Right by Your Side

"Haaah!" Moroha jumped to the side and just barely avoided Jutaro's wooden

sword. It was a subtle motion, and she managed it at the last second, but the

sidestep she made was pretty impressive.

Jutaro was undeterred, however, and came at her again with a blow from

below. But even that was easily avoided.

She could read all of his movements. I wasn't too surprised. She hadn't

triggered her Apotheosis, but her abilities were still far beyond human.

"Gh!"

Jutaro thrust his weapon toward Moroha's throat, but she shifted to the side

again. He found himself only striking thin air.

"Don't neglect your legs."

"Uwah?!"

A thud rang out as Moroha swept Jutaro's legs. He was knocked off-balance,

and quickly tried to readjust his posture. Moroha made her move once he was

distracted by his own motions.

It happened in a flash. With speed invisible to the naked eye, Moroha brought

her sword crashing into Jutaro's stomach. He was blasted backward and

collapsed. His wooden sword whooshed out of his hand.

"Was that... two strikes...? Or three...?"

"Mmm... I could barely see it, I could not."

Hilde and Yae murmured to each other. It seemed like they were unable to

comprehend the vast number of attacks that had just unfolded.

"Guhhh...!"

Jutaro stood himself up and charged toward Moroha once more, his posture

looking different from before. Wait... I've seen Yae do that before.

"Kokonoe Secret Style: Flying Swallow Rend!"

The tip of his blade danced as he jumped forward, aiming a graceful strike at

Moroha's shoulder.

"You're still too slow."

Moroha simply shook her head and sidestepped the attack. She then used

Jutaro's own momentum against him, slamming her sword into the side of his

neck.

"Hngh!" Jutaro fell to his knees in front of her, his wooden blade on the

ground beside him.

...How scary. If that was a real fight, he'd have been decapitated.

"You've still got much to learn."

"Jutaro-sama!"

As Moroha let her weapon rest, someone cried out and ran toward the

defeated man. It was Ayane, the Kokonoe family servant. She'd come along for

a visit with Jutaro.

Jutaro was completely beaten. He didn't even have the strength to raise his

head, but the shame-filled glance he aimed at Ayane before passing out stood

out as strange to me.

"Geez... Didn't you go a little hard on him?"

"He's fine. I'm hardly gonna beat him within an inch of his life. He'll open his

eyes in no time."

Moroha shrugged in response to my words. Beating a man unconscious still

seemed pretty bad in my eyes, though.

I walked over and cast [Cure Heal] on Jutaro, along with [Refresh] for good

measure.

"Dang it... Kohaku? Take Jutaro to the medical center."

"As you wish."

Kohaku transformed into her beast form, and I lifted the still-unconscious

Jutaro on to her back. Ayane anxiously followed them both.

Moroha casually spoke to me as she watched them leave.

"He's getting better, you know? He might even catch up to me one of these

days. I can feel a pretty burning desire from him. It's a strong will to get

stronger. But he's also kinda desperate..."

"He is impatient, he is... Mmm... I wonder if he is troubled, I do..." Yae

mumbled and folded her arms. She was worried about her brother. Yae cared a

lot for her family, so I wasn't surprised.

Yae's brother, Jutaro, was visiting us for the day. He had won the fighting

tournament we'd put on a while ago. But then in the exhibition match

afterward, he lost to Moroha.

Today, he'd come in an attempt to regain some of that lost honor. But he'd

been defeated yet again. That was plain as day. The gulf between them was

way too vast. Moroha was the god of swords, so it was kind of hard to even

come close to her on her own turf. Though, to be honest, I think Jutaro was

more interested in learning from her than just winning.

Still, I couldn't help but feel bad. Ayane had come from Eashen with him, and

she watched him get beat down pretty roughly... I could see the panic on her

face, so I felt a little bad about letting Moroha go so far.

"I have never seen brother lose so badly, I have not. There are only a few

people in Oedo stronger than my brother, there are."

Heh... Well, I guess Jutaro is pretty tough by mortal standards. It's not really

fair to judge him against a literal god. Especially not one that can be such a nogood bully...

"Were you thinking something rude just now?"

"No! Not at all."

Moroha was sharp as ever.

"...I will go and see how my brother is doing, I will."

"Oh, I'll come as well."

I felt like even if he had something seriously wrong with him, Flora would be

able to deal with it. I headed from the training grounds with Yae and walked

through the castle until we reached the medical center. Jutaro was on a bed in

the corner of the chalk-white room, breathing slowly.

Flora was there, dressed in her usual nurse getup, and Ayane was sitting

uneasily by his bedside. Kohaku was also there, in her tiny form. She was curled

up on the bed next to him.

"Ahh, Master. He is fine, you see. He has just fainted, you see?"

"I see. That's good to know."

...Guess Moroha was right, then. Probably shouldn't have doubted her.

"I am sorry that this has happened..."

"What do you mean? My brother has no restraint in matters like this, he does

not. It was his own decision."

Ayane bowed her head to Yae and apologized, but Yae simply shook her head.

She was probably upset about inconveniencing everyone. But in the end, Yae's

family was my family, and I wouldn't consider something like this a bother.

