Category: Umareta Chokugo ni Suterareta kedo, Zensei ga Taikensha datta node Yoyuu de Ikitemasu

I once again went to the Shogun’s chambers to deliver my report on what we had uncovered so far.

“They said you may have discovered the enemy’s stronghold. Is that true?”

It was a voice of a man filtered through the bamboo blinds. But the one speaking was no man—it’s merely an artificial voice conjured by karakuri contraptions. The true shogun, Tokuyama Ietaka, was in fact a young woman: beautiful, big-breasted, radiant with maternal warmth—totally different from the stern male timbre projected from beyond the screen.

“It’s true. According to the map, it should be somewhere around here.”

By comparing the location of the marked ninja with the map, I had determined that it corresponded to a certain island.

“That place… could it be Onigashima? Long ago, it was said to be infested with demons who captured and devoured humans. The island has since been abandoned, it became a desolate wasteland… Yet, for a band of ninja seeking a hidden base, it may indeed be an ideal refuge.”

The waters around Onigashima were notorious for their violent currents, making travel by boat perilous.

“Worse still, most of its shoreline is sheer cliff. To land a large force by sea would be near impossible.”

“That’s fine. We happen to have a very convenient ship on our side.”

★★★

“I never imagined such karakuri existed even in the western lands…”

“It’s actually a relic from over a thousand years ago. The West today doesn’t have the magical technology to make something like this anymore.”

Well, even back then, I was probably the only one who could create a flying vessel of this scale.

The magic airship now carried about a hundred of Edo’s elite soldiers, bound for Onigashima, the island suspected of housing the ninja clan’s base. When I explained the ship’s nature to the Shogun, she insisted she had to see it for herself and… somehow, she decided to come along.

“Don’t worry. I do not intend to set foot on Onigashima myself.”

“True enough—staying on the ship would be the safest option.”

“In hindsight, perhaps we should have taken this vessel to Nikou as well.”

To conceal her identity, the shogun dressed as a samurai like Karen, passing herself off as just another member of our group. Fana and the others still had no idea about her secret.

“So who is she, exactly?”

Anje asked, eyeing the newcomer.

“Another samurai with a suspiciously large breast… Karen, do you know her?”

Karen shook her head.

“No. I don’t know her either.”

“I am Tokuyama Ietaka.”

The Shogun declared without hesitation.

“Wait, you’re just going to say that outright?”

I blinked.

“I trust you all. You’ve aided our country this far—leaving you deceived would be unseemly.”

“S-sho-shogun!?”

Karen was the most surprised. She hurriedly dropped to her knees and bowed her head.

“I-, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were the Shogun, how rude of me…”

That’s probably how important the Shogun was to the samurai of this country.

“You don’t need to be so intimidated. You are Yagyu Gonzo’s apprentice, right?”

“Y-yes, I’m Karen, Shogun-sama!”

“I remember you putting up a great fight against some ninjas on the way to Nikou the other day. You seem to be far more skilled than even the elite of my vassals.”

“I’m honored by your praise…!”

Karen was delighted to receive such high praise directly from the Shogun.

Before long, the sea stretched out beneath us. Just as the stories said, the weather is clear—yet the waves below rose high and violent, the water is roiling with a chaotic energy.

It was a perilous stretch of ocean, teeming with dangerous sea-beasts. No sane fisherman dared cast his nets here. With Onigashima so close, not a single village or settlement could be found along the coast.

“There it is… Onigashima.”

Far out on the horizon, the faint outline of an island took shape. Even from this distance, its size was plain to see.

As we drew closer, the island’s true form revealed itself. A forbidding mass ringed entirely by sheer cliffs. Only a few narrow strips of beach existed, and attempting a landing there would be nothing short of inviting death.

Fortunately, with the magic airship, we could descend from any angle we chose.

No—truth be told, there was no need to set foot on the island at all.

Soaring easily over the sheer cliffs, we reached the skies above the island. From here, the truth was plain to see.

In the heart of Onigashima stood a structure. It’s an old building, its presence heavy and foreboding. The surrounding shrubs had been cleared, and its outer walls showed far less wear than the years should have allowed. This implies one thing, someone is tending to it. Someone is living there.

“That must be it, the ninja’s stronghold.”

I murmured.

This shadowy organization plotting to overthrow the shogunate—its true leader remained shrouded in uncertainty. But some rumors had reached the government’s ears.

The descendant of the legendary shinobi Hattori Hanbei. A young woman bearing her bloodline, known as Hattori Hanna—a kunoichi.

