Volume 5 Chapter 32 Tenhou's Companions Prepare For The Martial Arts Tournament (Part II)
"I understand. I will do my best to protect you, brother."
This was a room in the inn Yuuri had rented.
Inside, Ouka was having a meeting with Seirei.
Fuu Senkou was sitting next to Seirei.
Seirei had asked her to be there.
'Please lend me your wisdom, Senkou-san. I want to help my brother.'
──That was what Seirei said.
"I've spoken with the cats and pigeons in town. They agreed to help."
Seirei added.
"As payment, Yuuri-sama will make the food. It will be delivered secretly by the soldiers, in a place where no one can see."
"You'll also place cats and pigeons at the event, right?"
"Yes. The setup is done."
"What about Yuuri-sama, Mō Etsu-sama, Haku-sama, and Tan-sama?"
"The cats are in place for them. But for Tan-sama..."
Seirei looked down, her eyes shifting toward Senkou.
"Actually... Yuuri-sama couldn't contact Tan-sama."
Then Senkou continued the story.
"Tan-sama is protected by guards from the high official Kakkan Saku-sama. Yuuri-sama tried to meet Tan-sama and give her the cats in secret... but it didn't work. Tan-sama sent a reply saying, 'I want to meet Yuuri-sama when things are calm.' Most likely, she'll talk after the martial arts tournament ends."
"I see. That's a tough situation."
"So instead, we placed a pigeon near Tan-sama. At the tournament, a Moukou flag will stand beside her. The pigeon will sit on that flag."
"And the plan to protect Yuuri-sama and Mō Etsu-sama's allies is ready, yes?"
After saying this, Ouka sat up straight.
"Now, I'll ask you, Seirei-kun. Can we place animals to guard Tenhou too?"
"Yes."
"Where do we put them?"
"Senkou-san figured it out. Here's the diagram, Ouka-san."
"Let me see... Yes. Good. Just as I expected from you, Senkou-kun."
The cats were placed in important spots around the venue.
They also made sure Ouka and the others could stay in contact.
If something happened to Tenhou, Ouka and Seirei could act right away.
"Now, for confirmation. Seirei-kun."
"Yes, Ouka-san."
"If Tenhou is about to lose in the tournament..."
"I will grit my teeth and endure."
"Correct. The goal is not to win. The goal is to find the enemy."
"Right. So, we will not interfere."
Ouka and Seirei nodded as they looked at each other.
"But what if Tenhou is in danger from something outside the tournament?"
"I will act right away."
"What if the enemy attacks him directly?"
"I will send the cats to run under their feet and cause a distraction. What will you do then, Ouka-san?"
"I'll jump between Tenhou and the enemy to protect him. And you, Seirei-kun?"
"I'll leap from the audience and grab the enemy."
"Can you make it in time? You can't use your walking technique, right?"
"My seat is near the aisle. If I use the 'Beast Body Guidance' and sprint like a cat, I can reach my brother faster than normal."
"But we also must protect Mō Etsu-sama's daughter."
"...I know."
"We have to protect them and also risk our lives for Tenhou."
"I understand."
"To do that—"
"Yes. To do that..."
Ouka and Seirei turned to face Senkou.
""We want to borrow Senkou-san's wisdom!!""
"Y-yes. I understand!"
Senkou put her hands together without thinking.
Ouka and Seirei looked so serious.
They were ready to risk their lives to protect Tenhou.
At the same time, they would not ignore their duty.
To balance both, they needed Senkou's help.
"I understand how both of you fee.,"
Senkou said from her heart.
If she could use martial arts...
Or if she could talk to animals...
Maybe she would think the same way as Ouka and Seirei.
Ouka, Seirei, Senkou, and Touri—
And in the middle of all of them was Tenhou.
She was their most important person.
The one worth risking their lives for.
That was why Senkou closed her eyes and began to think.
She remembered the books she had read since childhood.
Books she kept reading even without sleep, in Ryougen-kun's mansion.
She used the knowledge from those books and came to an answer—
"I will tell you."
Senkou opened her eyes.
"To protect Tenhou-sama better, I think we should try to reduce the pressure on everyone. So, maybe we can make it easier to protect Mō Etsu-sama's daughter."
She chose her words carefully and spoke.
"One of the daughters, Haku-sama, has allowed me to keep the cat. She seems like someone who understands. If Ouka-sama stays close to her, it will be easier to protect her. But the problem is Tan-sama."
Tab was surrounded by his uncle, Kakkan Saku, and his guards.
Ouka and Touri couldn't get close.
Even so, they still had to protect her.
"I think Yuuri-sama should give a gift to Tan-sama."
"A gift?"
"Hmm... That might work."
Seirei said, tilting her head.
But Ouka nodded right away.
"Tan-sama said she doesn't want a cat near her. But if it's a gift from Yuuri-sama, she can't say no. It would be rude to reject something from the daughter of the king's younger brother."
"Ah... I see..."
Tan had said before, "I'm not good with animals," and refused to keep a cat.
But if it was a gift from Yuuri-sama, it would be hard to refuse.
It was a great honor to receive something from her.
"So, how about this? On the day of the martial arts tournament, Yuuri-sama gives gifts to both Tan-sama and Haku-sama in front of everyone. Make Tan-sama's gift look a little more special. That way, I think she'll accept it."
She probably couldn't turn it down.
If Haku, the daughter with less status, accepted a gift in public—
And Tan said no—
That would be rude.
"I'll also add a letter to the gift. The letter will explain what to do in an emergency. The gift itself will be cloth. The cloth will have a hidden trick built in—"
Senkou kept going, explaining how to make things safer for Mō Etsu-sama and the others.
After listening to everything, Ouka and Seirei nodded in agreement.
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