"My brother has been acting strangely today, he has... Has something

happened, has it?"

Ayane reacted with silence, only stopping to glance nervously in Jutaro's

direction. It seemed like something had happened, but I certainly had no idea

what. We left Jutaro behind and walked out to the courtyard garden outside

the castle.

This area was considered Cesca's domain, and she treated it with as much

care as she did Babylon's garden. It wasn't exactly as teeming with life, but it

was a comfortable and relaxing place to hang out. It honestly irritated me that

such a stupid, perverted maid had such hydroponic talent. She'd even been

personally praised for her horticulture by Uncle Kousuke. Given that he was the

god of agriculture, that wasn't a casual compliment. Then again, she'd probably

been specifically engineered to tend to plants.

Yae and I sat with Ayane in the courtyard and asked her what was going on

with Jutaro.

"Recently, Jutaro-sama has been lost in thought almost every day... When I

ask about it, he simply tells me everything is fine... I wonder if he has some kind

of deep trouble that he cannot talk to me about..."

"My brother seems that troubled, he does? Hmm... Perhaps he is frustrated

after hitting a roadblock in his pursuit of sword mastery..." Yae folded her arms

together and tilted her head. If it was a problem with his swordplay, then

obviously he wouldn't want to bother Ayane with it. But still, I wondered just

what his issue was...

If he was troubled by his swordplay reaching its peak, then I hoped that his

loss against Moroha wouldn't deepen that unease. I didn't exactly want him to

lose faith in himself.

"U-Uhm, Your Highness? G-Grand Duke? I-It may be terribly impolite of me to

ask, but could you ask Jutaro-sama about his troubles?! As I understand it, men

have an easier time talking to men..."

"Me? I mean... I guess if it's just listening to him... I dunno if he'll want to talk,

though."

To be honest, if he had issues with swordplay, I was hardly suited to giving

him advice. I didn't exactly have much in the way of swordplay.

But... if he was going to be my brother-in-law... I figured it'd be good to hear

him out if he had a problem.

I left the two of them behind in the courtyard and headed back to the

doctor's office.

When I got back, the guy was awake in his bed. Flora was holding a

smartphone over him, taking a few candid shots of his forehead. Or at least,

that's what it looked like she was doing.

Flora's mass-produced smartphone had the added ability to look through

things, much like an x-ray scan. It was a function granted by enchanting the

device with my [Long Sense] spell and had great medical applications.

"There's no problem with him, you see. He's the picture of health!"

"I'm in your debt..."

He bowed to Flora and smiled, but his expression immediately shifted to a

pensive one.

I asked Flora to step aside for a bit and took a seat next to his bed. He looked

a little discouraged, but that didn't seem to be the problem most prominently

on his mind.

"Jutaro... I know you're not feeling well, but is there anything on your mind?"

I decided to just ask him directly. For a while, he made a face like he didn't

know what to say, but eventually, he just turned and started muttering.

"Uhm... Well... Ahh... C-Can I tell you a story about a friend?!"

"...Sure."

A story about a friend? I don't buy that for a second. Man... I asked you

straight, and you're gonna beat around the bush?

"This friend of mine... is in love with a woman, you see... But the woman will

soon have a formal marriage interview, and be married off elsewhere... S-So,

you see..."

"Huh?!"

"Wh-What is it?"

"...Nothing. Please continue."

A formal marriage interview?! For real?! Wait... if the guy in this story is

actually Jutaro, then... is the girl Ayane? Is that why you looked at her like that

earlier... Wait, is Ayane getting married off?!

"The person this woman is set to marry is the successor of one of the richest

clothing traders in Oedo. The family is quite enthusiastic to take her in and

would like her to be married by the end of this year... And I, er... Ahem, my

friend... is understandably upset, but he feels it is not his place to step in."

"W-W-Wait a second! How can he just give up like that?"

"It is a matter of social standing... The man who will marry her is the head of a

household, and a rich merchant. My friend, however... is a lowly soldier. Even if

he was in good standing with Ieyahsu-sama, he is not of noble blood. It is clear

as day that the woman would be happier if she married into the wealthy

family."

Hmm... I guess I can understand the concerns here... It's true that the Kokonoe

family is highly praised and respected in Oedo, and they even work directly with

Ieyahsu himself... but the family honor lies with Jutaro's father, not Jutaro.

Not to mention the fact that the position wasn't exactly fixed, even if they

worked for Ieyahsu, there was no guarantee his successor would keep them on.

Jutaro could wait until his father passed, but there was no guarantee he'd come

to head the family and the family would have the same level of importance by

the time that came about. It wasn't like he could just change the house he

served, either.

Well, technically he could. Jutaro won the Brunhild contest, and many mighty

contenders from Eashen were in attendance. If he introduced himself to anyone

that saw him, they'd probably consider taking him on... But that probably

wasn't a real option either.

"So, for the happiness of the woman... he believes he should stay away from

the situation. At least, that's what my friend says."

Yeah, I get it... You're thinking about her happiness because you don't want to

ruin things for her. It was the same for me. When I decided to marry Yae and the

others, I wanted to be sure that I could provide for them, and actually make

them happy...

