SAMURAI

Chapter 10; Dandy samurai

    "How much?"

    "Two gold coins."

    "Very expensive."

    “Too dangerous. Apart from high waves, pirates are also a major problem."

    I reached into my pocket. A small cloth pocket in which the coins did not contain too much. There was only one piece of gold, ten pieces of silver, five pieces of bronze. That was the only money I received from Goro before separating a few months ago. 

    At first, I refused. He insisted. "Wandered without the same money will get you hard," he said at the time.

    "This is all I have." I left all my money to the owner of the ship. He received the cloth bundle, opened and took out all the coins into the palm of his left hand.

    He put all the money back in his pocket, handed it back to me. "Not enough. Then, find another ship,” he snapped irritably.

    “Please. No other ships will depart this week. I have to wait one more week," I whimpered for mercy on the boat owner.

    The owner of the ship had a rough face with skin. His eyes were slanted with thin irregular eyebrows. Hand muscles stuck out. He didn't look at me directly as he spoke, only glanced. And that glance was very condescending. 

    "None of my business. Move quickly! The next passenger is ready to pay more."

    The scorching sunshine gripped the end of autumn. The dry, cold sea breeze made my eyes swell in annoyance. The clothes I wore were the clothes from Bokku Shigen, the Zen priest's clothes that were too small. I had no more clothes to wear except the rest of the priest's clothes. 

    The hakama pants and haori shirt I got from Goro were out of shape. A wide hat covered part of my head, hiding my face. the black bag bundle of ninja clothes and all the killing tools hung on my back. The sword that Moroshige gave was neatly stored under the priest's robe.

    "Please, sir. My brothers are waiting there.” I lied pointing towards the island of Kyushu.

    Shouting, he pushed my body “Poor priest. Are you deaf?  I told you, I don't care about your business. If there is no money, there is no place on this ship! "

    His height was only limited to my chest. His strength was strong enough for an ordinary human, but not strong enough to propel a solid rock. Instead of fighting back, I let my body fall. There's no point making a fuss with ordinary people. My face will soon be exposed when the hat is open. Who knows, he might have witnessed my unsolved beheading.

    “Let the priest get on the ship. I'll pay,” shouted a soft voice from behind.

    A young man dressed as a writer. In his right hand is a fan. Even though the air was already cold, the young man waved his fan as if driving away from the heat from the dock. The training I received from Masashige and Moroshige was not all about martial arts. Apart from how to kill targets effectively, I also received training in intelligence, counter-intelligence, infiltration, undercover, and research before the assassination plan was carried out. 

    My brain began to practice knowing carefully, memorizing, digesting, and analyzing the irregularity of a problem. Since coming out of the forest three days ago, my instincts and lessons have been learned. Recognizing the layers of society, sorting the wealth of samurai based on the clothes worn, the shape of the sword, and their appearance.

    He looked like a top-class samurai. His hakama pants and haori kimono were made of silk. A little too big for his medium size. His clothes fluttered in the sea breeze. The long and short swords were neatly tucked into the right waist. The engraving on the scabbard showed two fine and expensive swords. He wore an educated samurai class eboshi silk. 

    His face was smooth without sideburns. His hair was neatly curled up. The very handsome and dandy samurai. From his appearance, I was sure he was a samurai of noble blood. Too flashy to be easily recognized.

    The dandy samurai overtook some of the bridesmaids from the merchant class. He gave me two gold coins, asked for my coin, and handed me the cloth on which it was returned. My head shook, still in a bowed manner. From the slightly raised hat, the dandy face was increasingly visible. His face is oval with a sharp nose. His eyes were pitch black. Two small eyebrows extended. His lips were tiny with skin pale. Both cheeks flushed from the beach sun. Those long, smooth fingers wagged the open fan. He didn't look like a fighting samurai.

    However, his appearance couldn't fool my eyes. The fan he was carrying was not just an air repellent. The fan was made of black steel. The tips were sharp. The movement of his hands while fanning his body looked very light and dexterous. I believed a great power was hidden behind the tenderness of those fingers. Without waiting for my approval, he tucked a cloth bag under my robe.

    "Thank you, Sir. Thank you so much," I said over and over.

    "You are welcome. My name is Adachi Goemon. You can just call me Goemon."

    The tiny lips smiled openly. A neat line of white teeth adds to his good looks. Jet black eyes glared sharply. I am increasingly convinced that he is not just a samurai even though he looks graceful.

    “My name is Genta. The wandering zen priest,” I said lowly.

