Chapter 118 Are the players human?
Although they successfully infiltrated Wano Country and concealed their identities to become members of the Beasts Pirates, the three of them, who are currently just ordinary soldiers, still have a long way to go before they can meet Kaido.
Violet decided to unlock the map of Wano Country first, in preparation for a possible escape should things go wrong in the future.
I casually cut two holes in a tempura bag I bought to use as observation windows, and a cheap and useful disguise prop was made.
A dark and windy night, with low-hanging clouds, is the perfect time to do shady and unsavory things.
Good news, Violet chose her timing perfectly. She strolled through several streets in Wano Country with a suspicious tempura paper bag on her head without being noticed.
The bad news is that I've met someone who shares the same ideas.
Holding a walking stick with a 25% speed boost, Violet had just turned a corner to explore a narrow alley when she made eye contact with a suspicious person rushing out of the alley. This person was carrying a huge bundle and whose head and face were covered by a rough yellow cloth.
Violet: "..."
Suspicious person: "..."
The two people, who appeared to be colleagues, instinctively took a step back in unison.
"It's Ugly Boy San! He ran that way!"
"Damn it, how dare they steal from the Daimyo Prefecture! Capture Ushimitsu-kun and hand him over to Lord Kurozumi Orochi!"
"Wait, what's that? He has an accomplice, that guy with the idiot paper bag, grab him too!"
Ugly Boy: ...
Accomplice Vera: ...
It couldn't be her imagination, could it? Vera felt that Ugly Boy had glared at her with disdain.
No, glare at her?
If this guy hadn't come running over with a bunch of red names on his phone, even if Violet wandered around all night, she could have ended up on the roof of that Black Charcoal Serpent's house and no one would have noticed!
You're the one who lured the monster here.jpg
"Grab them both!"
The guards rushed forward, wielding their katanas and attacking the two. Ushimitsu was far stronger than the guards, but the narrow alley and the overwhelming numerical disparity meant that he was caught off guard and struck in the arm while dodging.
A sharp samurai sword sliced through his upper arm, extending all the way to sever the huge bundle behind him. Various gold, silver, jade, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings clattered and fell to the ground from the tear, attracting everyone's attention.
"Tsk."
Through the paper bag, Vera glanced disdainfully at the guards, then took out her ice staff and froze them all. Under the angry gazes of the guards encased in ice, Vera walked to the scattered treasures and began automatically picking them up without needing to bend down.
After quickly clearing the battlefield, Vera hoisted the ugly boy onto her shoulder, leaped over the alley in a few bounds, and sped away along the rooftops.
[You've obtained a clue: The Ugly Boy at Night]
Um?
Violet glanced out of the corner of her eye at the unusually quiet guy being carried on her shoulder. She couldn't tell if he was surprised by the sudden turn of events or intimidated by the fact that Violet had effortlessly frozen the combat power of dozens of guards with a wave of her hand.
Ugly Third Boy, or rather, Mad Death Boy who hides his face at night and acts as a righteous thief robbing the rich to help the poor every hour of Chou (1-3 AM), is undergoing a kind of worldview reshaping.
He watched as Vera, dressed in a kimono, moved with the lightness of a snowflake in the wind, her smooth, jet-black hair, her snow-white skin beneath the collar of her kimono, and her ethereal aura that seemed to transcend the mortal world.
Mad Death closed his eyes, recalling the scene where she summoned the freezing cold with a wave of her hand, freezing the guards chasing after him.
In order to wait for the opportunity to take revenge, he had to take the name "Kyoshiro" and endure humiliation while serving Kurozumi Orochi. He was constantly burned by the flames of anger.
However, the unique culture of Wano Country flowing in his blood reminded Kyoshiro of some of the legends about ghosts and monsters that were prevalent in Wano Country when he saw the girl who suddenly appeared in front of him in the night and rescued him without hesitation and took him away from danger.
According to legend, the Snow Woman has a face as young and beautiful as a human woman, skin as white as snow, and hair as black as ebony. She always appears amidst a blizzard.
The Snow Woman yearns for love like that of humans, so she will approach and rescue the men she fancy, living happily with them like any woman in love. However, if a man breaks his vow of "eternal love," the Snow Woman will kill him without mercy and then disappear into the snow once again.
Is she human, or truly an incarnation of some kind of spirit or monster similar to a snow woman?
Mad Death noticed that she led him to a secluded, deserted pond. Several crooked willows grew on the bank of the pond, their branches gently swaying across the water's surface in the night breeze, creating ripples.
Kyoshiro, who had been put down, sensed that the other person was observing him with a curious and inquisitive gaze.
