Chapter 109: Surprise: Rxation


    Just as their entry paperwork was being finalized, Nobu and Yui both noticed a middle-aged man with rugged features emerging from the direction of the gate. He had the look of a man that had seen too much bloodshed, yet, in spite of his war-weary expression, there was a certain confidence that radiated from every fiber of his being.


    While the surrounding guards immediately saluted the man, Nobu was too stunned to speak as he actually recognized who the man was. More urately, he knew someone with very simr features. It''s just, instead of a real person, he recognized the ashen-haired man as a fictional character...


    "Geralt...?"


    Understanding that Nobu was speaking towards him, the Geralt-lookalike gestured for the guards to stand down as he gruffly replied, "My name is Hayashi Hai, Guardian of the Southern Gate and Retainer of Oda Senken. Tell me, Nanamori-dono, what brings you to my Lord''s city?"


    Though he didn''t do it to threaten them, Hai casually rested his palm on the pommel of his katana. It was a little unorthodox but he had two equal-length katana resting on his hip. The emblem on his cor was also a silvery-green III, so, based on the avable evidence, it was safe to say the man was a master of the nitoryu(two-sword style).


    After recovering from his momentary stupor, an incredulous but disarming smile developed across Nobu''s face as he answered, "Sorry about that. You''re a dead ringer for a man named Geralt. As for why I''m here...well..."


    ncing towards Yui, Nobu''s smile turned wry as he moved a little closer to Hai and gestured for him to lean closer. This caused the man to furrow his brows, but, rather than take offense to Nobu''s stage behavior, he leaned in to hear thetter whisper, "I wanted to propose and have my marriage officiated by Lord Senken. I was originally intending toe near the beginning of Spring but I got dyed by a group of bandits and a trio of scantily d women I suspect to be kunoichi..."


    Since there weren''t any actual lies in his words, Nobu shamelessly med the group of farmers and the trio of Yuriko, Shizune, and Rynka for his dyed arrival. This earned him a visibly skeptical look from Hai, but, as there were no warrants or wanted posters demanding his arrest, the middle-aged man just hummed before saying, "I see. Well, so long as you don''t cause too much trouble, talents such as yourselves are always wee in Shuto..."


    On that note, Hai shifted his gaze to the guards, adding, "Let them through." before stepping to the side and gesturing in a casual, ''feel free to pass'' kind of manner.


    Though he felt the man''s reaction was a little odd, Nobu just nodded his head before looking back and extending his hand towards Yui, saying, "Let''s go." with a smile. In response, she quickly linked her hand with his, a ruddier than average blush developing across her face as she averted her eyes from Hai like a bashful maiden. This didn''t really match with the image of a warrior, but, considering their difference in status, realm, and rank, it was normal for her to ''cower'' in the presence of such a ''great man''.


    Following the duo with his faded golden eyes, Hai waited until Nobu and Yui had passed through the gate before gesturing towards a handsome young man wearing high-quality armor. The badge on his cor only showed a silver IX, but it was still impressive considering he was just under twenty years old.


    "Keep an eye on them. If they do anything suspicious, make sure to report it. If anyone tries to get in their way, arrest them. Our Lord is always looking for talented young warriors. Try and make their stay as pleasant as possible."


    Bowing respectfully but not submissively, the young man replied with a reverent, ''I understand, Hai-dono. I will not fail you."


    Nodding his head in approval, Hai remained silent as he saw the man run in the direction Nobu and Yui had disappeared moments prior. Then, as a silvery-green Aura began to manifest around his feet, he looked towards the surrounding guards and said, "Get back to work..." before disappearing in a sh of light...


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    "We''re being followed..."


    Hearing Yui''s whisper, Nobu resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he replied, "Well, duh. I mean, we''re two super prodigies. It would be strange if they didn''t send someone to keep an eye on us..."


    Though he didn''t actually consider himself a prodigy, Nobu knew others would regard him as one due to his cultivation base. It was kind of dumb, but, considering most people would need to invest decades of time and effort to reach his current level, it was understandable. Only those close to him knew how grossly ipetent he was...


    Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Nobu prevented Yui''s rebuttal by adopting a sincere smile and saying, "This ce is fucking incredible..."


    While the people were dressed in rtively tame, almost in clothing, the buildings that made up the Capital City of Shuto were truly breathtaking. There were a bunch of carpet stalls and pushcarts lining the streets, but, as you moved closer to the secondary wall separating the peasantry from the nobles, the buildings became grander and more majestic. It was almost like looking at a painting...


    "If only it didn''t smell like piss and shit..."


    As beautiful as the cityndscape was, Shuto still had many of the problems guing other cities in Nian. It had a waterway for transporting goods and several aqueducts running throughout the city, but, for the most part, human waste was collected in buckets, mixed with soil, and given topost merchants to be processed into various types of fertilizer. In poorer districts, these buckets were left outside to be collected, so, as much as he could appreciate its beauty, Nobu felt it would be more urate to call the city Shithole instead of Shuto...


