Chapter 3

Third person perspective.

"Knock knock".

It was a knock on the door.

"Master, it's time to get up."

Dongshu struggled against sleepiness, bobbing back and forth between wakefulness and sleep several times before finally settling into dreamland.

There was no response from the blade outside the door. As if he had known this would happen, he knocked on the door again, his voice drawn out and even carrying a hint of laughter.

"Master, if you don't get up soon, I'm coming in."

The young, sleepy Saniwa struggled to keep her mouth shut with a clear mind. She heard the sound of a door opening, followed by soft footsteps.

Fuyuki heard another sigh, and she knew who had come in.

"Kiyomitsu..."

Fuyuki stretched her hand out from under the covers, groped around a couple of times, and the boy's calloused hand landed in hers on its own, even though her small hand could only grasp a tiny bit of the tsukumogami's hand.

“It’s me, Master.” Kashuu Kiyomitsu gently pulled Fuyuki out of bed. She was wearing pajamas, which Ichigo Hitofuri and Shokudaikiri Mitsutada had picked out for her when they took her shopping at the general store yesterday.

The general store is where each citadel replenishes the items it needs, covering all aspects of life; there's almost nothing you can't imagine that it doesn't sell.

Kashuu Kiyomitsu led Fuyuki to the washbasin to wash her face. Stimulated by the water, she slowly regained consciousness, and sunlight streamed into the room through the window.

It's a new day.

Three days after officially starting work, the citadel is beginning to get on track.

The role of a close attendant, who would both care for and assist, was arranged through discussions among everyone from the very beginning.

These past few days, the Tsukumogami have arranged for Kashuu Kiyomitsu, whom the junior Saniwa is most familiar with, to serve as his attendant for the first three days. After that, it will be a rotation for everyone in the citadel. Today is the last day of Kashuu Kiyomitsu's term as his attendant.

After washing up, Kashuu Kiyomitsu braided Fuyuki's hair into two small braids. He dressed himself up nicely and also had some skill in braiding hair.

"Master, I'll wait for you outside."

Kashuu Kiyomitsu gently pinched Fuyuki's cheek, then left the room and closed the door.

Fully awake, Fuyuki patted her face and changed into the clothes she had placed on her bedside table yesterday, ready for today.

Then, the translator, which has been made into a peach blossom brooch, is taken off the pajamas and pinned to the chest.

Just two days ago, the government sent over the translator she needed for her report and even thoughtfully styled it.

The translator performs simultaneous translation; when the words of Fuyuki are heard by other beings, they are automatically converted into a language that the listener can understand, without any noticeable delay.

It's early morning now, and the sun is still warm and not too strong.

As the master of the citadel, the Saniwa has the ability to control the citadel, including the weather.

However, the weather in the citadel is said to be affected by the Saniwa's mood, which is a very strange setting.

After Fuyuki finished tidying up, she opened the door and saw Kashuu Kiyomitsu waiting in front of her door.

"I'm all set, Kiyomitsu is so cute today too~" Fuyuki praised skillfully, her voice rising at the end, "Let's go have breakfast, everyone should be here by now."

Kashuu Kiyomitsu responded and picked up the Saniwa. He was wearing a red and black inner robe, which felt soft to the touch. Even in the summer scenery, Kiyomitsu was wearing his red scarf.

Sure enough, Kiyomitsu's true form is the red scarf, Fuyuki secretly guessed in his heart.

They arrived at the dining room quickly, where everyone was already there. Kashuu Kiyomitsu placed Fuyuki in the head seat and then sat down himself. Kashuu Kiyomitsu's seat was diagonally to her right, very close.

Everyone looked at the Saniwa (Master of the Soul), and only after she began to eat did everyone else begin their meal.

The dining room wasn't quiet; people ate and chatted, and Fuyuki would sometimes join in the conversation, such as sincerely praising the head chef of the citadel, Shokudaikiri Mitsutada, for his culinary skills.

Whenever this happens, the chef will humbly say something, but in Fuyuki's eyes, he is indeed a super handsome chef.

After spending a few days together, the Saniwa and everyone else were no longer as unfamiliar as they had been at the beginning. They had interacted with each other to some extent. Perhaps because she looked so small, the short swords interacted with her the most and would even play together when they had nothing to do.

The katana and tachi, on the other hand, are more about taking care of children.

After breakfast, the personnel to be deployed and those in the inner circle will be announced.

After reading out the arrangements that the Saniwa had made the day before, everyone began to take action.

Among the Tsukumogami of the citadel, Kashuu Kiyomitsu has the highest training level, which is why he served as a close attendant for several days in a row. The other blades are not very well trained, so it is best to arrange them to go into battle to improve their training level.

Today's lineup consists of one katana, three tanto, and two tachi.

In the first phase, the five tigers retreated, Yaoyan Toshiro, Xiaoye Zuowen, Song Xian Jianding, Shanlao Qie Guoguang.

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro served as the team captain.

"What exactly are they expecting?" the blond tsukumogami draped in a white sheet murmured.

