As long as you're human, no matter how much you worry, you can't overcome sleepiness.
And as long as humans live within Earth's gravitational field, night will always end and morning will inevitably come.
I looked up at the sky, which was beginning to lighten, and exhaled a large cloud of white breath.
(Oh no... I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt and regret welling up inside me...)
Last night, I was drawn out of the mansion by a woman's voice and spent the entire time peeking through a gap in the sliding door at my brother-in-law and his wife having sex, vigorously masturbating and ejaculating repeatedly.
The sight of my sister-in-law, Kicho, moaning beautifully and lewdly, in such a state of disarray, significantly increased the hardness and expansion rate of my big dick.
However, around the time I reached my seventh climax, I suddenly thought, "What am I doing...?"
"What I'm doing would be considered a crime in my previous world, and more importantly, it would be a matter of trust..."
That's exactly it.
In other words, if Nobunaga or Kicho find out that I was "peeping," I will certainly lose their trust, and even the entire Oda family.
Alternatively, he might be cut down by an enraged Nobunaga.
Although Nobunaga no longer possessed Heshikiri Hasebe, his beloved sword, it was clear from the letters exchanged between him and Ichihime that Nobunaga also owned other weapons made of fluorite.
Regretting my inability to resist the urges of my lower body, I watched Nobunaga and his wife fall asleep, covered the semen scattered on the ground with dirt to conceal it, and thus ended last night.
In fact...
"And then, as if on cue, I get an invitation to breakfast at this exact moment..."
I clutched my stomach, which had begun to ache from nervousness, and let out a huge sigh.
(But—whether I get caught or not, this might be a good opportunity...)
To be honest, I'm abnormal. Mainly in terms of my lower body.
To go berserk and wander around looking for women just because you haven't had sex for a day or two—that's nothing short of abnormal behavior.
Even without thinking about it calmly, this is the kind of person that makes you reconsider your relationship with them. That's precisely why—
(I guess I have no choice but to consult with my brother-in-law... Lord Nobunaga...)
That was the reason.
Oda Nobunaga, as you may know, had more than 20 concubines and fathered countless children with them—no matter how much he did it for the sake of his family, he couldn't have done that without a strong libido.
In other words, there's a very real possibility that Nobunaga once faced the same kind of worries I'm experiencing now.
It's embarrassing to admit, but at this point, I have no choice but to accept it and ask someone with more life experience for solutions to the problems I'm facing.
If I don't do that... in the near future, it won't just be my problem anymore, and it could end up making Ichihime unhappy as well.
"Well, let's go..."
When I entered the mansion where my brother-in-law and sister-in-law had been sharing intimate moments last night, a maid who was waiting for me announced my arrival.
Immediately, Kicho's beautiful voice answered, and I was led to the room by the maid.
As expected, Nobunaga and Kicho were there, and as soon as the maid opened the sliding door, they greeted her with morning greetings.
When I hastily responded, Nobunaga urged me to sit down at the table that had already been prepared, and the meal began without any sign of him taking out any dangerous items such as swords or matchlock guns.
Looking at the contents of the breakfast, there is a tremendous disparity compared to what the Takenaka family used to eat.
Indeed, the meal consisted of half brown rice and half white rice as the main course, along with miso soup containing shellfish and fish. There were also steamed and grilled items, blanched green vegetables, simmered taro, and grilled miso.雉pheasant
Now, when we talk about pheasants, we're referring to none other than that beautiful bird.
During the Sengoku period, pheasants were the greatest delicacy, and those hunted by daimyo themselves during falconry were considered the finest ingredients to be used when entertaining close daimyo and nobles.
(Lord Nobunaga said yesterday that he was "very busy," but perhaps he took some time out of his busy schedule to go pheasant hunting for me...)
Thinking about it fills me with a warmth, but all I really did was eavesdrop on his affair.
With a complex mix of emotions that I couldn't even begin to describe, I put on a smile and continued to chat with Nobunaga while we ate.
"Lord Nobunaga is fond of this roasted miso."
Kicho smiled as she poured tea into my teacup.
The thought of her lewd and depraved behavior last night makes me feel flustered.
"Apparently, in the past they would just grill the miso as is, but recently Lord Nobunaga himself has been adding ingredients, and he's gradually become more elaborate about it."
"--Hmm"
Nobunaga cut the roasted miso into pieces with his chopsticks, placed it directly on top of his rice, and devoured it with gusto.
