Arc XIII Chapter 18

XIII

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Arc XIII Chapter 18

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Kusashiro, the capital of the Land of Grass. As was to be expected, Kusashiro was a massive city, a bustling city of trade and commerce, situated along a river, situated where major trade routes met from north, east, south, and west. It was thus an important place, where merchants gathered and wares of all kinds changed hands.

Unassuming as it might have been, the city’s layout followed a predictable pattern, a fortified castle on elevated ground, surrounded by large quarters and outer wards, intersected by roads and narrow alleys, with temples and monasteries scattered throughout.

All while endless masses of people and faces filled the crowded streets, young and old, women, men, and children, labourers, artisans, peddlers, merchants, monks, priests, soldiers, guards, samurai, ninja, clerks, scribes, entertainers, performers, courtesans, pilgrims, weary travellers, peasants, outcasts, and not to mention, entire armies of porters. The people shouted, barked, yelled, haggled, argued, chattered, sang, cursed, laughed, their chaotic voices drowning out everything.

Among them was also a certain girl who was happily bouncing through the crowded streets, clutching several skewers of freshly made dango in both of her hands, all the while her favourite feline rested amidst her arms.

“Hmm~.” Yuki navigated through the sea of people, even going as far as to jostle her way to the crowd, all while shielding her precious dango. After all, they were destined for Nee-san. As such, she would not fail in protecting them against any possible harm. The dango would be delivered to Nee-san in the finest quality possible.

Trailing not far behind her, were Mayumi and Yuji, the pair of siblings burdened with a significant number of dango skewers on their own. Her brother was grumbling under his breath the entire time, clearly displeased at being essentially reduced to a pack mule, while Mayumi dutifully followed along without complaint.

Nee-san had instructed the three of them to procure a few snacks after providing them with sufficient funds. They were handed a heavy pouch containing a significant number of silver coins. Just some pocket change she was reassured. Little more than 100 000 ryo, which according to Nee-san should easily suffice to accomplish the task.

Considering that Yuji had nearly choked upon hearing the sum, Yuki supposed that the money might be indeed enough to cover their expenses. Possibly even a little more than that.

In any case, judging by the results and the quantities of dango acquired, their mission had been an overwhelming success! Together, they had been able to locate a nearby food stand that specialised in dango, with an enormous selection and variety of different flavours and glazes! What a fortuitous find! The only problem was the selection had been far too wide!

Mitarashi dango. Anko dango. Kinako dango. Goma dango. Matcha dango. Hanami dango. Yomogi dango. Kuri dango. Kabocha dango. Momo dango. Ichigo dango. Yuzu dango. Mikan dango. Ramune dango. Hojicha dango. Kuromitsu dango. Dango. Dango. Dango. Far too many of them!

Despite her best efforts, Yuki had not been able to decide which dango they should buy. Not only was she unsure which dango might be the best, but she also did not know which flavour was Nee-san’s favourite one. The latter was undoubtedly a major oversight on her part. To not know Nee-san’s favourite flavour ... Unforgiveable! It was a matter that had to be remedied at once!

Still, the problem persisted, all while Mayumi, Yuji, Katsuki and she were standing in front of the stand helplessly, pondering. Fortunately, it was Mayumi who came to their rescue, having a flash of inspiration! If they could not decide which dango they should buy, then they just had to purchase a few of each of them! It was a brilliant idea! Unsurprisingly, Katsuki strongly supported the motion. According to her Nyaness, you could never have enough dango! Which sounded sensible. Whereas Yuji seemed to disapprove of their actions. Even then, it was three against one, so he was easily overruled.

As a result and after nearly buying out the entire stand, they now ended up with enough dango to feed a small army. Warm, steaming, coated in a glossy layer of sweet sugar and soy glaze. The sight and aroma alone tempted her.

Which reminded Yuki ... If only Tobi were here. To quote Nee-san, he might be a hopeless imbecile of such epic proportions that even a goldfish would pass for Buddha by comparison, yet he somehow always managed to lift the mood whenever he was around. And more importantly, Tobi loved dango more than anything else in the world. He would surely appreciate a bite or two!

Which made her wonder ... Where was he, anyway? Now that she thought about it, she had not seen Tobi for quite some time, which was unusual ... Normally, Tobi was following Nee-san around everywhere, sticking close to her whenever possible. Not this time. Curious ... Another question for later.

For now, however, Yuki’s entire focus was on transporting her precious cargo. The dango must reach Nee-san! That was her task!

A few crowded streets and close accidents later, they finally reached their destination, rejoining the convoy. The guards stepped aside at once, allowing her, her entourage, and their dango to pass. They approached Nee-san’s carriage, which stood out in terms of splendour and appearance among the common rest. Its refined design gave it a regal air, a carriage befitting her standing, a carriage befitting a princess.

Inside the carriage, there sat Nee-san, composed, still, reclined, her figure distant and pensive. More so than usual, and as she had been for the entirety of the journey. Her purple eyes remained lowered at the book in her hands, studying the text intently, and yet her sheer presence commanded attention. Her beautiful black hair, its smooth strands flowing over her shoulders, down her back, reaching past her waist. Her tender and slender frame, accentuated by the refined hue of her pale skin, the curvature of her hips, and last but not least, the firm ampleness of her bosom.

“... ... ...” Yuki’s chest tightened, faint heat rising in her face. If only Nee-san knew how beautiful she was ... On the other hand, she could not allow herself to be always so easily flustered.

Yuki gathered her courage and raised her skewers proudly, proud of her assortment of dango. She approached her beloved sister. “Nee-san~, Nee-san~, look what we have~!”

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