“Is my Yae doing alright over there?”
“She is. She trains with my knights, keeps public order in the castle town, and goes out hunting now and then. She’s doing really well for herself.”
“I was not the best of parents if I am honest... I trained my daughter and raised her to be a blade. But if that blade is something that keeps others safe, then I am a proud father.” I didn’t think Yae was just a blade. She was well respected in Brunhild, she cherished the people there, and her smile was something else. She respected her family, and the people she cared for. I honestly hoped that if I ever had a daughter, she’d grow up to be like Yae.
“In a few years I will be relinquishing my duties to my son, I will. Maybe I could retire to Brunhild and spend some time with my grandkids if I have any by then... Heh.”
“...It might be a bit soon to be thinking about that... But maybe. You never know.” I forced a smile back to Yae’s father, but honestly, I just hoped that a peaceful future like that could come. The looming threat of the Phrase and the wicked god had me a little concerned.
After speaking a bit with Jubei, I decided to go outside and walk the streets of Oedo a bit.
“Touya! I’m coming too!”
Just as I was leaving the house with Kohaku, Sue came charging after me. Lu was still in the kitchen with Nanae. I hoped she didn’t get too enthusiastic and wear herself out.
“Alright, let’s go for a walk! C’mon!”
“Whoa!”
Sue suddenly grabbed my hand and jerked me forward. She’d grown a bit since we first met, and she was clearly a little stronger too.
We left the Kokonoe household and were greeted by the hustle and bustle of Oedo’s streets.
There were people selling stuff on the streets. Cooked veggies, fresh fish, and even little bags with goldfish inside.
My mouth started watering when I caught a whiff of grilled eel, even though I’d just eaten.
“It’s more crowded than Brunhild here.”
“Well, that’s just how it is. This is a pretty important city, after all.” Oedo was the center of the Tokugawa territory, said to be the most bustling city in all of Eashen. Most of Eashen’s culture originated within Oedo’s walls, and many travelers came to visit it. It could be said that this city was the cutting edge of Eashenese culture.
There were still some foreigners here and there, but not really enough that you’d notice.
The two nations that bordered the sea across from Eashen were Horn and Nokia, and those countries were extremely isolated. Yulong didn’t even exist anymore, either. Given all that, it wasn’t too surprising to think that there wouldn’t be many non-Eashenese people there.
I wasn’t from Eashen, but I was a black-haired guy from Japan, and I basically resembled a native Eashenese person. Sue, however, prancing around in her fancy clothes with her long blonde hair... Definitely stood out. A sight like her was quite the rarity in a country like this.
Sue definitely knew that, but she didn’t seem to mind. She wasn’t self-conscious, at least.
Sue was the niece of a king, at the end of the day. She was probably used to getting attention from the public even back in Belfast.
“Touya, look! Dumplings! We should eat some!”
“Didn’t we just eat?” Sue happily pointed me in the direction of a small tea shop. There was a small dining area outside, where a few patrons were enjoying tea and sweet dumplings.
There was a menu fixed on the wall nearby, it was almost all dessert items. It seemed to be more of a sweet shop than a tea shop. I personally didn’t care much about eating anything for dessert, but I couldn’t argue back against Sue. I took a seat with her and quietly resigned myself to fate, hoping I could get away with just having a cup of tea.
“Welcome. What would you like?”
“Uhm... I’ll have a cup of tea, please. Sue, you wanted dumplings?”
“Mhm! I want mitarashi dango, yomogi dumplings, sesame-sprinkled ones... Ohh, and red bean paste! Oh... And zu... zuda mochi? I’d like that too, please!” Whoa, calm down! That’s way too much! I made sure to specify to the waitress that we wanted small portions of each kind of dumpling she ordered. It would’ve been bad if we had a full order.
The tea came out right away. I was happy with my choice, it was delicious.
Sue was patient, so she waited until her tea cooled down. Kohaku also got water in a bowl.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Ooh, that looks so cool!” The plate came out with two little dumplings of each type. There were two green yomogi dumplings, two black sesame dumplings, two small red dumplings filled with bean paste, and two rice cakes with green paste on top. What Sue had referred to as zuda mochi was actually zunda mochi.
