Chapter 102: Departure

After a moment of silence, Minamoto Kiyomoto spoke again;

“It’s already happened. It’s my fault, but I… I don’t like to get tangled up in the troublesome matter of ‘who I can be with and who I can’t be with’ all day long.”

“What’s more,” he paused and continued, “we’ve already wasted a lot of time dealing with yokai. Let’s make life simpler and more straightforward.”

“Simpler and more straightforward means pursuing two people at the same time?” Himemiya Izayoi put down her milk and asked, glancing at him.

“I love Miss Kamibayashi, and I can’t refuse you. I will naturally do my best to fight for what I want,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied.

“If you want someone else in the future, for example, her,” Himemiya Izayoi pointed at the Hokkaido miko who was eating and watching a drama, “will you also fight for her?”

Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced at Rokka twice.

“Unless I suddenly become interested in white-haired girls, it’s impossible,” he said while spreading jam on his bread with a knife and fork.

“You two are so annoying,” the Hokkaido miko protested with a blank expression.

Himemiya Izayoi ignored her and continued to say to Minamoto Kiyomoto, “I’m just using her as an example. It could be that Itomi Yuki, or her sister Itomi Sayaka.”

“Izayoi,” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her.

“Yes,” Himemiya Izayoi propped her chin on her hand and looked at him.

“What do you think of yourself?”

“There is such a beauty in the world. Her manners are so noble, her dignity is so great, no one is worthy of her, and she is invincible.”

“Even someone like you, you went to great lengths to make me do something I’m sorry for to Miss Kamibayashi. Do you think there will be a second invincible beauty in the world? Besides Miss Kamibayashi.”

“And besides me,” the Hokkaido miko squeezed a few drops of lemon on the smoked herring.

No one paid any attention to her.

Minamoto Kiyomoto and the other two had tacitly summed up a way to deal with her.

“Okay,” Himemiya Izayoi admitted that there would not be a second invincible beauty in the world. “Even if you don’t want a third person, don’t you think it’s too absurd to pursue both of us at the same time?”

“How long can a person live? What’s wrong with boldly pursuing what you want? I won’t force you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

Himemiya Izayoi looked at Kamibayashi Miko, “I can’t convince him. You do it.”

“It’s true, but it’s impossible,” Kamibayashi Miko picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth.

“All the things I’ve done since I was a child, more than half of them, most people thought were impossible.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto finished the last bite of bread, drank the last bit of milk, stood up, hung his thin sword from his waist, and held his helmet.

“I’m leaving,” he said.

“Be careful on the road,” Himemiya Izayoi replied perfunctorily and began to eat breakfast.

Kamibayashi Miko saw Minamoto Kiyomoto to the door.

“When I’m not here, you guys be careful. This time, they said they found the hiding place of the cultivators. They might be referring to us.

“If you’re surrounded, you can escape if you can. If you can’t, then surrender.

“When I catch the princess and get the remains, I’ll come and save you immediately.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto walked in front, repeating the things they had already discussed yesterday.

Kamibayashi Miko, who was walking behind, did not say a word.

When they were almost at the door, just as Minamoto Kiyomoto was about to turn around and say goodbye, Kamibayashi Miko suddenly stretched out her hand and punched him in the back, very lightly.

“…”

Minamoto Kiyomoto turned around and looked at Kamibayashi Miko.

Her skin was as white as jade. Even though she was wearing a Western-style cloth dress, she was still graceful and elegant. She was the most beautiful color in the world.

He looked at her for a while, leaned close to her ear, and said softly:

“You are the invincible beauty. I will always love you. Before you agree to me, I will be with you and be lonely forever.”

“I’m telling you to be careful,” Kamibayashi Miko said, staring at him.

“I will be careful,” Minamoto Kiyomoto smiled and put on his helmet.

◇

Yesterday, he had entered the castle at night. It was only during the day that Minamoto Kiyomoto discovered the dreamlike quality of the castle.

The grass was fresh and green, the garden was a riot of color, the buildings were magnificent, and the towers were covered with ivy.

Even the seagulls flying in the sky were so amazed that they let out cries of admiration, circling for a long time, unwilling to leave.

As he passed through a long corridor, Minamoto Kiyomoto found that he could see the sea. The castle was reflected in the water, sparkling and shining.

“Your Highness,” under the guidance of a maid, Minamoto Kiyomoto walked into a room overlooking the bay and knelt on one knee to salute.

“Do you have something to report?” the princess had her back to him and was standing in front of a mirror.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was stunned. He instantly understood that the meeting place was not here.

“Those people are very dangerous, so… please allow me to stay by Your Highness’s side at all times,” his tone did not change, and he said in a deep voice.

The princess did not agree or object. Minamoto Kiyomoto heard the slight sound of clothes sliding.

“Cooper.”

“Here.”

“You come and help me dress,” the princess’s voice was pleasant, but not without majesty.

“Your Highness, I…” Minamoto Kiyomoto was at a loss.

