It is said that a country that is constantly at war is a country that fails.
War bleeds a nation literally and figuratively. A country expends resources in battles great or small. Human soldiers, lives that would probably be better suited to more useful works, gets wasted in an event where a single sword slash or well-aimed bullet can claim them.
As such, for me who is the leader of a nation, war is something that I want to avoid at all costs.
But also because of this, I am now stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Lord Iwasawa, they're here."
"Mm. Let's meet them halfway."
In order to form a bulwark against the impending attack of the northern daimyos' alliance, I wanted to unite the southern triad under an alliance of the same purpose. Because of this, I did what I should do to gain the allegiance of the lord of Shinka, Kusanagi Kyoko, and asked her to assist me in doing the same to the lord of Kise, Daigo Reika, while I handle the province at the south.
"Your Highness…"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, gentlemen… You are the personal bodyguards of Minister Nagisa?"
"Yes, My lord. We've been sent here to assist the Yamaguchi soldiers who would lead you to Fuku."
At first, I thought that the Yamaguchi clan would at least have a sliver of human civility in them. I thought that even if this region were very far from the influence of the center of the country, it would at least still have some shred of courtesy in its people as I seen with the people of Kiko.
"Are ya' sure yer' the lord of Kiko?"
"Yes. Yes, I am."
"Ha! I thought ya'd be bigger and more toned. Ta' hell, you look like the splinter that ga't stuck on ma' ass one time."
"Kahahahahaha!!!"
Hearing the insult, Commander Ishida who was about to draw his pistol and shoot the indecent Yamaguchi soldier when I placed my hand on his wrist to stop him.
"But my lord…"
"Stop it. This is nothing."
"A-aye…"'
After a while, we continued going to the south with the three Nagisa dojo guards and the platoon of Yamaguchi soldiers leading us.
"It's so tribal…"
"It is, my lord."
We passed by a number of villages on our trek down the mountainous border between Fuku and Shinka. Apparently, Fuku is a province whose only land border is filled with mountains that only specks and bits of civilization can be recognized here.
One thing that can prove this is that, even if they are wearing yukatas and kimonos, the villagers still apply face paint and wear accessories made from bone and tiger fangs. And their houses are either the tribal mud hut or a normal wooden house.
It is quite the sight. It's like they are trying to mix traditional and contemporary fashion and architecture but not in the way where it is recognizably mixed.
"Lord Iwasawa…"
"Lord Iwasawa!"
When we finally got to the city of Yamagata at nightfall, I was greeted by Nagisa, Shimura and the soldiers that came with them in front of the guest villa.
"It's good to see that everyone is well."
"We are honored, Your Highness."
"Well then, let's get to business, shall we?"
Finally, I can get to the bottom of that ridiculous request from the local daimyo.
"We've been talking to the magistrate of the Yamaguchi clan's court for the past two weeks. He's well-spoken and understanding at the preliminary negotiations, but when we raised the talks to the court itself, the head clan minister told us that their master is demanding the following things. First, they want armaments to equip their soldiers to annihilate the other noble families in Fuku. Second, they want us to help in tracking down and assassinating the said nobles. Three, our promise to not demand anything in exchange after that political infighting except for their approval of the alliance. And lastly, to have someone from our court to marry their lord."
"That's ridiculous!"
Before I can even react, Ishida already stole my outburst and slammed his fist on the table. Seeing that, I immediately lost my anger that he suddenly took from me.
"To be specific… the head minister of their court was the one who said this and not the lord himself, yes?"
"Yes, my lord. The Daimyo of Fuku has never even showed his face to us since we got here."
"I see… If it's another person saying it…"
I already heard things like this from historical dramas and novels… but even with that knowledge, I don't want to jump to conclusions and end up breaking our chance to negotiate with them.
"I was also thinking about that, my lord. But the last part was something that made me think twice about it."
"The part about demanding a marriage partner… or to be exact, a political hostage."
"Yes."
It's the usual symbolic and practical way to solidify an alliance at the feudal era. Both sides would negotiate for political marriages that can be seen as the symbol of the agreement and a practical hostage.
Right now, there are a few women in my court that I can give out. There's Hisako, the former princess, deposed noble but still of high birth. There's also the princess of the Fumikage clan, a capable woman who is currently serving as a liaison officer in the Auditor's office. And the last one would be Chiyo, but it's more than obvious that I won't be handing her over. She's my wife-to-be. I'll rather conquer Fuku by war than hand her over.
