Chapter 113: Procession

Though they had tried to get him to stay elsewhere, Nobu ended up staying in the infirmary until Yui awoke more than seven and a half hours later. It would take days for her to fully recover, but, seeing her Lord lazing about atop a futon at her side, Yui was able to summon the strength to sit properly.

Noticing the former's movements, Nobu immediately tossed aside the stone tablet as he forced himself to a seated position and asked, "How are you feeling? The doctors said you exhausted your aura and collapsed. Try not to move too much."

Staring at Nobu with a look of incredulity on her face, Yui's eyes briefly lingered on the bandages around his body before staring into his eyes and saying, "I should be the one asking you that...how bad are your injuries...?"

Recalling that he was, in fact, injured, a somewhat silly smile developed across Nobu's face as he scratched the back of his head and explained, "I asked the doctors for something to deal with the pain. They gave me a herbal tea made from a herb called Sage's Ginseng. My mind is strangely clear but I'm higher than a kite right now."

Recognizing the name of the herb, Yui's eyes widened in disbelief before the realization that they must have uncovered Nobu's identity set in. Sage's Ginseng was several times more valuable than Dragon's Vigor, and, more often than not, it was reserved for use on the battlefield. Generals would take a small dose before leading their armies into battle as it provided tremendous clarity while also inhibiting pain and diminishing the effects of fatigue. It was an extremely rare and valuable herb.

"It seems my eyes weren't playing tricks on me...this must be Hirate-dono's estate, yes...?"

Before Nobu could answer, the door to the infirmary promptly slid open as Masahide, with a casual yet creepy smile on his face, replied, "That is correct. You always were a very astute young lady, Yui-chan."

Though she wasn't naked, Yui pulled up the blankets to cover her body as she glared at the smiling Masahide. This caused Nobu's expression to darken, his tone severe as he asked, "What the fuck do you want?"

Surprised by Nobu's hostility, Masahide paused mid-step as he shifted his gaze between the duo. He was well aware of Yui's status as a member of the Yoshitsune Clan as he was originally tasked with training both her and Nobu. She shouldn't be the type of woman who was afraid to have her form observed by others. It would be one thing if she was naked, but, due to Nobu's insistence, she was currently wearing a thin blue yukata...

"Oho...I see how it is...you weren't exaggerating when you referred to Yui-chan as your fiancee, were you? That's going to make things 'very' interesting in the future..."

Caressing his chin, various thoughts crossed Masahide's mind until Nobu forced himself to his feet, his form blocking Yui as he growled, "I asked you a question..."

Returning a smile, Masahide half-turned so that he was facing away from Yui before explaining, "I'm here to deliver a message. Your father, Lord Senken, has commanded that I escort the two of you to the Oda Clan's main estate..."

Furrowing his brows even further, Nobu's expression shifted from anger to frustration as he mulled over his choices. He still felt it was too early to get involved with the Oda Clan and its affairs, but, at the same time, he didn't want to jeopardize both his and Yui's life by being obstinate. If Masahide hadn't shown up when he did, the best-case scenario would be their deaths. As for the worst-case scenario...he didn't even want to think about it...

Unclenching his fists, a feeling of exasperation washed over Nobu as he muttered, "Fine...when do we leave...?"

Nodding his head in approval, Masahide risked offending Nobu by looking directly at him, smiling cheekily as he said, "As soon as Lady Yui has slipped into something more appropriate..."

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With an escort consisting of seven warriors, more than a dozen skilled servants, and a platoon of soldiers, Nobu and Yui were carried via palanquin to the massive Japanese-style castle located at the center of the city. It made the castles Nobu had toured in his previous life look pathetic, but, considering he was in a world where people could burst through reinforced walls, move around at supersonic speeds, and lift several thousand kilograms with ease, it wasn't too surprising that their castles would be colossal and heavily guarded.

"Holy shit..."

Though she had visited the Oda Clan's main estate numerous times in the past, Yui couldn't help nodding in response to Nobu's utterance. The castle, named Inuyama Shiro, could easily house the entire provincial army, and, based on rumors, had enough resources to sustain them for upwards of three years. It wasn't the most impressive fortress in Nian, but, ever since its renovations nearly six thousand years ago, it had never fallen into enemy hands.

"And I thought the estate atop the mountain was massive. Just how many people live here...?"

Smiling wryly in response to Nobu's question, Yui answered, "You would have to ask your parents, Lady Suzune, or my Grandmother. Details regarding the castle, its permanent residents, and its staff are a state secret. If such information was made public, the enemies of the Oda Clan would willfully take advantage of it."

Nodding his head in understanding, Nobu ceased staring through the palanquin's wooden blinders before looking directly at Yui and asking, "How are you feeling? You're looking a little pale..."

Restraining the urge to sigh, a slight smile developed across Yui's face as she answered, "I'm fine. I was worried about the baby but you already confirmed there weren't any issues. I just need a bit of rest...we both do..."

