The Shogun couldn't quite understand it. She hadn't done anything out of the ordinary—so why was everyone so terrified of her? Sure, she admitted that when acting as the Raiden Shogun, she tended to be serious, but this level of fear was just excessive. Truly baffling.
"Forgive me, Your Excellency, I just need clarification—is this about administrative management, publication issues... or fire safety?"
Kuroda still hadn't calmed down, maintaining his stiff posture and overly formal tone from start to finish. He didn't dare relax even for a second.
"You're misunderstanding. It's nothing like that. I just came to look at some books."
Ei sighed helplessly and spread her hands, explaining plainly.
"You... want to look at light novels?!"
Kuroda's eyes widened in shock.
The Shogun... reads light novels?! Was she really this trendy?!
"That's right. Do you have any recommendations?"
Ei replied naturally, crossing her arms as she asked casually. She didn't know much about such things, so she figured she'd leave it to the professional.
"..."
The Shogun glanced toward Kuroda. Their eyes met, and she gave him a subtle look—a silent message: 'Pick something decent. None of those weird, ridiculous titles.'
"!"
Kuroda shuddered instantly, then turned back toward Ei, his expression stiff.
"Y-yes, well... the novels we publish here at Yae Publishing are primarily for the general public. The contents can be... quite eccentric. They may not match Your Excellency's refined tastes..."
His survival instincts were strong, to say the least.
"No matter. I just want to try something new. Reading the same thing over and over would be dull."
Ei waved her hand dismissively, reassuring him.
The Shogun couldn't help but smile slightly. Her mother really had changed—finally stepping out from her concept of Eternity. The old her would've preferred things repetitive and unchanging.
"E-even so, I'm not sure—"
Kuroda still hesitated.
"Enough. If she wants to read, then let her. If there's something she doesn't understand, I'll explain it to her."
The Shogun sighed softly, urging him to just fetch the books already. At this rate, they'd be here all night—they still had other plans later.
"See? She agrees. Hurry up~"
Ei's tone turned playful as she urged him along, clearly happy her daughter had taken her side.
"R-right... in that case, please follow me to this bookshelf over here."
Kuroda quickly stepped out from behind the counter, guiding them to a warmly lit bookshelf nearby. He began explaining with a polite smile.
"These shelves contain our recent bestsellers, including titles from the 'This Novel Is Amazing!' awards—freshly arranged and currently available for sale."
"And over here are newly released titles—promising works that may soon gain popularity. You're welcome to browse freely."
Ei wandered curiously among the shelves, her bright violet eyes darting from one colorful cover to another, full of childlike wonder.
"She seems quite interested."
The Shogun whispered to Kuroda with a faint smile.
"Heh... indeed. I never imagined the Shogun herself would take an interest in light novels."
Kuroda scratched his head, smiling awkwardly.
"The Shogun sometimes likes to walk among the people in disguise. As the saying goes—'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'"
The Shogun replied calmly, quoting a saying she had learned from Earth.
...Though referring to herself as 'the Shogun' in third person still felt very odd.
"Oh... I see. How refined. Well, please don't take these too seriously. After all, they're just novels—meant for fun."
Kuroda chuckled nervously before bowing politely.
"Thank you."
The Shogun inclined her head in acknowledgment.
"Ah, not at all! I'll return to the counter now—feel free to call me if you need anything."
With that, Kuroda carefully stepped away, returning to his post and tactfully leaving the two of them to browse in peace.
A few minutes later—
From where she stood, the Shogun noticed Ei still frozen in place, clutching a book in her hands with a troubled expression. She looked... distressed, even.
"Shogun... come quick! This one's a formidable foe~!"
Ei suddenly turned, grabbing her daughter's hand and pulling her closer. The Shogun sighed softly and walked over, only to find her mother glaring at a book as though preparing for battle.
"What's wrong? Where's the 'formidable foe'?"
The Shogun asked, mimicking her tone.
"This one. It's... difficult to comprehend. Even tougher than that previous book about the Raiden Shogun. I underestimated it—it's powerful."
Ei handed her the book, pointing to the title on the cover.
