Story:

At Castle Gifu of the Oda clan, the meeting council had been hastily assembled to receive an unannounced visitor.

Every senior general and trusted vassal had been summoned by Nobunaga.

Kicho and Euphy sat on their legs behind their Nobu-kun, hands folded gracefully.

Around the reception room sat Nobunaga's brother Nobuharu, his sister O-Inu—glaring at Euphy, who had just grinned at her moment of hesitation;

General Saru Hideyoshi, freshly promoted since Tennoji and trying to sit like he'd always belonged; the gruff general Mataza Toshiie; and the arcane samurai Mitten-kun, whose faintly glowing sigils made the nearest candle flicker. All wore serious looks around the tatami.

Serious looks that, in the waiting silence, began quietly to decay.

"So," Saru whispered sideways to Mataza.

"Any idea who the 'important visitor' is?"

"None."

"I heard it's a prince."

"It's never a prince, Saru. You said the last visitor was a prince. It was a rice merchant."

"He was a very wealthy rice merchant."

"He was a man whose rice had weevils in it, and you bought it anyway because he complimented your helmet—"

"Shh! Shh. Mitten-kun's sigils are glowing. He's listening to us through the candle."

"I am listening to you through my ears," Mitten-kun said mildly, without turning his head. "The candle is merely judging you."

Mataza snorted into his sleeve and had to disguise it as a cough.