Ryou couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
With a swish, the paper door slid open. A man in his thirties, dressed in traditional samurai attire with a stern and rigid expression, bowed respectfully at the entrance before stepping inside.
This was Shinjirou Konochi, the father of Kurusu Konochi, a significant supporting character in the original story. He was one of the elders of the Yomogawa family and the leader of its samurai, known for his unwavering loyalty—a vital right-hand man.
Originally, he had been dispatched to Kyushu by the Shogun to lead the Yomogawa family's samurai troops.
However, since Ryou already knew that this great war was destined to be a one-way battle from which no one would return, how could he send his most loyal subordinates to their deaths?
Not only that, but he had also recruited a group of elderly, sick, and disabled men from his territory, falsely claiming they were samurai of the Yomogawa family and sending them instead.
If not for the intervention of his father-in-law, an elder of the Kongoukaku, who suppressed the matter, Ryou himself might have faced the Shogun's reprimand. However, he didn't care at all.
As soon as the Kyushu battle ends in the destruction of the 400,000 troops, Ryou plans to raise the rebel flag immediately and attack the nearby station, preparing for the impending massive Kabane corpse wave.
Since rebellion is imminent, who would still care about the timid Shogun's thoughts, especially when his incompetence led to the death of his son?
However, Shinjirou Konochi, unaware of the inside story, obviously did not see it that way.
As a stern and rigid samurai, Ryou's decisions seemed like an evasion of a samurai's responsibilities.
He had most likely come to offer his remonstrations.
When Shinjirou Konochi saw Jeanne and Ais in the room, he couldn't help but frown.
But as a traditional samurai, he obviously wouldn't interfere in his lord's domestic affairs.
After respectfully bowing again, he solemnly spoke.
"My lord, why do you not allow me to go to Kyushu? The people of Kyushu are suffering, and the Shogun has summoned an army to suppress the Kabane. This is the time for us samurai to serve valiantly, yet why does my lord avoid battle?"
The use of ancient samurai accents made Ryou's headache a little.
He looked at Shinjirou, who had no intention of giving up until his remonstrations were successful.
Oh well, these matters can't be kept secret for long anyway.
"Bring Lord Makino here," Ryou instructed the maid at the door.
The maid promptly followed his orders and left.
His command only caused slight surprise in Shinjirou, who then continued to stare intently at him, his gaze unmistakably conveying one message.
"My lord, even if you bring the elder, I will not give up!"
Ryou simply adopted a meditative posture, eyes closed and hands in a traditional gesture.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became awkward.
Fortunately, after a few minutes, a kindly-looking elderly man in his fifties walked in.
"Father-in-law."
Ryou greeted him calmly with a bow. Though his wife, the link between the two families, had passed away, this father-in-law had helped him a great deal out of respect for Ayame, earning his respectful bow.
Makino Masamune smiled kindly.
"My good son-in-law, what can I do for you?"
Ryou sat upright, his expression deadly serious.
"Then I will speak directly. I have reliable information that the Shogun intends to sacrifice the 400,000 troops landing in Kyushu to weaken the pro-war faction."
Ryou's shocking statement left Shinjirou Konochi and Makino Masamune trembling.
"Where did you hear such rumors? How can you believe such things?"
Makino Masamune's smile disappeared, his face serious, with a hint of warning in his eyes as he glanced warily at Shinjirou, Jeanne, and Ais.
As an elder, Makino Masamune's political acumen far surpassed that of Shinjirou.
This matter was no small issue, and Makino Masamune's first concern was to prevent Ryou from being entangled in it, fearing it might even involve his dear granddaughter.
They say affection skips a generation, and that was certainly true for Makino Masamune.
As in the original story, when Aragane Station fell, Ayame immediately thought of seeking refuge with the Makino family.
"Why is it impossible?"
There wasn't a trace of a smile on Ryou's face.
"That's impossible! Leading the army is the Shogun's eldest son, Biba Amatori! How could the Shogun do such a thing?"
Who would send their only heir to their death?
Makino Masamune was the first to express disbelief.
Ryou wasn't surprised by Makino Masamune's strong opposition.
If he hadn't known the original story, even he might have been deceived.
One had to admit that while the Shogun was very timid, his cunning was not to be underestimated, as he exploited everyone's blind spots.
Using his only heir as bait, the Shogun had nearly deceived everyone.
Moreover, his forward-thinking vision in introducing the steam engine and laying railroads across Japan was remarkable.
If not for his extreme paranoia and timidity, he would have been a formidable adversary.
Knowing the original story gave Ryou enough confidence to persuade his father-in-law.
Ryou smiled faintly.
"Do you recall the incident a year ago when an assassin attacked the Shogun's residence, and the Shogun mistakenly injured his son?"
"That incident caused quite a stir, so of course, I remember."
"Then do you know that there was no assassin? The candle suddenly went out, startling the Shogun, who then accidentally struck his son with his sword."
"This…"
Makino Masamune appeared deep in thought. Given the Makino family's influence, they had likely detected some clues at the time and vaguely knew some truth, which Ryou only brought to light today.
"The Shogun's paranoia is so extreme that he fears his son harbors resentment and will seek revenge. So, he cleverly decided to strike first, planning to bury his 400,000-strong army alongside his son."
Makino Masamune's face showed hesitation; Ryou's argument was convincing.
"Knowing this, what do you intend to do?"
Makino asked in a low voice.
"Since the Shogun disregards the safety of the people for his selfish desires, perhaps it's time to consider a new leader for the shogunate!"
