Chapter 19

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After finishing lunch at a family restaurant near the local station, we headed to Yuji's house, located at the edge of a residential area, surrounded by a stone wall over 2 meters high and a white-painted fence, to obtain weapons. I often visit this place, but every time I think, the imposing double doors made of thick planks are quite intimidating. While I was lost in such thoughts, Yuji was trying to contact someone inside using the intercom attached to the gatepost to have the gate opened. Since this gate is quite heavy, it's quite a laborious task to open it manually, so it's designed to open electrically from inside. Therefore, it takes a little time for the gate to open.

"This gate is a real hassle just to get in, isn't it?"

And I still remember the first time Yuji told me this was his home and brought me here. With such a gate, my first impression was, "Is this some yakuza mansion?" At that time, I was seriously scared. My legs were shaking, and I was looking for an excuse and a way to escape, which now seems nostalgic. That's why I spoke to Mr. Hoshizaki, who was standing next to me, tense and swallowing hard, in as gentle a tone as possible, so that Yuji wouldn't hear.

"Mr. Hoshizaki... I know it's hard, but it's okay to be nervous? No one with a 'Y' in their job title will come out."

"R-Right. R-Right, you're right."

"Try to think of it as entering a historical building that has been turned into a tourist attraction, and it might be a bit easier."

Hmm, the tension isn't easing up. I guess just saying it isn't enough.

Actually, it took me a few visits to get used to this house. It's probably too much to expect on the first visit.

While we were waiting, the gate began to open with a heavy sound and a faint motor noise.

"What are you two doing? Hurry up and come in!"

"Ah, we're coming right away!"

Yuji, who had already entered, called out to me and Mr. Hoshizaki. After replying to Yuji, I gently pushed Mr. Hoshizaki's back, who was still too nervous to move. Pushed by me, Mr. Hoshizaki seemed to relax from his tension and took the first step, albeit unsteadily.

"Hey! Don't push me, Kujou-kun!"

"Sorry, sorry. But I didn't think you'd start moving without a push, Mr. Hoshizaki."

"N-No, that's not true!"

While exchanging whispers, Mr. Hoshizaki and I stepped into the grounds of Yuji's house. The path to the entrance was lined with stepping stones and pebbles, and pine trees and azaleas were planted along the way, creating a spacious area that served as a driveway with a well-maintained Japanese landscape.

"Is this really a private residence?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's definitely Yuji's house."

"..."

Stunned by the otherworldly nature of Yuji's home, Mr. Hoshizaki looked around with a dazed expression.

When I first came here, I reacted the same way Mr. Hoshizaki did... I reflected on the past, somewhat avoiding the reality.

After passing through the entrance approach, which stretched for over ten meters, we arrived at the main house, a single-story building. We opened the latticed sliding door and entered the entrance in the order of Yuji, me, and Mr. Hoshizaki. In the spacious entrance, we took off our shoes and, guided by Yuji, moved to his room, which was quite a distance away. We passed through a long corridor made of wooden planks, which stretched for dozens of meters, and then crossed a bridge to a separate building where Yuji's room was located.

Yuji's room, which we entered by opening the fusuma with shoji paper, was a Western-style room with a wooden floor, about 10 tatami mats in size, unlike the purely Japanese-style exterior of the house.

"Feel free to sit anywhere. I'll go get some drinks."

Yuji placed his bag on the table, invited us to sit on the sofa, and then left the room to get the drinks.

"Who is Hasegawa-kun, really?"

"If he's telling the truth, he's probably the successor to an ancient martial art that has been passed down for generations, right?"

"..."

I sat on the front side of the L-shaped sofa, and Mr. Hoshizaki, still standing by the entrance, asked in a dazed tone. After relaying the information I had gathered, Mr. Hoshizaki looked at me silently with a somewhat critical gaze. I understand how you feel, but I don't know anything more, really.

For a while, we exchanged glances in silence, but Mr. Hoshizaki broke it first. Heaving a deep sigh, he sat down next to me.

"..."

The silence was uncomfortable. I wanted to break this unpleasant atmosphere, but I didn't know how to start. Mr. Hoshizaki looked displeased or expressionless, as if refusing to talk to me.

We sat in silence for a while, and just when I couldn't bear the silence any longer, our wait was over.

"What's wrong with you two? You're both so quiet. I thought for a moment that you had left."

Yuji entered the room with a tray of drinks for all of us. The steam and fragrant aroma suggested it was probably hojicha. But it was good; this gave us a reason to start talking.

"No, it's nothing. Right, Mr. Hoshizaki?"

"Yes, there's nothing in particular."

Yuji tilted his head in confusion as Mr. Hoshizaki and I gave unenthusiastic replies. He placed the tea and snacks on the table in front of the sofa and sat down. Mr. Hoshizaki and I thanked Yuji and reached for the hojicha he had brought. The fragrant aroma of the roasted tea leaves was pleasant. After gently blowing on it a few times, I took a small sip.

"This tea is delicious."

"Yes, the roasting is excellent."

Mr. Hoshizaki and I praised the tea Yuji had brought. As Mr. Hoshizaki said, the roasting was particularly good. It was right at the edge of burning, and most of all, it was a calming taste. Indeed, Mr. Hoshizaki seemed to be more relaxed.

"Did the housekeeper make this tea?"

"Thank you for saying so. It's worth the effort to make it."

Huh? Worth the effort to make it? This tea was made by Yuji! That's a surprising fact!

Look, Mr. Hoshizaki is also surprised and frozen in place!

"Did you make this, Yuji?"

"Yeah, I roasted the tea leaves in a frying pan."

From his nonchalant response, it seems he really did. He has some unusual skills.

