After a few minutes of experintation, Nobu was able to learn quite a bit about his personalized storage dinsion. First and foremost, anything pressed against the screen whenever the app was opened would be placed at the exact center of the room. Furthermore, by holding onto the items he placed within, he was able to enter alongside them in order to reorganize things. As for taking them out, he simply needed to be touching them when he ejected his consciousness from within the storage dinsion.
As important as these discoveries were, it was what ca after that made Nobu the most excited.
Shortly after unlocking the Storage App, Nobu opened his Cultivation App to find that his Units and Upgrades list had updated to include a Vault tab. By investing the requisite amount of materials, he could upgrade both the size and structure of his storage dinsion. More importantly, he could use his Aura to accelerate or slow the passage of ti within. The cost was a little exorbitant, but, once he reached the Sixth or Seventh Realm, he could drastically accelerate or even stop the flow of ti on the inside...
Imagining the possibilities his storage dinsion had opened up, Nobu didn't notice when a light knock emanated from outside the sliding bamboo door. It was only when a soft voice reached his ears that he ca back to his senses, answering, "Co in." in a commanding tone.
Orienting the stone tablet so that the display was facing the entrance, Nobu waited until Kadea was about to enter the room before tapping against the screen. This allowed him to confirm sothing pretty important, as, despite greying out, he could still make out that the girl was moving from the interior of the storage dinsion. In other words, ti didn't simply stop while he was inside.
Erging from the storage dinsion in less ti than it took the servant girl to take a single step forward, Nobu offered a practiced smile as he watched Kaede set out the food before him. Though he had asked for sothing light, there was salmon, rice, miso soup, stead vegetables, and quite a number of other foods present on the marbled serving tray. The portions were a bit small but she had clearly covered all the bases so as not to upset him.
"Thanks. I really appreciate it."
Blinking her pristine pink eyes in surprise, Kaede found herself at a montary loss. People rarely thanked servants. This was especially true among Nobles, so, for a brief mont, she couldn't help wondering if the person seated across from her really was an intruder...
Though he was a little taken aback by the petite girl's reaction, Nobu just shook his head before pulling out the Lesser Mark of the Dragon and saying, "I was told to ask you to escort to the Dragon's Chamber once I've finished eating. This-"
Seeing the intricately carved piece of jade and gold in Nobu's hands, Kaede's eyes briefly beca full circles. Then, before Nobu could finish speaking, she practically leaped away from him before prostrating with such intensity that the tatami mat beneath her was visibly dented from the impact.
"I am prepared to receive my punishnt...!"
With a look of abject stupefaction on his face, Nobu stared at the prostrate girl for several seconds before closing his agape mouth and stating, "I'm not going to punish you. I an, seriously, I just thanked you for bringing food. Why the fuck would I punish you?"
Understanding the significance of the Lesser Mark of the Dragon, Kaede kept her head pressed to the ground as she answered, "The person who carries the Lesser Mark of the Dragon possesses a status on par with the Great Lord. As I have failed to recognize Waka-sama's status, it is only right that I am to be punished. Such an egregious offense cannot be overlooked..."
"..."
Though he had already been warned that sothing like this might happen, Nobu hadn't taken it seriously. The Four-Tiered Class System was such an antiquated concept that it hadn't hit him just how seriously people took it. His parents and grandfather obviously didn't care about such things so it was strange to hear soone practically begging for a punishnt despite the fact they had been nothing but polite and respectful towards him...
"Wanna see sothing cool...?"
Confused by Nobu's question, Kaede remained silent for several tense monts before ekly replying, "It would be my honor..."
Waiting until the girl had tentatively turned her eyes toward him, Nobu raised his hand in a casual manner as if he was about to slice downward. This caused Kaede's body to tense until he stated, "I, Oda Nobunaga, absolve you of any wrongdoings you may have perpetrated towards . Now, stop overreacting. I'm not particularly fond of staring at the top of people's heads."
Though her pupils shrank to the size of pinholes when she heard Nobu introduce himself, Kaede's training allowed her to appear calm and composed as she promptly raised her head. Then, despite feeling as though she was trapped in a room with a lion-like Aura Beast, she managed a courteous smile as she replied, "Waka-sama's rcy is without limit. This little one thanks the Young Lord for his clency..."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Nobu decided to focus on finish his al before it got cold. He wasn't good with situations like this. He also had no personal feelings towards Kaede, so, while he was tempted to make conversation, a much larger part of him wanted to just finish his al, et up with Yui, and get the hell out of the castle. It was cool and all, but he wasn't exactly enthused by the notion of encountering hundreds of people with similar sentints as the young servant girl...
...
..
.
After finishing his al and waiting for Kaede to return his tray to the kitchen, Nobu was guided by the youthful-looking servant via word of mouth as she was unable to walk in front of him. This was more than a little annoying but it was nothing compared to the looks he received from the random people they passed along the way.
