Chapter 15 S-Rank Saniwa Meeting
To avoid the surprise being discovered, Han Zhou deliberately didn't have the merchant deliver the items directly to the citadel. Instead, he chose to carry them back himself.
Mouri Toushirou has a particular fondness for swords shaped like children, even though he himself is a child.
But upon arriving at the citadel, it was clear that the swordsman was keeping his distance from the other Awataguchi short swords. Kanshu didn't know what had happened at the enemy's citadel, but he could guess some of the signs.
Back in the Honmaru, as soon as I stepped into the corridor with my shopping bag, I saw Ichigo and Yagen with Ran and Mori.
"You've come at the right time, I have something for you." Han Zhou found an empty room nearby and took out all the things he had bought.
Ran Toushirou stared in disbelief at the hair clips, hair ties, and little skirt laid out before him. The designs were quite novel and cute, exactly the kind of style he would like. In comparison, Mori only had a charm.
This wasn't discrimination, but a choice Han Zhou made after careful consideration. She put thought into every gift. The swords and knives have different personalities and experiences; their needs will differ.
"Mori, I've improved the array on this amulet. It not only protects you, but also protects swords within a 200-meter radius of you."
He dared not approach his brother, who was a short swordsman, and Han Zhou guessed that in the former Honmaru of the Mori clan, the Saniwa (master) would attack any Mori relative who brandished their short sword. Otherwise, Mori Toushirou wouldn't feel such a heavy sense of guilt.
Mori gripped the amulet tightly, momentarily speechless. Ran Toushirou began to speak with some difficulty.
"Don't you adults dislike me when I wear a skirt?"
Han Zhou looked at the clothes and hair accessories she had bought and asked casually.
"Don't you like it?"
"No... I really like these."
"That's good." Han Zhou looked at Ran Toushirou, who was lost in self-doubt. "Ran, it's your freedom and your right to choose what to wear. I won't interfere, and you don't need to care about what others think."
Just be yourself; there's no need to change for others.
Ran Toushirou froze, Han Zhou's figure reflected in those clear, azure eyes. He met those light golden eyes, his gaze filled with unwavering honesty. He rose and threw himself into Han Zhou's arms, embracing her waist.
The soft sobs reached their ears, and tears welled in Mori's eyes. He slowly walked to Han Zhou's side, his voice trembling with tears as he spoke.
"Thank you, my lord."
Han Zhou patted Mori's head, then looked at Ran Toushirou, who was crying in her arms. She gently patted his back.
Ichigo Hitofuri and Yagen exchanged a glance and laughed simultaneously. They weren't surprised by the scene.
Tsurumaru Kuninaga leaned against a pillar, watching the orange-haired short swordsman in the distance pestering Hanshu to fix his hair, and smiled silently. His golden eyes then turned to Hizamaru, who had somehow appeared beside him.
"Isn't this good, Hizamaru?"
Hmph. Hizamaru crossed his arms and ignored Tsurumaru Kuninaga. After confirming that the two short swords had indeed lowered their guard, he turned and left.
Higekiri was having tea with Mikazuki when he saw his younger brother had returned. He asked with a smile, "How did it go?"
"Just as you guessed, brother, they have lowered their guard against the head of the family and have also acknowledged him as their master." Hizamaru casually refilled the empty teacup with tea.
"Haha, it was bound to happen sooner or later, wasn't it? After all... she's the lord we serve," Mikazuki said leisurely, looking down at the tea stalks standing upright in his teacup.
——
Because the auction venue, hidden in the shadows, was destroyed, many people are secretly investigating the cause, trying to find the culprit.
No matter what methods they used, they couldn't detect even a trace of spiritual energy from the wreckage; all clues had been erased.
The owner of the light clothing store was astonished upon learning of the venue's collapse, given that the auction hall had existed for over a century. How could such a collapse have occurred? However, further details were beyond his control.
Because several new companions have joined the citadel, Kanshu hasn't been forging swords lately, instead focusing on leveling up the newly arrived tsukumogami. At this moment, Kanshu is braiding Ran Toushirou's hair. Tsurumaru Kuninaga is also squatting nearby, holding flowers he picked from who-knows-where.
Hanzhou wasn't good at braiding; she only knew the most basic plaits. Ran Toushirou's hair was long and smooth. After braiding it, she decorated it with fresh flowers picked by Tsurumaru Kuninaga.
Ran Toushirou looked at his beautiful braided hair in the mirror and thanked Hanshu with a smile.
"Thank you, my lord!"
"Wow—so cute! Kids are definitely the best!" Mori happily hugged Ran and rubbed his cheek against hers.
Watching from the side, Kashuu Kiyomitsu couldn't help but mutter, "Tankatana are so nice, I want to be loved too."
Mikazuki heard his words and let out a hearty laugh.
"Haha, you can just tell the lord directly; I don't think she'll refuse."
"Never mind, Lord Kashuu is already very busy with official duties. I don't want to disturb your rest." Kashuu Kiyomitsu was the first sword in this citadel, and he didn't want to cause trouble for Hanshu because of his own selfishness.
"Haha, as expected of the initial sword. So reliable." Mikazuki smiled as he sipped his tea, looking at the nail polish that Kashuu Kiyomitsu hadn't yet applied.
Sometimes, even if you don't say anything, observant people will notice and bring it up.
After helping Ran Toushirou, Hanshu sat back down next to Mikazuki to drink tea. Kiyomitsu was holding the teapot, preparing to pour tea, and it was this action that allowed Hanshu to see the man's chipped nail polish.
"Kiyomitsu, you haven't touched up your nail polish yet, do you need my help?"
"Huh?! Good!"
Before Kiyomitsu could even return to his room to get his tools, Kitsunenosuke's voice drifted from afar.
"Aruji—the government has sent a mission!!!"
Knowing the unreliability of the current affairs, the expressions of the tsukumogami turned cold. Kitsune-no-suke quickly ran to Hanshu's side and projected the current affairs documents onto the screen.
[We cordially invite Lord Hanzhou to attend tomorrow's S-rank Saniwa meeting. We have an important task for you, and rest assured we will pay 50,000 Koshu gold as a reward. You may bring one swordsman to accompany you. We eagerly await your arrival.]
S-Class Saniwa Meeting?
"Kitsunenosuke, how many S-rank Honmaru does the government have right now?" Tsurumaru Kuninaga leaned against a pillar and asked Kitsunenosuke.
"Including the lord, there are three in total. Here is the basic information for the other two." The bell in front of Kitsune-no-Suke rang, revealing the publicly available information to them.
S005 Honmaru, Saniwa codename: Miyugiri. Female, 27 years old. Served for 5 years, possesses strong spiritual power but is not particularly strong in combat.
S007 Honmaru, Saniwa codename: Qingye. Male, 3 years of service. His spiritual power is as outstanding as his physical strength.
Next to their information were their photos. Han Zhou looked at the gentle woman and the cold, aloof man. He decided to go and see for himself what was going on with these two humans.
"So—who does Lord Konnosuke plan to bring to this meeting?" Konnosuke asked, tilting his head.
"Let's gather everyone in the main hall first; we need to inform them about this."
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