December 27th, around noon (12:00 PM).
It was a bitterly cold winter day, with a light dusting of snow falling—a day just before the end of the year—when Ichihime went into labor.
The news spread rapidly throughout the castle town of Nagahama, and everyone, from the upper classes to the lower classes, became unsettled.
If a boy were to be born, it would mean the birth of an heir to the Asai family...
At the same time, it also meant that the succession of the "Great Priest" to the water deity would proceed smoothly.
The mizuna of Lake Biwa has designated the head of the Asai family as its deputy, entrusting him with the responsibility of upholding its faith and stabilizing the region.
If the Asai family's succession proceeded smoothly, it would mean greater stability in northern Omi; conversely, if the succession failed, it would mean that the dragon would become enraged again, causing devastating damage to Japan.
And in that atmosphere, I ran through the grounds of Nagahama Castle, with Myo leading the way .夏瑶門Kayoumon
It is said that Princess Ichihime is currently staying in a room set up at the Nagahama Palace .産屋Ubuya
This birthing hut, built around November, was now surrounded and run by a large group of women.
"City…! City…!!"
All I've heard from Myo is that Ichihime's water broke.
There are two patterns to water breaking: one that occurs just before the baby is born, and another that occurs before labor begins.
However, the fact that Myo went to the trouble of forwarding the message means that it's almost certainly the former scenario.
"Oh, isn't that the lord of the house...!"
And when a woman saw me running towards the birthing hut, her eyes widened in surprise.
She is the wife of my most trusted retainer, Endo Naotsune.
In the birthing room, she wasn't the only one; many women were busily working.
They were all wives of high-ranking officials who had residences around the Nagahama Imperial Palace, and they were also mothers who had given birth before.
When Princess Ichi gave birth, her only two ladies-in-waiting were not enough to cope.
Therefore, he had asked the wives of his retainers for their support.
"What's wrong...? You seem quite flustered..."
Naotsune's wife asked me that question, but I couldn't answer immediately.
I placed my hands on my knees and tried to regulate my ragged, gasping breaths.
Meanwhile, the women were running around noisily, and the usual quiet atmosphere of the Nagahama Imperial Palace had turned into a chaotic scene.
"What do you mean, 'what's going on'? Ichi has gone into labor...! If I don't go, who will...!"
"Oh my..."
"I'm truly surprised," Naotsune's wife said, covering her mouth with her hand.
In fact, it is a very recent development in history that men have openly attended women's childbirth.
In the Sengoku period, it was naturally impossible for a man of daimyo rank to be present at his wife's childbirth.
"However, please rest assured... When it comes to childbirth, it is the women's job, so men are forbidden. Please leave it to us."
"nothing..."
That is precisely why it is perfectly natural for Naotsune's wife to say, in a gentle tone, but actually with firm conviction, "No men should come."
Since ancient times, childbirth has been considered a joyous occasion, marking the arrival of new life into this world.
However, at the same time, the blood and bodily fluids of women—and their internal organs—fall to the earth along with the children, making them a form of "defilement."
Therefore, it was common for women to give birth in spaces different from their usual living environments.
"Ah, ahhh... ahh
Faintly, from inside the birthing hut, I could hear Ichihime's cries of agony, unlike anything I had ever heard before.
In those days, childbirth was usually performed while the mother was sitting.
She grips the rope hanging from the ceiling and pushes to give birth to her child.
"city...!"
"My lord, you mustn't do that."
I almost rushed into the birthing room, but Naotsune's wife stopped me in an extremely calm voice.
And there was no way I could push aside the wife of my important retainer—all I could do was grow increasingly anxious.
"There is almost nothing a man can do during childbirth. Please wait with peace of mind."
As cries of agony and calls of my name echoed through the birthing room, Naotsune's wife entered.
The birthing hut is then immediately sealed off, rejecting any contact with the outside world.
Around the birthing hut, there were women who paraded around scattering salt while chanting incantations to help Ichihime give birth.
It's absolutely not an atmosphere or situation where I could be a part of it.
"Lieutenant General..."
Myo gently tugged at my sleeve.
It seems there's nothing that can be done.
"Ah, that's right... strange."
I said, patting her blue hair.
