The Fierce Saintess

Episode 44: Joukyou 4 (1687) - Part 6

Your gift will give me the strength to post the next chapter, the next story.

For Kana-hime reader, sorry for the late update. Been busy taking care of my father.
For now I'll be posting in bulk of what I have in the backlog.

Take a good care of yourself and your familiy.

Thank you and enjoy.

*****

Her mother Chino's belly had already grown round and full, reaching the point where the baby could arrive at any moment. Midwives had been summoned to the Tsuchimikado estate, and the inner quarters were abuzz with preparations for the birth.

「...May all without exception walk beautifully into the rising sun, and flourish without mishap; most humbly and reverently do I pray.」

(It will be soon now. How exciting.)

Princess Kana's daily prayer for a safe delivery contained a crystal-clear brightness in her voice, as if coaxed out by the sunbeams growing warmer and brighter by the day.

「Kaou should be returning right about now, too.」

The young foxes took turns traveling to the hermit realm once or twice a month to train, staying away for anywhere between four to seven days. It was currently Kaou's turn, and since five days had already passed, the princess thought he ought to be returning soon. Just as she turned to head back to her room—

*Thump!*

(Ouch...)

Something slammed directly into her waist from behind out of nowhere.

「Princess, look! I have learned to shape-shift!」

Turning around at Kaou's joyful voice, she found a child around five years old standing before her, dressed in chigo attire—a white robe with a shiraai pale blue-grey hakama and matching karaginu jacket. What was more, his skin was fair, and his large, slightly upturned eyes were round and bright, making him look exceptionally darling.

「I can only take this form so far, but with this, I can hold your hand when we go to the dojo!」

A faint, familiar flower pattern floated on his forehead as he beamed and took the princess's hand with delight.

「Is it truly you, Kaou?!」

「Yes! I worked very hard!」

His proud demeanor made him all the more adorable. Princess Kana instinctively pulled Kaou into a tight embrace.

(My little fox is just so darling!)

On the way home from her very first practice at the dojo, the princess had watched with a touch of envy as a pair of sisters—who also looked to be returning from lessons—walked along hand in hand.

Though close in age and on good terms with her elder brother, Yasumasa, they never walked around holding hands, and her younger brother, Yasutsura, was still too small to go out together. It had been a quiet little longing of hers, but naturally, she had never spoken it aloud.

That was why Kaou's thoughtfulness—realizing her unspoken wish and putting in the effort for her sake—made the princess so overwhelmingly happy.

「Indeed. Let us by all means walk hand in hand. Why, we can even match our outfits.」

Holding Kaou's hand, the princess happily made her way toward her room, but looking back, she caught sight of Suou trailing crestfallen behind them and couldn't help a wry chuckle.

(Ah, my little foxes truly are so darling!)

Once back in her room, a grand commotion broke out. Seeing Kaou in human form, Natsume dragged out Princess Kana's childhood clothes and, together with Saki, began dressing him up in one outfit after another.

Gushing in a room buried under layers of silk, the women carried on excitedly—delighting over which pattern suited him better, which color looked best, and how precious he looked in everything.

Ignored and pouting at the side, Suou wandered over to Kurogane, who was waiting in the adjoining room. He sprawled across Kurogane's lap, glanced up at him, and silently signaled toward his own back with his eyes.

(Does this mean he wants me to pet him?)

Kurogane tentatively placed a hand on Suou's back and began stroking him gently. Seeing Suou close his eyes and let out a long breath, Kurogane felt relieved that he had guessed right, when an idea suddenly struck him.

「Instead of 'dog', what if you had her write 'child' on the talisman?」

「I cannot even walk on two legs yet. Even if I disguise myself as a child, four legs would render it pointless.」

「True, you wouldn't be able to hold hands then.」

「Hmph, just you watch. I shall be able to shape-shift before long as well.」

「Right. I'm sure you'll manage it real soon.」

Stroking the fur mixed with occasional coarse strands, Kurogane figured he would be in charge of carrying Suou until that day came.

