He who came from the Orient

After only an hour had passed since their trip, that group of young people, who were in silence and were at the back of the bus, began to chat.

- Hey, people ... since we still have about four or five more hours to go ... How about talking about our lives or something to get to know each other better? - Glen suggested.

- You seem to have a lot of time to gossip about other people's lives. - replied Liam.

- Exactly. - added Renato.

Glen smiled somewhat frustrated by such comments.

- I support Glen... - said Daniel - With everything we went through, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to know a little more about ourselves... besides, we might see each other again in the future, since we are all going to the capital.

Liam and Glen were somewhat surprised to hear the white-haired young man's argument; meanwhile, Renato seemed to be trying to hide with a displeased expression.

"If I don't move, they don't see me... if I don't move, they don't see me..."

- Well ... that being so ... let's start with Renato. - Liam proposed.

That young man in the officer-like suit was flabbergasted.

- Yes, I have no problem. - said Daniel smiling with his eyes closed.

- N-No... wait...

- Come on, kid... or do you have something to hide? - Glen commented as he placed his arm around the neck of whoever was next to him along with a rather menacing smile.

Faced with the imminent pressure, Renato's mind gave him a way out.

- That's right, it's down to luck! The first one to be chosen will tell ... whatever it is they want to know ...

Certainly, no one had specified what each of them would tell, so the chosen topic was to tell about his childhood.

Having played the roulette game on a Tablet that Liam had bought the same day he arrived in Zaragoza, the selected one was ...

- Well ... your turn, Glen ... - said Liam.

- ...

"Phew! ... I've been saved!" thought Renato.

Leaning back in the comfortable seat he could lean back and acting like he was a seasoned veteran, the young man in casual clothes began to speak.

- Well ... this will be something ... nostalgic ... - commented the young man with an expression of joy with sadness.

- ... Hey ... stop acting like a jerk and talk for once! - commented Liam.

Unexpectedly, however, the boy was quietly silenced by the young albino.

- Don't interrupt him ... maybe his story is exciting. - said Daniel.

Both Renato and Liam were taken aback.

- Finally someone who understands the good atmosphere..." commented Glen.

In one of the fields in what was once the capital of Japan, there was a young woman who seemed determined to find an opportunity in that land. She was a foreigner, but she had a great passion to learn about the culture of the eastern country. However, she wanted to live close to nature and, settling near some temples, she met a young man who was a farmer. The two fell in love with each other over time and married.

When that woman became part of that farmer's family, she learned that he belonged to a family that practiced martial arts, especially swordplay. This was even more evident when, upon visiting her in-laws' house, she noticed a dojo that no longer seemed to be in use.

A year passed and they had a son who seemed to have inherited his mother's appearance, but, at his young age, showed some talent in the art of kendo. The father and grandparents knew that the child was of their blood and trained him carefully as the successor and heir of that family.

When the boy was old enough to decide for himself, he set off on a journey to see the world and gain experience. Unfortunately, on his first step he realized the reality: Money moves the world. That ignorant boy was saddened, but took courage and cunning to face the world.

- So ... you come from Kyoto, you're a guy who knows how to use wooden swords and now you're traveling with the goal of having money? - Liam commented indifferently.

- Well yes...

- Well ... now I understand why you don't look Japanese at all, but when did you learn Spanish? - asked Daniel.

- When I thought about leaving my country, I looked for which nations had more financial opportunity... among that was England, United States, Germany, Spain and others... I thought about going to England, since my mother taught me English and I have the nationality of both. But I also learned Spanish as a child when I had a scholarship in the school where I was studying ... apparently my mother liked the idea and forced me to learn a third language ...

- I understand ... but why do you have a Mexican accent? - Renato asked.

- The scholarship was at a Latin American language institute ... most of the teachers were Mexican ...

- Oh... I see... - said Renato.

- Well, in the end, I saw that Spain paid in euros which was worth a little more than the dollar ... so I decided to come for a while.

Everyone present upon hearing him say this thought the same thing.

"Money ... huh?"

- Now I do continue...

- What, you weren't finished? - commented Renato sarcastically.

- Is that what they make me talk for?

- On the other hand, what did your parents say when they found out you were leaving? - asked Daniel.

- Well... not that they could do much. The age of majority is 20, so I just let them know when I turned 20 and they gave me some money and I left. The good thing is that the family business is doing well and my parents liked the idea of me traveling ... so they supported me in this.

- In other words they wanted to get rid of you and with good reason. - Liam muttered.

- I heard you, shorty.

- What?!

Both young men began to look at each other defiantly.

- Come on ... don't start again. - commented Daniel - ... uh, I have a question ... you said you were taught something called kendo, what is that?

Glen smiled slightly.

- It's like an introduction and practice for when you use real swords ... you use wooden swords and protective gear when dueling with others ... It's something that takes time and dedication.

- And for how many years did you practice that? - Renato asked.

- Since I was eight years old, I think.

- Wait ... now you are 20 ... that would be about twelve years ... wow ... - commented Renato.

- Well, the first five years were difficult, but then it became like a routine ... plus I had the family dojo all to myself.

- Did you ever participate in competitions or something similar? - asked Daniel who seemed more and more interested and excited.

Glen's smile grew much longer.

- Of course ... during my twelve years of practice I was in at least seventy-two events between competitions, demonstrations and the like.

- And ... how many did you win? - commented Renato provocatively and mockingly.

- Well, in most of them I was in the first places ... but I only won fifteen of them. - Glen answered innocently and ignorant of Renato's hidden intentions.

- ... No wonder you fought so well on the roof, huh? - commented Renato indifferently; however, he did not measure his words well.

- What do you mean? - Liam asked with some distrust.

"There, I screwed up!" thought Renato when he realized what he said and when he felt Liam's judicious look accompanied by Glen and Daniel's accusing glances.

- I-I meant when we were in the canyon and we encountered that monster ... or, rather, when I attacked them and Glen was able to defeat me ... ha ha ha ... 

The young man's words were slurred; however, he slyly changed the subject.

- On the other hand, how are your wounds? What did the doctor say? - asked Renato to Liam who had overcome his illness he suffered in the canyon through the medical consultation when they took that mysterious boy who died on the spot.

- Yes, right... How do you feel now, Liam? - asked Daniel somewhat hurriedly.

- Yes, I'm fine... now, tell me, what are you hiding?

As a shiver ran down the back of Aren who was sitting further forward, he commented.

"This feeling...it feels like when Liam was starting to probe about me...what's going on in the back?"

- Something's going on ... are you listening to me? - Said the blonde-haired woman next to him with a somewhat worried expression.

- No... nothing...

-So ... aren't you going to answer? - Liam asked defiantly.

"For a kid, he sure is scary..." thought Renato.

The pressure was evident, but again Renato had an idea.

- We'll tell you ... only if you tell us what you're hiding under your patch.

Everyone was amazed at the young man's ingenious escapades.

- ... Forget it ... it doesn't matter. - Liam replied, turning his gaze to the window as if to put the matter to rest.

"Phew ... that was close." thought Daniel and Glen in relief.

The situation having calmed down, everyone turned to see who would get to speak next.

- Well, now who's next? - Glen asked, referring to the roulette game that was on Liam's Tablet.

However, the Tablet was turned off and that boy's defiant gaze settled on them.

- I'll be the one to choose this time. - said Liam.

None of the people present dared to complain or disagree on anything.

The next to speak was ...