The air was dead silent with subtle whistles of the cold wind, the atmosphere carried the scent of burning wood and Soy sauce.
' It seems like I was mistaken, during this era nobles were loosing power and the prefectural Lords and the military were taking over...what a miscalculation'
It was night time and Jizen had already arrived at the next town, the town was oddly silent.
The town had multiple wooden houses that were decorated with lanterns, the streets were paved with stone and bodies of the homeless and unfortunate.
Jizen could hear policeman patrol town while laughing and mocking at the unfortunate however he simply minded his business as he passed food stalls and approached an inn.
"Umm...hello is this an inn"
Jizen incurred as he entered the door and approached a young man who looked like a receptionist.
"Yeah didn't you read the door sign dumbass" the young man lazy raised his eyes as he tried to observe Jizen however he quickly bowed as he said:
""P-please forgive my rudeness, honorable sir! I....I failed to recognize your status. It was terribly disrespectful of me."
The young man quickly began to apologize as he noticed Jizen's attire, Jizen looked exactly like Ize including his attire meaning the young man perceived him as someone of status.
"Yes this is an inn Good Sir, are you planning to spend a night and how may this lowly one assist you"
Jizen noticed that the young man was sweating profusely due to the fear of losing his life however he shrugged him off as he said:
"How much is a room per night and what kinds of rooms do you offer including their services"
The young man immediately rushed towards Jizen as he handed him a pamphlet, the pamphlet was written in Kanji and due to Ize's memories and his own, Jizen understood Kanji, Hiragana and Romaji pretty well.
"I would like a private mid range room that is away from the Sun, I would stay for a month at the best... can you calculate the total please "
The young man immediately raised his eyebrows as he suspiciously looked at Jizen, he began to calculate mentally and said:
"Umm... including food and other amenities it should be 250 Yen your excellency...umm are you sure about this your excellency "
Jizen simply smiled as he heard the tone of the boy, farmers earned around 100-200 yen per year and him spending such money on an inn was quite alarming.
"Ummm... and why should your room be away from the Sun"
The young man continued to ask questions that made Jizen uncomfortable and impatient, he simply sighed and said:
" You ask too much, I am just a noble Zen Monk who wants to grieve and meditate in peace is that too much to ask "
The young man quickly began to apologize as he noticed that he over stepped.
The young man knew immediately after Jizen's vague response that, the mouth that asks too many questions will draw the storm's gaze and the wise know when to silence their tongue, for some truths are buried in the wind.
"Do you accept cash or card, do you use apple pay..." Jizen immediately stopped talking midway and said:
" Due to the nature of my stay i can pay using installments, I prefer weekly so... what's my discount"
The young man simply sighed and said:
"The mayor keeps raising food prices so we can't charge you less but I can be your attendant during your stay... does that suffice Good Sir"
Jizen simply nodded in agreement and paid the weekly advancement fee.
The young man simply put down the pamphlet and began to lead Jizen towards his room.
....
"This is the room your excellency"
The young man opened the Fusama and revealed a...simple room, the room itself surprised Jizen.
The room was tucked away on the lowest floor, hidden from the sun.
It wasn't by accident, there was no need for sunlight here, the air carried a faint hint of sandalwood blending with the musty scent of old wood and silence.
Tatami mats covered the floor, smooth and clean, but not new.
The walls were framed by thick shoji screens that seemed more about privacy than decoration.
No windows let in the outside world, only a narrow view of a forgotten garden, the flowers dried and crumpled in their pots.
In the center of the room stood a chabudai table, its wooden surface untouched, the cups set neatly but not used.
A scroll hung in the alcove, its abstract brushstroke barely visible, as though it, too, was waiting for something.
Beneath it, a small vase held dead flowers faded and fragile, like everything else in the room.
Everything about it felt quiet, almost too quiet, like it was built for people who preferred things to be that way.
No noise, no distractions just a place for those who valued their privacy more than anything else.
"This looks like a room of entertainment...is it used by others to engage in debauchery perhaps"
Jizen asked the question with a smile and the young man's blush confirmed his suspicions.
The young man cleared his throat and said:
"Good Sir would you like a meal or would you like to me to send you a Tōryō"
Jizen immediately frowned but he soon remembered that prostitution was quite common during this era, he then cleared his throat and said:
"No i would like to enter seclusion in peace ohh and if you disturb me and see what you are not supposed to see...i will kill you "
The young man laughed but after seeing Jizen's serious expression he knew Jizen wasn't joking, he soon said his goodbyes and left.
'So he offered me a prostitute in order to verify that am I truly a monk, is he fishing for more information to sell or is he part of a gang...I wonder'
Jizen soon began to morph back to his demonic self, he slowly sat down and be began to take a meditative stance.
'I need understand and comprehend... myself'
Jizen began to feel his hearts and processed his memories using all his brains, the constant slip ups of talking about the 21st century were minor but he was afraid of trouble they might cause.
'This will help me understand my self even more...it will take a while but it's a good thing that I chose such a room...no i need to focus '