That day, a man claiming to be an emissary from the Shogun arrived at the inn where we were staying.
“The truth is, I’ve come to request your aid, having heard of your remarkable skills. In three days time, the shogun must depart Edo Castle and journey to a shrine called Toshogu. It is located in Nikou. However, I am concerned about the safety of the route… Would you be willing to lend us your strength as escorts?”
Toshogu is a shrine dedicated to the first shogun. The idea of a person becoming a sort of deity after death isn’t something you see often in Western lands, but for the shogun’s family, this shrine seems to be of great importance.
“I don’t really mind, but… we’re talking about the shogun’s escort here. Surely, you already have plenty of personnel assigned for that, right? I don’t see why you’d need our help.”
Honestly, I thought it was a bit of a hassle, so I asked the messenger.
“That would normally be the case, but in recent years, a vicious ninja organization seeking to overthrow the government has been operating in the shadows. They even managed to infiltrate Edo Castle itself not long ago, nearly causing a huge disaster.”
I see.
That would explain why the castle’s security had been so tight. Even during the audience with the shogun, I had sensed something was off.
『The presence behind that bamboo screen felt strange too, didn’t it?』
(Yeah. The shogun probably wasn’t actually there. He was likely speaking from somewhere else, with his voice being projected from behind the screen. With the right mechanisms, that wouldn’t be too hard to pull off.)
By the way, ninjas were apparently people who served warlords during the Warring States period, performing assassinations, tactics, sabotage, and espionage. With the arrival of peace, most ninjas ceased to exist, but some survived in the underworld and have continued to exist secretly up to this day. And in time, their ideology grew more extreme. They began plotting to tear down the government and plunge the land back into an age of endless war.
“For the past several years, the pilgrimage to Toshogu had been suspended.”
The messenger continued.
“But this year marks a special occasion that comes only once every sixty years. It was decided that we could not forgo the visit. To those assassins, this is the perfect chance to strike at the shogun. Of course, we’ve prepared a thorough security detail… but as an extra precaution, we hope to get your aid as well.”
“I see… So that explains why I’ve felt like someone’s been watching us ever since we came back to town.”
“Y-you noticed…?”
They were probably investigating whether we were trustworthy. Maybe he arranged for us to stay at an inn because it would be easier to keep an eye on us if we stayed at a designated inn.
『Isn’t that strange? Master’s behavior over the past few days has definitely not been that of someone you can trust.』
Lindwurm was saying something, but I can say with certainty that there was nothing shameful about my actions (Mm. I’m confident).
『…Please at least have a little shame.』
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had noticed.
“Mm. They were watching.”
“Yeah, it was so annoying I almost slugged them, but they ran off before I could.”
“Their scent totally gave it away. They bore no hostility, so I let them be.”
“I… I, noticed nothing at all.”
Karen admitted sheepishly.
She was the only one who hadn’t picked up on it.
“M-my deepest apologies. I had no idea such a thing was happening…”
“Don’t worry about it. When it comes to guarding the shogun, that sort of thing is to be expected.”
I had spoken and the messenger gave a grateful bow before continuing.
“Of course, you will be properly compensated for your efforts.”
“How much, exactly!?”
It was Karen who lunged forward, her eyes gleaming.
“W-well… given that you are the heroes who defeated the legendary Yamata no Orochi… I would say no less than five million per person…”
“Five million!? We’ll take it! We’ll take it right now!”
At the mention of five million, Karen’s eyes lit up like fireworks.
With a debt of ten million hanging over her head, this was the perfect chance to wipe out half of it in one go.
“Mm. Sounds fun.”
Fana also agreed.
“Ninjas, huh? I wonder how strong they are… my hands are itching already.”
Anje added with a grin.
And so, we agreed to escort the shogun on his journey to Nikou.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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