MTLNOVEL Chapter 116: My Surname Is Abe
[Minamoto no Yorimitsu couldn't believe what you just said.]
[After all, in her cognition, you shouldn't be so willing to admit the identity of the great onmyoji.]
[She realized that you must have thought of something she didn't know.]
[And you actually didn't have such thoughts.]
"Yorimitsu."
After Ian put on the kimono for his apprentice, he gently held her warm hand.
"You don't have to think too much."
"I just simply think that your actions this time should be recognized."
"Even your father should be no exception."
"But—"
Minamoto no Yorimitsu looked hesitant.
"Father is not someone who is easy to talk to. I'm worried that you will..."
"If I was really afraid of being unable to communicate, I wouldn't have said it so directly."
Ian gently pressed Minamoto no Yorimitsu's hand on the place on her chest where his onmyoji curse mark was engraved.
"Yorimitsu."
"Since I have left my mark on you, from now on, you are my apprentice."
"There is no reason for a master to remain calm when his apprentice is denied, right?"
"If that's the case, it's an insult to myself."
"..."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu's pupils trembled slightly when she heard this, and then she added in a low voice.
"Master, it's not just a master-apprentice problem."
"You are still my temporary—"
"I know."
Ian pressed Minamoto no Yorimitsu's hand on her chest until a very obvious finger depression was pressed out on the soft surface.
"Considering that promise, we should take action even more."
"Yorimitsu, that's right, right?"
"I understand."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu blushed slightly and then nodded.
"Master, but please wait a moment."
"Father hasn't come back yet."
"Before that, please rest on my legs."
[You did not refuse Minamoto no Yorimitsu's leg pillow behavior.]
[You lay down.]
[She also likes to provide you with such enjoyment.]
[This kind of contact seems to be a rare compliment to her.]
"Master, I feel like I'm still in the village now."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu stroked Ian's cheek and said with a bit of nostalgia.
"It seems you really like it there, Yorimitsu." Ian responded, "If you have time, go back and have a look."
"No."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu shook her head.
"The most beautiful things should always be hidden in memory."
"In this way, every time you recall it, it will be the same taste."
"If you get too close, that dreamlike beauty will no longer exist."
"Is that so?"
Ian stroked Minamoto no Yorimitsu's long hair.
"Yorimitsu, what you said is indeed correct—but unfortunately, I can't understand it."
"Can't understand?"
Minamoto no Yorimitsu looked at Ian lying on her lap, her purple eyes filled with curiosity.
"Why can't you understand?"
"Because I have no past memories." Ian confessed the reason directly.
"This..."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu frowned slightly, then smiled gently.
"That's okay."
"If there is no memory—"
"From now on, please let me 'nurture' the memories of Master like a mother."
"Yorimitsu, do you want me to think of you whenever I recall the past?"
"Master found out."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu stroked his hair, her tenderness as water.
"However, I don't think there is anything wrong with this idea."
"...Indeed."
A sound came from the corridor.
A figure appeared outside the door.
"Miss Yorimitsu, Master is back."
It's a servant.
"Okay, I got it." Minamoto no Yorimitsu said calmly to the servant outside the door, "You can step back."
After confirming that the servant had completely left, Ian said:
"Heh, Yorimitsu."
"It seems you had already thought that I would meet your father."
"Nothing like that."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu closed her eyes and replied with a shallow smile:
"I just want to prepare all the possibilities that Master needs in advance."
[Although Minamoto no Yorimitsu calculated a little bit.]
[But you don't hate this feeling.]
[Because you know she doesn't have any malice.]
"Yorimitsu"
"Yes maste–"
Minamoto no Yorimitsu's lips were sealed by Ian but she didn't resist.
On the contrary she responded with equal passion.
[After you and her warmed up for a while, you reorganized your clothes.]
[You went to the place where her father was.]
Have to say.
As Minamoto no Yorimitsu's father, Minamoto no Mitsunaka still has considerable skills.
