Vol 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)
The First Seal : Bontenmaru Debuts!
On the o and Yonezawa[1], a beautiful princess-knight was riding her white horse
With a body of snohite skin, the princess-knight's features truly fit the country of snow, Echigo, where she was born
She had long hair that extended towards her waist, with her fringe set nicely and in order
Her sharp eyes made others have a deep impression of her, but in actual fact she was only a child around twelve or thirteen years old
Her true age was unknown even to her
Her birth date was a mystery
As a young war orphan, she was selected by the princess-daii Kenshi+n, to be her aide due to her talent After which, due to her sharp nised and specially promoted
She recently becao, the Naoe Clan and changed her nau[2]
What this irl who did not even know the appearance of her parents or her own birthday in the span of a few short years becai Clan
A confidante of the Uesugi Clan
This was the 'Young Genius', Naoe Kanetsugu
Naoe Kanetsugu also had huge confidence in her own talent
As for the reason why Naoe Kanetsugu was alone, riding to Yonezawa, this was because of an intriguing order froi Kenshi+n
”It seeon in Oshu[3]”
Even though the ruler of Echigo, Uesugi Kenshi+n was still a young princess-daiht process different from ordinary people She relied on her instinct or maybe it would be better to call it a sixth sense to deal with military matters and administration
And when Kenshi+n heard the news that Oshu seeon', she appeared to pay particular attention to it
Uesugi Kenshi+n was called, 'The Dragon of Echigo', and together with 'The Tiger of Kai' Takeda shi+ngen They were both called the Sengoku era's strongest generals, and were the subjects of awe
Kenshi+n possessed outstandingskills were on par with the Gods of war and was even capable of forcing the strategist Takeda shi+ngen to the brink of death and defeat numerous times She was also a person who did not have any selfish interests or desires, and only wanted to restore order and justice to the chaotic ti for justice
Even though Naoe Kanetsugu's belief and adi Kenshi+n was truly the reincarnation of Bishaenerals, she was still unable to discern the trueof such command
”I don't think that there is a heroic person who can match Kenshi+n-sama in Oshu ”
The north-east region during the Sengoku Era was split into two provinces
In modern times, Honshu's northernmost Aomori Prefecture[4] as well as Iwate[5] and fukushi+ma Prefecture[6] next to the Pacific Ocean were simply known as Mutsu Province[7] (Oshu)
While on the other side, facing the Sea of japan, the current Akita[8] and Yaata Prefectures[9] were formerly Dewa Province[10] (Ushu)
By right, these two provinces should be collectively known as 'Ouu'[11], but it was usually referred to as 'Oshu'
Incidentally, due to the fact that the northernmost tip and southernion closest to Kanto, in other words the current Miyagi[12] and fukushi+ it from North Oshu
As for the problei Kenshi+n gave that task to Naoe Kanetsugu
Therefore, this trip focused on inspecting Oshu
However, exactly what kind of existence was Oshu's dragon
”The Fujiwara Clan that was once-prosperous in Oshu has lost much of its influence there Currently, Oshu should be in the state where countryside daiainst one another as a result of a coes between clans”
Naoe Kanetsugu was only on guard against the current lord of Yaami Yoshi+aki[14], as nicknamed ”The Fox of Dewa””
Using Yaata Castle as his main base in Dewa Province which was located next to the Sea of japan bordering Echigo, Mogai Clan in Echigo from time to time
”Even though Mogath and intelligence, he is a tyrannical ical father and clan members Furthermore, he also atteo, such a person can never be forgiven”
However, according to Uesugi Kenshi+n's intuition, in Yonezawa not far off froata, there existed a hidden hero as superior to Mogami Yoshi+aki
On a map, Yonezaas in the southern tip of Dewa Province, but due to geopolitics, it was classified under South Oshu
Even though it also belonged to Dewa Province, but should Yaami Yoshi+aki continue to expand his territory, he would inevitably clash with Echigo to the south of Dewa and also facing the Sea of japan However, Yonezawa could only expand towards South Oshu in the direction of the Pacific Ocean, o instead
This was due to the fact that the road towards the Sea of japan had been sealed up by Yaami Yoshi+aki's sister Yoshi+hime[15] married the head of the Date Clan, Date Terumune, which caused both Clans to establish an alliance of e
Marriage alliances like this were exceptionally co the various countryside daiious scholar known as the 'Uesugi Clan's confidant', Naoe Kanetsugu was unable to fully grasp that knowledge
