Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

Recovering from his initial shock, Nobu answered, "Uh...yeah...?" while scratching the back of his head.("Did Kazue infect me...?")As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu nearly jumped out of his skin when Kaia smashed face-first into the iron bars. At the exact same time, Yui stepped out in front of him, shouting, "Kaia! Heel...!"Hearing Yui's command, Kaia backed away from the slightly bent prison bars, blood dripping from her forehead as she plopped to the ground. Throughout this entire process, she continued staring directly at Nobu, her pupils rapidly expanding and contracting as she breathed heavily from behind the bars.Though she didn't move from in front of Nobu, Yui nodded in approval, saying, "Good. Now, stay. If you lose your calm, we'll have no choice but to leave."With her claws kneading the reinforced stone floor as if it was tofu, Kaia nodded her head and said, "I know...I just...I just wanted to be closer to him..." in a somewhat pain-filled tone.Exhaling a sigh, Yui was about to say something to try and pacify Kaia's frustrations when Nobu surprised them both by remarking, "Holy shit. Are those claws? You even have paw pads on your palms. Talk about a furry's wet dream...""My Lord...?"Bypassing the confused Yui, Nobu forced himself to walk until he was just outside of Kaia's range. The girls had already explained all the safety precautions to him. More importantly, they had told him that he shouldn't exhibit fear in front of Kaia. This was pretty much impossible, but, fortunately for everyone involved, he was genuinely intrigued by the wolfish woman's appearance."Let me see your paws..."Without any hesitation whatsoever, Kaia extended her hand through the bars as if she was trying to grab Nobu's face. Fortunately, there was a line on the ground that denoted the maximum distance she could extend her claws. Nobu was several centimeters behind this line so there was still ample distance between his paling face and the shimmering black claws extending towards him."You really know how to give a guy a heart attack..."Furrowing her brows in response to Nobu's words, Kaia asked, "D-Did I do something bad...?" while straining to squeeze her shoulder through the bars.Noticing Kaia's attempt, Nobu did his best to appear stern as he said, "Stop trying to force your way out. You need to calm down. What did Yui just say? I don't want to leave but you're not leaving me with much of a choice..."Though she didn't retract her hand, Kaia ceased trying to force her way through the cell bars. This somehow made her even scarier, almost like a grenade that had lost its pin or a massive firework that had run down its fuse without exploding...Resisting the urge to wipe away the sweat from his brow, Nobu stared at Kaia's paws with a curious yet cautious gaze. Her hands were nothing like the hands of a person. Her digits were much thicker, and, despite being covered in silvery white fur, it was possible to make out the musculature hidden beneath. They gave off the impression she could crush metal with her grip strength...Ignoring the vicious black claws extending and retracting from Kaia's paws, seemingly in tune with the beating of her heart, Nobu ran his along the rest of her arm. Her forearm was entirely covered in the same silvery-white fur as her paws. As for her upper arm and bicep, it almost appeared dainty at a glance, but, every time her muscles tensed, they would swell noticeably...Following the path of Kaia's body, Nobu's eyes nearly descended towards her rather voluminous chest by pure instinct. Instead, he managed to shift his focus to the muzzle around her face, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he saw the rather prominent canines concealed within. She also produced a fair amount of steamy condensation with every breath, and, when he finally returned his gaze to her eyes, Nobu had the distinct impression that she would devour him down to the bone if not for the cell bars separating them..."You're pretty scary..."Though his words were intended more as an observation than an insult, Nobu was surprised to see the oversized ears atop Kaia's head droop rather pathetically the moment he finished speaking. At the same time, the tensions in her body seemed to drain away, almost as if she were deflating right in front of him.Since he was shit at apologizing, Nobu offered a wry smile as he extended his hand, surprising both Kaia and Yui as he poked the former's paw pad and added, "Relax. I wasn't trying to make you feel-"Before Nobu could finish his non-apology, he