>>5312702>>5312669>>5312642>>5312607>>5312598>>5312588>>5312382>>5312378>>5312350>>5312307>>5312296>You won’t do it. You can’t just embarrass yourself like that.“No.” Your voice is firm in spite of your fear. “You think I can just turn up on their doorstep, get on my knees, and say sorry? They would kill me.”
“You’re real gutsy, you know that?--turnin’ me down even with a knife at your throat. You’ve got grit, that’s good.” The drunk raises a brow. “But I’m not askin’. You turn me down and I’ll have to come forward about your little scam–some fraud ronin turnin’ up around towns, takin’ advantage of their favor. And I’m sure a whole lot of people would be far less charitable about your punishment than what I have in mind. No, they’d chop your head off.”
“So what, then?” You glare.
“I won’t be cuttin’ a finger off or nothin’. If I put every young thief I met to the sword, there’d be no future for the Thousand Lotus Isle. So I’ll put you to work.” He tilts his head right–between the alleys and cracks of the bars in the district, you see a grassy countryside that stretches out far beyond. “Now, far out east–maybe a few days out from Himawari–there’s a town called Jujiro.”
“So?” You try to inch your neck from his sword, but he keeps firm.
“Jujiro was a decent town. Had a yearly sword fighting tourney, a good bathhouse.. they were in good straits.” He clicks his tongue. “But nowadays, the countryside is in want of decent young swordsmen and a local bandit clan has taken control of it–the Tsujigiri Gang.”
You feel a nervous pit well up in your gut.
“Now, the Tsujigiri Gang were small-scale–flash a sword at ‘em and most’ll flee like a beaten dog. But they’ve got a new leader, some bastard warlord, and they’ve gotten real dangerous in turn.” He grimaces. “They’ve been sendin’ bandit scouts out all over–probin’ nearby towns, slinkin’ around our alleys. They want to expand their territory. And most’ve been seen near–”
“Himawari, right?” You cut him off.
“You’re quick to the chase–clever. That’s great.” He grins. “I got a simple arrangement for you, Tomoko–or, should I say Tomoe? Tomoe beat back the original Tsujigiri Gang a couple years back. So.. how about she pays them another visit? Scare ‘em a little. Tell ‘em Himawari is under Tomoe’s watch. Just flash your sword and it’ll send ‘em far west, out of our hair. Put that scam of yours to good use.”
>Ask what’s in it for you. It’ll be a long and dangerous trip.>Inform him that you have no clue how to swing a sword. You’ll just get gutted by them.>Ask what happens if you just leave.>Agree to his request. >Write-In. 