Ep. 9: Rin navigates deception and danger while seeking passage through a guarded gate with the help of reluctant locals.

9

Rin meets a mysterious ronin from the Shingyoto-ryu Ibane School who warns her of danger. At the Ohara tea stop, she discovers a wanted poster for herself and Manji. Seeking to bypass the Kobotoke gate, Rin asks a nearby Nakamaya couple for assistance in posing as family members. After they initially refuse, citing a tragic story of a prostitute executed three years prior, she persuades them to help. Nakamaya escorts her to the gate, where Commissioner Shamada conducts a thorough interrogation. Nakamaya’s wife provides convincing details, including a fabricated cesarean scar, allowing them to pass. Upon reflection, Rin notes that the wife kept half of her payment for the significant risk involved in aiding her escape.