Suddenly, out of nowhere...

Shit!

"Love! Solutions! Decisions! Justice! Let's connect the red string of fate, you

know?! Have no fear, Mochizuki Karen is heeere!"

"Wh... Where did you come from?!"

"Ghh..."

Karen appeared, striking a ridiculously flashy pose. She was also winking. I

hated it. She must've teleported in from somewhere else. I was a fool to think

even the smallest whiff of a love story would go by unnoticed in her territory. I

wondered just how many Brunhild locals had been subjected to her meddling.

"Where did you come from?"

"That's a stupid question, you know? Wherever there are love troubles, there

is Mochizuki Karen, you know?!"

Jutaro stared at Karen in a mixture of blank confusion and disbelief.

"U-Uhm..."

"You don't need to say a thing, you know? Leave it all to me! Touya and Yae

have been helped big-time by my incredible advice! It's proven! Tried and

tested!"

Hm...? Seems like that got his attention. She's not exactly lying... She has been

helpful here and there when it comes to my love life.

"...Well, if he must."

"Hey, Touya! Don't act like I'm forcing him into anything, you know?!

Hmmph!" Karen grumbled loudly. Since she was the god of love, I always

figured she'd be a little more professional... But she always came across like

some kind of tacky gossip. I wasn't entirely convinced she'd be able to help in

this situation.

There had been cases where love didn't bloom even after people consulted

with her, after all. But Karen always said that failed romances were never

failures, and you just need to learn from them to make the next love even

stronger. Frankly, I didn't see the point in resisting her any longer. She had her

eyes set on the prize, so we just had to go along with it.

I didn't exactly feel great about it, but consulting the god of love was worth a

shot at least.

"So... what should we do here?"

"Love is a battle, you know?! First thing's first, know thy enemy! Then, plan

your attack!"

She'd caught me off-guard there. That was surprisingly decent advice. It was

definitely true that you couldn't do much without knowing anything about the

other side. A little bit of early investigation would serve us well.

"So, Jutaro... what kind of person is the clothing merchant guy?"

"Oh... Well... I have not much interest in clothes, so I am unsure."

Hm... Even if Ayane and that guy get married, I wouldn't want her to be with a

person who was unpleasant or cruel.

I decided that we needed to figure out what kind of guy this merchant was.

Alright... For the sake of Jutaro, Ayane, and love! Let's get snooping!

◇ ◇ ◇

"So? Did you find anything out?"

"Yes, we did." Three girls were kneeling before me and Yae. They were my

special ninjas, serving directly under Tsubaki. Sarutobi Homura, Kirigakure

Shizuku, and Fuma Nagi.

It had been a few days since I'd given them their mission. I asked them to look

into the young heir of the clothing merchant family. I wanted to know about his

personality, his reputation, rumors about him, and who he was friends with.

Basically, I'd sent them to do some basic information gathering.

"To start with, his name is Surugaya Ichinose. He's twenty-six years old, and is

the successor to the Surugaya Outlet."

Shizuku began speaking first. Twenty-six, huh? Jutaro is twenty-two, if I

remember right... And Ayane is twenty. That's a little bit of an age gap, but it's

not all that bad. Single men around that age are pretty common in Eashen, I

think. Women usually get married before or around Ayane's age, though.

"From what I uncovered in town, there are no bad rumors about him at all.

Apparently he is the studious type and has a hard-working demeanor. He even

avoids indulging in things like drinking and gambling."

"And his appearance?"

"One moment."

My smartphone suddenly vibrated, and Yae took out hers as well. We'd both

received a message. The sender was Shizuku, and a picture was attached.

"Hm... He looks very polite, he does... A gentle, easygoing face, he has..."

Yae was right. The image showed a calm-looking young man. He had a soft,

smiling face and wore a casual, well-made uniform. So this was Jutaro's rival...

"But even if he looks nice, maybe there's something darker under the

surface... Did you find anything like that?"

"Nooope... He's a good guy through-and-throuuugh... He was pleasant even

when he discovered Homuraaa..."

"Wh— You idiot! They do not need to know about that!"

...He did what, now?

"I... I was in disguise and watching him from the top of a tree... But my eyelids

were drooping, and... I regret to say that I fell asleep..."

"You fell from the top of the tree right next to him, Homuraaa..."

"...Oh geez."

What kind of ninja falls asleep on top of their target?

"Please forgive me..."

"Even though she was toootally suspicious, the guy just asked if she was okay

and checked her for injurieees. He has to be a good persooon."

Apparently Homura responded to his queries with a moment of concussed

confusion. She just saluted at him and vanished into thin air, then he went

about his day.

Ugh... This is irritating. Why is he nice? Aren't the villains supposed to be

irredeemable and gross? If he was an abuser or some kind of corrupt merchant,

that'd be one thing, but...

"Oh, there was one thing that came up, though."

"Mm?" Shizuku noticed Yae and I grumbling and quickly gave us a final piece

of information.

"Apparently he is searching for a cloth made from Fire-Rat pelt. According to

our intel, the person he's been betrothed to desperately wants one."

