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Still in the forest, filled with miasma and seemingly a poor living environment.
The sky is a clear, endless blue, yet the trees in the forest almost completely block out the spring sunshine, leaving the interior as dimly lit as ever.
Huge creatures, probably monsters , and enormous insects of incomprehensible shapes, roamed the area, and Taishakutsukimo mercilessly trampled them as he advanced.鼠mouse
Eventually, I arrived in front of the Todo family's mansion, and by chance, I was reunited with Yokichi at the entrance.
She was wearing a kimono that was far from pretty, frayed in places and covered in mud.
Judging by the way her silver hair is pulled back, it looks like she was about to start some kind of work.
"It's been a while, Yokichi. Do you have any work to do now?"
"No... well, I'm going hunting now..."
"Hunting, huh..."
However, Yokichi had no weapons at his disposal.
So, what exactly are they going to do?
"But you don't seem to have anything with you... What exactly are you planning to hunt?"獲物prey
"The rat..."
After saying that, Yokichi looked down, embarrassed.
"Monsters can't be hunted with ordinary weapons, so we have to use our bare hands..."
Then, he muttered softly, almost as if letting it slip out.
"Well... rats are a delicacy to us."
Upon hearing those words, I was unable to respond immediately.
The rat he's referring to is probably not the small rat I normally imagine, but rather that monster that Taishakutsukimo had just trampled.
But the poverty that forces people to eat such things just to survive is undeniably real here.
After watching him disappear into the forest, bowing repeatedly, I called out towards the mansion to announce my arrival.
Since doorbells and intercoms didn't exist in this era, people had no choice but to rely on primitive methods.
And who greeted them from inside the mansion? It was a girl with brown hair, silver hair, and elf ears... or rather, Yokichi's younger sister .杏子Kyoko
After arranging for her to guide me, I entered the mansion and proceeded to the front of the room where Mrs. Todo was.
(I guess important conversations really should only be with parents.)
As I stood there, lost in these somewhat modern thoughts, Kyoko opened the sliding door to the room and led me inside.
Indeed, Mrs. Todo is there.
She was lying on the thin bed, and even after realizing I had arrived, she didn't seem able to get up.褥Shitone
"Oh... Lord Bizen-no-kami... I am so sorry for presenting myself in such an unsightly and disrespectful state..."
Saying this, the lady tried to stand up, coughing as she went.
"I'll get up right away, so please, please forgive me..."
"No, it's fine the way it is. Just don't push yourself too hard."
I simply couldn't bear to watch it.
I immediately moved to her bedside and restrained her slender body as she tried to sit up, despite coughing violently.
"Pushing yourself too hard will take a toll on your body. It would be best to just stay as you are today and spend the time quietly. Though, I suppose it's not really my place to say that, considering I've just shown up without any regard for others."
As the lady choked up every time she tried to say something, I took a piece of linen from my chest pocket.
Then, parting her beautifully flowing silver hair, she wiped the sweat from her tanned skin.
"It's been a long time, madam. I apologize for showing up unannounced. But there was something I absolutely had to talk to you about, so please forgive me."
I whispered, looking into the lady's eyes.
She seemed to be trying to say something, but she must have realized that if she moved her mouth now, all that would come out was a cough. She nodded, trying to read the true feelings in my eyes.
"Kyoko, aren't you hungry?"
I averted my gaze from the lady and turned to the girl who was staring intently at me from the corner of the room and asked her a question.
"...It hasn't decreased."
"I see. Actually, I've loaded some dried meat and dried fish onto the back of my horse, which is outside. You can eat it tomorrow if you like."
Upon hearing this, a look of clear joy appeared in the girl's eyes.
And then, immediately, he hangs his head as if ashamed of it.
But I didn't feel ashamed of it. All children need is to eat plenty and sleep plenty.
It is always the adults who keep society running. There is absolutely no room for children.
So, for now, just eat, sleep, and wait for the time to grow up—that's how society always cycles.
