CH 1324.

Chapter 1324. Farewell to the Spear / Discomfort

「 Staying with us puts you at high risk, please understand that 」

I said. Kuromiya-san;

「 Kuromori-sama, you assume that you had to escape abroad and so you’re ready for that? 」

She’s quite surprised.

「 Yes, that’s right 」

「 But that’s…well, Kuromori-sama is Kouzuki house’s… 」

Oh, her head’s on a short circuit.

「 I mean, that’s inevitable. Don’t be too surprised, that’s how life is 」

I said.

「 That’s true for me, for Misuzu. Everyone is tossed around by fate without their consent. Even so, we make the best choices to reach our happiness. Aren’t you the same, Kuromiya-san? 」

I look at Kuromiya-san’s eyes as I talk.

「 You thought that if things continue this way, you won’t be able to pass down the Kuromiya style of spear fighting to your descendant, it’s against your will, and yet, that’s the situation. And so, you desperately went for me, asking for the Kouzuki house to shelter you by becoming my concubine, right? All that work for a revival 」

She’s also trying to fight her fate in her way.

「 That’s no work, it’s foul move 」

I see Sakurako when I turned around.

「 What’s wrong, Sakurako? 」

I haven’t seen her after dinner, but…

「 I had a small conversation with Shie 」

Oh, Shiranui Shie-san, her bodyguard that’s been with her since childhood

In this mansion, she’s not a bodyguard, but a seamstress, but…

She must still be feeling down.

「 Then, I’ve also come to see myself after talking to Shie 」

Sakurako?

「 I’ve been too dependent on Kuromori-sama, Misuzu-sama, and everyone’s kindness 」

Sakurako said.

「 Just like how Shie’s given the role of a seamstress, I also noticed that I need to be useful to Kuromori-sama and the family 」

That’s…

「 Everyone who’s living in this mansion has their role and they’re doing the best that they can. Nobody spends their time just idling around while others are working. 」

Not really.

Yukino never does any housework…or so I’d like to say, but…

Yukino’s job is to appear on TV once a week

When it comes to the TV broadcast, she’s supporting the new members, Eri, Rie, and Mitama.

She’s not just getting arrogant and doing nothing.

「 I must also find a role that I can fulfill as soon as possible 」

Sakurako told me.

Then, Sakurako turned to Kuromiya-san.

「 Kuromiya-san, do you understand? If you want to be in this family, then you need to accomplish a goal with your role. You’re mistaken to think that you can stay here without doing anything, just doing what you please with your spear 」

She speaks clearly.

「 I-I…No, Kurumi and I will serve Kuromori-sama as his concubines, is that not enough? 」

Kuromiya-san looks at Sakurako.

「 You really don’t understand 」

Sakurako sighed.

「 Kuormiya-sama, you’re the only one who benefits from becoming Kuromori-sama’s concubine. There are only disadvantages for Kuromori-sama and Kouzuki house 」

「 Why? I’m… 」

Kuromiy-san is confident in her appearance and in her lineage.

「 Kurumi and I have sworn to serve Kuromori-sama for the rest of our lives! We won’t let any other man have their way with our body. We’ll do the deed if he desires, and we’ll bear Kuromori-sama’s child. I swear all those as the instructor of the Kuromiya style of spear fighting!! 」

Kuromiya-san insisted.

「 But of course, I’m a concubine so it can’t be public. I can’t defy Misuzu-sama, Kuromori-sama’s legal wife. I will never be a hindrance to everyone else 」

Kuromiya-san wants to be my concubine to protect her spear fighting style.

And she’s thinking of passing down the Kuromiya surname and the spear techniques to the child born from us, making the child the successor of the Kuromiya style.

「 Thinking about it, it’s going to be troublesome 」

Sakurako said.

「 Kuromori-sama and Misuzu-sama are both still high-school students. Their marriage is still a few years ahead. The world of nobility has accepted that Kouzuki-sama has recognized Kuromori-sama as Misuzu-sama’s fiance, but they aren’t officially engaged yet 」

Yeah, we’re not officially engaged yet.

In the end, we’re just declared as partners.

