His father, Faza Landmark, had departed to pay his year-end respects to our patron, Margrave Sugoera.
Ryu wanted to go along and see the capital, but since he took his eldest brother, Tauro, he was stuck at home playing house with Jiro.
Whether he was counting on his father's absence or it was just a stroke of luck, Associate Baron¹ Elanza - a neighbor who also served the Margrave - decided to pay them a visit. He sent a messenger to announce his arrival only a few hours before he showed up. It was a petty power move, the kind of cheap harassment that told me everything I needed to know about the man.
Since his father was gone, his grandfather, Camiza, had to step up to receive Elanza. Jiro and Ryu stood by his side.
When the carriage pulled up, a middle-aged man stepped out. He was dressed in gaudy, loud clothes, sporting a mustache and a hairstyle that would've been called a "pompadour" in his previous life. He looked like a thirty-six-year-old trying too hard to look twenty. Grandfather had told him that since his father was only twenty-nine, Elanza loved to lord his rank and age over him whenever he got the chance.
"Camiza?" Elanza stammered, his eyes wide. "Ah, Lord Camiza... I heard you had retired. What are you doing here? Where is the current head of the house?"
Seeing Grandfather there had clearly rattled him.
"My son is currently paying his respects to Margrave Sugoera," Camiza said. He let out a booming, mocking laugh. "I assume you came here to bully Faza while his back was turned, Baron? It seems you've missed your window."
Camiza didn't hold back. He was clearly this man's natural enemy.
"You're as rude as ever!" Elanza snapped, trying to puff out his chest. "If I were any other man, I would make a formal complaint about your lack of respect!"
He was the one who had practically broken down their door, yet here he was, acting like the victim. Ryu decided right then that he hated this guy.
"Complain all you like," Camiza replied. "But shouldn't you be moving? My son is already with the Margrave. If you're found idling here, criticizing a retired old man instead of waiting at the Margrave's gates, I doubt he'll be impressed with your loyalty."
"The... the scheduled date isn't for a while! It should be fine!" Elanza muttered, his face paling. "I didn't think he'd leave this early... this ruins everything..."
He was definitely plotting something.
"I don't care what you're scheming," Camiza said, waving a hand toward the door. "But there's no sense shouting in the yard. Come inside."
Grandfather invited him in, though a man like that didn't deserve to step foot on their rugs. Jiro took the lead, guiding him in with perfect, practiced hospitality. Ryu followed, thinking their family was far too kind for their own good.
Reluctantly, Ryu asked the maid to serve a drink - their family's pride, a dark coffee² sweetened with a bit of starch syrup.
"This black liquid..." Elanza whispered, taking a cautious sip. His eyes went wide. "The aroma... the depth... this is incredible. Well, if Faza isn't here, I suppose I'll just have to ask these children for the recipe."
Ryu couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. He wanted their trade secrets just for showing up?
"Not a chance," Camiza said flatly.
"The children are the ones 'watching' the house, aren't they?" Elanza sneered. "Perhaps the retired should stay in the background where they belong."
Ryu was about to lose his temper, but Jiro beat him to it.
"As my grandfather said, the master of the house is away," Jiro said, his voice polite but cold. "We are all vassals of Margrave Sugoera, and neighbors should help each other, but demanding our production secrets is simply out of the question."
Usually, Jiro was as easygoing as they came, but he was standing his ground like a true Landmark.
"But as fellow vassals, surely we should share what is beneficial for the territory?" Elanza pushed.
"I disagree," Ryu chimed in, stepping forward. "The only person who decides what is 'beneficial' is Margrave Sugoera. I don't think a mere Associate Baron has the right to make that call. Or perhaps you've become powerful enough to ignore the Margrave's will, Baron Elanza?"
The room went silent.
"That is a very good point," Camiza added, leaning back. "That sounded dangerously like treason to my old ears. Baron, shall I report your ambitions to the Margrave when I see him next?"
Grandfather was the Margrave's personal favorite. If he sent a letter, Elanza was finished.
"N-No! Of course not!" Elanza scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking over his coffee. "It was a joke! A simple jest! I've stayed too long. I must get to the Margrave at once! Excuse me!"
He practically ran to his carriage and fled the estate.
"Someone get some salt and sprinkle it at the entrance!" Ryu shouted to the maids.
"Salt, Master Ryu?"
"Yeah. Toss a handful at the door," Ryu said, watching the dust from the carriage settle. "We need to wash the bad luck out of this house before it sticks."
The maid nodded, and a moment later, she was scattering salt³ across the threshold to clear the air.
Summary:
While Faza is away paying respects to the Margrave, the antagonistic Associate Baron Elanza attempts to harass the Landmark family. He tries to extort the secret coffee recipe from the children, assuming they are easy targets. However, Ryu, Jiro, and Grandfather Camiza outmaneuver him verbally, forcing him to flee in fear of the Margrave's displeasure.
Trivia:
- Elanza is 36, whereas Faza is only 29.
- Grandfather Camiza is a personal favorite of the Margrave, giving him significant soft power despite being retired.
- The 'coffee' is a secret family business and highly valuable.
- Ryu's suggestion to sprinkle salt is a purification ritual to 'cleanse' the home of the bad luck brought by Elanza
Character Insight:
Jiro shows a protective and firm side that contrasts with his usual easygoing nature. Ryu displays his yakuza-honed instincts by identifying a 'snake' immediately and using political leverage (treason accusations) to shut down a noble.
Behind the Scenes:
The 'pompadour' hairstyle (Regent) is a classic visual trope for Japanese delinquents/yakuza, bridging Ryu's two lives.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Associate Baron (Jun-danshaku): A noble rank sitting just below a full Baron.
2 ↩ Coffee: A rare and proprietary beverage in this world, served with starch syrup.
3 ↩ Salt (Kiyome-no-shio): A Japanese purification ritual used to ward off evil or bad luck after an unpleasant visitor leaves.
Notes:
• Faza - The Lord of the Landmark Domain. A slender but sturdily built man with red hair and brown eyes.
• Sugo - Captain of the territorial guards. Responsible for teaching martial arts. Large, grim-faced, and protective of Ryu.
• Tauro - Ryu's older brother. The eldest son of the Landmark family. He has the 'Knight' skill and is proficient in various melee weapons. Described as kind and supportive of his younger brother.
• Jiro - Ryu's second older brother. He has the 'Priest-Warrior' skill, combining martial arts with healing magic.
• Ryu - Formerly Yokohama Ryusei, a yakuza. Reincarnated as the third son of the Landmark family. Has red hair and blue eyes. Possesses memories of his previous life and the ability to see names of objects.
• Elanza - Associate Baron (Jun-danshaku) of a neighboring territory. 36 years old, black hair in a pompadour style, wears flashy clothes and has a mustache.
• Camiza - Ryu's grandfather.