(What kind of kunoichi will she be?! I can hardly wait to find out!)

『She is the enemy, Master. Please remember that. 』

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Master, you look… suspiciously cheerful. What happened?”

“Fufufufu~ Fana-oneechan can tell huh.”

“You’ve been grinning nonstop. Anyone could tell. Honestly, it’s gross.”

“He must have taken a liking to Nikou’s hot springs. The rumors were true—an exceptional bath indeed.”

“It really was amazing!”

Having basked in the ultimate bliss—plunging into a pair of massive breasts and suckling straight from the source—I am still riding high even after we’d left the springs. It felt as though strength was welling up from deep inside my body.

Lately, I’ve been eating the same meals as adults, but maybe this infant body of mine still needs regular doses of milk. 

Yes, that has to be it. No doubt about it!

“I wonder if she’ll let me drink again…”

『Master, you really shouldn’t be thinking about that. More importantly, you agreed to quite a troublesome condition in exchange, didn’t you?』

The truth was, the Shogun had given me a task—one I could hardly refuse after what she’d offered.

(She just want me to lend a hand in the operation to wipe out that ninja clan once their base is discovered, right?)

『Exactly. And since no one even knows where it is, who can say how long that will take…』

Naturally, the shogunate was already scouring every lead, but so far they hadn’t uncovered so much as a clue. The Shogun had promised to contact me the moment something turned up… though who knew when that might be.

『Because Master, you let your momentary lust get the better of you! You accepted it without even a second thought.』

(It’s not a big deal compared to drinking breast milk! (Grin))

Well, that said, I did actually have a lead on the ninja clan’s stronghold.

(During the battle, I noticed a ninja lurking in the forest, secretly observing the fight. I marked him without his noticing, so I’d know exactly where he’d run back to.)

『Ah, so that’s why you didn’t act immediately once the fighting started.』

The target had now stopped in one place. Chances were high that this was their base of operations.

After that, the much-feared second attack during the pilgrimage to Toshogu never happened. What’s more, although we were supposed to stay in Nikou for about a week, plans were suddenly cut short. We only got to stay for three days before returning to Edo. No ambush struck us on the road back to Edo either. Thus, the Shogun’s procession reached Edo Castle safely.

★★★

“This is what happens when a ninja gets turned into a karakuri.”

“Modifying human bodies into karakuri? What the hell happened to their ethics…?”

We had gone to visit Hiraga Genko once again.

Back then, I’d frozen the ninja solid to stop his self-destruction and stored him in a vault. Now we’d brought him here so she could examine him. After all, when it came to karakuri, there was no one more knowledgeable than her.

“Of course, even I’ve thought about human karakuri-ization before. Like, maybe hiding weapons in an arm, or boosting physical strength with artificial muscles—stuff like that. But this… this is on another level. Hardly any trace of the human is left. Even the brain has been tampered with!”

Apparently, the ninja had most of his body converted into karakuri.

“Wouldn’t you need some pretty advanced knowledge and skill to even attempt this?”

“That’s right. Even for me, it’d take years if I tried to pull it off.”

“Then… do you know anyone capable of doing something like this?”

Naturally, the Shogun’s own investigators had already looked into Genko and her laboratory. After all, there was nowhere else in the realm with the expertise to carry out karakuri-conversion on humans.

“…There is someone. I’ve already told the officials about it too. I once had a research assistant here—someone I highly regarded, a person with future as bright as my own. He’s not of the Hiraga bloodline, but his talent was nearly on par with mine.”

Genko admitted.

But that assistant, she explained, had been dangerous.

“He believed karakuri advancement justified anything. That twisted way of thinking led him to dissect and kill countless dogs and cats. When it came to light, he was cast out of the institute.”

(Uh…Kind of rich coming from the same woman who once tried to take me apart…)

“I don’t know what became of him afterwards… but modifying human bodies, even adding a self-destruct function—that’s exactly the kind of madness he’d embrace.”

It was entirely possible that, after his expulsion, he colluded with the ninja organization and secretly continued his research there.

“His name is Kunitomo Ittosai. In my eyes, he’s the greatest madman in the East.”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Slipping through what seemed to be a drainage hole from the men’s bath, I somehow managed a perfectly legal (or so I told myself) infiltration of the women’s side.

And there, waiting, was a beautiful stranger.

Even with most of her body hidden beneath the milky water, the moment I caught sight of those abundant curves rising faintly above the surface, the words burst out of me:

“Momaaa~, hold meeeeeee!!!!”

