The group is now eating breakfast out in the inn's main concourse with the other guests. For some reason, it seems the regulars have switched to nonchalant detachment of us. I wonder why.

"Nii-sama, may I postulate a query to you?" Kaede suddenly asks.

Well this is new.

"Sure, fire away." I smile.

"I recently corrected my wayward thoughts. This led me to mastering a jutsu, the Suzaku Blazecall, which had previously eluded me, yes?" She explains.

So, it's called Suzaku Blazecall. Kinda chuuni sounding.

"I did notice. The column of flames you did to pin down the Skull Beast, right?" I say.

She nods.

"That one, yes. Then, Seria-sama noted something to us about the old Syjilian Etranger. That he used curved blades."

"Ah right, the samurai." I say.

Kaede gives me a cunning grin.

"I thought this must be so. You looked as though you knew something about that man."

"What is that, boy? A sah-moo-raye? Why didn't you say anything about this?" Seria suddenly looks at me.

Oh. I didn't actually say anything at the time. Now this cunning ninja caught me in a trap.

"Ah... well, I didn't mean to conceal anything." I scratch my cheek.

"Hmm, how to explain this... a samurai is a type of swordsman from history in my world. I'd say they existed up to around two or three hundred years ago. They used fine cutting curved blades. They also dressed in a certain way, not far from you are wearing, Kaede. Incidentally, this is how I knew what a Ninja was." I say.

Kaede seems to grimace as she takes in this information. Seria has also stopped eating toast to listen whilst the others carry on.

"Boy, you imply they stopped existing?" Seria asks.

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I nod.

"Yes, like most melee fighters in my world, they gradually became obsolete because of new weapons, especially firearms."

Seria nods, having seen my vials in action, I suppose, though they're barely the tip of iceberg.

"I suppose Nii's world doesn't need or want big armies, considering the scary exploding things." Kiku suddenly adds.

"They're bigger than you might think, actually. But fighting rarely involves two big armies squaring off any longer. There is a combo of small elite ground forces, ships, and planes, that is, flyers, working in tandem with weapons way more powerful than the ones I make."

"But anyway, that’s going way off topic. Weren't you interested in Samurai?" I halt myself and turn back to Kaede.

She looks shifty for a moment, but takes a deep breath.

"Nn... it appears one of the scrolls of the village talked about that man. He was some kind of lord in the other world, yes?"

"Mmm… My own fuzzy memory from master collaborates this. I believe she found his strong character appealing. Huh... how embarrassing..." Seria squirms, evidently unlocking her old memories.

"He apparently was in a great battle and nearly died in your world before his summoning, and spoke of a distinct distaste of the 'sticks that breathed fire'." Kaede continues.

Oh shit, was he was like Mitsurugi or something? But silly references aside, its seeming more likely this guy actually was from Earth... possibly one of daimyo that Nobunaga defeated?

"Hmmm... this is interesting, Kaede. My master never knew some of this, it seems." Seria states.

"I was... I was beaten within an inch of my life for finding and reading this scroll..."

I gawk.

"I am fairly certain master kept me alive only because, in finding it, I had proven my ability to subvert several subtle traps, yes." She states, deadpan.

"That forbidden history, however, did give me a greater understanding of many things, yes? It seems that man also managed to attune to a Void Spirit, and from this, created the Murasaki Kagami technique, 'so that no fire sticks could ambush him ever again'."

An invisible samurai? I think he was losing his concept of honour quite severely by that point.

Ah. So... that's pretty ironic. A samurai that created an order of ninja. Perhaps he realised taking this path meant he had already strayed?

"It is sad that your scrolls are lost. I would have enjoyed reading them." Seria muses.

"They are not lost, Seria-sama. I have them." Kaede suddenly says. "From where else would I revise these techniques after master's demise, yes?"

True indeed.

"Oh... I'm sure you said before... never mind..." Seria raises an eyebrow.

"I may well have lied about this before. I apologise. As perhaps befits my nature, I apparently did not truly trust this group. I am only now understanding this as I am changing..."

Oh? She is acknowledging that much?

"I'm glad." I say. I ruffle her head briefly.

She blushes slightly.

"Nii-sama... you are..."

She hesitates and looks shifty.

"You should tell me what you feel, Kaede." I say.

She starts to quiver. Her brows crease. Then she punches me. Straight in the jaw.

"You... you are an asshole, Nii-sama. A complete asshole. How dare you do this to me!" She exclaims, and then bursts out in tears.

I reel with a gape and so do the other girls. Rishya actually drops her rye toast.

Sorry mom. I broke it.