Chapter 32: Open confession
(Titus's (Takeru) POV)
Just as I raised my voice, I didn't hear anything for the next couple of minutes before people started muttering. Though I could see a mixed expression of anger and confusion on the Emperor's face,
"How dare you speak so rudely in the presence of his majesty? Come forward and state your identity!" Said the person acting as the Emperor's wazir or advisor. He reminded me of my position in the Roman Empire. A normal person would be shooting bullets had he raised his voice in the presence of a king, but I was so used to these intimidations that I was calm.
I calmly walked towards Emperor Toba and stood beside Tamamo-no-mae. I didn't take a look at her since I had a strategy to get her attention.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for my rude comment in your glamorous presence. My name is Tsukuyomi-no-Takeru, and I came here at the request of Lord Tateyama from the next province in order to assist in government trade and affairs. As a token of my apology, I would like to present you with a gift. Am I allowed?"
Every official in the court present was shocked by my proper manners, including Tamamo-no-Mae. You could say that a person's manners define him best in the king's presence.
Emperor Toba, curious about my gift, gave me his approval. The anger he had for me was already gone.
I nodded and unpacked the wooden backpack hanging on my back, kinda like a certain demon slayer. However, instead of a 14-year-old girl, I took out a big, beautifully crafted jade dragon on a pure golden plate.
It took a while for people in the court to ascertain the artifact I was holding, but I did hear a couple of jaws dropping. After all, I was holding a one-of-a-kind piece of art. It could even be considered a national treasure in China and, since Japan's culture was mostly intrigued by China, in Japan too.
How did I get this piece of art, you ask? Well, I actually brought it from my original reality. Sure, it cost me a fortune of my wealth, but as soon as I donated the dragon, it doubled in my inventory. Now I had 10 of those in my inventory.
"Aooo…" I could also feel Tamamo's glimmering eyes, but I didn't look at her. Though I also felt her curious gaze because of my lack of attention for her,
However, I just didn't receive praises only. I saw many officials grinding their teeth since the said gift could also be considered a 'bribe.' I mean, who would want a rookie working equal to you just because he is rich.
But, well, I ignored them for the time being. I know how to handle these people.
Anyway, Emperor Toba seemed quite happy. Before, his attention was on this pink-haired girl beside me, but now he couldn't keep his eyes away from the jade dragon.
"Ahem, so Takeru-kun, I presume? Can you tell me how I can travel around the world in just one day?" Emperor Toba resumed his question.
"Simple. You need to have a very strong horse capable of running even on water. Then you have to wait for the new sun and just follow it. Since it revolves around the land, you will technically complete your journey in just one day."
At my answer, everyone started nodding their heads. They started making sense of my statement, even though only a few understood what I was saying.
"Then, for my second question, can you recite a verse that, if I hear it in a sad and difficult time, I will become happy, and if I hear it in good and happy times, I will become sad?" Emperor Toba raised another riddle. This time he didn't even look at Tamamo for the answer, which did earn some gazes from the future self-proclaimed 'good wife.'
"'Time will go away.' A simple sentence that if you recall in hard times, you will feel rejoice while you will turn sad if recalled in good times."
Everyone in the court burst into applause. Even Tamamo was clapping instinctively. Before, she was the center of attention, but now, all the limelight has fallen on me.
"Good, good~! I am impressed." Emperor Toba nodded while rubbing his beard and then asked the final riddle, "What am I currently thinking right now?"
"You are thinking about me as to who this person is." I then bowed gracefully and smiled, "Your majesty, I am Tsukuyomi-no-Takeru, at your service."
"Splendid, splendid! Takeru-kun, join me for the drinks later!" Emperor Toba clapped himself and then excused himself from the audience, retiring with a jade dragon.
On the other hand, other officials surrounded me, asking me various questions, which I gracefully answered. However, at that moment, my eyes met with Tamamo-no-mae for the first time. I smiled and playfully winked, earning a confused and somewhat flustered glance from the young girl.
I then left with all the officials, leaving Tamamo-no-mae alone in the court.