"Well, that's good. Grandpa is at the dojo, so after we finish our tea, I want to go talk to him about getting some weapons."

"That's why we came, so it's fine with me."

"It's fine with me too."

Mr. Hoshizaki and I agreed to Yuji's proposal while sipping the tea. It's best to get troublesome matters over with quickly!

We passed through a traditional Japanese garden and arrived at a magnificent storehouse and wooden dojo at the corner of the garden. The dojo, which could accommodate over a dozen people without getting in each other's way, exuded a historical presence.

I have been here a few times, but this is my first time entering.

"Grandpa, I'm back! Are you here!?"

Yuji called out from outside, and after a few seconds, the sliding door at the entrance of the dojo opened. Inside stood a sharp-eyed, white-haired old man in work clothes.

"Oh, it's you, Yuji. You're back already?"

"Yeah."

"...? Guests?"

The old man's gaze, who had been talking to Yuji, turned to Mr. Hoshizaki and me. I've met him a few times, but he still has a strong presence.

"It's been a while."

"Um, hello, it's nice to meet you."

I gave a light bow and greeted him, while Mr. Hoshizaki, nervous, bowed deeply from the waist.

"Oh, it's you, Kujou. It's been a while. And... Yuji, who's this young lady?"

"Ah, let me introduce you. Daisuke, you've met a few times, so you know him, right? This is Hoshizaki Yukino, a classmate and a companion who will be going into the dungeon with us. And Hoshizaki-san, this is my grandfather, Hasegawa Shigehide. He's the headmaster of our school and the reason I'm going into the dungeon."

"Calling me the reason is a bit harsh, but never mind. Nice to meet you, Hoshizaki. I'm the grandfather of this foolish grandson, Hasegawa Shigehide."

Shigehide gave a light bow while introducing himself. Yuji, who was treated as a foolish grandson, didn't seem particularly bothered by it.

"So, what brings you here? Bringing two guests to the dojo?"

"Ah, actually, I came to ask you for something."

"Ask me?"

"Can you give us some of the unused weapons in the storehouse?"

"..."

Upon hearing Yuji's request, Shigehide's already sharp gaze became even sharper. Yuji met his gaze head-on without flinching.

After a moment of silence, Shigehide spoke.

"It doesn't seem like you're saying this lightly. Tell me your reason."

"We can't buy weapons for the dungeon if we're under 18. It seems there's no problem with transferring them, so I want to take some of the weapons from the storehouse."

"..."

Again, the two of them stared at each other in silence. The silence lasted longer this time, but Shigehide's gaze suddenly softened.

"Alright, I'll let you. For the two of them as well?"

"Yeah. They can't buy weapons for the dungeon for the same reason."

"Alright. Wait here."

Shigehide said and went back into the dojo.

It seems the negotiation was successful, and we got Shigehide's permission. Yuji let out a small sigh of relief. Really, it's impressive that he could stand up to Shigehide's gaze and get his way. Good job, Yuji.

A few minutes later, Shigehide came out with a bunch of keys.

"Follow me."

Led by Shigehide, we moved to the storehouse next to the dojo.

The storehouse was an old, sturdy structure with a white plaster wall. The iron-clad entrance door had a heavy padlock that seemed impossible to break with cheap tools. Shigehide took a key from the bunch, ignored the front keyhole, and opened a decorative cover on the back of the padlock, inserted the key, and unlocked it.

Mr. Hoshizaki and I watched in amazement as Yuji explained.

"That's an old lock mechanism. The front keyhole is a dummy, so no matter how hard a thief tries to unlock it, it's useless. It's an old security device."

Mr. Hoshizaki and I were impressed by the simple yet effective mechanism. Anyone would think to use the keyhole on the front. People in the past were really clever.

The padlock was unlocked, and the thick iron door slowly opened outward.

"Come in."

Prompted by Shigehide, we entered the storehouse. It was dark at first, but the inside of the storehouse, illuminated by fluorescent lights, was spacious.

Shelves and wooden boxes were neatly arranged, and various items that could be called antiques were displayed. As Mr. Hoshizaki and I looked around the storehouse with interest, Shigehide called out from behind.

"What do you think?"

"Amazing. There's no other way to describe it."

"Me too."

Shigehide chuckled at our breathless comments.

Well, I can't blame him for chuckling. If you show this to ordinary people, they'll all react the same way...

"Alright. The weapons are on the second floor. Go up those stairs."

Shigehide pointed to a steep wooden ladder-like staircase in the corner of the storehouse. It's not as steep as it looks, right?

With Yuji leading the way, followed by me, Mr. Hoshizaki, and Shigehide, we climbed the stairs. The angle was steep, and I felt like I might slip and fall, but we made it to the second floor. There, we found numerous boxes and a wall covered with cloth. Yuji, who had climbed to the second floor first, skillfully removed the cloth from the wall.

And then...

"Wow..."

"Right..."

Before our eyes, a variety of weapons were displayed on the wall. Swords, spears, bows, matchlock guns, and even foreign weapons were on display. Mr. Hoshizaki and I were speechless, staring at the weapons reflecting the fluorescent light and emitting a dull glow.

It was like a showcase of weapons from all over the world and throughout history.

"What do you think? Of the collections I've been gathering bit by bit?"

Shigehide appeared from the stairs with a proud expression. It seems the extensive collection was his doing. Indeed, if this is a personal collection, it's impressive how he managed to gather so much.

"Our school has its roots in battlefield martial arts, so we must be able to handle any weapon our opponent might have. Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself ensures you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. As part of my research, I've tried to collect as many weapons as I could. So, which ones will you take?"

As Shigehide asked, the weapons seemed to emit an even stronger aura of intimidation.

Is this the scale of a samurai residence with a dojo?