“What’s wrong?” the princess asked. “You’ve served me since you were a child. Now that you’ve become a noble knight, are you unwilling?”

Minamoto Kiyomoto swallowed and slowly stood up.

The sound of swallowing was very loud. The palace was very quiet, and both the princess and the maid heard it.

“Nervous?” the princess asked with a smile.

“Yes,” Minamoto Kiyomoto answered honestly.

He was doing it on purpose, hoping that the other party would let him go, but unfortunately, she didn’t.

Not hearing the sound of the order being withdrawn, Minamoto Kiyomoto had to raise his head.

He saw the princess’s gorgeous golden hair, the smooth back under the golden hair, and her slender legs.

The maid came up, “Lord Cooper,” and gestured for him to give her the armor on his hands.

Although the risk of being recognized increased rapidly, Minamoto Kiyomoto still took off the armor on his hands and prepared to snatch the remains and escape by jumping into the sea.

Exposing his hands, Minamoto Kiyomoto took the bra that the maid handed him. In his mind, he quickly simulated how to put on a bra for a woman skillfully.

The hand holding the clothes slowly moved closer.

The princess stretched out her right hand and glanced at him, “What are you looking down for? Look up and put it on properly.”

“…Yes,” Minamoto Kiyomoto raised his head.

Her extremely white arms, shoulders, and chest were dazzlingly white, almost evil.

“Am I beautiful?” the princess asked.

“Yes, beautiful,” Minamoto Kiyomoto was indeed shocked, but not as bad as he had shown. He was hot and calmly prepared for any sudden situation.

“How beautiful is this body,” the princess looked at herself in the mirror, as if talking to herself.

“Your… Your Highness’s blue pupils remind me of a lake, and your beautiful red lips are like a blood moon,” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s voice was hoarse and a little slurred.

The princess’s gaze moved over and looked at him, “As a woman, your praise is unique.”

“Because of the princess’s beauty, even… even as a woman, I still… still… I’m sorry!”

“Why are you sorry?” the princess took Minamoto Kiyomoto’s right hand and placed it on her heart.

“I’m glad you like me,” the princess revealed a brilliant smile.

Minamoto Kiyomoto swallowed again. This time, it was real.

“Your Highness…” he wanted to withdraw his hand.

“What’s wrong?” the princess’s voice was full of laughter, and she didn’t let go.

Was it a prank? Or was it to win people’s hearts?

Or had she recognized that he was not Cooper, so she used this behavior to paralyze him?

“Your Highness’s… gem is so beautiful,” it sounded like he had changed to praising the gem because he was embarrassed or because of etiquette.

The princess finally let go of Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hand and took the golden gem between her breasts.

Her slender white fingers pinched the diamond-shaped gem and looked at it for a while, but she didn’t say a word.

Putting down the gem, she raised her hand and gestured for Minamoto Kiyomoto to continue dressing.

Minamoto Kiyomoto held the bra and pretended to be nervous, but in fact, he clumsily moved closer.

Pantyhose, garter belts, bustles, corsets…
Not to mention wearing them, Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t even know what they were for when he held them in his hand.

In the end, with the help of a very discerning maid, Minamoto Kiyomoto, for the first time in his life, helped a woman get dressed.

The princess, who was dressed, was heroic and at the same time, classically elegant and noble.

“Cooper, let’s go,” she said.

“Yes!” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied.

The place where the soldiers gathered was a square near the foot of the mountain.

“Your Highness!” Seeing the princess, the soldiers knelt on one knee in unison, their momentum astonishing.

A female knight in a white knight’s uniform, holding a horsewhip, with a longsword hanging from her waist, walked up quickly.

“Belladonna, forever loyal to Your Highness!” the female knight named Belladonna respectfully kissed the hem of the princess’s dress.

“I accept your loyalty,” after saying this, the princess turned to the soldiers and raised her voice slightly, “Get up, soldiers.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!” the soldiers stood up in unison, their armor clanking.

Minamoto Kiyomoto felt that the etiquette he had ‘learned from Himemiya Izayoi and seen on TV’ seemed a bit wrong.

But it didn’t matter. As long as he could stand by the princess’s side, the advantage was his.

The princess walked to the carriage. The eight horses pulling the carriage were exceptionally handsome, with snow-white coats.

The princess raised her hand, and Minamoto Kiyomoto helped her onto the carriage.

Belladonna glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto, snorted, and turned to walk to her white horse.

Minamoto Kiyomoto turned around and looked for his horse.

“Cooper, you come up too,” the princess’s order came from inside the carriage.

Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t ask for more and immediately replied, “As you wish.”

In the jealous eyes of Belladonna and many soldiers, he strode onto the carriage and got into the carriage.

The carriage was very luxurious, almost like a small room.

There seemed to be incense in a certain corner, and a faint floral fragrance rushed into Minamoto Kiyomoto’s nasal cavity.

The princess sat at the head, and he sat near the door.

