The new year arrived, and the Landmark Knight Family¹ welcomed the season's turn.
With the holidays in full swing, the household settled into a lazy peace. Ryu took advantage of the quiet, walking through the Landmark streets hand-in-hand with his little sister, Hanna. Shima trailed a respectful pace behind them.
"This is the first time we've come to town together, Big Brother!" Hanna said.
"I suppose it is," Ryu replied. He looked down at her, unable to keep a smile from tugging at his mouth.
Hanna was a budding beauty. She had inherited their mother Cecil's golden hair and piercing blue eyes. Though she was only five - two years his junior - she was surprisingly sharp. Whenever Ryu was swamped with work, she seemed to sense his stress and never pestered him to play. Usually, she spent her time with Tauro and Jiro instead.
In his previous life, Ryu had grown up in a foster care facility. He'd known girls who were like sisters, but having a real blood relative was a new sensation. He often felt out of his depth, wondering if he was playing the part correctly. Perhaps Hanna had sensed that hesitation in him all along?
Regardless, today was for her. He had cleared his schedule to ensure she had his full attention.
"Young Master Ryu, Lady Hanna! Good afternoon!"
The townspeople called out greetings as the siblings passed. One stall owner, a grizzled man with a scarred apron, leaned over his counter.
"Lady Hanna, you want a bite of this?" he asked. He offered her a steaming skewer of grilled meat.
"Thank you very much!" Hanna chirped.
As she beamed her thanks, the man chuckled. "Such a polite girl. You're raising her right, Young Master."
Ryu felt a prickle of heat in his chest. He couldn't help but feel a little smug hearing his sister praised like that.
They eventually wandered toward the woodworking shop. Despite the holiday, the place was a hive of activity. The air was thick with the scent of sawdust and the heat of labor as the men churned out cargo beds for the new wheelbarrows.
"Wow! Look at them go!" Hanna's eyes sparkled as she took in the noise and the wood chips flying.
She had a surprising interest in the craft. Ryu decided to lean into it. He borrowed a small corner of the shop and a few tools to craft something special. Together, they built a wooden rocking horse. It was a simple thing, but Hanna was over the moon.
"You're amazing!" she cried. She hopped onto the horse, rocking back and forth with a giant grin.
Watching her, Ryu and Shima felt the tension of the previous year wash away. Even the burly woodworkers took a breather, their gruff faces softening at the sight. After providing the craftsmen with a much-needed moment of levity, they prepared to leave. Ryu tucked the rocking horse into his Magic Storage² for the trip home.
As they continued their stroll, a pack of boys about Ryu's age came charging over. Shima immediately stepped between them and the siblings.
"Master Ryu! Please make us your underlings!" the boys shouted.
It was a bold, baffling request. Shima was having none of it.
"Back off!" Shima barked. "I'm his number one. Get lost!"
That's not the point, Shima, Ryu thought, suppressed a sigh.
"I don't need 'underlings,'" Ryu told the boys. "But if you promise to be good friends to my sister and look out for her, you can play with us."
The boys' faces lit up. "Yes, sir! We'll do our best, Boss!"
I told you, that's not it.
These kids... Ryu realized they were cut from the same cloth as Shima. Still, Hanna looked happy to have more playmates, so he rolled with it. He spent the next few hours teaching them the classics: hide-and-seek and tag. The kids were hooked.
"We've never played stuff like this! You're a genius, Master Ryu!" they cheered.
Their usual games consisted of racing or "Pretend Knights³." Standard boy stuff, but a bit too rough for Hanna. Seeing her so happy, Ryu felt a sudden, burning sense of mission. He had to teach these runts that a real man - a real Knight - always treats a lady with respect.
The lesson, however, went over like a lead balloon.
"Ugh, my big sister is such a loudmouth," one complained.
"My mom is terrifying," another added. Soon they were all airing grievances about the women in their lives.
Ryu narrowed his eyes. "Listen. Hanna is my sister. That means you protect her no matter what. That is your duty as men, and more importantly, as Knights."
The mention of "Knight Skills" did the trick. The boys snapped to attention.
"Understood, Boss!"
Well, they got the message, even if they wouldn't drop the title. Ryu made a mental note to keep correcting them, but for now, he could trust them to keep an eye on Hanna when he wasn't around.
On the walk home, however, the festive mood soured.
A stray bit of gossip reached Ryu's ears. Apparently, the neighboring Elanza territory had enjoyed a massive bumper crop last year.
That changed everything. If Elanza had plenty of coin, then Associate Baron Elanza's⁴ story about a "poor harvest" was a total fabrication. He had lied through his teeth just to squeeze a loan out of a struggling neighbor.
That's low, Ryu thought.
His eyes turned cold. When the debt came due, he wouldn't show a shred of mercy. Holding Hanna's small, warm hand in his, Ryu realized he needed to dig much deeper into the Landmark family's "natural enemy."
Trivia:
- Ryu's background in a foster home explains his awkwardness with family bonds.
- Hanna is unusually perceptive for a five-year-old.
- The town is producing high-tech wheelbarrows even during the holidays.
- Ryu has a 'Magic Storage' skill used to transport the toy.
- The neighboring Elanza territory is actually wealthy, implying a targeted scam against the Landmarks
Character Insight:
Ryu is successfully balancing his 'Big Brother' role with his 'Yakuza' instincts. While he enjoys the soft moments with Hanna, his cold pragmatism resurfaces instantly upon hearing about Elanza's deception.
Behind the Scenes:
The transition from 'Slice of Life' playfulness to political/economic conflict is a staple of the Isekai-Yakuza subgenre.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ The Landmark Knight Family: The protagonist's noble house.
2 ↩ Magic Storage: A standard isekai skill allowing for the pocket-dimension storage of items.
3 ↩ Pretend Knights: A roleplay game common among children in this fantasy world.
4 ↩ Associate Baron: A noble rank (Jun-danshaku) often used in fantasy to denote low-tier nobility.
Notes:
• Hanna - Ryu's younger sister. Has blonde hair and blue eyes. Described as a budding beauty.
• Shima - Ten-year-old boy with brown hair and brown eyes. Grandson of the butler Sebastian. Hired as a servant and training to be a future butler.
• 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.
• Cecil - Wife of the Landmark Lord. A blonde woman with deep blue eyes.
• 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.
• 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.