Chapter 105: Mutation

“I want to go out and play,” as soon as Minamoto Kiyomoto returned to Cooper’s house, Himemiya Izayoi immediately acted coquettishly.

“Soon, just bear with it a little longer,” Minamoto Kiyomoto took off his helmet and unfastened his thin sword.

“I’ve been sitting every day, I’m about to get hemorrhoids.”

“Don’t worry, whether it’s a simple hemorrhoidectomy or a ‘Whitehead’s’ radical surgery, I’ve already mastered it.”

“Whitehead? What’s that?” the Hokkaido miko walked out of the cultivation room.

“Hemorrhoidectomy,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied, then asked, “Is Miss Kamibayashi still practicing?”

The Hokkaido miko nodded, picked up a towel to wipe her sweat, her forehead, cheeks, neck, and lifted her collar to wipe her snow-white chest.

Minamoto Kiyomoto averted his gaze and said to Himemiya Izayoi, who was eating nuts and looking at him with a grin:

“I’ll take you out to play tomorrow night.”

“Really?” Himemiya Izayoi’s hand, which was holding the nuts, stopped in mid-air.

“There’s a citizen’s ball tomorrow night. The princess will attend. At that time, Miss Kamibayashi will lead me away. You and Rokka will be in the distance, taking turns using bows and arrows to test her abilities.”

Unless it was absolutely necessary, he needed to stay by the golden-haired girl’s side himself.

“I knew it,” Himemiya Izayoi ate the nut meat and threw the nutshell on Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hair.

Minamoto Kiyomoto took off the nutshell, rolled it in his fingertips, and his eyes stared out the window.

In the dark night, the Rose Palace was like a giant beast, looking down on the entire town.

Kamibayashi Miko stayed in the cultivation room until late at night. She had “Shinto-ryu” for swordsmanship, and recently she was practicing body movement.

She was born too well. She didn’t know the lowest level of wind control curse that could still be used without divine power.

Before going to bed, the four of them held their daily routine discussion.

“Those who can be eliminated tomorrow can be eliminated, but we can’t get bogged down in fighting. We’re not here to avenge hundreds or thousands of cultivators, but to subjugate yokai,” Minamoto Kiyomoto instructed.

His gaze was mainly on Kamibayashi Miko.

The candlelight shone on her side profile, making both of them look sacred.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her a few more times, confirmed that she would not act on impulse, and then withdrew his gaze.

Ever since he knew that many cultivators had been killed, Kamibayashi Miko had been practicing those useless martial arts from morning to night.

But it was purely because he was worried. With Kamibayashi Miko’s capacity, she would never lose the big picture for a small gain.

“Tomorrow night, we’ll test with bows and arrows. Then, I’ll sneak into the Rose Palace and see if I can steal the gem while she’s asleep. If all fails…”

At this point, Minamoto Kiyomoto looked around, glanced at the three miko one by one, and continued:
“…We can only break out of prison, gather everyone, and rush into the palace. In a short period of time, we’ll rely on numbers to make a final attempt.”

If even the final attempt failed, the four of them knew what the outcome would be.

Even if they were lucky enough to escape from the encirclement at that time, they could only continue to hide like this for the rest of their lives.

Either wait for outside support, or watch the real world be replaced.

◇

The maid named Audrey held up the dress in her hand and handed it to Minamoto Kiyomoto. Minamoto Kiyomoto put it on Princess Noi’s fair body.

This blue silk dress had exquisite lace trim and looked very gorgeous.

The dress itself was a bit loose. The corset, vest, petticoat, and other layers were piled on top of each other. Even someone as patient as Minamoto Kiyomoto found it cumbersome.
It was incredible that women could endure this kind of trouble every day for the sake of beauty.

Today’s meeting was relatively formal and was held in a palace. Minamoto Kiyomoto stood in front of the princess on the left, not letting anyone get close.

Wizards, nobles, and knights reported matters one by one below.

“I have disappointed you. My crime is unforgivable. Please punish me, Your Highness,” Belladonna knelt as soon as she came up. She had not slept well for several days in order to find the miko who had sneaked into the city.

But whether she slept well or not had no direct relationship with whether she could find the person.

“It is indeed unforgivable,” Princess Noi’s tone was cold. “But I forgive you. I hope you can bring me good news as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

“Get up.”

