The emergency meeting that followed the declaration of war by the 'Sun of the Sky' has finally ended. The 'Rising Flame', which had entered the longhouse provided by the Seneca tribe, relaxed its hardened expression and sat down weakly on the table.
"For now, things went the way I wanted···."
The chieftains of other tribes still had their doubts about him.
"Whew! My head hurts."
'Rising Flames' sat there for a while, coming up with countermeasures and organizing his complicated thoughts.
Just then, a Mohawk warrior entered the longhouse. The 'Rising Flames' asked him urgently.
"What happened?"
The Mohawk warrior spoke of the information he had learned.
"The sun in the sky did not bring any evidence. It seems that they only pointed to the chief based on circumstantial evidence."
"Are you sure?"
"yes."
Only then did the 'Rising Flames' sigh and coldly shine its eyes at the great warrior's answer.
"The future will be very important. Will the Iroquois tribes not abandon us without proof?"
"Yes. Because the federation itself could collapse."
After that, the great warrior continued to listen to the commands of the 'Rising Flames'. A moment later, the 'rising flames' once again drew strong attention.
"Make sure to keep your mouth shut."
"Understood, Chief!"
"We will continue to negotiate with the Sun of Heaven, but war is probably unavoidable. I think we should hurry up and push for a meeting with the other alliances. You should arrange a place as quickly as possible."
"Yes, Chief!"
As the Great Warrior quickly retreated, 'Rising Flames', who was left alone in the long house, nodded his head repeatedly and smiled sinisterly.
"It's a crisis, but if we use this situation well, it could be an opportunity to come to the forefront again."
* * *
The capital of the 'sun in the sky', a 'very big' city. I received reports from several heads of administrative agencies in the government office.
"There was a small skirmish with the Cherokee. According to the report, the Cherokee invaded our territory first and the skirmish broke out. In any case, it doesn't seem like we did anything wrong."
The head of the Intelligence Service, the 'fast-footed deer', was joined by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 'wide earth'.
"We can see that we have the upper hand in negotiations with the Cherokee Nation because we have the justification."
Even after reading the report, I didn't see any particular problems. However, there were considerable casualties among the Cherokee warriors.
It was likely that the Cherokee tribe would take issue with that issue. I asked, looking at the 'vast land'.
"Have you heard from the Cherokee tribe?"
"Yes. We received a call a few days ago asking for the return of the prisoners. We will be taking issue with the violation of our territory."
I nodded and gave a few more instructions.
"The territorial issue will probably continue to arise. We need to explain again to the Cherokee about the land we ceded to them and get a firm promise that this will not happen again."
'The vast earth' answered, writing down my instructions on a piece of paper.
"Understood, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
He turned his head and asked his chief aide, 'Splendid Sunset'.
"What happened to the Iroquois Confederacy's declaration of war?"
"Yes, we sent people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally declare war. And we demanded the handover of the Mohawk chief and the return of territory and compensation for the crime of assassinating His Majesty the Emperor."
"The Iroquois Confederacy must have reacted strongly."
"Yes. They were demanding that we bring them evidence of their attempted assassination of His Majesty the Emperor. And they are trying to negotiate with us in some way, as they try to resolve the issue through dialogue rather than going to war."
As expected, things were going as expected. I deliberately did not present any evidence that I intended to subjugate the entire Iroquois confederacy on this occasion.
The evidence is that it was not too late even after the conquest of the Iroquois Confederacy.
"The flames were rising and the Mohawk tribe was in chaos."
At my words, 'Splendid Sunset' nodded with a gentle smile on her lips.
"It seems that the Mohawks have tried to convince the other Iroquois tribes that they never did it. Either way, the war with the sun in our sky is unavoidable."
"I guess so."
After the briefing was over, he once again gave instructions to the heads of administrative organizations in their offices to thoroughly prepare for this war.
"In a war, food and supplies are the top priority, so the administration should pay special attention to them. The Intelligence and Inspection Department should thoroughly monitor the Iroquois Confederacy, even if it means deploying more personnel, as they may be secretly maneuvering without our knowledge. The Foreign Affairs Department should continue to delay negotiations with the Iroquois Confederacy as they are now."
"Understood, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
* * *
Cavalry training ground. Last winter, a thousand guardsmen were training buffalo cavalry at a cavalry training ground built near the ranch.
"rush!"
Knock knock! Knock knock! Knock knock!
A thousand warriors of the Royal Guard, led by me, formed a single line and ran fearfully toward the distant target. The targets are scarecrows made of logs and straw.
As soon as the target came within firing range, I shouted to the guardsmen as if I had been waiting.
"Concentrated fire!"
As soon as my order was given, the guardsmen released their hands from their reins and simultaneously raised their bows and arrows.
Then, with both feet fixed on the stirrups, the guardsmen quickly pulled back their bowstrings.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
In an instant, the blue sky turned black with a rain of arrows. And a thousand arrows flying at a fierce speed instantly hit hundreds of scarecrows, which were their targets.
Pook! Pook pook! Pook pook pook!
However, I was not satisfied with that attack.
"Speaker!"
A thousand warriors of the Imperial Guard continued to run, firing arrows one after another in a steady posture. The sky was once again covered in a rain of arrows, and soon the scarecrows were covered in arrows like thorns on a hedgehog.
"Everyone, take up your weapons! Sweep away the enemy in one breath!"
The guardsmen quickly sheathed their bows and drew their main weapons all at once. Spears, axes, clubs, swords, etc.