”It's said that the heir of the Date Clan of Yonezawa, Bontenence far superior than that of a norh she's a child”
Naoe Kanetsugu was en route to y Bontenmaru
”However also according to ruht actually har pocketing the Date Clan for hiy Bontenood news”
'If Bontenon, then please protect her properly frouide her in the right direction' This hat Uesugi Kenshi+n ordered Kanetsugu to do
This was for the future of Oshu
Uesugi Kenshi+n seey she had not even met once
Even though Kanetsugu, who had caught the eye of Kenshi+n and was raised to her current position, felt a little jealous, the accuracy of Kenshi+n's predictions were actually quite high
Also, for Bontenmaru as seen as a thorn in his side by her own uncle, her plight made others unconsciously sympathize with her
'Let ht
”Speaking of whichgiving a child the na a little overboard isn't it it is ait too far is a bit”
Brahma[16] is a patron saint and a pillar of Buddhism, before the establishment of Buddhism it was already embraced and worshi+pped as a God in India
The Date Clan's young head, Date Teruami Yoshi+aki pushed his sister Yoshi+hinant with anotherThat kind of ruo
This was because when Yoshi+hime married into the Date Clan and took up residence in Yonezawa, she gave birth to Bontenmaru soon after in Yonezawa
If she was truly the child of Date Terumune, it would have been too quick
Therefore that rumour, was probably the truth
”Giving a child burdened with such a fate such a grand name of Bontenmaru, Date Terumune was a really virtuous man”
Naoe Kanetsugu bent her head and entered a dango[17] shop in Yonezawa
In the dango shop, she treated pedestrians to a”Where is Bontenmaru's place of residence?”
Collecting inforu's method of infiltration
”You're asking about the whereabouts of Bontenmaru-sama?”
”It's said that once a month she would come to Yonezawa to have a meal with her parents”
”It's not that day today”
”Ah, another plate here please”
”You're really”
”A generous Princess-knight”
”So where is Bontenmaru-sama today?”
”Probably in her own residence”
”She rarely goes out The residents of Yonezawa have never seen her”
”It's said that even her retainer group rarely see her as well”
Using e, it would seem that Bontenmaru is a hikikomori
”Even though I'm not very clear, but there are ruy”
”We have no idea as well about her being a prodigy or whatever”
”However the fact that she is a very shy Hime-sama is definitely true”
”Yeah”
Even if she was shy, she could not be written off as rubbish
Furtheru ad introverted, she usually disliked people approaching her and would often lock herself in the hall of Bishamonten
It seei Kenshi+n's intuition stemmed from her loneliness
”I heard that Bontenhter of His Excellency, Date Terumune?”
”About that”
”You'll be punished if you don't watch your words”
”The head of the Date Clan can be said to be kind lord”
”However he is particularly sensitive to this rumour”
”Like that huh anyway I should first go to Bontenmaru-sama's residence to take a look, exactly where is it?”
”I think it is best for you to not go there, samurai-sama”
”Why?”
”It is an unpleasant, spooky house”
”Spooky?”
”She keeps exotic monsters from the Nanban shi+ps, in the courtyard of her home there are piles of skeletons In short, there are e rumours about her residence”
Unbelievable rumours
”Those are suspicious rumours that nobody would associate with the residence of a prodigy”
”Maybe it's because Bontenoes out so those kinds of ru”
”Or perhaps the reason is that her residence is at the peak of thebut still it's indeed very spooky”
A Nanban haunted house huh I haven't seen any Catholic h, what exactly is the situation here
Catholic missionary activities from the Nanban shi+ps were ion near Kyoto, while Eastern japan remained untouched
Perhaps it could be said that this was the evidence of the advance
Naoe passed a bag of gold over to the passers-by and left the dango shop
Due to the fact that the sky was beginning to darken, so she decided to stay a night, before heading to Bonten
Riding along the mountain road, there was indeed a spooky residence shrouded in fog at the location where she was told
On the fence, a large nu It was truly a bad omen
One could glimpse a Nanban cathedral beyond the fence clustered with black cats
At the roof of the Nanban cathedral stood an inverted cross
It was completely opposite with the cross of the Christians
Under the influence of Uesugi Kenshi+n who thought of herself as the incarnation of Bishau had studied about Buddhism and was very familiar with it, but at the same time, she had done a simple study of Christianity as well
”That's strange, why is the cross flipped over?”
