Isshiki had been soaking in the bathhouse for quite some time before Ogata entered the bath.
When taking a bath, the water temperature is too high, so the blood vessels throughout the body will expand, the blood supply to the skin will increase, and the blood supply to the brain will decrease. Therefore, if you take a bath for a long time, you are very likely to experience dizziness.
I felt my head getting more and more dizzy, and my cheeks slowly turned pale again due to dizziness and panic.
——I’m in trouble…
——We have to... quickly think of a way to get Ittosai to leave here... Otherwise... I'm going to faint in the bathtub...
Fainting in the bathtub - this was a mistake only a child would make, Isshiki didn't want to make it even if he died...
At this moment, Ogata did not notice Isshiki's abnormality - it would be strange if he noticed it. He was facing away from Isshiki, and Isshiki was also facing away from him. With their backs facing each other, it would be a miracle if Ogata could notice Isshiki's physical discomfort.
Ogata, who didn't notice that Isshiki was unwell, continued to talk to himself:
"Even if we don't talk about these empty words and just talk about the real things, I still feel that I am still far from perfect in the swordsmanship."
"As far as I know, there is another person in this world whose swordsmanship is far superior to mine."
The surprise that had just disappeared reappeared on her face.
"Is there anyone whose swordsmanship is higher than yours?"
Isshiki had an almost endless interest in topics related to swordsmanship, and after hearing what Ogata had just said, which she could not ignore no matter what, Isshiki temporarily ignored her dizziness.
"Yes." Ogata nodded, "It's the senior who named that strange state 'Transparency' that I just mentioned."
The image of Genichi Kinoshita leaning against the wall, drinking very casually, appeared in Ogata's mind.
"As for his name, I won't tell you for some reason."
Genichirō is a troublemaker with enemies all over the world. If one casually mentions Genichirō's name, one might get into some avoidable trouble. So in order to avoid trouble, Ogata chooses to conceal Genichirō's name.
"He can be considered as my teacher. In terms of his attainments in swordsmanship, I can only look up to him."
The creation of the "Muga Two-Sword Style" and the "Genichi Breathing" - these two achievements alone are enough to make it difficult for Ogata to be compared with Genichi in terms of swordsmanship.
Isshiki's cheeks were now filled with shock.
In Isshiki's eyes, Ogata, who had accomplished two miraculous feats, "fighting one against a hundred and slaying the tyrant" and "capturing Nijo Castle", was undoubtedly unrivaled and incomparable.
But at this moment, he heard from Ogata that there was someone in this world whose swordsmanship was better than Ogata's - the shock this caused to Isshiki was almost enough to destroy his worldview.
"Can you tell me where this person is now?" Isshiki shot a fiery look at Ogata, "I really want to go and meet him!"
——This guy is really obsessed with swordsmanship...
Ogata shook his head.
"I'm sorry, for some reason, I can't just tell you where he currently lives."
“I see…” Isshiki’s eyes flashed with desolation, “Then…can you let me ask another question that might be a little rude?”
Ogata: “Just ask.”
"Since you said that your master's swordsmanship is better than yours..." Isshiki asked in a cautious tone, "Then your teacher is the most powerful swordsman in Japan, right?"
"Well..." Ogata laughed dumbly, "In terms of swordsmanship, he should be the best in Japan right now."
"But if we only talk about combat power, I can't say for sure."
"In terms of fighting ability, I have never fought him, but I think he and I are on par with each other."
"Although his swordsmanship is better than mine, he is old after all. He is already over sixty years old."
"Although he doesn't look like an old man at all, aging has definitely made his physical fitness less than it used to be."
"And I'm young. In terms of physical fitness, I'm confident that I'm better than him."
"Besides - in terms of his obsession with winning or losing, he may not be as good as me."
"Obsession with winning or losing?" Isshiki asked doubtfully.
"The path I take is completely different from the path my teacher takes." Ogata sighed, "I pursue victory, while my teacher pursues enjoyment."
"In my eyes, as long as you can win a fight, it's fine. As long as you can win, any moves or weapons can be used."
"If swordsmanship works well, use swordsmanship; if judo works well, use judo; if firearms work well, use firearms... All weapons and skills should be used according to the situation, all for the sake of victory."
"But my teacher is not like that."
"For him, winning is secondary. Being able to swing the sword to his heart's content is the most important thing."
"He perfected his skills and fought for the enjoyment of swinging a sword."
"So even if he knew that he could win more easily by using other weapons or other techniques, my teacher would definitely insist on fighting with a sword."
"If I were to duel with him, the following would probably happen: I would frown, thinking of ways to quickly defeat him, while he would smile, expressing the purest joy for being able to swing his sword to his heart's content."
"I pursue victory much more than he does. This difference in mentality can also give me a little advantage in the duel with him."
"Of course - what I just said was just my nonsense."
Ogata shrugged and smiled.
