花の間で草の小枝の物語
Jan 21, 2014 13:47:07 GMT 7
Post by Norowas on Jan 21, 2014 13:47:07 GMT 7
Naoe Family is one of many families which have served Uesugi Clan [上杉氏] for generations. This family was entrusted by the Daimyo to manage several villages and a town at the mountainous area in Uesugi Clan's territory. Besides for their unquestioned loyalty for Uesugi Clan, the members of Naoe family are also known for their way of fighting, which is called Niten Ichi-ryū [二天一流], or to put it simply, a style of Yamato swordsmanship which is utilizing two swords, katana and wakizashi, at once in a fight, though actually this fighting style has more meaning than what could be seen on it. Albeit their approach in fight was seen as pragmatic, unorthodox, and sometimes was also shunned and unfavored by other samurai clans and families, the warriors from Naoe Family are well-known for their prowess in the battlefield.
Naoe Hidetsugu [直江秀次], the current head of Naoe Family, is not only known as a formidable warrior, but also a loyal vassal for the Daimyo of Uesugi Clan for two generations. He is very well known and respected for his judgment, sincerity, and integrity. Besides of that, he was also known as the one of the Daimyo's vassals who always accompany the Daimyo when the latter visits or attends the court invitation at another Clan's territories. And it was happened for two generations, showing how much trust that the Daimyo put into him.
...however, the time continue to move on. In the end, Hidetsugu, despite being the 'incarnation of God', finally succumbed against the power of time. Furthermore, he was shown to suffer a mysterious disease that make his body become weaker more quickly than it should be. Fortunately, Hidetsugu, who is married with Naoe Haruka [直江春花子] (formerly Shiraishi Haruka [白石春花]), is blessed with two sons, namely Naoe Hideyuki [直江秀幸] and Naoe Hideaki [直江秀秋], who both are born as the 'incarnations of God', and a daughter, namely Naoe Seika [直江聖夏], who apparently only a normal human, just like her mother. Among these children, only Seika who was initially raised in a rather different way than her brothers did.
Hideyuki was raised as a prodigy, the one who was hoped to become his father's successor. He is just like a perfected copy of his father, especially in swordsmanship. He also seems to be possessing all of his father's trait. Most people in Naoe family agree that Hideyuki will surpass his father someday and become an excellent head for Naoe Family.
Meanwhile, Seika was raised as a samurai-ko should be, though she was not being prepared to become a warrior in a battlefield. Haruka, who was a daughter of a courtier, or to be precise, an investigator for Uesugi Clan's Daimyo (which was an uncommon thing in Yamato), taught Seika about some basics of investigation. Haruka did this because Seika was shown to be had a good sense of observation about details in her surrounding.
And then, there is Hideaki, the youngest child. Though he was born as the 'incarnation of God', he has a rather weak body, especially if compared to his brother and sister. However, he has showed a remarkable intelligence in his young age. Even with his frail body, Hideaki was raised as a samurai, and a warrior, just like his brother. Since his age with Hideyuki (and also Seika) was considerably far, Hideaki was deemed to be Hideyuki's adviser, and perhaps successor, sometimes in the future.
Everything was seems to be run accordingly, until one day, an incident happened when the Daimyo was on his way to visit one of the neighbor clan territory, escorted by some of his vassals, including Hideyuki, who at that time was already took his father's place as the family's head. The Daimyo and his vassals were attacked by a mysterious group. The details were unknown, but there was one fact remained: Hideyuki was killed on that assault, protecting his lord. Fortunately, the Daimyo himself was survived that sudden assault.
Hideyuki's sudden death was quite a blow for Naoe Family, since there was no one at that time who was ready to take the prodigy's place as the family head. Hideaki was still too young to become the head, while there was nobody else in Naoe Family who thought that he is worthy enough to replace Hideyuki. In this situation, Hidetsugu was once again took the position of the family head, despite of his no longer young age, along with a mysterious disease that he suffered.