“No no! …What sort of nonsense is this? And besides, this bath is reserved for me alone.”

“Eh?”

I had been so sure I’d found my way to where Fana and the others were bathing—yet it seemed I had blundered into an entirely different place altogether.

『There are several guards stationed around this bathhouse.』

(Now that you mention it… This is a pretty excessive security for just a bath, isn’t it?)

And if there’s a private hot spring inside the residence itself, then the conclusion is obvious.

“D-don’t tell me… could it be… Tokuyama-shogun?”

“…No point in hiding it now. As you’ve guessed, I am Tokuyama Ietaka, the thirty-sixth shogun.”

At that moment, a voice drifted over from beyond the nearby bamboo fence—most likely one of her retainers.

“Shogun-sama, is everything all right?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. Pay it no mind.”

Had she called out that there is an “intruder”, the guards would have stormed in at once, and things would have turned disastrous. But thanks to her calm reply, I was spared.

“Normally, you’d be thrown out without a second thought but you’ve done much for me. I’ll overlook it this once.”

“Uh… wait…. Shogun-sama… you’re a woman?”

“Indeed. A truth known only to a handful of my retainers.”

“I honestly thought you were a man. No figures moving behind the blinds, your voice a little off… I figured it was just for security.”

“Hoh? You noticed even that?”

So she had been in disguise all this time. Her name was clearly that of a man in the country of Edo, and she had even changed her voice to sound like a man.

“The previous shogun had a hard time producing a male heir. So, just in case, they decided to raise the newborn girl as a boy. That was the gist of it.”

And so, in the end, they were unable to produce a male heir, and so she ended up succeeding the shogun.

It was said that, including her, ten children had been born—yet every single one of them was female.

…The odds were so slim it felt as if the blood of the Embara royal line itself were at work.

In her childhood, it had been easy enough to fool those around her simply by dressing as a boy. Even the old man had gone on believing she was male.

“Once I reached adolescence, however, the charade could no longer be kept.”

She admitted with a wry smile.

No doubt it was her growing bosom that betrayed her. Much like Kaim’s tale—only where he had been cast out, she had gone on to become shogun.

“By the way…”

Her sharp gaze flicked toward me.

“Could it be you are starved for breasts? You’ve been staring rather intently.”

The shogun noticed my gaze and curled her lips into a sly grin.

“Yes! I’m starving for it! I’m just a baby, after all!”

Right—I am just a baby, I couldn’t be blamed!

“Even karakuri dolls suffer such hunger?”

She asked, amused.

“Western karakuri can drink milk, too!”

I shot back proudly.

“I see, I see. As it happens, I am a mother of three children. My youngest was only recently born—a baby still nursing. I even give her my milk myself.”

I gasped.

“In other words…”

The shogun spoke.

“Would you care for a drink?”

I answered without a heartbeat’s pause.

“I’ll driiiiiiiiiiink!!”

Because I am a baby, of course I had every right to drink milk! Even if it came from a stranger’s breasts—if it was there to be drunk, then I’d drink it!

『Do not forget the soul inside is an old man. 』

Lindwurm reminded.

But then the shogun added, “There is one condition.”

“Anything! I’ll do anything, as long as I get to drink your milk!”

“Oho, you’ve said it yourself. I’ll hold you to that. Very well—drink to your heart’s content.”

“Waaaah, yayyyy!”

I dove straight into the shogun’s chest. Her soft twin mounds enveloped me as I latched eagerly onto her nipple.

Chupa chupa chupa…

“Mmmmhhhhh! (Ahhh, nothing beats the real thing—straight from the source is heaven itself!!)”

And so, for a blissful while, I indulged myself completely in her breasts.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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In the town of Nikou, there stood a residence built solely for the Shogun’s use whenever he visited.

Naturally, it couldn’t compare to Edo Castle, but even so, it was vast enough to accommodate the Shogun’s entourage of more than three hundred without feeling the least bit cramped.

We too, were each given a room in the mansion, and during the Shogun’s stay here, we were told we could spend our time however we liked. Our only duty would be to serve as guards again when it came time to make the pilgrimage to Toshogu.

“They’ve granted us free use of the hot springs as well.”

Karen informed us.

“That’s wonderful news. Master, may I take the liberty of bathing at once?”

“Of course! In fact, why don’t we all go together?”

“Oi! Just so we’re clear, you’re going to the men’s bath.”

I threw a tantrum like a baby, but in the end, I was the only one who ended up being put in the men’s bath.