Belladonna thanked her again and then stood up, but her head was still lowered.

“Your Highness,” the wizard stood out.

The wizard had golden-red hair and was very beautiful. Her name was O’Keeffe.

“The holy land has expanded again. Ten new villages, many livestock, and fruit forests have been discovered,” she reported.

“Josephine.”

“Your Highness,” the noble in charge of political affairs—Josephine—bowed in salute.

“Move the villagers into the city, distribute the vacant houses to them, and all men over eighteen and under thirty-five will join the army.”

“As you wish.”

“Your Highness, this is the arrangement for the citizen’s ball,” a noble stepped forward and handed Minamoto Kiyomoto a rolled-up parchment.

Minamoto Kiyomoto opened the parchment, touched it, smelled it, and after confirming that it was safe, he presented it to the golden-haired princess sitting on the throne.

In this short time, he had already memorized all the contents—at what time the princess would enter, where she would stand, what she would say, what gifts she would accept from which citizens, and at what time she would leave.

Princess Noi scanned the information on the parchment line by line.

“That’s it,” she handed the parchment to Minamoto Kiyomoto.

After the meeting, the princess rested for a while and had someone bring a few cultivators to ask them about the outside world.

The cultivators were very obedient. There was nothing to hide about the information outside.

It was one thing for the princess to stay in this small world, but if she left and went outside, she would only need a cultivator who had participated in ten battles to destroy the entire city.

Minamoto Kiyomoto followed the princess without saying a word.

He was no longer thinking about the plan. Those had already been repeatedly confirmed. He was thinking about some random things.

If he hadn’t miscalculated the time, today would be September 25th, and there were still six days until October.

He had to try all the methods he could before the “suicide note” was delivered to his mother.

And even if he successfully captured the princess or got the gem, how would they destroy this world, since they had lost their divine power?
Invent gunpowder?

Where could he find so many materials?

And was the power of gunpowder enough?
Only he could use the yokai body curse again.

This was a hundred times more dangerous than rushing into the palace and facing the golden-haired princess with magical powers. It was his own war.

When he was with Kamibayashi Miko, he was full of confidence, but when he faced the Hakone fire dragon, the final feeling of powerlessness, for some reason, he often thought of it recently.

At night, the town was brightly lit, the crowd was shoulder to shoulder, and the world was full of light and color.

In the center of the square, a huge bonfire, the sparks that floated out, rushed straight to the bright night sky.

“The princess is here!” a cry came from the crowd.

The guards in line walked out of the Rose Palace, and the luxurious carriage was protected in the middle.

When they arrived at the square, a knight in majestic armor walked out of the carriage. Then, the noble and beautiful princess, with the knight’s help, appeared in front of everyone.

A gorgeous court dress, with lace on the cuffs, and large roses embroidered with gold thread on the silk dress.

“Princess Noi!”

“Long live Her Highness!”

“Princess! Princess!”

The citizens waved and cheered at the princess like crazy.

Fathers carried their children on their shoulders, as if seeing the princess would allow their children to receive the blessing of the gods.

The golden-haired girl smiled and waved kindly at the crowd. The already loud noise exploded like a cannonball.

The guards desperately held them back.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at these guards and felt that they were very much like cultivators. They were all dikes, willing to sacrifice everything to protect everything on the shore.

The princess came to the built stage, and the town finally quieted down.

Even the bonfire, which had been crackling on its own, quieted down, as if it were obsessed with the princess’s authority and beauty.

The wizard was the first to perform a standard curtsy.

After that, everyone, whether commoners or nobles, bowed to the princess in respect.

“My people—” the princess’s voice was full of the majesty and elegance of a ruler, and the crisp voice of a young girl made her seem kind.

“My existence is for today, for you! Enjoy yourselves!”

The people cheered and shouted in unison:
“The holy land is always wider than yesterday, the princess’s greatness increases with each passing day, long live Her Highness!”

At this moment, an arrow shot straight at the high platform.

“Be careful!” Minamoto Kiyomoto took a step forward, his thin sword unsheathed, and blocked the arrow.

“Protect Her Highness!” Belladonna was the second to react. She drew her longsword and rushed onto the stage, blocking the princess.

The noise of the commoners, the footsteps of the soldiers, and the scolding of the nobles, the square was instantly in chaos.

