"Lord Satou is leaving the city?!"
"I-Impossible! This city is the most heavily defended one in the southern central plains!"
"But they said that the main army was already annihilated. If so, then it's not impossible."
A vicious rumor has been spreading from person to person inside the castle city of Shime.
"What are we going to do now?!"
"Will the Kusanagi clan let us go through if we bribe them?"
"This will be bad for our business…"
The news that the main army of the Satou clan of Asahi province has been annihilated sent ripples across the city's populace who soon thought of ways to escape from certain doom.
"This will be difficult… After Lord Satou closed down the city, we've never got any decent information about the outside world. What if the rumors are indeed true and the main army was really killed off?"
"Tch! We have no other choice… Hey, you."
"Yes, master?"
"Can you bring us to the merchant who started all of these rumors?"
And at the center of all of these rumors is a foreign merchant who is dressed in Chinese robes and always seen wearing a straw hat and round sunglasses.
"So… what brings you here, esteemed gentlemen?"
"Umm… Do you mind if…"
"Ah! Where are my manners? My name is Liu Wei. I came here to trade rice but as you may know… Ahaha… I got stuck after the lockdown."
The rice merchant spoke and bowed deftly to his guests. Through his quite thick Cantonese accent, the merchants who gathered deduced that he is an authentic foreigner.
"Then Liu-dono, are the rumors that the main army was annihilated true?"
"Without a doubt. My caravan passed by a ridge where the army of Shinka was finishing off their enemies. I asked my local servants and they said that the army being wrecked was this cities' forces."
"It's not like I am doubting you, Liu-dono… I wish you won't take it in that way…"
"Ah! No, no… I get it. It's quite hard to believe a foreigner after all, but you can trust me. My honor is giving the best quality I can give whenever I am being paid. With these gifts that you gave… you already know that I have no reason to lie about it."
"I see… then can I ask for one more question."
"Sure. I'll try my best to answer it."
"If you knew that there is a war here, why did you still enter the city?"
The previously easy gaze of the local merchant turned into a sharp gaze as he shot that question.
"Oh, that would be easy. It's because of the same reason as I said earlier. I've already been paid, I cannot go against the deadline even if I have to risk my life for it."
"Hmm…"
In their eyes, the foreign merchant looked like nothing more but a normal businessman. But as he said those words and how he easily spilled the beans earlier after seeing the chests of gold and fine porcelain pottery that they gave to him as a bribe, they had the same thought.
This man is willing to do anything for money.
"Hehe… Our doubts are cleared now. We trust your words about this situation."
"I am pleased that you've come to trust me."
With the rumors now a solid fact, the merchants left the inn where the foreign merchant was staying.
"Come out now. They're out."
"Transmission to Lord Iwasawa was clear, Tatsu-sama."
"Hehehe… That sure was something…"
Two Crow agents opened the room's closet while Tatsu took off his sunglasses and straw hat before stuffing tobacco leaves and lighting his smoking pipe.
"Well, well… How should we make our enemies to dance in the master's palm?"
With a sharp malicious gaze towards the merchants who has just exited the inn and a puff of smoke coming out of his mouth, Tatsu spoke and looked at the Agents who nodded immediately.
Meanwhile, the merchants met again to talk about their next steps.
"Will the enemy army let us through if we bribe them?"
"They probably won't. We're talking about the savages of the south after all."
"I agree."
They might be merchants who has to flatter everyone to win over their trust, but these men are still people from the central plains. When it comes to their pride over their own supposed pedigree, they will call everyone else who didn't belong in the same level as nothing more but barbaric savages.
"But do we have any other choices?"
"…"
"I see. Then we only have two things to choose from. We either slip out of the city and get through the besieging army or we bribe them to let us get through them. Both might end up getting us killed, but it's better than joining this city's eventual destruction."
"I agree. Let us choose a good time to slip out."
With their activities, the people learned that the rumor has become a fact and they too, are beginning to start a civil unrest.
Meanwhile in the castle of Shime, Lord Satou is enduring the infighting in his court.
"We have to call the reinforcements from Kaiji and Hatsu!"
"Are you insane?! If we take the soldiers from the branch families, they will rebel!"
"Why did you think we're in this situation at the first place? We're stuck here while those filthy savages are watching us suffer! Think, everyone, think!"
Every official was at each other's throats in the meeting. Each of them voicing their concerns and complaints.
"Everyone… please settle down."
"Ah."
