12. Doji Ren

Meeting with the Ruby Champion

We enter the audience chamber, where Agasha Sumiko welcomes us. Kāgi is dismissed, and even though he won't say it out loud obviously, he's a bit disgruntled about having to leave. We all hand over our gifts tp Agasha. Takuya even tries to make a big spectacle out of it, drawing his Katana to present some kind of circlet, but the circlet ends up roling on the floor, the package nearly ripped open. Agasha picks up the present and puts it on the table with the other presents.
We thank her for her invitation to train for Emerald magistrate, and we discuss ur journey here. Aki mentions the encounter with the globins and the ogre and about some kind og magical source why they might have appeared there and then. Agasha promises to have some magistrates look into this. She then continues on telling us about the training and that Kāgi can provide us with more information.
But then she drops the bomb; She also has another top-secret assignment for us due to our display of honor and glory at the Topaz CHampionship. We are to investigate the death of Doji Satsume. People presume he died of naural causes as he was found slumped on the ground down the stairs of his sleeping quarters. His body has of course already been cremated according to Rokugan customs, so we won't be able to investigate it any further. We'll have to look at it from another angle. Aki asks if we'll have access to the entire palace and Agasha nods, as long as we keep this secret. In four days, the same day when our accelerated training to become Emerald Magistrate finishes, she wants to present our findings to the general public to bring a halt to all the rumours. It should also prove our investigation skills, which play an important role in our future work as Emerald Magistrate.
We're dismissed and head back to our chambers to discuss how we will approach this investigation. We decide to talk to the heimin who found the body of Doji: So and that we'll visit the archives to see what we can learn there.

On our way to the archives we run into Kāgi, sorting scrolls in the Audience room. He looks somewhat sad, so I ask him if we could lend him a hand, while he explains us about our upcoming training. He repeats that we'll only participate in three days of training, which is quite unusual, as a normal schedule to become Emerald Magistrate takes a few weeks. Every day will start in the Dining hall with breakfast, following by a morning filled training. The first day we delve into investigation, day two will be spend on weaponry and the final day we'll be taught about the law. We'll be trained by the best Senseis. These training sessions are followed by lunch and in the afternoon we have time for ourselves. Then it's time again for diner.
We help Kāgi bring the scrolls to the Archives, where a couple of scribes are busy with their calligraphy. By then it's time for dinner. We start out with an introduction round, learning the names of various other Magistrates in training.

Training - Day 1 - Investigation

During breakfast people are talking about the death of Doji Satsumi and that they're expecting a declation from the Ruby Champion in a few days about what has happened. We also learn that nobody was sad about the death of Doji.
To learn more gossip, I fidn out that I should join Akodo Kyruage, who I later learned turned out to be Yumako's twin brother. People around him look at me slightly in dismay that I join them. Akodo turns out to be a charming person who is here to discuss aspects of the Imperial Legions' martial training with the acting Emerald Champion, as he used to do with Doji Satsume. Unfortunately he doesn't know much about Doji as he only been in contact with him on official business. He didn't really like him as Doji was really strict.
During our conversation I learn that Akodo is very popular, which explains the looks from the people around him when I joined. He goes on to explain he's happy he got a chance to talk to us as he's leaving again tomorrow. His 'fans' let out a sigh. I try to impress the people around Akodo, because I'm pretty jealous of his status here and I'm pretty used to be the most popular person around. Akodo's popularity is very hard to surpass though. My beauty and eloquence apparently can only get me to a certain stage. I'll have to work harder on this and pick my battles a lot smarter...
Yumako comes by to greet her brother. She's somewhat reluctant, but Kyruage plays his role of the perfect brother like a charm.

By now, breakfast is done and we head over to the Court of Judgement. Sensei Seppun Hokuto from the Imperial family welcomes us. A lot of other students look at us. I sense some dismay and jealousy. We are asked to sit down, and explain why we, as young as we are, are here. What do we think we can contribute as youngsters.
Still a bit down from the situation during breakfast I basically tell him the Ruby Champion invited us and that this is a great honour. I'm not too happy about my answer, but it'll have to do.