"Haah…"
"What would be our course of action, my lord?"
"…"
I was trying to avoid this at all cost, but if there is no other way around it…
"I'll meet with the lord himself. If I, someone of the same stature, demands it, there's no one in greater power that cannot allow me to meet him."
"Understood, my lord."
"I'll discuss it with the Yamaguchi lord myself. Send a messenger, tell them that I will come to the castle tomorrow noon to meet them after lunch."
"Yes, your highness!"
After eating dinner and having a good soak on a bath, I returned to my room at the guest villa.
"Oh…"
I noticed that the room's window was open, and on the windowsill, a crow was silently perched, something that I knew represents something.
"…Come out now."
"My lord…"
As suspected, it is Kuro and his group of ninjas. They came out from the shadows of the room and bowed down to me.
"Any news?"
"Yes, my lord. We have gathered sufficient information from behind the walls of Yamagata castle."
Kuro took out three pages of paper from his sack and handed it to me. On it, I read lines that gave me a new perspective regarding the current situation.
"Wonderful… if not for all of you, we'd be trekking this negotiation too blind of our surroundings…"
"It is our pleasure, my lord."
There are only a few important details on the papers, but it is enough for me to know how I should do things tomorrow during the meeting.
Tomorrow quickly came and we went to Yamagata castle quickly for the meeting. On my side is Shimura and Nagisa, acting as my officers who would speak for me at the meeting while on the other side are 5 old men whose appearances is already annoying me.
"You see, Lord Iwasawa… Master Yamaguchi cannot face you today because of a cold. As such, he sent me today to take his place."
"I see."
It's obvious to me… these guys are lying through their teeth. It's like they're not trying to hide it at all.
"Our demands are still the same, Your Highness. We want your armaments, information about the whereabouts of our political enemies, your promise to not ask for any compensation save for our approval of the alliance and of course, a fair maiden to be wed to our lord in order to solidify our alliance."
"We will take it under consideration. But please be informed that some parts of it would be changed during negotiation."
"Keke… Of course, my lady. Anything for you…"
"Tch…"
I pity Nagisa. She's the one taking the lead in the talks so at our side, she's the center of attention. I don't know if it's the lack of civility in these savages, but it seems like they're not even hiding their dirty gazes towards my female minister at all.
"Another thing, Lord Iwasawa… You there, bring it in!"
The head minister spoke, and a female servant went out to bring a white ceramic bottle to the table which she presented to our side.
"This is Kurobe Sake, a specialty of ours. We want you to receive it as a sign of our continued cooperation."
"You're welcome."
"Now, now! The meeting is adjourned. Thank you for allowing us to have a dialogue, Lord Iwasawa."
After the meeting, we went down from the castle and rode our carriage to go back to the guest villa.
"Tch! Those damned geezers! I can still feel their lecherous gazes on me!"
"I'm sorry, Nagisa. But the two of us can't act out back there."
Minister Nagisa is a woman of pride and nobility. Raised in a martial arts family, her upbringing allowed her to separate her true feminine nature that she shows around her loved ones and her serious nature used at work. Because of those old men, both of those sides of hers were aggravated in more than one way, causing her to slam her fist on the wall of the carriage beside her seat.
"Are we actually making progress, Lord Iwasawa?"
"We are."
I spoke and opened the window of the carriage to empty the contents of the Sake bottle outside.
"L-Lord Iwasawa?!"
"Relax. I know what I am doing."
After the rice wine was emptied out, I closed the window and smashed the ceramic bottle on the floor to break it open. Once it has shattered, we saw a wad of leather inside and in it is a piece of paper.
"Kuro came to my room last night to give his reports. Turns out, he got to secure a communication line with a servant inside the castle."
"Kuro? Captain Kuro of the Crows?"
"Yeah. The ones who get the special armaments from your factory."
After I answered Nagisa's question, I opened the slightly moist paper and read its contents out loud.
"Meet me at Sankyo inn at midnight. Show this letter and the clerk will know what to do next."
"Sankyo inn… I think that's near the city's outskirts. The pleasure quarter and the place where criminals freely roam."
"Lord Iwasawa, please at least bring a few men with you. If what Nagisa-san says is true, there might be harm in going-"
"I'll have the Crows watching over me until I get to the Inn. Don't worry, I'm not naïve or reckless enough to just walk to that place without backup…"
"I see… That's a relief."