"A Fire-Rat?"

"It is a monster, natively known as the Fire-Rat in Eashen. Most adventurers

know them as Burning Rats. They are typically found in the volcanic regions of

Eashen... You can also find them in the desert regions of what was once

Sandora."

Oh... Those things? Now I remember. It's a large rat with a flaming tail, and it

employs the flames in combat. It was around the size of a large dog, if I recalled

correctly.

Well... I only recalled seeing it in the guild's bestiary. I had never seen it in

person.

But why would Ayane want that...?

"The pelt of a Burning Rat is pure white and completely resistant to fire. You

can clean it perfectly by immersing it in flames. It's a really valuable material

and isn't often found on the market. Burning Rats are difficult to hunt due to

their dwindling population and relative strength."

Plain white fur...? Does she want to incorporate it into a wedding dress, or

something?

"So he wants to present it to her to get the marriage rolling?"

"Yes. He is sparing no expense in the matter, and is looking for any possible

lead on the pelt."

"Hmm... But if he gets it, then the wedding will be brought forward, it will...

Why would Ayane want that, why would she?" Yae folded her arms together

and sighed. I was equally confused.

Ayane was the daughter of a landowner who moved to Oedo in order to study

under Yae's family... If she married, then she'd have to leave everyone she

knew behind. Why would she be eager to get the marriage underway?

Fire-Rat cloth... Hm... Cloth... Fire-Rat... Why does that sound so familiar to

me?

"Oh!"

Of course! I pulled out my smartphone to look it up, and the first page told me

everything I needed to know.

The robe of the Fire-Rat was an integral part of the story of Princess Kaguya,

from the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter! In the story, Princess Kaguya was

approached by five princes who wished to marry her. She said she'd marry

them if they fulfilled her impossible tasks, involving finding treasures that

couldn't be found.

The robe of the Fire-Rat was one of those impossible treasures. Perhaps

asking for a Fire-Rat cloth was Ayane's indirect way of refusing the proposal.

"Yae... Do you know the story of Princess Kaguya?"

"Kaguya? I do not... Which country has a princess named Kaguya, Touyadono?"

"Oh. What about you guys?"

I turned to the three ninjas, and they shook their heads. I was a little

surprised, but reasonably I had no reason to be. It was a story from Earth, in the

end. I needed to remember that I was only speaking and understanding the

people around me thanks to the influence of God Almighty. It was entirely

possible that me hearing such linguistic similarities was entirely coincidence

based on my subjective understanding. Translation was a difficult art, after all.

But even so... it was possible that Ayane was rejecting the proposal with an

impossible demand, just like Princess Kaguya did.

And in that case... Jutaro still had a chance!

◇ ◇ ◇

"Let's get a Fire-Rat cloth."

"I don't really know where to find that..."

Jutaro was training at Oedo castle when I swung by to see him with Yae. He

was studious as ever...

"It's one of the demands made by the young woman, the one your friend was

pining after."

"Huh?! Ayan— Ahem... Th-The young woman, you say?"

"That's right. The girl you...r friend is in love with. I think she's issued such a

difficult challenge as an excuse to refuse his proposal. She probably can't

outright say no due to social obligations, but if she makes such an unreasonable

demand with a straight face, then it would be a plausible way to reject him."

"An excuse to refuse him...?"

I saw a small sliver of happiness appear on Jutaro's face, but we had no time

to slack off. We had to actually put the work in.

"So why don't we get the Fire-Rat cloth first? Beat the guy to the punch. If we

did that, then the talks would be stretched out much longer and she might not

even marry the other guy. Plus, your friend could give it to her and use it as a

chance to profess his feelings."

"Oh, but... isn't it something that's incredibly hard to find?"

"Brother... Touya-dono is capable of teleportation and searching magic, he is.

We already know where to find one, we do. The rest is up to you, it is."

Yae spoke to her apprehensive brother in a firm tone. She stared him straight

in the eyes, the determined flames dancing along her expression. He finally

relented beneath her gaze.

"Very well, then. Let us go."

Alright, about time! Yae and I looked at each other with a grin.

"Oh... W-Well, I'll do it for the sake of my friend! Yes, my dear friend! I'll help

him out, this time! Aha..."

...Both Yae and my own expressions soured a little, and we let out a pair of

sighs... Still, we shook our heads and carried onward, regardless.

"Alright! Let's get a Fire-Rat cloth for the sake of Jutaro and Ayane. Then,

Jutaro can finally tell her how he feels!"

"Yeah! Wait... What?!"

"Heh, too late. You already agreed."

"...You are a terrible liar, you are... Please learn to weave stories better."

Yae simply shrugged her shoulders in resignation. Frankly, I felt the exact

same way. The two of them were so stupidly honest by nature that you could

tell they were related.

"N-No! Of course not! I am in no position to tell Ayane who to marry!"

"...C'mon, cut the nonsense already. Like Yae said, you're no good at lying.

We're either doing this, or we're not. Personally, I think if you give up here,

you'll only come to regret it later."

Jutaro went quiet for a while, but eventually, he spoke up with nervous

conviction.

