To set up a stall in town to sell goods, one had to pay taxes and “protection fees.”
Amidst the complaints of the vendors, I could tell that the Shogunate samurai were pretty much offering nothing but protection in name only.
Survival… was indeed not easy.
I wasn’t particularly surprised. As I shopped and wandered, combining the information I had previously gathered, I settled on food as the highest priority option.
It was easy to carry and a necessity; there shouldn’t be any issues with sales…
I quickly purchased the raw materials. Finally, after weighing my depleted money pouch, I gritted my teeth and took Yoriichi to the best fabric store in town I had heard about.
After learning of my intentions, the owner introduced various fabrics for me to choose from, and I selected the ones with the best price-to-quality ratio.
Next was choosing colors.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi stood quietly, letting me do as I pleased. To be honest, I was a bit carried away; I had rediscovered the joy of dressing up Barbie dolls that I loved in my childhood.
Still, I should respect his personal opinion. “Do you have a favorite color?”
“Either is fine.”
“Then I’ll decide.”
Continuing the happy “dress-up play.”
Although I personally liked blue… blue made him look too cold. He wasn’t a person with many emotions to begin with, and that color made him seem even more unapproachable.
No, no, pass.
Black was quite nice deep and mysterious, making his skin look fair and his features exquisite (scratch that), but I always felt the temperament didn’t quite match.
Green didn’t seem right, and white seemed too bright…
“I don’t really need to change,” he said, unable to help but lower his head as I mulled it over.
I wagged my finger, not even looking up. “There’s no room for refusal. Dressing you up properly is the second step of the plan~”
In the end, I picked up a piece of ochre-red fabric and held it up against him.
I stepped back to look at the overall feeling and sighed. “As expected, red suits Yoriichi the best.”
He blinked, then spoke. “Because I am ‘Little Red’.”
I was stunned when I heard this.
Then I couldn’t help but tease, “What? You still remember that joke! How rare, are you joking with me?”
“Mm.” After he agreed, he actually nodded obediently.
Hiss! Please, stop releasing “cute factors” without awareness! Also, how did I not know that young Yoriichi was actually so… so…
I looked at him. He would eventually become a myth, a man who had “invincible” written all over his face… but now, he was like this.
Oh no, my hands are itching… I want to pinch his face.
I forcibly turned my head away.
“The two of you have such a wonderful relationship.” The fabric store owner, seeing my choice, walked over. “Just watching the two of you together, I can’t help but feel happy.”
“No, no, no, we aren’t…” I waved my hands at her frantically.
This was too absurd; no matter how you looked at it, it was impossible!
“Isn’t it?” She looked surprised, then bowed to me. “I am truly sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I steadied her. It felt too strange to have someone older than me bowing.
I ordered two sets of red haoris at the fabric store. This could be considered the second biggest expense of the trip, but as someone frugal by nature, I didn’t feel the least bit of heartache. In fact, I was already looking forward to how bright and handsome he would look in his new clothes!
Next, I headed toward the final goal of the trip: finding a flower shop.
As it turned out, there wasn’t one. QAQ
With no other choice, while passing by a stall filled with sun-dried medicinal herbs, I crouched down, clutching the hope that maybe… “Excuse me, do you sell wisteria flowers here?”
The middle-aged stall owner lifted his dejected face lazily and retorted irritably, “Can’t you see this is all mountain goods and herbs? Go away, don’t disturb my business!”
So fierce!
I touched my nose and backed away sheepishly. Can he even sell anything with that attitude? It seemed I wouldn’t find any.
“Let’s go, Yoriichi, let’s head home.”
The matter of the wisteria flowers would have to be put aside for now. Anyway, with Yoriichi around, I wasn’t in any rush; regular demons would just be delivering their own heads to us.
Just as we were about to leave, a commotion erupted behind us. “It’s coming, it’s coming! Those hoodlums are here again!”
Amidst the shouting, the small vendors scrambled to pack their bags and flee in a panic—I felt like I was hallucinating a scene of city inspectors arriving.
A group of about five or six people came over, strutting and swaying. They grabbed those who were too slow to run including the dejected-faced stall owner from earlier—and lifted them by the collar to extort money.
