Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Ruri shook her head helplessly and could only follow after Kogoro Mouri, afraid that he would get lost.

The others followed behind Shizuka Ikenami and headed towards the viewing point.

Compared to viewing the festival from a distance from the car, people now feel the festive atmosphere even more strongly as they get closer.

As far as the eye can see, it is almost completely submerged by all kinds of flags from the Warring States period.

The "Five-Seven Paulownia" crest representing the Toyotomi family and the golden gourd horse emblem of the Taiko fluttered in the breeze, intertwining with the "Three-Leaf Sunflower" crest representing the Tokugawa family and other crests of various daimyo families, creating a magnificent and retro visual picture, with a strong sense of the Warring States period.

The nearby streets have long been transformed into open-air exhibition and event areas.

At regular intervals, there are booths or interactive activities dedicated to showcasing the history and culture of Osaka Castle.

Some booths used exquisite pictures, texts, and replicas to detail the vicissitudes of Osaka Castle from its construction to its various battles.

Some venues invited artisans dressed in traditional costumes to demonstrate the making of armor from the Warring States period, the maintenance of swords, and even tea and incense ceremonies.

In some areas, staff dressed as foot soldiers, samurai, and princesses took photos with tourists or conducted small quizzes on the Warring States period, attracting many people to stop and participate, with laughter and cheers filling the air.

Looking at the sea of ​​people, the fluttering banners, and the scene brimming with a blend of historical weight and festive joy, Lin Xiuyi couldn't help but murmur a sigh of admiration.
"The scale and investment in this 400th anniversary celebration are truly unprecedented."

“Of course,” Shizuka Ikenami smiled and waved the fan in her hand. “After all, it is the 400th anniversary, a very symbolic day. The Osaka Prefecture and the city government have been preparing for this celebration for many years and have invested a lot of money.”

Just then, a commotion arose ahead, and the crowd began to surge in one direction.

Ikeba Shizuka's expression changed, and she said, "Oh no, the samurai parade might have started ahead of schedule! We need to hurry over, or there won't be any spots left!"

The crowd quickened their pace and ran towards the direction of the commotion.

Following the commotion of the crowd, Ikeba Shizuka skillfully led everyone into a side street.

As soon as you step onto the bluestone pavement, you are immediately enveloped in the rich atmosphere of the Edo period.

The buildings on both sides of the street are all wooden structures, with black roof tiles and snow-white walls. Noren (traditional Japanese curtains) with the words "sake shop" and "tea shop" hanging under the eaves sway gently in the wind.

The shopkeepers along the street were dressed in coarse cloth jackets. Some displayed lacquerware and tea sets at their doorways, while others wielded wooden mallets to pound hemp thread, as if they had traveled back hundreds of years in an instant.

"This is the place. It has the best view and you won't get crowded."

Ikeba Shizuka pointed to a slightly higher step on the side of the street and gestured for everyone to stand on it.

As soon as they got a foothold, a heavy drumbeat came from the street corner. The rhythm grew closer and closer, accompanied by the clang of a samurai sword being drawn. The crowd fell silent instantly, and all eyes turned to the end of the street.

A group of warriors dressed in dark red armor slowly approached. The leader wore a helmet with antlers and held a long sword. The copper studs on his armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

The warriors in the procession marched in unison, shouting every three steps and swinging their swords in a slashing motion. The blades cut through the air with a "whoosh" sound, eliciting gasps from the onlookers.

The drummers in the back row pounded the taiko drums with all their might, the heavy drumbeats sending a shiver down one's spine and perfectly showcasing the majesty of the samurai.

"so hot!"

Reiko clung to the edge of the steps, her little face flushed red, clapping her hands so hard they were practically shaking, oblivious to the fact that her palms were turning red from clapping. Yukiko watched with great interest, constantly exclaiming, "The patterns on this armor are so exquisite, even the arrangement of the copper studs is so deliberate!"

Although Eri Kisaki wasn't as excited as the others, she nodded slightly, her gaze falling on the samurai's scabbards: "The lacquer work on these scabbards is very authentic. They should be imitations of the style from the mid-Edo period. The details are very well done."

After the initial novelty wore off, Lin Xiuyi leaned against the wooden pillar behind him, arms crossed, and watched quietly.

The warriors in the parade moved with perfect precision and had solemn expressions, but in his eyes, it was ultimately just a meticulously choreographed performance.

Without the smoke of battle and the pressure of life and death, even the most dignified posture loses some of its soul.

"What, Mr. Lin isn't interested in samurai?" Ikeba Shizuka noticed his indifference and turned her head to ask curiously.

She had assumed that boys would be enthusiastic about such a powerful samurai parade, especially someone like Lin Xiuyi who was frequently involved in cases; he should be more interested in weapons like samurai swords.

It's not that I'm not interested.

Lin Xiuyi's gaze swept over the gleaming blades in the parade, and he spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of detachment.

"I was just wondering, if I traveled back in time to ancient times and walked down this street wearing modern clothes, and I encountered these samurai, would they use my head to test their swords?"

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the lively atmosphere.

Yukiko's smile froze.

Eri Kisaki paused in pushing up her glasses, her gaze darkening.

Tomizawa Chikage's lips twitched down unnaturally, while Orikasa Midori frowned unconsciously, and the two of them averted their gazes at each other.

The fan in Ikeba Shizuka's hand froze in mid-air, her lips pressed into a pale line, and her originally radiant face dimmed as if the moon were shrouded in a thin mist.

Several older girls who had learned about the samurai system in history class were instantly struck by this blunt statement, their excitement from the performance vanishing and leaving them in silence.

Only the youngest, Reiko, didn't understand the gravity of the situation. She reached out and tugged at Lin Xiuyi's sleeve, gently shaking it, her little face full of curiosity.
"Onii-chan, what is 'testing the knife'?"

Lin Xiuyi looked down at her younger sister's innocent eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then explained in the most straightforward language.

"In ancient Japan, many samurai would buy a new sword and then randomly select an ordinary person on the street to kill, in order to test the sharpness of the sword. This was called 'testing the sword'."

"Ugh?"

Reiko's eyes widened instantly, and her hand gripping her brother's sleeve tightened involuntarily.

"How...how could this happen? Isn't murder a crime? Is nobody doing anything about it?"

“Under the ancient class system, warriors were a privileged class.”

Eri Kisaki sighed, her tone heavy.

"At that time, ordinary people were called 'Eta,' which meant people of low status. If a samurai killed an Eta, he would almost certainly not be punished, as easily as stepping on an ant, as long as he reported it." (End of Chapter)