🪷 Chào Bạn 🪷

Rikyu: —Here, have some tea.

Yoshiteru: ........

Rikyu: What's wrong? Don't worry about it and drink. Not everyone's here yet, but there's no problem with starting the tea gathering first.

Hisahide: Yeah. Kanbei and Saizo should be back soon.

Yoshiteru: Not that one. That's the wrong tea bowl.

Hisahide: Now that you mention it, it does seem to be a slightly different color...

Rikyu: That one? It broke.

Yoshiteru: I see.

Hisahide: I thought you'd taken an unusual interest in the tea bowl, but that wasn't the case.

Saizo: I-I'm sorry! Forgive this lowly worm! I'm late!

Kanbei: Oh? You've already started.

Rikyu: Once the water's boiling, it won't take long. Have some sweets and wait a little.

Hisahide: Kanbei, Saizo. Good work on that matter.

Hisahide: Even if it's outside the walls, leaving a dispute between bandits alone would only cause trouble later.

Kanbei: I agree. That's why I led them to a faraway place. That settles the matter.

Saizo: Ah, but...

Hisahide: Hmm? What's wrong, Saizo?

Saizo: While we were putting things down, a small fire broke out, but the rain put it out. We managed to get things under control before it became a major incident...

Saizo: That place... had completely burned down. There was nothing left.

Rikyu: The cabin?

Hisahide: ...Ah, that place.

Kanbei: How nostalgic. Do you all remember it?

Naturally, everyone's gaze turned to Yoshiteru.

Yoshiteru: ...The cabin.

Morgan merely reassures their younger sister by patting her head, “If I ever experience something due to history being changed, then your crows can alert you to it.”

That was able to give Amaryllis some reassurance, even if it was tiny. Giving a silent nod, Morgan took off into the direction where Sakai is located.

“Lady Amaryllis!” a vassal rushed up to her, directing her attention.

“Did something happen?”

“The buildings near the tenshu are gravely damaged, they’re–!”

“I understand, contact any carpenter nearby and have them be brought there. If they wish for payment, please redirect it to me,” Amaryllis quickly rushed out after giving her orders to the vassal – to assist the injured.

“T-thank you, my lady…” an elderly man had a pillar struck on his head, resulting in a bruise.

“Don’t worry, please do take care of yourself,” Amaryllis quickly tightened the salve around the man’s head before checking to see if it’s secured.

“Master!” two voices that Amaryllis quickly recognized as her students – Megumi and Shiro.

“You two… what brought you here…?” Amaryllis caught them as they jumped into her embrace.

“To help you and the healers of Azuchi!” Megumi smiled, clearly having grown enough confidence since the last time they met.

“We asked our parents if we can get enough funds to travel here! We may be young but… you were also young when you helped us and our town out! We are the exact age when you first came!” Shiro quickly jumped back after hugging her.

Ranmaru quickly walked into the scene, recognizing the two small figures from a distance. A smile crept onto his face, seeing how much his friend’s efforts were seen. And seeing how unguarded Amaryllis was in the midst of it. Till he was spotted by Shiro, “Lord Ranmaru! You’re here!”

“Yup! I’m here!” Ranmaru reacted fast when Shiro came at him like a rolling barrel.

“We want to help! That’s why we traveled so far!”

“That’s amazing!”

Amaryllis smiled at seeing how Shiro and Ranmaru interacted, only for a slight headache to arrive. Nobody noticed her discomfort, it arrived fast and disappeared just as fast when it arrived. Anybody would take it as exhaustion but to Amaryllis, that moment made her nearly forget Ranmaru’s name.

“Ama?” Ranmaru called out to her after two minutes passed.

Blinking for a bit only for Amaryllis to give a smile, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to space out, Ranmaru.”

“We will put your teachings into use, master!” Shiro grabbed Megumi’s hand as they put everything they learned into use.

Ranmaru extended his hand for Amaryllis to take hold, “We have a lot to do, don’t we?”

Amaryllis gave a small chuckle before smiling at Ranmaru, “Yes, we do. Ranmaru.” In which, she took his hand.

“Yoshimoto…?”