“That’s cruel… I’m just a baby… And besides, I’ve already seen you naked during the treatment of your magical circuits, right? It doesn’t really matter if you’re seen now, right?”

『That’s just what a creepy guy would say.』

The outdoor hot spring was vast—large enough to be mistaken for a small pond.

All around it, plants and stones had been carefully arranged, giving the place an unmistakably Eastern vibe. The water itself was milky white, obscuring the bottom from sight. Since the ordinary guards and attendants had been directed to use a different bath, I found myself completely alone.

“Well… having such a huge bath all to myself isn’t the worst thing in the world!”

With that half-defiant shout, I plunged straight into the water.

“Fuuuh… I feel alive again…”

『You sound like an old man, Master. Then again, considering your actual age, I suppose that’s only a given.』

The hot spring was surrounded by a fence of woven bamboo, yet beyond it I could clearly hear the voices of the women.

“Mmm… good bath.”

“The sky feels so wide and open!”

“And this is practically a private soak, at that!”

“Indeed. Truly relaxing.”

Kuu… this is pure torture.

“…I’ll fix that bamboo fence later, so can I just drill a hole?”

『Peeping is a crime, Master.』

But then—something else caught my attention.

“Hm? …There’s a current in the water? Is it because of the wind? No, the air’s completely still right now. And the hot spring’s source is all the way over there… C-could it be—!”

To trace the source of the current, I slipped beneath the surface of the water.

Visibility was very poor and I couldn’t see ahead, but I could get a sense of my surroundings by echoing my magical power.

There—!

And sure enough, I found it.

The bath was formed from natural rock, but one part of it had a hole carved through. And that hole stretched on… in the direction of the women’s side.

“Well, well, well~, looks like the hot spring continues over that way, huh? Since it’s already here, might as well check it out, right~?”

With that, I slid my body into the hole, gliding forward underwater. If not for my infant-sized body, I never would’ve fit through.

『To think you’d not just peek, but brazenly infiltrate the women’s bath… Master, at this point you’re not even a pervert—you’re a full-blown criminal.』

(H-hey hold on! I’m just exploring the men’s bath, okay? If this hole just so happens to lead to the women’s side, that’s hardly my fault. It’s not like there was a sign saying “This way to the ladies’ bath.” This is totally out of my hands, you see.)

Eventually, I wriggled through the tunnel and burst up from the water on the other side.

“Phew! Nice hot water over here too!”

Sure enough, the bath was every bit as spacious and luxurious as the men’s side… but then—

“Y-you there! From where did you come from!?”

“…Eh?”

Fana and the others were nowhere to be seen. Instead, relaxing in the bath was a young woman.

She looked to be around twenty at most. Her jet-black hair is clinging to her porcelain-white skin. Naturally, she was completely naked. This was a hot spring, after all. She is now staring wide-eyed at me, the intruder who had suddenly surfaced before her.

But more than her beauty, what instantly captured my full attention were those tremendous breasts, faintly visible even through the milky water.

And so, before I could stop myself, I cried out,

“Mamaaa~!! Hold meeeeeee!!”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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A ninja suicide bomber attacked Karen.

“Phew! That was close!”

But just as the explosion occurred, Karen had put a lot of distance between them. She’s luckily unharmed.

“His grip weakened just before the explosion! I used that opportunity to escape!”

That’s what she claims, but it would require a considerable amount of explosive power to do so, and it’s probably impossible for most of the guards to pull off such an attack.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

“…Mm. True enough, escaping is possible.”

Fana pulled it off as well. It’s as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!

“This much? I don’t even need to dodge—it can’t harm me.”

Lill didn’t move. Even in her human form, a self-destruction of such level was nothing to a being in mythic grade.

“Guys, don’t try to copy them, okay?”

“““As if we could!!”””

The escort soldiers scattered in panic, desperate to evade the suicide-charging ninjas. A few, however, braced themselves and tried to hold the attackers off with sasumata .

Guiiiiiin!!

“Hoh~, that thing extends huh.”

It seemed the sasumata could lengthen and retract at will, allowing them to keep the explosive assassins at bay. It’s a clever trick, one that bought them precious seconds. Elsewhere, the karakuri soldiers threw themselves into the fray, intercepting the self-detonating ninja head-on. To them, sacrificing their own bodies carried no hesitation.

Even so, many guards were killed in the ninja’s suicide attacks. Since multiple people were caught up in a single ninja’s suicide attack, injuries continued to occur.

“Ugh… How frustrating…”

“Area Heal!”

“…? M-my wounds…?”

