Prologue

Initially, it was the Nation. The Nation was with the People, but the Nation became a part of the strongest. Civilization sprouts throughout this blue marble, and as groups come together, a community is born. A settlement is established throughout a strip of land, and as the numbers of people grow, so do the problems. It leads to the establishment of a government of some kind.

A democracy? Nonsense, why put everybody's future in the hands of the majority? They barely know; what they want to eat, so why would they know the best way to govern? An aristocracy? Nonsense, why put the future in the hands of the elite? If they cared for the well-being of others, surely they would not hoard the nation's wealth amongst themselves. An oligarchy? By all the gods, this is even worse than an aristocracy! Put that aside!

So, what's the natural form of government all civilizations decide to utilize? It is a monarchy! One-man rule is the essential start to all civilizations, but a monarchy presents its own dangers. You may have a good monarch, but what guarantees you another good one? These are the dangers of one-man rule. It is why societies have developed their moral codes and their religious institutions. The moral code and religion are great sources against any government, especially a monarchy.

Monarchs feel unchallenged, but the morality of their subjects and piety are ways: to check their power. Why would civilizations choose a one-man rule, you may ask? A simple reason: one-man rule is always the best choice and it leads to the selection of the wisest, or the strongest amongst themselves. This is how the bloodlines of rulers begin. Still, those who violate the virtues of their ancestors are removed from their office. 

If the remaining descendants prove incapable, the descendants of the people who put them into power will eventually end the lineage of those rulers. Afterward, a one-man rule may not be the proper way of leading a nation, and it leads to innovations of a consensual government. 

My nation has not reached this point, but if I have to be the pioneer for this action, so be it! The life of Sakamoto Ryuzo was not easy, and my humble origins began years (sixty years) before the events that involved my students and children.

Proper civil servants do not solve every problem, but they can definitely make life easier. Returning to civilization, a group eventually seeks to expand their society outwards. It can be due to many reasons, but most of the time it's for acquiring land and resources, to continue sustaining the civilization. The expansion brings trouble, and this is the commencement of war. The victors decide what to do with their conquered peoples, and the conquered become subjected to their masters.

A cruel thing, indeed. Is the nature of man violent? I do not know, but I do not wish, to continue these ancestral ways. The ways of these conquerors have brought about not only my fight. for something better; but also the opponent that I face.

If this scroll is found, I am probably dead. In no way, would I let anybody withhold a detailed account of my life. If this is no longer in my possession, I want the reader and the world, to understand that I desire a world better than the one I found. The fight against Sakata has brought me to many battlefields, but I feel the day of judgment coming for me. I am in my sixthieth year, and I will retell the stories of my life to the best of my recollections.

This is the life of Sakatamoto Ryuzo; before he could become: Nawaki Kosuke the Elder.