Chapter 172 Aoba / ‘A Duck with Chives on its Back’ or ‘A Golden Opportunity’ (1/2)

Chapter 171 - Aoba / Writing her Character is like Breathing Chapter 173 Aoba / The Life of a Happy Couple

Translator: Ranzan

The sun went down in the west and the night spread across the sky.

Just as after he had beaten the three thugs, Taiyou walked the evening shopping area with Aoba wrapped in his left arm.

They began walking away from the tourists milling about the center of Juunishima, off into an area with little tourists or cars.

The crowds decreased more and more, and the cars eventually disappeared from sight.

Occasionally a bus drove by, but there were hardly anyone riding inside.

It was clear that they had walked to an open place that most citizens were unfamiliar with.

「Take a left at the next light.」

Aoba was clinging to him while looking at her smartphone, and telling Taiyou which way to go.

Just then, an email had arrived from Youran.

It only had an address, and nothing else was written on the email.

It was an email that might have been auto-deleted as spam if she hadn’t been careful.

Of course, Taiyou didn’t do that. He understood everything more than enough, and he knew his own role in everything better than anyone else.

That’s why he made no mistake in walking, and followed the smartphone application that Aoba was telling him right to the location it indicated.

Finally, they had arrived.

Maybe because it was the nighttime.

They had arrived at an endlessly huge, white wall that surrounded a massive mansion.

Just looking at the area surrounding the building gave the impression that this was nearly a palace.

The 『Daimyo Mansion』inSeikaen-machi that Taiyou had previously attempted to board was huge, but this was multiples larger, a massive building.

Even those far away could see its massive wooden gate, giving off a strange air with two large gas lamps on both sides.

「You could find this place even without an address.」

「Yeah, something this big and they could just tell you ‘Go straight in any direction and you’ll find it’.」

「No way to get lost either…」

「Hey, how many Tokyo Domes do you think fit in here?」

「At least 100 of them, I guess?」

The size of the mansion itself surrounded them in awe.

If you were to take out one thing to compare it to for a Japanese person…the two approached it like it were a massive pearl.

They stood before a gate that stood like a towering wall, as Aoba took out her smartphone, and pushed the first number on her redial screen.

The phone rang and finally connected.

『Are you here?』

They heard Youran’s voice. It wasn’t the mood of Shingetsunokami, because the freshness and closeness of her tone.

「Yeah, we’re here. Did we really even need an address? This is such a freaking huge building.」

『Well, I guess. I don’t know about you guys, but there are geniuses in this world that get lost on straight roads.』

「I always go the shortest way, so I never get lost.」

『Because you just break down walls?』

「I do. Even so, what is this place, I heard it was a mansion, but this is more of a castle than a mansion.」

『That’s the image we wanted. That girl’s father was a maniac about the Warring States period, and at the beginning of it, he loved the Tenshukaku type of castle they built, so this is made using that concept.』

「His hobby, huh? He looks like he really liked this type.」

『I like it too, even though he was always against what his daughter wanted.』

「I see.」

Taiyou nodded, and it was a deep nod of understanding.

Youran hated the conversation to get off topic. When he thought back to the first time he met her, he thought she used to talk quite friendly.

On the other hand, now he would have to say that she was withdrawn and waiting for the other party to make the move now.

「So, you want me to say something now.」

『Yeah, just go in there and cause a ruckus. You can kill everyone if you want.』

「You’re exaggerating.」

『You can exaggerate as much as you want, it’s what you always try to do.』

「The only time I exaggerate is when someone touches my girl and feels some imperial-level wrath.」

『Well, what’s bothering you the most now? That your girls keep running away and get captured as hostages?』

「…yeah.」

He nodded and squeezed Aoba closer to him.

Aoba drew closer, and clutched on to him in response.

『Then, you should let those planning on grabbing this girl know that it’s dangerous, that you’ll protect her before they can do it.』

「Yeah.」

『Then get with it. If you don’t take this seriously, then Leticia will be in danger next.』

Youran tried to motivate him, and he could hear her emotions interlaced with her usual tone of voice.

Because she was worried about best friend Leticia, Taiyou knew what Youran was getting at.