I activated a ranged healing spell, healing the wounds of the injured all at once. Not only could it heal many people at once, but it was also an excellent technique, as the healing effect automatically increased if anyone was slightly more seriously injured.

“Oh? Getting a little flustered, are we?”

The ninjas had most of their faces concealed, making it difficult to read their emotions. Yet even so, it was obvious they were rattled.

Well, of course they would be. What good was sacrificing themselves in a grand explosion if their targets just healed it all away in an instant? After all, the cost-to-reward ratio was far too poor.

Realizing I was the one responsible, the ninjas all leapt at me at once.

“Hundred Lightning bolt!”

Tiny bolts of lightning rained down upon their heads, one after another. Each strike wasn’t all that powerful on its own, but the spell could hit multiple targets at the same time.

“““~~~~tsu!?”””

The lightning bolts seared into them, and their movements faltered.

“As I thought. Karakuri is weak to electricity, so I decided to test it out—and it seems you, with bodies remade into karakuri, are no different. …Uh-oh~, looks like you guys are about to self-destruct huh.”

The ninjas surrounding me all triggered their self-destruct function at once. Even if their bodies were half-paralyzed and no longer functioning properly, it seemed the one thing they could still manage was pressing that suicidal switch.

I spread my barrier, completely negating the chain of explosions.

When the smoke cleared, the squad of over fifty ninjas had been reduced to only a handful. Yet even then, desperate to achieve their mission, the survivors hurled themselves toward the shogun’s carriage. But the elite guards protecting him did not allow them to get anywhere close.

At last, the last one was pinned down by a karakuri soldier but he still tried to trigger his self-destruct switch.

“Freeze!”

My spell encased him in ice before he could detonate. The ninja became nothing more than a frozen statue.

“I’d like to dismantle him later, so I figured I’d just bring him back like this.”

“I– I see… Still, to think the Western land had warriors like you. When I first heard you’d slain the Yamata no Orochi, I assumed it had to be some sort of mistake. But after witnessing your battle just now… it’s hard not to believe it.”

The guards murmured in awe as I tossed the frozen ninja into my subspace storage.

After that, no further ambushes came. We safely crossed the mountain pass, and our journey continued smoothly.

Before long, we arrived at a small mountain town known as Nikou.

“Nikou is one of the most famous hot spring sites in our country. Its excellent effects are said to be incomparable to those in Edo. It is said that simply soaking in the hot springs every day will make you ten years younger. It is also effective in relieving fatigue and healing wounds, and is said to have been a favorite of warlords of the Sengoku period.”

“…Could I become ten years younger?”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Fana’s wind magic instantly clears the smokescreen of the ninja group.

“We’re saved!”

“There may be many of them, but we outnumber them still!”

“Don’t let them get even a step closer to the Shogun!”

A few had been wounded in the ambush, but the guards’ morale burned high. Every one of them was a seasoned warrior, and with such elite gathered, confidence in their own strength was only natural.

“Got you! W-what!? ….My blade won’t cut!?”

“Same here!? These bastards have something hard hidden under their robes!”

But things were not so simple. Apparently, the enemy wore armor beneath their garb, blunting the swords’ edge and denying them any real damage.

“What’s with this speed!?”

“Kuu! My arrow….. They dodged it!?”

The so-called ninja toyed with the elite guards, weaving between blades with acrobatic movements and formidable swiftness. And their means of attack were by no means ordinary. Even while engaging in close combat with short blades, they hurled strange throwing weapons—shuriken, as they were called. They also blew darts tipped with poison, or even flung small explosives. Their style was anything but honorable.

It was the craft of assassins and schemers, not soldiers. Worse yet, they cloaked themselves with stealth, vanished in the shadows, and they clouded the battlefield with smoke bombs.

They are troublesome foe in every sense.

“Yagyu shinnen-ryu… Waterfall!”

At that moment, Karen’s strike cleaved true, smashing into a ninja’s skull. The man’s head caved in grotesquely under the force of her blade.

Surely no man could withstand such a blow.

—Or so it should have been.

“W-what!? A counterattack!? M-my strike… it had no effect at all!?”

Karen faltered in disbelief. She had caved the enemy’s skull. No ordinary human could move after that.

“Mn.”

Fana’s blade cut cleanly across the ninja’s torso.

“…Metal?”

Beneath the torn fabric gleamed not flesh and bone, but the cold glint of steel.

“Don’t tell me….. these guys had their whole bodies turned into karakuri!?”

