Ten-year-old Sakamo Ryu was in his father’s room in the Shrine in Nakanojo. He frowned at his reflection, and his father, Sakamo Yahei, asked with a smile, “What’s the matter, Ryu? You don’t like your new clothes? Those are the most inconspicuous ones that I could find the last time I was in Azurath. You will blend in just fine, don’t worry. Perhaps it would be a good idea if you loosened your braid. It will help you get into character. There are plenty of men with long hair in Azurath, but braids aren’t very common. Those are left to the women, and a boy walking around with a long braid will definitely make you stand out a little too much.”
Sakamo Ryu asked while fixing his hair. “Like if I would not stand out enough as it is, being introduced as the Hero’s son that lived in a faraway co
