Chapter 6

"Taishi, are you getting used to the work?"

"More or less... but this is the front line, isn't it?"

"There's a fake monk who borrows the authority of the Ikko sect next to us."

One week had passed since the Hori and Yamaji families entered the service of the Shinji family. In the office of the castle named Shinji Castle, Koki and Taishi were having a conversation.

Taishi, who was a former important vassal of the Iwakura Oda clan, was accustomed to managing people. Therefore, he entrusted the role of the local magistrate and a significant portion of internal affairs and negotiations to Taishi, while explaining that Kiyomaro, who was in charge of confidential matters, was a messenger.

Taishi seemed pleased to have an important position in the Shinji family, even as a vassal, and was working energetically.

His sons and the Yamaji brothers were forming a standing army with the ronin and their descendants recommended by Nobunaga, and were receiving training and education when they had free time.

They had all called their families to join them, and the Hori and Yamaji families were given mansions, while the other ronin were provided with houses where they could live with their families.

Unlike other families, they had not been given land. The land was still planted with genetically modified barley to remove the salt, and Nobunaga was in the process of calling for second and third sons of farmers who wanted to move and become independent, so even if the land were given, no tax revenue could be obtained.

Additionally, there were issues with agricultural guidance and development efficiency, so all fiefs were to be given in cash. They were not short of money because they had privately minted a large number of Eiraku Tsuho coins.

The Hori family received 500 kan, and the Yamaji family received 300 kan. They also paid their soldiers in cash, and Taishi's eldest son, Kiyoharu, was training them.

Furthermore, there was the presence of Koki's wife, Kyoko.

"Madam, I know it might be rude, but can a woman really educate us?"

At first, Kiyoharu made a comment that seemed to belittle her, but he soon recognized Kyoko's abilities. She was a former special forces commander and a major, had excellent grades at the military academy, and held a medical degree, making her the most outstanding anime character among the three.

Kiyoharu, who was supposed to be training with a spear, found himself defeated and restrained by Kyoko's bare hands. Not only did she have the skills, but she had also survived several near-death experiences during the Matsunaga rebellion and achieved military honors.

Her different aura made everyone, including Kiyoharu, stop opposing her.

"Kiyoharu, your sister-in-law is really talented. She's beautiful and has a great figure. For some reason, she was a widow before marriage..."

Seiki's evaluation of Kyoko was harsh, but she, like Koki, had attended the military academy to live a normal life as an orphan. She had hardly talked to men outside of the orphanage and missions until she met Koki.

When she was in danger, Koki saved her, and she fell in love with him like a chick following its mother bird.

"Are you jealous? She's beautiful, after all."

"I understand she's beautiful, but my type is a cute, healing girl."

"What kind of type is that..."

Thus, Kyoko was involved in the training of the security forces. As a military elite officer, she taught modern military tactics, supply, and reconnaissance, and was deeply respected by Kiyoharu and Ikkatsu.

"Recently, there have been many spies infiltrating."

They had set up fences at the borders with other villages and territories in northern Shinji to avoid territorial disputes, but the spies were not coming from there. They were landing from small boats at night.

"They must want to know a lot. They won't return to us, so we won't know anything."

Since there were many secrets, Kiyomaro reported that he was secretly dealing with the spies who had infiltrated.

"Kiyomaro, you say scary things. Well, spies... I mean, infiltrators are usually executed..."

"'Spies' is a new word to me."

"It's a word from the South."

"Is that so? You are well-informed, my lord."

At night, robots secretly participated in the security, and the spies were quickly caught with infrared night vision devices and secretly ended their lives. Their bodies became food for the fish in the sea.

"They are all under the command of Hattori Saemon-no-jo."

They had already disposed of more than thirty, but the other side had not said anything. Perhaps Hattori Saemon-no-jo was not foolish enough to ask, "Have you seen any of the spies we sent?"

The area around Funahashi, where Hattori Saemon-no-jo had his base, would be protected from the violent Kiso River by the construction of the Oiwake embankment in a few decades. This would lead to new land development and reclamation.

It was unclear what would happen in this world, but such construction would not start immediately.

"Soon, they might ask us to build an Ikko sect temple."

"I would like to refuse."

If they did, the monks might incite the people and vassals to attack the Shinji territory from within. Even Taishi, who was deeply religious, did not want to lose the position he had finally obtained.

