Board A Pirate Ship

"Are you referring to Her Highness, the Princess?" Sayo asked uncertainly.

"Indeed," Kaguya replied slowly. "Though Her Highness the Princess is a woman, she has grand ambitions. Her goal is to eliminate the ministers, end the empire's brutal rule, eradicate the rebel forces, and allow the people to live in peace and happiness. I hope you will join us in rebuilding this world."

"But," Ieyasu hesitated, "Her Highness the Princess seems..."

He didn't finish his sentence, implying that the empire's princess had been secluded and her reputation diminished, with many people unaware of her existence. Such a princess might make those who join her have doubts.

"If you're worried about Her Highness's abilities, there's no need to be concerned," Kaguya said with a smile.

"No, that's not what I meant," Ieyasu said, waving his hand awkwardly.

"Since when did you become so timid?" Sayo teased, blinking her eyes.

"When did I become timid?" Ieyasu shouted, his face flushed, "You're the timid one." For some reason, he was very concerned about how Kaguya perceived him, afraid of being seen as a coward.

"Really?" Sayo said noncommittally.

Ieyasu ignored her, walked up to Kaguya, and said earnestly, "I've decided. I want to join. Please let me join."

"Make sure you think this through. This isn't child's play," Kaguya said with a faint smile. "It will be dangerous, and you might die. Even so, do you still want to join? And once you join, there's no turning back."

"Yes, I've made up my mind," Ieyasu said firmly.

"And you?" Kaguya turned to Sayo.

"I feel the same way," Sayo nodded lightly. "You saved us. Without you, we might have been killed. Besides, I want to change this unfortunate world so that people and everyone in my village can live happy lives."

Looking at their youthful faces and trusting eyes, Kaguya laughed inwardly, knowing she had successfully convinced them to join.

Kaguya gave them two letters of introduction, which would allow them to join the imperial army and even become officers. This way, they would be like nails driven into the military, becoming useful in the future.

Meanwhile, a few figures appeared in the villa where Kaguya had been earlier, moving around as if inspecting something.

"Looks like someone beat us to it," a hot-bodied girl with golden hair lamented, "What a shame. I wanted to warm up a bit."

"I wonder who did this," a green-haired boy with goggles squatted down, examining the corpses on the ground. "It seems quite a few people were involved."

"No, it was done by one person," said a man in armor carrying a long spear as he approached in a deep voice.

"One person?" the green-haired boy said in surprise. "How is that possible?"

"It was indeed one person," the armored man said gravely, "Look at the wounds on these corpses. They're all on the chest, and the force and depth are nearly identical, each one killed with a single blow. This was done by a skilled expert."

"Could they be that formidable?" the green-haired boy said, somewhat incredulously. "How do they compare to you?"

"Hard to say. Only by fighting them would I know," the armored man replied.

"Are you done looking?" a pretty girl with long black hair said pitifully. "If you are, let's go back. I'm hungry."

"Hey, didn't you just eat?" someone said, exasperated.

By this time, Kaguya had already slipped back into the palace under the cover of night and returned to her own palace. Upon opening the door, she was met by a tearful maid holding a fox mask. She was Kaguya's maid.

"Your Highness, you've finally returned!" the maid said tearfully, almost crying.

"What's wrong?" Kaguya comforted her, patting her shoulder with a smile. "It's only been a day, nothing serious."

"Please don't do this again," the maid sniffled, seemingly still frightened.

"All right, all right," Kaguya agreed reluctantly.

This maid was quite competent, adept in both tasks and serving tea, but her courage was excessively small.

However, it might be time to explain things to the emperor. She couldn't sneak out of the palace every time she wanted to leave.

The next morning.

The sun slowly rose from the horizon, spreading its gentle light across the earth. A gentle breeze rustled the willows, the moist air mingling with the cool wind, refreshing the soul.

Kaguya got up early, washed up, and hurriedly headed toward the palace after breakfast.

On the way, she encountered an unexpected person.

"Minister."

The person approaching her was Minister Honest, surrounded by a large entourage.

"Your Highness," Minister Honest noticed her and bowed slightly, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Minister," Kaguya nodded in acknowledgment.

"I wonder where you are headed so early," Minister Honest asked with a slight smile.

"I don't think I need to report my activities to you," Kaguya replied.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean that," Minister Honest said with a broad smile, "I just wanted to remind you that His Majesty is busy with state affairs and quite tired. If possible, please don't disturb him."

"Don't worry. The emperor is young and full of energy, so there shouldn't be any problems," Kaguya said nonchalantly, ignoring the minister's implied warning.

"Is that so?" Minister Honest's eyes flashed with displeasure before he concealed it with a smile, "But the palace has been quite chaotic lately. It would be wise for Your Highness not to wander around, lest you accidentally hurt yourself."

"There's no need for you to worry, Minister," Kaguya smiled, turning to leave.

She could easily detect the veiled threats in Minister Honest's words, but she didn't care. To her, Minister Honest was just a pompous fool using the emperor's authority to bully others. Her real enemies were elsewhere.

"My Lord, it is said that Her Highness has spoken ill of you to the emperor," a nearby guard whispered.

"That wench," Minister Honest snorted coldly, watching Kaguya's retreating figure, his eyes filled with lecherous intent. "Ignore her. She won't stir up much trouble. Someday, I'll make her suffer so much that she won't be able to cry."