After going to the group, Yoichi and Nobara talked about meaningful and vital plans. He became truthful and told her about his backstory, plans, powers, and even the relationship of her senpai and him.
As a potential waifu, she must know about things including those hidden secrets in their plans.
"Wait...you have a relationship with my senpai? And it was intimate to the point of...that thing?!" Nobara felt surreal about Yoichi's narration.
"Trust me, it's completely true. I am not joking around when I say that and I am honest with my feelings about you!" Yoichi glanced, the shock and complex emotions swirled in her head.
"Here, I will show you!" Yoichi held her hand and began scanning Maki's positioning.
"Universal Swap!"
Both of them faded away, leaving the group in a second.
->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->->
"Uuugggghh... Where are we, Yoichi? What is this place?" The surroundings suddenly changed differently as Nobara blinked her eyes repeatedly, looking at the unexpected sight around her.
"Look at that, see who that person is?" Yoichi smirked and pointed to the familiar fellow.
"Yoichi! You're back! I will call them—" Maki's sharp sense swung in his direction and as soon as she knew the particular silhouette, she ran into his embrace.
After over 3 months of loneliness, Maki was very glad he was back and indeed missed him a lot.
"No, we will be back but first... Look at what I got here." Yoichi pointed at Nobara, who was stunned and immediately ran in Maki's direction.
"Maki-senpai!" Nobara felt happy about the unpredictable reunion of her upperclassman.
"Good, Yoichi! Very good! You have the gall to court, my underclassman. Now, why is she here?!" Maki pinched his waist and glared hatefully at him.
'Bastard! We have worried for months about you and here you are, targeting my kouhai!'
"Maki, please be gentle with this... She is here for some interesting questions Nobara needed to be answered unhurriedly..." Yoichi winced in pain.
"Senpai, is Yoichi's statement true? About you and him? About anything?!" Nobara seriously asked her and forgot the greetings, directly straight to the point.
"Haaaahh... Yes, Nobara. I am also pregnant with this guy's child... I am deeply apologize for my husband's naughty demeanor..." Maki straightforwardly answered and bowed slightly.
"No, no... It's fine, Maki-senpai... I just can't believe this is true..." Nobara's eyes stared at Maki's slightly bulging stomach and was saddened by the fact her senpai and his dream man were in a deep relationship with each other.
"What are you thinking? I could still marry you!" Yoichi hugged her, afraid of letting her go.
"What the hell are you talking about?! You and my senpai had a child! And... And we haven't been in a relationship yet so get away from me!"
Nobara struggled against Yoichi's tight embrace, still in denial of her feelings for him.
"So what if they said I have too many wives huh? The emperor had concubines but me? A fucking cosmic being? Don't lump me into those ugly bastards who only wanted your body! I am different than them. By a whole universe!"
"I am deeply in love with you and I want them to be independently proud of themselves as I also want you to get out of that stupid shell and begin a metamorphosis for yourself!"
Yoichi held her shoulders and stared deeply into her soul and mind as Nobara was dumbfounded due to his statement which blew away her preconceived notion of marrying a guy alone.
He was brutally honest about his statements. As a matter of fact. These warriors and high-ranking officials grew tiresome of their wives and always went into the brothels, looking for a high-quality woman who would obey anything else for them.
However, the hidden and secret affairs of these individuals cannot be able to float into the mainstream, or else the public would completely tag them as scandalous and contemptible.
"Look at me, do you think I didn't spoil them? Or just love their body alone? No! I love everything about them, all of it! Also, you could be with your senpai now, forever and ever!"
Maki looked at his figure and began looking back to their initial start. Of course, Yoichi was an entirely naughty guy but he respected their boundaries, helped them achieve what they wanted, and loved them equally with due respect.
"Maki-senpai... Is what he telling the truth?" Nobara understood and wanted to verify his confession.
"Mmhm... Even though he is a bastard, I am in love with this guy... I mean, he is very capable, responsible, and honest about anything you want to ask. He will give you almost the entire world just for the sake of proving his love for us and you too." Maki patted her shoulders, submitting to their fate but the future was brilliantly shining with Yoichi by their side.
"Now, what's your answer? Do you truly want to be a part of Murakami Clan or not?" Yoichi stood up there like a true clan leader.
"... Then... I agree... I want to marry you!" Nobara didn't have any choice regarding the matter.
The facts were on the table and it was her right to comprehend or delude herself into a cruel world.
"Then as usual, welcome to the Murakami Clan, Nobara." Yoichi smiled and gave her the earrings.
She understood the meaning of the earring as Nobara wore it and hugged her senpai.
