Although it was a bit strange, Kuroda still agreed to this condition, which was full of Liyue characteristics.
One must know that Yae Publishing House operates on integrity; otherwise, it wouldn't attract so many authors to publish books there.
"Kuroda, I have other matters, so let's part ways here."
Shiki finished speaking and turned to walk towards Amenoma Smithy. Now it was time to retrieve her katana.
"You're here for the sword? How does it look?"
Amenoma Tougo, with a beaming smile, produced a long, rectangular box. When opened, the Kujikanesada lay silently on black brocade.
He was very curious about this unique girl, and if possible, he wanted to see what heights she would ultimately reach.
Shiki took the sword from the box; it felt slightly heavy in her hand, a completely different weight from the wooden props she used to carry at conventions.
Clang!
The sharp blade slid from its sheath, its slender body gleaming with cold light. As expected of a product from the renowned Amenoma school of Inazuma, even without the Crystal Bone Marrow, its quality was enough to surpass most other swords.
Instinctively, she spun the sword in a flourish before sheathing it. It seemed her physical condition had improved significantly since arriving here, as the entire sequence of movements was smooth and fluid, without the slightest pause.
"It's a good sword. Thank you, old Mr. Amenoma," Shiki said, expressing her gratitude. The patterns on the Kujikanesada's blade were beautiful, clearly the result of the blacksmith's meticulous effort.
"Eh, don't be so polite. Tejima rarely takes an apprentice; you must learn all his skills!" Amenoma Tougo said, straightening his slightly hunched back, then patted the girl's shoulder.
A few years ago, he was worried about Tejima's swordsmanship being lost, but now, it seemed he had found an incredible successor!
Amenoma Tougo had a premonition that one day, Shiki's name would spread throughout Inazuma, and perhaps, a new school called Ryougi would even emerge!
Watching the girl's retreating figure, Amenoma Tougo shook his head slightly, sighing, "Ah, I'm getting old!"
Shiki held the Kujikanesada, unable to put it down. It was her first time owning a sword of her own.
However, thanks to this sword, the Ashigaru on the street paid even more attention to her.
There was nothing she could do about it; her striking appearance and the katana in her hand made it hard not to notice her.
One must remember that this was Inazuma; no one would mistake the Kujikanesada in her hand for a wooden sword.
"You're here, Miss Ryougi. By the way, is this…?" Ogura Mio's expression was peculiar. Who would bring a sword to a clothing store for a photoshoot?
"Alas, the world isn't peaceful these days. Various monsters are everywhere in the wilderness, and there are also rampaging Ronin and Treasure Hoarder, so one ultimately needs some weapons for self-defense."
Life isn't easy, Shiki sighed.
If she had this sword back then, she wouldn't have been chased by a Hilichurl for five hundred meters.
Or rather, as long as she had a weapon, she could have killed that Hilichurl. She wasn't disabled; she could at least manage a simple swing.
"That's true. Miss Ryougi, please come into the store with me. Your furisode has been re-stitched, and regarding the photoshoot…"
"Don't worry, I remember everything!"
Shiki followed Ogura Mio to the back of the storefront. A photoshoot naturally required a specially arranged set; the entrance certainly wouldn't do.
To be honest, Ogura Shop was larger than Shiki had imagined. Many female workers were sewing kimonos here, as there were no sewing machines, so it relied solely on manual labor.
Ogura Mio took out Shiki's white furisode. The hole on the chest had been mended, and no trace of the repair was visible.
Shiki examined it, and her interest was immediately piqued. Mending should leave traces, so why was there nothing here?
Ogura Mio noticed Shiki's confusion and explained, "That's why the mending price is so high. To ensure a perfect appearance, I replaced the entire piece of fabric with the hole."
"The patterns and hidden designs on it were all recreated according to the original style, and the material used is top-grade silk made from Liyue's Silk Flower, so it looks completely new with no signs of repair!"
Upon hearing this, Shiki understood. The composition of a kimono was actually quite simple; it was just a few pieces of cloth sewn together. The complexity lay in the patterns or designs on it.
So, if one part was damaged, that entire piece of fabric had to be replaced, plus the re-drawing of the patterns, which was why it became expensive.
"It really is like new!"
Shiki examined it carefully; there wasn't a single flaw, and it was exactly the same as when she was on Earth.
"If there are no problems… then shall we begin the photoshoot?" Ogura Mio asked.
As the best clothing store in all of Inazuma, she had absolute confidence in her craftsmanship; mending a piece of clothing was simply a piece of cake.
"Yes, but do you have a changing room here?"
As she spoke, Shiki had already noticed the small courtyard that had been set up, and a Kamera from Fontaine placed on a table.
"Of course there's a changing room, but I have something even better here." Ogura Mio finished speaking and clapped her hands twice. A middle-aged woman then emerged from behind a screen.
"Let me introduce you, this is Aunt Yuko, Ogura Shop's dresser, who specializes in dressing esteemed guests."
"Uh, am I considered an esteemed guest too?"
"Of course you are! You are now Ogura Shop's model, and my future sales depend entirely on you!" Ogura Mio's expression was extremely serious, with no hint of joking.
The idea of finding a model had been around for a long time, but it had been shelved due to the lack of a suitable candidate.
Now that she had finally found a beautiful girl who was perfect in both temperament and appearance, wasn't she an esteemed guest?
"Please follow me, Miss Ryougi."
Shiki was led by Aunt Yuko into the adjacent room. Inside, there was a large mirror that could reflect her full figure.
The rest were four stands, on which hung four sets of furisode kimonos in different colors, and on a nearby table, various hair ornaments were displayed.
"By the way, these won't all be put on my head, will they?" Shiki felt a headache coming on when she saw so many hair ornaments.
"Miss Ryougi, you're overthinking it; how could we put them all on at once?!" Aunt Yuko found the girl's pained expression rather amusing. This child was too interesting.
"These four sets of furisode are designed according to Inazuma's four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Because of the differences in color schemes, so many different hair ornaments are needed."
Uh… spring, summer, autumn, winter?