"Hiro...Nii..."
"Rinne... What happened here?"
I looked at her with shocked eyes.
"Where is..."
She mumbled as she slowly raised her head with some kind of liquid dripping from her mouth.
"...my spaghetti?"
She asked with a lazed tone as she closed her mouth which made a large drop of her saliva drip on the floor.
*Guuuu~~~~*
As if to accentuate the comedic scene, her stomach also grumbled so loud that I heard it from my distance.
"Grrr..."
My teeth gnashed into each other as I finally got what happened here.
"Hiro-nii..! Where's my spaghetti..?!"
"You idiot!!!"
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Sometime passed and I ended up cleaning her room while she's eating her afternoon snack.
"Umu!!! Hiro-nii's spaghetti is really the best! Good job!"
She gave a thumbs up which irked me more than impressed me since I was the one who taught her that expression.
"Quit giving me a reason to get angry at you! Just stay quiet and eat!"
Earlier, some of the maids went here to thank me and helped in cleaning up the messy room of Rinne.
I stepped out for a moment and tried to calm my breathing after that slightly stressful encounter I had with Rinne.
"Iwasawa-dono? Iwasawa-dono!"
A familiar voice beckoned my name from behind a corner. It was Chiyo.
"What do you need Aoyama-san?"
I asked and stood up from my position.
"Misanagi-sama is asking for your presence. He wants you to meet the Kiko Three."
"Huh? But why?"
"I don't know either."
After that, she led me to the tea room of the Misanagi Mansion where 3 men are sitting anxiously in front of each other.
"Esteemed leaders, our guest is here."
"Is he it?"
"Doesn't seem too much of a man."
"Quit using yourself as the standard Hikigaya."
"Neither should you Fumikage."
The men began to talk after seeing me for the first time.
"Sit down lad. Don't be shy."
A deep raspy voice came from the middle of the messy conversation that seemed oddly familiar to me.
"Aoyama-sama? You're already up and walking?"
Yes, it's none other than the Village Chief of Aoya, Takeshi Aoyama. He's wearing his usual yukata but the bandages I used to wrap his wounds are still visible underneath his clothes. The way he talks though... he isn't threatening me anymore.
"Everyone of you! Quit your yabbering and listen up!"
As soon as I sat beside him, Aoyama-sama shouted at the 2 of them like an angry father.
"Look at the 2 of you! Almost all of you are already fathers and you still can't behave properly!"
"Hey! What do you mean almost?! I am actually courting the daughter of-"
"Shut up you fucking virgin!"
As soon as the most buffed-looking man stood up with an objection, Aoyama-sama shouted and threw his folding fan at his face. Ha! It made a comedic "Pak!".
"Haah... Can we now come back to the reason why the 4 of you came here?"
An old man opened the door and all of us bowed low until he got to sit at the other end of the meeting room.
"Is he it, Takeshi-kun?"
"Yes, Misanagi-sama. He is the travelling doctor named Iwasawa Hiroshi."
Aoyama-sama spoke and the old man looked at me like he's summing me up.
"What is your caste, Ishi-kun?"
"Huh?"
"Your birth hierarchy. What is it?"
I've only heard about Jirou-sama from the merchants of the market who hides Rinne whenever their guards chases her. He isn't your usual grandpa who will pat your head while drinking tea...
"Ah...I..."
"Speak up! I'm asking an easy question young man!"
His dark, soulless eyes seem to squash me flat to the floor. Though his age has became apparent because of his silver-white hair and several spots on his skin, you can still see that he is a veteran warrior above every other else.
"I...I'm a war orphan..."
I spoke calmly as I stared at the floor.
"From where?"
"The mountains of Tadai province."
"The former province of Tadai... is it the province of Kise formerly held by the Shouri clan?"
"Yes."
I used the story told to me by the kind Kusanagi soldier to cover up my questionable backstory.
The story is about a young assassin who was saved by a hermit doctor and studied medicine to pay for his crimes. The story ended when he saved the Shogun's daughter from an illness and married her, living the rest of his life as a satisfied man.
"Then who raised you up? Or at least the caste standing of your teacher?"
He asked and I looked straight with a careful tone.
"My teacher used to be a rice farmer who mixed herbs as a pastime. He soon learned various medicines and studied the corpses he gleaned near battlefields. If I'm not mistaken, his uncle was the father-in-law of the last Shouri daimyo."
"Is that the reason why you know how to open up bodies to cure illnesses?"
"Yes."
Aoyama-san asked and I followed up the short answer with a nod.
"So that means that his caste is unsure..."
"He looks like a noble though."
"Bwah... If we're talking about nobles, you don't look like much Hikigaya."
"What did ya' say?!"
"I said what I said you oaf! Ya' deaf or anything?!"
