Our country is known as the Land of Samurai, a title from long ago—
Sorry, I misspoke. Our country is called Wano, and it is an ancient nation. Although it might seem disrespectful for a citizen like me to say, I genuinely believe that our country has become decrepit. Countless years have passed, yet the lives of the people here remain unchanged from those of our ancestors centuries ago.
My family is a samurai family; our lineage has passed down swordsmanship for generations, like most samurai families. Although our secret techniques could be more outstanding, they have been sufficient to keep us above the commoners.
I was supposed to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors—my father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and so on—learning our family's swordsmanship and eventually taking over the family affairs to become the next head of our samurai family. Perhaps I could have even become a retainer for some Daimyo, elevating my family's status in the nation.
That was how it was supposed to be, but it didn't turn out that way.
Not to boast, but my talent for swordsmanship is exceptional. I mastered our family's techniques at a very young age. When I was just a few years old, even my father could no longer best me in swordplay. From that time, my life took a different path.
My father believed that staying at home would only hinder my future. He thought I could elevate our family to unprecedented heights, so he sent me elsewhere to study swordsmanship.
It wasn't to any ordinary sword school; their techniques might not necessarily be decisive. My father sent me to Kuri, the territory governed by the Kozuki family, where the Daimyo, who is also one of the country's most renowned samurai, Kozuki Oden, did not take my father's presumption amiss and graciously took me in as his disciple.
From that day, I began studying swordsmanship under Master Oden. Seventeen years have passed since then, and I am now twenty-five. I've stayed in Kuri all this time, only leaving when my parents passed away.
Seventeen years later, I've mastered Master Oden's techniques, but he has yet to acknowledge that I am ready to graduate. I would have earned the right to my own school in any ordinary sword school, but Master has not yet granted me this.
However, that doesn't matter; perhaps it's better this way. I wouldn't know where to go if I were to leave Kuri. Swordsmanship is all I know and all I'm interested in. I'm unsure what to do after graduating, so perhaps it's just as well to continue as I am.
Lately, I've been observing a foreigner who appeared suddenly. He's undoubtedly from abroad, accustomed to attire starkly different from that of Wino's people.
The man's name is Fernando Vlad, a strange name indeed. Is this what names are like overseas?
This Vlad seems to have come to learn a language from Master Oden. I never knew Master knew such a language; perhaps he learned it during his time abroad. Before taking over as Daimyo of Kuri, Master spent several years adventuring on the high seas.
I'm curious about Master's experiences, but he refuses to share them with me, always smiling away my questions. I'm curious about the world beyond our shores, too. Are there more muscular sworders overseas? I wonder.
So, these past few days, I've been watching Vlad, who exudes a distinctly different aura.
"Ah, you fake samurai!"
This voice came from behind me just as I was peeking from behind a pillar, trying to overhear their conversation about foreign lands during a lesson.
I turned around and, of course, it was that naughty brat, Momonosuke, Master's son and my junior, who is quite the little libertine!
He calls me a "fake samurai" for a reason. I despise the typical samurai hairstyle; isn't it cold on the top of your head? It's utterly foolish, isn't it? They say it's a symbol of the samurai, but what good does that do? Do formidable samurai wear their helmets in battle?
Thus, I don't keep my hair in a topknot. I am pretty pleased with my long black hair, so this conservative little brat, who's only five years old, always disapproves of me and keeps calling me a "fake samurai."
"Heh, you little pervert!" I retorted.
Don't think I didn't see you sneaking into the women's bath last night, you little sneak. That lecherous expression was infuriating, but those lovely ladies didn't even realise his true nature. How will he turn out when he grows up if he's already so passionate at such a young age?
"What? What did you say—"
His face turned red; no one else dared speak to him like that. After all, though he may be a little pervert, he's also the legitimate heir to the title of Daimyo of Kuri.
"You have the nerve to say that? I saw you last night, too!!"
The little pervert said, suddenly looking smug, "It's embarrassing, bleeding from the nose! Can you even call yourself a samurai?"
Cut, was I seen?
So what? As a twenty-five-year-old unmarried man, what's wrong with peeking into the women's bath? Is there something strange about that? It's not something scandalous. Is it bad for a samurai to peek into a women's bath?
And what about it, kid? What's wrong with a nosebleed? I've just been a bit heaty lately, and it has nothing to do with what's inside the women's bath. Don't overthink it—I am a proper samurai.
"Oh, it's you."
"The lecherous Mr. Swordsman!"
Hey, hey, hey, who are you calling a lecherous samurai? Watch it, kid, or I might just cut you!
I was pretty annoyed and turned away, only to see that guy standing before me, wearing a lazy smile—Fernando Vlad.
I didn't say anything, although I had much on my mind. After all, some things are better left unsaid, and I understand that well.
"How about it, Mr. Swordsman?"
The man said, "What do you think about my suggestion from last time?"
His last suggestion was when he suddenly wanted me to join him on his ship and sail with him a few days ago.
Honestly, I hesitated. Wano is a tedious and annoying place, and I'm pretty impatient here, but my master's hasn't permitted me to graduate, so I don't have the qualifications to leave yet.
So, I answered.
"Sorry!"
I turned and walked away, feeling a bit melancholy. I decided then, tonight, I'd revisit the women's bath.
Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Sakata XX, and I am a somewhat confused swordsman.