I don't know what this servant would be telling me once I get there, but one thing I am sure of is that there is no other way for me to get what I need through those geezers.
Just like how they used to say in my original world, there are times when you really have to bite a bullet to get to where you want to be.
As for how I know that fact, let's just say that I can remember myself doing "jobs" where I usually end up risking my life just to support my siblings.
"Gahaha!!! Good raid, everyone!"
"Did you see the face of that guy? Gahaha!!! He's begging for his life after he can't pay his debts back!"
"…"
As I walked through the dimly lit streets at the outskirts of the city, dressed with a yukata, a haori coat and having my katana on my waist, the laughing voices of ruffians and thugs was loud as they guzzled Sake and talked about things.
"Sanjo Inn… Finally."
As I entered the Inn, I immediately heard what was happening behind the paper-thin doors of the rooms.
"More! Moooorrrrreeee!!!"
"Sir! Sir! You're being too rough!!!"
Regardless of it, I walked towards the desk and there, a woman dressed in a geisha's garb and smoking what seems to be Opium from a pipe looked at me.
"I'm here because of this."
"…Follow me."
I slid the letter on the table, and she opened it with her hand that has metallic nail extensions that looked like the talons of a hawk. She then took her feet off the table and stood up to lead me to a room deeper in the building.
"Here… Please don't be too rough on her, she's a newbie."
"…I understand."
After the proprietress left, I opened the door and inside is a hooded woman sitting in a Seiza position who bowed to me with a greeting.
"Good evening, esteemed guest. I am Haru, your attendant for tonight."
"…The plum blossom blooms tonight."
"Ah-"
"Tell me everything."
The young woman seemed surprised when I spoke those words that was included in the letter as a password, but when she finally connected the dots, she took off her hood and I saw a stain in her previously spotless beauty.
"…Even as a doctor, this makes my skin crawl…"
"…It is a shame, even to me."
It is hard to describe her appearance without making it sound too gross. Her face is littered with blackened skin ulcers while her left eye's iris is cloudy and almost blind. Her nose bridge too, is sunken, something that we call in the medical field as a "Saddle nose".
I knew just from those symptoms that she is suffering from late-stage untreated Syphilis.
(TN: For more details, I suggest that you search "Syphilis deformities". But don't blame me if your trypophobia gets triggered. You have been warned.)
"Come on, speak up."
"As you wish…"
As she started, I silently listened while trying to keep a straight face.
"The existence of a lord of Fuku is a lie. The ministers are hiding this truth. The lord of Fuku province has long been dead. Killed by the very same people that are leading this place now."
"So, the declarations that Lord Yamaguchi is still leading the country but is just too sickly to appear to others is…"
"A fabricated lie."
"I see."
Now I understand why the ministers seemed to have calmed down when their lie about the lord having a cold was believed. They don't have the authority to stop me if ever I pushed to personally talk to their leader.
"However, the Yamaguchi clan's bloodline is not dead. There are two children from the late Lord Yamaguchi that was conceived from prostitutes that he frequented in here. Though they are not from noble wombs, they carry the blood and name of their Daimyo father."
"Is the deceased lord a-"
"He has never married. Though he appeared stupendous and ignorant around his ministers, Lord Yamaguchi always kept himself steps above court when it comes to cunning plans. One of which, is contracting several rental women in here to bear his children and send them to an undisclosed location after they are no longer dependent on their mother's milk."
"I mean no disrespect, but if he did it to several women here, is that the reason why his ministers are using the "he is sick" excuse?"
"He did. Shortly before being assassinated, Lord Yamaguchi caught a venereal disease here that made his body weak and sickly. Rumors about it spread amongst the people and his treacherous court caught wind of that opportunity. After just a week since the rumor spread, his ministers came to his bedroom and stabbed him to death."
"Man… what a painful way to go."
Thinking about it is also scaring me. If instead of people that I personally know, my court was people who has their own agendas, would the same thing happen to me too?"
"Now, where can I meet his children? You said that he has two, right?"
"The elder one is Prince Yamaguchi Koshiro while the younger one is Princess Yamaguchi Kaede. Both are currently hidden from the eyes of the public… We believe that the reason why the ministers are aiming to perform a political cleansing is to find those two that are hiding at the estates of other noble families."
