Chapter 9

In the year 1554, mid-July, in the Kutsuki Valley of the Takashima District of Omi Province, at Kutsuki Castle, Takawakamaru.

"…Seven, eight, nine, ten!"

The practice of striking downward from the upper position was complete. Next, he would do ten diagonal slashes.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!"

His breath was heavy. It was tiring; the body of a six-year-old was quite strained.

"You're doing well."

"Grandpa."

Grandpa was in the corridor, watching me practice in the courtyard with a smile.

"I'll take a break after ten more."

"Alright."

This time, he would do ten reverse diagonal slashes.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!"

His arms felt like they were about to cramp. He sat down in the corridor and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. It was hot, even though it was early morning and the end of July. Grandpa sat beside him.

"You must be tired. Would you like some water?"

"Yes."

When Grandpa called out, "Is anyone there?" a young maid immediately came. After asking for water, she bowed and left.

"Takawakamaru, it seems that Saito Dosan of Mino has retired."

"Is that so? Lord Kikuchi must be losing his strength."

Grandpa nodded in agreement.

When a new lord takes over, there is confusion. The new lord must focus on consolidating his power to stabilize the domain. It's impossible to send troops for a while. Especially in Mino. If Dosan has retired, the Battle of Nagara River will likely occur within the next one or two years. If that happens, Mino and Owari will be enemies. It will be even more difficult to use Mino troops.

The Battle of Nagara River is said to have been caused by Yoshitatsu, who feared being disinherited and killed his brothers to overthrow Dosan, whom he disliked. I don't say it's a lie, but I don't think that's all there is to it. The Battle of Nagara River is more complex, and I believe it involves Dosan's takeover of Mino and Oda Nobunaga of Owari.

Dosan took a considerable risk in taking over Mino. He must have had ambitions, but he also thought that he needed to be at the top to protect Mino from external enemies. However, the opposition from the local lords was severe. While they accepted the Saito clan's rule over Mino, they did not accept Dosan. I think that's why Dosan retired.

Dosan wasn't retired; he was forced to retire. Of course, he had no real power. If he had, he wouldn't have been expelled from Inabayama Castle. Dosan was forced to retire and exiled to Sagiyama Castle. That's the truth. The intense hatred of the local lords towards Dosan is evident from the fact that after the Battle of Nagara River, Yoshitatsu changed his surname from Saito to Isshiki. It wasn't just Yoshitatsu who wanted to forget Dosan; Mino wanted to forget him too.

The maid brought water. It was delicious! It felt like I had come back to life. After confirming that the maid had left, Grandpa leaned in and whispered.

"So, it's a truce, then?"

"Yes. As long as Lord Kikuchi doesn't have his own troops, it's impossible to go to war."

"The situation in Kyoto is neither good nor bad..."

"It will take time and money. We have to be patient."

Grandpa sighed.

We plan to use the court and the nobles. One of our targets is the Konoe family. Konoe is the maternal family of Yoshitaka's mother. The current head, Konoe Harusada, is a cousin of Yoshitaka, but Harusada later changed his name to Konoe Mototsune. He is a deeply involved figure with Nobunaga and Uesugi Kenshin. Since this spring, he has held the position of Kanpaku and Sadaijin in the court. His father, Konoe Taneie, is extremely close to Yoshitaka. We will move the Konoe family through the Asukai family.

Another person is Mimesen. She is the daughter of my grandfather, Asukai Masatsuna, and thus my aunt. She is also favored by the crown prince, Sadahito, and has a daughter. Harusada, who is the same age as me. The Asukai family is deeply involved with the imperial family. We need to see if we can do something from there. We need to unify the court's will and mediate a truce between the Miyoshi and Yoshitaka...

Of course, it might be ignored by both the Miyoshi and Yoshitaka, but if it works, we can involve the Rokkaku, Asakura, and Hongan-ji. Even if they don't send troops, they can speak up. They must be tired of Yoshitaka's requests to enter Kyoto. If a truce is achieved, we won't have to worry about Yoshitaka. There is a possibility that it will work. I think so, but...

The long war has left the nobles impoverished and weak. Kutsuki has shiitake mushrooms, sake, and soap. We have swords too. We won't have trouble with gifts. But that's not enough. We need exotic items from the South, China, and Korea, such as ceramics. We need money. We need more money. We need to earn a lot of money.

...I don't know if what I'm doing has any meaning. Yoshitaka might return to Kyoto even if I do nothing. But a return by force is impossible; I think it will be a return through a truce. If so, someone must have moved to make the truce. But there are no signs of anyone moving around Yoshitaka. So, I think Kutsuki, with its connections to Kyoto, might have moved...

