How did I, an Onmyoji, become the Lord of Yokai?

Of course, Shimizu Asahi was unaware that Shimizu Mio had almost attended his engagement ceremony.

After cleaning the last shrine, Enmusubi returned to the land of the gods and told Shimizu Mio, who was still the ruler of the gods, about it. However, Shimizu Mio was trying to find the power within him at the time, so she simply ignored it.

Whether it's considered lucky or unlucky, no one can guess what would have happened if Shimizu Mio from this era had come here.

Upon hearing Shimizu Asahi's answer, Tamura Samurai sighed with some regret. It seemed that an important person would be missing from this engagement ceremony.

However, this was unavoidable. After all, time was of the essence, and they couldn't keep sending people to search everywhere indefinitely. Moreover, even if they kept delaying, they might not be able to find it.

After putting this matter aside, Tamura Shigehiro began to wholeheartedly prepare for their engagement ceremony. Not long after, Shimizu Asahi also selected some auspicious dates. After discussing them with Tamura and his daughter, he decided to choose the nearest date, which was ten days from the date they had set.

After setting the date, Shimizu Asahi and Reiko began to get busy. They were the main characters in the engagement ceremony, and they needed to get used to the procedures, including what the groom should do and what the bride should do.

Although it was somewhat complicated overall, it was only a matter of a few days for them. Moreover, probably because it was their first time, both of them were quite curious and made excellent progress in learning. They mastered it completely in just two or three days and did it perfectly, leaving no room for criticism.

In the following days, Shimizu Asahi took Reiko out for a stroll, and their relationship... no, perhaps it should be said that the distance between them had shortened a bit. Now, they could probably be called good friends.

Hmm... a good friend with whom I can get engaged.

And so, in those relatively leisurely days, time passed by one by one, and before we knew it, the day of the engagement ceremony arrived...

On the day of the engagement ceremony, Tamura invited all the prominent families of Yamashiro Province. Although he preferred to not invite outsiders and to complete the ceremony only with the blessings of his own soldiers and relatives, Reiko's status meant that her engagement ceremony could not be handled simply, so he had no choice but to invite everyone.

Fortunately, since it was the wedding day of Shimizu Asahi and Tamura Reiko, and the daimyo himself was also present, no one wanted to cause trouble at this time, and the engagement ceremony proceeded very smoothly.

From the moment the final step was completed, Tamura Reiko officially became his fiancée, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would be the one to spend the rest of his life with him.

From the moment it was truly confirmed, Shimizu Asahi couldn't help but look at Tamura Reiko beside him... No, although they weren't officially married yet, they were engaged, so calling her Shimizu Reiko now wasn't a problem.

Looking at Shimizu Reiko beside him, the faint sense of unreality he had felt earlier finally turned into a real sense of reality.

She's his fiancée!

It wasn't just joy and anticipation for the future, but also an absolute sense of responsibility that he could never abandon. These complex emotions swirled in his heart, giving him a completely new experience he had never had before.

However, before he could fully savor this feeling, he was pulled away by others to drink.

As one of the main figures at today's engagement ceremony, he was naturally obliged to host the guests. Although he could casually and casually brush off the kindness of some old friends, he absolutely had to drink alcohol. So, from beginning to end, he drank almost non-stop.

Finally, as night deepened and the guests slowly departed, he had a chance to catch his breath. (Chapter 293) It's getting late, let's get some rest.

"It's finally over..."

At a table in the banquet hall, Shimizu Asahi sat wearily in a wooden chair, leaning his entire body against the wooden table.

Even though the wooden table laden with dishes was covered in stains after a day of celebration, he didn't care at all, letting his somewhat expensive clothes get dirty.

He was exhausted... not just physically, but also mentally. He now realized that there were things in this world more exhausting than dealing with monsters.

He would rather try to break through the Sea Kingdom's formation again than go through another engagement ceremony.

"Thank you for your hard work, sir... no, I should call you brother-in-law now."

A soft laugh came from the side. Shimizu Asahi wearily opened his eyes and saw Ye Zi, who was still not fully recovered but still forced herself to get up to attend the engagement ceremony.