And as soon as he exclaimed, "Delicious!", Kicho poured tea into his teacup at the perfect moment.
Indeed, after gulping it down, Nobunaga's face showed signs of reminiscing about the past, and he began to speak at length.
"Grilled miso is a memento of me and Kicho. I was 18 and Kicho was 17. I still remember it... Yes, it was the third week of July that year... I was about to head out to the mountains as usual when Kicho prepared my lunch for the first time. Ah, it was rice balls made with brown rice and grilled miso..."
If that's the case, then it must have been 15 years ago.
The fact that he remembered the date so clearly shows how happy he must have been. That was very evident in the way he spoke.
"Until then, I had always eaten miso as is, but that Kicho woman mixed sake and chopped ginger into the miso and roasted it, then gave it to me. At that time, the old man... Masahide was still alive, so I was having lunch while running away from him—but it was so delicious that I was shocked and fell off my horse. Hahaha... I still remember the look on Masahide's face then! He came running to my side with a furious look on his face..."
Indeed, Nobunaga picked up a small amount of the roasted miso with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and then—
"—In any case, ever since that time, I decided to eat grilled miso every day. Then everyone else gradually started to imitate me... and now, the Oda family's miso consumption is truly the highest in the world."
Nobunaga would say, "Whether in peacetime or wartime, we cannot find our strength unless we eat roasted miso."
It's probably an exaggeration, but it seems certain that Nobunaga ate roasted miso every day.
(I hope I don't die young from high blood pressure.)
I put down my chopsticks, thinking about these things.
It was my first time trying pheasant meat, and it was very mild and refined, certainly living up to its reputation as a high-class bird.
Of course, they probably don't eat such extravagant breakfasts on a regular basis, but comparing it to the breakfasts of the Asai and Takenaka families, I can't help but think that the Oda family's economic power was truly astonishing.
Ultimately, economic inequality is symbolically reflected in food. However—
(We must challenge the economic power of the Oda family.)
In the economic warfare that accompanies my policy of enriching the country and strengthening the military, Owari and Mino, ruled by the Oda clan, will likely stand as the greatest adversaries, alongside Kyoto and Sakai.
In simple terms, economics is the sum total of competitive relationships in which finite capital is contested.
Indeed, our northern Omi, situated midway between the Kinai region centered around Kyoto, Japan's largest consumer market, and Owari, the region with the greatest economic power in central Japan, must not be reduced to a peripheral status subordinate to these core regions.
(But for that reason—)
As soon as the meal was cleared away, I bowed to Nobunaga.
"Lord Nobunaga... no, my brother-in-law, there is something I would like to discuss with you. It is quite embarrassing to admit, but I cannot see a solution on my own... Please, would you show this brother-in-law the way?"
Indeed, Nobunaga initially looked at me with suspicion, but then he told Kicho and the other ladies-in-waiting to "step back," patted me on the shoulder, and made me raise my head.
"Okay... okay, go ahead and say it, anything at all. Don't hold back."
"I don't care if you ask me for money or anything else," he said, smiling, and I was once again struck by the vast difference in our character as human beings.
And once again, I found myself wanting to be like this man.
◇
My biggest problem is an abnormal increase in my sex drive and the resulting tunnel vision.
In a sense, this is the greatest shame of a man, and it took considerable courage to expose it, but I decided to speak frankly, omitting the details of the voyeurism incident.
"This is something I can only tell you, my brother-in-law, so please keep it confidential."
Without showing any contempt or pity for me, Nobunaga kept his gaze fixed on me—staring intently without averting his eyes.
Even after the conversation ended, he didn't move a muscle, and it was only after what felt like 10 minutes had passed that he finally spoke.
"Hmm..."
He groaned and took a sip of the tea that remained in his teacup.
However, this was not an act to quench his thirst, but rather to moisten his lips, indicating that he had already found the answer within himself.
"My brother-in-law is indeed a man of integrity. My judgment was correct when it came to choosing Ichi... But he is foolish."
"teeth..."
I just nodded in agreement and bowed my head.
"If Ichi is pregnant, then all he has to do is sleep with another woman."
Ah... so that's the kind of thinking that comes to mind, I thought, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
That answer was one of the options I had in mind.
The core of the problem lies in why that answer wasn't chosen.
"But I think that's..."
"Do you think this would be a betrayal of the city?"
But Nobunaga quickly and precisely cut me off before I could finish speaking.
