kscans

Chapter 45 - Betrothal Gifts

"Shion. On the right is my father, Kotaro, and on the left, my mother, Tae." Shintaro had informed his parents of Shion's blindness in a letter beforehand, so he explained without hesitation.

"My name is Shion." Shion placed her fingertips on the floor before Shintaro's parents and bowed her head deeply. Faced with the beautiful girl with her lustrous white hair and shining black eyes, Shintaro's father's eyes darted about nervously, while his mother stood frozen.

It wasn't just Shion's appearance that had unsettled them.

Since early morning, messengers from the Tower had been in the village, tidying up the newly built inn. When Shintaro's party arrived, they had swiftly taken the horses and luggage, greeting them with deeply respectful bows. The whole scene was bizarre.

The villagers, who had been gearing up to give Shintaro a grand welcome, were left standing there, utterly dumbfounded. The village elder, in particular, was even more confused, as he recognized Soma among the group.

"Hey, isn't that the fella who won that tournament a while back?"

"Huh? Are you sure?"

"Positive. I saw him with my own two eyes. What in the world is going on?" the elder muttered, crossing his arms and tilting his head.

Even now, the messengers from the Tower surrounded Shintaro's family home, ostensibly as guards. A palpable tension, completely out of place for a poor farmhouse with an untiled roof, hung in the air. Inside the small main room, Shion and the Emperor sat side-by-side in the formal seiza posture, with Saneyuki, Nana, and Soma seated behind them. It was unreasonable to expect his parents not to be flustered.

But Shintaro calmly sat down beside them and began the introductions.

"This is Shion's father. Beside him are Lord Masaki Saneyuki and his wife, Lady Nana. And this is Lord Kawara Soma."

"I am Yukimitsu," the Emperor said, introducing himself with a nod. Saneyuki followed suit, bowing his head.

"I will be serving as the matchmaker for this occasion. I am Masaki Saneyuki, the next master of the Iron Tower. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Soma bowed his head in turn.

"From this day forward, I will be working under Lord Shintaro and dedicating myself to my duties. I ask for your kind consideration."

"Ah, yes, the pleasure is all ours," Kotaro stammered in reply. Like his son, he was a tall man. Tae, on the other hand, sat with her back perfectly straight, her gaze fixed on the visitors. The subtle beauty and dignity she possessed were unmistakably those of Shintaro's mother.

"My son sent us an uncharacteristically long letter, but its contents were so incredible that until this very moment, I suspected we were being deceived." It was the Emperor who was most intrigued by Tae's sudden declaration. She spoke with a firm, resolute tone unbecoming of a farmer's wife. He felt that the mother of such an extraordinary man must also be extraordinary.

An awkward but tall and powerful-looking man, and a dignified woman unfazed by anything. Their blood has mixed in just the right way,
he thought.

"I will ask you frankly. Is my son truly capable of fulfilling the duties you require of him?"

"Of course. I came here today precisely because I believe only Lord Shintaro can fulfill them."

"...People sometimes say that a kite can give birth to a hawk, but I have never once thought of my son as a hawk. We sent him to the local temple school, but he was no genius. We raised him as a normal child."

"But his skill with the sword can hardly be called normal."

"Yes, he is a fine swordsman. But governing a country is another matter entirely."

"You need not worry. My daughter has received a proper education, and my advisors are trustworthy."

"Are you saying it's fine if the man himself is of average intelligence?"

"Well, there is much he will have to learn, but that is the gist of it. That is not to say I intend to make him a mere figurehead."

"In times of peace, he is nothing but a figurehead."

"No. What is required of a ruler right now is whether or not they possess a Divine Possession. Without it, one cannot even serve as a figurehead." Tae's brow furrowed.

"Divine Possession?"

"To put it simply, it refers to someone who excels in a particular area. But a leader needs more—they need the power to command respect and trust. They need the capacity to lead those who are masters of their own skills. Even as his parent, you must understand that Lord Shintaro is worthy of this. Or perhaps I should ask, as a parent, can you not see it?"

"I cannot say for certain."

"Then allow me. An Emperor cannot serve unless they are a threat to neighboring countries. No single person can fend off ten thousand enemies. No one, that is, except this man. You will not find another like him, no matter where you look." It was less a betrothal greeting and more a persuasion. But the Emperor seemed to have instinctively realized that to win Shintaro, he first had to win over this mother.

Tae slowly let out a breath and closed her eyes.

"I understand. But please, promise me this. That you will never betray him. That you will serve him faithfully until death do you part. If you can keep that promise, I ask for nothing else."

*

So his lack of greed comes from his mother, the Emperor thought, gazing up at the ceiling of the hastily constructed inn. The gifts he had intended to bestow were now back in his possession. She had refused them, saying there was no place to put them and that his sincerity was more than enough.

"She is truly your mother," he had remarked to Shintaro as they were leaving the house. Shintaro had just offered a wry smile. He had clearly expected this. It made sense now why he had insisted on reducing the amount of luggage.

"Are you sure it's alright that we didn't accept them?" Shion had asked, concerned.

"She does not seem the type to accept something she has once refused," the Emperor soothed. "And we, in turn, cannot force gifts upon someone who has declined them. It is more graceful for both parties if we withdraw promptly as requested."

"Besides," he added, "it would be a disservice to increase their burdens when we plan to invite them to Kyo eventually."

*

The inn had only three rooms, which limited their arrangements. To mitigate risk, the Emperor and Shion had to stay in separate rooms. If they were together and something happened, they might both be lost—it was a precaution to ensure the continuation of the bloodline. Thus, the rooms were assigned as follows: the Emperor; Shion and Nana; and Saneyuki and Soma.

Soma unfastened the sword at his waist and placed it beside him as he sat on the tatami floor. Saneyuki did the same, sitting cross-legged.

"It's well-made for something built in such a hurry," Saneyuki commented.

Soma nodded. The structure was standard, but the pillars, beams, and tatami mats were all of high-quality materials, and it even came furnished with shelves.

After taking it all in, Soma nodded again and said suddenly,

"But I was surprised."

"Hm?"

"I had assumed that Lord Shintaro was..." Having started, Soma now hesitated. Saneyuki gave him a quizzical look.

"What is it?"

"Well, of noble birth."

"Ah—did I not mention it? Well, with his appearance and demeanor, it's not surprising you'd think so."

"No, he doesn't look like a farmer's son at all. His mother seemed quite intelligent as well."

"But I assure you he isn't lying about his status. I hear he had a very difficult childhood due to poverty, and he spent his days chasing off wild animals to protect the fields. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say his skill with the sword was honed right there."

"...I see." As Soma fell silent, Saneyuki watched him with interest.

"What's wrong? Do you have a problem serving a man of common birth?" Soma looked up, startled.

"Of course not. His status is irrelevant. I would be honored to serve a swordsman such as him."

"Hoh? You think quite highly of him, don't you?"

"That's only natural."

"Hahaha! Indeed, it is." Saneyuki laughed and slapped his knee, looking out at the sky through the open window. The sky that Shintaro had danced beneath since he was a boy was a brilliant blue. A refreshing breeze carried the scent of the earth, and the gentle sunlight danced upon the new tatami mats. It was a peacefulness that seemed to bless this day, and Saneyuki narrowed his eyes, taking it all in.