After Arthur dismounted his carriage, he was met not only by guards but also by the feudal lord of this country, who had come to meet him personally.
"Senior," he greeted with a confident smile. Arthur had honestly forgotten the man's name, a lapse quickly alleviated by his instinct to display respect. "It's a pleasure to be here."
The feudal lord chuckled. "You honour us with your presence, lord Belfort."
"Me? Surely you jest."
"Nonsense! We've all been eager to meet you, especially after hearing of the commendable strides you've made in the Water Country's economy." This feudal lord expressed an interest in Arthur that felt far beyond cordial introductions. "Besides, I would love to discuss your methods for farming."
"I would be happy to share… But before that, let us meet with the other lords to start this meeting."
"Agreed!"
As they entered the meeting room, an ornate table dominated the room. The other lords were either seated or standing to enjoy the hors d'oeuvres.
Arthur spotted Kenji Yamauchi, the feudal lord of the Earth Country, pacing near the entrance.
Kenji was no different from Hiromu. His stature was slightly larger than the rest, and upon laying eyes on Arthur, he broke into an unfettered approach.
"Oh my! Is that lord Belfort? What a wonderful surprise it is to finally meet you in person. I've heard so much about your economic reforms!"
Arthur bowed slightly, knowing eyes were on him. "Thank you, lord Yamauchi. It's a pleasure to be here. Please do take care of me, as I am still just the successor."
Kenji laughed. "But of course. How is lord Hiromu anyway? Hopefully not still sick in bed."
As conversations swelled within the room, Arthur settled himself at the gathering. In time, he would come to know some of their names, their motivations, and above all, their weaknesses.
The place eventually became laden with articulated banter. Members spoke of the exact thing Arthur didn't care for right now: land distributions, agricultural productivity, and trade routes.
He already had to deal with all of that at his desk.
Sad for him, he still hadn't spoken with Yoshiyuki in private. Let alone greeted each other.
Yoshiyuki was currently engaged with Taira, the feudal lord of the Wind Country. Those two had forged a visible alliance upon the Leaf Village informing the Sand Village about Orochimaru's scheme.
Regarding Yoshiyuki's appearance, he was marked by small, round eyes and dark pupils, which, alongside the traditional headpiece he often wore.
Arthur had to understand the man's motivations. After all, he was feudal lord who governed the world's strongest village.
As the meeting progressed, amid montages of agricultural policies, Arthur soon became dulled by boredom.
Patrons of their own domains debated while he sat in silence, pretending to enjoy the food. Only a select few lords approached him regarding trades, to which he rejected by stating Hiromu was undecided.
Discussions continued about economic hardships and the pressing need for more land.
Each feudal lord had their grievances, standing stubbornly in the belief that any concessions they made would only serve to empower their neighbors while weakening their own position.
Voices rose and fell as Arthur sat there, arms crossed, scrutinizing the drama.
He recognized their fears all too well; after all, history had taught them to be wary.
These lords were merely representing the hypocritical nature of politics, a type of greed cloaked in a guise of collaboration.
That's the true reason behind this meeting.
"Perhaps if our borders expanded, we could—" a feudal lord began, only to be interrupted by Kenji's retort. "No country is keen to give up what little land they possess!"
Arthur kept his gaze neutral, musing on the futility of their posturing.
The feudal lord of the Land of Money soon approached him. "Excuse me, lord Belfort, do you have a minute?"
"But of course."
"I'd like to discuss how you managed to increase your country's GDP value by so much?"
The answer was easy as their discussion soon turned to potential collaboration regarding wealth. But Arthur maintained the excuse that he was merely a successor and not fit to make any decision without Hiromu.
Some bought that excuse; others thought it was a cowardly way to reject their offers.
Regardless, it was a political strategy to keep himself neutral.
And to be frank, there were no guards or ninjas in this room. He could just as easily place any one of them under his Evil Illusion Flattery technique.
Doing that, however, risked a potential war breaking out in the long run—something he was keen on avoiding this early on.
Time wore on, and most of the discussions devolved into arguments peppered with strained civility.
Arthur mainly listened, occasionally asking questions he already knew the answers to. It was a great way of feigning deference while masking his true agenda.
Many of the other lords eventually caught on to the fact that he was hiding behind Hiromu. But he couldn't care less. These lords had built their wealth at the expense of their own citizens—cowardly benefactors hiding behind borders while the world teetered on the edge of conflict.
Politics was an ugly business, and most of them sheltered the unpleasant truths behind their thrones.
The formalities eventually came to a close, and within moments, servants began bringing in platters of expensive wine.
Now was the indefinite time when real business deals could be made.
As the lords began to mingle, Arthur quickly made his way toward Yoshiyuki, who was finally alone.
"If it isn't lord Belfort," Yoshiyuki greeted.
"As the youngest here, might I have a word with you, lord Kaneko?"
Yoshiyuki smiled. "I was hoping to speak with you as well, lord Belfort."