“Take Her Highness back!” Minamoto Kiyomoto shouted at Belladonna.

“Wait!” the princess said. “You guys get out of the way.”

“Your Highness…”

Before the wizard could finish, the golden-haired princess reprimanded, “Get out of the way!”

The scene became unbelievably quiet. This was something that could never happen in the real world, but it happened here.

Princess Noi’s golden hair flew in the night wind. Her slender body stood nobly in front of the knights.

She looked in the direction from which the arrow had been shot.

“Only you came?” the princess asked majestically.

Everyone looked in that direction. On the roof, which was half-lit by the bonfire and lanterns, stood a figure.

The red and white miko outfit rustled. The face, which was looming in the shadows, was beautiful and otherworldly, flawless.

Her black hair was tied up, and the two strands hanging on both sides of her cheeks were like a full moon.

“I’m enough,” the girl’s voice was devoid of any emotion, but it was cold and beautiful, so pleasant to the ear that even if she were scolding, one would want to listen for a while longer.

Everyone looked at him in disbelief.

The commoners whispered to each other, unable to believe her beauty, which rivaled the princess’s.

“Soldiers,” Princess Noi ordered, “fire!”

The archers, who were already in position, released their fully drawn bowstrings.

In an instant, the air was filled with the sound of “swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.”

Kamibayashi Miko turned and retreated, and her figure quickly disappeared into the darkness.

“Chase!” Belladonna wanted to jump off the stage, but was pulled back by Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“You’re no match for her. Leave it to me!” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, stepped on the heads of the crowd, and rushed out like a flying man.

In the gasps of the crowd, he leaped into the air again, jumped onto the roof, and chased after the miko.

Belladonna watched him leave unwillingly, but could only stay and protect the princess.

Princess Noi seemed to be casually scanning her surroundings, but she took in everything around her.

“Swoosh!”

“Swoosh!”

Two arrows, one after the other, shot at the princess’s head.

The arrows came too fast, far beyond everyone’s imagination, but they had no effect. When they were three meters away from the princess, they were instantly transferred.

“Thud~~”, the arrows were embedded in the wooden planks of the stage, their tails trembling.

“There are still assassins! Protect Her Highness!” Belladonna and a few guards used their bodies to block the princess.

“You guys step back!” The princess walked out of the human wall again, without any obstruction, and stood in the center of the square.

“Neither bows and arrows nor sharp swords can harm me!” the princess raised her hands and announced loudly. “The ordinary time and space are destined to be destroyed. I will eventually replace everything!”

“Long live Her Highness!”

In the cheers of the commoners, another arrow shot straight at the princess.

The moment this arrow was transferred, another arrow immediately shot over.

Without any interval, the power of transfer was released again.

The princess stood there proudly, enduring the various tests of the arrows and enjoying the worship of the people.

In a blink of an eye, three meters away from the princess, the arrows were all stuck, forming a circle.

And outside the arrows, everyone knelt and bowed, forming another circle.

Those arrows were not a threat, but rather like her throne.

“Everything belongs to you!” the wizard announced on behalf of the gods.

“Long live Her Highness!” Belladonna swore on behalf of the mortals.

“Swoosh, swoosh!”, two arrows, one after the other, mercilessly took their lives.

“…” The wizard stared blankly at the sky, blood flowing from between her eyebrows.

Belladonna clutched her neck. There, between her helmet and breastplate, in the almost invisible gap, the arrow had actually squeezed in without missing a beat.

“Capture them!” Princess Noi’s face darkened, and she couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

The soldiers, who had been quietly approaching the direction from which the arrows were shot, received the princess’s order, let go of their steps, and rushed forward.

◇

In an alley, Minamoto Kiyomoto blocked Kamibayashi Miko.

“Speaking of which, we haven’t competed for a long time,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, his thin sword like a sky full of stars.

“It’s a pity there’s no Sanshiro Pond here,” Kamibayashi Miko also held a thin sword she had snatched, like raindrops falling from the sky, blocking the sky full of stars one by one.

“Confident, I like it.”

“Arrogant, I don’t like it.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto swung his sword heavily. Kamibayashi Miko knew that he was strong and did not take it head-on.

The thin sword was like a snake. After dodging the attack, it suddenly raised its head and stabbed at Minamoto Kiyomoto’s cheek.