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro always wears a bed sheet with slightly dirty edges and has an inferiority complex, but in terms of strength, he is absolutely capable.

"Yamabagiri Kunihiro-kun, thank you for your help." Fuyuki nodded to him, who had been appointed as the captain, and then looked at everyone who was going into battle, offering his blessings: "May you all return safely."

The teleportation array lit up the courtyard, and the personnel who were going to launch the mission today set off.

Fuyuki found a nice spot and sat on the veranda. Kitsunenosuke stayed beside her, and after a few days together, it was no longer trembling with fear.

Although the bewildered Saniwa still doesn't understand why it was in its original state.

As a shikigami, Kitsune-no-suke has no need to eat, but he loves fried tofu.

At this moment, it is paying attention to the situation of the team's deployment.

Fuyuki held the equipped Saniwa terminal in her hand, and on the small table next to her were snacks and drinks prepared by Shokudaikiri Mitsutada, which made her very comfortable.

The terminal contains various news releases about current affairs, as well as a forum for Saniwa to communicate. There are many interesting things on it.

What she enjoys most is reading about the swords posted by other Saniwa (players who play the role of the Saniwa).

For example, what prank did this tsukumogami named Tsurumaru Kuninaga play that angered the Saniwa?

For example, there was the story of Tsurumaru Kuninaga who played a prank and was invited to fight by the other tsukumogami in the citadel.

And... ah, it's still Tsurumaru Kuninaga.

Fuyuki sensed something was wrong and scrolled up, only to find that he had clicked on Tsurumaru Kuninaga's section.

However, looking at this unified style, I can't help but sigh, as expected of Tsurumaru Kuninaga.

Of course, there are other posts as well, but the most numerous are about pranks, which are all about the sweet troubles of colleagues.

After the internal affairs were arranged, everyone started to do their own thing. Even Kashuu Kiyomitsu, who was a close attendant, went to the hand-fighting arena to spar with everyone. Only Fuyuki was free.

It's lunchtime.

"How does the master find the taste?" Shokudaikiri Mitsutada asked.

His right eye was covered by a black eyepatch, and his dark blue hair covered most of the eyepatch, revealing a golden left eye.

Perhaps it's because her mind has become more childish, but Fuyuki has also developed a greater love for sweets than before, and sweets make her feel happy.

As time goes by, some memories from one's previous life become increasingly blurred.

"Delicious! Shokudaikiri-san's cooking is as good as ever." She never hesitated to praise herself, her voice was soft, and coupled with her young appearance, it unconsciously turned into a coquettish tone.

Shokudaikiri Mitsutada is a tsukumogami who says he can't be handsome when he manifests. He cares a lot about whether he looks handsome or not. Fuyuki thinks he is a very handsome tsukumogami. Of course, being able to make super delicious desserts is also a bonus for being handsome.

"Does my lord like this dessert? Then you can have mine too." It was Ran Toushirou. He had left his seat at some point and come to Fuyuki's table, holding a small plate and placing it on her table.

The desserts on top are shaped like rabbits. Surprisingly, although they are white, they taste like strawberries. Fuyuki has already finished hers.

Ran Toushirou has long orange hair. Although he is a boy, his handsome appearance makes him easily mistaken for a girl.

Fuyuki's gaze was drawn to her favorite dessert. She nodded vigorously and gave Ran Toushirou a big smile: "Mmm! I love it! I love Ran-chan the most~"

He's so, so cute!

Upon hearing this, Ran Toushirou blushed slightly, a glimmer of light flashing in his blue eyes: "I love my lord the most too~"

Some of the short-knife-wielding men placed their small dessert plates on them, looking rather eager to dig in.

"Lord..."

"Ahem." Kashuu Kiyomitsu coughed, stopping Akita Toshiro, who was itching to make a move, from his thoughts.

Kashuu Kiyomitsu looked at Ran Toushirou in front of Fuyuki and said, "Ran, sit back down and don't disturb the master's meal."

After hearing this, the little dagger tilted its head and gave Fuyuki a playful wink before returning to its place.

The boy who stopped delivering the dessert, Akita Toshiro, was a pink-haired, blue-eyed boy. What was most striking was his hair, which looked fluffy, like a marshmallow.

Perhaps it was by serving as the training partner for everyone that Kashuu Kiyomitsu established his authority among the various blades.

Although Kashuu Kiyomitsu came with Fuyuki, he didn't seem to be a loner and they got along quite well in some ways.

Fuyuki began to enjoy her new dessert, a small plate with two tiny bunnies, small enough for her to eat.

The desserts were truly delicious; I'm so grateful that such wonderful craftsmanship as Shokudaikiri Mitsutada exists in the world.

However, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish lunch today. I think if I don't restrain myself, I might develop some bad habits.

—

Knife forging room

Fuyuki stared at the forge in front of him and took a deep breath.

"all350....then...acceleration spell....."

She was a little nervous during her first time forging a knife.

