Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

With the dawn of a new day, Nobu was anticipating they would be setting out for the Yoshitsune Clan when Yui blindsided him by asking, "What do you want to do?"Though he was pretty sure he knew what she meant, Nobu still cocked his head to the side, asking, "What do you mean?"After exchanging glances with Yuriko and receiving a slight nod in response, Yui explained, "Though there is a chance you are deceiving us, my heart tells me you are the person you claim to be. Yuriko and I have already discussed it. She will go back and learn the truth-"Raising his hand, Nobu brought a sudden and instantaneous stop to Yui's explanation, saying, "That serious nature of yours really needs some working on. Seriously..."Adopting a slight pout, Yui wanted to explain herself, but, before she could, Nobu shook his head, adding, "I already said I'd go with you. After the shit I put up with these last two months, I won't be able to rest unless I can give that old bat in the Yoshitsune Clan a piece of my mind. We can worry about other stuff later. Besides, I don't appreciate that little remark about me deceiving you...I'm a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them. Well...so long as you ignore that part about me pretending to be Nananananananananananamori's grandchild..."With Yui's pout quickly turning into a wry yet coquettish smile, Nobu could swear his heart had, once again, skipped a beat. She didn't seem to be aware of it herself, but, ever since he had told her the truth, Yui was behaving a lot more girly than before. It was honestly creeping him out a bit, but, considering how she used to treat him, it was a qualitative improvement...Noticing the rose-colored atmosphere between Yui and Nobu, Yuriko audibly cleared her throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the cave before asserting, "Well, that settles it. I don't get the impression he's suicidal so it's safe to say this man truly is our Lord. Should we cut to the chase or do you want to wait until the Matriarch has confirmed it...?"Shaking her head in response to the latter suggestion, Yui took the initiative to sit in seiza while Yuriko promptly filed in behind and slightly to her left. Then, much to Nobu's chagrin, they both lowered their heads until their foreheads were pressed to the cold floor, the tips of their fingers touching just above their lowered bodies as they said, "Yoshitsune Yui/Yuriko greets her Lord and Master, Oda Nobunaga-sama. We pledge to serve you until our dying breath."Feeling an uncomfortable chill run through his body, Nobu wanted to tell them to stop messing around until he noticed Shizune and Rynka sitting at the sides with expressions of genuine envy on their faces. The former even became hopeful the moment he looked over, almost as if she was just waiting for him to give her permission to lower her head alongside them...Unable to resist the urge, Nobu took a moment to massage his forehead before noticing the duo still had their heads pressed to the ground. He really didn't know what to say to this, so, after a long period of silence, he just shook his head and said, "Well, whatever...just raise your heads. This shit is hella cringe. I'm literally getting goosebumps over here..."Though it was far from the dignified response they would have liked, Yui and Yuriko immediately raised their heads in response to Nobu's order. This caught the latter by surprise, as, despite their appearances suggesting they were the cool-headed or apathetic type, both had radiant smiles on their faces. From their perspective, albeit using terms from Nobu's world, it was like they had just graduated from High School after eighteen long years. They felt as though they had accomplished something great, and, regardless of what the future held, they were happy to have experienced this particular moment in time.Feeling a kind of helplessness he had never experienced before, Nobu looked away from the duo's expectant gaze, his own briefly settling on the horizon as the light of the rising sun hit his face. This caused Yuriko to swallow audibly, but, with his relatively normal sense of hearing, Nobu was spared any additional feelings of embarrassment as he muttered, "Well...this isn't so bad..." in a whispering tone that was easily picked up by all four girls.........Though their pace was a little slow due to Nobu refusing to ride on the girls' backs, it only took an additional two days for the group to reach the agricultural zone surrounding Owari-Shuto.Unlike Owari-Asai, which primarily focused on fishing and sea trade, the seemingly endless fields surrounding Owari-Shuto were encircled by a stone wall more