Chapter 49 The Invitation Arrived
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Someone wants to meet me?” I asked.
I sat in the corner of my office—the place I used for study and correspondence during the day—facing two women across the desk. Outside, the town was already trembling under the shadow of war. Stretchers carrying the wounded or dead came and went, even before the first cannon had truly fired. I worked quietly, passing what little intelligence I could gather to the Imperial Guards. They were busy too, training their new psionic units until exhaustion carved lines into their faces.
”This is the invitation, sir,” Maggot said, holding out a single sealed envelope.
An invitation? That was rare. Until now, the only person in this town who’d shown any enthusiasm for me was the tax bureau’s older sister, who sent fan letters with the zeal of a creditor. Those women could face down even my intelligence division without blinking.
”This isn’t from the northern district’s social gatherings,” Maggot added, lowering her eyes. “It’s a private invitation. Please read it.”
”A personal tea invitation, huh? Fine, I’ll take a look.”
”Thank you, sir.”
I took the envelope she offered and began to read. It wasn’t one of those battlefield etiquette parties—just a lone person’s request. That alone made it suspicious enough to deserve attention.
Only three of us were in the room—Maggot, Trash, and me. Recently, I’d discussed with them how much of my psionic ability and… sexual connections should be revealed to the Imperial Guards. We decided to disclose the psionics. The intelligence gap between members had grown dangerous—some didn’t even know what the others could do. Equality mattered, at least outwardly. But we lied about one thing: I told them my power only activated with someone I completely trusted. It was easier that way.
As for the sexual part—it remained completely secret. There was no benefit in sharing it, and if such rumors leaked, the consequences would be disastrous.
My relationship with Cult Slut was classified even deeper, a secret I managed alone. It was so deep that it would follow us both to the grave. Maggot probably suspected, maybe even knew, but I’d rather die than confirm it. Some secrets are better left buried.
Even so, Cult Slut had recently asked about the timing of my “marking.” In this world, that’s an event worth announcing. Unlike in the old one, where a girl’s first period was celebrated and a boy’s first release ignored, here it’s reversed. The town gives a cash reward when a male proves fertile. But the first woman to notice usually hides it for a while—out of embarrassment, maybe mercy—until she’s ready to face what it means.
At first, I thought about keeping it quiet. But stopping a rite of passage just to play innocent felt wrong. So I let the Imperial Guards know. Let them see me as I am. Let them stare. I wanted that shift in their gaze—that flicker that says, “So he’s ready now.”
Rarely, a boy at that stage turns out infertile. In that case, he returns some of his privileges, becomes directly tied to his hometown, and serves for life. Engagements are dissolved, but he can still swear fealty, living under the town’s protection. It’s not cruelty—it’s mercy. A man who can’t father children breaks easily. The shame, the envy, the unbearable sense of failure—it crushes them.
They dislike being seen as sexual beings, yet suffer more when ignored in that way. Boys are complex creatures.
Men survive only because there are women who understand them. To those women—I owe you.
So yes, I’m walking a tightrope. My relationships with Maggot and Trash are secret, and I conceal my affair with Cult Slut even from them. Additionally, I’ve fabricated another secret: a supposed tryst with Yukari from Inubou Town. This deception helps me hide the truth about my psionic conditions.
Trash is furious with Maggot for indulging me so frequently without restraint. Maggot, on the other hand, misunderstood my psionic power and grew increasingly distant after I clarified things to her. Later, I discovered that Trash knew Maggot was mistaken but allowed her to remain that way. When Maggot turned those cold, winter-night eyes on me, I nearly lost control just from her gaze.
Their argument that day escalated to the point where I had to keep them both beside me, cooling off under the same roof. The atmosphere was tense, awkward, yet strangely beautiful in its danger. Honestly, I doubt my Imperial Guards can continue functioning like this indefinitely.
Still, something positive emerged. Since then, Maggot smiles at me with a strange tenderness whenever our eyes meet. She even speaks to me when I’m in my astral form. I suppose her anger shifted from me to Trash. I’m grateful. Just seeing her gentle smile eases my chest.
Trash, though… she couldn’t resist the jab. “So, how does it feel to seduce an innocent young master every night? Some pride you have as an attendant.”
Maggot didn’t blink. “Do you mean to say you only touched him because your life was in danger?”
