Chapter 90

In the early morning, as the pleasant songs of birds filled the air, Masahiro slowly woke up. Lying on the comfortable tatami mat, he looked up at the bright sunlight streaming in and gazed out the window. Not far from the pond, he saw Tsuru and Chou washing clothes. The two seemed to be chatting about something cheerful, occasionally bursting into clear, joyful laughter. Hmm, should I consider recruiting a few real maids? Masahiro thought, looking at their delicate hands in the water.

Forget it, I'll think about that later. First, I should check how much experience I gained from the battle with the Sohara family. With that thought, Masahiro opened the skill interface in his mind, clicked on "Experience," and found that his experience, which was originally zero, had now increased to 650. It seems that defeating some low-level enemies doesn't yield much experience. After some consideration, Masahiro first upgraded the fourth-level bow skill "Dragon Return Break" to the beginner level (requiring 500 experience, and a Strength attribute of 70 or higher), and then upgraded the first-level sword skill "Thunder Blade" from the intermediate level to the advanced level (requiring 150 experience, and a Strength attribute of 60 or higher). After completing these upgrades, his experience was back to zero. Masahiro's personal status was now as follows:

Name: Masahiro Rokushi

Physical Attributes:

Leadership: 63 (63), system adjustment complete. The higher the leadership, the easier it is to command subordinates.

Strength: 76 (76), system adjustment complete. Strong strength is the foundation of self-protection.

Politics: 66 (66), system adjustment complete. Political skills are a boost to survival.

Wisdom: 83 (83), system adjustment complete. Superior wisdom allows you to achieve much with little effort.

Charisma: 80 (80), system adjustment complete. Charisma makes it easier for you to be accepted and revered.

Skills:

Sword:

Thunder Blade (First-level sword skill, significantly increases defense. Proficiency: Advanced. Requires a small amount of stamina when used)

Adamantine Force (Third-level sword skill, concentrates strength in the arms, significantly increases attack power. Proficiency: Intermediate. Requires a small amount of stamina when used)

Riposte (Third-level sword skill, allows for a counterattack against close-range enemies. Proficiency: Beginner. Requires a small amount of stamina when used)

Continuous Slash (Third-level sword skill, continuous slashes, significantly increases attack power. Proficiency: Advanced. Requires a small amount of stamina when used)

Cut Down (Fourth-level sword skill, slightly higher attack power than Continuous Slash. Proficiency: Advanced. Requires a moderate amount of stamina when used)

Spear:

Deflect (Second-level spear skill, completely nullifies the opponent's attack. Proficiency: Beginner. Requires a small amount of stamina when used)

Firearm:

None

Bow:

Dragon Return Break (Third-level bow skill, a sudden turn and arrow, powerful but ineffective against close-range enemies. Proficiency: Beginner. Requires a small amount of stamina when used)

Ninjutsu:

Concealment (Third-level ninjutsu skill, allows for stealth and hiding based on the environment. Proficiency: Beginner. Requires a small amount of stamina when used)

Stamina: 80 (100). Abundant stamina is the foundation for handling all problems.

Physical Condition: Good. Note: Overusing skills can lead to fainting.

Reputation: 85 (100). Reputation reflects the degree of admiration and loyalty you receive.

Equipment:

Katana: Yoshikuni Ichimonji

Title: Swordsman

After checking his personal status, Masahiro noticed that his reputation had increased from 75 to 85, indicating that the series of measures he had taken in the new territory over the past half-month had gradually won the goodwill and even loyalty of the new residents. Masahiro also found an interesting phenomenon: despite having defeated eight people and injured several others since arriving, he still retained the title of "Swordsman," and he was unsure how to improve his title.

After reviewing his personal combat skills, Masahiro stood up. Kiku, who had been waiting outside the room, quickly pushed the door open to greet him and began helping him dress. Looking at the busy beauty in front of him, Masahiro couldn't help but feel that he was becoming increasingly corrupt. In fact, at the beginning, Masahiro had insisted that he didn't need the maids to serve him, but this had led to the women crying. The women, who were already regarded as his wives by the residents, saw his order as a sign of rejection. In this era, a woman who was rejected by her husband but could not remarry faced a tragic fate. Upon learning this, Masahiro immediately restored the women's service.

After a hearty breakfast, Masahiro immediately instructed two attendants to notify the nearby retainers to come for a meeting. It had been nearly a month since he had personally overseen matters, and the situation around the lord's residence needed to be reorganized.

Soon, everyone gathered in the council hall of the lord's residence. Masahiro, wearing a new kimono prepared by the women, walked to the main seat.

The retainers bowed, "My lord."

Masahiro waved his hand, signaling them to rise, and then scanned the assembled retainers. Kousuke, Tadajiro, and Heizaburo were kneeling at the front. Kousuke and Heizaburo had returned overnight at Masahiro's command. The newly occupied territory had stabilized, and the areas they were responsible for could now be managed by Kusakari Heijiro, so Masahiro had asked them to hand over their duties and return to Yataka as soon as possible. To his surprise, they had returned so quickly, almost immediately after Masahiro's team had set out.

Behind them were the military supervisors of the first and fourth standing foot soldier units, Rokushi Kizaburo, the head of the lookout, Ino, the leader of the masons, Manabu, and the leader of the carpenters, Tombei. Kiku stood beside Masahiro, and the two attendants stood behind him.

"Let's begin today's meeting. Manabu, how is your situation?" Without Kusakari Heijiro present, Masahiro had to announce the start of the meeting himself.

"My lord, the production of bricks and charcoal is progressing very smoothly. We now have a large stock, but the bricks are taking up too much space on the construction site. We have also increased the number of kilns for cement production as per your request," Manabu reported, kneeling on the ground.

"In that case, come to the residence again this afternoon. I will give you a building plan, and you can use the bricks and cement to renovate the lord's residence according to the plan," Masahiro thought for a moment and then said, "At the same time, recruit some residents to use the cement to level the ground at the entrance of the valley. Yes, the main road from Yataka to the valley should also be leveled in the same way."

After the cement was produced, Manabu immediately sent a sample to Masahiro. Masahiro wasn't sure how effective this seemingly unfinished, low-quality cement would be, but this was a good opportunity to test it. If the results were good, Masahiro planned to promote the use of cement as mortar for brick houses in the territory. The typhoon season was approaching, and the current simple wooden houses in the territory would not withstand the typhoon and heavy rain, which would inevitably cause significant damage to the territory.

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(Please, everyone, don't leave after reading. Even if you don't have a vote, add the book to your shelf. I'm on my knees, begging. My goal is to write over 1.5 million words, even if it means flopping spectacularly. I enjoy writing and embracing solitude. This chapter was written overnight at the request of reader "Midnight's Brilliant Star...". It's now 12:30 AM, and I have to work tomorrow, so I'm really tired. Good night, everyone! Also, the book club 218847013 is now open, and you are welcome to join.)

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