Dororo: Part Two
Nakamura Masaru
Part 3: Kagemitsu
Chapter 16
The castle town was bustling and prosperous. Though it was near the old and fiercely contested border between the Muroto Clan and the Kaneyama Clan, the town appeared entirely peaceful, like war had never touched it.
Hyakkimaru had never set foot in such a place before. The disparity between this place and all the war-torn villages and cities he’d passed through before made him uneasy. He wondered if the people who lived here understood how dangerous the outside world was, or if they’d always lived this way, protected by an unseen lord and an army that they never saw.
The city made Hyakkimaru uncomfortable, but he couldn’t show that in front of all these people. It wasn’t a fault or a character flaw to live a peaceful life. Hyakkimaru identified his discomfort as dissatisfaction at the world’s essential unfairness. Every city should be like this one, but he’d never visited another one like it before.
A small child ran past Hyakkimaru, laughing and teasing another child who was chasing them.
Hyakkimaru frowned. He knew that the war still existed: it simply didn’t affect the people who lived here. Lost battles and burned villages elsewhere meant nothing to them. They would only be threatened here if the Daigo Clan lost power over the entire region. Until then, these children and the other people in the city could continue their easy, peaceful, happy lives.
Still frowning, Hyakkimaru wondered if anyone in the city knew or cared how difficult life was outside the city walls--how difficult it had been for him. He doubted it.
It was a beautiful summer day, and wherever Hyakkimaru looked, everyone was smiling and laughing. He felt alone in the crowd, like a dark cloud set to cover over everyone else’s bright sun. He walked along a wide street for a while, then ducked into a building that looked like a tavern.
Finding work in places like this was a little dicey. Most of the good jobs were only available for people who had contacts in the area. Hyakkimaru had chosen to visit a tavern first because they were usually hiring, and drunk people tended to cause incidents. If something dangerous had happened in this tavern recently, they might be looking to hire on guards--or they might know of a different tavern in such a predicament. It didn’t hurt to ask.
Hyakkimaru’s best chance of finding employment in a place like this would be to protect it from an active threat so that he could show off his skills, but he doubted he’d be lucky enough to walk into a situation like that.
Hyakkimaru sat down at a table and ordered tea. There was a man sitting near him that looked to be about Jukai’s age--if Jukai were still alive, that is. Hyakkimaru took a few sips of his tea, then gave the man a friendly wave. “Hi. Do you know of anyone who’s hiring guards in town?” he asked.
“Guards?” The man considered for a moment. “Are you looking for bodyguard work, or protecting places like this?”
“Either,” Hyakkimaru said. Accepting work as a guard meant that he’d have to pause his demon-hunting quest for a while. Sometimes, demons came to him, but that wasn’t terribly common. When he’d first started looking for work after coming down Jukai’s mountain, he’d had to go around to a lot of different places before any position was offered. That was when he’d started traveling, and putting his training to practical use. He’d had run-ins with armies, but that was rare; the bigger threat on the road was armed gangs and bandits.
He remembered the first time he’d taken a job as a bodyguard. The first time his employer was attacked, he’d disarmed the attacker and knocked them out, but he hadn't killed them. Jukai had always told him that he had to become desensitized to killing, lest he be killed himself, but he couldn’t do it. He still found it extraordinarily difficult to kill. He apologized to the animals he killed to eat, if only internally, and never killed people if he could help it. He could feel their pain as his own, and even Jukai’s training hadn’t taught him to be callous enough to ignore those sensations.
“If it’s a swordsman you need, there’s none better,” Hyakkimaru said to fill the silence. “I’ve got plenty of experience, and I heard there might be a need for someone like me around here.”
The owner of the tavern started listening in on the conversation. "Bodyguard work, you say? I think I've heard that--"
Someone was approaching the bar from outside. The tavern's owner tensed up as five wicked-looking armed men came in. They didn't bother with sitting down or ordering anything; the men made a beeline for Hyakkimaru.
Hyakkimaru hadn't seen the men before. One was extremely tall, though none were short. Another man was as big around as an ancient tree and seemed to be about as tough, too. One man was pale and sickly-looking. They had the look of common thieves or bandits, but their weapons were of better quality than average, and a few of the men exuded the calm air of experience.
Without saying a word, the five men surrounded the table where Hyakkimaru sat and attacked.
