The Wakatake-tei Yose Theater
Now then, leaving the true story aside for a moment, at the Wakatake-tei yose theater, the kōdan storyteller's heroic tale The Flight of the Twin Blade Dragon was building at last toward its fiery climax!
"And so this Ashino Yasutaka would go on to make his name known across the land as the Twin Blade Dragon!"
Snap!
The storyteller gave his fan a brisk, satisfying snap.
"Though he set his sights on becoming the Stud King of the land!"
Snap!
"Never once, from that day forward, would he be fawned over by women!"
Snap!
A ripple of chuckles escaped the crowd.
"Never, for all eternity, would he keep a woman at his side!"
Snap!
Laughter rose from the audience.
"His lifetime tally of lovers would end at exactly one!"
Snap!
A great roar of laughter erupted from the seats.
"And thus, with no ambition to be one at all, he made his name as the mightiest Kabukimono in the land!"
Snap!
"It is Ashino Yasutaka who stands as the model for every Kabukimono who came after!"
Snap! Snap! Snap-snap-snap-snap!
The storyteller gave his fan one last brisk snap and let the silence hang.
"And with that, today's reading of The Flight of the Twin Blade Dragon, Chapter One: The Kabukimono of Edo, comes to its end."
Clap clap clap clap!!
Thunderous applause rang out through the hall.
The storyteller bowed deeply, and to the sound of drum and flute, the curtain began to fall...
Once he was certain the curtain had fallen all the way, the storyteller raised his head.
"Whew... that took it out of me.............."
He let out a long breath.
As he returned to the wings, his fellow performers called out to him.
"Good work out there."
"Yeah, nice job today."
Exchanging greetings, the storyteller made his way back to the waiting room.
There he found his master, who was due to go on next.
"You've really come along, Kōkai."
"Thank you very much."
The kōdan storyteller, Kamiyama Kōkai, bowed his head to his master.
Yet his master's expression had gone oddly sour.
"But why is it only the Twin Blade Dragon story you keep getting better at, hm? Must be in the blood, huh?"
"Probably so, yes.............."
Kōkai gave a wry smile of his own.
"Well, if a descendant of Ashino Yasutaka told the Twin Blade Dragon story badly, there's no telling what people would say..."
"Ain't that the truth!"
Master and student shared a laugh.
"Well, the rest of your repertoire matters too. Keep at it."
"Yes, sir. I will."
With that, his master headed off toward the stage.
Kōkai drew out the Balsam Flower Necklace he wore around his neck, tucked out of sight beneath his kimono, and smiled wryly at it.
It was said to be the very necklace worn by his great-great-grandfather Yasutaka, though what Kōkai owned was only a cheap replica passed down through his branch of the family. Even so, its design had become his family's crest.
"From what I heard, though... the old man's real story wasn't nearly so grand."
Muttering that to himself, he began packing up to leave.
Just then...
"Kōkai, there's a Tanimachi here asking to see you."
"Oh, got it. I'll be right there."
With that answer, Kōkai went at once to meet his visitor.
A Tanimachi was a patron who backed performers in sumo, kabuki, and the like, an extension of the same impulse that drives fans to support the artists they love.
Back in those days, without the internet, wealthy benefactors were the ones who kept the performing arts alive.
That was why even a kōdan storyteller could never afford to look down on a Tanimachi.
Kōkai hurried over to find a young samurai waiting for him.
At a glance, he looked like nothing more than a plainly dressed swordsman, but in truth he belonged to the ruling family of a certain domain.
He played the part of a Tanimachi in secret, which was why he'd dressed the way he had.
The young samurai smiled warmly.
"It has been a while, Kōkai-san."
"Why, if it isn't Lord Kaito. Thank you as always."
Kōkai bowed deeply, but Kaito hurried to stop him.
"Oh, not at all, the gratitude is mine. You've been singing the praises of our third lord, Harudo, and thanks to that our clan's reputation has been soaring."
"It's a great relief to hear you say so."
The two of them fell into easy conversation.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"Well, once Chapter One, The Kabukimono of Edo, wraps up, the next tale will be The Phantom Rat Mask, will it not? Since that will only raise our clan's reputation further, I was told to come pay my respects..."
"Ah, I see..."
Samurai cared a great deal about appearances and standing, so a kōdan tale that burnished their reputation was nothing but welcome.
That was precisely why he had come, to offer additional support.
"So, when do you suppose you might begin? The Phantom Rat Mask, I mean."
"Ah, well, The Kabukimono of Edo is right at its climax now and quite popular, so.............. once the crowds settle down a bit, I expect to start right away."
Kōkai answered with an easy smile.
Audiences had all sorts of circumstances, after all, and not everyone could come see a show every single day.
If he moved on to the next chapter before around eighty percent of the regulars had caught the ending, plenty of people would be left behind.
"That said, I'm thinking of starting sometime around June."
"That is a relief to hear... ah, and this is for you, a small token of thanks."
"You're too generous, as always..."
So saying, Kaito handed over his tip, the Edo-era equivalent of a modern-day donation.
(Yes! Now I can go play in Yoshiwara!)
Kōkai was already picturing a lively night out.
Kaito smiled, looking pleased.
"Ordinarily, one would rather not have a domestic scandal spread far and wide, but a tale of our own lord personally slaying a demon-spirit, that I'm grateful for."
"I imagine so..."
The two of them went on chatting amiably.
Kaito said with a smile,
"I do look forward to it... The Phantom Rat Mask."