[D2LA] The past and the present (Library; Open)

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"I'm a courtier. A scholar. If you expect me to have practiced forced marches, you're knocking at the wrong door. I of course went through the physical training any samurai goes through but did not go the extra mile, literally and metaphorically.

Still the purpose of training is to strengthen the body and the mind so they don't break under fire. If the training breaks the person instead, then it failed its purpose twice."

[Akodo Michi]

"My clan is far more numerous in warriors than your own, you did not complete a bushi's training", she pointed out. "You presume too much."

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"It appears we're reliving a debate as old as the empire here. The Kami Akodo and Bayushi had very different opinions on what could be sacrificed to accomplish one goal, opinions in part forged by the numbers boasted by their clans.

And in the end both the Lion and Scorpion Thunders ended up forcing their lord's hand to go do what needed to be done. A rare case of explicit echo between two clans that couldn't otherwise be anymore different."

[Akodo Michi]

"And a thousand years passed since, but I am not blind to your point Shosuro-san. Make no mistake", she replied with a slight bow of her head. "However as our methods are born of our resources in many ways as you suggest, it has created the situation we see. We Lion harden ourselves for battle at great risk, it is why we are known as the greatest soldiers in the Empire. Without such understanding of consequence, we might act too foolishly when the danger is the greatest and squander what we have."

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"When you're the best cook in the Empire, every meal is an excuse for a feast. Has the Lion ever know true peace at any point in the last thousand years or only armistices?"

[Akodo Michi]

"Yes, many times", the Akodo answered lightly. "Many wars end, that a new one might begin is a different matter. Though for the Lion clan a state of preparedness is necessary to enforce discipline. Yet eventually one must put preparation to use, and battle joined for reasons simple and bold as pride or complicated and grave as honor. For myself, the war is not the matter at hand, but the reason for it. Fighting will be my life, but I do not live for it."

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"Fear not the warrior in time of war but in time of peace, for in time of war you know who their enemy is.

Not 100% sure about the source of the quote. Tangen? Regardless, it is not so much a remark about bushi than about samurai in general, as every samurai is a warrior, as the blade by our side reminds us.

Some are definitely way deadlier with said blade than others though."