---
(3rd person's POV)
'What was that for?!' Tamamo-no-Mae scorned before shaking her head with this weird, flustered feeling.
All her life, she was always the center of the limelight, yet a simple-looking man took all the air today. One might say that it was because of that jade dragon. Sure, the dragon was beautiful, but it was Takeru's elegant nature that shook the court.
'Who is he?' Tamamo-no-mae thought Takeru was different. It was not just his charisma and manners but also his personality. Though he sure did agitate her a little, she thought he was also a very kind and gentle person.
'Maybe I should meet him later.' Tamamo-no-mae smiled before retiring to her room. Before her mind could not stop thinking about Emperor Toba, she was now filled with thoughts of Takeru and what kind of mystery he would bring.
---
(Titus's (Takeru) POV)
It had been a month since I came to this ancient Japan. For the past month, I have taken over some internal matters as well as looked after the trade sector. Against popular belief, it was a hell of a lot easier for me. This is probably because I served under the most unbearable king of all time.
Anyway, it was nighttime, and I was in my chamber sorting out some information and the events that would take place.
"So about Tamamo-no-Mae, let's summarize her life."
In the Nasuverse, Tamamo-no-Mae is a soul originating directly from the sun goddess Amaterasu as a divine spirit and, therefore a higher order of being than the Earth Spirit of myth. She became curious about the lives of her worshipers, whose seemingly inconsequential lives were a source of fascination. Most perplexing was their devotion to a deity with no name or shape. At first, she wanted to scold these creatures for their weakness and enact divine retribution upon evil-doers, as was wont of the kin of a goddess. However, as she continued observing the human condition, she learned of their great capacity for perseverance.
Tamamo-no- Mae soon desired to become a human so that she could experience these emotions. She then relinquished her divinity and memories to reincarnate as a young human girl in the old province of Izumo. Her childhood name while alive was Mizukume.
At the age of eighteen, she started serving the court of Emperor Toba, who had fallen in love with her at first sight. She became a court lady and called herself Tamamo-no-Mae. She would be his lady-in-waiting under her current name, and she was his favorite, possessing great beauty and knowledge.
"Then her divine origin comes to light."
One night, when Tamamo and Emperor Toba were talking with only a bamboo partition between them, she started glowing. Everyone, including the Emperor, saw her glowing. The next morning, her head had sprouted fox ears. They might look cute, but she was afraid of being alienated, so she was able to hide her ears for one month.
Soon, Emperor Toba fell ill with an unidentified disease. Tamamo was there with Emperor Toba, and they shed tears together. However, an Onmyouji revealed her divine origin and accused her of being the cause of the Emperor's illness.
It was the start of betrayal, and the Emperor immediately sent an order to kill Tamamo. She was chased by hounds. It was the first time in the history of Japan that a fox was chased by hounds. Though she was able to survive thanks to her divine origin, she soon gave up after hordes of soldiers came after her for three days and three nights. She died, and her body became a killing stone. The rest is unimportant.
"There are three characters in this game."
First was my prime target, Tamamo-no-Mae, whom I had to marry and then kill. Seeing her demise in the end, I could say that it will be easy to save a damsel in distress in the end.
The second was Emperor Toba. I already had a good relationship with that obese man, whose wife I would soon be stealing.
And the third person was...
"Abe-no-Seimei…"
In the nasuverse, Abe-no-Seimei's identity is somewhat vague. He also appeared 100 years prior to Tamamo's story, during the reign of Minamoto-no-Raiko. There are two possibilities for his long life. Either he is not human but a tengu or something, or 'Abe-no-Seimei' is a title passed down in each generation.
If you talk about his power and role, he is somewhat of a Merlin of Japan. In addition to Tamamo's demise, he also tricked Sakata Kintoki into killing Shuten Doji. You could say that he is not a trustworthy person. However, he also briefly took part in Heian-kyō Singularity, where he helped MC defeat Ashiya Dōman but never appeared in person, meaning that he is also a somewhat cautious person.
