>>5536145 >>5536326You would be lying if you said you didn't want to play, but... <span class="mu-i">Beat him yourself. The fruits of one's labors taste best after a difficult harvest.</span> A quiet utterance about someone being a goody-two-shoes later, and Kinzou returns his attention to the game, where he promptly loses again. From then on he merely observes.
<span class="mu-i">If you want, then you could manufacture a board yourself to play on, and practice against me.</span> Kinzou shrugs.「Maybe. Dunno if I'll see them again anyways. Don't interact with the kids from the farms much.」The line of kids in front of Kinzou begins entering the temple's main building, where the coming of age ceremony is to be held.
The children stand in a long line throughout the length of the temple, dressed in clean, white robes. The eastern half of the empire's tradition. As they stand there, waiting, a speaker steps up. From what you understand it's supposed to be the village head, but given his current ill health, a young man in his 20s, one of the village head's grandsons, speaks instead.
He speaks for some time on the transition to adulthood, and how important it is, and how it will be a time where one gains the ability to become independent... but frankly, you don't think many of the children are paying full attention. It only becomes worse when he talks about the empire, and how as a resident of the empire, it is all of their duties to contribute to the nation's well being, and adhere to the empire's values. Even the adults are thoroughly bored by then.
But after 20 or 30 minutes the speaking does come to an end, and everyone perks up once again. What comes next is the giving of gifts. In Fogtop, at least, children traditionally take on an apprenticeship of some sort at the age of 10. In the giving of gifts, the child's parents and master will give a single gift each to the child, generally relating to their chosen line of work. Whether the purpose is to show that the elders are supporting the now maturing child's goals, or merely a way to make very practical gifts feel more meaningful, you have no idea.
Brynn steps up. "Hey. Wouldn't say I'm yer master, but it'd be a shame if y'didn't get anything. Here you go." The man holds out a brush for writing, which Kinzou accepts, before taking a bow.「Thanks!」"Ain't nothing." Brynn quickly ruffles the child's hair. "Anyways, yer parents are behind me. I'll let them past." The old man backs away slightly before pausing. "Oh. And Mao said to tell you he said, 'Hi, or congratulations, or something.'"
