The sun sank low into the sky, painting it various shades of orange and yellow that quickly faded to purple. The small smoke stacks from the cottages that dotted the village rose into the darkening sky and in the distance on a hill were roughly one hundred riders who were swiftly making their way toward the small village of Naebashi. These riders wore the traditional armor of Kuroian standard military tunics which bore a two-headed phoenix.
Captain Takeda Tatsui led the company towards the small village. From the looks of it this village had not been regularly checked on by the empire in quite a long time and would reap great benefits from this stop, unlike many of the other villages and towns they had made their way through closer to the major cities of the empire.
Mei had left to go back to her home, leaving Mr. Itakura alone to watch the last sliver of the sun fall below the horizon, leaving only the last vestiges of twilight in the evening sky. In the distance he could feel the reverberations of hooves, the all too familiar feeling of a company of Kuroian cavalrymen. Itakura’s frown deepened and he was just made a liar to the young Miss Mei who may come to resent what was to come from this night.
Turning towards the eastern gate of the village, the company of one hundred men approached, dismounting just outside. As their leader entered, Itakura saw that his helm was adorned with metal silver wings that wrapped around the helmet signifying his rank as a captain.
The Captain looked around and spotted Itakura. “You! Merchant come here” he pointed demandingly at the ground. Itakura smiled innocently, pointing at himself as if he had no idea who he was talking to. Rolling his eyes the captain said something inaudible before repeating to himself “Yes, you come over here now merchant, I don't’ have time for games.”
As Itakura approached, the captain wasted no time and started speaking “tell me merchant this town doesn’t appear on any of the empire's official census reports, why would that be?” he asked obviously already knowing the answer, but wanted confirmation with someone more familiar with the village.
“Well, Captain, from my understanding, it is due to it starting out as a small hunting outpost and just naturally grew into a village and the nearest Lord who claims this territory never visits or bothers enforcing any sort of law here. It was just overlooked.” Itakura said plainly, since lying wouldn’t be worthwhile, he had a feeling the Captain already knew the answer.
Captain Takeda grinned. It was exactly as the reports had said, a town filled with hunters and frontiersmen was ripe for the harvest. “Good thank you. You are free to go now. Men follow me to the town center and start gathering the townsfolk for the announcement. Go now!” Captain Takeda strutted away as he headed towards the town center, taking in the quaint village.
…
Seito Rokuro loved his family. His daughter Seito Mei was truly a…unique girl. Even before he settled down with his wife in Naebashi, he was a man who valued peace and quiet. Which is why he took such a liking to the Great Northern forest: the immense trees that overshadowed the village and the quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the city was just how he liked it.
Looking at his daughter who was eating the freshly butchered Dern they had hunted, he smiled and took a cut of his own meat and enjoyed the tender, perfectly cooked tenderloin.
*BANG*
Rokuro stood up and frowned at the sudden noise.
“Open up! This is the imperial army on orders from Crown Prince Ryohei himself”. The voice filled with confident authority came from outside.
Getting out from behind the table, Rokuro approached the door and turned to his wife. “Nyoko, I need you to watch Mei and don’t let her out of your sight.”
Mei’s eyes were full of confusion as she watched her father open the door. A thread of fear wrapped around her heart thinking something bad was happening, though she didn’t fully understand she could read the atmosphere in the room.
Opening the door Rokuro’s eyes fell on a regular soldier who was significantly smaller in bulk than himself.
“A-are you the man of the house?” the soldier stuttered as his tone became significantly less demanding. Looking around to see in the house, only to have Rokuro quickly cover up the doorway with his broad shoulders.
“Yes, I am the man of the house. Is there anything I can help you with?” Rokuro gave a standard response with a small smile to disarm the tension. “What can I do to help the good men of our imperial army?”
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The soldier physically seemed to relax. “All the villagers are to meet at the town center immediately an announcement is about to take place.”
Rokuro nodded “alright let me get ready and tell my family I will be going out, then” he smiled, turning around to shut the door.
The soldier grabbed Rokuro by the shoulder. “Civilian, when we say all the villagers we mean including families, please. Sorry for any inconvenience.” Rokuro nodded and continued inside. His eyes showed no worry, just confidence as he stood before his wife and daughter.
“Nyoko, Mei, come out, it is okay, no one is going to hurt us” he waved the two of them forward as they cautiously made their way forward to join Rokuro.
…
The town center was full of families all agitated by the sudden appearance of the Imperial army in their small secluded village. It was rarely a good sign for any small settlement to get a visit from imperial forces. At the head of the crowd, standing on a makeshift platform stood Captain Takeda, a look of delight at the amount of people this small village had.
Captain Takeda was the complete opposite of most of the men in the village; he was tall and lanky, the complete opposite of their outdoors men's bulky builds. This didn’t mean the Captain was weak; he was well trained if one were to look at how he carried himself alone.
