Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Isn't He an Immortal?
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Just as he shoved the last bite of rice into his mouth and chewed, Il-yeong asked in return.
"A banquet?"
"That's right."
Nobunaga nodded at his question and continued.
"You've recovered your strength now, so you can't miss out on a gathering to discuss merits."
Though it had been carried out without informing the retainers, the result was that Owari had gained yet another ace up its sleeve. Moreover, this was a signal.
—Mino is shaking.
For Nobunaga, who one day dreamed of reaching Kyoto, the fact that Mino—which blocked the path there—was wavering was far from unwelcome.
And naturally, the retainers had no choice but to see Nobunaga in a new light because of this incident. Those unaware of the full details roughly understood it as:
Yoshinari, who had gone to rescue the princess from Mino on the lord's orders, had in turn been rescued by Il-yeong, who had received the same orders from the lord.
—Or so they believed.
Of course, broadly speaking, it wasn't entirely wrong, but a closer look revealed subtle differences in the details.
Still, so what?
Good is good.
'A banquet, though...'
He had attended one before, but back then he had gone as a Joseon ronin. He had become Hirate Masahide's adopted son there, but... this would be his first time attending as a member of the Hirate family.
That was when it hit him.
A sudden question arose.
"So, will that girl from Mino and Ikoma Kitsuno, the Ikoma clan leader, be coming too?"
"They will."
"Hmm."
The girl from Mino. Kicho.
Honestly, he didn't remember her face well.
And for good reason—she had been wildly swinging her sword in the endless downpour, her eyes half-mad.
The only thing he recalled was...
'Silver hair?'
Definitely silver hair and silver eyes.
Even in the pitch-black night, they stood out unmistakably. That much he was sure of.
Even so, silver hair and silver eyes.
In this era of Japan's Warring States period.
'Ha.'
He let out a hollow chuckle inwardly.
What was this world even? Sometimes, these odd disconnects hit him—sensations too strange to put into words.
In contrast, Ikoma Kitsuno felt a bit more grounded.
Her hair and eyes had a brownish tint.
Of course, he couldn't recall her face either.
'Ikoma Kitsuno, Kicho...'
Il-yeong's gaze couldn't help but flick toward Nobunaga. And why not? Both women were Nobunaga's lovers.
Yes, Nobunaga's women.
Not this world's female Nobunaga, but the male Nobunaga from original history.
Kicho—the princess from Mino who took the name Nohime—was the woman the original Nobunaga had married even before inheriting the clan leadership.
'Rumors say she was quite the spirited woman... but who knows for now.'
Instead, Il-yeong found himself far more intrigued by Ikoma Kitsuno. Why? She had a nickname from later generations.
'The woman Nobunaga loved most...'
Apparently an older sister figure he had a crush on, whom he took as a concubine right after she became a widow.
The reason for her nickname was simple.
She bore the most children in the shortest time before passing away.
Nobutada, Nobukatsu, Tokuhime...
All names etched into history. Il-yeong paused with his chopsticks mid-air and thought.
'Wait.'
So what happens to those kids?
A question he had never considered before struck him like lightning. With parents swapped, how would the lineage continue?
Il-yeong pondered for a moment before reaching a conclusion.
'Who knows. Damn it.'
Pondering wouldn't solve it.
Had agonizing ever led to a satisfying answer even once?
'Still, I hope Ikoma doesn't die young.'
Ikoma Kitsuno had given birth three years in a row and died after the victory at Okehazama. But without pregnancies this time, she wouldn't weaken that way.
That was some consolation.
From snippets he'd overheard before, even in this world, Nobunaga loved her as a person.
'Good. Yeah.'
The unborn children could come later—what mattered was that Nobunaga's beloved wouldn't die. That was satisfaction enough.
Thus, the corners of Il-yeong's mouth lifted slightly.
But at that moment.
"...Hm?"
A sudden piercing gaze made him look up, and he met the half-lidded stares of Nobunaga and Yoshinari fixed on him.
"Wh-what is it?"
Their looks weren't kind.
Not outright glaring, but suspicious... Ah.
Il-yeong recalled a similar incident and awkwardly rolled his eyes. Was this what they called jealousy?
'Why?'
He hadn't even praised Ikoma or Kicho.
Yet Nobunaga and Yoshinari's expressions suggested he had said something while thinking of those two women.
As Il-yeong made a truly aggrieved face, Yoshinari and Nobunaga continued staring at him with narrowed eyes before finally looking away.
"Ahem."
