Anan Octo

"In other words... unless I elicit it from this woman, I won't be able to fulfill my duty."

- Anan

Anan Octo was a samurai of the Octo Family and the grandson of Gato Octo. Ordered to retrieve the Twin Blades of Levianta by his grandfather, Anan interrogated his addled cousin Kayo Sudou about their location to no avail. He was later assigned to help the Freezis Foundation, becoming well acquainted with Perrié Cutie Marlon.

Early Life
Born in Jakoku sometime during the EC 800s to the noble Octo Family, Anan eventually became a samurai in service to his grandfather and Izasa's magistrate, Gato Octo. At some point, the servant Bufuko came under his employ. After a huge fire struck Enbizaka in EC 838, Anan witnessed his family give refuge to his severely burned cousin Kayo Sudou and reassign Bufuko to care for her instead. At some point, the samurai learned that Kayo had lost her husband and son in the fire and her mother, Kagura, in an accident a year prior; he also learned that her husband was their disowned cousin, Gakuga.

Sometime after, Gato ordered Anan to retrieve the Twin Blades of Levianta, telling Anan how the heirloom their family safeguarded for centuries was stolen by Kagura when she was sixteen before she ran away from home and married into the Sudou Family. Accepting the duty, Anan thoroughly searched the burned remains of the Sudous' tailor shop in Enbizaka and found no sign of the cursed blades. Lacking any other leads, the samurai began regularly interrogating the tailor about the cursed blades' location, repeatedly told she never saw them and didn't know where they were.

Sending Off
"I also hear you've recovered enough that it won't interfere with your life any longer... Therefore, the magistrate has ordered you to leave here."

- Anan to Kayo

In early EC 842, Gato told Anan to assist the Freezis Foundation at the trading house in Enbizaka. Learning the foundation had also rebuilt Kayo's tailor shop and that she had apparently made a full physical recovery, the samurai listened to his grandfather order that the seamstress be returned home immediately. Interested in learning about foreign culture, the young man agreed to the new task. He then went to Kayo's room and saw her haphazardly eat with Bufuko, bemoaning her as a hindrance.

As the servant greeted him, the samurai ignored Bufuko and sat down in front of Kayo, demanding she tell him where the twin blades were again. Met with the same denial, the samurai Anan attempted to say something again before Bufuko put a hand on his shoulder. Hearing the servant chastise that she clearly didn't know anything, he lowered his head in anger, insisting it had to be somewhere since her mother was the one who originally stole them. When Bufuko reminded him that Kagura was already dead, Anan snapped that he was aware, hence why he was basing his search around Kayo.

Once Bufuko exclaimed that Kayo already claimed she'd never seen them and that their tailor shop was burned to the ground regardless, Anan admitted his prior search found nothing before arguing that the twin blades shouldn't have been destroyed in a fire of that magnitude, leaving Kayo's confession as his only means to fulfill his duty. After a sigh, the samurai relented, saying he another matter to attend to. As he prepared to leave, the samurai flatly told the "Sudou" that he heard about the foundation rebuilding her tailor shop and that she had recovered, revealing the magistrate's orders for her to leave.

Bufuko immediately argued that her mind still hadn't healed and Anan questioned if the servant would prefer they hadn't taken her in at all, noting the tailor couldn't even afford the rice their family ate. When the menial questioned if the magistrate was still unable to forgive Kagura, Anan admitted there was also a more personal issue involved, explaining Kayo's incestuous relation to her husband. Once Bufuko pointed out cousin's marrying wasn't that rare in Jakoku, Anan noted the husband was also disowned and expressed his certainty the magistrate didn't approve of the marriage.

After musing that his hospitality toward Kayo was the magistrate's mercy, he affirmed that mercy was over and that Bufuko would return to being his servant. Hearing the menial's devastated shock, Anan told Bufuko not to be so reluctant about returning to the servant's original job. He then told the servant to start preparing to leave at nightfall. Met again with Bufuko wondering why, Anan yelled it was because he now aided the Freezis Foundation and therefore the servant couldn't take care of him by remaining there.

After confirming Bufuko would also be living at the beautifully rebuilt trading house, the samurai listened to the servant moan about only being with foreigners and pointed out the menial also looked like a foreign runaway. When Bufuko insisted on being a native, he warned her not to complain on risk of being killed over there. Once Bufuko finished saying goodbye to Kayo, the two left and made the preparations before departing for Enbizaka during night.

Foreign Experience
"Elluka-sensei came and saved the minds of many people from her homeland. I heard the stories and thought she might be able to relieve you of your troubles and told her about you."

- Anan to Kayo

Moving into the trading house, Anan regularly worked with the branch manager Perrié Cutie Marlon, hearing various stories about Maistia and Evillious. After learning the Levin missionary Elluka "Ma" Clockworker arrived on one of the foundation's merchant ship three days ago, the samurai heard the woman was skilled with healing ill-minds. Hoping Kayo would recall the twin blades if Elluka restored her sanity, Anan told Ma about Kayo and her family's tragic history while the two took a stroll through the trading house together.