Anyway even if one wanted to enter, there was no one in sight to open the gate
DONG DONG In the , the sound of a bell could be heard
It was probably to signal the arrival of dawn Different from the bell used in Buddhist temples, there was a distinct Nanban feel about it, yet the sound it produced was a little ominous
The black cats began to ain
Even though Kanetsugu was a priht, yet in front of Bontenmaru's residence which exuded a spooky aura, she was unable to bear it
Furtheroistical, she disliked waiting for long periods of time in front of people's doors
”There's no other choice, I'll just go in uninvited”
She thus dismounted from her horse, crossed the fence and entered the courtyard of the residence
This was the beginning of Naoe Kanetsugu's misfortune
The prodigy of Yonezawa, Bontens started rather late
”Wuahhhhh~”
In the depths of Bontenmaru's residence that was called a Nanban haunted house, a certain sound came from a room ——
”Wuahhhh~”
Si cat, yet it see could even be heard froy courtyard
”Wuahhhhh ”
”Hi, please wake up”
”Wuuu, Okaa-sa my Okaa-sama's soft chest and sleep for a while more”
”HiHime, you drea for a little longer”
”WuuuOkaaOkaa-saain!”
”Hiain?! This Kojuurou[19] will immediately wake you up!”
”Oh so what she put in was a piece of nutritious garlic I thought it was poison Okaa-sama Bontenmaru likes Okaa-sama's dishes the most kukuku”
”Wuuu Even in her dreaood relationshi+p with her Okaa-sama, HimeI understand, I Kojuurou will temporarily be Hime's bolster[20], and let you re me”
”I suddenly realised that garlic is a deadly poison for a Nanban de to melt away Wuuuuu! O-Okaa-sama~!?”
”Hi-Hime-sama?!”
”Woo Since just now, you've been over there laughing and crying alone it's so annoyingly noisy Kojuurou Gugugu”
BANG!
From Bontenmaru's custom Nanban bed, a sirl flew out and fell on the floor
”Woo, what are you doing Kojuurou?”
”Don't say such a bad joke the minute you wake up, Hime”
”Asyourto seize ht?!”
The petite girl as thrown onto the floor earing a white set of Nanban pajamas revealed a set of white teeth as her rin
While rolling around, she spread her ar ordinary people with normal motor skills could do, perhaps she was truly a cat
The unique pose of 'Debut' was soirl conte the question of ”How to make myself look even cooler”
The young girl was also quite strange, she who still had an iold hair that was the same colour as the Nanban, and her left eye had a deep red colour that was similar to red wine
”Hih! In actual fact you were awake from the start!”
