After so of the worst sleep of his life, Nobu erged from his room with the kind of expression typically reserved for mothers with quadruplets, code monkeys, and ga developers adding the finishing touches on a project that had been delayed by several years. There were dark bags under his bloodshot eyes, as, even with a mask covering the lower half of his face, the putrid sll of piss and shit wafting in from the city streets was enough to drive lesser n insane.
Surprised by the aura of gloom exuding from Nobu's entire being, Yui, despite having spent the last ten minutes knocking on his door, promptly decided against lecturing him. Instead, she pulled out a bottle of mint oil she had extracted during their stay in the mountains, asking, "Is it really that bad?" while applying the substance to a fresh cloth.
Since even speaking allowed a foul aroma to rise up through the back of his throat, Nobu simply nodded in response to Yui's words. It was only after she had handed over the moderately cleaner cloth, the sll of fresh nthol invading his senses, that he deigned to speak, answering, "We're going to be traveling with a rchant caravan, right?"
Nodding her head, Yui placed the old cloth into her satchel before explaining, "Due to the number of people traveling to the capital around this ti of year, the rchant guilds and za traders have reached an agreent with the provincial army to act as escorts. Though travelers are expected to work, gather materials, and carry supplies, it is the safest way to travel without a permit."
Noticing the confusion in Nobu's eyes, Yui restrained a sigh before gesturing towards the stairs and appending, "Nian has beco increasingly unstable ever since the Ashikawa Clan acquired the title of Shogun from the dishonored Kamakura Clan. Though there have yet to be any large-scale wars, tensions between the various provinces and prefectures are at an all-ti high. This has contributed to a growing number of people fleeing poor and impoverished territories in order to seek shelter in neighboring provinces. To combat this, the Ashikawa Shogunate introduced a law prohibiting travel between prefectures without a warrior, rchant, or travel permit. Very few Daimyo actually uphold this law, but, to prevent denunciations and accusations of treason, they have implented policies similar to this one so that people can travel freely at certain tis throughout the year."
"Mmm..."
Since he didn't really have anything to say, Nobu just humd a simple response before stepping out of the relatively warm lodge and into the cold. Winter might have ended, but, due to its close proximity to the sea, a frigid and biting wind assailed Owari-Asai in the early mornings. It would get warr as the sun erged from over the horizon, but, as that was still more than three hours out, an icy sensation washed across the lower-half of Nobu's face due to the minty oil suffused through his makeshift mask...
Though she was a little annoyed by Nobu's curt response, Yui managed to rein in her emotions as she gestured towards the distant city gate, explaining, "We need to hurry. The caravan is scheduled to depart the mont the sky begins to illuminate. If we're not checked in before the first call, our seats will go to soone else. It is a three-week journey if we end up having to walk. Traveling with a caravan isn't much faster but it allows us to rest in a carriage and seek shelter from the rain. Let's hurry."
Without waiting for Nobu to answer in the affirmative, Yui grabbed his hand and began pulling him along at a running-jog. This gave the forr the urge to pull his hand away but Yui had preempted this by manifesting a golden manacle around his wrist and fastening it to her own. Thus, even if he wanted to escape, doing so was easier said than done...
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Thanks to his Breath Progression Technique, Nobu wasn't even remotely winded by the ti he and Yui reached the gate. There, Yui signed both of their nas in a migration registrar before dragging him to the bustling rchant caravan located a few hundred ters away.
As one of the few caravans that benefitted from a military escort, more than a thousand people had gathered with the intention of purchasing inexpensive fare. This was far larger than the usual group that would gather at the beginning of the year, and, as a result, a dispute seed to be taking place between a small group of uniford people and a much larger group of soldiers.
Though quite a number of people were drawn closer to this conflict, Yui ended up dragging Nobu towards one of the larger supply wagons located near the very front of the convoy. There, a middle-aged man with off-color blue hair could be seen barking orders at various younger n and won. His hair color, alone, would have been more than enough to draw attention back on Earth, but, as if he wasn't content with simply standing out, the backs of the man's ears were lined with a layer of fur that ca to a point near the tips...
"So beast-human hybrids really are a thing in this world..."
Hearing Nobu mumble under his breath, Yui turned her head, asking, "Did you say sothing...?"
Shaking his head, Nobu was about to say it was nothing before rembering they were still cuffed together. He also recalled the 'cover story' Yui had co up with, so, before she could drag him any further, he stopped his feet and said, "We're supposed to be a married couple. What are you going to say when people ask why we're handcuffed together?"
Furrowing her brows, Yui began searching for an answer until Nobu exhaled an annoyed sigh and said, "Just take it off. I'm not going to run away. Besides, even if I tried, you would just catch up to ."