"I haven't set foot on every piece of land in the world, and I haven't seen every person. Who knows if there are people in this world who are stronger than me and my teacher?"
“I see…” Isshiki had been listening carefully to what Ogata had just said.
Her expression and demeanor also changed rapidly as Ogata spoke.
“Everything just for the sake of winning…” Isshiki whispered.
——No wonder... he said "swordsmanship should be eliminated"... In his eyes, firearms are much easier to defeat the enemy than swordsmanship, so he said such a thing...
——But... no matter how hard I think about it, I can't imagine that firearms have any potential to replace swordsmanship...
——Oh, no…I feel even more dizzy…
A sudden and severe dizziness interrupted Isshiki's thoughts.
Because he was "listening" attentively just now, Isshiki temporarily forgot about the dizziness.
As soon as Ogata finished his "speech", the dizziness immediately attacked Isshiki's brain with a more intense trend.
——We can’t delay any longer… We must find a way to lure Ogata Ittosai out of this bath as soon as possible…
Before Isshiki could finish what he was thinking, Ogata's voice suddenly rang out:
"By the way, I haven't asked you yet." Ogata asked, "Your grandfather told me before that you run a sword hall in Osaka. Why are you here when you run a sword hall in Osaka?"
Having just had a casual chat with Isshiki, the atmosphere between became much more harmonious. Ogata, who also enjoyed chatting with others while taking a bath, also had his "desire to chat" aroused.
——Why are you asking me questions at this very moment?
Isshiki is now in a state of tears.
At a time when she was anxious to find a way to leave the bath, Ogata's questions would undoubtedly disturb her thoughts.
And she had no choice but to answer the questions posed by Ogata.
After all, if Ogata asked her a question and she remained silent, it might attract Ogata's attention.
What Isshiki fears most right now is that Ogata's attention will be drawn to her and she will discover her true gender...
It would be fine to discover her true gender in other situations, but if her true gender was discovered in the bathing pool where both of them were naked, then it would be a big deal.
Not only would her body be exposed, but it would also easily cause Ogata to misunderstand her and make him think that she was a pervert who came to the men's bath to peek...
By then, Isshiki might even want to commit suicide.
So Isshiki, who had no choice but to answer Ogata's question, could only suppress the dizziness in his head and answer:
"My grandfather and I...were traveling around to study."
"My grandfather wants to see with his own eyes how miserable the people are in all parts of the world that are now ruled by the Edo Shogunate."
"Since I was born, I have hardly ever left Osaka. So in order to broaden my horizons, I pestered my grandfather to take me on a tour."
"So how long have you and your grandfather been studying abroad?" Ogata asked.
"About half a year. We set out from Osaka and headed westward until we reached Matsumae Domain before turning back. We can be considered to have visited all the important places in western Japan."
"The Matsumae Domain is close to the Ezo people's territory, so there are many sights that cannot be seen in mainland Japan."
"My grandfather and I originally wanted to live in Matsumae for a while and take a good look at these sights that we can't see in mainland Japan."
"But it's a pity that our sword hall's annual 'Grand Test' will begin soon."
"Although my father is now in charge of the affairs of the sword hall, my grandfather is the nominal head of the sword hall after all, so he cannot be absent from the 'Grand Test'."
"So I had to give up my plan to stay in Matsumae for a while and head back to Osaka."
"In order to save time, we boarded a smuggling boat that could leave quickly. Then, we ran into you in the cabin."
"'Da Shihe'? What is that?" Ogata asked back.
"This is a test held jointly by our Isse Sword Gym and several other sword gyms that we have good relations with. Apprentices from each gym are allowed to compete in order to test the level of the apprentices in each gym."
"Oh..." A look of reminiscence appeared on Ogata's face, and he murmured in a low voice that only he could hear: "It's very similar to the 'Kei Shindenbu' of our Sakakibara Sword Hall..."
Ogata was no stranger to the "great test" that Isshiki mentioned - the Sakakibara Sword Hall where he practiced sword before had something similar: the "King of Swordsmanship".
Their Sakakibara Sword School originally held an annual apprentice competition with the Ishikawa Sword School next door.
"King of Gods Martial Arts" has a special meaning for Ogata - this is his first time to compete with others with a real sword, and it is also his first time to fight a life-and-death battle with others.
"Are you a native of Osaka?" Ogata continued to ask with a puzzled look on his face, "Why do you seem to have no Osaka accent when you speak?"
Isshiki and his grandfather don't look like grandfather and grandson at all, because their accents are so different.
Naoshige speaks with a distinct Kansai accent.
Isshiki spoke very standard Japanese Mandarin of that era - that is, Kanto dialect.
——Can’t you just let me think about how to leave here in peace...!
Isshiki resisted the urge to yell at Ogata, "That's enough! Stop talking nonsense! Get out of here!" and continued to endure the dizziness in his head, and said:
"I was born and raised in Osaka. More than 200 years ago, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi first built Osaka Castle, my family took root and settled in Osaka ."