    Caping still closed part of my head. Goemon is not interested in seeing my whole face.

    "Go up young priest."

    I lowered my body, letting the dandy samurai go up first. The owner of the boat leaned in as I passed. His views are still cynical and contemptuous. Quite soothing for me. The more he believed I was just a weak, poor zen priest, the more I felt in my disguise.

    Just as the sun fell toward the western horizon, the ship moved slowly leaving the dock. The shipowner who is also the captain of the ship shouted to adjust the direction of the sail from behind the wheel. The length of the ship was ten meters by a width of four meters, two floors. Lower deck floor for samurai escort room. Fairly luxurious with a thatched bed. Second floor for high-end samurai. 

    There were only three rooms on the second floor. One room was occupied by the dandy samurai. The other room was occupied by a samurai who was a noble. Two bodyguards stood in front of the room with their swords draped. One other room I don't know who the occupant is.

    I prefer to sit on the top deck, frozen in the most corner near the wheelhouse, just below the bollard screen. The fluffy sails prevented the splashing of seawater from hitting my meditating body. The wave swung slowly. My ten fingers are linked in front of the stomach.

    The chill of late autumn made my lungs feel like they were absorbing snowflakes prematurely. The distinctive smell of the sea breeze mixed with the screams of the seagulls made my concentration quickly reach its highest point. My body and soul are melted with the beauty of nature. The sun sank perfectly into the moonlight. And, I'm still immersed in my meditation.

    “May I stand here?"

    A sound attracted my soul to unite the body. It was a Dandy samurai voice. Slowly I opened my eyes. He stood staring at the wide sea, leaning against the ship dividing wall behind my seat. His hakama pants remained the same color as this afternoon, only the haori kimono shirt changed to a light-yellow color.

     The sea was getting dimmer. The oil lamps on the ship's walls and some of the shimmering masts were lit. The skin on the face of the dandy samurai glowed in the light. The curves of the nose, mouth, and jaw reflect the perfect sculptures. In his right hand, the closed fan was beating gently against the palm of his left hand.

    “Of course, Mr. Goemon. Without your help, I am still sitting meditating on the beach.”

    He laughed softly. His voice was as gentle as a distant screaming gull. "For a priest, you are quite attractive."

    I laugh at myself. "What do you mean?"

    "Your body is straight, tall, and big. Your face is quite handsome even though I can only see half of your face. Your steps are light and nimble when climbing the ship's ladder. I'm sure you're not just any zen priest."

    A voice of low laughter adorned my lips. This dandy samurai is pretty good at his analysis, except for one thing; I'm not handsome. My clothes are cute, my appearance is messy, my face is full of whiskers. Manly may be yes, but still not exactly handsome for a man who hasn't showered in ten days.

    “Lord samurai is too much. I'm just a weak zen priest."

    Goemon didn't respond to my answer. He took a deep breath, filled his lungs with the sea breeze, then blew it out in one burst. The moon was full. The weather was very pleasant. The sea breeze is blowing quite hard at night. The sound of the waves rocking the ship's body lightly to the right and the left. The ship is traveling at a constant speed. The dandy samurai's appearance stands out in the middle of a lonely ocean.

    “It must be nice to be a priest. Can travel anywhere too. Not bound by the sickening rules of nonsense,” he sighed to himself. The tone of bitterness sounded clear.

    "It's the same, sir. I also often dream of becoming a rich samurai. Served, obeyed orders, can eat and drink well."

    Goemon laughed out loud. He closed his mouth as it opened wide. The sound of laughter that had been thrown out was shouted by the roar of the waves that splashed the water a little high.

    "Tell me. Who are you? "

    "As I said earlier. I am just a wandering priest. "

    He snorted in annoyance. “You may be able to deceive other people's eyes, but not mine. One day I will unmask you."

    I looked down did not answer. Goemon's voice was cold as he uttered his threat. I have to admit, he's a clever samurai.

    The weather was fast-changing. The night wind began to howl loudly. The developing sail is attracted to the speed of the wind. The speed of the ship is getting faster.

    The captain of the ship gave orders to the officer to change their way.

    "Ah, the weather quickly changes like a human heart," sighed the samurai.

    I smiled faintly. 

    He continued, “Too bad. Not long ago I enjoyed its natural beauty, the roar of the waves began to sweep. I better go back to my room. "

    He nodded at me while clutching the tip of her eboshi-hat that was blown away by the violent wind. I nod back. “Gentle samurai,” I whispered.