While the two lovebirds were having a moment, Rulu, Nosuri, and Ougi had arrived at a certain bookstore near the northern end of Shisayama. Many goods that were sold here came from Yamato and Rulu was fascinated by the variety of books that she could now buy. As the group walked into the bookstore, they could see that the wooden shelves were filled with a wide variety of books. Many were decorated with pressed flowers or hand drawn images made from a variety of colored inks. This sight was due to how paper was a common resource created in the Empire and its nations. In the history of the Empire, its creation was made and gifted by the emperor as an innovation that replaced the previously used bamboo scrolls that were cumbersome and had little space for writing. These were still used as a cheaper alternative, but it had no advantage over the invention of paper. It was over a century ago since its introduction and since then the empire has had a boom in the variety of literature tha
*Klang Klang Klang*A metalic ring rang out which was followed by the stirring sound of stoking fires.*Whoosh Whoosh*In the workshop, Kajima was currently tempering and forging a new katana for one of his clients. He was in the process of doing the final process for forming the blade's shape.He had already finished the arduous task of folding the metal numerous times to allow for the creation of numerous layers of carbon within the blade. Kajima did not know of this as his technological knowledge of chemistry and modern metallurgy were not that advanced.But he nonetheless believed in the process and knew to look for the right signs that showed him that what he was doing was correct. He had learned his craft from a blacksmith turned soldier, when he was drafted into the army at the young age of 16.This was before Ozen was king and before hostilities with Uzuru had sparked. In fact, this was just another war with a now long forgotten nation to the west that was absorbed into Kujyur
-Prior to Ben and Bail's arrival- The duo of Azi and Shizu continued their bath and while they had enjoyed the comfort of each other's bodies, they had incorrectly bathed themselves as they should have washed themselves with soap and water before entering the tub. "While I do enjoy our moment, I believe we should get a proper bath in. I can still smell the sweat from your morning training." Said Shizu. "Alright but I'm not letting you wash me, not unless you let me clean you as a fair exchange." Argued Azi. Still haunted by how roughly Shizu had previously "cleaned" him, he hoped to either never experience such an embarrassing event again or be able to get even with her. Shizu, the stubborn kind of person she was, would not back down as she endeavored to win the next battle to determine who was the more dominant one between the two. This had become a common occurrence between them ever since that day they fought each other while drunk. Shizu had never lost in a duel to any man,
Ben and Bail stared at Azi's and Shizu's disheveled look, the two brothers had let their imaginations run wild and they believed the disheveled couple had messed around in the bath. Being the more cautious brother, Ben broached the topic with a supposedly harmless question. "Uhhhh, Hi kid, How are you doing?" Bail facepalmed and, being more upfront, brazenly added. "Did bang. Yes or No!?" *Slam* Ben had turned and bashed his twin brother across the face with the empty sake bottle in a panic. He was the more leveled headed one between them but in this situation, he acted upon his instincts as he could feel the death glare that Kajima and Shizu were giving them. Shizu was titled the man killer, and her current glare was like an icy cold metal sword in winter. He metaphorically thought that touching these cold “swords” would give him more than just frostbite. Now on the ground was Bail, his eyes rolling in his head like loose pinballs. Ben's strike was on the mark as it rattled his
"TO OUR NEW, UP AND COMING BLACKSMITH! CHEERS!" Making a toast with a raised cup of sake, Kajima congratulated Azi for his recent success. While they had already celebrated the news of Azi's workshop, today's dinner had an excessive amount of people which made the situation devolve into a party. So, following the flow, everyone raised their cups of sake and drank it down with festive expressions and cheers. Moments before the start of the impromptu party, Azi was given a large pouch from Kajima. When it was dropped into his hands, he was stunned by the weight and the number of silver and bronze coins and plates that were contained inside. He knew that Ben and Bail were going to give him a share of the sold blood steel weapons, but he was not expecting such a large amount, this was due to how he was not kept in the loop about the business side of Bail's work which was quite secretive. While surprised, he was also somewhat relieved and excited as he could do so much more with this
Undice the 1st of 4831 AS A large tent was erected in the snowy grounds on the outskirts of the southern part of Shisayama. Under the tent was an area sparsely populated by a large table, chairs, and few wooden crates filled with writing supplies. With a charcoal pencil, Azi was checking the final details of his house's blueprint. For the past week, Azi had been overseeing the construction of his house with help from Manu who was the approver of the construction project. Azi had put a great deal of time and effort into planning out the first floor which included his living room, bathroom, kitchen, storehouse, and finally his workshop. The floor plan would be similar to Kajima's abode but would be less than half the size as it did not include the extra spare rooms, a large living room, and family sized bath. It was much like a downsized version of Kajima's house since Azi had no intentions of getting any additional residence other than himself at the moment. Manu had suggested maki
Undice the 14th of 4831 AS Waking up a bit after first light, Azi awoke to the familiar sight of his room in Kajima's house. He could feel the warm blanket of the futon bed upon his skin but felt a slight tingle of cold air somewhat tickle his legs. His slight movements caused a bit of air to enter the gaps between the blanket and bedding, making him shiver a little. Luckily, there was a warming sensation that was comforting him from behind. Moving in a practiced motion that seemed as if he had done this too many times, he turned his body over and saw Shizu's sleeping face. Her red hair covered one side of her face which made her appearance seem as if she could enchant any man, but Azi knew better. This woman was more like a wolf in sheep's clothing and without fear, he dared to wake the beast. He parted her crimson hair away from her face, which caused Shizu to stir in her sleep. In reaction to the slight touch of his hands, she tightened her grip around Azi's back. While Azi w
Undice the 15th of 4831 AS As the unknown figure reached their hand to Azi's neck, they quietly knelt down next to him in a somewhat timid manner which contrasted with the somewhat overly tensed hand. The extended fingers of their hand looked like a shadowy claw in the moonlight, but it suddenly changed to a cupped hand and moved to touch Azi's cheek. The hand brushed softly against his face and the figure came into view under the moonlight that shone through the window across from the bed. It was Shizu and she had snuck in when Azi was fast asleep. Her plan this night was to surprise him the next morning with the news of her officially moving in with him and to tease him while he was in a drowsy state of mind. But while she could have just slept at Kajima's house and then surprise him when he woke up, she felt that her plan would give her a greater element of surprise and expected that she would get a much better reaction out of him. She had already gotten the okay for her move