felt a sharp pain from his shoulder as Kaia pulled him against the prison bars with extreme force. This caused Yui to exclaim, "Kaia! Bad...!" in a remarkably panicked tone, her body tensing like a spring as she prepared herself to cut down the white-haired wolf girl.Fortunately, Nobu had become increasingly accustomed to pain ever since his arrival in this new world. As a result, he was able to hold up his hand, groaning, "Calm down..." even as Kaia strained her muzzle against the cell bars, eagerly inhaling his scent.With the power disparity between them, Nobu knew that Kaia could rip him apart without any real effort. Instead, she pulled him towards her with an inhuman yet tolerable amount of force. In other words, the thought of harming him hadn't crossed her mind. Instead, as she had stated previously, she just wanted to be close to him...Though she didn't retract the sword in her hands, Yui forced herself to nod as she stared directly at Kaia's panicky but possessive expression. She could tell that the latter didn't mean to do any harm, but, at the same time, there was an unwillingness in her eyes that made it clear she wasn't going to cooperate as usual.As that thought crossed her mind, Yui was genuinely surprised to see Kaia obey when Nobu said, "I want to turn around and face you. Let go of my arm. I won't run away..."After a very brief moment of hesitation, Kaia reluctantly released Nobu's arm. She had been taught to trust and obey him her entire life. Thus, even though this was their first meeting, she felt a strong compulsion to do as he said.Drastically increasing the tensions in Yui's body, Nobu ignored the pain in his shoulder as he turned to face Kaia. Then, before she could forcibly seize him a second time, he said, "Give me your hand..." while extending his own.Though it took a considerable amount of willpower not to draw Nobu towards her, Kaia ultimately presented her hand, palm facing upward. In response, Nobu grabbed her wrist with his right hand before gingerly placing his left hand overtop hers. He had encountered numerous tropes since his arrival in this world so he wanted to see if he couldn't use 'gentleness' to try and get through to the untamed woman. This was pretty common in movies and other forms of fiction, so, with Kaia having spent most of her life isolated from others, Nobu felt compelled to treat her gently..."Your heart is beating quickly...are you afraid...?"Hearing Nobu's question, the pupils in Kaia's eyes contracted as she quickly retracted her paw from his grasp. To Yui's surprise, she even took a few steps away from the cell bars as she said, "Kaia isn't afraid of anything..." in a thoroughly unconvincing tone.Demonstrating considerable surprise of his own, Nobu stared blankly at Kaia's retreating figure. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this certainly wasn't it."My Lord..."Since the time for casualness had long since passed, Yui defaulted to referring to Nobu as her Lord while restraining the urge to charge over and pull him away from the danger zone.Without removing his gaze from Kaia, Nobu left Yui feeling an inexplicable urge to ask what the hell was wrong with him as he said, "Yui...unlock the gate...""...""..."With even Kaia staring at him as if he had lost his mind, Nobu could feel his skin beginning to crawl as he rolled his injured shoulder and asked, "What? Are you thinking about hurting me...?"Responding without any hesitation, Kaia shouted, "No! Kaia would never hurt Master...!" as her eyes briefly flickered towards his shoulder.Though he noticed Kaia's gaze, Nobu pretended not to as he said, "Then it's fine." before turning to Yui and saying, "You know I don't like repeating myself..."Clenching her teeth, Yui restrained the urge to smack Nobu on the head with the butt of her sword as she turned to the woman who had escorted them, saying, "Hand me the key...""Yui-sama..."Adopting a serious expression on her face, Yui absorbed her sword back into her aura as she said, "The Matriarch and the Elders have placed their trust in Nobunaga-sama and his judgment. Are you questioning them...?"Shaking her head rapidly, the rather plain-looking kunoichi immediately produced the key to Kaia's cell, saying, "I would never...!" in a slightly panicked tone."Wise choice."Accepting the key, Yui ignored her own inhibitions as she walked over and promptly unlatched the lock. She wanted to ask if Nobu was certain, but, fearing she might make things worse, she steeled her heart, suppressed her better judgment, and decided to trust in him.In truth, Nobu had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He