Eventually, these chains of event changed Seika's life. Seika, who previously was not raised to take the warrior path like her brothers did, decided to become one, in order to take Hideyuki's place, at least until Hideaki is ready to take the position. Her resolve, however, at first was not approved, even by her parents. Mainly because, although a female warrior and leader is not unheard of, but it is an extremely rare occurrence for those who was not considered as the 'incarnation of God'. Seika was told that it will be nigh impossible for her to fill Hideyuki's role. Seika, however, unflinching with that fact. Seeing her resolve, finally Hidetsugu allowed Seika to do as she requested.
And so, Seika entered the dojo of Niten Ichi-ryū, the same one as her brother entered, in order to learn the path of warrior. However, it was not an exaggeration to say that she had a hard time during her days in the dojo...
Due to her gender and, especially, her race, she was usually looked down by other disciples on that dojo, whom most of them were the 'incarnations of God'. And for being the sister of Hideyuki, the prodigy of the dojo, made things worse for her. Whenever she failed to do something, even for a bit, other disciples will start to talk about Hideyuki's achievements in front of her. And it was repeated over and over. These circumstances made her waver in one time, and made her begin to doubt herself. However, her Sensei somehow managed to make Seika keep moving forward, despite of her own doubt.
And then, the time flew unnoticed, as Seika has already spent several years in the dojo...
Although not as shined as her brother did, Seika was one of the prominent disciple in that dojo. Her skill was nearly unmatched with other average disciples in that dojo, and she can hold herself quite well among other prominent disciples. Despite of this achievement, she was still not accepted very well by the most of the dojo disciples, and it did make her doubt still lingers within herself. Nevertheless, her Sensei, who only recognized people by their capabilities, said that Seika was already finished her practice in the dojo, and should be ready to learn more from 'the life'. Hence, her Sensei announced that her 'rites of adulthood' has drawn near...
On the day when her 'rites of adulthood' was performed, her Sensei gave Seika a pair of daisho, and she was told that those daisho was once belong to Hideyuki, her brother. Her Sensei also said this phrase on that moment: "A single bloom of flower on a grass field is easier to notice. However, a single grass which grow on a flower field would need more time and more attention to be found". And until now, Seika still remember those words, though the intention of her Sensei behind of them are remain vague.
And then, the time has passed again, and there was something huge happened in the Empire...
Some 'foreigners' came to the Holy Empire of Yamato's land, and make some 'contacts' with the Holy Empire. Those foreigners came from Silvarion Kingdom, the continent where the 'barbaric' people gathers and had wars amongst themselves for centuries. Their sudden contact mentioned that the Kingdom wish to start some 'peaceful' relationship with the Holy Empire. And then, at the same time, a rumor about the Kingdom also making a contact with the Jade Union of Dune Eagles, a Union where one of its tribe has an awkward history with the people of the Holy Empire, was also spread. If that rumor was true, then it could be mean that the Kingdom was already settled down within herself.
Currently, putting the Union aside, for the 'barbaric' kingdom to make a first move for opening the communication could be a good chance to learn more about the Kingdom, especially about its strength, which was unknown for the Holy Empire since past centuries. No one would ever know whether the matters about communication and building relationship between the nations will run accordingly, or it will just went into disaster. Hence, learning about the potential threat in the future is extremely important for the Holy Empire, especially when the good chance had showed up by itself.
And, for this matter, the Daimyo of Uesugi Clan decided to send someone to Silvarion Kingdom, and join a 'mercenary guild' namely Golden Wing Guild, in order to learn more about the Kingdom, since the Guild itself is more open than anything else in that Kingdom right now.
...and the one whom the Daimyo decided to send is the young Seika, with the reason for her young age, which should be able to learn and adapt faster. Also, her desire to prove herself to be worthy for the Daimyo, could be granted through this task.
