◆
"Right now, I'm filled with intense regret... my brother-in-law. I want to go and cut down the me from a few days ago who carelessly let that big fish swim right in front of me get away."
I was utterly at a loss as to how to respond to what Nobunaga said when he arrived at Kinka-ji Temple accompanied by Ieyasu.
Nobunaga's gaze was indeed fixed on Haruhime, who was huddled uncomfortably in the corner of the room.
Ieyasu, too, gazed at Haruhime with passionate eyes, much like a boy who had unexpectedly encountered his beloved idol.
It felt like about 30 minutes had passed since they entered the room, but the conversation hadn't progressed at all; they had only been praising Haruhime.
(Well... I can certainly understand that.)
When I turn my face towards Haruhime, she gives me a pleading look.
Even setting aside any bias and looking at it objectively, Princess Osamu was indeed beautiful at that moment.
The crimson kimono accentuated Princess Haruhime's pale skin and also complemented her dark brown hair beautifully.
However, she is a beautiful woman to begin with.
It was only natural that dressing a beautiful woman in a beautiful kimono would double or even more her charm.
"So, Shigeharu? It's not too late. Would you like to become a member of the Oda family?"
"No, you're kidding!"
Nobunaga, who had gone beyond mere praise and taken a bold step forward, hastily jumped on the opportunity.
Then Nobunaga gave me a mischievous, teasing look—
"If you agree, I will grant you 20,000 koku in Owari as a dowry. Of course, this is separate from any new territory you may have. I will also give you beautiful kimonos, jewels, anything you desire... I believe there is ample room for consideration."
—That's what he said.
It should be obvious just how exceptional that treatment is.
The Asai family's total assessed yield is currently only around 480,000 koku.
There's absolutely no way we can afford to contribute 20,000 koku plus a little extra.
They say a man's worth is his capability and ability... but in that respect, I was far behind Nobunaga.
"In that case, let's prepare 30,000 koku for the Tokugawa. In addition, once we seize the land in Tōtōmi..."
Unlike Nobunaga, Ieyasu had a very serious expression on his face when he said that.
His gaze towards Haruhime was as intense as ever, and perhaps there was a chance he might be interested in her.本気Serious
With a strong sense of crisis and impatience, I made a firm declaration to the two of them.
"Let me say this boldly—this girl, Osamu, is my woman. No matter what happens, from now on. If you try to take her away from me... Fine. Prepare for battle. I'll take you on with arrows and bullets."
I'm not the kind of person who would be happy if my woman were stolen from me.
"Your lord...!"
I thought I heard Princess Osamu's voice filled with passion, but that's not a major issue at the moment.
When I glared at Nobunaga and Ieyasu, Nobunaga let out a laugh as if he found it amusing.
"—This is terrible! What... I, Nobunaga, do not possess such a wicked taste as to tear apart a loving couple! Right, Lord Ieyasu!"
"nothing..."
When Nobunaga demanded an answer from Ieyasu, he simply groaned and remained motionless.
With a childlike innocence and straightforwardness, she alternates her gaze between me and Haruhime, conveying genuine and unadulterated emotions.
Nobunaga continued speaking in a voice that seemed to crush it.
"After all, to become the greatest military strategist in the land, one must be a man who can easily hunt down a hawk or two! And to win the affection of Lord Shigeharu, who serves by that man's side, it is inevitable that one must conquer the entire land to be worthy of him!"虜Captive
"To rule the world... hmm."
Nobunaga's laughter and Ieyasu's solemn voice mingled, echoing throughout the small, four-and-a-half-mat room.
Haruhime smiled at me with a troubled expression—and seeing that look, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it seems she finds my presence by her side more appealing than financial security.
When I smiled at Haruhime, she tilted her head and returned a seductive smile.
"Now then, my brother-in-law."
Facing me with a serious expression, Nobunaga called out to me.
