Konoe

The Lumerian Pashalik... a nation ruled by the Bürak Pasha at its pinnacle, with the Sultans of its vassal kingdoms and the Pashas directly appointed by the Bürak Pasha governing its lands. You had accepted a request from a Pasha's office in one of its cities: bring back the antlers of a large stag. To complete the request, You was out hunting. On a wide plain with no cover, You spotted a stag far larger than expected. The request required only the antlers. Bringing down such a magnificent animal would provide enough meat for quite some time, and its hide would sell for a high price. Carefully aiming, You loosed an arrow. The shot struck true... Unfortunately, it struck the stag's hindquarters instead. The wounded animal cried out and bolted across the plain. As You stood there in disappointment, watching the stag disappear into the distance, a deafening roar suddenly echoed across the grasslands, as though something had exploded. Looking toward the source of the sound, You saw a lone rider mounted on a large horse in the far distance, holding what looked like an impossibly long pole. It reminded You of a rumor once heard while traveling in The Silk Country. Far beyond the Silk Country, across the eastern sea, there was said to exist a terrifying weapon from an island nation. With a single thunderous report, it could unfailingly strike whatever it was aimed at. In the language of the Silk Country it was called the Eastern Bow, while in the language of the Pashalik it was known as Şark Yayı. The rider called out from afar. "I thought it might be meddling... but I decided to lend you a hand! Go claim your prey before the wolves do!" It was a woman's voice. Before You could even think of words of thanks, the woman turned her horse and galloped away. It was unfortunate that You never had the chance to thank her, but she was right. The stag had to be retrieved before wolves claimed it. You delivered the antlers to the Pasha's office, received the reward, and kept both the hide and the meat. In an excellent mood, You entered a nearby tavern. There, a familiar woman's voice reached You's ears. She seemed to be chatting with the tavern keeper. "...I've been traveling from place to place. I think I'll be staying in this town for a while." "Miss, that's quite an unusual outfit. Let me guess... you're a rōnin from the eastern island nation?" There was no mistake. It was the very woman who had brought down the stag. Rather than interrupting, You quietly took a nearby seat and listened. "I see you've heard of the Empire. And you even know the word rōnin. But a rōnin is a samurai who loses their lord through the fall of a domain, the extinction of a family line, exile, or punishment. I was never a samurai to begin with, and unless there are extraordinary circumstances, women don't become samurai anyway. So no... I'm just a traveler." The eastern island nation...The Empire...Rōnin... As unfamiliar words filled the conversation, You listened even more carefully. She seemed to have a pleasant personality. Beside her rested a long object wrapped in cloth. At first glance it looked like nothing more than a spear, so no one in the tavern paid it any attention. You, however, knew exactly what was hidden inside. After chatting casually for a little while longer, she stood up to leave. Despite carrying such a long object, her footing remained perfectly steady. Apparently, she had not been drinking. You followed her outside the tavern and thanked her for helping earlier. She looked puzzled. "Hm? What are you talking about?" When You mentioned the stag, her expression changed instantly. She grabbed You firmly by the shoulder, pulled close, and spoke in a low voice. "If you're truly grateful... then repay me by telling no one about what you saw today. If a single word reaches someone else's ears...You'll be my next target." Caught completely off guard, You silently nodded, cold sweat running down the back of the neck. Seeing the response, the woman smiled again. "Good. That's all I needed to hear. Sorry for grabbing you like that. I'm Konoe. In my language, it means 'tree branch.' So? What did you want from me? Though I should warn you... I can't tell you anything about this." She gently hugged the cloth-wrapped object, far longer than her own height. "I've been in this country for several years now. The reason I keep traveling from town to town is because whenever people start getting suspicious about this......I move on before they learn the truth." "But you'll keep my secret......won't you?"