I was glad to see that it existed in Eashen, too. I ate that a lot with my late grandfather when I was a kid.
I got a little nostalgic, so I asked for a portion of my own. Sue had already started wolfing down her dumplings in the meantime. She seemed to find each one delicious... But she was definitely making a mess, she had sticky stuff all around her mouth.
As I reveled in Sue’s soothing smile, some food for me arrived.
It looked great.
“Time for me to try it, then...” I picked up a bit with my chopsticks and popped it into my mouth. The taste of the edamame and the sweet fragrance tantalized my senses. It was a little different to the taste I remembered, but it was still amazing. Just like the fish I’d had earlier, even if it had a different name, it didn’t stop the good taste.
“I want everyone to get a chance to try this...”
“Then let’s take some home with us!” She was right, so I decided to do just that. I asked the waitress for a to-go order and placed the heavy box into [Storage].
As I leaned back and looked around, I caught a figure in the corner of my eye.
“......”
I could feel the burning stare of a small child not far away. She was about four or five years old, certainly smaller than Sue.
She looked like she was drooling as she held her finger up to her mouth, staring at the delicious food Sue was cramming into her face.
Sue herself was finished with her dumplings and moved on to the dango skewers, but it didn’t take long for her to notice the girl.
“...Are you hungry?”
“Y-Yeah!” Sue asked a question as she held out a little bit of food and waved it toward the kid. The little girl came running over.
I couldn’t possibly eat another bite, so I let her have the rest of my stuff.
“Is it good?”
“Mhm! Oedo food is really good!” The little girl was pretty strange, but she was hungrily devouring whatever we gave her. I wondered if she’d lost her parents. Looking at her more closely, there were a few odd details that stood out. To start with, she was wearing clothes that didn’t match her size. Same with her shoes. If it was a size larger, it would be at risk of falling off her. The kimono she wore was also unusual. Her collar was untidy and her sash was tied a little too tight.
Her long black hair was glossy and clean, and there wasn’t a single blemish on her skin. She looked pale, but she didn’t exactly look malnourished.
I wondered what was up with her... She was a weird kid, for sure. “Uhm... I’m Touya. This is Sue. What’s your name, and where do you come from?”
“Um... I’m Iroha! I’m from there!” She couldn’t possibly be correct. The little girl pointed toward Oedo Castle, the massive towering structure in the middle of the city.
Huh? You’re not one of Ieyahsu’s kids, are you? No way... You don’t look the part to be a noble... Are you sure about the castle being where you’re from? Or are you just pointing at it as a landmark?
“What’s your dad called?”
“Umm... To... Tojiro!”
Well, that rules out Ieyahsu. I was wondering if you were the kid of one of the Tokugawa concubines, but I guess not.
I sighed quietly and handed over a
fresh set of chopsticks to Sue, who seemed like her sweet tooth wasn’t quite sated.
“Thanks!”
“No problem.” Sue started chowing down on some of the extra mochi. Her mouth was once again stained by syrup. I simply sighed and hoped she wouldn’t spill any on her lap.
Iroha plucked up a bit of mochi before turning to us both.
“Where are you from mister?”
“Oh, I’m from Brunhild... It’s a country far to the west. We’re staying with a friend’s family.” We were actually staying with my fiancée’s family, but I didn’t want to complicate matters. Plus if I counted Jutaro as that friend, I wasn’t really lying.
The zunda mochi was done with, but I could see on Iroha’s face that she wasn’t quite full. I ordered another portion.
“You’re really nice, mister!”
“Of course he is. Touya’s a truly good man! As expected of my husband, of course.” We’re not married yet... But I couldn’t help but grin at Sue’s goofy face.
I sat with the two of them, sipping at some more tea as they ate some more snacks... But then I heard a loud voice from nearby.
“Hey, over there! Found her!”
