The Hokuriku Road, one of the Five Provinces and Seven Circuits, is a major road connecting Echizen Province, Wakasa Province, Kaga Province, Noto Province, Etchu Province, and Echigo Province.
It was formerly called "Nukukanomichi," which literally means "land route."
If you travel west along this Hokuriku Road towards Wakasa Province, and then turn down the Higashi-Omi Road that you come across along the way, you should be able to enter Omi Province.
However, in addition to being an ancient highway, it is currently a time of warring states.
The gravel that was once spread there has completely worn away, leaving the soil exposed.
In addition, weeds grew abundantly, making it a rather difficult environment for large armies to travel long distances.
"Haha... Hahahahahahaha"
In that desolate mountain valley, a man's loud laughter echoed.
The voices were rising from a place along the Hokuriku Road where the Asakura family's "Three-Pile Mokko" flags were densely packed, but where the only flag flying was the "Three-Pile Tortoise Shell" flag.
Indeed, it was Asai Hisamasa, who had escaped from Omi Province and taken refuge with the Asakura family.
"Magnificent... This is magnificent, this great army...!"
Hisamasa, on horseback, kept looking around excitedly while chattering away.
As if the fever had spread, Inoue Tsunechika and his close associates were also shouting something loudly.
"With this many, we can take back Omi from that hateful Nagamasa...!"
"That is indeed the case!"
"Long live the Asakura family!"
His father and all his relatives are equally consumed with a desire for revenge against Asai Nagamasa.
Amidst all of this, Masayuki clenched his fists and wore a pained expression.
(To fight against my elder brother means to fight against the local lords of Omi Province...)
At this point, I was aware that I was saying something weak and effeminate.
But even so, I still find myself thinking that.
I wondered if it was truly right to fight my own blood brother, to fight against the people of Omi Province, where I was born and raised.
(There's no need to even think about it...)
It cannot possibly be the right thing to do.
If things continue this way, what awaits us is a future where Omi Province is exhausted by infighting among relatives, and ruled by the Asakura family, who have made the Asai family their puppets.
However, to begin with, Masayuki and his men probably only have about a 50/50 chance of defeating Nagamasa.
Above all, the opponent is a rare battle maniac who has defeated an enemy army several times his size and even managed to kill a hawk.
Considering that he showed absolutely no mercy to his enemies, and for example launched a thorough annihilation campaign against the invading Rokkaku family, one can't help but think that even though he was his own brother, he was "mad with war and blood."
(I want to live...)
I didn't want to die.
However, Masayuki didn't have the courage to abandon his father and relatives and run away, so he just hesitated, and the situation continued to worsen.
Without a decision, you have no choice but to be swept along by circumstances.
And so, before they knew it, humanity was driven to a point of no return. This was true in every era.
"Oh, excuse me, excuse me!"
Then, that familiar, cunning, and clear voice reached Masayuki's ears, who had been trapped in a dreary hole of thought.
"This is a message from the military inspector, Asakura Kageakira! Asai Masayuki, I have something to discuss with you!"
"You're being called, Masayuki."
Hisamasa, who was marching alongside Masayuki on horseback, patted him on the shoulder.
Turning my head as if startled, I saw Nagashige, dressed in a bizarre outfit: armor over a woman's kimono.
He was waving one hand wildly while looking at Masayuki, and Masayuki's relatives were laughing at what they saw.
Some of them were staring at him as if in a feverish trance.
"Ah, Lord Masayuki. Come with me. I have something to discuss with you, and it's also an order from Lord Kageakira."
Nodding in agreement with Nagashige's words, Masayuki adjusted his marching pace to match his.
Perhaps because this eccentric young man was moving so slowly, Masayuki and the others fell further and further back in the formation, eventually ending up at the very back.
But perhaps that was what Nagashige wanted.
As he watched the back of the soldier who had been his lord recede into the distance, Nagashige pulled his horse closer, leaned against Masayuki, and whispered softly in his ear.
"Hey, Masayuki-sama."
"...W-what is it?"
"Hehe, no... you're really stiff. Are you nervous?"
While stroking Masayuki's thigh, Nagashige breathed a hot sigh into his ear.
"But I think that's probably the right feeling."
"W-what's going on..."
"I'm sure your brother is aware that we've begun our march."
Even what I'm doing right now might be being watched.
Saying this, Nagashige, who looks exactly like a woman, smiles mischievously.
"Therefore, we must properly protect Lord Masayuki during this battle. After all, Lord Masayuki is now a member of the Asakura family."
It might seem like an insignificant phrase at first glance.
However, Masayuki felt as if he had been punched in the face.
Nagashige no longer sees Masayuki Asai as a member of the "Asai family." He considers him strictly a relative of the "Asakura family."
Ultimately, this means that Masayuki has lost all value as a member of the "Asai" family within the Asakura clan.
Masayuki's birthplace was no longer of interest to them; he was simply seen as a retainer of the Asakura clan.
