Chapter 4
Aihi didn’t slow until the Genshu estate came into view. The grounds were blocked from the external roads with thick rows of black pine, which sprawled along the edges in a natural barrier. Monoliths carved with Genshu ravens stood proud between gaps not covered by trees.
“What’s your plan?” Taniya said.
“That depends wholly on whether Hidekazu welcomes us or… does what he tends to do.”
“You mean explodes, right? Because last time I saw him—”
“Yes. Explodes. I suppose that’s what you would call it.”
Though they were on Genshu grounds, Hidekazu himself was elusive. On paper, he had resumed his duties as a shōgun-bushi months ago, but Aihi had only permitted him to operate under a limited capacity. No fighting. No warfare. Nothing that could trigger him into his next downward
