Ren dragged Arata toward the food table, weaving through clusters of nobles and merchants. The smell of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the hall, and Ren's eyes had locked onto a tray of dumplings like a hawk spotting prey.
But before they reached it, a voice cut through the noise.
"Arata."
The Daimyo's tone was quiet but firm. Arata stopped. Ren reluctantly released his arm and followed as Arata turned toward the main table.
The Daimyo sat at the main seat at the end of the table, Elder Shida was on one side and Elder Mura on the other. Raizen seated beside his father, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. The table was set with fine porcelain and crystal, but the atmosphere was anything but celebratory.
As Arata approached, Yuki slipped into a seat near Elder Shida. The old man smiled at her, his wrinkled face softening.
"Yuki, my dear. How is your mother these days? I haven't seen her since the trade negotiations."
"She is well, Elder Shida. She sends her regards." Yuki's voice was polite, practiced. Her eyes flicked toward Arata as he took his seat beside the Daimyo.
Ren plopped down next to Arata, ignoring his father's stern call from across the hall. The older man shook his head but didn't press. Ren's father knew better than to try to control his son in public.
Arata chuckled softly. Ren's disregard for protocol was refreshing, even if it made the other nobles whisper.
The pleasantries began. Elder Mura raised his cup.
"To Prince Arata. May his eleventh year bring wisdom and strength."
Others echoed the toast. Raizen nodded slightly. Yuki offered her own greeting, her voice measured, her eyes no longer holding the disdain Arata remembered from a year ago.
"Happy birthday, Your Highness."
Arata accepted her words with a gracious nod.
The celebration continued.
Food was served. Wine flowed. Laughter echoed off the decorated walls but beneath the surface, Arata felt the weight of watching eyes—Elder Mura's cold assessment, Raizen's sharp curiosity, Elder Shida's quiet observation.
When the time came for the prince to speak, Arata rose and walked to the small podium at the front of the hall. The crowd quieted.
He spoke simply thanking the guests for their presence, acknowledging the gifts, inviting everyone to enjoy the feast. His words were unremarkable, exactly what was expected of a young prince on his birthday.
As he descended from the stage, he saw Raizen glance at Elder Mura. A silent signal passed between father and son.
Here it comes, Arata thought.
Raizen stepped forward, his voice carrying across the hall.
"Your Highness."
Arata turned. "Yes?"
"On this auspicious day, let us witness not only the celebration of the your birthday… but also your wisdom."
The hall fell silent. Forks paused mid-air. Conversations died. All eyes shifted to Arata.
The Daimyo and Elder Shida exchanged a glance. Shida sighed softly—he had seen this coming. Yuki's eyebrows rose slightly, interest flickering across her face. Ren looked at Arata with worry creasing his brow.
Raizen bowed to the room, then to Arata.
"If His Highness permits… it would be my honor to engage in discourse."
Arata studied him for a moment. This is Mura's move. Testing the prince in public, diminishing the royal family's reputation. Show everyone that the heir is unfit to rule.
He smiled. "Sure. Speak, Raizen."
Raizen straightened, his gaze sweeping across the audience before settling on Arata. His eyes were sharp, unwavering—bright with ambition.
"Then allow me to ask a simple question." He lifted his chin. "What is the most important piece of a nation… when one stands as its ruler?"
The hall held its breath.
Arata did not hesitate. "The people."
Nods rippled through the crowd. A few merchants murmured approval. But Yuki shook her head slightly, as if disappointed by such an obvious answer.
Raizen smiled—a faint, practiced expression. "A noble answer from our prince."
He paused, letting the words hang.
"But quite incomplete."
Whispers spread through the hall. Raizen stepped closer to Arata, his voice dropping slightly but still audible to all.
"The people are fickle. They fear today and forget tomorrow. They demand protection but resist discipline. Without control, they become chaos." He tilted his head. "Tell me, Your Highness… if the people are your foundation, what happens when that foundation turns against you?"
