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"It is an honor to meet you again. I am a close attendant of Lord Takeda Katsuyori. I have come today as an envoy of the Takeda family."金丸Kanemaru昌恒Masatsune
The young man said this while bowing deeply.
I probably met him during the mole interception battle, but to be honest, I don't remember it very well.
However, I wasn't so tactless as to say something like that.
"No, Lord Masatsune... there's no need to be so formal. We fought together against a formidable enemy, didn't we? There's no need for formal greetings now, so just relax."
"H...ha!"
We moved to Nagahama Castle to receive the envoy from the Takeda family.
In the reception room, Masatsune was pressing his head to the floor as hard as he could possibly go. He seemed to be deeply moved.
"So, what is the purpose of your visit today? Of course, I'm not suspicious of your visit from the Takeda family. On the contrary, I welcome you as a fellow countryman. That's why I'm curious about what matter your messenger has brought with him."
"There is no other explanation for that... Lieutenant General."
The young Takeda messenger raised his head abruptly and began to speak.
"Since you have assisted us Takeda, it is customary for us to send you gifts of appreciation. However, Lieutenant General, you insisted that rewards be given only to the soldiers, and you have not accepted a single one of them."
"Ah... that's what you meant."
I forced a wry smile.
It's nothing special. The reason I didn't personally accept any payment was because I hadn't been able to come to terms with killing the mole.
However, this too is something that would be difficult to say aloud.
"Well, if Asai and Takeda are going to deepen their relationship from now on, there's no need to say things like 'thank you' or whatever—such a cold and distant thing."
"How selfless and selfless...! I, Masatsune, am deeply moved... However."
Katsuyori's attendant, though young, spoke with a clear and decisive tone.
"If we do that, Lord Katsuyori and Lord Shingen, who is in Kofu, will not be able to face them... Please."
"Hmm..."
Judging from Masatsune's expression and determination, it seems that Katsuyori or someone similar has strongly warned him to do whatever it takes to get me to accept the gift of gratitude.
And if he were to refuse here, he would lose face more than anyone else, especially since he was the messenger.
"...In that case, I'll accept it."
"thank you"
Masatsune bowed deeply and signaled to the two men who were standing behind him.
Then the two attendants placed a large washbasin, covered with Japanese paper, between me and Masatsune.
"Lord Masatsune, this is..."
"Yes, sir. As for a replacement for the gold and jewels that the Lieutenant General previously declined to accept—this is the only thing we, the Takeda clan, can offer you now."
Just as Masanobu spoke with confidence, his two attendants quickly removed the washi paper from the basin.
And what will we find there?
"What...is this..."
—A long, thin, string-like creature was wriggling about.
"Perhaps... you weren't aware?"
Masatsune looked at me with a surprised expression.
" Yes, it is. It is a monster that is highly valued during homosexual acts."蟯虫Pinworm
"Shudo... a valuable thing..."
"Ah, so that means when men have sex with each other—it eats up all the feces in their intestines and cleans them out. Of course, it's also extremely popular with women who suffer from constipation..."
The Takeda messenger had an expression that seemed to say, "You really don't know?"
They probably thought I would be overjoyed.
"Ah... I'm sorry, Masatsune. The truth is, here in Omi... we don't have much contact with monsters. Besides, my father has shunned me, so I've been living in my room for a long time..."
"Oh... I'm terribly sorry for saying something so rude...!"
It seems they already knew about the strained relationship between me and Hisamasa, the father figure of this world who is now deceased.
Masatsune hastily bowed his head in response to the fiction I had hastily made up, and then said:
"Now, let me explain... This monster is a creature that grows by eating animal feces."
"law..."
I groaned as I watched the pinworm wriggle on the tub.
"And when the pinworm eats a certain amount, it molts. The thinness of the shed skin is so incredible that it's impossible for a human to make it by hand. Moreover, it fits snugly against the skin. Therefore, by covering the body with the skin, one can comfortably engage in male-male sex..."魔羅Mara
Masatsune said this with a look of embarrassment. This was the Sengoku period, when male homosexuality—or rather, male love—was commonplace.
Perhaps he and Katsuyori had some enjoyable experiences together.
"Regarding pinworm cultivation in particular, I believe our Takeda technique is the best in the world. Among them, the Sanada clan's skills are outstanding. The pinworms we have prepared here are the finest masterpiece of Lord Sanada Yukitaka, who is also one of the foremost pinworm craftsmen of our time—'Sanada Maru'."
"Sanada Maru..."
I muttered this as I watched the monster wriggling on the tub.
"That's right. In the Takeda family, we rank pinworms into three grades. The first grade is given the title 'Maru,' the second grade the title 'Go,' and the third grade the title 'Emon.'"
"How is that rating determined?"
"Of course, it's for practical purposes."
Masatsune responded in a clear voice.
"First, the color, sheen, thickness, and length of the pinworm itself are important. Then, the thinness of the molted skin and how it feels when attached to the penis are all considered in the overall assessment, and that's how it is ranked."
"Is that so..."
In short, to put it bluntly, it boils down to this.
Pinworms are highly valued for preparing for anal sex between men, and are also used as condom makers.
And apparently, the Takeda family has a pinworm sommelier who takes the rigorous task of ranking them.
The Sanada Maru, the gift presented this time, has received the seal of approval from Sanada Yukitaka, a highly respected pinworm sommelier.
(But speaking of Sanada Yukitaka... he was such a great sage that it was said his strategic brilliance surpassed even Shingen's... what's going on in this world?)
"Incidentally, it's not just the Sanada clan. Lord Kosaka Masanobu and our Lord Shingen have also given their seal of approval to the quality of Sanada Maru. I'm sure you, Lieutenant General, will also be pleased with it."
"I see..."
Of course, I have no interest in male homosexuality.
However, I had a feeling that this Sanada Maru might be quite useful.
After all, it means we'll be able to safely and securely engage in anal play with Ichihime and Haruhime...
Even without anal sex, you can use the leather from Sanada Maru to prevent pregnancy in the same way as a condom.
And that also means that sexual activity, which Ichihime had refrained from doing while pregnant, will now be possible during the second trimester.
Moreover, since it's made from monster materials, it seems unlikely to tear or get torn.
(Isn't this the ultimate contraceptive...?)
As I watched Sanada Maru wriggling around in the tub, I was secretly delighted at this unexpected find.