Female Swordsman Training Dojo

"It's possible, but most of the readers of these two companies are women, right? There's no point in promoting them, is there?"

To Naoko's puzzled question, the cat said sarcastically, "You'll have to ask this samurai. He's already taken on a female apprentice who's a textile worker."

The kitten didn't mention herself. Although Tachibana Nako didn't stay away from Eta like most people would, she also didn't approach him indifferently like Harunobu did. So she decided not to cause Harunobu any trouble, since he was her employer.

"Huh? Is it a girls' dojo? Like a girls' academy?" Tachibana Nako's mouth dropped open. "Amazing!"

"You can just say it next time." Harunobu put the ten yen he had just brought back into the kitten's hand. "This is a thank-you fee for the introduction."

"My referral fee isn't that cheap," the kitten said, but she quickly put the money away.

"Besides, Mrs. Tachibana, you're right, I do plan to open a women's dojo." Harunobu shrugged and said helplessly, "Although it's mainly because my dojo can't accept any other disciples."

"Heh." The kitten sneered from the side. This perverted warrior was a complete idiot. He couldn't find any other disciples. When he was doing bounty missions, more than one person wanted to become his disciple. It's just that this guy remembered that there was a female disciple in the dojo that he had his eye on, so he was unwilling to take on men.

Harunobu pretended not to hear and continued, "So we have no choice but to turn our attention to women that other dojos are unwilling to accept. But I promise I will teach you real skills... You saw what Mrs. Tachibana saw earlier, right? If you want, I can teach you too."

As he spoke, Harunobu suddenly paused, realizing the problem. So much had happened after the fight with the kappa that he had forgotten to turn the aptitude detection function back on after turning it off before the battle.

With a slight thought, Harunobu looked at the top of the kitten's head, where the SR's golden light was flashing. Then he looked at Tachibana Nako and her daughter.

Hmm, it really is an SR—ah?!

Chapter Twenty-One: Are you jealous?

"Oh dear, what a pity, another failure."

As the night deepened and the streets gradually became deserted, a sweet, defiant female voice rang out. Looking in the direction of the voice, the first thing one saw was the back of a tall samurai, and a girl walking backwards, facing him directly.

Her hands were behind her back, her body leaned slightly forward, and a fox mask was worn on the side of her head, revealing a face that was covered in dust but still incredibly beautiful. Even with an infuriatingly sarcastic expression on her face, she was still captivating.

"So you're saying that you see a woman and immediately assume she's very talented and perfect for learning swordsmanship? I was right to disagree with your invitation."

Looking at the kitten that had suddenly turned into a female demon, Harunobu rubbed his forehead. He had previously discovered that Tachibana Nako and Tachibana Yuzu, a mother and daughter, were both SR-level, so he naturally immediately applied to take them on as apprentices. But equally naturally, both Tachibana Nako, who was a married woman, and Tachibana Yuzu, who was only six years old, chose to refuse.

They lacked time, money, and most importantly, the will.

After parting ways with the mother and daughter and preparing to go their separate ways, the kitten started acting strangely, which was really a headache... Harunobu suddenly thought of a possibility: "Are you jealous?"

"Yes, yes, I'm jealous. It'll cost fifty yen to cure me." The kitten looked at Harunobu with a pitiful expression, which was quite charming. Harunobu chose to look away to avoid actually losing his mind and reaching for his wallet.

"It really is the biggest illusion of my life..." Qingxin thought to herself, feeling a little discouraged, but she couldn't admit defeat: "That's enough, this position is not suitable for you. If you lean forward any further, I won't be able to see things that don't exist."

The kitten grinned angrily, revealing its sharp fangs: "I know you like that kind of flabby flesh, but to lay a hand on a married woman is beyond perverted, you kind samurai."

"Yes, yes, money-grubbing cat, by the way, you haven't received your payment yet, have you? Is it really okay to be so arrogant towards me?"

"Gulp...you rascal, you really did reveal your true nature after all—"

Amidst their lively bickering, the two boarded the last tram back to Aozorakan Street. After getting off the tram, Harunobu looked at the completely dark street and casually said, "It's so late, why don't you sleep in the building tonight?"

"No, I won't disturb your sweet nightlife with your female disciple." The kitten stretched. "Besides, my underlings are waiting for me to go back. I'll come back for my payment tomorrow."