As if to confirm my prediction, the ninja’s wrists snapped. There were gun barrels in their places. The bullets fired hit the guards. Some of the ninjas also began firing shuriken from the toes of their feet.

“Who are these guys!?”

“I’ve never heard of ninjas like this…!?”

The guards were having a hard time against this unique group of ninja, something they had never faced before.

Meanwhile, one of the ninjas, using a blast of wind from his back, took a giant leap and closed in on the carriage carrying the Shogun.

“I won’t let you!”

“Don’t think you can get close to the Shogun, you mere ninja!”

“I will protect the Shogun with my life!”

It was the elite of the elite swordsmen who met the charge of the ninja. Around the carriage, a furious clash erupted.

“This is getting interesting!”

With a grin, Anje drove a brutal kick into a ninja’s head, sending him flying. Ordinarily, such a blow would have been fatal—but the ninja rose as though nothing had happened, and from the wrist of his arm, a bullet was fired.

Anje raised a wall of earth, intercepting the shot.

“Sturdy, aren’t you? But let’s see how you handle this!”

Anje closed the distance, seizing the ninja without warning. In the next instant her legs coiled around his head, locking it tight.

Crack. Crack. Crack. The ninja’s neck twisted grotesquely in directions no living body could endure.

“This is chokehold from the karate dojo! If I snap your neck, there’s no way you can still move!”

“Oneechan, watch out! Get away, now!”

“Huh? Wha—”

DOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!

A thunderous explosion ripped through the battlefield. The ninja had self-destructed.

“W-what the hell was that!?”

Anje, who had instinctively thrown up a wall of earth and leapt back, was barely safe from the explosion.

“They’ll even blow themselves up when they’re beaten…!? Everyone, be careful!”

She shouted a warning, but the enemy was already one step ahead.

Whenever they seemed on the verge of defeat, the ninjas would suddenly latch onto their opponent, clinging tight—and then detonate.

“Ghh—! G-get off me, damn it…!?”

The first to fall victim was Karen.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The Shogun’s carriage moved steadily down the road. Flanking it on all sides, the front rear, left and right is a total of over 300 attendants. In fact, this is still on the small side. A typical Imperial voyage would likely have around 1,000 people.

This is because Toshogu is a sacred place where the first Shogun rests, and it is considered inappropriate to travel there in a large, noisy group. Despite this, there are over 100 soldiers providing escorts. This shows how much they are on guard against enemy attacks.

What more, the guards weren’t just human soldiers. Several karakuri automatons—creations of Hiraga Genko—marched in formation, their clockwork joints ticking softly as they scanned the surroundings.

“Some of them have interesting weapons.”

“Mm. First time I’ve seen those.”

“They’re called sasumata. They are tools designed to pin down an enemy, rather than cut them down.”

Karen explained.

The weapon resembled a long pole with a U-shaped tip. At first glance, it looked too simple to be effective, but no doubt some clever mechanism was built into it. Overhead, small flying constructs glided through the air, scanning the terrain below. Should anything suspicious draw near, they would unleash a sharp alarm to warn the procession.

“The blades spin to keep it in the air. Completely different from how birds or insects fly. I can’t believe someone figured out a way to make that work.”

I couldn’t help but admire the ingenious mechanism.

“In our country, we have a children’s toy called taketombo. Perhaps it works on a similar principle.”

“Oh? Did Karen-oneechan just say something smart for once?”

“Fufun, of course I did.”

She replied, puffing her chest with pride.

Nikou was said to be surrounded by mountains, which meant the procession would have to cross a pass along the way. According to the scouts, that was the most likely place for the ninja to launch an ambush.

At last, the entourage reached the base of the mountain pass. Although advance patrols had already checked for danger, obvious tension settled over the group.

“…From above.”

“Master?”

I was the first to notice.

I had been using detection magic just in case—but even so, I was a little late. Because I hadn’t expected the threat to come from the sky. Considering we had just been talking about the flying automatons, it felt like an inexcusable oversight.

Still, I hadn’t imagined humans would be capable of flight. Spreading strange wings shaped like boomerangs, figures began gliding slowly down through the air.

And not just one.

One after another, more appeared, all dressed in identical black attire. Their attire matched perfectly with the stories we’d heard—these were unmistakably ninjas.

“Watch out! The attack is coming from above!”

At my shout, everyone tilted their heads skyward, gaping in shock. It seemed none of them had expected such a method of assault, either.

“From the sky!?”

“What are those wings!? Some kind of automaton!?”

“And there’s so many of them!”

