"Gyomei-san is here too?" Shinichi asked, slightly surprised.
Clearly, Himejima Gyomei's presence had caught his attention.
In truth, aside from Oyakata-sama and Lady Amane, Himejima Gyomei was the person Shinichi respected most in the entire Demon Slayer Corps.
Whether in terms of strength or character, Himejima Gyomei was an impeccable and trustworthy senior.
Over the years, Shinichi had seized many opportunities to spar with him, and he was always in awe of Gyomei's terrifying power and speed.
In fact, Shinichi believed that without undergoing a third-stage Raging blood in his Demon Transformation state, he stood no chance of defeating the Stone Hashira, Himejima Gyomei.
Now, even the mighty Stone Hashira has been drawn near the Yoshiwara red-light district.
It goes without saying that this operation in the pleasure quarters is destined to be anything but simple.
"Enough talk! What good are you doing staying here? Get back!"
"I... won't!"
Shinichi's wandering thoughts were abruptly pulled back to reality by the Shinazugawa brothers' argument.
Watching the strained interaction between the siblings, he felt compelled to intervene.
"Ahem, Sanemi, regardless of anything, Genya is following Gyomei's orders in carrying out this mission. You interrupting him like this could seriously affect Gyomei's plans. At least let Genya complete his assigned task first. If there are real issues, you can discuss them with Gyomei afterward." Shinichi raised his eyebrows meaningfully at Genya.
"What?" Sanemi blinked in confusion, momentarily thrown off balance.
Meanwhile, Genya reacted faster than his brother, shooting Shinichi a grateful look for the timely intervention before standing up formally.
"That's correct, Forest Hashira... and Wind Hashira. I must return immediately to report to Gyomei-san. Excuse me."
"Uh..." Sanemi opened his mouth to protest, but Shinichi suddenly asked.
"By the way Sanemi, did you gather any intelligence this time?"
"N-no." Sanemi's voice sounded oddly strained.
"Nothing? That's unusual. Disguised as a merchant, you should have had better access to people inside the district. Wait—where's your vendor cart?"
"Lost... the goods were all stolen by a bunch of crazy women."
"..."
Meanwhile, the trio infiltrating the brothel and Uzui Tengen operating in the shadows were each collecting their own leads and information.
....
"Over here! Chinatsu!"
At Yoshiwara's entrance, Shinichi waved from where he leaned against a carriage.
Soon, several burly men carrying leather cases approached, led by a slender figure.
Ryukawa Chinatsu removed her wide-brimmed hat, smoothing her slightly disheveled bangs as she regarded Shinichi and the pleasure district behind him with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Shinichi, you—honestly! How could you do this? Is this how you repay Shinobu's trust? Well... it might be too late now. Hand them over to me—I'll help clean up your mess." Chinatsu sighed wearily.
Shinichi looked utterly bewildered. "What are you talking about? What does Shinobu have to do with this? More importantly—did you bring enough money? I told you there was no need to come personally for such a trivial matter."
"Trivial?!" Chinatsu's delicate eyebrows shot up, genuine anger flashing in her eyes.
She never imagined Shinichi could be such... scum!
Abandoning all restraint, Chinatsu decided it was her duty to properly correct Shinichi's moral compass on behalf of Mitsuyo-sama.
"Shinichi! A person must take responsibility, especially toward their partner! This kind of wandering eye constitutes cheating, understand? No matter how beautiful those courtesans are, none could possibly care for you as sincerely as Shinobu does! They're probably just after your money or using you to buy their freedom—don't let them deceive you!" Chinatsu lectured with earnest concern.
Shinichi: "...What on earth are you talking about?"
....
Some time later~
Inside the carriage, Ryukawa Chinatsu blushed, her hands fidgeting awkwardly as she remained silent.
"Um, I'm sorry, Shinichi. I misunderstood you. My apologies. B-but it's also your fault for writing such vague letters. Couldn't you have just directly stated this was part of the plan to lure out the Demons?" Chinatsu defended herself.
Shinichi gave her an exasperated look.
Who could've guessed this girl would misinterpret things in that direction?
To think she believed he'd betrayed Shinobu and was having an affair—did she really see Shinichi Moriki as that kind of man?
"Ah, whatever. Never mind that. Since you're here, Chinatsu, I'll leave the matter of purchasing those two courtesans to you. I don't understand these things anyway. It's still a business transaction, so it's better handled by a professional."
Chinatsu nodded, though inwardly she grumbled, What kind of 'professional' matter is this?
How can this shady business compare to the decisions of our Moriki Conglomerate?
Despite her complaints, Chinatsu agreed to Shinichi's request.
Soon after, Chinatsu and several of her subordinates arrived at their first destination—Tokiwaya, one of the most renowned brothels in the Yoshiwara red-light district.
However, even the most famous brothel was nothing more than an ant in the eyes of Ryukawa Chinatsu, the head of the colossal Moriki Conglomerate.
The madam of Tokiwaya was utterly overwhelmed by Chinatsu's commanding business presence.
When Chinatsu proposed to buy out the courtesan Koinatsu's contract, the madam was so flustered she could barely speak.
"W-well, honored guest, Koinatsu already has plans to buy out her own contract. You see..."
The madam of Tokiwaya was a kind old woman, and her demeanor matched her appearance—she was usually gentle and caring toward the girls and staff of the brothel.
But today, she was faced with Ryukawa Chinatsu, whose aura was simply too overpower.
Though the madam had met many prominent merchants, nobles, and officials, none could compare to Chinatsu.
"Buy out her own contract? How much can this courtesan Koinatsu afford? Open the cases, Kohara," Chinatsu said coolly.
At her command, her assistant promptly opened the leather cases before the madam.
Inside, stacks upon stacks of crisp, new banknotes were neatly arranged—nearly a million yen displayed right in front of the Tokiwaya madam.
For a moment, the madam felt as though she couldn't breathe.
...
In the attic of Tokiwaya...
"Sumiko, have you heard? Someone's buying out Koinatsu's contract!"
"Eh? That's wonderful news! Koinatsu-nee is such a kind person," said a "little girl" in a green kimono speaking innocently.
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