"This time, Lord Kageakira will be accompanied by the Magara brothers. They'll be his second-in-command, so to speak. Of the soldiers here, 10,000 will head straight to Wakasa Province. This large army is nothing but a show. That will make things quite difficult. There are hardly any people here who will protect Lord Masayuki, after all."
"...it is"
"Isn't that right? But judging from how Lord Hisamasa looked just now, he honestly seemed like he didn't care about you at all. It's like he's clinging to his own meager pride and only thinking about revenge against Bizen-no-kami for hurting it."
"...Shut up, be quiet."
"Oh my, well."
With a smug grin, Nagashige stroked Masayuki's upper arm and let out a sweet moan.
"I'm sorry, it seems I've upset you. But I didn't mean any harm. I just said what I was thinking because I'm worried about you, Masayuki-sama. I'm worried about you, especially since you're the husband of Yuihime-sama."
"..."
"Yuihime-sama is very important to me too. Especially in my case, there are various circumstances."
Then, Nagashige gently brushed the hair that was falling behind his ear—and suddenly, he bit Masayuki's neck.
At that sensation, Masayuki's body stiffened and he gasped.
"Hehe, hehehehehe"
As Masayuki licked his earlobe with the tip of his bright red tongue, Nagashige's cheeks flushed, and he hugged him tightly.
"Masayuki-sama... you know, you're a virgin, aren't you?"
"...!"
He was subjected to a humiliating remark as a man, and turned his face away.
However, perhaps that wasn't a good idea, because Nagashige, with a gleeful expression, rested his chin on Masayuki's shoulder and blew a sigh of air onto his neck.
"Judging by your reaction, it seems I hit the jackpot. Hey, wanna do it with me? Won't you give me your virginity? The combination of a general and his adjutant sounds so decadent, don't you think?"
"N-Nagashige, what are you saying..."
"So, so, Masayuki-sama, do you want to attack? Or be attacked? Do you want to insert? Or be inserted? Come on, which is it?"
Overwhelmed by the barrage of lewd questions, Masayuki could only freeze in place.
Even though she's a man who knows absolutely nothing about manners, she looks like a beautiful girl on the outside.
For Masayuki, who had never really had physical contact with a woman before, it was a bit too much of a shock.
"I don't really care either way. But for now, let's have you take a defensive stance. I'm the one with the troops, and the Asakura side has the upper hand this time."
"W-what are you talking about..."
"Of course, we're talking about war. If you have any objections, I'll listen to them tonight, and we'll discuss it thoroughly."
The conversation jumped from one topic to another—he's truly an elusive character.
"Haha, it looks like I got left behind while I was doing that."
"That's right...! This is no time for this...!"
Masayuki tried to shake off Nagashige and hastily catch up with the ranks of the troops, but Nagashige clung to him again, making it impossible for him to control the reins of his horse.
"Well, well. There's a reason why I've left the unit like this. It's alright, you can rest assured."
"Wha..."
"Actually, there's someone I'd like to introduce you to . I really wanted to introduce you somewhere more proper, but it seems like they tagged along on their own."女people
"H-hey, where are you going... Nagashige!"
With a laugh like that of a young girl, Nagashige dismounted from his horse and disappeared into the mountains.
Masayuki glanced at it, hesitated for a while on horseback, then grumbled, "Oh, come on!" and dismounted, following after Nagashige.
Lush trees.
In the dimly lit mountains, insects flit about, illuminating the path ahead.行燈斑猫Andon Hanmyo
There was a large amount of dead leaves at my feet.
Each step I take makes a satisfying crunching sound, inevitably bringing back memories of the past.
I remember a time long ago, when I was still very young—when I would sneak into the mountains with my two older brothers, Nagamasa and Masamoto, and eat my fill of mountain fruits, stomping on fallen leaves just like them.
Afterward, Masayuki and his men were usually met with reprimands from Endo Naotsune and the other senior retainers upon their return to the castle—but even so, it was a time more precious than anything else.
The happy and enjoyable times I spent with my brothers are what I cherish most.
And just as Masayuki's happy memories faded from his mind, the person he was looking for was found.
Alongside the monstrous creatures illuminated by the lantern-shaped cat.
"Hoo...hoo..."
It was enormous, about 14 feet (4 meters) long .梟Owl
It had a circular arrangement of ornamental feathers on its head, and two enormous red eyes, large enough to occupy half of its face, stared intently at Masayuki.
Its beak was short vertically and wide horizontally, and a purple tongue hung loosely from its large mouth.
Its body is covered in thick, pure white feathers, its legs that firmly plant on the ground are thick and strong, and its claws are thick and sharp.
It has four pairs of wings on its back, which enable the owl's unique ability to fly in a wide variety of ways.
But perhaps the most distinctive feature is that things resembling human arms sprout from both sides of its body.
Its arms are thick and longer than those of a human, and it is extremely muscular.
Each hand has six fingers, and the flexible joints of each finger work together to create a synergistic effect, resulting in a grip strength that can easily crush even a large tree.
Except for its two eyes, its entire body is pure white, like a snow-covered mountain.
"Why an owl...?"
Owls are nocturnal creatures because they lack eyelids and are sensitive to bright light like sunlight.