"Please bear with me for a bit. It seems I'm not needed at the birthing site."
Myo nodded repeatedly.
Seeing her silky blue hair swaying and her cat ears twitching, I somehow felt my excitement subside somewhat.
◆
"Ah...ah...mm, mm...Lieutenant General...ah..."
From the veranda of the Nagahama Imperial Palace, a faint, drawn-out moan of Mio's could be heard.
Just listening to that voice makes me feel somewhat at ease.
"Mmm... Ah, ahh... Mmm..."
I sat cross-legged.
On top of that, the blue-haired, cat-eared girl, who was sitting with her back to me, was simply letting me pet her hair and ears.
With Ichihime about to give birth, and unable to be present at the birth, I decided to spend the restless time restlessly doting on Myo.
"Kya...n, hau...aa...mm..."
She smooths her silky hair with her fingers while playfully twirling her stiff cat ears.
It seemed to feel good for Myo, her face bright red, and she squeezed her eyes shut, biting her finger, and trembling uncontrollably as she desperately tried to stifle her moans.
(I bet it feels good to have your ears played with... in a massage kind of way.)
Thinking such thoughts, I pinched the cat's ears with both hands and caressed them, stroking them gently.
"Hmmmm! Mmmmmmm"
Then, her face became hazy and she let out an inarticulate cry—Myo arched her back and her young body twitched violently in spasms.
And the next moment, she goes limp, her face melting into my arms, breathing heavily.
It seems the massage has significantly relieved my daily fatigue.
Being a ninja is physically demanding, so I think it's important to treat them to some rest and relaxation regularly.
"Kyuooooon"
And then, Taishaku Tsukimo and Hisa come to us.
The correct name is Hisashi riding on Taishakutsukige, but...
"...! ah..."
The moment she saw them, Myo inexplicably made a gesture to cover her chest, which wasn't even exposed, and then shakily stood up, as if trying to hide herself.
But his hips are shaking so much he can't do anything about it.
In the end, he leaned forward and collapsed right next to me.
For some reason, it looks like a woman who has collapsed face down, exhausted after a lovemaking session, but that's probably just my imagination.
I haven't done anything wrong, and the reason Myo is trembling around her waist is simply because the head massage felt good.
"M-Master... what happened to Tae-chan...?"
"I don't know?"
Hisa, dressed in a stylish and modern outfit of a kimono and hakama, descended from Taishakutsukimo and asked a question while looking at Tae.
But there's nothing we can do about things we don't understand.
When I shrugged my shoulders and made a gesture that said "I don't understand," Hisa crouched down near Tae and began poking her cat ears.
Then Myo let out a slight gasp and her hips twitched.
It seems that this spot is quite sensitive for her, much like a person's side.
"That's right, Hisashi... come over here."
"Oh, yes... ahh."
As soon as I pulled Hisa into an embrace, a lovely voice rang out.
Lately, I feel like I've been so busy that I haven't been showing enough affection to this benefactor's sister.
By the way, the girl I'm holding in my arms is in a face-to-face sitting position, but this is purely unavoidable.
I have absolutely no ulterior motives, so there shouldn't be any problem.
This is simply a picture of a "guardian" embracing a simple, innocent-looking girl with black hair styled in a hime cut and half-updo (she's on the thin side, and her figure is likely to improve in the future), and it can be said to be a perfectly wholesome image.
"M-My lord...!"
"There there"
麗UraHe gently stroked her soft black hair, running it down her back.
Then, Hisa's young body stiffened for just a moment, and then he relaxed completely.
"Even so, it's been a while..."
"Y-yes...ah..."
After gently stroking her black hair, he then traced his fingertips along the contours of her cheeks.
I felt the soft, fluffy texture of her skin, which is unique to young girls, and vaguely thought, "This is a texture that Ichi and Osamu don't have."
Incidentally, Osamu was supposed to be helping Ichihime give birth inside the birthing hut.
"Hisashi, you've become quite the ladies' man lately, haven't you?"
"Uh... ah, well... mmm..."
I had predicted back when I first met her that she would become a beautiful, mature woman in 10 years, and it seems my judgment was correct after all.
She has a small bust and hips and a slender figure, but it's quite rare to find a girl her age who exudes sex appeal just by dressing stylishly.