"Ye Zi... just call me Chaoyang. I always feel a little strange calling me brother-in-law."

Forcing himself to cheer up, the boy smiled and shook his head. It felt rather incongruous to have a girl who exuded an older sister vibe call him brother-in-law. Moreover, perhaps due to preconceived notions, he now regarded Ye Zi more as a friend than a younger sister.

"Is that okay? I don't think my sister has ever called you that before."

The girl sat down next to Shimizu Asahi and said like a friend, "I remember you, but you still call me Shimizu. Aren't you afraid I'll get angry if I call you that?"

"Reiko wouldn't be so petty. Besides, it's just a form of address, it doesn't matter."

Shimizu Asahi smiled and waved his hand, and Ye Zi, seeing his appearance, couldn't help but laugh as well. "Then, I'll call you Asahi. By the way, how are you feeling now? Do you want me to help you back to rest?"

"No need, I just need to rest for a bit. Besides, your injuries haven't healed yet, you're already pushing yourself to the limit just by coming out."

"You should go back and rest now, not me."

"Your spiritual energy has helped me recover a lot, and I'm mostly fine now." Ye Zi moved her body slightly, seemingly trying to express that she was alright. But as soon as she finished speaking, a cheerful voice came from the doorway, "Hehe, alright Ye Zi, let Chao Yang rest a bit more. You too, you should take good care of yourself while you're still recovering."

"Father."

"General."

Seeing Tamura Samurai approaching, Yoko and Shimizu Asahi called out at the same time.

Have all the guests left?

"Yes, they've all been seen off. Also, Chaoyang, you shouldn't call me General anymore, right?" The General's face revealed an undisguised smile, and his black tiger eyes hinted at something more.

...Perhaps "explicit" is a more accurate description.

"......Father."

The boy scratched his head and changed his form of address.

"Haha... Good, good." Upon hearing the word "father," Tamura Shigehiro laughed heartily. He patted Shimizu Asahi on the shoulder and said, "Alright, go back and rest. Don't keep Reiko waiting too long. Yoko, I'll take you home."

"Yes, I'm entrusting Ye Zi to you, Father."

After saying goodbye to Tamura, Shimizu Asahi got up and went to his room, while Yoko also returned to her room with Tamura's help.

However, neither Shimizu Asahi nor Tamura Samurai noticed the faint bitterness in Yoko's eyes...

After returning to her room from the banquet, Shimizu Asahi sat on the tatami mats, receiving care from Reiko. Because Reiko was a girl, she had also returned to her room after the ceremony, so she hadn't drunk much. Of course, even if she had drunk with Shimizu Asahi, she wouldn't have gotten drunk.

After feeding her fiancé a glass of water, Reiko sat down beside him, placed her hands on his temples, and gently massaged them.

Although the technique was a bit clumsy, it still managed to make people feel a little comfortable.

As she pressed, she asked, "Is this pressure okay?"

"Mmm...it feels so good." The boy closed his eyes, leaned against her casually, and exclaimed, "I didn't even know you could do this."

Seeing the boy's comfortable expression, the girl smiled softly as well.

"They said it would come in handy when I was learning it, so I learned it. As long as it's useful, that's good."

Lingzi massaged for about ten minutes, and Shimizu Asahi's head gradually cleared up. When he felt that it was about time, he took Lingzi's small hand and said, "Alright, it's getting late, let's get some rest."

For some reason, Reiko blushed upon hearing Shimizu Asahi's words, and then she let out a rare low murmur: "...Mmm."

Then, the two lay down on a mat, and soon, the night passed in silence...

Oh, of course, don't overthink it, nothing happened during that time.

......

The next morning, Qingshui Chaoyang, who had been sleeping soundly, opened his eyes the moment his biological clock struck. He blinked, and after his eyes adjusted to the light shining from the window, he sat up in bed.

He instinctively stretched to relieve his weakness, and then prepared to wake Lingzi. However, when he turned his head, he saw the beautiful girl lying quietly beside him.

"???"

Still not fully awake, he subconsciously uttered a few question marks, but soon he remembered.

Yes, they're officially engaged starting yesterday...

