Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 109 Marrying Abroad
Mitsurugi was very concerned about Akemi's unusual behavior.

The 'shell' with the name Chizuru clearly possesses some special ability: it can weave exceptionally gorgeous fabrics in a short time and cut clothes so seamlessly that there is not a trace of sewing.

Besides that? What else is there? And where did this ability come from?

Various problems plagued him, but they were dispelled by a swing of his sword in the next second.

Overthinking only creates unnecessary troubles.

Besides, this experience is quite interesting. Yu Jian has ridden up and down that steam-powered elevator four times.

He doesn't mind being seen as ignorant at all; after all, just because others think you're ignorant doesn't mean you actually are. Being overly concerned with others' opinions or comments only makes you live a life of compromise, having to bear all the blame.

Why bother?
A miraculous second youth shouldn't be lived like a pair of jeans!
Besides, there was a pretty older sister next to her doing this 'childish' thing. Akemi, who bore the name Chizuru, was also interested in all sorts of things. She was like a bird that had finally escaped its cage, each feather shimmering with a fleeting glimmer of freedom, so she kept her eyes wide open, unwilling to miss any scene.

"The latest steam fan has a strong airflow, so that even in the hottest summer, it can make people feel the vibrant vitality of spring!"

The waiter used exaggerated gestures to demonstrate a steam fan that needed to be cranked by hand to start.

Unlike its smaller, lighter counterparts in modern society, this household "little appliance" for cooling is quite large. A machine the size of a double-door refrigerator is connected to the back of the paddles, with a vertical chimney reaching two or three meters.

The operating speed is adjustable in three levels, using a gearbox for regulation. On the surface, it seems like you can just press a button to use it. However, in reality, you need to pre-fill water and coal into the different feed inlets, preheat the boiler, and have a skilled technician constantly monitor the dials to prevent any loud noises, like explosions.

And this advertising slogan...

Yu Jian was speechless. Although he knew Bai Juyi was the most popular poet here, was it really okay to use "Wildfire cannot burn it all, the spring breeze brings it back to life" in a fan advertisement?

Won't customers suspect I'm cursing their house to catch fire? These days, most houses are wooden structures; a single fire can burn down a whole area...

My吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to roast or criticize) spirit was running at full power when I suddenly heard a very cheerful sound from the side, like children seeing a new toy.

"Mitsurugi-kun, this looks really interesting." Akemi circled the steam fan twice, then couldn't help but turn to look at Mitsurugi.

"Is this the first time Miss Chizuru has seen something like this?" Mitsurugi asked curiously.

"Mmm, my family is very averse to all kinds of Western machinery, so we don't usually see them, but they're really interesting." The girl's eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Even if you think that way about me, I still can't afford something like this." Yu Jian shrugged, looking helpless.

"Eh—~" It was unclear whether it was Akemi or Chizuru who made the drawn-out sound.

Yujian frowned inwardly. He noticed that the difference between Akemi's two identities was gradually narrowing. The gentle shyness of Chizuru was gradually being covered by Akemi's magnanimity and cheerfulness, but in some small actions, she still revealed the dignity and virtue retained by traditional women of this era.

The two qualities, when combined, do not clash but rather blend together to reveal a unique charm.

To be honest, Yu Jian was a little stunned for a moment, marveling at how this woman, who had climbed step by step to the top of the idol world, truly possessed an idol-like power that should not be underestimated.

That said, if fate in this world is truly a drama, then following the typical path of a vulgar drama, when Mitsurugi frankly admits he has no money, a brainless rich young master should jump out and slap him in the face, and then the young swordsman should use the criticism of his weapon to slap the other's ASS in return.

But in fact, the entire 'Echigoya' became even quieter, as if everyone else had suddenly lost interest in shopping. Apart from the sales clerks and maids serving them, there was no one else on this floor.

Of course, Mikami noticed this; he could also sense several undisguised presences appearing around the 'Echigoya'. The other party had taken advantageous positions, firmly surrounding the entire building.

However, from another perspective, it could also be argued that the other side has occupied all possible routes to attack the building, thus deploying the most comprehensive security measures.

It must be Chizuru's family who have come looking for her...

Yu Jian made this judgment in his mind. To his surprise, the other party did not appear directly even after they had finished shopping on the lower three floors of the mall, but instead allowed them to move around freely.

