Chapter 89: Follow-Up

"Inazuma isn't very welcoming to foreigners these days. But as citizens of Inazuma, we don't reject visits from outsiders," Tejima, who had just fought alongside him, said.

Li Mo sat across from him.

The two were now seated in Tejima's home. The interior was modest, with no unnecessary decorations in sight.

"Uncle Tejima, how did you figure it out?" Li Mo asked.

After fighting side by side, the two had grown closer. Li Mo's "reputation" in Konda Village had also risen significantly.

Tejima replied, "The swordsmanship you used earlier didn't seem like Inazuma's style... Inazuma's swordsmanship can be traced back to the polearm techniques passed down by the Shogun herself. So I guessed you might be a foreigner.

Of course, it was just a guess. The world always has its share of geniuses."

"Uncle Tejima, you could even tell that?"

"Your swordsmanship was too obvious. Almost no samurai aims solely for the neck. Even though it's a weak point between armor plates, few would target it directly.

Secondly, your behavior and mannerisms are different from those of Inazuma's people, or at least the vast majority of them," Tejima commented.

Li Mo fell into a brief silence. For an ordinary samurai, there were many weak points to attack—besides the neck, the head, heart, and spleen could all be fatal.

But demons weren't like that.

Li Mo's swordsmanship was inherited from Tsugikuni Yoriichi, honed through killing demons. It was naturally different from Inazuma's swordsmanship.

"However, that last move of yours reminded me of a certain technique."

"Oh? What technique?"

"「Tengu Slash」!" Tejima said. "It's the ultimate technique of the 「Iwakura School」 in Inazuma City. It's said to be a secret sword capable of defeating tengu flying freely in the sky. Its core lies in speed—absolute speed is needed to suppress a tengu as swift as lightning."

Li Mo fell silent again.

An ordinary swordsman wouldn't realize that the core of 「Secret Sword: Swallow Return」 wasn't speed but the compression of space. Thinking about it, it was absurd—what kind of swallow would require techniques involving spatial compression?

Now there was another answer: perhaps the target wasn't a swallow but a tengu?

Shaking off his wild thoughts, Li Mo asked, "I can clearly say that what I used last wasn't the so-called 「Tengu Slash.」 It's called 「Swallow Return.」"

"Is that so? The last time I saw 「Tengu Slash,」 it was decades ago. When I saw you use that move, I truly thought I was witnessing that technique again," Tejima said.

Then, Tejima told Li Mo about the 「Iwakura School.」 This school had a long history and was closely tied to the Kamisato Clan, the head of the Tenryou Commission.

The swordsmanship passed down through generations of the Kamisato Clan was inseparable from the 「Iwakura School.」

"The Saemon boy is here to see you. Let's end here for now. This old man won't see you off," Tejima said. "Also, if you plan to enter Inazuma City, try not to reveal yourself as a foreigner."

"But my swordsmanship..."

"Most people won't notice," Tejima said. "This old man's only strength is his keen eye. In Inazuma, there are no more than a handful of people who could recognize the uniqueness of your swordsmanship. And even if someone asks, you can always say it's a style you created yourself."

Li Mo asked, "Would that work?"

"This world is never short of geniuses. After so many years of development, Inazuma's swordsmanship has diverged significantly from the polearm techniques taught by the Shogun. If not for your answer, I wouldn't have been so sure. Next time, just disguise yourself better."

"Thank you."

Li Mo left Tejima's house.

This Uncle Tejima truly had a sharp eye, immediately discerning the differences between his swordsmanship and Inazuma's. Then again, he was a master swordsman with a Vision.

Thinking back on Tejima's words, half of the exposure was his own fault. His guard had indeed dropped somewhat.

—It's true, the atmosphere in Konda Village is really welcoming.

Soon, he ran into Saemon Ichiro.

"The Tenryou Commission officials have left, Li."

"Didn't they come to question me?"

After the battle, the Tenryou Commission had arrived. They took care of the aftermath. Even if there was some conspiracy behind the Abyss Mage, it was up to the official organization to handle it. As for him, a foreigner, it was better to lay low.

"Yasuda-san from the village retired from the Tenryou Commission. He can handle things. Besides, the Tenryou Commission knows about Uncle Tejima. He's a legendary figure with a Vision," Saemon Ichiro said, his eyes shining when he mentioned the Vision.

"A Vision?" Li Mo murmured.

When playing the game, he hadn't paid much attention. After all, every character he controlled had a Vision, and many people he encountered also possessed one. But in reality, Visions were extremely rare.

A samurai with a Vision could easily join the Commission and become a high-ranking official.

"Ichiro, are you planning to join the Tenryou Commission?"

After the topic shifted to the Tenryou Commission, Saemon Ichiro mentioned that he might join.

This struck Li Mo as strange.

—You, a former Kairagi, joining the Tenryou Commission? Isn't that a bit odd?

Li Mo couldn't understand.

Saemon Ichiro explained, "Sir, it's actually not hard to join the Tenryou Commission. As long as you're not a wanted samurai, even a ronin can get in through connections.

I've never been on the wanted list."

Li Mo nodded and asked, "Then why do you want to join the Tenryou Commission?"

He didn't ask about Saemon's connections. Yasuda-san, whom they had met after the battle, had retired from the Tenryou Commission. The Imatani family's child was also in the Tenryou Commission. The entire village helped each other, so connections weren't an issue.

What he wanted to know was why Saemon Ichiro wanted to join the Tenryou Commission. Since meeting him, Li Mo had sensed that Saemon wanted to settle down and focus on farming.

"Sir, I've realized I can't sit still at home. After seeing you and Uncle Tejima fight, I felt that life without a sword is unbearable. Every day feels like a year."

"What about the Kairagi techniques? Will they be a problem?"

"The Iwakura techniques are also known within the Tenryou Commission, though they're rarely used. Even Uncle Tejima knows them, so there's no need to worry."

"Then congratulations, Ichiro."

"Sir, where are you planning to go next? If you're heading to Inazuma City, you can come with me. But before that, you'll need to learn how to disguise yourself."

Li Mo looked up at the sky. After the battle, the dark clouds had gradually dispersed, and the weather had cleared.

Li Mo turned to Saemon Ichiro and said, "I want to visit the shrine at the village entrance. I'll go alone."