...This also aligns with the descriptions of spirits and monsters in the story.
Kyoshiro looked at the girl in the kimono whose face was obscured, hesitated for a moment, then took out a portion of the wagashi (Japanese sweets) he had originally prepared for Komurasaki from his pocket, pulled off the hemp rope, took out the oil paper package, ate one piece in front of her, and carefully placed it on the stone next to him while watching her.
Violet, who was inexplicably fed: ...
Is this a reward for completing a mission? But why not give her the whole bag and make her eat just one piece?
Violet tilted her head in surprise, but with the thought that she might as well take it, she put the pastry into her backpack, intending to make it a collectible along with the other desserts she had collected from the Kingdom of Wonders.
Watching the wagashi vanish into thin air, Kyoshiro took another deep breath, the sound quite noticeable in the quiet, deserted night.
Mad Death decided to make one last attempt, cautiously probing: "You, you're different from us, right? You don't belong here?"
Violet: !!!
This is the first time an NPC has revealed her player identity!
What is this? Is it a little Easter egg that breaks down the fourth wall and adds a sense of realism?
Vera: "You found out? How did you find out?"
There really are spirits and monsters in this world!
Kyoushiro didn't know how to describe his feelings at that moment. Ever since he was eight years old, he had never believed the stories told by those old people.
But now, a living, breathing spirit who had personally admitted his identity was standing in front of him: "Just as I suspected, I guessed right... Actually, it's quite obvious."
"Can you give me back the treasures you took?" Kyoshiro looked at the girl-like spirit in front of him as if he were looking at a naive child who had begun to go astray. "Those things... are useless to you, aren't they?"
That's true. Violet had already checked them while picking them up; they were all items without any attributes. Perhaps she could exchange them for gold coins with the merchants in the game, but Violet hadn't yet found where the merchants on the Wano Country map were.
But it was something she found, and what she found is hers.
Vera: "What do you want to trade for them?"
The madman, who disguised himself as a thief to rob the rich and help the poor, but didn't have a single penny on him: "..."
He rummaged through his pockets and, apart from the remaining wagashi (Japanese sweets), found only the invitation that Kurozumi Orochi had given him to a geisha's birthday party in the Flower Capital a few days later.
As Kurozumi Orochi's "loyal dog," and because Kyoshiro opened a brothel in the Flower Capital to settle his former master's daughter, Komurasaki, Kurozumi Orochi would send him an invitation whenever a famous geisha in the city celebrated her birthday and invited nobles and patrons.
But Kyoshiro wasn't really the kind of guy who would do anything for money. Just enduring the hatred lurking around Kurozumi Orochi was enough to torment his emotions. In addition, recently... he carelessly let Kurozumi Orochi see Komurasaki practicing the shamisen. In a fleeting glance, Kurozumi Orochi was completely captivated, which gave Kyoshiro, who was determined to protect Komurasaki, a huge headache.
Komurasaki aspires to become the most beautiful courtesan in order to extract more money from unjust nobles and obtain information about Orochi and the Beast Pirates.
Understanding Xiao Zi's determination, Kyoshiro could only protect her former master's bloodline while finding various renowned teachers to instruct her. At least if she could truly become the most beautiful courtesan, Xiao Zi, who couldn't train to become stronger due to her physical limitations, would have another layer of protection.
However, Orochi's attention still exceeded Kyoshiro's expectations, leaving him no time to pay attention to anything else... He had originally planned to throw away the invitation.
When Kyoshiro took out the cherry blossom pink invitation, he was completely stunned.
He instinctively wanted to hide it, but the guy that Kyoshiro had guessed was some kind of spirit had his eyes on the letter first.
Geishas often put a lot of effort into these letters in order to maintain their relationships with their clients.
From the color of the envelope and paper, to the beautiful, feminine handwriting, to the affectionate and ambiguous wording, everything must be done to make the recipient believe that they are the "true love" of a geisha, different from other customers, rather than some sucker who only knows how to spend money.
In addition to the stereotypical image of geisha as gentle and compliant, these carefully prepared return gifts or letters often represent a territorial demarcation, much like that of wild animals. The more exquisite the envelope and the more unconventional the return gift, the more it serves as a subtle hint and reminder to other geisha attempting to approach this guest.
I've been keeping a close eye on this guy. Anyone trying to take advantage of him should think twice about their abilities.
Crazy Dead Man knew exactly what was going on behind those letters; he knew it all too well.
Kyoshiro was not only the owner of a famous brothel in the city, but he also personally taught many of the geishas in the brothel how to use their skills.
Thinking of those incredibly common little stories about spirits slaying unfaithful lovers, Kyoushiro held his breath and began searching for an escape route.
