Chapter 120: Beneath the Surface


    After a few minutes of experimentation, Nobu was able to learn quite a bit about his personalized storage dimension. First and foremost, anything pressed against the screen whenever the app was opened would be ced at the exact center of the room. Furthermore, by holding onto the items he ced within, he was able to enter alongside them in order to reorganize things. As for taking them out, he simply needed to be touching them when he ejected his consciousness from within the storage dimension.


    As important as these discoveries were, it was what came after that made Nobu the most excited.


    Shortly after unlocking the Storage App, Nobu opened his Cultivation App to find that his Units and Upgrades list had updated to include a Vault tab. By investing the requisite amount of materials, he could upgrade both the size and structure of his storage dimension. More importantly, he could use his Aura to elerate or slow the passage of time within. The cost was a little exorbitant, but, once he reached the Sixth or Seventh Realm, he could drastically elerate or even stop the flow of time on the inside...


    Imagining the possibilities his storage dimension had opened up, Nobu didn''t notice when a light knock emanated from outside the sliding bamboo door. It was only when a soft voice reached his ears that he came back to his senses, answering, "Come in." in amanding tone.


    Orienting the stone tablet so that the disy was facing the entrance, Nobu waited until Kadea was about to enter the room before tapping against the screen. This allowed him to confirm something pretty important, as, despite greying out, he could still make out that the girl was moving from the interior of the storage dimension. In other words, time didn''t simply stop while he was inside.


    Emerging from the storage dimension in less time than it took the servant girl to take a single step forward, Nobu offered a practiced smile as he watched Kaede set out the food before him. Though he had asked for something light, there was salmon, rice, miso soup, steamed vegetables, and quite a number of other foods present on the marbled serving tray. The portions were a bit small but she had clearly covered all the bases so as not to upset him.


    "Thanks. I really appreciate it."


    Blinking her pristine pink eyes in surprise, Kaede found herself at a momentary loss. People rarely thanked servants. This was especially true among Nobles, so, for a brief moment, she couldn''t help wondering if the person seated across from her really was an intruder...


    Though he was a little taken aback by the petite girl''s reaction, Nobu just shook his head before pulling out the Lesser Mark of the Dragon and saying, "I was told to ask you to escort me to the Dragon''s Chamber once I''ve finished eating. This-"


    Seeing the intricately carved piece of jade and gold in Nobu''s hands, Kaede''s eyes briefly became full circles. Then, before Nobu could finish speaking, she practically leaped away from him before prostrating with such intensity that the tatami mat beneath her was visibly dented from the impact.


    "I am prepared to receive my punishment...!"


    With a look of abject stupefaction on his face, Nobu stared at the prostrate girl for several seconds before closing his agape mouth and stating, "I''m not going to punish you. I mean, seriously, I just thanked you for bringing me food. Why the fuck would I punish you?"


    Understanding the significance of the Lesser Mark of the Dragon, Kaede kept her head pressed to the ground as she answered, "The person who carries the Lesser Mark of the Dragon possesses a status on par with the Great Lord. As I have failed to recognize Waka-sama''s status, it is only right that I am to be punished. Such an egregious offense cannot be overlooked..."


    "..."


    Though he had already been warned that something like this might happen, Nobu hadn''t taken it seriously. The Four-Tiered ss System was such an antiquated concept that it hadn''t hit him just how seriously people took it. His parents and grandfather obviously didn''t care about such things so it was strange to hear someone practically begging for a punishment despite the fact they had been nothing but polite and respectful towards him...


    "Wanna see something cool...?"


    Confused by Nobu''s question, Kaede remained silent for several tense moments before meekly replying, "It would be my honor..."


    Waiting until the girl had tentatively turned her eyes toward him, Nobu raised his hand in a casual manner as if he was about to slice downward. This caused Kaede''s body to tense until he stated, "I, Oda Nobunaga, absolve you of any wrongdoings you may have perpetrated towards me. Now, stop overreacting. I''m not particrly fond of staring at the top of people''s heads."


    Though her pupils shrank to the size of pinholes when she heard Nobu introduce himself, Kaede''s training allowed her to appear calm andposed as she promptly raised her head. Then, despite feeling as though she was trapped in a room with a lion-like Aura Beast, she managed a courteous smile as she replied, "Waka-sama''s mercy is without limit. This little one thanks the Young Lord for his clemency..."


    Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Nobu decided to focus on finish his meal before it got cold. He wasn''t good with situations like this. He also had no personal feelings towards Kaede, so, while he was tempted to make conversation, a muchrger part of him wanted to just finish his meal, meet up with Yui, and get the hell out of the castle. It was cool and all, but he wasn''t exactly enthused by the notion of encountering hundreds of people with simr sentiments as the young servant girl...


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    After finishing his meal and waiting for Kaede to return his tray to the kitchen, Nobu was guided by the youthful-looking servant via word of mouth as she was unable to walk in front of him. This was more than a little annoying but it was nothingpared to the looks he received from the random people they passed along the way.