"See you at the usual place tomorrow."

"Make sure you have your money ready!"

As the kitten spoke, it started walking and walked all the way to the corner before turning back to wave at Qingxin and disappearing into the night.

Harunobu then dragged the kappa's corpse to the Aozorakan to hand over his duties. Tanaka Yu wasn't there tonight, but there were other night patrolmen on duty who registered him and confirmed that the Aozorakan had met one of its targets for the year.

"Thank you so much for your contributions to the country, Lord Hiraharu Nobu!"

"It's just work." Harunobu waved his hand and left the patrol post with a respectful ninety-degree bow. Just as mentioned before, there are no bounties for monsters within the quota, although the bounty for ordinary monsters is only one hundred yen.

Stepping out of the koban, the night breeze was slightly cool, fluttering the hem of Harunobu's haori. He slowly walked towards the Aozorakan, recalling what Hayashi Uemon had said before about the extraordinary power of a proper samurai.

But no matter how he tried, he couldn't feel the special feeling that Hayashi Emon had described, so he eventually gave up and refocused his attention on what was truly important.

"How should we run the ads tomorrow? And what about the tuition fees..."

Contemplating the weighty economic issues, Harunobu returned to the Aozora House. Seeing the lights still on in the living area, he felt a slight warmth in his heart and walked over quickly, but then softened his footsteps as he opened the door.

Even so, Hirako, who was lying on the dining table, woke up and looked at the door with sleepy eyes: "Oh, Shifan, welcome back... Ah, wait a moment, I'll go reheat the food."

Halfway through her sentence, Hirako, who had finally come to her senses, immediately stood up. The violent movement caused even the advanced Western inventions that were used to hold her breasts in place, and they bounced violently.

"No need, just eat like this." Harunobu walked to the seat next to Hirako and sat down, picking up his chopsticks. "Don't stay up so late next time, your health is the most important thing."

"Mmm." Hirako smiled, not insisting on reheating the food, mainly because it was indeed late, and Harunobu was definitely hungry. Making Harunobu sit and wait for the food to be reheated would be torture.

So she simply served Harunosu a bowl of rice and then sat down.

Harunobu was indeed hungry and shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice, but then, sensing a gaze, he turned his head to look at Hirako, and then saw an enticing scene.

She leaned forward, pressing her heavy burden onto the dining table. Her right hand supported her cheek, which was even more rosy after her bath, while her left hand protected her breasts, which were slightly exposed due to gravity. Her fingers rested on her fair right elbow, sliding unconsciously. Her eyes were fixed on Harunobu, and they met Harunobu's gaze as he turned around.

Seeing that Yukiko Taira shrank back like a startled rabbit, Harunobu swallowed the food in his mouth before smiling and asking, "Yukiko, is something the matter?"

"Hmm..." Hirako pursed her lips, asking somewhat hesitantly, "I'm just a little curious, what did you do at the teacher's college today? Why are you so late coming back..."

The more she spoke, the softer her voice became. After all, as a teacher, Qingxin had no obligation to explain to his students what he had done or where he had gone. But, after all, everyone knows what someone is thinking.

Harunobu didn't think there was anything to hide: "I went to the Sumida River, killed a kappa, and then something else happened. I was planning to tell you after dinner."

Harunobu's final prank did not have the effect he expected. Instead of panicking, Hirako laughed and said, "Let's talk about it after we finish eating."

Qingxin shoveled down a couple more mouthfuls of rice before realizing that he had already finished speaking, so what was there to wait for—to finish eating!

I've been so relaxed since I got back that my brain is practically falling asleep.

“Never mind, killing monsters isn’t important anyway…” Harunobu countered, and sure enough, he saw that Hirako’s cheeks puffed up slightly. It was not very noticeable, but after observing carefully, Harunobu naturally noticed it.

"Hmm, I think I'll start from the beginning."

So, while eating, Harunobu recounted his great achievements that evening, and finally steered the conversation toward the Women's Dojo: "So, in the end, we plan to ask Mrs. Tachibana to help us contact those two magazines to place an advertisement, so we can get ready. The new disciple will be coming to the training school soon."

However, Hirako's answer surprised Harunobu: "I've heard you mention that girl named Kitten a lot lately."