Trash tilted her head. “What was that?”
”In that case, you must feel no guilt.”
Innocent? I wondered if that word even applied to me anymore.
Maggot’s tone hardened. “How could I not answer my master’s wishes?”
”Oh? My mistake,” Trash said, smirking. “I thought it was your wish, not his. A servant driven by her own lust—seems I’ve still got much to learn.”
”I regret that you fail to understand me,” Maggot replied softly.
They locked eyes, silent but sharp, cold as steel.
”Hey, stop it, both of you,” I said. “You have to get along. That’s an order.”
”…Yes, Young Master.”
”…Forgive me for my behavior.”
God, my Imperial Guards. Sometimes I wonder what they think a threesome entails.
The tension between them couldn’t last forever, so I decided to cut through it like opening a window for fresh air.
”Anyway,” I said, “let’s talk about the tea party. It’s fine if I attend, right? Who’s the host?”
Both women straightened, and I shifted the focus back where it belonged. Maggot pulled out another file, her gaze lowering as she began to explain.
”The invitation came from Lord Ichimatsu of the Taitō family,” she said. “Like Your Lordship, he’s assigned to the southern defense. He’s around forty, already married. There are thirteen males stationed in the southern town, but only Your Lordship and Lord Ichimatsu have chosen to move residence here.”
”Huh. That’s something,” I muttered. “All the other men stay comfortable up north, and he moves south? He must be an odd one.”
After hearing her out, I decided to accept. The letter itself was the usual—just polite words about deepening friendship as fellow defenders of the same town. If it were one of those formal etiquette gatherings, I’d dodge it, but this was a comrade reaching out. I had no excuse to refuse. In fact, turning down an invitation without cause would’ve been considered rude.
”Alright, I’ll write a reply then. Let him know I’ll attend,” I said, glancing at both of them. “No objections?”
”Understood,” Maggot replied softly.
I rarely made decisions without consulting the Imperial Guards first. Recently, this process had become… volatile. Sow, the unit’s senior, had been snapping frequently. Whenever a major decision arose, the lack of unity among them became glaringly obvious—and exhausting.
It didn’t help that the old family estate system was gone. They all had equal votes now, and each one believed they alone knew what was best for me. Every time they clashed, I was the one torn apart at the center.
Even the recent decision to share details about my psionic power was criticized as too late. And now, I’d thrown another fire into the mix—the chastity issue.
Right. Stop dwelling on it. The Imperial Guards exist to protect me, not the other way around. I shouldn’t be the one worrying—they should.
Once Maggot confirmed my decision to reply, she continued.
”There is one more thing. Lord Ichimatsu’s personal Imperial Guard requests an audience with you.”
”An Imperial Guard?” I echoed.
”Yes. She’s waiting in the next room. If you allow it, I’ll summon her at once.”
”Oh—she’s already here. Sure, let her in.”
Apparently, this guard wanted to greet me personally before the tea gathering. That was… unusual. Normally, Guards handled arrangements with each other, not directly with the host. Still, it wasn’t rude—just meticulous.
”Is there a reason?” I wondered aloud.
Maggot hesitated, but Trash, standing on the other side, spoke instead. “She’s a psionic user, but there’s no danger.”
Trash always looked poised—like a knight carved into the wall, elegant without trying. Just standing there, she had this noble gravity that made me envious.
”So, she’s from the Exploration Squad then? One of the ritual-approved operatives?”
Trash inclined her head. “Indeed. Lord Ichimatsu has three psionic users under his command. Each one is well-known within Kujukuri Town.”
”What’s she like?” I asked.
Trash hesitated again—rare for her.
Normally, a foreign-affairs officer would come forward for this kind of introduction. We had our own who handled my greetings when I traveled, but apparently, this meeting was requested directly by one of Ichimatsu’s Exploration Squad members.
She looked uncomfortable before finally speaking. “The one here today is known by the title—’Necksplitter.’”
”What—wait, what?” I almost laughed, but it came out nervous. “That’s… terrifying.”
”She’s an old face. A veteran of the Exploration Squad,” Trash said flatly.
”A veteran assassin, you mean?” I asked, half-joking, half-afraid.