The whispers grew louder. Nobles and merchants who were loyal to Elder Mura—the ones Arata had not yet converted—fanned the tension, nodding, murmuring agreement.
Yuki watched with narrowed eyes. She found Raizen's approach distasteful—too aggressive — but she could not find a flaw in his logic. She sighed softly, pitying Arata.
The Daimyo's expression darkened. He knew what was happening. He had seen this kind of political maneuvering for decades. But he could not intervene without making things worse.
Elder Shida nodded almost imperceptibly, his aged eyes approving of Raizen's rhetoric. Elder Mura smiled, gratified.
Ren glared at Raizen. It's Arata's birthday, the chubby boy thought. Why are they doing this?
Arata stood still, taking in the reactions. Then he stepped forward.
"Then the fault lies with the ruler who failed them."
The Daimyo's eyes lit up. Elder Shida leaned forward slightly, his attention sharpening.
Raizen's smile did not waver. "Or perhaps… with the ruler who trusted them too much."
He turned his gaze toward the Daimyo and Elder Shida, as if inviting them into the conversation.
"History does not favor the kind. It favors the strong." His voice grew firmer. "Armies win wars. Authority maintains peace. Fear ensures obedience."
He turned back to Arata.
"So I ask again—what is truly the most important piece, Prince?"
The room tightened. The silence was deafening.
Raizen had cornered him. The answer was clear to everyone: The people are not enough. You are not enough. You have no power, no insight, no claim or right to rule.
Arata looked at Raizen. Looked at the audience. Looked at his father, at Elder Shida, at Yuki, at Ren.
Then he spoke.
"You're right."
Surprise flickered across Raizen's face. Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Arata stepped into the center of the stage, turning to face the entire hall.
"The people alone are not enough."
Arata continued, his voice calm and steady.
"A nation is not a single piece. It is a collection of pieces, each one essential. The people are its foundation. The military is its shield. The law is its structure."
Raizen's eyes narrowed. He was interested now—genuinely interested.
Arata paused a bit, letting the words settle.
"And the ruler… is the one who binds them together."
The room went completely quiet. Elder Shida sat up straight, looking at Arata with new eyes. The Daimyo's hands clenched beneath the table as he was excite to Arata's dialogue.
Arata met Raizen's gaze.
"A ruler who relies only on fear creates silence… but not loyalty. A ruler who relies only on the people creates hope… but no stability."
He stepped to the edge of the stage, and something in his presence shifted. A surge of quiet intent radiated from him, drawing every eye, holding every ear.
"But a ruler who understands both—who knows when to protect and when to command, when to listen and when to decide—creates a nation that does not need to fear him… yet will still stand for him."
He smiled.
"That is the most important piece. Not the people alone. Not the army alone. Not the law alone. But the connection between them. The ruler who weaves them into one."
The silence stretched.
Raizen tilted his head, studying Arata with new eyes. "…Idealistic."
Arata's smile widened. "I'm quite practical."
Raizen was quiet for a moment. Then he bowed—slightly, respectfully.
"Then I look forward… to seeing which one of us is proven right."
He withdrew from the stage, returning to his father's side. Elder Mura's expression was unreadable, but his eyes lingered on Arata.
Arata descended from the stage and walked back to Ren.
The chubby boy grabbed his arm, practically vibrating with excitement. "I can't believe you went toe-to-toe with Raizen! In a debate!" He laughed. "That was amazing!"
Yuki appeared at Arata's other side, her arms crossed. She looked at him sideways, her expression complicated.
"I didn't know you had that kind of ideology," she said quietly. "I've learned something today."
Arata smiled at her simply making Yuki a bit awkward as she expect something more.
The Daimyo rose from his seat and walked over. His stern face was softer than usual.
"You did well, Arata."
Elder Shida approached as well, his aged eyes crinkled with something like approval. "Seeing two talents in our nation… I am quite glad."
Elder Mura remained at the table, his smile fixed in place. But his eyes followed Arata, cold and calculating.
Arata met his gaze and smiled back.