The criminal who threw Bontenmaru off the bed, was Katakura Kojuurou who served as Bontenmaru's aide and played the role of her bolster
Even older than Bontenmaru
Katakura Kojuurou as hailed as the Nu the Date Clan retainer group, the sauard squad for her, was actually a girl
Date Terumune, the head of the Date Clan who lorded over Yonezawa Castle sent Kojuurou as made to cross-dress as a man to accompany Bontenmaru around as an aide so as to prevent people with evil intentions fro close to the important heir of the clan
While Bontenhted with the educated Kojuurou who had no desires, be it her meals or baths, she would always be with Kojuurou to the extent where she used Kojuurou as a bolster to hug at night
Kojuurou then sighed, 'When can I be able to go back being a girl ' and was filled with anxiety about her future Yet on the other hand she was unable to stay away froold hair as well as a pair of shi+ning eyes which el
Furthermore if she stayed away, she had no idea what Bontenmaru would do
In any case, Bonteny, with the construct of her brain different from ordinary people
Although she was still young, but because her father, Date Teruenius” and imposed an education that e familiar with ancient Buddhism, shi+nto[22], Taoism[23], Confucianism[24], Mathematics, The Art of War[25] and History Recently lae” and started learning Nanban theories
However the result was as shown, Bontenmaru already turned her residence into a Nanban haunted house
As for the Nanban cathedral, Bonten on inforn and construct such a building
Furthermore orshi+ped in the cathedral was not the God of Christianity, but Nanban's deoat in there, and it was japan's first anti-Christian church In the foggy courtyard, she even built a Nanban styled cemetery as well as included an inverted cross for decoration, she also mass reared black cats as they were considered to be the deers of the demon clan
Generally, in this era the only form of Nanban culture that the japanese experienced cay Bontenmaru whose mind spun so fast that it had already spun around the world in that small frame of time as she came to the conclusion that 'The Deu', finally placing her interest in Anti-Christian things, eventually even co up with her theory of ”I am the demon as summoned by the Nanban to destroy japan”
To put it nicely, one could call her a prodigy But in actual fact, if she was to take a step in the wrong direction No, even without taking a step in the wrong direction, Bontene weirdos
MEOWWWWW
MEOWWWWW
The wails of the black cats in the courtyard sounded out
”Oh? The roars of the deu Wuahhhhh~”
”Please don't create a ruckus with the cats Did you hear what I said, Hime?”
”Of course I heard it, that's right, when on earth did I tease you?”
”Weren't you just teasing ?”
”I was always sleep-talking just now until Kojuurou threw me onto the floor”
”You liar I' me”
”I don't want to Kojuurou is si you is really such a waste”
”Then please allow n from my position as your bolster today”
Suddenly, the eyes of Bonten up
”Wuahhh~ How can that do! Without Kojuurou around, I won't be able to sleep~!”
”In that case, please let your little sister Megohiohime-sama is very active and is a suitable candidate for this position
”Wuu Even though Megohime is very cute but her chest is so flat, it doesn't o to bed ho have been constantly changing are like Kojuurou, with tender and elastic young breasts as expected, they're the u”
”As a young girl you shouldn't be talking like those oosebumps”
”Saying that I'irl and whatnot is a little too rude Kojuurou I am already an adult, I'm just a little short that's all”
”If you're an adult you don't need someone to serve as your bolster and should be able to sleep by yourself”
”What? If I sleep alone, then what do I do if I want to use the toilet in the ht?”
”Then go ahead”
”Wuahhh? I can't do that, I'hosts you know, I'd rather wet the bed”
”The one who transformed the residence into a Nanban haunted house was you, Hime~”
”What happens if a terrifying, low level deic array inside the Nanban cathedral I built in the courtyard! I will definitely wet my pants and then faint”
”Then directly wetting the bed would be a better choice”
Bontenrabbed Kojuurou's head
”Wua! Kojuurou, don't abandon me! Wuu ”
”Yes yes, I will never abandon you Absolutely”
”Really?”
”Absolutely No matter how troublesome Hime is”
”Kojuurou~! Sure enough,you!”
