(Will this grandpa be okay?)
Maomao watched Rin-taijin tremble as she focused on reading. Every now and then, his attendant would wipe his lips with damp cotton. Once, he was helped to his feet and taken to the toilet.
He would have children or grandchildren at his age, right?
It must be thanks to that faithful man that the elderly man was still alive today.
Of course, after half a dual hour of waiting, Chue’s belly seemed to be sated, so the woman was playing cards with Rihaku and Onsou. She also invited Maomao to play, but Maomao turned her down, preferring to read. Maomao also saw a flash of coins in the corner of her vision but pretended to not see it. Gambling with a tiny sum wasn’t an issue. Chue aside, Onsou also needed to relax.
(But I feel that Chue-san won’t win.)
In reality, Chue was the only one winning. That person, who produces flags out of nowhere. Even if the woman knew magic tricks, it feels like she can’t see through that type of thing.
When Maomao was in a daze, Rin-taijin slumped over.
Maomao, in shock, rushed over to the two who were in the middle of a match.
“Oh, Maomao.” The weirdo tactician smiled grossly.
Maomao pushed the weirdo tactician out of the way and tried to approach the elderly man.
When she did so…
“HE’S FINE!” the caregiver yelled out. The man supported Rin-taijin and pressed his ear towards the elderly man’s mouth.
It seems Rin-taijin was saying something.
“…….”
“Mhm…… Mhm.”
Maomao couldn’t hear it. The caregiver listened to the tiny elderly man and wrote it down. Maomao peered over, then tilted her head at the incomprehensible list of words.
Did the elderly man finish with his whispering? The man rubbed the elderly man’s back and wet his lips with a towel again.
“Are you done, Rin-shoujin(小人)?”
The weirdo tactician said as he glanced over at Maomao.
(Shoujin, really.)
It meant child but it had a strong connotation for scoundrel. Even though it matched with Rin-taijin, it was like the weirdo tactician to say rude things nonchalantly.
“He’s tired so let him rest a bit.”
Rin-shoujin didn’t seem to mind; he slowly laid the elderly man down. Then he started to record the game.
“It’s rough for the caregiver too huh,” Chue said, like it wasn’t her business, while she stuffed her cheeks with steamed buns. What will happen when Gaoshun and Taomei get old?
“Maomao~”
Hearing the stupid voice, Maomao made a face. “Please don’t come any closer. You smell like a wet dog.”
“That’s harsh, to hear that normally,” Rihaku cut in.
However, this gentleman wasn’t the type to listen no matter what she said.
“You said that you like salty food, so I prepared a lot of salty snacks. What about wine? You want to drink?” the weirdo tactician asked.
“Wine….” Although she was a little tempted, she shook her head.
However, as if Maomao’s warped expression was truly terrible, Chue stepped in. “If you’re talking about wine, Chue-san will partake in local fruit wine. Also, we have to work, so we wish to hear from that grandpa in detail.”
Chue stated her own desires and also did work. On the side, Rihaku turned it down, saying, “I’ll drink later.”
Speaking of the weirdo tactician, he was looking at Chue, head tilted. “A knight?”
Seems like he saw her as a person that moves in atypical ways. Only her aesthetic sense was sound.
“I will explain about my grandfather.”
Rin-shoujin came over. Rin-taijin was sleeping soundly.
They somehow sat in a circle like they were sitting around dishes. Chue prepared tea and served it out to everyone. Maomao set plates before every person.
“What does everyone want to know about my grandfather?” Rin-shoujin asked in a calm voice while looking at everyone’s faces.
(Grandfather, huh.)
Was he in his forties? His hair was black, but he had wavy hair and light coloured eyes.
(Grandpa Rin also looks slightly foreign.)
Maomao found it unusual to see a gentleman his age faithfully caring for his grandfather.
He was also polite towards Maomao and Chue.
(Could he be the youngest child?)
Among the nomadic tribes, she heard that there was a custom where the youngest child stayed behind to look after their parents. If Rin-shoujin was raised within such a culture, his behaviour wasn’t odd.
“We heard that he is the walking encyclopaedia of the western capital.”
“He was called that in the past, but now, he is as you can see. He has memories from up to that incident seventeen years ago,” Rin-shoujin replied.
“By seventeen years ago, you mean…”
“The purge of the Ih clan.”
(So it has come.)
Maomao held back the urge to slap her brow.
Rin-shoujin swept up his sleeping grandfather’s hair. It revealed a distinct suture scar.
“At that time, Grandfather was tasked with compiling the history of the western capital. However he was also regarded as a rebel during the political purge. Were we fortunate that our relation to the Ih clan wasn’t to the extent of family? There had been a mob that formed with the purge as justification. Grandfather was arrested and all the books he compiled and the source texts were all burnt. And several months later when he returned, he became like how he is now.”
Was Rin-taijin’s dementia caused by having his lifework stolen from him or from the terrible violence he faced? Either way, it wasn’t something he could bear.