was basically just winging things and making decisions based on the flow of events. He didn't really view himself as anything like a 'main character', but, after everything that had happened, he suspected that fate or whatever might be on his side. Besides, he had already died once. What was the worst that could happen?Ignoring the urge to punch himself in the face for having such thoughts, Nobu stepped into Kaia's cell without any obvious hesitation. Then, despite feeling as though he had just entered a cage with a carnivorous animal, he took a knee and said, "Come here..." with his hand extended towards the wolfish beauty.To Nobu's surprise, Kaia replied, "I shouldn't..." despite staring at him with hungry eyes.Returning a smile, Nobu asked, "The person who told you that...are their words more important to you than mine?"With her pupils contracting, Kaia clasped her paws together as if she were about to pray as she said, "Kaia doesn't want to hurt Master..."Though the hairs on his forearms stood on end, Nobu did his best to maintain a calm smile as he said, "Then don't. That doesn't stop you from coming near me..."Widening her eyes, Kaia began to fidget slightly as she said, "But Kaia is dangerous...she isn't-"Without waiting for her to finish, Nobu said, "You were born to serve and protect me. I've made you wait eighteen years. Are you telling me I can't trust you...?"Shaking her head with enough force to make her inordinately large ears flop, Kaia exclaimed, "No! Master can trust Kaia...!" in a shrill yet resolute tone.Visibly relaxing, Nobu's smile became more genuine as he said, "Then it's fine. So long as you keep that in mind, there isn't any reason you can't come near me. Right?"Though she had been taught to stay away from others, Kaia found herself unable to refute Nobu's logic. Thus, after a considerable amount of hesitation, she proceeded to hesitantly crawl towards him. This caused the smile on Nobu's face to turn somewhat wry, but, from start to finish, he did his best to appear calm as Kaia extended her paw to place in his hand."Good girl..."Feeling a tingly sensation run through her body, Kaia managed a somewhat scary smile as her tail began to brush along the ground, gently sweeping from side to side. This gave Nobu the urge to laugh. Unfortunately, the moment he dropped his guard, Kaia literally pounced on him, shouting, "Master~!" in a surprisingly girly tone.......(A/N:

Though there were a number of reasons why it wasn't okay for Kaia to pounce on him, one of the most factors for Nobu was how well developed she was. He wouldn't be a man if he didn't have any reaction at all when a buxom and mature woman was rubbing up against him. This wouldn't have been a problem with other women, but, thanks to her enhanced senses, it wasn't long before Kaia's pupils dilated as she asked, "Master wants to mate with Kaia...?""Hold up. You need to calm-"Before he could finish his words, Nobu found himself at a loss as Kaia brought her face near his crotch and took a very prolonged whiff of his junk. Just one would have been awkward, but, as if it was the most intoxicating thing she had ever smelled, Kaia held firm to Nobu's waist as she nuzzled her muzzle against the fabric of his yukata like a dog looking for a treat.("Fuck! Not this shit again...!")Fearing that he would get assaulted in front of Yui and the chick that had escorted them, Nobu did one of the only things he could think to do at the moment, his hands firmly grasping the sides of Kaia's head as he said, "Kaia! Bad girl...!""...!?"Though he wasn't quite sure what he expected, Nobu was both surprised and relieved when Kaia promptly jumped away from him with enough force to embed the nails of her hands and feet into the wall. This allowed her to literally cling to the wall upside down, an extremely stressed look on her face as she stared at him through the gaps in her hair.Patting himself on the chest, Nobu remained seated as he exhaled a sigh and said, "Come here. This time, try not to jump on me. I don't mind if you want to get close, but there are limits to what you can and can't do. And no. While you are certainly very attractive, I don't want to mate with you. My body just reacted because you were rubbing up against me..."Relaxing her claws, Kaia managed to dislodge herself from the wall before cautiously crawling over to Nobu's side. She didn't really understand most of his words but she knew enough not to repeat the same mistakes as before. This time, instead of pouncing on him immediately, she waited for him to extend his hand before rubbing her head and ears