Hiroto and the old man emerged from the shadowed forest into a sunlit clearing, where those three assassins along with the old man's family were waiting. And the moment the children's eyes fell on their father, they broke into a run towards him with any other thought.
With a trembling sigh of relief, the father sank to his knees and spread his arms wide. The children came running and collided with him in a whirlwind of embraces, clinging as if afraid to let go. Tears were streaking down their faces, mingling with soft sobs and laughter. The family was reunited once again.
Standing nearby Hiroto was watching them with straight face, when Uzin came put a comforting hand on his back,
"Any injuries?" He asked calmly.
Hiroto smiled and shook his head. "I'm fine," he said with quiet confidence, earning a soft, relieved curve of a smile from Uzin.
Suddenly, Kageru appeared beside Haruma as if out of thin air and delivered a playful punch to his arm. "Wow, look at you all covered in blood. Looks like you had fun," he teased. "Meanwhile, I was stuck dealing with a bunch of stupid thieves who couldn't even swing swords properly."
Haruma and Uzin slowly turned to face him, their expressions flat and unimpressed, the silence speaking louder than words.
Meanwhile, Ukichi stepped toward the family, who were still kneeling on the ground, locked in a tight embrace.
"Alright, enough tears," he said firmly, causing the family to look up at him at once, their attention drawn by his commanding tone.
"I have questions," Ukichi continued, his gaze sharp. "And the first is, who are you all?"
"I'm Kasumi Miura," the eldest daughter said, her voice calm despite everything they had endured. "And this is my father, Kazuo Miura." She gestured toward the old man before turning back to Ukichi. "We're wood traders. Our work involves harvesting and trading lumber across different kingdoms. We came here after hearing rumors of this forest's monster wood which is rare and unique. But we ran into trouble. Those thieves were after the same wood. They planned to use my father to locate the wood… and then enslave us."
Her voice wavered for just a moment before she steadied herself. "To protect us, our father risked his life just to help us flee."
Kazuo stepped forward and bowed deeply. "I am grateful to you all for saving my and my children's lives," he said earnestly. "We don't have much to offer, but please… accept this as a small token of our appreciation."
With that, he reached into his pocket, drew out a small handful of silver coins, and held them out toward Ukichi.
"You can keep them," Ukichi said, gently but firmly pushing the coins back. "Protecting you was our duty."
Uzin, Hiroto, and Kageru exchanged awkward, half-embarrassed smiles.
After a brief pause, Ukichi added, "Where are you headed? We can give you a ride."
"We're nomadic traders," Kazuo responded, "moving between kingdoms. What about you? Which kingdom do you hail from?"
"We're nomadic traders," Kazuo replied. "We travel between kingdoms. And you, where do you come from?"
"We're from the Sugiyama Kingdom," Ukichi said evenly. "I am Ukichi Minamoto, leader of the ninth-ranked assassins."
"I'm Hiroto Minamoto," Hiroto followed. "A member of the ninth-ranked assassins."
"I'm Uzin Minamoto, vice-captain of the ninth-ranked assassins."
Kageru grinned and spread his arms dramatically. "And I am, The Kageru Minamoto, the future king of the Sugiyama Kingdom." He shrugged. "For now, though, I'm also part of the ninth-ranked assassins."
Ukichi shook his head, then looked back at the family. "Feel free to ride our horses. We'll walk alongside you."
Kageru leaned closer to Uzin and whispered, "How can the future king be expected to walk while the horses go unused?"
Uzin shot him a warning look and pressed his finger on his lips, subtly gesturing for Kageru to keep quiet.
With that settled, they set off together on foot, heading toward the Sugiyama Kingdom…
As they entered the Sugiyama Kingdom, eyes turned toward them from every direction. Whispers rippled through the streets, and it felt as though the gazes of the citizens followed their every step.
Unsettled by the attention, Kasumi leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Why is everyone staring at us?"
"It's nothing to worry about," Ukichi replied calmly. "This isn't unusual." His answer only deepened Kasumi's confusion.
Soon, they arrived at their residence, a modest house of wood and stone. The moment it came into view, Kageru burst forward, practically glowing with excitement.
"We're back home!" he called out, his voice ringing through the yard meanwhile on the other hand Kasumi and her family began dismounting from the horses.
The door of the house flew open, and a young girl, no more than eight years old, came sprinting out, her face alight with joy. "They're here! They're here! Brothers are home! The brothers are home!" she shouted, her voice bright and unrestrained.
The moment Kageru saw her, he dropped to one knee and spread his arms wide just in time for her to crash into him and he scooped her up effortlessly, laughter lighting both of their faces.
"Indeed, we've returned!" he proclaimed with a broad grin.
Still in Kageru's arms, the girl turned as Uzin quickly stepped in and opened his arms for her. A warm, peaceful softness crossed his expression.
Her face lit up as she leaned toward him, making Uzin to gently take her into his embrace. "Well, well," he said with a faint chuckle. "Time to greet your second brother."
She giggled and wrapped her arms tightly around him, whispering, "I missed you."
Uzin's smile deepened, warm and unguarded, as he held her close.
Spotting Hiroto, the girl's face lit up even more. She slipped from Uzin's arms and rushed over, wrapping her arms around Hiroto's leg.
