What Does a Super Weak Minor Lord in the Sengoku Era Aim For? - Chapter 14

Eiroku 3 (1560), January – Iwafune Temple – Shima Kiyooki

I set out from the estate of an acquaintance in Minami-Yamashiro, traveling to Yamato for martial training. It was not a journey of urgency but rather of leisure, as I visited acquaintances along the way as I pleased.

One such acquaintance was Keiei-bō, a warrior monk of Iwafune Temple. I had known him since childhood—he once lived in Heguri as a guest of my father, and it was he who first taught me the spear when I was a boy.

Now, at twenty years old, I had returned to Yamato at the end of the year and decided to visit Keiei-san here at Iwafune Temple. As we spent time reminiscing and training in spear techniques, I unintentionally ended up welcoming the new year at the temple.

“Yamanaka is attacking! We must retreat to Jōruriji Temple!”

I had heard rumors that a warrior named Yamanaka had settled in the neighboring village of Hōyō. Now, he had gained power and suddenly launched an assault.

I was curious about this man—I had planned to visit his territory eventually.

But it seemed he had come to us first.

Staying behind at the temple alone served no purpose, so I found myself accompanying Jissai Shōnin, the head monk, as he fled under the protection of the warrior monks.

Iwafune Temple and Jōruriji Temple were close, and the monks of the two shared a deep connection. However, the reputation of the temples among the people was starkly different.

Jissai Shōnin was spoken of as a merciful and selfless man, a true embodiment of Buddha’s compassion. Meanwhile, Jōruriji’s head monk, Unten Shōnin, was rumored to be more skilled at counting coins than chanting sutras.

The fact that he employed so many warrior monks was seen as proof of his greed and unscrupulous nature.

“You lot will receive further orders later. Stay here and wait until then!”

A towering warrior monk, the head of Jōruriji’s warrior monks, barked orders from the veranda.

I noticed Keiei-san’s face twitch slightly.

It was clear he wanted to retort, ‘I am not one of your subordinates!’. But having sought refuge here, he swallowed his pride.

Even I found it troubling—after rushing here for safety, we were told to simply sit and wait.

Then again, Kyokaibō was known as a brute with no heart. 

It was hardly surprising.

“A unit of Yamanaka’s forces is heading this way. We will strike them down at the gate. You will circle around and attack them from behind!”

Kyokaibō gave this command unilaterally, leaving us with no choice but to exit the temple from the rear.

“What’s with that attitude…?”

One of the warrior monks could not contain his frustration.

“Indeed! That was uncalled for!” The others murmured in agreement.

“Well, Jissai Shōnin is here, so we have no choice but to endure it. But still… Yamanaka’s forces have split into two groups, and they wield only bamboo spears. What is the meaning of this?”

Hmph… that concerns me as well.

Though Yamanaka’s forces claim to be conducting drills, it is clear they are actually advancing with the intent to conquer Kamo-go.
Yet, if that is the case, why would they abandon their advantage in numbers and weaponry when facing the warrior monks of Jōruriji?

…Could it be…

“This might be a trap. They could be luring Kyokaibō and his men out.”

“Hmm… if that’s the case, it would explain their movements. Then, what should we do?”

“Keiei-san, I’ve heard that the commander of Yamanaka’s forces is a man named Kitamura.”

“Ah, Kitamura, the esteemed disciple of the Yagyū school… You trained under the same school, did you know him?”

“Yes. I received instruction at the Yagyū dōjō.”

“…What kind of man is he?”

“Honest, sincere, and highly trustworthy.”

“…Then it seems we have placed our trust in the wrong side.”

From the age of seven until fifteen, I had trained at Yagyū many times. Martial arts suited me well.
If possible, I wished to continue living as a warrior.

“What shall we do?”

“We’ll follow the arrogant fool’s command and move to the rear. But not Yamanaka’s rear.”

With those words, Keiei-san altered our course. We would align with Yamanaka’s forces and move to the rear of Kyokaibō’s men instead.

Quickening our pace, we circled around the famed gardens of Jōruriji Temple and neared the highway.

“Hmm… seems like we made it just in time. Perfect.”

Peering onto the highway, Keiei-san gave his order. Along the way, he had mentioned wanting to observe how Yamanaka’s forces fought.

On the road, Yamanaka’s troops had formed a tight spear wall, bracing for impact. The warrior monks charged in, attempting to break their formation, but their assault had stopped.

The monks were unable to penetrate Yamanaka’s defenses.

The monks’ bodies obstructed the view, making it difficult to see how Yamanaka’s troops were moving. I quickened my pace to get a clearer look.

By the temple gate, Unten Shōnin and his followers watched the battle. Jissai Shōnin stood beside them, and upon noticing us, began walking over.
Keiei-san, standing behind me, signaled with a slight movement.

At that moment, a series of shouts rang out—

“Thrust! Strike! Press forward!”

Their cries overlapped with agonized screams:

“Gyaaah!” “Guhh!” “Ughh!”

Yamanaka’s soldiers, wielding green bamboo spears, were striking down the monks one after another. I could see Kyokaibō’s back trembling as he watched his men fall.