They prefer to attack and prey on humans.
Since the dawn of history, humans have feared the dark of night and sought fire—primarily to protect themselves from owls that relentlessly attack them.
Ultimately, owls are practically natural enemies of humans, who cannot operate in the dark.
To encounter them is tantamount to putting one's own life in immediate danger.
However, Masayuki felt no fear towards the owl in front of him.
I don't know why, but I intuitively felt that there was clearly no malice intended.
Or perhaps it was because Nagashige had wrapped his entire body around the owl's arm.
Masayuki remembered the Magara brothers once saying that Nagashige was "nurturing love" with an owl.
"...Hey, aren't you scared, Masayuki-sama?"
With a smile that replaced his genuinely surprised expression, the young man, who looked exactly like a beautiful girl, stroked the owl's arm.
"I see, you're not scared... Hehe, that's good..."
The owl averted its gaze from Masayuki and looked at Nagashige.
Seeing him nod in satisfaction, the owl turned its head 360 degrees, then stomped its feet on the ground again—raising its arms, which seemed to be as long as its own body, high above its head.
It was a gesture that seemed to welcome something.
In the dimly lit mountains, amidst the shimmering, colorful lights of the lantern-covered cats, a pair of red eyes gleamed brightly.
"Let me introduce you. This is my wife, Yukino."
"Hmm..."
The owl slowly lowered both its arms, pressed its right hand against its chest, and tilted its hips slightly.
It was a human gesture, and all Masayuki could do was bewildered.
"Well, it's understandable that you'd be surprised."
Nagashige said this with a wry smile.
"But Yukino has lived in human society since she was born... or at least by my side. It's only natural that even her smallest gestures would seem more human, right?"
"Since birth...?"
"Yes, it was more than 10 years ago. I was originally born into a family connected to Izumo Taisha Shrine. I was involved in managing the forests of the shrine's territory, but when I got separated from my father, I stumbled upon a small shrine and met Yukino, who was still a newborn at the time..."禰宜green onions
With a sigh that suggested he was reminiscing about the past, Nagashige continued.
"Well, secrets always come out eventually. It was about three years after I met Yukino. Everyone was saying whatever they wanted, like I was being deceived by the Owl or something. I got so angry that I decided to leave Izumo—together with Yukino."
"..."
"After that, a lot of things happened, and Lord Yoshikage took Yukino in, and that's how we got to where we are now. So Yukino and I are incredibly grateful to Lord Yoshikage. At least Lord Yoshikage has told the generals of the Asakura family about Yukino, so there haven't been any particular problems. The child that Yukino and I had has also been recognized extralegally."
When Nagashige stroked the strong arm of the pure white monster called Yukino, the owl hooted softly, "Hoo."
"Yukino is trying her best too, trying to fit in with humans. After all, the child she gave birth to will become a 'Zashiki-warashi,' a life form based on humans—as a mother, she can't just be indifferent to humans, can she?"
"Does the Asakura family accept it? The zashiki-warashi and other demons... and living together with them?"
"No, I haven't admitted it. I told you, it's purely extra-legal."
Nagashige gave a wry smile in response to Masayuki's question.
"However, there is understanding. At least, Lord Yoshikage does. Because Princess Yui is—"
"...picture?"
"—Oh, never mind. Don't worry about it."
And without a moment's hesitation, Nagashige began to pour out a barrage of words.
"The language barrier is a huge obstacle, after all. I don't know 'why,' but I can understand Yukino's words—no, not just Yukino's. I can understand the voices of all the monsters. But most people can't understand Yukino's or the monsters' language. Some even wet themselves just from hearing Yukino cry. No matter how intelligent you are, you can't communicate if you can't understand each other's language."
But more than anything, what had been said earlier was bothering Masayuki immensely.
However—no matter what—Nagashige will absolutely not tell us here.
Watching him with his hands clasped in front of his chest and his waist slightly bent to the left, Masayuki became certain of it.
A spotted cat leaps, softly illuminating his long, beautiful black hair and pale skin.
"Well, we can't linger here any longer. We need to catch up with everyone quickly."
Nagashige said that and tugged at one of Yukino's feathers.
"Listen, Yukino. What's done is done. But you shouldn't be here in the first place—you understand that, right?"
"Hoo...hoo..."
The owl's massive body clearly shrunk.
It seems he's feeling down.
"Very well. For now, stay hidden in the shade, and when night falls, make sure you return to Echizen. We can't leave Yukiho all alone, can we?"
"Hmm..."
"So, it's going to be alright. I'll be fine. No matter what happens, I'll come back alive, so don't worry."
"Hoo...hoo..."
"How rude! I'm always calm and composed, I never lose sight of myself, and I'm a general雅馴Gajun瀟洒Shosha
"Hmm..."
"You say 'talk in your sleep'...? Oh, look, you've started saying that too...!"
Right in front of me, a human and a monster have started arguing about something.
But what that means is that monsters, like humans, also possess emotions—
(What exactly are monsters...?)
Faced with a fact he had never considered before, Masayuki could only feel bewildered.