"So now... who agrees, and who objects?"
As Rosinante pressed the question once more, a fierce and overwhelming pressure descended upon everyone present.
Conqueror's Haki.
Because this body did not possess the innate potential for true Conqueror's Haki, it no longer had the power to directly knock enemies unconscious.
But even so...
Its terrifying mental intimidation alone was enough to make the battle-hardened commanders in the hall tremble with fear.
Cold sweat began to bead across their foreheads.
None of them had expected Rosinante to possess such a frightening aura.
And yet...
To make them willingly hand over the power they could almost already touch...
How could they not feel unwilling?
How could they not feel resentful?
"The Young General is the legitimate son of the General. For him to inherit the general's seat is only natural. Who would oppose that?"
At that moment, a powerful voice rang out from outside the hall.
"Captain Muto!"
The instant they saw the man stepping through the doorway, every commander cried out in shock.
Even Rosinante's eyes flickered slightly in surprise at this man's sudden appearance.
The Saito General's Residence was an old and established warlord household with a history stretching back more than a hundred years.
In the Warring States Era, where the average lifespan was only around thirty, a hundred years was already an astonishingly long legacy.
The reason the Saito household had endured until now was because the Saito line had originated from samurai.
And more importantly...
They had always been backed by a loyal faction of samurai who supported the legitimacy of the Saito bloodline.
That was why their line had been passed down through the generations without breaking.
And this Captain Muto...
Was the commander of all the samurai under the Saito household.
Unlike ordinary soldiers, samurai possessed exceptional martial skill.
They held tremendous deterrent power over common troops.
And unlike ninja, whose relationship with their employers was often transactional, samurai represented loyalty, honor, and pride.
They were deeply respected.
Even the commanders standing here now...
Most of them had only risen to their current positions because they themselves had originally come from samurai backgrounds.
But what truly shocked the commanders now...
Was Captain Muto's attitude.
Before this, Captain Muto had never openly expressed support for either young master.
Because compared to the eldest son, Saito Tsubasa...
The second son, Saito Ze, was obviously far more suited to becoming the next general of the Saito household.
If one were to consider the future of the residence alone, letting the second son inherit would clearly have been the more practical choice.
It was only because these commanders had strongly insisted on supporting Saito Tsubasa, and because Tsubasa, as the legitimate eldest son, held the moral high ground, that Captain Muto had chosen to remain silent and not openly object.
But now...
Only one day had passed.
How had Captain Muto suddenly come out so clearly in support of Saito Tsubasa?
"What is it?" Muto said as he walked into the hall, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. "Is someone here opposing him? If I remember correctly, all of you told me before that the Young General, as the legitimate son of the General, had every right and every moral claim to inherit the general's seat. So why has that suddenly changed today?"
"The Young General inheriting the general's seat is naturally the proper course of things," one commander said awkwardly. "It's just that the timing is too rushed. We still need a little time to prepare. Once everything is ready, we will respectfully invite the Young General to formally assume the position."
When they had previously supported Saito Tsubasa, they had spent no small amount of effort trying to persuade Muto.
And now...
They had only succeeded in lifting a rock and smashing their own feet with it.
"I said I will inherit the general's seat today."
Rosinante spoke calmly once more.
"Who agrees, and who objects?"
The pressure around him grew even heavier.
Even more oppressive.
Even more suffocating.
Sensing the increasingly terrifying aura radiating from Rosinante, a flash of surprise crossed Muto's face.
A sharp gleam flickered in his eyes.
It was as though his interest in Rosinante had deepened even further.
Feeling the crushing force of Rosinante's presence, the commanders exchanged uneasy glances.
"The Young General is being a bit too overbearing, don't you think?" said Commander Uchida, the oldest and most senior among them. "The General always treated his subordinates generously. But the Young General, at such a young age, is already so ruthless and domineering. I'm afraid that will make it difficult for people to truly accept him. What's more, the most important matter right now is avenging the General. Before the General's great vengeance has been repaid, the Young General is already rushing to inherit the seat. Isn't that a little too hasty?"
When he heard Uchida's words, even Muto fell silent in thought.
What Uchida said was true.
Right now, avenging the late General should be the highest priority.
"It is precisely because I intend to avenge Father," Rosinante said coolly, "that I must inherit the general's seat today."
He rose slightly from the main seat, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"A snake without a head cannot move. Only if I inherit the general's seat and take command of the entire Saito household can we avenge Father in the shortest possible time."
Then his voice turned colder.
Sharper.
More resolute.
"I swear this: within one hundred days of inheriting the general's seat, I will take the head of General Fujimitsu and offer it as a sacrifice to Father's spirit in heaven."
He paused.
"And if I fail... then this general's seat is not worth keeping."
The moment those words fell, every commander in the hall stared in utter shock, their mouths hanging open.
The General Fujimitsu Rosinante had just named was none other than the warlord who had defeated General Saito on the battlefield.
The Fujimitsu domain was not some ordinary enemy.
It was a military power even stronger than the Saito household.
Their forces numbered thirty thousand men.
Compared to them, the Saito household, which now had only a little over ten thousand troops left, was nowhere near their equal.
And yet Rosinante had just boasted that within a hundred days...
He would take General Fujimitsu's head?
Had he gone mad?!
"If the Young General can truly accomplish what he has promised," Commander Uchida said slowly, "then we are willing to support the Young General's succession to the general's seat."
"We are willing to support the Young General's succession!"
"We are willing to support the Young General's succession!"
The commanders all bowed and saluted in unison.
But as they bent their waists and lowered their heads...
Cold sneers appeared on their faces.
In their eyes, this was simply impossible.
They were already waiting.
Waiting for one hundred days to pass.
Waiting for Rosinante to fail so completely that he would have no way to step down from the stage.
Even Captain Muto, standing to the side, could only frown and let out a long sigh.
Things had already reached this point.
With Rosinante having spoken so decisively...
Even he could no longer stop what was about to happen.