"Father!"
Koshiro's words made the veins on Kuina's forehead throb. "How can you tell him everything?"
"Oh?"
Koshiro smiled. "You suddenly get shy in front of your idol? Yet you're still clinging to her arm."
Huh?
Kuina instinctively lowered her head. Her cheeks instantly flushed as if they were burning, all the way to her ears. She hurriedly let go and bowed. "I'm terribly sorry! Please forgive my rudeness, Lord Xianuo!"
"It's fine, it's fine."
Xia Nuo waved it off. He naturally hadn't taken it to heart, much less mistaken it for romantic admiration between a man and a woman.
Kuina was only eleven this year, one year older than Zoro and the same age as Nojiko.
A little girl who had just entered puberty could change by the day and was difficult to understand. Suddenly becoming someone's biggest fan, then suddenly losing interest and abandoning them, was perfectly normal.
"Lord Xianuo."
As soon as Kuina sat down, she couldn't help asking again, "Are you just passing through for now? You won't be leaving tomorrow, will you? Why not stay a few more days? This opportunity is rare, and I'd still like to ask you for some guidance in swordsmanship."
Just what he was afraid of.
"No rush."
Xia Nuo gave an awkward laugh, rubbed his sunken stomach, and cast Koshiro a pleading look. "How about we eat first?"
Dinner was served in a spacious side room west of the dojo.
A long, low table ran through the middle, and everyone sat along both sides on the tatami.
Isshin Dojo wasn't small, and more than ten people shared dinner together.
Besides Koshiro and Kuina, there were two assistant instructors from the dojo, the old woman who cooked, and several children who lived and ate here.
Zoro was among them. The little brat hadn't finished his extra training yet, but Kuina had dragged him back halfway through, and he still looked deeply unwilling.
Dinner was simple: rice as the staple, several kinds of stir-fried vegetables, grilled eel, and miso soup.
The color, aroma, and flavor were all ordinary, but Xia Nuo was so hungry that his stomach felt glued to his back. At that moment, everything looked like a feast to him.
After they started eating, Xia Nuo keenly noticed that a pair of eyes kept sneaking glances this way from time to time.
When he looked up, Kuina quickly turned away and pretended nothing had happened, holding her bowl and chewing her rice in small, ladylike bites.
At first, Xia Nuo had tried to maintain his image and eat with restraint. But after Kuina's staring grew too obvious, he stopped caring.
This unlucky kid—once or twice would be enough. Why does she keep going?
He simply stopped pretending, rolled up his sleeves, and began shoveling food down with gusto. In no time, the stack of plates rose higher than his head, conveniently blocking the girl's view.
"This guy eats so much..." Zoro happened to be sitting opposite him and stared in astonishment. "And his table manners are somehow even worse than mine..."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Kuina immediately looked displeased and glared fiercely at him. "A powerful swordsman having a large appetite is only natural. But look at you, someone who can't even beat a girl—how dare you serve yourself a fifth bowl?"
"You!"
Zoro flew into a rage. Why was this stuck-up brat being so blatantly hypocritical today?
He wanted to argue back, but he couldn't find a reason.
It was especially frustrating when he remembered that he had just lost to her for the 1,950th time that afternoon.
He could only lower his head and stuff rice into his mouth in silence. When he got up to serve himself a sixth bowl, he secretly looked Xia Nuo up and down again.
Senior Chunyi said this guy was strong, and Kuina said he was strong too. But exactly how was he strong?
He couldn't tell.
Zoro narrowed his eyes. Should I find a chance to test him later?
After dinner, the night deepened, and a light drizzle began to fall.
In the Japanese-style courtyard, the bamboo shishi-odoshi occasionally made a sharp clack, startling the fish in the pond into scattering in all directions.
Xia Nuo stood silently beneath the eaves, watching the rain, when Chunyi suddenly hurried in. "Boss, everything at the clinic has been arranged."
"How is the situation?" he asked.
"The boy named Sanji isn't in any serious danger. His complexion has improved considerably after taking the medicine, and after resting overnight, he'll probably be lively and kicking again tomorrow."
Chunyi sighed. "Uncle Zeff is the troublesome one. His wounds are infected and festering, so treating them is a little difficult. Granny Arlan didn't have enough strength, so she just called Teacher Koshiro over as well. The two of them are working out a solution together. They should be able to resolve it properly tonight."
"Thanks for the effort."
Xia Nuo nodded. He was just about to say something when a hand suddenly patted him on the shoulder from behind.
When he turned around, the Moss Head brat was struggling to stand on tiptoe, trying his best to meet Xia Nuo's eyes. Unfortunately, the height difference was too great, and he still ended up looking up at him.
"Hey! Lord Xianuo!"
"Is something wrong?"
"Come have a spar with me! How about it?"
Zoro grinned and waved the two bamboo swords in his hands. "The sword you're carrying looks really powerful. I'd like to see whether, as a swordsman, you're worthy of wielding it!"
Xia Nuo glanced back at his Masamune and raised an eyebrow without saying anything.
"Zoro." Chunyi frowned slightly. "Boss Xia Nuo is tired. He doesn't have time to indulge your nonsense."
"But Senior, I've been training all day, so I'm tired too! Isn't that fair, then?"
Zoro continued staring straight at Xia Nuo. "Scared?"
Xia Nuo couldn't be bothered to argue with the brat. He shook his head and was just about to leave, but after his gaze swept over Zoro's bamboo swords, he suddenly changed his mind.
Fine.
Since he couldn't avoid the trouble anyway, he might as well deal with it all at once.
"All right. Then let's have a spar."
Xia Nuo reached out to take one of the bamboo swords, but Zoro shoved him away and glared. "What are you doing? Did you think I was going to give you one? I'm a two-sword-style swordsman. I need both of these!"
He really had forgotten. Xia Nuo smiled and gestured for Chunyi to fetch him a bamboo sword. Then he suddenly turned his head toward the end of the corridor.
"Miss Kuina, the young lady of Mr. Koshiro's household, why don't you join us too?"
"Eh?"
Under the dim light, Kuina widened her eyes behind the pillar and nervously clenched the hem of her clothes. When had he noticed her hiding there and secretly watching?
The rear courtyard of the dojo.
The open ground here was sheltered by a thatched rain canopy. Whenever the weather was poor, the dojo's outdoor activities were moved here.
"Hey! Are you serious?!"
Zoro was so furious that he nearly bristled all over. He pointed his bamboo sword at Xia Nuo. "We agreed to spar! It should be one-on-one, shouldn't it? How did it turn into the two of us fighting you alone?"
"Zoro!"
Kuina scolded him. "Mind your manners! Mr. Xianuo is a swordsman famous throughout the East Blue. It is already an incredible honor that he was willing to give us this chance to spar. We should fight together and give it our all to live up to that honor. Why are you shouting like this?"
"What kind of spell did he put you under? Why are you always taking an outsider's side?"
Zoro grew even more irritated. "Fine! Then we'll fight this round. I'm attacking on my own anyway, so just treat it as a one-on-one match. I won't cooperate with you!"
"Who needs you?"
Kuina clicked her tongue, tightened her grip on her bamboo sword, and solemnly addressed Xia Nuo. "We'll begin our attack now, so be careful, Lord Xianuo!"
Only a moment ago, she had been shy and bashful in front of her idol. But as soon as she entered a serious state, her back straightened like green bamboo, and her entire bearing suddenly became sharp.
"Come on."
Xia Nuo smiled and weighed the bamboo sword in his hand.
Under the eaves behind them, Chunyi pressed one hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.
This scene was far too familiar. He could guess what would happen next even if he used his toes.
Before you continue