Volume 8 Chapter 2 Part 4 (1/2)
”..mwah?”
The next day, s.h.i.+n woke up a bit before dawn.
Yuzuha, in beast mode, was sleeping next to him, her tails resting on s.h.i.+n's chest and stomach.
”Aahyeah..I fell asleep.”
While enjoying the tails' softness, s.h.i.+n recalled what happened the previous evening. I must have been more tired than I thought, he said to himself while getting up and stretching.
”Kuu?”
”Ah, sorry, did I wake you?”
Yuzuha had felt s.h.i.+n's movements and opened her eyes.
One hour after the sun rose, he felt people moving in the next room.
Kanade looked like she felt much better, and Karin was relieved too.
”Well, let's go ahead and bring the medicinal herb to your sister then.”
”Yes, let us make haste!”
Completely recovered after one night of rest, Kanade ran off ahead of the group.
Behind her, s.h.i.+n and Karin started running too.
”Please do not push yourself too hard, Milady.”
Karin was worried because of what had happened the day before, so she warned Kanade.
Kanade regretted having worried her, so she replied ”I know.”
The group proceeded on their way while taking breaks whenever needed. On the way, s.h.i.+n used his detection skills to check the surroundings for threats.
To be robbed by thieves just after they obtained the Dead Snake Gra.s.s would have been a bad joke.
They would probably not be attacked in a place where people could see, but to be sure he chose to stay alert.
Maybe thanks to that, they could reach Kujou territory without any enemy attacks.
”From here, it would take maybe only another half day.”
”Are you not pus.h.i.+ng yourself? Are you not doing anything unusual?”
”I am not. I am alright. We've come all this way, I will not collapse right at the end.”
While taking a break at a tea house along the road, s.h.i.+n's party discussed the route to their destination.
Kanade's jinx was that obstacles would always appear right at the end.
The mysterious attackers, the encounter with monsters that shouldn't have been thereall the events that had happened in the few days since they met s.h.i.+n were all nothing to laugh about.
It was natural for s.h.i.+n to be especially careful.
”We still don't know anything about those a.s.sailants, we can't let our guard down.”
”I have also pondered about them. If they attacked knowing that I am a Kujou, the main family could be on the move too.”
”Could it be that something happened while we were outside the country?”
”I cannot say. But we will know once we return.”
s.h.i.+n didn't know what had become of Kanade's position within the main house, but imagined that they would be able to gather some sort of information.
s.h.i.+n himself planned to go on his way after he had seen them off at their destination. His face was already known though, so even if he parted with them, there was no a.s.surance that he wouldn't be involved again.
”Well, we are almost there. Let's go.”
”Understood.”
”As you wish.”
The group departed again, with s.h.i.+n in the lead.
As Kanade had said, after half a day the castle's main compound came in sight. It was unmistakably a j.a.panese-style castle.
A group clad in armor stood on the path to the castle.
”Are those the castle soldiers?”
”Their flag's emblemthey're from the Toudou family.”
”Kankurou, then. Tos.h.i.+ro could be there as well.”
Kanade and Karin seemed to know the emblem depicted on the soldiers' flags and were not worried by their presence.
s.h.i.+n also heard a name that was not new to him, so he was relieved and decided to ask about them.
”Do you know them?”
”Yes, not only them, but we have part of our soldiers patrol the territory. Thanks to that, damage and casualties due to monsters and thieves are kept to a minimum.”
The soldiers they had met were apparently on their way back from a patrol.
”But because of that, there are a few branches of adventurers' guilds.”
”What do you mean?”
”Quests for adventurers to takeespecially ones about exterminating monsters that would offer high rewardswell, those monsters are eliminated by the patrolling soldiers. Their average level is 200, so they can handle any monster except extraordinarily powerful ones. Because of that, few in this country aim to become adventurers. Of course, there are powerful warriors belonging to Hinomoto's adventurer guilds though.”
Karin briefly commented that she was very surprised after leaving the country.
Some people even called Hinomoto a ”country of demons and barbarians”.
Even in Balmel, a fortified town always under the threat of the ”Flood”, the average level of the soldiers was less than 150. Only a few elites went above 200, so s.h.i.+n understood the reason behind that name or the people that didn't know it.
”Hinomoto believes strongly that national matters should be handled within the country. We do not have a large territory like the mainland after all. Our country should be handled by ourselves, and we do.”
Hinomoto was also said to be safer than the mainland.
As they were talking, they caught up with the group of soldiers. The rear troops noticed s.h.i.+n's group.
”I am the first-born daughter of the Saegusa family, Saegusa Karin. I accompany Lady Kanade of the Kujou. Who is leading this platoon?”
As Karin introduced herself, the troops hesitated for a moment, then divided in two perfect lines, showing two men in the center.
s.h.i.+n used a.n.a.lyze to display the names and levels of the men that were slowly walking towards them.
