"Have a seat. Don't be formal. I come here often," Katori Sora said to his students.
The izakaya was not crowded. Only two tables were occupied. A man in a magnificent kariginu was sitting alone at one table. The table next to him was filled with four people, all dressed as samurai retainers.
Sora and the others randomly found an empty table and sat down. Lisa came out with a tray and set out four sets of tableware.
"Little Lisa, did you catch any game last time you went up the mountain?" Sora asked.
"No, I ran into a bear last time. I wasn't confident, so I went around it. Who knew it would spot me? I had to run for a long time to shake it off," Lisa said dejectedly.
"There's a bear in the back mountains? Next time, take me with you to have a look. Bear paws are a good thing," Sora said with interest.
"Are bear paws delicious?" Kana's radar picked up the keyword.
"Bear paws steamed with beeswax, the juices dripping into a bird's nest. If prepared properly, it's a rare mountain delicacy," Sora said with a smile.
"Ah—I really want to eat the bear paws the professor makes!" Kana was already imagining it in her mind.
"Tsk, last time we roasted sweet potatoes and burned them all. Don't you go bragging here," Little Lisa said with a look of disbelief.
"People can always improve," Sora said with a chuckle.
The customer in the magnificent kariginu glanced at Sora's table. His gaze lingered on their clothes for a moment, then he stood up and walked towards the exit. The samurai retainers at the other table also stood up and followed him.
"Sir, please wait a moment. You haven't paid yet," Lisa said, pulling on the sleeve of the man in the magnificent robe.
Sora's eyes narrowed. He noticed the movement of one of the samurai retainers. He had actually drawn his sword and was slashing at Lisa's hand!
Sora's figure flashed. He used Shunpo to appear in front of Lisa, clasped his hands together, and caught the samurai retainer's sword between them. Mutōdori!
Sora had used Mutōdori again, and this time it was to catch a real blade with his bare hands.
"Why such a ruthless move all of a sudden?" Sora asked calmly.
"Get out of the way! She dared to dirty Lord Ksaōji's clothes with her filthy hands. She deserves to be punished. Don't worry, Lord Ksaōji is merciful. I won't take her life, just a hand," the samurai retainer said coldly. In his eyes, a lowly commoner from the Rukongai who dared to be so disrespectful should be executed on the spot. Now, only punishing her with a hand was already a sign of great mercy.
The upper nobility had the right to cut down souls from the Rukongai for disrespect. If a soul from the Rukongai offended an upper noble, they would not be held accountable for killing them.
Lisa was terrified by the samurai retainer's malice and turned pale. She hid behind Sora and quickly apologized: "I'm sorry! My hands aren't dirty!"
The samurai retainer unleashed his Spiritual Pressure, trying to pull his sword out of Sora's hands.
"I see no stains on this gentleman's sleeve," Sora said, also unleashing his Spiritual Pressure and firmly holding the retainer's sword. He glanced at the man's panel; he was just a grunt with only LV 10 Spiritual Pressure. However, the man in the magnificent robe was another story.
Shin Ksaōji
Talent: B
Spiritual Pressure: LV 75
Affinity Level: Hostile
The man in the magnificent robe was a seated officer-level Soul Reaper, his Spiritual Pressure far exceeding Sora's. When Sora looked at him, he found that the man was also sizing him up with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Let go!" The other retainers also drew their swords and pointed them at Sora.
"Professor!" Kana Azashiro and Kensei Muguruma also drew the Asauchi from their waists and stood by Sora's side.
"What a pain. I really shouldn't have come..." Shinji Hirako muttered under his breath, but he also drew his Asauchi and stood with his two classmates.
Granny E came out from the back kitchen and quickly said, "Gentlemen, please calm down. This child is still young and doesn't know any better. Please let her go this once. I'll go get some good wine to apologize to you all."
The man in the magnificent robe smiled faintly and said slowly, "There's no need for an apology. It's just a small matter. Put away your swords."
"Yes!" The retainers sheathed their swords.
Seeing that the other party intended to resolve the dispute, Sora released his hands. The retainer whose sword had been held by Sora also sheathed his blade, pushed past Kensei who was blocking his way, and followed the man out of the izakaya.
Sora watched the group leave, his brows furrowed. He had a faint feeling that things were not that simple. The affinity level of the man named Shin Ksaōji was "Hostile." This was the first time he had encountered such a situation. "It's alright, those guys have left," he said, rubbing Lisa's head to comfort her.
"Damn it! Those arrogant jerks with their noses in the air!" Kensei said, thinking of their arrogant gazes, feeling very displeased.
"It's good that you're okay, it's good that you're okay," Granny E came over to check on Lisa, relieved to find she was not injured.
The four of them returned to their seats and continued their meal.
...
After leaving the izakaya, Shin Ksaōji entered a palanquin and had the four retainers carry him away.
"The Soul Reaper who confronted Inuzaki, he should be the heir to the Katori Dojo, right?"
"It should be him. Did you see the academy students with him? I heard he's one of the two new swordsmanship instructors."
"Batsunsai Katori dared to refuse the lord's offer. But I heard she's very ill and doesn't have much time left. When the time comes, I'd like to see if her heir can still hold on to the dojo."
"Is that even a question? His Spiritual Pressure is only a little stronger than mine. Once Batsunsai Katori is dead, the lord can take that dojo anytime. The price won't be the same then."
Inside the palanquin, Shin Ksaōji listened to his subordinates' idle chat, recalling the Spiritual Pressure he had just felt from Katori Sora. A barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips. The land where the Katori Dojo was located was quite nice. He had already set his sights on it and believed that it would soon be his.
...
When Sora returned to the dojo, he found the lights in the reception room still on, so he went to turn them off. When he returned to the backyard, he saw Batsunsai sitting on the veranda, drinking tea.
"Did someone come?" Sora asked, handing the takeout food to Batsunsai.
"How did you know... Oh, I think I forgot to turn off the light... Is that yakitori? Did you go to Granny E's?" Batsunsai said, picking up a skewer and eating it. "A few people from the Ksaōji family came just now. They said they wanted to buy the land where the Katori Dojo is."
"The Ksaōji family wants to buy this land? You didn't agree, did you?" Sora frowned. It seemed that Shin Ksaōji's hostility towards him was not just because of the conflict at the izakaya.
Batsunsai said matter-of-factly: "Of course I refused—this is the place where I've lived since I was a child!"
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