Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience - Chapter 107

“You want me to visit the capital? Why…?”

Though he had his suspicions, Nobu wanted to hear the reason from Hitomi herself. Unsurprisingly, she answered, “It is as you suspect. Your parents are unable to leave the capital due to the growing tensions between Shuto and Asai. You should know that your father’s position isn’t the most stable at the present moment. If his enemies have the chance, they will not hesitate to be rid of him.”

Resisting the urge to ask why his father didn’t simply eliminate the factions opposing him, Nobu just snorted through his nose before answering, “Whatever. So long as I’m not being used as bait, I don’t mind exploring the city. It beats sitting around, training, and studying every day.”

Since his only form of recreation these past couple of months had been having sex and messing with the stone tablet, Nobu didn’t mind taking a break. His memories of Owari-Asai weren’t very clear so he couldn’t deny he was interested in seeing what a large city was like. He would need to know how the people went about their daily lives if he wanted to introduce meaningful changes. If he just arbitrarily decided what was best for them, they were bound to get pissy.

Nodding her head in approval, a playful glimmer flashed across Hitomi’s heterochromatic eyes as she said, “Excellent. When you’re ready, you and Yui should head down the mountain and secure a place to stay within the city. Inami and the rest will look after Kaia but you should probably let her know you’ll be gone for around three to five days.”

“Huh? Why would I stay for three to five days? It shouldn’t take that long to travel from the base of the mountain to the capital…”

Covering her mouth with her sleeve, Hitomi supplied an overtly sensual-sounding giggle before going on to explain, “Shuto is the capital of Owari. The security there is far more comprehensive than the security of Asai. If you check into the city and attempt to leave on the same day, you will most likely be apprehended by the city guards. After all, the nearest city to Shuto is located in the neighboring Province. It would be extremely suspicious for an undocumented citizen to arrive and depart on the same day. Besides, your parents aren’t as free as you seem to think. They can’t just go out into the city and wait for you at your convenience…”

Though he could understand Hitomi’s point, that didn’t mean Nobu was happy about it. He had made a lot of progress with Kaia these past few months. Three days might not be a long period of time but it might as well be an eternity for someone locked up in a cage all day. Unfortunately, even if he wanted to take her with him, there was no way the guards would allow her into the city…

Exhaling a sigh, Nobu shook his head and answered, “Fine, whatever…” before following it up by asking, “Do I have to leave today…?”

Maintaining her usual smile, Hitomi promptly replied, “Your departure and return are ultimately up to you. Even your stay on the mountain is predicated by your desire to reside within. No one within the Yothistune Clan will stand in your way if you choose to leave…”

Unamused by the mysterious and foreboding tone she used near the end of her statement, Nobu elected to roll his eyes before asking, “So, what now? I doubt you came all this way just to tell me these things. Yui goes up the mountain at least twice a day.”

Adopting a mock pout that did nothing to reduce the sharpness of her eyes, Hitomi mused, “Oh, my…if you keep talking like that, I’m going to start thinking you hate me. Is it so wrong for me to want to pay a visit to my future Lord and Master…?”

Instead of answering her question, Nobu just stared pointedly at Hitomi until she shrugged in a helpless manner and explained, “As I said before, your father’s orders are absolute. Until you take up the mantle of Lord, we are contractually bound to obey him. His message asked me to convey this matter to you directly so I had no choice but to come in person.”

As this was not the first time he had heard about the contract between the Oda and Yoshitsune Clans, Nobu just nodded his head before tactfully changing the topic by saying, “It’s a little early, but Cho should have already started on lunch. Since you’ve come all this way, you might as well stay for lunch.”

Though she was very satisfied by the progress Nobu had made in his understanding of etiquette and common courtesy, Hitomi couldn’t afford to stick around for long. If Nobu was going to visit the capital, she would need to assign additional forces to secure the route and keep an eye on him during his stay. She would normally entrust his safety to Yui, but, now that she was pregnant, there was a chance she could lose control of her Aura during a crisis. If either of them were to die at this critical junction, all of Nian would pay the price…

Had Hitomi said these thoughts aloud, Nobu wouldn’t have been able to avoid facepalming. Even then, he could vaguely sense there was ‘something’ wrong when Hitomi offered a polite bow before rising to her feet and answering, “While I am honored by Nobunaga-sama’s invitation, my schedule is quite full. I will, however, wish you the best of luck on your journey. The capital is quite beautiful this time of year. Make sure you take Yui to view the sakura trees during your stay. They might not be in blossom at this exact moment but I’m sure you’ll be able to witness a brilliantly pink display if you confess your love beneath their canopy…”

Punctuating her words with a playful wink, Hitomi was preparing to depart when Nobu rose to his feet, surprising her as he said, “I can at least see you to the exit…” in an awkward tone.

