Chapter 74

"Uncle, I am deeply sorry for the trouble we have caused."

"No, it's fine."

Shōsai Yoshimitsu felt deep annoyance at the presence of his nephew, Date Masamune, standing before him.

Still, he had once thought of Masamune as adorable, being the son of his sister, Yoshihime.

But things changed when Masamune, at the tender age of twelve, showed an insolence beyond his years, and the events surrounding his first battle brought trouble to the Shōsai clan as well.

His father, Terumitsu, was also at fault, but it was hard to understand why he had challenged the Tsuda clan, which had a significant military advantage, for his first battle.

It was clear that attacking the Shōsai territory in the north was not an option, but if he had at least consulted, there were plenty of opponents available, such as Tendo, Kaneyama, Shiratori, and Salmon Extension.

For a first battle, no one expected too much.

What was important was to win moderately and gain a name.

But Masamune rashly challenged the Tsuda clan and ended up losing all his territory.

The Date clan, their vassals, and their families, numbering in the thousands, required aid, and the Shōsai clan's finances were on the verge of collapse.

Moreover, Masamune had loudly proclaimed to everyone that he would restore the Date clan's power as its legitimate heir.

The prestigious Date clan was known throughout the entire region of Ōshū.

People who had been driven from their lands by the Tsuda clan and had fled to other territories gathered, and the Shōsai clan's finances were further strained by aiding them.

Yoshimitsu could barely hide his anger, but it seemed that Masamune did not intend to stay indefinitely.

This was a relief, and Masamune's target was the territories of the Onodera, Tōzawa, and Andō clans.

"But can you really conquer them?"

He had provided some aid in terms of supplies, but there was a limit to the amount.

The Shōsai clan was not as wealthy as the Tsuda clan.

"I will manage on my own from here."

"I see, don't overexert yourself."

Despite his words, Yoshimitsu wanted Masamune to succeed.

If he failed and returned, the Shōsai clan's finances would truly collapse.

"If we don't act now, we won't be able to stand against the expanding Tsuda clan. I will surely pacify northern Ōshū and settle the score with the Tsuda clan."

Yoshimitsu felt a bit envious of Masamune's baseless confidence.

Was this what youth was like? He wondered if he had been as ambitious when he was Masamune's age.

He envied Masamune's youth, which allowed him to face such rash dreams, even though he himself could never have said such things.

Considering the current state of the Shōsai clan's finances, which were on the verge of collapse, he could have countless complaints about his nephew.

"Then, I await good news."

"I sincerely wish for your success."

Masamune, along with his clan and vassals, advanced north and attacked the Onodera clan's territory.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack and the desperate assault of the Date army, Onodera Yoshimichi, the head of the Onodera clan, was easily defeated, and the castle of Yokote was captured.

Onodera Yoshimichi, known as a fierce general despite his impulsive nature, was defeated in a single battle, and Yoshimitsu realized that Masamune possessed extraordinary strength.

Following the Onodera clan, Masamune began his advance north into the territory of the Tōzawa clan.

The Tōzawa clan was led by its young head, Masaharu, who had just succeeded at the age of thirteen, and the two engaged in a fierce battle.

Masaharu, known for his wisdom and bravery, fought valiantly on the front lines and often overwhelmed the Date clan in local battles.

However, Masaharu was outmaneuvered by Masamune.

Masaharu was injured by a sniper from the Date clan's secretly placed musket unit, and this injury ultimately cost him his life.

Masaharu's older brother, Masashige, who had been excluded from the succession due to illness and had become a monk, hastily succeeded as the head of the Tōzawa clan, but the clan was in disarray and confusion.

The castle of Kakunodate was quickly captured, and the Tōzawa clan was destroyed.

The Asari clan, alarmed by this, joined forces with the Yūri Twelve Clans and sent troops, but they were thoroughly defeated by Masamune and surrendered to the Date clan.

All of this happened in just over two months.

The world was amazed by the capabilities of Masamune, the heir of the Date clan.

Seeing this achievement, the head of the Date clan, Terumitsu, decided to pass the leadership to Masamune, and the various lords of northern Ōshū, such as the Andō clan, were now threatened by the Date clan.

"Work hard, Masamune."

"You are quite a sly one, my lord."

"No, not as much as Masahiro."

The reason Hikaru had pardoned Masamune and the others of the Date clan was to let them wreak havoc in northern Ōshū, thereby reducing the effort required for the Tsuda clan's eventual conquest of the region.

"I am a legitimate descendant of the prestigious Date clan. This wakizashi and family tree are proof."

"…Is that so?"

Hori Masahiro was the younger brother of Hori Masaharu, who managed the internal affairs of the Tsuda clan.