Of course, that allure isn't lewd, but rather pure and innocent—that kind of allure.
"...Did you fall in love with someone...?"
"Mmm...!"
When I gently stroked the area under her chin, the little girl's body twitched and she turned her face away in embarrassment.
At that moment, you catch a glimpse of the beautiful, pure white line of her neck.
This is it, this is it. This is the ultimate allure of a beautiful woman in a kimono.
"If you don't mind, could you tell me...? If Hisashi wants it, I might even be able to arrange it for you."
"Eh... is that really true...?"
"Yes, that's true."
When I gently stroked his neck with a feather-light touch, Hisashi hunched over—but his face showed a look of delight.
She was probably happy to be petted—or rather, she was happy about my offer to introduce her to the man she liked.
But seriously, who is the guy Hisashi likes?
Depending on your response, I might arrange a sneak attack... though that doesn't seem possible right now.
"Come on, tell me the truth."
"Ah... mm, hah... th, that spot..."
"Hisashi needs to gain a little more weight."
As I stroked her slender thighs, I said what I truly thought.
From a man's perspective, a woman with an extremely thin body can appear quite pitiful.
If you don't have enough flesh on you, you look unhealthy.
As I slowly rubbed her legs, Hisa blushed, turned her face away, and covered her mouth.
Her face turned bright red, and she whispered, showing her embarrassment.
"Um... ah, I... Lord Masamoto..."
"What?!"
"Ah...!"
The shocking appearance of this person made me instinctively grab the area between Hisashi's thighs and buttocks.
That little brother of mine...
He's a scoundrel for trying to seduce such an innocent girl.
Noticing my mood, Hisashi hastily tried to smooth things over by saying:
"Um, well...! Lord Masamoto has been so kind to me...! He has taught me so many things, and he is... so kind, and, um..."
What do you mean by "various things"?!
I pictured a depraved teacher committing sexual acts with a student, and then, trying to dispel that image, I stroked Hisashi's head.
It seemed Hisashi had a sensitive spot on his neck, as he would let out a small, trembling moan every time my fingers touched it.
"Could it be that Hisashi, you've already fallen for that Masamoto guy—"
"Kyuooooon"
Just as I finished speaking, Indra's horns slammed into my head with a thud.
It seems they want to say, "Calm down a bit."
I felt Hisashi's usually gentle but today cold, light green gaze as I hugged his slender body.
"No, wait, Taishakutsukige! It's Hisa, it's Hisa! Hisa is going to Masamoto—"
"Kyuooooon"
And again, thud.
Faced with the pressure emanating from my beloved horse, practically screaming "enough is enough!", I was forced into silence.
Then Taishakutsukimo neighed once more, stretched its neck, and grabbed Hisashi's collar in its mouth, pulling him away from me.
"Kyuuuuuuuuu"
At that moment—perhaps Taishakutsukimo had called out to him—Bontenmaru came speeding towards them, kicking up a cloud of dust, drifting along the road.
"Ah, ah! Wait, wait! I'm going to fall! I'm going to fall!"
And on top of that fluffy thing, a girl with brown hair, silver hair, and elf ears is clinging on, screaming.
But ignoring Kyoko, Bontenmaru rushed over to me, pressing in as if to say, "Pet me! Come on, pet me! Pet me more!"
However, humans are creatures of nature, and often, when faced with a real challenge, they lose the desire to do something.天邪鬼Amanojaku
"Sorry, I'll have to switch."
"Kyuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."
Seeing Bontenmaru's antennae drooping, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him—and as soon as I started to pet and comfort him, the white ball of fur instantly perked up.
Incidentally, Shuko is not present at this time because she is helping Ichihime with childbirth "for educational purposes" along with Osamu.
"Are you... Kyoko-chan... okay?"
"I'm not okay..."
Anzu, who had become completely dizzy on top of Bontenmaru, who was clinging to me, was rescued by Hisashi.
She was wobbly when she got to the ground, and collapsed onto her hands and knees.
"Are you alright, Kyoko...?"
"M-Master... I'm alright..."
I patted the confident, silver-haired, tanned girl's back, but it seemed that Anzu had gotten quite motion sick from Bontenmaru's unpredictable drifting.
