Chapter 86
Kusanagi’s Sword (7)
“You two… together, you mean?”
Yoshiwara.
A resort operated by the Okinawa Domain.
It included a casino and an entertainment district, drawing crowds of vacationers.
I never would have thought such a massive resort was actually Okinawa Domain’s stronghold.
But… we were supposed to take it down, just the two of us?
“Destroying those gathered isn’t hard. The real headache comes when pests scattered across the country learn a few Okinawa-style moves and start showing off.”
“…Yes, understood.”
“Until I’ve taken them all out. Completely annihilate them. Got it?”
“Absolutely.”
The subordinate led Kashiwagi away and stepped back.
It seemed the plan to strike Yoshiwara tomorrow was set.
Sehyun slowly stood as well.
“If the talk’s over, I’ll be heading off too.”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
Ken called Sehyun back.
“Why not rest a bit before you go?”
…Rest, my foot.
No matter how luxurious this place was, did it feel like I could relax here?
Still, Sehyun didn’t refuse.
“Try to understand even if it seems unreasonable. The times are… well, you know.”
Ken’s smirk carried a heavy sense of pressure.
In the end, his suggestion to rest was more like an order than an offer.
“…So it’s not an invitation, it’s a kidnapping.”
“If we went outside, someone might spill the beans. Might as well do this properly.”
“You don’t trust me? Even after a private meeting?”
“It’s not about trust. In this country, even if you don’t say a word, they have methods to interrogate you. There are people called ninjas, after all.”
Ah, that reminded me.
Even Konoha had used some kind of talisman to interrogate Yakuza before.
I understood why Ken was being so cautious.
Despite his thug-like appearance, he had a surprisingly strategic side.
“Well, we’re hungry. Shall we eat together?”
“After making me sit on a thorny seat, you want me to eat uncomfortably too? At least provide separately.”
“Hmm, in that case.”
Ken licked his lips in mock disappointment.
Even if we had temporarily allied, this wasn’t exactly the kind of situation for casual conversation over a meal.
Ken instructed his subordinate to guide us to the room.
“If you need anything, please ask at any time. We have been instructed to treat you as our most honored guests.”
The attendant was huge, wearing traditional garb, and gave off an imposing presence just by standing there.
How exactly did they intend to treat a guest this way?
Eventually, Sehyun arrived at a spacious tatami room.
Like a proper ryokan, it had bedding and a refrigerator, but all communication devices, including computers, were strictly controlled.
‘Good. This is actually better.’
Being here, under suspicion, it was better to have such controls in place.
“Nothing special, just bring two lunch boxes.”
“Huh? Two?”
“A Japanese portion is too small for Koreans. We need something generous. Ah, Osaka has good seafood—make it tasty.”
“…We’ll prepare an eel and shrimp donburi for you.”
Soon, the two lunch boxes were placed just outside the door.
“Hmm, looks delicious.”
I really wanted to eat both myself.
But the other owner of one lunch box was elsewhere.
Carefully unwrapping her backpack, the [Dry Pilgrim’s Cloak] transformed into a spacious blanket.
Wrapping herself in it and then rising, the scenery around us changed.
“Ah… the air feels fresh.”
The night sky was studded with stars, and golden sand spread across the ground.
A perfect desert night.
And all around, swords and spears were stuck into the ground.
The sand itself was no ordinary sand.
The place, collected from the previous rift, was full of aurum particles. Even just sticking a blade in maintained its astral energy.
Even if the weapons looked casually placed, this was the best preservation possible.
“Anyway.”
Sehyun looked around and called lightly.
“Hey, Konoha. Lunch is ready.”
Footsteps crunching on the sand came from over the hill.
“I thought I’d die of boredom~~!! And I’m hungry too.”
“Here.”
Sehyun handed her the shrimp donburi.
But Konoha grabbed both lunch boxes.
“Oh~ shrimp and eel? They say this is great for women~ What’s the meaning of this? Huh?”
“…Shut up and eat.”
“Yeees~!”
Sehyun sat down, ignoring Konoha’s teasing.
Even inside the cloak, the tension lifted once we were out of Ken’s line of sight.
“Mmm~ delicious~.”
“….”
Her face showed not a hint of tension.
Watching Konoha finish both bowls instantly, Sehyun relaxed even more.
“Ah~ I’m full. Aren’t you eating, Oppa?”
“I was going to eat one of them.”
“You can’t blame me for being hungry.”
Konoha stuck out her tongue teasingly, but Sehyun said nothing.
She had requested to wait here herself.
“You’ve heard roughly, right? What Ken said?”
“Yeah, hearing a voice from the sky was amazing.”
Ken had requested a private talk, but Sehyun needed to explain it to Konoha.
‘It’s hard for me to judge the truth.’
I wasn’t going to take Ken’s one-sided story at face value.
“Let’s go through everything step by step.”
Osaka Domain, Tokyo Domain, Okinawa Domain, Sapporo Domain.
We had to clearly trace the background of these four domains fighting each other.
“Hmm? Is that important?”
“There’s a difference between slipping into a crack and smashing a solid place.”
If Ken was truthful, breaking the Tokyo-Okinawa temporary alliance was entirely possible.