"...I will do it, then. I do not wish for any regrets."

He turned to us with serious eyes. I was just glad he finally admitted he was

talking about himself.

"Touya-dono, open us a [Gate]. We will head toward this Burning Rat, we

will."

"No problem." I cast my spell, and a portal of light opened up. We passed

through the other side into a rocky, burning environment. We were in a

mountainous area connected to the Rabbi Desert, known as the Tecracala

Gorge.

The ground itself was a reddish-brown in this place, kind of like the Grand

Canyon back on Earth. I could only really see dust and rocks, with the odd plant

here or there. I looked around more closely and saw something white. It was an

animal skeleton. I wondered if it was a skeleton that belonged to a Burning

Rat... Whatever it was, it was rare. That meant it was mine for the taking.

"Now I just gotta look up the precise locations..." I searched for Burning Rats

with my smartphone. I decided to add in a few parameters to the search. I

wanted the largest possible one.

"Got it. It's not too far, so let's walk over."

Yae and Jutaro were fairly hardened fighters, so they'd be fine in a place like

this. We began walking toward the place that was outlined on the map. We

clambered over rocks and continued over the rough terrain. I thought just

because the target was close in terms of distance, it'd be easy... but I was

wrong.

I suggested using [Fly], but Yae immediately vetoed that suggestion. What a

pain...

"It's supposed to be around here..."

"I do not see it, I do not..."

I looked around the place, but couldn't see much. There were massive

boulders around the place, so it was hard to see.

"Hm?"

"What's up?"

Jutaro suddenly crouched down and brought his hand to the sword hilt. We

followed suit.

"...The air is warmer around there. Is the Burning Rat around, perhaps?"

Jutaro pointed toward one of the massive boulders. He said it was warmer...

But frankly, the whole place was warm to me. I checked the map, and it actually

did correlate with Jutaro's instincts.

The Burning Rat's tail was always aflame, so it would make sense for the air to

be hotter where it is. That seemed pretty obvious in retrospect. Just as I

thought that to myself, something leaped out in front of us.

From the shadow of a massive boulder came an equally massive white rodent.

It was a Burning Rat, that much was for sure, but the size was not at all what I

expected. The guild's bestiary had me assuming it'd be around the size of a dog.

However, this Burning Rat was clearly the size of a large elephant. Clearly

someone was measuring wrong when he recorded information about the

species!

"Kyikyikyaaaah!" The Burning Rat's entire body suddenly shuddered and lit up

with flames. It had immediately designated us as hostile.

The Burning Rat shook its body, sending several flaming projectiles into the

air.

"Look out!"

Yae and Jutaro spread out on my command. The projectiles landed exactly

where we were, exploding on contact with the ground.

"Touya-dono! Is this the Burning Rat, is it?!"

"The size is off, but yeah, I think so! This one might be a Behemoth, I dunno!"

If this thing was left alive a few more years, it'd probably end up being

terrifyingly huge. We'd end up needing a Frame Gear to take care of it.

To be honest, this thing was so large that the young merchant probably

couldn't have used his vast fortune to take care of it. In that regard, we were

pretty lucky.

"Alright, guess I'll use my Water magic to subdue it, and then..."

"Excuse me, Grand Duke... Could you leave it to me?"

"Huh?"

I shrugged, then watched as Jutaro charged toward the Burning Rat. This

monster was definitely at least on the level of a silver adventurer. It wouldn't be

an easy victory...

I was about to warn him, but I found Yae tugging on my sleeve. ...Alright, I get

it. It's something he wants to do for Ayane. I'll let him tough it out alone.

"Alright, fine! Go fight it alone! But if you get in serious trouble, I'm stepping

in!"

"Very well! Thank you! I feel as though if I can take down this creature, I may

be able to pass the barrier that I have reached in my training!"

Jutaro earnestly pointed his blade at the Burning Rat. To be honest, I still felt

uneasy about his chances. Jutaro, like most people in Eashen, had no magical

aptitude at all. All he had to defend himself was his swordplay.

In other words, he had no magical means to supplement his physical skills. He

had nothing but his own finesse to face off against the huge Burning Rat. Just

watching the scene unfold had me a little nervous.

I thought of at least supporting him with magic, but Yae stopped me.

"...The opponent may be a monster, it may... But my brother considers this a

true duel, he does. That is why you cannot use any of your magic to help him,

you cannot. This must be a fair fight."

I understood what she was saying. My magic would tip the scales way too

much. But still, if it looked like he was about to die, I'd definitely intervene. I

wasn't going to entertain any samurai honor nonsense at that point.

"Kyikyaaah!"

"Hmph!" Jutaro just barely avoided the monster and its burning claws. He

swerved his body to the right and retaliated by slashing its right foreleg.

"Kyih?!"

It was a shallow wound. That certainly could've gone better. But he couldn't

get too close, since the flames billowing from its body were too intense.

Eashenese samurai used their swords to make clean, precise cuts. He was at a

disadvantage against such a large monster, especially one with active area

denial. Even if he managed to get a good slash in on the rat, it wasn't likely he'd

do enough to critically wound it. He also risked dulling the blade if it happened

too many times.

