Ku Atto-ro Ra Guts I Tensho Shonen Shisetsu to Sekai Teikoku Ka (Shueisha Bunko)

[Machine Translation] The four boys arrive in Europe after two years of travel. The bright young men from the Orient, who spoke Latin, were welcomed throughout Spain and Italy, and they were granted an audience with Pope Gregory XIII. What awaited them upon their glorious return, however, was the death of the powers that sent the envoys and unprecedented persecution of the Christians. Through these young boys, who live vividly while being tossed about by the waves of history, a vision of what Japan should be comes into view. Winner of the 31st Obutsu Jiro Prize.

四人の少年は、二年の歳月を経てヨーロッパへ到着する。ラテン語を話す東洋の聡明な若者たちはスペイン、イタリア各地で歓待され、教皇グレゴリオ十三世との謁見を果たす。しかし、栄光と共に帰国した彼らを待ち受けていたのは、使節を派遣した権力者たちの死とキリシタンへの未曾有の迫害であった。巨大な歴史の波に翻弄されながら鮮烈に生きる少年たちを通して、日本のあるべき姿が見えてくる。第31回大佛次郎賞受賞。