against it.As strange as the scene of a mature beauty behaving like a pet was, Nobu would be lying if he said he didn't find it strangely endearing. He had never even considered pet play and he would probably beat the living shit out of anyone who dared to refer to him as a furry. Now, however, he could kind of understand why people were into that kind of shit...With his fingers digging into the base of Kaia's inordinately large and fluffy ears, Nobu repeated the same phrase that had compelled the bestial beauty to pounce on him, his tone soft and ostensibly affectionate as he muttered, "Good girl..."Though her body tensed like a spring, Kaia managed to restrain the urge to pounce. Instead, she just moved closer to Nobu's side, affectionately nestling against him with her paw clinging to the fabric of his yukata. She was quite a bit larger than most Nianese women at 169cm tall, but, the moment she beside her Master, Kaia felt like she was a tiny mouse seeking the warmth of a hearth in wintertime. She could feel his body heat flowing into her, and, though it wasn't enough to fill the emptiness that had accompanied her throughout her entire life, it helped a lot..."Master..."......After a much longer stay than anyone anticipated, Nobu managed to pacify Kaia after promising to prepare a place for her at their new home. The thought of leaving her alone didn't sit well with him. He also had no intention of trekking halfway over the mountain once a month just to see her. Thus, for both of their sakes, he intended to have Kaia moved to his personal estate on the Northern side of the mountain."That went surprisingly well. I never imagined you would have such a way with Kaia. Nobody else has ever been able to get that close to her..."Though he knew Yui was trying to compliment him, Nobu was still feeling a little annoyed about Kaia's situation. He knew he was the main reason for her imprisonment, but he still felt compelled to ask, "Have you ever tried? It seems to me like everyone has been treating her like a wild animal..."Exhaling a tired sigh, Yui left Nobu feeling at a loss for words as she said, "You're right. However, we treated her that way for a reason. Lycans are among the most dangerous and bloodthirsty creatures in all of Nian. What you saw tonight is the most stable version of Kaia. As the moon begins its cycle anew, she will begin to grow increasingly temperamental as her body experiences rapid changes. By the eve of the full moon, she will be indistinguishable from a pure-blooded Lycan whose animalistic instincts compel her to consume human flesh..."Remembering the time her grandmother had forced everyone in Nobu's entourage to witness Kaia in her fully transformed state, a rare shudder ran through Yui's body. She had faced off against Aura Beasts that were dozens of times her size, but, the moment she found herself being stared down by the 3m tall werewolf, her body had frozen up like a small animal that had just encountered an apex predator. It was like staring into the eyes of death. There was nothing any of them could do.Noticing the strange states of Yui and the other girls escorting him, Nobu opted to remain silent for the rest of the journey. Even Kiku seemed genuinely spooked and she was wearing a demonic mask that covered the lower half of her face. Thus, at least for the time being, he decided not to question their decision to detain the surprisingly adorable wolf woman........."What do you think? He's rather interesting, isn't he~?"Having observed the encounter between Nobu and Kaia from start to finish, Hitomi's impression of him had improved quite a bit. Sure, he was foolish and naive to the point of being a liability, but, at the same time, there was a certain charm to his behavior that made people want to support him."His ability to suppress his fear is remarkable. Had he been born in a shinobi family, he would have become an excellent assassin..."Shifting her attention to the woman who had spoken, Hitomi adopted an amused smile as she said, "Fumetsu-dono. While I can appreciate your passion, your penchant for evaluating people based on their capacity as an assassin is ill-suited for this particular situation..."With a dark mask covering the lower half of her face, long bangs covering her eyes, and pitch-black sclera framing her golden eyes, it was impossible to see even a modicum of change in Fumetsu, the Security Elder's expression. The ornamental gold and black horns protruding from her forehead also gave her a rather demonic impression, so, whenever people encountered her for the first time, they would typically freeze up, forfeiting their lives in the process."