Chapter 26: Subtle Changes: Intuition

("This settles it. Anyone who thinks it's fun to get reincarnated into a fantasy setting is fucking retarded...")

Though he was previously among this exact group of people, Nobu had failed to consider what a life lacking modern conveniences would be like. Camping out in the cave hadn't been that bad. At times, it was even enjoyable. Now, however, he had to spend upwards of fourteen hours a day in an overburdened wooden carriage without any cushioning or suspension. This, combined with the fact most roads were just dirt or mountain paths, meant he was getting his ass pounded throughout the day, and, even if he wanted to, sleep was hard to come by due to the putrid aromas that constantly assaulted his senses.

The only things that brought solace to Nobu during these times were the stone tablet, and, though he would never admit it, Yui. The former provided a much-needed distraction whilst simultaneously allowing him to increase his strength. As for the latter, she had fallen into the role of a dutiful young wife with surprising ease, almost as if she had been practicing how to care for others her entire life.

Since most of the people in the caravan either gave him a wide berth or outright scorned him for just sitting around all day, the only person Nobu had to interact with was Yui. She would bring him food, peel fruits for him, ask how he was feeling, and, at times, she would even snuggle up next to him as if they were an actual married couple. This earned him an extreme amount of envy from the predominately male group of caravaners, as, despite her lack in the breast department, Yui was an exceptionally beautiful young woman. Since she was also a Golden Warrior, so, even if they didn't know her background, they knew she was backed by a group that could invest 100kgs of gold, an amount most people wouldn't even be able to collect in their entire life.

Simply put, everyone envied the position Nobu was in, and, were it not for Yui watching over him like a hawk, the more opportunistic among the group would have taken their anger and frustrations out on him. Instead, they talked behind his back, accused him of hiding behind a woman, and, in at least one instance, someone had tried to poison him by mixing herbs and fecal matter into a bottle of sake and offering him a swig.

Though the man ended up losing his left hand as penance, the incident earned Nobu even greater scorn from the rest of the caravan. The only reason he hadn't been ousted or outright lynched was because the caravan leader, Atarashi Tsuneo, was the one to carry out the punishment. At first, the man was going to be killed by Yui, but, after learning what had happened, Tsuneo settled things by creating a silvery-green wire around the man's wrist and severing it in an instant.

As the leader of a caravan organized by the Za Trading Company, Tsuneo had cultivated to the Realm of Rank 4 Platinum Hero. This placed him squarely among the top 1% of cultivators in Nian, as, even among the Noble Clans, Platinum was very near the pinnacle of what most people could aspire to. Even the current Patriarch of the Oda Clan was only a Rank 7 Mithril Lord, so, while there were certainly stronger individuals living within the archipelago, the Platinum Realm wasn't referred to as the Realm of Heroes for no reason.

Out of recognition for Tsuneo's status and authority, Yui decided not to press the matter further once punishment had already been meted out. Instead, like a mother hen protecting its chick, she began watching over Nobu with even greater scrutiny. She personally checked all of his food and water for signs of tampering, and, in many cases, sampled it directly just to make sure the taste and aroma were palatable. He would vomit anything too gamey or poorly seasoned, so, using the skills that had been ingrained into her ever since she was an infant, Yui dutifully prepared each of Nobu's meals with an attention to detail that could only be emulated by others who had spent the entirety of their youth preparing to be an attendant, concubine, bodyguard, and assassin...

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Accepting the wooden bowl offered to him by Yui, Nobu lowered his face to the point tiny beads of condensation built upon his nose as he deeply inhaled the rich, fragrant, and savory aroma. Though he could complain about virtually anything, the one thing he appreciated about the culture of Nian was its food. The people might have distinctly 'western' appearances, but, as could be expected of a nation inspired by Japan; rice, soy sauce, miso soup, and umami-rich dishes were both popular and tremendously delicious.

Thanks to his ability to inhale continuously, Nobu was able to appreciate the aroma of food unlike any other. This was also one of the only times throughout the day when he could tolerate removing his face mask, so, after allowing the rich fragrance to pervade the entirety of his senses, he exhaled a sigh of relief before silently whispering, "Thanks..." in a sincerely grateful tone.

Offering a practiced yet discernibly genuine smile, Yui packed a few scoops of steamed white rice into a second wooden cup before replying, "You're welcome." in an equally soft tone. She had also come to enjoy moments like this, as, unlike the brash man he had presented himself as during their stay in the cave, this version of Nobu wasn't simply 'tolerable', he was also polite and sincere.

Though she would never admit it, Yui also found it surprisingly refreshing to be able to use the skills her Grandmother had forced her to refine over the past eighteen years. Before now, she considered them a waste of time and a constant reminder that she might, one day, be forced to marry the Sixth Elder of the Oda Clan. After all, these were skills that were originally intended to serve her husband. Thus, prior to meeting Nobu, Yui had always harbored the hope that she would never be forced to use them. Now, seeing Nobu slurp her soup as if it was the most delicious food in the entire world, it was surprisingly difficult not to feel a subtle sense of gratification...

Waiting until Nobu had finished, quite literally, licking his bowl clean, Yui passed him the cup of rice before explaining, "At this point, we are only three days away from the capital. If you'd like, we can travel the remaining distance on foot. This area is heavily patrolled by both the provincial army and warriors serving the Oda Clan. My permit allows me to travel with upwards of three people, so, even if we are stopped along the way, it shouldn't be an issue."

