Ring of Fire - Black Market Deals

[Kogaratsu]

"I hope you can forgive me for not pushing the subject Ryuichi-sama I do not trust the man and did not want him to become suspicious of are true intents less he relay the information on to someone else and are true enemy's get word of it. The trail could go suddenly dead if that were to happen. None the less we should look into these unusual rise in weapon sales. If there are shadows to be found they may well lead us on the right path. What do you think ?"

[Hayabusa]

"Ah, do not worry, Otori-san," Ryuichi says with a smile. "Maybe these people don't even know about the theft and murders anyway, but it's not wrong to check that weapon sales. It was right that you did not mention it. We do not want to give away our true purpose if we don't even have a lead. Carelessness is a step closer to the abyss of ignorance."

The Kitsuki looks up to make out the time from the position of the sun. "And my companions are might still be occupied, so we should have ample time before we can head back to the barracks. Let us see if any weapon-selling merchant is getting nervous by our appearance."

[Kogaratsu]

Otori nods in agreement at the dragons words and smiles at the mention of possible nervous merchants with secrets and hidden agendas."Let us get right to it then."He says with another nod of determination.

[Hayabusa]

"And maybe they sell even more than peasant weapons," Ryuichi says with a smirk. "Although we're rather looking for thieves and smugglers instead of illegal arms dealing. Well, even if we cannot find another trail for our investigation, the people should see that the 10th Legion did notice the sales, right?"

[Kogaratsu]

"Aye it will send a message that the legion is ever watchful of the dubious activities of Zakyo Toshi. It is not without plausible course though that there might be a connection between the thieves you seek and the possibility of illegal arms dealing in the city. Who knows maybe something even larger is at stake but I dare not give voice to my thoughts just yet."

[Vardaen]

The pair speak of possibly actions and if one thing might be connected to another. With some time to go before the other three Magistrates are read to be linked up with Ryuichi and Otori begin a search about the city for arms dealers.

Otori makes an excellent guide, he knows the city well, where the forges are, where the swordpolishers are, even where smith and merchants who might sell hemin weapons can be located. For the next few hours the pair circle the city, stopping at some forge or another. The investigation meets with pretty much the same results in each place. The merchant or craftsman is polite and accomodating to the pair of the 10th Legion. They comment that they may have made a few additonal sales in the last few months. A few extra kama, an extra pair of tonfa here or there, a hunting bow or yari, but no single person seems to think it out of the ordinary. In fact they either take pride in their work and say folks are just realizing who to buy from (they all think they are the best), or they attribute it to the rising tension in the Captial over the lack of an Emperor sitting on the throne.

Taken by themselves each stop is nothing important, but Ryuichi is adding it all up in his head, and taken as a whole, in the big picture, there is a serious flux in peasant weaponry sales on the rise, perhaps some place between 25 and 50 persent more in the last few months than previously. It is a worrisome enough thought, but all the sales or trades have been done legally and there is no sign of illciit activity going on with these sales.

It isn't until Otori asks a certain question that the true danger comes to light. "Who" are the peasants buying the weapons. Farmers, craftsmen, herdsmen, and the lowest of the low of the hemin class. However on more than one occation a merchant answers, "I think he said he name was Jin."

[Hayabusa]

"That name, Jin, comes up a little bit too often," Ryuichi says to Otori as they walk from one merchant to another. "And that name didn't strike me as a very common name either. So I may be wrong, but somehow the increasing sales and the same name are certainly odd. Do you know someone by the name Jin, Otori-san? I do not know how long you have been station in Zakyo Toshi, but maybe it's not the first time you've heard the name before."

[Kogaratsu]

"No the name does not ring any bells. But it is as I feared someone presumably this Jin is arming a substantial amount of people, could it be that there is a revolt in our midsts?"

[Hayabusa]

"I'm afraid that I cannot answer that question," Ryuichi shrugs. "If there were some unusual unrest, then I thought that you would know about it. But if even the 10th Legion doesn't know then this amount of selled weapons is quite worrisome."

[Kogaratsu]

"Well the city is in a constant state of unrest hence why where stationed here. But your right if there was something truly out of place we would of recognized it by now. What worries me is that this could be a organized effort and that there keeping a lo profile until the time is right to strike but at who and why I can only guess." Otori shakes his head. "Either way this is pure speculation and I may be over thinking the matter. We should go and see what your fellow magistrates have learned or go back to the barracks first and are make my report if we have time to spare."