Though unassuming, he had contributed to the expansion of the Tsuda clan and was now responsible for new talent recruitment, in addition to assisting his brother Masaharu.

He had worked with his lord Hikaru, his wife Kyouko, and his younger brother Seiki to establish the current personnel system.

The Tsuda clan did not place much importance on the lineage of their vassals.

They assigned tasks based on ability, but there were also many who, despite their abilities, became internal pests, and it was the job of Fuma Kōtarō to eliminate such individuals.

He did not deny the noble lineage of those claiming to be of prestigious birth.

If they were flexible enough to find a place in the Tsuda clan, he would not hesitate to hire them.

This included the Ota clan, which had been in conflict with the Satake clan in southern Hitachi.

Feeling threatened by the Tsuda clan's attempt to control the Kantō region, the head of the Ota clan, Uji, joined the Hōjō clan's call to arms but was defeated and lost his territory to the Satake clan, leading to the clan's decline.

Many vassals had been killed in battle, and it was determined that the Ota clan's revival would be difficult.

They submitted to the Tsuda clan, built a residence in Edo, and Uji's children served as commanders of the guard.

Of course, there were many prestigious families that had repeatedly rebelled in an attempt to reclaim their former territories and had already been destroyed.

And then there were the many who claimed to be legitimate descendants, like this one.

Their family crests on their wakizashi and their fabricated family trees were suspicious.

They likely hoped to be hired under more favorable conditions, but Masahiro's response was cold.

"Unless there are special circumstances, you will start as a probationary employee."

If they had a letter of recommendation, it would be considered, but it was not particularly important to the Tsuda clan.

As long as they passed the basic written test, they could become the lowest-ranking vassals, whether they were farmers or merchants.

From there, they would gain experience in various jobs for about a year and be assigned to departments based on their aptitude.

"If you can demonstrate your abilities, you can quickly become a magistrate or a senior vassal in the Tsuda clan."

This personnel system was unique among other daimyo families, but the Tsuda clan was growing too quickly and was always in need of talent.

While capable high-ranking officials were essential, it was urgent to replenish the ranks of lower-level officials and junior officers.

They did not require samurai; they even had a system of recommending students who excelled in schools commissioned within the domain.

"There are many applicants, and some are quite unusual, but occasionally, talented individuals come along…"

Recently, there were many applicants from the Kinai region.

The Oda clan had also rapidly expanded its influence, and many served them, but there were also those who, disliking the Oda clan, chose to serve the Tsuda clan.

"Have you noticed an increase in applicants from Ōmi recently?"

"There is currently unrest in northern Ōmi."

"Is that so! Kōtarō!"

Hikaru was surprised to notice Kōtarō, whose presence was so subtle despite his towering height.

"Lord Nagamasa? How could someone of his caliber cause internal strife?"

Nagamasa had once been forced into retirement by his father, Hisamasa, in a coup and was confined. He later submitted to Nobunaga but lost his territory in northern Ōmi.

However, he quickly distinguished himself and was given not only northern ōmi but also Wakasa and Tango, becoming Nobunaga's favorite brother-in-law.

"It is precisely because he is Nobunaga's favorite that there is conflict."

Nagamasa has two sons.

His eldest son, Manpuku, was born to his first wife, Hōshin, whom he had divorced, and now uses the name of his great-grandfather, Rōsei.

His second son, Manshu, was born to his current wife, Nō, and was about to come of age.

"Lord Nagamasa treats Rōsei as his heir, but Manshu is Nobunaga's nephew by blood. Naturally, he wants Manshu to inherit the Asai clan."

According to Kōtarō, Nobunaga never explicitly stated his preference, but the vassals, understanding Nobunaga's feelings, started the conflict on their own.

"The vassals of the Asai clan have once been deprived of their territories or made direct vassals of the Oda clan. To prevent the same thing from happening again, they are trying to please Nobunaga by making Manshu the successor."

Those who opposed this were mostly long-time vassals who believed Rōsei should be the heir.

"Even if it's the Oda clan, it's important to clearly assert our will."

The vassals supporting Rōsei did not intend to oppose the Oda clan.

They were simply asserting that there were lines they would not cross, even if they submitted.

"Rōsei distinguished himself in the battle for Tango, his first campaign."

He took a helmet in his first battle and skillfully commanded a small force, earning praise and a sword from Nobunaga.

Nobunaga did not dislike Rōsei and was impressed by his young warrior spirit.

"Manshu is somewhat frail, which may not be favorable."

Many vassals believed that Rōsei, known for his bravery, was more suitable as the heir, and this split the Asai clan.

"It's a difficult problem."

"Many have fled due to the aftermath."

Many of those who fled were low-ranking vassals or