But if Sehyun went in alone under false pretenses, that would be dangerous.
He’d just become a pawn for appearances.
“Don’t worry. It’s true—they were keeping each other in check. The Kusanagi clan was controlling them.”
“I don’t know much about the Kusanagi. I wish the cause was clearer.”
So far, all we knew was that they unified through swords, lost the sword, and the clan was annihilated.
This ambiguity had left Sehyun in doubt.
Was it the domain’s doing, Hailhwan’s, or an accident?
“Kusanagi tried to find the stolen sword. They tried to maintain unity even without it. But they were wiped out before night fell.”
“…There’s a gap between the theft and annihilation?”
“As far as I know.”
That narrowed down the possibilities.
Hailhwan stole the sword, and the domain wiped out Kusanagi.
Whether there was a deal or not was secondary.
Konoha drew a conclusion from Sehyun’s speculation.
“Then Okinawa is the most likely.”
“Really?”
“Ken said Okinawa planted seeds everywhere.”
It made sense.
Even if they had spies in Kusanagi, the chaos from the stolen sword allowed them to wipe out the clan.
‘At least the cause is clear.’
The rest would be confirmed directly.
“Striking Okinawa will clarify things?”
“Yes, that’s how I see it.”
“You’re amazing, Konoha.”
Konoha snuggled happily against Sehyun.
“Really?”
“We have a rough outline. Glad I trusted you.”
“Finally a compliment~ Thank you~!”
“Don’t cling too much.”
“Too cute not to cling~~~.”
Even when scolded, Konoha clung to Sehyun’s head, her affection exhausting him.
Sehyun sighed, resigned.
“What about Sapporo? They won’t interfere?”
“Probably not. Considering Sapporo’s domain lord.”
“What’s their nature?”
“Oppa, do you know ‘how to make a bird sing’?”
A famous anecdote.
Three lords in Japan’s Warring States period.
When wanting a silent bird to sing, how would each lord act?
“Do you know how Sapporo’s lord reacts to a silent bird?”
“Hmm.”
“He’s cautious, observing the bird that refuses to sing, despite needing to.”
He set up defenses rather than seizing an opportunity.
So even now, Sapporo’s lord would build barriers rather than grasp the chance for unification.
I nodded in agreement.
“Good. Most of what Ken said is true.”
“Yes. He wasn’t lying about anything else. Forming an alliance seems fine.”
Sehyun agreed.
The Tokyo-Okinawa alliance was temporary, so there was a gap we could exploit.
“Finally… one last thing.”
“Hmm? Another question?”
“I’m working with Ken. What about you?”
“Me? Of course, I’ll continue…”
“Not automatically. This started as a simple job, but it grew too big.”
Konoha’s role was to track the Kusanagi survivors.
With that purpose weakened, she wasn’t obliged to accompany Sehyun.
While Sehyun struck Okinawa, Konoha could investigate Kusanagi.
Honestly, Sehyun wanted her to sit this one out.
“Thanks for worrying about me. I appreciate it.”
But Konoha shook her head.
“Think carefully. Things will get more dangerous. You don’t need to take risks.”
The Okinawa forces were formidable.
Kashiwagi was manageable, but even unrefined subordinates had threatening power.
And Yoshiwara had at least a hundred such experts.
The danger was obvious.
Of course, Ken wouldn’t let Sehyun die, but Konoha was another matter.
“You think I can’t handle my own body?”
“Don’t joke.”
“I’m not joking. I mean it.”
Konoha turned her head, proud.
“I even showed you my skill. Don’t underestimate ninjas.”
“…True.”
Battle isn’t only about strength.
Surprise attacks and delicate touches could be crucial weapons.
“Fine, I admit defeat.”
“Yes!”
“Rest well until tomorrow.”
Sehyun stood and dusted himself off.
“It’s boring with nothing to do, but wait a bit.”
“It’s fine. Exploring these weapons is fun.”
Konoha fiddled with a sword stuck in the sand, giggling.
Then she asked Sehyun quietly.
“Is it true? That there’s a sword?”
“…Ah, that?”
She had guessed.
At first, I didn’t reveal it, having just met her.
“Curious?”
“Uh… yeah? Not exactly curious… can I really see it?”
She hesitated, then peeked eagerly.
Given how much she helped before, and Chester’s guarantee, she could be trusted to some degree.
Kiiing—
The chain bracelet on my right arm glowed blue.
A large sword buried in the sand floated into the air and landed in Sehyun’s hands.
“Try holding it.”
“…Really?”
She reached cautiously, captivated, and took the sword.
“….”
For some reason, she looked slightly wistful.
Being a Japanese divine artifact, her perception differed slightly.
Sehyun buried the sword deep in the sand again.
“I’m off.”
“See you tomorrow, Oppa~.”
Leaving behind the playful Konoha, Sehyun stepped out of the cloak.
He called someone while placing the empty bowls outside.
“Sorry, could you give me one more bowl with eel?”
“You liked it, right? Even after finishing two bowls.”
Well… technically, I didn’t finish all of it myself.
Growl—
“…I’ll prepare it immediately.”
“….”
Suddenly, after eating two bowls, I was hungry again.