"Go and check. But you mustn't eat today. You should eat what your brother brings back. Things you earn through effort are clearly more valuable than things you earn by sitting around."
Anzu hesitated for a while, but then slowly nodded.
This girl is probably not used to receiving things from anyone other than her family.
It seemed like a very sad thing.
Humans are, by their very nature, living beings that operate within the "[ ]" of the "human" species—and therefore, are inevitably social beings, beings that can only live within society.間between
And perhaps human charm is only formed after experiencing both the good and the bad within such a society and accumulating a wealth of experience.
I believed that a person's charm is formed by giving to and receiving from others, and that one should not be afraid to do so .
"...thank you"
"That's fine. ...Now, you should go and get it quickly. Though, I don't think it'll run away."
The girl thanked me again and left the room.
Up until that point, the movements had been extremely quiet, but the moment the sliding door closed, a flapping sound of footsteps could be heard.
Perhaps, in those respects, she is just a girl her age—even though she is a zashiki-warashi (house spirit) who is alienated from society.
"Now, madam, I'd like to discuss something more mature with you... what do you think?"
My voice echoed softly in the room after Kyoko had left.
Seeing that the lady nodded, I looked her straight in the eyes and asked the question.
"My request is simple. I dislike beating around the bush, so I'll get straight to the point. ...Would you allow me to look after your son, Yokichi?"
The lady's eyes widened, and she clung to me, who was sitting beside her pillow, with a strength that made me wonder where she had found it.
" Is that really true...?"真Makoto
"He wouldn't say something like that out of lies or whim. I want to appoint Yokichi as my personal attendant... That's what I wish for."
When I said that, the lady, without minding that her body was spilling out of the bed, gripped my hakama tightly.
It was probably an unconscious action by then.
For her, who had almost nothing to cling to and lived isolated from the outside world in a dimly lit forest, my proposal was truly a ray of light that suddenly shone through.
In the Sengoku period, the term "Kinzaji" (近侍) referred precisely to a group of retainers directly under a daimyo (feudal lord) and his personal guardians.
It was a privileged position attainable by only a select few among the countless retainers. It was certainly not a position that someone from a discriminated class, like a zashiki-warashi (a type of house spirit), could aspire to.
"Certainly, discrimination against zashiki-warashi (house spirits) is deeply rooted. It's highly unlikely that it will ever disappear—at least not while the lady is alive, and certainly not while I am alive. And if we were to try to employ a zashiki-warashi on a regular basis, we would undoubtedly face opposition within the Asai family. But..."
I looked at the lady and spoke in a clear voice.
"Even so, when you think about things from a long-term perspective, there are things that must be done at some point, even if you know you will face resistance. I will demonstrate that resolve—for the sake of a society where humans, monsters, and zashiki-warashi can coexist."
"..."
"And in that society, the Zashiki-warashi (house spirit) is absolutely indispensable. In this world overrun by monsters, the Zashiki-warashi, who can communicate with them, is surely the one who can get closest to the truth of this world."
But, I paused for a moment.
"It's unlikely that I can promote Lord Yokichi as he is in the current situation. I have no cause or justification at the moment—only ideals are running ahead of me."
I gently placed my palm on the hand of the woman who was desperately clinging to me.
Her hands were thin and frail. But with those tiny hands, she must have desperately tried to protect her children.
And I can't help but think that all that effort deserves to be rewarded somehow.
Even if it's called hypocrisy, I still find myself wishing for it.
I sincerely hope that everyone who strives to escape from darkness will achieve a normal level of happiness.
"However, the situation is different when it comes to personal attendants. I can appoint them at my own discretion. I can also provide them with a salary from my own direct territory. Of course, there will be many who treat Yokichi, who is a zashiki-warashi (house spirit), badly...but even so, as long as they are within my sight, I can deal with them however I see fit."
"It's truly... truly an honor..."
Overwhelmed with emotion, the lady began to cry, her slender shoulders trembling.