"Grrr!!! You damn lolicon!"
"You fucking virgin!"
"Pedophile!"
"Impotent!"
"HEY!!!"
Aoyama-sama's voice resounded throughout the entire house. Being in near proximity, my ears rang for a moment. I saw the muscular man with a long beard and a lanky man wearing a face mask sit down obediently.
"There's a reason why we asked this thing, Ishi-kun. You must already know that we are planning a revolution."
"I do."
"We need someone to fill the daimyo's position."
"Eh? Does that mean..?"
I dumbfoundedly asked and pointed at myself awkwardly.
"Yeah. It's you."
"EEEEEEHHHHHHHHH?????!!!!!!!"
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"Calm down Hiro, you've been through harder times than this."
By night, I was sent to a private bedroom where they gave me time to think about my situation. If anything, I'll just call this as detention.
"Iwasawa-dono, can I come in?"
"Y-yes!"
Chiyo, who disappeared ever since noon, came in with a tea set and a plate of rice cakes.
"T-thank you... I sure was getting hungry."
"I-is that so? Thank you."
She placed down the small table and poured tea on my cup and then her's.
"Iwasawa-dono... Congratulations!"
"P-please don't remind me of that..."
"But why?"
"This is too much of a surprise to me... Just imagine what would happen if an outsider would lead your province, does that seem good to you?"
"W-well, not really, if that outsider is a kind and good ruler, I wouldn't complain about it at all."
"That's the reason why! I've only lived here for 2 weeks, how can you be sure that I'm really kind?"
"Eh? Does that mean that-"
"No! No! No! It's not like that! I swear, it's not like that!"
For some sort of reason, the entire conversation was reversed and I ended up as the one explaining.
"Iwasawa-dono, I trust in you. You don't need to-"
"Look here, I did save you when you were in death's doorstep, but I don't believe that's enough to earn your recognition."
"No! That isn't-"
"I saved thousands of the Kusanagi soldiers from a deadly illness! They could've died by internal bleeding! But what did they do to me?! Look at my arms and back! It's covered with bruises!"
Playtime was over... It's time to quit on lying just to escpae from the truth.
Actually, I'm weak... weaker than anyone else... I'm useless... more useless than anyone else... It's time to face the truth.
"Your patience is impressive, so please-!"
"But look at me! I may be a doctor who's supposed to have a noble reason to do these things, but all that I care of is being paid and praised!"
"Iwasawa-dono!!!"
She shouted to stop me from speaking any further. I backed down and held my head as the times when I was at my lowest back in my past life rewinded in my mind.
"I'm not a saint... Don't give too much trust in me..."
"Please stop... Quit insulting yourself."
She whispered and showed a downcast gaze as she set aside the small table. I wanted to stand up and run away... but something is telling me not to... something deep inside my heart.
"You know Iwasawa-dono..."
"Huh?"
She went closer and reached out for my left cheek, softly touching it as if I'm a fragile bubble about to pop any moment.
"Not everyone is mean and unjust, if you can't trust yourself... then you can't trust anyone... "
These words are tenderly spoken and very affectionate... They feel so warm and loving...
"I trust you... so please..."
These sweet words soothed my troubled mind and softened up my heart... My mind went blank as all of my emotions that swelled up was finally released.
"Trust in yourself too."
"Trust in myself... I..."
That one sentence completed it. Without any further ado, tears welled up on my eyes and slowly streaked down my cheeks.
My sadness instanly disappeared... my insecurities feel apart... Its been so long since I heard those words...
"There, there..."
"I...- I...-"
My mouth began to mumble things without my mind even thinking about it. Chiyo buried the side of her face on my chest as she hugged me tightly.
"I'm so angry with the world!!! Just how unfair can it be to give me that kind of life!!! How am I supposed to just accept that it will end like that?!"
"Just let all of it go..."
"Why does everything seem so cold and distant?! Why can't I be myself when I need it the most?!!! Tell me why?!"
My sobs was mixed with questions of the agony and pain I experienced on my past life.
"How am I supposed to know who I am?!!! Why..? Why..?! Why do I have to live in such a hateful world?!!!"
After this outcry of mine, I can't remember anything else except that she laid me on a futon and sung a sweet lullaby usually used to make children sleep while caressing my face like a caring mother. It goes with this lyrics:
Oh, my sweet son.
Where are you now?
Playing under the sun?
Or giving the elders a bow?
But wherever you play,
Never should you forget,
That mother will say
That the sun has set.
So never run to the hills,
And jump around in the forest,
Or you won't have a goodnight kiss,
Like a hatchling in a nest.
The night passed, I slept until daybreak and woke up with Chiyo opening the door to bring me breakfast.
"Iwasawa-dono... Good morning!"
"Aoyama-san..."
