The man named Tetsuya held Haruto's hand. He smiled at Haruto with deep love in his eyes.
"Akechi Haruto. I am your father now. I have been blessed by my master by being able to take care of you as my son."
The conference meeting continued.
Haruto sat next to his father. His father explained the situation to him.
"Yori, now that a divine child is part of our clan we can finally start expanding our territory eastwards towards the Nirou kingdom. The reason I wanted to speak to you is that your elder brother, Tadao-san sent me an urgent message through his falcon."
He cleared his throat and raised his voice in a mixt anger and sadness
"Nirou kingdom's emperor is dead. His family has been assassinated completely by his half-brother Goto Junpei. His mother has been forced into becoming a monk and leaving the title of tiger victor to Junpei as well."
Grim silence enveloped the hall. Goto clan had been closely allied with the Akagi clan. The lady Akiko was the daughter of the previous clan leader of the Goto clan and Goto Junpei was her half-brother as well. Her pleasant and amiable face turned pale with shock and grief.
She remembered her niece, who had been just twelve years old. Her delicate body was always wrapped in a bright kimono as she smiled and played Shamisen.
Her elder brother, Goto Masato always doted on her and had the brightest smile. His wife, Harumi treated Akiko like her own sister.
All of them were now dead.
Weakness spread throughout her body. Even though she tried to maintain a calm composure, tears welled up in her eyes.
'I am samurai. I cannot cry here.'
In a swift moment, she straightened herself up and stopped her emotions. Kaito looked at his wife in pity and sorrow as well.
'Masato was a good man. It is karma. He was a samurai till the end and committed seppuku with the rest of his family before Junpei could kill him himself.'
"Goto clan was our closest ally. We must avenge their dishonourable deaths. Junpei must pay for his deeds. The imperial court will not stop us now. The divine child's ruling is equivalent to that of the imperial court's."
There were shouts of 'Akagi' and 'Kaito' filling the hall. All the members raised and left except for Tetsuya, Haruto, Yori, Akiko and Kaito.
Akiko could no longer hold herself. Tears poured out of her eyes.
Kaito did not say anything about it. Yori looked at his mother with sorrow as well. He remembered his cousin. A bright girl with immense talent in the Shamisen.
'Such a pity, but it is karma.'
Kaito addressed Tetsuya.
"Haruto must be trained well. He is a divine child only in name now. He must be trained under the best. Make sure that Haruto becomes trained in both his swordsmanship and attunement equally."
"It will be done, my liege."
"Tetsuya. This boy is more important than our entire kingdom. I have to write a letter to the imperial court stating about this boy. Before anything he has to be blessed by the imperial court and be officially appointed as a divine child. We have to know which kami-incarnate he is."
"Yes, my liege. We must head to the imperial court as soon as possible. The Ichirou kingdom has gained the Nirou kingdom which has caused us to become only slightly greater than them. We must leave for Saburou before the next sunrise."
There were five kingdoms in total in their continent.
The Ichirou and the Nirou kingdoms were now under the rule of the Oda clan.
Saburou kingdom belonged to the imperial court.
The Shirou and Gorou kingdoms belonged to the Akagi kingdom.
Till now, Ichirou was not crushed because of the presence of a divine child there. Now that they had gotten Nirou as well, they were evenly matched against the Akagi clan.
"I agree, Tetsuya. Let this child stay here for today. Tomorrow, Yori will take him to the imperial court."
With that, Tetsuya and Yori got up and left. Kaito and Akiko looked at Haruto. Haruto wondered why the lady was crying.
"Haruto, you must have so many questions right now. You can ask us anything."
Akiko clapped her hands and a maid came into the hall. "Bring us some food and tea for the boy."
"Why are you crying?" Haruto asked bluntly.
Akiko wiped her tears and smiled seeing the concern on the boy's face.
"My wife is crying because her family has been killed and betrayed by our enemies. Her mother has been sent on pilgrimage."
Haruto did not know what to say. He just stared at the woman.
"Hah! That is the only question that you have. You are a kind boy, Haruto. Ask something else as well."
"Why did the enemies attack Lady Akiko's family?"
Kaito was surprised yet felt an unexplicable happiness seeing the kindness and innocence in Haruto.
He smiled and explained the matter.
"The Oda clan has been against the Akagi clan for centuries. No one remembers why there is an enmity except the imperial court. The Oda clan wishes to become stronger just like the Akagi clan also wishes for strength. We want to become strong enough to rule this entire continent alongside the imperial court."
The boy asked in a cold voice which did not belong to him, "Why do you pursue strength? What pushes you to become stronger?"
The boy had changed. A different aura surrounded him. The whole air in the hall felt heavier. Kaito and Akiko shifted uncomfortably seeing the boy's golden eyes.
An immense bloodthirst seemed to emanate from him.
Then he smiled. The air seemed to be light again. The unquenchable bloodthirst died away as though it was never present.
Kaito and Akiko looked at the boy with wonder. Fear crept in their back at seeing the change in the boy.
'This boy is the real deal. A true god incarnate exists inside him.'
By that time, the maid was back with food and cha for three. She set it up for them and bowed low leaving again.
"Can you use the the chopsticks to eat?"
Haruto nodded. Eating using the chopsticks felt natural to him. He ate to his heart's content.
It was already evening. Haruto was taken to a room with a soft futon and blankets. He slept immediately as he lay down.