What Does a Super Weak Minor Lord in the Sengoku Era Aim For? - Chapter 31

A certain day in February, Eiroku 3 (1560) – Yamanaka Fort – Kurogura

The General has returned triumphant.
He subdued Kizu Village, invaded Nanto alongside Matsunaga, and held a major match against the Houzouin right before the eyes of friend and foe alike.

As a result, he won over Nanto to our side.
Just before that, he had even been granted Kizu Castle. 

Truly, the General never ceases to amaze.

At the time of departure, he held around 4,800 koku of land, and now, with the Kizu Six Families’ 14,000 koku added, plus seizing around 4,000 koku from temple and shrine estates, he has even further been awarded 30,000 koku from the northern part of Nanto by Matsunaga as a reward.

In this one campaign, he has become a daimyo with over 50,000 koku.
His military strength must have exceeded 1,000 and is nearing 2,000. 

It’s an unbelievable leap forward. 

Moreover, he formed an alliance with Koufukuji, which, due to its high status, is usually notoriously difficult to deal with.

Who could have predicted such an outcome…

“Kurogura, how is your village building?”

“Well, including not only family and relatives but also acquaintances, the number of people wanting to come is surprisingly large, so it’s a bit of a struggle…”

“How many people altogether?”

“Ten families of my clan, and about the same number among acquaintances… altogether perhaps two hundred or so.”

“No problem. Bring them all. If there are any others you can trust or who are skilled, call them too. Even if two hundred becomes two thousand, it’s fine.”

“Two thousand… Heh…”

I can’t refuse anymore.
Now that we share that secret, the General and I are bound together in life and death.

“You’ve been a great help with your work. Did you have enough money?”

“Yes, we received plenty from the chief retainer, sir.”

“Good. Next, I want you to send people to Negoro and Saika.”

“Negoro and Saika in Kii Province, you say…”

“That’s right. I want to bring them to our side. It’s fine if it takes time—I want you to handle it carefully and thoroughly. I also plan to ask the monks of Koufukuji for help. If we can’t win them over, then I at least want to snatch away the matchlock craftsmen.”

“Matchlock craftsmen… Understood.”

Hmm, so the General is greatly interested in the matchlocks of the Saika and Negoro forces…

That’s different from what I had imagined—to think he would probe into the nearby major daimyo.

There are powerful forces nearby like the Asai, Rokkaku, Kitabatake, and Hatakeyama.
Saitou and Oda aren’t far away either. 

I had naturally assumed he’d be concerned with those daimyo, but I guess not…

Now that he’s formed an alliance with Koufukuji, he has a ready to go excuse to attack the kokujin lords who’ve seized their estate lands.

But to even try to move Koufukuji for political maneuvering…

February 15, Eiroku 3 (1560) – Ryuouzan Castle – Toichi Toukatsu

It’s been a little over a month since the Matsunaga forces subdued Nanto, and in that time, there have been no new military movements.
We had reinforced our defenses, expecting that Matsunaga, known for his bold and swift actions, might launch an invasion our way—but for now, we’ve stood them down.

The Matsunaga forces have withdrawn to Tsutsui Castle, and in Nanto, Yamanaka is building a castle, with many soldiers apparently working on the construction.

Koufukuji has been disarmed, and the Yamanaka forces are said to be taking over its defense.

It was hard to believe that the arrogant and overbearing Koufukuji would ally with the upstart Yamanaka.
I thought it must be falsehoods or mere rumors and had it investigated.

However, according to my agents’ reports, it appears to be true.
A large offering of rice and money was donated from Yamanaka, the warrior monks of Koufukuji were disbanded, and many of them were absorbed into the Yamanaka forces.

They say that the town of Nara, having been freed from the threat of war and energized by the castle construction, has begun to develop rapidly in a very short time.

The Yamato and Kyoto roads, used to transport goods and the many laborers needed for the castle construction, have seen a sudden surge in traffic, with many people and pack animals passing through even near our own castle town.

