing you already possess for another that you believe is better. Open communication with the rest of the world... some form of friendship or agreement with the Tarkhanate... the expansion of your scientific understanding... all of these things will require you to sacrifice things that you value. In essence, you must sacrifice part of your own soul and what many would consider their honor if you wish to seek these things. There are many who will not be willing to make that exchange, and that is perfectly understandable. Not every change that is made in the name of 'progress' is a good one. Many such changes lead to death, destruction, violence, and woe."

She paused and took a deep breath, "The only thing I would caution this body on is underestimating the price that must be paid for 'cultural exchange'. Just as you are trying to make others capitulate to your will, they are trying to make you capitulate to their's. If you believe you can manipulate the Tarkhanate into doing what you want... you will find that your actions could indeed lead to the death and destruction of the people and places that you love. Peaceful coexistence exacts a heavy price; a silver tongue cannot turn stone into water, but water can turn a mountain into a valley with time. To think that you can avoid paying that price and still reach the same outcome is folly. If you don't wish to pay the price, then violence is the other option. And it is one that you must all consider seriously; because it may be the case that violence is the proper course of action if you value your soul and the sanctity of the Empire more than you value 'progress'."

It was clear that the gaijin among the explorers were different... indeed, foreign... in outlook and behavior. Both seemed quite outspoken, with little care as to what Rokugani considered to be proper. One because he thrived on causing suffering and humiliation in others, while the other seemed to simply set aside such concerns aside in the matter of intellectual pragmatism. To say that she preferred one over the other would be an understatement; but there was danger there.

"To convert one of their own to another faith is a grievous insult, but it is alright for them to do the same to others? Such is the behaviour of fanatics, Muhaki-san. And it does not inspire in me the confidence that these people would opt for peaceful co-existence with the empire regardless of what we do. Tell me, what of this... tharkanate?"

She mangled the word a little.

"How big is it? How many people does it contain? What is the role of the Ki-Rin within it?"

"If you wish to see them as fanatical that is well within your right. The Empire itself has laws against people converting to Kharsis belief on the mainland... so perhaps there is some ground to understand their concerns in an empathetic light if one exerts their capacities." She said with a calm and agreeable voice.

"As for their size and the role of the Ki-rin within it... There are two large sub-sections within lands that are controlled by followers of the Ki-rin. Both sub-sections are headed by men who call themselves a Khan, a rough equivalent to a King from other lands. The two Khans wield considerable power and both claim some connection to Shinjo as part of their right to rule... There is also an important religious head called the Grand Mufti, who holds considerable religious, social, and military capacity. The Grand Mufti also claims connection to the Lost Daughter and is seen as the paramount authority on all things concerning the faith of the Lost Daughter. Their lands have millions of inhabitants and they wield massive armies specialized in modern warfare." She replied.

Susumu listened to Berena's words of caution and found himself in agreement with most of what was said.

"I am much of the same opinion as Muhaki Berena-san. To properly forge new relations with our lost cousins, or anyone else on this island for that matter, we must extent to them the same respect we expect to receive. If we want compromise then we must make some as well...we must treat them as equals rather then assert dominance like her ill-advised clansmate suggested."

He gave her a respectful nod

"I am glad at least one Tortoise here is of good counsel"

She returned the nod with one of her own and then replied, "I would not say that Muhaki Zabieru-sama is too far out of line with his opinions; though perhaps others would have phrased it differently. There may be some personal matters between the two of you I am not familiar with, but what he says is not far from the truth."

She continued, "He is attempting to fulfill his duties to the leader of this expedition to the best of his ability, as I feel all of us in this council are. I don't assume to make any judgement on what is or is not the proper course of action. I entrust that choice up to those who are in a position to make such a choice. I merely wish to provide the information in a light that perhaps provides a bit of context that can be considered when such decisions are made. Ultimately it may not be in the best interest of the Expedition to sacrifice its soul in the name of appeasement. That is something that each of you must decide and if you feel strongly about it one way or the other... your reasons should be made known to the Prince in an acceptable fashion. I think in part that is what Asahina-sama intended by bringing this group together this morning and I only hope I can help provide information that each of you will find relevant in your own decision-making."

Part of Utsusemi was very grateful that Bellena was able to say what she had been trying to hint at, in a much blunter way. Maybe she'd try bluntness more herself someday.

"Pushing through brutishly and earning only enmity just to erect a temple will only end in failure. Sure, we may succeed in having the temple completed, but would not stop those who were slighted in the process from seeking retribution against us by targetting the temple and its caretakers." There! That was blunt, right?! "A destroyed temple is a greater failure than one that is laying its foundation stone by stone slowly."

She looked to Bellena, the resident expert on local politics. "How does the faith of the Lost Daughter get along with the church of Karhsis on the island? Surely, if these two found a way to coexist, we should be taking a look at how it came to be so and consider it's potential options."