Heavenfall

"Absolutely," she said with a bright smile, and happily changed the subject to something else that her been on her mind.

"You know, Sora and I were both fascinated by the... library, I think the Nezumi called it. This place where they had all sorts of knowledge and history stored. Did you see it?" She barely allowed a moment for it to sink in with Shinsei. "I was thinking it's a wonderful idea! A place where people can come and learn, and become wiser. I like to think I'd be somewhat smarter and wiser if I had something like that growing up. I'd love it if you could contribute something to that - you have so much to teach people!"

"Contributing a physical representation of my knowledge to a location where people can gather to study it? And then those people go to this location to learn it?" Shinsei seemed oddly whimsical as he parsed through the idea. "That does sound quite lovely indeed. I would be more than happy to contribute to such a venture."

"Really? That's great!" So easily she was able to leave behind her earlier concerns, and focus on the more happier things in life. "I don't know what it will be yet, but, I think the world could be a much happier place if we could all learn more and understand more. I was talking to another a couple of days ago who seemed so... stubborn and refusing to accept new learning, it felt frustrating."

"But... well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink and all that. But I think it would be something helpful for the years to come in the future."

"The notion of spreading knowledge is one that pleases me greatly. To have a repository of such knowledge where any man, woman, or child may enter to learn at their own behest...it is an ideal I could easily strive for, and represents a step in the betterment of all that validates much of what I've already fought to achieve. It is a most excellent idea, Shirayuki."

"It wasn't my idea alone. Sora had the idea too." And it was something she hoped more would agree on.

"But! That means, if we're gonna have something like that, we need things for people to read. Maybe it's time for your wisdom to be written down?"

"That may be true. As the gift of writing expands, it could carry words which I would normally deliver in person to those in need of guidance, but otherwise unable to receive it. I am but one man, and cannot be everywhere that I'm needed all at once."

Shinsei carefully rubbed his fingers over his chin. "I am certain that Shiba will be quite taken with the idea himself. It should be no difficulty at all to convince him to back the concept within the empire."

"I think so too! In fact, I think most of the Kami will like the idea... well, I don't know about Hida or Akodo, but I think they'll see the merit in it too. People who know more can do more and accomplish more." At least, to her logic it looked like that.

"I don't know where such a place could be. To start with, it should probably be somewhere that most people can visit, somewhere central. But I like to think that all the clans will have such places as time goes on, so people don't have to travel across the entire land."

"Central to begin with, yes." Shinsei began to muse over the idea. "Perhaps wherever Shiba ultimately decides to reside as his seat of power. The work begins there, and copies of the texts are created, which can then be moved outwards, towards other territories..."

"Yes," she nodded with great enthusiasm.

"It's going to take a lot of work, and we probably won't live to see it fully realised, but... I like the thought that the future generations can have this. Maybe not my children, but my children's children will probably grow up completely differently with so many more opportunities to learn and grow."

"This is a change to the coming empire that I can embrace without pause. A future with knowledge so openly spread and offered to any who seek it." Shinsei's eyes were almost fiery at the idea. "I could pass on so much to so many..."

"Once more people get to know your teachings, I believe many more people can become wiser like you are. Hmmm... have you written any of it down before?" she asked curiously, as she had always listened to what Shinsei had to say.

Didn't help that she hadn't even known how to read five years ago.

A knock comes on the tent frame and a woman's voice calls out:

"Hello? I heard about a teacher here, and I figure it is a good idea to seek them out after what happened back at the Rat's city."

"I have not. Prior to the fall of the Kami, the idea of written word spreading was little more than a distant possibility. But now that it seems more likely...'

At the new voice, Shinsei turned to regard the newcomer. "I am the one to which they refer. You are... the woman who got hammered recently, yes? Seidou Satone?"

Satone walks into the tent

"That is me. And, I would amend that statement to say 'The woman who a Kami failed to strike down', though that may just be my hubris speaking. It is why I have come today though."

She gives a nod to Saruko, a smile parting her lips, and then faces Shinsei again.

"I wish to hear what guidance you may have, or what your thoughts are about the event."

Saruko nodded in return to Satone, giving a friendly smile.

"... I can leave, if you like?"

Shinsei turned to Saruko first. "If it pleases you, you may stay or go as you wish. I'd not lament your company, but neither would I wish your discomfort in staying."

Turning to Satone, the man looked her up and down carefully. "My first piece of guidance is that, had Shinjo truly wished for your death, you would not have a head with which to ask that question of me."

Satone shakes her head and scowls a little.

"Nonsense. You were here first, I am interrupting. There is no need for you to leave, and if you are not finished with your visit, please continue before my matters are addressed"

"She was disheartened though that she was unable to do as I challenged. I do not think she held back"

Shinsei fixed Satone with a firm stare. "You wield the hammer which struck you, so tell me this. If you were faced with striking someone down, someone who you did not believe needed to die, who you believed deserved every chance to live, how hard would you swing? Can you honestly tell me that some distant part of your mind would not prevent you from placing your full weight into the blow? Your resilience certainly played a part in your survival, but I do not believe it played the only part."

Nodding, Saruko merely fell silent and decided to listen. Perhaps she'd learning something new by listening to this exchange.

"If I was given a challenge, it would be dishonest to not do my best to overcome it. I believe I would have put my all into the strike, only pulling back enough to ensure I did as asked and knock them out instead of kill them."