I'll be right back

Once Tōga understood the nature of his own demonic power, breaking through came naturally.

After he circulated his demonic power several times, the mist-like power filling his body gradually took on the density of liquid.

As a drop of demonic power infused with its true nature formed within him, Tōga opened his eyes in realization.

Wondrous changes spread through his body, strengthening both the quality of his demonic power and every part of his physique to varying degrees.

Leaving aside his explosive secret techniques, Tōga reckoned that his strength in his normal state now edged slightly ahead of Ringetsu's.

If he used everything at his disposal, judging by Third Elder Zi Yan as a benchmark, he could exchange a few blows with a weaker high-level demon, though he might not be able to outrun one.

"Now all I need is a Fang Sword of my own-to forge my Tessaiga."

Tōga rose from the ground, his bones cracking crisply, then rolled his neck and stretched his body.

Afterward, he sat down at a desk in the secret room beneath his house and wrote down his experiences and reflections on his breakthrough.

Rather than a secret room, Tōga's chamber was more like a small study, with bookshelves and books everywhere he looked.

From miscellaneous geography books obtained in the human cities under the Dog Tribe's rule to everything he had seen and heard since reincarnating into this world, the demons' cultivation system, skills and secret techniques, and his thoughts and insights about the future, Tōga recorded it all.

Even the best memory was no substitute for writing things down. Every time he reread his reflections, Tōga came up with new ideas.

It was like a novel without an outline, one he could write however he pleased.

Perhaps its pieces did not fit together. Perhaps it was impractical and would never win anyone else's support.

But with a lifespan so long that he could see no end to it, he would always have a chance to put each idea into practice.

After adding a few thoughts on the Dog Tribe's current situation, Tōga looked over his notes on the Karasu Tengu and the unusual demon Moriin Yūko. His brows drew together slightly as he fell into thought.

Those who were not of one's own kind would never share the same heart-Tōga firmly believed in that saying.

With neither kinship nor friendship between them, there was no way Tōga would believe that two tribes would sacrifice their lives to clean up the Dog Tribe's mess, even if he lost his mind.

Seeking benefit and avoiding harm was instinctive to every living creature. Otherwise, there would be no sayings about offering help in desperate times or merely adding to someone's good fortune.

Tōga then took another look at the Karasu Tengu Tribe. They rather resembled the bushidō-worshipping Japanese of his previous life.

They feared power but felt no gratitude for kindness, observed petty courtesies but lacked any greater sense of honor. Of course, that did not rule out worthy friends; it was no gentleman's fault if he happened to be born in a small nation.

Tōga also thought of how impatient Ringetsu could become when it came to matters concerning the Dog Tribe.

Besides, he did not think the Karasu Tengu Tribe were fearless in the face of death, yet he did not know why they insisted on remaining in Wind-Thunder Gorge. An idea gradually began to form in his mind.

As he added another note to "On winning over and nurturing my first wife," Tōga heard the bell in the secret room ring.

He immediately got up and tucked the book that could ruin him socially into a hidden compartment. Only after locking the secret room and erecting a barrier did he leave with peace of mind.

When he reached the hall upstairs, he found Ringetsu sitting there, serene as an orchid.

"The Great Elder has already taken our people to garrison the fortress. When are we leaving?"

Though awkward about her feelings for Tōga, Ringetsu was quite direct in other matters. She raised her eyes and looked straight at him.

"Speak of the devil."

Rather than reveal his thoughts, Tōga asked, "What did the king say?"

The girl, who knew him inside out by now, rolled her eyes prettily. "If he would agree, I wouldn't have come here."

A trace of disdain crept into Ringetsu's voice.

It was hard to tell whether she was annoyed with her father back home for still not ordering their betrothal, or with the grinning boy before her for failing to muster the nerve to come and ask for her hand.

Either way, she was thoroughly displeased.

"Hehe, wait here for a bit, Ringetsu. I'll be right back."

Tōga set out some of her favorite snacks beside her. Ringetsu made herself at home, reaching for them as she huffed.

"Don't you dare team up with Father to trick me, or you'll be sorry."

With that, her delicate red lips touched a mountain fruit. Her little mouth opened, and her pearly teeth bit gently into it.

The fruit burst with juice between her teeth, and its sweet liquid slowly trickled down the corner of her mouth.

The girl blushed slightly and hurriedly hid half her face behind her sleeve.

Her exposed eyes glared at Tōga's retreating back; after watching her, he had already turned and hurried away.

"Honestly, what's so interesting about that?"

As she recalled the way Tōga had briefly stared in a daze, Ringetsu's eyes shimmered.

Stop overthinking it. Right now, the goal is to eat and drink my fill until I've eaten Tōga into becoming a live-in son-in-law. Then we'll see what he has to be so smug about.

Ringetsu picked up another fruit and continued eating, chewing with meticulous care. Her cheeks puffed slightly, making her look like a little hamster savoring a delicious meal.

She relished every bite, occasionally letting out a soft, satisfied hum.

Her gaze, however, drifted toward the corridor at the back of the hall, which led to the second floor and the basement. She had been both upstairs and down.

Tōga had told her about the secret room's barrier and key.

"Just make yourself at home, Ringetsu. You can go anywhere you like."

Ringetsu still remembered it clearly. It had been a bright, breezy spring day, and after their usual sparring session, Tōga had mysteriously brought up the secret behind his strength.

In her innocent naivety, she had immediately been drawn in by that "secret" and accepted his invitation to visit his home.

Captivated by the many fanciful ideas in his secret room, she had become a regular visitor before she knew it.

Once, she had stayed so late that the displeased Dog King had come to the door himself.

That had driven Tōga to stay with the Great Elder for quite a few days to let things blow over.

Those warm, lovely childhood memories surfaced one after another in Ringetsu's mind, like a gently flowing stream.

The smile never left her lips.

Only after she had finished all the snacks beside her did the girl come back to her senses.

Ringetsu blinked, traces of fondness and lingering delight still in her eyes.

The juice at the corners of her mouth glistened in the setting sun.

Ringetsu extended the pink tip of her tongue and gently licked the corner of her mouth. Then, finding it unladylike, she raised a hand to wipe away the shimmering moisture.

Next, she made her familiar way to the washroom off to one side and washed the juice from her hands.

"It's been ages. Why isn't Tōga back yet? Surely Father hasn't found some excuse to beat him up?"

"Or did things not work out, and he's too embarrassed to come back?"

Coming out of the washroom, Ringetsu stood in the hall and looked toward the doorway. A hint of displeasure crossed her moonlike face. Resigned, she went into the kitchen, rolled up her sleeves, and sorted through the ingredients on hand.

Using the snowy-white lard she had rendered, she made the home-style dishes Tōga had taught her. She hummed a tune as she breathed in their fragrance and waited for him to return.

In the castle keep just across the street, Tōga had long since finished discussing business and was now locked in a staring contest with his father-in-law.