I’m not a member of the nobility, and to become a member of the Kouzuki house officially;

I still have to lay the groundwork with the Kouzuki house’s branch families and other noble families.

「 If Misuzu-sama’s disregarded in that situation and Kuromiya-sama becomes Kuromori-sama’s concubine, then it’ll become a problem. It’ll affect Misuzu-sama’s honor. Kuromori-sama, who’s still not of legal age going after other young ladies of nobility and turning then to concubines will invite a lot of resistance 」

Oh, I see.

We’re not officially engaged, and yet…

If they were to discover that a high school freshman me, got concubines among the nobility in addition to Misuzu…

They’ll definitely appraise me poorly.

They’ll see that Misuzu lacks charm as a woman.

They’ll think that I can’t hold back, and a sex addict.

Furthermore, if the concubine is the young lady of the Kuromiya house.

It’s going to be a huge scandal 」

「 B-But, Kuromori-sama’s already done with Sakurako-sama and everyone else 」

Kuromiya-san said.

「 Yes, Mizushima Karen-san, Kurama Arisu-san, and I have all become Kuromori-sama’s women. But, it’s not public 」

Sakurako’s right. The young ladies in our place are officially appointed as under the care of the Kouzuki house.

They don’t know that the girls are my women now.

It’s a secret, and that’s how it will always be.

「 But, in Kuromiya-sama’s case, you have to announce that you’ve become Kuromori-sama’s concubine to leave the Kuromiya house, don’t you? 」

Right…

Kuromiya house wants Kuromiya Motoko-sna to marry into another noble family.

It’s only Kuromiya Motoko-san’s plan to come to us since she can’t continue with the Kuromiya style of spear fighting.

Her home and another family that’s trying to marry her can only give up if she says officially that she’s become a concubine of a man with ties with the Kouzuki house.

That’s why she has to make it public that she’s become a concubine.

「 You want to practice your spear as much as you want in this mansion, away from your home. It’s a plan beneficial to Kuromiya-sama. But, it only causes trouble to the Kouzuki and Kuromori house 」

Yeah, to us, it’ll only turn to a bad reputation.

Especially since I already have Misuzu, and yet, I still am going for concubines. That’s gonna meet a lot of messed-up reactions.

A commoner’s chosen to become Misuzu’s partner. That already got a lot of envious people, and yet…

If I get more young ladies as my concubines…

It’s too disgusting for a high school freshman to do that.

「 Do you understand? All the talk about becoming a concubine is only for Kuromiya-sama’s convenience. You weren’t considering Kuromori-sama and Misuzu-sama

Sakurako said.

「 Sakurako-sama’s right 」

Kuromiya-san accepted the naivety of her plans.

「 Misuzu-sama’s kind and so she pretended not to notice and excused herself. However, I am presumptuous to tell you my honest opinions 」

The only one who can talk to Kuromiya Motoko-an, a young lady of the nobility, with this much straightness…

Has to be Kanou house’s daughter, Sakurako.

Even if the other girls say the same thing, Kuromiya-san will only reject it.

「 I’m very sorry Kuromori-sama 」

Kuromiya-san apologized to me with a pale face.

「 No, I don’t mind. That aside… 」

I thought…

What can I do so Kuromiya-san can continue her spear style?

I could ask Jii-chan and have him tell the Kuromiya house to let Motoko-san continue her spear training freely.

Or give a condition to Kuromiya-san’s marriage partner to let their children inherit the Kuromiya style.

No…

Even if the Kouzuki house is the one that unifies the nobility, it would be wrong to demand something so big from another family.

Besides, it would be unreasonable to drag Jii-chan into this mess.

Jii-chan’s influence isn’t my power.

Besides.

「 Michi, have you told Kuromiya-san something? 」

I asked Michi.

「 Yes, as someone who inherited old martial art, she asked for my opinion, so I gave her my honest thoughts 」

Michi replies with her usual blank face.

「 In my case, Kudou arts have already gone perished in my generation but I think that it’s inevitable. If that’s what happened, then that’s the life span of the martial art itself 」

Yeah.

「 Military arts aren’t something you can teach to a lot of people. If you pass it down to many, it’ll gradually lose its essence 」

Yeah, turning it into sport will make a lot of people do it.

