What Does a Super Weak Minor Lord in the Sengoku Era Aim For? - Chapter 9

Eiroku 3rd Year, January 4th – Sugawa Castle, Sugawa Jingorō (Former Head of the Sugawa Family)

Kitamura Shōzaemon came to visit. And Sanzaemon-dono,the village chief of Nanshō Village, was with him.

Shōzaemon and I have known each other since we were young.
As neighboring villages, we’ve had our share of conflicts of course, but overall, we’ve supported each other and survived together.

“Oh, Shōzaemon. It’s been a long time.”

“Yes… Jingorō, it has been too long…”

Shōzaemon had a troubled look on his face.
He’s aged… but his eyes are still sharp. He used to be a more easy going man.

“Your village must be struggling. We nearly faced the same fate.”

“Yes… The wounds still haven’t healed…”

In the recent conflict with the Ikki rebels, I lost my heir, Shinzō. He was a strong and brave son, a source of pride for me.
His death was a devastating blow. 

My grandson is still young, and my second son, Jirō, is only ten years old. I, an old man, must once again take charge of our land.

But that’s not all. We lost six ashigaru (foot soldiers) in that battle, and others were severely wounded.
Supporting the families of the dead and injured has been a great burden—one that continues even now.

“What are you doing here?”

“Hmm… We can no longer remain as we are…”

Shōzaemon was talking about choosing a faction in the plains.

Like many local landowners in this region, Sugawa has maintained an ambiguous stance, half-aligned with Kōfuku-ji, half with the Tsutsui clan.
While the plain villages’s warriors have either sided with Matsunaga or fled with the remnants of Tsutsui, the mountain villages still hold on to the faint hope that they can remain neutral.

I, too, know that we cannot stay like this forever… and yet, I’ve been unable to act.

“Have you forgotten about Yagyū?”

“I haven’t forgotten. But I am no longer…”

Long ago, when the Tsutsui clan was expanding its power across Yamato, Yagyū took a neutral stance—and for that, they were attacked by a large army.
Even as a small mountain lord, they were not spared.

“Tsutsui has been driven out of the plains. Now, there is no choice but to side with Matsunaga. But Matsunaga is terrifying. If we go to him directly, there’s no telling what will happen. That’s why we should follow my general.”

“Your general… Yamanaka-dono…?”

“If we pay our taxes to him, he will take care of our soldiers. Jingorō, this is the only option left.”

“…Understood. I’ll pledge allegiance to Yamanaka-dono. Shōzaemon, I ask you to mediate on my behalf.”

Sugawa often acted alongside Kitamura and Shimizu. We had recently fought together against the Ikki rebels.
Now that Kitamura and Shimizu had decided to follow Yamanaka—who had close ties with neighboring Yagyū—there was little room for argument.

“No need to worry. I’ve been entrusted with this matter. Send soldiers and craftsmen to Yamanaka’s estate. Also, bring bamboo and materials for building huts. You’ll be compensated later. In any case, we’re short on manpower.”

I was astonished when Shōzaemon described the situation.
Inspired by the general’s call to grow stronger so they wouldn’t fall to mere bands of a dozen rebels, the people of Yamanaka’s domain had all sprung into action.

Yes, it’s about not repeating the bitterness of losing my son. That’s good.
Though I’ve yet to meet Yamanaka-dono, if he’s supported by Shōzaemon and Sanjurō-dono from Hirashimizu Village, there should be no mistake in following him.

Now, I no longer have to worry about the grueling task of training soldiers. Truly, this old body couldn’t manage that anymore.

“Understood. I’ll have Zenbei handle this and put in every effort. Is there anything you need from me?”

“Oh, there certainly is. The elders will handle negotiations. We’ll work together to win over Sagawa and Kasagi. We need your wisdom.”

“Sagawa… and even Kasagi…”

The neighboring Sagawa clan governs three villages—Upper, Middle, and Lower Sagawa—a mid-sized clan with a total yield of 1,500 koku and a military force of 100 soldiers, comparable to the Yagyū family.
They won’t be easy to sway—honestly, it seems nearly impossible.

It’s a really tall order…

Kasagi, on the other hand, is divided among three clans—the Kiriyama clan in the mountainous area, the Hirooka clan controlling the commercial hub along the Yagyū Highway south of the Kizu River next to Sagawa, and the Ariichi clan holding the Yamatokaidō on the north bank of the Kizu River.

I’ve heard the three clans have a delicate relationship, merely coexisting by separating their territories between the river and the mountains.

How are we supposed to negotiate with them…?

The three of us elders ended up just holding our heads in our hands…

Same Day – Kamo District, Inuhata Settlement – Rokuzayemon (Chief of Hōyō Village)

“So, will Yamanaka protect us when the time comes?”

“Yes, that is why we pay tribute.”

“In that case, we have no reason to refuse. We will pledge allegiance to Yamanaka-dono.”

“Good. Then send laborers, one standing soldier, and materials for hut-building to Yamanaka’s estate.”

“Understood. I will go first to inspect the estate myself.”

With this, Masakichi-ji, the village representative, was convinced. That settles this negotiation.
A promising start, though in truth, we simply began with the most likely supporters.

This isolated settlement had suffered when bandits invaded recently, and the temple provided no aid. They learned the hard way that the temple was unreliable in times of crisis.

In Kamo District, where the temple’s influence is strong, gaining support will not be easy. Gisemon from Sonoda Village and the Buddhist sculptor Unkai-san are currently visiting the elder Wakeemon-dono in Iwafune. 

I wonder how that’s going.

“Well then, Keikai-san, shall we proceed to the next?”

“Indeed. Next is Ayame Settlement. I know their village elders well. Allow me to handle the conversation.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

To ensure protection, I had Keikai-san, a yamabushi (mountain monk), accompany me.
Despite his stern appearance, he is kind-hearted and well-connected, making him an ideal companion.

Our strategy is two-pronged: while we secure the surrounding villages, Gisemon-dono and the others strike at the temple, the main bastion of resistance.

Same Day – Nakagawa Village – Sakuzayemon (Chief of Narukawa Village)

“So, no matter what, you refuse to submit to Yamanaka?”

“Indeed. We are right next to the Great Shrine—we cannot betray them so easily.”

Hmm… I understand Tsukukuro-dono’s feelings, but…

Nakagawa is the gateway to the Nara Basin, a key defensive position for us. The lord will not ignore this place.

“Yamanaka-dono has given two choices: submit or face military action. Do you really believe the Great Shrine will come to your aid if we march against you?”

“I… I want to believe so. But if they do not come, we will have no choice but to surrender…”

So, they will only surrender if we attack first.
I understand their hesitation, but this indecisiveness is troublesome for us.

“As your neighbor, let me offer some advice. Yamanaka-dono will not tolerate this half-hearted loyalty to Kōfuku-ji. If you raise arms against him, he will crush you without hesitation. If you wait too long, it will be too late to change course.”

“…I understand.”

That concludes this negotiation. 

Next, we move on to Kizu Territory. Concentrating our forces and infiltrating it steadily.