Chapter 22: Oh My, It’s Nothing at All

"What?"

Hyakusuke had not expected to be promoted to a Chunin.

"But... my modest abilities are..."

"This was discussed and passed during the regular meeting of the Kurohime Mountain clan," Sako Takayuki said indifferently. "After all, you did make a contribution. Rewarding merit and punishing faults is the ancestral motto of our clan. This matter has already been decided, so do not complain here."

"Yes."

Hyakusuke did not want to anger Sako Takayuki. He could only bow his head submissively. To a Genin like him, the orders of the Ninja Head were absolute; the man held the power to judge and execute him at any time.

*I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing... but at least my status has improved slightly. Being a Chunin is still better than the treatment a Genin receives.*

At last, Hyakusuke had experienced his first promotion and pay raise.

...

Though it was called a promotion and pay raise, in reality, there was only the "promotion," with no raise at all.

It was a truly miserable state of affairs: a Chunin’s salary was exactly the same as a Genin’s. The monthly pay was identical.

To begin with, the income for Genin within the ninja ranks was meager, though they did receive a salary. Technically, it wasn't a salary, but an allowance. This allowance was composed of one-half copper coins and bean-plate silver, while the other half consisted of "Gold and Silver Scrip" from the Kurohime Mountain clan’s territory.

These Gold and Silver Scrip were essentially domain notes—paper currency issued by the Kurohime Mountain clan. They were issued in collaboration with the influential branch families and merchants within the territory. They were only valid locally and had an expiration date, after which they became worthless.

With this scrip, one could purchase daily necessities like rice, lamp oil, paper, ink, and pottery. Furthermore, one could spend it at shops within the territory, such as on alcohol, women, or private gambling.

Of course, these "entertainments" were strictly forbidden by the main family. However, it was unrealistic to control them completely. The mortality rate for Genin was extremely high; if they had no outlet for stress, they would inevitably cause trouble outside. Naturally, the middle management turned a blind eye to such matters.

Whether in his past life or his current one, Hyakusuke had no habit of drinking or gambling. As for women, there were indeed "Courtesan Houses" in the castle town—brothels of a sort. To be specific, there were also various private prostitutes among the common folk. If one had the inclination, finding a woman was not difficult.

Yet, Hyakusuke kept himself chaste. Well, the reason was simple: two words—"syphilis."

In this era, because Courtesan Houses, pleasure districts, and private brothels were everywhere in the country, and with the rise of the merchant and townsperson classes, there were more people seeking pleasure than ever. Syphilis and various other venereal diseases were in the midst of a massive epidemic.

Moreover, these diseases could not be cured by the healing arts of an exorcist. Healing arts were essentially the use of spiritual power to accelerate cellular division in the body, thereby speeding up the recovery of wounds—similar to the "Mystical Palm Technique" from the ninja tales. Healing techniques could not cure aging or certain special diseases. In particular, using them on the elderly, whose lifespans were already drawing to a close, was equivalent to accelerating their decay.

In the current day, syphilis remained an incurable, fatal disease.

"Syphilis, what a terrifying thing..." Hyakusuke shivered at the mere thought of it.

He remembered that in his original world, the great writer Maupassant had succumbed to syphilis. The onset of the disease caused the skin to ulcerate, the nose to rot and collapse before falling off, followed by various tumors and swellings, leading to a death in agony. Furthermore, complications from syphilis could affect the brain, leading to mania and uncontrollable emotions. It was highly likely that Maupassant’s later severe mental issues were exacerbated by the disease.

"Come to think of it, the number of historically famous figures who contracted syphilis is countless—Beethoven, Heine, Gauguin, Baudelaire, Schubert..."

Hyakusuke absolutely did not want to contract such a disease, nor did he believe in the cavalier attitude that "it's just a rash, no big deal." He decided to remain chaste. Compared to the fleeting pleasure of a Courtesan House and the risk of winning a "prize," his own life was far more important.

Right, Hyakusuke had also wondered if, with the abilities of the Second Young Lady, Kazura, she might be able to easily cure such a disease. Her "Rite of the Ruined Dust" allowed her to manipulate various bacterial pathogens; perhaps she could cure this venereal disease that plagued the world.