After putting down her old clothes and other odds and ends, Chizuru looked at Mitsurugi with eyes that seemed to sparkle like little stars. The two had talked about snacks and delicacies from various parts of Edo during their afternoon chat. So, as soon as dinner time arrived, she became especially looking forward to it.

Mitsurugi suddenly thought of the ronin samurai Mei Seijū's humble wish: to eat a bowl of Yaozen-style ochazuke (rice with tea).

Judging from the description, he wasn't very interested in that thing, but it was just something he did casually, so he could try it out when he had some free time later.

3000 coins is a large sum for a down-on-his-luck ronin, but it is easily obtained by a young swordsman.

So you still have to rely on yourself...

However, you could ask your companions for their opinions.

"What would Chizuru like to eat?" Miken asked casually, unconsciously no longer using honorifics.

"Emmm, this is so hard to choose." The latter tapped his chin, looking conflicted.

"Nigiri sushi, soba noodles, tempura, yakitori, oden, and yakitori!" The girl began to recite the traditional dishes on her fingers.

"...I don't think I asked what the Edo snack recipes were?" Miken looked at her helplessly. She was several years older than him, but she was acting like a child.

"Pfft!" Akemi was amused. With her last bit of composure, she remembered to raise her sleeve to cover her smiling face, which could be considered as not being impolite, I suppose.

"Oh, and saury too." She suddenly emphasized, as if remembering something.

"Is it grilled saury or saury balls?" Yu Jian immediately understood and jokingly asked in a very cooperative manner.

"Of course, it's grilled saury!"

"Understood, I'll go and rob one from the homes of innocent people in Meguro Ward."

"Hey! Don't do anything bad!"

This is a rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) segment that circulated during the Edo period. The story is about the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu (some say he was the lord of the Matsudaira Domain). One day, while strolling around outside, he became very hungry in the Meguro Ward. So he asked his men to get him some food. His men brought him some saury that the locals had just grilled. The shogun immediately said that it was very delicious after taking a bite.

Upon returning home, he wanted to eat it again, but the family cook, fearing the distinguished guest might choke on a fish bone, deboned the saury and made it into fish balls before serving it. The general was greatly disappointed after eating it and asked where the saury was from. The cook said it was bought from Nihonbashi. Upon hearing this, the general immediately exclaimed, "Meguro saury is the best!"

It's a sarcastic remark about how the wealthy and powerful eat so well that they've forgotten the original purpose of food: to fill their stomachs. It's similar in meaning to the story of "Empress Dowager Cixi and the cornbread," and also carries the implication that "when hungry, even bran tastes sweet as honey; when full, even honey doesn't taste sweet."

The reason why Yujian knew this old joke was through a detective anime that claimed to be a mystery. It can only be said that as expected of a mystery work, it contains all kinds of knowledge.

As for the ultimate question of what to have for dinner tonight.

The answer is I want them all.JPG
"King Yujian, you are truly a blessed person." Chizuru teased, picking up a piece of oden and stuffing it into someone's mouth.

"It's just that it can eat a lot." The sword being fed made an indistinct sound.

At this moment, he had transformed into a ruthless food-eating machine, holding different foods in both his left and right hands, and even Milo, who was squatting next to him, had a box of takoyaki on his head.

Of course, the dogs got a share too; the fragrant grilled saury was enough to bribe Inugami-senpai to act as a temporary dog ​​cart.

Chizuru ate her food in small bites, showing that she had a strict upbringing and adhered to the simple principle of not wasting food.

At first, although she wanted to try all kinds of local snacks, she didn't plan to buy them all. It wasn't until she realized that Yu Jian was a glutton hidden under his handsome appearance that she decided to buy one of each.

That look of not wanting to miss out on anything new seemed to say, "There won't be another chance later..."

For Yujian, after absorbing the dragon-slaying imagery through his immortal technique, although he hadn't yet acquired the dragon's breath, he already possessed the voracious appetite of a dragon. His digestive abilities and strength increased in tandem, making this amount of food a mere trifle. At this moment, the two were standing by the river, leisurely watching the small boats pass under the arched Japanese bridge.

In earlier years, this was the junction of several streets, making it a bustling place most of the day.

Moreover, standing in the middle of the bridge, one can directly see the snow-capped Mount Fuji in the distance, which is why this bridge often appears in various ukiyo-e prints.

Looking at the green torii gate that shouldn't exist in this era, Mitsurugi felt the difference between the world of the living and the real history even more deeply.

"Today feels like a dream," Chizuru suddenly exclaimed.

"Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, and the Emperor Wang's heart was entrusted to the cuckoo." The woman recited two lines of poetry softly, then looked again at the boy who was focused on chewing, paused for a moment, and sighed helplessly.

"King Yujian, you should really study more Chinese classics."

"Ah, about this..."

Mitsurugi was about to say that he had at least a 'little' bit of knowledge, but then Akemi, who bore the name Chizuru, said:

"For some reason, I suddenly feel that the slightly flawed Yujian-kun seems more real."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because Mitsurugi-kun was originally like the protagonist who ran out of Otogishibai, upright, strong and kind-hearted, like a distant light, untouchable."

"Otogi Shibayo" is a combination of bedtime stories, leisure stories, and entertainment reading materials of this era. It can also be understood as a popular collection of literature, similar to swordsman and martial arts stories.

It contains all sorts of stories, often featuring scenes of "ghosts and gods speaking" and "defeating monsters".

The protagonist could easily be identified as a Prince Charming.

"And now?" Yu Jian asked with a smile.

He knew, of course, that he was just a mortal with all sorts of flaws, at least for now.

"Now that I see him, he's just a boy a few years younger than me." After saying that, Chizuru let out a series of clear laughs, attracting a crowd of onlookers.

As for Yu Jian, who had become the focus of attention early on, he ignored it and paid more attention to a few 'familiar' figures that never left the edge of the crowd.

To say I'm familiar with them isn't really accurate; at most, I've only followed them from the beginning of 'Echigoya' until now.

Mitsurugi didn't make a fuss about it and continued talking to Chizuru as if nothing was wrong.

"How old is Lord Yujian this year?"

"sixteen."

"Hey~"

"What's wrong? Sixteen is an age when you can do anything."

"And what about at twenty-two?" Chizuru's voice suddenly became low.

"After the New Year, I will be twenty-two years old. Other daughters of the Wu family at this age are already married, and it is not unusual for them to have two or three children."

"I'm already being secretly called an 'old maid' (old spinster)."

“If Chizuru wanted to get married, her suitors would probably line up from Nihonbashi to outside the castle gates,” Mitsurugi said very sincerely.

"It's not that exaggerated." Chizuru waved her hands repeatedly, but her face turned bright red.

"In short, my father finally decided to marry me off this year."

"Married far away to another place, becoming someone else's wife." Thinking of this, Chizuru couldn't help but sigh.

"Who?" Yu Jian asked calmly.

Considering the timing, he suspects it was an important political marriage related to the historical event of 'the union of the public and the military'.

As for why he could remain so calm, it's because there's no need to worry about things that are impossible.

Why is it impossible? Of course, it's because I won't allow it...

“Arthur Claudius, the Supreme Commander of the Black Ships.”

"Huh?" The unexpected name made Yu Jian look surprised.

The dog god, who had been eavesdropping nearby, also gaped, letting the fishbone fall to the ground.

Director, did you get the wrong script?! X2
The two suddenly fell silent.

"Chizuru, are you planning to accept this arrangement?"

"There's no other way. As a daughter of the Wu family, since I've accepted the support of my subjects and the people, I have to shoulder my responsibilities when necessary." Chizuru revealed a beautiful yet fragile smile, as delicate as crystal.

"Otherwise, it would be too irresponsible."

"Don't worry, Mr. Arthur said he would build a completely Eastern-style palace in the West, and he would also entrust me with the management of the silk manufacturing factory that will be built later. At that time, the two sides will establish a very close cooperation and make each other more prosperous."

"As long as the shogunate has enough money and supplies, the situation should stabilize." Chizuru's words were filled with the beautiful fantasies woven by others.

"..." Yu Jian did not immediately point out the errors, but sighed that as expected of a middle-level world with an unusual history, it was indeed able to come up with an unexpected development that made people's eyes go black.

In addition, he was also somewhat curious.

Why would you put a young girl in charge of something like this?

It is important to know that silk had an extremely high price in that era, and if it were shipped to the West, it could yield several times or even dozens of times the profit.

The secret involved may be the key to the whole story.

"Sir and Madam, would you like your picture taken?"

Suddenly, a very strange-sounding tone rang out from behind me.

Turning my head, I saw a blond, red-eyed foreigner.

He was carrying a square wooden box, which turned out to be a very old-fashioned darkroom camera.

"Free, no money required, free fanservice!"

Two-in-one chapter
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(End of this chapter)