SWNOVELS 346 The Reunion Once Again
After the Hojo coup against the Tokugawa Clan and the ousting of the old shogun, the Tokugawa main family and loyal retainers were nearly eradicated, throwing the country's upper hierarchy into chaos. The Hojo clan swiftly filled the resulting power vacuum with their own people.
Amidst the turmoil, only a three-year-old child, the son of the late shogun, survived the Hojo purge, thanks to Matsudaira's intervention. Matsudaira, along with Atlanteus and a handful of aging royal retainers, sought refuge in a rural area, evading the Hojo's grasp.
Now… With the downfall of the Hojo clan, Daniel's soldiers, clad in formidable power armor, marched toward the Sagami province, the ancestral homeland of the Hojo clan. A brief skirmish erupted, culminating in a brutal massacre. Within half an hour, 80% of the Hojo forces in their home province lay decimated, prompting their surrender.
Daniel granted Odysseus permission to utilize metal scarabs to construct temporary prisons for high-value captives and war prisoners from the Hojo clan. Despite initial tensions, the plan unfolded smoothly. Surprisingly, the anticipated orbital bombardment and deployment of Oceanos' weapons of mass destruction were averted. This unexpected turn of events stemmed not from Odyeeus' mercy, but rather from a veto by Envy, who opposed such extreme measures.
In exchange for forgoing the devastating weaponry, Odysseus enlisted Envy's direct participation in the war effort. With Envy's involvement, her anti-magical rituals neutralized the onmyoji residing in the Hojo clan's territory, rendering their magic ineffective. This left the conflict to be decided by conventional means, resulting in a resounding victory for Daniel's forces, with none of the soldiers in their hulking power armor suffering casualties.
—
Odysseus sat in the office within the shogun's castle, having temporarily assumed control of Edo with minimal disruption to its population. He began by taking control of the forces responsible for maintaining order in Edo and promptly notified the Daimyo in other provinces of the regime change. They were instructed to report to Edo within one month before the new year arrived; failure to comply would result in them being deemed enemies in need of elimination, with their provinces undergoing significant management adjustments.
Standing up from his desk, Odysseus made his way to the window, where he gazed at the horizon where the sun was rising. Despite the early hour and his lack of sleep, he felt a rush of excitement coursing through him. One of his dreams was being fulfilled in its own way: the dream of conquering the land. This endeavor differed from when he assisted Agamemnon in conquering Troy. Back then, he had helped Agamemnon out of necessity, fearing the repercussions of earning Agamemnon's ire. As the king of a small country himself, he had no choice but to aid Agamemnon for the safety of his own kingdom.
However, this time, it's different. Odysseus felt a surge of excitement and accomplishment as he helped Daniel, his lord, conquer this land, almost as if he owned it himself. This was the first step in accumulating merit for his lord to recognize, and he hoped that one day, his lord would bring back his beloved, Penelope, from Hades' grasp too.
After a brief break, Odysseus returned his attention to the document he received from Maria's intelligence agency the previous night. He perused the list of Daimyo from the north and south who were likely to seize this opportunity to cause trouble and attempt to usher in a second Sengoku Era.
A smirk played on Odysseus's lips; he hoped these individuals would indeed cause a ruckus and make foolish moves. It would provide him with the chance to prove Envy wrong!
The previous night presented a prime opportunity to demonstrate the power of orbital bombardment and make an example out of the Hojo Clan. It was a deterrent against any foolish moves, such as self-appointment as Shogun or adopting titles like the Patriot, which aimed to drive out foreigners.
— Oceanos - Medical Center —
Within the towering structure of the medical center, nestled amidst the sprawling cityscape reminiscent of Oceanos, lies a VIP room where Koyuki rests. After undergoing thorough check-ups and the rejuvenating elixir treatment, she lies in peaceful slumber following the magic surgery that rid her of the curses implanted by the Hojo onmyoji.
Daniel, her devoted husband, sits beside her, having spent the entire night by her side. Now, he prepares breakfast brought in by the medical staff, unwrapping the plastic covering with practiced ease.
As Daniel begins to unwrap the meal, his keen senses detect a subtle change in the room. Glancing at Koyuki with a playful smile, he pretends not to notice as he turns away, but from the corner of his eye, he sees her feigning sleep.
