Demon Sword Maiden Chapter 88 (Patreon)

Chapter 88 - Night Walk under the Autumn Rain

A sudden, cold autumn rain fell. 

Pitter patter, the rain was heavy and brought along the chilly wind.

The cold winds blew into the room.

“Nanako didn’t bring an umbrella!” Lily was overcome by anxiety.

She lifted her head to look at the raindrops that had been illuminated by the candlelight. A short while later, Lily turned around and lightly placed her hands on Shiu’s shoulders, “Shiu, you stay here and wait for me. I’m going to find Nanako.”

“Shiu will go with you, Master.” Shiu’s eyes were innocent and sincere. Although she sometimes had a dispute with Nanako, she was still worried about the girl.

Lily shook her head and spoke gently, “No, Shiu, you stay here. In case Nanako comes back, you must tell her I have gone out to find her.”

“…Yes, Shiu understood. I’ll stay here and wait for Master and Nanako to come back. I will not leave even for a moment.” 

Lily nodded, then as though she just remembered something, “Oh, right…” 

"Master?"

“If I don’t come back by tomorrow, you should report this to Lady Sakiko.” Lily didn’t know why but she had a bad premonition. However, she couldn’t tell what it was. Nanako wouldn’t be in some dangerous situation, would she? 

‘Although she’s just a little girl, she is still a female samurai with considerable strength. She should be fine, but I still need to hurry and chase after her.’

“Understood, Master.” Worries were also apparent in Shiu’s eyes. 

The rain became heavier. 

"Master!" Shiu suddenly screamed. 

"What?"

"Let me change your clothes. Your clothes are dirty now…” 

Although Lily was very anxious and restless, she couldn’t deny Shiu’s twinkling and sincere eyes. So, she agreed and turned her back towards Shiu.

The after bath fragrance assaulted Shiu once more as she changed Lily into a new set of clothes. It was the white kimono decorated with pink and blue flowers that Lily just bought recently. The kimono came as a set with a beautiful blue sash. There were more flowers by the hem and the sash, but as they go up, the flowers scattered and gradually gave space to the pure white color of the kimono itself… 

After Shiu had changed Lily’s clothes, she handed the Seiwa Tamashi and the Sakura Parasol placed in the corner of the room to Lily.

“Thank you,” Lily placed the samurai sword by her waist then received the parasol. A hint of reluctance flashed through her eyes momentarily, but she was more worried about Nanako’s whereabouts at the moment. She turned around, got down the step, and walked into the rain. 

“Master…” Shiu kneeled in the room, worriedly looking at Lily’s back disappearing into the heavy rain of the dark midnight. 

Lily followed Nanako’s direction, leaving the Dojo through the West gate. However, the view was hazy due to the heavy rain. In addition to the small puddles spread all over the road and the endless mist that rose from the nearby river, Lily’s vision became very limited. 

Lily surveyed her surroundings with a red Sakura Parasol in hands. It was late midnight, and raining heavily to boot, so it was only natural for there to be one else on the street. 

‘Where did Nanako go?’ Lily thought. Previously, Lily had more or less learned the surrounding geography from Sakiko.

“She didn’t have a place to stay. And since she headed West, she must have planned to return to the Saikanji House in Suruga Province. This place is several hundred miles away from the Suruga Province. It’s not a place she can just go as she pleases. Looks like my only choice is to go after her in the direction to Suruga Province. But what if I chose the wrong direction? No, there’s no other way, in such a rainy night, except for returning to Suruga Province, Nanako has nowhere else to go.”

With her firm intuition, Lily headed West. 

Passing Chrysanthemum Inn in the West of Takeshita Town, Lily seemed to remember something. She then knocked on the inn’s door.

The areas that were destroyed in Takeshita Town due to the raid last time had already been repaired. The grannie lit up her lantern, put on her coat and opened the door for Lily. 

"Miss Kagami?”

“Yeah, I did see a little girl wearing yellow clothing passing this place. She ran to the mountain path over there. That direction should lead to either the Suruga Province or Mount Ise,” The grannie told Lily after she explained the situation.

“Sure enough!” Lily was certain the girl wouldn’t go to Mount Ise. Nanako would surely return to Suruga Province.