It was a failure. My knowledge is biased towards Owari and Mino. I don't understand the situation in the Kinai region at all, especially before Nobunaga's entry into Kyoto. Since Yoshitaka was killed in Kyoto, he must have returned, but... there's no point in thinking about it.

"Grandpa, I'll try a little harder."

"Alright, don't overdo it."

"Yes."

When I went out to the courtyard, Grandpa went back into the room. Horizontal, reverse horizontal, and thrusts, ten times each. I swung the wooden sword while thinking about Dosan. It's time to forget the unpleasant things and enjoy the fun of deduction.

Dosan must have been unhappy to be exiled. But there was someone else who was unhappy with this situation: his son-in-law, Nobunaga. Dosan and Nobunaga were on good terms. During the process of unifying Owari, Dosan lent troops and provided other assistance. For Nobunaga, Dosan was the best supporter.

He was much more reliable than relatives or vassals who only caused trouble. As long as Dosan was around, Nobunaga could expand his power in Owari without worrying about Mino. He could focus on unifying Owari. After Dosan's death, Nobunaga was caught between the Saito and the Imagawa. This situation continued until after the Battle of Okehazama, when he formed an alliance with Tokugawa Ieyasu. It must have been difficult.

Dosan must have evaluated Nobunaga correctly. But there must have been a strategy behind his support for Nobunaga. First, the larger Nobunaga became, the more stable the Owari-Mino border would be. Mino would be at peace, and Dosan could boast of his diplomatic achievements. Second, by strengthening the cooperative relationship with Nobunaga, he could expect Nobunaga's support in case of an emergency.

The emergency wasn't just external enemies; it also included the anti-Dosan faction within Mino. He wanted to make it clear that any coup attempt would be futile because Nobunaga was in Owari. But in reality, the coup happened before Nobunaga grew strong enough.

What did Dosan and Nobunaga think in this situation? I think they might have planned to cooperate to overthrow Yoshitatsu and restore Dosan's power. But Yoshitatsu acted first. The truth of the Battle of Nagara River is probably something like that. That's why Nobunaga tried to help Dosan. It wasn't because he was his father-in-law, but because he thought Dosan was an important card for the stability of Owari and the smooth unification of Owari.

Or perhaps Yoshitatsu fabricated a story that Dosan was in league with Nobunaga to eliminate him as an unstable factor within Mino and also eliminated his potential rivals, his brothers. ...In any case, it's a grim story. Saito Yoshitatsu is not a man I want to be involved with.

In the year 1554, mid-July, in the Kutsuki Valley of the Takashima District of Omi Province, at Kutsuki Castle, Hosokawa Fujitaka.

"Fire!"

The order was shouted, and a thunderous sound followed, causing the horses to panic and neigh. The training ground instantly turned into chaos. I was stunned, and a sigh came from beside me.

"Still no good with horses, huh?"

"But it's better than before. They've become somewhat accustomed to the guns. More importantly, Grandpa, the bullets went high. It's no good."

Minbu Shosuke and Takawakamaru were talking. Both looked serious. I couldn't tell whose sigh it was. I was allowed to observe the Kutsuki family's training. The sound of thirty guns firing at once was terrifying. The horses in the training ground reared up in shock, and many people were trying to calm them down.

"The bullets went high! Aim better! Hold your positions firmly!"

A middle-aged man shouted at the gunners.

"Fujitaka seems to understand."

"He has to. I entrusted the gunners to him."

Minbu Shosuke said with satisfaction, but Takawakamaru seemed to take it for granted. That man is Fujitaka, I see.

"Left Gate wanted to lead the gunners, didn't he?"

"I'll give him the spear unit."

"Takawakamaru, why is that? I don't know Fujitaka or Left Gate well, but I'd like to know the reason for your choice."

Takawakamaru looked at me.

"Reason? There isn't any. If I have to say, it's because the gunners have never been properly used before. I thought the experienced Fujitaka would be better."

"I see."

That's true, but... Takawakamaru was watching the gunners. They seemed ready.

"Take your positions! Aim carefully. ...Fire!"

The thunderous sound echoed again, and the horses were in turmoil.

"This time, they didn't go high."

"They must have gotten used to it. The horses are much calmer compared to before."

Indeed, the chaos wasn't as bad as before. The horses calmed down quickly, and the gunners were preparing again.

"Guns are powerful, but they take time to prepare. Will they be useful on the battlefield? The enemy might attack during the preparation time."

Guns have a significant weakness. It takes time to prepare for the next shot after firing. If the enemy attacks during this time, it's a problem. The daimyo's reluctance to equip their troops with guns is not only due to their high cost but also because they are difficult to use. Bows are easier to handle, even though they are less powerful.

