That day, Kamisato Ayaka came to Lin Mo, panting slightly, and asked, "Mr. Lin Mo… there's something I'd like to ask you about."
Lin Mo looked at her, sweat glistening on her skin, and could tell at a glance that she had just finished practicing the Kamisato-style swordsmanship.
"Mm. If you have a question, just ask," he said, nodding.
"Regarding swordsmanship… should I strictly adhere to the Kamisato family's Kamisato-style sword art?" Ayaka asked.
That question wasn't merely literal.
What she truly wanted to know was this—
If her swordsmanship reached a respectable level, but the style she practiced wasn't Kamisato-style, would she still be acknowledged by the great families?
"Why would you ask that?" Lin Mo asked curiously. "Do you think some other family's sword art is superior to the Kamisato style?"
"N–No! That's absolutely not what I mean!" Ayaka hurriedly denied it.
Then, with a troubled expression, she continued, "It's just that… the Kamisato family's swordsmanship is usually practiced by men. When I train in it… it feels rather… uncomfortable…"
"I've seen some female ronin. Their swordsmanship is very strong as well. So I was wondering… whether I should seek them out as teachers and learn a style more suited to me."
"I see…"
Lin Mo nodded quietly.
Indeed, the Kamisato family's swordsmanship had been designed for men of one meter seventy or even one meter eighty in height.
It wasn't that the moves were especially wide or crude.
Rather, many of the techniques—
When forcibly executed by a slender woman—simply couldn't display their intended power.
"Miss, why don't you demonstrate it for me first?" Lin Mo said calmly. "Let me see where the problems lie."
"Yes!"
Ayaka nodded and stepped back into an open area.
With the Amenoma Kageuchi in hand, she began demonstrating the sword techniques—awkwardly so.
Why awkward?
Because watching it made Lin Mo uncomfortable.
Take a horizontal slash, for example.
Ideally, the body should lean forward into a bow stance, the blade sweeping toward the enemy's waist or hips.
There was a reason for targeting the waist and hips.
If you slash at the chest, the enemy can lean back to evade.
If you slash at the legs, they can simply jump away.
But the waist and hips?
There's nowhere to dodge.
Even if the opponent blocks with a weapon, that position is a weak point for exerting force.
Ayaka's motion wasn't wrong.
But—
Likely due to her height, when she swung forward, the slash landed about ten to twenty centimeters lower.
What should have been a cut to the waist or hips instead went toward the opponent's thighs or knees.
A horizontal slash like that?
One light hop and it could be avoided entirely.
And it wasn't just the horizontal slashes.
Her vertical slashes had issues too.
In Kamisato-style swordsmanship, the vertical strike was meant to come straight down from above, delivering a powerful cleave.
But Ayaka's strike—
Because her starting position lacked sufficient height—couldn't generate the necessary force.
A ninety-degree downward chop turned into a sixty-degree angle instead, and the power naturally weakened.
All in all, the problems were numerous.
Though the full set of sword techniques was still visually pleasing—
In terms of practicality, it truly fell short of the killing techniques refined by ordinary ronin.
"Huff… huff…"
"Mr. Lin Mo… do you see the problem now?" Ayaka asked as she walked briskly toward him, her breath warm and fragrant.
Her cheeks and neck were flushed, beads of sweat shimmering on her skin, making her look undeniably alluring.
"How should I put it…" Lin Mo began, then his gaze drifted toward her hakama, frowning slightly.
"Your warrior skirt—did you add extra weight to it to prevent any… accidents?"
"Mm…"
Ayaka's cheeks instantly burned red as she nodded shyly.
"That makes things troublesome…"
Lin Mo rubbed his temple. "As a warrior of the Kamisato family, you do need to wear a hakama. You can't exactly switch to men's armor."
"Mr. Lin Mo… d–did you see something?" Ayaka asked timidly, her face completely red.
"…Yeah. It was pretty white…"
"No! I mean—I didn't see it clearly! It just flashed past my eyes for a moment—"
It was already too late to correct himself.
Ayaka's face burned, and she froze in place, staring at the ground, utterly mortified.
"Cough, cough. How about this?" Lin Mo said awkwardly.
"Switch from triangular underwear to thigh-length boxers or bloomers. That way, this kind of embarrassment won't happen again."
"Mm… thank you for the reminder, Mr. Lin Mo."
Ayaka nodded shyly. "It's… it's a good thing I demonstrated it in front of you first. Only you saw it… otherwise… I'd be too embarrassed to face anyone…"
"Hm? So it's not embarrassing if I see it?" Lin Mo teased with a grin.
"N–No! That's not it!"
Ayaka's face flushed even deeper. "You're such a righteous person, sir. Even if you saw it by accident, you wouldn't harbor any improper thoughts."
"I–I'm not talking anymore. I'm going to change…"
Watching Ayaka flee in a panic, Lin Mo couldn't help but smile slightly.
Who said I wouldn't harbor improper thoughts?
I just didn't show them~
Still…
Thinking about Ayaka changing from briefs to boxers, Lin Mo couldn't help feeling a bit regretful.
Soon enough, Ayaka returned to his side.
Her face was still flushed red, clearly too shy to say something like, "I've changed my underwear."
"All right. Now we can return to the real issue—your swordsmanship," Lin Mo said with a smile, breaking the awkwardness.
Relieved to be back on topic, Ayaka finally dared to meet his eyes.
"First of all, if you demonstrate a different school of swordsmanship in front of the noble families, you definitely won't be acknowledged."
"You know that ever since your parents passed away,"
"the various families have all been eyeing the Kamisato household—its business interests and the Shogunate's authority."
"They'll be even harsher toward you and your elder brother."
"Your brother has handled everything exceptionally well."
"So naturally, their attention will shift onto you."
"B–But… I feel that the Kamisato-style swordsmanship I practice isn't nearly as strong as my brother's…"
Ayaka knew very well that there were flaws in her swordsmanship.
"That's only natural," Lin Mo nodded.
"You're the first female swordsman of the Kamisato family. Men's techniques differ in physique and strength—it's only expected that you can't fully bring out their power."
"Then what should I do…?"
Ayaka's eyes trembled with unease. "There's only one month left before the friendly sparring match between the noble families… and my opponent is Lady Kujou Sara…"
"Mm. Time is indeed tight," Lin Mo said with a smile.
"If you trust me, would you be willing to let me modify the sword techniques you've been learning?"
"T–That… is that really okay?"
A flash of joy lit up Ayaka's eyes.
"Of course it is."
Lin Mo nodded slowly. "Any improvements made upon Kamisato-style swordsmanship are still, at their core, Kamisato-style."
"N–No, sir, you've misunderstood me," Ayaka said, shaking her head.
"What I mean is… may I trouble you, Mr. Lin Mo?"
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T/N:
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