With the Inner Sanctum of Inuyama Castle being among the most heavily restricted areas in the entire province, very few people were allowed to trespass its interior. Most of the people inside were female servants or monk-like Eunuchs with completely shaven heads. Thus, the mont they saw him walking ahead of Kaede, everyone Nobu encountered along the way promptly prostrated themselves.
It was extrely uncomfortable.
Fortunately, as Kaede's directions took him deeper and deeper into the Inner Sanctum's structure, fewer people began to appear. By the ti they descended a spiral staircase connecting to a large underground hall, completely bereft of traditional Nianese elents, the only people in sight were emaciated monks with hazy white eyes reminiscent of soone with extre cataracts.
Though he was tempted to ask why there were so many monks located in the ruins beneath the castle, Nobu managed to suppress his curiosity. He hated speaking with people walking behind him. Not only was it extrely awkward, but, without Yui at his side, Nobu knew he needed to be aware of his surroundings. Even Kaede was a potential assailant, so, for the duration of the thirty-minute journey, Nobu did his best to remain hyper-focused until he saw his grandfather standing outside a set of doors even larger than the archways present in the ruins beneath Yugakure.
"It's about ti you showed up, brat."
While Kaede bowed low enough that even a feather would send her stumbling forward, Nobu just snorted in response to Senichi's words before asking, "What is this place?"
After a snort of his own, Senichi smacked his palm against the strange tallic door. In response, a pattern reminiscent of a coiling easter dragon manifested on its surface, its majestic form wreathed in golden flas.
"As the heir to the Oda Clan, there are certain things about us that you need to be made aware of. Before that, however, the little lass needs to go..."
Confused by Senichi's words, Nobu looked behind him to find Kaede shivering nervously with her head lowered. It was only after a few seconds had passed that he realized that she was, technically, in his charge right now. In other words, his grandfather was unable to dismiss her as it was beyond rude to address soone else's attendants.
"You can go ahead and return. Also, thanks for showing the way."
Though she was, once again, surprised by the fact Nobu had thanked her, Kaede bowed her head multiple tis, replying, "It was the greatest honor of this little one's life...!" before hastily backing away. Then, upon reaching ten ters from their position, she promptly spun on her heels before power-walking away at a speed that would have easily crushed a few records in Nobu's previous world.
Returning his attention to his grandfather, Nobu asked, "What's the deal with the whole 'little one' thing...?"
Ignoring Nobu's question, Senichi pushed open the massive door with one hand as he said, "Your father is waiting inside. Co."
"..."
Resisting the urge to turn around and follow Kaede's example, Nobu made his way through the massive set of doors to find himself in what appeared to be a large antechamber. There were a number of pillars within, each running more than 50m from floor to ceiling. At a glance, it kind of reminded him of Tokyo's underground discharge chambers, a popular tourist attraction that many believed to be J. R. R. Tolkien's inspiration for the Mines of Moria. The only difference was, rather than stone or concrete, the pillars here were comprised of the sa tallic material that made up the massive doors.
As if to reinforce the idea they were connected, each of the pillars erupted to life with a pattern reminiscent of a golden dragon coiling around their length. It was quite the sight to behold, but, without Yui at his side, Nobu found it hard to appreciate the chamber's beauty. It might sound a little trite, but, ever since he had professed his love for the raven-haired woman, the world around him seed to lose its luster whenever they were apart.
"..."
Mistaking Nobu's silence as awe, Senichi gave him a firm clap on the shoulders as he said, "This is one of the most important places in the entirety of Nian. The Imperial Family entrusted us with its protection after the great war more than six thousand years prior..."
Pushing Nobu forward, a smile developed across Senichi's face as he explained, "While there are currently more than sixty Provinces, Owari has always been special as it was among the first eight ford when the Imperial Family was divvying up land and power. Put simply, Owari is one of the eight original strongholds that represented the Imperial Family's power across Nian. As for why they would entrust us with such an honor..."
Stopping Nobu in his tracks, a vicious smile developed across Senichi's face as he cupped both of the forr's shoulders and stated, "It's because, long before we beca known as the Oda Clan, our Ancestors were known by a different na...Taira...!"
Believing that Nobu had no idea who the Taira were, Senichi went on to explain, "The Taira Clan, along with the Fujiwara, Tachibana, and Minamoto Clans were the four most influential Clans prior to the war between Nian and Onigashima. However, what made us truly special is the fact that we, along with the Minamoto Clan, were descended directly from the Imperial Family. In other words, while your claim to the throne is minuscule at best, there is still a chance that you could one day beco the Emperor of Nian...!"
Clenching his teeth in an effort to resist the intensifying pain in his shoulders, Nobu's expression beca increasingly dour in the face of Senichi's fervor. Then, in spite of his better judgnt, he said, "So? Do I look like I give a fuck about being Emperor?" before following up with, "You might want to lay off the sake in the future, old man. You're starting to lose your fucking mind..."
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(A/N: Bruh...)
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