Demon Sword Maiden Chapter 59 (Patreon)

Chapter 29 - Pass Certificate

第二十九话 侍之证

At this very moment, Daidouji Akira and his gang were on their way back to Takeshita with mixed feelings.

Although they managed to kill the long-standing traitor and believed that Lily was dead, they were still unable to find their family heirloom in the end.

The morning after that night, Akira and gang went down the valley to search for the “heirloom” after confirming that the Mountain Imps colony was gone, but they were unable to find it.

And on their way back, their hearts almost jumped out of their mouth when they saw Noboru standing in their way. They only relaxed upon seeing the few words carved in front of Noboru, though they would never have imagined it was Lily who wrote those words. They just thought it was written by some very able samurai who happened to pass through.

It was already the evening by the time Akira and gang reached Takeshita. They were making their way towards the tavern they were supposed to stay. They forwent the plan to return to the mountain town due to two reasons; they were unable to find the heirloom and confirm Lily’s death. They were unwilling to let it go just like that!

Akira even forcefully purchased a bullock-cart on the road. Lying unconscious on the cart was the heavily injured Takano with one arm missing.

“Regardless of dead or alive, I have to see her body for myself! We can’t even confirm if that ⓢⓛⓤⓣ has actually been killed by the Mountain Imps!” said Akira as he gnashed his teeth. Since Noboru was already dead, the person he hates most now was Lily!

“Lord Akira, how could that woman be alive with so many Mountain Imps there. She must have been torn into shreds!”

“That’s right, but it’s a pity though. The heirloom must’ve been taken away by the Mountain Imps.”

Said the Martial Monks beside Akira.

“Alas, if that’s the case, it will certainly be very difficult to get it back!” Akira felt depressed as he humored the thought. This Lily was really too hateful. So be it if she fell down the slope and get caught by the monster colony, but she just had to go and take their heirloom down with her.

But just as this time, the spy who they left behind in Takeshita rushed over urgently.

“Lord Akira! B- Bad news!”

“What now?!” Akira’s mood was already sour as he had the notion that they could never get their family heirloom back.

“T- That woman…”

“What woman, speak clearly! And slowly!”

“That woman, Kagami Lily, I saw her entering the town in the afternoon completely unharmed!” said the spy hurriedly.

“What?!?!” Akira was so surprised that his eyeballs threatened to pop out, “N- Not dead? She is actually not dead? But how? How did she escape from that colony of Mountain Imps?!”

At the time Akira and gang rushed to the tavern in an exasperated manner to discuss the topic in details, Lily just walked out of Chrysanthemum Inn and loitered along the river bank.

“That’s strange, I clearly remembered that I dropped it around this area, why is it gone…”

That was such a fine paper parasol, even if the others didn’t know of its secret, it was still within the realm of possibility for it to be picked up by other people.

Lily blamed herself!

‘I actually lost the parasol!’

It was beyond her control for the parasol to be blown away by the gust generated by the black steed. However, if she immediately returned to find the parasol, rather than getting enamored by Uesugi’s kiss and went to nag at her, she might still be able to find it. The street was devoid of people during the rainstorm after all.

‘This is just great! I had forgotten about this matter at the time, returned to Chrysanthemum to take a bath and get a new set of clothes, only to run back to specifically tell that woman my name, just what was I thinking?!’

All other matters could be dropped, but she would be in deep trouble if the Sakura Parasol was really lost!

However, the Sakura Parasol was not an ordinary item. At the very least, it was not something a commoner would be able to damage. Lily spread out spiritual waves to search the area, but since the Genji Dojo was protected by a special barrier, she was unable to search there.

The result from half a night of search; nothing.

Lily returned to the Chrysanthemum Inn helplessly. All she could think of was whether she could request Lady Sakiko to issue a pamphlet for lost item tomorrow. It may be assumed that the parasol was still within the town.

When Lily was back in her room, she took off her upper garment to reveal her back. Then she used a wet towel to whip herself until her back turned deep red.

“This is for my fickle mind! This is for letting senior sister down! This is for losing the parasol!”

In short, Lily had made far too many mistakes in one day.

Not much time had passed before she collapsed onto the ground with reddish back.

She was a girl, and if she looked at it from a different perspective, being kissed by another girl didn’t count. At the very least, it meant that she hadn’t defiled senior sister’s body.

The so-called purity of girls would be tainted if their body was seen by a guy, but it didn’t count if they were seen by other girls right? Lily had never heard of the saying that the girls would lose their purity if they were seen by other girls in the public bath.

However, Lily had the mind of a boy. Since that was the case, wouldn’t that mean kissing other girls was an unfaithful act towards senior sister despite keeping her purity?

Could that really be regarded as an unfaithful act though?

