hotmtlnovel Chapter 108 Castle Keep
Chapter 108 Castle Keep
Ayato Kamisato hasn't come for a long time.
He Que tried her best not to think about him, and devoted herself to learning the wedding etiquette and various knowledge that she would need to master to become a mistress of the house every day.
In fact, she had learned all these things a long time ago, but when the time came, she always felt a little nervous and had to use this method to maintain her composure.
But what arrived even before the wedding date that made her uneasy was the return of her older sister, Kujo Sara, who had been sent by her father to suppress the rebels on Umijima Island.
He Que's peaceful life was completely shattered.
Kujo Sara seemed to have learned something from the blond traveler who had come with her, and had a big argument with her father.
Just passing by, and separated from the scene by a door, Suzaku couldn't hear clearly. He only vaguely heard the words "General" and "Fools." Before he could figure out what the connection was between the two, he saw Kujo Sara, her brows furrowed and her face contorted with anger, push open the door and rush out, seemingly heading towards the castle tower.
He Que couldn't help but frown, and quickly grabbed the blond traveler who was a step behind and hurriedly chasing after him, asking him what had happened.
"Sorry, we have urgent business to attend to!"
The blond traveler easily broke free from her grasp and chased after Kujo Sara.
Heque gritted her teeth secretly, not really wanting to care about what would happen next, but the feeling of impending storm in her heart kept lingering, driving her to follow behind and head towards the castle tower.
She arrived too late. The castle tower doors closed again after being opened, and Kujo Sara, for some unknown reason, fell into a coma and was carried out by the Okuzume clan.
She immediately went to greet him, wanting to check on Kujo Sara's condition.
But the Otsui clan, wielding spears, blocked her path and shouted, "Although the Shogun has not yet stated how to deal with Lady Kujo, Lady Kujo's trespassing into the castle tower and disturbing the Shogun's training is undeniable. We will not allow anyone to take her away before the Shogun issues his decree!"
Otsukushi was General Raiden's personal bodyguard, and he only obeyed General Raiden's orders. Even the Heavenly Commander, who held military power, had no right to give orders.
She couldn't confront them directly, but she couldn't just stand by and watch Kujo Sara be taken away. And even if the Okuzawa clan wasn't afraid of death, they wouldn't dare to really fight because of her status.
So the group stood in a stalemate in front of the castle tower for a long time, until Yae no Miko finally arrived.
He Que's impression of her was still from when he was a child, and he couldn't imagine why this beautiful fox priest would appear here.
Yae no Miko seemed to remember her as well, giving her a gentle smile before glancing at the Kujo Sara in Okuzawa's hand with a knowing, helpless expression: "She's still an impulsive child after all. I told you, some things aren't as simple as she thinks..."
She waved her hand and ordered, "Hand over Sara to this guy. I'll handle the general's situation; she won't blame you. What you need to do next is retreat as far away as possible, and stay on the outskirts of the castle tower."
The crowd looked at each other, their eyes filled with suspicion.
They knew, of course, that Yae no Kami of Narukami Shrine had a close personal relationship with Raiden no Shogun, and that the Shogun had even instructed them to listen to Yae no Kami if anything happened, but this order was far too strange.
If we stay on the outskirts of the castle tower... who will be responsible for the safety of the general?
Despite saying this, no one dared to actually stand up and question Yae no Miko's decision. They could only obediently hand over Kujo Sara to Kazutsuki and follow the main force to begin their retreat.
Yae no Miko tapped Suzume's head without hesitation: "Alright, little guy, take Sara and leave quickly. Here's a piece of advice: no matter what happens or what you hear next, stay in your room and don't come out. Today is going to be very chaotic, and you don't have much ability to protect yourself—"
He Que nodded vigorously, as if making a vow.
Yae no Miko covered her mouth and smiled, then pushed open the gates of the castle tower and stepped into the unknown darkness under the worried gaze of Suzaku.
He Que returned home with Kujo Sara.
She carefully placed the unconscious Kujo Sara on her bed, then gazed at the sky outside, which had darkened due to the sudden thunder, and fell into deep thought.
All the people of Inazuma understand that lightning is the symbol of the general. Legend has it that when the "Unthinking Sword" is drawn, lightning and thunder always strike the sky, as if divine punishment is descending.
But in this situation, who will the "unthinking slash" be aimed at—the blond traveler or the Yae no Miko?
She couldn't imagine what might be happening inside the castle tower at this moment, and could only secretly pray that everyone would be safe and sound.
She had already checked Kujo Sara's condition and found no external injuries. She didn't know why she had fallen into a coma, but according to her prediction, she should wake up soon.
He Que was determined to get the truth out of her.
Her prediction was correct. Not long after, Kujo Sara regained consciousness and slowly woke up. She opened her eyes groggily to figure out where she was. After realizing where she was, she suddenly remembered what had just happened and was about to throw off the covers and get out of bed.
He Que quickly stepped forward to stop her, still trying to get information out of her: "What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Kujo Sara seemed to still have a headache, pressing her temples with a pained expression, but she was still unwilling to give up, stumbling forward while supporting herself against the wall: "It's too late. If what they say is true, the rebels will soon be in the country if we don't stop them now—"
The words had barely left his mouth when the clashing of weapons and the screams of soldiers erupted outside. Kujo Sara shouted angrily, "Damn it! Why so fast! Even if the shogunate army is leaderless right now, they shouldn't have sent it so quickly. There should be two other magistrates guarding Narukami Island! Unless, unless—"
Almost immediately, an idea popped into both of their minds.
Unless—there is a traitor among the other two leaders.
"It's the magistrate! There's a problem with the magistrate!" Kujo Sara arrived at the answer in almost no time.
According to the information she received, the Kansei Magistrate, like the Tenryo Magistrate, was involved in the Fools's plan and would not allow the rebels to break in.
At this moment, it was as if a nerve had been touched, and Kazuki instinctively retorted, "Impossible! Lord Shabu-no-Kami would never betray the Shogun!"
Kujo Sara sneered, "I'm afraid that in their eyes right now, helping the rebels attack the castle tower isn't a betrayal of the Shogun, but a necessary means to help the Shogun come to his senses. But right and wrong aren't for them to decide on their own. The Shogun must have her reasons, and they have no right to interfere."
Kazuki was unaware of the inside story and naturally didn't understand where Kujo Sara had come to her conclusion. All she could think about was her worry for Ayato Kamisato.
If he really gets caught up in this mess between the rebel army and the shogunate army, what can she do to help?
He Que did not believe that there was any existence in the world that could counter "Musou's One-Slash".
She pressed down on Kujo Sara's shoulders, forcing her to sit or lie down on the bed: "Even so, this shouldn't be a patient's concern!"
She paused for a moment, as if making a decision: "Leave the outside affairs to me. I will go to the Commissioner and find out everything."
(End of this chapter)