Blackfeather Woods the assassin's road

Thus, he was a dispossessed lord. But when, and by what cruel twist of fate, had he lost everything? Shinjou found himself intrigued by the scarred man.

I am no ronin, he muttered, though it was clear he was lying—to himself most of all. Here, he was no one. He served no cause, no master. But there was no need for anyone to know that.

I serve the lord of Kōdaina Tochi! No name came to his lips—all those he had once known, he refused to utter their damned names. Have you never heard of the Hirohiko? Perhaps he was wounded that his name stirred nothing in the hearts of men.

…Yet if you truly are who you claim to be, know this—I am a man of honor! I was raised to defend the interests of those who shared my values. And above all, to pledge himself to the highest bidder—the one who could offer him decadence and indulgence. Words that flowed in one direction, while his heart wavered in another.