"Eh? What's this~?"

Having delivered Kazue's message, Nariko returned to Nobu's room to find the latter caressing the former's head. This was pretty much unheard of in Nian, and, the moment she saw the contented look on Kazue's face, Nariko couldn't help feeling as though she had just walked in on a scandal in the making.

"..."

Though she felt embarrassed, Kazue didn't immediately move her head from her Lord's lap. He was the one to tell her to lay down, so, unless he told her to move, she wasn't going anywhere. Besides, it was surprisingly relaxing to have someone comb through her hair...

"You're back. Where did you run off to...?"

Tearing her honey-colored eyes away from Kazue, Nariko returned a vibrant smile as she answered, "I was delivering a message to Cho-sama. She said breakfast will be ready shortly."

Nodding his head in approval, Nobu gestured to his front, saying, "Take a seat. I was intending to teach you this earlier, but I got a little distracted."

Though she cocked her head adorably to the side, Nariko ultimately obeyed Nobu's orders by trotting over and plopping down in front of him. Instead of sitting in seiza, however, she sat on her bottom with her legs splayed in a careless manner. Fortunately, she, along with everyone else, now wore simple cotton panties beneath her teal-colored kimono. This was one of the few mandates Nobu had made, not because of his aversion towards nudity, but because of the smell.

"I'm going to explain a variety of different cultivation methods for you. I was originally going to teach you mine but there is an actual method suitable for your bloodline. In the end, however, it's up to you. I might be your Lord, Master, or whatever, but I'm not going to tell you what path you need to walk. Everyone deserves at least that much freedom..."

Beaming in response to Nobu's words, Nariko leaned forward as if she might pounce on him at any moment. Fortunately, this was just an indication that she was excited and looking forward to what he was going to say next.

After lightly tapping Kazue's shoulder, Nobu asked her to grab him a piece of paper and a writing utensil before explaining, "The method I'm going to teach you is called the Mountain God's Divine Heritage. I can't tell you what effects it will have, but, based on your bloodline, I'm guessing it will strengthen your body while providing an increase in your affinity towards natural things. As for the actual method, it requires you to increase your physical strength and consume a variety of different kinds of herbs."

Using the materials Kazue had grabbed for him, Nobu wrote down the requirements for breaking through the First and Second Realms of the Mountain God's Divine Heritage. Hitomi had advised him to never write down the full methods as there was a fair chance that people would attempt to kill him just to preserve the uniqueness of their own cultivation technique. She said he didn't have to worry about this in the Yoshitsune Clan, but, the moment he ventured beyond the safety of the mountain, there would be no end to the number of people wanting to claim his life for personal or political reasons...

Reading the list of requirements her Master had prepared, Nariko's eyes glistened as she asked, "I only need to be able to lift 100kg? I can do that. Easy."

Though Nariko's words might sound like bravado, especially considering she was just eight years old, the truth of the matter was that she had always been much stronger than her peers. She was also a lot more durable than most people her age, so much so that she could go toe to toe with people who had broken into Bronze without suffering one-sidedly...

After recovering from his shock, Nobu just nodded his head before looking towards Kazue and saying, "When Kumiko gets back, ask her to put in a request for all the herbs I listed. If she can't acquire them through normal channels, let me know. I'll talk with the Matriarch."

Accepting the piece of paper from Nariko, Kazue briefly scanned it before placing it into her inner breast pocket and saying, "Most of these are relatively simple to obtain. Cho should actually have most of them in bulk. The difficult part will be obtaining a Perennial Dewdrop Herb. They aren't all that rare but they spoil hours after being removed from their natural habitat. They also only grow at the tops of mountains that are perpetually covered in snow. Owari doesn't have anything like that."

Furrowing his brows, Nobu was about to gripe when Kazue adopted a smile and said, "Don't worry. So long as they are stored in high-quality jade slip, they can last for a couple of years without issue. The Matriarch's Jadite Guardian can also fly above 8,000m without any issues. If Yui gets permission to use it, we could have the herb here before the day's end."

"Nice."

Though he imagined there would be some danger involved, Nobu doubted it would be too serious based on Kazue's casual tone. The Jadite Guardian Owl had also scared the shit out of him when he met it. He doubted there were many beasts that would be able to fight against it, so, as long as she was careful, Yui should be able to retrieve the herb without any issues.

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As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu's jubilation immediately turned to doubt as he raised his hand and said, "Hold up...I think I just triggered a flag or some shit. Don't send Yui to retrieve the herb. Even if it takes a few months to obtain, Nariko can still increase her cultivation base without advancing to the next Rank. So long as we have the requisite materials, she can achieve multiple breakthroughs at the same time. For now, let's focus on shoring up our foundation..."

