Fates Parallel Chapter 46 - Negotiation

After Murayoshi’s lesson, Lee Jia had been preoccupied with the idea of introspection. Not actual introspection—just the idea of it. It had become a surprisingly important subject of late.

Magus Hwang described the domain of an extension of the self, and understanding it would require one to understand themselves. Since understanding her domain was currently the greatest obstacle to her cultivation, it seemed rather important that she learn to look inward and understand what it really meant to be Lee Jia.

Unfortunately, introspection had never been her strongest skill. In fact, she quite ardently avoided it whenever she could. After all, what good could possibly come of it? Eui knew exactly who she was, and it made her miserable—no, that wasn’t fair. Most of Eui’s self-loathing came from blaming herself for things beyond her control.

Lee Jia was good at figuring other people out, even if she rarely applied that knowledge, except on people she was robbing. For example, she knew that Eui and Eunae had a lot in common—both came from places of privilege, and both were depressed, though Eunae took great pains to hide it. She knew Dae was lonely, but too nervous and awkward to do anything proactive about it.

The list went on. If she stopped to think about it, she could create little profiles like that for all her friends, but if she tried to do the same for herself? Nothing. The only thing Lee Jia had learned from her introspection was the fact that she was terrible at it. In all probability, Eui knew her better than she knew herself.

She thought about asking Eui or even Yoshika, but Eui had been right—she couldn’t self-reflect by asking the opinion of others. She needed to know who she was to herself, and not even Yoshika could help with that—even if they were sort of the same person, which was a whole other headache that Jia didn’t want to think about.

Lee Jia was snapped from her thoughts by a blow to the face that she thought she had evaded. Rika stopped and scowled at her.

“Jia, stop getting so distracted in the middle of practice! I know you can tell when I’m extending my reach, so there’s no way that should have hit you.”

Jia rubbed at the painful sting in her cheek—the blow hadn’t been full-force, but it had been full speed.

“S-sorry. I’ve just been a bit preoccupied, lately. Let’s start over.”

Rika shook her head and sighed.

“Nah, it’s getting pretty late, anyway. Do you think she’s gonna do it?”

Jia followed Rika’s gaze to where Yan Yue was currently running laps around the training field. She’d smashed her previous record and showed no signs of slowing down.

“It looks like she’s figured out the technique. If it works, it should just be a matter of time before she awakens her ki.”

Rika made a sound of disgust as she watched Yan Yue run.

“Ugh, I cannot believe it’s that easy. There are other shortcuts to awakening ki, but most of them don’t properly purge the corruption like that. That’s supposed to take weeks.”

Jia smiled wryly, she had mixed feelings about being the pioneer of such a valuable awakening technique.

“Did Eunae ever tell you what awakening that way felt like?”

“Uh, no. She said it was unpleasant, but I assumed she meant the purge...”

“It’s like every muscle in your body is tearing at the same time, and you can’t just think about something else. You have to focus on the pain, because you’re doing ki meditation at the same time. Eui and I both passed out afterwards, and Eui still says it’s the second worst pain she’s ever felt.”

Rika visibly shuddered, most likely recalling the time that Eui experienced life-threatening burns across most of her body while also undergoing a ki deviation. In truth, there was a fairly enormous gap between the first and second place, but Jia was happy to let Rika think it was comparable.

“Do you think we should warn her?”

“I wouldn’t want to break her concentration now, and worrying about it might make it harder to focus later.”

And besides, putting Yan Yue through grueling training was a small form of petty revenge for all the trouble she had brought down on Jia and Eui.

“If you say so. So, how are things going with you and Eui?”

Jia cast Rika a sidelong glance and suppressed a sigh. It was an innocent enough question, normally, but she was fairly certain that Eui had confided in Rika about her feelings for Jia.

“Fine, I guess. We’ve hit a bit of a weird bottleneck in our cultivation, but I think I just need a bit of time to figure myself out. It’s kind of complicated, but I’m sure we’ll get through it.”

Rika visibly cringed at the word ‘complicated’.

“So, you’re not...”

Jia did sigh this time—she couldn’t help it. She appreciated Rika’s concern for Eui, but not the clumsy way she was probing Jia for information while indelicately attempting to avoid the actual subject.

“I don’t know, Rika! She told me, but I don’t even know how I feel. I barely even know who I am, and I am only just recently starting to realize how huge a problem that is. And that’s just part of a long list of things that keep me so preoccupied that I get distracted during our spars, ok?”

Rika averted her eyes sullenly and Jia immediately felt bad for snapping at her. Rika’s face contorted into a pained expression as she spoke.

“S-sorry, Jia. I was just—”

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped like that. You’re a good friend, Rika, and I appreciate your concern. I guess I just have a lot on my plate right now, and it’s kind of overwhelming.”

Rika’s expression softened a bit, but she still looked a little downcast. Suddenly, their attention was drawn to the sound of Yan Yue screaming in pain as she collapsed onto the track with a thump.

“Sorry, Rika—that’s my queue.”

