19 Ryoko (1/2)

I glanced at Ryoko, taking in her intense focus towards sharpening her blade. The sword's edge was glinting and looking sharp enough to slice my hand off with one swipe. Naturally, I made some s.p.a.ce between us.

”You think that's sharp enough?” I grimaced.

”This sword is never sharp enough.” She soberly answered, and tacked on a slight she couldn't stop herself from saying. ”Kind of like you.”

”Oi!” I frowned and sighed away further reactions to her sarcasm.

”How'd you get in with the knights anyway?” I casually asked her and flinched at her steely gaze, almost as sharp as her sword.

A thick silence hung between us (despite Death's playing of Twinkle Star) until she broke it with a heavy sigh.

”Luck, mainly.” She answered and told me her tale.

Her mother, Lyra, was once a leader to a prosperous Neska Gudari Head Family in Gonade. Lyra had been married to the leader of a wealthy and influential swordsmith family that fas.h.i.+oned weapons for the royal household at Armia Gardens. It was how she had met Brystagg during her many official visits to the royal palace, shadowing her husband as his bodyguard as well as his wife.

”My Oji and Otōsan's business pretty much monopolised the High King's armoury. Fas.h.i.+oning tamahagane into their official blades. Business boomed when soldiers kept commenting on their kills being quick and easy with a Katanaka. Lots of non-military people wanted one as well. The king wasn't making my Old Man's business exclusive, so they also got work that way.” She continued.

”Katanaka?” I c.o.c.ked my head to onside with a perplexed expression.

”It was a nick name those soldiers gave my Otōsan and Oji's katana's. Their family name is Tanaka.”

When the High King died in battle at Tempra years back. Royal strongholds and many family businesses found themselves going through a civil contention between the two succeeding high princes. As loyalties between High Prince Brystagg was tested with his brother High Prince Sirius, so were the loyalties between Ryoko's father and his year-younger brother.

It made matters worse when Lyra sided with Brystagg and her husband was not inclined to betray Sirius due to his backing from many influential strongholds.

”My Oji kind of didn't care for that political bulls.h.i.+t, which p.i.s.sed off Otōsan who wanted his backing to convince my mother against supporting Brystagg.”

Ryoko didn't have much memory from what had transpired between her parents and uncle. A lot of her knowledge was obviously gained after the fact as she grew older and was able to understand more of her Oji's rambles.

What she remembered was Lyra hugging her a fond farewell as she took her last a.s.signment to Armia.

”She was meant to a.s.sa.s.sinate someone. Now that I think of it, could've been that Brystagg.”

All that Ryoko could gather from her Oji was that her mother's last a.s.signment came from the current High King of Sol. It was the a.s.signment that saw to her sudden disappearance.