I quickly pulled Yoriichi to the side, observing calmly, and confirmed they were only after money and had no intention of killing anyone.
There were six people in the group.
The most threatening was the tall man at the lead, wearing a sword and sporting a wanderer samurai hairstyle. He looked to be in his early twenties and had a relatively composed temperament.
The others looked much younger, not yet shedding their childishness, likely still in their teens, and they were also armed with sticks and the like to intimidate others.
Yoriichi seemed to want to step out to help the extorted vendors, but I pulled him back. “Don’t go yet.”
I shook my head at him. He looked at my expression and chose to follow my advice.
A while later, before any samurai could arrive, the hoodlums cursed, strutted off with the protection fees they had collected, and the scene returned to peace.
After watching the whole thing, I had a plan. “Let’s leave from here first.”
The situation was better than I had imagined; the officials and bandits weren’t completely in cahoots. In that case… I pondered on the way back.
The donkey carried the items home obediently, and I went with Tsugikuni Yoriichi to return the donkey.
By the way, it let out a quite sorrowful cry when we parted…
Although it wasn’t the right thing to feel, I actually felt a bit satisfied, and deliberately took Tsugikuni Yoriichi’s arm, looking provocatively at it.
Heh heh, I suggest you know your place; at the end of the day, you’re someone else’s donkey!
The next day, I brought Yoriichi and a gift to visit Senior Goto. Without too much pleasantry, I made a request for him to craft a wooden sword.
He agreed.
After that, I got permission to set up a stall to sell some pastries. As it happened, the location was right next to that dejected stall owner who sold herbs last time.
I gave him a big smile. “What a coincidence, to be right next to you.”
Only a few days had passed; he obviously still had an impression of me. The stall owner let out a half-dead grunt. “Didn’t you see it last time? This isn’t a place for you. I advise you to go home as soon as possible.”
I smiled and spread my hands. “But I’m already out of options.”
His eyes showed a flicker of complexity. “Suit yourself.” He couldn’t be bothered to try and persuade me further.
My business wasn’t bad, and I was lucky those hoodlums didn’t come by that day.
I felt a bit regretful as I began packing up the stall.
The herb stall owner next to me muttered, “Your luck is really not bad; you actually made it through the first day smoothly.”
Of course, luck couldn’t last forever. A few days later, those people came after all.
And I finally knew why the herb stall owner couldn’t run away—because he had a lame leg.
Every time we came, he was there, and he didn’t leave when we did, guarding his stall without moving a step.
I packed up deliberately slowly, so I was surrounded along with the herb stall owner.
Unexpectedly, the herb stall owner actually defended me. “This girl only came yesterday; come back in a few days to collect from her.”
Women who came out to show their faces in broad daylight were rare. When they saw me, their eyes brightened. “We’re already bored of the old faces here. Newbie, do you understand the rules here?”
“From now on, my big brother will cover you.”
I ignored the person speaking and looked instead at the man with the samurai hairstyle, gazing at his sword. “You people come here all the time and can’t even squeeze out any oil, can you? You clearly have strong bodies, yet you only dare to prey on the poorest of commoners. Are you even worthy of being called samurai?”
Although I said “you people,” I was looking at the samurai-haired man alone.
The herb stall owner looked at me in disbelief, as if looking at a dead person. Are you looking to die?
That seemed to be the expression on his face.
“You!” A teenager stepped forward, but was blocked by the samurai-haired man raising his hand.
He wasn’t angered by me; he spoke in a deep voice. “You’re right, but this is the way of the world; there’s no other way.”
The samurai-haired man had long, sharp eyes, high cheekbones, and thin lips. He said to me, “I am stronger than you, just as lions and tigers hunt the sheep. The survival of the fittest this is the principle of survival.”
“Does being strong give you more of a reason to live? Then what if the situation were exactly the opposite?” I asked.
“Our boss is a famous wanderer samurai!” one of his lackeys blustered.
Another said, “Boss, let me teach her a lesson!”
“Do you think you are stronger than me?” The samurai-haired man curled his lips; one could tell he was already quite amused.