Lily decided to go after the girl through the path to Suruga Province. If she somehow ended up in Suruga Province and found that Nanako, even if the girl didn’t want to come back, it would be all right as long as she was fine. 

With Lily’s speed, she could have caught up with Nanako. However, due to the heavy rain, she couldn’t see the road or the people clearly. It also interfered with Lily’s spirit perception. 

Lily left in a hurried. She didn’t bring any map, so she could only follow the roadsign that points to Suruga Province. Soon, she reached the foot of a lofty mountain, which seemed to be looming with sleeping beasts.

There was only one vaguely visible path that led into the mountain.

“This mountain trail is the way to Suruga Province.” Lily, a lone girl, with her parasol, determinedly walked on the path that led to the mountain.

Between Kanagawa Prefecture and Suruga Province was a deep mountain range called Mount Tama.

Normally, to get through this place, one should bring along several samurais and more than ten fully armed foot soldiers like Nanako did when she first came here. That was how they ensured their safety. 

The monsters here were much stronger than the ones in Mount Ise. Especially in the deep recesses of Mount Tama. Even an army of dozens or even hundreds wouldn’t dare to lightly tread this place. 

And now that Mount Tama was shrouded in the curtain of night and heavy rainfall, the heavy fog was making the place appear more dreadful!

However, Nanako couldn’t care that much at the moment. Unlike Lily, she knew the way back to Suruga Province. She had run all the way and shortly found herself in a relatively deep area inside Mount Tama. 

Nanako was completely drenched. Her white knee-length socks now showed her skin color. Her naturally permed red twin tail wasn’t curly anymore as they dangled on two sides of her small face, and it looked like water was streaming down her bangs. 

“Seriously, women with big breasts are really brainless! Their only worth is to let me ride on them like a horse! And she wants me to become her vassals? Hah… how stupid can she be!”

Nanako helplessly walked further into the wild mountain. She felt really sad. Eventually, she placed one of her hands on a big tree to support her body. Stooping her head, she panted and let the water drop from locks of her hair. 

“Doesn’t Lily know that the Saikanji family has been court officials for generations? How could I become the vassal of some common samurai! Does she really think she’s some kind of goddess? Even if she’s beautiful and charming, there’s no way we can defy the social classes of the Heian Empire!”

Nanako was a samurai. If she defeated Lily, she would make Lily her slave. If she lost, she would become Lily’s slave. That was the way of the samurais. No matter what, the East Nation was the samurais’ domain. There was nothing wrong in following the way of the samurais. However, that dumb woman had released her! 

Nanako was taught to understand and embrace benevolence and righteousness. How could she ignore such things!

"Kagami Lily, I, Nanako, have to succeed the Saikanji House. Although I’m just a girl, you’ve looked down on my samurai’s heart! Do you really think that you could conquer me with your kindness, your charm, and your strength? Do you think you could mesmerize me and make me follow you? You’re too haughty! Your smell and whatnot... a- as if I care!! Who likes them anyway!”

All of a sudden, Nanako shivered in the chilly rain. 

A thought she never had before uncontrollably stormed into her mind.

"Do I really like that woman?”

The beautiful face of the young girl blushed in the cold autumn night.

Nanako could even hear her heart beating, which was somewhat louder than the sounds of the rain! 

“No! No! Impossible! How could I like someone with all the features I hate the most! Wait a minute… that’s not the problem here. She’s a woman. That’s homosexual!”

Nanako’s eyes turned gloomy once again, “A same-sex relationship isn’t something very rare in this time period. There are even rumors of something ambiguous going on between the handsome onmyojis in Heian Capital! Anyway, it’s still a taboo in this era. If I’m like that, the Saikanji House will become a laughing stock among the high officials!”

“Hmph, it’s just a moment of confusion. That woman must have enchanted me with some kind of magic. Mhm, of course, that must be it. It’s impossible for me to like women, especially not the tall and big-breasted ones!”

“I, Saikanji Nanako, swear that I was only serving that big-breasted woman to honor my code of chivalry! I will never have any affection for her! If I go against my pledge, I…”

Nanako surveyed the dark forest veiled by the rain. She gathered her courage and muttered, “If I go against my pledge, I would rather fall into the hands of monsters or bandits right here right now!”