Chapter Fifteen: Call Me a Foreign Gentleman

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Machiya houses also belong to traditional Japanese architecture. Yet they are surprisingly easy to spot—just a glance down the street reveals several of these townhouses. Unlike most houses with thatched roofs, machiya feature tile roofs that have been the leading style for over a century. Rows of black Kyoto tiles are meticulously laid across the rooftops, reflecting the faint light of the eternal world, making them stand out distinctly.

Uesugi Toru approached one such machiya. Before he could even deploy his Byakugan eyes to scout ahead, the glint of weapons behind the latticed windows blinded him. The weapons on display were either of exceptional quality or rare, with a few even boasting epic-grade blades.

For a fleeting moment, Uesugi Toru contemplated taking advantage of the blacksmith’s brief absence to pocket all those weapons. But the thought vanished quickly.

In the shadows inside, a burly, rugged-faced elder was dozing on the counter. That wasn’t important. What mattered was the aura hovering above his head—it was black. Not the red or blood-red symbolizing danger, but black, likely signifying death.

So, following his instinct, Uesugi Toru knocked politely.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

A hoarse voice suddenly sounded beside Uesugi Toru’s ear, causing a shiver, yet without hesitation he pushed the door open.

“Another Hannya, huh?”

The old man’s tone was surprised. Uesugi glanced at the aura above his head.

The words 【Blacksmith】 appeared clearly.

So, who was the one forging inside?

The blacksmith said, “Since you’re a Hannya, just buy whichever weapon catches your eye.”

Uesugi’s gaze shifted, spotting a quality dagger in the corner—the cheapest option.

【Price: 800 Soul Ash】

Then he turned again, seeing a rare-quality uchigatana, its blade pristine and elegant, adorned with several skills that made his mouth water.

But alas...

【Price: 3200 Soul Ash】

The old blacksmith watched silently as Uesugi wandered the room for several minutes. Only when he reluctantly reached the door did the blacksmith speak again:

“Not buying one?”

Uesugi turned back, his Hannya mask expressionless as an ancient well: “Can’t afford it.”

Joking aside, each weapon cost over a thousand Soul Ash. Uesugi felt this smithy would be better suited inside Edo Castle, not in this cursed village where even the Soul Ash earned from slaying monsters barely covered expenses in this one-star map.

“Since you’re a Hannya, I’ll make an exception.”

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The blacksmith glanced at Uesugi’s walking token at his waist and slowly said, “I could also forge a weapon for you.”

A custom weapon?

Uesugi’s first thought was that the old man had ulterior motives.

Despite the smithy’s polished appearance, it might be a trap. The blacksmith could be planning to turn this smiling Hannya into a weapon himself.

But then again, Uesugi wasn’t a native demon—if he died, he’d just respawn in twelve hours, no big deal.

With that in mind, Uesugi nodded. “What do I need to do?”

“Better than that white Hannya of yours, huh,” the blacksmith said leisurely. “About three hundred meters east from here is a small workshop.”

“It’s noisy as hell every day. Just shut it down.”

The blacksmith sneered disdainfully, “What’s with that lousy assembly line? My forged weapons are far superior.”

Three hundred meters east?

Uesugi brightened and quickly asked, “Which way is east?”

The blacksmith laughed heartily. “As expected, Hannya are just muscle-headed fools.”

After laughing, he pointed out the direction: “That way’s east. It’s simple to tell—at night when the twin moons rise, that’s due east.”

Twin moons.

So this eternal world has a cycle of sun and moon?

Uesugi wondered if he had always arrived during the daytime here, or if the twin moons might sometimes be hidden by clouds.

The thought passed quickly. He memorized the blacksmith’s indicated direction and roughly estimated that the large factory he saw earlier lay to the northeast.

A rough map of Arakawa Cursed Village began to form in Uesugi’s mind. He thanked the blacksmith. Without him, Uesugi might’ve spent several lives just figuring out the cardinal directions.

“Hurry up and come back,” the blacksmith waved irritably. “If that workshop keeps making noise, I might just quit this godforsaken wilderness.”

Uesugi nodded in acknowledgment.

So this blacksmith was an NPC capable of moving across maps—no wonder the weapons here were so expensive.

Meeting him this time was pure luck...

Uesugi rubbed the walking token at his waist.

—Or maybe it wasn’t just luck.

Stepping out of the smithy, Uesugi immediately decided to check out the small workshop to the east. It was close, minimizing the risk of encountering unexpected trouble, and he wanted a reliable weapon as soon as possible. Though the woodcutter’s knife was easy to use, it felt awkward when wielding sword techniques.

The three hundred-meter distance vanished in an instant.

As if on cue, halfway there he heard the thunderous roar of machinery from afar—it was time to start work.

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Standing tens of meters from his destination in a small building, Uesugi watched the pale twin moons rise. His eardrums throbbed from the deafening noise.

No wonder the blacksmith couldn’t sleep...

The sound rivaled the factory far outside the village.

After standing still to adjust, Uesugi unleashed his Byakugan eyes.

Although the blacksmith wanted the workshop shut down, Uesugi wasn’t about to let such precious Soul Ash slip away.

Before taking action, gathering intelligence was essential.

【Clumsy Worker Apprentices】

【Rank: Scattered】

This was information on the small monsters moving machinery inside. Uesugi counted about twenty to thirty.

The actual number was probably higher... but despite roaming around, he hadn’t found their foreman.

Patience was not an issue for Uesugi, who could maintain a calm mind for hours.

After over half an hour, a burly man wearing a white safety helmet appeared in sight.

He barked orders and scolded the apprentices—a clear leader. Uesugi fixed his gaze on the aura above the man’s head, waiting for the information he sought.

【Worker Foreman】

【Rank: Half-Star】

Only half a star.

This simplified matters considerably.

The only difficulty lay in the numerous scattered apprentices in the workshop.

If they all surged out at once, Uesugi’s life would only be enough to take down two or three. Efficiency would be out of the question.

Given that, his earlier discovery was vital.

Through nearly an hour of observation, Uesugi clearly noticed these workshop minions differed from factory workers or the corrupted farmers.

They possessed some measure of intelligence and could communicate. The elite foreman too.

With that in mind,

Uesugi straightened his Western-style school uniform.

It might mean little in the real world, but in this cursed village, it was top-quality—a genuine foreigner’s attire.

Dressed like this, fooling a few inexperienced apprentices into following him to a secluded spot would be easy.

After another hour of patiently waiting, Uesugi finally saw two apprentices sneak out of the workshop for some fresh air.

He retracted his Byakugan eyes, redid his necktie, and strolled casually toward the two apprentices.