The next day, Hideyoshi woke up with a pounding headache.
Before he could even sit up, a warm bowl was pressed into his hands.
"Honey water," Nashi said gently.
He blinked up at her, stunned.
"Thank you very much", he replied.
He had been sure she hated him.
"I'm sorry ma'am, don't you hate me?"
She let off a laugh.
"You do just speak what's on your mind huh?"
"I did, but… not anymore." She smiled.
She apparently had listened to everything Mikan told her the night before. About his drunken honesty. His stories. His awkward sincerity.
She tried her best to convince her mother that he was a nice guy.
At first, she had assumed he was just another arrogant noble—one of the same kind who had once forced her husband into a suicidal war.
Nobles that knew nothing but war.
Of cruelty.
Fortunately, her daughter's begging convinced her that she had been wrong.
"You seem... different," she said quietly.
Hideyoshi swallowed.
"I still don't trust your family," she added, smiling thinly. "But you…"
She sighed.
"I hope you find your mother."
He felt a motherly kind of love coming from her.
I should call hermother in law... he thought to himself.
"Thank you. That means a lot to me, Mo—"
"But if you ever hurt Mikan," she added lightly, "I will kill you."
Hideyoshi choked on the honey water.
"Yes, ma'am."
———
Once steady enough to stand, he headed toward the kitchen.
That was when he froze.
Mikan was there.
So was Katsui.
Awake.
Alive.
Very much not a corpse.
Katsui wore simple common robes. His blood-soaked dougi was folded off to the side, completely ruined.
"You're conscious?!" Hideyoshi blurted out.
"Hideyoshi!" Katsui stood up and yelled.
Mikan smiled at him and crossed her arms. "He's lucky we have a lot of recovery potions in stock."
Hideyoshi blinked. "You do?"
"They were supposed to be for when something bad happened during hunting," she said softly.
She shrugged. "I guess Mother and Father didn't want a noble bleeding out on our lands."
Katsui winced. "Apologies."
Mikan smiled sweetly. "No need, now we're even!"
Katsui bowed his head slightly. "Also... I owe you an apology, Lady Mikan. For fighting your brother."
She waved it off. "You explained. I get it."
Katsui blushed as he looked at her.
Hideyoshi looked between them suspiciously.
"And?" he asked.
Katsui hesitated. "Oh. I also invited her to join the clan."
Hideyoshi snapped his head toward Mikan. "And what did you say?"
She blushed. "…I said I'd consider it."
Hideyoshi grinned, slid into the seat beside her, and casually took her hand.
"Why don't you join the clan under my family, future wife?"
"…Who decided that?" Katsui asked flatly.
"Our hearts did," Hideyoshi replied with a smug face.
Katsui snorted. "Don't you already have a fiancée? And marrying a peasant would cause endless political trouble. No offense."
Mikan smiled.
Silence.
A vein bulged on her forehead as she turned to Hideyoshi, crushing his hand with her grip.
"Explain," she said calmly.
Hideyoshi did.
As the top heir, he was betrothed by tradition to the granddaughter of Nobunaga—the fourth and last Daimyo of the Kinzoku Clan.
A cage disguised as duty.
"At the time.. I didn't mind.," he admitted. "My focus was getting stronger to be able to escape and find my mother..."
He met Mikan's eyes. "But then I met you... Now, I want the power to break it."
For her.
Mikan listened.
Then shook her head.
"I appreciate that," she said softly. "But don't drag my family into something that dangerous."
She stood to leave.
Hideyoshi grabbed her wrist. "Then join the clan. Become strong. Gain influence. Stand beside me."
"The Furutsu family would be protected. Elevated."
She stopped.
"…Does my family want that?" she asked quietly.
She pulled her hand free.
"...I'll join the clan," she said. "But not under your family's banner."
"And definitely not as your fiancée."
She glanced back.
"We'll talk again about our relationship after I reach your realm, once we're on the same level."
Katsui laughed. "Ambitious! Do you know Hideyoshi is the strongest Squire in all of Sekigahara?"
Hideyoshi shrugged. "For now. Plenty of monsters are currently Martial Apprentices right now... they will catch up once they advance."
Mikan froze.
Realizing what she'd implied, her face turned crimson.
She vanished into her room.
Hideyoshi laughed. "She's so cute!!!!"
Katsui frowned at his lovestruck friend.
"And you?" Hideyoshi turned to Katsui. "Why were you in Owari?"
Katsui scratched his cheek. "...I snuck out too."
"If we got caught," he grinned, "I'd tell them I got the idea from you."
Hideyoshi stared.
"…I take it back, you're not pure of heart."
The door slid open.
Nashi entered, followed by a woman in white.
"Lord Hideyoshi," Nashi said carefully. "There's a group of Martial Nobles outside. They said they know you."
Hideyoshi sighed.
They found us already??
A woman walked into the room.
Nashi gestured. "This woman says she's your mentor."
The woman bowed.
She was beautiful—black hair tied into a neat bun, white kimono immaculate, a katana with an elegant hilt resting at her side.
HIdeyoshi gasped.
I-it's over...
"Lord Hideyoshi," she said warmly. "I'm glad you're unharmed."
"Hello, Teacher Iaiashin," Hideyoshi said weakly.
Katsui stiffened. "Good morning, Teacher Iaiashin."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Lord Shibata? You're here as well?"
Both nobles looked like children caught skipping lessons.
They kept fidgeting around, unable to sit down properly.
Nashi offered tea.
The woman politely declined. "Thank you, however, we may need to leave soon."
Her head pointed to the two, "These two are still officially on the run. They are urgently needed for the next expedition".
Nashi froze at the implication.
Hideyoshi and Katsui both tried to make excuses.
Suddenly, her gaze shifted toward the door.
She paused, lifting a brow, and smiled.
"…Interesting."
The door exploded.
"BASTARDS, DON'T HURT MY FAMILY!"
Merun stormed in, stance wide, veins bulging, a fiery red aura roaring around him.
A deathly amount of killing intent emanated from him.
The woman looked behind him, to see the two Squires she had left to stand guard had collapsed unconscious.
The woman sighed.
"Those two need more training."
Merun lunged with blazing speed, almost leaving an afterimage.
His rage fueled, full-power punch aimed directly at her torso.
It was stopped effortlessly—blocked by the butt of her katana.
"Huh—?"
In an instant, she seized his wrist, twisted, and drove the pommel upward while pulling him down.
The butt of the blade smashed into Merun's jaw with great power.
THUD.
"Oof," Merun muttered, collapsing unconscious.
His aura flickered out.
He immediately began snoring.
Is this boy a squire? She thought to herself.
His punch was quite powerful, but for some reason... too transparent.
But at the same time, he also has a Divine Arsenal... that's very odd.
An inexperienced but powerful Martial Squire that has a Divine Arsenal, enough to defeat two other Martial Squires in one breath, here in the countryside?
...What is that, a tail?
Anyway, who taught this kid the technique outside the clan?
It's not only extremely dangerous, but also very illegal.
For a second, she thought of disposing the lawbreaker, but also quickly dismissed the thought. She needed more information before doing such a thing... and now she had a whole bunch of questions needed to be answered.
But both noble men—fearing she would do what they thought she would, suddenly, moved.
Master Iaiashin was surprised as Katsui stepped in front of the boy, as if to protect him.
Hideyoshi moved just as fast, shielding Nashi.
"Teacher, wait!" they both shouted.
"This person will become my retainer!"
"That person is my brother-in-law!"
"…???"
Master Iaiashin looked even more genuinely confused as to what was happening.