than ten-meters high and roughly six thick. This was the agricultural center of the province, and, though he had already started to suspect this was the case, seeing the endless fields all but confirmed that Nian was 'significantly' larger than the Japan Nobu had visited in his previous life.Seeing Nobu staring blankly at the fields of radish and lotus plants, a moderately affectionate smile developed across Yui's face as she recalled their discussion pertaining to dreams. He had been very dismissive about the subject, but, even now, Yui could clearly remember the wistful look in his eyes as he spoke of one day returning home and reuniting with his mother. She liked his almost reverent silence to the reaction soldiers would have after returning from a long and arduous campaign. Thus, after observing him from the side for several seconds, she decided to be the first to say, "Welcome home, Nobu..." in a gentle tone.Blinking back to awareness, Nobu turned towards Yui only to pause the moment he saw her smiling up at him. This stopped him from asking what the hell she was talking about and instead prompted him to say, "Thanks..." in an equally soft tone. Not because he was feeling sentimental, but because Yui had practically whispered her words. It was pretty much an instinct to respond to a whisper with one of your own, but, from the kunoichi quartet's perspective, he appeared to be at a loss for words due to the emotions he was concealing beneath the surface.Though he got the distinct impression some kind of miscommunication had occurred, Nobu just shook his head before asking, "Where to? I don't see anything like a city or a castle..."Believing Nobu was trying to deflect, as he was prone to doing, Yui restrained a light chuckle before pointing towards a mountain in the distance and explaining, "The capital is on the other side of that mountain, bordering the Mino Province. As for the Yoshitsune Clan compound, it is located atop the mountain itself. You can't see it from here but there is a powerful barrier surrounding the mountain. As part of the equivalent exchange mandated by the Heavens, the Goddess Inari was forced to give our Ancestor one of her tails. Its divine protection is said to extend across the entirety of Owari but its effects are concentrated around the mountain."Since this was pretty common lore associated with the land of Owari, Yui wasn't revealing any Clan secrets by explaining a bit about their history. Rather, the Yoshitsune Clan was among the top three most notorious and prolific kunoichi clans as a direct result of their curse. They really owed the Oda Clan in this respect, as, without their protection, various Clans and Sects from throughout the land would constantly be trying to capture, imprison, or kill them...Seeing the mountain Yui was pointing to, a wry smile developed across Nobu's face as it was barely even the size of a fingernail upon the horizon. He couldn't be certain but it was at least a half, if not a full, day's walk. Yui seemed to understand what he was thinking, but, rather than suggest taking a break, she pulled out a silver flute and said, "Don't worry. Now that we've crossed the wall, I can use this..."Without explaining what the flute actually did, Yui brought it to her lips and began playing a silent song. This prompted Shizune and Rynka to back away. As for Yuriko, she promptly approached his side, gently pulling his sleeve as she suggested, "My Lord, we should back away..."Nodding his head, Nobu was prepared to follow Yuriko's suggestion when the woman in question suddenly wrapped her aura around him and leaped away. This caused his brows to twitch, but, the moment he saw storm clouds gathering in the sky, Nobu swallowed the words of indignation that had been forming at the tip of his tongue.Looking up at the storm, Nobu noticed that, instead of normal thunder and lightning, the bands gathering near the center of the darkening clouds were green. There were also a number of strange symbols appearing, and, he been closer to Yui, he might have noticed that the miniature flute in her hands was covered in identical markings. Each time she played a different note, an additional band of lightning would connect to the gathering mass until a small explosion rippled out, followed by the sound of a bird's cry.Though he knew he was in a fantasy-esque world, Nobu became slack-jawed even as Yuriko carried him to a safe distance and stood in front of him. As for the reason, well, a massive fucking bird had just appeared out of thin air 'blinking' to the ground in a streak of green lightning that generated a vibrant green electrical field that expanded radially like an EMP. This caused every hair