"It would be good to play up your thuggish nature in that case," Kasumi said.

"I was planning on that, in fact," said Jiro, unashamed.  "They won't accept me as much of a diplomat.  I may as well play that up and be a brute, and see if I can take them off guard."

"That sounds like a plan to me," Kasumi said.

"...That should also give you a little more freedom to act, since attention will be on me," said Jiro.

"Sure, but you make it sound like I'm sneaky," Kasumi said.

"I don't want to imply that," said Jiro.  "But they may worry less about what you're doing if they're worrying about me, giving you more freedom."

"Ah, okay. I'll forgive you then. You're lucky you're my husband," Kasumi said.

"Indeed I am," said Jiro, grinning.  "...as you often tell me.  I hope you regard yourself as not too unfortunate, in return."

"Fool," Kasumi said, taking Jiro's arm and resting her head against it. "Of course I'm lucky."

Jiro nodded.

"...I hope, then, that the city is more to your liking than the Wall," he said.  "I think it probably will be."

The oxcart slowed, even though there were no notable landmarks nearby.  Looking down the road, it looked like there was a small roadside shrine ahead, and a figure in saffron sitting next to it.

"Monk up ahead," Nakanobu said. "Always a good idea to give alms when you can."

Jiro nodded.

"I can do that," he said.  Although he was hardly rich, surely he could spare something...

"It'll be good luck," Kasumi said, giving Jiro some bu.

The monk got to their feet as Jiro approached.  When he got closer, he was surprised to see that, rather than the man he expected, the monk appeared to be a teenage girl, and quite an attractive one despite her bald head.

"Hello!" she said as he got near. "Are you here to use the shrine?"

Jiro raised an eyebrow... but the coffers of the Crane were heavier than those of the Crab, and he passed those on to the monk.

"Thanks!" she said, bowing. "Where are you going?"

The monk could be a spy... but the Scorpion would learn about them soon enough anyway, and Jiro had no head for intrigue.

"Ryoko Owari," he said.  "Something of a change from the Wall."

"Could I ride along?" the monk asked. "I'm supposed to be seeing the world, but so far I've mostly seen fields."

Jiro looked to Kasumi for confirmation.  He didn't mind, but...

Kasumi nodded.

"All right," said Jiro.  "I'm told that you will see the world at its most worldly in Ryoko Owari.  And to always watch where your money is carefully."

The monk picked up her staff and gave the fox statue at the shrine a pat, then hopped up in the space Nakanobu had cleared.

"May I ask for your name, monk-san?" Kasumi asked.

Jiro gave her plenty of room.  She was a monk, but that didn't mean that his wife might not be jealous...

"Koyo," the monk said, settling her staff into the cart. "I think that's the first time I've been called -san."