Jia ran up to join Eui next to Yan Yue, and quickly activated a talisman she’d learned to make just for situations like this. A small bubble of greyish mana formed around them, blocking out most sound and distorting the world beyond it to give them some semblance of privacy.

She knelt down next to the writhing Yan Yue and gripped her hand, repeating the words that Ienaga had given her during her awakening.

“You’re almost there, stay conscious! Focus on your breathing.”

Jia and Eui lifted Yan Yue into a sitting position as she groaned and strained against the pain of her awakening.

“You...didn’t...warn me...bitch!”

Jia suppressed a giggle and squeezed Yue’s hand with a serious expression.

“Forget about that right now! If you can talk, then breathe. You need to keep meditating through this or it will all be a waste.”

Yan Yue’s grip was vicelike as she groaned through clenched teeth, but she did as she was told. Her brows furrowed in concentration and her face went red from the strain as beads of black corruption began to form on her skin. It was fascinating and disgusting to observe the event from an outside perspective, Jia thought. The vile sludge soon covered Yan Yue entirely, and the smell was as awful as she remembered.

To her surprise, Yan Yue did not fall unconscious as she and Eui had. After about five minutes of intense focus, Yue’s concentration broke and she began to hack and cough as she expelled the corruption that had expressed itself from inside her—easily the worst part of the entire experience, from Jia’s recollection.

After a minute of coughing, vomiting, and catching her breath, Yan Yue looked up to glare miserably at Jia and Eui.

“I hate you! I hate both of you. I will never forgive you for this.”

Eui cackled gleefully, and Jia just shook her head and sighed.

“I know. Now let’s get you a shower and a change of clothes.”

The privacy spell dissipated at Jia and Eui carefully did not help Yue to her feet—they didn’t want to get that stuff on them. As they left the training field they were met by Hayakawa, who’s eyes widened as they fell on Yan Yue.

“Ah! Miss Lee, I’m glad I was able to catch you. Miss Yan, you have my congratulations.”

“Ugh. Kill me.”

Hayakawa nodded sympathetically.

“A common enough sentiment, after awakening. I had been hoping to speak with Miss Lee further about the topic from the other day—if you’d like, I can invite you to join us back at my dorm where you can get cleaned up. I’ve heard that some of the smaller houses don’t include heating in their shower formations.”

Yan Yue perked up immediately.

“Hot water!? Oh thank the Emperor—yes, please!”

Lee Jia chuckled at Yue’s excitement. She didn’t understand it—water was water. Why would the temperature matter?

“I guess we’ll have to accept your invitation then, Miss Hayakawa. Lead the way.”

---

Lee Jia was immediately envious of Hayakawa’s dorm accommodations. She had thought that Eunae and Rika had gotten lucky with their larger house and garden courtyard, but Hayakawa’s dorm was something else entirely.

In addition to distinct kitchen, dining, and living areas, the house had two spacious bedrooms and a temperature control formation throughout the entire house. The formation even allowed the temperature to be adjusted by room, in case the residents had differing preferences.

As promised, the bathroom had a formation that could not only adjust the temperature of the water, but also the pressure and angle of the stream—a far cry from the simple on-or-off cold drizzle they had at home. It was also stocked with a variety of soaps and perfumes that Yan Yue was extremely pleased with. Jia had—at Eui’s insistence—purchased soap, but nothing as extravagant as what Hayakawa had.

As they left Eui to get cleaned up, Jia stared around and wondered at the enormous gap between her own dorm and this one.

“Hayakawa, you live here!? On your own?”

“I did, for a while, but I recently gained a new roommate. We haven’t spoken much, but it’s my understanding that she will be returning late tonight.”

That entire concept blew Jia away. How could you live with a person and not speak with them much? She supposed the house was big enough, although—

Jia was distracted by her musing by a wave of alarm from Eui, who’s head snapped up with a sudden realization.

“Wait! Hayakawa, you said you got a new roommate? How recently?”

Hayakawa looked askance at Eui before pondering the question.

“Just under a week, I think. Why?”

Belatedly, Jia realized what Eui was getting at, and exchanged a worried look with her. There weren’t many new students, and even fewer girls. With Yue accounted for, that only left...

“Was she by any chance a noble from Goryeo? Short, light hair, rabbit ears?”

Hayakawa cocked her head curiously.

“You know Sun Jaehwa?”

Jia smiled stiffly as she responded, ignoring Eui’s grumpy scowling.

“We’ve met briefly. What a coincidence.”

An infuriating coincidence—if there really was such a thing as fate, Lee Jia thought it must have a cruel sense of humor. Hayakawa glanced curiously between her and Eui.

“I see. It seems like there’s a story there, but I won’t pry. Have a seat, let’s discuss what we have to exchange.”

Jia and Eui took a seat on a shockingly soft couch across from Hayakawa within the house’s living area. Hayakawa was much more businesslike and straightforward compared to Eunae, who would always serve tea and make small talk.

“You suggested that you had a way to help me awaken my third discipline, but that it was a precious secret. I assume from the fact that you told me even that much, that you have something you want from me in exchange.”