Shimizu Asahi chuckled silently. It seemed he would have to get used to waking up to find a girl lying next to him.

Although he used to share a room with Ari, Aonobo, and Ibuki, they always slept separately, with a small distance between them and two layers of blankets. Sharing a bed like this is the first time ever... apart from when he was a child with Shimizu Mio.

Oh, and by the way, let me explain again: nothing really happened between them yesterday; they just slept in the same bed for one night.

Whether it was this era three hundred years ago or the future era three hundred years later, women valued their chastity highly. They would not give away their most important possession until the day of their formal marriage. Even if Reiko said she didn't care, Tamura would firmly object.

Despite Tamura's role in facilitating their engagement, he was actually quite conservative at heart. In fact, he thought long and hard before agreeing to Shimizu Asahi and Shimizu Reiko sharing a bed.

Of course, it was Reiko who brought this up. Chapter 291, Section 294: The Goddess of Fate: Mio, that was a marriage I personally arranged.

In the quiet room, looking at the girl's peaceful sleeping face, Shimizu Asahi smiled with a little happiness. Then, he reached out and shook her body, saying softly, "Reiko, wake up."

"Hmm? Shimizu... hmm."

Lingzi slowly opened her eyes. She didn't seem to mind at all. She glanced at him, then nodded to indicate that she understood.

The two quickly washed up and then set off for the Tamura house to greet Tamura Samurai with a good morning.

The house bestowed by the daimyo had already been renovated before the engagement ceremony began, so the engagement ceremony was held at the Shimizu residence.

And naturally, Shimizu Asahi and Shimizu Reiko also stayed at the Shimizu house last night.

After giving a brief greeting to Tamura, they left the Tamura house and began decorating their own home.

Although the daimyo decorated most of the house for them, it was only the surface of the house. They still had to take care of the living rooms, bedrooms, and other areas themselves.

To ease their burden, Tamura even sent a few people to help carry things.

Even so, it still took them several days to completely finish decorating the house.

"Lingzi, this will be our home from now on!"

Looking at the completely decorated house, Shimizu Asahi couldn't help but smile. He opened his arms and looked ahead, his eyes revealing undisguised happiness.

Although he would have to leave this place after establishing the Sea Kingdom, at least this was his home now.

Deep in everyone's heart lies the longing to return to one's roots, which is why a home is so important to them.

When Lingzi, who was standing next to him, heard him say "home," she couldn't help but look ahead. Perhaps it was Qingshui Chaoyang's mood that infected him, but unintentionally, an indescribable feeling welled up in her heart as well.

She used to roam the world. Although she occupied an island and led many sea monsters, she felt nothing in her heart. To her, that island was just a place to stay. One day... no, perhaps it would be natural for her to not want to stay there anymore and choose to leave.

But now, she suddenly feels that no matter where she goes, she will always come back here someday.

Is this... what home feels like?

She gently pressed her chest, and a faint warmth welled up from the depths of her heart.

Without realizing it, she laughed.

"Yes, home, this is our home!"

After settling into their new home, Shimizu Asahi and Reiko spent some more time in Yamashiro Province, exploring the entire province thoroughly. They left their footprints everywhere, from shrines to the surrounding cities. After finishing their tour of Yamashiro Province, Shimizu Asahi finally decided to set off.

While staying here would help Reiko solidify her feelings, deep down he still longed for the world three hundred years in the future.

Although he knew that obtaining the Yasakani no Magatama would allow him to travel back three hundred years, he still needed to witness it firsthand to see if it was true. Therefore, he planned to go to Izumo Province first to see if the Yasakani no Magatama of this era possessed such power.

If he had a chance, he could focus on helping Reiko build the Sea Kingdom; if not, he would have to stay with Reiko while searching for a way back.

Although Reiko was unaware of the true circumstances of the trip to Izumo Province, she did not object. So, the two of them told Tamura Samurai and Tamura Yoko about it. Although the news came somewhat suddenly and surprised them for a moment, after the initial surprise, they only expressed their reluctance to part and did not try to persuade them to stay. In fact, Tamura Samurai even told them to have fun and not to suffer too much.