Chapter 427 – What’s Your Relationship?
“Hey, hey, that’s…… It’s Fuuma!”
“Oh, Outei-sama’s son…… Fuuma-sama.”
“But, if he got captured…… that’s bad! If he gets captured by the Royal Army now, with neither Koujiro-sama nor Mikado-sama here……”
“Kuso… those bastards….”
Being on the main street, people began gathering around in droves.
He was indeed a celebrity, and everyone was watching the scene unfold with bated breath.
And the samurai, completely oblivious to his surroundings, kept shouting at the top of his lungs……
“I will never forget it…… From our childhood, when she utterly crushed me in the Go tournament…… and again in the martial arts tournament…… That cold, icy gaze looking down on people, that dignified, beautiful form…… In addition, her royal lineage…… She was my ideal Japonese Nadeshiko1[SM1] …… I thought she was worthy to bear my children as my wife…… once she submitted to me, in Go and in battle…… For Shinobu to come to me… I waited for that day with every fiber of my being, and just when I thought the time had finally come… WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHINOBU ISN’T HERE?”
Seemed like this guy’s pretty… passionate about Shinobu… Well, he does seem a bit twisted, though…….
Anyway, it seemed that the man thought Shinobu was here too, so he was in high spirits at first.
Now his face was red with rage.
On the other hand, Shinobu’s older brother, Fuuma……
“Hmph! She split off from us during the trip…… right about now, she’s probably chasing after the man she fell in love with while traveling, indulging in some romantic escapades……”
“…… Huh?”
“You’re too late.”
Somehow, that just added fuel to the fire……
“Hey, they’re talking about Big brother, right?”
“Hehehe, what are you going to do, Brother?
And as usual, Espie and Slayer were grinning like idiots. What am I gonna do……
“Hmph, gupupupu, enough with the jokes! She must be hiding somewhere, I say.”
“No…… It’s the truth, really…… “
“Silence! W, well, it can’t be helped since you’re powerless right now and can only attack me with words…… But Shinobu, that one, fell in love and chased after a man? There’s no way that Shinobu would do something so sleazy! That’s a clumsy lie, I say~!”
“It’s not a lie… that guy… you’d understand why Shinobu would fall for him too…….”
“Hm, hmph! Such psychological attacks do not affect me, I say!”
No…… it’s a bit embarrassing to say myself, but it’s not a lie…… Or rather, does Shinobu’s brother think highly of me?
Honestly, we’ve never had a proper face-to-face conversation.
“Mattaku! You ninjas should stop talking nonsense! W, well, fine! If I break an arm or a leg, Shinobu will surely rush out in a panic—— “
At that moment, that man, Makushita, aimed his foot at Fuuma’s arm as he lay sprawled on the ground.
“Aaaaargh, enough already! Hey, stop right there! I can’t just stand by and watch Shinobu’s big brother get hurt right in front of me, damn it!”
“”””Eehh!??””””
At this point, I had reached my limit of just watching.
I gave up and shouted, stepping into the circle.
“Fufun~, I’ve been waiting for this ♪.”
“Now then, Brother, what’s it gonna be? Gonna grab him and run… or maybe just raise some hell……?”
Espie and Slayer followed right behind me.
The gazes of the crowd, the samurai, and Fuuma’s group all converged on the three of us.
“Hmm? Who might you be? A foreigner, perhaps?”
“…… Huh?! Wh, what!?”
The surroundings began to buzz, and Fuuma and his fellow ninjas looked shocked.
It’s only natural.
“Hey. Long time no see, Shinobu’s big brother.”
“Y, you…w, why are you in Japone?!”
“Well~, I just came to hang out for a bit. Honestly, things between us are complicated because of Mr. Aka, but…… Still, since you’re Shinobu’s family, I can’t just abandon you.”
“That’s…huh?! Hey, Shinobu…Shinobu has been chasing you ever since then…where is Shinobu…? Do you know?”
“I know, but that can wait. Can’t exactly let these guys hear about it.”
