Seeker 342

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Chapter 342. Feast

The banquet hall within the castle was just like a large inn often used for school trips.

A lavish spread of dishes, including sashimi and tempura, was laid out on trays prepared for a lot of people.

In addition to us, warriors were also arriving one after another, taking their seats.

After waiting for a while, once preparations were complete, the feast began with the Shogun's words.

At first, there was an atmosphere of everyone praising us, but soon it turned into a wild and chaotic party.

It was a relief not to be the center of attention constantly.

Naturally, alcohol was prepared for the feast, and Kazane quickly got drunk, exclaiming how delicious the sake was.

She leaned on me seductively, clinging to me.

Her yukata came undone, revealing her flushed skin, causing me to gasp.

Yuzuki, sober, also clung to me as if competing with Kazane.

"Senpai... I've gotten drunk..." she said, pretending to be tipsy, making me nervous. I retorted, "You haven't even drunk," and gave her a chop on the head.

Yuzuki, getting serious, said, "Then I'll drink too," and poured herself a cup of sake, drinking it down.

Her eyes quickly glazed over, her face turned red, and she started hiccupping.

I had no right to admonish her about drinking only after turning twenty.

In this world, it seemed common for those fifteen and older to drink.

"Look, Senpai, since I'm drunk now, I'll do this too."

She said, grabbing my face with both hands and unexpectedly kissing me.

The surrounding warriors cheered loudly.

After a while of fooling around, Yuduki fell asleep on my lap.

"Daichi-kun, me too."

This time, Kazane hugged me, pushing me onto the tatami and kissing me.

Once again, there were sounds of admiration from those around.

Feeling the pressure of her ample bosom and soft skin through the thin yukata, I struggled to keep my composure.

Nearby, Griff's cries sounded as if it was scolding us for excluding it.

"Mikoto... those three are amazing..."

"Are you interested in such things too, Princess? If you'd like, I can join you."

"Wait, no... Mikoto, that's not what I meant...! Stop, everyone's watching... Ugh, you're such an idiot!"

While dealing with Kazane, I saw Mikoto and Kushinosuke entangled, looking very affectionate.

I understood then what Kazane and Yuzuki meant about Mikoto's preference for women, feeling oddly convinced.

Incidentally, Mikoto's caretaker, an older man I had seen before, hit her on the head, making the surrounding warriors laugh heartily.

Even this non-awakened old man had power that extended to the Sword Saint.

As the chaotic feast continued, it eventually ended.

By that time, the hall was a mess with drunken warriors sleeping on the tatami, and the banquet disbanded.

We were told we could use the castle's guest bedrooms, so I carried the completely drunk Kazane and Yuzuki to the room.

The tatami-floored room had three futons laid out side by side.

I placed Kazane and Yuzuki on the futons on either side and lay down in the middle.

I found it amusing that I now confidently slept in the middle, and Kazane snuck into my futon.

The next morning, after washing up, we had breakfast.

The breakfast provided was a typical inn-style meal with rice, miso soup, grilled fish, natto, seaweed, and pickles.

The castle staff were surprised that we ate natto without hesitation.

After breakfast, we left the castle.

Kushinosuke and Mikoto came to see us off at the castle gate.

"Once again, Daichi-dono, Kazane-dono, Hotaru-dono. Thank you. I owe my life to you. Words cannot express my gratitude."

Kushinosuke smiled faintly against the dazzling morning sun.

"I also want to thank you again. I will never forget the debt of saving the Princess."

Mikoto, standing beside him, bowed deeply.

We bid them farewell and left Oedo Castle.

I briefly thought of the seven girls we couldn't save, whose faces I never saw.

"What should we do now, Senpai? We've come to the eastern edge."

When Yuzuki asked, I answered without much thought.

"Well, what should we do? We came here hoping to find a long-distance teleportation magic circle in the southern mountains, but now the northern snowy plains are an option. We could head there first."

"Oh, that one. 'Reach Ice Castle', wasn't it? 100,000 points, right?"

I responded to Kazane's confirmation, "Yeah, that's right."

Meanwhile, Yuzuki ran ahead, turned around, and walked backward.

"Well, let's decide while wandering around town."

"Yeah, let's do that."

"Agreed."

"Kupi, kupi!"

Griff chirped from atop Yuzuki's hat.

We leisurely walked through the castle town of Oedo, gazing up at the clear blue morning sky.