Chapter 22

"Now that we have annexed Kuwana,"

"Lord, what do you mean by 'now that we have annexed it'?"

"We will go on an inspection."

---

Hori Taiharu, the busiest man in the Shinchi family, which had annexed the eight districts of Ise and was working hard to govern them, was finally able to take a breather thanks to the services of Hino Masahiro and Hida Mitsuji. As former high-ranking officials of the Saito family, who had ruled Mino, their assistance was invaluable, and the new domain's governance was steadily improving.

Suddenly, Mitsuki announced that he wanted to go to Kuwana. There was nothing unnatural about the order itself. It was not a bad idea for the new lord to show his face, and Taiharu efficiently prepared for the inspection of Kuwana.

"Ah, I'll go too."

"I'll go as well."

Unusually, Seiki, who rarely left the Shinchi domain, and Kyouko also decided to join the inspection.

(Kuwana is an important place, but it's unusual for all three of them to go. What is there in Kuwana?)

Could they be planning some incredible business that only those three could do? Taiharu thought about various possibilities while accompanying Mitsuki on the inspection.

"Is this Kuwana... I want to expand the port and develop the town further. But..."

"But what, Lord?"

"Considering the clams, we need to develop the area with environmental considerations."

"Clams?"

"Yes, clams."

Taiharu remembered that clams were shellfish found in the sea, though he had never eaten them.

"Lord, what about these clams?"

"No, if we push development too hard, the clams will disappear. We need to develop the area carefully. Balancing this is difficult..."

After that, Mitsuki worked energetically, as Taiharu could see. He met with influential merchants in Kuwana to convey the Shinchi family's governance policies and then went to meet the local fishermen.

"Is it a fishing ban?"

"To sustainably harvest clams, such considerations are necessary."

Mitsuki explained the life cycle of clams to the fishermen and emphasized the importance of resource management.

"Don't harvest during the spawning season, return small clams to the sea, and limit the catch. It's not just about harvesting as much as possible. If too many are harvested, the price will drop."

He also discussed the protection of the tidal flats where clams live, measures against poachers, and the establishment of a new fishing cooperative to implement these practices. Mitsuki assured the fishermen that he would implement these measures.

"Well, that's the end of the difficult talk. Let's buy some clams right away."

After buying clams in Kuwana, Mitsuki and his group returned to Shinchi and started grilling the clams over a charcoal fire.

"Clams need to be cleaned of sand properly."

Using the travel time to clean the clams, Mitsuki began grilling them on a wire rack over the charcoal fire. Once the clams opened, he drizzled a small amount of soy sauce and miso sauce and grilled them a bit more. The smell of grilled clams quickly filled the air.

Soy sauce and miso, along with sake and mirin, were being produced in a brewing facility and trained craftsmen, but the finished products were not yet available. These were products from Kanagawa.

"Brother, this looks delicious."

"Mitsuki, Kyouko, I've made a lot of other dishes too."

Since there were many clams, Kyouko prepared other dishes as well. She made clam rice, soup, steamed clams with sake, and stir-fried clams with vegetables. There were so many that they were also served to the main retainers like Taiharu.

"This is delicious."

Taiharu, who usually worked hard, found the clams especially delicious. Morosuke and Ichisuke were also enjoying grilling clams over the charcoal fire.

"We are truly grateful, even as newcomers."

Hino Masahiro, Hida Mitsuji, Honda Masanobu, Honda Masaharu, Watanabe Morinari, and Hachiya Sadajiro were also savoring the clam dishes.

"The next step is to take Shima."

"Lord, that is..."

When they annexed the northern and central parts of Ise, it was only because they were attacked by enemy forces, and they defeated them to prevent such an event from happening again. However, Mitsuki was now talking about a proactive offensive against Shima.

"Is it out of consideration for Lord Kuki?"

Taiharu thought it might be out of consideration for Kuki Sukeyuki, who led the Shinchi navy. Even if the Shinchi family obtained Shima, he didn't think Sukeyuki would be given the land. However, a naval base would likely be established in Shima, and Mitsuki did not restrict his retainers from building villas outside their main residences in Shinchi. It was possible for the Kuki clan to return to their lost homeland.

"That's part of it. But it's also about the Ise shrimp."

"Huh? Ise shrimp?"

Mitsuki explained to Taiharu that Shima was known for its Ise shrimp, a high-end delicacy that was often presented to the imperial court in the past.

"The main production area for Ise shrimp is Shima. There are also oyster and pearl farming, as well as strong fishing grounds for abalone, sea bream, and bonito."

Mitsuki emphasized that they would start developing these industries in Shima. He and Seiki were secretly planning to build a bonito flake factory once they obtained bonito.

"That sounds good."

"I also agree with Lord's opinion."

Most of the retainers agreed with Mitsuki's plan. If the Shinchi family's territory and income increased, the retainers' pockets would also warm up. Plus, they could look forward to delicious meals like today.

"I understand. I will proceed with the preparations."

Taiharu basically agreed. Although his workload would increase, it was not impossible with the help of Hino Masahiro and Hida Mitsuji.

However, there was one thing that bothered him.

(Does Lord only get motivated when there's a local specialty food?)

He thought it might be impolite to ask, but Taiharu still proceeded with the plan to completely pacify Ise and Shima.