Ambition and Warnings

He has it on his person, yet it is impossible to give? Hearing Minamoto no Yorimitsu's words, Onikiri's brow furrowed. After a moment of contemplation, a thought occurred to him, and he spoke with a hint of concern.

"My Lord, the sword Princess Kaguya spoke of... she couldn't be referring to me, could she?"

"Haha, you worry too much, Onikiri. The blade Princess Kaguya desires is not you. While you are formidable, you do not possess the ability to constantly evolve by consuming different materials." Minamoto no Yorimitsu chuckled at Onikiri's worried tone. His response allowed Onikiri to breathe a secret sigh of relief; truth be told, he had genuinely feared Yorimitsu might actually give him away.

"Phew... In that case, My Lord, where exactly is this sword she refers to? Does such a divine weapon even exist within the Minamoto Clan?" Exhaling slightly, Onikiri continued, his voice tinged with confusion. Having been by Yorimitsu's side for so many years, he had never seen his master possess such a weapon.

"Naturally, it exists... I have held this sword since I was a child. It has accompanied me even longer than you have, Onikiri. I have used it in every battle until this very day," Minamoto no Yorimitsu continued, his words steeped in mystery. This only served to leave Onikiri more perplexed.

"My Lord, what exactly is this sword you speak of?"

Hearing Onikiri's question, Minamoto no Yorimitsu smiled faintly. He placed a hand over his heart and spoke slowly.

"This sword is my ambition..."

"Your Lordship's... ambition?" Onikiri murmured the words softly, seemingly beginning to understand.

"Yes, ambition... It is my ever-expanding, reckless ambition to revitalize the Minamoto Clan and the Way of Humanity." As Yorimitsu spoke, he gazed out the window, his thoughts seemingly drifting back to the distant past.

"Since I was very young, I never liked the predetermined paths others laid out for me. I preferred to constantly strive for greater achievements. At first, my ambition was the position of heir to the Minamoto Clan. Once I became the heir, I was no longer satisfied with waiting and coveted the position of Clan Head. After forcing my father to retire and enter the priesthood so I could take his place, I became dissatisfied with the restrictions of the elders and the power-sharing with the Ritualist Faction. After purging the elders through force and driving out the Ritualist Faction, I realized that the current power of the Minamoto Clan was insufficient to manifest my talents. Now, I need to expand our influence..."

Withdrawing his nostalgic gaze, Yorimitsu's thoughts returned to the present. He thought of Princess Kaguya and the riddle she had set the previous day.

"Heh... I didn't realize that Princess Kaguya understood me so well, to the point of tailoring such a difficult problem for me. She clearly sees my swelling ambition and greed. It is just like the samurai she described, who was so desperate to forge the world's greatest sword that he let the blade consume everything without regard for the cost."

"So that's how it is... But, Princess Kaguya said that the samurai was eventually consumed by his own blade. Surely that isn't the case for you, My Lord?" Onikiri nodded in realization, yet a new doubt surfaced.

"That was her warning... Princess Kaguya—or perhaps her mother, Asakura Hao—wished to use this to warn me that the realization of my ambition must have limits. In her story, the materials consumed by the blade represent the means I use to achieve my goals. Not all materials are suitable for a blade, just as one cannot use any means necessary to achieve ambition. Otherwise, I will face a backlash and become like the samurai in that story." As Yorimitsu spoke, he casually brewed a cup of tea. Onikiri finally understood all the information conveyed in the riddle. It wasn't so much a puzzle as it was a coded message specifically for Minamoto no Yorimitsu. Being a brilliant man, it hadn't taken Yorimitsu long to decipher the hidden meaning.

"Then, My Lord... what should we do now?"

"What else can we do? Naturally, I shall write a letter informing Princess Kaguya that my talents are meager and my learning insufficient to solve the mystery and find the blade. Thus, I have no choice but to withdraw. Since Princess Kaguya gave me such a riddle, it proves the candidate she has in mind is not me. There is no need for me to join the fray any longer." Yorimitsu spoke as he drained his tea in one gulp. He then pulled a sheet of white paper from his desk, spread it out, and began to write.

Inside the Asakura Residence in Heian-kyo at night.

Looking at the letter that had just been delivered from the Minamoto Clan, Miketsu took a sip of tea. After savoring it, a faint, calm smile played on her lips.

"It seems... the Minamoto Clan Head has clearly interpreted our meaning. Faster than expected, Mother," Princess Kaguya said softly as she sat before Miketsu, slowly pouring water to brew tea.

"Naturally. That fellow Yorimitsu is a clever man; he wouldn't fail to see the intent behind a riddle written specifically for him." Miketsu set the letter down. Looking at the correspondence, Princess Kaguya spoke gently.

"I hope the Minamoto Clan Head remembers your warning from now on and can keep his swelling ambition in check."

"One can only hope... Yorimitsu's capabilities are obvious. Under his leadership, the Minamoto Clan's rise to prosperity is foreseeable. Unlike the other hopeless members of his clan, he has his own principles. I believe the Minamoto Clan under his hand will not repeat the mistakes of the Old Minamoto Clan."

Miketsu spoke slowly. She held a hopeful attitude toward Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his 'New Minamoto Clan,' wishing for him to grow into a stronger force within the human realm to provide more aid in the fight against the Great Snake. However, given the Minamoto Clan's numerous past offenses, she could not afford to be without vigilance.

Particularly regarding Yorimitsu himself; there was evidence that during the time of the Old Minamoto Clan, he had also participated in some unsavory deeds, using underhanded methods to seize power. Miketsu even felt that during her initial dealings with the Minamoto, she might have clashed with him in the shadows. Furthermore, Yorimitsu's extreme views on Yokai remained a potential danger.

A personality as self-confident and ambitious as Yorimitsu's would be an uncontrollable bomb without some form of restraint. Using this marriage selection as an opportunity to give him a cautionary warning was precisely what Miketsu had intended.

"The Minamoto Clan Head has announced his withdrawal, following Young Lord Yu. That makes two out of the five gone already. It's only been half a day, yet progress is quite swift..." Princess Kaguya remarked, mentally tallying the suitors.

"Indeed... At this rate, we might finish everything by tomorrow. This is much faster than in 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'..." Miketsu murmured, looking up at the bright moon in the sky, wondering who would be the first to solve their riddle tomorrow.