“The main reason why I don’t speak with a Kansai accent is because my mother is from Kanto.”
"My grandfather and father were very busy, so I was basically raised by my mother. Under her influence, I started to speak more like a Kanto person."
Osaka - one of the three major capitals of Japan along with Edo and Kyoto.
It is also a city with a strong connection to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a hero of the Warring States Period more than 200 years ago who once ruled all of Japan.
In the 11th year of Tensho (1583 AD), Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who officially embarked on the road of conquering the world, built Osaka Castle. Since then, Osaka Castle has become the ruling center of the Toyotomi family.
After the Toyotomi clan was destroyed by the Edo shogunate led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not raze the Toyotomi clan's capital to the ground. Instead, he preserved it and made full use of its geographical advantages to transform it into a giant commercial city, and then slowly turned it into one of the three major capitals of Japan today.
“I can actually speak Kansai dialect.”
After that, Isshiki cleared his throat.
"But my Kansai dialect is not very standard, so I don't like to speak it in front of others." Isseki switched to some Kansai dialect with not very accurate pronunciation.
"Well... I think you could speak Kansai dialect more often in front of people." Ogata smiled.
"Why?" Isese asked in confusion.
"Because I think your Kansai dialect sounds very nice."
Ogata has a very special feeling for Kansai dialect.
Because Atachi is from Kansai, she was born in Omi, Kansai.
Ating, who could not speak the Mandarin of this era at all, could only speak Kansai dialect.
After listening to Atachi's Kansai dialect for a long time, Ogata not only learned a different accent, but also developed a strange sense of familiarity with Kansai dialect.
Although Isshiki's Kansai dialect sounded a little unfamiliar, after hearing Isshiki's slightly unfamiliar Kansai dialect, Ogata still unconsciously developed a strange sense of familiarity with him.
Isshiki has heard countless different kinds of praises since he was a child.
Isshiki was already used to the compliments from others.
But for some reason - Isshiki felt her heart beat faster after hearing Ogata's praise of her Kansai dialect just now.
“Thank you…”
Isshiki herself didn't notice it - a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Then you and your grandfather have traveled to various important places in western Japan, and you must have gained a lot, right?" Ogata changed the topic again.
"Well... I guess this trip was worth it..."
Isshiki was about to continue speaking, but Ogata suddenly turned his head.
He frowned and gave Isshiki a questioning look.
"What's wrong with you? Why do I feel like your voice has become much weaker when you speak?"
"Ah?" Isese was shocked.
——Oops! Oops!
"No, no..." Isshiki quickly pulled himself together and tried to make his voice strong, "You must have heard it wrong..."
Although Isshiki tried very hard to make her voice full of strength, her head was so dizzy that she couldn't even concentrate, so all her efforts were in vain.
Not only did her words fail to dispel Ogata's doubts, but they made Ogata frown even more.
"… Isshiki-kun, how long have you been soaking in this bath? Are you dizzy?"
“No, no…”
"You're still saying no, but you're so weak when you talk."
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Isshiki heard the sound of stepping on water behind him.
Isshiki hurriedly looked behind him - only to see Ogata walking slowly towards him.
"Go outside the bath and take a rest. Can you walk now? Do you need me to help you?"
“No, no, no, no, that’s not necessary!” Isshiki’s face was now flushed with anxiety, “I, I can walk by myself!”
After saying that, Isshiki walked quickly towards the bathing pool with his back to Ogata and his hands crossed over his chest.
Because of his anxious mood, Yi Se walked exceptionally fast.
"Ah, be careful, don't walk so fast..."
"ah--!"
Before Ogata could finish his words, Isshiki suddenly burst into screams.
Isshiki was now so dizzy that he felt the whole world was spinning without any rhythm. It was difficult for him to stand steadily, let alone walk fast.
As expected, Isshiki had just taken a few steps when his legs went weak and he fell towards the water. This sudden change also made Isshiki subconsciously let go of his hands that were crossed over his chest and screamed.
Seeing this, Ogata moved subconsciously with his 18 points of agility and 15 points of reflexes.
In just the blink of an eye, Obuncle appeared behind Isshiki at a speed that seemed like teleportation.
Ogata originally planned to support Isshiki's armpits from bottom to top.
However, because the incident happened suddenly, Ogata was unable to accurately control the strength and position of his hands.
Finally – Ogata succeeded in supporting Isshiki who was about to fall.
However... the part where he held his hands was slightly different from what he had imagined...
Ogata held on with both hands...
--What's this……?
Ogata, who was already in a state of dumbfoundedness, stared blankly at Isshiki, who was a head shorter than him, standing in front of him.
Although he couldn't see Isshiki's expression clearly because she was facing away from him, Ogata could see that both of Isshiki's ears were turning bright red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Both Ogata and Isshiki were so shocked by the little accident that was happening to them that they lost their ability to think.
The two of them remained silent as they were still unable to come to their senses, maintaining this strange posture...