Chapter 51

"Sir, the tally of damages is complete..."

"I see... Thank you for your hard work."

Hikaru received the documents from Honjo Masashige, who had dark circles under his eyes from staying up all night.

The decisive battle planned by Sakuuma Nobumori and approved by Tokugawa Ieyasu ended with the great defeat of the Oda-Tokugawa allied forces and the deaths of both. Hikaru, who was encamped outside Hamamatsu Castle, had been working tirelessly with Oda Nobutada, Mizuno Nobumoto, and Dan羽 Nagahide to handle the aftermath of the defeat without a moment's rest.

The next day, a message came from the Takeda army that they would return the heads of the main generals. Among them was the head of Sakuuma Nobumori, confirming his death officially.

"The Tokugawa army lost about five thousand out of twelve thousand, and the Sakuuma unit has only about six thousand survivors combined with the survivors of the Hattori unit..."

The damage to the Dan羽 and Nobutada units, which had been scattered, was limited to about thirty percent, but this was no consolation. The two of them were at a loss over the extent of the damage to their own army.

They had engaged in a decisive battle with 32,000 men and lost over 10,000. This was a defeat of a magnitude rarely seen.

"The Takeda army also suffered greatly..."

According to reconnaissance, the number of Takeda soldiers who could still fight was now below 20,000, meaning they had suffered over 5,000 casualties.

Although it had not been confirmed yet, reports suggested that Sanada Masaharu, Yamashiro Masaharu, and Takeda Shingen's generals, such as Sanada Masaharu, had been killed.

The chaos caused by the Oda-Tokugawa vassals, who went mad after Ieyasu's death and attacked the Takeda army, and the confusion of Sakuuma Nobuyasu, who lost his father, led to significant casualties on both sides.

From Shingen's perspective, this was a continuation of the futile sacrifices at Kawanakajima. Due to these damages, the Takeda army had slightly retreated.

"Shigenori, what do you think?"

"We can only seek the Lord's judgment..."

While the defense of Hamamatsu Castle might be manageable, the problem was with the Tokugawa clan. The head of the clan was dead, and many vassals and soldiers had also fallen. For a while, it would be impossible to wage war, and even before that, there were uncertainties in the governance of Mikawa.

Even if they made peace with the Takeda army, the current Tokugawa clan would easily be swallowed by the Takeda. If Mikawa fell, Mino would be in danger next. From Mizuno Nobumoto's perspective, this could not be allowed to continue. They needed to seek political judgment from Nobunaga.

"How old is Ieyasu's heir?"

"Lord Nobuyasu is twelve. He just came of age."

It was impossible to entrust the front line against the Takeda to such a young child.

"If we leave it to him, he might surrender to the Takeda..."

Shingen had collapsed, spitting blood, but he had recovered and skillfully commanded the battle. If not for the chaos caused by the Oda-Tokugawa vassals, they could have claimed a great victory.

"The Ishiyama Hongan-ji and the Akai family in Tamba are not trustworthy, and the situation with the Ikko-ikki in Kaga, Harima, and the San'in region is unclear."

After that, Nobunaga moved to make peace with the Takeda. The terms were to recognize the current territories and withdraw the troops, but such a peace agreement would not last long. Shingen would surely attack again.

"Shingen at the front gate and the Ikko-ikki at the back gate..."

With two fronts against the Takeda in southern Shinano and Totomi, the Oda clan would face another difficult situation.

"Flying land..."

In the spring of Genki 2, Hikaru muttered to himself in Hamamatsu Castle. The current state of the Oda clan was relatively stable in the Kinai region. The Ishiyama Hongan-ji, with whom they had made peace, was currently calm, though it could rise up at any time. Nevertheless, with the stability of the Kinai region, Nobunaga was busy consolidating his territories.

The Miyoshi clan in Awa would not attempt a landing immediately, and the Akai family in Tamba was being well managed by Akechi Mitsuhide.

Nobunaga was energetically handling administrative affairs at Anotsu Castle and occasionally visiting various regions in the Kinai to govern them. He was preparing for the third uprising of the Ikko-ikki.

The western front was relatively stable for now, but the problem was in the east. The Oda clan's de facto chief vassal, Sakuuma Nobumori, and their ally, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who played a crucial role against the Takeda, had been killed.

This news shocked Nobunaga, who quickly sent Takeda Masahiro as an envoy to make peace with the Takeda. The terms were to maintain the current status and a one-year truce. The Takeda, known for breaking alliances, had suffered from the prolonged war and the loss of Yamashiro Masaharu, one of the Takeda Four Guardians. Nobunaga believed this peace would be honored, but only for one year.

The damage to the Tokugawa clan was incomparable to that of the Oda and Takeda. Currently, Tokugawa Nobuyasu, Ieyasu's heir, had become the head of the clan, and the surviving vassals were working hard to assist him.

However, with so many generals dead, maintaining control over Mikawa alone was a challenge. The Tokugawa vassals, who fought fiercely to avenge their lord, had inflicted significant casualties, weakening the foundation of the Tokugawa clan.

Among the surviving vassals, Ishikawa Masahide, who was skilled in internal affairs, and powerful generals like Honda Tadakatsu and Sakai Tadatsugu, would bear a heavy burden.

"I plan to expedite Nobuyasu's succession as the head of the Tokugawa clan and his appointment as the governor of Mikawa."

Nobunaga advanced the marriage between Nobuyasu and his daughter, Tokuhime, and worked with the court to expedite his appointment. One of the reasons for Ieyasu's death was Sakuuma Nobumori's reckless battle strategy, so Nobunaga was being considerate of Nobuyasu.

"Regardless of the future, the current Tokugawa clan can only manage Mikawa."

