"Lord Shinomiya..." While Toshiro Hijikata was still idly wondering whether this so-called brother-in-arms business was serious, Tojo, who was kneeling on one knee, could no longer hold it together. "The family head has treated me with sincerity. How could I fail to repay him? Please permit me to challenge Lord Hijikata. To defend the honor of the Shinomiya Family, I, Tojo, will not shrink from my duty!"
"..." Toshiro Hijikata instantly broke out in a cold sweat. They had somehow gotten as far as honor? What was he supposed to do? Refuse?
But how was he supposed to refuse? He couldn't refuse at all! Commander Shinomiya—no, Lord Shinomiya, I'll call you Lord Shinomiya, all right? Why don't you stop your brother-in-arms? At most, I'll give you three hundred bucks... Think this through, there was absolutely no need to fight. We still had plenty of dealings ahead of us. Wouldn't it be awful if a sparring match hurt the goodwill between us?
"Tojo, you..." Gan'an Shinomiya, who had originally felt that the hefty price he had paid for Tojo had been worthwhile, now felt it had been more than worth it. Listen to those heartfelt words—he truly regarded the Shinomiya Family as his master family. Compared to Tojo, those bastards from the branch families... But before he could finish, Tojo firmly said, "Lord Shinomiya, I will prove my worth!"
"..." Gan'an Shinomiya fell silent. That was right. The Shinomiya Family's code—everyone was a tool to be used. The only distinction was whether they were useful or useless. Useful tools had value; useless tools had to be discarded!
Tojo had followed him for so many years. How could he not know that? Perhaps Gan'an had misunderstood. What Tojo needed was not a way out, but a chance to prove himself.
Still, Tojo,