I straightened my posture and faced my brother-in-law, who was worthy of my respect.
"First, let me express my gratitude. We members of the Oda family feel deep gratitude towards our brother-in-law—no, Lord Nagamasa. Without Lord Nagamasa, not only Mino but Owari, and even our own lives, would have been in danger... I can never thank you enough."
"Th-that's not true...!"
I hastily interrupted Nobunaga's voice.
"I'm the one who should be grateful! If it weren't for you, my brother-in-law, if you hadn't protected me, I would have died!"
"Hmm... well, I knew it all along—you're a humble man. In this case, you should just be proud and keep quiet... Now, before we begin our serious discussion, I must give this to my brother-in-law."
Saying that, Nobunaga presented me with—匣box
It reminds me of the "box" that I once saw at Princess Osamu's castle, which contained magic that could swap voices .腔片Kohen
"this is...?"
"This is the item the city asked me to get. Please give it to him as a parting gift from your brother."
I picked up the box and looked at it again.
As usual, this box, shaped like a perfect square, is almost certainly an object imbued with magic.
(Is it something like, for an easier delivery or something like that...?)
Many questions arose, but as long as Ieyasu was in front of me, I couldn't keep dithering forever.
For the time being, I simply said, "I'll take care of it," and placed the mysterious box next to me.
Then, Princess Chihime silently emerged from the corner of the room, retrieved it, and returned to the corner.
"And the first thing I'd like to confirm is—about the division of the hawk's body."
Nobunaga said this, and first looked at Ieyasu.
"Since Lord Ieyasu has gone to the trouble of coming all the way to Mino, I cannot send him back empty-handed. So, how about five hawk scales?"
"...I am grateful."
As I watched Ieyasu bow deeply, to be honest, I didn't fully grasp the situation.
All we know for sure is that how we divide the body parts of the hawk we killed is something that requires three daimyo to discuss—and that the hawk's body is valuable enough to be the subject of a reward.大事A big deal
"And as for my brother-in-law—"
Because Nobunaga and Ieyasu's gazes were focused on me, I instinctively straightened my back.
"Incredibly, it was actually my brother-in-law who killed the hawk. The greatest contributor to this falconry hunt is undoubtedly Lord Nagamasa. Therefore, we must show him the appropriate respect. So..."
Nobunaga looked me straight in the eye and asked:
"I would like to create armor using the scales and membranes of a hawk and present it to my brother-in-law—what do you think?"
Ieyasu's eyes widened in surprise, and he gasped. From behind him, Princess Osamu let out a cry of astonishment.
To be honest, I'm completely unfamiliar with the common sense of this era.
Even so, judging by their reaction, it's clear that these are quite exceptional terms.
It seems best to just accept this without overthinking it.
"I am grateful for the kindness of my brother-in-law... no, Lord Oda Kazusa-no-suke."
"Hmm. In that case—Lord Ieyasu, my brother-in-law, shall we agree that the remaining parts will be entirely Oda's?"
We nodded slowly—Ieyasu seemed completely convinced, and I nodded along, even though I didn't really understand why.
Nobunaga finally seemed relieved, letting out a big sigh as if to say, "That's one less thing to worry about."
Indeed, the bodies of monsters must be quite valuable—especially those of hawk-class creatures.
Therefore, Nobunaga probably didn't want the distribution to leave any lingering dissatisfaction among the parties involved.
(But, hawk scales are that golden color, aren't they?)
They say it's a samurai's honor to stand out on the battlefield—but even so, a full golden style, covered in gold from head to toe, seems like it would stand out in a very bad way.
"Even so, it was a strange story, wasn't it? For a hawk to appear at this time of year."
Ieyasu uttered those words as I was daydreaming of myself clad in a gleaming golden suit of armor, riding on Indra's Moon.
"While hawks are natural enemies of humankind, they are not the kind of creatures that appear during winter or early spring. If they were to appear, it would be in the summer when temperatures rise... It's unusual for hawks, which are inherently sensitive to cold, to be awake at this time of year."