Hearing Yui's explanation, a frown immediately developed across Nobu's face. He wasn't annoyed by the suggestion. Quite the opposite, actually. What bothered him was the fact that his 'plot sense' had triggered the moment Yui asked if he wanted to walk the rest of the way to the capital. He had failed to dodge every flag thus far, but, perhaps as a result of reincarnating into a fantasy world, he could generally sense when 'something' was about to happen.

Misinterpreting Nobu's expression as dissatisfaction, the nascent smile on Yui's face faded away as she whispered, "It was just a suggestion. If my words somehow offended you, I apologize. I just-"

With a silencing gesture and a dismissive shake of the head, Nobu prevented Yui from finishing what she intending to say before clarifying, "Relax. I'm not upset. In fact, once this is all over, I'm going to be avoiding wooden carts and carriages like the fucking plague. Seriously, haven't these fuckers ever heard of cushions...?"

Shaking his head with a mix of exasperation and annoyance, Nobu set aside the half-finished cup of rice before donning his face mask and adding, "This might sound dumb, but I get this weird feeling whenever something bad is going to happen. That feeling triggered when you mentioned walking the rest of the way, so, even though I'd like to get my ass off this shitty wagon, I'm not sure it's the best idea."

Not expecting Nobu to reveal his thoughts in such a straightforward manner, Yui found herself at a loss for words. He had also inadvertently revealed that he might possess some kind of precognitive ability. These were exceptionally rare but not unheard of, and, more often than not, individuals who possessed such abilities went on to become famous merchants, competent tacticians, or even great generals. After all, while individual strength was important for duels, few things triumphed intuition on the battlefield.

Though she would have been skeptical if someone else had claimed to possess such an ability, Yui knew Nobu wasn't the type to exaggerate or mislead people with his words. He was straightforward to a fault, and, more importantly, there wasn't even a hint of deceit or falsehood in his eyes. He was simply informing her of his gut feeling, completely ignorant of the value such statements possessed if they were proven true...

With an inordinately serious expression on her face, Yui said, "Tell me more. What, exactly, does this instinct of yours tell you? Does it only inform you of impending danger to yourself? How long have you been having these feelings?"

Annoyed by the sudden interrogation, a frown developed behind Nobu's mask, brows furrowing as he asked, "Why are you overreacting? It's just a gut feeling. Seriously. You're going to get wrinkles if you continue harping over every little thing. It's also really annoying so cut it out..."

Noticing the hostility and suspicion that had appeared in Nobu's eyes, the serious expression on Yui's face instantaneously faded away as she released a sigh and said, "Forgive me. It's just that, if you truly do possess such an ability, it is of paramount importance to ascertain how it functions. I have sworn to protect you, so, even if you wish to keep it a secret from others, it would help me to perform my duty if you reveal such important details as soon as possible."

With Yui punctuating her words with a polite bow, the expression on Nobu's face became awkward as he muttered, "Yeah...okay..." before proceeding to explain, "I never really thought about it before. I'm guessing it only applies to me since it only ever seems to trigger when I'm about to get my shit kicked in. Hell, I don't even know if it's an actual ability. It could just be 'experience'. I don't fucking know..."

Having regained her serious expression, Yui nodded her head in understanding before surprising Nobu by asking, "When I told you I was taking you to meet with my Grandmother, did this 'feeling' of yours trigger? Do you feel as though your life is endangered by heading to the capital?"

Resisting the urge to ask what the hell she was talking about, Nobu was surprised to find he didn't actually feel anything 'strange' about meeting with her Grandmother. If anything, he just felt like he was going to be forced to deal with some cliche and completely bullshit plot. However, now that he actually reflected on it, he didn't feel like he was in any danger. Instead, his 'intuition' just told him it was going to be unbelievably troublesome...

Figuring he had already cast the die on this matter, Nobu adopted a serious expression of his own as he explained, "I don't really feel danger...if anything, my intuition is telling me your Grandmother is going to say some dumb shit about duty and fate...I don't really know how to put it. All I know is it's going to be really fucking annoying..."

Blinking in surprise, Yui felt a mixture of relief, and, for reasons she couldn't quite put her finger on, anxiety. If Nobu's words were true, it meant her Grandmother didn't intend to harm him. This would remove a heavy burden from her shoulders, as, even now, she found herself questioning whether or not her actions were just. After all, she had always hated people who used their power and status to force people against her will. Despite this, she was forcing Nobu to accompany her against his will, and, were it not for the feelings of trust and loyalty she held towards her Grandmother, there was a very real chance she might have escorted him elsewhere before ultimately fleeing the province...

As this thought crossed her mind, a sigh of profound relief escaped Yui's throat. At the same time, however, the uncomfortable feeling in Nobu's became increasingly stronger. This caused a frown to develop across his face, but, before he could ask what she was thinking, Yui beat him to the punch, saying, "We're going to walk the rest of the way to the capital. While it might be dangerous, it is of paramount importance that we verify whether or not your intuition is accurate. Prepare your things. We will be departing once the caravan makes camp..."

With that said, Yui stood up and promptly departed from the coach to inform the caravan leader of their intent to depart. As for Nobu, he was left to gawk with an incredulous look on his face, various emotions contending for dominance within his mind. For a brief moment, he was tempted to shout out and ask what the hell was wrong with her. Instead, he just shook his head before massaging his temples and groaning, "Women..." in an exasperated, griping, tone...

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(A/N: Does Nobu actually possess the ability to sense the plot? Find out in the next exciting chapter of Drag- I mean, NOICE~!)