Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 105 Edo Rest Day
"A fireworks festival? I've heard it's really lively."

Following Milo's advice, Mitsurugi should consider what a young foreign samurai should say in such a situation, taking into account Ming Qing Shi's identity.

But how should I put it, it feels pretty awkward.

“Yes, I’ve only ever seen it from afar within Edo Castle before, and it always felt too far away. I thought that if I could get closer, I would definitely see an even more beautiful view.” Hayashihara Akemi’s tone was full of longing and hope.

"Perhaps, I've never seen an Edo fireworks display before." Mitsurugi smiled, but felt increasingly awkward inside.

Compared to the exceptionally strong tomboy in my memories, who was like a big sister, the girl in front of me is a completely different person.

So, what exactly is this 'shell'? An identity forcibly assigned to outsiders by Changshi? What's the point of it?

I had many questions in my mind, but now was not the right time to ask Milo, since it just looked like a dog.

"What a coincidence! We can go see it together then!" The girl clapped her hands and exclaimed with delight.

"It's not impossible," Yu Jian smiled and didn't refuse.

Judging from Hayashihara Akemi's current attire, it's not hard to guess that she holds a high status in this world, and is most likely currently in a state of extreme exile.

Those samurai who were knocked away by Milo were probably subordinates sent by her family to search for her, and there's likely that more people will come looking for her later.

But Mikasa was worried about Akemi being too far away; he had absolutely no trust in this unfamiliar resident of the world. Therefore, the best solution was to find a reason to have her travel with him.

"There's still some time before the Kanda Festival and the fireworks display. What are your plans, Miss?"

"Huh? What are you planning to do?" Akemi Hayashihara asked, sounding puzzled.

Yu Jian became increasingly certain of her current identity; she was most likely a sheltered young lady who had long lived in seclusion, which explained her complete ignorance of the outside world.

According to information gleaned from others, the Kanda Festival will last for three days. On the first day, various processions will tour different parts of Edo Castle, and on the second day, they will converge into a large procession of several thousand people.

The third day is the most important ceremony, the procession of the palanquin into the shrine. At that time, an astonishing number of people will carry the palanquin into the shrine one after another, and at noon they will all enter the central avenue for a grand performance.

If the fireworks display is also part of the celebration, it will probably be scheduled for the third night.

This young lady came out three days in advance; it's unclear whether she had any specific plans.

Judging from her confused look, it's probably not true.

"Um, a lodging?"

Unexpectedly, after a moment of thought, Akemi Hayashihara actually came up with the name of this era's inn.

That's good, at least it's better than thinking rice is a giant baby that grows out of the supermarket shelf.

The term "ryokanya" or "shuya" is a Japanese term for inn, which is probably familiar to those who frequently play JRPG games. In the Edo period, inns used by merchants, ordinary samurai, and commoners were also called by this name.

As for the higher-ranking samurai and daimyo, they were naturally received by the official post station "Honjin".

"You have to pay for lodging and meals," Yu Jian reminded him.

Some of the guesthouses also serve as restaurants, offering simple meals such as soba noodles. It is said that the commercial street culture of Japan Island originated from this.

“Of course I know,” Akemi Hayashibara said, raising her hands to her chest to emphasize her point.

"I asked the maid before I came out."

As she spoke, the young lady took out a money bag made of beautiful silk embroidery and actually opened it directly for Yujian to see.

A burst of golden light dazzled the poor, lower-ranking samurai, if he really was a lower-ranking samurai.

Mitsurugi was stunned. If he were really a low-ranking samurai, or a ronin who had escaped from his domain, what would he do in this situation?
Should they grab something and run? Or, with the intention of getting both the person and the money, should they try to please the other party?

But... sorry, I can't act that.

"Put it away quickly." Yu Jian sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Didn't your family teach you the principle of not flaunting your wealth?" His voice involuntarily became stern.

"Ah, yes, yes." Hayashihara Akemi was initially a little aggrieved, but soon let out two soft laughs.

