Chapter 36: Left, Right and Right, Left

The gentle breeze ruffled Shu's flowing clothes. Singing birds flew by, announcing the start of the day. Plants and flowers were pollinated at a steady rate. Tiny dandelion seeds danced through the cool air. It was a beautiful day in the rural city of Erstvale.

Erstvale is a quiet town in the hillside of Valsir. Such a peaceful town was actually one of the last few places on the path to Silent Night's headquarters. The residents didn't know where these certain knights of the Golden Circle lived, but they would see members from time to time. It wasn't an unusual sight.

A month had passed since the sleepy man's departure from The Veldhoven. The usual glowing horns were nowhere to be found. Shu resembled a human once more. There was no way the Lyon clansmen would ever find him. They weren't going to search in another kingdom. That was beyond their jurisdiction.

As he traveled through the nice place, he could see farmers in their yards. Many of them were picking crops and irrigating their land. While this world had joined technology and mana together, some rural places still held onto the old ways.

Shu stopped by a small vendor that was selling food. An old woman could be seen behind the makeshift counter. She smiled upon seeing the young samurai.

"Oh? How unexpected. It's rare that we have visitors in this small town."

"...Mnnn." He responded.

Nothing else was going to be said. The woman nodded as if instantly realizing his personality. She then gestured toward the food.

"What can I get for you then? We have plenty of kebabs."

"...Steak and potatoes. Country boil as well."

"Coming right up."

As the old lady turned around to prepare his order, she yelped in slight pain. Her hands went to her back. Shu watched with a deadpan.

"...Are you sure you should be working so early in the morning?" He asked.

"Ouch…It's fine, young man. Even though I don't need to do this, I enjoy helping my husband earn a bit more money. He's always tending to the crops anyways."

"I see…"

"Ah, to be young. These old bones are failing me."

"..."

After a few more minutes, the food was ready. Two kebabs were handed over. One of them had seafood and corn while the other had the basic meat with potatoes. The lazy swordsman paid for the meal and took the food.

"Do come again!" She called out as he left.

Shu took his time traveling back to headquarters. He couldn't help but fall into his thoughts. The previous interrogation with Gibril had resulted in only a few leads. A name was the most important information given to him. Unfortunately, there was no location. It was back to square one for the moment.

After a good while, the young samurai was back in the beautiful meadow. He went over to the nearby river and checked his reflection. A tired man with droopy silver eyes looked back at him. As he stood there, a figure materialized beside him.

It was Aiden. The red eyed commander watched him with a stern gaze. He didn't seem to be happy at all. Understandably so.

"You've been gone for a long time. Finally decided to return?" The captain spoke.

"..."

"I'm not going to ask where you went, but there's something you need to understand." He continued. A slight bit of aura leaked from his figure.

"Captain-"

"The Golden Circle isn't some random group that you can leave at will. Unless you have accepted a mission or informed me of the situation, you aren't allowed to be gone for that long. Especially with the way you left. I will let it slide this time, but if it happens again, you are off the team."

"...."

"Do you understand?"

"...Mnn." Shu nodded.

Aiden stared at the young samurai for a moment. There were a few seconds of silence. Eventually, he broke the quiet atmosphere.

"When you first joined this battalion, I caught a glimpse of your eyes."

Shu's aura immediately changed after hearing those words. He subtly prepared for battle. His grip around his katana tightened.

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"And?" The swordsman responded. The commander raised an eyebrow.

"That symbol in your pupils. I had never seen them before…so I did my research. I know what you are now."

"..."

"Calm down. I just said that I did my research. Nothing will come from it. Let's make a deal though. If you do well in Silent Night, I'll give you temporary access to our information vault. I can tell that you're looking for something."

"Who else knows?" Shu asked.

"It's only me. Worry not. I'm not keen on ruining your life."

"...Alright then."

"That's all I have for you. Remember, the Golden Solstice is coming up in a few weeks. Get some missions under your belt before then."

After saying those words, Aiden walked away. He soon disappeared into the forest. Shu walked through the meadow and the huge estate appeared in front of him. He  wasted no time and entered.

It didn't take long for him to reach the living room. A slight smile graced his lips when he turned the corner. Rin stood in front of the TV, fully concentrated on the program. It was another magical girl episode.

"Dance with me in order to defeat the evil dragon lord!" Illia-tan exclaimed to the viewers.

The snow demon nodded as if she was there. Music suddenly started to play. Shu quietly sat behind her and watched. Rin began to hop from one foot to the other, stretching her arms out before raising them up and down. It was extremely cute.

"Left, right! Goooo! Left, left, right, right!" Illia-tan continued.

This yokai was fully focused on the screen. She maintained her poker face the entire time. Her actions were drenched in enthusiasm.

"Go for it, Illia-tan!" Rin exclaimed calmly.

Once it was over, she placed her hands on her hips and sighed. A decent amount of energy had been used. The sleepy samurai clapped his hands in applause.

"...Amazing. Good job, little yokai." He spoke.

Rin froze. That voice…It was too familiar! Upon turning around, she saw the young man smiling at her.

"Shu!"

Her eyes dilated before she ran over to his sitting figure. Not another word was said as her petite frame plopped onto his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She couldn't help but bury her face in his skin.

SNIFF SNIFF

The snow demon took big whiffs of his scent. She made it seem like a drug. Shu gently rubbed her smooth back. It was nice to get a 'welcome home' such as this. He enjoyed it very much.

"I'm back. Did you miss me?"

"...Stupid Shu. Idiot Shu. Peabrain Shu. Heartless Shu! Leaving me here like that…Hmph!"

Calm insults were hurled at the man. One after the other, they kept coming. He could feel the anger rising within her. Her little mouth immediately bit down on his nape. At this point, Shu believed Rin was marking him as her territory.

"...Ow." He muttered.

When she pulled back, he lifted her chin. They locked eyes. Her shimmering purple orbs peered into his silver ones. He couldn't help but cover her lips with his. The time away had cemented his feelings for her. It was a gentle kiss without the extras.

Once the kiss was broken, Rin looked at him as if nothing happened. It didn't seem to phase her at all. Her poker face remained the same. Mostly due to her time in the wild as a snow woman, she didn't know what the gesture truly meant. Shu smiled while squeezing her apple shaped bottom.

"How about you do that instead of biting?" He suggested. The yokai nodded.

"Mnn." She hummed in agreement.

Immediately after, she bit down on his shoulder. But hadn't she just agreed? Why was she still biting? The young samurai heaved a sigh of helplessness. It didn't seem like anything was going to change soon.

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