That’s a case for some that were originally martial arts.

「 That said, you can’t inherit the ancient techniques as is. Martial arts are alive, and so it has to change with the times. No, if it doesn’t conform with the changes of the time, then it won’t become martial arts but just traditional performance art 」

Michi said.

「 In Kuromiya arts’ case, it’s been a technique related to a beautifully vermillion painted spear technique, and so it’s only usable as entertainment now. Bringing such spear like this isn’t possible in the current age after all 」

You can’t walk around with a spear like before.

「 If we want to rebuild it as a practical martial art, then we have to go with the direction of using Kuromiya style’s spear fighting techniques for stick fighting against thugs, just as Reika-oneesama mentioned earlier 」

Yeah, she did mention that long-handled weapons like the sasumata, the two-pronged man catcher, have recently been reevaluated and are now being used.

「 Or, it can change completely to a sport. Developing a spear that’s easy to carry, and isn’t dangerous in matches, and specialize in the techniques with it. The spear used in the Kuromiya style is too long, it’ll be too hard for ordinary people to swing it around, and so it has to change to something lighter, and shorter. Reika-oneesama took the trouble to bring the practice spear they use in Kouzuki SS and showed us the practical use 」

Yeah, the carbon sears had the size and weight made to make it easy for people to use.

Even ordinary bodyguards of Kouzuki SS use those.

「 Meaning, Kuromiya-san has to first decide on the direction where she’d take the Kuruomiya arts. Either way, it’s going to be hard to keep it as a spear fighting style as-is 」

Michi said.

For a martial art to survive, it has to adjust so it’s usable in combat.

It’s possible to change to a sport currently.

「 The current spear fighting style won’t have anyone accept it. Even if Kuromiya-sama passes the teachings to her child, it will still end someday. Its only value is that it’s a traditional art 」

There’s nobody that would fight with a spear as they did during the Warring States period.

「 About ten years ago, a law called Basic Law for the Performing arts was enacted to protect the Japanese performing arts but the politicians at power at the time forced their hand by saying that sumo and kendo were part of performing arts and so martial arts are included in the category of performing arts. Meaning, the old martial arts with no use has become a traditional performance art 」

Michi said.

「 That way, we can make it a traditional art form. The method of specializing only in showing brilliant techniques with beautifully decorated spears of ancient Japan. In other martial arts competitions that only shows the style, artistry is sometimes added to the grade 」

It’s possible to change the techniques to fight to become techniques for a show.

「 If you want the Kuromiya style of spear fighting to survive, then that’s one option 」

Kuromiya-san listens intently to what Michi tells her.

「 What’s left is for Kuromiya-san to decide… Whatever you do, we’ll come to help you in whatever way we can 」

I said.

「 We can’t 」

Sakurako tells me.

「 Kuromiya-sama isn’t in our family, and so Kuromori-sama has no obligation to help them 」

That’s…

「 No, Kuromiya-sama’s already caused a lot of trouble to Kuromori-sama. Please consider that you won’t be able to get another help until you’ve returned the favor from the previous one first 」

Well, Kuromiya-san’s the one who pushed the situation to the mansion.

If you ask me if it’s troublesome, it is.

「 Kouzuki and Kaan house, or even the Kanou house have the duty to resolve the problems in the nobility, but Kuromori-sama doesn’t have that duty as of now 」

I’m a member of the Kuromori house

I’m related to the Kouzuki house, but I don’t belong to the nobility.

「 Normally, a consultation with Michi-san would also need a consultation fee 」

Sakurako speaks strictly.

「 Then, how do I return the favor to Kuromori-sama 」

Kuromiya-san asks Sakurako.

「 I don’t know? That’s for Kuromiya-san to figure out 」

Sakurako’s reply is cold.

「 I just want to say that we don’t feel comfortable with the fact that Kuromiya-san acted like you don’t care how much Kuromori-sama would indulge your selfishness 」

Sakurako said. Kuromiya-san twitched.

「 Kuromiya-sama, you can’t become Kuromori-sama’s concubine out of your convenience 」

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