"Wow, Muramasa! I heard you were a blacksmith, but I had no idea you were this amazing!" Yoimiya circled him excitedly, looking as if she had discovered a new continent. They had wandered the streets for a while, during which the girl had chattered on about her various thoughts. "And that line—'This is nothing more than a failure'—that was so cool!"
"I was just speaking my mind. I wasn't trying to be cool at all." Although it wasn't his intention, hearing the girl praise him like this was rather enjoyable.
"By the way, did you plan to give him the sword from the beginning?" After the flattery, Yoimiya ended her performance before he could get annoyed and started asking questions.
"Yes. I saw his swords. Each one was made with care. Even if they weren't stunning, he shouldn't be someone who can't even make a proper offering blade." Muramasa made a grasping motion in the air, as if holding one of the Amenoma-style swords. "That will, that technique, I could feel it all... If you can do something but choose not to, then that's just not right."
As Muramasa spoke, Yoimiya stroked her chin thoughtfully, staring at him intently.
"What?" Feeling her intense gaze, Muramasa couldn't help but shrink back a little.
"Nothing, I just feel like we're very similar."
"Not in appearance, but in that... uh..." Yoimiya gestured vaguely in the air, unable to find the right words.
"You're a fireworks artisan, right?" His gaze fell on her palm. It wasn't a delicate, well-manicured hand. "In that case, we are indeed very similar."
Hearing his acknowledgment, Yoimiya's thoughtful expression turned to a blank stare, which then instantly broke into a wide smile. "Haha~!" She slapped him on the shoulder, half-complaining, half-suggesting, "Let's go, let's go! Helping you forge that sword was exhausting! You have to treat me—"
"Let's see, for lunch, let's go to Shimura's!" With that, she took his wrist and eagerly pulled him forward.
…
Crossing the street to the small shop opposite the Adventurers' Guild
A simple curtain separated the inside from the outside. A half-gray-haired old man sat within. Shimura's wasn't busy at lunchtime, or perhaps it was just because it wasn't peak mealtime yet.
Steady breathing, proper posture…
"This shop owner used to be a samurai," Muramasa glanced at him and asked Yoimiya.
"Wow... you can tell just by looking?"
"It's a bit of a stereotype, I guess." Though a martial artist was also a possibility, his rigid form reminded Muramasa of some of his former clients.
"By the way, you can treat me to lunch~" Yoimiya said, her expression clearly demanding payment for her "help" that morning.
"Yes, yes." She had helped him so much, he should be the one paying. But since he was using money that wasn't really his, he felt a little uncomfortable.
"Oh right, speaking of which... you didn't mention the wager to Tougo." Yoimiya quickly ordered a few dishes and, as she handed the menu to Muramasa, posed a question.
"From what you've said, the Amenoma school is a famous local forging style, right?" Muramasa took the menu and ordered some sushi. "Then there's nothing to worry about. The most important thing for a legacy is its reputation. For example, if a restaurant owner is dissatisfied with a customer and puts a fly in their food, they'd probably go out of business pretty quickly, right?"
Though the analogy was sound, Yoimiya instinctively glanced at the owner, afraid he might be offended.
"The bigger the family, the more they cherish their reputation. That's a given."
Fortunately, the owner was focused on making sushi and paid them no mind. In a short while, several plates of sushi were served.
"Hmm…" Muramasa picked up a piece of tamagoyaki sushi and tasted it. "Sweet. Not bad."
"Really? Let me try!" Yoimiya suddenly leaned in close and picked one up as well.
Too close… Muramasa thought, but said nothing.
"Yo—"
A man's voice came from his side, making Muramasa glance over. It was a blond man wearing a black headband. His facial features were distinctly different from the average Inazuman. He sat down directly on Muramasa's other side and said to the owner, "One order of Chicken Tsumami, two orders of Shumai."
He sat down next to me on purpose…? Shimura's wasn't crowded, yet this man had sat next to him without a second thought. Even if he wanted to sit next to someone, the beautiful girl on the other side should be more appealing than a rough-looking guy like him.
Looks like the forging this morning was too conspicuous… Muramasa lamented silently.
"Eh? Thoma." Yoimiya was the first to recognize the blond man and spoke up.
"Yo, Miss Yoimiya. Good afternoon," the man called Thoma replied with a warm smile.
"You two know each other?" Muramasa looked at Yoimiya, who nodded. "Yes, we've met a few times. He's ordered custom fireworks from my shop many times."
"Haha, well, the Naganohara Fireworks shop has always been famous," Thoma said with a smile. "I've bought so many I even got a discount coupon."
"Hehe, thank you for your business~"
Before they knew it, Thoma had naturally joined their conversation. What terrifying social skills… With this kind of talent, he would be an excellent salesman.
"By the way, you two seem to be quite close," he said, noting the distance between them.
"Well, she's very sociable. Though we've only known each other since this morning," Muramasa said nonchalantly, trying to figure out the man's purpose and which faction he represented. He raised the clay teacup, took a sip, and prepared his next response.
"Since this morning?" Thoma rested his head on his hand. "Haha, then you might not know this, Mr. Muramasa." He hadn't even finished his sentence when he saw Yoimiya's obvious physical retreat, clearly realizing something.
So she didn't even notice herself? Thoma's smile turned slightly awkward for a rare moment. He could only finish the thought in his head: Yoimiya may seem carefree, but she's actually very conscious of personal space. Let alone getting this close, her physical contact with the opposite sex is probably limited to polite handshakes…
He made a mental note of this but was cut off before he could continue his probing.
"Let's stop beating around the bush. You came looking for me. It can't just be for small talk."
So direct… Though he hadn't expected to keep it a secret, being called out so bluntly left him at a loss for words.
"However, let's put your matter aside for now," Muramasa said. "It seems another guest has arrived."
A burly man lifted the curtain of Shimura's. His rugged face scanned the room and locked onto Muramasa. Muramasa looked back, recognizing him as one of the spectators from the forging.
Thoma, however, recognized the man's identity. His smile returned. "What wind has blown the 'Hatamoto Samurai' here? Mr. Naoe Hisamasa."
-------
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