"charge!"
Waaaaaaaah! Waaaaaaaah!
The cheers of the Royal Guard warriors filled the training grounds, and at the same time, the sound of rough blows could be heard one after another.
Puppup ...
The scarecrow's head was blown off by the club that was swung down, and the scarecrow's chest was crushed by the straight, strong spear.
The scarecrow's head and arms were blown away in all directions by the merciless swing of the axe. And then, like lightning, he struck down and the scarecrow's entire body was easily cut down by the swinging sword.
In an instant, I and the guardsmen broke through the center of the scarecrow camp, grabbed the reins, and slowly turned the buffalo in that direction.
"The enemy camp has completely collapsed. Your Majesty the Emperor!"
He nodded with a satisfied smile as he watched the 'heavy snowstorm' being reported.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"No. It is all thanks to His Majesty the Emperor's teachings."
Today's cavalry training was also a great success. Now that you have learned all the cavalry strategies and tactics, you must continue to train intensely until your body becomes accustomed to them.
I kept my spirits up by watching the 'Heavy Snowstorm' and the Royal Guard warriors.
"The Iroquois Confederacy will be conquered, and the Guard will take the lead. Until then, we must devote ourselves even more to our training."
"Understood, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
After a while, I left the cavalry training grounds and looked at the 'clear soul' who was taking a break and chatting with the guard warriors with a very excited expression.
"It was better than I expected."
The 'heavy snowstorm' that was seeing me off nodded and said that it thought the same as me.
"Every time I train, I am simply amazed. In fact, his cavalry skills on buffalo are better than mine. And when I shoot arrows while riding a buffalo, only one out of a hundred hits."
'Heavy Snowstorm' did not spare its praise for 'Clear Soul' to the point of making people drool.
'I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to create a cavalry unit centered around her.'
It wasn't just the cavalry. If there is a steady supply of buffalo, we plan to create medium and light cavalry units.
* * *
The capital of the 'sun in the sky', a 'very big' city. Pahsaheman Soccer Stadium. The wedding of 'Honest Bear' and 'Red Fruit', the chieftain of the Iri tribe, was so crowded that the stadium was full.
The chiefs and representatives of each tribe, the heads of each administrative body, and even the common people in the city gathered together.
"There is no separate festival."
I sat on the high bench and looked down at the stadium, watching the warriors of each tribe dance in turn. Tribes belonging to the 'Sun of the Sky'.
Lenape, Susquehannock, Mohawk, Mohegan, Wampanoag, Nanticoke, Shawnee, Savage (Powhatan), and Wandering (Quiri P'i).
Finally, the bride's side, the warriors of the Iri tribe, came out and decorated the finale with a traditional dance. The warriors of the Iri tribe, facing each other in this row, danced fiercely, wielding clubs and spears as if they were going to battle.
"We are the brave warriors of the Iri tribe!"
"If you don't want to die, run away!"
"Do you want to get shot by a poison arrow?"
Actions such as throwing a spear, stabbing a spear, striking with a club, striking with a club, etc. Every single movement that threatened the opponent was a sign of a battle.
At that moment, 'Splendid Sunset', who was seated on the right, gave a short commentary after watching the Iri Tribal Dance.
"As expected from a warlike tribe, their dancing is quite intense."
"I know."
After a while, when all the tribal dances were over, the wedding ceremony began in earnest. The 'Honest Bear', with elaborate tattoos on his chest and arms, befitting a warrior of the Lenape tribe.
'Red Fruit' is adorned with colorful ornaments all over its body according to the tradition of the Iri tribe. As the two entered the stadium together, the people in the stands cheered and congratulated them.
"The great warrior is an honest bear!"
"Chief! Congratulations on your wedding."
"You have to have many children for the sun in the sky."
As the stands in the stadium became quiet, the shamans of each tribe came out and began to offer blessings.
"···Under the sun in the sky, you have become a married couple."
"···The Creator and the spirits will lead you to a long life."
"···May this couple be filled with happiness and blessings!"
Seeing that sight again reminded me of my last wedding. At that time, 'Wind and Cloud', the organizer of this wedding, called my name.
"Finally, there will be a congratulatory speech from His Majesty the Emperor, the Son of God and Warrior."
As I entered the center of the stadium, another huge cheer erupted.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
"Your Majesty the Emperor!"
* * *
After my congratulatory speech, a feast broke out throughout the stadium. Wedding guests gathered in small groups, drank alcohol, shared food, and enjoyed the wedding festivities.
I also sat at the table with my wife, 'The Moon Rises' and my closest associates, eating and chatting.
"Did you see the honest bear face when His Majesty the Emperor gave his congratulatory speech?"
"Hahaha! You were laughing like such an idiot."
"Is your wife that nice? But you shouldn't smile so obviously."
"By the way, we must be all sweating it out by now."
Sometimes, they would chew on the 'red berries' of the 'honest bear and his bride' as a side dish or make strong jokes.
Phew!
I just kept putting rice cakes in my mouth and smiling silently.
'Have you ever tried making rice noodles?'
At that moment, 'The Moon Rises' next to me suddenly started to feel nauseous.
Whoa whoa!
"Did you eat something wrong? Are you okay?"
Looking at my worried eyes, 'The Moon Rises' waved its hand as if it was okay.
"It's okay. But, what should I do? I think I'm pregnant."
"pregnancy?"
I looked at her with surprised eyes, my mind's eye wide open.
'What? It's not one.'