The man was of a size rarely seen. An average adult male would barely reach his chest. He had to stoop to get his head through the doorway.
"Smith. Come. Spar."
This sudden, strange request left the group at lunch baffled.
"Spar…? You mean, fight?" Yoimiya looked at Muramasa, her face overflowing with confusion.
Thoma quickly got up from his seat and stood between them. "Wait a moment, Mr. Hisamasa… is there some kind of misunderstanding?"
"No misunderstanding." The towering Hisamasa shook his head, his expression strangely reminiscent of a squash.
"Regardless, he's just a blacksmith. As a samurai, there would be no honor in winning against him."
"He. Is not weak." He pointed at Muramasa. "Tenryou Commission. Report. He. Fought ten."
Tenryou Commission… what? His words were like mechanical gears, turning and stopping, spitting out phrases that required effort to piece together. Muramasa had some idea of what he was talking about, but he had no desire to entertain such an unreasonable request. Any other time might have been fine, but his meal was being interrupted, which was a surefire way to ruin his mood.
So, he glanced at the man, then turned back to his food.
"Even if he can fight ten men, starting a brawl will get you arrested by the Tenryou Commission, won't it?" Thoma did his best to understand the man's words and brought up the Tenryou Commission again, hoping he would back down.
"Tenryou Commission. Duel application. Approved."
When he had proposed a duel with this Muramasa to Kujou Takayuki at the Commissioner's Office, the man had approved it on the spot with almost no hesitation. In other words, as long as there were no fatalities, the Tenryou Commission would not intervene.
Now Thoma was at a loss for words. No matter how silver-tongued he was, the man's face just didn't look like one that listened to reason. At the same time, the samurai spoke up again.
"Yashiro Commission. Retainer. Whose side?"
So the blond guy is from the Yashiro Commission… Muramasa was listening, but he kept his head down and continued eating.
Thoma looked helplessly at Muramasa, hoping for some kind of signal, something that would give him a real reason to intervene. Otherwise, if he invoked the name of the Yashiro Commission here, even if it resolved the crisis, it would tarnish his loyalty. If only Muramasa would just say "no," the Yashiro Commission could…
"You big oaf. Stop blocking the way."
"Just stand there quietly and wait for this old man to finish his meal."
The ceaseless argument behind him was starting to irritate Muramasa, and he gave the one answer Thoma had been dreading.
"Okay." The big man pulled his head out of the doorway and stood straight by the entrance. This general, who usually guarded the gates of the Tenshukaku, now stood before the shop, his body taller than the doorframe, making the entire establishment seem smaller.
"He's actually waiting quietly…" Thoma returned to his seat and asked in a low voice, "Brother Muramasa, are you really planning to fight that giant?"
"You said he's a samurai, right?" Muramasa glanced at Thoma. "You don't get that big without having a one-track mind. Even if I refuse him today, there will be a next time, and a time after that, until I agree."
In reality, he was more concerned about the Tenryou Commission's attitude. That Kujou Sara was not the type to approve of something like this. The good thing about people who live by the book is that you don't have to worry about them acting on personal whims.
"So, it's better to just agree and get it over with."
The only problem is, I don't have much mana right now. I'm too far from my territory, so the supply is stretched thin. Plus, the forging this morning required intense concentration and a continuous output of strength. In terms of raw power, I might not be much stronger than him.
"Do you have a chance of winning?" Yoimiya asked, also lowering her voice.
"Why are you whispering? Are you a thief or something?" Muramasa retorted.
Thoma silently thought to himself: How could he possibly win…? The opponent was one of the top fighters among the "Hatamoto Samurai," an organization that answered directly to the Shogun, independent of the Tri-Commission. Within the Tenryou Commission, probably only Kujou Sara could hold her own against them.
"Will I win?" Muramasa repeated. "I will win."
Yoimiya nodded with complete trust, her expression saying, I believe in you.
Eh? Thoma almost lost control of his expression. His face was a complex mix of emotions, but a flicker of anticipation had been added.
"By the way, Yoimiya, later…" Muramasa beckoned her closer and whispered a few instructions. "In a little while, I need you to act as a lookout and prepare some firecrackers. The louder, the better."
Yoimiya didn't quite understand, but she nodded anyway.
After finishing their meal, Muramasa drained the tea from his cup, then lifted the curtain and stepped outside. Surprisingly, there was no crowd this time. The man's identity likely intimidated the locals.
"Made you wait, didn't I?" Muramasa said, his long mantle slung over his shoulder, looking at Naoe Hisamasa by the door.
"Yes. A long time." There was no anger in his voice, just a statement of fact.
"Don't hold it against me and try to get revenge in our little spar, now~" Muramasa grinned, making a half-joking comment.
"I won't." He stood up straight, his gaze fixed on Muramasa, who was much shorter than him. Height of 167 cm, a bit shorter than the average adult male. Body is well-built, clearly trains regularly. Naoe Hisamasa made a quick assessment and was about to get into a stance.
"Not so fast," Muramasa said, looking around. "There are too many people here. If we fight, someone could get hurt." Shimura's was directly opposite the Adventurers' Guild, and the phrase "Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild" could be heard frequently. This meant many adventurers were gathered here, and a fight would certainly get in their way.
"Mm." After a brief moment of thought, Hisamasa nodded.
"So, first, let's move the battlefield to a less crowded place. That way, you can go all out, right?" Then, he turned to Yoimiya. "Yoimiya, you should know a spacious place, right?"
Connecting this to what Muramasa had said earlier, Yoimiya understood what he meant by "spacious." "Of course! I'll take you there—"
The tall general had no objections and followed the girl with Muramasa. In the shadows, a few people exchanged glances and followed them secretly.
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