After the two had left, the young man slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead. The stiff smile returned to his face.
Just then,
a crisp "ding" rang out from another counter.
He hurried over.
When he arrived, he found a ninja wearing a conical hat standing there.
A formulaic smile spread across his face as he asked respectfully,
"Hello. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Through the thin layer of Black Sand on his hat, the ninja spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Check whether there have been any recent sightings of Fengsuo. As far as I know, he should be hiding somewhere in the Land of Hot Water."
Hearing this, the young man smiled.
"Fengsuo? You mean the Sand Ninja with a bounty of 11 million ryō, right? Please wait a moment."
The young man turned and disappeared. A little while later, he returned with an apologetic smile and said softly,
"I'm sorry, sir, but our establishment hasn't found any signs of Fengsuo operating in the Land of Hot Water. I sincerely apologize."
The ninja's face remained expressionless. In a hoarse voice, he said,
"The Gold Field in the Land of Hot Water is getting worse and worse."
The young man simply smiled respectfully without arguing, then saw him off with a smile.
The ninja slowly turned around. A corner of the Black Sand on his hat lifted unintentionally, revealing a glimpse of the face beneath it.
The young man, who had been watching him with a squinting smile, narrowed his pupils slightly!
The ninja didn't notice anything amiss. With his tall figure turned away from the young man, he slowly left.
After he was gone, the young man carefully recalled the face he'd glimpsed. A look of interest appeared on his face, and the corner of