“Oh?!” I was just listening, when suddenly Iroha put down her plate and ran away as fast as she could. I didn’t even have time to react.
“She ran for it! Chase her down!”
“Guh! She is not getting away this time!” Three men ran right past us in hot pursuit. The men were all dressed in black leather outfits. No matter how you looked at it, they were ninja.
I didn’t know why I interfered, but I couldn’t sense anything good in them chasing down a kid.
“[Slip]!”
“Gah!”
“Gwaugh!”
“Hgh!” The three men stumbled over their own feet and fell to the ground.
I paid my bill at the tea shop, boxed up the leftovers, and left the shop immediately.
I shoved the leftovers into [Storage] before pulling out my smartphone and running a search on the girl’s location.
“Where’d she go?”
“She’s heading toward Yae’s dojo.” I looked down at my phone to confirm the answer to Sue’s question. Iroha seemed to have made it away safely. She was fast on her feet for such a little kid, Yae’s place was quite a walk away from where we were.
As I checked my map, I headed toward a back alley.
《My liege, look at that girl.》
“Hm?” I looked over the street outside the alley and saw a young girl wearing an utterly gorgeous kimono. It was quite the opposite in looks to the one Iroha had been wearing... But the girl wearing it looked pretty suntanned and her hair was disheveled. Not to mention the fact that the outfit was a tiny bit too small for her, as well...
Wait, did Iroha maybe swap clothes with her? Sue went over to ask her where she got her kimono, and she answered that a young girl had exchanged clothing with her earlier.
“...Then does that mean Iroha was a noble after all?”
“If she’s noble... Then she’s gotta be in trouble, right? Why would a kid like her be chased down by ninjas?” I decided it’d be best to make sure she was safe. I had a fine enough level of control over [Teleport], so I was confident I could jump straight to Iroha. It wasn’t too far a distance, after all.
I grabbed Sue by the hand.
“[Teleport]!”
“Whoa!” We suddenly appeared directly in front of a surprised Iroha. There was nobody else around, she’d seemingly been hiding in a back street.
“Wh-Where did you come from?!”
“That’s just Touya’s power. Are you surprised? Pretty cool, huh?” Sue puffed out her chest as if to gloat. I had no idea what she was proud of, but her face was cute.
“Iroha... Why are you being chased down?”
“Oh! Th-They’re bad guys! They keep getting in my way!” Hrmph... That doesn’t really give me an answer, though. I wanna know why they’re chasing you... But I guess the details are a bit much for a little kid. I’ll just have to ask one of them.
“Sue, could you take her back to the dojo?”
“Umm... Sure! I’ll explain what’s happening to Yae and the others.” I sent Sue and Iroha through a [Gate]. I knew they’d be safer with Yae and her family.
“My lord, they’re here... Shall we?”
“Yeah, let’s hear it from them.” I turned around to face the six ninja who had just appeared in the back street. Wait... There are more of you now? Geez...
“Hey there! Did a girl go by here?!”
“I’m taking care of Iroha now. So why don’t you tell m-”
The men immediately surrounded me and drew their weapons. I didn’t even get a chance to ask them a question!
“[Shield].”
“Guh?!”
“Gah?!” Four of the men stopped after seeing two of their comrades blocked by an invisible wall. One of the ninjas struck my magical shield again before leaping back toward his allies.
“Bastard! You can use magic?!” There weren’t many Eashenese people capable of casting spells, so seeing it in action was a rarity.
Instead, they had developed ninjutsu and special techniques. They were skills that had similar effects, but could only be gained through rigorous training.
I wondered if the ninja in front of me had such capabilities, but they probably did.
As I wondered that, the fattest of the men spewed fire from his mouth and sent it hurtling toward me. What the... He can use ninjutsu?! “Not so fast, wastrel!” Kohaku leaped in front of the incoming flames, emanating a shockwave that repelled them.
“Eek!! Uwaaah!” The tubby ninja, now caught on fire thanks to his own attack, started rolling around on the floor.
I shot out a little Water magic, since I didn’t exactly want to kill him.