It seems that not only Ieyasu but also Nobunaga had the same question—the two great figures of the Sengoku period began to grumble with their arms crossed.
"That's right. Winter and spring are the seasons when the ' ' that hawks dislike become active. Therefore, the prevailing theory was that they would dig holes deep in the mountains and hibernate during this time to avoid encountering them..."月桂樹Moonflower
...I'm terribly sorry, but I have absolutely no idea what Nobunaga and the others are talking about.
The laurel tree I know is an evergreen tree belonging to the laurel family, a tree that grows many leaves that are used as fragrances and spices.
However, in this world—given that phrases like "from winter to spring" or "the season of activity" are being used—it's probably referring to monsters.
However, even though we know it's a monster, its exact appearance remains unknown.
Just like a hawk, it's possible that it's completely different from what I associate with that name.
"Lord Nobunaga, in addition to that, butterbur sprouts should also be active in the mountainous areas at this time of year—there is absolutely no reason for the hawk to awaken from hibernation."
Butterbur sprouts are delicious, especially when deep-fried as tempura.
But surely, no, definitely—the "butterbur sprouts" they're talking about aren't the bitter, delicious plant.
In any case—if I keep listening to this nonsensical conversation, my head will explode.
As soon as I returned to Kita-Omi, I resolved to find and read some kind of "Monster Encyclopedia"—and then I decided to interrupt Nobunaga and Ieyasu, who continued to argue back and forth.
"Lord Nobunaga, and Lord Ieyasu, if the natural occurrence of hawks is unnatural... then perhaps we should consider this to be something that was artificially induced."
Nobunaga and the others stopped their circular argument and looked at me with puzzled expressions.
However, I don't think my opinion is entirely off the mark.
For example, in the world I used to come from, bears often come down into towns in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, causing trouble.
But even the bear didn't come down from the mountains because it wanted to.
They are forced to appear because their food sources disappear due to a wide range of human activities, or because they are unable to hibernate, or because they are woken up from hibernation.
If hawks are indeed monsters that hibernate in this world, then we must consider various scenarios to determine why they have emerged out of season.
That is what it means to be a historian who seeks to uncover the truth of society , and that is the way of life I believe in.仕事Metier
"In any case, we need to find out what caused the hawk to wake up... If it's unlikely to be a spontaneous occurrence, then we'll have to come up with some other hypothesis. For example—"
I looked at the two of them with a determined gaze and said:
"If this was the result of the Asakura family raiding the mountains in order to eliminate the Oda family, who were getting in the way of keeping our Asai family under control..."
"That's ridiculous..."
Ieyasu glanced at Haruhime for a moment, then frowned and responded to my words.顰deer
"Such a thing is inhumane and unacceptable. I don't know what kind of history the Asakura family has with the Oda and Azai families, but there's no way such a thing could exist. A plan to awaken a hawk in order to kill a person... that would only result in the strategist himself being killed by his own plan."翻Turning over
"What I'm trying to say is that we must consider many different possibilities. Even if a hypothesis seems far-fetched, we can't rule out the possibility that it's true. Inferences must always be fluid—we must strictly refrain from dismissing something as impossible from the start and excluding it from consideration."
Silence descends upon a room in Kinka-ji Temple.
We all remained silent, not moving a muscle.
And what broke that balance was—a small sneeze that echoed from the corner of the room.
Suddenly, the tension dissipated, and Ieyasu, as if caught up in the coughing, began to cough as well.
"Hmm. It seems I've spent quite a bit of time on this... Forgive me."
Saying that, Nobunaga stood up and exchanged glances with me and Haruhime.
"Now, I'd like Lord Ieyasu to wait here for a while. There are still many things we need to discuss—so, my brother-in-law, please come with me."
