Cast

Main characters

Masahiro, the wandering swordsman. He is on the way to somewhere, on a quest very much his own, and would like nothing more than for the world to leave him alone. The world seems to have other ideas.

Fighting not only his own horrendously bad mood, but also deeper, more sinister forces.

Akane
Found in the woods by Masahiro, as the only survivor of a bandit attack. She does not speak much, and communicates mostly through gestures and facial expressions, and by clinging to Masahiro’s legs.

The Watanabe trio

Chouko
Captain of Lady Watanabe’s house guard. Duty-bound and serious, Chouko sets out to solve the mystery of the recent string of violent incidents in the prefecture not only because she is asked to, but because she feels it is her duty to do so. Whatever suspicions she might have, she’s playing them close to her chest.

Kazue and Dateh
Adjutants to Captain Chouko. Opinionated and strong-willed, Kazue has little patience with those who get in the way of her very personal sense of justice. Dateh, meanwhile, has the patience of a saint. He is in charge of most of the paperwork, worries like a champion, and likes to give people the benefit of doubt.

Lord Kobayashi
The ruler of House Kobayashi. A thin, bony man in robes that have seen better days, Lord Kobayashi rules from a palace where the walls are slowly cracking and birds roost in the rafters. His motives are murky and unclear, but he seems intent on a trajectory that puts him in opposition to Masahiro.

Wen
Lord Kobayashi’s right hand woman, Wen packs a lot of fierceness into her short stature. Armed with both wit and fury, she helps her Lord rule with an iron fist.