Jutaro understood that, surely.

The fight raged on between the two of them, with Jutaro taking a defensive

position. The Burning Rat spewed forth more fireballs from its fur, making

Jutaro stumble here and there.

"Kyiiiiaaah!"

"Ngh?!"

The beast suddenly opened its mouth, stood on its hind legs, and let loose a

billowing torrent of fire. It can breathe fire like a Dragon?!

Jutaro responded to the attack by leaping to the left and hiding behind a

boulder. He was definitely getting worn out. It was hot enough just passively,

and the added heat from the monster was clearly doing little for his fatigue. If

he got tired, then his speed and strength would fall as well. He needed to pull

out.

"Yae."

"Not yet, Touya-dono. My brother has not given up, he has not. I look forward

to seeing how this goes, I do. He is reaching for his victory..."

Yae was staring at the fight, clearly transfixed. She believed in him. She

believed that her brother could win, no matter what.

...And so did I. Even if I was worried, I wanted to share in Yae's conviction.

Jutaro could win this. He had to do it for Ayane.

"Kiyaaaaaah!"

The Burning Rat prepared another breath attack. Jutaro, seeing an

opportunity, charged out at full pelt. I had no idea what the madman was doing.

He dashed across the ground faster than the flames could move and kicked off a

nearby rock. The motion spring boarded him into the air.

"Kokonoe Secret Style: Hornet Jabber!" Jutaro yelled out, and he dug his

blade into the monster's throat. He kept the sword running until he'd gutted

the Burning Rat from neck to belly.

Were you aiming there this whole time?!

"Kyiiiih!"

The Burning Rat squealed as blood pooled from its mouth. It fell over, dead.

Then, its flames slowly began to fade out, until there weren't any left on its

body at all. All that remained was an oversized rodent.

He'd won.

"Ngh... Hhh... Gh..." Jutaro fell to his knees, breathing heavily. He looked

positively exhausted.

"Brother!"

"...Do not worry. I am okay. I have done as I intended..."

Jutaro smiled at his sister, but he certainly didn't look alright. I wondered if he

just wanted to look cool in front of Yae.

I quickly cast [Refresh] and [Mega Heal] on the poor guy. His injuries were

healed, and he caught his breath again. I tossed the Burning Rat carcass into

[Storage]. The people at the guild would be able to skin it and take it apart

much better than I could.

Once we had the material, we'd be able to sell the rest of it. Though, I heard

that Burning Rat meat wasn't all that tasty, so it probably wouldn't fetch a high

market price. That was a shame, but it was just one of those things.

"Now, all you have to do is tell Ayane your feelings."

"Ahaha... Somehow, that feels more formidable a task than slaying this rat..."

Jutaro's face went red, and I didn't think it was just from the heat. I could

certainly understand his feelings in that regard... Confessing was scary.

But either way, there was no escaping it. Not if you wanted the person you

love right by your side, anyway.

◇ ◇ ◇

"One Fire-Rat cloth, as ordered."

"Ohh! This is splendid, it is!"

A few days later, we were at Fashion King Zanac's Brunhild branch, picking up

the finished product we'd commissioned. Zanac had worked wonders with the

material, creating a beautiful white cloth. It looked pristine.

The Fire-Rat cloth could be cleansed of dirt in flame due to the fact that it had

incredible resistance and insulation against fire. In terms of adventuring

equipment, it was top-notch. The processing made it shrink a bit, but that

wasn't an issue given how big the creature was.

After Zanac handed it over, I felt the softness in my hands... It was hard not to

want to run my hands all over it. Ohh... This is nice... This is really nice...

I resisted the sudden, strong urge to rub it up against my face. I didn't want to

smother myself in Ayane's gift, after all.

"Are you fine with me keeping the rest of it?"

"Sure. That should cover the costs of making it."

"Thank you so much! Accessories we make with its pelt should sell well..."

Even if there was only a small portion of the pelt left, that was relative. The

monster itself was massive, so I was sure that Zanac would be able to create

earmuffs or cloth pouches from the rest. He'd definitely make a lot of cash from

that.

It was pretty costly to process the Burning Rat's pelt because it was a material

that could only be suitably handled by the best of the best. I said I'd pay for it,

but Jutaro refused. And that was when Zanac came in with a compromise. He

said he'd process and stitch it all together for us, in exchange for the rest of the

pelt. Thank goodness for his shrewd business sense...

"Brother, you must take this to Ayane, you must. There is no time to waste,

there is not!"

"R-Right!"

Jutaro took the Fire-Rat cloth, which had been neatly placed into a paper bag,

thanked Zanac, and ran out of the store. I opened up a [Gate] to the Kokonoe

Dojo back in Oedo, and we stepped through.

Yae walked to her house and went to find Ayane. There were only a few

students in the dojo, but Yae and Jutaro's mother, Nanae, was back at the

house. Confessing while she was there would be awkward, which was why we

wanted to call Ayane out.

Jutaro started fidgeting and breathing heavily.

"Guuuh..."

"Just relax, man. Talk to her like you usually would."

