"Esteemed Herald, I am delighted to welcome you and your charming companion to Yu Dao. My name is Morishita, and I have the honor of serving as mayor of this fine city."
The large man, who gave us a traditional bow, was dressed in traditional Earth Kingdom robes dyed in the colors of the Fire Nation. It looked rather unusual, yet undeniably respectable.
"A pleasure to meet you, esteemed Morishita. My name is Chan, and my companion's name is Suki," the warrior and I replied with bows of our own. "I must admit, I didn't expect an invitation from you."
"Oh, come now! Once I learned that the Fire Herald himself was in my city, how could I possibly not invite you to share dinner and a cup of tea with me? I would never forgive myself for such discourtesy! But why are we still standing at the entrance? Please, come in!"
The mayor radiated friendliness and enthusiasm.
Hm…
Either he really was a patriot and genuinely considered the visit of someone trusted by the Fire Lord an honor and a celebration… Or he'd embezzled a truly spectacular amount of money and was now shamelessly trying to butter up the inspector.
We'd see soon enough.
My vague and badly faded memories of canon told me absolutely nothing about the man, so I had no extra "hint" to rely on. But the fact that the two nations genuinely coexisted peacefully in his city certainly spoke in the mayor's favor.
Inside, the atmosphere continued the same blend of two cultures. The furnishings and interior were solid and clearly expensive, yet there was none of the loud, gaudy luxury that practically screamed for attention — even though Morishita could easily have afforded it.
The mayor led us into the reception hall, where two more people were waiting for us: a broad-built woman who looked to be around forty and matched — perhaps even surpassed — the mayor himself in sheer imposing mass, and a young girl of about sixteen.
She had a very pretty face, and her figure was more than pleasing too. Not quite on Suki's level, of course, but not all that far behind either.
All in all, a beautiful girl.
"Allow me to introduce my wife, Naoki, and our daughter, Kori," the mayor said.
The woman and the girl both bowed.
"A pleasure to meet you, madam." I returned the bow. "Young lady." That bow was shallower — more of a respectful nod than anything formal.
And somehow even that was enough to make the girl start looking at me in a very… strange way.
I didn't like that look.
Nope. No more "tea invitations!" Ever again! From now on, only trusted, experienced people, and only in the course of business discussions. You never knew what might happen otherwise…
Fortunately, my fears remained just fears.
Once the introductions ended, we moved to the table. The mayor truly had invited me for nothing more than a "family dinner." Business never even came up, though the man was sincerely interested in my impressions of the city, and I didn't hold back in praising it.
While I spoke with the mayor, the women discussed something among themselves, all while somehow never failing to keep our teacups filled. How they managed it, I had no idea, but Naoki, Kori, and even Suki continuously rotated around the table, ensuring no cup was ever allowed to empty.
The tea collection, incidentally, was exceptional. But that's beside the point.
As they say, nothing foreshadowed disaster until…
…Kori suddenly approached me wearing an expression of grim determination.
Somewhere along the line, the girl had acquired a liu xing chui — better known among common folk as a meteor hammer — and was now walking directly toward me with it in hand.
Suki immediately reached for a stiletto, but after noticing my gesture, she eased her hand away from the weapon.
I was genuinely curious to see what would happen next.
It definitely wasn't an assassination attempt. Poisoning the tea or arranging an ambush would've been far easier than openly charging at me in a fairly small hall with a weapon designed for wide-open spaces.
The girl dropped to one knee before me and extended the weapon forward.
Nearby, the head of the family let out a long, suffering groan and buried his face in his palm.
"Herald, I ask that you accept me into the service of the Fire Nation forces."
An overwhelming sense of déjà vu hit me. About half a year ago, I myself had stood before my father in much the same way.
Just think about it — only half a year had passed, yet it felt more like a decade.
Still, the girl was clever. She hadn't lost her nerve.
Generally speaking, military service for women in the Fire Nation wasn't exactly forbidden, but… let's just say it wasn't encouraged either. There were exceptions, naturally — bodyguards, for example — and nearly every aristocratic woman, with very few exceptions, received at least some training in hand-to-hand combat or weapons.
But joining the active military proper was difficult.
The Herald's entourage, however, was another matter entirely. Suki, for example, was doing just fine as a "mercenary."
And the reason Kori was clever was because I couldn't really refuse her now. Doing so would be an insult to the family. Well… technically, I could refuse. Judging by her father's exhausted facepalm, he'd probably even be relieved if I did.
But officially?
It would be almost equivalent to spitting in the face of the entire family.
And maybe that wouldn't have mattered so much if this had remained a private circle. Neither her father nor mother would've spread the story around. Suki and I certainly wouldn't have either.
Unfortunately, the crafty little menace had staged this performance right as the servants were changing dishes. And personally, I had very little faith in servants' ability to keep their mouths shut.
Not that murdering the entire staff was a particularly practical solution.
Still, for every clever ass, there's always a specially threaded bolt waiting for it. And I'd figure out how to make use of Kori before her overly adventurous nature managed to drag her into truly serious trouble.
(End of Chapter)
Even the smallest flame needs fuel to endure.
If you wish to see this story burn brighter, consider leaving a review, a comment, or offering your Power Stones.
🔥 Bonus chapter at 200 power stones.