“There were a lot of valuable things in the history books of the past. It’s lamentable that it’s now burned.” Rin-shoujin slapped the rug in frustration.
(It’s easy to burn. Hard to get back.)
However, was there some meaning behind what Rin-taijin muttered just now? It would certainly be difficult to reorganise the history books from that list of words.
“So, what can we do?” Maomao took the initiative to speak, since it seemed early for it to be settled. Speaking of the weirdo tactician, he was starting to nod off, as if it was time for a nap. Upon closer look, Chue was grinning and pointing at a bottle of wine and the weirdo tactician.
(He got served some.)
Chue did something good. She probably mixed tea with wine. Maomao thanked Chue with her eyes.
“Grandfather is prudent. He wasn’t the type to put flammable books in the same place.”
“So, you’re saying that aside from the burnt library, he has another library?”
“Yes. He used to be someone who would transcribe a written copy of the important things when he acquires a new book.”
He would leave a record if he were to have stored the copies at another location. However…
“Seeing how it hasn’t been found, does it mean that no one knows where that library is?” Maomao asked.
“It is as you say. In other words, there might still be a collection of books that no one has found.”
Maomao looked at the sleeping old man. The weirdo tactician was just a nuisance when he was not useful, but annoyingly, he was occasionally helpful.
“And so, are you trying to ask him for the location of the library when he sometimes regains his sanity?”
It has become quite overwhelming.
“Can you really find it like that?” Chue said what Maomao wanted to say bluntly.
Troubled, Rin-shoujin took a sip of tea. “Actually, it has been found before.”
Maomao widened her eyes. “Really?”
“Yes. There was a time when Grandfather suddenly remembered something and went to search through the house we used to live in a long time ago. And then…”
“And then…”
“It was there. The shogi game records that Grandfather had stashed away. It was under the floorboards in the shed.”
It honestly wasn’t something worth much.
“Isn’t that disappointing, everyone? He put so much effort into hiding it too.”
“Yes. It seems something that can be used as kindling for the stove.”
It must have been a treasure for Rin-taijin. There was a severe disparity in their sense of value.
“It’s kind of a waste. It might have value now, wouldn’t it?” Chue said as she picked at a noodle dish. Apparently she was already hungry again after looking like she was full before.
“That’s true. I only just learned that Grandfather was good at shogi, and a competitor came over wanting to have him sell game records if he had any.”
“Wanting to have him sell game records…” Maomao had heard about it before from somewhere.
“Go is popular in Kaou Province, and there are books compiling game matches being sold and stuff. And we got an offer suggesting if that’s the case, then shogi would also sell well.”
Maomao snuck a look at the snoring old man. Yet again, he continued his influence in strange places.
“Upon hearing that it could be sold, our family is at the height of excitement.”
“About that, again. But if it’s shogi, wouldn’t there still be game records from then on?”
His skill in shogi hasn’t fallen so it should be fine, Maomao thought.
“That’s the annoying part. It seems they want past game records. Substantially speaking, it seems the good ones are the games played with Rakan-sama.”
“Huh?” Maomao looked at the weirdo tactician again.
(Come to think of it,)
She heard that the weirdo tactician was ordered by his father to go on a campaign when his uncle Ruomen was banished from the inner palace. Maomao wasn’t interested in where he went, but he didn’t return for a few years.
(It matches the timing.)
“Then, is Rin-taijin an old friend of that kinda drunk person that’s rolling over there?”
“In a roundabout way. That’s what I heard. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Grandfather remembers.”
Maomao looked at Onsou. “Um, Onsou-sama!”
“Come to think of it, Rakan-sama did mention that his playstyle looks familiar,” Onsou replied.
The weirdo tactician cannot distinguish human faces, so he wouldn’t remember an old friend.
“I think Grandfather was more cheerful than usual because he can play shogi with Rakan-sama after a long time. Um, it’s a rude request, but can you give me the record of today’s match?” Rin-shoujin asked.
“I don’t mind,” Maomao said.
“Then, if I am able to find the books and game records that Grandfather had hidden away..”
“I’ll give all the game records to you.”
“Maomao-sama….” Onsou looked at Maomao in concern.
“I’m not interested in the weirdo tactician’s past game matches, right?” she said.
“Even so, what if he says something…”
“Please say that I did it on my own accord.”
“I’ll do that!” Onsou raised his voice at the end. In other words, he wanted Maomao to promise that she will take responsibility.
If that’s the case, it would be about the place where the important books might be stored.
“Will you be keeping what was noted down just now? Can you show it to us?” she asked.
“Yes, this is it. It’s from the past couple of days.”
“…..isn’t this a game record?” Maomao tilted her head. She looked, seeing “S-59” and “+B-83” written there. Maomao, who wasn’t interested in shogi, also understood how the movement of pieces was represented.
(Does this really have some meaning?)
Maomao wanted to groan.
