After the Rain Page #2

I am right...

Get out of here!

It's a man's fight!

- But...

- Silence

I am sorry!

stop!

That's enough!

Private duels are prohibited!

Fools!

- you dawdlers!

- Your horse, sir...

In comparison, our horses

are no more than jades.

Shut up!

Bring me those idiots.

I don't know with whom I have the honor,

but, for stopping this ridiculous duel...

I, Shigeaki, Lord of this fief,

express my sincerest gratitude.

I watched everything with great attention,

from the top of that hill there...

As a matter of fact, it was very

impolite of me.

Not at all.

I was charmed to assist

a demonstration of such quality

and by a bare-footed man,

If you permit me...

I thank you.

Are you staying over here?

At the Matsuba-inn.

I'm called Misawa Ihei.

I'm a ronin.

With all this rain,

I couldn't cross the river...

I see... It must be overwhelming.

Tell me...

to distract yourself, What would you

say about coming to the castle?

I wouldn't know!

Well, then...

I before you,

send by the lord of this fief.

am Gonnojo, the chief of his garde,

at your service.

I also belong to his garde

and I'm called Masahiro.

His lordship summons you to the castle.

Give us the honor of your acceptance.

I humbly thank you.

Would you give me a moment...

I must prepare myself.

Sure. Take your time.

Divide this between the lot of you.

It's a carp.

Cut in pieces,

it's really delicious in soup.

What a situation!

The lord of the fief summons me.

I know.

But...

What to do? Have you seen my attire...

Put on that kimono.

But... how did you do it?

His Holiness!

Welcome!

I hope my invitation wasn't

too inopportune.

No, not in the least.

Put yourself at ease.

The other day, you have prevented

young idiots of my clan

killing each other.

I thank you again.

please.

Alright... let's cut the preliminary

chatter.

In fact, our master of arms

died six months ago

and still hasn't been replaced.

We're looking for his successor.

I've seen many candidates,

but until now,

none of them were satisfactory.

This room is much to ceremonial

for us to discuss something.

let's go outside.

We'll talk in the garden.

To tell you the truth...

watching you the other day,

I've thought about you as our

master of arms.

That's why I wanted to

get to know you

Without embarrassing you.

In my youth,

I have worked as an

accountant

of a small fief in the north-east.

but, I must confess

that I was bored a lot

staying seated after my desk,

from dawn till dusk...

I left the fief.

You fled?

Yes. Edo, the capital, attracted me,

but I had to run secretly

and I didn't have any money.

and then, what did you do?

A friend taught me

an excellent method.

On the way to Edo,

there are numerous fortifications.

There should be fencing-schools.

Take your chances with them.

Duels?

Certainly not! I wasn't strong

enough for that!

What did you do?

I took on a very serene posture

and, without affronting the students,

I asked the master

to teach me a special stroke.

Thus I affronted the master and

just before he stood up to me,

I would renounce.

You would renounce?

Yes. I would lower my wooden sword,

throw myself to the floor and I would

proclaim that I was defeated.

How would that permit you

to pay your voyage?

My attitude would put the

master in a good mood

and he would do me favors.

He would invite me to his table,

offer me a drink

and he would even go so far as

to give me some money for my travels.

I see!

What a great tactic!

That way I was able to reach Edo.

And what did you do then?

Happy to finally be there,

I roamed the streets

of the capital

When I came across a big dojo.

I hesitated for a moment

but, decided to make it my ultimate

goal, I stepped over the threshold.

I arrive at Tsuji Gettan's,

The master of the school of the unity.

Tsuji Gettan!?

Nobody ignores that master over there!

So you entered and did you defy him?

Yes.

But no... you can't go about

defying a man like him...

It's unthinkable.

Precisely...

It's just this 'unthinkable'

that happened.

Master Tsuji,

accepted my challenge

without being begged about it.

Truth and subject are one.

I asked myself...

at what moment I would throw down

my sword and declare myself defeated...

I renounce!

I don't understand!

What happened to him?

I was also surprised.

Without understanding his reasons,

I had revealed my secret intention.

and, Master Tsuji...

I understand now.

To this day,

I have fought

with an uncountable amount of men.

But you were different.

Though you gave the impression

of being badly prepared,

You stayed calm and showed

no desire to win.

I didn't understand you.

I didn't know what to do.

That's why

I lowered my sword.

I am truly beaten, today!

That's cool!

What a nice story!

And then, what did you do?

Master Tsuji took me on

as an apprentice.

He treated me with great affection

and I succeeded in becoming

an instructor.

Thanks to him, I was able to be

engaged in the service of a fief,

But it didn't last.

I really couldn't make it there.

My reputation deteriorated.

I had to leave the fief.

After that,

I've served two other fiefs...

and now, I have no master.

My wife says

that I wasn't made to serve a lord

and expects nothing more of me.

Another thing, I would like to take

a closer look at your sword...

Can I?

I beg you.

Gon, where is the sword of our host?

In the sword-depository.

To say the truth, he's called 'Gonnojo',

but 'little Gon' fits him better.

And now,

let us have a look at the garden.

With all this rain,

It's been a long time

since I set foot in there.

With your permission.

The forging of fine grain...

delicately moistened...

very well drawn groves...

a proud blade

has the freshness

of a spring breeze.

and the perfume.

It's not signed.

But no less admirable because of it.

Where did you buy it?

It's master Tsuji

who gave it to me.

They say the sword

is the soul of the warrior...

It's really a splendid piece!

Anyway,

it must be hard to be a ronin.

Sometimes it's hard and even painful,

but sometimes it not that bad

and even fun.

You meet all kinds of people

in all kinds of situations.

In comparison,

serving a lord is tiresome.

The officers are all,

without exception, arrogant and blunt.

Their conversations

are uninteresting and spiritless.

They provoke only boredom.

Our lord loves slander.

He also loves to give nicknames.

silence!

This being said,

I also gave you a nickname.

I know it.

'badly received pumpkin'.

pale skinned

and never letting go...

of your exalted but.

I'm beginning to get hungry.

What time is it?

I've sent my pages and

the women away.

We'll serve ourselves.

I'll do the introductions.

My chief-vazal, Ishiyama Kihei.

'mule-face'.

The second vazal, Akashi Butayu.

'The scarecrow'.

I am Misawa Ihei...

at your service.

Those two here are

the antiquities of the fief.

the old-fashioned geezers.

I don't know if the have real value

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