Prologue
Ayutthaya, Kingdom of Siam 1625
Ban Yipun was a decent city with the mighty kingdom of Ayutthaya. Its habitats were Japanese merchants, fleeing Christian converts, and unemployed ronin from the mainland. For many Japanese residents, it reminded them of home. Yet home meant something different to a select few. At the very edge of the village was a decent size hut. It was large enough to accommodate a dozen people yet still gave the illusion of being small. Inside the house were different rooms, each with its beds. All the rooms were empty, save for one. Kneeling on their bed was a robed figure writing on a series of blank pages. His name was An Ujin. Ujin had gray, shoulder-length hair almost entirely covering a skinny, lived-in face. Squinting brown eyes, set seductively within their sockets, watch aimlessly the numerous words he wrote down. A silver mustache and goatee gracefully compliment his cheeks, leaving an amusing memory of his good looks. There’s something seductive about him, perhaps it’s his warmth, or maybe it’s simply his persistence. Nonetheless, people tended to treat him like family while commending him for his deeds.
As the lone figure continued to write, his ears picked up the slight sound of footsteps entering.
“You are early,” said the old man. The visitor continued walking inside and then sat by the older man.
“I wanted to see if you had finished your story,” replied the visitor.
“You are always so eager to hear, Yamada,” replied the old man. The visitor was Yamada Nagamasa. He was the city’s village head and governor of a local province in the kingdom of Ayutthaya. Yamada came to the domain as a privateer serving the king until he became involved in mercantile business and trade. Since then, he has served in both the king’s royal guard and mobilized a militia of 300 Japanese samurai. Some described Yamada as having short black hair pulled back to reveal a thin, radiant face. His big, round black eyes are set far within their sockets. A sword left a mark stretching from the bottom of the left cheek, first running towards thin lips and ending on his forehead, leaving a stinging burden of companionship. Despite his delicate frame, he stood towering above others. There’s something odd about him; perhaps it was his sense of honor or simply his sense of humor. Nonetheless, people tended to ask him to tell stories while treating him to a good meal when he was around.
Peeking over the older man’s shoulder, Yamada saw a familiar name.
“I did not know you knew Sugi Akimoto?” stated Yamada. The older man paused for a moment. The sudden mentioning of the name brought back memories for the older man, ones he wished he could forget but could not. After a few moments, Ujin cleared his throat before giving his reply.
“Yes, I did know of him. A fine samurai of his age,” replied Ujin.
“I heard he was a military prodigy back home. A warrior with no equal, so say. But how did you know of him?” inquired Yamada.
“In Korea.” Yamada’s eyes widened with astonishment.
“You served in Korea?!” he gasped.
“In a manner of speaking,” lied the old man. He rarely talked about his past, more so about his time in Korea during the two invasions by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Yet upon mentioning the name, Ujin knew he grasped the boy’s curiosity. Yamada then asked if that was what he was writing about, his time in Korea. Ujin sighed and placed his quill down next to his writings. Turning his head, his old eyes became fixed on the young man.
“What do you know of Korea?” he then asked. His tone was not harsh but rather a sense of curiosity.
“Nothing much. I was born right after the final invasion, so I know very little of what happened. I know that right after the invasion, Tokugawa took control of Japan and unified the country.” Ujin smiled.
“Do you know the story of Sugi Akimoto?” asked Ujin. The young samurai shook his head. Slightly nodding, Ujin handed the young samurai a cup of tea and asked if he had other duties to attend to. Shaking his head again, Ujin took a sip of his tea and spoke.
“Then let me tell you the story of The Failed quest.”
