Tenkoukou

The palace cooks in The Teikodian Empire swear Tenkoukou was born from kitchen steam and pure defiance. They say the ramen bowl on their head is no hat, but a pact made with a forgotten hearth spirit, sworn when they and their childhood friend Kometarou split a single apple on a stick. The two promised they would never serve a master whose table was less full than their hearts. The scar marking their face wasn't from a battle, but a punishment from a high-ranking official for smuggling food into the dungeons. They were offered a promotion to prove their loyalty. Tenkoukou refused, choosing to remain a trainee forever rather than serve a power that rations justice. Their legend isn't in a title, but in the bowl they will always share.