With time gradually marching forward, Nobu found himself wondering if something had happened to the raven-haired woman. She would normally return between 3-4 hours after departing. By now, more than six hours had passed, so, unless something had transpired outside, it was safe to say she was either abandoning or avoiding him.

"Well...no skin off my teeth. It'll be a pain in the ass but I can probably scrounge something up if I'm careful..."

A stark contrast to his words, Nobu was currently lingering around the mouth of the cave, his gaze periodically scanning the snow-covered landscape for signs of movement. Humans were, after all, social creatures. He could tell himself a thousand times he didn't care, but, when it came down to it, he would rather put up with someone giving him the silent treatment than spend the rest of winter cooped up in a cave all by himself.

What Nobu didn't know was that his scouting potential was truly abysmal. In reality, the person he had been keeping an eye out for had been observing him for the better part of two hours. He was like a farmer-turned-mountain-bandit, completely unaware of the presence observing him from a mere forty meters away.

"..."

When she had first arrived, Yui had thought that Nobu might have approached the mouth of the cave in order to get some fresh air. The barrier inside was designed to keep scents trapped, so, after living inside for a prolonged period of time, it had started to become noticeably 'musky'.

"Could he be waiting for me to arrive? No...it's more likely that he's just hungry. That must be it..."

Having convinced herself this was the case, Yui emerged from her hiding spot, and, after brushing herself off, approached the cave with a completely neutral expression on her face. She didn't even bother to greet Nobu as she passed him. Instead, she just looked towards him for a brief moment before making her way deeper into the cave.

Similar to the raven-haired woman, Nobu pretended to pay her no mind as he focused most of his attention on the invisible tablet in his hand. It was only a few minutes after she had passed him that he turned around, shaking his head as he returned to the comparably steamy depths of the cave...

...

..

.

After an extremely awkward meal, Nobu waited until the raven-haired woman was in the middle of her meditation before sneakily taking a picture of her with his Camera App. This caused him to feel like a voyeur or a common pervert but that wasn't enough to inhibit him from taking full advantage of his perks. Unfortunately, just as he had anticipated, acquiring detailed information on the woman would cost an additional 22,419 Aura.

("Well...at least it wasn't a complete waste of time...")

------------------------------------

Name: ?????????? Yui

Age: ??

Gender: Female, H: 149.7cm, W: ??kg, B: ??cm, W: ??cm, H: ??cm

Blood Type: ??

Cultivation: Rank 2 Golden Warrior(Purity: ??%)

Aura Units: ?,???,???/?,???,???

Status: Cursed, Life Essence Fatigue, Mental Exhaustion, Confusion, ????????, ????

Main Hand: Left, Ambidextrous

Preferred Weapon: Katana, ????????, Bow, ????????, ????

Strengths: ????

Weaknesses: ????

Orientation: Heterosexual

Preferred Position: Reverse Cowgirl, ?????????, ??????????, ???????...

Favorite Food: ?????, ????, ???????, ?????, ????...

....

...

.

------------------------------------

Though there was a bunch of useless and missing information, just being able to use his Camera on people was enough to bring a smile to Nobu's face. He had also, finally, learned the woman's name. This was something that had been bothering him since the time he introduced himself, but, due to the perennial awkwardness that existed between them, he simply refused to ask.

("Those Status Effects though...seems like she's been putting up a front. If you're injured, you should be resting...stupid bint...")

As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu's eyes around the cave before eventually staring down at the thatch mat he had been sleeping on. The woman, Yui, had been allowing him to make use of it ever since they arrived in the cave. As for herself, she either meditated the entire night or curled up near the back of the cave, back facing away from him as she used stacked armor plating as a pillow.

If she really wanted to, there was nothing to prevent Yui from taking the thatch bedding for herself. She was exponentially stronger than him, yet, in spite of this, she had allowed him to continue using it. This realization caused Nobu to frown, but, even if it was the 'right thing to do', there was no way in hell he was going to give up the comparatively cozy mat and sleep on the cold, hard, ground.

While this might have made him sound like an ass, Nobu didn't particularly care. The facts of the matter were that the woman was a lot more durable than he was. She could also use her Aura to protect herself, so, if anything, he would rather share the bedding than yield it because of some archaic sense of pride or chivalry. He wasn't a simp who treated women like the very ground they walked on was sacred. Thus, once the sun had started to go down, he plainly asserted, "We should bunk up together. You've hidden it well, but I can tell you're still recovering. Besides, we've already fucked. Might as well help each other stay warm."

With nary a peep coming from him since their previous confrontation, Yui was both surprised and taken aback by Nobu's sudden proposal. It actually wasn't uncommon for groups traveling during winter to share the same tent or find comfort in close proximity to their fellows. It was a natural and cost-effective way to preserve body heat, as, not only did it require no additional resources, it made making and breaking camp much faster.