on his body to stand on end, but, thanks to Yuriko shielding him, he didn't feel a thing from the shockwave that briefly passed through his body.When the electricity and dust began to fade away, Nobu remained in a stupor as he witnessed Yui resting her forehead against the crown? of a massive ass owl. He wasn't particularly savvy with the metric system but he estimated it to be roughly ten meters in length. This, alone, would have made it stand out, but, unlike a normal owl, this monstrosity possessed wings and feathers made of stone. It also had vibrant green crystals forming a crown-like protrusion on its head while spikes formed of the same material ran along its back. It actually looked pretty badass, but, perhaps as a result of his low cultivation base, Nobu felt like the owl was growing increasingly larger as his body regressed to that of a helpless child...Feeling a slight pinch, Nobu blinked back to awareness to find that he had been staring up at the sky. When he looked down, he found Yuriko looking up at him with an apologetic smile on her face as she pulled out a silver needle from his palm and explained, "This is a Tier 4 Aura Beast known as a Jadite Guardian Owl. It is rumored to be one of the few Aura Beasts capable of reaching the Jadite Realm, but, for the last twenty or so thousand years, nobody, man or beast, has been able to reach that level. At least, not in Nian..."Having learned that a Tier 4 beast was comparable to a weaker Mithril Lord, Nobu wasn't surprised that he would feel an almost instinctual fear in front of it. Back on Earth, the biggest land predator, a polar bear, would be lucky to exceed nine feet, roughly three meters, in height. That seemed like a complete fucking joke in front of this owl, so, after assuring himself he wasn't a bitch, Nobu did his best to appear calm as he said, "Cool..."Pretending not to notice the cold sweat covering her Lord's forehead and body, Yuriko turned away from him before nodding and saying, "Indeed..." with a marginally amused smile on her face.......(A/N: To be honest, I'd probably shit myself if lightning struck a few dozen meters away from me. If that same lightning turned into a massive ass owl...well...RIP me xD...)

"Lord Nobunaga-sama. Allow me to introduce you to my Grandmother's partner, Hisui-sama. With his help, we'll be able to make it back to the Clan Compound in no time."Though he remained behind Yuriko until the very last moment, Nobu managed to approach Hisui without too much fear and trepidation visible in his countenance. The fact the creature's eyes were larger than his head was a little unnerving, but, following Yui's example, he ultimately managed to rest his palm on its crystalline, surprisingly warm, beak."Coooo~."Despite being relatively young, Hisui was remarkably intelligent for her age. Thus, upon hearing Yui address Nobu with honorifics, she did her best to appear humble and cute. She didn't want to make any trouble for her Master and her Granddaughter, so, even if she didn't like the way Nobu smelled, she tolerated having her beak caressed by his palm."You're not so bad, are ya? Just keep those scary-ass talons away from me...hahahahaha..."Cocking her head to the side, so much so that she was nearly staring at Nobu upside down, Hisui raised her left foot before promptly extending her three crystalline talons to their full length. She had never heard anyone refer to them as 'scary-ass talons' before so she was genuinely confused by his words. As for Nobu, well, he immediately turned statuesque the moment her talons made a *shinking* sound similar to what you might hear when a blade is unsheathed in a movie."Mou...Hisui-sama, please retract your claws. Lord Nobunaga-sama is fatigued after a long journey. Please deliver us to the Clan so we can meet with Grandmother.""Coo~!"Responding with an affirmative coo, Hisui tucked her legs beneath her body before squatting down and spreading her wings to their maximum length. This was quite a sight to behold as her wingspan was easily more than twenty meters in length. There were also three crystalline protrusions mixed in among the flight feathers of each wing, which, when fully extended, radiated a luminous jade-green light.Extending her hand to Nobu, Yui adopted a slightly apologetic smile as she noticed how drastically his complexion had paled. Despite this, she still extended her left hand towards him, gently asking, "Shall we go, Nobunaga-sama...?"