Chapter 276: Miss Hina and Arataki Itto's Date
Gorou had never dealt with the so-called high-ranking officials of the Shogunate. At most, he had only shouted at Kujou Takayuki across the battlefield, or exchanged some meaningless words with Kujou Sara, who had been transferred in later.
As for Kujou Takayuki… he wasn't actually a bad person. At the very least, he was a very upright soldier. If not for being on opposing sides, Gorou wouldn't have minded making friends with him.
Kujou Sara was the same. Although she had almost used tactics that cost him his life, that in itself proved she was a general of both intelligence and courage.
But whether it was Takayuki or Sara, they were, like Gorou, people of the military. One couldn't glean much else from them.
So, before meeting this so-called "big shot," he was extremely nervous.
He quietly took out his small notebook; inside were the questions he had spent the entire previous night staying awake to sort out.
Sorting these questions wasn't difficult, since they were simply the information he wanted to know anyway.
The key was how to ask these things without arousing the other person's suspicion.
He didn't plan to ask about why Kujou Sara had withdrawn her troops for the time being.
Such a matter could involve secrets related to the Raiden Shogun. Whether he asked unintentionally or not, suspicion would fall on him.
Since Lord Battousai had said he would handle it himself, Gorou chose to trust him.
"Miss Hina?"
A knock sounded at the door, and Gorou hurriedly hid his notebook.
Judging by the booming voice, this really was a "big shot"—though he didn't know in what sense.
"Come in."
He still remembered Bai Luo's instructions, so he spoke as little as possible whenever he could.
He needed to avoid exposing his true identity as much as possible
Not just for Lord Battousai, but for his own sake as well.
"Sorry about that, Miss Hina—my underlings didn't understand the situation and ended up wasting your time."
Facing the Miss Hina he had long yearned for, Itto actually felt a bit restrained.
But then he recalled Mr. Bai's advice:
"Don't act too rigid. Show your truest self. You must convey the greatness of the Arataki Gang."
That's right—who was he? He was the one and only Arataki, the boldest of them all!
With that thought, his usual confidence returned. He strode forward with heroic energy and sat down across from Miss Hina.
As expected of a big shot.
Looking at this extremely vigorous, imposing man, even Gorou couldn't help but be impressed.
Although his clothing didn't resemble that of any important figure, the pair of horns on his head…
He must be an oni.
In his memory, the oni had indeed been famous in Inazuma.
But after Chiyo bared her fangs at the exalted Raiden Shogun, the oni clan had declined.
Who would have expected… that an oni would appear again within the Shogunate?
But seeing an oni within the Shogunate wasn't entirely strange. After all, even General Kujou Sara was a member of the Tengu that had long since faded into the mountains and forests.
Did this mean a new era for Inazuma was about to begin?
Gorou couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy.
"How should I address you, sir of the oni tribe?"
Picking up the nearby sake, he poured a cup for Arataki Itto and asked.
One of the most common ways to extract information was through alcohol.
After drinking, many things could be coaxed out easily. But to avoid raising suspicion—and for his own personal safety—he didn't start with any strong liquor. Instead, he chose a milder sake.
"Just call me Arataki Itto, Miss Hina. No need to be so formal."
Itto, who had already relaxed, loosened up even further after hearing Miss Hina's youthful voice.
Bai Luo didn't know what method Yae Miko had used, but under the effect of that necklace, anyone who heard Gorou's voice would naturally feel compelled to approach him and trust him.
Without noticing it, Arataki Itto began to feel the same familiarity toward Miss Hina as he felt toward Shinobu and Mamoru.
So even when drinking, he gradually became as casual as he usually was.
Sake even dribbled down the corner of his mouth.
To Gorou, however, this scene conveyed a completely different piece of information.
In this kind of setting, not only was this man not sitting upright as a high-ranking official should, he was extremely relaxed.
Which meant either this man had no concept of etiquette, or… his status was so high that ordinary "etiquette" could no longer bind him.
Could it be that he was the same as Kujou Sara…?
"Lord Arataki, have you ever heard of General Kujou? The adopted daughter of the Kujou Clan. She's a true heroine—an idol to many wom… women like us."
When Gorou said "women," he felt unbearably conflicted.
But with valuable information right at his fingertips, he had no choice but to push through.
And when he finally said it aloud, he realized it wasn't so bad.
It was just a sentence. Saying it didn't cost him a piece of his tail.
"Ah, you mean that tengu."
The moment Kujou Sara was mentioned, Arataki Itto instantly perked up. He folded his arms with indignation and began complaining about her.
"That tengu bullies people too much! I've challenged her several times to settle things once and for all, but she ignored me every single time. If it weren't for Sh— cough cough —if it weren't for someone holding me back, I would've marched straight into the Kujou household to cause trouble already."
In this sentence, Itto deliberately left out Shinobu and the sumo match.
Because Mr. Bai had told him that girls don't like men mentioning other girls in front of them.
Even though Shinobu was his subordinate, she was still a girl. Better not to bring her up.
As for mentioning the Kujou tengu? Since Miss Hina herself asked, it should be fine to talk about her.
As for the sumo incident… Miss Hina was a gentle, elegant, big-sister type. Saying such things in front of her would only lower his affection points.
"..."
Arataki Itto's words made the fur on Gorou's tail stand on end.
He knew very clearly what kind of status Kujou Sara held within the Shogunate.
Even her adoptive brother, Kujou Takayuki, did not come close to one-tenth of her authority.
Yet from Arataki Itto's mouth, she was casually called "that tengu," and he openly declared that he wanted to storm into the Kujou residence to cause trouble.
And the most important point—the person who stopped him.
Who could possibly restrain someone like this?
Could it be…
Gorou turned his head toward the window, looking at Tenshukaku surrounded by cherry blossoms.
That Shogun?
Most importantly, the way Arataki Itto said these things…
As someone who had judged countless people, Gorou could tell clearly that this man wasn't bragging—he genuinely seemed to have done something like that before.
Unless Kujou Sara could truly tolerate an oni like him bouncing around in front of her…
Otherwise… Arataki Itto's status might be higher than he had imagined.
Lord Battousai… just what kind of big shot have you arranged for me to meet?
. . . . .
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