"But you're the kind of person who can't function without sleeping with a woman for even a single day, aren't you? Think about it, if things continue like this, you'll have to wait until October 10th—and even if things go incredibly well, you won't be able to sleep with a woman until the end of the year. Can you endure that?"
Indeed, that's true. Nobunaga was right. All I can do is hang my head.
" I understand that my brother-in-law truly loves my sister from the bottom of his heart . But if that causes him pain, that's unacceptable... I doubt Ichi himself would want to cause you pain."愛How many
However, I don't really understand that.
As far as common sense goes, a husband must love his wife completely and utterly.
Having an affair with another woman is considered "cheating," and it is something that is absolutely unacceptable according to social norms.
And I wanted to "love Ichi completely as her husband," and I wanted to avoid getting involved with other women—even though I had come to this different world.
In light novels, the protagonists who are transported to the Sengoku period or another world quickly adapt to the new environment, building harems and acquiring slaves—but I don't have that kind of feeling.
That's because, although I'm currently "Asai Nagamasa," I was originally "Fukai Nagamasa," and my fundamental personality was formed in the world I came from.
The common sense that a person inherently possesses doesn't change easily just because they've had a trip.
Like everyone else, human beings are not as simple, straightforward, one-dimensional, and superficial as characters in a story.
Even if other people with lives and personalities were to be transported to this world as "Asai Nagamasa," they would surely suffer the same way I do—from the gap between modern consciousness and the realities and common sense of this world.
Any modern person, if they were to meet the main heroine or hero of their life and fall completely in love with them, would surely want to love only that person with all their heart.
—At least, that's what I think.
"But I can't betray Ichi... I don't want to see him suffer..."
"You fool."
After saying that, Nobunaga approached me and, in a gesture like an older brother lightly scolding his younger brother, he lightly tapped me on the head with his fist.
It didn't hurt at all, but I hadn't expected such a thing to happen, and I looked up as if I'd been flicked—
—And indeed, there was Nobunaga's beautifully refined and handsome face.
"I'm the same... you fool."
As soon as I said that, Nobunaga's gentle fist came down on me once again.
"But let me tell you this: your kindness and consideration can actually end up causing pain to others."
"picture..."
"What I'm saying is that personal kindness doesn't easily lead to the happiness of others."
He thrusts his teacup towards me and says, "Drink this."
There's still tea left in my teacup, but I suppose his actions were based on that.
I took it and drank a little of what was inside.
"Ichi loves you with all his heart, to the very core of his being."
"..."
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I bowed my head again.
Ignoring my feelings, my brother-in-law, the future Sixth Heavenly Demon King, continued his sermon.
"He's basically the same as you. He's so focused on pleasing you that he can't see anything else. You just said he has 'tunnel vision,' didn't you? That phrase applies perfectly to the current situation in the city."
Nobunaga paused for a moment before, and then, as expected, he cut straight to the point.
"You two are still immature, naive people."
That was an irrefutable point, and I pondered it while staring intently at the tatami mat.
Ichihime and I are an immature couple... Now that you mention it, maybe that's true.
I believe I have an unparalleled connection with her.
I'm sure Ichihime thinks the same thing.
That is indeed largely correct.
But perhaps because of that, I misjudged the distance between myself and the other person.
In other words, even though she and I love each other more than anything else and are completely fused together, ultimately we are still just two separate beings with different minds.
Just because I think something is a "good thing" doesn't mean it's a "good thing" for her. It might be insignificant to her, or it might even be something she'd rather I stop doing.
Let's take "fried chicken" as an example to explain this.
Let's say I think it's a "good thing" to pour lemon juice all over the fried chicken on a large plate.
However, while some praise this as "impressive," there are certainly others who criticize it as "a foolish act, like shoving high-quality food into a ditch, such as squeezing lemon on fried chicken."
This is a microcosm of basic human society.
And this kind of situation could happen between me and Ichihime, or perhaps it's already happening without me realizing it.
"If I were to offer one piece of advice as your brother-in-law, it would be that Ichi is going through a lot of trouble."
"picture...?"
"None other than your attitude, brother-in-law."
Nobunaga said this and quickly drank the contents of his teacup.
"I don't really want to reveal the contents of my sister's letters, but I'll tell you just one symbolic line. 'Because of me, Lord Nagamasa is suffering. When I think about it, my heart aches, and I don't know what to do...' That naughty girl, that's what she wrote to me."
"Th-that's..."
I felt as if I'd been punched hard in the side of the face.
(Does the city feel an overwhelming sense of guilt towards me...?)