......After the most terrifying and exhilarating twenty minutes of his entire life, Nobu was grateful to be on solid ground once again. The view from atop Hisui had been unbelievably breathtaking but that did little to alleviate the fear that he might slip off and plummet to his death. There wasn't anything like a harness on the inordinately large owl's back, so, throughout the flight, Nobu clung to Yui as if his life, quite literally, depended on it.Fortunately, though it did little to distract him from his potential peril, Nobu also had Yuriko sitting right behind him. She not only wrapped her arms around his waist, gently massaging his abdomen with the tips of her fingers, but, throughout the flight, her breasts had been pressed up against his back as she rested her head against his shoulders. This helped him relax quite a bit, but, more than anything else, it was the crisp and fresh air, completely overriding any smells, that allowed Nobu to remain calm.Since he was genuinely curious, Nobu waited until Hisui disappeared into the sky before asking, "Is it possible to reach a level where you can fall from any height without being killed...?"Surprised by Nobu's question, neither Yui nor Yuriko immediately answered. Instead, it was Shizune who chimed in, nervousness audible in her tone as she said, "Ano...N-Nobunaga-sama...I can answer that..."With Shizune having provided the vast majority of the information he had obtained since his arrival in this world, Nobu simply nodded in response to her statement before saying, "Go ahead." in a flat yet casual tone.Offering her usual smile, Shizune seemed to regain a bit of her confidence as she explained, "While it is uncommon in Nian, predominately due to the popularity of the Metal Infusion Technique, there are a number of cultivation methods that allow skilled practitioners to fall from extreme heights. As for practitioners of the Metal Infusion Technique, you would need to achieve the pinnacle of Mithril Lord to manage such a feat. After that, thanks to the shock absorption properties of Adamantine, it is a simple matter to survive from otherwise fatal falls."Though a part of him still hated Shizune to the core, Nobu wasn't an unforgiving asshole. He could appreciate when someone was trying to be useful, so, in response to the ingratiating smile Shizune had adopted towards the end of her explanation, he offered a curt nod before saying, "Thanks. You have a good head on your shoulders. If you weren't hiding a sadistic and opportunistic bitch under that little mask of yours, you'd actually be pretty cute."Forcing herself to laugh despite the very clear insult, Shizune made a mental note to try and avoid upsetting Nobu in the future. She knew she had mistreated him, quite egregiously, but it was still a little hurtful to hear him mix insults into every compliment he gave her. Even the Elders didn't scold her with any real venom in their tone. Thus, every time Nobu insulted her, Shizune felt an agonizing sensation near the center of her chest, almost like her heart was being squeezed...Furrowing his brows in response to Shizune's reaction, Nobu decided to ignore her as he turned to Yui and asked, "What now? I'm guessing there's a reason we stopped at the base of the mountain?"Nodding her head, Yui pulled out a jade talisman roughly shaped like half a yin-yang symbol. Then, while holding it up to the transparent dome that seemed to surround the entire mountain, she said, "Even Contracted Beasts will gradually begin to lose their life force if they enter a domain protected by a Human God. Though Inari Okami-sama possesses the characteristics of a fox, she is still one of the patron Goddesses of the Nianese people. She presides over Industriousness, Agriculture, Grains, and Fertility so she is quite an important figure. The Divine Power exuded by her tail is what allowed Owari to become one of the key grain producers in all the land. It isn't an overstatement to say that Inari Okami-sama is the Guardian Goddess of Owari..."Though she couldn't help adopting a melancholic smile as she praised the Goddess that had cursed her Clan, it couldn't be denied that the rest of Owari had benefited greatly from their suffering. This was also one of the foundational pillars maintaining their alliance with the Oda Clan, so, while their situation was more than a little tragic, the curse had allowed them to survive the last six-thousand-years without any significant threats to their survival.By the time Yui had finished her explanation, a torii gate, one of those red gates found lining the paths to shrines in Japan, manifested out of thin air. The weirdest thing about this, at least from Nobu's perspective, was that the gate almost resembled a door to another world. The mountain appeared untamed from the outside, but, peering through the luminescent gate, there was a set of stone steps leading up the mountain, several additional torii, and a number of