...or at least, that is what Naoe Seika knows about her assignment to Silvarion Kingdom, which was her first direct task given by the Daimyo himself. Upon hearing about this, Seika immediately started to prepare herself, in order to survive in the foreign land, and more importantly, to fulfill her task properly.
...and then, the time flew unnoticed, once again...
Currently, Naoe Seika, being aboard on a ship which disembarked from the Holy Empire several months ago, almost arrives at the Port City of Western Silvarion Kingdom, Tiberia. And, her journey to prove her worth to her lord, to her family, and perhaps, to herself, is almost begin...
Naoe Hidetsugu [直江秀次], the current head of Naoe Family, is not only known as a formidable warrior, but also a loyal vassal for the Daimyo of Uesugi Clan for two generations. He is very well known and respected for his judgment, sincerity, and integrity. Besides of that, he was also known as the one of the Daimyo's vassals who always accompany the Daimyo when the latter visits or attends the court invitation at another Clan's territories. And it was happened for two generations, showing how much trust that the Daimyo put into him.
...however, the time continue to move on. In the end, Hidetsugu, despite being the 'incarnation of God', finally succumbed against the power of time. Furthermore, he was shown to suffer a mysterious disease that make his body become weaker more quickly than it should be. Fortunately, Hidetsugu, who is married with Naoe Haruka [直江春花子] (formerly Shiraishi Haruka [白石春花]), is blessed with two sons, namely Naoe Hideyuki [直江秀幸] and Naoe Hideaki [直江秀秋], who both are born as the 'incarnations of God', and a daughter, namely Naoe Seika [直江聖夏], who apparently only a normal human, just like her mother. Among these children, only Seika who was initially raised in a rather different way than her brothers did.
Hideyuki was raised as a prodigy, the one who was hoped to become his father's successor. He is just like a perfected copy of his father, especially in swordsmanship. He also seems to be possessing all of his father's trait. Most people in Naoe family agree that Hideyuki will surpass his father someday and become an excellent head for Naoe Family.
Meanwhile, Seika was raised as a samurai-ko should be, though she was not being prepared to become a warrior in a battlefield. Haruka, who was a daughter of a courtier, or to be precise, an investigator for Uesugi Clan's Daimyo (which was an uncommon thing in Yamato), taught Seika about some basics of investigation. Haruka did this because Seika was shown to be had a good sense of observation about details in her surrounding.
And then, there is Hideaki, the youngest child. Though he was born as the 'incarnation of God', he has a rather weak body, especially if compared to his brother and sister. However, he has showed a remarkable intelligence in his young age. Even with his frail body, Hideaki was raised as a samurai, and a warrior, just like his brother. Since his age with Hideyuki (and also Seika) was considerably far, Hideaki was deemed to be Hideyuki's adviser, and perhaps successor, sometimes in the future.
Everything was seems to be run accordingly, until one day, an incident happened when the Daimyo was on his way to visit one of the neighbor clan territory, escorted by some of his vassals, including Hideyuki, who at that time was already took his father's place as the family's head. The Daimyo and his vassals were attacked by a mysterious group. The details were unknown, but there was one fact remained: Hideyuki was killed on that assault, protecting his lord. Fortunately, the Daimyo himself was survived that sudden assault.
Hideyuki's sudden death was quite a blow for Naoe Family, since there was no one at that time who was ready to take the prodigy's place as the family head. Hideaki was still too young to become the head, while there was nobody else in Naoe Family who thought that he is worthy enough to replace Hideyuki. In this situation, Hidetsugu was once again took the position of the family head, despite of his no longer young age, along with a mysterious disease that he suffered.
Eventually, these chains of event changed Seika's life. Seika, who previously was not raised to take the warrior path like her brothers did, decided to become one, in order to take Hideyuki's place, at least until Hideaki is ready to take the position. Her resolve, however, at first was not approved, even by her parents. Mainly because, although a female warrior and leader is not unheard of, but it is an extremely rare occurrence for those who was not considered as the 'incarnation of God'. Seika was told that it will be nigh impossible for her to fill Hideyuki's role. Seika, however, unflinching with that fact. Seeing her resolve, finally Hidetsugu allowed Seika to do as she requested.
