After Ryu finished speaking, a combination of surprise and disbelief filled the hall. The loud applause was echoing around him, but his attention was somewhere else.
Ryu noticed a quiet corner where a young boy was using hand signals to speak to a girl in sign language amidst the noise of the hall.
The boy used graceful hand movements to communicate with the girl non-verbally. Her voice was quiet but clear as she answered out loud.
"Excuse me!" Someone else behind the girl spoke. However, the girl remained silent and continued to talk to her brother as if she had not heard anything.
Once more, the person called, but there was no response. Then he tapped her shoulder. She looked back at the person addressing her. The person pointed to the scarf at her feet. She took it, thanked the individual, took her brother's hand, and started to move.
Ryu's mind instantly concluded that the two were related, probably twins, based on their similar looks, physiques, and the subtle way they mirrored each other. Ryu put the pieces together based on the boy's cautious steps, the girl's guidance, and the previous encounter with the scarf: the girl was deaf but could speak for both of them, and the boy was blind and mute.
"An autosomal recessive genetic disorder," Ryu thought. "That would explain this specific combination of their disabilities. And it must be why they're in the orphanage. Their parents likely abandoned them there due to their conditions."
The event started, and the Minister of Innovation took Ryu under his wing because he wanted to introduce the prodigy to powerful people. He introduced Ryu to Lord Sakamoto, a wealthy and ambitious noble known for his vast land holdings and business acumen.
"A pleasure, young man," Lord Sakamoto said, his voice full of praise. "Your work on artificial hormones is a marvel. I've heard the trials are almost complete and the paper is already published. And of course, your portable gaming device and solar paint are the talk of the capital. The world of medicine is forever changed. My mother, who suffers from weakened bones, is hoping the experimental treatment will help her. Your work is a gift to humanity!"
"Thank you, my lord," Ryu said graciously, "but the true geniuses are my mentor, Nono Yakushi, and the dedicated hospital staff. I was merely an apprentice under their guidance."
"You are as modest as you are brilliant," said Lord Sakamoto. Insidiously, he leaned in. "I have an offer for you. A place at my family's research facility, with a limitless budget. With your brilliance, we could dominate the market and build a fortune that would make the Daimyo blush."
Ryu's smile remained, but his voice firmed slightly. "I appreciate the generous offer, Lord Sakamoto, but my current path does not lead to private enterprise. My focus is on service, not personal wealth."
Before Ryu could continue, another man, Lord Kenshin, stepped forward. His piercing, analytical gaze pierced through the polite conversation. "I find all of this impressive, certainly. But what truly captivates me is the money-making potential of your work. Modesty is a crutch for those who lack ambition. I find your words hollow, young man. Everyone is after money. It is the only true measure of success. To claim otherwise is naive at best and a lie at worst."
A collective hush fell over the small group. Ryu remained silent for a moment, his eyes scanning the opulent hall, taking in the shimmering silks and glittering jewels, the faces of nobles who had built their fortunes on the labour of others.
Ryu's eyes met Kenshin's, a silent challenge passing between them. He considered a sharp retort but decided a more elegant solution was needed. Words were cheap; actions, on the other hand, had a price.
"You may think that, but I am different. I would prove that to you now," Ryu replied.
Ryu approached the event's primary organiser, a woman who was the head organiser of this party and the union leader for other orphanages. Without making a big deal out of it, Ryu handed her a scroll and quietly expressed his donation.
Everyone in the room turned to watch the head organiser as she gave a single, sharp clap of her hands, which reverberated and broke through the festive mutter. There was silence in the hall.
"We have our first donor of the evening. Please give a round of applause for Lord Ryu Hamura, the main star of this evening, who has donated 100 thousand Ryo to the cause." She then welcomed Ryu to speak a few words.
"This amount," Ryu announced, his voice carrying clearly across the silent hall, "is dedicated to Mother Yuki, who cared for me when I was an orphan."
Ryu then presented a smaller sum to the hospital that housed him when he was injured, a gesture that was both heartfelt and pointed.
A collective gasp rippled through the guests. The amount Ryu had just given was no small sum. The orphans present began to whisper among themselves, amazed by his immense wealth and generosity, which quickly spread awe throughout the room.
"The family that adopted him must be wealthy," one of them whispered. But someone listening corrected them. "The family was not poor, but they were not rich in the way you think. The money he is giving away is all his." The speaker then lowered his voice, adding a detail that astounded them. "They say that the boy, barely eight years old, is a student ninja in the academy and a medical apprentice on top of that."
A few feet away, two other nobles exchanged hushed words. "That boy is a master of theatrics and public relations," one noble murmured to his companion. "He just made us all look like cheapskates. That's not a gift to the orphans; that's a power play."
The Daimyo, however, was smiling at Ryu's action, impressed by the young man's display of generosity and strategic thinking. He saw potential in the young boy's ability to command attention and influence others. The nobles are now lining up to donate to save face.
From their corner, the blind and deaf twins, Akihiro and Kaia, observed the unfolding scene. Akihiro, the blind and mute boy, signed to his sister, "bloody rich."
Ryu, from across the ground, read the hands of Akihiro, and a faint, intrigued smile touched his lips. He was interested in these two and their silent world. While smiling, he sent a message to the twins in hand signs that Kaia was stunned to see.
Kaia, the deaf girl, her eyes wide with shock, spoke aloud, but only her brother could hear her words. "He can use sign language," she told her brother.
Akihiro signed back, "What? Are you sure?"
Kaia replied, "Yes, I'm sure. When you signed that he's bloody rich, he signed 'and genius' to me."
Her face contorted as Kaia said, "So what if he knows sign language! Bloody arrogant, if you ask me, and a show-off."
At that very moment, Ryu's hands moved again. He signed a short, mischievous message. Kaia quickly relayed the message to her brother, "He just signed 'not arrogant but handsome' to me."
Akihiro's hands froze in confusion, his expression showing deep bewilderment. "Is he standing next to us?" He signed back.
Kaia quickly shook her head, taking his hand to reassure him. "No, he is far away," she said.
The realisation hit them both with the force of a blow. Akihiro's handsigns went still as the truth dawned on him, and he signed to his sister, "He could read my hand signs, and he could read your lips from that distance in all this noise?"
Kaia, still in disbelief, looked across the hall at the boy who had just called himself handsome. This "rich boy" was far from simple.
From his end of the hall, Ryu saw their silent exchange, a faint smile touching his lips. He then used his hands to sign a quick, playful message in Kaia's direction, conveying a sense of mischief.
Ikkyu, seeing the gesture, nudged Daimyo and both of them turned to look back toward the boy and girl in the quiet corner.
Ikkyu asked Ryu, "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"
Ryu looked back and just smiled, giving out his answer in a silent dialogue. Ryu then went on to talk to more guests.
"That boy has a bigger ego than Kenshin, and that's saying something," the Daimyo whispered, a smirk playing on his lips.
Ikkyu nodded slowly. "True. But he also has the purse to back it up," he murmured, his voice a low whisper that barely carried over the din. "I'm thinking he just publicly shamed Kenshin. That was a serious mistake; he's just made a very powerful and dangerous enemy."
The twins settled into a quiet corner, observing the young lord with a mix of curiosity and admiration as he engaged in a polite conversation with the Minister of Innovation.
##PoWeR StOnEs##
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