The moment Muichiro Tokito spoke, he saw his brother's face darken. He hurriedly said, "Not those people."
"Not those people? Then who?" Tokito Yuichiro froze.
"A blacksmith passing through. It's almost dark, so I thought we could let him stay the night. I hope you'll agree."
"A blacksmith?" Tokito Yuichiro frowned. "Why would a blacksmith come here? Did he say what he was doing?"
"He said he was passing by and came over when he heard me drawing water," Muichiro Tokito replied.
Tokito Yuichiro fell silent for a moment. "Let me see him first. Why didn't you discuss something this important with me? What if he's a bad person?"
"He doesn't look like one..."
"And you can tell that just by looking? Bad people don't have it written on their foreheads. What if he waits until we're asleep and stabs us both..." Tokito Yuichiro glared at him, but when he saw his younger brother's pale face, he swallowed the rest.
Chapter 273: Playing Along
Tetsu no Sosuke had his head down, concentrating on installing the Mechanism Compartments. The installation itself wasn't difficult; the crucial part was handling the trigger mechanism with care.
Even so, he heard every word the two boys said at the door.
He merely smiled and kept working, paying their conversation no mind.
The door was pushed open, and Muichiro Tokito's voice followed. "Brother, that's too rude. We should knock first."
Only then did he look up, his eyes settling on the two people at the door with a hint of confusion.
It was exactly how someone unaware of what had happened outside would react.
His confusion lasted perhaps a second before recognition dawned. "Oh, your brother's back? Hello! Sorry for imposing on you tonight. If you'd rather I didn't stay, I can leave right now. It's