Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 108 The Girl's New Clothes
What was it like to go shopping in a mall more than a hundred years ago?
I found it quite interesting. There were overly enthusiastic salespeople, noisy crowds, and all sorts of products that were hard to tell whether they were good or bad.

By the way, dogs aren't allowed in the department store.

"I'm sorry, Milosan, we'll have to part ways for a while." Hayashihara Akemi, who now calls herself Chizuru, waved her hand reluctantly.

On the other side, Milo, being led by a waitress at the 'Echigoya' restaurant, wagged his tail helplessly. Incidentally, although the waitress was leading the dog, her eyes were fixed on people, probably hoping to earn some money from Mitsurugi.

"Kid, don't let your guard down. This is the mortal world. Even if it looks similar to the real world, don't let your guard down. Hey, woman, don't try to mess with me!"

The voice came through the dog's warning and mournful cry, because it was being attacked by several female humans. This was a beautiful white dog that I had never seen before, and it was very well-behaved. How could I not pet it a couple of times!

Since he hadn't mastered the skill of telepathy, Yujian could only give it a look of concern that was worthless except for blessings, and indicate that he had listened to what it had just said.

At the same time, Mitsurugi showed great patience towards Hayashihara Akemi, who had not yet shed the 'shell' given to her by the ordinary world, maintaining an extremely restrained distance as if he had just met her.

But the white-haired young swordsman of unknown identity, coupled with exaggerated prefixes such as superb swordsmanship, slaying ghosts, and unparalleled elegance, is simply too much of a threat to a young woman in her boudoir.

"Was that a 'ghost' just now?" Chizuru asked in a low voice, her tone slightly excited.

She had not forgotten what had just happened, and now she finally found an opportunity to ask Yu Jian about it.

"It's not quite the same as the 'ghost' race I knew before." Yu Jian shook his head, pondering the same question.

Did vampires really exist in Edo a century ago? Or is this just a fictionalized account?
“I overheard some rumors from the maids’ conversation. They said that these were Western demons that came with the Black Ships. They feed on human blood and can turn ordinary people into insane zombies.”

Chizuru pointed towards Tokyo Bay, where the massive silhouette of the approaching iron-black ship could be seen even from a great distance.

"What an unstable era," Yu Jian sighed.

If that Yakuza was just a living corpse created by a vampire, why would the other party do such a thing?

If it was because of him, why didn't the vampires jump out when the gang was wiped out?

Is it really because of the special identity that Akemi-nee was given to her by this world?

Although somewhat concerned, Yujian maintained a calm demeanor. He was confident he could defeat ten vampires combined, assuming a real vampire was ten times stronger than a zombie.

Of course, we must be cautious if a real fight breaks out.

"Just now, did you not dodge because you were protecting the children?" Chizuru suddenly asked.

"Pretty much. It's mainly because the other side is too weak, so there's no need to make way for something like that." Yu Jian tilted his head, as if examining the goods in the shops along the way.

"Ah, is this what they call the pride of a swordsman?" Chizuru, who had always spoken in a gentle tone, suddenly revealed a more unconventional side.

"Hmm?" Yu Jian raised an eyebrow inwardly, feeling that the other person at this moment was more like Hayashihara Akemi than that naive young lady.

Yes, the 'shell' that contains one's identity is ultimately just an external thing bestowed by the world, and cannot completely conceal one's true character.

The fact that the two quickly established a close relationship shortly after meeting suggests that this may have played a role.

"After watching the fireworks festival, Miss Chizuru should return home as soon as possible," Mitsurugi suggested, feigning indifference, wanting to test how much she was actually awake.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble for you, Master Yujian." Chizuru lowered her head dejectedly, her eyes becoming misty.

"No, it's just that Edo seems a bit unstable lately." This time, it was Mitsurugi who was caught off guard.

"So, you don't hate me?" Chizuru looked up at the boy with hopeful eyes.

If you calculate her age, she's actually the older sister.

"..." Yu Jian pursed his lips.

"No."

"That's great." Chizuru's expression immediately brightened, and her undisguised radiant smile made Mitsuru feel as if he had been transported back to summer ten years ago.

Seriously, it's still Akemi-nee inside.

So, I'll be the one to break through this 'shell'.

With that in mind, the two of them strolled leisurely through the mall like newly acquainted but very compatible friends.

After visiting all the shops that interested me, I finally arrived at the ready-to-wear store that was my initial target.

Upon seeing Chizuru's seemingly simple yet expensive outfit, a sharp-eyed waitress immediately came forward to greet her with great enthusiasm.

"Welcome, guests. We have newly arrived, high-quality fabrics, as well as the latest trendy wufu (traditional Japanese clothing) made by top Edo tailors."

"A top-notch tailor? Please show me some ready-made clothes." Chizuru's tone suddenly changed, becoming very serious and composed.

Yu Jian was surprised by this. Why would a young lady from a secluded family be interested in fabrics and clothing? Was it because of needlework?

Then he saw the waitress's expression gradually stiffen, as she was stumped by a few questions from Akemi.

Seeing that things were not going well, the owner of the clothing store immediately came out to greet him personally, bowing and scraping.