As Pregnancy was, unsurprisingly, a status effect, Nobu was able to click the little (+) icon next to it to confirm the developmental state of the fetus and how far along Yui was in her pregnancy. At the present moment, the fetus was only around the size of a grain of rice, so, while she had suffered a number of minor injuries, Yui wasn't at risk of a miscarriage.

Offering what he hoped to be a comforting smile, Nobu grasped Yui's hand with his own. He had the distinct impression she was hiding something from him. Her Anxiety status made that pretty obvious, but, instead of pressing her for answers, he just massaged her hand with his thumb. He knew she wouldn't keep something from him if it was important, so, while he was fully capable of clicking on the status to find out what was troubling her, Nobu decided he would simply trust her. She had literally passed out on her feet while trying to protect him...if he couldn't trust her, who the fuck could he trust...?

Though she was a little taken aback by Nobu's sudden display of affection, Yui didn't resist. Instead, she offered a smile of her own before resting her head against his shoulder. As for what she was so worried about? It was the fact Nobu was going around telling everyone she was his fiancee. It made her happy, but, at the same time, she knew it was going to cause a lot of problems. After all, Nobu's actual fiancee was one of the permanent residents of Inuyama Shiro...

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By the time the procession reached Inuyama Shiro, it was already well past midnight. Despite this, there were still dozens of guards dutifully lined up outside the front gate, each outfitted in neatly maintained armor and armed to the teeth with pikes, swords, and crossbows.

When the procession reached the platform at the base of the stairs leading into the castle, even more soldiers came out to surround the group escorting Nobu. In response, everyone except for Masahide and his fellow warriors dropped their weapons before kneeling on the ground. Then, for the better part of half an hour, they checked each and every person's identity to confirm they were who they said they were.

While this may have seemed a little excessive, this was standard protocol to prevent assassins from breaching the castle under the guise of an escort. The only people spared from the inspection were Nobu, Yui, Masahide, and his fellow warriors. Their inspection would take place behind closed doors as the guards outside, despite their status, simply weren't qualified to order around the registered warriors of the Oda Clan. If they tried, they could be accused of publically shaming a member of the warrior class, and, depending on the severity of their actions, execution was the lightest punishment they could expect.

After praising the soldiers for their hard work, Masahide directed the procession up the final set of stairs leading into the massive castle complex. Then, after setting up a series of banner-like curtains along the path, Masahide personally opened the door of the palanquin before respectfully lowering his head and musing, "Welcome home, Young Master..."

Though he briefly scrunched his nose, Nobu resisted the urge to tell Masahide to fuck off. Instead, he stepped out of the palanquin, briefly eyeing the strange banners before helping Yui down. This earned him an amused chuckle from Masahide, who, noticing the look Nobu had given the purple banners, explained, "Though it is late in the evening, the number of people paying attention to this event is not small. These banners obstruct ocular devices and possess an effect that allows them to inhibit long-distance clairvoyance. Your father, Lord Senken, ordered that I prepare them. He seems intent on protecting your identity for as long as possible~."

Feeling strangely touched by the revelation, Nobu's expression gradually relaxed as a very slight smile developed across his face. The parents he had been blessed with in this world really were amazing. Sure, they might never be able to replace his original parents, especially his mother, but they were quickly growing on him. Senken seemed like a real bro, and, while Nana was a bit of an airhead, the concern she showed for him made it impossible to hate her...

As that thought crossed his mind, a lot of the inhibitions Nobu felt toward the impending meeting simply faded away. Yeah, it might be a pain in the ass to get involved with the Oda Clan, but, at the very least, he wouldn't be alone. He had two amazing parents, a busted cheat, and an entire clan of voracious kunoichi who were more than willing to support his every action. He had essentially been born into this world with several golden spoons shoved in his mouth. The only thing standing in his way was his pride...

"Looks like things are going to get pretty busy..."

Raising his brows in response to Nobu's utterance, Masahide briefly shifted his attention to Yui. In response, the latter just shrugged her shoulders, as, even after months at Nobu's side, she was still confused by half the things that came out of his mouth...

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Though she was doing her best to stay calm, Nana couldn't help slowly pacing around her room with Nobuhime in her arms. The only thing preventing her from rushing over to meet Nobu at the gate was the fact that Senken and Senichi had basically confined her to quarters in order to prevent her from making a scene.

"My darling Nobu-chan...won't you please hurry? Your sister and I cannot bear this painful longing even a moment longer..."

Hearing her mother's remark, Nobuhime, despite being a mere three and a half months old, rolled her eyes. Nana's concern for Nobu prevented her from taking notice of this, but, even if she had, she wouldn't have been surprised. After all, Nobuhime's peculiarities were one of the reasons she was so desperate to reunite with her most beloved, and biggest baby...

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(A/N: Will the secrets of Nobuhime finally be revealed? Find out in the next exciting episode of Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience~!)