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Temporarily Suspended Cooperation

In the flickering candlelight, a tall woman, a few years older than you, leans forward, the stool rattling monotonously as she drags it along with her hurried movements, her magnificent curves swaying with her movements. But at this moment, your gaze, contrary to the norm, breaks free from the constraints of Newton's second law, and instead lingers on her wide-open eyes, staring directly at you, and her pearly teeth, slightly biting her lower lip.

She must be genuinely jealous.

Although she herself doesn't seem to be aware of this.

Or even if it's the biggest illusion of life, it doesn't matter.

Haruno put down his empty bowl and chopsticks. In the strangely quiet room, the sound of the bowl and chopsticks colliding with the table was so jarring that it made his faint breathing sound louder.

Feeling inexplicably pleased, Haruno suppressed the urge to continue teasing him and explained seriously, "The kitten is an information broker. Although she is quite cute, she is not my type. She is too young and looks similar to Xiaozhi."

Xiao Zhizi is also the daughter of the neighbor next to Qingkong Pavilion. She is only eleven years old. Of course, Xiao Mao is older and taller than her, but in other aspects they are really about the same size.

Hirako breathed a sigh of relief, but wasn't entirely at ease. After all, most people in this world prefer younger men... right? Anyway, as she got older, those annoying men from before decreased significantly.

Harunobu observed Hirako's expression, and at that moment, as if divinely inspired, he successfully guessed Hirako's thoughts. He immediately launched his attack: "Besides, I still prefer the type with a more mature figure. Although the little one is cute, she's more like a younger sister or daughter."

Hirako blushed slightly and subconsciously straightened up, covering her ample breasts: "Ah, I see..."

The atmosphere became ambiguous. Harunobu, who had just eaten half a full meal, was getting restless. He shifted his position on the stool, but strangely enough, as a samurai who could easily slay monsters, he couldn't control his strength, causing the stool to shift and make a jarring sound.

Hirako's face turned crimson, and she suddenly stood up: "Um, I'll go get you some rice."

Having missed his chance, Qingxin lowered his head, pondering whether to sell the worthless stool or chop it up for firewood tomorrow. However, after thinking about it, considering that this thing had served him for almost ten years, he decided to spare its life for now.

Ultimately, the most crucial point is that Hirako has always resisted taking the relationship further... What exactly is going on?

Should we ask the kitten to investigate? Seriously, does she take on this kind of work?

Lost in thought, Hirako returned, her face still damp with water droplets, clearly having calmed down. However, when she looked at Harunobu, her gaze was still somewhat evasive.

"Go to sleep first, you have to go to work tomorrow." Harunobu set up a tamagoyaki. "But what I said about the women's dojo is no joke. I'm going to talk to them about the advertising details tomorrow."

"Hmm... I won't refuse then." Hirako glanced at the wall clock, and after confirming that it was indeed too late, she could only reluctantly get up. "Well then, I'm going to sleep now."

"Good night, sweet dreams."

Harunobu nodded, watched Hirako go upstairs, then quickened his pace of eating. After tidying up the table and dishes, he yawned and went into the bathroom.

The next day, Qingxin, who slept until after nine o'clock as usual, rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. He struggled to wash up and habitually opened the system panel to check his status.

In the previous ten days or so, Hirako had mastered the first form of Thunder Breathing: Thunderclap Flash, the second form: Rice Spirit, and even the third form: Gathering Mosquitoes into Thunder. Although she could not reach Harunobu's level due to her breathing technique and physical condition, she could easily deal with a dozen strong men. At the same time, she also brought Harunobu a lot of study points.

So Qingxin now has a total of 1005 Diligence Points, enough for another draw, but rather than spending all her points, Qingxin thinks she should focus on completing the system's main quest first.

The training ground was naturally completed long ago, and those prodigies had disappeared. It was thanks to this that Hirako was able to quickly master Thunder Breathing, even with only so much time to train each day.

[Martial Arts Arena - Level 1: Increases the disciple's swordsmanship learning efficiency by 10%]

So, now that you've finally collected 1,000 points, which one should you buy first? The [Main Dojo], the [Scripture Pavilion], or the [Meditation Room]? All three are necessary facilities for completing the mission, and each has its own unique effects.

The main practice hall can enhance the disciples' learning state, the scripture pavilion allows disciples to study independently, and the meditation room allows disciples to quickly restore their physical strength through meditation...

