The slow pace of Ren's life quickened after a few more days. He spent most of his time sleeping and eating, trying to recover as swiftly as possible. It proved effective, and he regained the ability to move relatively freely. Although the pain still lingered, it was not as oppressive as before. Even his voice, though still soft, had largely returned.

Upon waking, as on many mornings before, he made his way to the dining room. There, Satoru was already seated at the table, basking in the warm rays of the sun.

"Good morning, Ren," he greeted his adopted son.

"Good morning," the young man replied, taking a seat.

"How are you feeling today? Stronger? I believe it's time we visit some of the blacksmiths, but first, a trip to the bathhouse is in order," the old man smiled.

As he spoke, his wife entered the room. She was as cold and reserved as any other day. Without a word, she set a tray with food on the table and began arranging the bowls. She then left, only to return with a kettle of tea, which she poured for everyone before setting it aside.

Ren observed her as he mustered the courage to respond. "A bath sounds good, but I wish to speak with this Isamu, whom you mentioned earlier before I approach any other blacksmith."

The old man's eyes widened significantly. "That old rascal is quite eccentric; he may demand a task from you that you won't be able to accomplish ."

"Perhaps, but I won't know unless I hear him out."

Satoru nodded, accepting this explanation. "Very well, we will speak with him, but not before we've enjoyed some hot water."

Their conversation concluded with these words, and they all turned their attention to the meal. Once they had finished, the old man rose, grabbed his pipe hidden in the confines of his clothes, then left. Ren followed him.

"I'll have a smoke first, then we will go," Satoru stated as they reached the corridor, before stepping outside and settling on the porch steps.

A few people passed by on the street. They all donned a similar attire—black, simple kimonos. Ren realized he was wearing the same type of clothing, although he hadn't paid much attention to it before. There was too much on his mind, primarily the enigma surrounding his rebirth and this peculiar new world.

He waited beside Satoru as the old man savored his smoke, although not as long as expected. His adoptive father eventually stood up.

"I'll finish on the way," he informed, smiling, and even extended a hand. Accepting the offer, Ren got to his feet and followed Satoru through the streets.

They traversed a mostly deserted path, progressing further. At a certain point, Ren noticed a hedge encircling one of the houses. The lush green plants were a sight he hadn't seen in a while. In his previous life, he had rarely encountered such scenes, as the crappy places he hung around had only concrete and asphalt. After his reincarnation, he was mostly in the house, so he got this strange urge to run his fingers across the plant.

"Don't do it," Satoru said, grabbing his hand. "This plant is poisonous, and you will only get yourself hurt. Even touching this will give you blisters on the skin. This neighbor doesn't like people, so he surrounded his house with this hedge," he explained.

Ren nodded, retracting his hand and focusing on the next street they were about to enter. He noticed several people going about their lives. Some were pushing small wagons with various items inside, while others were just chasing work. Although he knew it, the view made him feel that this place was indeed a city, and not just some remote village, which he could believe given the sparse human presence he had observed over the past several days in his new body.

They ventured even further, entering an even busier street, with small stalls offering food, taverns offered shelter for patrons, and shops where various goods could be bought. It allowed Ren to recognize that the level of technological progress was around medieval times. There seemed to be no electricity.

Suddenly, his attention shifted as he noticed something, and he wasn't the only one. The entire street came to a halt to observe, and it immediately made him realize that Satoru's sudden hurry was not because he wished to go to the bathhouse earlier. He had abandoned his relaxing time on the porch, where he could enjoy the smoke in silence because he wanted Ren to see exactly this.

A procession of young women, all clad in the same attire – black kimonos adorned with white cherry flowers painted on the fabric – moved gracefully down the street. Several were true beauties, but some didn't conform to conventional standards of beauty.

"Those are the young women who have pledged themselves to the candidates," the old man informed, pulling out the pipe from his mouth and grinning mischievously.

Ren didn't reply to his words; he was too focused on watching. Among the procession, one girl especially caught his interest. She was exceptionally pretty, with long raven-dark hair that swayed with her movements, reaching all the way to her hips. Her skin was porcelain white, with a slight blush on the cheeks. She had a narrow mouth with a plump lower lip, pink as fresh raspberries. A small, narrow nose and her fierce brown eyes exuded an aura of confidence. Delicate long silver earrings completed the picture.

With a strong gaze, she looked at everybody she passed by, and this allowed Ren's gaze to meet hers. She even smiled at him.

In his first thought, he imagined her silk, black robe sliding off her, revealing the amazing, naked body hidden underneath. 'I have to have her,' he thought before an elbow from the old man brought him back to reality, squeezing a groan out of his mouth.

"You can have any of them if you become a candidate," the old man commented with a mischievous smirk, clearly satisfied with the outcome of his plan.

"Let's go to the bathhouse," Ren chose to ignore the comment.

"Of course," the old man chuckled before he resumed guiding them further.

Soon they approached their destination, a rather small place. There was nobody inside, and the first room was clearly a changing room, with the baths located adjacent to it. Both of them undressed, showing no shyness, even when they were completely naked.

Ren couldn't help but notice the scars crisscrossing his body. 'Damn. It looks like I had a freaking autopsy,' he thought before stealing a glance at Satoru. The old man appeared lean, muscular, and sinewy, with a few scars that hinted at his past as a warrior of sorts.

