His name was Shinji Inoue.
Once a high-ranking samurai family serving the Choshu daimyo directly, the Inoue family found themselves adrift after the Meiji Restoration stripped their lord of power and their samurai status along with it. Struggling to adapt to the rapid modernization sweeping across Japan, they migrated to Tokyo in search of a better life.
However, their hope for prosperity took an unexpected turn as they ended up working as "underground samurai" for the Yamagata family.
An unexpected tragedy at the tender age of eight caused Shinji to lose his parents in the blink of an eye. He found solace in the influential Yamagata household, repaying their kindness by working as a servant. However, years later, Shinji discovered the horrifying truth. His parents hadn't died in an accident. Master Yamagata had sent them on a perilous mission destined for failure, resulting in their deaths.