* * *

The second practice day where Princess Kana walked to the dojo hand-in-hand with Kaou.

While the princess was practicing dry-drawing in the straw target room, a footman (*chūgen*) came rushing in, calling out Princess Kana's name.

Though his face was unfamiliar, he wore the hakama issued by the estate, so the princess was not suspicious at first. But—

「Princess! Her Ladyship has collapsed! Please return to the estate at once!」

「Mother has?」

At that moment, she realized something was off.

「Please hurry! A palanquin is waiting at the main gate. You can take that.」

For someone in such a hurry, he said nothing to Old Man Jiro or Kurogane. Normally, her escorts would return with her, yet he seemed intent on taking only Princess Kana.

「Hana has accompanied me today as well. Are there two palanquins?」

At Princess Kana's words, the footman flinched for a second, but quickly recovered.

「Ah, no, we could only prepare one, but since both of you are small, it should be fine to ride together. Come, please hurry. Er, Lady Hana as well.」

(Hmm. A fake after all. But what is their objective...?)

「Old Man, Kurogane. Take my belongings and follow behind us later.」

Intending to uncover the fake footman's motive, Princess Kana spoke with her head lowered slightly as she handed her bow to Old Man Jiro. Then, carrying the Chin (Suou) and leading Hana (Kaou) by the hand, she headed toward the gate. Sure enough, waiting there was a hired *Hōsenji* palanquin—luxuriously made, yet entirely different from Kana's personal palanquin (*onna-norimono*).

(To think they thought I wouldn't see through such a crude trick; they must take me for a fool.)

Though a bit annoyed, the princess decided to continue playing along since she didn't yet know what they were after. Urged on, she boarded the palanquin.

Once the door closed, the palanquin set off immediately, and after making a bit of progress, it slowly shifted direction, heading away from the estate.

「Kurogane, do you have any idea who that was?」

At Old Man Jiro's question, Kurogane nodded.

「Likely someone from my home village.」

Every servant at the Tsuchimikado estate knew that Kaou could shape-shift, but that man did not. That alone proved he was an impostor.

Furthermore, though he had disguised his height, appearance, and voice, the mocking look in his eyes directed at Kurogane was impossible to hide.

(That was Kōsa. He likely used disguise techniques.)

Kurogane of the Tetsu-gumi had never been taught disguise techniques, but everyone in the Hagane-gumi was. They used them to trick, mock, and make laughingstocks out of the Tetsu-gumi members from time to time.

「The Kuramashū, is it? Now that is a nuisance...」

Packing the princess's equipment into its case and slinging it over his shoulder, Old Man Jiro frowned.

「It was likely harassment aimed at me.」

「If so, he should have meddled with you alone. Laying hands on the Princess turns this into a major incident. It cannot be helped—let us pursue them posthaste.」

As he spoke, he spread his hand, and a bird-shaped shikigami rose into the air from it—the very paper construct Princess Kana had handed him earlier alongside her bow. As the characters 'Search and Pursue' (*Ware-sagashi-tsuibō*) glowed upon its torso, the shikigami circled once in the air before flying off toward a certain direction. Old Man Jiro and Kurogane hurried after it, keeping it in sight.

Meanwhile, inside the swaying palanquin, Princess Kana and the others were conferring in hushed tones.

「First, I shall slip out so those fools do not notice.」

「Then I shall be second. I will step out in this child's form...」

「I leave it to you. As soon as I step down...」

While they discussed their plan, the palanquin came to a halt. Suou slipped out silently, and as Kana watched Kaou step out next, she deduced that they were within a temple ground.

Likely one of the temples around Shijō Teramachi. She pulled two paper talismans from her bosom and concealed them within her palm.

「Where is this? Where is Mother?」

Kaou wailed aloud, putting on a show, and Princess Kana, who stepped down right after, put on an anxious expression to catch the enemy off guard.

「What do you intend to do with us?!」

A young man—different from the fake footman who came to the dojo—approached with a smirking grin. The fake footman was off talking to the palanquin bearers (*rokushaku*).

(Hmph, so they are accomplices as well. In that case...)