Bontenmaru also had a childish side of her that was appropriate for her age
Kojuurou helped Bontenh, ”HaaIf only an authentic missionary came to Yonezawa, then Hime could be more normal”
”Ah—Ah—”
Bontenmaru raised both her hands and let Kojuurou fiddle around
Because she was a prodigy, or inal personality, but Bontenirl
Especially for her, it was particularly difficult to get up in the
Kinda like low tension
”I've really had enough of your behaviour If Hie yourself”
”Under the sun's rays in the inal level”
”Yeah right, it won't drop like that Instead, you should go out and bask in the sun ood for your body”
”I don't want to Moving outside in broad daylight will scare others”
Bontenmaru who had exotic blond hair and different coloured eye pupils since birth was especially sensitive to the stares of others
In Yonezawa situated within the es of Oshu, li an island nation surrounded by seas
The number of people who had seen a Nanban person in Yonezaas but a mere handful at best
When Bonten, she once overheard the retainers discussing ”Hihter Her real father must be a Nanban person which would explain her unusual eye-colour since birth”
Since then Bonten the initiative to evade others
Even if she had to go out she would cover her face completely with her Nanban cloak
Therefore the number of people who had not seen Bontenmaru before made up the majority of the retainers
Using e to describe her, Bontenmaru was a Hikikomori-hime
Perhaps it was because she basically did not leave her ho an extreination as well as caused her to have constant delusions
Vivid to the extent where she often said things like ”I am the demon from Nanban” This could be the first case in all of japan's history that a person was affected with the anti-Christian chuunibyou disease
Kojuurou, atched over Bonten Bonten today's schedule to her
”Hiive you a lecture regarding Buddhism”
”Buddhism is too outdated, it isn't fashi+onable at all I want to listen to the lectures of Nanban Missionaries”
”Even if you say so Yonezawa doesn't have any missionaries”
”Then all we need to do is call a missionary over to Yonezawa So strong and knows all the names of his ultimate skills will be fine~nya”
When Kojuurou iined the expressions of the Nanban missionaries who risked their lives to float all the way across the sea from the other side of the world and face Bontenmaru who only asked about the minute details of the demons from Nanban for a whole day, she could not help but weep
In this case, the missionaries were really too pitiful
Betting their lives in other to travel to a foreign land in order to spread the teachings of God, yet only allowed to discuss anything demon related all day
”His that the missionaries teach are probably not related to demons and whatever”
”Then what is it that they teach?”
”ErLove and the like?”
”If it’s love, can't it my sister's name[28]?”
”If it's love, I a the baths, I ashed myself extensively like how a cat licks all over it's body
”Didn't I tell you not to speak like an old irl Hime!”
”Ah it's about time I went to the toilet, Wuuya~”
”No, you can't if Hioes to the toilet now you won't come out till noon”
”That is where one can feel the reat place to consider today's menu!”
Unexpectedly, Bonten food
It was probably because she basically did not leave her house and remained cooped up at hoourmet as well
When there's so Hime hides in a small and narrow place exactly like a cat”
”Well black cats and I are all froa little”
After allowing Kojuurou to place a Nanban cloak over her head and properly secure it, Bontenht is really the natural enemy of demonsToday will have to be spent in black too” before revealing an evil s in her Nanban boots
The Nanban cloak as well as the Nanban boots did not seey when she wore it
”Hime, you can't wear boots and walk inside of the room”
”It seems that in Nanban homes, people don't remove their shoes Kojuurou”
”Like this the residence will become dirty No matter what in the halls and rooms it's better to re in the style of the Nanban ”
Just as the knowledgeable Kojuurou began to preach, at that exact ed in
”Onee-saood”
Megohier than Bontenmaru by one or two years, dressed in a Nanban cloak that coing down fro up one of her hands
Thin and slender ares, not because she was injured, but purely for the appearance
Her hanging hand too was not because of a fracture but was purposely left like so in order to inconvenience her
Megohihtly different form of the chuunibyou disease compared to her sister Bontenmaru
If a tere wrapping type chuunibyou disease
However Megohime's face was as adorable as a kitten yet she normally had no expression on her face, this was not intentional but rather it was because she was born this way
Incidentally, the one responsible for feeding the arohime
Bonten and thus did not have the perseverance to feed the cats everyday
”Megohiood?”
”So it's like this eh Megohi Sekihan[29] tonight! Huhahaha”
”This is exactly why I told you not to speak like a perverted old oose bumps already”
”I'irl! I am an adult! An adult! Adults should say what adults normally say!”
”What adults normally say doesn't equate to what old men usually say”
Megohime then muttered quietly with a blank expression on her face
”This , someone fell into the trap set inside the Nanban cathedral”
”Ah! The trap that Hiht of, the wicked trap where one will fall into a hole when stepped on?”
”Yes”
”Is what fell inside a deer or a bear?”
”It's a human”
”Ehhh?! Hime this is bad! It will cost someone their life!”
”People who dare trespass into the deu”
”Hime~!”
”It's alright Kojuurou I placed a bunch of soft feathers into the bottoinally I should have put poisonous snakes or scorpions inside, but it's too u”