"Well, the bigger problem is Tamamo-no-Mae and her role as 'Bride' of Emperor Toba."
Tamamo-no-Mae was the only court lady who was like a personal servant who looked after the king or queen. But since we are talking about kings here, intimacy is also possible. And seeing how lovey-dowy Tamamo and Emperor Toba acted so openly, I could say that they had already taken the next step.
"Why the hell do I have to steal already married women?" I gritted my teeth.
Tamamo's case was similar to Nero's, as she was also married, kinda, but Nero's relationship story was very different. First of all, Nero was a woman, and her wife was also a woman. Besides, Nero never actually loved Octavia, and Octavia soon took her life, leaving Nero alone for me to catch. But here, I don't think Emperor Toba had any plans of dying soon. Besides, Tamamo and Toba loved each other, so I would be committing a moral crime here…. Kinda.
"Whatever. First come certain matters." I said, then looked at the system notification.
Would you like to summon a random system servant? It will cost 50 LPs for a year.
I knew what kind of servant I would be summoning, so I got up, and after lifting a sound-probable field, I pressed the yes button. Soon my room was filled with a familiar mist, and something jumped on me. Other people might have freaked out, but I knew who 'she' was as soon as I caught her in my arms.
"Mommy~!!" It was Jack the Ripper, or as I knew her, she was Maria. "Mommy, mommy~!!" She nestled her head on my chest while calling me 'mommy'.
"Hehe, I also missed you, Maria." I giggled and embraced the small girl. Her height and facial features were similar to those of anime, while her outfit was different. She had a waistcoat over a blue-lining shirt and short pants with daggers hanging around. It was similar to her FGO arcade costume.
(AN: Onore Arcado!)
"Say, mommy, what can I do for you? I am even willing to offer my life for my mommy~!" Jack said those words casually with a giggle while still in my arms.
"Don't say those words." I caressed her cheek gently, "Though I have some work for you. First, you must remain in spirit form and never reveal yourself to anyone else except me."
There was another reason why I summoned this assassin-class servant. It was to investigate that 'monster,' which should be somewhere in this timeline.
I had a keen sense of danger, and after spending a month here, I didn't sense any such threat. Though it is always a good thing to remain cautious, Jack might come out as my trump card.
"Kay~! I don't want to meet anyone other than my mommy anyway."
"Ugh!" So much overwhelming cuteness. "And the second task is to investigate anyone you sense something different, especially Abe-no-Seimei, and report me every night. And last but not least, don't take any action unless absolutely necessary. You know mommy will get sad if you hurt yourself, right?"
"Yes, I know. I love Mommy the most~!" Jack smiled and pecked my cheek before disappearing into thin air. I didn't sense her presence afterward, meaning that she had gone out.
I sighed and looked at the bright moon from my balcony. Not long ago, I fought for injustice and held firm morals for twenty years, and now I was going to do the opposite.
---
The long-awaited meeting soon came, as I was now sitting with Tamamo-no-Mae. There was sure to be a meter gap between us, with the eyes of maids peeking from outside the room, but I didn't mind.
"Say, what does such a beautiful maiden have to ask of this lowly me?" I said that and sipped the tea. Ugh, if Rin or Shirou were to hear these cringe lines, they would laugh with their lungs out.
On the other hand, Tamamo looked so beautiful. She was wearing a full-body dark blue kimono and her hair tied with a beautiful hairpin. She looked like the perfect lady of Japanese traditions. Though she was still laking her cute fox ears or tail.
Unlike Nero, she had such a warm, womanly charm befitting a wife. If she had come before Nero, I would be nonstop simping her.
"Ah, no, please don't say that. Takeru-sama is young and talented. Against such a person, I am nothing." Tamamo spoke with a little stutter. Since I was a government official, she had to add 'sama' to my name.
"Haha, then, with your beauty and grace, we are now even. Now, back to the topic, shall we?" I decided to jump to the main topic.
"Yeah, I am wondering how Takeru-sama has such vast knowledge. Are people outside the capital that intelligent? Ah, I am not doubting you. I am just curious." Tamamo-no-Mae said.