    Suppressing a sigh, Yui looked up at Nobu with a visibly concerned look as she asked, "Why not wear your mask? You''ve hardly worn it since you requested a custom order from the Iga n. You will have to take it off if we encounter any Nobles but the onlyw against wearing face coverings states that you cannot cover your eyes."


    Though he understood she was trying to help, Nobu couldn''t help smiling wryly in response to Yui''s suggestion. The mask he had ordered was actually pretty badass. It vaguely resembled the head of a wolf, and, as per request, it had receable filters that could be swapped out like the canisters of a gas mask. The only problem was that it was ''too badass''. Wearing it made him feel like a kid with eighth-grader syndrome, and, while he had never particrly cared about fashion, it created such a stark contrast with his clothing that Nobu was embarrassed just thinking about it.


    "Nah...besides, if I walk around with a wolf mask on, people are gonna get suspicious. Let''s just find a ce to stay. I''ll be fine once we get inside."


    Since it was ultimately Nobu''s decision to make, Yui just nodded her head before falling into step beside him. He could be very prideful at times, so, rather than waste time trying to change his mind, she just focused on their surroundings as Nobu pulled her deeper into the city...


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    After another stressful day of listening to reports, signing paperwork, and managing the territory, Senken was preparing to seekfort in his wife''s embrace when a soft thud sounded outside his study. This caused his eyes to squint, but, hearing a familiar voice state, "Senken-sama, I bring an urgent message..." he quickly rxed and said, "Come in."


    Abiding by his Lord''s words, a young man with features remarkably simr to Hiashi slid open the door before falling to his knees and cing his forehead against the ground. At the same time, Senken pulled out a conch-like device from his inner robe. It has the unique ability to draw sound toward itself, so, after cing it on the table in front of him, a peculiar hum could be heard as the sounds of people moving about and speaking were drawn into the room. (A/N: It basically makes soundsing toward the room louder while drastically reducing sounds traveling away from it.)


    Though the sudden ringing in his ears was ufortable, the young man maintained his calm as he reported, "A prodigious young couple with the surnames Nanamori and Yoshie were reported entering the city several minutes ago. ording to their entry documents, both are Rank 3 Golden Warriors. Hai-dono has ced Shiratori-dono in charge of watching over them."


    Feeling his fatigue fading away, a somewhat feral grin spread across Senken''s face as he crossed his arms and mused, "You said they were both Rank 3 Golden Warriors? Sounds like I''ll need to pay this promising young couple a visit."


    Surprised by his Lord''s words, the young warrior wanted to protest, but, simr to how Yui couldn''t speak out against Nobu, he was powerless to change Senken''s mind. He could also understand why his Lord would want to personally secure such talents for himself, so, after quickly recovering from his surprise, he pressed his forehead to the ground and eximed, "Lord Senken is truly wise! If the Lord of Owari were to appear before them, they would be fools to refuse your request...!"


    Furrowing his brows, Senken resisted the urge to snort as he remarked, "You can go ahead and return home. When you get back, tell your father to send someone he trusts to watch over them."


    Bumping his head against the floor, the young warrior answered with a respectful, "Ha...!" before backing out of the room and closing the sliding door behind him. This caused Senken to roll his eyes, as, even after twenty years, he still wasn''t used to all the formalities associated with being a Daimyo. If Hitomi''s reports were urate, his son had inherited this trait.


    As that thought crossed his mind, a smile returned to Senken''s face as he promptly bounced to his feet and practically ran back to his room. If he didn''t immediately report this to his wife, she would put up a barrier between them in the bedroom. Others might scoff at such boundaries but Senken had always viewed Nana as his equal. She reminded him a lot of histe mother, so, while there had been rocky moments in their rtionship, he nevershed out or tried to force her.


    Unfortunately, Senken''s eagerness caused him to make a fatal mistake. Nana had just managed to get Nobuhime to fall asleep. His sudden arrival caused her to wake up, and, while she didn''t cry, a disapproving pout developed across the infant''s face as Nana sent a paradoxically icy yet fiery re his way...


    With a cold sweat spreading across his body, Senken held his hands up in a cating gesture as he said, "Listen...I can exin..."


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    Using some of the money Yui had given him, Nobu secured a ce for them at an upper-middle-ss ryokan, a type of inn with a bathhouse. It cost them a whopping three gold koushukin a night, but, as cultivators in the Fourth Realm, such extravagance was to be expected.


    Truth be told, Nobu just wanted to rx in a hot bath with Yui. The bath back home was constantly crowded with people, and, while he had gotten used to it, the presence of young girls vying for his attention made it hard to rx. Thus, now that it was just him and Yui, Nobu allowed the tensions in his body to drain away as he leaned back and allowed Yui to ride his dick at her own pace...


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    (A/N: Toss a coin to your Witcher, O'' Valley of Plenty, O'' Valley of Plenty, oh~)