Nicknames, or “epithets,” were traditional among psionic explorers. Like “The Dragon of Echigo,” or “The Tiger of Kai”—a mix of region and trait. They weren’t always flattering. Some carried shame instead of pride. My personal favorite from world history was a French diplomat once called ‘The Shit in the Silk Stocking’. Perfectly insulting, but accurate.
Still, the idea that I’d just given permission for someone called “Necksplitter” to enter made my stomach tighten.
”By the way, Trash—do you have a nickname too?” I asked.
She smiled faintly, not kindly. “…Normally, one doesn’t earn a title until they’ve gained recognition through use of their psionics. But yes. I already have one.”
”Oh yeah? What is it?”
”They call me ‘The Artisan of Kujukuri.’”
She said it like the words tasted bitter. Maybe she hated it. Though honestly, it fit. Her psionic ability created matter—mass production, refinement. “The Artisan” wasn’t far off.
Before I could say more, the front doors opened. Sow and Vocal Slut entered, my bodyguards, moving to stand on either side of me. Behind them came a woman I’d never seen before. She dropped to one knee just inside the threshold.
I gave a nod of permission. “Step closer. Raise your face.”
My voice came out formal, almost regal. She obeyed, gliding forward until she knelt before me—a woman of average build, smooth in her movements.
Her face was visible now. Gray hair streaked through black like ash on ink. Yet her skin glowed faintly, unlined, vibrant. She appeared both young and old at once—a strange blend of girl and crone, unsettling yet beautiful.
Her age was impossible to guess. They said psionic explorers changed like that after years of rituals and exposure, their bodies caught between ages. Some found it grotesque. I didn’t. There was something mysterious about it that I couldn’t help but find… fascinating.
”You may give your greeting,” I said.
The woman moved like a stone disturbed by wind—slow, deliberate, unshaken. When she raised her upper body, her voice came low and rough, every syllable calm yet worn.
”It is an honor to meet you, sir. I am Kaede, messenger of Lord Ichimatsu. I am deeply grateful for this audience.”
”Yeah. Likewise,” I answered.
She stood there like a dying willow—graceful, fragile, and heavy with years. Her voice was steady yet weary, the sound of someone who’d endured too much war. Her face bore the quiet fatigue of someone worn thin by time. The image that came to mind was of an old hunting dog, loyal and scarred.
”I am but a humble explorer,” she said, bowing again. “Forgive my unrefined presence.”
”It’s fine,” I said quickly.
Good—formalities done right. I gave her permission to speak, and she addressed me by her first name, as custom dictated for an unmarried male of my standing. Everything by the book.
Then silence.
She didn’t move, didn’t look up. I waited, and waited, but she stayed perfectly still.
What is she doing?
Just as the thought crossed my mind, she reached into her robe. The motion was slow, but my pulse jumped. Shit. For a second, I was sure she was about to attack. The name “Necksplitter” didn’t help.
Instead, she brought out something small, cupped both hands, and bowed again, presenting it like an offering.
I tensed instinctively. Her stillness, her aura—it all matched the assassin stereotype far too well.
”Uh… wh-what’s that?” I managed.
”I heard you enjoy… toys,” she said softly, eyes still lowered.
”Huh?”
In her hands sat a delicate spinning top—finely crafted brass, its surface lined with inlays of agate and gold. A luxury item. She must’ve heard I liked collecting small amusements and brought a gift. That long pause earlier? Maybe she’d been shocked by how young I looked.
As I admired it, Sow leaned down beside me, whispering something from Trash. Then she turned toward Kaede. “Lady Kaede,” she said. “Our young master was surprised by your title, ‘Necksplitter.’ Might you show him your psionic ability?”
Kaede lifted her head slightly. “If it pleases the young master. With your permission.”
Before I could reply, she turned to face me directly, still kneeling. Then she tilted her chin upward—eyes calm, almost reverent.
”Wait—psionic powers aren’t something you should just—”
Notes:
• Yukari – Dora’s imperial guard, the one who hide in MC’s wardrobe. Twintail.
• Kaede – A female psionic explorer known as Necksplitter, is a veteran assassin and messenger of Lord Ichimatsu. Her appearance is both young and old, with gray hair streaked through black and vibrant, unlined skin. She is graceful yet carries the fatigue of a long life in war, resembling an old hunting dog. Her psionic ability is mysterious and potentially dangerous.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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