"Y-yes…"
Their lord spoke softly, and everyone was silenced as he held his forehead in pain.
"The rumors are now confirmed. Everyone in our army is dead. Even if we call for reinforcements, they will not be able to come quickly enough to save us."
"What should we do now, Satou-sama?"
The old man looked at his retainers before speaking his plan.
"We will abandon Shime. We'll go to Hashidate province to create a government-in-exile."
"M-My lord!"
"Your Highness! We cannot abandon Asahi to those barbarians!"
"We might be allied with the Iwaki clan, but it is too much to create an exiled government, my lord!"
"…"
The current situation infuriated their leader, but he has no other choice. They will either be killed here by the incoming invasion force or they'll abandon the province and seek to lead it from a safer place.
But that is not the only way for them to be defeated.
"Your Highness! I apologize for barging in, but I bear dire news!"
"Dire news?"
"What happened messenger? Speak up!"
"The citizens are gathering to the main castle gate! They're starting a riot!"
In war, your army and the enemy army aren't the only force that will have to face off. There is also the possibility that your own people will rise up against you. And with this discord, only the enemy will profit off of it.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"I bring news from our men in the city, my lord. The citizens are starting to act against their leader."
"Hm. Did Kaminari-kun say anything else?"
"He said that some merchants will try to sneak past later or approach us to bribe their way out of the city."
"Hmm… what do you say about it, Kyoko?"
"Huh? Well, there's no point in being impolite with those who won't fight us. As much as I don't want to give you too much credit, can you take care of it for me?"
"Sure. Just focus on the invasion plan, leave the small things to me."
The two leaders agreed on their share of the workload and Hiroshi agreed to take care of the people who will be seeking asylum or passage for their own safety.
Later that afternoon, the guests did arrive that was separated into two groups. One group, who made up the majority, were normal citizens who didn't want to be included in the battle and made up their mind to escape the city through hidden backdoors and passages. Though they are poor, it seems like they are prepared to fork over anything just to beg for their mercy and let them go to their own way.
"Your Highness… We implore your mercy…"
"Your Highness…"
The crowd was composed of about two to three hundred people. Most of them wore patched up clothes and had dirty appearances that told Hiroshi that they might be on the lowest end of the province's societal chart.
"We cannot prepare much, but we wish you'll spare us from your wrath."
"Please accept our humble offerings…"
Each family showed various offerings to him as they bowed low enough that their foreheads touched the ground. There were baskets of vegetables, small pouches of gold coins and one family even offered a young woman who looked like she was on the verge of breaking into tears for being offered as a sacrifice.
"Please have mercy on us."
Everyone lowered their heads as they begged for mercy. Men, women, children and the elderly. All of them wished that the person sitting on the other side would let them go.
"Just keep those with you. You too little missy, please don't cry and for my sake, scold your parents for offering you."
"H-Huh?"
"Go on, I know it may look like an act of disobedience and ungratefulness, but I order you. Scold them for trying to offer you just to save their selves."
The young woman looked at her parents who suddenly had a chill run up their spines as they heard Hiroshi's order to her. Later that day, it was said that the woman didn't join her selfish family's escape and asked to be a servant of the young lord as a sign of her thankfulness to him.
"Now, now… I didn't come here to be treated like a local kami spirit. I am just a normal human who just happened to be called a Daimyo. I won't be taking your offerings."
"B-But…"
"Wherever it is, the trip to your destination would surely be a long one. Because of that, I don't want to receive your offerings. Use it for your trip and take care of yourselves."
"D-Does that mean that-?!"
"You can pass through. I've talked about this with Lady Kusanagi. She allowed everyone who isn't from a military background to pass through. As a small gift for your travels, please do take a portion of rice from our war kitchen. It would be good if you have a cart so you may take enough until the end of your journey."
"Uwooohhh-!"
The peasants audibly felt relieved and bowed to thank the young lord.
"Thank you, Lord Iwasawa!"
"Thank you!!! Great and gracious lord!"
Hearing their words of appreciation with some flattery, Hiroshi simply smiled and bowed slightly to be humble about it.
"Why did you simply let them go, Kou-sama?"
"Hm? Oh. Well, why not?"
Ishida asked his lord later while they are watching the trail of peasants who passed by their camp. He knew that his lord is kind, but after he didn't accept any of the offerings and gave the peasants a gift instead, even he wondered just how benevolent his master is.