"Nope, this is all something I have learned and noted myself." I then raised my brow and said, "However, I am curious as to how Lady Tamamo knows things that even scholars don't even know. As far as I know, Lady Mizukume was just a simple village girl, no?"
When I mentioned her childhood name, I saw a spark in her eyes. It was not anger but a thirst for wanting to know more about her now that I know her background. However, she then started fidgeting as to how she should answer me.
"I just know... I…"
"I mean, you did answer that rivers flow from mountains when glaciers melt, right? Then how were glaciers formed?" I asked her a question, to which she started sweating.
"I…" Seeing a smirk on my face, she pouted her cheeks and countered with another question: "Then how about you answer this question along with how did you gain the answers?"
"Simple, when it rains on mountains, the water freezes at a low temperature, but in summers, water starts melting, creating rivers. I actually spend some time in the mountains with a friend in the next province." The friend part was actually true since my body did spend some time in the mountains while traveling for trade.
"I-is that so? Hehe…" Tamamo laughed wryly, but now that she was in a tight spot, she started sweating even more.
Then, to ease up tension, I started laughing, "Haha, why is such a beautiful woman sweating like that? I am sorry, but I didn't intend to doubt you. A beautiful woman such as you must be blessed by gods and goddesses and thus have such wisdom."
"This must be it, haha," Tamamo said and wiped her forehead.
"Say, Lady Tamamo, can we become friends? I want to share our knowledge with each other." I offered my friendship, which she gladly accepted.
"I'd love to." Tamamo smiled but then blushed. "You know you are the first person who asked to be my friend. I am so happy!"
Yeah, most of the time, people couldn't get close to her because of Emperor Toba, and even then, they would either simp for her or gain favors for the Emperor.
Though hearing it did make me happy,
"I am so glad. As a gesture of friendship, can we share some good literature?" I said this as I started writing calligraphy on a sheet of paper. I didn't know calligraphy, but with [Imperial Privilege] still in effect, I didn't face any problem writing a masterpiece.
Tamamo did the same, and after exchanging poems, I left her chamber. I read her poetry on the way, which meant, 'May the warm blessing be upon you.' Unlike modern Japanese, her words resembled more Chinese Mandarin, but as compared to current literature, her writing was very clear. Well, nothing less was expected from the incarnation of the strongest goddess, Amaterasu.
I rolled the paper and put it in my inventory. Friendship was just an illusion, as my real aim was to be a 'self-proclaimed wife' herself.
"Just wait a little. You will soon be mine."
---
(3rd person's POV)
Tamamo watched the departing figure of Takeru from her window.
Today, for a moment, she thought she was exposed for sure. No, she was sure that this person, Takeru, knew her more than she knew herself.
Actually, the truth was she could understand the laws of nature as if it were a natural thing to do. People thought that she had some kind of blessing, but she knew she was just different. During the day, if she focuses on something, the answers will naturally come.
And hence, she could say that Takeru was different from any person she had ever met in her life. She tried to gain some wisdom about Takeru, but it was of no use. It only happened once, when she met a certain Onmyouji. It means that Takeru was different from her.
She also thought that Takeru seemed way more mature for his age. During her talk, it seemed like she was talking with an old, wise man. However, she didn't feel any malevolence from him. No, she could say that she was talking to a kind man whom she could trust more than anyone in the world.
"Let's see what Takeru-sama has written for me," Tamamo said and opened the sheet. As soon as her eyes fell on the words, she was stunned.
Those were the most beautiful set of words she had ever seen. No, it wasn't literature but literal art. It felt like she was standing on a grassy plain with a soft, cold wind striking her face, and in the sky, there was a bright, beautiful moon.
The words he had written meant, [The moon is beautiful, isn't it?]
"What does that mean?" Tamamo was a little confused about those words and used her ability to know their meaning. She then opened her eyes and turned red. "No, this can't be; this can't be, right?"
Those words meant, 'I love you.' In other words, it was an open confession.