..."Since she didn't really have anything else to contribute, Fumetsu decided to remain silent so that others might have a chance to speak. This allowed Suzune, who was in high spirits after reaching a compromise with Nobu, to remark, "I concur. His personality and character are markedly different from native-born Nianese. He presents himself as a harsh and abrasive person on the surface, but, deep down, he has a kind and forgiving heart. We'll have to take extra precautions to prevent him from being taken advantage of. Ufufufufu~"Contributing her own giggle, Hitomi made a mental note to keep a close eye on Suzune in the near future as she shifted her heterochromatin gaze to the final Elder present, Yumie, the Poison Elder. In response, the latter returned a teasing smile as she noted, "He has inherited the temperament Lord Seken was known for in his youth. I'm looking forward to seeing how the two will interact with each other."Though she could have concealed it, Hitomi allowed a reminiscent smile to develop across her face as she mused, "You're right. To that end, we must do everything in our power to protect Nobunaga-sama until he can mature. The fate of Nian may very well depend on it..."As those words left her lips, Hitomi caressed the glowing crystal ball with the palm of her hand. This earned her curious looks from the three Elders, but, understanding the former had a personal stake in their Young Lord's fate, they elected not to question her intentions.........After a surprisingly peaceful evening, Nobu awoke to find Yui nestled against him in all her naked glory. This was becoming increasingly common as of late, so, without thinking about it, he planted a simple peck on her forehead before rising to stretch his back and body.Waiting until she heard Nobu's groan, Yui resisted the urge to touch her head as she opened her eyes and emulated his behavior. This earned her an amused chuckle from the former, who, at the same time, couldn't help internally remarking, ("I guess yawning is as infectious here as it is in my previous world.")As that thought crossed his mind, the smile on Nobu's face faded as the voice of Yuriko reached his ears, asking, "Need some help with that?"Even without following the direction of her gaze, Nobu knew Yuriko was asking about the rather sizeable tent he was pitching. His interactions with Kaia had left him a little high strung, but, due to how tired he had been, the notion of having sex had only briefly crossed his mind.Though he was tempted to say it would take care of itself, Nobu recalled that it had been a few days since he and Yuriko last did anything together. He was gradually beginning to come to terms with the fact that he owed each of these girls quite a lot, so, after a moment of consideration, he surprised by Yui and Yuriko by lying back, hands crossed behind his head as he said, "Go for it." in an ostensibly casual tone.As her initial intention had been to tease him, Yuriko was pleasantly surprised by Nobu's response. For a brief moment, she even had a triumphant look on her face until she noticed Yui staring at her with a pointed look in her eyes. This caused her smile to immediately vanish, but, deep down, deep enough that it tickled a certain spot beneath her navel, Yuriko was still feeling very excited.Fortunately, Yuriko almost always kept her hair in a ponytail. Thus, under the watchful eyes of quite a number of Kunoichi, she deftly loosened the belt of Nobu's yukata before lowering her mouth to meet his glans. Then, for the better part of half an hour, she used every technique she could think of to keep him hard for as long as possible. A part of her hoped that he would get excited enough to ask for sex, but, with multiple people watching, she knew it wasn't going to happen.........Taking advantage of the fact that Nobu and his entourage were away, Inami was skulking around the former's bedroom with a serious expression on her face. As the Guardian of the Clan, she knew all the Clan's secrets, so, while others would struggle to navigate the waterway hidden beneath the estate, it might as well be an open passage from her perspective."Come on...there has to be something here. How can I possibly seduce that man if I don't know anything about him?"With the intention of discovering some kind of weakness, Inami was crawling around on all fours with her nose pressed to the ground. There were a lot of different scents present within the room, but, as time passed, an idea of who she could target began to appear in the back of the kitsune's mind.........(A/N: O_O...)

