"Taka-san, this is it."
Sakae led Taka through the streets of Sendai, finally stopping in front of an unassuming storefront.
He pointed to the weathered wooden signboard above, engraved with three characters for [Sanmonji].
Taka looked at this relatively desolate street, feeling somewhat lost inside.
Whether in Rukongai or in Hayama, Taka had never read a single book. He could be called a complete illiterate.
In his imagination, places like bookstores were either for wealthy people in smart long gowns, or for refined young ladies and gentlemen. Certainly not places where a stray dog like him could enter.
The door of this bookstore was half open. From inside wafted the smells of cheap tobacco, low-grade tea, and the scent of paper and ink.
Sakae walked in first, lifting the noren. Taka carefully adjusted the outline of his Nichirin Sword and followed him inside.
The light inside was somewhat dim. Occupying most of the walls were huge bookshelves that almost reached the ceiling, densely packed with books.
Wherever possible, the shop had scattered several rough long wooden tables and many benches, all crowded with people.
Confusion flickered in Taka's eyes, because the readers he saw were far from his imagination:
They were either men in indigo or coarse brown work clothes, or students in patched uniforms with unhealthy complexions, and some who looked like ordinary townsfolk just there for the gathering.
Some held books upside down, not knowing what they were looking at.
They either gulped tea from coarse ceramic bowls or munched on cold, hard rice balls. More people were gathered together, discussing fiercely with flushed faces, spittle flying everywhere.
'This was a bookstore?' Taka felt it was more like a roadside drinking stall...
Sakae noticed Taka's confusion and quickly explained in a low voice:
"Quite different, isn't it, Taka-san? Sanmonji isn't a place for those gentlemen to read for leisure. It's a different kind of gathering spot. The owner... is a different kind of wealthy man!"
He pointed to the large character [Three] inside the bookstore and said seriously, "I heard he's opened shops in many places like Tokyo and Osaka, all named Sanmonji. He specifically takes in and helps people like us who don't fit in with the mainstream voice... people with no books to read, no place to go, no one to listen to them..."
Although Sakae was older than Taka, he was always rash and easily excited.
He pointed excitedly at the impassioned or intently discussing faces. "People like to gather here, vent their bitterness, think of solutions. Over time, more people came! Harada-san's articles are printed into pamphlets here and distributed!"
Taka listened silently, his gaze sweeping over the people in the shop, his face expressionless.
It didn't matter.
He didn't care what ideals or visions these people had. He came here to find Harada Chuichi. His ultimate goal was to eliminate the demon in Sendai City.
Everything else was secondary.
"Let's get to business," he suggested.
Led by Sakae, he threaded through several tables crowded almost without gaps, his gaze and attention continuously sweeping over the people reading nearby.
A student wearing round-framed glasses, looking refined, was reciting softly:
"....I opened the history books to check, but this history had no dates, and on every page were scrawled the words 'Benevolence, Righteousness, Morality' in crooked lines. I couldn't sleep, so I looked carefully through the night, and only then did I see from between the lines… the whole book was filled with two words: 'Eat people'!"
"This writing has power! Is it from an overseas article?"
"Yeah, it's a work by Zhou-kun. He studied here in Sendai before, has some connection with the owner... Whew, it's really well written..."
Taka remained completely uninterested, continuing to follow Asano Sakae towards the back of the bookstore.
In the innermost part of the shop, a relatively quiet corner, was a small table that looked like a cashier's desk. Behind it sat a young girl.
She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a clean, dark blue, finely checked kimono, covered by a plain apron. Her hair was neatly tied back, revealing a smooth forehead and gentle, graceful eyebrows and eyes.
"Yuka-san, sorry to disturb you."
Sakae clearly knew her. He stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
The girl called Yuka looked up, saw Sakae, and a gentle smile appeared on her face:
"Ah, Asano-san... is your brother's illness any better?"
"My older brother... has already passed away...."
"What! This... I'm so terribly sorry... my condolences."
She bowed to Asano Sakae in apology, somewhat flustered, then noticed the young man in uniform behind him, dressed in black.
Sakae grimaced and rubbed his head, suppressing his grief, and introduced to Yuka:
"This is Taka-san. He is... a master from the Demon Slayer Corps! We've come to find Harada Chuichi-san."
"Demon Slayer Corps? Demons?" Surprise deepened in Yuka's eyes as she carefully examined Taka.
Well-read and knowledgeable, she was aware of the vastness of the world and wasn't particularly interested in legends of ghosts and monsters.
However, good upbringing prevented her from questioning Sakae's words. She simply nodded slightly in greeting to Taka.
She understood their purpose, so she put down the booklet in her hand and folded her hands on her lap.
Yuka looked at Sakae and spoke gently, "Harada-san will be coming tonight. If you wait a while, you should be able to see him."
"You also know, with rice prices soaring recently, times are hard for everyone. I heard that in cities to the south, there have even been riots over rice. Such unrest..."
"Harada-san plans to discuss countermeasures with everyone, whether to pressure the rice merchants again, or to put some pressure on the municipal office to make life a little better for people..."
She looked up at the clock on the wall and added, "Probably in about another hour."
"Thank you, Yuka-san!" Sakae breathed a long sigh of relief and quickly thanked her. Taka also nodded in greeting, accepting the arrangement.
The two sat down on the bench Yuka had indicated. Taka habitually chose the side against the wall, where his field of vision could cover the entire shop. He rested his hand on the tsuba of his sword, his gaze calmly sweeping the surroundings.
Time slowly passed amidst the characteristic bustle of the bookstore.
The discussions among the workers rose and fell in volume, all on topics Taka couldn't understand....
"Did you hear? It's worse in Osaka. The military police have been deployed!"
"Sigh, life is unbearable! Harada-san is right. If we workers don't band together, we'll just be treated like livestock by those blood-sucking bosses!"
"The owner of Sanmonji is really a good man, letting us speak here...."
"You bet! I heard the owner's son, that Nosaka-san, is even more active in Tokyo! The owner renamed all his bookstores Sanmonji to support his son's work."
"So that's it! No wonder! Nosaka-san is really an admirable figure.... Times are hard. Hope Harada-san brings some good news tonight...."
These social issues were far too remote for Taka, a man who only knew how to wield a sword. But from these people's fragmented words, he basically confirmed his judgment—
This Harada Chuichi was indeed probably a thorn in the side of those behind the scenes.
While waiting, with nothing else to do, Taka flipped through some ancient texts he couldn't understand. Yuka kindly pointed out the meaning of some poems and brought two cups of coarse tea, placing them on the low table before him.
"Please, humble tea and refreshments, my apologies for the poor offering," She said gently. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the sword hidden at Taka's waist before moving away.
Sakae quickly thanked her. Taka merely glanced at the steaming cup of tea and didn't touch it.
He closed his eyes, focusing more intently on mobilizing his Reiatsu Perception, carefully expanding his Reiatsu outward from himself like an invisible spider's web.
For now, he detected no obvious demonic aura or malevolent Reiatsu.
Those gathered here were all people with life forces either vigorous or weary, but essentially the soul fluctuations of ordinary humans.
As for the girl named Yuka, her Reiatsu was gentle and pure, carrying a reassuring tranquility.
However, just as his awareness swept past a corner near the back door of the bookstore-
He caught a faint, almost imperceptible trace of gloomy cold aura.
The aura flickered and vanished, only stirring a ripple before disappearing without a trace.
'Is it here?'
Taka opened his eyes and tightened his grip on the sword's hilt.