The concubine's long, loose black hair waved sinuously near her curved back, releasing a very fragrant scent. Her dark, almost black eyes lingered on Ryutaro for a few moments, not realizing why a man would wear a veil in front of his face.

Emperor Shinzo had a wife, who had gone from being a simple nobleman to the Empress of Tentochu due to their marriage. The Empress wasn't entitled to her husband's same powers, but her image instilled courage and hope in the population.

​​

She was an auspicious symbol for merchants and warriors, artisans and farmers. Empress Kayoko was revered by many as a goddess with her unruffled expression and kind face, even though she did nothing more than wave to her subjects at public events.

After speaking closely into Shinzo's ears, the most brazen of the three concubines drew out her warm tongue and licked his earlobe, gradually descending to his neck.

Before she could continue her path, pretending to be alone with her lover, she was stopped by Shinzo himself. With his hand, he grabbed her chin, pulling her face away from his neck.

"There are guests, girls. Please wait for me in my room. I'll be right back," Shinzo chuckled, aroused by the tongue that had just brushed against his neck. After his orders, the three concubines retraced their steps, passing the throne and disappearing behind it, exiting the throne room.

To the surprise of the guards, the Emperor of Tentochu had just proven himself to be polygamous: like many noble and powerful men, perhaps Shinzo objectified the Empress, seeking sexual pleasures in other women.

"Your father is rolling over in his grave, Shinzo" - Ryutaro's words drew the Emperor's angry gaze. His orange eyes pointed at the gatekeeper, looking at him as if he wanted to punish him for his insolence.

One step after another, the white-haired man approached Ryutaro, trying to look him in the eye. "Don't you ever dare speak of my father in my presence again, and don't ever call me by my first name. I am your Emperor, and I demand your respect, old man!" Shinzo ordered, gradually increasing the tone of his voice.

Before Ryutaro could respond to that statement, Shinzo grabbed his red kimono, held it in his hands, and pulled it towards him. As if he wanted to immobilize the gatekeeper, the Emperor lifted Ryutaro's body slightly while continuing to stare at him with angry eyes.

"Why did you run away from the Dojo? I don't have time for these games! You will remain in this exact spot until you give me an answer!" he shouted.

When Ryutaro looked closely at Shinzo, he realized that so many years had passed since their meeting, and perhaps the Emperor was now in his fifties. This was made evident by the thin wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes.

"I'm tired of living in the Dojo day and night. I needed to get out and distract myself for once," the gatekeeper replied. From the unsure tone of his voice, Ryutaro had been entirely unconvincing.

"Aaaargh! Nonsense!" Shinzo shouted in a fury, letting go of his grip on Ryutaro's kimono and backing away from him, blurting out incomprehensible words. "My men have seen you with people who have nothing to do with your job as guardian of the arena," Shinzo reported.

The informants he spoke of were surely among the warriors of the Emperor's Heralds guild. Always loyal to the crown, they had not hesitated for a moment to report everything they had seen to the Emperor's messengers.

"I deal with hundreds of people every day, Shinzo," Ryutaro spoke, sketching a smile under his veil. "Your men may have been mistaken. I'm just doing my job.

The Emperor's orange eyes filled with anger and his hands clenched into fists. "Do you really want to die, Kawado Ryutaro?" - Shinzo moved so close to the monk's face that their noses almost touched.

"When my time comes, I will be ready," the gatekeeper replied. "Death is nothing but the normal flow of things; it is part of the cycle of life. When this body dies, my soul will be reincarnated in another body, young Emperor of Tentochu.

With those words spoken with the sole purpose of irritating Shinzo and distancing the speech more and more from Yoichi and everything related to Kenji, Ryutaro knew that the Emperor could have even killed him, but he didn't care.

Shinzo realized that that speech was only aimed at wasting his time and nervously ran a hand through his long white hair.

"I don't trust you, Ryutaro. I have never trusted you. I will find out what you are up to. In the meantime, you will rot in the Palace dungeon, the place where I should have locked you up long ago," the Emperor growled. Raising a hand, he snapped his fingers. His angry eyes focused on the gatekeeper.

After that signal, two men in armor emerged from behind the throne and hurriedly approached Ryutaro. Both wore red oni masks, each one different from the other.

The Sutow guards who witnessed the scene took a step back, afraid of the presence of two more Red Fangs soldiers. Tall and mighty, they grabbed both Ryutaro's arms, who let himself be carried without resistance.

The gatekeeper was escorted by the two soldiers past the golden throne, accessing the door on the wall behind it. All three of them exited the throne room, carrying out the Emperor's orders and leading the prisoner into the darkest and deepest prisons of the Imperial Palace.

Shinzo sat on his throne, continuing to touch his hair compulsively. It was as if the man, obsessed with his outer beauty and ego, was blinded by anger. His father's right-hand man had never knelt before him, and yet, the people of Goldhaven treated him with respect worthy of a war veteran.

"Your majesty," Sutow stuttered, drawing the Emperor's attention without daring to cross his gaze.

Shinzo looked at the three guards as if barely aware of their presence. He got up from his throne and started to speak again, "You have done a great job today, and for that, you will be duly rewarded. But now I have another mission for you," the white-haired man exclaimed, his expression of hatred turning into an evil smile.