After leaving Al and Lumumba on the riverbed, I ran to Kagura Castle.

　Normally, the plan is to train with swordsmen and instruct their subordinates.

　I'm going to train with a bunch of guys I don't want to train with, but I'm going to train with a bunch of guys I don't want to train with, and I'm going to run and train my strength. I have to watch them and give them wise advice.

　To put it bluntly, it's a pain.

　Normally, I would be sighing at the work that's about to start and not climbing the castle until the last minute.

　However, today's me is different.

　I'm heading to Kagura Castle, where I will be working, but my footsteps are light as a feather.

　I run lightly along the riverbank to a residential area. And even on the busy main street, I ducked like a fish swimming in a river.

　When was the last time I ran through the streets like this?

　You can feel your pulse racing like never before.

　Of course, it's not because I'm running and breathing hard or soft. And definitely not because I enjoy going to work!

　Yes, I'm not going to the castle to do my job like I usually do.

　--I came to the castle today to quit my job.

　My family has a venerable tradition of protecting the shogun's family, whose duty it is to protect the shogun who governs the country for generations to come.

　As the eldest son of this family, I was trained to become a loyal swordsman to protect the shogun's men.

　Fortunately, I am not naturally good at physical exercise, in fact, I am very good at it.

　Training as a swordsman was fun at first, and when I improved, my parents praised me.

　When I was a simple child, I practiced with the sole purpose of receiving praise from my parents.

　I spent my youth practicing like that, and thanks to my parents' education, I became strong enough to beat even the most ordinary castle-keeping swordsmen.

　I'm sure my parents and the Shogun are the only people who can match me.

　The Shogun asked me to serve as his son Shuichi's bodyguard and guidance counselor, an honorable job I was given.

　I would wake up early every morning and clean up. After that, we would practice in the morning. After breakfast, I would guard Shuichi-sama and patrol the streets. After lunch, he would be asked to practice again, and when he finished, he would be asked to do chores, and his boss would get angry with him for being unreasonable and bow down to him, which he did not want to do. When I return home exhausted, I end the day with no motivation to do anything, and then I wake up the same way again in the morning.

　It's such an uninteresting life.

　It's not that I wanted to become a swordsman in the first place. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to get the sword out of the way of the Shogun's family, because I was the eldest son in the service of the Inaba family.
　It's just a grip.

　I don't have the same loyalty to wielding a sword as the swordsmen around me, nor do I have the loyalty to serve my country or the Lord.

　It's just that if my sword improves, my parents and others around me will praise me for it. I was just doing what my parents expected me to do, so I was just following the flow.

　There is no will of my own.

　What happens if you get a respectable job that is unworthy of such a weak will....

　Every day is just hard.

　There is nothing to look forward to and nothing to aim for. However, I don't have the courage to throw away my current job to do what I want to do.

　As a result, all I can do is whisper, "I want to quit my job," every day, and my mother, sister, and even my subordinates tell me to "moderate your jokes and get to work.

　I was just coasting through each day.

　Then I met a foreigner named Alfried, and that changed things.

　He made me eat a bowl of eel and rice.

　It was the best food I've ever had.

　It was muddy and fishy and hard to eat. That's what they say about eels, but thanks to Alfried's skillful cooking techniques, they were magically reborn.

　The surface of the eel is crispy, and when you bite into it, the fat flows out of it. The inside is light and fluffy, and the combination of this with the soy sauce-based sauce is a real treat.

　When eaten as it is, the taste is a little strong, but when eaten with rice, which is the staple food of Japan, the taste is perfect.

　Unagi (eel), which has been said to be in bad taste by everyone, can be transformed into something as delicious as this with the right knowledge and techniques.

　The food we usually eat without thinking about it must be the result of this kind of diligent study.

　I felt admiration and fascination for the dish as I realized such a thing even after all this time.

　Al had said that the eel bowl was not yet finished. If that's the case, I want to complete it with my own hands.

　And I would like to give someone else the same surprise of taste that I did.

　I had never had a desire to do anything in my life, but this was the first time I felt the desire to do something of my own volition.

　I wanted to quit my job and throw away my position to accomplish it.

　Al and Lumumba supported me without laughing at me.