As they headed for the front entrance, Anan saw Bufuko run by screaming about the new maid dress in the servant's possession. Perplexed, he questioned what got the menial so excited as the two walked outside before noticing Kayo waiting there at the entrance. As he wonder why she was there, the samurai realized she likely made Bufuko's new clothes. Ma then asked to confirm if she was the Kayo he spoke of and the samurai introduced the two, joining them in the trade house's drawing room.

After the tailor described her terrible scars to Elluka, Anan expressed his hope she'd relieve her of her troubles. He then silently listened while the two women discussed Ma's appearance and the Freezis Foundation's growing competition with the Yarera-Zusco Firm. When Kayo admitted that she was interested in leaning about foreign countries, Anan agreed, adding that Elluka and Perrié's stories reminded him of Jakoku's small size and that he'd like to visit Maistia and Evillious one day.

Ma then inquired if the samurai was going to leave and he hesitantly replied he wasn't. Before he could speak further, the missionary declared they were having a women-only conversation and that he was being a nuisance. Shocked, Anan recomposed and gloomily excused himself, leaving with drooped shoulders. When Elluka began confining herself to her bed a few days later, Perrié had Anan check in on her condition regularly. At some point, he witnessed her perform magic.

Enbizaka Murders
In spring of that year, the samurai watched while the Freezis Foundation manager negotiated an clothing order with Mei Miroku. He later heard Mei had been found murdered the day after. A few months later, Anan watched Perrié negotiate another trade deal with Mei's daughter, Miku, listening to the girl reveal she was pregnant with the child of the rival Yarera-Zusco Firm's manager, Kiji Yarera. He later heard the girl's corpse had been found the very next day.

Later on, Anan overheard Constable Uibee interrogating Perrié about Mei and Miku visiting the trading house before their deaths. As the constable declared she'd need a witness to prove there were no issues with the negotiations, Anan entered the room and suggested himself. Warmly welcomed by the magistrate officer, the samurai confirmed he was present during those uneventful negotiations. Uibee accepted the testimony before requesting they contact the magistrate's office right away if they recall anything.

As the constable began to leave, Anan stopped and stated he did have one piece of useful information. After the samurai walked up and whispered in his ear about Miku's pregnancy. Once the surprised Uibee confirmed it was the first he heard of that, he told Anan he'd investigate Enbizaka again before excusing himself and leaving. Perrié then expressed her displeasure with him sharing secrets in front of her.

As Anan tried to apologize, the woman inferred what he divulged and that she didn't like men revealing a woman's private life. Anan then pointed out that they would hopefully hurt the Yarera-Zusco Firm by revealing the information and Perrié admitted that was a good thing. When she then inquired about Elluka, the samurai related she was still bedridden, wondering if the local cuisine was the cause.

After Perrié lamented her not being able to help with the investigation, Anan inquired who she actually was and the foundation executive insisted she was a Levin missionary and an important friend. Recalling her peculiar abilities, he questioned if all missionaries had those powers, noting he never heard of it. When Perrié glared and warned him not to pry if he wanted to return to his grandfather safely, the samurai quickly bowed his head and apologized. Told to tell Bufuko to clean more thoroughly so dust didn't accumulate on the windows, Anan agreed and remained bowed while she left.

Personality and Traits
"Hearing Elluka-sensei and Perrier-sama's stories, I'm reminded of how small Jakoku is. I'd like to visit Maistia and the Evillious region across the sea one day."

- Anan

Anan was a man bound by a code of honor befitting a samurai. Submitting completely to the will of the magistrate, Anan followed his grandfather's orders regardless of his personal opinion for the good of the country and, more importantly, his family. However, while possessing a strong sense of duty, he was also burdened with a great deal of pressure to succeed in his missions, resulting in him often being irritable and harsh to those around him.

This was exemplified with his servant, Bufuko, who often annoyed Anan for the smallest of actions, putting a great deal of friction between him. He was likewise bewildered by the menial's noisy attitude and overzealous fashion taste. In a similar fashion, Anan was particularly cold toward Kayo, seeing her mostly as his only means to fulfill his duty of finding the Twin Blades of Levianta rather than a victim of tragedy.

Regardless, Anan did have his more sensitive side. He expressed a great deal of interest in foreign culture and even dreamed of one day leaving his country and visiting the other nations. He also demonstrated a desire to be liked for who he was and was visibly distressed whenever someone ignored his personal wishes or treated him like a terrible nuisance. Still, Anan was quick to show restraint, bottling up his personal feelings to those he respected, and quick to apologize for any perceived mishaps.

Skills and Abilities
As a trained samurai, Anan had skill with martial arts and could wield a katana effectively. However, he showed little ability outside of combat. Despite his thorough investigation, the man failed to find any relevant information about the Twin Blades' location; the samurai similarly failed as an interrogator, regurgitating the same questions for years without success.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Anan's name is written as 阿南 in Japanese kanji, using the kanji for "corner" or "shade" and "south" respectively.


 * His surname is derived from the Greek and Roman prefix octo, meaning "eight".

Curiosities

 * Anan is described as being tall, wearing his black hair in a topknot and having delicate features.

Appearances

 * Deadly Sins of Evil: The Tailor of Enbizaka (first appearance)