"...Maki-senpai, please take care of me. Let's beat this womanizer right now!" She greeted her senpai and glared hatefully at Yoichi.
"Isn't that a little bit more polite? Call me sister! We could completely beat up this bastard with all our powers!" Maki also glared at him, even her kouhai didn't escape the grasp of her husband.
The two women talked for a bit until Yoichi told them it was time to go.
"Don't worry, tell them I will be back after 3 months of adventuring. I will gladly send back Nobara after the festival and meet their new sister!" Yoichi hugged Maki from behind and rubbed her stomach gently.
"Be careful, okay?" Maki kissed his lips as Nobara blushed at their display of affection.
"Come on, Nobara. I will carry you on my back." Yoichi crouched down as Nobara nodded and let herself be carried by him.
"Tell them the news, okay? I am so proud of you all and keep working! Don't strain too much since you are pregnant, alright?" Yoichi grabbed Nobara's thigh as an ample amount of soft flesh enveloped his back.
"Yes, yes. Goodbye, old man!" Maki noticed the two disappeared and went on her back, telling the good news.
No time for mourning or a reluctant face, as long as Yoichi was there and fine, then it would go alright.
"Let's go."
Yoichi and Nobara appeared at the previous spot as the group was gone but he gradually united with the escort parade alongside her.
Ryuuji and the patrol didn't mind since Yoichi was technically a savior of their escort group while the high-ranking officials gave Nobara credit for her protection service. Although she didn't do anything, it's the thought that counts.
"Yoichi, What about my power? When are you giving it to me?" Still on his back, Nobara was super duper excited.
"I will give you an easy way to get it, so don't worry. And the day was so eventful for us, primarily since you are my wife now." Yoichi sneered, happy about the conclusion of them.
"Womanizer! So this is your true scales huh... All of those convincing faces and miserable acts were just a performance?" Nobara was infuriated.
"Of course, it's not an acting! I deeply love you with all my heart, I promised." Yoichi regretted saying it since it was so cringe and cheesy for him.
"Hah! Then we'll see about that... I am in your care now, Yoichi!" Nobara's delicate arms wrapped around his neck.
"I am in your care too, Nobara." Yoichi lifted her back to the carriage and rested for a little bit.
It was afternoon but the blazing sun still shone upon the beings of the land and the fresh verdant winds of the forest, soothing them our their way to the Capital City.
All of the escort guards decided to rest down for a couple of minutes and sat down in the shade of the trees.
"Greetings, young man." a bald man dressed in a monk's clothes greeted him with a bow.
"Ooohh! Greetings, good monk!" Yoichi's pupils dilated in surprise, the energy of the old man was very strong.
The fluctuation of energy was subtle but his physical and mental energy resonated with each other as if like a Chakra but it's not entirely Chakra. It is another type of energy like natural energy.
"My name is Ananada from Hikari Shrine, I would like to ask you about something." Ananada gently smiled.
"Please, tell me. What is your question about me?" Yoichi didn't feel any animosity. Instead, he felt a pure interested emotion residing in the monk.
"What is your purpose?" Ananada asked him with a mysterious question.
"Curiosity." he directly answered.
"May I ask why?" Ananada and Yoichi sat down, a good talk in the shade was a good start.
"It's because humans are curious beings and living in the interesting but unknown future must be exciting! Life was always like this, Monk Ananada."
He understood his curiosity as a bunch of questions about certain ideas and topics went into the conversation, just like a debate.
"Fascinating... What about the suffering of the people?"
"Do you mean removing the suffering of the people? I can't and even if I had the power to do that, I won't. This is inherently part of our existence. Living with no suffering meant not living at all."
"Then what about removing themselves from their attachments, and desires by living in seclusion? If somebody didn't have anything, that meant they had nothing and could improve their life through the teachings of Buddha." Ananada frowned.
"It's easier said than done. People are not like you who are compassionate and humanely good. The malice inside of the people is rooted deeply inside of them. It's the cycle of hatred all along. Look at you, isn't that a desire to have the answer to your questions?"
"What should the people do? To relieve the people from suffering, one must guide and teach them in the Dharma. Our forebearers paved the road so we could reach the destined Pure Bliss."
"You are not entirely wrong and someone should teach them but people must be autonomous in deciding their chosen path. Not everyone must choose only one path but also look for different paths."
"However, people had only a little time in the world, and examining a different path in an individual's life was either catastrophic or successful."
"A sacrifice must be made, no matter if it's big or not, the world has always been cruel to us. That's why curiosity came into the fray, your forebearers created the path but it's the entire path? Or are there no paths near? These ancestors of yours also looked into other paths to get inspiration from other Dharmas. As someone said: If everyone doesn't want to enter hell, who would?"