"Me, a Civil Servant of the Kanjou Commission—Please Spare Me, Lady Kamisato!"
What in the world kind of ridiculous book title was that?!
Why Lady Kamisato?! And why a Kanjou Commission official?!
If the protagonist were a member of the Resistance, would the title become "Please Spare Me, Lady Sangonomiya!"? These authors were truly something else.
And this was a bestseller?! She couldn't even imagine Ayaka being associated with something like that.
The Shogun silently cursed the absurdity in her heart.
"I really haven't made any progress at all... I recognize every word, yet when they're strung together, I can't make sense of them. Haa... Have I really fallen behind?"
Ei lowered her eyes pitifully, her voice tinged with quiet disappointment. She even tightened her grip on her daughter's hand, looking utterly dejected.
"Ei... it's fine to fall behind. What's truly scary is falling behind and refusing to move forward, don't you think?"
Besides, this kind of thing wasn't something she needed to understand anyway.
The Shogun gently placed the book back on the shelf and began searching for something more suitable for her mother.
"I know... haa... I suppose I've just stayed in the Plane of Euthymia for too long."
Ei sighed softly, then raised her gaze again to scan the bookshelf near her daughter's hand—and spotted a title she could actually understand. Not only that, but she even grasped its meaning! That alone felt like a small miracle.
Her eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she picked up the book. On the cover—unsurprisingly—was her daughter's likeness.
"Reincarnated as the Raiden Shogun, I've Somehow Become a Heartthrob~"
"!"
The Shogun's body stiffened instantly. She had a very bad feeling about this. She could already imagine what kind of ridiculous plot it contained. And she was certain—at least eighty percent sure—that this was the handiwork of that fox.
"Shogun, I want to read this one."
Ei lifted the book slightly to show her.
"...Go ahead. I'll join you in a moment."
She motioned for Ei to go ahead and read somewhere else—she had a little business to take care of first.
"Alright... but don't wander too far."
After Ei walked off, the Shogun turned toward Kuroda, her expression turning cold.
"U-uh... Y-Your Excellency? Is something the matter?"
Kuroda stammered nervously, sensing danger.
"Reincarnated as the Raiden Shogun, I've Somehow Become a Heartthrob~..."
She recited the title clearly, each word carrying an intimidating weight.
"!"
Kuroda flinched.
"Have you read this book?"
She asked flatly.
"Read—N-no! I haven't—"
"The truth."
Her violet eyes narrowed sharply.
"I have! I have read it!"
He broke immediately.
"What's it about?"
"Uh... well... it's... it's about someone reincarnating as the Shogun, and then... starting a harem."
"..."
She fell silent.
"Um... Shogun-sama? Did Her Excellency... perhaps read this one?"
Kuroda asked carefully.
"Yes. She 'loves' it."
The way she emphasized "loves" carried unmistakable weight.
"I—I see! Haha... well, that makes sense! After all, this novel was personally endorsed by Lady Yae Miko herself! It's been a huge hit—top seller, actually! The Shogun truly has an eye for quality!"
Kuroda chuckled awkwardly, completely oblivious to the danger he was in.
"It's well-written. But next time... don't put it somewhere so visible."
With that, she turned sharply and walked away without another word.
"..."
Kuroda stood frozen, staring blankly at her graceful departing figure before murmuring softly to himself,
"But... it's a bestseller..."
When the Shogun found Ei, she discovered that the woman who looked exactly like her was sitting comfortably on a stone bench by the railing, deeply engrossed in a light novel. The book rested casually on her lap as she flipped through the pages at an unhurried pace.
Due to the height of the bench, Ei's exquisite legs—wrapped in thigh-high stockings—did not touch the ground. They hung down gracefully, her calves occasionally brushing against each other in a gentle, absent-minded motion.
Perhaps it was her childlike mood at the moment, but one of her sandals had already slipped off and lay on the ground, while the other dangled precariously from her toes. Her stockinged feet were completely exposed to the open air, an alluring sight that drew the Shogun's gaze without her realizing it.
"Haa..."