Regardless of which, Lily already had an answer in her heart. She felt very guilty towards senior sister in the deepest recess of her heart.

That strong sense of immortality she felt when being forcefully kissed by Uesugi was enough to prove that she had done senior sister wrong.

“Senior sister… I’m sorry.”

The white yukata slid through her arm and fell onto the ground as she suddenly sat up in a seiza position.

In that position, with nothing but a black panty covering her crotch, she sat in seiza for one whole night.

That was Lily’s punishment for her own carelessness and fickle mind.

“I must remain faithful to senior sister! Who cares if Uesugi is a bad girl or not, there is no relationship between us. At most, we are just an acquaintance. I must not associate with her any more than this! It is for the best if I never see her again!”

Lily silently vowed to herself.

Just as she did that, however, she touched her lips and thought, ‘My first kiss was already stolen by her, how do I get it back…’

‘Hmph, kissing with other girls doesn’t count as the first kiss!’

“Isn’t that right, senior sister?” said Lily as she looked into the mirror with her slightly teary eyes.

The next morning was greeted by a rare sunny day.

Lily put on the purple kimono and made her way towards Genji Dojo.

She wasn’t expecting that her every action was capable of attracting so much attention.

There were some who harbored hatred towards her and some who she couldn’t even fathom what they were thinking about.

“Ⓕⓤⓒⓚ!” cursed Akira, who was at the opposite bank of the path that led to Genji Dojo, “That ⓢⓛⓤⓣ is really still alive! How did it come to this… How did she escape from that Mountain Imps colony? She doesn’t seem to be injured at all? Could it be that the Mountain Imps didn’t notice her?  Is she really that lucky?! If I had known earlier, I should have stayed to confirm the Mountain Imps had done ⓑⓛⓔⓔⓟ and ⓑⓛⓔⓔⓟ to her!”

However, it was not that he hadn’t thought of staying behind either. It was just that while the humans found climbing a mountain to be difficult, it was as though a level ground to the Mountain Imps. He was afraid to be screwed over in case the Mountain Imps had discovered him!

“That Kagami Lily must be going to Genji Dojo to finish her test assignment. Hmph, how can a peasant with no family background like you become a samurai?! Peh!” Recalling that his son, Takano, had become disabled for life and couldn’t become a samurai anymore, Akira was burning with towering rage. He had the violent urge to go up there and smack Lily with his club.

“My lord!” The Martial Monk beside Akira pulled him and continued, “Takeshita is under the protection of Genji Dojo. If you injure the samurai of Genji here, our entire clan will be exterminated!”

“Peh! I already know! Hmph, Kagami Lily, don’t think I will not be able to deal with you if you stay nested in Takeshita! There are many means that my clan can employ that you would never have imagined!”

When Lily gracefully entered the Genji Dojo, Akira's fierce and crude-looking face broke into a vicious smile.

After Lily entered the dojo, she followed the instruction of the female disciple and arrived at the small isle located in the southeast plain, where all kinds of goods were on sale.

There was a cabin here specifically for purchasing animas.

Lily handed over three Mountain Imp animas for inspection. The one in charge of verifying the anima was an effeminate onmyoji with dull-colored hunter clothes and traditional top hat. After the verification was complete, he gave Lily a sealed letter with ‘Combat Examination: Pass’ written on it. Lily accepted the sealed letter and she could feel a faint Spirit Power coming from it.

This letter didn’t contain any magic power, but it could prevent others from making a counterfeit.

Lily gave the sealed letter to the female disciple. That action was indicative that Lily had, in fact, already became a samurai!

All she needed to do now was to wait for the announcement and receive the Pass Certificate in a few days time.

Lily was having small talks with the female disciple as they left the cabin. Once they reached the wooden bridge, they saw a somewhat familiar-looking young samurai running over with slight distress.

Lily seemed to recall that youngster at Nanako’s side.

Taihara Sugiyama was slightly nervous to look at a woman as beautiful as Lily. He stopped quite a distance from Lily, then he turned his head to the side to avoid arousing suspicion and gave Lily a slip of paper. Contrary to what one might expect, he was quite the gentleman.

“M- Miss Kagami. My ladyship requested me to deliver this to you.”

Lily received the slip of paper.

‘Just what is that Saikanji Nanako playing at now?’

Upon seeing Lily’s confusion, Taihara Sugiyama wanted to say something but hesitated. He forced a smile with a guilty conscience and left in a hurry.

Lily flipped open the paper and written on it with somewhat messy handwriting was: “Do you want your parasol back? Then meet me under the old pine tree at the opposite bank this evening! If you don’t come…!”

There was even a scribble of a little girl sticking out her tongue at the corner of the paper. One glance was enough to tell it was scribbled by Nanako herself.