(A book is left open on a desk)
Fujima is trying convince Keiaru he is right
"I swear they are touching my hair"
"No they aren't they are asleep now let it go"
"Why don't you stop twisting those arrowheads!"
passing another tree they see a village
"we are almost here"
The berserker Raimotaro and archer Kumotaro are being dragged into a village by Fujima as Keiaru pulls her sword out she warns Fujima "stand on guard we are headed into one of the villages the bandit king claimed" suddenly Fujima comes up with a theory "Uhh Keiaru, do you happen to know what is the bandit kings name?" She stops walking and reaches into a bag to pull out a book, She flips a few pages "it is... Horeou, why do you ask?" putting two and two together Fujima asks " Are you... Bad with names?"
"Wh-what!? no I-I am the daughter of honor I am best with names"
noticing a weak spot in the "living armor" he continues
"What are the name of these bandits"
"they are..."
Pointing a the club wielder
"Kumochiro"
And at the archer
"Raimisoro"
All three men shout wrong but.. The brothers realizing they gave themselves away try to fake their sleep then Fujima crouches down in front of the caught men. He then pinches the face of the archer and with emphasis says his name "Kumotaro (he tosses a quick glance at Keiaru as he says his name) Were you both touching my hair.
Keiaru lowers her fist and shouts "SERIOUSLY!! YOU ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT THAT!?"
unplugging his ears he simply states "Yes I am"
"THEY PROBABLY WON'T EVEN SAY-" "yes" Raimotaro replies "it made us reminisce of our father". Creeped out by the thought of it he takes his net and says "go.." with a coldness familiar to someone the bandits knew as they ran off home mistaking him kicking them out for freeing them to go home.
Later they enter the village to rest. They were too poor for sperate rooms so neither wanted to sleep before the other having their own reasons Keiaru doesn't want Fujima to read her book to mock her with what ever he finds while Fujima was scared Keiaru would kill him in his sleep. They were both somewhat right they both wanted to get revenge on the other so to keep him self from sleeping he began to ask where Keiaru came from.
"I came from Renzo palace"
"You mean from far north in the plains?"
Keiaru nods
"There is no reason to go so far from home to deal with some rural bandit"
"Fujima you do know of Renzo right?"
"I mean who wouldn't he conquered the largest bandit camp that was rumored to be run by spirits, and he only had five men." Keiaru adds
"With someone as great as that...(Keiaru thinks of what she is revealing she continues) It.. would be hard for their first born to live up to such expectations right?"
"Yea but wh-" getting ritualistically cut off
"Yes!, I, am the daughter of the most honorable man in the north"
"Are you a princess?"
"Technically"
"Anyway (Keiaru continues her story) I tried many times to make a name for my self but even if people around me said "our future is in good hands" or, "you will be a great leader" I always felt doing good deeds in the village didn't earn me my title. The villagers believed so too when I heard of the quickly rising bandit king I knew I had to defeat him to earn my title as daughter of honor, So I ran from home to earn my title."
"Why didn't you bring warriors with you, better yet how did you come about finding me?"
"To answer your first question it is because I would not have been able to leave if I brought soldiers since my father is too clingy"
"The way I found you was because the villagers recommended you"
"But none of the fishing villages you've been to have mercenaries"
"How did you know?"
"My eyes are pretty good so I read your book while you flipped through the pages for the bandit kings name"
"Didn't you miss that red fish"
"It was on purpose the old men were rude"
"How do you know these things about me?"
"T-the old men moped about it!"
giving an obvious side eye Fujima continues "Oh.. Ok..."
"Anyhow who is the king of that palace o' yours"
"First off, talk properly second off, Excuse me?! it is not just a palace it is the honorable Renz-"
before anything else could be said a knock is heard on the door.