The Shogun sighed softly at the sight before her.
She looked like a little girl waiting for her mother to come home—even though, in truth, their roles were reversed. Still, it was clear that if she hadn't appeared, Ei would have kept waiting patiently for her.
Tap, tap...
The sound of footsteps approached as the Shogun walked over.
"Hmm? You're back?"
Ei lifted her gaze at the sound, her lips curling into a gentle smile when she saw her daughter.
Plop...
The sandal that had been dangling from her toes finally fell to the ground. Her freed feet crossed over one another comfortably, resting lightly on the stone surface.
"..."
The Shogun shook her head at the casual sight, then sat down beside her. Their shoulders were barely a centimeter apart.
Ei looked at her obedient daughter sitting next to her and smiled softly. As was her habit, she reached out to stroke her daughter's hair, her fingers gliding smoothly through the silky strands that cascaded like a waterfall. She petted her just like one would a spoiled kitten. The novel she had been reading so intently was now set aside without a second thought.
"Was it interesting, that novel?"
The Shogun closed her eyes slightly, enjoying her mother's affectionate touch, and asked softly.
"It was quite fun... though still somewhat difficult to understand. I suppose that counts as a kind of training in itself."
Ei glanced down at the book on her lap as she answered.
...Training through light novels?
The Shogun exhaled helplessly.
"I've noticed... these light novels often have wildly imaginative ideas. Like this one, for example—"
Ei gestured toward the book she had just been reading, the one about the "Raiden Shogun."
"What about it?"
"It's about you..." Ei replied.
"So that's why you're interested?"
The Shogun narrowed her eyes at her, half-amused, half-exasperated.
"Yes. But... the setting isn't Inazuma—it's a... school?"
Ei explained with slight confusion.
"School? As in... attending classes?"
The Shogun blinked. What on earth? Did she wear a school uniform in that story too?
"Mm... apparently everyone's there. Ayaka, Sara, even the leader of the Resistance, and that girl from the Naganohara family. There are even characters from other nations—like from Sumeru."
"...Sumeru?"
The Shogun raised an eyebrow.
"Yes... according to the story, there's a girl from Sumeru who's good at dancing. She always wants to perform for you, but you never seem interested. Whenever she sees you with another girl, she feels sad. A very sweet girl, really."
Ei described the plot to her with innocent curiosity.
"Don't look at me while saying that!"
That wasn't her! Honestly, what kind of nonsense was this?!
Wait—who was this dancer from Sumeru supposed to be, anyway?
Oh... could it be that girl Ayaka had mentioned before? When Ayaka had been struggling with certain dance movements, she'd exchanged letters with a dancer from another land for advice. Over time, they'd even become friends. If she remembered correctly... her name was Nilou, wasn't it?
Still, this was just fiction. There was no way she would ever actually meet someone from Sumeru. Impossible.
"..."
The Shogun fell silent, exhaling in disbelief.
Then she remembered what Kuroda had said earlier—that this novel was about the Shogun "building a harem." Wait... could it be—
"All of these girls seem to like the protagonist. Which is... you."
"That's not me. It's the character in the story."
The Shogun instinctively denied it.
"True... but the protagonist's name is 'Raiden Shogun.'"
Ei countered calmly.
"..."
The Shogun had no response. She felt utterly defeated.
Still... that had to be a reincarnated version, right?! She was the real one—the original!
"But... I don't quite understand why it's set in a school. Isn't Inazuma good enough? And why do all these girls like the protagonist?"
Ei rested her chin on her hand, puzzled.
"Because that's... the setting."
The Shogun recalled the word Miko had explained to her before and repeated it by rote.
"Setting? What's that?"
Ei blinked and asked curiously.
"It's something the author creates. Every author designs their own setting—Miko told me that."
The Shogun was starting to suspect that this book might've been written—or at least supervised—by that fox herself. Whoever the author was, they clearly had a vivid imagination.
"Hehe... Still, after reading this, I can't help but think that reality isn't too different from the story."
"??"
The Shogun stared at her, full of question marks.
"Absolutely not~!" she denied firmly.
