Volume 1, Chapter 2: Murasaki.
Because the royal palace was so large, it took a while to get to my room.
Murasaki was guiding me as he walked ahead.
The palace was really big.
And there were many rooms.
"Cleaning must be tough."
"Yes, it is. But it's necessary for safety."
Murasaki turned around and answered with a cute gesture that didn't look like that of a man.
"Safety...?"
"Yes, it's to prevent night visits by ladies to the king."
"That's what you meant!"
"I'm speechless."
"Well, it's really something. Actually, even the king has been hit multiple times."
"Hit?!"
"Regardless of their social status, if a man has a child, he must marry and make them a concubine according to the decision of the Holy Tree, so there are many extremists..."
What kind of rule is that?
Is it a competition to get pregnant?
"If you can conceive, you'll be on a roll. All the noble people are targeted."
"That's some high-rolling."
It's so different from the world I was in.
"This world is quite different, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah."
I noticed a short sword was placed horizontally at Murasaki's waist, and I became curious. So I pulled out the sword from its sheath. The blade was intentionally blackened to make it difficult to see in the dark.
As I examined the blade further, I saw that it was coated with some kind of substance.
"You've coated it with something. You look like an assassin. Did you wear the sword at your waist to make it invisible when viewed from the front?"
"What?"
Murasaki jumped back and touched the sheath of his short sword on his waist. "No way, it's the first time someone has taken my sword out."
He seemed quite surprised.
"Did you practice any martial arts or something?"
"Yeah, I learned a modernized version of the Tensho style that my father arranged, which mixes swordsmanship with kicks, throws, and grappling techniques, as well as some combat skills for the battlefield."
The Tensho style is an ancient swordsmanship technique from Kyushu that incorporates a mix of kicks, throws, and grappling techniques.
The combat skills for the battlefield were something my father learned while working as a mercenary, and were entirely geared towards practical fighting.
"T-Tensho style? "
"Yeah, for the swordsmanship part. It's a well-known style that originated during the Warring States period and was designed for practical combat."
If it were a real battle, a bow or spear might be better.
"Wow, you're amazing. You might be the strongest among the royal family now," Murasaki's eyes were shining.
I'll keep it a secret that I'm basically always running away.
Running away is the best strategy, just as the Thirty-Six Stratagems says.
Basically, if it comes to a fight, you just grab any stick around, focus your opponent's attention on it, lightly hit their groin when you see an opening, and then run away at full speed.
If someone asks what's so "Taijutsu" about this, I'll have to apologize to the founder Maruemegoroshi-sensei.
"Perhaps Yuuki-sama has returned because the war is about to begin," Murasaki murmured with a hint of excitement.
"Come to think of it, you mentioned that the war is imminent," I replied.
"Yes, it's the large western country of Alexia. They have had a grudge against our country for a long time, but more than that, they want the technology from Japan. Our country has learned how to produce gunpowder, swords, and guns, among other things, by studying their techniques. That's why Alexia wants those technologies," explained Murasaki.
"Guns? Are there guns?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes, there are weapons that use matchlocks, such as arquebuses and cannons. The higher level guns and cannons are not available because they cannot make primers very well, so they remain matchlocks. However, they have been strengthened using magic," Murasaki replied.
Although I had never used a matchlock gun before, I wondered if I could be of help in the upcoming war.
"Do you think I could be of use?" I asked Murasaki.
"If it's Yuuki-sama, it'll be okay," Murasaki-san's eyes sparkled as he looked over here.
"I don't want you to expect too much," I said.
"Don't be so modest. I believe that if it's Yuuki-sama, he can surely save our country," he replied.
He was asking too much of me, someone who was good at running away.
"Um, is the room ready yet?" I asked Murasaki-san, trying to change the subject.
"Oh, it's right here," he said.
The room was right in front of us.
Furthermore, there are four keyholes. How strict are they being?
Murasaki opens each one with a key.
"Yuuki-sama, please remember the order in which to open them. If you make a mistake, we won't be able to open it."
"Seriously? Wouldn't two keyholes be enough?"
"No, we had an incident where we were invaded and attacked before."
"It wasn't an assassination, was it?"
"No, it was a night visit."
"Of course. Who was the target?"
"The target was His Majesty."
"Seriously?"
What kind of country is this?
They fear not assassination, but being snuck up on at night.
Something is definitely strange.
"Come to think of it, can it be proven that the child is yours? It could be someone else's child, right?"
"That's not a problem. When the child is born, the mark of the Holy Tree will appear on their left hand and tell us whose child it is."
"I see, the Holy Tree really takes care of everything."
"Yes, that's why even if you cheat, you'll be caught right away."
"W-What happens if you're caught?"
"If you're unmarried, you'll have to get married right away. If you're married, the Holy Tree will make sure you can never do anything bad again by exploding that place where you committed adultery."
Murasaki answered with an innocent smile.
"Explode?"
"Explode, yes."
Let's not ask how they explode it.
This is too dangerous.
"Ah, but it's okay if it's between men," Murasaki said, blushing slightly and looking down at me.
What am I supposed to do about it?
When we entered the room, it was on par with a suite in a Japanese hotel.
"The room near the entrance where we first came in will be the room for me to guard you."
"Huh? We're going to be together the whole time?"
"Yes, otherwise it's dangerous."
"It's dangerous," he replied with a distant look in his eyes.
"I seem to be looked down upon by noblewomen, but I think it's fine," I said.
"No, our enemies are not limited to nobles," he replied.
"Are there others besides nobles?"
"Samurai and commoner maids, for example, are dangerous."
"...They're dangerous."
I let out a sigh of exasperation.
"What kind of country is this?" I muttered to myself.
It was ridiculous that we were more cautious of night visits than assassins.
Murasaki looked at me, clearly fed up with my incredulity.
"Tomorrow, there will be a ceremony at the Holy Tree's place to determine your guardian deity," he said.
"Guardian deity?" I asked.
"Yes. Those who bear the Holy Tree's emblem, such as members of the royal family and certain nobles recognized by the Holy Tree, are blessed by their chosen guardian deity and are able to use skills," he explained.
"Skills, huh?" I muttered.
Though this was a headache-inducing world, at least it seemed to contain a glimpse of a fantasy world.
For now, the bed was soft and luxurious-looking, so I decided to sleep and think about things tomorrow.
Murasaki looked at me hesitantly and asked, "Um, what about the night duty...?"
"I don't need it," I replied.
As I watched Murasaki's disappointment in front of me, I felt even more troubled.