"Wh-What?! How can I act casually at a time like this?! T-Tell me, Grand

Duke! How do you do it? H-How did you handle Yae?"

Huh? Me and Yae? Well, uh...

"...There was a duel involved."

"That does not help at all!"

Yeah... My case was definitely an outlier. I think in Jutaro's case, he's just

gotta tell her straight.

Yae suddenly came charging back toward the dojo alone, prompting the

already panicky Jutaro to get even more concerned.

"Th-This is bad, it is! Ayane was called to the storefront of the man she is to

be betrothed to, she was! She is headed there now, she is!"

"Wh—?!"

The moment he heard that, Jutaro went charging out the door. He was fast!

We followed after him, running through the streets at full pelt, turning corner

after corner. After what felt like five minutes of full running, we came out in the

middle of a bustling city street.

Jutaro continued running down the street until he saw the person he was

looking for.

"Ayane!"

"Hm...? Oh... Jutaro-sama? And... Yae-sama? A-And the grand duke?! WhWhat is going on?" Ayane just stared at us in confusion, clutching a bag in her

hands.

Jutaro had charged all this way to see her so he was completely out of breath,

and people in the surrounding area were looking at us suspiciously. Having him

confess like this was just unfair.

"Sorry, I'm gonna move us someplace better."

"Huh?"

I opened up a [Gate] beneath us, moving only us four to another place. It was

a quiet, forested area outside Oedo. It was the place I'd first landed in when I

came to Eashen.

We stepped out into a forest with a large camphor tree, under which there

was a torii arch with a hokora shrine, protected by two lion-dog statues.

"E-Eh? H-Huh? This is... the town's shrine grove?"

"A-Ayane! There's something I want to tell you!"

"Y-Yes?!"

Jutaro's sudden proclamation startled all of us, but it also made Ayane drop

the bag she was holding. And that bag spilled open, revealing a soft-looking,

white material...

"Oh no! It got dirty! Oh wait, that is fine..."

"A-Ayane... Wh-What is that...?"

"Oh, this? It is the cloth of a Fire-Rat... They say you can clean anything made

of Fire-Rat fur if you throw it into a fire... A-Are you okay?"

Jutaro's face was as pale as the cloth. Oof. Sorry, man...

"Ayane. Did you receive that as a gift from the man who wishes to marry into

your family, did you?"

"Huh? Yae-dono? How did you know that? Y-Yes, you are correct. Though, I

honestly did not expect him to find it... I was quite surprised."

Ayane laughed softly, which made Jutaro's expression shift to one of misery.

Were we too late...? Why's she looking so happy, anyway? If it's a reluctant

marriage, then shouldn't she be looking a little more disappointed? Although... I

guess we never bothered looking into Ayane's feelings, did we?

"My sister will be delighted when she sees it. I must get this to her right

away."

"...What now?"

HOLD UP. Get this to who? Your sister? Why would you need to... Don't tell

me...

"Uhm... Ayane? By any chance, is your sister marrying some good-looking guy

who's the successor to a clothing merchant household?"

"Yes, she is! Did you hear about it?"

"Whaaaaaat?!"

Ayane's eyes widened as the three of us yelled out in exasperation. What the

hell?! That's not the story I was told at all! Jutaro, you idiot!

"Jutaro! What's the big deal here?!"

"Oh, I... I heard about it from my colleagues in the bar!" It was just hearsay?!

You dumbass! They clearly got Ayane confused with her sister! Are you kidding

me right now?!

"So this was all a big misunderstanding, it was... This feels like a bad joke, it

does."

I exhaled and pinched the bridge of my nose. So did Yae. I could understand

her feelings. Even though we'd struggled so much, we didn't even need to.

What was that one Aesop's fable about great efforts yielding little? The

mountain had labored and brought forth a mouse? Yeah, that's definitely

appropriate for this situation! Except the mouse was a goddamn rat, and it was

mountain-sized!

"Um... Is everything okay?" Ayane looked over at us with concern on her face.

Things were definitely not okay.

I just shook my head. However, Jutaro stepped forward and approached

Ayane once more.

"Ayane, please look here." Jutaro reached into his paper bag and pulled out

the Fire-Rat cloth. It was obvious that it was bigger and far higher in quality

than the one Ayane had.

"H-Huh? Jutaro-dono?"

"...I got this for you. For the same reason the young merchant got one for

your sister..."

"What...?" Ayane gazed from the cloth to Jutaro with a stunned look on her

face.

"That... Well, if it's okay with you... I'd like you to stay... Stay by my side,

always."

"Jutaro-sama... I, well..."

"I-I want you to be my wife, Ayane. It may not be as lavish as the life of a

merchant's wife, but it would be one filled with love."

He reached out and grabbed her hands, locking their fingers in an embrace

beneath the soft cloth.

A gentle breeze blew through the forest. It felt as though time itself had

stopped.

Yae and I held our breath as we watched Ayane and Jutaro stare into each

other's eyes.

...How much time has passed, exactly? Couple seconds, maybe? Three? Four?

Feels longer.

Ayane's hands crept forward until they took the cloth from Jutaro. Then, she

held it against her chest and spoke her answer.

