Death Of A Friend

The Shogun turned to Arden and then opened his mouth. Usha ready to translate every word that came out from his mouth and Arden's

"Sorry for the trouble mister Arden, let's eat first, this would be my birthday," As he point his hand to the food carried by the maids.

"My pleasure, may I know your name?" Arden then adjusted his position and prepare himself for this lunch.

"My name is Mitsuo, Nishioka Mitsuo," He said smiling as he turned his head to his children and start introducing them.

"This is Nishioka Yoshiro and Nishioka Seiji" Pointing at the younger son first and then at the older son, then he asks.

"May I know your full name?" He said with the curiosity at his eye and sound.

"Just call me Arden and please don't use mister, I'm still young after all," Arden answered his question and then thought again about his name.

Arden born at a peasant family and peasant rarely have a surname but since now he has the rank of nobility, he needs to start thinking about his surname.

But then, he didn't care about it that much, from the fact he called people by their first name, even the king himself called by his name by Arden.

"Okay, I'll call you Arden from now on," Mitsuo said understandingly and then proceed to give some sign to start eating.

Soon they found their self in the fantasies of food, the taste, the appearance, the smell. They also made some talking here and there about many things.

Feeling their stomach is full, they finished the eating phase, Arden didn't even know they would eat together, in the invitation letter it's just "meeting".

"Let's go drink some tea shall we?" Then he started directing them to the best place that has the best scenery there and told the maids to get the teas.

They continue talking while drinking the tea and watching the scenery. Time fly by as fast as it could get, not realizing it's already night.

The kids left early in the afternoon to do their business. Perhaps now they are at their bed and having fantasies about many things or so-called dreaming.

At the late-night, they left the castle with some guard that was sent by the shogun to ensure their safety going back to the home.

The guard is a simple samurai, with the katana at his hips. After some time of walking down the street, it seems like they are taking a longer time to go back home.

Usha whispered to his ear.

"Sir, this person seems suspicious, we need to be careful, there is a gang called yakuza here." Arden signed to Maverick to be cautious.

He took out Arden's sword from his backpack and gave it to Arden, then simply put his hand on his own sword. Some more time of walking, the guard stops at the front of a ramen shop suddenly and said.

"Kore wa Anata wa ga shinu jikandesu," Which Usha translate to "This is your time to die".

Before he could finish the sentence, Arden unsheathes his sword and Maverick did the same. The guard was shocked at first, but shady figures start coming to them from all corners of the street.

Most of them using bamboo yari and a handful of them using Katana. No dachi and naginata were unpopular amongst these kinds of people and only 2 or 3 were seen amongst 20 to 30 people by Arden.

There is no win 2 vs 20 or 30 would win, even if God wanted them to win. Soon, they started attacking. While being attacked, Arden remembered every type of identification he could see at their weapon or body.

Not long after that, slowly they were being pushed back, fighting while protecting Usha as best as he could.

Maverick soon fell to the ground, being knocked down by a large piece of wood on the back of his head, exposing a flank to Usha.

Arden was fighting as best as he could and then he saw it. A piece of long bamboo yari, coming up not to him, rather to Usha and impaling him.

He split his attention for a second and got slashed multiple time but he didn't care. He attacked the person who impaled Usha while Usha is struggling to keep his breath.

That person retracted his weapon and blood squirt everywhere, in a mere seconds, Arden found Usha at the ground, moveless, dead.

Then the sliding door of the ramen shop opened. There are 6 people coming out from there as they saw Arden fighting against the group of people.

Not long after, he saw weapon being unsheathed and footsteps; he glanced at their direction while not splitting too much of his attention in fear of being injured more.

There he saw the 6 samurai with their Katana, no-dachi, naginata and yari coming to his aid. The people recognize the 6 people and began to scatter everywhere.

Even though Maverick could be saved, Usha couldn't as he was already dead even before the group of their friends came to their aid.

