Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 318 - 317 It’s not like I haven’t seen it before

The group soaked in the hot spring while seeking topics to chat about.

Chitose knew the situation of the Princess better than Su Lun. At this moment, she suddenly spoke up and asked, "Princess, I see you’ve been frowning for the past few days, are you facing some difficulties?"

"Hmm..."

The Princess listened, her brows slightly furrowed, hesitating for a moment.

She had no intention of hiding anything and said openly, "To be honest, the situation in Edo is indeed quite bad."

Chitose guessed something and asked curiously, "Has the truth behind the last assassination attempt been clarified?"

"It’s complicated."

Hearing this question, the seriousness on the Princess’s face became evident. "From the existing clues, we can almost be certain that Abe Yasukazu, that ’demonic figure,’ is likely not one of the shogunate’s men."

Hearing this, Chitose also felt puzzled and exclaimed in surprise, "Not one of the Takeda shogunate’s men?"

Previously, they had attempted to assassinate Takeda Nobuyasu and ended up being chased all the way to Akita.

As a result,

the people chasing them,

were actually not from the Takeda shogunate,

but another force?

Listening at the side, Su Lun’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he quickly realized that someone was "diverting disaster eastward" or "using another’s hand to kill."

The Princess, too, felt perplexed and continued, "Because we learned that Abe Yasukazu was involved, I sent people to follow this lead. It was only then that we discovered, aside from the Takeda shogunate, there is indeed a third party stirring up trouble in Mountain Hermit. They’ve concealed themselves very deeply, mixing in among the royal family, shogunate, and various daimyos, yet they hardly let anyone notice them before! It’s only for some unknown reason recently that they’ve started to show their face and slip up..."

The Princess was for the first time actively discussing her own predicament. Although she didn’t care about power, regal authority is the will of the gods, both flourishing and declining together.

Whoever shakes the royalty’s power is challenging divine authority.

"A third party?"

Upon hearing this, Su Lun immediately thought of something, his expression turning slightly strange.

A recent emergence?

The most significant recent change in the Mountain Hermit kingdom could only be King Oleg of the North Sea declaring himself king.

But such a deep and far-reaching scheme, capable of turning a chief court priest, was no simple matter. It didn’t seem like the work of Pirates who only knew looting and pillaging.

He directly asked, "Princess, do you suspect King Oleg of the North Sea?"

"Hmm."

These topics were already very sensitive political secrets, yet the Princess didn’t avoid Su Lun and the others when speaking, "But I can’t be certain it’s him."

She spoke plainly, "Because the Abe family and our Divine Attire clan have no old grudges, and there was no reason for Abe Yasukazu to try and kill me before. Besides, even if I were killed, it would mean nothing without the support of a Daimyo behind him. Therefore, I suspect he has the backing of a force that can contend with Takeda Nobuya. There’s no second shogunate in Mountain Hermit, so it can only be an outside force."

"..."

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Hearing this, Su Lun fell silent.

The Princess’s analysis was entirely reasonable.

As for Su Lun, he wasn’t interested in the struggles for regal power. Moreover, though the Mountain Hermit country was small, the situation of an entire country wasn’t something a few people could change.

He had an inkling that if Oleg hadn’t given up on Mountain Hermit, and the main fleet arrived again, there might be some significant upheaval.

The royalty and the Divine Attire clan faced internal and external troubles; the situation was far from optimistic.

The political topic was indeed very serious, and for a time, no one spoke in the hot spring pool.

Perhaps sensing the mood had become somewhat stiff, the seriousness on the Princess’s face suddenly dispersed, "Sorry, I brought up a rather dull topic."

The atmosphere didn’t ease; instead, it became more silent.

Princess’s gaze lingered on the scenery below the mountain, growing deeper as she seemed to ponder over something. Then she said, "The time spent with everyone has been really enjoyable. I wish it could always be like this."

Chitose sensed something and asked, "Are you leaving?"

The Princess’s eyes were scattered, and without looking at her, she nodded and said, "Yes. For the ’Black Sun Grand Festival’ in half a month, as the shrine maiden of the Ise Grand Shrine, I must return to the capital to preside over the festival. Once the royal guards arrive, I’ll probably depart after a few days."

As she spoke, a hint of regret surfaced on her lovely face, "These days, I’m really happy thanks to the companionship of Mr. Su Lun and Miss Chitose..."

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These words clearly implied a farewell.

The situation in the royal capital was perilous; she didn’t plan to continue this "protective contract task."

But before Princess could finish her words, Chitose interrupted her.

Chitose stepped past Su Lun, hooking the Princess’s shoulder with gusto, "Don’t look so gloomy. Once Su Lun gets rid of the seal on my arm, I’ll accompany you on a trip!"

With the Demon Blade in her hand and the renowned Sengoku armor "Iron Red Scale Painted Five-Piece Suit," even facing Takeda Nobuyasu of the sixth rank again, she wouldn’t be easily beaten.

"Ah... this..."

The words gave a strong sense of security, and Princess was well aware that Chitose always meant what she said.

But she couldn’t bear to see her friend face danger and wanted to refuse, yet before she could be touched by the sentiment, she was pulled off balance and stumbled into Su Lun who was beside her.

Su Lun was also a bit stunned, as he was still studying the seal on Chitose’s arm when suddenly, he had Wen Yu in his arms.

Initially, the three of them were sitting very close, and though there was contact, it wasn’t much.

Now, pressed firmly and intimately against each other.

The soaked garments were thin to begin with, and now that they were wet, they felt almost non-existent.

At this contact, Su Lun distinctly felt his arm sink into softness; the Princess’s skin had a magical smoothness that slipped away with a touch.

As she toppled over, she fell right into Su Lun’s arms, her demeanor anxious and a little bit disheveled.

Chitose’s movements were even more exaggerated. She almost laid her full weight on him as a prank, the heavy pressure making Su Lun feel its excellent texture.

Honestly, although they had been intimate on a daily basis, such a real touch seemed to be a first.

After a moment of flustered scrambling, Princess finally settled back into her seat, and with a mixture of laughter and rebuke, she scolded, "Miss Chitose, you..."

She well understood that Chitose was teasing her, yet she was helpless to stop it.

However, after sitting back down, she didn’t make any effort to put distance between herself and Su Lun, feeling that it would be quite rude. They were much closer now than before. Extensive skin contact allowed both to feel the other’s body heat.

Seeing a hint of discomfort on Princess’s face, Chitose laughed heartily and bluntly asked, "So Su Lun, how is it? Princess’s figure is quite something, isn’t it?"

"..."

Su Lun rolled his eyes in his mind; responding to that could make him seem frivolous straightaway.

Yet if he didn’t respond, Princess might feel awkward.

His thoughts flashed, and looking at Chitose beside him, he cleverly shifted the topic, "I actually think, Sister Chitose’s figure is also quite exceptional."

With that jest, Princess covered her mouth and chuckled, agreeing, "I think so too."

Lolita watched the entire drama unfold, smiling without a word.

The awkward atmosphere vanished instantly.

"Heh..."

Chitose didn’t want the topic to shift to her, but she didn’t mind either.

With that look, she didn’t hide at all but instead showcased herself freely, boasting, "Tch, you’ve seen it before anyway. Look all you want."