Most of the guards stood frozen, staring up at the figures in stunned disbelief. But they were the Shogun’s escort for a reason—not all were so easily shaken, and several quickly began to take decisive action.

“There’s no need to panic! We spotted them first—that gives us the advantage!”

“They’re descending slowly! Shoot them down with arrows while they’re in the air!”

“Target those mechanical wings! They’re bigger than the body and easier to hit. Once they’re broken, they’ll will fall like stones!”

Thanks to their quick thinking, the soldiers instantly snapped into battle formation.

But just as they were about to let their arrows fly, the ninjas hurled spherical objects down toward the ground. The moment they struck, thick smoke burst out with a violent hiss, spreading rapidly through the area.

“Damn it! Smoke bombs!?”

In an instant, the world turned hazy and gray. Our sight swallowed by a choking fog. Then came the thuds of landing bodies, followed by the screams of soldiers being struck.

“They dropped from that height!? What more, they can still move in this foggy field?!”

Some technique must be letting them see clearly through the haze, allowing them to distinguish friend from foe without trouble.

At this rate, the soldiers would be butchered without a chance to fight back.

“Mm… leave it to me.”

Fana raised her hands, summoning a sudden gale.

The smoke whipped away in seconds, revealing the ninja attackers prowling across the battlefield below.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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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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While I was struggling day and night in my desperate quest to be hugged by Eastern beauties, it seemed that Fana and Karen had been busy hunting down monsters nonstop.

“We still haven’t gotten that ten million yen.”

…Apparently, Fana is absolutely determined to collect the full sum no matter what.

“Earning ten million really is brutal… I’d like to go back and punch my past self for naming such a random number…”

Karen looked completely drained, proof that she has been forced into a grueling schedule.

Meanwhile, Anje had apparently stormed into a karate dojo to issue a challenge. Karate, by the way, was a martial art unique to the East. 

“Most of the dojos weren’t anything special, so I wiped them out easily. But there were a few that actually put up a decent fight. Of course, I made sure to get permission before challenging them.”

“Really? You didn’t just provoke them until they snapped?”

“It’s fine. I only gave them a little push when it looked like they were going to refuse.”

Uh…yeah, that definitely means she provoked them.

As for Lill, she stayed behind. Westerners already stood out in this country, and with her wolf ears on top of that, she drew way too much attention.

To make matters worse, there was a local legend about fox spirits that could transform into young human women.

Lill was a wolf, of course—but more than once she’d been mistaken for one of those fox monsters in disguise.

“To mistake me for a fox…”

Lill murmured, clearly displeased.

Well, I guess for the average person, telling the difference between wolf ears and fox ears isn’t really easy after all.

For the time being, we are staying at a luxury inn not far from Edo Castle. It was one of the rewards from the shogun for defeating the Yamata no Orochi. Yes, we also got to stay for free.

Considering how tight our funds were in this country, that was a blessing. What more, the place itself was amazing. Not only were the many spacious rooms, but they even came with a charming garden. The service is flawless, and to top it off, the inn had its own hot spring.

The hot spring is a naturally heated water bubbling up from underground. Edou, being a land of many volcanoes, was full of hot spring resorts.

“It’s such a good bath, I can’t help but go in again and again.”

Lill said with a satisfied sigh.

She’d taken quite a liking to the hot springs. Thanks to that, she didn’t seem to mind being cooped up in the inn all day.

Of course, I love hot springs too.

In my previous life, I used to soak in them practically every day, to heal both body and mind after long hours of magical research. Honestly, the fact that I lived such a long and healthy life back then was probably thanks in no small part to hot springs.

So naturally, not going in isn’t even an option.

“…And why exactly are you trying to sneak into the women’s bath?”

“Because—I’m a baby, you know? Babies can’t take baths by themselves.”

“Really? You can dive into a dungeon solo, but you can’t take a bath alone?”

I had been caught attempting to enter the women’s bath, only to be blocked by Anje.

“Go to the men’s side. Now!”

With that, she literally tossed me over towards the men’s bath.

“Cruel! This is child abuse! Abandonment of parental duties!”

I protested desperately, but Anje ignored me and disappeared into the women’s side.

But of course, I’m not the kind of man—er, baby—to give up so easily.

“Babu, babu, babuu!”

I sprawled out in the hallway in front of the women’s bath, babbling in my most authentic baby voice.

Yes. My brilliant plan was simple. Some kind-hearted lady would notice me, scoop me up, and naturally take me into the women’s bath with her. It’s a flawless strategy—if I do say so myself.

