Chronicles of The Hardships of Komachi in The Sengoku Era

1571, late December

While Nobunaga and Shizuko were having a pleasant conversation, Keiji and his friends were also sitting together and chatting. Nagayoshi joined them later, making the atmosphere even livelier. However, Ranmaru was the only one who couldn’t sit still and occasionally glanced towards the closed sliding door where Nobunaga and Shizuko had disappeared.

“Hey, Ran. You’ve been looking around restlessly since earlier, it’s annoying.”

Nagayoshi, who was not just annoyed but genuinely bothered, narrowed his eyes slightly and glared at Ranmaru.

“Ah, does it not bother you, my lord? I can’t help but worry when you disappear with a lady. It makes me uneasy!”

“What you’re thinking is just baseless speculation, it’s pointless to worry about that. And by the way, you’re in the way, so go somewhere else.”

Despite Ranmaru’s desperate plea, Nagayoshi ignored him and used his left hand to pick his ear while gesturing with his right index finger towards Ranmaru, moving it left and right as if shooing him away.

“It’s the lord’s order. We only follow it. If you don’t obey, you won’t be fit to be a page.”

Ranmaru was infuriated by Nagayoshi’s condescending attitude, but Hori advised him against it. After letting out a small sigh, Hori apologized to Nagayoshi.

“I apologize. Ranmaru is just bothered by how much the lord values Lady Shizuko. I hope you can overlook his childish jealousy.”

“I thought it was something like that. Suddenly being appointed as a page and feeling like a grown-up, that’s why he’s being nosy. And the reason he doesn’t like it is probably because Shizuko is a girl. Oh, how disgusting, the jealousy of a brat is ugly.”

Keiji and Saizo knew that Nagayoshi had said the exact same thing before, so they gave him a warm look.

“Th-that’s not the reason at all! I only have the lord’s best interests in mind!”

“Then you should obey the lord’s orders.”

“Hmph!”

While Nagayoshi and Ranmaru were arguing, or rather, while Nagayoshi was teasing Ranmaru unilaterally, Nobunaga and Shizuko were discussing national policies.

“…So, I think we don’t need to attack the Tang (TL: not sure what this refers to).”

The content of their discussion was about overseas policies after unifying the country, which was somewhat premature. The fact that they could have discussions considering overseas matters was thanks to the accurate world map created by Shizuko, which was not suitable for the Sengoku period. Thanks to that, Nobunaga understood how small and remote Japan was, and how far Europe was, and he accurately understood the capabilities of the Nanban people who reached out from distant lands to Japan.

“Explain the advantages of steering towards Australia, even if it means ignoring the spice-producing regions cherished by the Nanban people.”

“Please take a look at this.”

In response to Nobunaga’s question, Shizuko handed him a summary paper from the accompanying materials of the world map. It contained information about the reserves of underground resources such as gold, silver, copper, and iron that lay dormant in Australia. While Australia is often thought of as an agricultural country, it is also a resource-rich country with vast natural resources. In particular, the reserves of bauxite, which is the raw material for aluminum, are the largest in the world, and in some places, mineral veins are exposed on the surface, making open-pit mining possible. The discovery of the main island and Tasmania was around 1642, but at that time, even if the Europeans discovered Australia, they considered it a barren land if they couldn’t obtain lightweight and expensive spices.

“While spices are currently highly valued due to limited production, their value will decrease with mass production. However, underground resources cannot be obtained without controlling the land where they are produced.”

The cultivation of pepper was initially started to make it more accessible for cooking, but when Nobunaga began to look overseas, Shizuko’s hobby suddenly took on a significant meaning. It proved the expansion of spice-producing regions and the decrease in value due to mass production. While Europeans currently consider spices as strategically important, they will eventually transition to essential metal resources for industrialization. To demonstrate this, they successfully achieved pepper production in Owari. As a result, it was proven that Japan could become a spice-producing region without venturing overseas, as long as they put in the effort. Initially skeptical, Nobunaga finally understood that Shizuko’s opinion was correct when European merchants bought the pepper she presented at a high price.

“Furthermore, the eastern and southern parts of the continent are fertile grain-producing regions. With few natural disasters, a vast amount of food can be produced.”