“My lord, we must not be careless. Matsunaga will surely attack,” said the elder Tahara with a face like he’d just eaten a bitter persimmon. 

I’ve never seen this man smile—not once.
His household must have it tough…

“I know. The preparations are in place, are they not?”

“Of course. The defenses of Ryuouzan Castle are thorough. Even with ten thousand men, it will not be easily taken.”

“Good. And what of Toichi Castle and Moriya Castle?”

“Both are flatland castles, so their defenses are weak. They won’t hold for long. We’ll fight a battle first to reduce the enemy’s numbers—that should suffice.”

“Indeed. How much we can reduce the enemy’s strength will determine how the situation unfolds…”

“Precisely. We’ve already devised multiple layers of strategy. The rest depends on watching the enemy’s movements and striking at their opening.”

“Heh, I’m looking forward to seeing how this turns out… By the way, what kind of man is this Yamanaka?”

“Yamanaka is a wandering martial artist. I’ve heard he trained in Yagyu. It’s said he saved Shimizu and Kitamura in their time of crisis and took them under his command. His incredible skill—defeating the mighty spearman Sakon of Sugawa in a single blow—has earned him the nickname ‘Red Tiger,’ feared as a blood-soaked warrior.”

“A wandering martial artist called the Red Tiger, huh… Not the kind of man I’d want to cross paths with. …So he’s connected to Yagyu, then…”

Lately, the ones making bold moves are Matsunaga, Yamanaka, and Yagyu.
For the Yagyu, who until now had stayed holed up in their manor and not made a move, to now raise troops and enter the plains—it must mean they’re linked to Yamanaka…

Still, for someone from a tiny village in the eastern region to, in such a short time, expand his influence to Kasagi, Kamo-go, Kizu-go, and even Nanto… 

Whether or not he’s the Red Tiger, he’s a fearsome man.

“Just in case, reach out to Sawa, Yoshino, and Akiyama. They should already understand this, but tell them—if this place falls, they’ll be next. Include Ochi and Narahara as well.”

“Understood.”

“By the way, my lord, Kasuga Taisha is demanding the overdue taxes be paid. They say that if we don’t, the land will be confiscated.”

Yanagimoto, in charge of finances, said this with an anxious look.
He’s known to be timid, but when it comes to calculations, there’s no one better in the clan.

“Ignore them. That’s Yamanaka’s doing.”

“But, my lord, some of the kokujin lords are shaken by this. They say we are kokujin under Kasuga Taisha and cannot disobey what the shrine says…”

“Now they say that? After all the selfishness they’ve shown until now…”

End of February, Eiroku 3 (1560) – Tamon Castle – Yamanaka Yusaburou

Before I knew it, the stone walls of the castle were completed. 

Much faster than I had expected.
It helped that the quarry was nearby and the stone was easy to split, and making the laborers compete in teams played a big part too.

We divided the soldiers into ten groups of a hundred each.
The Kizu forces from Umedani, Kosaka, Souraku, Yamadagawa, and Kodera were assigned to Seikou, Kiriyama, Kei’eibou, and former warrior monks of Koufukuji. 

Tanaka and Yamada also participated, using it as an opportunity to train the new recruits.

They competed daily, hauling and stacking the stones.
We gave money to the top three teams, and to the first-place group, we added a cup of sake.

“Well done. I’m counting on you again tomorrow.”

With those words, the one handing over the bamboo sake cup was my wife, Yuriha.

“We’re the ones getting the princess’s sake!!” shouted the Kizu forces, setting off a cheer that spread to everyone.

Well, if we’re going to do it, better to keep things lively—that’s probably how they felt.

Our wedding ceremony was deliberately held at Kasuga Taisha.
It was meant to show everyone my connection with Koufukuji and Kasuga Taisha.

After that, with around 500 soldiers, we held a triumphant return and wedding parade through Houyou and Kizu.

Everyone was really happy for us.