Before long, I heard footsteps approaching me.

“Oh my, a baby? What are you doing here? Where did your papa and mama run off to?”

It’s a woman’s voice.

Perfect. Come now, pick me up!

“Babu, babu, babu!”

“My, such a cute little thing. And your face has such an exotic look to it…”

“Babu, babu, babu!”

“Heehee… oh dear, could it be you want to bathe in the hot springs? Well then, why don’t you come in with aunty?”

“Ba… buh…?”

The one who lifted me into her arms was a plump, matronly woman—probably in her fifties.

“Baaaabuuuuuu!?”

『Oh, congratulations, Master. At least she has the large breasts that Master loves so much.』

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Until now, I believed that the Eastern swordsmanship is the best in the world. Yet now I see—there are always heights beyond heights. I was nothing more than a frog in a well.”

Karen lowered her head with grave solemnity.

Then, she declared,

“Please, allow me to accompany you on your journey!”

“Sure.”

I replied without hesitation.

Why? Because Karen had big breasts.

『…That is the worst possible reason.』

Lindwurm’s voice echoed in my head.

But really—if a busty woman wants to join your party, what kind of man would turn her away?

No, such a man does not exist!

“R-really!?”

“But there is one condition.”

“What is it?”

“No sarashi allowed!”

The old man’s last unnecessary comment made her once again cover her chest with a sarashi.

“B-but Master….”

“Then, if you Master told you to die, will you do it? It’s time to start thinking for yourself! If you don’t, you’ll never get stronger!”

『Master, aren’t you taking this too far?』

At my impassioned words, Karen faltered for a moment, then—

“Y-you’re right… indeed, I’ve hardly ever relied on my own judgment until now…”

Kukuku. This samurai is way too naive.

“Exactly. It’s not just swordsmanship or physical strength—you’ve got to train your judgment as well. And that means thinking with your own head and making your own decisions every day.”

“Yes! I shall do so from now on!”

“Then Oneechan, cast off that stiff, binding way of thinking—yes, that sarashi! Oneechan, now is the time to be reborn as your true self!”

『…Don’t preach like that. Everyone knows you just want to see her breasts.』

Karen’s hand reached for the cloth wrapped around her chest.

“I… I shall be reborn anew!”

“Yes! That sarashi represents the old you!”

“This sarashi is my old self! Now I sever my ties with it, once and for all!”

With eyes burning with resolve, Karen tore away the sarashi in a glorious rip.

And I—without hesitation—dived straight into her chest.

“Well done, Samurai-oneechan! You’ve been reborn!”

“I-, yes, I have been reborn!”

I bury my face in Karen’s large breasts and share her joy.

Kuhahaha, what magnificent breasts!

『…I really think this girl should think for herself more.』

★★★

“I still wanna be hugged by more Eastern beauties!”

『You’ve already been hugged quite a lot, haven’t you?』

“By a samurai girl, sure! But there have to be other archetypes out there!”

『…』

“For example—yes! A shrine maiden!”

Shrine maidens—known as miko—were the holy women of the East. Only the young were allowed to serve, and once they reached a certain age or got married, they had to retire.

“The gods of the East must really like their women young and pure. Yeah, yeah, I get it. Totally understand that kind of fetish.”

『Master, that’s blasphemy against foreign deities. You’ll get smote.』

In Edou, shrines were the center of worship, and shrine maidens could be found there.

“Alright then—let’s go!”

What we arrived at was an old, venerable shrine with a long history. Worshipers came one after another, each quietly offering earnest prayers before leaving.

The sacred atmosphere hung heavy over the grounds. I spotted a shrine maiden in her white-and-red robes, but she was focused on her duties with such solemnity that approaching her felt completely out of the question.

“…Yeah, let’s go home.”

『At least you realize how out of place you look here.』

But I’m not one to give up so easily!

“If miko are off-limits, then… maiko! A maiko’s a girl who performs at banquets, right? Totally different vibe from the gloomy shrine!”

『You’re seriously going to get cursed, Master.』

Maiko could be found in the entertainment districts. So off I went to Edou’s most famous pleasure quarter—Kabukichō.

Yes! Now I’ll have a big-breasted maiko hold me in her arms!

“One-time customers are not welcome, sir.”

“You’re a baby. We don’t let minors in here.”

“A talking baby!? Must be a yokai! Guards, deal with him!”

…And so, one place after another slammed the door in my face. At one establishment, they even tried to exorcise me as some kind of monster.

“Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!?”

『Perhaps you should just give up gracefully, Master.』

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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