kscans

Chapter 27 - The Courage to Fight

The Emperor looked at Shintaro, who stood slightly behind Shion, and grunted imperceptibly. Tall and well-proportioned, with a dignified and handsome face, Shintaro possessed a terrifying presence. It wasn't just that he lived up to the rumors; he trampled all over them. Faced with such an extraordinary air, the Emperor found himself hesitating to welcome him as a son-in-law, even though this was what he had hoped for.

If he marries Shion, this man will gain status, honor, and wealth. At that point, he'll be truly invincible.

The Emperor clicked his tongue at the thought, worried for his daughter's future. He had always believed that no one in his court would dare make Shion cry, but one look at Shintaro shattered that confidence. Even if no women approached him, if Shintaro so desired, it seemed there were fifty thousand who would betray their masters for him. And so, to test Shintaro, the Emperor had presented an impossible condition. If he had the passion to take on this challenge to win Shion, then for now, he would acknowledge him.

When Shintaro promised to accept without a moment's hesitation, his eyes glinted like a lion's. The Emperor found himself unnerved by that belligerent gaze. A fearless smile in the face of a challenge to fight a thousand soldiers a day for ten days straight. It was the face of a man who wouldn't hesitate to jump from the top of the Tower.

Saying he would show Shintaro to his room, Shion led him out of the main hall. As he watched her go, the Emperor snatched a fan that was nearby and threw it onto the tatami mat. Miyake and Nanafushi, who had remained, were startled.

"I've drawn a more dangerous lot than I ever imagined."

The Emperor spat the words out, and Miyake and Nanafushi fell silent, beads of sweat on their foreheads. They didn't know the reason, but it was obvious he was in a foul mood. It was safest not to say anything unnecessary. But still, they couldn't understand. There was no man better than Shintaro, so what could he possibly dislike? After a moment of silence, the Emperor spoke.

"Let's just hope this court and my bloodline aren't devoured."

At that ominous remark, Miyake and Nanafushi seemed to understand something and exchanged glances. The Emperor feared that after the marriage, Shintaro would act with impunity, dominate the court with his power, surround himself with women he fancied, neglect Shion, and ultimately install a child born out of wedlock as his heir. Well, it wasn't an entirely impossible scenario, but Shintaro was a man interested only in fighting a single woman. Such worries were needless. Unfortunately, none of the three men present knew that.

*

Shintaro hadn't run through the fields as a boy just for fun. He had also done it to protect the crops and livestock from wild animals. Not just around his own house, but throughout the entire village. Being poor, they all had to cooperate with one another to survive. After all, the annual tax was forty percent. If it were forty percent of that year's yield, it would have been manageable, but it was calculated based on the assumption of a full hundred-percent harvest every time. Therefore, even with an eighty-percent yield, the amount owed didn't change. That meant if the harvest was only fifty percent, they were left with a mere ten percent. If a poor harvest yielded less than forty percent, they were allowed to keep a tenth for themselves before paying, but the unpaid portion was carried over to the next year, so it amounted to the same thing. They couldn't afford to lose a single handful.

But Shintaro disliked killing and focused only on driving the animals away, so it was a never-ending battle. There were three wolf packs, each about fifty strong, for a total of one hundred and fifty. Wild boars appeared in groups of one to three, but there were about a hundred in the mountains. As for crows, there were easily a thousand. There were also monkeys, foxes, and wild dogs. Wild birds other than crows were also a menace. Sparrows that pecked at seeds could be handled by others, but when it came to birds of prey that attacked chicken hatchlings, that was another story. What was demanded of Shintaro was the speed to chase wolves, the strength to fight boars, the jumping ability to confront birds of prey, and the skill to scatter a flock of crows. No matter how gifted he was, it was not something he could accomplish without considerable training. Day after day, Shintaro trained his body, experimenting to find the most efficient ways to drive them off, and polished his techniques. Of course, it was by no means an easy path. At first, some had whispered that he was possessed by a monster, but after seeing his efforts, they later changed their tune.

"He works so hard for the village, we shouldn't complain," they would say. And then,

"Could you drive away the beasts for us again?" a village man would ask apologetically, and Shintaro would smile and readily agree.

Because of who he was, Shintaro gradually earned their deep trust. On the day he left for the dojo, the entire village came out to see him off.

"You can come home anytime," the village representative said, and Shintaro nodded.

"I plan to act normal outside the village, but if my cover's blown and I'm treated like a monster, I'll come back."

"Hahaha. You'll be fine, Shintaro. Go on. We're all rooting for you." At that moment, Shintaro felt he could take on ten thousand enemies in a world he had yet to see. He had a place to return to, and people who understood him. That gave him tremendous courage.

*

"There is nothing swifter, stronger, or more terrifying than a creature of the wild."

Because he was to fight ten thousand soldiers, Shion was so worried that she refused to leave his guest room. This is what Shintaro told her.

"Fighting to survive and fighting in a match are different from the very start, down to one's state of mind."

Shion frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I fought the creatures of the mountains and fields every day, from morning till night. It was to protect the village's daily livelihood. The wild animals were desperate too, since they needed to eat. The only difference was that there was no bloodshed, but it was practically a fight to the death. If all I have to do is face a thousand enemies who have no intention of eating me, and only for ten days, it'll be a cakewalk."

"But the people here are truly strong, you know?"

"As strong as Miyake-dono?"

"N-No, not quite that strong. But at least stronger than Saneyuki-san."

"Then it's fine." Shintaro stated it as a fact and kissed Shion on the forehead.

"Now. You should go. If you stay too long, it will look suspicious." Shion frowned. He could face ten thousand enemies, yet he worried about such trivial details?

"...You're a coward, aren't you?" At Shion's murmur, Shintaro gave a wry smile.

"I told you, didn't I? I was afraid of all sorts of things, so I trained my body and became strong. That's all there is to it."

"Oh, heheh. Then I'm glad."

"Eh?"

"I'm glad you're a coward, Shintaro-sama. We were able to meet because of that, right? If you had a strong heart, you wouldn't have trained?"

Shion said with an innocent smile. What an adorable woman, Shintaro thought, and pulled her into an embrace.

"Really, you have to go now." Shintaro whispered in her ear, but he showed no sign of releasing the arm wrapped around her back. Shion was somewhat perplexed by the contradiction.

"Sh-Shintaro-sama?"

"I'll win for sure, so I'll never have to let you go."

A faint blush colored Shion's cheeks. A woman's joy filled her heart.

"For sure, you promise?"

"Yeah."