Chapter 364: Kiyohime in the Quilt
The dispute between Kiyohime and Shirou, though noisy, didn't actually seem like much of a fight at all.
"Um, what's the matter with you two? A nice young couple shouldn't be quarreling in front of the children," said the village woman.
"Mm-ngh? Grandpa? Sorry, Atsu accidentally fell asleep. Eh? Where is this? E-eh?! Princess!" At that moment, Atsu was woken by the sound of the bickering. Rubbing her eyes, she caught sight of the beautiful princess she admired and cried out in pleasant surprise.
"Little Atsu, I've come here to play with you all," Kiyohime said to Atsu with a kind smile.
"The children aren't yours? What on earth is going on here?" The village woman found herself becoming more and more confused the more she heard.
"Actually, it's like this..." Kiyohime stepped forward and whispered into the woman's ear.
As she listened to Kiyohime's tale, the village woman's eyes lit up, followed by a look of deep emotion. "My, my, anyone could tell you're a lady from a great house. An elopement! I see! I see! I understand now! Big sister absolutely supports you! You two stay at my place tonight. Out here in the sticks, you don't have to worry about anyone finding you."
"Thank you, sister. Shirou, the children, and I are truly in your debt," Kiyohime said with a slight bow.
"It's nothing, a small matter. You two wait here while I go inform the villagers. Husband! Come out and greet the guests!" The woman hurried into the house, said a few words to her husband, pointed at Shirou and then at Kiyohime, and then dashed off to the neighboring houses.
In this isolated village, fresh and exotic stories were rare. The woman was racing to show off this newly minted piece of gossip to the rest of the town.
The village man in charge of hosting stepped out, gave Shirou a thumbs-up, and laughed heartily. "Brother! You've got spirit! Rest easy; as long as you have a skill, you'll be welcome to settle in the village. Even if you don't have any special talents, as long as you're willing to put in the effort and work hard, you can make a living just the same."
"Eh? Wait! What exactly is going on? What did you tell them?" Shirou turned to Kiyohime and asked in astonishment.
"Fufufu, since everyone is willing to help us, isn't that enough? Don't you agree, Shirou-kun~?" Kiyohime opened her fan and said with a mysterious smile.
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It was only after some time had passed that Shirou finally figured out the situation.
It turned out that his "setting" in the village had been turned into a cliché romantic epic through the story Kiyohime had told.
In her version: a promising and kind-hearted young samurai and a daughter of a noble family had secretly developed feelings for one another. But tragedy struck; Shirou's distant relatives were attacked by bandits, leaving behind only two small children.
The noble-hearted Shirou, despite being unmarried, took it upon himself to adopt the children of his fallen kin. Because of Shirou's high seniority in the family tree, the children called him "Grandpa."
Such an honorable and righteous act moved the young lady, Kiyohime, to her core, and she decided to entrust her life to him. However, the two already faced a vast gap in status, and with two "baggage" children added to the mix, her noble family's opposition grew even fiercer.
Thus, they chose to be together despite her family's disapproval. Their journey involved opposition from a "second female lead," persistence and challenges from a "second male lead," threats from the clan, provocations, and even life-threatening persecution.
The plot featured 360-degree turn after 360-degree turn, constant twists, and a shocking climax.
The two had once intended to elope with the children together.
But on the night of their departure, Shirou—unwilling to let Kiyohime suffer a hard life with him—left the city alone with the children.
In the end, Kiyohime braved all hardships to find him on her own.
'Only when the mountains crumble and the heavens and earth merge will I dare to part with my lord.'
She swore they must be together; otherwise, what meaning was there in a life of luxury?
It was truly a script that only a "love-brain" like Kiyohime could conceive, rivaling the soap operas of later generations. However, for the sisters and aunts of the village, it was incredibly effective. One by one, after learning their "story," they wept tears of emotion and declared they would definitely help them settle down.
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By evening, after the day's work was done, the villagers returned home, grabbed their fruits, vegetables, rice, and snacks, and gathered in the village chief's courtyard for a banquet to welcome the newcomers.
The villagers were simple and hospitable, constantly refilling Shirou's cup, each wanting to share a drink with him. However, settling here required the unanimous consent of the community.