The southeastern mountainous region of Australia is a snowy area, but the rest of the eastern and southern parts have a relatively warm climate and are fertile grain-producing regions. Although it is a small area compared to the entire continent, its production surpasses that of Japan. Modern Australia is suffering from water shortages, but that is a consequence of reckless emphasis on livestock farming, and if agriculture is planned properly, it will not be a problem.

“What about rice?”

“It can be cultivated sufficiently.”

It is not well known, but rice is also cultivated in Australia. Not only rice cultivation, but by rotating rice, grains, legume forage cultivation, and grazing, a wide variety of products can be obtained from limited land. Unlike Japan, Australia has fewer natural disasters and a seasonal sense similar to Japan, making it suitable for rice cultivation.

“There are indigenous people, but they are friendly as long as we don’t invade their sacred sites. Their sacred sites are in barren wilderness areas, so we have no reason to interfere.”

Australia has indigenous people (Aborigines). However, as long as they don’t intrude on their sacred site, Uluru (named by a British explorer as Ayers Rock), they will treat outsiders in a friendly manner, regardless of their skin color or appearance. That’s why the British settlers never had conflicts with them at first. However, the British convicts who were settlers gradually became arrogant, and eventually, they even massacred many Aborigines under the guise of sport hunting. The library in New South Wales has diaries that show how the British settlers at that time enjoyed the massacre of Aborigines as a sport. The Aborigines, who numbered over a million and had more than 700 tribes around 1600, suffered massacres by white people until 1937, resulting in the extinction of the Aborigines in Tasmania and a decrease in the population on the Australian mainland to tens of thousands. After that, a policy of forced assimilation based on arrogant white Australian supremacy was implemented, and many Aborigines were forced to abandon their culture until 1970.

“I believe it is best to have a friendly relationship with them. There are several reasons, but the main one is that there is no point in fighting with them. However, it is not advisable to get deeply involved… It is best to maintain a moderate relationship, neither too close nor too distant.”

The British settlers engaged in organized sport hunting, poisoning water sources, and leaving Aborigines on remote islands to starve to death. However, Shizuko had no trace of white supremacy thinking like the British. Of course, she had her own motives. Even though they were just a part of a tribe, having a connection with the indigenous people would be helpful in negotiating with other tribes. What Shizuko wanted was fertile grain-producing land and underground resources. While it was necessary to establish the appearance of an independent country to prevent invasion by other countries, Shizuko believed that it would take time to achieve that.

“Is military power necessary to prevent the invasion of the Nanban people?”

“Australia is a continent that exceeds our imagination. It should be expected to take ten or twenty years to shape a country.”

“Indeed, it means starting everything from scratch. No matter how much time passes, it won’t be enough.”

Nobunaga shrugged his shoulders but had a cheerful expression that contradicted his words. Even though building a country in a place where there were no people required tremendous effort, it also meant that he could create the ideal nation he envisioned.

“However, we must first deal with the enemies in front of us. Establishing a nation in Australia is just a pipe dream for now.”

“Yes. For the time being, it’s Takeda. But there’s no problem here. Currently, Takeda is moving according to our plan.”

“That’s reassuring. I, too, will maintain an attitude of not engaging with Takeda as you have planned. I sent a letter to the cunning Tanuki, telling him not to openly confront Takeda. By now, the Tanuki must be quite angry.”

“I won’t give a response… Takeda will be destroyed as a sacrifice for Oda’s name to resound throughout Japan. As for Uesugi… well, our goal is the Sado Gold Mine, so there’s no problem with an appeasement policy towards Uesugi. Takeda will perish because it is a sacrificial offering for Oda to establish his reputation in Japan.”

“Takeda as a sacrificial offering. If others heard that, they would be dumbfounded.”

Despite his words, Nobunaga laughed fearlessly. He had received an explanation from Shizuko and had already made plans to win against Takeda. However, if he were to make that known, Takeda might become cautious and not move. “One soldier from Kai is equivalent to five soldiers from Owari,” and Nobunaga felt that he absolutely needed to overturn that. In peacetime and in war, the image of the soldiers was important. With the image of a strong army, unnecessary battles could be avoided, and invisible pressure could be exerted on the enemy.

“As I mentioned before, I will give you priority in funds. Prepare yourself thoroughly and make a name for yourself.”,”Yes!”

Shizuko deeply bowed her head to Nobunaga’s words.

