Chapter 55: The Dewa Province under the Auspices of the Heavenly Cherry Tree

Ah!

That's true.

Thinking back, she was a sheltered young lady in the original story who would disdain a lowly servant's clothes for being too dirty, so it was understandable if she just threw them away directly.

Hyakusuke sighed softly in his heart.

That being said, a garment wasn't cheap, and it wasn't torn all that badly (just a few patches), so throwing it away like that felt somewhat wasteful.

"Afterwards, I will have a new set prepared for you." Kurohimeyama Kohagi shifted her gaze, slightly narrowing her beautiful eyes adorned with long lashes.

"Are you injured?"

She had noticed the wound on Hyakusuke's right shoulder.

"Just a flesh wound."

The wound on his right shoulder still burned slightly, but given Hyakusuke's current physical constitution and the enhanced recovery from consuming mermaid meat, the bleeding had stopped long ago.

"Take this."

Kohagi retrieved a medicine case from her *inro* and tossed it to Hyakusuke.

"This is a secret medicine of the Kurohimeyama clan, personally concocted by Granny Shuka. Apply it to the wound when you use it; it has miraculous effects on injuries like bruises and contusions."

"This—I really cannot accept something so valuable."

Hyakusuke lowered his head.

"Think nothing of it, you also rendered meritorious service."

Kohagi smiled faintly, her iceberg-like expression seemingly thawing.

"Speaking of which... I am well aware of the matter regarding Lord Niyake. Outsiders might be in the dark, but I have my own intelligence sources. As his fiancée, I also need to thank you on behalf of the Nyoirin-ji side."

She added.

"This is also a bit of my own selfishness, so please do not refuse."

"You flatter me."

Hyakusuke was filled with deep emotion.

——Just look at this; this is what a true heroine's demeanor is all about. She was so generous to a lowly servant she had barely met a few times, parting with something as precious as clan secret medicine.

'Unlike a certain someone, who makes me write an IOU every time I ask her for anything.'

He complained slightly in his mind, though these words certainly couldn't be heard by the person in question.

"You handled today's events very well."

The young lady said indifferently: "However, sneaking off to the hot springs in private is not permitted... Rest assured, I will spin this into a story where the two of you were patrolling with me and accidentally encountered the enemy."

She chuckled softly: "Appropriate relaxation is not a bad thing, as long as it doesn't interfere with official business."

"Thank you very much."

Hyakusuke thanked the young lady from the bottom of his heart. No wonder she was the best early-game ally in the game and a top-tier character you could rely on later on—oh right, all of this was on the premise that she didn't trigger her *yandere* tendencies toward the protagonist.

"I will be heading back now... 'Yorong'."

Kohagi drew a demonic blade and summoned from it a jiao-dragon with sickle-blade-like horns on its head—no, it should be called a snake. This was a *yokai* known as the "Yatogami", which she had subjugated and sealed within the forged demonic blade.

"Let us go."

Standing atop the snake's head, she gave the command. The great snake flexibly undulated its form, its long serpentine body coiling and rising into the air, swaying its sickle-like head as it floated effortlessly high into the sky, drifting toward the Kurohimeyama main household as if carried by the wind.

"Finally..."

Hyakusuke let out a heavy sigh of relief.

He thought to himself that next time, it would be best not to go soaking in hot springs with Saizo again.

...

Upon returning to her own room, the eldest princess of the Kurohimeyama family locked the door from the inside. Because barrier arts had been applied, even her personal maid could not enter.

She remained entirely alone within the pitch-black room.

The only light source here was a single lamp, its bean-sized flame dancing and emitting a hazy glow.

In the lamplight, she sat there in a daze, still holding a somewhat worn garment. Compared to this lavish room, it was an outer garment that could only be described as a mere rag.

Yet, the eldest princess of the Kurohimeyama family gazed intently at the garment with unusual absorption.

"Heh."

Kohagi abruptly closed her eyes.

As she recalled everything that had happened tonight, a smile bloomed on her red lips.

Oh honestly, I can't take this.

She extended her right hand to cup her own face, muttering under her breath.

'We met again... I, how long I've waited, finally able to see your face...'

The young lady's cheeks were nearly rose-colored, as if she were running a high fever, and her eyes took on a rapturous, dreamlike gaze.

'And I was even thanked...'

A smile hung on her face, and she whispered softly by her lips.

'Heh, clearly there was no need to do such a thing; we don't need to thank each other. It doesn't matter how many times I do trivial things like that for you.'