You have received an envelope with the scent of cherry blossoms.
[An envelope infused with the scent of cherry blossoms—does it contain tender words of love, or perhaps poison disguised as honey?]
[Giving it to the correct NPC will trigger the "Cherry Blossom Falling from a Branch" event.]
It's an event-activating item!
What a generous NPC!
Trading a bunch of useless items with no attributes for an event-activating item is such a great deal!
Violet tossed the various jewels and antiques that filled her backpack onto the ground: "Here, take them."
Even with her face concealed, Kyoshiro could still discern the joy in the person before him from her actions, causing Kyoshiro's fingers, gripping the envelope, to tighten unconsciously.
She may not know the value of these mundane things in the world.
I wonder how many people in this world have given up their self-respect, friendship, family, and even their souls for these things that she casually threw on the ground like trash.
Yes, it's understandable that spirits would observe humans with such curiosity, not understand the purpose of these things, and think that a priceless treasure is not as valuable as a letter.
...But the problem is, he didn't write this letter!
Seeing Vera happily accept the invitation, Mad Death felt a pang of guilt.
Madman: "Ahem... Um, thank you so much for saving me."
"But, but this place is dangerous for you." There are too many stories of innocent and ignorant spirits who rescued humans only to be betrayed and harmed by greedy humans. Kyoshiro trusts his own character, but if he just lets her walk around the human world without knowing anything, she will be harmed by evil people sooner or later.
Especially in Wano Country, which is ruled by Orochi and Kaido.
"Don't come here again."
Danger? Where?
Violet looked around and recalled her exploration experience tonight, but she still couldn't understand what danger Mad Death had mentioned.
Kyoshiro tied the opening in the package that had been torn by the katana, and then wrapped the treasures that Violet had placed on the ground inside the package.
He looked at the figure still standing by the water, seemingly real yet illusory, just like the weeping willows and the night behind him.
As a burdened avenger, Kyoshiro knew he shouldn't have too much contact with such otherworldly beings, but he didn't know if it was the moonlight that was too beautiful tonight, or if this dramatic encounter was too dreamlike.
Before leaving, Kyoshiro's rationality was unusually broken by his deepest desires.
Kyoshiro: "Do you have a name?"
“Let me give you a name…” Kyoshiro looked up at the bright moonlight after the dark clouds had dispersed, “How about calling you Yukihime?”
——
City of Flowers
Having just finished a long day of shamisen practice, Hiyori, using the pseudonym Komurasaki, went to sleep fully clothed.
Upon encountering the homeless Hiyori, Kyoshiro immediately revealed his true identity to her and took her into his art gallery for protection.
Hiyori's identity is special, and this seemingly ordinary room was already guarded by various guards secretly arranged by Kyoshiro.
So when the barely perceptible sound approached the paper bed, she, who should have been fast asleep at night, suddenly opened her eyes. Her beautiful eyes calmly swept across the window, and at the same time, her slender fingers gently traced a dagger hidden in her kimono sleeve into her palm.
The paper window was gently pushed open, and Xiao Zi breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the figure outside.
"Master Liang is crazy to death."
Xiao Zi tilted her head in confusion as she watched Kyoshiro quietly sneak into the room. Her innate sensitivity to other people's emotions made it easy for Xiao Zi to see the excitement in Kyoshiro's expression.
A lot to gain? No, being able to transform into Ugly Boy at night and rob the rich to help the poor in this roundabout way is a very humiliating thing for Lord Kyoshiro, and he will not feel happy about it.
"Little Purple".
After putting down the package and removing the yellow cloth covering his face, Kyoshiro looked at Komurasaki with the excitement of someone who had found a rare and exceptionally beautiful cat by the roadside.
"You have no idea what I saw tonight."
“One, no, a spirit, a being formed from moonlight and ice and snow!”
Xiao Zi: "..."
Xiao Zi raised her hand worriedly and touched Kuang Shilang's forehead: "Lord Kuang Shilang, have you been too busy lately?"
"Don't push yourself too hard, and take care of your health as well."
People's repressed mental state leads to problems.
It's all that damned Kurozumi Orochi's fault!
Meanwhile, at the Beasts Pirates' temporary residence.
Violet went back into the room and looked at the two islanders.
"You'd never guess what I met tonight: a mentally unstable lunatic."
"He actually asked me if I had a name, and even wanted to name me, haha."
Chopper and Robin exchanged a glance.
"It seems that under the oppressive rule of Kurozumi Orochi, the situation in Wano Country is even worse than Mr. Izo imagined."
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Author's Note: Mad Deathly Hound: What's wrong with liking folk love stories? [crying emoji]
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