“Let’s go!” Outside the carriage, Belladonna ordered loudly.

The carriage began to move, and the soldiers in armor stepped on the granite, making a loud “tata” sound.

The carriage was very soundproof, and almost no sound from outside could be heard.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was thinking whether he should subdue the princess, tie her up in the carriage, and take the opportunity to snatch the remains.

His gaze fell on the dignified golden-haired princess. He remembered her curves from her chest to her waist, her tight abdomen, and the beautiful lines of her legs. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Sun Wukong entering the Peach Garden.

He and the Great Sage were both people with great ambitions. Only mortals would think of playing with the seven fairies and the princess.

“Cooper,” the princess suddenly said.

“Your Highness,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied.

The princess stretched out her fair and smooth hand and handed him a book.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s memory was very good. He recognized that it was the book she was reading last night.

He reached out to take it and asked, “Your Highness, what is this?”

“The confessions of those who call themselves cultivators.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto opened it. As expected of a cultivator, he knew a lot.

On the page about ‘Minamoto Kiyomoto,’ not to mention the curses he knew, there was also a lot written about his love triangle with the Divine Miko and the Ise Miko.

The longest part was about his battle with Ashiya Doman at the Summer Festival, where he turned into a Hakone fire dragon.

“According to the speculation of these cultivators, our world is just a creature called ‘yokai’,” the princess said.

“Yokai?”

“Our world was born a month ago and is destined to perish.”

“Impossible!”

“A month,” ignoring Minamoto Kiyomoto, the princess murmured and lifted the curtain.

The cheers of the people suddenly rushed in.

“Long live the princess!”

“Long live Princess Noi!”

The princess waved gently at the window, and the sound of “long live” hit the carriage window like a sea wave.

It was so enthusiastic that the guards protecting the gorgeous carriage became even more energetic. While protecting Her Highness more carefully, they felt a great honor.

The princess put down the curtain, and the carriage became quiet again.

“A month,” she continued to murmur, “I clearly remember playing in a beautiful forest when I was a child, and when I grew up, I walked by the lake. A month ago, I was still in the summer garden, discussing things with the wizard.”

“Your Highness, you don’t need to care about what these defective products say. It’s all nonsense. Your greatness is beyond doubt,” Minamoto Kiyomoto imitated Cooper’s fanatical personality.

“If this… is really a false world, I will turn it into a real one and replace that world,” the princess’s tone was firm, with an unstoppable determination.

Minamoto Kiyomoto thought of the unknown film on Lake Shikotsu, which was getting bigger and bigger, replacing the real world.

“Your Highness, I don’t believe these defective products, but no matter what you plan to do, Cooper is willing to follow you forever!” he stood up, walked forward, and knelt on one knee under the princess’s dress.

The carriage had left the city. He was about to make a move.

“I believe in your loyalty,” the princess looked down at him. “But, you should go back and sit down. Although the carriage is good, it’s still a bit bumpy.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto was in a daze. He found that he was actually kneeling near the carriage door.

“…Please forgive me,” Minamoto Kiyomoto suppressed his surprise and said in fear.

He stood up and sat in his original seat. His brain was working fast, thinking about what had just happened.

Divine power?

No, there was no fluctuation of divine power.

It was not divine breath either.

He was very harmonious with divine breath. When he turned into a giant dragon, he had also used it himself and would not mistake it.

As the carriage moved forward, he calmed down.

Even if the situation in front of him was desperate, and he was facing a princess with unknown power, he was still full of confidence in himself.

The carriage fell silent. The golden-haired princess named Noi held the book that recorded the real world and read it page by page.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hand was on the hilt of his sword, and his waist was straight.

Anyone who saw this scene would think it was a noble princess and her loyal guardian knight.

After a while, the carriage stopped. Belladonna reported, “Your Highness, we have arrived.”

Princess Noi closed the book and, with Minamoto Kiyomoto’s help, got out of the carriage.

A red carpet with gold thread had been laid under the carriage.

The golden-haired princess was in a black dress, with a tight-fitting top and a flower-bud-like bottom. Standing on the red carpet, she was like a black-gold rose.

The accompanying maids bent down, smoothed the wrinkles on the princess’s dress, and arranged the layers of the dress, revealing a beautiful petticoat.

The princess looked at the valley in front of her and asked Belladonna, “Are those people hiding inside?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Belladonna knelt on one knee and replied respectfully. “This place is very difficult to attack, and the other party has powerful arrows.”

“Have the soldiers tried from other places?”

“I have already tried. It’s all steep slopes and cliffs, and the other party has been sending people to patrol. They throw stones when they see people.”

“So, the only way is to attack by force?”

“Yes.”

“Cooper,” the princess called.

“Your Highness,” Minamoto Kiyomoto stepped forward.

“I order you to win this victory,” the princess looked at the path leading to the valley.

Minamoto Kiyomoto knelt on one knee, “As you wish, Your Highness.”

(End of Chapter)