Mai stood there in surprise after seeing the man that she called out standing there. Almost in disbelief before Yoshimoto ran up to her and engulfed her into a hug, a desperate one.

The two stayed there and talked till the fabric owner where they truly met was in distress in losing a bowl that was old and older than him in general. Yoshimoto quickly sprung into action, nearly getting himself trapped in the collapsing building before getting out in the nick of time and handing it back to the man. Who was grateful for Yoshimoto’s bravery.

Mai was angry at Yoshimoto for being reckless and brought him to an inn to patch him up. Especially in enemy territory.

Everyone returned to Echigo except for Yoshimoto and Sasuke, even with the sun falling from the skies, its light still gave the warmth that many seek for. Those who lost everything.

“Hey… do you think Yoshimoto will be fine,” Kyoko asked her sister as she started to cut two pears due to them being in season.

“He better… To think he just–! Ugh… I don’t understand WHY he chose that,” Arundhati had her head in her hand, unsure anymore.

Kyoko could only give a small smile before seeing Kanetsugu reaching out to her. No words were needed to be exchanged as the two grew to understand each other’s silence after years.

Kyoko gave Arundhati words of comfort and one more hug as she went to Kanetsugu. Yet, a shiver went down their spine in some way. A way that could put their life in jeopardy.

Mai and Yoshimoto stood at a bridge, a bridge that will soon separate them. Their eyes looked at each other, all filled with love and admiration for one another. Only for Yoshimoto to scrunch his heavenly face, “I wish we had met sooner, you and I… Then, perhaps, I might have been able to walk a different path.”

That confused Mai, only for Yoshimoto to brush his words off – to reassure that he doesn’t need any help here and out. Caressing Mai’s face once more, Yoshimoto turned away as he crossed that bridge – to his damnation.

Yoshimoto soon met Kicho. Abandoning his family in Echigo.

Even he was shocked to see a clan that is so known for its betrayal and in-human way of teaching to be present, the son of the Uraguchi head, Sanzou Uraguchi.

“I heard about your clan and its… way of survival,” Yoshimoto’s words were careful but its meaning was true.

“You will be meeting more of us, Lord Yoshimoto,” Sanzou's words held no warmth, just robotic in a way.

Mai sat in her room, terrified, she no longer could sew nor imagine anything. Her hands froze with the needle in her dominant hand, unsure what to do due to her knowledge slowly fading away. Till she cannot create anything with the hands she is proud of, bringing others joy in seeing their clothes.

She broke out of her transience once Cherry came into her room, informing her to head to the great hall due to a war council meeting that had just started.

The meeting felt off to everyone who went to Echigo, they spent enough time with the heads to know they aren’t stupid do such an action – allying with Kicho especially. 

It was only after confirming with Sasuke who appeared in Mai’s room, that it was all a lie, Mai declared that she will risk her life to prevent such war to happen between the two sides after realizing Yoshimoto and his clan sided with Kicho. Which Ranmaru supported while Amaryllis hesitated before joining in. With Sasuke returning to Echigo to inform everyone about the rumors that Kicho placed. It left the three to form the plan.

It stunned everyone of course that Amaryllis spent time in the enemy castle not once but twice, but hearing their words out, the warlords trusted in their words. Especially how Amaryllis described how none of the warlords in question would go this low for an attack, with a guess that Kicho had personally involved himself like he did in Hongan-ji – sparking the conflict in the first place. Of course, they were confused till Ranmaru showed one of Amaryllis’ rough drafts he kept – shocking some on how far Kicho did years ago. Amaryllis was too shocked that Ranmaru kept one of her old drafts despite having the final one nearly completed.

Thus, Nobunaga gave Mai a mission to get Yoshimoto out of Kicho’s faction while warning her that he may not be safe for long. With the condition that Amaryllis and Ranmaru follow her, which neither had any complaints in doing.

Of course, Hideyoshi wondered where Morgan went only for Mitsuhide to tell him that Morgan went to Sakai for a bit. Leading Hideyoshi to yell his lungs out till Ieyasu threw his seat cushion at him so he could shut up.

Masterlist

AN: The Date gang is about to be hit by bricks soon 👍