Chapter 69

PROLOGUE “Thanks for letting us use your car, Sasara…” “This is nothing, really. I am partially responsible for all this. Just rest.” The Tatsunami family car left the hospital and cruised smoothly along the city streets toward the Fuyukura household. Ryouta sat in the center of the back seat, with Sasara on his right and Shiren on his left. “Still, I didn’t think they’d let me home this early. I thought they would keep me for a little while longer…” Ryouta had been in horrible shape after fighting Sasara’s suitor Toraha to prevent her from marrying him. Luckily, though, he just narrowly escaped death. “You have no broken bones and no internal injuries. It is simply your energy that needs recovering.” “Didn’t know humans were so durable…” Ryouta had been convinced he would need to stay for at least a week. He wasn’t expecting to be discharged after a few days. Of course, Shiren had been fervently looking after him during those few days, but he’d still left the hospital pretty quickly. “About that—the doctor seemed surprised, too. He said it’s likely due to your being a minion,” said Sasara. “Wait, really?” “Minions are connected mentally to a Sacred Blooded, so it is said that their ability to recover approaches a similar level. That depends on the power of the original master, however.” “So you mean it’s thanks to me!” Shiren sat to the left side of Ryouta, her arms haughtily crossed. “To save one’s minion, even from afar—what an ideal master-servant relationship. No need to thank me excessively, Ryouta. All you need to do is make me tomato-based cuisine for the rest of my li—” “No,” Ryouta quickly refused. “Wh-why, Ryouta?! There’s nothing wrong with cooking tomatoes! You can add cold tomatoes to dishes, too!” “That’s what you want to comment on?!” “The minion problem is serious, obviously! I am not happy! What is the meaning of this? Are you in your rebellious phase?!” Her pigtails were starting to stand on end, like they were being shocked by static electricity. “You haven’t made me your minion at all. Look, I don’t have any kind of telepathic connection with you or anything.” “So you’re saying it’s because of someone else…” Shiren huffed. That wasn’t exciting news for his master. “Oh…I don’t have any ulterior motives here… I’m just telling you the objective truth…” “I—I know that…” “It’s probably Shijou or Alfoncina.” Those were the only two who’d come closest to making him their minion in the past. Shiren’s shoulders drooped; she had no choice but to accept the truth. “Cheater…” “A cheater?” Ryouta asked in return, and Shiren’s face immediately went red. “No, no! I just used the word cheater because my minion got bitten by other Sacred Blooded!” “Y-yeah, I know that…” Shiren was protesting a bit too much to be convincing. “But I am glad you are safe.” Sasara squeezed Ryouta’s hand. “If you had died for my sake, I don’t know what I would…” Even though Ryouta was safe and sound, Sasara was yet again nearly distraught. Ryouta had been hospitalized because of her matchmaking situation, so she must have felt guilty about it. “That’s not it. I chose to go there. There really isn’t anything you need to worry over.” Ryouta squeezed Sasara’s hand a little harder. “Your life should be full of fun and joy. That’s why I did what I did.” “Yes. I will rethink who I wish to marry, as well.” A thoughtful expression crossed her face. “M-maybe… Perhaps I can consider some of the other Imperial guards as candidates when I do…” She glanced at him. “Yeah, a coworker of yours isn’t such a bad idea.” Ryouta was a part of the Imperial Guard, but he didn’t count himself among them. He didn’t think nearly enough of himself for that. “You’d be on the same wavelength with someone who has the same job, so I think that’s perfect for you.” “I-indeed… It may indeed be perfect for me…” Her face went red, but the blush appeared to be a happy one. “Oh yeah, guys aren’t allowed to be a part of the Imperial Guard, are they…?” Ryouta mused. “Emperor Ouka’s a girl, after all…” “Well, you are a minor noble yourself, s-so I would not say it is entirely impossible… O-of course, it would just be as a candidate…” There was