"Yes... If you would accept someone like me... I want to be by your side...!"

Ayane looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Ayane!"

The moment he heard her words, he reached out and embraced her tightly.

How very bold of him.

"Jutaro-sama!"

Ayane hugged him tightly back, wiping her tears against his chest. The couple

smiled and sniffled as they did nothing but hold each other for a while.

Heh... They're trapped in their own little world. However, there was a sudden

interruption.

"Hmph! I am your sister, I am... Do you not feel a little embarrassed to be

flaunting your affections so brazenly in front of me, do you not?"

"Ah, no... Yae, I just..."

"Y-Yae-sama?! I... I did not mean to put on a public display!"

The two of them were completely red in the face, and they backed off from

each other a little.

C'mon, now. It was your brother's confession. It's not that big of a deal.

What's with that reaction?

I shrugged and hoped that the couple would find further happiness.

"Congratulations are in order, they are. Ayane... Or should that be elder sister

now, should it?"

"Fufu... Do not be hasty, though... We have not yet received the blessing of

Jubei-sama or Nanae-sama."

Ayane smiled and wiped the happy tears from her eyes. I hadn't thought

about that. Her being the daughter-in-law of Jubei would also make her my

sister-in-law.

"Oh, you're right! I need to tell father and mother! Touya-dono, could you

make us a [Gate] now?"

"Sure thing."

I grinned slightly and warped us off to the Kokonoe household.

◇ ◇ ◇

The house was in an uproar due to the sudden news. When Jutaro told his

parents about his engagement, Nanae responded by throwing her arms around

Ayane and welcoming her to the family. Jubei, on the other hand, just told his

son off for taking so long in getting around to confessing.

He might've been yelling, but anyone could see in his eyes that he was happy

and proud. I was glad it went over well.

After that, Jubei called in his students from the dojo and started a round of

drinking. Apparently some of the students had crushes on Ayane as well, but

they'd been beaten to the punch by Jutaro in the end. Regardless, everyone

started drinking sake and having a good time.

I participated in the feast by bringing some food and drinks from [Storage],

but I neglected to drink any alcohol.

"Yeah, I'll be back later. Yep. Thanks, everyone." Since I was having dinner in

Eashen, I made sure to call Lu and tell her not to worry about cooking for me

and Yae.

I'd stepped out into the garden of the Kokonoe household, which was

separate enough from the dojo that the loud partying sounds were distant. I

looked up at the full moon and enjoyed the breeze.

"Here you are, you are."

"Oh, Yae. You aren't with Jutaro?"

Yae walked out from the nearby corridor and came out to stand by me.

"He is still back at the dojo, he is. He is very happy right now. He laughed so

much he nearly fell over."

Frankly, I couldn't blame him for letting loose. Jutaro was normally such a

serious guy, and he definitely wasn't a moron. He was just happy that things

were going his way.

Apparently their marriage had been set for one or two years from now. They

were waiting for my marriage to Yae, so my status as grand duke of Brunhild

would have greater bearing on Jutaro's social position. He'd be brother-in-law

to a world leader, after all.

They didn't seem to mind at all. Their feelings were in the right place, so they

were as good as any husband and wife already.

"Ayane was clinging to the arm of my brother all night, she was. It is already

as if they are married, it is."

"They're a good couple. I'm happy for them."

"...If I must be honest, I am happy. However, I also feel a little bit lonely about

it, I do. My brother will be building a new family with Ayane, he will. There is no

room for me in that family, there is not. I know it is stupid... but part of me feels

as if I have lost my brother, it does."

Yae let out a little laugh. She clearly loved her brother very deeply. I didn't

have any brothers, but I could still see where she was coming from.

I moved closer to Yae and took her hand in mine.

"Even if your brother gets married, there'll always be room for you. Family

isn't broken so easily, Yae. Even if his position changes slightly, he will always be

your brother."

"...You are right, you are... My brother can have his family, but I am his family

as well, I am. My brother will always be my brother, and I will always be his

sister, I will. Thank you, Touya-dono."

Yae smiled beneath the pale moonlight. She looked beautiful. We stared at

each other for a few magical moments and brought our faces closer together...

"Ooh! Grand Duke! I was looking for you!"

The two of us were startled by the sudden voice and jumped away from one

another. It was Jutaro. He came running down the hallway toward the two of

us.

Wow. His body is totally bruised... That's... Yikes.

Yae, who was completely red in the face, turned to her brother with a pout.

"B-B-Brother! You must learn to read the atmosphere, you must!"

The accused party turned toward her and frowned.

"I do not know what you mean... Ahaha... Reading the atmosphere? Is that

not more of a feminine concern? That sounds like something Ayane would say.

Usually, you only care about the blade."

"I-It is none of your business, it is not! What about you, hm?! You are so dullheaded that I wonder if Ayane even knows about your feelings, I wonder!"

"Huh?! What do you mean by that?!"

I looked at the bickering siblings and smiled.

Even though they were squabbling, I could feel the love they shared. After all,

they got along closely enough to squabble like this.

I closed my eyes and heaved a satisfied sigh. I was blessed to have such

wonderful people in my family.