Ayayuki

In The Teikodian Empire, gold spires are so bright they help you forget the shadows they cast. Ask the Imperial guards about the old chimp in the crimson cap, and they'll laugh. To them, Ayayuki is a harmless eccentric, always by the canals with a fishing rod, more interested in carp than court politics. They'll tell you the story of how Sakkaku, addled by forbidden fungi, once sold Ayayuki a map to a nonexistent treasure, a tale that cemented their reputation as a fool. But the whisper brokers in the city's underbelly tell it differently. They say the map was a message, and the panda fan isn't for the heat. They believe Ayayuki wasn't deceived but was helping Sakkaku escape. The guards see a joke. The spies see a master. Ayayuki just keeps fishing.