And so, Seika entered the dojo of Niten Ichi-ryū, the same one as her brother entered, in order to learn the path of warrior. However, it was not an exaggeration to say that she had a hard time during her days in the dojo...
Due to her gender and, especially, her race, she was usually looked down by other disciples on that dojo, whom most of them were the 'incarnations of God'. And for being the sister of Hideyuki, the prodigy of the dojo, made things worse for her. Whenever she failed to do something, even for a bit, other disciples will start to talk about Hideyuki's achievements in front of her. And it was repeated over and over. These circumstances made her waver in one time, and made her begin to doubt herself. However, her Sensei somehow managed to make Seika keep moving forward, despite of her own doubt.
And then, the time flew unnoticed, as Seika has already spent several years in the dojo...
Although not as shined as her brother did, Seika was one of the prominent disciple in that dojo. Her skill was nearly unmatched with other average disciples in that dojo, and she can hold herself quite well among other prominent disciples. Despite of this achievement, she was still not accepted very well by the most of the dojo disciples, and it did make her doubt still lingers within herself. Nevertheless, her Sensei, who only recognized people by their capabilities, said that Seika was already finished her practice in the dojo, and should be ready to learn more from 'the life'. Hence, her Sensei announced that her 'rites of adulthood' has drawn near...
On the day when her 'rites of adulthood' was performed, her Sensei gave Seika a pair of daisho, and she was told that those daisho was once belong to Hideyuki, her brother. Her Sensei also said this phrase on that moment: "A single bloom of flower on a grass field is easier to notice. However, a single grass which grow on a flower field would need more time and more attention to be found". And until now, Seika still remember those words, though the intention of her Sensei behind of them are remain vague.
And then, the time has passed again, and there was something huge happened in the Empire...
Some 'foreigners' came to the Holy Empire of Yamato's land, and make some 'contacts' with the Holy Empire. Those foreigners came from Silvarion Kingdom, the continent where the 'barbaric' people gathers and had wars amongst themselves for centuries. Their sudden contact mentioned that the Kingdom wish to start some 'peaceful' relationship with the Holy Empire. And then, at the same time, a rumor about the Kingdom also making a contact with the Jade Union of Dune Eagles, a Union where one of its tribe has an awkward history with the people of the Holy Empire, was also spread. If that rumor was true, then it could be mean that the Kingdom was already settled down within herself.
Currently, putting the Union aside, for the 'barbaric' kingdom to make a first move for opening the communication could be a good chance to learn more about the Kingdom, especially about its strength, which was unknown for the Holy Empire since past centuries. No one would ever know whether the matters about communication and building relationship between the nations will run accordingly, or it will just went into disaster. Hence, learning about the potential threat in the future is extremely important for the Holy Empire, especially when the good chance had showed up by itself.
And, for this matter, the Daimyo of Uesugi Clan decided to send someone to Silvarion Kingdom, and join a 'mercenary guild' namely Golden Wing Guild, in order to learn more about the Kingdom, since the Guild itself is more open than anything else in that Kingdom right now.
...and the one whom the Daimyo decided to send is the young Seika, with the reason for her young age, which should be able to learn and adapt faster. Also, her desire to prove herself to be worthy for the Daimyo, could be granted through this task.
...or at least, that is what Naoe Seika knows about her assignment to Silvarion Kingdom, which was her first direct task given by the Daimyo himself. Upon hearing about this, Seika immediately started to prepare herself, in order to survive in the foreign land, and more importantly, to fulfill her task properly.
...and then, the time flew unnoticed, once again...
Currently, Naoe Seika, being aboard on a ship which disembarked from the Holy Empire several months ago, almost arrives at the Port City of Western Silvarion Kingdom, Tiberia. And, her journey to prove her worth to her lord, to her family, and perhaps, to herself, is almost begin...