Believing he might be trying to proposition her, Yui's expression visibly darkened as she said, "Very well...I will share your bed. However, you will need to have your hands and feet bound..."

Adopting a frown, Nobu practically scoffed as he said, "You can fuck right off with those bindings. I was just trying to be nice. Damn. You act like I'm going to pounce on you in the middle of the night. Do you really think I'm so desperate that I'll pounce on a washboard brat just because she's next to me? Get over yourself."

Finished with his rebuttal, Nobu immediately turned away from Yui before lying with his back facing her. He made sure to leave a bit of space for her on the mat but he no longer cared whether or not she actually took it. He was just trying to be nice but she had to go and react like he was some kind of sexual predator. Considering she was the one who initiated their previous sexual encounters, this kind of reaction was uncalled for. After all, even if he did try something, she could literally smash his head with a single punch.

Seeing Nobu turn away from her, almost like he was brooding, Yui, once again, found herself at a loss for words. For a brief moment, she even felt like she had wronged him, but, considering they were neither a couple nor legitimate travel companions, she didn't think it was excessive to bind his hands. After all, he was an adult man and she was an unmarried woman. It simply wasn't proper for them to share a bed without some form of restraint...

("It's like he is completely ignorant of our customs and traditions...no...it's more like he lives in direct opposition to them...")

Recalling how he had spoken ill of her family without a single shred of fear, Yui couldn't help staring at Nobu's back with a curious yet pensive look on her face. He was unlike anyone she had ever met, and, for reasons she couldn't put into words, she didn't feel that his way of life was 'wrong'. Most of the individuals living in opposition to established norms and traditions were bandits, robbers, and other forms of petty criminals. In other words, they were generally villains who preyed upon people for their own personal gain.

Though his behavior and way of speaking were extremely brash, Yui didn't get the impression that Nobu was a bad person. He wasn't complaining about the existing system or calling into question any particular governmental policy. He also wasn't looking for a way to take advantage of others or manipulate them into doing his bidding. Instead, he was like an extremely confident child who had noticed that something was wrong and wasn't afraid to question it...

("It's strange...this man may very well be the greatest fool in Owari. Yet, for some strange reason, I can't help feeling as though he is right to question things. It's a shame he wasn't born into one of the Noble Clans. Then again, had he grown up alongside other Nobles, he likely would have turned out the same as everyone else...")

Realizing the dangerous direction her thoughts were headed, a soft yet exasperated sigh escaped Yui's lips as she shook her head in self-admonition. It was fine for 'normal' people to think like this but she was a member of a Minor Noble Clan. She was honor-bound to dedicate her life in service of the Oda Clan, who, despite having a few bad apples, worked tirelessly to maintain the peace and stability of the region. They were infinitely better than Clans like the Ashikaga, who, after purchasing the Shogun position from the Imperial Family, had slowly been leading Nian towards its ruin.

Though a full-scale war had yet to break out, tensions between the various provinces had been on the rise in recent years. To make matters even worse, the demons of Onigashima had been pushing south after forming a marriage-alliance with the Date Clan. Were it not for the efforts of the Uesugi Clan, specifically their leader, Uesugi Kenshin, the Ashina and Satake Clans might have been wiped out as progressively more powerful demons felt emboldened enough to venture south.

Simply put, Yui wasn't in a position to have doubts. If war were to erupt between the provinces, she would be required to dutifully follow orders until death. She could not show fear, hesitation, doubt, or any other kind of weakness. After all, while their most important duties were to fight and protect their land, one of the many Noble Burdens forced upon warriors was maintaining the morale of the citizens and troops. They were the Heroes of their respective provinces, so, even if they believed no one was looking, warriors were expected to present themselves as honorable, dignified, and fearless beings. Thus, even if she was beginning to have serious doubts about the path she was walking, Yui couldn't afford to show even a hint of fear or hesitation...

Forming her resolve, Yui removed her armor, and, after performing the necessary maintenance, set it off to the side. Once that was finished, she removed the bindings from her hair before spending the better part of an hour combing through it with a comb soaked in camellia oil. Her Grandmother had taught her that a woman, even a warrior, needed to appear presentable, so, even though it was an arduous process, Yui made sure to clean and maintain her inordinately long and silky black hair every night before bed.

With that out of the way, Yui bound her hair using a linen wrap that was intended to soak up excess oil and keep loose dirt out of her hair. Then, when everything was said and done, she made her way over to where Nobu was already fast asleep before lying with her back facing his. This caused her to become aware of his body heat, but, after a few minutes of regulating her breathing, she fell asleep without any notable issues...

...

..

.

(A/N: I'm not sure if the MC is a Chad or just damaged in the head...as for Yui...well, it can't be easy growing up in that kind of environment...)