"..."Staring at the mature pinkette pressing her forehead to the floor, Nobu remained silent for several minutes. He was honestly tempted to see how long she could keep this up, but, understanding he was basically stuck here so long as she was, Nobu ultimately replied, "Fine. But I have conditions. If she violates even a single one of these, it will be your responsibility to pass judgment on her..."Raising her head, Suzune adopted one of the most beautiful smiles Nobu had ever seen as she said, "Worry not, Nobunaga-sama. I have already had a "very" long discussion with my daughter after the previous incident. So long as your conditions are not too extreme, I can promise she will obey them to the letter. I ask only that you take her future status into consideration when you interact with her around others..."Since Shizune had told her about Nobu making her behave like an animal, Suzune was seriously considering having her daughter spend the next couple of months as his pet. Given his nature, it was only a matter of time before he either softened up or got tired of seeing her behave that way. After that, it was relatively smooth sailing for them both.Unaware of the wily and marginally unhinged woman's thoughts, Nobu replied, "Whatever. I'll write up a list and give it to you in the next couple of days. For now, let's talk about the personnel issue..."Nodding her head, Suzune produced a rather sizeable stack of files transcribed on hemp paper and bamboo roll before providing her personal opinion on each of the women within.Unsurprisingly, most of the women were in their late twenties with very few surpassing their thirties. They were experts who had chosen to spend their remaining days educating the next generation in the hopes their experience might serve the clan and decrease the mortality rate of young kunoichi in the field.What surprised Nobu was that quite a number of younger kunoichi and even a handful of trainees had been included among the stack of candidates. Some of these were the most talented members of their generation while others seemed to have been thrown in at completely random."What the hell? Is this girl a demon...?"Though the images in the files were just detailed ink drawings, it was still possible to make out the features of the people represented within. One of these showed a young girl but her proportions were slightly strange and there were horns sticking out of her forehead. Unfortunately, Nobu was unable to read anything recorded in the scroll so he could only rely on Suzune to translate.Seeing the scroll Nobu was referring to, Suzune nodded her head, explaining, "Ah, Onihime. This is a special case as she isn't actually a native descendent of the Yoshitsune Clan. She is the daughter of a deposed Lord from the Aizu-Ashina Clan who became an honorary member of the clan around fifty years ago. The Matriarch thought she would be a good fit as an attendant since Oni, even half-breeds, possess inordinately long lifespans. She is also unique in the fact that her cultivation base was destroyed around the time of her capture. If you are able to restore it, she will be a powerful asset to you in the future.""What the fuck? You're telling me this brat is more than fifty years old...?"Nodding her head, Suzune answered, "If I'm not mistaken, she should be turning sixty-eight years old by the end of Summer. As for her appearance, it is primarily the result of her heritage and her restricted cultivation. It's hard to know, really. Even after tens of thousands of years, very few clans have any meaningful information on Oni and their unique physiology. They generally dissolve into nothingness once killed and efforts to observe living specimens have resulted in quite a number of tragedies...""..."Though there was a lot he wanted to say, Nobu ultimately remained silent. He suspected that the only reason Onihime was being entrusted to him was because of his unique abilities. He could use the stone tablet to ascertain information that others simply weren't privy to. In other words, there was a very real chance this was simply a test to measure the extent of his capabilities. This would explain why there were so many random girls mixed in among the more qualified candidates. They most likely had something unique or special about them that the clan wanted to confirm...Shaking his head, Nobu asked, "You said this girl would be useful to me in the future. Does that mean the Yoshitsune Clan is giving her to me? What's the catch?"Without missing a beat, Suzune answered, "She is too old to remain in the clan. While we have accepted her as an honorary member, her longevity has become something of an issue after most of the people responsible for her integration have died. Now, now, there's no need for that face..."Seeing the frown forming on Nobu's face, Suzune couldn't resist covering her mouth with her sleeve and issuing an amused giggle before going on to explain, "The simple truth of the matter is that she has become progressively more apathetic towards life. It's not easy watching all the people you care about dying from various causes while you continue to live on. I believe the Matriarch was hoping you would be able to rekindle her passion by having her assist with the education and care of the children. You also do not harbor the same biases as normal Nianese citizens. I'm positive that factored into her decision quite a bit..."Though he wasn't going to simply accept Suzune's words at face value, Nobu still nodded his head before having her reveal what she knew about the other candidates. He wanted to know as much as possible before the actual interviews as it would be incredibly awkward to have someone like Yui or Kumiko translate for him. Sure, he could always use the stone tablet to auto-translate text using the camera function. Unfortunately, this required a fair amount of Aura. Thus, for the sake of preserving both his