But here in Kutsuki, guns are being actively adopted. I've heard that Takawakamaru is promoting this, but it doesn't seem to be just out of curiosity. Everyone knows that he is not just a child. He has talents beyond being a military strategist. The prosperity of Kutsuki, which has attracted attention in recent years, is largely due to Takawakamaru.

Takawakamaru didn't answer. Minbu Shosuke did.

"Hyobu Daifu, Takawakamaru seems to think that guns are quite effective in siege warfare."

"Siege warfare?"

Indeed, in siege warfare, the gunners are protected by the castle. So, are guns defensive weapons? I think they would be even more effective for a small local lord like Kutsuki, especially in a difficult-to-attack castle. Takawakamaru took a step forward.

"Fujitaka! Have the men shoot in groups of three!"

"Understood!"

Fujitaka gave some orders to the soldiers. Three soldiers with guns stepped forward, took their positions, and fired on the command "Fire!" The sound was nothing compared to the thirty guns. The horses were calm. After the soldiers who had fired stepped back, three other soldiers stepped forward and fired on the command "Fire!"

"Minbu Shosuke, what kind of training is this?"

"Target shooting."

"Target shooting?"

"Yes. During a siege, groups of three will target the enemy's commanders and heads. They will kill them with certainty."

"That's..."

I was speechless, and Takawakamaru turned to me.

"Do you think it's dishonorable, Hyobu Daifu?"

"..."

I couldn't speak, and Takawakamaru smiled.

"Kutsuki has about fifty guns. That means we can form about seventeen sniper teams."

"Seventeen?"

"Seventeen commanders and heads in one shot, thirty-four in two. The enemy will be in chaos. No matter how many troops they have, if they are disorganized, they are just a mob. It won't be easy to capture Kutsuki Castle."

"..."

Saying that even thirty thousand troops from Miyoshi Sonshiro wouldn't change the answer wasn't baseless. If three thousand Miyoshi troops had surrounded Kutsuki Castle, they would have suffered tremendous losses. Miyoshi Sonshiro's face would have turned pale.

"War is just killing. So, the appearance doesn't matter. Even if it's called dishonorable or dirty, we win. That's all there is to it."

With that, Takawakamaru turned his gaze back to the gunners.

In the year 1554, late July, in the Kutsuki Valley of the Takashima District of Omi Province, at Kutsuki Castle, Takawakamaru.

I can't sleep. It's too hot to sleep. This world is terribly difficult for someone used to modern civilization. First, there's no temperature control. It's scorching when it's hot and freezing when it's cold. In late July, the nights are sleepless. I'm fed up. Plus, there are no electric lights, so the nights are extremely dark. And there's no entertainment, so there's nothing to do at night except sleep. That's why families with many children are common. The development of civilization and the number of children are inversely proportional.

I need to ask the merchants to buy new rice soon. It would be good if there's a good harvest somewhere... I should increase the sake production facilities. I also need to expand the shiitake cultivation areas. Hemp cloth didn't work out. Well, it's not bad, but it doesn't match the quality of Echigo hemp cloth. It's a mid-range product, so the price is low, and there's demand. The people are happy to have a new industry, but I'm a bit disappointed.

The most promising is cotton thread. The boatmen of Lake Biwa and Wakasa want cotton cloth for their sails. I was surprised to learn that they currently use mats woven from straw or hemp cloth. Mats get heavy when wet and rot easily. Hemp cloth is weak against mold, hard, and lacks elasticity. So, they want cotton cloth. But the production is low, and we can't meet the demand. If only we had more land... I sighed.

"Are you awake?"

A voice came. That's strange. There's a guard in the next room. He should have noticed. Is it just my imagination? But I heard it clearly...

"The guard is asleep."

It's not my imagination. Someone is in this room. Probably a ninja. I gripped my short sword. A samurai always keeps his weapon close, even when sleeping. I never thought I'd have to use it...

"Still sleeping?"

"Rest assured, I'll wake up in the morning."

The voice didn't sound hostile. There seems to be no ill intent. What should I do? Should I get up? But even if I do, I might not be able to see the person. It's troublesome, but I'll get up. I sat up, but I still couldn't see anyone.

"What do you want? Breaking in at night is not polite."

"Please forgive my rudeness. I am Kurono Shigehisa."

"I'm Kutsuki Takawakamaru. What do you want?"

"Could you hire us for the Kutsuki family?"

Breaking in at night to ask for a job. They must be quite eccentric. The problem is, I'm not averse to such people. Should I hear them out?