What Does a Super Weak Minor Lord in the Sengoku Era Aim For? - Chapter 16

January 12th – Yagyū Highway – Yamanaka Yūzaburō

Today, the cold has eased, bringing a warm, spring-like day. It has been a while since I last rode a horse, but my body seems to have adjusted, making the ride quite comfortable.

We’ll soon reach Tairashimizu Village. Sakukichi, a villager from there, has run ahead to announce our arrival.

It’s been a while—though only about eight days, really. I had hoped to train longer, but the situation didn’t allow it.

Even so, those days were incredibly fulfilling.

Though my time at the Yagyū dojo was short, I trained from dawn until dusk without rest. The greatest benefit was the chance to spar extensively with skilled practitioners.

In this era, sparring is done with wooden swords.

A strike to the body can break bones. And a hit to the head can be fatal.
The fear of getting hit is almost identical to real combat, and one must overcome it while focusing entirely on split-second movements.

I was able to immerse myself completely in that training. On top of that, I built some connections with the Yagyū warriors.

There’s still much more I want to learn, but time will not permit it. From now on, I must continue honing my skills in the dojo at my estate and on the battlefield.

At last, I feel confident in facing real combat.

Oh, I see people gathered ahead.

At the front, smiling, stands Shimizu Sanjūrō, Jūzō’s father. Beside him is his wife, Mika-dono.
Jūzō’s son, Mikinosuke, and his younger brothers are also present.

But most of all, the sight of the villagers’ smiling faces is heartwarming. They shouldn’t even know who I am, yet they’re all grinning and waving at me.

There are soldiers, too. Jūzō’s trusted man, Satō Katsuzō, leads about ten men, keeping watch over the villages deep in the southern mountains.

“My lord, we have been waiting for you!”

“Oh, Sanjūrō! I appreciate the warm welcome. But why is there such a crowd here?”

“Why, you ask? The people have gathered because they want to see the lord who expanded the once-weak household in one swift move.”

“…I see. But it was you and the others who actually carried out the work.”

“We only acted according to your commands, my lord.”

“Hmm, you’ve all worked hard. I’ll continue relying on you.”

“Leave it to us. We’ll keep a close watch over the six villages of Okuyama from here.”

The road from Tairashimizu Village to Hōyō Village used to be a winding mountain path, but now it has been widened and straightened.

As we neared Hōyō Village, this time it was Manzō who ran ahead to announce our arrival.

Hōyō Village has grown. Though the new dwellings were nothing more than simple huts, they filled the open spaces of the flatlands, making the village feel slightly larger.

Oh, I see Rokuzāemon, the village chief, standing by the roadside with a few others.

“My lord, welcome back!”

“Rokuzāemon, I must have caused you all sorts of trouble. My apologies.”

“What are you saying? Thanks to you, Hōyō Village is livelier than ever. It’s on its way to becoming a castle town!”

“…A castle town, huh? I wonder how things will turn out…”

I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. Where our main base should be is still uncertain—it all depends on the situation.
But that manor where I first awakened in this era… that place is important to me.

And now, my manor has changed dramatically.

Rather than a simple estate, it now resembled a proper fortress, just as everyone had started calling it a fortress too. The original estate had become the honmaru (main compound), while to the left, a large section of land had been expanded, forming a ninomaru (second compound).
Beyond that, a sannomaru (third compound) was also under construction.

Small huts were lined up like walls around the ninomaru, blocking the view inside. From behind them, multiple columns of smoke rose into the sky, and the sounds of people hard at work could be heard.

On the right side of the road, the mountainside had been carved out into terraced land, now packed with rows of wooden huts. They, too, were sending plumes of smoke into the air.

Along the widened highway, a simple gate stood, consisting of just two pillars. At the gate, Jūzō stood alone, waiting.

When he spotted me, his face crumpled with emotion.

“General, welcome back…”

“Oh, Jūzō. You’ve worked hard.”

“Yes, I have. I put in everything I had. But seeing things change so rapidly—it’s been quite exhilarating as well.”

“I see. Then let’s make it even more exhilarating. But still… this place has changed a lot.”

“Heh heh, General, it’s too soon to be surprised. Our lord has returned—sound the conch!”

At Jūzō’s signal, a war conch was blown. Its piercing call rang out clearly through the winter sky.

The noise from within and outside the fortress instantly fell silent.

“General, please inspect Yamanaka Fortress—Ninomaru!”

Urged on by Jūzō, I entered through the gate and proceeded to the right.

The path was narrow at first, but after about five ken (roughly 9 meters), it suddenly widened.

On both sides, two rows of huts extended into the distance, with a wide road stretching down the middle. Along this road, people stood in lines, watching me.

Their faces were dirty, their clothes ragged, but their eyes were fixed on me.

“Everyone, our lord, Yamanaka Yūzaburō-sama, has returned!!”

At Jūzō’s announcement, a murmur of excitement swept through the crowd.

People stepped out from their huts and lined up. Every single face bore a smile—proud and self-assured, as if declaring, We built this fortress with our own hands.

“My lord, welcome back!”

The greeting came from someone in the crowd, and soon, everyone echoed the words in unison.

Many of these faces seemed familiar—not to me, but to Yūjirō’s memories. At this point, though, it hardly mattered whose memories they were.

At the front stood a merchant clutching a ledger—Meki Kyūemon, Jūzō’s childhood friend from Heishimizu Village. I’d been told he was skilled with numbers and had taken charge of accounting.

In front of what appeared to be the mess hall stood a voluptuous woman with an air of maturity—Ogin, the female leader of Hōyō Village. She was a widow, having lost her husband in battle.
Beside her stood her daughter, Kumi.

A burly man in a craftsman’s outfit was Eigyō, the master carpenter who had overseen the construction of my estate.

Yes… I have finally returned to where I belong.

This is my place.

“I have returned. Things will be difficult for a while, but I’ll be counting on you all.”

“Ooooh!!”

“Leave it to us!”

“Welcome back!”

“We’ve been waiting for you!”

The crowd responded with a mix of cheers and heartfelt words.

“This is the Ninomaru. It currently serves as the armory, training ground, mess hall, barracks, and storage. The villagers of Hōyō have been helping with food preparations.”

Shinsuke stood beside an older samurai. The man was tall but gaunt, his cheeks hollowed by exhaustion. Yet, his sharp eyes gleamed as he stared at me.

“General, this is Sugawa Jingorō-dono.”

“Ah, Sugawa-dono. I am deeply grateful for your assistance. And… my sincerest condolences for your loss last year. Yūzaburō mourns with you.”

“Yamanaka-dono… No, my lord.”

Jingorō spoke solemnly.

“I was anxious about serving a lord I had never met. But after seeing the people here and meeting you in person, I am truly relieved. I humbly ask for a long and lasting alliance.”

“Good. As you may know, I am but a country bumpkin from the Kantō region—I know little of these lands. I must rely on experienced men like you. I look forward to your guidance.”

Jūzō led me further inside, where soldiers stood in formation.

At the front was Kitamura Shinsuke, with Tōnai Munemasa grinning beside him. Behind them, two lines of roughly thirty men each stretched out.

Sixty men…

Seeing them lined up like this, it was more than I had expected.

Even so, some soldiers had been left on the front lines. Our total force must be around eighty or ninety—not yet a hundred.

But the men standing here carried themselves differently now. The confidence of battle-hardened warriors shone in their expressions.

As the Yamanaka forces expanded, this was a solid first step forward.