"In war, it's always those who are in the bottom fringes of society that makes up the majority of the casualties… I don't want to shed blood that doesn't have to be shed. That's one of the rules of the Kiko Army, isn't it?"
With a smile, he watched the peasants and even waved back to the young kids who waved him a goodbye.
"Face a warrior with the same ferocity and brutality and face a civilian with humility and gentleness."
"Indeed."
Next came the merchants whom Hiroshi received with proper decorum.
"""Esteemed lord of Kiko…"""
All of them spoke and bowed to present their gifts. It was either fine pottery, casks of gold or exotic spices that Hiroshi found pleasing.
"Will he take the bait?"
"He's just a savage. He's probably too illiterate to even appreciate it."
There were some voices at the back as some of the highfalutin merchants whispered amongst themselves.
"It wouldn't be good for you gentlemen to keep your heads down like that. Please, do raise your faces and look at me as we negotiate."
"The choice of words-!"
"That is-!"
However, they didn't expect that the young man in front of them are of equal or maybe even greater degree of noble conduct as they do.
"Everyone, if it may not be so inconveniencing for you. It's nearly dinner time so I wish to invite you for my taste testing of the foreign cuisine from my province's chefs."
"A-ah… We accept…"
Being given that offer, they simply looked at each other and thought "Let's just indulge him" and agreed. With that, a few servants came in and placed small tables in front of them before placing a sizzling plate of well-done steak on it and a small cup with a red-violet liquid inside.
"Oh. I didn't expect dinner to be this luxurious. Well then, Itadakimasu…"
Hiroshi clasped his hands to thank for the food before taking the small cup from the table as the merchants looked at what he was doing with confused expressions.
*Bwauff!!!*
"Waaa!!!"
"Ahaha! The wine did light up and flavored the meat well!"
After the red-violet wine touched the sizzling hot plate, it burst into flames and wafted an elegantly sweet aroma inside the tent.
"W-was it like this…?"
"Gotta watch that flame…"
One by one, the curious merchants followed suit and their steaks has also done the same and filled the tent with the smell of sweet wine.
"Mmm… So delicious… Oh! Where are our manners? I forgot the tell the servants to provide chopsticks. A knife and fork is quite the foreign utensil after all."
"A-ah, no need, Iwasawa-sama. Whatever these utensils are, we sure will be able to use them."
Fearing that he might be able to do something that they can't and consequently lose their sense of superiority, the merchants agreed to use the unfamiliar utensils even with great difficulty.
"W-What is this?!"
"This softness… these overflowing juices…"
"This is too good to be real!"
Nevertheless, the food was to their liking and they eventually found themselves wolfing down in the unfamiliar yet delicious cuisine that was provided to them.
"My lord, would you like some wine?"
"Why, how considerate. Do pour me a glass."
The female servant proceeded to pour red grape wine into the clear and ornately designed wine goblet of Hiroshi. It had glass roses and almost realistic vines crawling at the handle that it almost looked like a pure crystal chalice to the now further bewildered guests. This particular chalice's name is "Frozen Blossoms" and is supposed to be purely for decorative purposes, but as he had to show the luxury that Kiko can provide, he delightfully supped on the cup.
"Oh, please provide some to our guests too. I believe they'll appreciate to partake using the wine glasses as well."
"As you wish, Kou-sama."
Back then, these men had their egos raised higher than the moon, but several bottles of alcohol later…
"Ahahaha!!!"
"Come on! Drink more!"
"Don't let yourself be left out! Drink up, drink up!"
A little bit later in the night, all semblance of nobleness amongst the merchants was lost as they poured bottle after bottle of the exquisite red wine that Hiroshi brought over just for this event. All of them were flushed red with drunkenness and even laughed heartily as the previously unusual wine glass that they found difficult to drink from is now almost glued to their lips.
"My lord… I believe they will be complacent now."
"Yeah… hand me the contracts."
Ishida gave his master the three scrolls that he penned later just for this particular event that he looked forward to.
"Esteemed noblemen, I am quite pleased that you've enjoyed our provisions."
"Ahahaha! I can't believe that savages from the south have such exquisite cuisine! Hic-!"
"Hey kid! Are all of these really from the south?"
"It sure is."
With their drunken expressions now more obvious than anything else, Hiroshi smiled and spoke.
"If I may interest you with a certain offer…"
"Oh? You'll show us more, kiddo? Gahaha!!! I'll take it then!"
"Same for me!"
"Don't leave me out now."
And just like that, Hiroshi secured the fairest yet most ludicrously tilted deal that he ever made before.