"But there's no need to rush to a conclusion. We also need to consider Yokichi's wishes. If...if Yokichi agrees, please let us know. If you ask Mitsui Yohachi, the village headman, he should be able to run a messenger for you."
"Yohachi-san...is that you?"
The moment his name was mentioned, the wife rubbed her eyes and murmured slowly.
"...Yes. Mr. Yohachi, and only Mr. Yohachi... he's really kind to me."
Saying this, the lady pointed swiftly in one direction with her weak arm.
Looking further ahead, I saw a spear and a suit of armor leaning against the wall.
"That spear was brought by him for Yokichi."
The lady looked at my face and told me to explain.
"Yohachi also participated in the Battle of Norada, where Lord Bizen fought against the Rokkaku forces, along with the men of Todo Village. This is something he collected on the battlefield at that time. Yohachi said, 'The head of the family is a general of extraordinary caliber. I'm sure he will accept Yokichi as well...'"
Furthermore, the lady said.
"Lord Bizen-no-kami is a hero to us. He is truly a hero, having repelled the attacks of the Asakura, Saito, and Rokkaku clans. We hear that he also slayed a hawk, but more than that... for us who live in Omi, it is truly a blessing that he protects our lives from invasion by other countries."
The lady said this, then choked.
I gently helped her to her feet and stroked her slender back.
Her body was even thinner than that of Princess Osamu, whom I had thought was too skinny, and not even comparable to Princess Ichihime.
I felt no desire whatsoever; instead, a feeling of pity welled up inside me.
"Yohachi is too old to serve in battle anymore, but the men from the village who went to the battlefield before him apparently said this: When they were caught between Saito, Rokkaku, and Asakura and were in despair, the one ray of hope that appeared was Lord Bizen-no-kami. They believed that if they followed Lord Bizen-no-kami, everything would surely be alright."
"...I see."
As I stroked her back as she began to cough again, I found myself lost in thought once more.
I have led men into battle on the battlefield, which ultimately means I have led a significant portion of the population of northern Omi.
(So... my performance on the battlefield is, in a sense, directly linked to my performance in domestic affairs, or rather, to the opinions of the people.)
If you think about it simply, it's an obvious thing, but to be honest, I had never considered it before.
Indeed, in the Asai domain of northern Omi, where the separation of soldiers and farmers had not progressed, the soldiers were simply ordinary men living in towns and farming villages, and they were merely being mobilized to fight.
Ultimately, the Kita-Ōmi region possesses, in a sense, aspects of a battlefield community.
Looking back, the reason I've been able to do whatever I wanted within my territory until now was largely due to my reputation on the battlefield.
For example, historical records suggest that the main reason Tokugawa Ieyasu gained the immense trust of the people was because he consistently demonstrated a stance of war against external enemies.
Even after Ieyasu suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Mikatagahara against the Takeda army, the people recognized that "Lord Ieyasu always goes to battle no matter how powerful the enemy may be," and their sense of unity grew even stronger.
(Thinking about it, battles were indeed important, as is typical of the Sengoku period...)
I thought about that as I stroked my wife's back.
But that aside, there's something else that interests me even more.
"Now that you mention it, the lady seems to trust Yohachi quite a bit..."
What kind of relationship do they actually have?
In response to my question, she coughed once before speaking.
"Yohachi-san is... well..."
The lady suddenly flashes a smile that makes her appear years, even decades, younger.
Those eyes, filled with nostalgia for the past—
"...No, well, I'm sorry. It's just not something I can say..."
"I see..."
—It was clearly the look of a woman in love.
The saying "the eyes speak louder than words" is absolutely true here.
However, I'm not the kind of tactless person to point that out and pry into it.
Digging into the honey pots of Ichihime and Haruhime is enough.
I wonder how long they were doing that.
After finally laying my wife down on the bed, her coughing subsided, I stood up straight.
It's hard to leave, but I can't spend too much time here.