Cherry blossoms fell, and a boy wearing a blue haori and with his hair in a ponytail appeared before them. He smiled gently and looked down slightly at Fuyuki.

"Yamato no Kami Yasusada. Not easy to master, but a fine sword."

"Welcome to the citadel. Yamato no Kami Yasusada, I am the Saniwa Fuyuki."

Fuyuki's gaze met Yamato no Kami Yasusada's beautiful blue eyes; they were very pretty eyes.

She took Yamato no Kami Yasusada to Kashuu Kiyomitsu at the Tegata Stadium and asked him to take charge of familiarizing himself with the new blade.

Fuyuki turned and left, and behind him came the joyful voices of Ryoujin talking.

Back in the corridor, Kitsune-no-suke was there too. He had been lying limply, but when he saw her return, he immediately perked up.

"Lord Fuyuki, how did it go? Was the first forging of the sword a success?"

"It's a success! It's Yamato no Kami Yasusada!"

Dongshu went over and sat down.

“Then Prince California will be very happy.”

"Yes, they really seemed to be having a great time." She ruffled Kitsune-no-Suke's fluffy head.

Then Fuyuki became addicted to the terminal.

She found a new website this morning with all sorts of anime, but hasn't had a chance to watch it yet.

After relaxing for a while, Fuyuki and Kitsunenosuke went to the study. Fuyuki spread out the papers and carefully wrote down the arrangements for tomorrow's sortie and internal duties.

Soon, the spirits that had gone out to battle returned. She checked through the sword register and found no wounded blades, which was good news.

After dinner, I returned to my room.

She grabbed the plush toy from beside her pillow, hugged it to her chest, leaned back, and landed on the soft bed.

The room was empty except for Fuyuki. She suddenly felt a sense of loneliness. After her death, Fuyuki had spent an immeasurable amount of time walking in the dark, which was why she disliked being in completely dark environments.

After arriving at the citadel, she spent most of her time with Kitsunenosuke. Because the number of blades in the citadel was relatively small, everyone was assigned tasks every day, so Kitsunenosuke took on the responsibility of accompanying and taking care of her.

...Although it didn't need any care at all, Fuyuki sighed helplessly.

The fact that the originally timid Kitsune-no-suke can now interact with her normally is a kind of achievement.

Under the lamplight, Dongshu saw that her shadow was somewhat messy. She turned to look at the window, which was not fully closed, and she could glimpse a bit of the scenery outside through the crack. The sun had already set, and the moon was half-hidden.

To think how strong her will was back then, she's become so sentimental now, she's really turned into a child, and her heart has become weak.

Fuyuki hugged her rabbit plush toy tightly and began to roll around on the bed.

A moment later, he sat up again, took off his slippers, moved back, and leaned against the wall.

After the contract was made, the sword curtain disappeared on its own. According to Kitsunenosuke, the sword curtain would automatically follow the Saniwa, and only the Saniwa could summon it.

It is a hub, and it is very important.

Fuyuki felt it was like a magic book that could be summoned at any time, which was very interesting.

Dongshu summoned the sword curtain, placed the doll under it, and then turned the pages one by one, his hand unconsciously tapping the sword curtain from time to time.

The illustrations of each of the above Tsukumogami are truly exquisite.

Most of them are dark, with only a few lit.

Next to the tsukumogami illustrations are labels indicating the corresponding status, allowing the Saniwa to understand the tsukumogami's situation from a distance, though only in general terms.

As she flipped through the pages, Dongshu stopped, lost in thought. Should she be more proactive in forging swords? She felt she was doing so little.

Normally, I would only sigh about the lack of personnel when arranging things, but now, when I flip through the accounts, sometimes it takes more than ten pages to find the next lit page, and suddenly I feel it more deeply.

She counted the resources left in the citadel and thought that forging two swords shouldn't be a problem... No, she should forge one first and save more resources to make the fittings.

A poor Saniwa must be frugal, for one cannot have both the sword and its fittings.

Fuyuki put away the sword curtain, leaned to the side, and began to twist and turn on the bed, from one end to the other, then back again.

The doll was kicked to the ground by Dongshu. She glanced at it, but didn't want to get out of bed and remained indifferent.

She stopped, her thoughts wandering.

...The tsukumogami are so innocent.

Whether it's Kiyomitsu, whom they first met, or Shokudaikiri, who was forced to sleep for decades, they all seem like...naive and innocent? No, not that naive.

Aside from a slight awkwardness at first meeting, everyone treated Fuyuki very well afterwards, even occasionally showing a touch of affection, though this was unnecessary.

Would a relationship progress so quickly if people interacted normally?

She hugged the disheveled blanket, blew the hair off her face, and began to think...

She straightened the blanket slightly, then crawled between the blanket and the bed, leaving only her head sticking out.

Half asleep and half awake, a word popped into my head—

【instinct】

As sword spirits, even though they have human appearances and live like humans, they are still swords in essence.

Swords love their masters and yearn for their master's love in return.

Therefore, they will take the initiative to get close to them.

She yawned, rubbed her eyes, and drowsiness returned.