Hiroto grinned and lifted her into his arms, taking her in his embrace, "I missed you so much." he said.
"I missed you too, Brother Hiroto!" She hugged him back tightly, before excitedly pulling back to look at him, "You know I've prepared your favorite meal, you're going to love it!"
He chuckled softly. "Thank you. And as reward what you want in return?"
After a moment of thought, her eyes sparkled. "A small, adorable baby dragon!"
Hiroto's smile widened further at her innocent request, "Alright," he said warmly. "I'll see what I can do to find one for you."
Just then Ukichi stepped into view standing next to Hiroto and upon spotting him tge girl smiled and leaned heavily towards her who quickly took her in his arms now.
"Brother, I missed you too." She said innocently
With a soft smile, Ukichi returned the sentiment, "I missed you as well."
Quietly watching the scene with a gentle smile, Kasumi stepped forward and asked,
"Are all of you her brothers?"
Maintaining his smile, Ukichi nodded in agreement "Yeah. She's our little sister—Hana Minamoto."
Kasumi turned to the girl and offered a warm smile. "Hello, Hana. How are you?"
Hana tilted her head curiously and looked back at Ukichi. "Brother Ukichi, who is she?"
"She's our guest," Ukichi explained. "And it looks like they'll be joining us for the meal you prepared."
Hana's eyes sparkled. "Awesome! Then I'll make more!"
With that, she slipped free from Ukichi's arm and hurried back into the house, a light bounce in her step. Her excited chanting carried softly behind her, lingering in the air as she vanished inside.
"So… your little sister can actually cook?" Kasumi asked, curiosity in her voice.
Ukichi shook his head before replying, "No, she can't. She just helps Mr. Minoru."
Kasumi blinked, confused. "Is he your father?"
"No," Ukichi replied calmly. "He's more of a father figure to us, and Hana is our adopted sister, she isn't related to us by blood."
Kasumi's gaze lingered on Ukichi as he continued, his voice steady.
"We found Hana alone in the forest when she was barely a year old. We searched for her parents, but never found them, so in the end, we decided to raise her ourselves, and since then, she's been our only sister… and Mr. Minoru is the one who raised all of us."
After a brief pause, Kasumi spoke again, her tone gentle. "If it's not too personal, may I ask about your parents?"
Ukichi glanced toward his squad watching Kageru, Uzin, and Hiroto, who were sharing a quiet moment of laughter, unaware of the weight of the question hanging in the air.
With a gentle smile, Ukichi turned back to Kasumi and spoke calmly.
"We're not exactly blood brothers," he said. "We were just kids from the same clan. Friends." He took a breath. "Then EbonFall happened and everyone just died… Our whole clan was wiped out, we were the only ones who survived."
His voice didn't waver, but the weight of his words lingered.
"So as the eldest, I took it upon myself to look after them. Later, Mr. Minoru found us, and together we began a new life. We may not share blood," Ukichi continued with a faint smile crossing his face, "but we are more than family. We'll do whatever it takes to protect one another."
Mr. Kazuo stepped forward and addressed Ukichi. "Ukichi Minamoto? Are you the last heirs of the Minamoto clan? The children of King Minamoto?"
Keeping his faint smile, Ukichi nodded, "Yes, we are the last of the Minamoto. Though Hiroto is the only son of King Minamoto."
With tears in his eyes, Kazuo slowly lowered his head at him, "It's an honor to meet you. Your clan left an indelible mark. We survived only because of your King's sacrifice."
Ukichi returned the respect with a quiet smile, acknowledging the words with a simple nod.
Just the. Mr. Minoru, elderly man who seemed to be in his sixties, came out of the house, "Ah, it seems you've brought some guests along." he said.
Ukichi, Uzin, Kageru, and Hiroto respectfully bowed to him.
"Indeed, father. I hope you won't mind." Hiroto inquired.
Mr. Minoru reassured with a soft chuckle, "Of course not. I'm more than happy to welcome them."
Kazuo expressed gratitude, saying, "Thank you very much, sir. We assure you, we won't impose and will depart as soon as possible."
"You're welcome to stay as long as you need. Please, come inside," Mr. Minoru said warmly.
As the others entered the house, the squad remained outside, gathering near the yard. Ukichi took charge. "Alright, everyone—tie up your horses."
Suddenly, six horses came galloping toward them, royal guards riding astride. The Sugiyama Kingdom's flag flutters proudly from the back of their gear.
"Long live Sugiyama!" the leading royal guard proclaimed.
The squad placed their hands over their hearts and lowered their heads in respectful acknowledgment.
The royal guard spoke again, his tone firm and unmistakably official. "I come on behalf of the king. This is a summons for the Ninth Rank Assassin Squad. King Sugiyama commands your immediate presence at the royal castle. Abandon all other matters and proceed without delay."
Before anyone could respond, the guards wheeled their horses around and rode off at slow speed, the pounding of hooves fading into the distance.
A heavy silence settled over the yard. Ukichi's expression hardened, and the others exchanged wary looks.
"I knew this was coming." Hiroto said quietly, shaking his head with a straight face.
Ukichi let out a quiet sigh, a flicker of worry crossing his face as he exchanged a glance with Uzin, who looked equally uneasy.
Beside them, Kageru merely scoffed, running a hand through his hair, his gaze drifting away as if the tension barely registered with him.