dignity and his points, Nobu was intending to learn how to read and write properly. Until then, he was basically illiterate.........By the time Suzune finally departed, the sun was well on its way towards the horizon. This left Nobu feeling mentally and physically drained, but, before he could even think about resting, Yui surprised him by mentioning, "Tonight is the night of the New Moon. I know you're tired, but please consider meeting with Kaia. She has already been informed of your arrival on the mountain so there's a fair chance she will have a breakdown if we miss this window of opportunity. The next one won't be for twenty-seven days..."Though he had completely forgotten about Kaia's existence due to everything else that was on his plate, Nobu quickly recalled her details after Yui's reminder. Kaia was apparently a Half-Lycan who had spent most of her life locked away in a specialized cell since it was simply too dangerous to let her roam freely. In other words, she had basically spent the last eighteen years of her life in prison..."Fine. Let me rest for an hour or two and then we'll head out. Also, next time, I would appreciate it if you reminded me about things like this sooner. I hate being blindsided like this..."Nodding her head in affirmation, Yui promptly replied, "I understand. I'll be sure to remember that." before falling silent and appearing somewhat hesitant. This was quickly noticed by Nobu as he had been sitting across from her. He had, more or less, forced her to eat together with him after asking Cho to prepare an additional portion during lunch. As for his reasoning, well, she was basically his fiancee. She might regard herself as more of a Mistress or a Concubine candidate but it wasn't like he was engaged to anyone else...(A/N: Bruh...)"What is it...?"Inhaling through her nose, Yui appeared to form her resolve as she stared directly at Nobu and asked, "Would it be too impertinent of me to ask if I can feed you...?"Though he managed to remain upright, Nobu felt as if his body had tilted to the side the moment he heard Yui's words. He also heard the sound of someone clicking their tongue in the background, but, with his attention focused on the front, he could only guess that it was Yuriko."Uh...sure...?"Displaying a relieved smile in response to Nobu's words, Yui deftly sliced a piece of salmon with her chopsticks before picking it up and pausing mid-extension. She realized that it would be difficult to feed him from across the tray of food, so, after a brief moment of hesitation, she scootched to the side before trying again, this time with a noticeable blush on her face.Swallowing before he had even sampled the salmon, Nobu accepted Yui's offer while feeling a form of nervousness he had never experienced before. This was a stark contrast to her usual behavior so she had managed to catch him completely by surprise."H-How is it...?"Blinking in surprise, Nobu was ashamed to realize he couldn't even remember the taste of the food. He had been staring at Yui's blushing face the entire time so his mind had failed to process what he had just eaten. Despite this, he still managed to answer, "It was delicious..." in a slightly awkward yet audibly sincere tone.........In hindsight, Nobu realized it was rather senseless of him to suggest traveling at night. There were no established paths on the Northern face of the mountain so it was a nightmare trying to navigate during the day. If not for Yuriko's and Kiku's ability to see in the dark, navigating through the dense forest would have been next to impossible.All in all, it took nearly three hours to reach the location where Kaia was being held. By then, Nobu was feeling both annoyed and exhausted. There were a ridiculous number of mosquitos inhabiting the mountain, and, unlike everyone else, he didn't have a convenient metal aura to protect him."What are the odds that we'll be able to shelter in the main estate tonight...?"Since there were quite a number of preparations that needed to be made in order to prepare Kaia to receive guests, Nobu decided to make small talk as Yui applied ointment to his many mosquito bites."Grandmother said that she would be preserving the state of your previous room. Should I send someone to make preparations for your arrival...?"As it was rumored to be harder to descend a mountain than it was to climb one, Nobu nodded his head without hesitation. There was no way in hell he was going to make another three-hour trek through a densely populated forest when even the Moon wasn't out to guide them. He had literally needed Yuriko to guide him by hand. Thus, rather than force himself to suffer just so he could sleep in his bed, Nobu didn't mind taking advantage of the Matriarch's hospitality."Nobunaga-sama, Yui-sama. Please, follow me."Rising to his feet the moment he heard the rather plain-looking woman's words, Nobu followed behind her as she led them down a rather claustrophobic spiral staircase. Fortunately, they only had to descend for a minute or two before reaching what appeared to be a refurbished dungeon. There, sitting with her back against the wall furthest from the cell bars was a remarkably beautiful woman with untamed white hair and eyes that glistened like moonlight.Though she wore what appeared to be a modified muzzle covering the lower half of her face, Nobu found himself stopping in place the moment he met the woman's pale-yellow eyes. Her gaze was so intense that he didn't even notice the inordinately large ears standing erect atop her head, the dense white fur covering her forearms and calves, or the fluffy white tail folded over her lap. For a brief moment, the only things that seemed to exist in the entire world were the subtly glowing orbs staring at him from behind the wrist-thick bars..."Are you my Master...?"......(A/N: Could this be the advent of the goodest girl...!?)

Chapter 72: Conquering Fear with Kindness