They stowed their clothes in lockers, each with its own separate key, which surprised Ren. It didn't quite align with the medieval level of technological progress he had observed outside. 'This world is so strange,' he mused.

Upon entering the bathing area, Ren noticed several tubs made of concrete, covered with smooth stone plates. Light streamed in through windows in the ceiling. One of the tubs was clearly filled with hot water, steam rising above it, while the other two were obviously cold. Along the left wall, there were numerous mirrors, accompanied by small stools and buckets of various tools for proper washing.

Glancing at his reflection allowed Ren to take a proper look at his new body. Though he had already noticed the scars, seeing them from a different angle brought new perspectives. He decided to move closer to get a better look.

The marks on his shoulders and the base of his legs made it seem as if his limbs had been reattached. The ones on his chest and belly brought the image of an autopsy back to his mind. There were also other, more subtle cuts scattered here and there. Overall, he was incredibly muscular, sculpted to the point where he could see his chiseled abs. Countless fibers danced beneath his skin, making him look like a true athlete.

'No wonder I'm in so much pain. I wonder what happened to this body to get into such a state,' he thought running his fingers across one of the scars before his attention shifted to his face.

He was handsome, with chiseled features, a V-shaped chin, and a narrow mouth that gave him a model-like appearance. The only aspect that deviated from this image was his eyebrows, which were slightly furrowed, as if he were ready for a fight. His skin was very pale, almost ghostly, which complemented his white hair, cut short on the sides and longer on top, styled deliberately.

'This is the body of a warrior,' he observed before letting out a chuckle. 'I'm handsome, tall and strong.'

The realization prompted a smile on his face. "Stop admiring yourself and come join me. The water is amazing," Satoru chided.

As Ren turned around, he saw the old man submerged in the steaming tub, and he followed suit. The hot water brought relief to his aching muscles and flesh, almost making him moan with pleasure. This sensation felt odd, especially with an older man sharing the bath.

'I would trade you for any of those girls from that procession without a second thought,' Ren thought to himself, his eyebrows furrowing even more.

They spent some time soaking in the relaxing bath, before washing themselves thoroughly. Refreshed, they exited the bathhouse, heading to the adjacent room to dress before finally leaving the establishment.

"When I was young, a day like today could never happen. The baths were always full, but nowadays, when people have baths in their own houses with a direct supply of water thanks to those pumps, nobody visits the public baths anymore," Satoru sighed.

'Pumps... This world is so weird. Pumps usually mean electricity, and yet I saw none outside. It seems they have access to it, but it is very limited,' Ren thought but decided to address a different topic. "Let's find this Isamu. I want to speak with him."

"This way," the old man responded, leading the way.

As they approached the mountain, looming over the entire city, Ren realized that the constant sound of metal clanging against metal had grown louder the further they went. It had become so familiar that he had almost forgotten about it until now.

The architecture shifted from traditional buildings to more solid-looking structures. More men were present, clearly busy with various tasks. It was obvious that they had entered the industrial part of the district. People were working openly, chiseling wood, sewing fabrics, shaping clay, and more, but Satoru paid them no attention, clearly intent on reaching their destination.

The noise became deafening as they entered an area reserved for blacksmiths. Many of them were working in the open, hammering blades or pieces of armor, as if the entire city was preparing for a war. Amidst this bustling atmosphere, they entered a quieter alley that sloped upward. A solitary building stood at the end, surrounded by an intricately curved iron fence that looked like a wall of spears.

Crossing the gate, they ascended the paved path, which turned into short flights of stairs in a few places. Upon reaching their destination, a window opened, and shutters slammed against the wall. An older man's head appeared.

He had a full head of grey, almost white, hair, along with a beard and mustache, exuding an aura of wisdom and experience. However, his furrowed eyebrows hinted at some anger. "What do you want?!" he growled.

"We came to ask about one of your trials," Satoru immediately got to the point.

This single sentence changed Isamu's expression; he smiled suddenly. "Wait there," he said before disappearing and closing the window shutters. He soon emerged from his house, wearing a dark blue kimono. Ren couldn't help but notice that his hands were massive compared to his body frame.

'This man is definitely working with his hands,' Ren thought immediately.

"He?" Isamu asked, pointing at the younger man.

Satoru answered with a nod.

The blacksmith scrutinized Ren closely, as if examining a blade. Eventually, he nodded slowly. "The Tachibana clan is preparing another one of their trials of strength. This time they caught a few blue-haired mountain apes," a mischievous smirk emerged on his lips. "If you can beat the monster, I'll consider giving you one of my finest Jujins."

"Thank you for your time," Satoru responded promptly, grabbing Ren's arm and practically forcing him to turn around as he pulled his adopted son behind.

"What are you doing?" Ren asked, surprised by this reaction. "I want to know more," he whispered.

As he spoke those words, a chuckle from behind reached him. When he looked over his shoulder, he noticed Isamu already walking back to his home, giggling to himself.

"This old man is insane!" Satoru hissed. "I told you, his trials are ridiculous. You can never beat a blue-haired mountain ape. A candidate would have no chance. It's a foolish idea. Let's try with some other blacksmiths."

Ren ended up accepting this explanation, and they continued their journey across the clan district, only to always receive the same answer. None of the master craftsmen was willing to give one of their blades to a non-candidate.

Tired, they returned home.