The real target is still Nagahama.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I have to go now...to Nagahama."
"Nagahama...is that right?"
"That's right."
I nodded, drew my sword from my waist, and placed it, sheath and all, by the lady's pillow.
Of course, it wasn't a Kanemitsu sword made by Ishiwari, but just an ordinary tachi (long sword). However, it was a decent sword forged by a proper swordsmith.
"You should give this to Yokichi. Even if he has no intention of serving me, could you tell him to keep it?"
The lady looked surprised, but that's none of my business.
"This sword is my will. A sword is nothing more than a tool for killing people. But it is also a tool that can choose who it kills... Make sure you convey that point as well."
The woman nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes again.
For a moment, I thought she was a very sensitive young woman, but then I also thought that it was understandable considering her circumstances.
Above all, judging from appearances, she probably doesn't have long to live. Even to an untrained eye, that's obvious.
That life seems on the verge of fading away, and right now, it could be described as a fleeting moment of brilliance just before it disappears.
No, that's precisely why she feels at ease.
Even if she, their mother, were to die, perhaps her children would somehow manage—a hope that lingered as she faced the imminent end of death.一縷Ichiru
(I guess I'll only have another month or two left...)
I can only understand that feeling because I witnessed the deaths of my parents, even though I was just a child.
The Grim Reaper stands right beside the bed. All that remains is for him to wait for the right moment to take this woman's life.
I crouched down by the bedside once more, took my wife's hand, and squeezed her slender, chapped fingers.
"Get plenty of rest tonight. Recover your strength and spend time talking with your children. They still need their mother."
After wiping the sweat from my wife's forehead with a linen cloth, I stood up again.
Then, after gazing intently at the spears and armor hanging on the wall and inhaling the dusty air of the mansion, I left the living room.
Stepping outside the mansion, I found Taishakutsuki lying down, with Kyoko leaning against her, enjoying a pleasant chat.
The scene was truly like a painting. It was a sight that could be titled something like "The Virgin and the Unicorn."
When Taishakutsukimo noticed me, she let out a small cry as if to say, "Let's talk again sometime," and slowly rose to her feet.
They must have been quite engrossed in their conversation.
Anzu heard the cry of Indra and looked towards the entrance, and when she saw me standing there, she looked so surprised she almost jumped—before hastily bowing her head.
"apricot"
I read the girl's name and asked a question.
"May I talk to you for a moment?"
She cautiously raised her head, then nodded.
His face was very tense, and his ears seemed to be slightly stiffened.尖Ton
"What would you think if I asked you to serve as a lady-in-waiting to my wives... or, if that's not possible, as a lady-in-waiting to take care of my personal needs?"
But, as expected, the girl was unable to respond.
Indeed, she was making hesitant sounds like "Ah" and "Uh," her face troubled, and her gaze drifting between me and Taishakutsukimo.
"I'm sorry."
I ruffled her beautiful silver hair and apologized.
"You can't decide something like that on your own."
"Um... I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
I bent down to her eye level and smiled.
"I just want you to think about this seriously for a moment. Your mother is asleep right now. Could you talk to her about this when she wakes up?"
She must have been nervous. Without opening her mouth, the girl shook her head slightly, her body stiff and rigid like a robot's.
I didn't say anything, and continued to stroke the girl's head.
It has a strangely addictive texture. A unique feel, different from Ichihime, Haruhime, and even Myo.
In the end, I was savoring the sensations the girl's silver hair gave me, until Taishakutsukimo seemed to urge me on .嘶Inana
"Make sure you listen carefully to what your mother says and support your older brother."
Then, riding on Taishakutsukimo, I look down at her and say, with as much emotion as I could possibly express.
"Having family members alive is not something to be taken for granted. You only realize it after you've lost them, and it's too late to get them back."
I don't know if that got across properly. I don't know to what extent they understood.
However, the girl listened to what I said and nodded firmly.
That alone makes coming here worthwhile—that's how I feel.