The twenty-odd households here had originally fled to the mountains to escape war and avoid the government. They were self-sufficient, paid no harsh taxes, and escaped forced labor. Though resources were somewhat scarce, they lived freely.
Having lived together for over ten years, the sudden arrival of outsiders threatened to break the village's peace.
Because they were self-sufficient, each household had a specific duty alongside farming. Some raised livestock; a woodcutter provided fuel for the whole village; a hunter set traps to catch game and prevent predators from harming people.
The woman who hosted Shirou was a skilled weaver, while her husband was an expert at raising cattle. He knew how to make them fat and strong and possessed some veterinary knowledge. He was responsible for all the village's cattle—essentially a Japanese version of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
Once everyone was full, the children went home to sleep. Atsu and Tasuke were taken by the kind woman to her house. The adults, led by the old village chief, began the meeting to decide whether Shirou and the others could stay.
"Mmm. While we sympathize with the children and admire your character, you must have a skill to survive here," the chief said.
"That goes without saying," Shirou nodded.
"As a samurai, Shirou's trained techniques are surely better than us farmers. He could be useful if wild beasts enter the village," the "Cowherd" husband suggested.
"But if it's just that, the hunter can do it too, and probably better," interrupted a man draped in animal skins.
"By the way, Shirou, do you have any other talents besides being a samurai?" the kind woman asked.
"Blacksmithing and sharpening blades—I'm fairly confident in those tasks," Shirou said with a light smile.
"That's perfect. The axe I use for wood is very dull, and I can't seem to sharpen it right. Why don't you give it a try?" the woodcutter stood up and said.
"Certainly. If I could borrow a whetstone," Shirou agreed directly.
"Great! You're a straightforward one! I have a whetstone at my place; I'll go get it now!" the woodcutter agreed and ran off.
Once the tools were gathered, Shirou placed the whetstone on the ground. He took the axe from the woodcutter, gauged the man's arm strength, and then inspected the edge of the blade.
A professional sharpener can maintain a tool's keenness while extending its lifespan by several years.
Shirou, who possessed unique research into weaponry, also had deep mastery of this craft.
Applying a little water, he placed the axe on the stone, positioned it correctly, and began to slide it back and forth. He adjusted the angle to ensure the edge was perfectly uniform. Under Shirou's hands, the old, battered axe was transformed. In just a few minutes, the blade became smooth and gleaming, drawing gasps of wonder from the onlookers.
"There," Shirou handed the axe back.
"Wait!" The woodcutter ran off and returned lugging a massive tree stump, which he dropped with a heavy thud. He took the modified axe, raised it high, put his back into it, and swung. Crack! The thick, round stump split down the middle as if it were soft tofu.
"What?! This axe! It's incredible!" the woodcutter shouted in surprise. "It's so effortless! I didn't even use half my usual strength to split such a thick stump!"
Shirou smiled slightly. He had observed the grip marks on the handle and the wear patterns on the blade; he had gauged the woodcutter's muscles to identify his points of exertion. Then, he had adjusted the blade's edge to the optimal angle and focal point for the man's specific strength, ensuring that the force from the woodcutter's muscles was fully applied to the wood, achieving twice the result with half the effort.
"Now even if I run into a bear, I could split it with one swing," the woodcutter said proudly, brandishing his axe.
"Shirou, please help me sharpen my scissors too." A clever woman had already run home to bring her tools.
"Ooh! Amazing! These scissors are sharper than when they were new!" the woman said. With Shirou's adjustments, they were even easier to use than a brand-new pair.
"Please do my kitchen knife too!" "And mine!"
Shirou readily agreed, adding, "If any tools are broken—like wooden carts or looms—and need repairing, I can help with those as well."
The crowd became even more enthusiastic upon hearing this.
"Wait! Everyone, calm down!" the old village chief spoke up.
"Of course! With this skill, he could support a family even in the city. Coming to our village is practically a waste of his talent," the woodcutter said.
"Being able to sharpen our tools and fix things is a blessing for us," the woman with the scissors added.
"That's right, that's right. Brother Shirou, stay with us. We have no objections at all." Those who had been hesitant earlier now changed their minds.
