kscans

Chapter 26 - The Promise of Ten Thousand in Ten Days

"My home is called Kyo-yojo-den," Shion said.

Upon arriving in Kyo, Shintaro gazed at the estate from a high hill and was left speechless. It was built in the center of a seemingly endless basin. The geometric patterns traced by the vermilion roofs and the beauty of the well-ordered streets were enough to make anyone sigh in admiration. Shintaro was no exception.

"It's vast."

"That's because we employ a great many people."

"I feel like I don't belong."

"You'll be fine."

"You think so?"

"Yes. Because you're you, Shintaro-sama."

"...What makes you so sure?"

"I believe in you." Shintaro stared in surprise at Shion's profile as she spoke with a gentle smile. She was just as beautiful as he remembered from the Azalea Garden. The memory of the small flame that had been lit in his heart that day made his chest grow warm. Though they had only just shared their first kiss a few days ago, he felt a powerful connection to her, and his spirits soared. Shintaro gently wrapped an arm around Shion's shoulder.

"Well then, shall we go?"

"Yes."

*

The estate was overwhelming from a distance, but up close, it was so magnificent his jaw hung open. Shintaro nervously looked around. He had felt out of place when he entered the Tower, but this was on an entirely different level, and he felt unusually tense. The attendants who guided him and the people they passed, however, stared at him in awe. His presence was so commanding that one could declare without hesitation that no other man was fit to stand by Shion's side. The rumor shot through the Imperial Court in an instant, and a crowd swarmed the front of Kyo-yojo-den, hoping for a glimpse.

In the main hall, Shion knelt before her father and bowed her head.

"Father. I have returned."

"Ah, welcome back. I'm glad you're safe." Looking at the man, Shintaro, who was positioned slightly behind and to the side of Shion, furrowed his brow. The man had the same hair and eye color as Shion. And he looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties.

"...Are you sure he's not your brother?" Shintaro whispered to Shion. She lifted her face and giggled.

"No. He's my father." Then, she straightened her back once more.

"Father. This is Shintaro-sama." At the introduction, Shintaro hurriedly bowed his head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Shintaro. I had the honor of serving as her bodyguard."

Shion's father waved his hand lightly in front of his face.

"There's no need for such stiff formalities. I've heard all about you. So, how about it, Shintaro-dono?"

Shintaro raised his face. "How about what?"

"My daughter. Do you like her?" The blunt question made Shintaro blush.

"Yes, of course."

"Oh? You want to make her your wife?"

"Y-Yes." Shion's father, the Emperor, observed Shintaro for a moment. Then, after a while, he said,

"...I can't give you an immediate yes. She is my precious only daughter, after all. I must see with my own eyes if you are truly worthy."

It was not a very encouraging answer, and Shintaro had to fight to keep his head from drooping. But he also understood that it was a perfectly natural reaction for a father with an only daughter. Just as Saimon had been before. Saimon hadn't shown much resistance to accepting Shintaro as his son-in-law, but the moment he expressed his wish for Mana to marry the Tower Master, he'd revealed a parent's true nature. Who could make his daughter happiest? Shion's father was surely thinking the same thing. Shintaro mentally took stock of himself. All he had to his name was the dojo's reputation. When he asked himself if an otherwise unremarkable man like him was truly worthy of Shion, all he could picture was his own pathetic figure, and he was struck with fear.

As Shintaro's confidence faltered, someone entered the main hall. They sat to the side of the space where Shion was meeting her father, forming a U-shape with the Emperor at the head. Shintaro stared blankly at the familiar faces. It was Miyake and Nanafushi. The two of them bowed to the Emperor, who was to their right, then turned to Shintaro, who was to their left.

"It's been a while, Shintaro-dono."

Shintaro, unsure how to respond, knit his brows. Miyake laughed heartily.

"No need to make such a face. Well, I do apologize for challenging you to a duel without revealing our identities."

"...It's fine." Shintaro averted his gaze. Although they spoke as if their identities had just been revealed, Shintaro still didn't quite understand. It was no surprise, given that he had no idea he'd been a candidate for Shion's hand for over five years, nor did he even know what Shion's father did for a living. But judging by the building, it was a shrine. He vaguely understood that the man was probably involved in the priesthood.

"By the way, Shion-sama. How was Nana-dono's wedding celebration?" Nanafushi asked.

Shion clasped her hands happily in front of her face. "It went off without a hitch. Sahei-san told me that both Nana and Saneyuki-san seemed truly happy."

"That is wonderful to hear. Shintaro-dono, did you attend as well?" Suddenly brought into the conversation, Shintaro quickly nodded.

"I was invited."

At that, Shion laughed, amused. "Shintaro-sama got drunk and climbed to the very top of the Tower!"

Shion seemed delighted, but the color drained from Shintaro's face. In front of her father, the last thing he wanted was to be seen as a monster. And before that, there was the question of what kind of person climbs onto a roof while drunk.

"The top of the Tower? You mean on the roof?"

"Yes." The Emperor's face soured. Shintaro broke into a cold sweat. It was an outrageously senseless story. He worried he might earn the man's displeasure and be thrown out of the estate.

"Hmm. But there shouldn't be any way to climb onto that roof."

"Saneyuki-san said he used the eaves as a foothold and climbed up in a spiral, as if crossing stepping stones."

"...Impossible. No one could perform such a feat."

"Oh, but it's true. Nearly a hundred people saw him jump off afterward, you know?"

"He jumped off?!" It was Miyake and Nanafushi who cried out.

"It's a hundred meters high! How on earth did he—"

Shintaro's temple twitched. "There's not much difference between ten meters and a hundred."

This time, it was Miyake and Nanafushi whose eyebrows twitched. "There's a huge difference!"

Faced with such a reasonable retort, Shintaro fell silent, as if he'd forgotten how to speak. He might have been grumbling internally about never drinking again, but he had no intention of elaborating on the story any further. The Emperor watched the silent Shintaro with a smirk.

"You seem to be a rather amusing man. Very well. Let's do this. You will cross swords with the soldiers who guard this place. If you can defeat every last one of them, I will approve of your relationship with Shion."

Shintaro looked intently at Shion's father. "Is it that simple?"

"Hah! Don't you dare call it simple. The finest soldiers in the entire country are gathered here. Do not underestimate them. And I never said it would be one-on-one. I've heard of your strength from Miyake. You will fight ten thousand soldiers. For ten days, you will face one thousand soldiers a day. Prevail, and you win."

The Emperor's words made Miyake, Nanafushi, and even Shion freeze.

"Father...!" As Shion let out a pained cry, Shintaro placed a hand lightly on her back to calm her. The Emperor's gaze fixed on Shintaro.

"Do you accept?" Shintaro met the Emperor's eyes directly and, for a change, smiled a defiant smile.

"Of course."