A few dozen minutes later.
"Then… allow me to introduce."
With a slightly stiff business smile, Naoki, whose arm was tightly clutched by Princess Kiyohime, gestured with his free hand toward Musashi and Gozen.
"Musashi, Gozen, this is Princess Kiyohime of Shimōsa Province. She has been very kind to me all this time."
"I'm Miyamoto Musashi, pleased to meet you, Princess."
"My name is Tomoe Gozen, pleased to meet you, Princess Kiyohime."
Musashi and Gozen greeted Kiyohime in turn.
"Princess Kiyohime, these two are my comrades and traveling companions across Japan, named Musashi and Gozen."
"…"
Kiyohime didn't respond, instead clinging even tighter to Naoki's arm with both hands, as if afraid her treasure would be stolen.
(This girl, she really likes Naoki a lot.)
(Naoki-sama… I feel like if this continues, there'll be a tragedy.)
"I understand the situation. Since they're Naoki-sama's friends, I can't treat them as vixens…" Kiyohime leaned against Naoki's chest. "But why are Naoki-sama's friends here? I thought I made it clear that from now on, Naoki-sama is to serve only me?"
"It's not quite like that, Princess Kiyohime." Naoki flashed the gentle smile he always used to soothe her. "All this time, I've been blessed by Princess Kiyohime's affection, and my heart is filled with joy and gratitude. But what ultimately allowed me to have this connection with Your Highness is these two friends. If they hadn't introduced me to this job, I might never have met Your Highness."
"They are among the benefactors who made it possible for me to be where I am now. Inviting them today is my way of repaying that kindness."
(This guy…)
(Naoki-sama…)
Seeing Naoki's polished performance and the smooth nonsense flowing from his mouth, Musashi and Tomoe weren't sure how to react. Should they say Naoki was perfectly suited for this with that face? At a glance, he gave off the vibe of someone skilled at deceiving women.
On Kiyohime's side, after hearing Naoki's explanation, "Fate… Mhm mhm mhm, I see. The fate between this little girl and Naoki-sama was facilitated by these two ladies."
The hostility she initially directed at Musashi and Tomoe instantly turned bright, filled with goodwill.
"I'm deeply grateful to you both, Musashi-san, Tomoe-san. I'll remember the kindness of bridging this little girl's connection with Naoki-sama for the rest of my life!"
"No, no need… Wait, excuse me, Princess Kiyohime, could we borrow Naoki for a moment? There are some household matters we need to discuss with him."
Though she said this, Musashi gave Kiyohime no time to respond. She immediately pulled Naoki away from her side and asked in a low voice, "Naoki, aren't you going too far? Is it okay to keep this up?"
"Oh, you mean what we'll do when we leave, right?"
"Yeah, exactly."
Naoki, Musashi, and Tomoe would eventually leave this world. After all, none of them were native to it—they were just passing through. And now that Naoki had made Kiyohime so infatuated, it would surely cause major issues when he left.
"About that… An unexpected death?"
"She'd have a mental breakdown, wouldn't she? I can tell she's not just in love—she's deeply attached."
"That's true. Then how about using Magecraft to erase her memories from this period? Or alter her impression of me? Or create a dream for her? I've got some experience with that."
Naoki wasn't highly skilled in Magecraft. He'd only learned a few techniques over twenty years. Illusionism was one he was most proficient in—Merry had taught him well. Through hands-on practice, verbal instruction, and demonstrations, he had no choice but to learn.
"Well… If it really comes to it, I'll stay here for a few decades and leave after she passes naturally."
"You're really responsible."
"Though there'll be some issues in the future, there'll definitely be some in Pan-Human History too—we'll deal with it when the time comes."
After talking with Musashi, Naoki turned back to Kiyohime. "My apologies, Princess Kiyohime. I spoke with Musashi too long and neglected you. I'm truly sorry."
"No, it's fine. Talking with friends is very important, isn't it?"
"I'm grateful for your understanding—So, is Your Highness's visit today the same as usual?"
Usually, Kiyohime came to Naoki for one thing: to be pampered, whether through attentive care, sweet words of love, or stories of his past… In short, she didn't want to hear about castle matters.
After all, Kiyohime was a princess. She rarely had chances to leave the castle or learn about the outside world. Meeting Naoki, a handsome and knowledgeable man, was a double boon for her.
"No, today I want to discuss something serious with Naoki-sama."
Kiyohime's tone turned slightly serious. "Have you ever heard of the Heroic Spirit Swordsmen?"
Heroic Spirit Swordsmen?
The eyes of Naoki, Musashi, and Tomoe twitched slightly.
"I've heard of them. Sometimes I catch related gossip from neighbors. But aren't they just legends?"
"They're real anomalies." Kiyohime said. "Last night, a samurai patrol squad didn't return. And this morning, a samurai wrapped in snakes appeared at the gates of Tsuchiura Castle. He was the only survivor of the squad, but he'd become a puppet of the Heroic Spirit Swordsmen… and he brought a message."
"One of the Heroic Spirit Swordsmen, Assassin Paraíso, will come for my life tonight."
Paraíso—Mochizuki Chiyome.
(The female ninja Naoki mentioned, capable of summoning part of the spirit of the Great Deity Ibuki!)
Musashi immediately recalled the information about Paraíso.
Did that female ninja make a move last night?
Yet Naoki hadn't sensed any battle aura. Perhaps the enemy was hiding, or the distance was too great for him to detect.
After a week of calm, they were finally preparing to act again.
"So… Your Highness's visit today is related to this Paraíso?"
"Exactly." Kiyohime took a deep breath. "Naoki-sama, would you be this little girl's bodyguard and stay at Tsuchiura Castle tonight to protect her?"
"Huh?"