Reisen Riou tackled his work with a furrowed brow. Raiden Makoto noticed. "What's troubling you, Lord Riou?"
"Just pondering ways to make Inazuma stronger, Lady Makoto," he said, dodging the truth. No way he'd spill his plan to sabotage Khaenri'ah's covert archaeology in Inazuma.
Makoto smiled, optimistic. "Inazuma's thriving, thanks to you. Your tech's transformed our might, wealth, and magic." She knew his "minor contributions" claim was nonsense—her millennial perspective saw his pivotal role. Unlike her martial-obsessed sister, Ei, Makoto grasped his impact. It's why she'd approved Ei's marriage to him. Did he think she couldn't decode electromagnetic waves? His database, synced to her Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine, laid it bare. Seeing was learning; learning was mastery. Lucky for him, he and Ei only used waves for sweet nothings. Had Ei flaunted a monitor, Makoto's sisterly wrath would've sparked.
After hours, Reisen Riou and Ei tangled in their cavern domain's steamy haze, post-passion clarity settling in. Ei, lounging, cut through. "What's really eating you?"
Knowing she wasn't as gullible as Makoto, he came clean. "Khaenri'ah's sent archaeological teams to Tsurumi Island—unsanctioned, no filings with the Kanjou Commission or Shogunate. I'm planning to disrupt them, but their escorts are strong, and we can't deploy Inazuma's top fighters. I'm stumped on how to wreck their dig without losses."
"Tsurumi?" Ei frowned. "What's worth digging in that wasteland?"
"Its ley line manipulation, unique mechanisms, and runes have research value," Reisen Riou explained. "Not much for Inazuma—we're no alchemists—but Khaenri'ah's obsessed. I'm forming a covert squad to sabotage them, but first, I need a skilled, discreet recon team to scout their progress."
"Problem is, anyone fitting that bill's in the Tenryou Commission," Ei said, grimacing. "If it's urgent, take my writ to mobilize them."
"Nah, it's not pressing—their digs are struggling," he said. "But it's time I built my own elite squad for dirty work."
Ei pondered, then lit up. "Try the ronin. They've got the muscle and no ties."
Reisen Riou nodded, intrigued. Ronin—younger sons of lesser samurai clans, trained but jobless—shunned grunt work like ashigaru, idling in villages, honing skills for fun. The One System, Ten Thousand Minds rollout to rural areas made them its biggest fans, crowding around it to study martial and oddball arts, training relentlessly to grow stronger. Some joined yakuza; others got snapped up by big shots.
Next day, Reisen Riou sifted Narukami Island's ronin data and froze. Among one- and two-star riffraff, he'd struck gold: one five-star and several four-stars.
Name: Bankaku Nisei
Status: Second son of the Bankaku samurai clan, ronin
Age: 17
Vision: Hydro
Life Level: LV46
Ideology: Ukiyo (Floating World)
Theory: Bankaku-ryu Swordsmanship (Self-Styled) LV6, Gambling LV6, Sleight of Hand LV6, Psychology LV5, Mathematics LV5, Deception LV5, Cooking LV5…
Practice: Bankaku-ryu Swordsmanship LV6, Gambling LV6, Sleight of Hand LV6, Psychology Application LV5, Mathematics Application LV4, Deception LV4, Cooking LV4…
Evaluation: A prodigy of unorthodox talents—by Resurrection
Kicked out at fifteen with just pocket money, Nisei mastered gambling and sleight of hand through observation, picked up swordsmanship in brawls, and, after One System's spread, dove into math and psychology to refine his scams. In under two years, he'd honed this arsenal. Terrifying potential. The four-stars, less dazzling, still boasted LV5 swordsmanship and quirky skills.
Reisen Riou decided to recruit them into a black-ops "gloves-off" squad. He wasn't a monster—if they served loyally, he'd reward them, maybe with land grants. "Send them a summons," he told Resurrection. "Have them meet me at Araumi's shrine. Use a standard conscription format, list the rewards."
"What if they don't show?" Resurrection asked, probing for gaps.
"They'll come," Reisen Riou smirked. "Also, you feeling like you need a format? Watch it."