"Your Excellency is a good person."

"Hmph." Yu Jian snorted lightly and turned his head to look elsewhere.

"Alright, alright, I'll take you to find a decent inn. A lot of people will be coming to the city these next few days, so don't wander around. After watching the fireworks festival, hurry back. A young lady like you is too easily fooled."

"Hi hi."

The two walked out of the alley one after the other, with Milo, who had been pretending to be an ordinary dog, wagging his tail and following closely. Not long after they left, Yujian suddenly turned back, his sharp eyes scanning the alleyway back and forth, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

When the girl showed him her money pouch, he vaguely sensed something was off, but his sudden return yielded nothing, so he had no choice but to leave.

Once the surroundings quieted down, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows.

This man had an ordinary appearance and dressed like any other ordinary citizen, except that he had a brass-colored scale hanging from his lower back with a heavy lead weight at the end, which swayed back and forth with the chain.

After a moment of contemplation, he whistled.

Several people dressed similarly as ordinary citizens suddenly appeared and then knelt down in front of the man to pay their respects.

"Lord Hanzo, should we send someone to follow His Highness?"

"That young swordsman almost saw through my ninjutsu just by relying on his intuition."

As he spoke, the man known as Lord Hanzo looked at his subordinate with a strange expression, then shook his head in disappointment.

"Which of your genin has the ability to remain undetected?"

"Your subordinate is foolish!" The man immediately bowed down in fear and trepidation.

The others were also somewhat shocked. This was Hattori Hanzo, the successor to the title of God of Ninja, and his whereabouts had almost been discovered.

"To be able to subdue such a powerful mountain dog and almost see through my ninjutsu, interesting, really interesting."

"Do you have any information about this person?"
"The ninjas at the street corner reported that a swordsman from out of town had just single-handedly broken through a nearby gang. Based on the eyewitness's description of his appearance, it is most likely this person."

"Oh? You managed to do that all by yourself? Your swordsmanship must be quite remarkable."

"..." The subordinate opened his mouth as if to speak, but did not dare to speak directly.

"It's alright, tell me the unverified information as well," Hattori Hanzo ordered, waving his hand.

“The ninja stationed there claimed that he cleaved the wall.”

"fence?"

Hattori Hanzo's first reaction was that if it were a wooden fence that had been split open, it would still be within his comprehension.

"No, the local gangs are made up of a large number of gamblers. Because they make a living from gambling, they often get into conflicts with others. As a result, their headquarters are built to be quite sturdy, and even the outer walls are made of a brick and wood structure."

"That wall was... cleaved open?" Even Hattori Hanzo looked surprised.

"An axe?"

"It's a sword."

"..." Hattori Hanzo's lips twitched, and he fell silent.

“The other party should be… a swordsman.” Despite finding it hard to believe that there could be a sixteen-year-old swordsman, he still managed to utter these words with difficulty.

"My lord, is it really alright to let such a dangerous person stay by the Princess's side?" the subordinate couldn't help but ask.

"It's alright, he's probably a good person." Hattori Hanzo waved his hand.

"Nani?" The subordinate was taken aback.

How could a good-natured swordsman possibly be like that?

Those guys are all monsters and madmen who take their will, emotions, and even desires to the extreme.

A normal person's will, unless driven to madness, could never reach the point of being able to cut steel and iron as easily as cutting a hair.

"Yes, a good person." Hattori Hanzo sighed.

"That young man was quite strong, but his clothes were very tattered, which clearly showed that he did not abuse his power for personal gain."

Moreover, upon seeing a frail, unfamiliar woman carrying a large sum of money, his first reaction was to advise her to put it away; from beginning to end, not a trace of unease appeared in his eyes.

"To do as one pleases without overstepping the bounds—it reminds one of Tsukahara Bokuden from a hundred years ago." Hattori Hanzo clapped his hands in admiration.

"This is the bearing of a sword saint."

There are also

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(End of this chapter)