    With the Inner Sanctum of Inuyama Castle being among the most heavily restricted areas in the entire province, very few people were allowed to trespass its interior. Most of the people inside were female servants or monk-like Eunuchs withpletely shaven heads. Thus, the moment they saw him walking ahead of Kaede, everyone Nobu encountered along the way promptly prostrated themselves.


    It was extremely ufortable.


    Fortunately, as Kaede''s directions took him deeper and deeper into the Inner Sanctum''s structure, fewer people began to appear. By the time they descended a spiral staircase connecting to arge underground hall,pletely bereft of traditional Nianese elements, the only people in sight were emaciated monks with hazy white eyes reminiscent of someone with extreme cataracts.


    Though he was tempted to ask why there were so many monks located in the ruins beneath the castle, Nobu managed to suppress his curiosity. He hated speaking with people walking behind him. Not only was it extremely awkward, but, without Yui at his side, Nobu knew he needed to be aware of his surroundings. Even Kaede was a potential assant, so, for the duration of the thirty-minute journey, Nobu did his best to remain hyper-focused until he saw his grandfather standing outside a set of doors evenrger than the archways present in the ruins beneath Yumegakure.


    "It''s about time you showed up, brat."


    While Kaede bowed low enough that even a feather would send her stumbling forward, Nobu just snorted in response to Senichi''s words before asking, "What is this ce?"


    After a snort of his own, Senichi smacked his palm against the strange metallic door. In response, a pattern reminiscent of a coiling easter dragon manifested on its surface, its majestic form wreathed in golden mes.


    "As the heir to the Oda n, there are certain things about us that you need to be made aware of. Before that, however, the littless needs to go..."


    Confused by Senichi''s words, Nobu looked behind him to find Kaede shivering nervously with her head lowered. It was only after a few seconds had passed that he realized that she was, technically, in his charge right now. In other words, his grandfather was unable to dismiss her as it was beyond rude to address someone else''s attendants.


    "You can go ahead and return. Also, thanks for showing me the way."


    Though she was, once again, surprised by the fact Nobu had thanked her, Kaede bowed her head multiple times, replying, "It was the greatest honor of this little one''s life...!" before hastily backing away. Then, upon reaching ten meters from their position, she promptly spun on her heels before power-walking away at a speed that would have easily crushed a few records in Nobu''s previous world.


    Returning his attention to his grandfather, Nobu asked, "What''s the deal with the whole ''little one'' thing...?"


    Ignoring Nobu''s question, Senichi pushed open the massive door with one hand as he said, "Your father is waiting inside. Come."


    "..."


    Resisting the urge to turn around and follow Kaede''s example, Nobu made his way through the massive set of doors to find himself in what appeared to be arge antechamber. There were a number of pirs within, each running more than 50m from floor to ceiling. At a nce, it kind of reminded him of Tokyo''s underground discharge chambers, a popr tourist attraction that many believed to be J. R. R. Tolkien''s inspiration for the Mines of Moria. The only difference was, rather than stone or concrete, the pirs here wereprised of the same metallic material that made up the massive doors.


    As if to reinforce the idea they were connected, each of the pirs erupted to life with a pattern reminiscent of a golden dragon coiling around their length. It was quite the sight to behold, but, without Yui at his side, Nobu found it hard to appreciate the chamber''s beauty. It might sound a little trite, but, ever since he had professed his love for the raven-haired woman, the world around him seemed to lose its luster whenever they were apart.


    "..."


    Mistaking Nobu''s silence as awe, Senichi gave him a firm p on the shoulders as he said, "This is one of the most important ces in the entirety of Nian. The Imperial Family entrusted us with its protection after the great war more than six thousand years prior..."


    Pushing Nobu forward, a smile developed across Senichi''s face as he exined, "While there are currently more than sixty Provinces, Owari has always been special as it was among the first eight formed when the Imperial Family was divvying upnd and power. Put simply, Owari is one of the eight original strongholds that represented the Imperial Family''s power across Nian. As for why they would entrust us with such an honor..."


    Stopping Nobu in his tracks, a vicious smile developed across Senichi''s face as he cupped both of the former''s shoulders and stated, "It''s because, long before we became known as the Oda n, our Ancestors were known by a different name...Taira...!"


    Believing that Nobu had no idea who the Taira were, Senichi went on to exin, "The Taira n, along with the Fujiwara, Tachibana, and Minamoto ns were the four most influential ns prior to the war between Nian and Onigashima. However, what made us truly special is the fact that we, along with the Minamoto n, were descended directly from the Imperial Family. In other words, while your im to the throne is minuscule at best, there is still a chance that you could one day be the Emperor of Nian...!"


    Clenching his teeth in an effort to resist the intensifying pain in his shoulders, Nobu''s expression became increasingly dour in the face of Senichi''s fervor. Then, in spite of his better judgment, he said, "So? Do I look like I give a fuck about being Emperor?" before following up with, "You might want toy off the sake in the future, old man. You''re starting to lose your fucking mind..."


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    (A/N: Bruh...)