The duel was always fought in front of witnesses, and the Miyazakis saw this as a humiliation to their honor. A clan war began, and the emperor retreated. Blood was shed for more than three years. Hoshino massacred more than a dozen enemy vassal clans, completely destroying all the men and strong women. But there were too many of them — we were simply showered with corpses, and the Hoshino clan fell.
I, the youngest daughter of an elderly family, was taken alive, drugged, and kept in that state until I was born. — The woman's voice trembled noticeably, and there were tears in her eyes, but she did not break eye contact. — The only time I saw you was when you were washed and wrapped in diapers. — Then, five years ago, you remembered.
— I nodded, I didn't have the strength to speak. — I can't pass on our clan's martial arts techniques and laws, but that's not important. The most important thing is that you know who you are, who your mother is, and who the rapist father of the thieves' clan is.
Our blood will tell us who we really are, and since this has happened, only you can decide what our clan will be next. And this, — the woman took an oval pendant with a pale blue translucent stone in the center, on a thin chain, from around her neck.
— The last legacy of the family, a gift from the parents to the child, as usual. — With these words, the pendant ended up around my neck, hidden in my clothes. — To open it, draw the letter "Star" on it with your blood. And finally, don't look for our libraries — I personally destroyed them when I saw the death of the last soldiers, which is why I was captured alive.
— The woman embraced me again, kissed me on the cheek, looked into my eyes, her impossible lilac with a silver sparkle. — Live, my son, and do not be sad for those who have died — our souls are always welcome guests in the heavenly palaces. — With these words, the woman rose and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
I stood there watching her, feeling the lack of native magic, with a taste of the coolness of the night and the green grass. Without knowing something, one cannot regret his or her loss. I felt the absence of the one who should have been there from birth.
There was a pain in my chest, I felt tired in my body and in my soul. I didn't even notice how familiar maids appeared nearby, pulling me somewhere. The rest of the celebration passed in a fog, everything blurred into gray images that I didn't even try to remember. In some unknown way, I ended up in my room, undressed, in bed (yes, they sleep on beds here, not futons), but I didn't think about anything and fell asleep immediately.