Lee Jia nodded, and suddenly wished she had a cup of tea she could sip from as she gathered her thoughts—was that why Eunae did that?

“Yes, that’s correct. Specifically, we had been hoping that we could arrange for you to take us—along with Yan Yue and perhaps a few others—up to the mountain peak for training and exploration.”

Hayakawa frowned.

“That’s quite a lot to ask for. In the first place, it’s not something I can grant—I can only bring one person with me at a time. I was the leader of that team, but they aren’t subordinate to me.”

Eui raised an eyebrow incredulously at Hayakawa.

“I mean, they kinda are. Toshi definitely is—if you asked that kid to eat shit, his only questions would be ‘what kind?’ and ‘how long should I savor it?’.”

Hayakawa grimaced and made a sound of disgust.

“Ugh, Miss An please don’t give me that mental image.”

“What? Tell me I’m wrong.”

Hayakawa shook her head and let out a long-suffering sigh.

“While I wouldn’t put it so—crudely, Miyata Toshiharu means well even if he is a bit overenthusiastic. The Miyatas are a vassal family to my own Hayakawa clan.”

Jia scratched her cheek awkwardly, she felt strange asking, but she had to know—

“Doesn’t it get on your nerves? Having him shadow you all the time, trying to earn your favor?”

Hayakawa smiled slightly and rested her cheek on a fist as she regarded Jia.

“That’s an interesting question. You know, it’s the privilege of those of extremely high or extremely low status to not have to worry about social rank. A pauper can get by just showing deference to everyone, while a queen is beholden to nobody. It’s more complicated for those in the middle.

“To actually answer your question, I find it infuriating. There are those who enjoy surrounding themselves with sycophants, but I’m not among them. However, I understand where Miyata is coming from. He lacks the social graces to handle himself around foreign diplomats, or complicated social circles with wildly differing social strata. By hiding behind my status and making himself unremarkable, he avoids the need to concern himself with any of that. It’s simply a survival strategy.”

Lee Jia hadn’t really thought of it that way, and now she felt a little bit bad for dismissing Miyata out of hand as just another stuck up jerk who used the influence of others to act tougher than he really was. Just a little bit, though—he was still a stuck up jerk.

“I appreciate the insight, Miss Hayakawa—I hadn’t thought of it that way. Still, if you understand that much, then you must be aware that you absolutely can offer what we are asking. If you asked it of them, the others would use their invitations in whatever way you wanted them to.”

Hayakawa crossed her arms and sat back to level Lee Jia with her intense gaze.

“Perhaps they would. They likely wouldn’t ask for anything in exchange, either, but they would expect something. It would be a favor I owed to each one of them, and for someone in my position, favors are extremely valuable—and dangerous—things. Consider this—has Princess Seong ever asked a favor of you, or even accepted one that was offered?”

Lee Jia furrowed her brows as she thought about it. When she had offered to trade her combat meditation technique with Eunae, she had refused—insisting that she would learn it on her own. Eunae had also framed the elemental converter as a thank-you gift, a favor being returned.

There was only one thing Eunae had ever truly asked of Jia. When she had gotten on her knees and begged with tears in her eyes for Jia to not treat her like the princess she was. To consider her as just another friend. Just Eunae, the intense, aggressively friendly, lonely girl. Until now, Jia had never really appreciated the gravity of that request.

“Alright, I think I understand. What if we extended the same offer to them, then? For each one who agrees to bring one of us up the mountain, I can help them awaken their qi.”

“You still haven’t told me how you intend to accomplish that. I understand that it’s meant to be a secret, but isn’t there something you can tell me before I agree blindly?”

Lee Jia hesitated, trying to think of what she could say without giving too much away.

“Well, I can assure you that it’s not something that anyone but me can offer in this academy—not even Elder Qin. It’s also—well, it’s a little risky. And painful, but I am starting to think that pain is a core part of the cultivation experience.”

Hayakawa allowed herself a small chuckle at that.

“It certainly can be. Putting aside the rather audacious claim that only you can offer it, what kind of risks are you talking about?”

“It’s a small risk, especially if you’re made aware of it. The process requires a stillness of mind and body as you meditate through the pain and keep your emotions steady. It’s not hard—though it’s not exactly easy, either—but the stakes are high. Failure means never being able to cultivate spiritually again, or in the worse case—death.”

Hayakawa raised her eyebrows.

“I see. You’ve trusted me with quite a bit already. Alright, I am interested. I’m willing to accept your offer, and at least bring others to hear it—though I can’t guarantee they will accept. There’s one other thing I’d like in return, however—not for the others, just between us.”

“What is it?”

“You have more techniques like that calligraphy you showed me, I’m sure. I’ve noticed Takeda’s rapid advancement, as well. It’s clear that there are things you share with your inner circle—unique advantages that have even drawn scholars like Magus Hwang and that Do Hye’s interest.”

Hayakawa leaned forward, folding her hands in front of her and fixing Jia with an intimidating glare.

“I want to know what they are. All of them.”