“Good evening, loyal citizens of the empire!” he smiled, showing his large white teeth “I’m sure many of you are wondering why we had you all come out here in the middle of the night, but I promise that is indeed good news for you all, not at all grave news. So please relax. My name is Captain Takeda from the Imperial army of the Kuro empire. Specifically, the rangers division.”
The tension in the air didn’t disperse despite his words of assurance, which he promptly decided to ignore. “Today, I am here to inform you that the empire finds itself on the brink of a bloody conflict with a rival nation. We are here for two reasons. One a draft of all able-bodied men throughout the empire, are to report to join the imperial armed forces” before the news could sink in he continued “secondly is that we are to find promising youth to be enrolled into the imperial academy at the capital” revealing a big happy smile he looked at the frowning faces and listened to the murmurs between the various villagers his face twitched slightly at the lack of reaction “what?!? Do none of you desire to serve honorably in the Emperor’s army?”
Not a single sound from the crowd was uttered as the news settled in on them. This declaration was supposedly ‘good news’ and forced conscription was never ‘good news’. The Imperial army only did such things when they expected a particularly long, bloody, and brutal conflict.
Captain Takeda pinched the bridge of his nose. I really hate this damned job he thought to himself. “Alright if there are no questions…will all men, sixteen years, but no older than fifty, please go to the left and register with Lieutenant Kim. We ask you all not to make this too difficult and I would highly recommend considering signing up for the ranger division that I will be heading up.”
Rokuro sighed to himself. He had been worried ever since the news of the conflict was brewing that this would happen, but he never imagined they would come so far out to the outer reaches of the empire to conscript. He knew that one day the empire would turn its eyes towards Naebashi; it was impossible for it to remain unnoticed forever. The fact they went this long with more and more merchants coming every year was shocking. The local regional Lord didn’t exert his influence on the village, let alone the empire who wasn’t fond of letting settlements go without taxation for so long.
Turning to his daughter, he looked down at the nervous girl and knelt down to her eye level staring into his eyes that were like oceans. “Mei” he said gently.
“Yes papa?” she said, tears welling up as the words of the Captain began to make more sense to her and her tears built up ready to break the barrier of his lashes and roll down her cheeks.
“Remember what I have taught you when we go hunting in the woods. It will be a few years before I see you again and I need you to be strong for your mother.” he looked down at her as he stood back up to look into his wife’s eyes.
“Nyoko go find Mr. Itakura and have him take you to the capital. He can give you some work until you can contact your family. Watch Mei as best as you can. If she enters the academy she will need your support as much as possible.”
Nyoko nodded, she knew her duty and always understood the risks of being so far away from her family when she first met Rokuro.
“Alright ladies” he knelt down again and gave them both a strong hug that felt to Mei like a comforting blanket on a cold winter night. “I am going to go register and pack up what I can bring. Be sure to sell what we have and shut up the home before you leave with Mr. Itakura, he will help you with everything.”
Nyoko spoke up quickly “be safe and come back to us.”
“I will. Don’t worry I will send letters often. After all I survived the wilderness I’m not easily taken down. I promise.” he called back over his shoulder as he got in the line to register for the ranger division.
Mei watched as her father walked away, not turning back and was shuffled away to be processed with the rest of the young men in the village; a few wives and mothers wept as their husbands, fathers, and sons were taken to fight in a far off conflict. A single tear had finally rolled down her slightly chubby cheek as she finally understood that she may never see her father again. At this moment her disdain for the imperial army was fairly high. The small thread that previously was squeezing her heart from fear was now tightening from melancholy. Her ice blue eyes staring after her father.
Before Mei could react further, the man known as Captain Takeda turned towards what was left of the crowd. “I understand your frustration and anguish. In these hard times, it is difficult for all the people of the empire. Please know that yearly stipends of rice and copper coins will be sent as compensation for their military service.”
Scanning the crowd, he estimated that there were about forty children older than five, but younger than ten which was the age in which children were allowed to go be tested in the academy entrance exam. Any that didn’t pass that exam would be offered to sent home or join the imperial academy for youth.
“Any children under ten and over five years of age please line up and get on the wagons. If you pass the academy entrance exam, your family will not have to worry about money and will be offered to be moved to the imperial capital. Those who do not pass will be sent back to your village free of charge.”
Nyoko let out an exhausted breath and turned to Mei. “Seito Mei you need to get in line. I will be going to Mr. Itakura’s shop in the capital will reach out to you if you pass the exam or don’t pass it. Don’t worry about me and just focus on what you are told. Do you understand?”
“Y-yes Oma!” Mei said.
“Mei…the city is not like Naebashi. People tolerate your eyes much more than they will in the city. You have the benefit of people knowing us and trusting us and knowing you personally. There…they will only view you as an outsider and cursed.”
Grasping Mei’s shoulders firmly, she stared into her eyes. “You must be strong and not cry. No matter what is said about you or your father and I.”
Mei nodded, not understanding what to say, tears poured from her eyes as she was pushed towards the wagons that would be taken to the capital.