"For now, we can only make money through trade."

Next to Nagashima, there was Kisosaki, a free trade zone. They planned to sell items that monks would likely buy with large sums of money.

"Do you have such connections?"

"Sure."

First, there were still a large number of Chinese ceramics. There was also honey from the bees used for pollination in the ship's orchard and flower garden. The pinnacle was the artificially cultivated shiitake mushrooms.

In the past, matsutake mushrooms were actually cheaper. People collected firewood to clean the forest floor, which made matsutake grow well. Shiitake mushrooms were exported to China, and the method of artificial cultivation was not established until modern times. In the past, they would make cuts in logs and leave them in the mountains, and if they grew, it was considered a success. If successful, a storehouse could be built, but if not, one could end up penniless. It was a kind of gamble.

Naturally, shiitake mushrooms were expensive in this era. They planned to cultivate them using the ship's facilities and a large warehouse adjacent to Shinji Castle, which was off-limits to outsiders. They would ensure power with solar panels and batteries, manage temperature and humidity optimally, and continue to improve the strains to produce thick, delicious shiitake mushrooms year-round. They planned to process them into dried shiitake mushrooms for sale.

"Shiitake mushrooms? You are dealing with quite expensive items."

Taishi and the others thought that Koki and his group were merchants who sourced these items from elsewhere.

"I'm supposed to be a merchant... but I couldn't refuse when the lord asked..."

"Can't be helped, can it? I've heard that Lord Oda has a rather fierce temperament."

To Taishi, Nobunaga was an enemy, and he did not seem to have a good impression of him.

"I was a merchant... I still am, but it seems like there will be a war in the future."

Hattori Saemon-no-jo, who controlled the Nishigun in Owari, was stubbornly resisting Nobunaga. If a war broke out, Koki and his group would naturally be drawn into it.

"Our territory is small... rice production is limited to the reclaimed land. We need to increase our army and support it with the money we earn. I'll also need your help with military administration, supply, and personnel, Taishi."

"Of course, I'm a bit embarrassed to learn so much from a lady at my age."

Kyoko, a former elite military officer, was knowledgeable about such matters. Taishi, who had been an important vassal of the Owari half-country guardian, had the ability to apply what he learned.

"We are training and educating, but it puts a lot of pressure on Taishi, who is leading the active forces, and Kiyoharu. Ikkatsu and Ujimitsu are young, and Kiyoharu is still a child."

Many people wanted to serve because the terms of employment were good. However, it took time to select them because some were clearly sent by Hattori Saemon-no-jo. Ikkatsu, being young, was treated as a future leader and received intensive training.

"We need more commanders. Do you know anyone?"

"Most of them are serving the Shogun of Kazusa."

"They are currently in the midst of combat operations."

After the Battle of桶狭间 (Tsunegashima), they reclaimed their lost territories and castles and returned to Kiyosu, where they met Koki and his group and received the proceeds from the Chinese ceramics auction and many famous items. As a result, they were able to reward their vassals with commendations, money, and Chinese ceramics alone.

Subsequently, Saito Yoshitatsu of Mino, thinking that the Oda clan was weakened after the Battle of Tsunegashima, sent his troops south, but in reality, Yoshitatsu, who was supposed to be the commander-in-chief, was not there, and they suffered a significant defeat at the hands of the momentum-carrying Nobunaga.

"Lord Shogun of Kazusa is probably targeting Mino. Rumor has it that Lord Yoshitatsu is ill and in poor health."

If such rumors had reached here, Yoshitatsu was either seriously ill or it was a strategy to deceive the enemy. From the defeat of the Saito army, it seemed more likely to Koki that the former was true.

"Even if Lord Oda's campaign in Mino progresses, we can't move from here."

"Yes, there's also Hattori the monk."

If Shinji Castle were to fall while they were away, it would be meaningless to send troops.

"First of all, what can we do with just 256 people in total?"

"Everyone is a professional and well-trained..."

Even if they died in battle, they would provide consolation money to ensure their families could live and offer them jobs. If they had children or younger brothers, they would be given priority for employment. With these conditions, they believed the soldiers would not suddenly flee in battle.

"Really, what should we do?"

Currently, the biggest enemy for Koki and his group was the Ikko sect's Hattori Saemon-no-jo and his ronin.