"…Ii."
After taking one last deep look at the "talent list" in his hand, Tokugawa Iemochi closed the booklet heavily.
"Are you truly... unwilling to temporarily step down from your position as Tairō, to avoid the sharp edge?"
"Lord Shogun." Ii Naosuke laughed heartily, "I am a descendant of the 'Red Night Demon' Ii Naomasa, who instilled fear in many heroes during the Warring States Era three hundred years ago."
Ii Naosuke slightly raised his head, his eyes full of pride.
"Looking back to those days, my ancestor Ii Naomasa personally led the 'Ii Red Team,' repeatedly serving as the vanguard of the great army, clearing the path for the Tokugawa Clan."
"With such a courageous ancestor, how can I, as his descendant, shrink back?"
"To serve as the vanguard general of the Shogunate, and to bear the burden for the Tokugawa Family, is my pride."
"Please, Lord Shogun, do not take away my pride!"
…
…
"Mother…"