Smiling radiantly in response, Hitomi’s already youthful complexion seemed five years younger as she replied, “I would like that.” in a cold yet sensual tone…

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After promising Kaia he would start taking her on walks when he returned, Nobu, accompanied by Yui, Onihime, and Inami made his way down the mountain. The latter duo was apparently going to stay in a concealed outpost near the base of the mountain so they would be able to escort him up upon his return. Nobu felt this was completely senseless, but, at the same time, he understood that they wouldn’t really know what to do with themselves if he wasn’t in the estate. Nearly every aspect of Onihime’s existence revolved around him, and, while she would never admit it, Inami wasn’t very comfortable around the younger girls if he wasn’t there.

“If anything happens, remember to summon Hisui and retreat. This isn’t a normal mission so you will not be penalized for returning if you sense something amiss. Trust in your instincts and remain aware of your surroundings…”

Though her words were directed towards Yui, Inami made sure to shift her gaze towards Nobu during the latter half. The message his father came in two days after she had discussed the matter with Hitomi. Since they had wanted to confirm whether or not he truly possessed some form of precognitive ability, they had decided to wait a few days before sending a message of their own. Thus, while they had yet to ascertain the limits of Nobu’s ability, it was clear he had some kind of extrasensory perception related to intuition.

Understanding the meaning contained within Inami’s words, Yui adopted a serious expression as she answered, “Understood. Thank you for the advice.”

Nodding her head in approval, Inami focused all her attention on Nobu as she said, “Be safe. I will do my best to protect these children but-”

Before Inami could finish speaking, Nobu held up his hands with an incredulous look on his face as he said, “Whoa, whoa, hold the fuck up. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate sentiments and well-wishing but saying that kind of thing at a time like this is a massive fucking red flag. Like, seriously, we’re just traveling a few kilometers to the neighboring city. You’re sending us off like we’re about to go fight in a fucking war.”

Not expecting Nobu to interrupt her in the middle of their farewells, Inami just stared at him with her mouth agape before ultimately nodding her head. This wasn’t the first time he had mentioned flags. He had talked about them during the initial conversation related to his precognitive ability so there was a very good chance they were directly related. Unfortunately, she couldn’t perceive these ‘flags’ of his so she could only take his word and trust he knew what he was talking about…

Shaking his head, Nobu did his best to ignore the sudden sinking feeling in the back of his mind as he extended his hand to caress the space between Inami’s large and fluffy ears. He repeated this action with Onihime, but, instead of her ears, he rubbed the space between her ivory white horns as he said, “See ya around.”

Though she couldn’t conceal the sadness in her eyes, Onihime managed a smile as she nodded her head and replied, “Take care…Master…”. Then, alongside Inami, she watched in silence as he and Yui passed through the illusory barrier surrounding the mountain. Moments later, they were gone…

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Exhaling a sigh upon reaching the nearest forest path, Nobu cast a brief glance over his shoulder before shaking his head and saying, “We really should stay alert. I tried to stop it but Inami ended up planting a pretty massive flag. Expect something to happen at some point during our stay…”

Tensing up in response to Nobu’s words, Yui asked, “Are you certain you wish to continue? It isn’t too late to turn back.”

Shaking his head a second time, Nobu explained, “No. When it comes to things like this, it’s almost always better to press forward. Though I can’t remember who said it, there is a famous saying when it comes to flags and destiny. Something like, “one often meets their destiny on the road they take to avoid it”. If we back out now, we’re basically admitting we’re destiny’s bitches.”

While his words were far from eloquent, Yui understood what Nobu was trying to say. Thus, instead of insisting they return, she said, “I’m going to change into my armor. There is a chance it will draw unnecessary attention but I’d rather be prepared for anything. If anyone asks, we’ll tell them-”

Though he was intending to keep his true identity a secret, Nobu wasn’t particularly fond of cover stories. It was a pain in the ass to maintain a lie for long periods of time, and, based on what he had learned from Hitomi, Kumiko, and Inami, the ability to distinguish truth from lies wasn’t even a rare ability. Thus, before Yui could finish developing their cover story, he interrupted her, saying, “We’re a young couple visiting from Asai. Also, I’m not as weak and powerless as I used to be. I might not be a match for a skilled cultivator of the same Realm but I’m pretty sure I can fuck up any assholes looking for trouble.”

Since truly powerful individuals weren’t the kind of people that went looking for trouble, Nobu wasn’t afraid of any “arrogant young masters” that might appear. After all, he was literally the Young Master of the Oda Clan. He wasn’t ready to reveal this but he would be damned if some asshat from his own Clan came looking for trouble when he was on a date or exploring the city…

Seeing the ‘resolute’ light in Nobu’s eyes, Yui couldn’t shake the feeling he had just planted a flag of his own. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really her place to speak out at times like this, so, rather than question Nobu’s decision, she simply nodded her head before stripping down and changing into her armor…

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(A/N: The Flags! They’re multiplying…!)