a comfortable atmosphere in the car. And because it was such close quarters, everyone could sense it right away. I—I feel weird… Something’s going on near my arm… Hey, it hurts…? A jolt of pain ran through Ryouta’s left arm. “Owwwwwww! That’s where the sword got me!” He was being pinched. “It seems you’ve gotten a loooooooot closer now, haven’t you, Ryouta?” Shiren’s face was almost demonic. She was trying to force herself to smile, but her eyes were glazed over with jealousy for a more terrifying and mad kind of effect. “You are my minion, and I need you to have adequate communication skills. Staying cooped up at home snacking on bloodtato chips, chocoblood, and bloodtoes (hot blood flavor) is out of the question.” “You really need the word blood in your snacks, don’t you?!” “Well, but—” Shiren’s pigtails were clearly standing on edge now to indicate her anger. It was a mystery as to what sort of genes allowed this phenomenon. “—Just don’t forget that I’m your master. Okay?” “I know, I know…and come on, don’t pinch me on my cut… I’m injured here…” When he pointed out his wound, worry immediately crossed Shiren’s face. “I really wish you’d stay out of battles to begin with…” “Are you still in pain, Ryouta?” “I don’t know if I’d say in pain. More like tired. Recovery takes a lot of energy, so it feels like I’ve been working for a week nonstop.” “Then I will take pity on you.” “Huh?” Her face went red, and her head drooped. “Didn’t I say I’d serve you until you got better…? If you’re still hurt, then I’m going to give you the best service when we get home! Y-you’d better be ready for it!” It must have been embarrassing for her to say she was going to serve him, considering how she was always ordering him to serve her. “An intimate relationship is necessary for the bond between master and minion. It’s the master’s job to allow you a thorough rest when you’re tired. Unlike some jobs, I intend to give you vacation days. That’s why I’m going to serve you, so you get better quickly…” “Thanks…I appreciate it…” It was a little embarrassing for Ryouta, too. “That’s the kind of relationship…keeping us together, Ryouta…” An odd atmosphere settled over the car again. And of course, the close quarters meant everyone felt it right away. “Ahem, ahem, ahem. Ah, driver Yamamoto, could you please play us some music? Enka, folk music, folk dance—anything that the young people nowadays would absolutely hate right away, please!” “How about this, Lady Sasara?” “Ah~ Let us begin the Sacred Blooded Dance! Haaah! Yoisho, yoisho! Dodon, don! Choisa, choisa! Ah, sorei! ” “What is this?!” Shiren complained. “Why does it sound like it’s for a summer dance festival?! This is awful!” “Oh, I simply wanted a different mood for the ride. I have no other motives.” Sasara and Shiren glared at each other; clearly, much was going unsaid. Ryouta sat stiffly between them. He was really hoping they would get home soon… There was nothing he could do about them, though, so he turned his attention to the music. “Today we have rain of blood, tomorrow we’ll have rain of blood, all so bloody, all so bloody, the Sacred Blooded Dance~. Yoyoi, yoi! ” “It’s a happy song, but the lyrics are horrifying! What even is this music?!” This country didn’t have actual music, Ryouta concluded. He still hadn’t heard any songs that had regular lyrics as of yet. “This is a very popular song here in the Empire. They played it at our previous festival.” “Yeah, you’re not a real Sacred Blooded if you don’t know it.” Now Shiren and Sasara were on the same page. “I know I have a hard time keeping up with current events, but I’m not really interested in picking up this song.” “Sigh, you still have much to learn about the Empire.” “Indeed. If you don’t adapt, life here will only get harder with time.” “As a fellow Imperial guard, I would be happy to educate you.” “Educating one’s minion is the job of the master.” “I will do it.” “No, I will do it!” But soon, they were back to glaring at each other again. Can’t we get there any faster…? Ryouta prayed quietly to himself. Everyone quickly felt the growing darkness in these close quarters. At least give me a window seat…