Her voice, resembling a soft murmur, sounded unexpectedly sweet and tender.

——I am, after all, your wife. Even though it was just a childhood promise, it became a fact the moment we linked our pinkies; only this point is indisputable.

——Heh, whoever dares to break that promise will surely have to swallow a thousand needles.

"Right, that medicine... I sent it over, too."

Kohagi muttered to herself, clutching the man's garment as her back arched slightly. Her red hairpin swayed as well. The eldest princess of the Kurohimeyama family held this coarse cloth in a trance, and then buried her face into it.

"......Haha......"

She seemed eager to inhale the scent and sweat clinging to it into her lungs, even though this garment had been washed so often that almost no residual scent remained.

'It won't be much longer now.'

Indulging in this bizarre behavior, Kohagi buried her face deep within the rag, eagerly inhaling the non-existent scent while pressing her thighs together and twisting her body. Her mind was filled with vivid fantasies, and her face bore a rapturous and dazed expression.

"Just wait for me a little longer~~"

She exhaled a breath that was far too sweet and bewitchingly seductive—sounding precisely like a female cat in heat, completely impossible to believe as the voice of such a dignified and graceful young lady—

At that very instant, the young lady's shadow beneath the lamplight warped and twisted as countless pale hands stretched out from within.

......Mine.

A faint voice resounded.

"Mine," "Clearly it's mine," "I should be the only one," "Go die," "Just all die," "Anyone other than me won't do," "Get lost"...

Suddenly, Kohagi halted her movements.

"Shut your mouths... all of you worthless scraps."

In the blink of an eye, the abnormalities within the room vanished entirely.

Kohagi closed her eyes once more.

She had to admit that although the Time-Chanting power she possessed was formidable, such power exacted a heavy price.

"It's fine, no matter how great the price, I will pay it... Until—"

She whispered softly, an evil smile blooming on the corners of her lips.

The bean-sized flame of the lamp slowly flickered out. As if severing all connection with the light, the silhouette of the young lady's white kimono gradually merged with the gloomy shadow behind her, disappearing into the darkness.

...

Three days later.

After a brief period of rest and preparation, Hyakusuke once again prepared to set out, joining Saizo and the large entourage heading toward Dewa Province.

This "Divine Cherry Blossom Festival" was a matter of considerable pomp and importance for the Kurohimeyama family as well.

Starting from the early morning, a massive caravan assembled outside the city. The convoy consisted of four ox-carts and three horse-drawn carriages, accompanied by a numerous retinue whose sheer scale left Hyakusuke clicking his tongue in amazement.

"This really is quite a massive scale."

He actually understood the reason: the entity that had invited the Kurohimeyama clan was none other than the Mahoroba Shrine, hailed as the "finest in Hoshu."

According to legend, this shrine possessed a profound history, reportedly having deep ties with "Master Nozoe," the crown-prince-born founder of the Haguro-style Shugendo.

On the other hand, the Mahoroba Shrine was built around a colossal cherry tree bearing the title of the Heavenly God Cherry.

This cherry blossom deity served as the local tutelary god, possessing immense power capable of pacifying calamities and suppressing disasters such as demons and monsters.

There were few prominent exorcist noble houses within Dewa Province, yet hardly any demons ran amok across its lands. This was entirely due to the "Pure Divine Aura" emitted by the Heavenly God Cherry, "Lord Mahoroba," which was powerful enough to enshroud the entire region—the power of this giant divine cherry was capable of influencing the whole of Hoshu, sorting the earth veins, purifying water sources, adjusting geomantic energies, rendering the soil fertile for bountiful harvests year after year, and radiating a divine aura strong enough to strike fear into demons, deterring them from ever invading the lands of Hoshu.

Additionally, the lands of Hoshu were abundant in a special metal known as "Scarlet-Crimson Gold." This metallic mineral was extremely rare and served as the finest material for exorcists to forge equipment and tools; weapons infused with Scarlet-Crimson Gold experienced a massive surge in quality.

The Kurohimeyama family, an exorcist clan, had maintained a good relationship with Dewa Province's Mahoroba Shrine for many years precisely to ensure a stable supply channel.

"In other words... the core of Dewa Province lies in the Mahoroba Shrine, because the lives and livelihoods of everyone throughout Dewa rely upon this Lord Mahoroba."

That being the case, there was a question.

What kind of outcome would Dewa Province face if, one day, this colossal divine cherry—the Heavenly God Cherry—were to collapse...