Chapter 5: But They Have Only This One Master

Sweet reward? What sweet reward?

What exactly is that Juhua Old Man mumbling about?

I stretched out my hand, pressing it firmly against his chest, trying to shove Sekizou away—this posture felt really strange, and some subtle sense of danger kept flashing warnings through my instincts.

Anyway, I needed to get out of this situation first…

But no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn’t move him. Sekizou seemed serious—not just joking around.

He actually intended to “bribe” me with some kind of sweet reward!

I was almost shocked by this realization.

Who am I? The Saniwa of this Honmaru, the Little Emperor of the Honmaru!

How could there be a reason for me to please or bribe them?

This really turned the heavens upside down.

“You seem like you want to renege on your promise?” Sekizou shook his head and sighed.

“In that case, I’ll have to personally collect the compensation I’m owed.”

He leaned closer, the beautiful face so near to mine.

Then, Sekizou gently bit my lip.

It stung a little, but more than the pain, it stirred up other memories.

A dimly lit room, the golden-haired Tachi whose battle attire— normally intricate and luxurious— hid a surprisingly sturdy body, with large chrysanthemum tattoos sprawling across his shoulders and back, dazzling my eyes.

Sekizou usually wrapped himself tightly in his battle or formal wear, so I never suspected he had tattoos beneath.

So I never imagined I would learn this in that particular time, place, and situation!

Sekizou liked biting.

That was something I discovered during those chaotic, topsy-turvy days.

Not a harsh, deliberate bite, but more of a playful, teasing nibble with teeth gently grinding now and then.

He controlled his strength perfectly—no Touken Danshi would ever harm their Saniwa, so the pain was minimal, almost not breaking the skin. Instead, it felt like a spark of tingling electricity.

“Are you a dog?!” I tried hard to push his face away—this weird feeling was worse than simple pain!

And… my stomach felt so full.

Sekizou leaned back with my resistance, then placed his hand firmly on my lower belly and pressed.

The cream puff instantly revealed its secret.

The swollen little belly deflated a bit.

But Sekizou was an excellent dessert chef—he quickly stuffed the cream back in, squeezing fresh cream inside.

The puff was plump again, even more full than before, looking irresistibly delicious to anyone who saw it.

…Anyway, after Sekizou bit me like that, the memories came flooding back, all of them.

I felt like a shrimp boiled red in hot water, and my lower belly began to twist uncontrollably, reacting instinctively.

“Ah…” Sekizou held my chin in one hand and lifted it to look at me closely, “You…”

But he never finished his words.

Because someone kicked him in the waist from behind, and the moment Sekizou showed a weakness, they pulled me out of his “restraint.”

“Hey, Juhua Old Man, what are you trying to do to our Master?!”

Qingguang—

Without the Initial Blade, who would still spoil me like a child, qwq

Sekizou covered his waist with a fan, wincing, and shuffled away saying “Oh dear, oh dear.”

I didn’t feel any sympathy.

What a joke! Isn’t this all his own fault?

“Qingguang, did you come looking for me?” I asked.

Qingguang paused, then gave a somewhat exasperated smile and flicked my forehead.

“You, huh.” He said, “Did you forget? Didn’t we agree to go to Man-ya?”

“We were all waiting for you, but you took forever to show up, so I had to come find you.” His expression suddenly turned sour. “And then I ended up seeing that scene… that damned old man sneaking away…”

I didn’t quite catch what Qingguang meant, but it sounded like he was scolding Sekizou?

Alright, then I’ll cheer for him.

The Time Government’s efficiency was still pretty good; the Honmaru’s coordinates were updated immediately.

As for other promised compensation, it would arrive gradually over time.

After the recent siege, many things in the Honmaru were worn out; and after such a big battle, there had to be a proper celebration. So, of course, we should go shopping at Man-ya in full force.

This time, even Kambyo, who normally despises frivolous spending, didn’t say a word against it.

We arrived at Man-ya.

The prosperity and bustle of Man-ya hadn’t been affected by the recent events, not even the internal betrayals or the leak of some senior Saniwa’s Honmaru Coordinates caused any uproar among the public.

I understood why they handled it that way—once the public found out, all it would cause was panic.

The Time Government had given me multiple times the usual resources partly to buy my silence—none of those secrets, no matter which, could be known by too many.

I understood the government’s decision.

I was just a little sad.

The Honmaru attacked by the Time Retrograde Army were among the most outstanding new Honmaru in recent decades.

Some of those Saniwa had cared for me as a senior, some admired me as juniors, some fought alongside me as comrades, and others had been my trusted peers since I joined the Time Government.

But now, only I remain.

I am the only Saniwa who survived intact from this Retrograde Army attack and returned to work.

“Until a new batch of excellent Saniwa grows up, May Lord, you are the sole leader and hope during what will be decades of vacancy for the Time Government’s Saniwa.”

That day, after sending all the Touken Danshi away,

a Staff member representing the Time Government knelt before me, performing a long kowtow, entrusting me with their earnest hopes and at least a hundred years of the future.

I accepted.

This is something my Touken Danshi absolutely must never know.

I believe that if one day, a difficult choice must be made between history, human order, and myself, their choice…

—will be me.

“Are you sure the masters have gone to Man-ya and won’t return anytime soon?”

After the glow from the Time Converter died down completely, the Touken Danshi who had just been smiling to send us off suddenly turned cold and serious.

At this moment, they looked exactly like what they were—cold weapons born solely to “kill.”

“What exactly did the Time Government and our Master discuss that day… we must find out.”

The Time Government can recruit countless Saniwa.

But they will only ever have this one Master.