"Grandpa Senzaemon, how did you come today?" Saeko's beautiful face showed surprise.
"Haha, it's Saeko. I came today to pay tribute to your grandfather."
Seeing the young girl, Senzaemon laughed heartily.
Behind Senzaemon, Erina and Hisako also greeted her.
"Good afternoon, Saeko nee-san."
At this time, Erina was two years younger than Saeko, and she willingly called her sister because Saeko was a popular girl among girls of the same age.
"Erina, good afternoon." Hearing her voice, Saeko also smiled and greeted her.
"Miss Busujima, good afternoon."
Compared to Erina, Hisako's greeting seemed more formal, which was also because she was used to her duties as a secretary.
"Well, Miss Arato, good afternoon." Saeko also nodded at her.
Then they opened a door, revealing a tatami-floored living room with a low table in the middle.
"Grandpa Senzaemon, please come in and have a seat."
They all sat down, each holding a cup of green tea. Senzaemon spoke, "Saeko, is Masao not here today?"
Masao?
Hearing this name, Hachiman raised an eyebrow. It appeared to be Saeko's father's name, so his full name was Busujima Masao.
Looking at the elderly man in front of her, Saeko shook her head.
"Grandpa Senzaemon, your timing is quite unfortunate. Father has been abroad recently, engaging in kendo exchanges."
"Ah, I almost forgot that Masao has become one of the rare kendo masters in Japan. Haha, I still think of him as that young brat from back in the day." Senzaemon burst into hearty laughter, then drifted into memories.
"I really miss the days when I, Masayoshi, and Musashi were studying kendo together..."
Listening to their conversation, Hachiman gradually understood.
In their younger years, Senzaemon and Saeko's grandfather, Busujima Masayoshi, and Zenin Musashi, were fellow students at the same kendo dojo.
They were rivals and friends, studying kendo together and forging a deep friendship.
Later, two of them founded the renowned Busujima-ryu swordsmanship and Zenin-ryu swordsmanship, while the other created the powerful Totsuki conglomerate that now dominated Japan.
However, the unfortunate part was that Masayoshi, who was not much older than Senzaemon, passed away a few years ago due to cancer, and Musashi was killed in action during World War II.
"Sigh, I'm sure dear brother Masayoshi would be delighted to know that Masao has become a Swordmaster now," Senzaemon couldn't help but express his longing for the title of "Swordmaster" as well.
In public, they refer to it as Kendo Master, but in private, when they wield a real sword or reach the realm of a Kendo Master, they call it Swordsmaster instead of Kendo Master.
"Swordmaster, that's the highest goal for all kendo practitioners in Japan. As for the higher level of Sword Saint, it hasn't appeared for centuries.
And Senzaemon is currently only at the expert level of kendo, on par with Saeko.
Plus, he's already old, so it's unlikely for him to make any breakthroughs.
"Yes, I'm sure my grandfather would be proud to know that my father has become a Swordmaster."
Speaking of her father, Saeko's tone also carried a hint of pride.
"Haha, speaking of kendo, unlike this old man, Saeko, you should be the next one to break through to the realm of Swordmaster." Senzaemon laughed heartily at her words.
"You're overestimating me, Grandpa Senzaemon. I'm still far from the realm of Swordmaster." Saeko shook her head.
Although she had reached the expert level of kendo several years ago and was on the verge of a breakthrough, she always felt that there was a strong barrier blocking her from advancing.
However, after going through several exhilarating battles with Hachiman, she faintly felt that the barrier had shown signs of loosening.
"Saeko, you're too modest. If you can't break through, I can't think of any other young person who can." Senzaemon thought she was being modest.
As the leader of the Totsuki conglomerate and an expert in kendo, Senzaemon had encountered countless so-called kendo prodigies, but none could compare to the young girl from the Zenin Clan and the young girl before him.
"Of course, there are kendo prodigies even more formidable than me," Saeko said with a slight smile as she glanced at Hachiman.
She believed that not even the girl from the Zenin Clan could match Hachiman's talent.
Following her gaze, Senzaemon also looked at the young man who had opened the door for them earlier, his tone filled with doubt.
"Saeko, are you saying that this young man has greater kendo talent than you?"
"Indeed," Saeko nodded lightly.
"Hachiman can hold his own against me even when he only knows the basic eight kendo forms."
"What? He can fight you on equal ground with just the basic eight kendo forms?" Senzaemon was astonished to hear this.
"Yes, and today, after learning our Busujima-ryu sword technique, he even defeated me in a direct battle," Saeko continued.
"This..."
Senzaemon fell silent for a moment. Even he wouldn't dare claim that he could defeat Saeko, given her strength. Yet, Hachiman, who had just learned the Busujima-ryu sword technique, was able to surpass her.
It was clear that his kendo talent was exceptional.
Not only him, even Erina, who was familiar with Saeko's strength, was somewhat surprised.
In her impression, her sister Saeko had never lost among her peers, but today, she was defeated by this seemingly ordinary guy.
Yes, as the heiress of the Totsuki conglomerate, Erina had seen many handsome young men, and Hachiman's appearance could only be considered above average at best.
He truly could be described as unremarkable in that regard.
Seeing everyone's gaze turning towards him, Hachiman couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.
"Saeko, you're overestimating me. Titles like 'Kendo Master' and all that are still way out of my league."
"Hachiman, don't be too modest. As long as you practice more in your spare time, I believe you can quickly break through to the realm of a Kendo Master," Saeko said, full of confidence in him.
"Haha, well, thanks for having so much confidence in me, Saeko. But I have a lot of other things to do in my daily life. Besides the one-hour club training every day, I don't really have much time to practice."
He hadn't expected her to have such high expectations. Hachiman felt a bit embarrassed as he scratched his cheek.
In his heart, things like kendo were just hobbies for him, and he had no intention of turning them into a career.
His goal was straightforward since he had crossed over; he wanted to enjoy life, make some money, and, of course, interact with girls.
Practicing was impossible; he could only passively enhance his proficiency and upgrade his sub-modules naturally.
Before Saeko could respond to his statement, Erina let out a disdainful snort from the side.
"Hmph, don't think that having natural talent means you can neglect training. There are so many geniuses in this world, and if you don't work hard, you'll just end up being surpassed like everyone else."
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Chapter 70: I Know a Thing or Two About Cooking
Chapter 71: A Cooking Challenge with Erina