residential structures hidden amongst the trees.Gesturing with her right hand, Yui adopted her increasingly radiant smile as she said, "Welcome to Yumegakure, the Village Hidden Within Dreams. Don't worry. Despite its name, you're not going to be spirited away the moment you step through the gate~."Unaccustomed to Yui's teasing, not just Nobu, but everyone stared at the raven-haired warrior-in-training with varying degrees of stupefaction written across their faces. This caused a subtle shade of red to color her cheeks, but, having already resolved herself to change, Yui managed to maintain her smile as she cupped her hands together, one hand over her fist, and said, "Please allow me to guide you, Nobunaga-sama..."Resisting the urge to scratch the back of his head, Nobu adopted an uncomfortable expression on his face before ultimately saying, "Sure..." in an awkward tone. He really didn't like these formalities, but, assuming it was for the best he play along, at least until he got a better grasp of the situation, he allowed Yui to lead the way while Yuriko led Shizune and Rynka towards a seven-tiered pagoda located relatively close to the edge of the barrier.Seeing several other unique structures built into the side and seemingly within the mountain itself, Nobu actually had quite a number of questions he wanted to ask. Despite this, he stayed absolutely silent as Yui led him further up the steps. He wasn't a particularly timid human being, but, as could be expected, Yumegakure was filled to the brim with beautiful, attractive, and scantily clad women. Not a single one of them appeared to be over the age of thirty, and, to make matters exponentially worse, there were naked little girls running around, seemingly without a care in the world...Noticing Nobu's discomfort, a conflicted look marred Yui's expression as she explained, "Kunoichi are taught to embrace their nakedness from a young age. Even a mild aversion to nudity can lead to death on the battlefield so even warriors conduct exposure training in order to curb their natural impulses. For the majority of warriors, this occurs between the ages of 8-14. Due to our line of work, we start a little earlier..."Seeing two little girls, neither older than the age of ten, wrestling naked while an additional half-dozen cheered them on from the sides, Nobu's expression remained remarkably sullen as he said, "Yeah...no shit..."Though they didn't seem to care, Nobu did his best to avoid looking at anyone in particular. This didn't prevent nearly everyone they passed along the way from looking at him, but, considering he was one of only seventeen males in a village housing hundreds of Kunoichi, this wasn't particularly surprising. His height wasn't doing him any favors in this regard, as, even from afar, it was painfully easy to deduce he was a man from how he towered over literally everyone else...As if guided by fate to make his life as miserable as it could possibly be, a group of girls resembling naked primary schoolers invariably began to follow along, the boldest among them asking, "Ne, ne, Yui-sama. Where did you find this giant person? Is he going to help our older sisters make babies?" with excitement and curiosity exuding from her leaf-green eyes.Were it not for the fact they were strictly educated to never touch a man who wasn't their target, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Nobu would be swarmed by curious little girls. He didn't know this at the time, but it quickly became one of the only policies he approved of until he learned the reason behind it. The girls were intended to imprint upon their first target to make their act more convincing, so, prior to becoming kunoichi, they were prohibited from having any physical contact with men.As a result of this policy, the twenty-odd girls surrounding Nobu and Yui followed along with their hands behinds their backs. This would have been an adorable sight if they were clothed, but, from his perspective, all Nobu saw was blue skies overhead. As for Yui, she did her best to get the girls to scatter. Unfortunately, despite many of the girls referring to her with the suffix -sama, none of them actually listened to her. She was disdained by a vast majority of the clan, so, even though the oldest among the group was a mere eight years old, she had more prestige among the other children than the granddaughter of the current Matriarch. This caused Yui's expression to gradually default to the one she had worn during her first meeting with Nobu, a cold and detached look that radiated just enough bloodlust to compel the inexperienced girls to scatter.........(A/N: Village Hidden Within Dreams? More like Nobu's nightmare...)

