17
Hidekazu
Hidekazu and Barame turned a corner on the garden path, and the wall of bamboo stalks and cedar parted to reveal a dilapidated tea house.
“To solidify your position as my protégé, we must form an en-bond. Are you familiar with the ceremony?” Barame said.
“An en-bond is a spiritual contract.” Hidekazu considered how his new mentor would desire a more descriptive answer and added, “In some cases, they are permanent, like when you become a bushi and receive your irezumi, or when someone is accepted into a clan within which they have no blood relations.”
Other en-bonds could be broken under certain circumstances, such as a mutual agreement to dissolve a marriage. If Hidekazu ended up marrying Aihi, their contract would be theoretically breakable. In reality, it would be perman