"Really? I think it's similar. From what I remember, you've always had a lot of female admirers. You're quite popular among girls."
Ei met her daughter's eyes as she said this matter-of-factly.
"T-that's just... friendship, that's all... ///"
The Shogun turned slightly red, her voice soft and flustered.
"But, you know... the only unfortunate part about this story is that the ending seems to force the protagonist to choose just one person."
Ei said regretfully as she flipped open the novel again.
Why are you the one who's disappointed by that?!
"Why?"
"If the author just added one more 'setting,' then the protagonist could have them all, couldn't they?"
Ei lifted her eyes, speaking as if she'd just made a clever discovery.
"You... like that sort of thing?"
The Shogun bit her lip slightly, glancing at her mother with a complicated expression.
She didn't expect Ei to enjoy that kind of harem story—or rather, a reverse harem one!
"Me? I don't really mind either way. But... I'm looking at it from a mother's perspective. Seeing so many girls care about my daughter makes me happy. Whether it's friendship or something deeper, all I hope is that you'll have people who truly care for you—that's enough for me."
After all, both of them knew what Ei had endured in her own time. More than anything, she wished her daughter wouldn't repeat her mistakes. Perhaps that was the instinct of a loving mother. In that moment, she wasn't a stoic warrior—just a mother filled with warmth and affection.
"..."
The Shogun fell silent, lowering her gaze, her fingers absently tracing the edge of her sleeve as if lost in thought.
Seeing her daughter like this, Ei leaned gently against her, placing her hand over the Shogun's on her lap, resting her head on her shoulder.
"...What's wrong?"
The Shogun instinctively squeezed her hand in return and turned to look at her mother.
"Nothing..."
Ei murmured softly.
"..."
The Shogun didn't reply. She simply stayed still, letting Ei rest against her. The faint scent of each other's perfume blended subtly in the cool air, forming a unique fragrance that was both gentle and comforting.
"How strange..."
After a moment, Ei broke the silence. The Shogun turned her head toward her.
"No matter what kind of light novel it is... I can still feel traces of time flowing through Inazuma within its stories."
Her hand slowly opened the Shogun's fingers, caressing them affectionately. Their delicate hands intertwined, until Ei took her daughter's hand completely—ten fingers interlocked, unmovable.
"When I decided to retreat into the Plane of Euthymia, there was no Yae Publishing House, no stories like these. Back then, Shogun—you were just born, remember?"
"...Mm."
The Shogun nodded quietly.
"Haa... Back then, you were like a little baby—so quiet and innocent. I never thought you'd grow up so much in the blink of an eye."
Ei's voice was full of warmth and gentle laughter.
"...That was a long time ago."
The Shogun replied, blushing faintly in embarrassment.
"Yes... all in the past. Time never flows backward; what's lost will never return."
Ei's tone softened, her words tinged with melancholy.
"You once asked me to build a nation of Eternity—unchanging and everlasting. If that were truly so, Inazuma should've remained exactly the same as before. However—"
She paused.
"Now, everything has changed—from the food to the stories themselves."
Ei finished her sentence naturally, their thoughts in perfect sync.
"If it were the old me, I probably wouldn't have accepted that. But now... the truth is right before me. I can't deny it anymore."
She sighed softly, her tone laced with guilt.
"It's alright... You've already changed a great deal."
The Shogun, feeling her mother's remorse, reached up to gently pat her head and smooth her back in a comforting gesture.
"Perhaps... I'm the only one in Inazuma still clinging to stubbornness."
Ei smiled faintly, feeling soothed by her daughter's warmth.
"Ei..."
"Hmm?"
She lifted her gaze toward her daughter.
"Nothing stays the same forever. Perhaps... only change itself is unchanging. Don't you think?"
"!"
Ei's eyes widened slightly, then softened into a warm smile.
"You're becoming more and more like Makoto... at least, in some ways."
She looked at her daughter with tender affection.
"Maybe the words that echo within me... are the ones she always wanted to tell me."
Ei placed a hand over her chest, feeling the gentle warmth of her lightning-born heart.