By the time the effects of the Dragon's Vigor had worn off, the sun had already started its descent towards the horizon. Were it not for the mystical properties of the herb, Nobu was pretty sure the two girls would have fucked him to death. This was infinitely better than getting isekai'd via school shooting, however, and, once everything was said and done, Nobu felt as though he had achieved a form of enlightenment as he cradled the two naked beauties resting their heads on his shoulders.Unfortunately, just as he was thinking about dozing off, a peaceful smile on his face, Nobu's body betrayed him. He hadn't eaten anything in almost twenty-four-hours, so, shortly after the Dragon's Vigor wore off, his stomach released an audible rumble that immediately alerted the duo resting at his sides.Before he could say anything to stop them, Yui and Yuriko both sat up at the same time, the former saying, "I'll fetch something immediately." while the latter added, "It's already late in the day so we might as well set camp. Traveling at night is ill-advised while fatigued."As the duo immediately set out to retrieve their clothes, Nobu forced himself to a seated position, saying, "Yo, hold up. You girls need to chill out. We just spent the whole day fucking. Let those two brats spying on us set camp and grab something to eat. I might not be the sentimental type, but I like to relax for a bit after having sex. You can't tell me you're not tired."Since the Yang Energy contained within the herb had helped them recover the majority of their aura reserves, indiscernibly wry smiles appeared on the girls' faces as they exchanged glances. Then, as if they were suddenly in sync with each other, they shifted their attention towards the entrance of the cave, Yuriko being the one to call out, "Shizune. Rynka. Get in here."Responding to the command, Rynka, now having mostly recovered from the beating Yui had given her, entered the cave with a ruddy hue coloring her cheeks. She had arrived sometime around noon after Yui and Yuriko failed to return. Since then, she had been spying on the trio as they engaged in their carnal act while Shizune, following Nobu's advice, spent most of the day sunbathing atop the rocky outcrop. This caused her to appear shortly after Rynka, but, rather than a red face, it wasn't an exaggeration to say her entire body was colored with a ruddy hue...Hissing in pain at the mere sight of Shizune, Nobu couldn't help saying, "Holy shit." before asking, "Are you okay? You look like a fucking lobster..."Staring at Nobu with dull and lifeless eyes, Shizune reacted with a courteous bow before replying, "Thank you for your concern. Once I apply the ointment in my bag, I'll be fine...""Right..."Though he was intending to have Shizune go out and search for their food, Nobu shifted his gaze to the chibi with pitch-black hair, asking, "Your name was Rynka, right?"Startling to attention the moment Nobu asked her a question, Rynka exclaimed, "Yes! This little one is known as Yoshitsune Rynka! It is my life's greatest honor to make your acquaintance, Nobunaga-dono...!"Punctuating her words, Rynka bowed forward at an angle that would have been impossible were it not for the fact she was keeping herself rooted to the ground with her aura. As for how she learned of his identity, well, Yuriko, in particular, hadn't exactly been quiet.With a moderately incredulous expression on his face, Nobu was about to tell Rynka to go off and procure them some food when Yuriko suddenly stated, "Our Lor-I mean-Nobu does not believe in lying with girls under the age of eighteen. You need not worry that he will attempt to lay his hands on you. Now, go and fetch us some food. As for you, Shizune, come over here. I'll help you apply an ointment. After that, we'll begin setting camp."Raising her head in response to Yuriko's words, a practiced smile that didn't quite reach her eyes appeared on Shizune's face as she replied, "Understood, Yuriko-sama. I thank you in advance for your kindness.". As for Rynka, she had vanished in a flash of bright silver almost immediately after being told to go fetch some food.With Yui having already taken a seat at his side, Nobu didn't feel the need to talk over or change Yuriko's directions. He was still adapting to the whole being in charge thing, so, instead of making things unnecessarily complicated, he just wrapped his arm around Yui's body and enjoyed the sight of one naked woman rubbing some kind of lotion onto another. They even began setting camp in this state, so, for the better part of twenty minutes, Nobu just absentmindedly caressed Yui's belly while observing the two busty beauties pitch a tent and scrawl a bunch of strange patterns in their birthday suits...Though she was tempted to ask what he was thinking, Yui didn't want to interrupt Nobu's thoughts. He had said he wanted to relax, so, for the time being, she just rested her head against his shoulder with her eyes closed. It was only when Yuriko and Shizune had finished erecting the barrier that she opened her eyes and asked, "Would you prefer it if we stay disrobed?" as if it was a pressing matter that needed to be discussed.With Yuriko and Shizune suddenly turning to stare directly at him, a feeling of awkwardness washed over Nobu's body as he released Yui's waist and answered, "Nah. As much as I enjoy seeing naked women roaming around, I ain't desperate enough to force it. Go ahead and get dressed if you want. I'll probably wash up and do the same."Nodding her head in understanding, Yui rose to her feet and said, "After I get dressed, I'll go and fetch some water. When I return, please allow me to clean your body. Even if you don't wish