Meeting's End
JP with Redsword, Jaxx, Lasersexpanther and Cindy
This time, Sung had said little or nothing, marveling at the team talk and exchanging information. He was very proud of Lady Elizabeth and how she took on the leadership role. Sung knows that when the Duke asks him to watch over Elizabeth, her father thinks there will be more intervention on Sung's side. It appeared that the Duke and Sung were wrong in that part.
Pondering whether the Oni and Tororu are similar but different, he wondered if it could be an Oni instead of a Tororu. He had never faced a Tororu before and only fought an Oni once in his life by himself.
Dr. Jackal listened to the conversation with a puzzled face as if something didn't make any sense. Lily saw the expression on his face and asked, "Something wrong doctor?" Dr. Jackal nodded as he spoke up, "If everyone from the village is missing, then who made the danger sign? Was it someone from the village or someone from a scouting party? I believe if we find that person they may have more information to share?"
Elizabeth responded, "That, I would say, is an accurate assumption but noone ever came forward as to who it was that made the sign. It was 50 years ago, so it is possible noone, now would be able to tell us, but we can certainly ask at the other villages in the area."
"Everyone, we will likely not have a meeting tomorrow but we will have one the next day. That will primarily be about the trip up. Please think about anything you might want to discuss regarding that for the next meeting. It is starting to get late, so I believe we can end this meeting now. Keep in mind tea will be at 4:30, everyone should be ready by 4:15, at the latest. Have a good rest of your evening. Everyone is dismissed." Elizabeth released everyone but hung back a bit in case anyone wanted to speak with her and to get some work done.
Dr. Jackal knew it would be fun to go sightseeing with Lily but also knew they were in dwarf territory so it would be best if they stayed at the palace grounds. So he looked at Lily and Vor as he asked, "Perhaps we can use our time to do some research with the books Lady Elizabeth purchased?" Lily smiled as she was being included in the research task. Lily replied, "That sounds lovely. I would love to help out." Vor was glad to expand his work with his teammates for a change since he usually did his work solo. He then said, "That is a grand idea doctor. We can cover more research that way. Would that be acceptable, Lady Elizabeth?"
"Of course, also remember you have full access to the library at the palace, if you would like." Elizabeth reminded them, because the palace library had more material than the books she had alone.
Hearing the meeting was coming to a close Sasha started packing her notes and books away.
"Lady Elizabeth, I have never fought a Tororu or Troll, as you call it. But if it is anything like an Oni or Oger. We are in for a hard fight," said Sung as the team was leaving. " Sasha should lead the fight if we run into this Tororu. They are extremely rare in Japan and Korea. Legends have it they have destroyed something like 50 soldiers. I've never heard of them taking on a rifle company, though." explained Sung, taping his finger on the table in thought, looking at his tea.
"Yes, Mr. Sung, I agree that Miss Lagrave should lead us against a troll. And it would certainly be a tough fight." Elizabeth responded. "It was my understanding that Oni's are more otherworldly than Ogres or trolls."
"I see Lady Elizabeth, How I know it Ogres, and trolls, while often used interchangeably in Western narratives, possess distinct attributes and histories in Japanese folklore. The Japanese terms for these creatures are Oni, usually translated as the ogre, and Tororu, an imported concept of the Troll. Oni are more deeply rooted in Japanese culture and have ancient origins tied to traditions. Over time, these beings have been woven into the fabric of Japan's myths, legends, and even popular culture, representing the fears and values of Japanese society. " he explained in some detail." But it is not that important at this point. Do you have anything for me to do, Lady Elizabeth?" asked Sung respectfully.
"I see that is interesting." When Sung asked if there was anything for him to do, Elizabeth nodded, "Yes Mr. Sung. I could use help with trying to figure out how we are going to fit nine people and all of their items, especially Miss Ipsum's equipment on four carts, in the most efficient way. Also, I need help with scheduling guard duty, and other things. It's mundane tasks, I am afraid, but ones that need to be accomplished."
He made it sound as cheesy as it did in his reply. "It is as you wish, My Lady," he said with a playful grin. "I was thinking the same thing. We might have to not bring all the mechanical equipment. And if we do, we will move slowly, making us more valuable," he suggested, sitting with Lady Elizabeth, thinking.
"Of course, the problem with not bringing all the mechanical equipment is that only Miss Ipsum really knows what she would need and I do not see her parting with anything she has brought this far." Elizabeth paused. "Certainly, something to consider for the next time we travel is getting our Engineer to, perhaps, travel lighter." She gave a soft smile, "As unlikely as that is."
Sasha agreed, "We should remedy to only bring tool kits for the trip, and small things we needed. The worry should be less about speed and more about stress on the transports. Repairs in the field will be time consuming and far more dangerous than not."
"That is true. I should have thought about it beforehand, but I did not realize how much Miss Ipsum would bring with her. The lack of planning time probably did not help with that as well." Elizabeth commented.