There was no need to think such things, and such things didn't matter at all when it came to thinking about what was best for you—and only after thinking that far did she finally realize, ah... this kind of thought process is what's tormenting Ichihime.
I was thinking with a modern, monogamous mindset, while Ichihime was perceiving things with the mindset of her time—how could I not have realized such a simple fact?
No, the reason is all too obvious.
In other words, the distance between me and her had narrowed too rapidly in just three months, which had created an illusion. I had come to believe that she and I were the same, even though that was impossible.
(Perhaps the reason Ichi said she would keep me company every night to satisfy my sexual needs was... she saw through my intention to love anyone but her—)
I had assumed that Ichihime was simply displaying her possessiveness, but judging from Nobunaga's words, that must have been a complete misunderstanding and a foolish assumption on my part.
Before we had children, perhaps possessiveness alone would have been enough.
However, having children changes one's position and one's way of thinking.
Indeed, in Ichihime's case, being human, she undoubtedly possessed possessiveness towards me, but if we reinterpret the past, we can see that she offered to satisfy my sexual needs every night out of a desperate desire to help her husband, who "had no intention of loving anyone but me," and who was "suffering sexually."
(What an arrogant, foolish, and utterly hopeless husband I have been...)
I slumped my shoulders in disappointment.
I had lost sight of the fundamental historical principle that the past must always be viewed from multiple perspectives, not just one—a clear and undeniable blunder on my part, for which there is no excuse.
It seems like he and Ichihime are connected on an emotional level, but in reality, they are misunderstanding each other...
After she had a child, she changed her attitude for my sake, for the sake of being my wife and the legitimate wife—but I didn't notice and continued to go about my days idly.
That must be what Nobunaga meant by my "immaturity."
It seemed like the couple was having a conversation, but in reality, they weren't.
It's all because of my one-sided and one-sided attitude.
Because of their attitude of implicitly refusing dialogue and trying to impose their own values on me.
"...Do you understand?"
"yes..."
I had no choice but to nod in response to Nobunaga's question.
"Okay... okay, then that's good."
Nobunaga patted my head,
"You two have only been united for a few months, and you've only just gained some morale after your first battle. At first, you'll only focus on defeating the enemy in front of you, but as you gain more experience in battle, you'll gradually be able to broaden your perspective from the immediate enemy to the overall battle situation. It's impossible to see the whole picture from the beginning—I'm sure my brother-in-law is well aware of that."
To put it simply, Nobunaga was telling me to spend time together as a couple, to gain experience in such situations, and to strive to understand my partner as a whole.
Keep in mind that the other person is a human being with a different personality than your own, and then strive to understand them as much as possible...
Indeed, it is a fundamental aspect of human communication, yet as we become closer to someone, it is an element that we tend to forget without even realizing it.
"thank you!"
"I don't mind."
In any case, I need to have a serious talk with Ichihime, including about the future, rather than trying to impose my ideals on her.
So, for example, they have to decide things like whether to take a concubine.
I need to set aside all my preconceived notions and ideals for once, and adopt an attitude of deciding everything through dialogue with Ichihime.
I was truly grateful to Nobunaga for making me realize that.
In response to my heartfelt thanks, Nobunaga smiled on his handsome face and gently patted my shoulder, saying, "Yes... yes..."
"Lord Nobunaga! Lord Nobunaga!!"
The roar was so loud it seemed to echo throughout Inabayama Castle, and Nobunaga suddenly turned around and slammed open the sliding doors with both hands.
The scenery visible from the veranda came into my view, and at the same time, I saw the figure of a man kneeling on the ground.
"What's going on, Inuchiyo! You're making too much noise!"
I wonder if it was really him who shouted.
He was a very large man, probably around 180 centimeters tall.
(Inuchiyo...that would mean Maeda Toshiie!)
Maeda Toshiie is the founder of the Kaga Domain, a domain so powerful that it is synonymous with the "Kaga 1 million koku" (a unit of rice production).
Having once served as Nobunaga's page, he left the Oda family at one point, but later returned and served as a general for them.
"This is terrible!"
Toshiie, who was turning 25 that year, had a stylish face, shaved except for his mustache, flushed red with excitement.
I wonder what's so difficult... I find myself listening in from inside my room to the conversation between Nobunaga and Toshiie.
"A hawk...a hawk has appeared! Lord Nobunaga! Prepare for the falconry...prepare for the falconry!"
Little did I know at the time that this would become a major turning point in my life.