“Not me.”
I pointed to Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who was ignored by everyone at the edge, as if he didn’t exist.
“I have someone who is stronger than you.”
I continued, “What you rely on is merely your sword, your martial arts, therefore…” I smiled at him. “Let’s make a bet.”
“Him?” The samurai-haired man looked at Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
“Yes.”
I gestured to Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi crossed his arms: [Fierce] [Indifferent] [Not to be trifled with]
I secretly gave him a thumbs up and turned back with satisfaction.
“Wow! Boss! This brat has made a very arrogant face! So punchable!”
“Boss, Boss! Let me teach him a lesson! There’s no need for you to do anything!”
“I don’t want to bully you,” the samurai-haired man said coldly. “He won’t be my opponent. You just honestly hand over the protection fee, and I won’t pursue today’s matter.”
“Are you afraid?” I provoked him.
He sneered. “It seems it’s been too long since I’ve made a move.” He held the sword hilt and narrowed his eyes. “What do you want to bet?”
“Very simple.”
I pulled out two potatoes.
“You will compete with the youth beside me. I will throw the potatoes into the air; whoever cuts it the most times before it lands wins.”
That’s right, it was the “Fruit Ninja” style of play.
Samurai-haired man: Just a thin youth; does he really think he has some talent at such a young age?
He said dismissively: “I’m not interested in ordinary bets.”
“If we win, you cannot come back; conversely, if you win,” I paused, “all the money I earn from now on will be handed over to you without a single word of complaint.”
The samurai-haired man stared at me for a while. “That’s not enough; not only that, but you will also submit to our disposal, and that kid too.” He pointed over. “I want him to commit seppuku.”
“Do you still want to bet?”
Now the pressure was on my side… He was testing my bottom line.
People who hang out in the streets really weren’t easy to deal with. Fortunately, I had the absolute trump card by my side.
I couldn’t show a hint of timidity. “Fine.” I gestured to my chin. “But you need to add a little something to your stake as well.”
“If we win, you will follow our lead from now on.”
“Interesting. I agree.” The samurai-haired man drew his sword and held it with both hands. “I will start first.”
As the sword was drawn, the scent of gunpowder in the air grew stronger, and his lackeys began to back away.
When the herb stall owner heard it was a matter of life and death, he tugged at me. “Take my advice, just beg for mercy and get it over with; at least you’ll live. He is very powerful; don’t risk your man’s life.”
I had been doing a great job of confronting them, and was almost shaken by those words.
“Rest assured, we won’t lose.” I finished speaking and raised a hand. “Let’s begin.
I’ll definitely win. The samurai-haired man was confident. Although the youth deliberately made a ferocious face, he, having immersed himself in martial arts for many years, could see through him at a glance—he absolutely hadn’t practiced swordsmanship.
Trying to bluff his way into a big win with such a small stake? Wasn’t that a bit too naive?
And in this world, the price of naivety was paid in life.
He thought ruthlessly, concentrating his spirit, watching as the potato was thrown high into the air.
He then swung his blade, slicing the potato into thirty-two pieces before it hit the ground.
Sixteen cuts!
This was a performance beyond his normal levels; it seemed the gods were on his side.
“Oh my god, Boss is too amazing!”
“We’re definitely going to win!”
“Let them know what a difference in strength means!”
“Hey, Boss! I’ve already thought about it if we win, let her strip and dance in public, how about that?”
“Hahaha, good idea!”
He listened to the flattery behind him and revealed a winning smile, then looked toward the front.
He expected to see a frightened face.
But the young girl looked unhurried. “Ah, so this is all you’ve got?”
All… this is all you’ve got?
The samurai-haired man’s smile vanished, gradually becoming gloomy. At the same time, there was a slight wavering in his heart. It had already come to this point… Why was she still so confident? Did she really believe that youth could surpass him?
“Yoriichi.”
As soon as the girl’s voice dropped, the samurai-haired man saw the red-haired youth beside her the one who had been silent from start to finish, wearing those strange earrings begin to move.
He walked over slowly, appearing completely non-threatening.