<em>10 days worth,</em>Liang had repeated to himself on the way out to the gate.  He did the math in his head, beginning negotiations with imaginary merchants.  Liang lacked much of the natural talent most Kaeru had for commerce, part of the reason he'd been so willing to try something as ambitious as swearing to the Reijiro.  He attempted to compensate for that by being a more dutiful thinker.  Not only did it prepare him for the merchants' arguments, but it also prepared him for parting with his koku, something he was not particularly fond of doing.  Still, this handling of provisions, however distasteful to most samurai, appeared to be his only guarantee of both proving his worth as well as well as avoiding an unpleasant task down the road.<br/><br/>He'd already received a concurrence from Keitaro, but he'd made a point to ask Shiori and Maseko as well, partly to ensure some level of consensus, but also to increase awareness of his contribution.  Shiori's reaction was about what he'd expected from a Lion.  It was more what he'd expected from Keitaro, though perhaps Keitaro was simply more composed than he'd thought.  Maseko's reaction slightly surprised him.  Naturally, he'd expected a more pragmatic view from a Scorpion with ties to Mantis, and so her lack of aversion to commerce didn't seem odd, but her expression of gratitude had caught him off guard.<strong>"You are welcome."</strong><br/><br/>He glanced around nervously, looking at the condition of the road that they'd be traveling on, and the splash of rain drops landing in puddles.  The arrival of Keitaro got his attention, recognizing that he was being assessed and seemingly judged worthy enough.  Liang hadn't known anything about his would-be companions prior to today, but being grouped with two Lion bushi, a clan with a known appreciation for the tessen, had certainly been a boon.  He let out a small exhale and returned the nod.<br/><br/>When the question of readiness was asked of Maseko, Liang looked over to her curiously.  Obviously, he'd been a bit surprised by her appearance as well, but given his limited knowledge of fighting styles and especially of shugenja (they were even rarer among the Kaeru than other families), he'd given her benefit of the doubt.  He smiled when she admitted a lack of preparedness for their meeting with the Otomo, remembering Kotone helping her with her kimono.<br/><br/>The mild amusement turned into shock when Maseko bent over and faced Keitaro, the curve of her backside well-displayed by the thin fabric of her harem pants.  Liang found himself again looking away from Maseko in discomfort, perhaps this time more to prevent being caught.  He wasn't sure how he'd respond if asked about armor.  He'd not wished to look weak or unready, after all, and he certainly wasn't in the minority by wearing armor.  Before he could consider it for too long, Maseko had pun around to face and "inspect" him.  Liang, knowing he was being watched by more than Maseko, huffed uncomfortably.<strong>"I should be off to gather rice,"</strong>he said, stepping back.  He began making his way toward the market, pausing slightly as as Maseko referenced one of Shinsei's parables.<em>Was she going for some form of guilt?</em>He thought about responding, but having already announced his departure, he thought it inappropriate to stop and respond, even as the "banter" appeared to escalate.  At least he would not risk further embarrassment.