Yue Wei walked past the newcomer and glanced outside. Seeing no one, he sighed and waited for a moment before opening the door again. After confirming no one else was coming, he began explaining the purpose of the inn and everything that needed to be clarified.
As Yue Wei finished his explanation, a look of surprise surfaced on the otherwise stoic face of the young man. The newcomer nodded and said, "This place is magical. I've never been here before. My name is Giyu Tomioka, by the way."
"Giyu Tomioka?" Yue Wei repeated, his mind racing to recall where he had heard that name before. He remembered characters like Yor from Spy x Family and the two kids from the anime Dandadan. Fortunately, he had watched and completed the manga before he died, so those details were still fresh in his memory.
Shaking his head, Yue Wei decided not to dwell on where this man had come from. What mattered most now was finishing his task quickly so he could rest.
Giyu Tomioka eventually decided to stay at the inn, and Yue Wei let him rest on room number 3.
"Miss Yor, your room is number 4. As the first customer of our inn, your meals—from breakfast to dinner—will be free starting today," Yue Wei said, glancing at Yor, who was patiently waiting at the side. He felt a pang of pity for her and decided to show her some kindness. Yue Wei had a soft spot for people like Yor, who were quiet and gentle.
"Really?" Yor exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with surprise and joy. "That's so wonderful! Thank you so much, Mr. Owner—I'll never forget this kindness!"
Her smile was radiant, a warm and genuine expression that seemed to melt away all worries. For a moment, Yue Wei found himself captivated, his heart skipping a beat. It was the kind of smile that felt like sunshine breaking through storm clouds, bringing peace and warmth wherever it shone.
Snapping out of his daze, Yue Wei cleared his throat awkwardly. "Miss Yor, do you have a job back home?"
Yor blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Erm... Mister Owner, please don't call me 'Miss.' I'm still... um, young thought." She laughed nervously, her hand lightly brushing the back of her neck. "And... well, about my job..."
She hesitated, her mind racing. Should she tell him? After all, revealing that she was an assassin wasn't exactly something one could casually bring up. What if he reacted badly?
Her imagination spiraled into a dramatic scenario where the innkeeper pointed at her accusingly and exclaimed, "You're an assassin! I hate assassins! They kill people—terrible, awful people like you! Woooo!" He'd then flail his arms and run off into the distance, leaving her utterly mortified.
The mere thought made Yor's cheeks flush crimson. "N-no, I... I just have a... um... normal job! Nothing exciting at all!"
Yue Wei raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. In truth, he simply wanted to hire Yor as the Inn's receptionist. However, her flustered reaction gave him a pretty good guess about her actual profession. "I see. Well, simple or not, work is important."
"Y-yes, that's right!" Yor agreed quickly, relieved he didn't pry. Her heart was still pounding from the internal panic, but she forced herself to calm down, offering him a polite smile. "But why do you ask, Mr. Owner?"
"Well, I'd like to hire you as the receptionist for this Inn. How about quitting your current job and working for me instead?" Yue Wei said casually.
"I... I... don't know. Can I think about it?" Yor stammered, waving her hands quickly. "I'm not rejecting your offer, Mr. Owner, it's just... I need to talk to my brother about this!"
Yor couldn't bring herself to admit that quitting her assassin job wasn't simple. Even though Yue Wei seemed powerful, she didn't know him well enough to ask for help, and the thought of explaining her situation was embarrassing.
In truth, Yor didn't enjoy being an assassin. The job constantly worried her brother, and she feared a day might come when she wouldn't return home. But the money it provided allowed her to buy a house and food for her brother, which was why she had stuck with it for so long.
"It's fine, Yor. Don't worry about it," Yue Wei said with a gentle smile. "If you ever decide to quit your job, just know you're welcome here anytime."
Before Yor could respond, a loud thud echoed from above. Yue Wei glanced toward the ceiling and scratched his head. What are those kids doing now?
Suddenly, footsteps came from the stairs, followed by Ayase's excited voice.
"A demon is real! Really?!" Ayase exclaimed.
"Ayase-san, I don't think it's strange for demons to exist," Okarun replied, adjusting his glasses. "Since yokai and aliens are real, meeting a demon is just as plausible. But it _is_ exciting!"
The two kids trailed behind Giyu Tomioka as he descended the stairs, their chatter bothering the quiet swordsman. For a moment, Yue Wei felt a pang of pity for him.
"Please teach us how to use a sword!" Ayase begged. "We really, really need it!"
"That's right! Please teach us! We have to defeat a very powerful yokai!" Okarun added.