Arden slowly walks to Usha and then dropped to the ground as tear was coming out his tear and he saw Usha moveless and his body started turning cold.

That guard was gone in a blink of eyes, then the city guard started coming as they. As they saw many people on the ground and six samurai checking them.

Apparently, they received noise complain and someone reported that he/she saw the yakuza surround a group of people.

The guard there called for more guard as they now have to clean the body in the street before it made more commotion.

Arden and Maverick were brought to the nearest doctor by his 6 friends to be treated. At the fight, the wound he received didn't make any pain at all.

But when they were at the doctor, the pain started coming up and keep increasing and increasing. The doctor gave him some ointment made of various things collected from the forest.

Once, Arden screamed loudly that the city guard thought there was another yakuza doing there and visited that place only to find out a man covered in injuries.

He was dismissed from the doctor, but the doctor said to rest at home and not go anywhere. So he couldn't go to meet Mitsuo next day.

As best as he could speak in their language, he told his friends to give the messages to Mitsuo that he couldn't come and about the incident.

3 days into his rest at home and didn't do anything besides talk to his 6 friend that came to him every day and watch the ceiling. He heard the yakuza were no more.

Even though the yakuza were no longer existing probably because of Mitsuo, Usha is already dead. Elise is sad too, now she has no choice than to go with Arden to come back.

It was too dangerous to leave her alone here since what left from the yakuza can still take revenge and it's best to bring her to his home.

At the fifth day of his rest, a person in dark came to enter his bedroom at night, Arden saw him as soon as he closes the door and then go to reach his phone.

But the person took off his mask, and then he saw Mitsuo. The shogun himself has decided to visit Arden. He sat down at a chair and asked how are his rest and some chitchat.

There is some barrier called "language difference" between them and Mitsuo actually tried talking Arden's language, meaning there is some effort learning the other's language.

At the best he could translate, he asked Mitsuo if he could find a tutor for him so he could learn his language and Mitsuo said sure.

Arden wanted to pay him at first but he realized the money currency, so he asked Mitsuo to which he is confused. Maybe he hasn't reached the level to talk with Mitsuo about currency, so they changed the topic.

They talked until almost dawn, then Mitsuo said his goodbye to Arden and Arden went back to his sleep. At the morning…

He tried to walk and succeeded even though there was still some pain left in his body. Then he heard the knock on the door and went to open it.

There he saw at least 10  unfamiliar people talking to each other, some in their language and some in Arden's. He quickly realizes this is probably the tutors Mitsuo send to help him learn.

They guaranteed Mitsuo that one week is all they need to make Arden master the language. Arden let them entered the house and then walked to his bedroom to change his cloth.

He passed Usha bedroom and glanced a bit when the door was open and he saw a letter there and got a little bit curious.

He approached it and saw his name on it, so he thought it was for him and then opened it. He read every sentence and his eyes widen, his jaw dropped, and his heart sunk to his liver.

"For Arden, I know my time is limited and they will soon come to me and take my life replacing the job of the grim reaper, I want to let you know, I never regretted my decision when I picked up your sister and you." Arden has the sudden urge to let his tear out but he holds it at bay.

"When you read this, I would probably be dead and my last favour to you was helping you meet the shogun tomorrow. I have a favour to ask, please take care of your sister for me and tell her that she is an amazing person that ever cared for me." Some drop of tear started coming out his eye.

"I believe you will take her to search for your brother, I heard a rumour about a young, professional, experienced blacksmith with the same age difference between your brother and you at the west of Avalon, maybe it's him. Good luck," The content of the letter made him let his tear out.

And he walked to his sister with tears still dropping and then hand her the letter. As soon as she was done, she had the same reaction as Arden and then ask for a shoulder to cry on.

After some time, like 5 minutes or so, he stood up and began walking to his bedroom and then prepare his self to be tutored for a week.

He cleaned his face and wipe out any evidence he was crying like a baby to keep his pride and began making his way to where all the tutors and teacher are waiting for him