One was Yaejima Tos.h.i.+ro, a level 190 samurai. He looked in his early twenties, black hair with white streaks and brown eyes, a proud-looking young man.
In contrast to the lead-colored armor the other soldiers wore, his was navy blue. His social status and standing were probably different.
The two katanas hanging from both sides of his waist suggested he was a two-sword style user.
The other man was Toudou Kankurou, a level 255 samurai and a man between 50 and 60 years of age.
His hair was white and his forehead wrinkled, but his sharply straight posture and stance did not show signs of old age. His eyes were thin almost to a slit, his expression soft and gentle.
He clearly stood out among the armor-clad soldiers, as he was wearing a dark green robe and deep blue, almost black, large-fitting trousers called hakama.
s.h.i.+n understood the reason why he wasn't wearing armor. His hakama trousers' stats were higher than the soldiers' armor. What caught his attention even more was the katana hanging from the old man's waist.
”Lady Karin, n.o.ble Kanade. I heard you had left Hinomoto, but I am glad to see you are safe and sound.”
”It brings me joy to see you in good health too, Kankurou. Are you returning from a patrol?”
The man Karin called Hinomoto's strongest warrior started talking to Kanade in a soft tone.
”Yes, we have just slain a monster that was reported to be difficult to subdue. n.o.ble Kanade, if you have returned, does it mean that you have obtained the medicinal herb?”
Kankurou's expression s.h.i.+fted from smiling to serious. He knew the reason why Kanade had left Hinomoto it seemed.
”Yes, we have obtained a sufficient amount. How is my sister's condition?”
”Progressively worsening, albeit slowly. But there should still be time. We shall lead the way, your companion is..!?”
Kankurou talked while s.h.i.+fting his eyes towards s.h.i.+n. While talking, his expression clearly showed that he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
”Lord Kankurou, do you know this man?”
”N-no, Imy apologies. He simply resembles someone I used to know.”
”Ah, no, please do not worry.”
Kankurou shook his head to Tos.h.i.+ro's question and apologized to s.h.i.+n.
s.h.i.+n thought that his reaction was somewhat exaggerated, but has nothing to inquire further, so he did not say anything in particular.
”This man is sir s.h.i.+n. He a.s.sisted us in retrieving the medicinal herb. I shall lead him to the mansion. Lord Kankurou, Lady Kanade, please head to Lady Haruna's quarters.”
”To the mansion? Hm, can he be trusted?”
”Yes.”
Karin looked straight at Kankurou and nodded.
”If lady Karin says so, then there should be no problems.”
”Sir, are you certain? At times like these, it is not advisable to welcome strangers of unknown background”
”Tos.h.i.+ro, we bear a large debt of grat.i.tude to s.h.i.+n. I do not know what happened, but I personally vouch that he is no enemy sleuth.”
”..if Lady Kanade speaks thus, then”
Tos.h.i.+ro seemed dissatisfied with Kanade's answer, but presented no objections. But, it could be said that in exchange for that, he glared at s.h.i.+n sharply.
”If so, I would say we simply part ways here. My work is finished here, these gentlemen are surely more than suitable to guard you. If something is going on, it is not the best time to let someone suspicious in after all.”
He did not have to receive rewards or something similar either. It was not necessary to let him into the residence no matter what.
”After all you have done for us, to just send you back empty-handed would be more than ungrateful for us. At the very least, I wish you to spend the night here.”
”I shall lead him to the residence a.s.signed to the Saegusa family. I understand well Tos.h.i.+ro's concern. I will be responsible for sir s.h.i.+n's actions.”
”Hg, lady Karin, you do not need to go as far as guarding this man, I could do that-”
Tos.h.i.+ro objected at Karin's intentions of taking responsibility for s.h.i.+n.
”Tos.h.i.+ro, I doubt it is wise to continue raising objections. Lady Karin is one of Hinomoto's Brave Ten, I am sure there is no need for concern.”
”That is true, but”
Karin apparently held a t.i.tle s.h.i.+n was not aware of. The name suggested it was given to the most accomplished warriors of Hinomoto.
”Let us be on our way then. Sir s.h.i.+n, I thank you for your a.s.sistance in this endeavor.”
”Ehmyes.”
Kankurou gave a slight bow and headed towards the castle alongside Kanade.
After a while, s.h.i.+n and Karin went to the castle town and entered the castle's perimeter.
In the same way as Tos.h.i.+ro, the gate guards were not pleased with allowing s.h.i.+n inside, but thanks to Karin's intervention there was no commotion.
”It's really huge.”
”There are many facilities within the castle after all.”
The Kujou castle was surrounded by moats, with the main castle compound at its center. The castle perimeter contained training facilities, a smithy, and many residences.
Its large size was the most remarkable feature. It was much larger than the j.a.panese-style castles s.h.i.+n knew.
It looked like the castle contained a town, separated from the castle town, outside its walls. Around the main compound, there was another set of walls and gates.