With a mischievous grin, Daniel takes a sip of soup from the meal and holds it in his mouth. Leaning close to Koyuki, he gently kisses her, passing the soup to her lips in an affectionate gesture.
Koyuki's eyes widen in surprise, the taste of the soup momentarily forgotten as she registers the sensation of her husband's kiss. It's a tender moment, filled with warmth and intimacy, despite Daniel's playful punishment for her faux slumber.
After a fleeting moment, Daniel breaks the kiss, pulling back slightly but remaining close enough for Koyuki to feel his breath against her skin. Blushing and pouting in protest, Koyuki playfully hits Daniel's shoulder.
"Ouch… domestic violence," Daniel jests, feigning injury with a lighthearted chuckle, earning more playful taps from his beloved wife.
"What took you so long?" Koyuki asked, her lips slightly pouted, though her anger was feigned.
Daniel's smile widened at her playful expression. "Well... it's a long story," he began, settling down beside Koyuki's patient bed. He proceeded to recount every detail to his wife, withholding nothing from her. contemporary romance
11:17
Daniel's smile widened at her playful expression. "Well... it's a long story," he began, settling down beside Koyuki's patient bed. He proceeded to recount every detail to his wife, withholding nothing from her.
He started with their journey to Japan and his decision to come here first. Then he delved into the accident he encountered, leading to peculiar circumstances involving Pride and Emma. Daniel described the encounters with Gluttony and various other sidetracks he had to navigate before their reunion.
However, what captured Koyuki's attention the most wasn't the appearances of Pride or Gluttony. She didn't mind Daniel interacting with other women, given her mage mindset. Rather, it was the revelation about a fateful night when she had died.
It became apparent that the Hightower's influence had been affecting their lives long before they gained the power to wield magic.
"Do you think Golden Scale had a hand in this?" Daniel inquired of Koyuki, knowing she had been a mage longer than him and had spent several years in the Hightower.
Koyuki pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't know. Grand Councillor Golden Scale remains an enigma; no one has ever seen his true face beneath that robe. The only thing I know, like many others, is that he avoids social gatherings entirely. You might want to pose this question to Envy," she suggested.
"Envy?" Daniel repeated, intrigued.
"Yes," Koyuki confirmed with a nod. "Envy is exceptionally knowledgeable, often concealing more than she reveals. According to her, she lived through the fall of Rome and even claims to have met Merlin. Can you believe it? She might even know the location of Camelot!" Koyuki shared, conveying Envy's remarkable depth of knowledge.
"I see…" Daniel fell into deep thought for a few moments before being roused from his contemplation by a hug from Koyuki. He reciprocated her embrace, his touch on her back reassuring him that she was truly with him. He even sensed a faint sob from Koyuki, though she didn't voice her fears; he could only guess.
"I'm afraid, Danny. I'm afraid that I can't protect my body. I'm afraid that I won't ever see you again. During my imprisonment, the only thing that protected me from them was my bluff of detonating my soul, so they couldn't exploit the Orochi power within me… It's good that you're here… it's very good," Koyuki confessed, her voice trembling with fear.
"It's okay… I'm here. I'll never let you go again," Daniel reassured her softly, holding her close.
Click…
"Helloooooo, Wrath! What's… up…" Gluttony's cheerful voice filled the room, but the nurse accompanying her frowned at the disruption. This was a medical center, and Gluttony's loud voice could disturb the patients.
"Please be considerate of the patients here, dear guest," the nurse gently admonished.
"Oh, sorry…" Gluttony apologized awkwardly, noticing the scene unfolding before her—her friend Wrath, or Koyuki, embraced and sobbing in Daniel's arms, along with the nurse's reprimand.
"Oh my my," Envy murmured with a faint smile as she observed the scene, while Pride, less tactful, barged in with a pout, harrumphing, "Hmph! Hmph!" at Daniel.
It took some time before Koyuki calmed down and could speak normally, but everyone in the room was very patient with her.
The nurse advised Koyuki about her health and instructed her to eat properly. Glancing at the untouched breakfast, she lightly admonished Daniel to take care of Koyuki and ensure she ate her meal properly before continuing with her job as usual.