"Eh! I just thought you liked it, since you call yourself that all the time." Yoimiya was surprised by his reaction.
"No, how do I put it…" Muramasa's face showed a complex mix of emotions, his tone awkward. "I'd rather not be treated like a real old man, I guess?"
"Pfft-haha—" Hearing his explanation, Yoimiya couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't expect you to be so interesting, Muramasa…"
Didn't expect…? Muramasa pouted, looking slightly annoyed.
Yoimiya's gaze shifted to the side, clearly searching for a more tactful way to put it. "It's just that… you seem a bit hard to get along with?"
"Alright, alright! It's still early, how about I treat you to something to eat?" Sensing his prickly stare, Yoimiya quickly changed the subject.
At the mention of buying something, Muramasa's mouth twitched. "No, I don't have any money…" He was completely broke here, without even a single blade he could sell.
"No problem, it's my treat this time!" Yoimiya puffed out her chest, then added conspiratorially, "Besides, Hailing gave me some 'funds' specifically for this! But we won't touch that for now~"
"Funds? Is that girl that well-off?" She could only afford one room last night.
"She said that when the villagers heard you were coming to Inazuma with her, they specifically set aside this money." Yoimiya proudly patted a second pouch at her waist and then perfectly mimicked Hailing's expression and tone. "'Everyone in the village really wanted to give it to him directly, but we felt he wouldn't accept it, so we asked Yoimiya to help out!'"
Her imitation was so perfect you'd think she was planning a career in acting.
"Are you planning to become a street performer…?" Muramasa muttered, noticing the increasing number of stares they were attracting from her public performance. "Alright, alright, I get it. Let's just go."
"Haha, let's go~" Yoimiya stopped her act and led him forward. Even in the early morning, many shops were already open. The magnificent castle tower, the bustling market, and the absolute center of Inazuma City—the Tenshukaku.
"Boss, twenty sticks of grilled chicken~"
At a street corner, Yoimiya excitedly ordered two handfuls of grilled chicken skewers from a stall owner. Muramasa couldn't tell if the shop had just opened or had been open all night. Looking at the owner's heavy eye bags, he suspected the latter. But despite his tired appearance, the man's hands were deft.
Ten skewers in each hand sizzled on the grill. Pepper, salt, cumin, and chili powder were sprinkled with fluid motions that contrasted sharply with the owner's slightly overweight frame.
"Here you go." The two handfuls of skewers were substantial. Yoimiya handed one to Muramasa.
"Eating something so greasy this early in the morning…" If he were his older self, eating this much in the morning might make him wonder if he'd even be able to get up that night.
"Oh, come on, just this once~" Yoimiya was as cheerful as ever, chattering endlessly.
"Youth is a wonderful thing," Muramasa remarked, half-listening to her ramble about everything under the sun while taking a bite of the chicken. The outside was perfectly grilled, and the inside wasn't raw. The seasoning and heat control showed the owner's skill.
"Not bad…"
"Right? This is the best grilled chicken around," she responded excitedly to his praise. "But my dad won't let me come out to eat at night, so I have to get up early to buy it. Sometimes they're sold out and I make the trip for nothing, but I was lucky this morning!"
Having a guide like her around was certainly lively. Muramasa couldn't help but think this as he watched her hop up the stairs, spread her arms for balance, and then turn back.
"The Amenoma Smithy is just ahead!" she announced. "It's one of the Raiden Gokaden, a national treasure of Inazuma! Hailing said you're a blacksmith too, right? Maybe you can learn something from their swords~"
The Raiden Gokaden. Muramasa had heard Goko mention them, but knowing their eventual fate, he hadn't paid them much mind.
As they got closer, he saw a strong young man standing at a forge, hammering a piece of steel.
That guy… Muramasa observed his rhythm and movements, his thoughts churning.
Just then, Yoimiya approached the man. "Tougo, morning!"
"Mm, morning." He didn't look up, continuing to forge. After a moment, his movements paused slightly. "Yoimiya? If it's about those commissions of yours, I probably can't finish them…" He answered before she could even ask.
"Oh, I'm not here to ask about that~" A flicker of disappointment crossed Yoimiya's face, but she quickly hid it. "I brought a friend over today." She looked around, but couldn't find the person she was looking for. Where's the master?
"Oh." Tougo's tone was indifferent. He glanced at Muramasa once before returning to his forging. "Sorry, but is the customer here to buy a weapon or commission one?"
Muramasa stared at his forging movements for a long time before speaking. "Actually, I'm more interested in where I can find some ore…"
"And also, a smith should keep only the sword in his heart. If you stuff it with other things, you can't forge a good blade."
At his words, Tougo's hammer clearly struck harder, leaving a hidden flaw in the blade.
"How… could you tell?"
Realizing the blade was ruined, the tall, burly man tossed it aside and looked up, staring straight at the young man who was a head shorter than him.
"Your hammering is muffled, like someone who's given up just banging on a wall. It's obvious," Muramasa said with a look that said, You're easy to read.
Tougo let out a heavy sigh. "Agh… If master finds out, I'm going to get another scolding." He set the hammer down with a clatter, sat on a stool, and ran his hands through his hair.
"Oh, speaking of which, I haven't seen Master Juugo," Yoimiya said, looking around again.
"Master injured his back. He's been bedridden recently…"
Master Juugo, full name Amenoma Juugo. The successor of the Amenoma clan, owner of the Amenoma Smithy, and this Tougo's master.
As he spoke, the sorrow in Tougo's eyes deepened.
"So, what's got you so worried?" Seeing his dejected state, Muramasa couldn't help but feel a little curious.
"It's a commission from the Yashiro Commission…" Since he had been found out, he decided not to hide it anymore. "This year's ceremonial offering blade for the Grand Narukami Shrine… the Yashiro Commission has entrusted the Amenoma Smithy with forging it."
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