Ishikawa Masahide, who visited Gifu, requested the return of Okumikawa in exchange for western Totomi. In this situation, an equal alliance between the Oda and Tokugawa was impossible. Masahide proposed that the Tokugawa clan, like the Asai clan, be treated as a subordinate daimyo and temporarily abandon western Totomi to avoid inviting an invasion by the Takeda.

"Is that so?"

Nobunaga accepted this, and western Totomi was given to Hikaru as a reward.

"Flying land, the front line, and full of difficulties..."

"To Hideyoshi and Hidekatsu, I added the territories in southern Shinano that the Oda clan secured. Without Hikaru's help, they would be crushed by Shingen in a year. Help them."

Hideyoshi and Hidekatsu received additional territories in southern Shinano, in addition to their previous holdings. However, it was clear that without Hikaru's assistance, they would be overwhelmed by Shingen in a year, which was why western Totomi was granted to Hikaru.

"I am busy with Ishiyama and the western front."

"Understood."

With this situation, Hikaru accepted western Totomi. The inner part of Okumikawa, including Nagashino Castle, was returned to the Tokugawa, making their territory safer.

"Of course, this is conditional on not being outmaneuvered by Shingen..."

"The Tokugawa clan will do its best to assist you, Lord Hikaru."

In Hamamatsu Castle, Hikaru sighed as he received western Totomi from Ishikawa Masahide. Despite Masahide's promise to help as much as possible, the Tokugawa clan was preoccupied with governing Mikawa. Some of the local lords and kokujin in Mikawa were already showing signs of rebellion. The young new lord, Nobuyasu, was being underestimated, and the possibility of Shingen moving quickly was high.

"Please ensure the governance of Mikawa, at least the passage of the roads. It would be problematic if we were attacked from behind."

"Understood."

Thus, Ishikawa Masahide became the de facto steward of the Tokugawa clan, starting the governance of Mikawa with Honjo Masashige, Takatsuka Kiyomasa, and Amano Masaharu. Honda Tadakatsu, Sakai Tadatsugu, Okubo Tadayo, and Tadayoshi were responsible for reorganizing the army, training, and subduing the rebellious local lords.

Nobuyasu, only twelve years old, was in a puppet-like position, but he could not be entrusted with more until he grew. Even to give him experience, with the threat of Shingen, failure was not an option, as Masahide lamented.

"Mikawa must be left to Ishikawa Masahide. The problem is here."

"Indeed, it's a difficult task."

In Hamamatsu Castle, Hikaru and Masahide sighed together. All the Oda forces had withdrawn, and currently, only the Hikaru forces were defending western Totomi.

Oda Nobutada, Dan羽 Nagahide, and Mizuno Nobumoto had returned to their territories with all the reinforcements. Due to their contributions in the recent battles, Nobunaga had reorganized his vassals.

First, Asai Nagamasa received additional territories in northern Omi and Wakasa. Dan羽 Nagahide received Izumi to counter the Ishiyama Hongan-ji, and Miyoshi Yoshinaga was moved to the old domain of Hatakeyama Takahiro in Kawachi. Nobunaga planned to have Matsunaga Hisahide, who was in neighboring Yamato, take care of Yoshinaga. Akechi Mitsuhide received Tamba in addition to Sakamoto Castle, but his control was weak due to Akai Naomasa. He was seen as being positioned to subdue any rebellion.

Saito Toshiie and other mounted retainers were given parts of Echizen and Kaga to Shibata Katsuie. Hashiba Hideyoshi received Mino and southern Shinano, and Takigawa Kazumasu received Inuyama Castle and southern Shinano.

Settsu became a direct territory of Nobunaga, and the current efforts to establish it as a province were ongoing, along with Mino and Owari.

Hikaru received Ise Shima, Iga, Kii, part of Owari, and western Totomi.

"Masahide, haven't there been many displaced people recently?"

"Given the aftermath of the war, it's not surprising."

Currently, a large number of displaced people were flowing into western Totomi from eastern Totomi and Suruga. They were being sent to the ongoing farmland development or employed in road construction.

"The communication with southern Shinano is inconvenient."

After consulting with Ishikawa Masahide, Hikaru received permission to use the roads within Mikawa, but the construction had not reached that far. He could not expand the roads arbitrarily, so the main route for supplies and communication to southern Shinano was through eastern Mino.

Western Totomi, with its current territory, could not even sustain itself. Hikaru had to arrange for food to be transported by ship from Ise, necessitating the development of ports. Flood control for rivers like the Tenryu River was also required.

The necessary supplies were sent via the Hikaru-Ise route.

"Is there any interference from the Takeda navy?"

"No, it seems they are honoring the peace agreement."

Kuki Sukenao, who had escorted the supply convoy, answered Hikaru's question.

"What about the Takeda navy? Are they strong?"

"Since it's newly established, we should be fine as long as we are cautious."

Sukenao, who had trained under the guidance of the senior members of the Ikko-ikki and occasionally from Kuki Mutsuhime, had grown into a capable navy commander. He needed more experience to gain the authority.

"If we engage in a battle against the Takeda, you will have to be active. For now, you are a transporter."

"Lord, we are running at a huge deficit."

"Don't say that..."

To avoid being killed by the hungry Takeda army, Hikaru continued to pour resources and funds into the development of western Totomi. Hamamatsu Castle was significantly expanded, making it possible for the entire army to fortify. The roads were widened as much as possible, but the situation within Mikawa could not be improved. The Tokugawa clan also lacked the funds and manpower to do so.

The displaced people who had flowed in were transported to the large-scale development projects in Owari and Mino if they wished, and many worked as laborers for the development of western Totomi to earn daily wages.

"Masahide, how is the subversion going?"

While working on the development of western Totomi, Hikaru had Masahide subvert the local lords and