"I haven't asked yet—who is this?"
Roy looked at the woman who had been following Seijirou and Kirin.
Her features resembled Kirin's, though she stood just a head taller. Her jet-black hair was pinned up with a clip, and her figure, wrapped in an elegant white dress, was no less striking than Kirin's—if not even more so.
"My apologies, this is my wife."
Seijirou snapped out of his thoughts and quickly introduced her to Roy.
"I'm Kirin's mother. My name is Toudou Kotoha. Since you're around Kirin's age, you can call me Auntie if you don't mind. Of course, if you'd like to call me 'Mom' along with Kirin, I wouldn't object at all!"
Toudou Kotoha covered her lips with her hand, her gaze shifting between Roy and Kirin with unmistakable amusement. The way she looked at Roy was almost as if she were seeing her own son.
"Mom!"
Kirin's face flushed bright red in embarrassment.
"Mom? I thought she was your sister or something..."
Roy looked at Toudou Kotoha with surprise.
She appeared to be in her twenties at most. Standing next to Seijirou, who had aged considerably from years of imprisonment, they looked less like a married couple and more like father and daughter.
"Oh my, you're quite the charmer. Would you like me to teach you my skincare secrets?"
"Uh, no thanks."
Roy, who had remained unfazed in front of Agatsuma Yoshino, now felt an inexplicable pressure under Toudou Kotoha's cheerful gaze and swiftly declined to escape the situation.
Seijirou gave Roy a tour of the estate, familiarizing him with the grounds while also showing him the many disciples training in the dojo. Their swordplay was sharp and precise, clearly honed through years of relentless practice.
"Only the most talented from each branch are sent to train at the main family."
Seijirou's explanation made perfect sense to Roy.
By evening, under Agatsuma Yoshino's summons, all the disciples gathered in the dojo.
Then Roy made his appearance as a guest. The popularity of a Festa champion was no joke—the entire dojo erupted in excitement.
"Are you taking me on yourself, Granny?"
Roy picked up a sword-type Lux and stepped into the center of the dojo, surprised to see Agatsuma Yoshino stepping forward as his sparring partner.
"Seijirou hasn't fully recovered yet, so this old woman has to fill in. Don't underestimate me—I've been acting head of the main family for years, and I'm a Genestellar too!"
With spirited words, Agatsuma Yoshino released her prana and assumed a mid-level stance.
Then, a beat ahead, she lunged at Roy.
Her blade came at him in an unbroken stream, like a spider spinning silk to weave a web.
"Toudou Style—Renkaku—"
Roy steadied his breathing and calmly deflected each incoming strike.
In the clash of blades, most people have fixed patterns of movement. If an opponent's attack comes from the upper diagonal, one would counter from a certain angle—the essence of the Toudou-ryuu's secret technique, Renkaku (Linked Cranes), lies in calculating these patterns. By using specific movements and footwork to lure the opponent into predictable counterattacks, they unknowingly fall into Renkaku's trap. Once ensnared, they face a relentless storm of strikes, like a butterfly caught in a spider's web, with no chance of escape no matter how they struggle. The longer the fight drags on, the more advantageous it becomes for a Toudou-ryuu swordsman.
"But I've seen this move far too many times!"
Roy flicked his wrist, reversing the blade toward himself.
Agatsuma Yoshino's strike landed on the hilt of Roy's activated device, startling her.
"Blocking like this?!"
Renkaku's calculations failed, instantly broken. Roy's blade sent Agatsuma Yoshino's weapon flying.
The greatest flaw of Renkaku is that it relies on luring the opponent into predictable actions—countering with set patterns. If the opponent breaks the script with an unexpected move, Renkaku shatters instantly.
"Hah! As expected of a Festa champion—your swordsmanship surpasses this old woman's!"
Instead of retrieving her fallen weapon, Agatsuma Yoshino drew another activated device, channeling prana into it to form a naginata.
"But my true mastery lies in naginatajutsu. Care for another round?"
"Now that's more like it!"
Roy grinned and nodded eagerly.
He had inherited all of Okita's martial arts. Through relentless sparring with Kirin before the Festa, he had fully mastered the Tennen Rishin-ryuu, Shukuchi, and the unnamed three-stage thrust. In pure swordsmanship, he even surpassed Kirin.
His only weakness was his lack of combat experience. Though he had trained extensively under Fan Xinglou, his opponents were limited, and most sessions were unarmed. He lacked familiarity against foes wielding spears, guandao, or three-section staves—how to engage, how to counter. Sparring with masters like this was an invaluable opportunity.
...
"Ahh, that hits the spot..."
Sinking into the soothing warmth of the bathwater, feeling his pores open, Roy let out a contented sigh.
After five straight hours of sparring with guest instructors from the Toudou-ryuu main family, the training session finally ended. It was mid-September, and the sweltering heat had left him drenched in sweat. Recommended by Toudou Kotoha, he headed to the estate's grand bathhouse to wash away the exhaustion.
While the Toudou-ryuu excelled in swordsmanship, its teachings extended far beyond—naginatajutsu, archery, spear techniques, and more. In a single night, Roy had challenged thirteen Toudou-ryuu instructors, including Agatsuma Yoshino, gaining immense insight.
What's more, despite his winning streak, Agatsuma Yoshino never lost her temper—proof of her magnanimity as a seasoned warrior.
The only awkwardness came from the disciples watching their teachers fall one after another. Their morale withered like frostbitten eggplants, some even questioning the meaning of their training. Roy couldn't help but feel a little guilty—he might have shattered quite a few disciples' martial resolve.
"It's been almost three months since coming to this world, yet there hasn't been a single message from the Root."
Roy soaked in the hot water, his thoughts gradually drifting away.
When he set out, he was only told that all actions were up to him, and the rest would be arranged by It. Yet until now, there hadn't been even half an arrangement from It. He had no idea how long It intended for him to stay in this world—a year or two would be acceptable, but if it turned out to be three to five years, that would be far too long.
The problem was, he currently had no way to contact the Root. He could only wait for the Root to reach out to him and passively accept whatever arrangements It made. He just hoped it wouldn't take several years before It contacted him again.
Click—
Suddenly, the sound of the door opening came from the indoor pool—someone had entered.
A faint splashing sound rippled across the water's surface, followed by gentle waves.
Then, a few seconds later.
Kirin's figure emerged through the steam before Roy's eyes. Her snow-white, breathtakingly beautiful body was impossible to ignore—not only was she completely naked, she hadn't even brought a towel. Her astonishingly well-developed figure crashed into Roy's vision with overwhelming impact.
"...I heard this was the time when no one would be using it."
"Um... I heard the same thing..."
Kirin stiffly submerged herself beneath the water, curling up tightly as she desperately tried to cover her vital areas. Her face turned as red as a boiled shrimp shell, her gaze darting wildly around the bath—yet she couldn't bring herself to look at Roy even once.