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After sending Hideyoshi back to Mino first, and entrusting Naotsune and the others with preparing for the mole extermination, I headed alone to the stables at Nagahama Palace.
Surrounded by a dazzling array of handsome stallions, Taishaku Tsukige slowly raised her beautiful body when she saw me.
At the feet of this mare, the mistress of the harem, dozens of stallions, seemingly thoroughly drained, could be seen twitching and convulsing.
(It's probably best to pretend I didn't see that.)
I spoke to my horse, trying to maintain a calm demeanor.
"Hey, how are you doing, Taishakutsukimo?"
"Kyuooooon"
With a look that seemed to say, "Perfect," Taishakutsukimo neighed, and a cloud of pure white steam rose from its entire body.
Then the horse's body becomes semi-transparent, its outline blurs, and if it bursts—
"What brings you here today, Mr. Nagamasa? In order to understand and share the situation, we recommend that you disclose any information you may have."
—The dispersed steam converges, solidifies, and descends quietly as a single solid.
A dazzlingly white, long left leg.
First, he stomps his foot on the straw-covered floor—then his right leg extends, and he stands firmly on his second foot.
Her beautiful silver hair, which almost reached the backs of her knees, fluttered gently, and a golden strand of hair swayed.
Her perfectly formed face is adorned with gentle, light green eyes that radiate a light filled with compassion.
This is the form that Taishakutsukimo, a fox-horse, took when it transformed into a human.
"...What happened...you look like that."
"Such a sight... That's a sad thing to say, Nagamasa. We loved each other so much in this state."
Taishakutsukimo's human form—Yoriko—smiles mischievously.
"If you're wondering why it took this form, here's the explanation: A large amount of 'essence' is now stored inside its body. Therefore, if it wasn't released in this way, there was a risk that the 'container' would burst."妾Warawa
My beloved horse, which had taken on a human form, stroked its belly and said:
It is said that she needs an enormous amount of life energy to transform into a human form.
One of its sources of life energy is male semen, and in order to secure and replenish this, Taishakutsukige has built a harem of male horses.
"But even if you take on a human form like this for no reason... won't it take time to change again like this?"
I averted my gaze and asked quickly.
I felt embarrassed. Because the naked body before me was so beautiful and vivid.
Her proportions were truly artistic. She had an absolutely flawless physique.
The way she so readily displays it before me gives her a devilish allure that makes me want to pin her down and take her down right now.
"No, that's not the case."
She quickly closed the distance between us, gently stroked my cheek, and said:
"Thanks to Lord Nagamasa's consideration, I have been able to efficiently collect 'essence.' Therefore, there is still room for one more transformation. Your worries are unfounded."
Yoriko speaks Japanese with extreme politeness and care, yet it even has a somewhat mechanical quality to it.
This is the first time she's appeared before me in this human form since that incident when I first met the Water God.
It had been about nine months since I last saw her in human form, but...
Even so, I couldn't help but feel that I was once again confronted with the fact that Taishakutsukimo—or rather, Yoriko—is a supernatural being.
This is because it seems impossible to sense the passage of time from this fox-horse.
As time passes, people change to varying degrees in terms of their physical appearance.
Like me, Ichihime and Haruhime also change subtly over time.
However, Taishakutsukimo's appearance as Yoriko does not seem to have changed.
It was as if they were trapped in a prison of time—a truly static scene.
"Hey, Taishakutsukimo... don't you want to wear any clothes?"
"There is no problem. It is something that I, as a concubine, do not need in the first place. However, if Lord Nagamasa says that it would be better for me to wear it—I can accommodate your 'taste and preference'."
As Yoriko ran her fingers through her hair, she whispered beautiful Japanese words.
Her silver hair fluttered gently, and a clean scent, completely devoid of any animalistic odor, wafted through the air.
With Yoriko's movement, along with her pure white armpits, her delicate nipples, which had been hidden by locks of hair until then, were revealed.
A pale pink protrusion on top of a pure white hill.
The moment I saw it, my heart started pounding like that of a teenage boy.
(No, no, no... I don't have time to think about things like that.)
I turn my face away, trying to shake off my worldly desires.
"I'm sorry, but...could you please transform back into a horse right away? I need you to take me to Naegi Castle in Higashi Mino. It seems a monster called a mole has appeared, and my brother-in-law is in trouble."
"Oh my... If you're going all the way to Higashi Mino, wouldn't it be better to just order that 'cute' one to go?"毛豚Bontenmaru
"No, that's impossible. Try riding it while wearing armor; you might get thrown off by the air currents at high altitude."
"Is that so?"
Yoriko flashed a seductive smile and began tracing my chest with her fingertips.
"Well, then there's no other choice. It seems I'll have to lend a hand."
I thought to myself, as she massaged my collarbone, that it would be rude to point out that she wasn't just baring her skin, but practically naked.
"But still, a mole... is that what you're talking about?"
"Is there... some kind of problem?"
"No, there's no particular problem. However, those monsters that live underground act on instinct, just like hawks, so the possibility of communicating with them is practically zero."
"In short, that means..."
"Yes, there's no other option but to push through by force."
She slowly lowered her fingertips and poked my nipple as she said:
"Basically, the Oda family will take care of the preparations. Nagamasa, all you have to do is enjoy fishing for moles."
"Ah, so, about that..."
I grabbed Yoriko's slender wrist and pulled her away from my chest as I asked:
"What exactly is mole fishing? I'm not familiar with it, so I'll have to leave all the preparations to you..."
"It's simple, just surprise them."
Yoriko stuck out her long tongue and licked her lips, saying:
"You just need to make them realize that there is no peace in the earth."
It seems like there's a cold going around lately, and I've been feeling unwell for about two months now. Please take care of yourselves.