While she was more than confident in her ability to track him down, Yui didn't imdiately release the shackle around Nobu's wrist. There was a very real chance he would alert the provincial army or ask for help from soone with a higher cultivation base if she allowed him to wander freely. From that mont onward, the only option she would have is revealing her identity or accusing him of a cri he didn't commit. Neither of these outcos would be ideal, so, before removing the golden manacle, she adopted the most serious expression he had ever seen before saying, "I will remove it if you promise to stay close and not make a scene. There are far greater dangers in this world-"
Before Yui could finish her mixed warning/threat, Nobu adopted a serious expression of his own, saying, "I already said I wasn't going to run away. Seriously, woman. You need to stop stressing out over everything. Nobody likes a clinger."
Though she squinted her eyes in response to the unfamiliar expression, Yui knew better than to fret over everything that ca out of Nobu's mouth. He was the type of person that could call soone every insult under the heavens without actually aning any of them. This would lead most people to believe he was disingenuous, but, after spending nearly a month observing him, Yui had co to realize that he rarely deviated from the things he said he would or wouldn't do.
Hoping she hadn't been wrong about him, Yui maintained a serious expression as she said, "I trust you..." in a delicate yet somber tone. This caused a deep frown to appear on Nobu's face, but, while others might interpret this as an expression of dissent, Yui interpreted it as sothing positive. He would never admit it, but, despite behaving as if everything was troubleso, Nobu had a relatively straight-forward and surprisingly earnest personality. If he cared as little as he pretended to, there's no way he would offer advice and question the flaws present in the existing system...
Clicking his tongue, Nobu tore his gaze away from Yui's crystal clear eyes, muttering, "Whatever..." in an aloof tone.
Had she been the more expressive type, Yui might have smiled in response to this. Instead, she replied with an approving nod before dissipating the shackle and saying, "I used the rest of my savings to secure our passage on one of the main supply coaches. They are transferring tea and spice to the capital so the sll shouldn't be unbearable unless you dislike the aroma of herbs. As for our individual duties: I explained that you sustained an injury that left you unable to speak and act normally. I'll have to defend the cargo during the evenings, but, so long as you don't draw too much attention to yourself, you should be able to relax until we reach the capital."
Though he got the sinking suspicion he was sohow being looked down upon or manipulated, Nobu just grunted in response to Yui's explanation. They were still a fair distance from the actual convoy and he was already lanting the journey to co. Animals and livestock weren't exactly fragrant, so, with a number of horses, oxen, and a few animals he didn't recognize making up the convoy's beasts of burden; the less he had to work, the better.
Thinking Nobu was already beginning to play his part, Yui nodded in approval, saying, "Let's go." before leading the way to the dog-eared man. When he noticed them approaching, an even fiercer expression than the one he was already wearing developed across his face as he shouted, "Well! It's about damn ti! A few minutes longer and I'd have sold yer spots off to so of those migrant bastards!"
Crossing her right hand over her heart, Yui perford a curt yet respectful bow as she said, "You have my most sincere gratitude, Atarashi-dono. I will do everything in my power to ensure I do not inconvenience you a second ti."
Snorting through his nose, the furry-eared man, Atarashi Tsuneo, shifted his gaze from Yui to Nobu, asking, "This is the man you ntioned previously? Nanamori Nobu, was it? Quite the difference in your appearance..."
Without missing a beat, Yui calmly and confidently explained, "My husband is a forr Yamabushi Monk's Apprentice. He lost most of his faculties and cultivation after being attacked by a Demonic Spirit. Please do not draw attention to it a second ti."
Though his cover would be blown the mont Nobu opened his mouth, his appearance wasn't all that different from a Yamabushi Monk. They were ascetic mountain hermits who lived outdoors and spent most of their ti communing with nature. Most wore little more than rags, and, due to their ascetic practices, they were inordinately thin and lanky. The only thing that distinguished Nobu and a conventional Yamabushi was his hairstyle, as, the mont they took their vows, most shaved their heads...
Without tearing his eyes away from Nobu, Tsuneo issued a grunt of acknowledgnt before saying, "Well, so long as he doesn't cause trouble for and my n, I couldn't care less. Just keep him in line. If he wanders off into the woods, we ain't sending out a search party."
Nodding her head in understanding, Yui pulled Nobu a little closer, naturally linking her arm with his as she said, "Worry not, Atarashi-dono. As a Golden Warrior, my words carry a similar weight. I promised we would not inconvenience you. If sothing happens, I will resolve it on my own."
Since he couldn't really afford to just stand around and make idle chatter, Tsuneo just waved Yui off, saying, "Yeah, yeah. I hear ya. Just stow him away in coach three. We'll be departin' the mont the Governor's forces finish their pissing contest with the provincial army. Seriously, those louts have no sense of self-preservation..."
Rather than responding to the comnt, Yui perford another quick salute before guiding Nobu towards a massive cart pulled by a total of six inordinately large oxen. Her gentle behavior caught him by surprise, but, rather than appearing even remotely appreciative, Nobu's expression gradually darkened as the sll of cow feces grew stronger the closer they got to the coach...
"Fucking bullshit..."
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(A/N: Yes. Quite literally o_o...)
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