Finally reaching Edinburgh the tension in the car was a lot less thick, Zander accepted she will be with him, but in his mind like all those in the past, he never stuck close to one person for a long time, getting too close was like a burden growing on him, he didn't want Baiken to try kill him, or have to defend Baiken and fail to protect her, bullets are much faster than swords after all.
But he didn't tell her that, in two days time she'll be back with Diana, and he can return to drinking beer and catching fish.
They halted in the hotel parking, after a quick look over Zander headed in "Bedroom for two please?"
"How long?" The man asked typing.
"Two days"
"Ah, so its not a honeymoon hey?"
Zander heard he was full of jokes, and rather friendly the way he tried hooking a conversation like that.
"How long do you stand here sir?" Zander asked looking in behind the counter, there where no stools to sit on.
"Eight hours, my life sucks"
"What's a honeymoon?" Baiken asked, Zander hoped she wouldn't.
"I'll explain later!" He said holding a hand to the man in front.
"Ok then" he took out a key "Room 102, please enjoy"
"Thanks, when do you get off?"
"At five"
"Want to join us for a beer later then? You look like you could use it?"
The man smiled broadly "That sounds great"
"Six at the bar?"
"I'll see you then"
As Zander headed up the stairs Baiken glanced back "Why did it sound like you just asked a man out on a date?"
"No, I asked him if he wants to join me for a beer"
"What's a beer?"
"Alcohol, and it's not a date, he looks like he needs some company, and I need him for something" Zander explained looking at her, but her face went red.
"Not that! He's the man in front, he sees loads of people coming and going, if you want information about the comings and goings of a place you ask the front desk guy, I don't know the name in English ok!?"
She giggled "Ok, if you say so"
"Baiken!"
"I'm joking!"
He looked at her then chuckled "Oh! You nailed it hey"
"It felt good, I won't lie"
He opened the door and looked around, in the corners of the room, in the closest, he brushed under the tables, even the beds.
"What's wrong?"
"Just checking for bugs"
"Bugs!? In a nice place like this? What like cockroaches?"
"No" he smiled "Its little things other people use to spy on you, cameras, microphones, that sort of things"
"Oh~" like she'll ever know...
"You get sick people out there, trust me, they will record you having sex then post it on social media to make money"
Her face went red.
"Or in our case, try get information about my agency" he said smirking.
"People can still make money through sex after all?"
"Get that out of your mind"
She blinked.
"We're friends right?"
"Yes?"
"And if you're my friend, no such things, you respect yourself"
"I, I will" she said blushing "But, we need money right?"
"The agency is still paying me, I'll look after us, speaking of which, you wanted a katana right?"
Her face lit up.
"Let's go, we need clothes as well so might as well go shopping"
As they passed the front desk Zander pointed "Six!?"
The man nodded "At the bar"
Edinburgh wasn't new to Zander so atleast he knew a few shops here and there, he once came here to buy an antique clock, and could have sworn he saw swords there.
After his usual scan of the parking he showed Baiken in, the old man there even still recognized him "How long has it been young man?"
"That clock still ticks sir"
"Ah, they just don't build them like they used to"
"That's why I bought it, tell me, you have any, swords?"
The old man bucked his head "Swords?"
"Yeah, Japanese swords, I could have sworn I saw some here"
The man led him to the back of the shop "I have the three still, no one buys them"
Baiken came over like a girl in front of toys, she inspected the three then took the first.
Zander and the shopkeeper stood back when she drew it, but she instantly felt it off "No, this one isn't balanced" she seethed it and put it back.
The keeper looked at Zander, who shrugged "She collects them"
"Oh"
She took the second and drew it, it felt more balanced so like a drum majorette she fluently swung the sword around her left, right then left, spinning it above her head then down up throwing it.
Zander and the old man panicked seeing the flying sword but she caught it by its hilt then stopped spinning it "Its still not right"
"Geez-like-it! You'll cut yourself open if you miss that thing!" Zander barked.
She smiled and placed the sword back, the third was a rather long one "Dai-katana..." She said taking it "I'm not fond of them"
"Dai... Katana?"
"A longer than usual one, its meant for range but I prefer the original size... Although Kurochi-nomai was a Dai katana" she said drawing the sword.
To her the extra weight was clear, even if its just by a margin, she swung it around again but this time Zander and the other ducked behind a shelf, and it was good they did, the sword came out of its hilt and the blade spiked into the shelf Zander hid behind, he screamed seeing the tip stop inches from his face, that wooden shelf barely halting it.
"This is a fake!" Baiken said holding the hilt still.
"They're all fake lass! Dis you expect to find a real one here!? They're for decorative purposes!" The shopkeeper yelled looking at the blade still quivering in the shelf.
She sighed and picked up the second "This will have to do then"
Zander came out and dislodged the blade from the shelf, his face pale "Fok I could have died!"
"Sorry about that" she said brushing her finger over the sharp edge of the sword, Zander saw she was in her own world, that katana went through a full on inspection.
She checked the blade, the hilt, the scubbard, she even held her eye down the length of it to see if it was straight.
"What's wrong with it?" Zander asked.
"Apart from it being fake? Its not well balanced, its not sharp, even this scubbard is made with panks not proper wood, the material used cheap, and the hilt, again, flimsy planks"
"Well, this isn't Japan sussa"
"I'll resort to stabbing if I have to" she said but held her mouth, the shopkeeper was frowning.
"Relax, its her way of talking, say you don't have a sharpening stone or something here right?" Zander said.
The sceptical man leaned his head sideways and walked to the front desk again, he took out a bun shaped stone and placed it down "The old way of sharpening a blade, this is an antique shop after all"
"Thanks sir, I'll take the lot"