He looks quite unwell.
"Well, I guess there's no other way..."
I easily lifted Kyoko's body and pulled her onto my lap.
Incidentally, she's not fat at all; in fact, she's rather slender—yet she has a voluptuous, fleshy body that's quite alluring.
Perhaps their muscle density is different from that of an average human.
Her breasts and hips are well-developed for her age, and she's sure to become a very glamorous woman in the future.
In that respect, he might have been the complete opposite of Hisashi.
"See, don't worry, don't worry."
"My lord... I'm sorry... Ugh..."
She must really be feeling unwell, so I gently ran my fingers through Anzu's silver hair and focused on calming her down.
After a while, perhaps feeling a little better, Anzu's body slumped, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"...Hey, Kyoko."
"Yes, my lord..."
"Is Takatora... with his mother?"
Anzu nodded.
Perhaps due to improved nutrition, their mother has, contrary to most expectations, managed to survive to this day.
However, his condition was still not good, and Kyoko and Takatora were taking turns constantly looking after him.
(I should probably contact Yohachi from Todo Village soon.)
I don't know the details, but there must be some kind of bond between the headman of Todo Village and his mother.
I have a feeling that it's somehow wrong to ignore that bond and let her die at the Nagahama Imperial Palace.
As I was thinking about such things and stroking Anzu's hair, my fingertips accidentally touched the girl's long ear—
"...Ah"
—A very seductive voice escaped Anzu's lips.
I wonder, are Zashiki-warashi creatures sensitive to sound?
That's what I was thinking at the time.
A strange feeling enveloped me, as if I had heard a baby's cry somewhere.
"city...?"
Just as I muttered that to myself, a woman came into my view, running towards me.
She was Naotsune's wife.
I instinctively stood up, jumped into the garden, and headed towards her.
A look of joy was clearly visible on his face.
"Congratulations, my lord!"
—I learned that the baby had been born safely.
"Well done!!! Is it a boy or a girl!?"
"Uh... that's..."
My question instantly made her face darken.
"Both are..."
"Twins...! So they are twins...!!"
Naotsune's wife looked at me with a puzzled expression as I excitedly and boisterously made a fuss.
In this era, twins were called "twin twins" and were also shunned.忌腹Imibara
But that doesn't matter to me anymore.
Regardless of the sensibilities of this era, it remains a source of joy.
Rather, I couldn't help but want to praise and commend Ichihime for fulfilling the great task of giving birth to twins in her first pregnancy.
"A birthing hut? A birthing hut, is a birthing hut okay?!"
"Ah, if...! Please wait, my lord!"
When Naotsune's wife saw me run towards the birthing hut at top speed, she looked astonished and tried to stop me in a hurry—but it was too late.
The women who had been parading around Ichihime's birthing place, chanting incantations, could never have imagined that the head of the household himself would burst into this place of "impurity" that was off-limits to men.
Without their attempts to stop him, he rushed into the birthing hut...
"City! City!!"
"Ah... Nagamasa-sama..."
The pungent smell of amniotic fluid and blood permeated the dimly lit room.
And then, the space was filled with the cries of two babies, "Waaah, waaah."
There, having finished a major task, Ichihime was lying limply in a reclining chair, attended to by Haruhime.
"Oh...you...how did you end up in a place like this..."
Haruhime let out a voice that sounded like she was trembling with surprise.
But that wasn't just her feeling—it was probably a shared sentiment among all the women in the birthing room.
Everyone's faces were filled with astonishment as they stared at me.
I jogged through that unfamiliar space and immediately ran towards Ichihime.
Ichihime, who had been in a semi-conscious state due to exhaustion, finally seemed to come back to her senses due to the surrounding atmosphere.
They stared at me with a look of fear as I approached, shaking their heads vigorously as if to deny it.
"N-no, Lord Nagamasa...! The defilement...! Oh, the defilement of Ichi is coming upon Lord Nagamasa...!!"
"You fool!"
As I gently held Ichihime, who was trembling with fear, I said in a low voice that everyone could hear amidst the murmuring of the women:
"There's no way I, who receive the protection of the Water God, could be corrupted by such defilement... Besides, a man who can't even accept the defilement of his wife...how could he possibly act for the sake of peace throughout the land?"