“Guh...!” The ninjas glared at me before throwing some small objects at the ground. Oh, smoke bombs. I remember seeing this in old movies.
I guess they’re escaping under the smoke cover, then... Ah.
Before I noticed it, the ninjas were gone. I was honestly a little impressed. They’d gotten away.
“Not like you can keep away, though...” I casually pulled out my smartphone and ran a search for ninjas... The results shocked me. Several pins dropped on the map around Oedo. I wondered why the hell there were so many ninjas, were they holding a summit or something? But then again, the term ninja was pretty broad. It could’ve also been applying the terms to every shinobi in town.
I wondered if the Tokugawa ninjas were all at the castle or something... There were more than I’d expected.
Whatever, I just need to find out more info...
Then again, I should probably try to figure out whose ninjas these guys actually are... It could be a problem if they’re serving the Tokugawa clan.
I sighed quietly and decided to head back to Yae’s place. There were no enemies there, thankfully.
I opened up a [Gate] and made my way back. I walked into the dining room and found a tasty display of yellowtail sushi and radish on the table. You’re eating again...?!
Sue looked up from the plate and spoke to me.
“Ah, Touya! Did you sort out the people who were chasing her?”
“Not exactly, no...” I explained what had happened, and Sue opened her eyes wide in surprise. Lu then walked in with a fresh serving of sushi. I couldn’t believe they were still eating at a time like this. “Hey, Iroha. Just who are you?”
“I’m Iroha!”
That certainly wasn’t much of an answer. As I was thinking of what to do with her, I heard a commotion come from the entrance. I wondered what it was.
“T-Touya-do... G-Grand Duke! Yae! Grand Duke...! A-Are you there?!”
The voice belonged to Jutaro. He was supposed to be at the castle. He sounded frantic, so I rushed toward the entryway to find him drenched in sweat. He was panting heavily and on the ground. He’d ran here full-pelt, and looked completely out of breath.
“
Oh...Th-Thank goodness! T-Terrible things have happened... J-Just terrible!”
“Hold your horses, and calm down a moment. [Refresh].” I cast the restoration magic on him. I had no idea what was going on with him, but he needed to calm it. “T-Today there was a meeting of feudal lords at Oedo Castle... But the daughter of one of the lords has gone missing! There’s a lot going on now and I’m not sure what to do, but from what I understand the Tokugawa security detail could be in great trouble for this! They almost rescued her, but she was captured in this very town!” Hm? “A-And I heard a report that the girl was almost found, but she was stolen away by a mysterious and powerful man who commanded a frightening beast!” Uh oh. I looked down at my feet for a moment. Frightening beast... Mysterious and powerful...?
“He could be an agent for political manipulation! How am I supposed to find him?! If I cannot find this fiend and kill him with my own hands, then Lord Tokugawa-sama’s honor will be stained!”
“Uhm... About that... Whose daughter was she, exactly...?”
“Ah, f-forgive my impertinence! She is the young daughter of Lord Massamune-sama! And then, hm...? Grand Duke...?” I listened to Jutaro’s words, but he quickly noticed that I was progressively sweating harder, and looking more flustered by the second.
This is definitely my bad.
Am I gonna get punished for this? Holy crap. Date Massamune? That one? The guy I met a while back? He seemed pretty nice, but definitely incapable of hiding his feelings.
But wait, isn’t he only around my age?! How does he have a daughter at that age already? I know people marry young in this world but c’mon! Ack... Still, I need to focus here. This could cause a national incident... Better handle it fast.
I motioned for Jutaro to follow me and we walked into the living room.
The girl was eating some pickled radish as she turned to us. Even though she was wearing something so tattered, it seemed like Jutaro immediately recognized her noble status.
“G-Grand Duke... This girl...”
“Y-Yeah. My bad.”
“Hm?”
“I-I will let them know at once!” Jutaro went charging out the entrance just as Yae and the others came walking inside.
“Oh, brother? I do wish he would stay a little longer, I do...”
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 14 Page 7