Ryou's resounding words shook both Makino and Shinjirou.
They never expected their lord to be so bold.
"My son-in-law, you…"
"My lord, this is…"
Both were shocked.
Ryou raised his hand, silencing them.
"Are kings and lords born to be so?'
The position of the Shogun isn't divinely ordained. If the Amatori family can hold it, why can't the Yomogawa family?"
In the end, Makino Masamune and Shinjirou were completely convinced by him.
During their conversation, Makino Masamune expressed doubts about the identities of Jeanne and Ais. Ryou openly stated that everyone in that room was among those whom he trusted the most, which only barely alleviated their suspicions. However, Makino Masamune still seemed somewhat displeased when looking at Jeanne and Ais, possibly viewing them as foreign vixens who took advantage of his daughter's death to vie for the position of the Yomogawa family's matriarch. In some respects, his assumption wasn't entirely wrong.
After some negotiation, Makino Masamune agreed that their families would officially sever ties on the surface, but secretly, he would relay covert information from Kongokaku to the Yomogawa family. Additionally, the Makino family would cultivate loyal followers within Kongokaku and recruit allies, waiting for the opportune moment to support the royal army's arrival at Kongokaku.
The shogun's strategy of sacrificing his son seemed clever, but it also sowed the seeds of significant future troubles for his reign. By having his only son lead the army, the shogun created the impression that this was a golden opportunity to earn merit, and thus many samurai families sent their most capable warriors, and heirs, or even participated themselves. If these forces were to be wiped out, the resulting turmoil would be nationwide.
The shogun believed that pushing his son to the forefront would kill two birds with one stone, but he failed to realize the widespread impact and that others would soon uncover the truth.
In the original story, even after Biba Amatori was exiled, many still followed him, and some even provided him with strategic resources like the costly Hayajiro fortress and personnel for Kabane research. This suggests that there were already significant forces within the country eager to overthrow the shogun's rule.
What Ryou wanted Makino to do was to gather these forces and use them when the time was right. This was why he was determined to bring his father-in-law onto his side.
As for the possibility of these forces turning against him, once his power was established, these threats would be negligible. After all, his goal was not to become a shogun—he aimed to unify the entire planet. To achieve this, he would need to transform into a god among men. By that time, those who opposed him would find themselves surrounded by his followers, making any attempt at rebellion futile.
In exchange for helping to execute his plan, Makino Masamune made his request: his granddaughter, Ayame, should not become a pawn in a political marriage. Ryou laughed heartily and dropped another bombshell: "My daughter, Ayame Yomogawa, will be the first woman in Japan's history to ascend to the position of shogun!"
Ryou harbored an even more ambitious plan, so shocking that he didn't reveal it to them. Being a shogun was nothing to him—he intended to make his daughter the first female emperor of the country.
After sealing the agreement with Makino Masamune, Ryou turned his attention to Shinjirou. Given that Shinjirou had trained a son Kurusu, who was both loyal and skilled in swordsmanship, he ordered him to train the warriors in the station in preparation for the upcoming battle, as a massive defeat in Kyushu was imminent, and he needed to seize this opportunity.
When Makino Masamune returned to his room, he suddenly laughed. "Kenshou Yomogawa, you're truly a remarkable man. I'm starting to believe you can succeed."
He then seemed to speak to an invisible presence. "Shadow, follow Ayame. If Kenshou Yomogawa fails, bring her back immediately."
At that moment, another voice responded in the empty room, "Understood."
Then, the faint sound of footsteps gradually faded away. As a seasoned politician, Makino Masamune wasn't one to put all his eggs in one basket. He had left behind a contingency plan: a ninja who was loyal to the Makino family. If Ryou were to fail, this ninja would follow Makino Masamune's orders and bring Ayame back to Kongokaku.
...
Meanwhile, Ryou also began his preparations in earnest. He sold off all his wealth to purchase large quantities of supplies, focusing mainly on gunpowder, and firearms, and even acquiring two cannons. He also stockpiled food, medicine, and other strategic materials. If it weren't for everyone's attention being on the Kyushu campaign, his actions would certainly have drawn suspicion from Kongokaku, and the shogun would have ordered him to commit seppuku.
In times of chaos, ambitious men find fertile ground for their ambitions.
While Ryou was busy with affairs of state, Ais spent her days training in swordsmanship, leaving Jeanne with little to do. She decided to fulfill her promise to look after Ryou's daughter, Ayame. However, Ayame seemed to be wary of Jeanne's blonde hair and blue eyes, avoiding her at every turn. Jeanne, unwilling to force the issue, could only worry about the situation.
Today, Jeanne finally managed to catch Ayame and was about to greet her when her expression suddenly changed.
"Who's there?"
She demanded, swiftly moving to shield Ayame.
The hidden figure's pupils shrank, and they instinctively drew in a sharp breath. Jeanne's gaze followed the sound to the large, leafy tree in the garden. The figure realized they had been discovered.
"Damn!" they muttered, preparing to retreat, only to witness something astonishing. Jeanne stomped the ground with such force that it left a small crater, and in less than a second, she had crossed over twenty meters, appearing before them.
"A monster!" the figure thought, fumbling for a smoke bomb while desperately retreating. But even while suppressed, Jeanne's C-rank abilities were far beyond what an ordinary human could handle. In an instant, she seized the figure's wrists and, like an eagle grasping a chick, dragged them into the open courtyard.
"A child?!"
Jeanne exclaimed, shocked as the figure's appearance was revealed.