The Boy with No Name is the 1st chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary
During the year 245 B.C.E., in the state of Qin, a kingdom in western China, two boys spar with each other using wooden swords. After recovering from a sideways strike from Shin, Hyou looks up and finds Shin gone, but manages to correctly predict an overhead strike and dodges it, surprising Shin. Hyou takes the moment to step on Shin's sword and strikes him down, putting their battle record at 333 wins, 332 losses, and 587 draws, in Hyou's favor.
Back in their home in a village, the Village Leader (Lidian) spits out the food prepared and asks which of the two made the food. Shin raises his hand in mild embarrassment and is mocked by the chief's son, a boy younger than Shin, who prods at his head with a stick. Shin glares at the son, and he quickly cries for help, scared by Shin's glare. The Village Leader quickly grabs the stick and begins whipping Shin with it, asking him where his gratitude was, reminding him that it was normal for war orphans like them to become slaves, and that he had been taking care of them for ten years. The two boys return to their hut, where Shin's vents about his perceived mistreatment are met by reminders from Hyou about how their training was not to get revenge on their household.
The next morning, Shin and Hyou take a detour while running errands and continue their swordplay in the fields far away from sight. By chance, a carriage passes by, and after catching a glimpse of Hyou, its passenger orders his carriage to immediately stop. The man approaches Hyou and the two look at each other. Shin tries to intimidate the man, but it stopped by Hyou, who points out his attire and reminds Shin that he could likely be killed by the man. The man asks what their situation was, wondering why they seemed to get along closely despite fighting, and is surprised to learn how many fights they had. Hyou shares that the two were war orphans and only had their bodies, but proudly states their contentment with what little they had. As the two continue fighting, Shin shouts their shared dream to enter a war as soon as they could and raise their military standing, planning to use the strength and technique they developed together to gain great achievements; to leave their live of servitude to the Village Leader and have their own house, a luxurious mansion with a huge garden and a huge gate for their big families, and for their names to echo across all China as the most powerful Great Generals Underneath the Heavens. The man cannot help but laugh, and wonders if their coincidental meeting would be what was needed to remove the dark clouds hanging over Qin.
The next day, after the two return from their errands with the plants they picked, they see the man from the previous day speaking with the Village Leader. The Village Leader politely thanks Hyou for his hard work and asks him to go inside, but rudely orders Shin to remain outside. Shin eavesdrops on their conversation, and hears the Village Leader introduce the man as Shou Bun Kun, a powerful nobleman of Qin and one of the ministers serving in the royal palace. He tells Hyou that Shou Bun Kun would pay for his freedom that day, and Shou Bun Kun tells Hyou that he would work at the royal palace beginning the next day.
At night, the two boys try to sleep but are unable to, their minds filled with the events of the day. Shin thinks about Hyou had asked for Shin to join him after hearing that he would be a government officer, but had been rejected, and had asked for a day to make his decision, which was accepted. With backs facing each other, Hyou begins to speak to Shin, and tells him that he would be accepting Shou Bun Kun's offer. The two turn and face each other, and decide to have one final spar that night.
A month later, Shin heads into the village and has some goats milk while there. He overhears a rumor about big trouble going on at the royal palace, and hears that the current king of Qin is too young to have power, and that all the power is being held by a chancellor, but this situation had made a lot of ministers unhappy, and that the King's younger brother Sei Kyou is secretly trying to usurp the throne. Shin hears that a few nights ago, a fire was lit in the palace, and that last night a mountain of corpses were transported out of the palace gates, covered with arrow and sword wounds, and speculation that Sei Kyou's faction had started to move. Unable to confront his rage, Shin confronts the speaker, but hears that Hyou was likely already dead.
At night, he returns home, plagued with worry about Hyou and unable to sleep. He hears a knock on his door, and finds Hyou lying in front of his door, gravely injured. The Village Leader hears the commotion and Shin asks him to quickly call a doctor, but Hyou tells him that he didn't need a doctor since he could no longer feel his wounds. Hyou entrusts Shin a map to Kokuhi Village, a village west of them, and after the two reminisce about their dream together, Hyou passes away in Shin's embrace.
Characters
- Jouto Village
- Shin (Debut)
- Hyou (Debut)
- Village Leader (Debut)
- Yuu (Village Leader 's son) (Debut)
- Jouto Village Chief's wife (Debut)
- Unnamed local merchant
- Unnamed itinerant merchant
- Unidentified villagers
- Royal Palace
- Ei Sei Faction
- Ei Sei (Mentioned) (Image)
- Shou Bun Kun (Debut)
- Ei Sei Faction
- Sei Kyou Faction
- Sei Kyou (Mentioned)
- Sei Kyou Faction
- Ryo Fui Faction
- Ryo Fui (Mentioned)
- Ryo Fui Faction
High Points
- The story is revealed to have taken place in the year 245 B.C., within the Warring States period.
- Shin and Hyou are introduced, orphans with big dreams of becoming the greatest generals in history, slaves to the Village Leader, and friends who kill their time with swordplay, with over 1,000 matches between them and a mostly-even record.
- Shou Bun Kun notices Shin and Hyou during their swordfight and buys his freedom to have him work at the palace as a body double of the young king.
- The king's young age has officials in the court fight over power, and Hyou is gravely injured.
- Hyou makes it back to Shin and gives him a map for Kokuhi village before dying.
Trivia
- The first chapter of the series came after four related one shots by Yasuhisa Hara — Kongo (金刚), Horse and Liquor for 300 Soldiers, Li Mu and Hai Yin, and Meng Wu and Chu Zi.
- The chapter's cover page shows Ri Shin in a Great General's attire, though he has not yet worn this attire in the series.