Hearing this, Yue Wei narrowed his eyes, recalling the timeline. This must be the part where they have to defeat Turbo Granny to lift Okarun's curse. They'll eventually face that giant crab or whatever it was. Either way, they don't need swordsmanship to win.
He remembered that they hadn't actually killed the Turbo Granny—it was trapped in a cat toy. In Yue Wei's mind, Ayase and Okaru didn't really need to learn swordsmanship; they needed more experience using their powers, which were, in fact, more powerful than swordsmanship. Of course, Yue Wei didn't bother to express his opinion anyway.
The stoic swordsman ignored their pleas and found a chair to sit on. Turning to Yue Wei, he said calmly, "Sir, I would like to order some food."
Yue Wei nodded and walked over to Giyu, handing him the menu.
Meanwhile, Ayase and Okarun weren't ready to give up.
"Sir Owner!" Ayase and Okarun turned to Yue Wei. "Please make him teach us!"
Yue Wei leaned on the counter, a tired expression on his face. "Maybe if you ask nicely and give him a good reason. He looks like the type who doesn't waste energy on things he deems unnecessary."
Giyu sighed softly, his face as unreadable as ever. "I do not take on students."
"But we're not asking to become your disciples or anything!" Ayase protested. "We just need to learn enough to survive!"
"Yeah, just enough to handle Turbo Granny!" Okarun added, his enthusiasm undeterred.
Giyu placed the menu down. "Turbo Granny...?"
"Yeah, yeah, Turbo Granny is a yokai—a super-fast old woman! The reason we need to defeat her is to lift the curse from Okarun!" Ayase explained.
While the chef cooked, Yue Wei and Yor stood at the counter, listening to the two kids talk about Turbo Granny and their situation.
Yor, standing quietly to the side, listened intently, her expression shifting to one of surprise as she pieced together the story.
"What a powerful old woman... Those two kids must be having such a hard time facing someone like that. I think he should teach them. I pity them... They remind me of my brother. I'm really worried now."
In her mind, an internal debate was already brewing. Should I teach them instead? But... I'm not strong enough to face something like a demon or yokai.
Her eyes flitted toward the kids, who were still pleading with Giyu. Still... maybe I could show them a few self-defense moves. Just enough to protect themselves... Right?
Her imagination flared again, painting a heroic yet slightly chaotic mental picture of herself standing valiantly in front of Ayase and Okarun, shielding them from a fearsome demon. Don't worry, you two! I'll protect you with all my strength! In her vision, her attack was dramatic and awe-inspiring, but she could also vividly imagine herself stumbling or tripping mid-fight, making her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"I-I should at least offer," she whispered.
"What it is Yor?" Yue Wei asked.
"Um I think I could help them," Yor said.
"Oh.." Yue Wei acted surprised, "You know how to fight Yor?"
"U-um, that's right!" Yor suddenly blurted out, her voice louder than she intended. Her hands fidgeted nervously as everyone turned to look at her. "My teacher at work taught me some self-defense techniques! Yes, that's it!"
Ayase and Okarun blinked in surprise; they hadn't expected the seemingly ordinary young woman to offer her help.
"Really, Miss?" Ayase asked, tilting her head. "You know self-defense? Could you teach us a few moves? Anything would help!"
"Yeah! If you can help us even a little, we'd be super grateful!" Okarun chimed in enthusiastically.
Yor's face lit up at their hopeful expressions, but her nerves kicked in just as quickly. Wait, what am I doing? What if I mess up? What if they get hurt? What if they realize my techniques aren't from normal self-defense classes but my... assassin work?!
"Ah, w-well, I'm not sure if I'm qualified to teach," Yor said, waving her hands frantically. "But... I could show you a few simple moves to protect yourselves! Just the basics!"
"That's perfect!" Ayase exclaimed, her excitement palpable. "You're a lifesaver, Miss!"
Okarun nodded eagerly. "Yes, anything you can show us would be amazing! Thank you!"
Yor smiled awkwardly, scratching her cheek. "O-okay, but let's keep this simple and safe. I wouldn't want anyone getting hurt..." She paused, glancing at Giyu, who had been quietly observing. "Um, Mr. Swordsman, if you have any advice, I'd love to hear it too!"
For a moment, Giyu set down his chopsticks and gave a slight nod, his expression remaining impassive. "Focus on efficiency. Use their momentum against them. Don't overcomplicate it."
"R-right!" Yor stammered, feeling both reassured and nervous under his steady gaze. "I'll do my best to help!"