Just being able to order ashigaru to guard near the room in his own residence shows that he is a person of high status.
It is often impersonal to get along with such people.
And for Ian, he had to bear an extra pressure.
That is the gaze brought by Minamoto no Yorimitsu beside him.
"My God, is that person crazy? He dares to hold the eldest lady's hand!"
"Shhh... It is said that he is a great onmyoji, maybe he has some kind of privilege."
"Great onmyoji? Isn't that the person Master hates the most?"
"Don't talk, we can't control what the eldest lady thinks."
There are many similar rumors.
Minamoto no Yorimitsu is fine—because she had already thought of such a situation when she first planned to go out to find this rumored great onmyoji.
Now she is only worried about whether Ian beside her will have any radical reaction.
However—
When Minamoto no Yorimitsu looked at Ian beside her, she found that he was much calmer than she thought.
He even comforted himself.
"Yorimitsu, don't be afraid."
"As long as I'm here, there won't be any problems."
That fearless look made it seem as if Minamoto no Yorimitsu was the one who was going to face Minamoto no Mitsunaka.
Looking at him like this, Minamoto no Yorimitsu felt very at ease.
Yes.
As long as he is here, what is there to be afraid of?
[You came to Minamoto no Mitsunaka's room.]
[This is a place several times larger than any other room in the residence.]
[Obviously, this is a way for Minamoto no Mitsunaka to establish his prestige.]
[At the door, there are two ashigaru holding silver halberds.]
[They stopped you and Minamoto no Yorimitsu.]
"Stop."
The two silver halberds crossed each other, making a crisp sound.
"The front is General Minamoto no Mitsunaka's residence, no idlers are allowed in!"
"It's me."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu walked out from behind Ian.
"Please report to my father that I have something important to see him."
"..."
The two ashigaru looked at each other and then nodded.
A few minutes later.
The ashigaru said to the two people in front of him:
"Please come in."
"The general is waiting for the lady inside, and..."
The ashigaru glanced at Ian, not knowing what to call him.
And Minamoto no Yorimitsu took the initiative to hold Ian's hand.
"It's my benefactor."
After saying this, she took Ian in the sight of the two ashigaru.
[The interior of the room is even more luxurious than the outside.]
[The golden decorations and beautiful landscape paintings all over the floor are everywhere.]
[All the luxury items that all famous nobles can use in this era are all here.]
[Even if you just take a look, you will know that the owner of the room is rich and noble.]
[Otherwise, it is absolutely impossible to have this level of decoration.]
[But compared to these, you care more about one thing.]
[Something is stabbing at you.]
It was a sharp samurai sword.
The bright blade tip stopped abruptly in front of Ian.
The sharpest part is probably only a hair away from the eyeball.
And it was none other than Minamoto no Yorimitsu's biological father, Minamoto no Mitsunaka, who did these things.
He is a warrior who is over half a hundred years old, but still has a very good complexion.
There is a spirit between his eyebrows that is not inferior to young people.
"Let go of my daughter's hand."
"..."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu was stunned for a moment before realizing what her father had done.
She took the initiative to let go of Ian's hand and then said:
"Father, what are you doing?!"
But as soon as the words fell, Ian stretched out his hand and stopped the noise of his apprentice.
He smiled slightly and said:
"General Minamoto no Mitsunaka, are you just joking with me?"
Hearing this, Minamoto no Mitsunaka was silent at first, and then laughed loudly.
"Are you pretending to be calm?!"
"If my sword had gone any further, you would be dead now."
"But you won't do that."
Ian still maintained his calm appearance.
"After all, if the people of Heian-kyo knew that an onmyoji was killed by you in an attack, your reputation as a general would be ruined."
"Besides—"
Ian looked at Minamoto no Yorimitsu beside him.
"I don't think you would want your daughter to resent you for this, right?"
"..."
[Minamoto no Mitsunaka, who was laughing just now, suddenly became gloomy.]