To her surprise, Minamoto Kiyomoto did not retreat. As if it were a life-and-death struggle, he continued to attack.

Kamibayashi Miko had to retreat.

With this one thought, her thin sword was knocked away, and she was held from behind by Minamoto Kiyomoto.

She glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto and saw the smile in his eyes. It seemed that he was not controlled by the princess.

While she was relieved, she reprimanded him in annoyance, “Let go!”

Minamoto Kiyomoto held her slender waist, smelled the fragrance of her hair with nostalgia, and murmured, “I regret it. The first day I came in, I should have slept with you.”

Kamibayashi Miko placed her hands on his, originally wanting to break them apart, but after hearing his words, she stopped.

“…We will survive,” she said softly.

“Hmm?” Minamoto Kiyomoto was stunned. “Oh, oh, yes, yes, we will survive.”

Kamibayashi Miko took his hand from her waist, turned around, and her clear eyes stared at him.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her with a grin.

Kamibayashi Miko did not smile or blame him. She said calmly, “If you survive, I will allow you to pursue both of us at the same time.”

“What’s that?” Minamoto Kiyomoto laughed. “I don’t need anyone’s permission to pursue as many people as I want, right? Let’s change the condition. If I get out alive, you’ll let me kiss you again.”

Kamibayashi Miko picked up her thin sword from the stone crevice on the ground and walked into the darkness.

Just as she was about to disappear, she looked back at Minamoto Kiyomoto, who was seeing her off.

“Hahaha!” Minamoto Kiyomoto laughed with great pride. “Miss Kamibayashi, wait for me!”

Kamibayashi Miko quickened her pace, leaped, and disappeared into the darkness.

Minamoto Kiyomoto returned to the Rose Palace with great ambition.

In the main hall, the nobles and knights were roaring, vowing to capture the culprit.

“Your Highness,” Minamoto Kiyomoto knelt on one knee in front of the princess’s dress. “It is my incompetence that allowed the other party to escape again.”

The golden-haired princess looked down at Minamoto Kiyomoto coldly and said, “You still dare to come back.”

“All my skills are for Your Highness. As Your Highness’s knight, I will always serve Your Highness,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

The princess stared at Minamoto Kiyomoto for a while.

“From today on, whether it’s day or night, you will stay in the Rose Palace and guard me.”

“As you wish.”

Late at night, in the Rose Palace, all the farce outside the Rose Palace was over.

The town had fallen asleep again, as if nothing had happened.

The princess stood on the balcony, and the sea breeze blew her golden hair back.

“I heard that in the outside world, people turn into stars after they die?” She looked up at the stars on the sea.

“Stars are just celestial bodies in the universe that are visible to the naked eye. Only the dead know what happens after death,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied.

After a pause, he asked, “Is Your Highness sad for the wizard and Belladonna?”

“No,” the golden-haired girl turned her head. “I won’t be sad for anyone.”

She looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto and said, “The people from the outside world were not ‘defective products’ at the beginning. I received them.”

“Did they offend Your Highness?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

Noi did not answer and continued:

“After communicating with them, I couldn’t believe it, but I still confirmed that this is a false world, a way for a yokai to destroy the real world.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto did not speak and quietly listened to her narration.

“I was shocked and terrified. I found Cooper, Belladonna, and O’Keeffe.

“They grew up with me and are my friends. I said to them, ‘I want to go outside, to the real world. Find a way for me.’

“They replied to me, ‘Your Highness, you can’t go anywhere.’

“Not Cooper, not Belladonna and O’Keeffe, everyone, everyone in this Rose Palace, including the gardener, all replied to me with the same tone, the same words, the same expression, as if it were the same person.”

“…”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” the golden-haired girl said, “but I have no choice.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto, who was immersed in thought, realized that something was wrong. He drew his thin sword, but it was too late.

The gem between Noi’s breasts flashed with a golden-red light. Minamoto Kiyomoto, who was rushing up, was instantly returned to his original place.

The next moment, he turned and ran, preparing to escape the palace.

“How is this possible?!” Minamoto Kiyomoto was still in the same place.

“You dare to come back. Do you think I can’t hurt you?” the golden-haired princess’s crisp and pleasant voice.

It was unknown when, but the golden gem was already suspended in the air, floating above Minamoto Kiyomoto’s head.

(End of Chapter)