She launched her two prepared paper talismans simultaneously. The paper constructs flew toward the palanquin bearers, binding them from behind in a single instant. The fake footman gasped in shock, but the young man had not yet noticed. Approaching Kaou, who was pretending to sob, he reached out a hand, intending to comfort him.

「There's no need to worry. We'll return you right away. Just be good and stay quiet for a moment...」

Grabbing that outstretched hand, Kaou grinned wickedly and whispered, 「*Shiraku*!」

Plant vines sprouted rapidly from beneath the man's feet, binding his body before his very eyes. The panicked fake footman tried to rush over, but—

「*Baku*!」

Suou instantly unleashed his spell, ensnaring the fake footman.

「Now then, what sort of punishment would be fitting for those who deceived and kidnapped me?」

When Old Man Jiro and Kurogane followed the shikigami and found Princess Kana's group, an unbelievable scene was unfolding before them.

Scattered on the ground were the palanquin bearers bound by the princess's paper talismans, while two men hung suspended from the highest tree in the temple grounds.

What was more, beneath them, the young foxes were flinging foxfire, pelting the suspended men.

「Oh, you have arrived? It seems the shikigami worked splendidly then.」

「Princess, please do not make an old man run so hard.」

「My apologies, Old Man Jiro. However, I dispatched word to Father earlier, so the *real* household retainers should arrive shortly.」

Listening to Princess Kana speak so cheerfully while staring at the bound men, Kurogane couldn't help but mutter:

「I'm starting to think you have no need for a bodyguard, Princess.」

「What are you saying? I am a helpless nine-year-old, you know? And an utterly adorable one at that. What would you do if something were to happen to me?」

Though she retorted with immense dissatisfaction, Kurogane thought to himself that a helpless nine-year-old wouldn't get intentionally kidnapped, nor would they go this far against their perpetrators.

* * *

That night.

「Kana. I heard you had a terrible experience today, but I am glad you were unharmed. However, there are a few things that concern me.」

Kana had been summoned by her father.

「What might those be?」

「First, it felt as though your preparations were far too thorough. Why did you have so many spell talismans with you?」

「Of course, as precautions for going out...」

「And you had new spell talismans prepared as well, didn't you?」

「Those were, well, just minor things, hardly worth calling spells...」

「Furthermore, I hear you allowed yourself to be kidnapped on purpose?」

「Ah, well, since I did not know their motive, I thought I might as well pretend to be fooled...」

「You fool! Do not overreach yourself relying on your own power!」

*Thump!*

「Ouch!」

Lightning and a fist dropped down upon the princess's head simultaneously.

「Listen here. Using magic alongside a crowd of people at the estate, like during the demon spider incident, is entirely different from doing it alone outside! What is more, using unverified spells whose safety and effects haven't been tested! In the first place, had you not boarded that palanquin, this incident wouldn't have occurred. Why did you take action to put yourself in harm's way? Fortunately, you were unharmed, but still!」

After railing at her all in one breath, he let out a long sigh and gently stroked the princess's head.

「Do not worry me so much.」

「Yes...」

「Kana. It is true your divine power is strong. However, because you are still young, your judgment is shallow. Those who scheme work cleverly, deceiving those around them to advance their plans. Things seen on the surface are often not the truth. The reason this did not turn into a major disaster this time was merely because their target happened not to be you.」

「...Indeed. I am truly sorry for my rash behavior this time.」

In truth, to the princess, it had felt like an adventure story out of a book—exciting and fun. But...

(What Father says is correct. If a situation can be avoided without incident, that is best, yet I went out of my way to escalate it. Besides, if I had thought about it even a little, I would have known how much everyone would worry...)

As she hung her head in deep reflection:

「If you have reflected, you may return to your room. However, leave behind all the talismans you currently hold.」

Saying so, her father extended his hand in front of her. Reluctantly, the princess placed three talismans on it, but the hand did not budge. She added two paper shikigami, but far from retracting, the hand extended further. Giving up, she placed her remaining two talismans and two shikigami on it, and the hand finally pulled back.