She greeted me with a cheery face that made me relieved. I gestured her to come close which she obeyed.
"What do you want Iwasawa-dono? Huh? Iyah!!!"
As soon as she's at reach, I grabbed her to an embrace which greatly surprised her.
"I-I-I-Iwasawa-dono...-...Th-this is...-"
"Thank you."
These words which I used for so long without any true emotion inside it, felt delightful as I said it to her. I think a few tears flowed out again.
"I- I-"
"Thank you very much, Aoyama-san... I... I finally know who I am and what I can be..."
Even without looking at her face, I knew from the sound of the huff of her breath that she was happy. She also hugged me and patted my back lightly.
"You're welcome... Iwasawa-dono... I'm happy to be of help to you."
After this, I let go of her and took my breakfast while she's explaining to me what's gonna happen starting today.
"First of all, we informed every town and village about the rebellion. Thousands of men started to join us and most of them are seasoned warriors from several expeditions and fending off bandits."
"Hmm..."
"Then you'll come to the scene as their next lord. Leave everything to my father and uncles, just speak some inspiring words to raise their spirits and avoid showing any timidness or weakness."
"Understood."
"Then lastly, Seige the castle in the city of Naka. It's called Kaiho castle..."
"Do you know more about it?"
"Since Lady Ayanami prepared a plan to attack Kaiho castle, I already know the insides and outsides of the castle defenses myself."
"Do tell me."
"Well then... The castle rests upon a steep mountain side and covered at the left side by a wide dam redirected from the Iso river's basin."
"Hmm...Only 2 points of entry and exit... if we attack from the right side, we'll mincemeat since that dam can be broken to wash us away..."
"Yeah..."
"If we attack the front of the castle, we need a chance to rout them or sneak inside to open the gates without anyone noticing..."
"With all due respect Iwasawa-dono, but I think that plan would fail..."
"Why?"
Chiyo mumbled which made me ask her why.
"Lord Akizuki has gone paranoid ever since the Kusanagi clan has crossed the border and defeated the bulk of his forces... He would certainly hole up on his castle surrounded by his most elite warriors."
"Hmm... Is that so..? I see...So is this the reason why your father had to delay the Kusanagi forces before we can get to revolt?"
"Yes it is. If they came there while we are fighting, they will surely mix up in the chaos and ask for compensation once we're finished."
"Sly enemies from left and right, huh?"
I placed my hand under my chin and focused on thinking to the point that I was able to imagine what would happen in the battlefield in a first-person view.
"By the way, aren't you still a commander at the Kusanagi clan's army?"
"Not anymore. I resigned and went back to my family's forces."
"Oh, that's good. Why did you just decided to do that though?"
She suddenly lost her serious composure and blushed wildly. Did I... pull on a heartstring or something?
"Um... How about we do this?"
"Hm..?"
Later that day, the 9000-strong rebel army has moved in to march to the city of Naka, with one motive that unites them all.
To dethrone the current lord.
"Alright! We will arrive to Kaiho castle by sunset! Today, we will take our mulish lord out of his throne and make him face the wrath of the people that suffered because of him!"
"YYAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!"
Their shouts covered the quiet atmosphere of the plains, each of the men was covered with his own armor and holding his spear or sword tightly.
They don't have any doubt about this rebellion. They decided that their only path is death or victory.
"Here is our next lord! Mandated by the Kami as the real leader of our province! A man above all men! Iwasawa Hiroshi!!!"
As I pranced with my horse to the center of the crowd, I wore a determined face. Covered with the samurai armor that Jirou-sama gave me, I didn't want to fail their expectations about me.
"Everyone! I will be your next lord! But before all that, what are you fighting for?! Tell me?!"
Hearing my question, there was a cloud of confusion within the entire army. Everyone was asking each other questions and such.
"Tell me! Is it money?! Fame?! What are you fighting for?!!"
Seeing that I was shouting at the top of my lungs, they turned their full attention to me.
"Hmph... then if that is your reason, get out of here."
"Iwasawa-dono..."
"What I hate more than cowardice is treachery to purpose... If you are doing something because you have other motives, then you aren't doing anything at all."
"Treachery to purpose? What is that, our lord?"
A nearby soldier dared to raise his question.
"An action is only worth doing when you stay true to your purpose! Tell me! Will you charge to the battlefield with your mind thinking about looting and killing people?!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Then why?! There is only one answer! To protect those that you hold dear!"
"YYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
"Come! Men of Kiko. Today, you'll prove your purpose with fire, steel and blood!!!"
Today, at the 20th day of March. The 3 great clans of Kiko province rebeled against their lord.
Today, they went to the battlefield in the name of liberation from the tyrany of their enemies.
And leading in the forward march, is the young man from an another world.
He is...
Lord Iwasawa Hiroshi.