"Take a seat, no need to be formal. I come here all the time," said Nanatsuki to the students.
There weren't many guests in the izakaya—just two occupied tables. One was taken by a man in luxurious hunting robes, seated alone. The other was filled with four attendants, all dressed in the attire of samurai retainers.
Nanatsuki and his group casually found an empty table and sat down.
Lisa came out carrying a tray and laid out four sets of tableware.
"Little Lisa, did you catch anything last time you went up the mountain?" Nanatsuki asked.
"Nope. I ran into a bear last time. I wasn't confident I could handle it, so I tried to avoid it. But it spotted me and chased me for quite a while before I finally shook it off," Lisa replied with a dejected look.
"There are bears in the back mountains? Take me with you next time. Bear paw is quite the delicacy," Nanatsuki said with growing interest.
"I hadn't seen one before. Maybe it recently migrated here?" Lisa wiped down the table.
"Is bear paw really that tasty?" Kana's radar instantly picked up on the keyword.
"Steamed in honey wax, its juices drizzling into bird's nest—if prepared correctly, it's a rare mountain delicacy," Nanatsuki replied with a smile.
"Ahh—I really want to try your bear paw, Sensei!" Kana was already fantasizing about it in her mind.
"Tch, last time we tried roasting sweet potatoes, we burned them to charcoal. Don't talk big now," Lisa shot back, skeptical.
"Everyone improves, you know," Nanatsuki chuckled.
The man in the ornate robe glanced over at their table, his gaze lingering briefly on the group's uniforms before rising and heading for the door.
The four samurai retainers at the other table also stood up and followed him out.
"Sir, please wait—you haven't paid yet," Lisa said, grabbing the sleeve of the man in noble robes.
Nanatsuki's eyes narrowed. He had caught a sudden movement—one of the retainers had drawn his sword and was swinging it directly at Lisa's hand!
Nanatsuki flashed forward with Shunpo, stepping between them and clapping his hands together, catching the blade between his palms.
Blade Catch!
Once again, Nanatsuki used Blade Catch, and this time it was with bare hands against a live blade.
"Why the sudden aggression, sir?" Nanatsuki asked calmly.
"Move aside! That filthy hand dared sully Lord Kasumioji's robes. She must be punished. Don't worry—Lord Kasumioji is merciful. I won't take her life. Just one hand," the retainer sneered.
In his eyes, a street brat from Rukongai daring to touch a high noble deserved immediate execution. Sparing her life and taking only a hand was already generous—only because she was a child.
High-ranking nobles had the right of unpunished execution if a Rukongai soul offended them.
Lisa was terrified by the retainer's malice. She turned pale, quickly hiding behind Nanatsuki and apologizing, "I'm sorry! My hands aren't dirty!"
The retainer released a burst of Reiatsu, trying to yank his sword free from Nanatsuki's grip.
"I don't see any stain on your lord's sleeve," Nanatsuki said, releasing his own Reiatsu, firmly holding the sword in place.
Nanatsuki glanced at his Status Interface—this guy was just a trash mob with level 10 Reiatsu.
But the man in luxurious robes would be a problem.
Kasumioji Shin
Talent: B
Reiatsu: Lv75
Reputation Level: Hostile
This man was a seated Shinigami, with Reiatsu far above Nanatsuki's own.
As Nanatsuki looked over, he found the man staring back at him, gaze sharp and assessing.
"Let go!"
The other retainers drew their swords and pointed them at Nanatsuki.
"Sensei!"
Chijō Kana and Muguruma Kensei both drew their Asauchi and stood by Nanatsuki's side.
"What a pain. Knew I shouldn't have come..." Hirako Shinji muttered, but he too drew his Asauchi and joined the others.
Granny Jiang hurried out from the back kitchen, speaking urgently, "Please, honored guests, calm down. The child is young and doesn't understand etiquette. Please forgive her this once. I'll go bring out some fine sake to apologize on her behalf."
The man in noble robes smiled faintly and said, "No need for apologies. It's just a small matter. Everyone, put away your swords."
"Yes!" The retainers sheathed their blades.
Seeing that the other side wanted to de-escalate, Nanatsuki let go.
The retainer, now free, sheathed his sword as well. He shoved past Kensei and followed Kasumioji Shin out of the izakaya.
Nanatsuki watched them leave, frowning. He had a bad feeling about this.
That man—Kasumioji Shin—had a Reputation Level of "Hostile." This was the first time Nanatsuki had encountered that status.
"It's alright now. They're gone," Nanatsuki said, ruffling Lisa's hair to comfort her.
"Damn it! Those guys really think their noses are where their eyes should be!" Kensei fumed, remembering their arrogant glares.
"It's okay. As long as everyone's safe," Granny Jiang came over to check on Lisa. Seeing she wasn't hurt, she sighed in relief.
The four of them returned to their table and continued their meal.
…
After leaving the izakaya, Kasumioji Shin entered a palanquin, lifted by four of his attendants.
"That Shinigami who clashed with Inuzaki... he must be the heir to Katori-ryu Dojo, right?"
"Most likely. Did you notice the Spiritual Arts Academy students with him? I heard the two new Zanjutsu instructors are from the Tsunayashiro and Katori families. He must be the Katori one."
"Katori Batsu'unsai dared to reject Lord Shin's offer. But I hear she's seriously ill and won't live much longer. I'd like to see if her successor can hold on to that dojo."
"Isn't it obvious? His Reiatsu is just barely stronger than mine. Once Katori Batsu'unsai dies, Lord Shin can take over the dojo anytime—and at a far cheaper price."
Inside the palanquin, Kasumioji Shin listened to his subordinates gossip while replaying in his mind the Reiatsu he had sensed from Katori Nanatsuki. A faint, almost imperceptible smile crept across his lips.
The land of Katori-ryu Dojo wasn't bad. The forest behind it would make a good hunting ground, and the dojo itself could be turned into a private estate.
He had already set his sights on it. It wouldn't be long before it became his.
…
When Nanatsuki returned to the dojo, he noticed the reception room light was still on, so he went to turn it off.
In the back courtyard, he saw Batsu'unsai sitting under the eaves, sipping tea.
"Did someone come by?" Nanatsuki handed over the food he had packed.
"How'd you know—oh, I must've forgotten to turn off the light... Ooh, it's yakitori! You went to Granny Jiang's?" Batsu'unsai picked up a skewer and started eating. "A few people from the Kasumioji clan came earlier. Said they wanted to buy the dojo land."
"Kasumioji wants to buy the land? You didn't agree, right?" Nanatsuki frowned. So Kasumioji Shin's hostility wasn't just about what happened at the izakaya.
"Of course I said no," Batsu'unsai replied matter-of-factly. "This place has been my home since I was a child!"