"Now that I remember, they did ask me for something like that. If they are aware of the fact that there are still Yamaguchi clan members lurking somewhere, then I cannot let them get their way and get our weapons."
I thought about it for a moment and asked my last question.
"How can I know more about this? If I am not mistaken, there should be someone in the castle who knows about everything, isn't it?"
When I asked that, the door opened and four other women that is also hooded came in to bow in front of me.
"Lord Iwasawa, have you really decided to meddle with the affairs of Fuku?"
"I do. I don't want to go back to my land without accomplishing anything. If the only way for me to acquire the allegiance of Fuku is to overthrow the ministers running its government, so be it."
I spoke firmly and the women looked at each other before heaving a sigh of relief and speaking.
"Finally… finally, we have a chance to be free."
One by one, they took off their hoods to show their own deformed faces. All of them wore a visage that even for me, who doesn't flinch in front of fresh blood or torn flesh, made me cringe in revulsion.
"Lord Iwasawa, keep that password in your mind and if you see this symbol in a woman's back, speak it to gain her knowledge."
They took off their yukatas to expose their shoulders and turned around to show me an ornately designed plum blossom tattooed on their right shoulder blade.
"We are "The Women of the Night". A secret group operating under Master Nayoko. Though we are women affiliated with other kinds of work, we are also a group of informants, extracting any kind of information from our clients to gain more power and control over the government."
"…"
This scares me. Something about this is making me worried.
"…I have a question to all of you in here."
"What would that be, my lord?"
I spoke and they turned around to look at me with a bow.
"Since when have you hid here? Is it before or after the bandit attack in Aoya?"
"-!!!"
"I knew it."
I once lived in Aoya as its local doctor. Though it only lasted for 3 or 4 months, it was enough for me to know the place like the back of my hand. The east side of the town is where I think I frequently saw them. The place where Aoya's former pleasure district is located.
"I'm not the kind of man who is desperate or lacking in self-control to buy that kind of service… but by going there frequently to cure the illnesses of courtesans who sell their bodies, I became familiar with the incense that they use in Aoya and only in Aoya."
"That… impossible…"
"You are… that man…?"
"It seems like I was right… the peach blossom tattoo is not a symbol that came from here…"
Unlike now, Kiko used to allow slavery. And in some courtesan houses in Aoya, enslaved women who are made by their masters to sold their bodies receive a small tattoo that indicates their use.
"Tell me, did you escape before or after the attack?"
They looked afraid of me. Somehow, I think they knew that the thing that happened that night was no ordinary attack.
"It was before the attack. Before the bandits ransacked and razed the pleasure quarter, Master Nayoko sent us a letter that told us to escape quickly to Iso river where she took us and hid us in here."
"Do you know what happened to those who didn't escape?"
"They… died. Courtesan, client or proprietor, they either died from the attack or stuck inside the flames."
"…"
This is one of my many reasons to eliminate the pleasure districts in Kiko. I knew that there was someone outside of my land who are siphoning money through it in order to weaken my province and there is also the possibility of it being a hub for spies and informants.
For the first, I learned that it was Kyoko's father who did it. We talked about it when I visited after the previous war and he promised to reimburse the costs as a sign of atoning for the inconvenience it brought to me. For the second, I am now facing the people who gave me the final clue to it.
"Master Nayoko… I see."
"M-My lord!!!"
"Y-Your highness!"
Before I can ever react, the five courtesans bowed down lowly until their faces was touching the tatami mats beneath us.
"Please… please don't hurt Master Nayoko for this!"
"We are prepared to face your wrath, but please! Don't hurt Master Nayoko!"
"…"
They must've sensed my murderous intent when I learned that someone was actually spying on Kiko all that time before I burned that part of Aoya. Without thinking twice, they are offering their lives for this person they are serving.
"I have no intention to do so."
"W-W-What?"
"You five escaped from Kiko to live here. You are no longer my people. The jurisdiction about what should happen to you is not mine anymore."
As I stood up and wore my katana on my waist, I left a message to the five geishas that I want them to send to their master in my stead.
"Tell her that I will be holding a meeting tomorrow with my officers. I might be in need of some servants since we didn't bring anyone who can cook delicious food. If she can come herself, tell her to bring a package for me. One that I can talk to about this issue."
"A-As you wish, your highness!"
Once I went out of the Inn, a crow perched on my shoulder and on its feet is a piece of paper.
