Shintaro

Mr. Satoshi and Hayato were quietly washing dishes together. While Hayato washed them, Satoshi would dry them with a piece of cloth and organize them. They had a very busy morning at the ramen place, and many people passed by and ordered a lot of food on top of that. This was one of the reasons why the old man was so angry at Hayato's lateness.

"Usually, parade days are quite busy. I don't know why, but they are. Maybe, together with all those arrogant and braindead nobles, a lot of people come from different counties, such as merchants, artisans, artists, singers, journalists... No wonder many people in colors and with fancy masks came here to get some food.

"Besides, did you get yourself a mask? It's easier to pass by unnoticed if you wear one."

Mr. Satoshi brought up this subject rather subtly. He was the type of guy who didn't like awkward silence. He preferred an environment with noise. The more noise, the better. That's why busy days at the ramen place put him in a good mood, though secretly. He usually would wear the bossy and ruthless man mask in front of the customers.

When Hayato asked him why he would do that, Satoshi simply answered that it intimidated the ill-intentioned bastards and brought more peace to his little restaurant.

"I did get myself a mask", Hayato nodded his head as he passed a wet bowl to Mr. Satoshi. "But I am not used to it, so I always forget to wear it before leaving the inn. By the way, why is it so normal to wear masks here?"

"It is normal for most of the districts, my boy. Each district has a reason why. Ours doesn't have any really important reason, it's just something cultural. The masks show the status and power one has in the hierarchy of our society. Besides, they represent one's true and pure self, because a mask cannot change nor hide its true identity."

"I see. Cultural reasons, huh? I wonder what the other districts think about the masks."

"You would need to go there and see it with your own eyes. Even if there is something shady or different about their masks, they wouldn't tell it to other districts. Although each district is very near each other, we never relate more than necessary."

'This world is separated into several districts. How many there are, nobody really knows. Nobody tries to discover and disclose it publicly. Each district is like its own nation. They have different cultures, different economic models, and so on. Generally, a huge wall surrounds the districts as if separating that piece of land from the rest of the world. Two separated worlds.

'When I discovered it, my mind blew. It's just so much different than everything I ever saw before...'

After a minute or so of silence, Mr. Satoshi spoke up again.

"Could you practice with your magic these days?" he muttered.

"Yes. Sometimes. I can't practice much, anyway... Why are you suddenly asking about it?"

The sound of Satoshi placing a porcelain bowl on top of another echoed. The environment got disturbingly quiet again for a second. They barely could hear each other's breathing, even in a small place like that.

"Our time is wearing out", he simply said. "I don't know for how long I will be able to hinder them, but it won't last more than a few days."

Hayato's mind got filled with questions. He had to stop washing the dishes for a second to register what Mr. Satoshi said. It was something so simple, yet so difficult to swallow...

"And what will happen once it wears out? What do we do? I mean-"

"Did you think about what YOU want to do, Hayato?"

Hayato remembered what happened that morning when the guard glanced at him and there he saw his worst nightmares.

He needed yet another second to answer.

"Yes. I know what I wanna do."

Mr. Satoshi smiled, but only for a moment.

"Fine, then. Be quick with the dishes, ok? Soon enough, more customers will come."

Hayato returned his focus to the dishes he needed to wash, but a frown remained still on his face, for some reason.

"Once it wears out, you should go to the neighbor county, on the east. The county we are now is not where the nobles concentrate, but certainly isn't the best one to start things. Once you go there, search for the person who supplies me with meat. He will show you something. There is someone there that I would like you to meet."

'What was this conversation for? Is he just testing me? Or...'

The boy interrupted himself and shook his head as if to shoo away those thoughts.

'I shouldn't worry about it. I shouldn't worry about things remaining the same as they are. True, living like this is good and all... but it's not the life I should be living at all, not when I know that HE is out there. Not when I know that I can find him again. And not only him, but I can also find each one of the bastards who killed my friend. Maybe even Tess is out there, too.

'However, to look for all of them and discover what happened to us, I need to look forward even if it means that I have to go through harsh paths.'

Hayato usually was not an assertive or determined person. Most of the time, he was quite cowardly. One of the things he needed to change about himself was these traits.

'As much as those guys disgust me, I have to admit that their determination and assertiveness brought many things to them, including my and many people's complacence and fear.'

Fear was the keyword there. If Hayato wanted respect, he had to get it through fear. For people to fear him...

'I need power. More power than anyone else.'

****

"Please, let him enter", a voice echoed inside the palace on top of the mountains.

"Yes, daimyo. May I excuse myself? I will leave you two alone."

"Please, stay by the door, though. You cannot trust anyone these days, even the most trustworthy of the soldiers", the daimyo didn't spare a glance at his subordinate. Wearing fancy, colorful clothes, he sat in front of a small table with a shogi board on top of it. His eyes were focused on the game, which he was playing alone, apparently.

He took one of the pieces, then moved it forward. Once the piece landed on the board, it made a sound that echoed across the silent luxurious room.

As if the sound of the shogi pieces were the only thing he could hear, the daimyo didn't notice the arrival of a royal guard in his personal room. Even though the door was noisy and his steps showed no care for discretion.

"Here I am, my daimyo. How can I serve you?"

"Your Japanese is still a little off. Are you practicing?"

"Every single day, though it's a difficult language for me. But, no excuses. Soon enough it will be better."

"You have been saying the same thing for years now. It never gets better. However, everything else in you is developing so fast that I am honestly surprised", the sound of the shogi pieces resounded again. The daimyo had his eyes still fixed there.

The royal guard didn't say anything. He didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or a critic... or both. Sometimes, the daimyo would scramble his ideas like that. It was hard to keep up with him.

"It's been how many years since you are a guard?"

"Seven."

"How many as my personal guard, my royal guard?"

"Three."

The daimyo nodded and moved another piece.

"That's right. Three years, five months, seven days. It's a lot of experience, don't you think?"

"I still have a lot to learn, if that's what you implied with the question, my daimyo."

"I know you have. We all have. For example, at this point in this match of shogi, I don't know what to do to make the opposite side win, though I could easily win from this side. But if I did the latter, it wouldn't be fun playing alone, would it?'

"I suppose it would not, sir."

"What piece would you move, Shintaro?"

Shintaro didn't hesitate at all. He answered immediately as if knowing that the daimyo would say that.

"With all due respect, my daimyo, I don't play shogi. I barely know the rules. But I do know you are aware of what to do to win with the opposite side."

The daimyo finally moved his eyes toward the royal guard, they flashed with delight.

"Is that what you think?" he asked while staring at his blond-haired warrior. There was something in his aloof and cold demeanor that pleased him. He was a quiet soldier, very obedient, and there was a hint of arrogance in each of his words, but very well measured to not disrespect him.

His personality was like a tranquil lake, but with dark water. You couldn't see what it had under the surface. It could be anything. Maybe a monster that could hurt you, maybe just cold water that would make you relax... or a little bit of both.

"What do you mean by that, soldier?"

"Several rounds ago, when I was still entering this room, the shogi board had the same pattern, but the opposite side was winning, yours losing. After a few plays, you reversed the positions, subtracting a few pieces. But all the key pieces you moved to revert the game are mostly still alive. Why can't you do the same again?"

The daimyo smiled...