　I no longer have the slightest fear of quitting my job in my heart.

　That's why I'm quitting my job today.

'Huh?　It's not even the very last minute of work hours and Kojiro-sama is running?

"It's true. It's unusual. I can't believe Kojiro-sama is coming running. He usually comes trotting over with a dead man's face and a dead man's face, but he seems to be full of motivation at all times.

　At the bridge in front of the castle gates, swordsmen are surveying guests and other people coming up to the castle, but it's unnecessary when you're as high as I am.

　He looks at me in some kind of curious way, but I ignore him.

　I crossed the bridge in a flash and entered the castle to meet my hateful boss.

　Oh, I wonder where the old man is?　The old bastard who is always sarcastic every time I see him.

　Regrettably, that's my boss, and I would never want to see him if it was usual. If he senses your presence in the castle, he is someone you would avoid, even if it means taking the long way around.

　But when it comes to quitting your job, it's a different story.

　I can't wait to meet him and tell him that I'm quitting my job.

　I wonder how the eccentric old man would react. For one thing or another, he knows how important I am. When it comes to quitting, he will be in a panic.

　It's funny just to imagine such an abhorrent boss.

"Huh?　Mr. Kojiro?　What's the matter with you in such a hurry?

　As I was thinking about this, as I trudged through the castle, my subordinate swordsman asked me about it.

　I don't have time to deal with him now, but maybe he knows where the old man is.

　It's smarter to ask him where he is than to run around here.

　Having cooled down, I stop and respond.

''I'm looking for the old man, do you know where he is?''

I saw you heading up to the fourth floor just now, old master.

Well, thank God!

　As long as we know where he is, we're in.

　I thank my men briefly and dash up the stairs.

　On the way, I was accosted by samurai and swordsmen, but I answered them curtly and went to the fourth floor.

　Then I run down the fourth floor corridor and find an old man with a lonely hind end.

　That guy is my boss, Kinugasa Shinzaemon.

　When I find Kinugasa, I rush to approach him from behind.

　Remembering all the difficulties and sarcasm I've had, I desperately resisted the urge to dropkick him from behind.

''Kinugasa-dono, may I have a word with you?''

You're making a lot of noise, Kojiro. This is the Shogun's castle. Why don't you behave with some discretion?

　The old man still has a sarcastic way of talking.

　It's true that it's not a good idea to run around in the castle, but there's a way to say it.

　I was irritated by his words as usual, but today I'm quitting my job.

　The thought of having a relationship with him once and for all calmed my whispered mind.

'I'm sorry. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again next time.

Mm. So what is it you want to talk to me about?

　Kinugasa asks me, confused by my unusually honest reaction.

　I'm not going to be able to get a job," he says, looking straight at Kinugasa as he straightens up his residence and says, "I'm going to quit my job today, Kinugasa-dono.

"Kinugasa-dono, I'm going to quit my job today.

I don't have time for this. I don't have time for this. If you're gonna make a joke like that, you're gonna have to get somebody else to do it.

　Hearing my words, Kinugasa let out a deep sigh and turned away as if his errand was over.

''Not this time!　It's true!

　When I complain about my seriousness, Kinugasa doesn't listen and walks away.

　Yes, I've always muttered to myself as if I were in the habit of muttering about it, but I didn't think I'd be taken seriously.

　If it comes to this, you should show an understandable resolve.

''I give this sword back to the Shogun.

　Kinugasa's feet that were walking down the corridor snapped to a halt as he said it with a firm attitude, and he turned around.

''........Lord, do you understand the meaning of those words and are you saying them?''

　He has a sharp look in his eyes, as if he condemns my actions.

　Because of his age, he has retired from the line as a swordsman, but he used to be a very skilled swordsman.

　He glares at me with a swordsman's air.

　It's only natural for Kinugasa to blame me. Because I am a member of Inaba's family and it is my role to serve the shogun for generations. Furthermore, when I became Shuichi-sama's bodyguard, the shogun personally gave me a sword.

　It's not a good idea to protect the Shogun's family or even Shuichi-sama if you're going to give this back.
of. It's not just a joke.

Of course. I'm going to say goodbye to this sword. The reason for this is that from today, my partner will not be a sword, but a knife!

...What?