Master Yoru, the Sage, Makes His Entrance

On a summer morning, two Saniwa fishing by the river strike up a conversation.

"The new Saniwa appointed by the Time Government is kind of unusual."

"...What strange, bizarre thing has the Human Resources Department picked up now?"

"No, not some bizarre fantasy creature. At least, not that far removed from reality."

"Not a fantasy creature, but unusual... Not human?"

"Right."

"Is it really strong? Or great at the job? Is it good-looking?"

"No idea, no idea. Probably."

"What do you mean, probably?"

"That Saniwa is a yokai."

"Oh. So it hasn't taken human form?"

"No one here has seen it, since it always acts in its original form."

"What's its original form?"

"I'll describe it and you guess. The newly appointed Saniwa has red-and-black eyes, two long whiskers on its head, and fur that's..."

"Blue and white?"

"...How'd you know?"

"A night heron. There's one standing right there."

The masked Saniwa points to the right of their fishing spot.

*

The day is nearly over. The two Saniwa, about to head back to their citadel, begin counting their catches.

The masked rookie angler's catch: 3 small fish.

The chatty veteran angler's catch: 5 small fish.

The night heron beside them: 23 large fish and 4 small fish.

"...Wait, it eats the fish as soon as it catches them. It hasn't saved any, so it has zero fish." The veteran angler sounds bitter.

"Oh." The rookie angler had only been dragged along and isn't very competitive. "Then you're first, I'm second, and it's last."

"By the way, what are you going to do with your fish? I don't like eating fish."

"I'll have Shokudaikiri fry them and feed them to Konnosuke."

Night heron: Stare

"...Maybe we should feed them to a coworker instead."

"I don't mind."

Yes, a coworker.

What we know: No one in the Time Government keeps a night heron. This area is a rest stop connecting to the Honmaru shops. Only fish, sword warriors, and Saniwa show up here.

So it's obvious who this bird must be.

*

Shared Sword Notebook: Daily Records from the Saniwa's Honmaru (Excerpt)

Day 1: My master chose me. He seems to really like my futon.

Day 2: I used an extra futon to make a nest for my master.

Day 7: Successfully taught my master not to use human form when going on expeditions.

Day 30: The number of koi in the Honmaru pond has dropped sharply. Tsurumaru, you're in charge of shopping tomorrow. If you see this, remember to pick some up at the Honmaru shops.

(Various little drawings): Hasebe, I recommend renaming the Honmaru pond the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet.

*

Today is the Time Government's monthly awards ceremony.

The host says, "Now, please welcome this month's outstanding Saniwa from A30071 to the stage!"

"Gua gua gua gua."

"Gua gua gua gua gua gua gua gua."

"Gua gua gua gua gua."

The night heron hops off the stage, and the entire audience erupts in thunderous applause.

"Why are you clapping?"

"He didn't give a two-hour speech like my boss in the present day."

"..."

Content warning: Group-pampering, everyday-life story, with a little serious drama. Mainly Touken Ranbu. Apologies for out-of-character behavior. The prose is like a running diary. The cover was drawn by the author. It will cross over with lots and lots of slice-of-life anime, such as Onii-san Rido, Mr. Villain's Day Off, and If Kuzuma Sang...

Any kind of bizarre side pairing may show up. If it hits your pet peeve, consider it a bonus (

Also, the first three chapters really are written like a running diary. There are some foreshadowed details, but the writing is pretty bad. I may revise it later, so I recommend starting with Chapter 4.

Updates when inspiration strikes.

Theme: Gua gua gua gua gua gua.