Ch.246Final Exams and Pirates (2)

The grandmother with amazing social skills immediately guided us to the tea house.

‘Today-dang’

The café’s name was clearly written on the signboard. The absence of brands like StarX’s unlike in the city stimulated my hipster soul.

“Hoohoo! As usual, there are no customers. Please make yourselves comfortable.”

The grandmother promptly brought over the menu.

“Hmm… matcha and… what would you like to drink?”

I asked Kirtan.

“I’ll have the same. I’m not familiar with Earth.”

Kirtan replied.

“Alright, alright. Then two matchas and some red bean yokan, please.”

I ordered simply.

“Make yourselves comfortable. There’s no one else here.”

The grandmother said with a chuckle.

Indeed, there was no one else. Just me and Kirtan.

I immediately sat Kirtan on my lap and slipped my hand into her chest.

Squeeze! Squeeze!

She’s my personal attachment doll, and it would be a shame not to touch her.

“Really! You try to do perverted things at every opportunity. You lecher.”

Kirtan said with a giggle.

“Ah… it gives me a sense of mental stability.”

I replied.

An alien’s breasts are quite pleasantly firm too. Honestly, Kirtan is barely different from a human. The horns? Well, that’s within the realm of acceptability.

“Sh-should we do it now?”

Thanks to my enthusiastic chest fondling, Kirtan seemed to be burning with desire.

“And then we get arrested.”

I said.

“Hmm… for a brave man, you seem to fear the authorities.”

Kirtan seemed disappointed by this. I tried to reassure her by simultaneously kneading her chest and buttocks. That immediately softened her expression.

“No. Authority is meant to be feared.”

I said.

I’d heard about the planet where Kirtan was born. It was a lawless zone where rules didn’t apply. Basically Space Somalia. My way of thinking, born in a civilized society, was different… anyway, she was extraordinary.

Just then.

“Here are your orders, young couple.”

The grandmother said with a smile.

“We also run a guesthouse upstairs. If things get too heated, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go there.”

The grandmother immediately attempted some brilliant salesmanship.

“Aish… really…! How much per night?!”

I inevitably fell for her sales pitch.

“Hoohoo. Thank you, young man.”

The grandmother smiled as she accepted the money.

Well, we’d need a place to rest during our treasure hunt. Staying one night was a good idea.

Anyway, Kirtan and I leisurely sipped our tea while looking out the window.

“Shota. Feed me that yokan thing.”

Kirtan stretched her body and opened her mouth wide. When she’s with me, all that pirate dignity disappears… she’s just a spoiled girlfriend.

“Here. Aahn.”

Reluctantly, I picked up some yokan with a toothpick and fed it to Kirtan.

“Hoohoo. Delicious!”

Kirtan munched on the yokan. She was forgiven because she was cute.

Anyway, as we were spending time leisurely.

Whirrrrr-!! Thump thump-!

An incredible noise that shouldn’t be heard in the countryside came from next door.

“Oh my. That man. I told him to rest, but he’s working again.”

The grandmother made an expression of helpless resignation.

“…?”

Curious, I looked at the workshop next door.

‘Today Workshop’

There was a blacksmith’s shop with the same name as the tea house.

“Ooh… a blacksmith’s shop.”

Honestly, it’s every man’s fantasy. Just looking at hard, sharp weapons gives a satisfying feeling.

Plus, the artisanal feel of handcrafted items from a blacksmith’s shop rather than a metal factory was irresistible. Those who know, know. The emotion I felt watching that episode in the Jumong drama where they forged a steel sword…!!

“That’s my husband. He runs the blacksmith shop. I told him to rest since orders rarely come in these days… but he won’t listen.”

The grandmother said in a troubled tone.

“Well, it’s nice to be less lonely when young people like you come looking for Today Workshop.”

The grandmother said.

“The rumors about Today Workshop?”

This… I felt like I’d caught onto something important.

“Oh… wasn’t that why you came?”

The grandmother covered her mouth.

“Oh my! My mouth runs away with me! But when I was young, my husband used to compliment me on my mouth movements in bed…”

“What nonsense is this grandmother spouting?!”

I immediately objected. That’s way too much TMI!!

“Mouth movements… I see. Important.”

Kirtan seemed to be mentally taking notes. No, you don’t need to listen to that, Kirtan.

“Oh? Aren’t you sword enthusiasts? You’re carrying swords at your waist… and that young lady is dressed quite boldly. I thought you might be sword otaku! We get many of those!”