"Shirou—no, Sensei! Welcome to the village. Please, by all means, settle down with us," the village chief said, grasping Shirou's hands with great excitement.
"Very well. Thank you, everyone. I'll pick a spot in the next few days, and I'll have to trouble you all for help then," Shirou replied with a smile.
"Wonderful!" "Don't mention it!"
And so, the banquet ended in joy.
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The problem, however, came afterward. The "Cowherd and Weaver" couple led Shirou and Kiyohime to a small shed next to the cowpen. This was a hut the husband used when tending to the cattle, and they were now lending it to the pair.
Shirou stepped inside and saw that the space was very small, containing only one bed and a small table. They were clearly being treated as a young married couple.
Shirou turned back to call to the couple, but they had already vanished.
Meanwhile, Atsu and Tasuke had already been tucked into bed by the considerate woman at her house, sleeping soundly alongside her own children.
Thus, in the small hut, only Shirou and the young girl were left alone together.
"What should we do? It's just the two of us now," Kiyohime said, looking at Shirou while feigning ignorance.
"Isn't this the result of all those unnecessary things you said?!" Shirou snapped.
"Well, it can't be helped then. We have no choice but to go to bed," Kiyohime said, ignoring him.
"You sleep here. I'm going outside," Shirou said, his anger reaching a boiling point as he turned to leave.
"If the villagers see that, who knows what they'll say?" Kiyohime stopped him with a warning.
"You're a girl! Have some self-respect, will you?!" Shirou said, looking at her. Even if she was a "love-brain," she should value herself more.
"The most important thing right now is finding a place for Atsu and Tasuke to stay. You and I will eventually leave this place. If the villagers believe they have relatives who are high-ranking city folk, they will take better care of them. So even if there are some misunderstandings, it doesn't really matter, right?" Kiyohime shook her head, analyzing the situation for him.
"I understand. I didn't realize you were thinking so much for Atsu and Tasuke. Thank you. In any case, Kiyohime, you take the bed." Shirou was swayed by the girl's seemingly selfless reasoning. He nodded, feeling a bit moved; it turned out the Princess wasn't just a love-brain.
Just then, Kiyohime's tone shifted. She cupped her face and said, "But even if we're just in one room, by tomorrow morning, everyone will consider us to be in 'that' kind of relationship. Even if nothing happens, that's how it is. Of course... even if something did happen, I wouldn't mind at all~!"
"..." Shirou's expression changed. His previous gratitude had been a mistake. He felt a surge of irritation.
Kiyohime giggled behind her hand. "Fufufu, starting tomorrow, we'll be calling each other 'dear'..."
"Is that so..." Shirou's brow twitched with anger. The irritation he had been suppressing finally reached its limit. Unable to take it anymore, he sprang into action.
"Kiyohime, could you close your eyes and lie down here? And stay quiet for a moment?" Shirou spread a quilt out on the bed and asked the girl with a smile.
"E-eh? Shirou-kun? So bold all of a sudden! There's no need to rush, but... okay..." Kiyohime laughed shyly, lay down on the quilt, placed her hands over her chest, closed her eyes, and waited with great anticipation.
Shirou pulled her arms straight down to her sides. Then, he yanked up the corners of the quilt and wrapped it over her, covering her completely from head to toe.
"Shirou-kun, are you ready yet? Why did it get dark? Did you put out the lamp?"
Without a word, Shirou gave Kiyohime a shove. The girl rolled like a log, completely entombed within the quilt. Before she could react, Shirou used a rope to bind the bundle tight, leaving only a small gap for her to breathe, and pushed her to the corner of the bed.
"Eeya~! So rough! I hate this~! Mmm...? Mmm...? Shirou-kun?" Muffled, confused sounds came from inside the quilt as the figure realized she couldn't move at all.
"Goodnight." Shirou projected a blanket, spread it on the floor, and lay down with a light chuckle.
He ignored all of Kiyohime's protests. After that, he enjoyed a night of peaceful sleep!
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The next morning.
"Wuu-waah, wuu-waah..." The released Kiyohime hid her face behind her long kimono sleeves, fake-crying as if she had suffered a great blow. "A young girl's pure feelings, cruelly toyed with... Shirou-kun is a snake among beasts..."
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