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Sure enough, the clothes delivered carried a touch of Tsukushi Island’s exotic flair, yet they still leaned heavily toward the revealing and seductive style of a dancer’s outfit.

‘Hmph. Making us wear something like this to dance… they’re definitely up to no good,’ Lily thought coldly.

“Sister Ayaka, while these clothes are revealing and alluring, they’re not excessively indecent. Let’s put them on for now. Once we enter the city lord’s hall, if he dares lay a hand on us, we’ll subdue him immediately and force him to spill everything he knows,” Lily transmitted as she sifted through the garments.

“Mm.” Ayaka responded.

“Young ladies, the changing room is inside here.” The frogman led them into the dressing area.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

Lily did not want to speak directly to the frogman, so she asked, “Where is Matron Ami?”

Before long, Matron Ami arrived. “Oh my, young ladies, do you still think you’re noble daughters from the capital? Hurry up and change, what are you standing around for? Pay attention to your undergarments, don’t let the straps show over your shoulders.”

“Matron, we just fled through that stifling forest and are drenched in sweat. Could we wash up first?” Lily asked, somewhat awkwardly.

“It’s always this hot here. Even if you bathe, you’ll sweat again right away. Besides, that natural scent of a young lady… I’m sure the lords would like it more than anything! Hurry up, the banquet is about to begin. There’s no time for a bath!” the old woman urged.

It didn’t really matter. With Lily and Ayaka’s strength, there was no way they would truly be violated anyway.

Besides, was she really uncomfortable just because of the heat? That line of thinking didn’t quite make sense. Could it be that just because there was a possibility of being harassed, she felt the need to bathe?

Ridiculous!

Of course, that wasn’t what Lily meant. It was simply that her body felt damp and sticky, making her slightly uncomfortable.

Closing the door, Lily and Ayaka prepared to change.

“Wait,” Lily said. “Let’s check first if anyone is spying on us.”

After all, although Lily and Ayaka were virtually unmatched in the mortal world, if someone were to see them exposed, it would still be a tremendous loss. Even killing the culprit afterward would not erase such humiliation.

The two carefully inspected the room, but found nothing unusual.

“It seems there’s no chance of anyone peeking,” Ayaka said.

And so, with their damp, slightly slick skin glistening faintly under the dim light, they changed into the dancer outfits. Strands of Lily’s long hair clung to her face, and she occasionally brushed them back, releasing a trace of warmth.

Unbeknownst to her, Ayaka, standing behind, watched with restrained intensity. For a fleeting moment, she almost couldn’t help herself, wanting to wrap her arms around Lily from behind in that dim little room, to press a few kisses against her slick neck, to feel her heat, her warmth.

But they were here on a mission. This was not the time for indulgence. Ayaka clearly understood the priority of the task.

Once they had changed, they waited for Matron Ami’s summons before heading together to the city lord’s castle tower.

Inside the castle tower, samurai stood guard in orderly formation, and the occasional onmyoji could be seen. The interior was just as stiflingly hot, leaving both samurai and onmyoji visibly uncomfortable.

“Before proceeding to the next level, you must undergo a search to ensure you are not carrying anything forbidden,” said an onmyoji, blocking their path alongside two samurai.

‘Hmph. Here it comes,’ Lily sneered inwardly.

A body search? She had encountered this countless times before. Under the pretense of inspection, it was usually just an excuse to take advantage of her.

‘Go ahead. If you dare make even the slightest improper move, I’ll take control of your mind instantly!’

The power of the Purple Lunar Force carried the ability to attack and even influence the soul. Though Lily had not trained extensively in this aspect, her natural talent in soul arts was exceptional. While not yet suited for real combat, controlling one or two ordinary humans would pose no issue. They would simply believe the search had been completed.

“Please don’t worry, young ladies. It would be improper for men and women to make physical contact. We have specialized arcane tools that allow us to conduct the inspection without touching your bodies.”

“Huh?”

Fortunately, before changing, Lily and Ayaka had stored all their treasures within the mirror, hiding the ancient mirror within the knot of the thin straps of their undergarments.

Such a mechanism was impossible to detect with mortal-level artifacts.

Still, this was within the enemy’s domain. As dancers, they were essentially treated as servants. Back in Takamagahara or even Yomi, even female adepts would often be harassed by guards taking advantage of their position. Yet here, this onmyoji was acting with such discipline?

It was far too strange.

After passing the inspection with the arcane tool, Lily and Ayaka ascended the stairs.

Upon reaching this level, both of them immediately sensed something unusual. Even without using divine perception, it was clear that the guards here were different. They were significantly taller than those below, and their features did not resemble the people of Tsukushi Island. Each of them was powerfully built, their bodies and expressions exuding a formidable, oppressive aura.

“These… are not mortals!” Lily suddenly realized and transmitted to Ayaka.

Under Matron Ami’s guidance, Lily and Ayaka arrived at the topmost level. After a brief report was made, two robust and strikingly handsome guards stepped forward. Clad in loose, ancient cloth garments that exposed their iron-like muscles, they carried an extraordinary bearing as they pushed open the doors.

Lily and Ayaka entered the chamber.

This was the main hall of the Castle Tower.

As for the so-called banquet, the vast hall contained only a single person. He was an old man with a sunken crown, thick inverted-broom eyebrows, a bloated face with large ears, and he wore a robe of luxurious fabric unseen in the Heian Dynasty.

‘One look and you can tell he’s no good,’ Lily thought coldly.

The old man was reading while drinking. When he saw Lily and Ayaka enter, he appeared momentarily surprised.

‘Surprised, aren’t you? Never expected to encounter such beautiful women in a place like this? What’s even more surprising is yet to come,’ Lily sneered inwardly.¹　

‘Sister Ayaka, this man clearly isn’t from the Fujiwara Clan, is he?’
‘No. Or rather… he doesn’t even seem like someone from the mortal world.’
‘If he shows even the slightest sign of indecency, we strike immediately and subdue him!’

The bloated old man chuckled. “You two are beauties rarely seen even above the heavens! Heh heh heh!”

‘As expected… is he from Takamagahara?’ Lily transmitted.

‘No. That kind of flattery is common enough,’ Ayaka replied. ‘In any case, we haven’t suffered any loss yet. Let’s not alert him prematurely.’

Thus, Lily once again fabricated a background story for herself.

“What unfortunate girls, in such unfortunate times. Tell me, what kind of dance do you know?” the old man asked.

“That depends on what kind of dance my lord wishes to see,” Lily replied, thinking to herself, ‘This kind of old lecher is probably craving something obscene… just you wait, once you show your true colors, hmph!’

“Hmm. In that case, perform a dance from your homeland.”
“Eh?”
“What is it? Is that difficult for you?”
“No, not at all. It’s just that thinking of my homeland stirred some emotions within me.”
“Heh heh, such a rare, tender-hearted girl. Then please, begin at once. This old man can hardly wait.”

‘Oh, I know you can’t wait,’ Lily scoffed inwardly.

“Understood.”

How could Lily possibly know what truly counted as her homeland? Still, she and Ayaka were skilled in many forms of dance, so they chose one that was popular in Heian-kyo and began to perform.