A faint killing intent flickered in Nobunaga's golden eyes. At the same time, Yoshinari set down her chopsticks and thought.
'He just smiled.'
'He smiled.'
Nobunaga thought the same.
Moments ago, at the mention of Ikoma Kitsuno and Kicho coming, Il-yeong had pondered something and smiled. She couldn't help but worry inwardly.
Yes, with any other man, she might not have cared. But because it was Il-yeong, she couldn't help worrying.
"...What do you take me for, both of you."
Of course, Il-yeong felt wronged.
I'm not some woman-crazed lunatic drooling over women I've barely met.
With him putting it that bluntly, Nobunaga and Yoshinari had no choice but to admit their overreaction.
Thus, Nobunaga cleared her throat awkwardly and, belatedly eyeing his unkempt hair and gaunt face from his long illness, said.
This was the reason she had brought up the banquet in the first place.
"You can't go to the banquet looking like that, so I called my people. Remember that."
"Ah, yes... Understood."
At her words, Il-yeong could only nod readily. He had considered cutting his hair himself, but now that his status demanded a certain appearance in public, he knew it mattered.
Not because he was Hirate's adopted son.
But because he was the lover of those two women.
Mori Yoshinari was a key retainer of the Oda clan.
And Oda Nobunaga was the clan's lord.
So, as their lover, he couldn't appear before the retainers in his usual—frankly, somewhat shabby—attire.
—Of course, his imposing build and handsome face meant no one thought him shabby, but Il-yeong had no way of knowing that.
Thus, Il-yeong silently let the attendants who entered as if on cue tend to him after clearing the table.
Watching him, Nobunaga soon let out a sigh of admiration and whispered softly to Yoshinari at her side.
"He truly wastes his looks, that one."
It was a sentiment Yoshinari inwardly agreed with.
A sudden bloodbath had erupted in Owari.
Of course, purges weren't uncommon in this era, but after Oda Nobunaga's brutal one passed, all retainers had no choice but to tread carefully.
And why not? They had seen it themselves.
The screams of tortured traitors seeped past walls into common homes. Passing by, the stench of blood assaulted the nose before it could dissipate, and even crows fled the agony, leaving the skies clear.
Two weeks had passed since the purge began, and another two since Il-yeong awoke.
This banquet, held after nearly a month, held great significance in loosening the tense atmosphere in Owari and the Oda clan.
"Lord Hirate, you remain as vigorous as ever. Must be that dragon you tamed in your later years. Ha ha!"
"A dragon? Ho ho. You're too kind."
Various retainers crowded around Hirate Masahide, showering him with flattery to curry favor.
Though unconfirmed, rumors swirled that Nobunaga's purge stemmed from Hirate Hikage of the Hirate family—now practically accepted fact.
Thus, Hirate Masahide smiled outwardly amid the sudden attention but inwardly found it troublesome.
Watching this, Niwa Nagahide—with her indigo long hair neatly tied and clad in pristine robes—chuckled softly, covering her mouth with a fan, and glanced at Maeda Toshiie beside her.
"What fools they are. Lord Hirate despises those who bend like reeds in the wind more than anything."
Regardless of their original allegiance to Hirate Masahide, even those who had subtly checked him now tried to engage.
How could the elder Hirate approve of such bat-like behavior?
"Annoying."
In contrast, Maeda Toshiie wasn't her usual prickly self but sulkily hung her head.
Niwa Nagahide found her so adorable she giggled, gently stroking her hair and whispering.
"You'll see the lord soon. Cheer up."
"But..."
Nobunaga had secluded herself in Tenshukaku for nearly a month.
No matter how much she told herself there was no cause for complaint since it was the lord's business, not seeing the one she respected and followed for a month felt inevitably lonely.
But then.
The doors creaked open.
"Ah, everyone's already here."
A familiar voice echoed through the banquet hall. All heads turned, and Nobunaga accepted the focused gazes without hesitation, speaking to Il-yeong behind her.
"This seat is for you and Mori. Il... no, Hirate Hikage."
And in that instant.
All eyes shifted from Nobunaga to the man a step behind her.
—Gasp.
—Oh.
Man or woman, all swallowed hard.
"...Thank you, my lord."
Everyone thought of three things when hearing "Hirate Hikage."
Joseon origins.
Shaggy long hair.
A fairly handsome face and tall stature.
That was it.
Handsome, yes—but not overwhelmingly so.
At least, that's how it had been.
Niwa Nagahide's hand trembled, dropping her fan in shock.
'I-Isn't he an immortal? At that level.'