Yes, if I reveal where Shinobu is, I’d have to talk about the elves too. And then there’s Koujiro and Granpa Mikado.
“Who are you? Do you know Shinobu? And you’re using the name of someone’s fiancée in an overly familiar manner… What’s your relationship with Shinobu?”
Then, when we came out, Makushita gave us an unpleasant look.
What’s our relationship?
For now, it’s probably best not to provoke this guy too much, so I’ll play it safe and say we’re good―――
“Hmph, he is none other than… the first man Shinobu ever fell in love with.”
“Huh!?”
――friends…… Hmm?
“And that’s not all. That brat… is the man who utterly crushed Ojou in a game of Go!”
“…… Wh, what!?”
It wasn’t me! It was Tre’ainar! Not me! It’s wasn’t me――――
“Wh, what?! That’s… the guy Shinobu-chan fell in love with?!”
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Apparently, Shinobu-chan has a boyfriend or something!?”
“Yeah, Fuuma-san said so…… also, did he beat Shinobu-chan in a game of Go?”
“H, hey, who is that youngster!”
But before I could interject or deny anything, the remarks of Fuuma and Iga spread to the crowd, causing an even bigger uproar.
I mean, ninjas are supposed to occupy the hidden world, not the public world, so how come Fuuma and Shinobu are super famous?!
“Shinobu fell for him? And he beat her at Go? That’s a lie… it’s obviously a lie! Besides, there’s no way Shinobu would fall for such an ordinary-looking guy!”
Naturally, Makushita raised his voice, unable to believe it.
But, perhaps stung by that remark, this time it was someone from my own side who spoke up……
“How rude! Not recognizing Big brother’s charms? Guess the captains of the Japone samurai are nothing special either, besides Koujiro!”
“Exactly. At least in our opinion, Brother and Shinobu are a great match. Perfectly suited. She’s the top candidate to be Brother’s bride.”
Espie and Slayer did something unnecessary again…… Oh, you guys……
“Ngh, why! You…… Hmm? …… this woman… seen you somewhere… no, never mind! What do you mean ‘Perfectly suited’! With such a… such a small and puny-looking man…… THIS MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!”
Ah~ah. They said something inappropriate, so Makushita got really angry and roared.
He was so enraged that he didn’t realize that Espie was one of the Seven Heroes, just like Koujiro.
Then, Makushita suddenly crouched down……
“I won’t accept it! I’ll expose your true colors right now!”
“Hey, hey, you need to calm down too!”
“SHUT UUUUUUUUUP!”
No good, he’s not listening. Is this guy seriously about to attack me?
『Hmm…… for the current child, you would have no trouble handling this opponent, and a single squad of samurai would not pose much of a problem either……』
「Tre’ainar…… I’m not too keen on this either, but…What should we do…… should I just go on a rampage? Or just run away? I think we can escape with Shinobu’s brothers……」
『No…… tis best to handle this peacefully for now…… better not to lay a hand on them, being hunted down through the mountains after fleeing would be troublesome…』
「Peacefully…? How?」
『Hmm…… by my impression…… right, how about this? Ah, let me make this clear, tis not because I want to do this, or I am craving some fun after so long—not even a little! So do not make assumptions!』
「Hmm?」
『Well, you see… as this one plays Go, why not――― 』
When I consulted with Tre’ainar mentally about what to do about this situation, Tre’ainar gave me some advice in a somewhat evasive way……
[SM1]Nadeshiko” is a flower (pink, Dianthus superbus) and a classic poetic symbol of idealized Japanese feminine beauty, grace, and resilience. The phrase “Yamato Nadeshiko” is a common trope for the perfect, traditional Japanese woman. The character uses “Japone Nadeshiko” to express his extreme, warped idealization of Shinobu.
TL’s Note
Just completed my reactions for my Picks from the Winter 2026 Anime Season. Do check them out, like the vids and subscribe to keep up with stuff I’m watching.
Sads Translates 