The walls of the Imperial Military Academy stood like stone giants, silent witnesses to the history and knowledge they harbored within. Ritsu could barely believe he had managed to enter such a sacred place, where the secrets of the world were kept and the highest arts were taught.

His eyes widened in wonder at every detail he saw: the columns of white marble that supported the high ceilings, adorned with frescoes depicting scenes of legends and myths; the stained-glass windows of a thousand colors that filtered the sunlight, creating a play of shadows and reflections on the floor; the statues and busts of the great masters and sages who had passed through the Academy, looking at him with severity or benevolence.

Beside him, Master Otsuka walked with steady and calm steps, unfazed by the splendor around him.

He was an older man, but still held an enviable vitality and clarity.

Around a corridor, they came upon a vision that seemed to have escaped from a lucid dream. It was a woman of supernatural beauty, but also bearing an aura of arrogance that eclipsed her radiance.

Her skin was like the finest porcelain, without the slightest mark or imperfection to tarnish it. The ebony of her hair was gathered in an intricate hairstyle that framed her ears as if they were the most precious jewels.

Her eyes, green like the purest gems, did not hold the warm sparkle of compassion, but were like mirrors reflecting indifference and contempt. Her lips, dyed as red as blood, curved only in a sneer of disdain and mockery, as if she considered everyone around her mere puppets in her theater of marionettes.

The woman was wrapped in a display of opulence, attired in robes of silk and brocade that seemed to distill the light of the stars and the deep hues of twilight. The vivid colors danced in her clothing like a rainbow woven from threads of luxury.

Gold and silver jewelry, studded with gems that seemed to capture the essence of dusk, adorned her regal figure. Around her waist, a polished metal belt hugged her body, its surface engraved with the emblem of the Empire: the radiance of the rising sun.

The woman’s eyes, diamonds of contempt, looked down on them with the disdain of a queen encountering vagabonds in her palace. Her nose, fine and aristocratic, wrinkled at the sight of their humble and worn clothing, as if the scent of their modesty choked her.

Surprise and indignation reflected in Ritsu’s eyes, but he bit his tongue, respectful of his master’s presence.

The woman finally spoke with a haughty and arrogant tone, as if accustomed to giving orders and being obeyed.

“What are you doing here? Are you the new servants assigned to dust and empty the latrines of the academy?”

Master Otsuka, however, was not intimidated by the woman’s insolence. He kept his head high and responded courteously.

“No, madam. I am Master Otsuka Shimomura and this is my student Ritsu Akechi. We have come here with a more noble purpose; my student has passed the imperial examinations with honors.”

The pale-skinned woman frowned and examined them more closely, as if looking for some sign of deception or mockery.

“An old man and a child? Is this some kind of joke?” she repeated with a cold and cutting voice. “I have no time to waste with you. This place is for scholars, not for ignorant and delusional peasants.” She gestured impatiently with her hands, motioning for them to move aside. “Step out of my way, or I will have you thrown out.”

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Ritsu, hearing the woman’s words, couldn’t help but confirm what he had already intuited since his arrival. Here, arrogance and presumption flowed like a poisonous river, as lethal as Prefect Tsuda and his entourage of lackeys.

It was as if, for those who had found refuge within these walls, the rest of the world was little more than an anthill destined to be crushed. An anthill of dreamers, ignoramuses, and refuse that deserved nothing more than the contempt of the enlightened and privileged.

He sighed; things would be tough in the Forbidden City, but his master was right. He had to endure. He reached into the leather backpack he carried on his back and, despite the woman’s distrust, did not hesitate to show his passport with a gesture of determination. Holding it high, he presented it proudly.

“My master does not lie!” he exclaimed firmly, as if his words were an unsheathed sword in defense of the truth. “Here is the seal of the prefect of the Outer Walls!”

The woman twisted her expression at the sight of the passport. She took it with disgust, as if it were a repugnant object, and scrutinized it with suspicious eyes. Her lips tightened into a grimace of disgust at recognizing Prefect Tsuda’s seal.

“And what of it?” she spat with contempt, tossing the document back to him. “This does not grant you entry. It means nothing. Any scoundrel can forge a false seal. The Forbidden City is no place for tramps and beggars seeking refuge from misery and hunger.”

“We are neither tramps nor beggars,” retorted the elderly Otsuka. “Do not deny us entry on a whim or prejudice.”

The woman let out a mocking laugh, as if hearing the funniest joke of her life. She looked at his master with a mix of pity and disdain, and approached him with an arrogant step. Then she stared at him haughtily, as if wanting to make him feel his inferiority.

“And what are you?” she repeated with sarcasm. “What can you learn, you who surely cannot read or write? What can you contribute, you who have nothing to offer? What can you understand, you who have not the slightest idea of what true wisdom is?”

At that moment, a man approached them, interrupting the argument. By his appearance, he was a Buddhist monk: he wore an orange robe, his hair was shaven, and he held a japa mala in his hand. His face was serene and kind, and his eyes reflected deep wisdom.

“Secretary Aiko,” said the monk in a gentle voice. “Welcoming the newcomers?”

The woman started at the monk’s voice. She turned to him and bowed respectfully.

“Master Norio,” she stammered, her nervous tone betraying her surprise. “I had not seen you. I was... I was...”

The monk’s figure was of extreme delicacy. His oval face, without a single wrinkle to disturb the freshness of his skin, reminded one of the purity of a blank canvas. A tiny, upturned nose rose on his countenance, while his thin, pink lips exuded an impression of immaculate kindness.

“You were denying entrance to these two men,” the monk finished for her, looking at Ritsu and his master with a friendly smile. “Why?”

The woman blushed and lowered her head.

“They are not at the level to enter the Forbidden City, master,” she justified. “They have no business here.”

The monk shook his head, disapproving of her attitude.

“Don’t be so harsh, Aiko,” he urged gently. “Do not judge people by their appearance or origin. Look at this boy,” he said, pointing to Ritsu. “His name is Ritsu Akechi. He shone like a star; he was the most outstanding of the governorate in the imperial examination.”

The woman looked at him incredulously.

“The most outstanding of the governorate?” she repeated, as if she couldn’t believe it.

The man nodded and, skilled in the arts of reiki, extended his hands into the air. An invisible breath of energy flowed from his fingers, caressing the floor in a whimsical whirl. The passport, which had lain scorned, rose as if obeying a higher force, finally finding the secure shelter of his hands.

“It is the same passport I returned to him,” she interrupted firmly. “It is fake.”

The monk smiled subtly, like the moon after a storm, and with a leisurely gesture, returned the document to Ritsu.

“No, it is not. I can recognize a forgery, dear,” he asserted with a certainty that resonated in the air. “Now, return to your duties, I will take care of this.”

The woman nodded, bowing again, but not before fixing Ritsu with a look full of venom and disdain. A last spark of hostility before retreating into the shadows.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, young man,” the monk apologized. “Not everyone is as kind as me in the Forbidden City.” He extended a hand, pointing down a corridor. “You are late; the other aspirant officials have already been placed in their rooms. But do not worry, I will accompany you and assign you a room. Please follow me.”