Once Takeshi came to his senses and the adrenaline within him settled down, he carefully inspected his surroundings. He was once again on the same wooden porch he laid on the night before. What intrigued him was that his body stayed in the same position it was in the night before, and his sword was sheathed—unlike it was just moments ago.
This made Takeshi think: Does this mean that only my soul or consciousness gets transported into the Shadow Realm and my body stays behind?
Unable to determine the answer to the question, he got up into a seating position. Just then, the doors behind him were opened and out walked a man. Takeshi glanced at him and instantly recognized him as the owner of the house and the head of the family that let him stay the night.
As soon as he saw Takeshi, a brief expression of surprise was shown. After that, he quickly asked:
"Where did you wander off last night? I wanted to give you some leftovers we had from dinner, but when I got out here with the food, you were nowhere to be found. So I simply thought that you left."
Hearing this, Takeshi was taken aback.
So my body doesn't actually stay in this world. Once night falls, it just disappears and then reappears in the same state it was previously in when the sun arises.
Seeing that Takeshi wasn't willing to share the information about where he had ventured off to, the man decided not to ask anything more than he already had. Then he asked Takeshi:
"The leftovers are still here. Do you want to eat them now?"
Hearing this, Takeshi realized that he indeed was quite hungry and told the man that he would appreciate it very much if he gave him the food. Then the man went back in and quickly brought out the leftovers.
As soon as the food was placed in front of him, he began eating quickly. The food wasn't particularly tasty, and on top of that, it was cold—but since he was so hungry, Takeshi was practically devouring it.
As he ate, a question formed in his mind. He quickly turned his head toward the man who was still standing beside him and asked:
"Do you know of the Shiranui family? I'm sorry to be asking such questions, but I'm not from these parts, so I'm not very well informed."
After hearing the question, the man quickly shook his head and answered:
"I haven't heard of it."
This response made Takeshi think: So perhaps it's not a famous last name, and Renji just has some sort of main character complex and believes everyone should know his name. But he doesn't seem like that type of guy. He gave off the vibe of someone grounded and reliable.
Just then, the man added:
"But I know someone who might have the answer you're seeking."
He pointed toward the house that stood at the very top of the village, perched on a small hillside. Then he said:
"There lives the head of our village. He's the one who assembled it back when my great-great-grandfather was still alive. He's a pillar of wisdom who guides us through life."
As soon as he heard this, Takeshi frowned and thought: He's lived for that long?! How? That's ridiculous. I'd assume people here have normal lifespans, but since he said the man was around when his great-great-grandfather was alive it means this village elder is likely an anomaly.
Then he asked:
"Will he be willing to grant me an audience?"
The man chuckled and replied:
"Of course. He is a very kind man to those who are also kind."
Hearing this, Takeshi heaved a sigh of relief and quickly finished his meal. Then he stood up and sincerely thanked the man who had helped him. After that, he made his way up through the village until he arrived at the house of the head of the village.
He walked up to the door and knocked lightly. After a few seconds, footsteps could be heard from inside. With each passing second, they grew louder and clearer—until they finally reached the door.
Then, the two doors opened to reveal a young man on the other side, not much older than Takeshi. The young man looked at him and asked,
"How can I help you?"
Takeshi replied,
"I wish to speak to the head of this village."
The man gave him a quick glance and asked,
"May I know who you are?"
This question left Takeshi thinking: That's a good question. I don't think I even know the answer anymore.
He gave a short reply,
"A traveler."
The man nodded and said,
"Wait a second."
He then stepped back into the house and closed the door behind him. After about a minute, he returned and opened the door once more.
"You may come in," he said.
Takeshi nodded and followed him inside. The man led him to the entrance of a room and, after sliding the door open, gestured for him to enter. Takeshi stepped inside.
There, he saw an old man sitting on a cushion on the floor. His face was deeply wrinkled, and a long gray beard flowed down his chest. He was bald, and his deep blue eyes carried an unexplainable sense of wisdom.
Takeshi bowed slightly and said,
"Sir, I have a question I would like to ask you."
After that, the room fell silent for a few seconds before the old man replied, gesturing toward the floor,
"First, take a seat. I prefer to be on equal ground with my conversational partner. This way, no one has the upper hand in the discussion purely due to physical position."
Takeshi frowned slightly upon hearing this, but he understood what the man was getting at, so he took a seat.
Once he had settled down, the old man continued,
"It is common courtesy for two people to introduce themselves to one another when they first meet. I am Tsukigawa Haruto."
Takeshi was a little weary of the elder's formalities, but he decided to go along with them—he needed answers. So, he introduced himself,
"Ren Takeshi."
The old man nodded.
"Very well. Now, you may ask your question."
Without wasting any time, Takeshi asked,
"Sir, do you by any chance know of the Shiranui family?"
The old man chuckled and said,
"Well of course—it's common knowledge to anyone with even the slightest clue about the great history of our world. Unfortunately, we now live in an era where most people know very little about their own past. Things were very different four hundred years ago."
Upon hearing this, Takeshi nearly frowned but managed to control himself.
Four hundred years?! He's been alive that long? That's absolutely ridiculous.
The old man continued,
"Shiranui is the family name of one of the four great clans of the Crimson Era."
This sent Takeshi's mind into turmoil.
So it actually is an important name? One of the four great clans? Wait... did he say Crimson Era? I'm pretty sure the demon I'm blessed by also mentioned that term when talking about his last chosen one.
Realizing how little he knew, Takeshi bowed his head respectfully and said,
"I'm ashamed to admit how ignorant I am… but could you please explain the Crimson Era to me in more detail?"
The old man nodded solemnly.
"The Crimson Era was a period that began nearly twenty thousand years ago. During that time, the world was divided into four major factions—each ruled by one of the great clans: Shiranui, Aokawa, Himura, and Tenma. Each family sought to dominate the world, which led to constant warfare that lasted for five hundred years."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"You may wonder how an era that only spanned five centuries could hold such historical weight. The answer lies in the scale of the conflict—battles were waged on a level you can scarcely imagine. Cities turned to ash. Mountains split. At the end of it all, there was no true victor. All four clans were severely weakened, and in the aftermath, new clans rose to power, taking their place."
Then he looked at Takeshi with a sharp glint in his eyes and added,
"If you wish to know more… you'll have to pay."
Takeshi sat in deep thought, his mind chaotic and swirling with everything he had just learned.
This world has such a rich history… yet the book never mentioned any of it. That must mean Renji is a descendant of an ancient and powerful clan from the Crimson Era. So at least one small branch of the Shiranui clan must have survived all this time…
But then, the old man's final words caught up to him.
Pay?! I don't have a single penny to my name… or whatever currency this world even uses!
Hoping to gain some insight into the local value system, he quickly asked,
"What kind of payment would you like?"
The old man chuckled softly at the question. After a moment, he calmly replied,
"There is only one thing in this world that holds undying value."
He paused for dramatic effect, then said,
"Knowledge."