to be treated like a Lord, it is easier for Yuriko and me to regard you as such. You might disagree with the teachings of the Yoshitsune Clan but we have spent our entire lives preparing to attend you. Please don't take that away from us..."Taken aback by Yui's words, Nobu was going to ask about her dream of becoming a warrior. When he noticed the sincere plea in her eyes, however, the words immediately got stuck in his throat. This made him feel extremely uncomfortable, but, after several seconds of inordinately tense silence, he ultimately just released an exasperated sigh and muttered, "Whatever...do what you want..."Displaying a rare smile that legitimately caused Nobu's heart to skip a beat, Yui offered a courteous bow before stating in a sincere tone, "Thank you for tolerating this one's selfish request, Nobunaga-sama..."Rolling his eyes, Nobu turned his face away without bothering to reply. This caused even Shizune to adopt a slight smile, but, thanks to his vision being directed away from the naked trio, Nobu didn't see it. Instead, he was internally cursing, ("Fuck. I really did it this time. Now, even if I wanted to get away, these bitches will probably follow me to the ends of the earth...")Despite his internal griping and the fact he had crossed his arms in defiance, Nobu's expression and body language showed that he wasn't actually all that upset. Yui had been a tremendous pain in his ass, sure, but she was still a good girl. As for Yuriko, well, Nobu would be lying if he said she didn't have one of the most rockin' bodies he had ever seen. She gave off the impression of a clinger, but, in this kind of world, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, it was better to have people who wanted to be with you than forcing yourself to remain alone in a world you knew nothing about.........Since he had made it 'optional', Yuriko spent most of the evening completely naked. Nobu's words had left a deep impression on her, so, believing he appreciated her body, she wanted to display it as much as possible.Similar to Yuriko, albeit for 'very' different reasons, Shizune remained predominately naked until the red coloration of her skin began to fade away. The only garment she chose to wear before that was her inordinately expensive panties. When Nobu finally got around to asking about their origins, she explained they were an import from a remote overseas country known as Granus. When pressed for further details, she went on to explain that the founders of Granus had uncovered numerous ruins dating all the back to the Age of Gods, an Era roughly 40,000 years in the past. Many of these ruins included advanced production facilities, so, despite being relatively young as a country, Granus had already secured its position as a world power thanks to its Automatons, unequaled industrial might, and one of the greatest Navies in the entire world.Hearing all of this, Nobu asked if Granus was located overseas and to the East. Unsurprisingly, the answer was a resounding yes, so, even without seeing a world map, it was safe to assume that this world was geographically similar to the Earth he had come from. He could also surmise that Granus was this world's version of the United States. This might have incited some semblance of comfort in other Reincarnators, but, considering how abysmal his home country's gun policies had been, Nobu was genuinely horrified by the notion of a US filled with cultivators and backed by ancient weapons of war...Fortunately, at least for the time being, Granus was more focused on developing infrastructure and tightening its borders than meddling in the affairs of other countries. It was also nowhere near the most powerful nation in the world. That was a title ordinarily associated with the Heavenly Kingdom of Tai and The Holy Empire, nations that Nobu suspected to be this world's versions of China and Europe. As for other threats, there was the Dark Continent, a land purported to be overflowing with Demons, the Frozen North, ruled by Ice Giants, and, most notably, the Savage Lands located to the South of Granus.Using the same reasoning that had led to him associating the Heavenly Kingdom with China and the Holy Empire with Europe, Nobu assumed that the Dark Continent was basically Africa while the other two were Russia and South America. As for what made them dangerous, the Dark Continent was apparently ruled by a Demon King named Solomon who looked down upon the world from a tower that pierced the Heavens. The others were governed by two of the Eight Sovereign Species, specifically Ice Giants and Amazons. As for what made them dangerous, the former's very existence caused an endless winter to sweep across the lands while the latter, as could be expected, was filled with 'savage women' who executed weak men while taking those that suited their fancy as breeding stock.Though Amazons were known to be quite beautiful, it was rumored that they possessed an ability to drain the life force and cultivation of men. The men they captured would never be seen again, and, after thousands of years of observation, it was all but confirmed that Amazons only gave birth to female descendants. This was, ironically, one of the traits that protected them, as, in nearly every other country, women were effectively regarded as broodmares. Between 5~20% of their cultivation base was inherited by their offspring as raw potential. Thus, while most of the world considered the Amazons to be savages, Nobu couldn't help feeling that the entire world was fucked in the head.........(A/N: Oho. A little bit of world-building to spice things up. I'm liking where this is going...)

Chapter 40: Close to Home