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CHAPTER 292: BUKYO—ENTRY

 

By the time five days had passed since we boarded a large ship at the northern edge of the Ibrudia Empire—headed for the island nation of Bukyo—the silhouette of our destination finally came into view, the end point of a journey that had stretched close to a full month.

From the deck as the ship rolled over slightly rough seas, I looked up at the sky. Towering summer clouds reflected the first rising sunlight, slowly swelling upward and changing shape like living things.

It was a sky unlike any I’d seen so far—almost as if the heavens themselves were quietly telling me about the unknown country that awaited: Bukyo.

In that unhurried scenery, my thoughts drifted back over the road we’d traveled.

Even after the first wyvern swarm attack, we’d had two more incidents like it by today. Was it some kind of omen…? I had no idea what the cause was, but that vague, unpleasant feeling nesting in the pit of my chest still lingered—like a thorn stuck under my skin, a faint sense of wrongness that wouldn’t quite go away.

Still, it wasn’t all bad.

We hadn’t taken any damage, and each time we drove them off, Yurai’s level shot up like crazy. And more than that, you could say it was a huge gain for Yurai—learning the ‘exchange of life’ that you can’t get from play alone, but only from real combat.

「Kyaunn!」

Yurai’s innocent cry pulled my gaze back to the front.

The chain of mountains near the horizon grew clearer by the moment, their outlines swelling larger. Beyond the ridgelines wrapped in sea mist, there was a definite sense of human life.

「…So that’s Bukyo.」

The atmosphere draped over the entire island was so distinctive that the words slipped out in awe.

Not long after, as the ship entered the harbor, the mist naturally thinned and lifted. The townscape—and the people moving through it—came into sharp focus.

Every building had a unique style: roofs layered like scales, and structures that made lavish use of timber. More than anything, almost everyone walking the port streets wore distinctive outfits called wafuku. And there were plenty of people carrying weapons—some with swords at their hips, others with spears on their backs.

One look, and you could see why they called it a ‘City of Martial Prowess.’

We were urged to disembark, and we crossed the pier.

What stood beyond it was a gigantic torii gate.

No gaudy decorations. Just old wood and stone fitted together into a rugged, no-nonsense arch. But I could tell—before I even took a step forward—that this wasn’t merely a landmark or a symbol.

「One at a time. Pass through the torii.」

At the guard’s flat command, I stepped beneath it.

The instant I did, it felt like my whole body was wrapped in a thin film.

The sounds didn’t vanish.

It was more like the roar of the waves, the presence of people, all that clutter—everything—melted into the background. In its place, I felt something like a gaze stabbing straight into the depths of my chest.

I’m being watched. No—being questioned…?

—What are you here to do in this country?

That was what it felt like.

If I’d tried to resist, I probably could have. But I had no reason to.

I wasn’t here to harm this country.

I’d only come to see Grandpa.

In the next moment, it was as if nothing had happened—the air snapped back to normal.

「……」

The guard didn’t say a word. That probably meant there was no issue.

Next, Kinu passed through the torii.

She furrowed her brow for just an instant, then walked through as if nothing had happened.

「Mental interference… This country’s really on edge, huh.」

Kinu murmured that under her breath when she reached my side.

Last, Yurai stepped under the torii.

And as she passed through—right at that moment—a tiny bell chimed.

The air trembled, and it felt like the barrier itself had held its breath. The guards’ eyes all snapped to Yurai at once.

「…A dragon? No… more like a phantasmal beast…?」

One of the officials muttered, but there was no further pursuit.

We were guided through the gate and into a checkpoint building. After presenting my adventurer card, the questions for entry began.

「Your registered name is Aun—correct? State your reason for coming to Bukyo.」

I thought about it for a moment, then answered honestly.

「I came to see my grandpa.」

「…His name?」

「Doumeki Daigoku.」

The moment I said it, the official’s brush stopped.

Not just that—the whole checkpoint went so quiet it felt like everyone had collectively held their breath. At the same time, the guards standing behind the official visibly tensed, their shoulders drawing tight.

「…We’ll confirm it. Don’t move from where you are.」

He said it low, then hurried off.

While we waited, nobody spoke a word.

And then the man who appeared was clearly an officer—middle-aged, dressed accordingly.

He had unshaven stubble and long, overgrown hair tied back. He scratched his head in a bothered way as he walked, yet there wasn’t a hint of slackness in his steps. His body was trained enough that you could tell even through his kimono—and there was a strange pressure about him, like the air around him was heavier.

「…Ah. So you are Doumeki Aun and companions.」

He spoke in a languid tone, paused a beat, then continued.

「We have received orders about you from the Shogun himself. —Entry is permitted.」

The Shogun?

So he remembered our promise at the Sphin Seven-Nation Council, and he cleared things on his end. Which means… he’s telling me to show my face at least once.

That announcement was the signal for the guards to start murmuring in low voices.

「Direct orders from the Shogun…? Who is he?」

「’Doumeki Daigoku’—that’s the name of that 【War God】, isn’t it?」

「But he’s obviously demi-human… Are they not blood-related?」

「I’ve never heard anything about the War God having a grandkid…」

Just as the buzzing threatened to grow, the officer spoke again.

「You lot, shut it. …And Doumeki Aun. I’ve got a message for you.」

「A message? From who?」

「From the Suigetsu family’s prodigy. Says, ‘Come to the dojo once.’」

「The Suigetsu family’s… prodigy? You mean Zen?」

「Who else would it be. He’s the man who earned the title of 【Sword King】 at fourteen. And ever since he came back from training recently, he’s even got some tough-looking phantasmal beast with him. Hell if I know how a swordsman ends up commanding a phantasmal beast…」

「So it is Zen! If I go to the Suigetsu Dojo, I can see him?」

「That’s the idea. Now get going. If you hang around here, the commotion won’t die down.」

He flicked his hand at us, shooing us out.

First, the Suigetsu Dojo. After that, we’d probably head to Bukyo’s capital—’Amane-kyo’—to meet Shogun Kagura Kunitsuna. If I could speak with the people at the top, they ought to know where Grandpa was.

Getting a clear path forward the moment we entered the country—that was a good sign.

…And yet, that lingering sense of wrongness in my chest still hadn’t faded.

「Either way… we made it into Bukyo safe and sound!」