The cherry buds just starting to bloom along the way seemed like they were offering their blessings to us.

In any case, temples and shrines with military power in this era are a real nuisance.
Even just among those I’ll be involved with, there are many powerful ones—Tounomine, Mount Oomine, and Mount Koya, to name a few. 

Historically, even Matsunaga attacked Tounomine and lost. 

Others, like Negoro-ji in Kii Province or the Saika group of Honganji followers who fought as enemies, also had tremendous military strength.

In other provinces, there are countless similar powers, with Mount Hiei in Omi, the Honganji temples in Osaka, Echizen, and Kaga being prime examples.

The relationships among such temples and shrines are complicated.
Tounomine and Koufukuji, despite both enshrining the Fujiwara clan, are like cats and dogs. 

Even Koyasan and Negoro-ji, both of the Shingon sect, are hostile to each other.
The Honganji of the Ikko sect and the Hokke sect in Kyoto have also been in conflict for many years. 

If you ally with one, the other becomes your enemy.

It’s troublesome and difficult, but their power is so great that it can’t be ignored or avoided.

So, just like in history, I’ve decided to make Tounomine an enemy.
If Tsutsui or the Toichi I’m about to fight lose, it’s clear they’ll flee to Tounomine and resist from there. 

That’s why I’m already starting to weaken them little by little.

To Mount Oomine, I made offerings through the yamabushi of Houyou Village.

I asked Souzen of Koufukuji to help establish friendly ties with Negoro-ji.
In truth, that means donations of rice and money. 

I’d rather not go to war with the Negoro group, who are armed with ten thousand warrior monks and thousands of matchlock guns.

As for Mount Koya, it can be left alone. 

There’s no need to force our way into a mountain cut off from the rest of the towns.

My brother-in-law, Kizu Jusaburou, who became part of the family, really is good at business—just as he said, he has no interest in being a castle lord and wants to be a merchant instead.

When I entrusted him with the commercial affairs of my domain, the flow of trade rapidly increased through Kizu-juku, Nara, Furuichi, Houyou, and Kasagi.

When people move and goods flow, taxes increase.
It also helped that I took over most of the merchant guild rights from Koufukuji, so I won’t be hurting for money anytime soon.

The Yamanaka Fort in Houyou is shaping up to be a production base for bows, arrows, and armor.
The number of blacksmiths is gradually increasing, so I want to start producing matchlock guns soon. 

I’ve asked Matsunaga-dono if he could poach some matchlock gun-making smiths from Sakai.

If that doesn’t work, I’m also considering taking them by force, so I’ve had Kurozou look into the situation in Negoro and Saika.

Still, I’d rather settle things peacefully.
If we kidnap them by force, it would definitely turn them into enemies. 

I really don’t want to be at odds with Sakai, Saika, or Negoro.

Right now, at Tamon Castle, the freshly completed stone walls are being fitted with timber that was carved at another location.
The pale wood is being assembled into dazzling structures.

Three-story turrets are being built at each of the four corners, and sturdy buildings will connect them to form an enclosure. 

I don’t know if this will come to be called “Tamon Turret,” but once the white plaster walls are finished atop the stone base, they’ll stand out brilliantly.

The buildings all follow a standardized design.
From carving to assembly to finishing, everything is done with impressive speed.

There will be no main keep (tenshu); instead, the two turrets facing Naramachi will serve as the lord’s quarters.

Unlike most castles, there won’t be a typical kōguchi (main entrance), but instead a large umadashi (defensive forecourt) within the interior, guarded by a double-gate system.
Even above those gates, the earthen walls will continue seamlessly into the buildings.

There will be structures above the gates as well.
Even I, a fan of castles, have never seen one quite like this—it’s a very unusual design.

In truth, this castle has a secret—not in its structure, but in how it’s meant to be used.

That will only become apparent once the enemy breaches the inner compound.

It’s a truly lethal design.

Fuhehehehehe…