"The offer is simple. I want your help to spread the trade routes we have into the central plains. I want our products to be sold and our services to be endorsed in wherever you may go to. In exchange, we will give you a pretty good discount for buying our products directly from our manufacturers and distributors. It is a good deal, yes?"
"Anything you say, kiddo!"
"I accept it! Hic-!"
By the next morning, the merchants woke up inside the messy tent with a head-splitting hangover. Some of them even ran out just to puke at a fairly hidden shrubbery.
"What the… what the hell happened last night?"
"Oh, it seems like you're awake."
"Wait, you're…"
"Shall we get to business now?"
It was at this point when the highfalutin merchants knew… that they messed up really hard.
"According to the contract, all of you have to buy our products and sell them in your own routes. Looking at our current stock of consumer products that we… hehe… just happen to have at hand even in a battlefield, we conclude that each of the fifteen signers will have to buy them for 30,000 Kan."
"How…?"
"How can we be so careless?"
Even if they had to hand-over much of the riches that they were supposed to keep with them, most of the merchants just shrugged their shoulders as the wine, glass trinkets and cotton clothes they were forced to buy wasn't that bad of a deal anyways. All they had to do was to advertise it and give the credit of its production to Kiko as per the terms in their agreement.
"That young daimyo…"
"Hm? You saying something?"
"Even though I hated his guts… I don't hate his wits."
"Hehe… He's quite sly, I'll give him that. I've never met someone like him who's the true definition of the merchant's spirit."
"Now, about how we'll sell these unusual yet high quality stuff."
Later that noon, the subjugation of the city has been concluded. With Hiroshi's elite shock cavalry with her, Kyoko and her contingent met halfway between the city and their camp with the people who contacted them through Tatsu's radiophone.
".."
"Lady Kusanagi…"
"Did you bring him out?"
"Yes. Along with his lackeys."
The man talking to her right now used to just be a simple laborer in the city's rice mill. But after they heard that their leader will be leaving them to their own selves to save his own self, he joined in the riot in order to protect the safety of his own family and after the bloody street fighting and the human wave that attacked Shime's inner castle, they succeeded in bringing down the daimyo and his retainers. He was then chosen to talk to Kyoko when the rioters recognized him as their last living ringleader.
"I am going to be honest, your act has benefitted me greatly. Speak, do you have any wish?"
"I wish nothing more but Your Highness to spare us from anymore pain and suffering. We can promise our loyalty, but we implore that you give us mercy and let us continue our usual lives."
"That is not a problem. Your wish will be granted. Now, let's march into the city and fly our flag atop this previously-unconquerable city."
The plan was proposed by Hiroshi, but it was Kyoko who handled all the intricate moves and maneuvers that they did. Working with his retainer, Kaminari Tatsu, Kyoko was able to learn another way to win a war without making her own army to bleed needlessly.
To some, it was said that this is the first time for the warrior princess to withhold her head-on assault course of action in favor of a wiser and more effective choice of making the people to turn against their leader.
"…"
"Is that her?"
"What's going to happen to us now?"
"I'm scared, mommy."
"Shush… don't let them hear you."
The view inside the city was far from what they expected.
"…Poor souls."
"They've fought for our cause. Their lives had not gone to waste."
At the city square, rows and rows of dead bodies was laid while their loved ones grieved for them. They were the ones who lost their lives during the uprising, a few hundred who did the ultimate sacrifice to be free.
"There's another group coming."
"T-THAT FLAG-!!!"
"Kirin?!"
Unexpectedly, another group of galloping cavalry entered the city and the citizens who was cautiously watching Kyoko and her men suddenly fell on their faces as the man dressed in a black hybrid of a Haori and a trench coat came in and caught up with Kyoko.
"Hmph! You're late again!"
"Sorry… the servants insisted that I dress up properly."
"Haah… what else can I expect from you? Idiot."
"H-hey…"
Their exchange was heard by only a few people. But the tone and body language exhibited by the female lord before she trotted her horse away from him told them that there was something peculiar between them.
"My lord… It seems like she flipped the tables on you again."
"Huh?"
"…Nothing. It's just me mumbling nonsense."
"Okay… that was weirdly specific."
And for Ishida who also recognized that atmosphere, even he had to try out if his master caught it, but it seems like he has no ability to detect such subtleties.
"Oh… just how will our master be able to get married if he can't recognize that kind of thing?"
