"Still alive, then?" Gengyo said as he rejoined Matsudaira and the rest.
"That we are, you bastard," his own father said back to him with a bloodthirsty grin.
"These rifles are monsters on this kind of terrain," Matsudaira said back, "with an open line of shot between us and the enemy, they can't get close without due sacrifices. They've hardly bothered us, even with the absence of most of our force."
"Hardly bothered us? A funny thing to say about battle," Gengyo grinned, "but I do agree with you. The soldiers sing our praises, for we are the leaders of the battlefield, but in truth, the technology we wield is what gives us the edge, and for that praise must be offered towards young Takeshi."
"Praise he might be given, but he'd never want that, I fear," Matsudaira pointed out, "he merely wants a quiet workshop where he can test his ideas, then he will be a happy man."
