Chapter 509

The Imperial Household Agency's secret facility at four in the morning lay in an ambiguous silence between sleep and awakening.

Black eaves in the Kamakura-period style sliced the Tokyo gray-blue sky, several paper lanterns in the corridor cast a hazy glow, like a warm-yellow dream floating on the edge of reality.

Uesugi Muneyuki, Ikeda Erena, and Watanabe Minami could finally rest, having searched all day, the entire Special Mission Unit was utterly exhausted.

Watanabe Minami was somewhat better off, she herself had not gone to the scene to investigate, always staying in the office, and now she finally had time to observe the top-tier treatment the Imperial Household Agency provided them.

The suite's genkan was extremely spacious, the gingko wood floor polished to a mirror-like black sheen, reflecting the faint dawn light, Watanabe Minami almost lost her balance when taking off her shoes, Uesugi caught her arm, her high heels and his Oxford shoes lay side by side in the sunken area of the genkan, like two boats finally moored.

"Muneyuki, look at the ceiling's blinds—" Watanabe lowered her voice but could not contain her excitement, her fingertip pointing at the intersecting wooden lattice above: "Exactly the same style as the Shishinden in Kyoto Imperial Palace!"

Uesugi casually draped his suit jacket over the wooden coatrack in the genkan, loosened his tie.

Twenty hours of high-intensity search had congealed into gray shadows on his eyelashes.

"Wow, Muneyuki, look at this!?" Watanabe had already taken small steps into the living room, kneeling on the tatami to touch the hinoki edge of the hearth table, the gold-leaf screen in the dim light flickered with a faint sheen, painted with seasonal flowers in the Kano school style, spring cherry blossoms and autumn maples almost seemed to sway in the gloom.

This is what I wanted! This is what I wanted, teeth! Kora!

Besides liking his ability and handsome looks when engaged to Uesugi, the most important thing was his identity!

Some things cannot be bought with money!

From now on, this young lady will also be a peerage elite!

Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena went to bathe, while Watanabe Minami delighted in the scenery inside and outside the grand suite, outside the floor-to-ceiling windows on the west side of the suite, the dry landscape garden gradually revealed its contours in the morning light, white sand raked into ripple-like patterns, the black pine branches stretched out in a lonely posture toward the night not yet fully faded.

The halo of Tokyo Tower in the distance resembled an orange-red seal stamped upon the city skyline.

"They actually used Arita ware porcelain as night lights..." Watanabe touched the warm, moist glaze of the bedside pottery, the blue-and-white pattern emerged as transparent designs in the warm light.

After a simple wash-up, Uesugi Muneyuki held Ikeda Erena as they entered the already sunken twelve-layer Western-style bed in the bedroom, the goose-down quilt emitted a faint rustling, Ikeda Erena buried half her face in Uesugi Muneyuki's embrace, murmuring: "Minami-chan, go to sleep quickly, I can't take it anymore……I'm so tired."

But Watanabe Minami opened the hinoki bathroom door, seeing a neatly folded crane-shaped towel beside the obsidian bathtub, two others already unfolded, the hinoki-scented bath salts in the glass bowl glimmered faintly, the bronze faucet cast in the shape of a phoenix head, she couldn't help but turn it gently, the sound of water falling into the tub startled Uesugi into frowning in his dream.

"Even the rinsing cup is Kutani ware..." she exclaimed at her reflection on the frosted glass window, outside the window gradually showed crab-shell green, Uesugi's voice drifted from the bedroom, muffled by the pillow: "When the Emperor was renovated after the war…each bathroom was equipped with…imported…marble…"

His words broke into fragmented delirium, Watanabe Minami finally tiptoed to lie beside him, her fingertip tracing the neatly trimmed hair at the nape of his neck.

The angular features of the Uesugi family, passed down through generations, softened in sleep, while on the other side, Ikeda Erena's originally gentle expression became rigid and filled with aggression, Watanabe Minami laughed watching the two exhausted in each other's arms, she also took a shower, then squeezed her body into the gap between Uesugi and Ikeda Erena, a pair of small hands respectively gripping Uesugi's and Ikeda Erena's hands, she whispered: "Thank you for your hard work, both of you, your support is what allows me to steady my position as Management Officer and to sleep in this grand suite where the Imperial Household Agency receives foreign heads of state!"

"In the days ahead, please continue to guide me!"

The last paper lantern quietly extinguished in the daylight, the suite plunged into true darkness.

……………………

After merely sleeping three and a half hours, the Imperial Household Agency sent someone to deliver "breakfast" and urged them to rise, Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena rose quickly, whereas Watanabe Minami, who had been most excited in the early hours, was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open, shouting: "Attendant Ikeda, hurry and dress this lord……Muneyuki, I can't do it, let me sleep a little longer……"

"Pfft~" Ikeda Erena, fully dressed, couldn't help but giggle, she felt fine, exchanged a glance with Uesugi Muneyuki, and helplessly they had to lift Watanabe Minami from the bed, one person supporting her while the other dressed her, then one person supporting her while the other washed her face and brushed her teeth.

By the time Uesugi Muneyuki emerged, the sleep-deprived Special Mission Unit members were already up and eating breakfast, each having slept only a little over three hours, spirits low, among them Nango Yui had eaten only half her bowl of red bean rice after half a day.

"Thank you for your hard work." Ikeda Erena was feeding the half-conscious Watanabe Minami, the sight amused the Special Mission Unit members, Uesugi Muneyuki patted Nango Yui's shoulder and said softly: "Didn't expect it to be this exhausting, huh?"