After bowing to Ieyasu and shaking his hand, I stepped outside with Princess Osamu—and immediately a gentle breeze, somehow warm amidst the cold, began to blow.
When they joined forces with the soldiers of the Asai and Oda families who were guarding Kinka-ji Temple, everyone stared at Osamu-hime with astonished expressions.
It had become that much more glamorous and elegant. High-quality clothing, when used appropriately by its owner, can significantly enhance their appearance.
"Hmm..."
While everyone else was captivated by Haruhime, besides me and Nobunaga, I think Naotsune was probably the only one who observed her calmly.
He examined her from head to toe, then patted Haruhime on the shoulder and whispered something in her ear.
Haruhime is also saying something in response, but I can't hear what she's saying at all.
However, unlike before, I don't feel any discomfort at all, which is probably because of my absolute trust that Naotsune would never betray me.
"Even so, men are such simple creatures...don't you think so?"
Nobunaga said that to me as I was observing the exchange between Haruhime and Naotsune near the entrance to the horse training grounds, which are very close to Kinkaji Temple.
"Leaving aside the soldiers, even Ieyasu was in such a pathetic state just now. My brother-in-law may have already guessed, but... that fellow has fallen in love with Shigeharu. Considering his circumstances, being on bad terms with his wife, it's perhaps unavoidable..."
"teeth..."
"When a man is involved with a woman he's fallen for, he suddenly becomes boastful and easily angered... We couldn't talk any further in that situation. We'll just have to make another opportunity to discuss it later."
He was a man of deep compassion by nature, but this was truly troublesome—Nobunaga sighed heavily and walked through the fence of the horse stable.
The horse stables were located at the horse training grounds, and Nobunaga marched steadily towards them.
I hastily followed him and peered into the stable—
"Indra Moon Hair...!"
—There, lying exhausted amidst the haystack, was his beloved horse.
Beside her, a massive grebe hound was nestled tenderly.
When Indra saw me, it let out a small cry of "Kyuuuuun" and then sank weakly into the haystack.
"Weakness due to bruising. A thin layer of a mixture of taro, ginger, and sake should be applied to the affected area, then it should be tied with burlap and kept at rest."
As I stood there stunned by the large bump that had formed on Taishakutsukimo's side , Nobunaga spoke to me in a voice that was as calm as possible.青痣bruise
"But that horse is a real problem. Whenever anyone in our household tries to treat it, it resists with all its might... It must hate being touched. On top of that, the dappled gray horse is acting like a knight protecting the princess... There's nothing more we can do. It would be best to move it to northern Omi as soon as possible and let it recuperate."
"...thank you"
As I stroked Taishakutsukimo's neck, I watched in amazement as hay, jars of medicine, and hemp bandages were loaded onto a huge cart—the cart pulled closer, and Taishakutsukimo shakily stood up.
Then, as Hebosun lay down on the hay in the cart, the roaning gray bird cried out in concern.
"...So, it's not just humans, but males in general are this simple-minded, huh?"
Or perhaps, the very act of striving for complexity is arrogant.
As the keepers desperately tried to hold back the dwarf turtle that was trying to climb into the cart, Nobunaga's murmured words stuck in my mind for some reason.
◆
After seeing Nobunaga off, Haruhime and I were on a cart, accompanied by the Oda escort.
The reason why members of the Oda family accompanied Asai on his return to his territory is quite simple.
In other words, it was to return Kicho, who had gone to the Asai family as a hostage.
However, its course is directed north, not west.
Our destination was the forest—the place where we encountered the hawk.
"My lord, what business do you have in a place like this?"
Standing before the entrance to the forest, Naotsune, mounted on horseback, asks me a question.
It was a perfectly natural question, if you think about it.
Not only Naotsune, but also the soldiers of the Asai family, including Haruhime, and even the soldiers of the Oda family who might have been at the falconry site—they wouldn't know my purpose.
"There's something I need to find. At the very least, something I need to see through to the end."