Raising her brows, Kazue was tempted to ask what her Lord meant when he said he had triggered a flag, but, assuming it had something to do with his Heavenly Treasure, she simply nodded her head and said, "I understand. As for the rest of the herbs, I'll check them to make sure they're the highest quality possible."

Nodding his head in approval, Nobu then cast his gaze on the slightly disappointed-looking Nariko, asking, "What's with that face? Cultivation methods are only one part of strength. You're getting to train a technique that most people haven't even heard of. It's better to take things nice and slow to avoid making any mistakes. Trust me. I have first-hand experience charging forward without proper consideration for the consequences..."

Pointing towards his nose, currently veiled behind a thin cloth, Nobu made it very clear what he was talking about. His cultivation method had effectively crippled him, and, were it not for the fact he could stockpile his clicks, he might have fucked himself over completely.

Chuckling in response to her Lord's self-deprecation, most of Nariko's negative sentiments faded away. She was still young but she knew it was rare for any man to willfully demean themselves in front of their subordinates. Pride was the foundation upon which Nianese society was built upon. There were even instances of people fighting to the death over minor slights so she found it rather amusing to hear him talk about his failures as if were perfectly normal to make mistakes...

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With nothing better to do after his breakfast, Nobu continued exercising until around noon. This was around the time when the girls changed shifts, so, with the arrival of Sachiko, he spent about an hour walking her through the specifics of his breathing technique before dismissing everyone when Kumiko informed him of Suzune's arrival.

"We meet again, Nobunaga-sama..."

Seeing the inordinately beautiful pinkette bowing before him, Nobu had to admit she was one of the most alluring women he had ever seen. There was something about her pink hair and the aura that exuded from her body that gave him the impression of a highly intelligent Succubus...

Recalling Suzune's previous attempts to seduce him, Nobu shook his head before saying, "Lift your head. Tell me, why have you come here? I was told the renovations wouldn't start for another three days."

Raising her head, Suzune adopted a sensual-looking pout as she inquired, "Is it so wrong for me to want to meet with you?"

Without beating around the bush, Nobu answered, "Yes. I may have decided not to press the matter between me and your daughter, but that doesn't mean I've forgiven either of you. I'll work with you, but, other than that, I don't really want to have anything to do with you..."

Maintaining her smile, Suzune responded, "I suppose I can live with that." in an overly casual tone. At the same time, however, she gently tugged at the orange rope keeping her obi fastened around her flowery pink kimono. This wasn't enough to cause the fabric to burst open but it was more than enough to show a bit of skin as she stared directly at him with her pale, honey-colored eyes.

In spite of his best efforts, Nobu found his eyes wandering the moment Suzune's kimono began to loosen. He could feel a knot forming in his throat, and, though she had yet to do anything, he got the same impression from her as a few of the older, more carnivorous women he had dealt with in his previous life.

"Stop...if you're going to keep taunting me like this, you can just leave..."

Giggling in amusement, Suzune tightened the cord around her obi without making any efforts to fix her kimono. He wouldn't be able to complain if she was just showing a bit of skin. After all, many of the kunoichi in his entourage wore far more revealing outfits.

"I came here to discuss the staffing issue that was brought to my attention. I also heard about your particular disdain towards my daughter. If possible, I would like to convince you to hire her in spite of your personal feelings towards her. She could become one of your greatest assets if you'll allow her to demonstrate her worth..."

Furrowing his brows, Nobu's first instinct was to tell Suzune to fuck off. Instead, he remained silent for several seconds before asking, "You're not going to give up, are you...?"

Returning an ostensibly sincere smile, Suzune explained, "She's the only daughter I have left. I know it might be frowned upon, but I intend to do everything in my power to protect her. You are right to have your suspicions about me. However, I can see the shadow of something great in you. I would not risk becoming your enemy if I could work alongside you for our mutual benefit..."

After learning the truth about Nobu from the Matriarch, Suzune's desire to work alongside Nobu had increased exponentially. If it was true that he possessed the potential to unify the nation, she intended to do everything in her power to ensure her daughter was one of the people standing at his side. Nobu may very well become the Emperor in the future, and, if she played her cards right, it wasn't an impossible dream to install Shizune as his Empress. At the very least, she could be one of his Concubines...perhaps even a Minister...

Though it might be an uphill battle, Suzune believed in her daughter's capabilities. She was a bit spoiled, sure, but she was inarguably one of the most intelligent kunoichi in the clan. She may even be one of the most intelligent women in all of Nian. She just needed the chance to mature. Thus, even if it meant lowering herself, Suzune intended to do everything in her power to make sure her daughter was given a second chance.

"Please...Nobunaga-sama...do not condemn my daughter for being born into circumstances beyond her control. I swear on my status as an Elder. If you give her the chance, she will not disappoint you a second time..."

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(A/N: Quite ambitious...)