[You realize that what you just said completely hit his mind.]
[This is obviously unacceptable to a general.]
Minamoto no Mitsunaka put away his blade.
He looked at the man in front of him, his tone full of dissatisfaction.
"Heh."
"It seems you want to show off your intelligence to my daughter in front of me?"
"No." Ian shook his head.
"I don't intend to do that."
"Because I just want to tell you one thing."
"Tell me one thing?"
Minamoto no Mitsunaka looked solemn.
"What is it?"
"It's just—"
"Your daughter, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, has found a sufficiently excellent onmyoji."
"And that person is me."
Ian's undisguised "self-introduction" surprised Minamoto no Mitsunaka.
And Minamoto no Yorimitsu looked at Ian with surprise.
After all, when he was in that village, he still looked like he was unwilling to come out of the mountains.
Because of this.
She was still worried until just now that he would suddenly give up all this and return to the mountains again.
It seems not now.
Is this a change made because of her?
Minamoto no Yorimitsu looked at him, and a feeling of admiration and love inevitably surged in her heart.
But what she didn't know was that all the love she showed was seen by her father.
The general immediately became dissatisfied.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Even if you are the most famous onmyoji Yorimitsu brought back, what can you represent?"
"What can you help us accomplish?"
"From a general point of view, I really can't do anything real for the Minamoto clan."
"But—"
Ian was not afraid of Minamoto no Mitsunaka's resentful gaze.
"This does not mean that I cannot take any action to win benefits for the Minamoto clan."
"What do you mean?"
Minamoto no Mitsunaka asked.
"Do you want to use this contradictory logic to confuse me and then create wrong perceptions?"
"Absolutely not."
"There is nothing contradictory about this." Ian continued to explain.
"I really can't win things like wealth and territory for the Minamoto clan on the surface."
"But correspondingly—"
"I can dredge the 'thoughts' that are secretly blocking you, so that it can indirectly play a beneficial role."
"..."
Minamoto no Mitsunaka's expression became even more solemn.
"Are you saying that we Minamoto are blocked by 'thoughts'?"
"Exactly, sir."
"But you should know the status of our Minamoto in Heian-kyo. All the descendants can rise to high positions. How can there be any blockage?"
"Before the stream stops flowing, no one will notice the accumulated silt." Ian replied calmly.
"However—"
"If you don't believe what I said, then please just laugh it off."
[Your words made Minamoto no Mitsunaka care.]
[He frowned, looking like he was thinking about something.]
[You noticed that his eyes never left Minamoto no Yorimitsu beside you.]
[You realize that there may be some secrets in the Minamoto family that you don't know.]
Silence filled the entire room.
After a long time, Minamoto no Mitsunaka spoke again:
"You... are you serious?"
"There are 'thoughts' in the foundation of our Minamoto?"
Minamoto no Yorimitsu was a little surprised.
In her impression, her father clearly hated onmyoji so much.
But at this moment, he said concepts that only those who have seriously studied onmyoji would understand.
This seems a bit wrong.
But before Minamoto no Yorimitsu could think about it, Ian had already nodded and replied:
"Yes, you are right."
"To be precise, it is a thought that has formed a monster."
"Then can you solve it?" Minamoto no Mitsunaka asked again.
Ian smiled slightly.
"I can't guarantee a solution, but if you need it, I will do my best."
Another silence.
Minamoto no Mitsunaka spoke again after a long time.
"I understand."
"But speaking of which, although there are many rumors about you in Kyoto."
"But so far, it seems that no one has officially mentioned your surname."
"Then—"
"At least let me know your surname first, right?"
"..."
Almost at the same time, the moment Minamoto no Mitsunaka asked this question, a picture flashed back in Ian's mind.
It was a hand touching his head, trembling and cold.
Along with it came the final whisper.
"Your name is Abe—"
The words in the dream were not finished.
The response in reality has already sounded.
"Sir."
"My surname is Abe."