Without saying anything more than necessary, I simply conveyed my own intentions.
Indeed, Naotsune nodded quietly and returned to guarding the cart carrying us.
Needless to say, neither the soldiers of the Asai clan nor the soldiers of the Oda clan will defy my will.
Perhaps it's the imposing presence of having successfully completed a falconry hunt that makes them feel that way.
We ventured into the forest and were quickly surrounded.行燈斑猫Andon Hanmyo
Two horses, pulling a cart, push forward along a pathless route.
Then we hit a spot where the surrounding trees had been mowed down.
The trees were shattered into pieces, leaving behind a straight, vertical line of destruction.
Looking down from the horribly destroyed and toppled trees, one could see that the humus that had provided them with abundant nutrients in their lifetime had been deeply eroded.
"Those are the tracks left by a hawk."
I said, loud enough for Naotsune, who was bringing his horse closer, and Haruhime, who was leaning out of the cart beside me, to hear.
"The traces of where my brother-in-law and I were chased...they must be somewhere around here."
However, to put it simply, we found nothing.
There were no belongings left behind by Sakuma Nobumori, the Oda general who saved me and Nobunaga.
He single-handedly charged at the hawk, buying us time to escape—he blinded one of the hawk's eyes, giving us a chance to win—but there was no trace of his life to be found.
"My lord..."
As I got off the truck bed and inspected my surroundings, Naotsune, perhaps sensing everything as a warrior, let out a voice tinged with emotion.
"...Hawks devour humans. Without a trace, completely."
"—Oh, right, no... that's true."
It was I who witnessed firsthand the hawk devouring soldiers and horses.
I should have known. I knew what would happen to someone who challenged a hawk, and what became of them.
Yes, it disappeared.
It vanished.
He is no longer in this world. He vanished along with his belongings, leaving behind only his fluorite sword.
As I silently returned to the cart, Taishakutsukimo, wrapped in bandages, stretched out its neck and rubbed its head against me as if to comfort me.
As I stroked her neck, I let out a deep sigh.
I was prepared for it, but the facts and circumstances are still quite hard to bear.
He has vanished from the forefront of history, and has become a figure of the past—a figure of memory.
"...It seems there are a lot of spotted cats gathered over there, sir."
Saying this, Princess Chihime pointed far into the distance to the left of the cart.
Indeed, the faintly visible mass of light was undoubtedly the light emitted by the lantern-colored cat.
"Ah, that's the final destination."
The carts and soldiers keep going, going.
It was the first time they had seen it illuminated by the lantern-shaped cat.
The soldiers all held their breath.
I got off the cart with a bundle of liquor and hammock cloth and walked ahead of them.
Some of the lantern-colored cats that had been hopping around began to gather around me, and I was once again confronted with the pitiful sight of their bodies. But—
"—It seems he's still alive... That's a relief."
And indeed, it was a gigantic figure with a large body .天虹蚕Tenko-san蚕silkworm
The bleeding seems to have stopped, but it looks extremely weak and doesn't move at all even when it sees us.
"My lord... this is..."
"He was probably attacked by a hawk. He was badly injured, so I can't forget it."
I said that, took a sip of sake, and sprayed it in a mist onto the wound of the silkworm.
Whether or not this will have any disinfecting effect on this monster is unknown—but we'll do what we can.
I climbed onto the back of the wriggling silkworm, sprayed it with more alcohol, and then wrapped a bandage around the wound to cover it.
"This should be fine."
Once I had completely covered the wound with bandages, I was satisfied and slid off the fluffy back of the Heavenly Rainbow Silkworm.
Then, I gently stroked the head of this giant silkworm, which had been staring intently at us, saying, "It's okay, it's okay."
"Naotsune, and Osamu... I wonder what they eat."
Naotsune tilted his head in response to my question.
In contrast, Haruhime seemed to possess some knowledge, and she began to speak slowly, as if groping for information from the depths of her memory.
