The agreement was signed, and by right, Ryosuke could have returned the same day.
But on his way back to the courtyard, he saw survivors kneeling by the roadside, sobbing softly. He saw rows of candles lit for the dead. Ryosuke hesitated.
After a moment of silence, he made his decision.
He called over a samurai on duty.
"Please help me spread the word. I'll stay in Warsaw City for another three days."
"During this time, if anyone was missed and still hasn't been released from petrification, or if after being released they're suffering from symptoms that doctors or medical ninja can't handle, send them to me. I'll try to treat them."
The samurai he called over was the same captain who, the night before, had kicked over his subordinate to stop him from slaughtering petrified people.
After hearing Ryosuke's words, the captain was silent for a while. Suddenly, he took off his helmet and placed his sword beside him, knelt down, and bowed deeply to Ryosuke.
"Stand up. I don't like people kneeling to me," Ryosuke said.
The samurai pressed his forehead to the ground and spoke solemnly, "My lord, I'm not kneeling to your status. I'm kneeling to your noble will."
He had seen with his own eyes how respectful Tokugawa Shingen was to Ryosuke. For a man of such standing and power to be treated with that level of reverence said it all.
And yet, this same man was willing to spend time saving commoners. How could anyone not be moved by that?
The samurai lifted his head. Sweat mixed with dirt on his forehead, staining his once-clean face, but he didn't care. His bright eyes were full of respect.
"Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping Warsaw City."
Rasa, standing beside him, raised a brow and recognized the man. He leaned toward Ryosuke and whispered, "That's Hattori Hanzō, a famous great swordsman of the Land of Wind."
As if afraid Ryosuke might not understand, Rasa added, "He's on the same level as the Takeshi you know."
Ryosuke understood. He looked into Hanzō's clear eyes and realized the man truly cared about the lives of common people. After a moment's thought, Ryosuke asked, "Thinking about switching sides?"
Hanzō's mouth fell open. He hadn't expected the man known for his awe-inspiring power and authority, Ryosuke himself, to personally invite him to join.
Ryosuke indeed needed people.
Gorin City was still in ruins and needed rebuilding. And now that he'd gained another city, Wangmi City, he would need more than just strength to manage and reform it; he needed manpower.
The Land of Water would continue to train people, but it still wouldn't be enough.
After all, the Land of Water had only just gone through the "Chaotic April," during which the old bureaucratic system had been purged. It too needed a huge number of government workers.
Under Ryosuke's suggestion, Oda Ieyasu was planning to hold civil service exams next spring to find as many talented people from among the common folk as possible.
But now, it was still late autumn. There were at least several months before that batch of recruits would even begin work.
Ryosuke wanted to recruit locals familiar with the Land of Wind's systems and culture.
Hanzō thought for a full ten minutes before bowing again.
"I'm sorry, Lord Ryosuke. I made an oath to become Lord Tokugawa's retainer and to protect him with my life."
"I truly do wish to follow you and walk beside you on your journey toward the 'New World,' but I cannot break that vow."
Two short sentences, but by the end of them, Hanzō's clothes were drenched in sweat.
He had long heard of Ryosuke's fearsome reputation and knew well his firm, uncompromising nature.
By refusing Ryosuke's offer, would he anger this man and be cut down where he stood? Yet, even so, he could not betray his oath out of fear.
That was the honor of a samurai.
A body may die, but the name of "samurai" must never be thrown away.
Hanzō lowered his head, waiting for Ryosuke's "judgment."
A piece of tissue was handed to him.
"Wipe your face," Ryosuke said with a small smile. "If you ever change your mind, come find me anytime."
Hanzō stared blankly at Ryosuke, bit his lip hard, and said, "Yes."
He bowed again and turned to leave.
From last night till now, Ryosuke had been working non-stop. At last, he could rest for a while.
With Ripple energy and the power of nature reinforcing him, his body was still at its peak, but even then, mental fatigue crept in.
Over the next two days, more petrified survivors were brought by samurai. Ryosuke personally removed their petrification one by one. Occasionally, there were people whose bodies were too damaged to safely release, and Ryosuke treated them all himself.
It was busy work, but peaceful.
Everyone's body reacted differently to natural energy, and the symptoms of petrification varied.
Over those few days, Ryosuke accumulated a lot of experience. He even applied that knowledge to himself, finally curing the petrification in his own legs that had resulted from overusing the Dragon Vein's power.
"If everything settles down one day, maybe I should find a city and work as a doctor for a while. That wouldn't be too bad, would it?"
Time quietly moved to the third night. Early the next morning, they would begin their journey back to Gorin City.
Ryosuke was sitting in bed reading an old book on the history of the Land of Wind.
Because the weather was hot, and since he was in his own room, he'd taken off his shirt and leaned comfortably against the bed.
On the bedside table sat a cup of desert milk tea to help him sleep. Ryosuke sipped it occasionally, enjoying the last of his quiet evening.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Someone was at the door.
Ryosuke glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already deep into the night. He wondered who would come at this hour.
'Could it be an emergency patient?'
Thinking that, Ryosuke quickly closed his book, threw on a robe, and walked briskly to the door.
Standing there was someone he hadn't expected.
Tokugawa Yukino.
She stood outside, her long brown wavy hair cascading down her shoulders, dressed in a camel-colored sheer robe.
Beneath it, she wore a black tube top that revealed her flat stomach and a visible navel. Below that was a long skirt reaching her ankles, and gold jewelry adorned her waist, wrists, and ankles.
Tokugawa Yukino was a textbook desert beauty, bronze skin, slender yet curvy figure, sharp features, and under the dim night and thin veil, she seemed all the more mysterious and alluring.
Except...
When she saw Ryosuke's exposed chest muscles under his robe and swallowed audibly, that trace of allure instantly shattered.
"Do you need something?" Ryosuke asked.
Yukino raised the small basket in her hands. "Mind if I come in to talk?"
"It's too late, Miss Tokugawa. Whatever it is, we can talk tomorrow."
Ryosuke closed the door.
He had just turned around when he heard rustling noises beside him. Turning his head, he saw Yukino halfway through the window, one leg already inside.
Seeing Ryosuke about to push her back out by the head, Yukino quickly pulled out an ornate box from her basket.
"A gift! I brought you a farewell gift!"
"I just need to say two sentences, I swear I'll leave after that. Really. Cross my heart, I won't lie."
"Please, don't kick me out."
Hearing her say that, Ryosuke sighed, loosened his hand from her forehead, pulled up a chair, and gestured for her to speak.
Yukino didn't sit. Instead, she wandered around the room, looking everywhere curiously.
"Wow, so this is what a man's room looks like? It's my first time seeing one. It's really different from a girl's room!"
As she spoke, she plopped down on his bed naturally, even bouncing on it slightly as if testing how soft it was.
Ryosuke, "…"
"Actually," Yukino said, "I grew up without much parental love. When I first saw you, I felt that same authority and gentleness that belongs to a father figure. So, Ryosuke, when it's just the two of us, can I call you, "
BANG!
The door slammed shut.
Yukino froze.
She looked left, looked right.
A moment ago, she was spinning her little charm speech, almost about to land it, and now she was standing outside.
She knocked frantically. When there was no response, she ran to the window, intending to sneak in again, but found it locked.
Pressing her face against the glass, she shouted, "You've got it wrong! I'm not lusting after your body… cough, cough, I really have something serious to talk about! If you don't believe me, open the gift box I brought!"
Hearing the sincerity in her voice, Ryosuke went over, picked up the box, and opened it.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
On it were six names.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/XenosX
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