Or perhaps we should first target facilities like massage parlors and bathhouses?

It was such a difficult choice. Harunobu couldn't make a decision even after he had brushed his teeth, washed his face, gotten dressed, and prepared his knife to go out.

"Never mind, I'll think about it more carefully when I have time later."

Qingxin closed the system interface, locked the gate, and set off.

First, of course, I'll go to the Wind and Word House and give yesterday's reward to the kitten... Harunobu lowered his gaze and looked at the kitten who was leaning against the outer wall of the Blue Sky Pavilion, yawning.

"Wow, you're up early."

"Good morning, Samurai-sama. You're quite extraordinary indeed. You must have had a great time last night." His sarcastic tone was unmistakably his own.

Qingxin ruffled the girl's messy hair: "Why did you come here? Aren't you doing business today?"

"The reward here is more important; there are underlings watching over there anyway." The little cat stretched out her hand to Qingxin and raised it. Qingxin took out her wallet and started counting the money.

"It's always just right. Can't you be a little more generous?" The kitten, who had already repainted its face grayish-brown, complained as it tucked the fifty yen into its pocket, then pulled out a stack of papers.

"Here, the information on those two magazines and the mother and daughter from yesterday are just bonuses. They're just ordinary people's information, and not very comprehensive, so don't get your hopes up too high—yawn~"

Harunobu accepted the information without ceremony, then looked at the kitten, but couldn't see anything under the thick dust: "You didn't sleep last night, did you?"

The kitten put its hands on its hips and said, "What are you talking about? I just got up too early, and someone was late."

"Yes, yes, shall we go together?"

"Is there any reward?" the kitten asked first, then shook its head. "No, we're partners after all, so I won't rip you off. You can't do any proper business with Eita around. Remember to take care of your old friend next time you have a big deal, Samurai-sama."

"I understand, Cat House's female leader."

The two waved to each other and parted ways at the door. However, just as Qingxin's figure disappeared down the slope, the kitten popped out again.

A white fox mask hung on her head as she looked to one side, while the kitten's eyes were fixed on the direction Harunobu had left.

"Eta and samurai really don't mesh... Tsk, work, work~"

Humming a little tune, the kitten left, and Harunobu boarded the train. As it headed towards his destination, he pulled out the intelligence he had just acquired, which seemed to carry a pleasant fragrance...

Qingxin's expression turned strange. Had she suffered too much of a shock last night? That brat was covered in ash, where did that fragrance come from?

……

Next time, I'll bring her some new clothes and toiletries.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Advertisement for the Women's Dojo

Harunobu got out of the car in front of a coffee shop and looked at the two-story building with some curiosity. The combination of the Western-style pointed roof and the Japanese wooden style made it look a bit strange, and the few customers were even more unusual.

At that time, the Japanese had a great enthusiasm for all Western culture. Coffee shops were far more attractive than izakayas, and this coffee shop was in a good location. Although it was not one of the most bustling streets in Nihonbashi, there was still a fair amount of foot traffic. So why were there so few customers? It must be because this place belonged to the territory of the "abnormal".

After all, according to the information provided by the kitten, whether it was the earlier-established "Kuoqing" or "Qingtu" which was only established last September, their advocacy was not welcomed by mainstream society, and they were even despised and ridiculed.

In particular, the magazine "Kuoqing" is dedicated to abolishing Japan's public prostitution system, which has existed since the Heian period and has been a highly profitable industry for thousands of years. It is impossible to abolish it by talking.

"The Green Pole" is relatively milder, advocating for women's independence and autonomy—not the fairy-like kind—but demanding that women also have the right to education and the right to work.

In short, because of their rebellious stance, they are not popular with the public, and their business scope is not very wide. However, their magazines sell fairly well, although a considerable portion of the buyers are men who want to criticize them, and they have a bad reputation.

But this is enough.

If they have too good a reputation, Harunobu will have to worry about advertising costs.

As I entered the café, the sound of wind chimes drew the attention of the few customers scattered around. Upon noticing the knife at Qingxin's waist, their expressions turned tense.

It's not surprising, after all, samurai have always been associated with violence and feudal traditions, so it seems like they're just looking for trouble to come to a group that's pursuing reform and liberation.