"To be honest, we don't really know much about the ecology of the Heavenly Rainbow Silkworm. Their population is small, and they rarely come out in front of people..."
"I see..."
I hung my head in disappointment.
If I knew exactly what they were going to eat, I would have tried to do something to help them gain strength—as long as it wasn't human flesh.
But, Osamu continued.
"The ordinary silkworms we raise don't have mouths, but these Heavenly Rainbow silkworms do—they have a proboscis, like a butterfly's. So, I think they might drink water."
Indeed, if you crouch down in front of the Tianhong silkworm, you can see its mouth, which looks like a coiled straw.
The fact that I'm even thinking about whether they drink sugar water or something like that probably proves I'm a boy after all.
Every man has probably had the experience of catching an insect with a net and placing a sponge soaked in sugar water on it.鳳蝶Swallowtail butterfly
"Hey, Taishakutsukimo... Can you communicate with this Tenkosan silkworm?"
I asked my beloved horse, who was gazing at me and Tenkosan, both of us, with a dazzled expression at the light of Andonbanneko.
Then she let out a small neigh and called out to the giant silkworm, "Kyuuuuuuuuu."
Just as I thought the Heavenly Rainbow Silkworm had moved its body slightly, it let out a weak "Pee" in return.
"oh..."
The soldiers of Oda and Asai were in an uproar.
They probably never imagined that horses and silkworms could communicate with each other.
No, I hadn't thought so either—and it seemed that Naotsune and Haruhime felt the same way.
Naotsune was intently observing the situation unfolding before him, and Haruhime was also giving him a sharp look, one hand covering her mouth.
"Taishakutsukimo, I'm sorry to bother you while you're in pain, but could you just tell him that we have no intention of harming him? And also tell him that what we sprayed on him was for disinfection."
The Indra cries, and the celestial rainbow silkworms chirp softly.
Then the silkworm smoothly extended its proboscis and pressed the tip against my cheek.
It was as gentle as a kiss.
The slight sweat that had been dripping from me was sucked into its straw-like mouth, and the silkworm slowly retracted its proboscis.
"Once your injuries heal, make sure you return to your original home... The hawk that attacked you is gone now. Rest well."
I said that much and returned to the cart.
Taishakutsukimo is making some kind of noise, but it's probably translating my lines and relaying them to Tenkosan.
When I gently stroked her neck, Taishakutsukimo moaned softly in a sweet, affectionate voice, seemingly enjoying the moment.
It seems that when a creature's body weakens, it becomes more clingy and wants to be pampered.
Enjoying this rare sight of her, who is usually so dignified, the cart carrying us left the forest and finally began its westward journey towards northern Omi.
"May I ask you a question, sir?"
"what up?"
As we rattled and shook in the back of the truck, Chihime asked me a question.
"Why... why did you choose the Heavenly Rainbow Silkworm...? Judging from your demeanor, it seemed as though treating that monster was something you had planned from the beginning..."
As she asked that question, there was a hint of a testing look in her eyes.
However, there was no grand reason like the tactics or strategies that Haruhime might have in mind—it was merely a very simple motive.
"I couldn't just leave him there. Someone who was hurt, in pain, and completely helpless. I just wanted to reach out and help him, that's all."
Upon hearing my reply, Princess Chihime smiled softly and narrowed her eyes—
"That's a very typical response from you."
—That's what he said.
Once you pass through Sekigahara, Sugawa Castle will be right in front of you.
It seems the soldiers in the castle towers are making a big fuss after spotting us, and there are two of them waving the Asai clan's battle standard.
The gate was wide open, revealing not only the soldiers of Sugawa Castle, but also their wives, children, and servants.
(Finally, he's back...)
I held Princess Chihime's hand, stood up from the cart, and waved my arms.
I have returned—to Kita-Ōmi. And to Princess Ichihime.
—This is where our new history begins.