It's then that Taira approached. "But, lord Kaneko, were we not to discuss a trade proposal after the wine was brought out?"
"Yes, yes, lord Taira," Yoshiyuki waved, "but allow me the time to speak with lord Belfort first."
When Taira and the others heard that, they were more than intrigued. Because by neglecting a conversation with Taira, an already prominent figure in this room, Yoshiyuki was emphasizing that Arthur was of more importance!
"Your insights over the years have been quite fascinating," Arthur said, taking advantage. "Please do share how your trades have been affecting your country's growth." That word 'trade' was the subject of their topic. "I must know."
"Things have been… I dare say, quiet regarding trading. Yet, I am more interested in your ambitions. You're young, lord Belfort, and have quite the natural talent, one I'm sure is being cultivated well thanks to Hiromu."
Arthur smirked. "A skill born of necessity in a world that clings to tradition—Akito Takahashi."
"You've read his work, too?!"
"Who hasn't?"
"Well, I must say that we have much more in common than I expected. That's not to forget how in these times, ambition can often be obscured by tradition."
"Agreed, lord Kaneko."
"Yes…" Yoshiyuki then tipped the conversation, remembering what the topic was. "Shall we speak plainly? Tell me, what is it that I can help you with?"
"There's a certain item in your territory that has caught my attention."
"And what item might that be?"
"I'm sure you've heard about the events at Hōzuki Castle, correct?"
"Hōzuki Castle? Yes, I believe a subordinate of that dastardly Orochimaru managed to escape. The first in history."
"This is true… That certain subordinate was said to have had a flute that was confiscated by the Leaf Village before her containment."
Yoshiyuki thoughtfully stroked his chin, feigning indifference. "And you wish to procure this flute, I presume?"
"Indeed…"
"For what purpose, lord Belfort?"
"The Mist Village believes they might be able to use it to hunt down Orochimaru."
Now the conversation drew interest; Arthur could sense the tension rising as Yoshiyuki maintained a calm demeanour.
"Very well," the man mused, "but you must understand that the Leaf Village won't just part with such an item so easily, correct?"
This was a ploy.
Yoshiyuki owned Tsunade, much like Arthur owned Mei. Meaning both of them knew that they neither needed consent nor approval from their hidden villages.
"Of course, lord Kaneko. I'm willing to offer one hundred thousand ryō in exchange for it."
Yoshiyuki pretended to ponder, stroking his chin with the kind of deliberation only a feudal lord could muster. "Is that truly all?"
Arthur smiled. "One hundred thousand ryō and half a million barrels of oil."
The lords within earshot gasped. That was an extraordinary amount for two lords who had just met. Even Yoshiyuki was ready to break his hidden excitement at this exchange.
"Wh-what about lord Hiromu?" he stammered. "Certainly he wouldn't approve an offer like this."
"I wasn't finished," Arthur said. "On top of those resources, one hundred thousand cubic meters of timber."
Several of the lords sputtered their drinks in unison.
No one had expected such a trade, much less believed that Arthur was being serious.
A moment ago, he was using Hiromu as an excuse to deny smaller things like simple advice. Now he was making expensive trades that bordered exuberance.
To understand just how far he was going, one hundred thousand cubic meters of timber was worth roughly seventy million American dollars.
And that was just for a simple flute!
Yoshiyuki, unable to suppress his excitement any longer, took a moment to breathe.
"That is most generous, lord Belfort. But I must know: is there a catch to this very enticing offer?"
"None," he unflinchingly said. "All I ask is that the flute be shipped directly to my office the moment you receive the resources."
Since this was a private, exclusive meeting, any trades made or talks of alliances formed would not be known to the public. That meant no one would know of Arthur's dealings here.
"Very understandable," Yoshiyuki smiled widely. "Then I accept this offer."
✟
Some time later.
Back at Arthur's office in the Water Country, the midmorning sunshine streamed through his window. Three knocks were heard at his door.
"Enter…"
To his delight, his secretary strode in, holding a package.
"My lord," she announced, presenting the parcel, "it seems the flute has arrived."
After opening it, he noticed something strange: this was not the same flute he remembered Tayuya having. This one looked too new.
Using his Crimson Gaze while the secretary was unaware, he verified that this was indeed Tayuya's flute since he had already seen it on more than one occasion.
The craftsmanship, however, was striking.
Then he understood: Yoshiyuki had modified it to show Arthur his sincerity for their potential partnership.
"Is everything all right, my lord?" the secretary asked, clearing her throat.
"Yes… You may leave."
"Understood, my lord."
Arthur knew that this flute was not worth the price of admission. But the lord who commanded over the most powerful village in the world was.
If anything, he could have recreated the flute himself or asked Tayuya how she acquired it in the first place. Going to this meeting and making a discreet agreement with Yoshiyuki, however, proved worthwhile.
Not only had he obtained the flute without drawing much attention, it had also been modified.