Because of Ah Man, Izumi Hichiji received special treatment; unlike the new Minoh immigrants, who were crammed into tiny boats and shipped to the seaside like sardines, he was allowed to ride in an ox cart, recuperating slowly from his injuries while listening all the way to Ah Man narrate the story of Harano's rise, and learning about New Wanjin, this newly-emerged place in Owari Province.
Yet even so, after stepping onto the soil of New Wanjin, his first impression remained one of novelty, as if he had arrived in some foreign land overseas.
