The instant their superior finished speaking, sharp breaths echoed throughout the room.
Even Ogata frowned.
Their lord intended to inspect the supplies held in the domain storehouses.
Put simply, he was coming to evaluate the work of every storehouse official.
He would examine whether they had properly organized the goods and accurately calculated the quantity of every item in storage.
A superior arriving to inspect one’s work had surely been among the most unpleasant events in any age.
Every ledger, every count, and every misplaced item could suddenly become a source of blame.
Worse still, their superior was a lord infamous for his cruelty.
At the thought of that violent daimyō judging their performance, many officials involuntarily swallowed.
Their supervisor released a quiet sigh.
“There is no need to become overly anxious.
Our lord will probably glance around briefly and leave.
“Simply pay close attention to your behavior and speech.
Do not say anything that might offend him.
“One more thing—remember to wear your kamishimo that day, and make certain it has been thoroughly cleaned.”
A kamishimo was formal attire worn by samurai.
Ogata’s own set lay buried at the very back of his wardrobe.
He wore it only on special occasions.
* * *
Sakakibara Dojo, Hirose Domain
Clack!
Ogata knocked Makino’s bokken from his hands, then placed the point of his own wooden sword against Makino’s chest.
“Makino.” He smiled faintly.
“I win again.”
“Sigh…” Makino answered with a helpless, bitter smile.
“It seems I haven’t managed to defeat you even once lately, Ogata-senpai.”
Ding!
You defeated an opponent using Sakakibara Ittō-ryū: Ascending Tower.
Personal Experience gained: 20.
Sakakibara Ittō-ryū Experience gained: 20.
Current Personal Level: LV 8 (670/700).
Sakakibara Ittō-ryū Level: Rank 4 (620/700).
Almost there…
I need only thirty more Experience to raise my Personal Level.
Sakakibara Ittō-ryū needs just eighty more.
Although both were close to advancing, Ogata no longer had the strength to continue sparring.
He put away his bokken and sat with Makino at the edge of the dojo to rest.
“Ogata-senpai.”
Makino, drenched in sweat, dropped onto the floor without the slightest concern for appearances.
He spoke admiringly to Ogata, who rested beside him.
“You have been in excellent form lately. If you maintain this condition, you have a very good chance of taking first place in the dojo tournament next month!”
The dojo tournament?
Ogata searched his inherited memories for the unfamiliar term.
Information soon surfaced one piece after another.
Once he recalled everything, he smiled at Makino.
“First place in the dojo tournament? I would never dare expect that. I only intend to polish my swordsmanship. I’m not hoping for the championship.”
The dojo tournament was a competition held by the Sakakibara Dojo once every six months, generally on June 15 and December 15.
It was not an optional gathering arranged merely for entertainment, but a formal test of the progress every disciple had made.
The dojo currently had twenty-eight disciples.
Unless extraordinary circumstances prevented them, all twenty-eight were required to participate.
A succession of matches determined the ranking among the disciples.
Each victory or defeat contributed to the final order, revealing exactly where every student stood among his peers.
Those who placed near the top received no material reward.
The bottom five, however, all received a “special prize”—a thorough scolding from their teacher, Sakakibara Hanbei.
Hanbei held the tournament twice a year to motivate his disciples and prevent them from neglecting their sword practice.
Mikami had won the previous competition.
Ogata—or rather, the former Ogata—had achieved an impressive fourth place.
Another tournament would begin in one month.
The less capable swordsmen were already training furiously to avoid their teacher’s wrath.
Those interested in the rankings were working just as hard, hoping to secure higher positions when the competition arrived.
Whatever their reasons, the approaching date had filled the dojo with a much fiercer atmosphere than usual.
Ogata, however, felt little enthusiasm for it.
He still possessed two unused Skill Points.
By investing them in his Personal Attributes or improving a sword technique, he could easily become the strongest disciple in the Sakakibara Dojo.
But first place offered no tangible reward, so the tournament held little appeal.
There was another important reason for his lack of interest.
The winner of the June tournament was required to participate in the Shrine Exhibition Match held every July within the grounds of Hachiman Jingū.
The match’s full name was the Shrine Martial-Arts Exhibition.
On an auspicious day each July, the Sakakibara Dojo and the nearby Ishikawa Dojo held a friendly contest at Hachiman Jingū.
The Ishikawa Dojo taught Katori Shintō-ryū and regarded the Sakakibara school as a rival.
For the exhibition, each dojo selected one disciple.
The two representatives fought to determine which school had produced the stronger swordsman.
The event had originally been created to deepen friendship between the dojos while improving their swordsmanship through mutual study.
In reality, friendship had long since been forgotten.
The match centered entirely upon testing skill and winning honor for one’s school.
The Sakakibara Dojo had been founded later than the Ishikawa Dojo.
From the day it opened, Ishikawa’s teachers and students treated its members with hostility, regarding the new school as a hated competitor stealing their livelihood.
That accusation was not entirely wrong.
After Sakakibara Hanbei founded his dojo, far fewer people sought instruction from the Ishikawa school.
Hanbei had been the first to suggest the Shrine Exhibition Match, hoping to ease the tension between them.
Instead, their relationship worsened after the first contest.
Because each side sent only one representative, whichever disciple lost also cost his entire dojo face.
The exhibition had become famous enough to attract many important figures from throughout the domain every year.
With so many influential spectators watching, neither the Sakakibara nor the Ishikawa school was willing to lose and suffer humiliation before Hirose’s elite.
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