Echigoya originally started as a clothing and fabric shop, so he was actually the highest-ranking manager in the shop.

After answering a few questions, the shopkeeper's expression gradually became strange, and his gaze toward Chizuru became increasingly subtle, as if he were comparing something.

Then, this guy started looking at Yu Jian with strange eyes, as if he were looking at some rare and exotic beast.

Not long after, Chizuru came out of the dressing room wearing a less conspicuous outfit. "How is it?" She turned around on the spot, feeling quite novel, as she had never worn such a commoner's outfit before.

"The color suits you very well," Yu Jian sincerely praised.

At this moment, Chizuru was not wearing the glamorous and luxurious style popular among wealthy merchants (in this era, merchants were just commoners), but rather a fresher and more vibrant style similar to that of the teahouse sign girl.

The inner lining is a white ruban printed with bauhinia flowers, and the outer garment is a lake-blue furisode decorated with a pattern of Beijing-style cup flowers.

Despite being dressed as a commoner, this outfit wasn't cheap. Fortunately, Mitsurugi had just snatched a handful of gold koban (a common gold coin in the Edo period, one of which was roughly equal to one ryo) from an active social group. Although he distributed most of the coins to the poor, the remaining amount should be enough... right?

However, Chizuru had no intention of letting the man she was meeting for the first time spend money on her. She paid for the goods herself and also bought two rolls of relatively inexpensive white silk.

"Excuse me, may I borrow your sewing tools?" she suddenly asked the shopkeeper, making a rather strange request.

"Of course, of course, I'll have the maid take you there right away." The shopkeeper nodded and bowed, indicating that it was no problem.

"Is there anything else?" Yu Jian asked, puzzled.

"It's a secret." Chizuru looked him up and down for a moment, then suddenly laughed and ran away.

Before walking into the tailor's room alone, she suddenly poked her head out and emphasized one more sentence.

"Don't peek!"

"It's really baffling." Yu Jian shook his head, then saw the shopkeeper's hesitant expression.

"Is there a problem?"

"Uh, sir, are you a samurai from out of town? Your accent doesn't sound like a local." The shopkeeper tried to strike up a conversation with the young man with unusual white hair.

"More or less." Miken had no interest in chatting, but instead kept glancing at the room Chizuru went into.

The sound of cutting fabric came from inside, quite dense, as if a dozen scissors were working together, which aroused one's curiosity.

"No wonder." The shopkeeper stared at Yu Jian's appearance for a long time before muttering to himself and revealing a look of sudden realization.

I feel like I've been misunderstood...

"By the way, there are some things I'd like to ask the shopkeeper."

"Please speak, esteemed guest, I will answer all your questions to the best of my ability."

Seeing that Chizuru didn't come out immediately, Mitsurugi simply asked the innkeeper about the inn.

Then he learned that 'Echigoya' also offered related services, and claimed that its high-class inn was second only to the official post stations used by high-ranking samurai and daimyo from various regions.

This might still be a humble way of putting it.

Afterwards, the innkeeper said that since the two had spent a lot of money at the inn, they could get a discount if they chose related homestay services.

Since that was the case, Yu Jian simply paid the deposit for the night's lodging, naturally booking two separate rooms.

After a while, Chizuru came out carrying something, having waited for the employee to bring the receipt.

"This is..." Yu Jian was astonished to see that the cloth, which had just been a material, had now turned into a complete set of Wu clothing.

What kind of speed is that?! Are you cheating?!
Or is it a special ability related to the 'shell' identity?

With Milo not around, and no one to ask for help, it's really frustrating.

"Hurry up and try it on." Chizuru said with a grin, pushing the sword towards the changing room.

After a while, when the white-haired young swordsman reappeared, everyone couldn't help but cast their gazes at him.

The white clothes were almost seamless, with stitches so fine they seemed to be woven directly from silk threads rather than cut and made from cloth.

In addition, the ordinary white silk now features brilliant cloud patterns embroidered with silver threads. When the light shines on it, it looks like floating clouds in a clear sky, appearing luxurious without being overly ostentatious.

In this way, he no longer resembled a poor, out-of-town warrior; he looked more like a noble young master going on a spring outing.

"This is really..." The shopkeeper was speechless for a long time.

The waitresses reacted directly, crowding around Chizuru and saying things like, "It's perfect!", "Miss's skills are truly superb!", and "She's even better than the master tailor in the shop."

Of course, their gazes were completely fixed on the handsome young swordsman in white robes and with white hair.

Yu Jian tugged at his sleeve uncomfortably, worried that the clothes would hinder his movements.

Then, he was surprised to find that the whole outfit fit him perfectly. Even when he made some big movements, it did not affect him at all. On the contrary, it would make his sleeves flutter like clouds rolling and unrolling, giving him complete freedom.

"It seems like something's missing." Chizuru pondered for a moment, resting her chin on her hand.

He then asked the waitress to bring him a black haori, which had no patterns or decorations, yet it complemented his white wufu perfectly, balancing out his somewhat casual demeanor and revealing an imposing and dignified presence.

Chizuru clapped her hands and laughed:

"Oh dear, now even when I go to pay my respects... I won't be impolite."

Yu Jian looked puzzled.

An audience? An audience for what?
(End of this chapter)