{There are some interlopers lurking around while you are inside, my lord. We have disposed of them quickly and quietly.}
As expected of Kuro and his team, deadly, efficient, and effective in their work.
"Now then… as to who this woman is and why she's the one holding onto the two royals…"
Tomorrow noon, the meeting started an hour before lunch.
"Lord Iwasawa… It is a pleasure to be here."
"Mistress Nayoko, I presume?"
"Yes, it is. I am Nayoko from the city of Kurobe. The master of the "Women of the Night" and keeper of the late lord's children."
At the other side of the table, a young woman of about the age of 23 greeted me and gave a bow.
"I believe that these are the two. Prince Koshiro and Kaede?"
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Iwasawa."
The young man spoke, and he and his sister bowed to me slightly higher than the one given by Nayoko.
"There are a myriad of other issues that would usually be prioritized more… but right now, I want to ask a question that I think take precedence over everything else…"
I turned to Nagisa and nodded to her, she took the gesture and slid a piece of paper clipped to a wooden board over the table towards them.
"Do you want to reclaim your father's throne, your highness?"
It was an offer. Something that I gave a lot of thought yesterday while I was walking back to the villa.
"Umm…"
"This is an alliance contract. Since you are in need of an army to mount a rebellion, I want to gain your allegiance before I send my men here to level the entirety of Fuku to the ground."
"W-W-Wait a moment, Lord Iwasawa! We are-"
"Are you afraid to kill, Prince Koshiro?"
"-!"
When it comes to these kinds of things, I won't be kind or soft at all. As a doctor… no, as a human being, I know that human life is priceless and how war can be the greatest way that it can be wasted.
So, if am to help this kid to raise to power, I want him to know how much guilt he has to swallow down to get there.
"Ahem… lord Iwasawa."
"?"
Their caregiver named Nayoko cleared her throat and spoke up.
"Prince Koshiro is still only 12 years old. I'm afraid that much of the complicated things is mine to decide on in his stead."
"…If that will move our discussion forward, feel free."
"I thank you for your understanding."
After she assumed the negotiation seat in place of the two heirs, she asked a question that I think made sense in this situation somehow…
"Is there any other way to raise the prince and remove the opposition without bringing an army to this place?"
"There is. That's my plan after all."
I think she sensed that I am not the kind of person to jump to direct violence to get my way. That, or she already deduced that this is the only way for me to minimize my losses and get the best parts that I want to get.
"I am planning to break up the coalition of the ministers. They are all lying, greedy and treacherous geezers, in a way, their oligarchy is a gunpowder barrel ready to detonate anytime… all it needs is a lighted matchstick."
"And that means…?"
"What if using leaked messages, rumors about favors to a single family and other things that would incite their greed, we can break up the trust between all of them?"
"You mean, we will trick them into fighting each other? But how?"
"That's easy. You're the master of a secret group of informants who are hiding from those ministers. However, how about you and your people expose their selves as informants to those people? They will buy your services to get the information they want, however…"
"We will give them false information or if that is not possible…"
"A false truth."
It's a no-brainer at this point. Her group is on the right place and service to hand out this kind of information while we are at the advantageous position of being the one who holds the decision of helping them get what they want.
"For example, if rumors spread that I was talked to by a court officer to favor his business, the others would start coming too for the same thing, but only a few of them would have it, and as more and more of these favors will get piled up, their greed and envy will also grow."
"Another thing would be… the hunt for the prince and the princess. If it is rumored that one particular family is going before the others in finding them, it will raise everyone's attention. The only thing we need to do is give the information, create a fake "hideout" and once they missed the "kids", we can blame it on someone else getting there before and hiding the children for their own purposes."
"Good thinking, Nayoko. As expected of a secret group leader."
It seems like me and this woman are operating under the same mindsets. For me, I am doing it so I won't have to waste lives and resources in forcibly defeating the nobles and raising the prince. For her, I am not sure yet if it is loyalty or some other purpose but…
"Do we have a deal?"
"Without a doubt, your highness. Prince Ko… if you may."
"A-ah, yes."
The woman gave the clipboard to the boy and he sheepishly wrote his name on it and cut his thumb's skin lightly to make it work like a seal.
"With that, we have an agreement. I will talk to the ministers that I will send an ambassador, but I'm not sending a normal office worker. You know what I am talking about, don't you, Master Nayoko?"
