[D3LA] Where money flows (Expecting)

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"That's an intriguing blurb, but hardly a story by itself. Did you check the merchandise in the end? What results did the investigation about the jizamurai's background and allegiance put forward?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well. Fellah worked for Kasuga-sama. An' his eyes bugged out a bit when Kitsuki-san kinda... showed 'em the pipe offa the ronin from th'first night here."

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"Kitsuki-sama was casually carrying the pipe of a dead man on his person and just brandished it under the guy's nose?

I think everyone would have given away a weird look in such circumstances."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"I'm thinkin' th'character of th'pipe was what stood out, not th'provenance. An' it wasn't a weird look, it was a furtive one..."

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"Yeah yeah, I got the guy was suspicious. But a side look doesn't really tell us anything we already didn't know. Did the Kitsuki at least determine where the guy came from from the color of the mud on his shoes, or had any other sort of Kitsukinsight? They have a reputation to uphold as master detectives."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"If he did, he didn't tell me."

[Shosuro Kaoru]

Kaoru had begun the conversation thinking the Mantis was hiding most of her hand, keeping the best cards in her sleeve to drop them at the moment they'll have the most value.

It might have been classic Scorpion overthinking. Maybe the Mantis actually hadn't that many cards from the beginning. And maybe these cards weren't that great either.

"Interesting. I'll ponder about it."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well, if y'can make anythin' of it, do whatcha can..."