However, when asked, Second Young Lady Kazura merely offered a calm smile. She told him with that smile:

"...There is no cure."

Those who actually contract such a disease might as well just die.

Even though she said it with a smile, that saint-like expression still sent a chill down Hyakusuke’s spine. *Second Young Lady Poison Flower will never develop a cure for syphilis; she would surely say she cannot heal such an illness at all.*

Hyakusuke shook his head inwardly.

Still, the fact that he could become a Chunin likely had something to do with Kazura. After all, Chunin and Genin were fundamentally different; almost all Chunin were retainers to the branch or main families. Because they were retainers, their true salary came from the allowances granted by their lords, which was the bulk of their income. It was likely that because he was perceived as belonging to the Second Young Lady’s "side"—regarded as a member of the Kazura faction—he had the opportunity to be promoted. A Genin without a backer would never have been elevated.

Although everyone under Kazura viewed him as a traitor who had turned his back on his master, he was, at the very least, looked upon with a different eye by her.

*She didn't find an excuse to execute me... and she still acts as my backer, even if only in name. Given her personality, that might already be a great favor.*

As Hyakusuke pondered these questions, he swung his newly acquired ninja sword. His right hand was still wrapped in bandages and covered with healing talismans, so he practiced with his left hand. He wasn't just swinging at the air; it was raining outside, so he stood on the veranda, staring at the raindrops falling from the sky, using the tip of his blade to track the falling water.

Rain poured down. Hyakusuke stared at one drop and raised his blade high.

"Even if I'm injured, I cannot slack off... if I don't persist in training, my techniques and abilities will regress."

A flash of steel. The tip of the sword split the raindrop with pinpoint accuracy.

*Ding!*

Water splashed outward.

Hyakusuke continued his self-training. His sparring partners were the voids beneath the eaves. Every time a raindrop fell, he treated its trajectory as an opponent, swinging his blade, thrusting, and slashing repeatedly.

...

"Huu..."

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt exhausted, his wrist heavy. Hyakusuke let out a breath. The temperature had dropped these past few days; winter was coming. Today was a rare day off. The Genin were permitted to go out. While his colleagues went to enjoy themselves, he had nothing to do but pass the time with training.

In truth, the Genin had various training sessions, but unfortunately, few were as self-disciplined as he was. His level of dedication to basic training had long since transcended obsession and reached the point of insanity. He knew clearly how weak he was.

"Kozaburo, that old man was right."

Hyakusuke knew very well that he and Kozaburo were indeed the weak. The identity of that old man had been investigated afterward; his real name was not Kozaburo. He had originally been a farmer who, upon being discovered to possess spiritual power, was taken away by a famous clan of sorcerers to perform menial tasks. For some reason, he had chosen to run away and eventually fell into the path of "Outer Law," joining the Hachifuku Association.

Although it was unclear why Kozaburo had hidden in Inamori Village, his actions were clearly purposeful. Kozaburo had controlled the mountain imps to attack travelers and peddlers for years, which had already drawn attention. He was aware of this, and perhaps after Leaf Bud noticed something, he implanted a psychological suggestion in her and arranged for the mountain imps to kidnap her. Later, the arrival of Saizo, Hyakusuke, and the others made Kozaburo fear his identity would be discovered. Even after the mountain imps' nest was destroyed, he decided to erase the existence of the village head Giting’s clan to completely hide his identity and fake his own death to escape.

"This ties in with the game's plot, too..."

Having figured this out, he felt somewhat better. The Inamori Village incident had been resolved without the involvement of the male protagonist. This proved that the absence of the male protagonist did not mean one could not intervene in the events, and from another perspective, it proved that certain plot points could be changed.

"Excuse me... Senior Hyakusuke, you have a visitor."

A young boy in charge of chores for the day approached, bringing an unexpected guest. It was an old man wearing a shoulder-mantle and hakama, with a rain hat on his head. The white-haired elder had a katana at his waist—a full samurai outfit.

"Who are you?"

Hyakusuke recognized who it was. This old man was a retainer of the Tsukigaro clan, named Matsudaira Inomaro.

"My name is Matsudaira Inomaro." The old man removed his hat and smiled. "May I ask, are you Lord Hyakusuke, the Chunin serving in the ninja ranks?"