"Odawara… My family name is Odawara," Akira said nervously, glancing at Ryuma.
"Are you father and son?" the guard asked firmly, watching Akira closely as he noticed the boy's uneasiness.
Ryuma cleared his throat, trying to cut in before Akira could answer.
"Ahem… He's my nephew, sir. He's just awkward because in our village, we don't really pay much attention to family names," Ryuma interrupted smoothly.
"Yes, well, now we do. Every resident entering the city must be registered completely. What is your purpose in Kyoto?"
"We only wish to trade, sir. The woven goods we make are the finest in Kyoto Province. Would you like to buy some? I'll give you a special low price just for you," Ryuma replied as if he were already accustomed to being a merchant.
"No, no, I don't need any. Very well, you may enter. But remember, if you cause trouble or lie, the punishment will not be just a fine," the guard muttered, as if eager to finish his duty quickly.
"Thank you, we understand."
The main market of the city was incredibly crowded, merchants from all around Kyoto, townsfolk, and soldiers standing ready at every corner.
"Remember, don't let anyone know your real name," Ryuma whispered softly.
"I understand. I'm just worried someone might recognize me," Akira nodded, adjusting the woven straw hat he had made himself.
A woman approached, carrying several shopping bags in her hands.
"Oh, this is nice. How much are these sandals?" She picked up a pair of woven sandals from their cart.
"20 silver coins, ma'am," Ryuma answered.
Akira watched carefully, trying to learn how to offer goods.
"That's expensive. With 20 silver coins I could get better sandals from another merchant." The woman placed them back down.
"I'll give you two pairs for 30 silver. These sandals are durable. You won't regret it, ma'am," Ryuma said with a confident smile.
"Hmm… alright, I'll take two pairs. You guarantee they're strong and sturdy, yes?"
"Hahaha, of course, ma'am." Ryuma wrapped the sandals and handed them to her.
One by one, more customers began to arrive. Akira started helping with the sales. Occasionally he shouted to attract customers, his voice no less spirited than the other merchants.
"Straw weaving! Sandals, bags, hats! Cheap prices, best quality!"
Inside, however, Akira's thoughts were still in turmoil. He was still grieving for his family and his clan, yet whether he wanted to or not, he had to face his new fate. Would he continue living like this? Would he ever return to school? Could he survive? Even Akira did not know the answers.
When customers became scarce, they sat down to rest.
"Akira, go to the drink stall. You must be thirsty. Buy sweet sugarcane juice for me as well," Ryuma said, handing him several silver coins from their earlier sales.
"Yes, Uncle."
At the drink stall, it wasn't too crowded. A few townsfolk were there, along with several Shogun soldiers resting from duty at the tables.
"Ma'am, I'd like to buy two small tubes of sugarcane juice," Akira said to the server.
"Alright, please wait a moment," she replied kindly.
Akira looked for a seat and ended up beside a table of soldiers who were relaxing and chatting. For some reason, he felt a strong urge to listen in on their conversation.
"I think Lord Hojo Yoshitoki's decision to eradicate the rebels is misguided," one soldier whispered.
Akira flinched slightly and focused harder.
"What do you mean?" another asked.
"I suspect he's doing it just to make Shogun Minamoto lose the trust of his own people," he said while sipping his tea.
"Or maybe he just wants some excitement," another soldier joked with a laugh.
"But I don't understand, why did he order us to wipe out the Kageyori clan?"
"It is strange. Kageyori is just a small clan in the West. Does the Regent truly hold such a grudge against a minor clan?"
"Excuse me, did you just fight rebels? Were they evil?" Akira couldn't resist asking.
The three soldiers turned to look at him.
"Yes, a few days ago. Of course they were evil. They planned to assassinate Shogun Minamoto," one of them said.
"Oh… the alliance of Emperor Go-Toba?" Akira asked, pretending not to understand.
"Yes, that's right. But don't worry, we've already defeated them."
"Then why is only the Kageyori clan being hunted? Weren't there other clans in that alliance, Taira, Nara?"
"We are merely samurai carrying out orders. The exact reason, we do not know."
Akira nodded.
"Hey, your accent sounds like you're not from around here. You sound like someone from Kamakura," one soldier said suspiciously, noticing the dialect Akira had deliberately imitated to hide his identity.
"Ah, I am from Kamakura, sir. I'm on vacation and helping my uncle sell goods in Kyoto," Akira answered, his heart beating slightly faster.
"Oh, you're a good boy then. What's your name?"
"Akira. Akira Odawara." This time he said his name without hesitation.
Akira returned to the market where he had been selling. Ryuma was already waiting.
"What took you so long? What did you hear at the stall?" Ryuma asked, as if he already knew.
"I heard about Yoshitoki… and it turns out even they don't know the reason why Kageyori was eliminated."
"Slow down. The situation is still tense."
Akira nodded. His heart felt hollow.
Toward evening, they began heading home. They had bought some necessities, salt, rice, cloth, and eggs. Ryuma divided the remaining sales profit after expenses and handed a portion to Akira. Their goods had completely sold out. It was the first time Akira had earned money from his own sweat. There was a small sense of pride.
As they walked out of the city gate, the sound of several horses galloping approached from behind. They stepped aside to let the troops pass. Akira looked toward a group of mounted Kamakura Shogunate soldiers bearing the crests of Hojo and Minamoto.
A commander riding a black horse sped ahead of the formation, approaching Akira and Ryuma.
"INTRUDER! KAGEYORI!"