The grandmother said. Ah, the sword. I tend to carry it unconsciously when going far. It’s an occupational habit of being a swordsman. Plus, I sometimes get involved in unexpected trouble.

“Ah… no. But what are these rumors about?”

I asked the grandmother.

“Well… my husband doesn’t like me talking about this. What should I do?”

Despite saying this, the grandmother seemed eager to talk.

Indeed, this granny is quite talkative. Chatting is her life’s meaning.

“Sometimes it’s healthy to whisper in the bamboo forest that the king has donkey ears.”

I immediately encouraged the grandmother.

“R-right?”

The grandmother seemed intrigued.

“Shota… this is it, right? I smell treasure.”

Kirtan whispered to me.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

I nodded.

“Actually… the Today Workshop in this village… created a legendary demon blade in the past. It’s famous among the locals.”

The grandmother said.

“Hmm… I see.”

Just as I thought.

“Most of the so-called famous swords either became property of the central shogunate or were melted down to make Buddha statues. Japan is known as the country of swords, but ironically, swords are quite rare here.”

The grandmother enthusiastically displayed her expertise.

Ah… I knew that since I like Japanese history. After the Warring States period ended and the Edo shogunate was established, the central government confiscated swords to prevent another civil war and melted them down to make Buddha statues. They kept the ones too precious to melt. The famous swords that survive today are those.

“But the famous sword from this region wasn’t collected. The ancestors of the Today family risked their lives to hide it.”

The grandmother said.

“The shogunate officials searched desperately for the sword. The swords made by the Today family were incredibly powerful. The legend of a sword that gets sharper the more it cuts was quite famous. There were rumors that this sword, which had cut down over 100 people, even split a castle wall in two.”

The grandmother continued.

Quite an extravagant rumor.

“But splitting a castle wall in two? That’s a bit ridiculous, isn’t it?”

The grandmother cackled.

“………”

No, it seems possible to me. I’ve cut through steel plates, so there’s no reason it couldn’t cut a wall. With that thought, I realized once again that I had become quite powerful.

“Anyway!! The idea of an undiscovered famous sword excites people, right? That’s why sword collectors flock here!”

The grandmother said.

“I’m happy to have customers… but my husband hates it.”

The grandmother said.

“They say that sword is cursed. It has the power to enchant people. My husband doesn’t like that a sword made by his family is a demon blade.”

After saying this, the grandmother patted my shoulder.

“There’s something special about you, young man. My husband would like you too. Why don’t you have a good talk with him?”

The grandmother suggested.

Wait, how can she like me when we just met? As I wondered this, a status window appeared in the corner of my vision.

‘Past Life Hero’s Persuasiveness’

Ah… my smooth-talking skill had activated without me realizing. It seemed that’s why persuasion became easier and I mysteriously gained favor.

“Shota! Let’s go to the workshop and ask!”

Kirtan seemed excited about finding a clue to the treasure.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

I got up and headed to the workshop next door.

———-

“What is it? More outsiders?”

The old man clicked his tongue when he saw me.

“I suppose you’re enticed by talk of some cursed sword or whatever. Get lost. I have nothing to say.”

The old man said and resumed hammering.

“Look at how he talks to customers. This bastard…!”

Kirtan seemed immediately angered.

I promptly fondled Kirtan’s precious parts.

“Hyaaung?!”

That seemed to calm her anger.

At that moment, a status window flickered in my vision.

‘Past Life Hero’s Persuasion’

As that ability activated, visual novel-like choices appeared in my head.

I could tell which choice the old man would like best.

“What you want, sir… is for that demon blade to be destroyed, right? You don’t want the Today family name to be overshadowed by the demon blade’s notoriety.”

I found myself saying.

“……..”

The old man looked at me with a surprised expression.

“I’ve come to find and destroy that demon blade. I can do it.”

I stated firmly.

Actually, I had no basis for this. But it felt like this would persuade him quickly.

“Hmm… hard to believe… that sword.”

The old man looked at the sword at my waist, Tomato.

“A sword that vanquishes demons… Tomado. I heard it had disappeared, but to see it in person…”

The old man stared intently at my sword.

Ah… I had looted it after killing a monster… I didn’t expect it to be recognized.

“You’re exorcists… or something similar? Then you’ve come to the right place. You seem to have enough power to destroy a demon blade.”

The old man immediately became cooperative.

With that, my and Kirtan’s treasure hunt made some progress.