<h4>Volume 1, Chapter 34 - Genji Dojo</h4>


    Trantor: Silva


    Lily walked on a street by the riverside for quite a while before reaching the main gate.


    The main gate was not as majestic as expected, it was just a courtyard entrance after all. The arched brown roof was supported by two pirs covered in simple copper decorations.


    No signboard could be seen disyed in front of the door. There was only the emblem of a Gentiana carved on the copper decorations.


    Lily had seen once seen this in a book at Matsuda n, this was the family emblem of the Genji n.


    ‘The leading samurai n in the Heian Empire, the strongest power in the country, yet they are so low-profile.’ Lily had a favorable impression of Genji.


    Around this time, the moon was hiding behind the ck clouds, so their doors were naturally closed.


    The examination period starts from tomorrow for five consecutive days. As long as one had the rmendation letter, they could take the examination in any of those days. Therefore, she was not worried about missing the test.


    The only reason Lily came over was to take a look at the ce. The wind of this summer night was chilly, so it was better if she went to look for a dwelling ce first.


    Lily turned around and noticed a wide wooden bridge directly opposite of the dojo’s main gate.


    On the other side of the wooden bridge was a shrine surrounded by a thicket.


    Lily was attracted by some kind of power emitted from the shrine. She walked past the wooden bridge and headed straight for the shrine.


    The shrine was built from natural logs, it was a simple yet soothing building. Inside the shrine, the bronze statue of an average build samurai was enshrined behind a wooden fence.


    “Ah…” When Lily looked at the statue, an imposing aura was emitted from the ck eyes of the masked samurai statue.


    Lily couldn’t help but feel like she was about to copse.


    ‘Such a powerful pressure! So powerful that it’s scary!’


    This was merely a statue, but the pressure it emitted was more powerful than any of the experts Lily had encountered by chance. Even that Demon King Michizane didn’t make Lily feel so terrified when their eyes met.


    ‘J-Just who is this…’


    In front of the shrine, there was a te with impressive handwriting, “Kurou Hogan Yosh*tsune.”


    Minamoto no Yosh*tsune?


    Lily had learned of this person when she was studying the history of this parallel world. This person was the bravest samurai in the history of the Genji. He was also the founder of the Genji’s strongest sword arts known as 《Genji Swordstyle》.


    Lily no longer spoke a word, she straightened her posture and respectfully knelt on the straw mattress in front of the shrine. Then she offered a bow to this legendary leader of the Genji.


    Since she was nning to train and learn the path of the samurais at the Genji Dojo, this person might be her future master, so she naturally had to kneel and worship him properly.


    Even so, this samurai was not at all gigantic in stature. Although Lily was sitting, she estimated by visual that his height was no more than 1.5 meters. However, just the pressure emitted by this statue was enough to make Lily’s back broke out in cold sweat.


    When Lily was bowing in all sincerity, a slender young woman in a red kimono was also kneeling beside Lily as she prayed towards this Yosh*tsune statue from who knew when.


    After that young woman finished with her prayer, she got up and said with her mature voice, “Nowadays, it is so rare to see a youngster like youing to pray so earnestly during such a cold summer night.”


    “Eh?” Lily raised her head. It was only at that time she noticed the young woman standing next to her. She didn’t detect her presence at all until now.


    This young woman had ck hair, a beautiful face, a slender neck, and long eyshes. There was a mole beside her red lips, slightly visible threads of ck hair were randomly scattered across her cheeks, and there was a not so obvious bulge on her chest. What was even more prominent than this young woman’s appearance was the slightly imposing aura she carried with her.


    Although this young woman approached without making a sound, Lily felt that she had a gentle nature under her imposing guise. She didn’t feel any danger from her, so she got up slowly and took a small step backward before making a gesture to greet the young woman.


    When the young woman looked at Lily, a kindle was lit in her heart by Lily’s fairy-likeplexion and nearly perfect female body. Moreover, she was so graceful and courteous. The young woman’s impression of Lily was also considerably good. She said with a charming mature smile, “Minamoto no Yosh*tsune is the martial god of the Genji n, what brings a delicate as flower youngdy like you here tonight?”


    Lily didn’t try to fool her, not only was this young woman mature, she felt at ease in her presence. Thereupon, she replied, “I came here to take part in the samurai’s examination test. I just arrived today and while I was passing by, I incidentally found the shrine of Lord Minamoto no Yosh*tsune, so I came to pay my respects.”


    “Hehe, what a good youngdy. I believe you will make a good samurai too,” said the young woman with a smile.


    “Thank you, madam.” Although Lily had no idea who she was, it wascking in manners to randomly ask for the name of such a respectable woman.


    “It is alreadyte, although Takesh*ta is said to be one of the safest towns in the surrounding areas, youngdy still needs to find a ce to stay.”


    “That’s right…… I am still not that familiar with the surroundings around here.”


    “Just walk along the river bank, once you walked past the dojo, you will find a lodging house called “Chrysanthemum” there. That ce is clean, has good security, and cheap. Feel free to go take a look.”


    “Thank you for the direction, madam.”


    After making another gesture, Lily turned around to take her leave.


    “Chrysanthemum”, just the name alone gives the impression of a clean and elegant ce. Let’s just go and take a look. I will stay if I can afford it.


    After walking past the wide territory of Genji Dojo, there was indeed a secluded lodging house around a corner of the river. Under thentern was ck writing with the words: “Chrysanthemum Inn”.


    ‘This is the ce,’ Lily thought to herself as she stepped forward and ced her hand on top of the wooden board in front of the door.


    The door opened and an olddy with white hair came to receive her, “Youngdy, looking for amodation?”


    “Erm… I’m not sure, is it expensive?”


    “Hehe, the madam has instructed me to charge only 10 mon per day if a refined youngdy like youes to pay a visit, meals included,” replied the olddy with a benevolent smile.


    If it was 10 mon, she should be able to afford it. Therefore, Lily bowed and said, “Then please take care of me.”


    The olddy escorted Lily into the lodging house. After passing through a really long corridor, they arrived at a secluded room located at the far back. Once the sliding door on the other side of the room was pulled open, an open-air hot spring could be seen.


    “You will be staying in this room, youngdy.”


    The environment around here was stylish and refined. Even the courtyard was built with good taste,paring it to the backyard of Matsuda n that’s overgrown with weeds would be an insult.


    It went without saying that the housing condition of Matsuda n very good, so she didn’t expect to live in such a nice ce with only 10 mon, it was truly way beyond Lily’s expectation.


    “Youngdy, that hot spring is open all year round, so feel free to go in and take a bath at any time. Our Chrysanthemum Inn only epts female guests, so please set your mind at rest. I will retire for now to prepare something for the youngdy to eat,” the olddy bowed before leaving through the door.


    Lily put the parasol and sack at one corner of the room. And finally, the pink goldfish on the railing of the window sill after she gave it some thought. When she looked through the window and saw the hot spring, Lily couldn’t help but feel delighted.


    “Honestly, this is such a beautiful ce.”


    An hourter, the sliding door was pushed open, “Youngdy, I will be cing your dinner here, please enjoy your meal.”


    “Mmm… just put it there, thank you… Eh?” At the moment, Lily was leaning on the wooden railing as she enjoyed the beautiful scenery. However, she felt something was amiss from the voice of the one who delivered the meal. When she turned around, she found that the one sitting in seiza at the doorway and delivered her meal on a small wooden desk was the beautiful young woman she met at the shrine earlier.


    “W-why are you here…”


    “Hehehe, I forgot to exin to the youngdy just now, I am actually the owner of this lodging house,” said the young woman while covering her smile with the back of her hand.