“You… you damn outsiders! I, Kyokaibō, will cut down your bamboo spears like twigs!”

Kyokaibō charged forward, wielding his prized ōnaginata.

From Yamanaka’s ranks, a lone figure stepped forward to meet him.

Oh… It’s Kitamura-dono, spear in hand. It has been a long time since I last saw his spear techniques.

…Hmm? Has his stance changed slightly?

“Doryaa! Kuraa! You bastard!”

Kyokaibō bellowed as he wildly swung his naginata with brute force.
He relied purely on strength, but if one of those strikes landed, it would surely be devastating. No one could afford to take a direct hit.

Though he boasted of being unmatched in power, those around him whispered that he was nothing more than a simple-minded brute.

Against Kitamura-dono, a true warrior, he was hardly a worthy opponent.

Kitamura-dono faced him with remarkable composure, deftly dodging each strike.

As expected.
But how would he exploit this reckless flurry of attacks?

If it were me… I suppose I would simply wait for my opponent to tire out.

Oh? Kyokaibō’s movements have slowed.
Kitamura-dono’s spear has caught and pinned his naginata. Kyokaibō struggles to wrench it free, stepping back—but Kitamura-dono presses forward in turn.

“Gweh—!”

Finally, frustration got the better of Kyokaibō. The moment he forced his way forward, Kitamura-dono’s spear struck.

Kyokaibō, who had been standing like a sturdy pole, crumpled to the ground with a loud thud.

So, even a warrior monk who prided himself on brute strength was no match for a true warrior.

None of Jōruriji’s warrior monks remained standing.

“Is that you, Kiyooki?”

Kitamura-dono had noticed me.

“Yes, Kitamura-dono. It has been a long time. I had been staying at the other temple, but when I heard that an army was invading from the neighboring village, I fled here with Jissai Shōnin and the others. However, upon realizing that you were the enemy commander, I intended to lend my aid—but as it turns out, there was no need.”

“I see. We had many new recruits, and I was too occupied to take notice. My apologies.”

“Not at all.”

Kitamura-dono then turned his gaze toward the temple gate.

“Now, is that man the head monk of this temple? You dare to incite these corrupt monks to attack us while we were merely conducting drills. So, what should I do with you…?”

Unten Shōnin and his followers, standing inside the temple grounds, had turned deathly pale and were visibly trembling.

“I-I was merely watching! I never incited anyone…!”

“Then are you claiming these warrior monks are not from your temple?”

“N-no, they are indeed monks of this temple, but I never ordered them to attack…!”

“That is a strange thing to hear. The one who hires, feeds, and commands the warrior monks is the head monk of the temple, is he not? So, are you saying that you are not the head monk of Jōruriji?”

“…No, I am indeed the head monk of this temple…”

“Hmm. Then do not continue to make excuses. A monk who preaches the teachings of the Buddha cannot be permitted to wield weapons and kill. In the world of the samurai, when one loses a battle, he must take responsibility with his own life. So, what will you do, Head Monk?”

Unjō Shōnin only trembled uncontrollably, unable to even utter a word.

“Now then, Kiyooki, I’ve heard bits and pieces of your story through rumors. What have you been doing since then?”

I sat on the veranda of Jōruriji, drinking warm water alongside Kitamura-dono.

In the battle just now, about half of the warrior monks, including Kyokaibō, had perished. The aftermath was currently being handled—wounded soldiers were receiving treatment, and the dead were being buried as Jissai Shōnin chanted sutras to offer prayers for their souls.

As for Unjō Shōnin, now abandoned by Kitamura-dono, he was in a dazed state, unable to comprehend what had happened. He would almost certainly lose most of the temple’s land.
Even if he were allowed to remain here, his passion for counting coins would no longer have any purpose.

What Kitamura-dono had been referring to was my family’s history.

The Shima family was once a clan of local warriors who held a decent portion of land in Heguri.

But when I was fifteen, my father passed away, and my uncles shamelessly seized the household and our lands, driving my family out as if it were the natural order of things.

With nowhere else to go, we relied on distant relatives in Minami-Yamashiro, living a meager and humble existence, constantly wary of imposing on others.

Perhaps it was this stress that led to my mother’s passing last summer. Ironically, it happened the day after we received news that my uncles had been killed in battle during Matsunaga’s invasion.

After mourning for forty-nine days, I turned twenty and set out on a journey to hone my martial skills.

“Hmm… You’ve been through a lot. So you wish to pursue the path of a warrior? And where are you headed next?”

“Yes. I had planned to visit you, Kitamura-dono, and afterward, I was considering heading to either Hōzōin or Yagyū.”

“Tinei-dono, huh? That’s not a bad choice. But our commander’s spear is quite something as well.”

“Yamanaka-dono?”

“Indeed. I wouldn’t stand a chance against him. He uses unexpected techniques, and his battle spirit is extraordinary…”

“That much…? Ah, the technique you just used earlier—”

“That’s right. Our commander taught me that.”

“….”

A vivid image of the yet-unseen Yamanaka-dono loomed large in my mind.