In the now silent main house, I briefly moved away and whispered to Ichihime, looking at her face.
"You did so well, Ichi. Really... Really...!"
"Lord Nagamasa... ah... Lord Nagamasa...!!"
With tears welling up in her eyes, Ichihime let out a voice filled with emotion and hugged me tightly.
But her strength is weak. She must have been quite exhausted from giving birth.
"So... what about me and the city's child...?"
"Y-yes...it's right here..."
Two tiny lives being washed in lukewarm water.
It was wrapped in silk produced at the Nagahama sericulture factory and gently delivered to me and Ichihime.
I held one of the children, and Ichihime held the other.
The life in my arms continued to cry, "Wah, wah," as if trying to make us, its parents, fully acknowledge its existence.
"There are boys and girls... sir/madam."
"I see..."
As Princess Chihime whispered something softly in my ear, I nodded, pretending that I was hearing it for the first time, even though I already knew about it.
" Oh... It must have been so difficult, Ichi... No, this is truly wonderful news...!"夫婦子Myōtogo
"Uh... Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."
Ichihime cried silently, her shoulders trembling, as she held the child in her arms.
The fact that I readily accept, embrace, and bless the twins, who should be despised and hated.
Or perhaps a variety of other emotions are swirling around in Ichihime now that she has become a mother.
Then, as Ichihime slowly stopped crying, she looked into her child's face and broke into a wide, crumpled smile.
"Lord Nagamasa..."
"What?"
"This is Lord Nagamasa and the young boy from the market..."
"Ah, yes, that's right..."
They speak little because they are both suppressing the emotions welling up inside them.
But I had a feeling that there was a greater level of communication between the two of them than usual.
"This is the bond between us... Ichi."
"Yes... yes...!"
They huddled together, shoulder to shoulder, comparing the faces of the babies they held in each other's arms.
Out of consideration for us, the women never approach us.
Haruhime also looked relieved and simply watched over us quietly.
"Please look... Lord Nagamasa."
"yeah?"
"This child resembles Lord Nagamasa."
Where, I wonder?
The baby is crying vigorously, but its face is wrinkled, and I can't really tell where it resembles me.
I find them incredibly endearing and adorable, but I wonder what makes them look alike.
"This nose...hehe, it's just like Lord Nagamasa's..."
Ichihime looked genuinely happy as she held the baby.
I don't know why, but when she says that to me, I can't help but feel like she's somehow similar to me.
"This child's ears are just like Ichi's."
"More than that, the shape of your cheeks resembles Lord Nagamasa's, doesn't it...?"
"No, it'll be Ichi. I'd be in trouble if he didn't resemble you more than me."
"It's the other way around. I'd be in trouble if you didn't resemble Lord Nagamasa."
As we were laughing together about all this, the wife of Kaihoku Tsunachika and Akao Kiyotsuna, who had been in charge of the delivery, quietly approached us and slowly took the baby away from us.
There are probably a lot of things that need to be done from now on.
But somehow, I still wanted to hold my newborn child close—and guided by my paternal instincts, I reached out my hand.
"..."
The baby silently gripped my fingertips with its tiny hands.
My grip was only gentle, almost like a sucking force, but this child must have sensed me, their father, and clung to me with all their might.
I feel my heart warming up slowly, and I'm enveloped in an indescribable feeling of happiness.
"My lord..."
"Oh, sorry..."
Feeling the pressure from the wives of the high-ranking officials, I slowly cut off contact with the baby.
It's hard to say goodbye, but from now on we can slowly spend the rest of our lives together.
There's no need to rush.
"Lord Nagamasa..."
"Ichi... I love you."
"Me too..."
The wives of the high-ranking officials are reacting to our whispers of love with expressions that say, "Huh?"—but we don't care.
所謂so-calledAs I kissed Ichihime's forehead, who was supposed to be shrouded in "defilement," and we exchanged sweet words—while feeling the women who had helped with the birth watching us with their faces bright red,
(I have to create a world where I and the children of this city can be happy—absolutely.)
With his arm around Ichihime's shoulders, who was smiling happily, he swore to all things in the universe, staking his very existence upon them.