What a pain. Who were these guys? Hyakkimaru could release his swords from his arms, but there didn't seem to be much point. He got up, disarmed his attackers using the chopsticks at his table, and knocked them out. Then he sat down and drank his tea again.
Hyakkimaru was looking over the unconscious men who'd attacked him looking for clues about their identity when another man entered the tavern. He was young, probably younger than Hyakkimaru, and richly dressed. If the men who'd attacked Hyakkimaru were thieves, then this young man might make a good target. The young man looked at Hyakkimaru, the tavern owner, and the other patron; the other patron fled through the door.
The tavern owner bowed hastily to the newcomer.
The richly dressed young man smiled. He, too, was armed, though he made no move to draw his sword. He glanced at the unconscious men on the floor and nodded. "I see. Well, you'll do, I suppose. I can use you." He looked at Hyakkimaru again.
Hyakkimaru tilted his head. Had this young man sent the others who'd attacked him into the tavern? Why?
"I heard you before," the young man said. "You said you were looking for work."
The young man seemed pretty full of himself. He was smiling at Hyakkimaru, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Hyakkimaru felt like he was being challenged in some way and felt himself tensing in reaction. Who did this guy think he was?
Hyakkimaru drew a knife from his belt. The young man drew his sword at the same time. He was slower than Hyakkimaru, but not by much.
I can take him.
The young man was still smiling. "Come with me." He hadn't lowered his sword. "It's your lucky day. The castle's hiring, and that's the best work you can get in town."
The young man sheathed his weapon and put his back to Hyakkimaru. Hyakkimaru watched him leaving and hesitated. He needed work, but he certainly didn't need to work for--or with--this guy.
The Muroto Clan's symbol, a centipede, was emblazoned on the back of the young man's clothes. He left the tavern before Hyakkimaru could observe anything else about him. Some Muroto Clan uniforms indicated rank, and the young man had said that there was work in the castle. Did that mean the young man was a member of the Muroto Clan? Or worse, the Daigo Clan?
Hyakkimaru followed the young man outside. The street was crowded and people pressed in close, so Hyakkimaru couldn't make out much more detail on the young man's clothes.
But people only crowded Hyakkimaru, not the young man. Men and women who caught sight of the young man pulled animals and young children out of his way and bowed their heads.
Since people were giving the young man some room now, Hyakkimaru was able to get a better look at him. His fancy clothing was topped by a battle surcoat in good condition. He might be a warrior, though he seemed too young to have much experience. The Muroto Clan's symbol was embroidered on the back of the surcoat in gold thread. The surcoat flapped in the breeze as the young man walked, making the thread shine brightly in the afternoon sun.
He thinks he's some big shot, obviously, but who is he, really?
The young man stopped and turned to face Hyakkimaru. "What's your name?" he asked.
Hyakkimaru was known by many names, but if he wanted a job, it would probably be best to use the most common one. "People call me Hyakkimaru."
"Hm? Hyakkimaru?" The young man appeared surprised. Maybe he hadn't expected Hyakkimaru to give him a name. "I'm Tahōmaru." His tone was arrogant, like it had been at the tavern.
Suddenly, the crowd parted, making way for several men in old-style samurai garb. One of them was leading a magnificent horse. Tahōmaru mounted the horse quickly and easily. He gazed down at Hyakkimaru from above and said, "My father's name is Daigo Kagemitsu."
Hyakkimaru sucked in a breath. Tahōmaru wasn't from the Muroto Clan, but the Daigo Clan. The Daigo Clan had usurped the Muroto Clan's power, and Dororo had special hatred for that clan. This situation could prove to be quite problematic.
"I'm the second-in-command of this nation, and my father's heir. You'll be working for me." He turned his horse and started moving away.
Hyakkimaru remained where he was. He couldn't possibly work for Dororo's enemies...but he hadn't had an opportunity to refuse Tahōmaru's offer yet. He followed Tahōmaru down the street so that he wouldn't cause a scene.
Tahōmaru was heading for the Daigo Clan's castle. If Hyakkimaru played his cards right, he might come out of this with important information about the Daigo Clan. Maybe he would learn something that Dororo could use. Daigo Kagemitsu's heir was sitting right in front of him on horseback--who would have thought that such a thing would ever happen?
The Daigo Clan castle came into view: vast, sprawling and misshapen. Metal glinted atop the towers, which were all of different heights.
No turning back now.
Hyakkimaru set his shoulders and followed Tahōmaru into the castle.
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