"No wonder the professional units don't want to come to the Metropolitan Police Department, once something happens it's non-stop around-the-clock shifts, and supposedly regular cases don't even get overtime pay." Nango Yui laughed awkwardly, but also showed a hint of emotion: "But thinking about being able to spend a night in the Imperial Palace, it's worth it."

"That's just how it is." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded.

At this moment, the Imperial Household Agency's Maeda Director and the Imperial Guard Headquarters Chief Kenji, along with the Chief Steward Takeuchi and Vice Minister Nakajima, arrived, everyone clearly hadn't rested well, but obviously their nerves were highly tense, where Maeda Toshisuke spoke with a slightly urging tone: "Everyone, thank you for your hard work, my apologies for any rudeness, the incident occurred suddenly, the prepared refreshments are rather simple, but please hurry, later there will be generous rewards."

"Have the Imperial Household Agency and Imperial Guard Headquarters prepared everything here?" Uesugi Muneyuki glanced at Watanabe Minami still in a half-conscious state, and could only speak up proactively.

"Yes, everything is ready!" The Imperial Guard Chief Kenji nodded seriously.

He had already arranged everything! The Shoryo Bureau police had tripled in number, plainclothes elite increased by five, and a capable squad leader had been dispatched to take charge of on-site command!

Originally the Imperial Household Agency had proposed letting the Special Mission Unit handle the capture and planning, but the Imperial Guard Headquarters disagreed.

The reason is simple, the Imperial Guard Headquarters has already lost enough face in this matter, if they cannot quickly make amends by catching the internal traitor as a fig leaf, how will Kenji manage in Japan thereafter?

And the Imperial Household Agency, after much consideration, also agreed to the Imperial Guard's request, after all the internal traitor is their own person, and to the Imperial Household Agency, the Imperial Guard are always "our own people," while the Special Mission Unit are always "outsiders," letting the Special Mission Unit in to help has already been embarrassing enough, and moreover, Uesugi Muneyuki's temper—what if he speaks out?

After a simple breakfast, everyone waited.

Waiting for Horikawa Nen to come to work, waiting for the operation to begin!

At the same time, the rested Cabinet Crisis Center reactivated, Prime Minister Owada and others heard the news that Uesugi Muneyuki had found the internal traitor, deeply exhaled in relief, thinking Uesugi was steady, then went to rest, now several national top figures gathered again, sipping coffee, nervously awaiting the capture result.

Thus, at 8:10 a. m., under countless eyes and surveillance, 58-year-old Horikawa Nen, Deputy Section Chief of the Shoryo Bureau, came to work.

He was somewhat slender and still wearing an oversized old-fashioned padded-shoulder suit, making him look hollow, his face bore a pair of gold-rimmed toad glasses, forehead and temples already had considerable white hair, appearance ordinary.

However, upon entering the building, his keen nerves caught that unusual tension in the air.

Unusual feeling!

Usually familiar Imperial Guard faces were still on duty, but their numbers seemed increased, and their positions more deliberate, their scanning frequency higher.

In the Shoryo Bureau corridor appeared several young faces in fitted black suits, tall and upright, eyes sharp as hawks, they pretended to chat or look at documents, but that posture and aura could not be possessed by Imperial Household Agency clerks, Horikawa almost immediately smelled "police," and moreover, elite police.

He had worked in the Imperial Household Agency for thirty years! Did he still not know the mental state of its staff?

This made the veteran employee raise his guard, he cautiously entered the office building, went up the stairs, and shortly after suddenly turned back.

Sure enough, he saw a familiar Imperial Guard squad leader covering his walkie-talkie with his hand, speaking extremely softly and quickly, his eyes made contact with Horikawa's and immediately darted away, pretending to be busy with something else as he hurried off in another direction.

Horikawa Nen narrowed his eyes, he came to his office without making a sound.

The internal extension phone rang soon, it was his direct superior, voice as usual but with a hint of imperceptible stiffness: "Horikawa Deputy Section Chief, please come immediately to the Third Conference Room, regarding the corpse appearing in the Imperial Palace and the sudden death in the Stone Room, the Shoryo Bureau's ancient text organization sequence is completely disordered, some details need urgent confirmation."

"Yes." Horikawa Deputy Section Chief said nothing more, he fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled with relief.

Good grief~

About fifteen minutes later, Shoryo Bureau, Third Conference Room.

When Horikawa, wearing his bulging padded-shoulder suit, pushed open the door of the Third Conference Room, inside indeed not only his superior, but several suited men were clearly present, the corridor outside had already been quietly sealed by plainclothes officers.

"Horikawa Deputy Section Chief, please sit, we have some matters to……" the Shoryo Bureau Chief began speaking, attempting to control the situation.

But Horikawa Nen did not give him a chance to finish, he took a sharp step back, his back against the wall, preventing a rear ambush, simultaneously letting out a sharp, manic laugh that interrupted everyone.

"Everyone's here! Excellent!" he shouted loudly, before anyone could react, he violently tore open his own suit and shirt!

"Nobody move!!!"【60】 In that instant, time seemed to stop.

In an instant, time seemed to stop.

What met everyone's eyes was the dense mass of tubular objects wrapped around his chest and abdomen, the tangled electric wires, and the conspicuous battery pack and explosive device that resembled the eyes of a god of death! His right hand was raised high, gripping the detonator tightly, his thumb hovering over that deadly button!

"Do Not Move! Do Not Move!"

"Otherwise I'll blow the entire Imperial Palace to the sky!!!"

Chapter End