"I do. Whoever this person is will be the "matchstick" you are talking about."
I nodded and spoke one last word.
"I'm sending the Fox of Naka harbor. The guy who tricked so many people for his own gain that instead of incarcerating him, I made him work in the Auditor's office as a consultant on other scammers."
This guy is someone that I've played mind games with when he is still out there tricking other people. Instead of a retainer and a master, our relationship would be something like… friendly rivals.
"He'd be here next week, he's kind of an eccentric fellow and a womanizer hated in Kiko, but he's sure to do his job and some more once he's here."
"We will welcome him warmly, your highness. In exchange, can I leave Princess Kaede to you?"
Once I heard that request, I was taken quite aback.
"Why?"
"It's a precaution. If ever this plan fails, we cannot have both of them fall to the hands of the enemy."
"I see…"
"And this is also kind of a formality… please be gentle to her."
"…"
I know that I am in Feudal Japan and this was normal back then. But if she is hinting on having me marry this kid who is only about 6 years old, I am not doing it even with a gun pointed on my head.
"Your Highness?"
"I'll take care of her. While she's under me, she'll adopt my family name and be treated as my adopted little sister. Would that suffice?"
"It is more than enough, your highness."
With all of that cleared, I went for one last time to Yamagata castle to report that I will go back to Kiko and would be sending an ambassador, giving them positive gestures that made them think that they won in tricking me.
"…She's quiet, isn't she?"
"She is."
On our way home, the little child fell asleep and was silently cupped by Nagisa to her chest to let her comfortably rest without the rocking of the carriage bothering her.
"Iwasawa-sama…"
"What is it, Nobisuke?"
"Are you sure about sending that man to Fuku with such an important work?"
I can understand Nobisuke's concern. That man that I am sending is a former master swindler that only got off lightly because I pardoned him.
"Don't worry. I understand your side, but for this one time, I want you to trust that guy and his talents. After all, he's the only person who cornered me in Chess even though it was his first time playing it."
"…As you wish, my lord."
Now, now… how would you handle this problem, Fox of Naka Harbor?
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"The northern daimyo's alliance are sweeping forward to take the central plains and would soon come for us, the southern lands… as such, I and the Lord of Kiko, Iwasawa Hiroshi-dono, request your approval of this new alliance that will work as our shield and spear against them…"
While her counterpart is going through a bumpy road to get his way, the female lord of Shinka is finishing up on convincing the court of Kise province's lord to adopt the alliance.
"…that concludes my proposition. Thank you for listening, honorable officers."
"An excellent presentation, Kyoko-chan~!"
This is Daigo Reika. Princess of the Daigo Clan, Lord of Kise and High Priestess of Kingo no Shiseijo. For most, this would be a ludicrous amount of titles given to a single person, but once you one knows about how she gained such amount of designations, one would end up wanting to worship her.
Loving and understanding, knowledgeable and wise, kind to her people and ruthless to her enemies. The priestess princess is someone feared by her enemies and treasured by her subjects.
As Kyoko puts it: "A one of a kind saint upon the earth".
But there is one thing that made this woman uncomfortable once she and Kyoko was finally out of everyone's sight.
"This person… where did her came from?"
"Reika-nee… this is for the future. If we stay in here, minding only our own people, we might end up being swept by the changing times."
She invited Kyoko later in her room to talk more about Hiroshi and there, she spoke out about what she really feels about the proposal for an alliance.
"I know that Kyoko-chan… it's just that… I want to see this man myself. Something about his plans is making me feel uncomfortable."
"I… see. I will inform him to come under your invitation, are you sure about this?"
"I am."
"I understand. I'll come back as soon as I can with him."
Once Kyoko went out of the room, the princess walked to her closet filled with luxurious clothes and several exact replicas of her shrine maiden uniform that she wears on official functions per tradition of the women in her clan.
"Is this… another one of those Otherworlders…?"
In the midst of the clothes, she took out a cask and opened it to get a scroll inside.
"I thought you are the last of them, old man Akira… who could've thought that another one will appear this soon."
As she opened the scroll, it showed a series of dots and dashes and a name and seal belonging to the Yukogahara clan's last Daimyo.
"Whoever this man is, I must know if he is an ally or a new enemy…"
This is another challenge that he must overcome to his path to becoming a true leader.
"For the sake of our family's oath to hunt them down."