Chapter 381: Chapter 144: Another Instant Kill! Swordsmanship Talent Amplified by 62 Times! [8600]_4
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At this moment—
On the eastern side of the viewing platform, in an inconspicuous corner, a tall young man sat shoulder to shoulder with a short and ugly middle-aged man.
"... Lord Rakshasa." The short and ugly middle-aged man looked up at the darkening sky, "It’s getting late, we should probably head back."
The tall young man, Rakshasa, seemed to ignore the suggestion of the short and ugly middle-aged man.
With a faint smile on his face, he looked into the distance at the now empty competition grounds and murmured to himself:
"I originally just wanted to see what the Marquis of Aizu, Matsudaira Yoshihiko, looks like."
"I didn’t expect... to have an unexpected delight in what I thought would be a rather boring competition."
"The speed at which that Tachibana Aoto is improving really exceeded my expectations."
"What a terrifying talent."
"In terms of talent... probably only Lord Ōtakemaru in our entire Law Punishment Faction can surely surpass Tachibana Aoto."
The short and ugly middle-aged man turned his head to look at Rakshasa beside him.
"Lord Rakshasa, I’ve heard a rumor: you intend to recruit Tachibana Aoto, is that true?"
"Ah, yes." Rakshasa said without hesitation, "Such a talented and brilliant young man, there’s no reason to miss out on recruiting him, is there?"
"But right now, I don’t have the time or energy to focus on recruiting Tachibana Aoto."
Rakshasa’s cheeks showed a hint of a wry smile.
"Recently, Lord Orochi has given me too many tasks... leaving me overwhelmed."
He maintained the wry smile on his face as he slowly stood up.
"Alright, let’s go."
"Should we head back to the base first?" The short and ugly middle-aged man stood up, "Or find a restaurant to have dinner first?"
"Let’s find a restaurant to have dinner first." Rakshasa said, "After dinner... we’ll go meet that Niitsuma Kan of the Training Hall."
"Niitsuma Kan of the Training Hall?" Hearing the slightly unfamiliar name, the short and ugly middle-aged man was taken aback, "The same Niitsuma Kan known as one of the ’Three Heroes’?"
"Yes, that’s right, it’s him."
"Lord Rakshasa, what are we looking for him for?"
"Hehehe..." Rakshasa’s wry smile about Lord Orochi giving him too many tasks slowly transformed into an intriguing and peculiar smile, "This Niitsuma Kan... might become a good experimental subject for us."
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That evening—
Edo, second floor of Thousand Affairs House, Mukiwa’s room—
╰(*°▽°*)╯ "Meow meow meow~~ Meow meow~~ Meow meow~~ Meow meow meow meow~~~~!!"
Reclining on the tatami in her bedroom, Mukiwa played with her pet cat, Dodo, lifting it high while constantly meowing as if trying to communicate with Dodo.
Dodo, being lifted high by Mukiwa, half-closed its eyes, drooped its head, and gave its owner a "what an idiot" look.
After a while, tired from playing with Dodo, Mukiwa hugged Dodo and then sat up, slowly walking to the window.
"Why hasn’t Mr. Kiryu come back yet..."
Through the window, she scanned the street outside the shop’s entrance.
The street was empty. Without the familiar figure of Kiryu, Mukiwa quietly retracted her gaze and pouted her red lips.
Speaking of Kiryu... Mukiwa couldn’t help but feel a bit of resentment...
Mukiwa originally wanted to take a leave today and tomorrow to go to Asakusa to watch Aoto’s competition.
She really wanted to see Aoto’s swordsmanship competition!
But, unexpectedly—Kiryu didn’t approve the leave...
"Young Master, I happen to have some important matters to deal with over the next two days, and I won’t be around Thousand Affairs House for extended periods. So I’ll need you to manage the shop and home; I can’t grant your leave."—these were Kiryu’s exact words when he denied Mukiwa’s leave request.
Although feeling indignant and wanting to throw a childish tantrum and shout at Kiryu, "I don’t want to, I don’t want to," she couldn’t bring herself to disobey Kiryu’s request, so she silently nodded in agreement.
Mukiwa feared Kiryu would report her behavior to her grandmother.
If Kiryu sent her grandmother a letter saying: the young master is disobedient... Mukiwa couldn’t imagine how her grandmother would reprimand her afterward.
Her grandmother, and the old subordinates of her grandmother, all liked to refer to Kiryu as "Kurō". As for why, Mukiwa wasn’t very sure, but she guessed it might be a nickname her grandmother and the others use for Kiryu.
When she was ordered by her grandmother to leave Osaka and come to serve as an assistant at Kiryu’s employment agency in Edo to start her training from the grassroots level, her grandmother sternly warned her: Learn from Kurō; obediently listen to Kurō. Don’t let me hear from Kurō that you’ve been disobedient.
Her grandmother didn’t utter a single threatening or intimidating word.
But every time she recalled what her grandmother told her back then, Mukiwa couldn’t help but shrink her neck in fear—her fear of her grandmother had been etched deep into her soul...
Near noon today, Kiryu went out alone and still hadn’t returned.
Where Kiryu went, when he would return, what he was up to—Kiryu didn’t say, so Mukiwa didn’t know either...
So much time had passed, and with nightfall, yet Kiryu still hadn’t come home... Mukiwa couldn’t help but feel a bit worried.