Later in the castle, Kyoko and Hiroshi agreed to split the work again. Hiroshi said that he'll look around the city with his men and try to clean up the city and help the citizens with the damages in their homes. Kyoko, who had more personal reasons for this occupation, moved into the castle interior alongside a man who was brought here inside a palanquin.
"It's been over 25 years… Kazuya."
"That voice… Pwe! I knew that this is your doing…"
"It is not. It's your people who took you and beaten you up."
"Ahaha!!! Do you think I'm such a fool to believe that?! Those are assassins that you sent to finish my reign!"
"…Believe what you wish to believe."
At the castle's underground jail cells, the deposed lord of Asahi shouted while he's tied up to a wooden pillar and was covered with wounds and bruises on his face and body.
"It's your wench, right? Like father, like child… ambitious ingrates who can't be contented with what they already have!!!"
"You're not speaking like that about my daughter, you son of a bitch!"
*BYAK-!*
"ACK-!"
"Argh…!"
"Lord Kenji!"
The sickly old man wasn't able to stop himself and ended up punching the man on the gut. But as he was already so weak and creaking on some joints, he fell down to be assisted up by his servants.
"Urk-! Bhaf! Argh… you really are so much of a sore loser… after your war with your neighbors and former allies that didn't accept your clan's system of governance, you attacked us and hurt our people. What we did later was just to teach you a lesson."
"You're not in the place to say that! You ordered my own retainers to turn on me and kill my wife and her sister! You were the ones who started this!"
"We avenged our people!"
"You stuck your nose where it doesn't belong!"
"It was our right to join a war as we see fit!"
This back-and-forth exchange simply showed how the two had such a deeply seething hatred at each other. One was a sly and abusive lord who tried to conquer the other's land while he was handling his own battles while the other one was prepared to fight tooth-and-nail just to secure his revenge against the conspirator that ordered his wife's death.
"Hah! I have nothing more to say. Suit yourself in whatever you believe in. The only truth here is that you shouldn't have stepped out of your own land."
"What do you mean?"
"Che-! Find out by yourself!"
Later in the slightly destroyed meeting hall, Kyoko, Hiroshi, Takeo, Gojo and Kenji sat on chairs to plan their next moves. The only one absent here was Mitsuhide who was tasked to clean up their previous camp outside of the city.
"There's nothing much to deal with in this city. I've solved most of them and if a situation does happen, just call for me if you need me."
"Good, thanks a bunch."
Kyoko looked at him for a moment before asking him.
"What should we do to win over the people?"
"Just answer to their needs and you'll eventually gain their trust. You said it yourself, you wanted some genuine achievement so I should just stick to the sidelines."
"Yeah… After conquering a castle, fix it, man it and arm it."
"That's what I always told you about, didn't I?"
The old man chuckled and looked happily at his daughter who gave back the expression.
"Lord Kenji… if I may ask…"
"I'm sorry, Gojo-kun… He won't say anything. After you waited for so long…"
"Indeed… but I just have to accept it."
The effeminate general sighed and hung his shoulders in disappointment as he heard from his master that the people he is seeking isn't being spoken by the prisoner.
"Regardless, we have to mind the defenses now… after all, now that the main family is now deposed, the branches would surely be fighting amongst-"
But before she can state her speech completely, a messenger opened the door, bowed to the officers and walked to Hiroshi who received the letter directed to him.
"...!"
"What?"
The sudden change in the expression of the young man rattled the gathering.
"Ishida, stay here and be my representative and leader of the defensive forces."
"Y-yes sir. But why are you in such a hurry?"
"Nobisuke and Kuro contacted our radio operator… They reported that Yuki city of Kaijin and Ikki city of Hatsu are up in flames."
"-!!!"
Hearing that further drove the gathering into chaotic shock.
"12th Shock Cavalry Company! 3rd Scout Cavalry Battalion! Prepare for a long-range march to the north! 19th Infantry Battalion, get your asses to the transportation carts and rest up, we'll travel through the night!"
"Yes, Kou-sama!"
"Crows, stay in the city and work with Ishida to safeguard the city and Tatsu to catch any stragglers. Am I clear?"
"As you wish, Your Highness!"
"Herald!"
"Yes, sir?"
"Change the flags, they'll be alerted if they see the Kirin flag. Use the Misanagi flag to keep our identity under diplomatic neutrality."
"As you wish!"
"We're moving out after 10 minutes! Prepare yourself, the northern roads are not in the best condition!"