Ashimitsu, the only one in Shizuko’s army who did not participate in the tasting event, was gathering bamboo in a bamboo forest a little away from the shrine. Ashimitsu had never needed bamboo before, but if it could be used to make bio-coke, bamboo would be a good raw material. However, it took time to remove the moisture, so Ashimitsu would cut down the bamboo and dry it whenever he found the time. The most suitable material was buckwheat husk, as its grain size and moisture content were close to ideal. Drying and grinding were not necessary, and buckwheat husk could be directly used for bio-coke production. Furthermore, buckwheat husk was not highly valued. It was used for soil improvement or as a material for pillows, but it didn’t have to be buckwheat husk. Therefore, buckwheat husk could be considered an ideal material for bio-coke. However, because there were still concerns with using only buckwheat husk, Ashimitsu continued his research to be able to produce bio-coke using various materials.

“Should I hire someone? No, it takes time to cut down the bamboo. I can do it easily with a sword, but others would need to prepare an axe, which would be troublesome.”

The sword that Ashimitsu had hanging from his waist, which fell into the category of a large sword, was a masterpiece created by the fusion of modern science and traditional techniques. Ashimitsu’s sword, made with a thick clam-shaped blade, was unrivaled in its cutting ability compared to any famous sword. Apart from the slight hassle of maintenance, it could be said to be the ultimate weapon. The same technology was also used in the gauntlets that he had equipped on his hands.

Naturally, cutting bamboo was a piece of cake for Ashimitsu. With one swing, he could cut down one bamboo, and if they were lined up, he could cut down several bamboos at once. It is often misunderstood that Japanese swords are difficult to handle, and even if an amateur swings a famous sword, it quickly becomes useless. At the same time, even a master would quickly dull a cheap sword. Only when someone with excellent skills handles a famous sword does it truly demonstrate its worth. That’s how much advanced technique is required to handle a Japanese sword.

“Hmph!”

Ashimitsu cut off a piece of bamboo that seemed to be a suitable size and shouted. After a while, he moved the fallen bamboo aside, and then split the root side with his waist axe in a cross shape. This was a measure to prevent water from accumulating on the cut surface and to quickly rot the bamboo.

“This should be enough. If I had a light truck, I could transport it all at once, but that’s asking for too much.”

Ashimitsu remembered the time when he cut down bamboo with a Japanese sword in the same way as now. At that time, it was Shizuko’s era, so cutting down the bamboo with a sword was quite troublesome, but transporting it afterwards was very easy. After cutting it to a suitable size, he would load it onto a light truck and secure it with ropes so that it wouldn’t fall off the bed. It could be easily transported without any problems.

(If only there was something like a cart… No, forget it. It would look very foolish being carried around like that.)

Ashimitsu imagined himself being carried around in a cart along with the bamboo, but quickly dismissed the thought from his mind. Carrying the green bamboo needed for a purpose other than bio-coke, Ashimitsu took a step forward. But soon, his step came to a halt. At the same time, an arrow flew from somewhere and pierced the ground right next to Ashimitsu. He quickly looked around, but couldn’t find the archer. With a sigh, he pulled out the arrow that had a piece of paper tied to its center, known as an arrow message. After glancing at the message, Ashimitsu picked up the bamboo again and returned to the shrine.

“Oh, it took you a while. Is there something wrong?”

When he returned to the shrine, one of the old men, Mitsuo, called out to him while filleting fish. The other man, Gorou, was desperately adjusting the fire. Tsuruhime and her maid, Shiba, were waiting a little away.

“It took some time because I was looking for suitable green bamboo. Let’s start the preparations here too.”

“Thank you.”

Ashimitsu nodded slightly in response to Mitsuo’s words. After pruning the green bamboo he had brought, he cut it into suitable lengths. Then, he hollowed out all the nodes except for the bottom one. That was Ashimitsu’s task. After completing the necessary processing, Ashimitsu approached the bonfire that Gorou was adjusting and threw the arrow message he had received into it. In an instant, the paper caught fire along with the arrow, but Ashimitsu didn’t pay much attention to it and headed back to Mitsuo. Gorou tilted his head in confusion at Ashimitsu’s sudden act of throwing the arrow, but he thought it was just Ashimitsu’s usual strange behavior and focused on adjusting the fire.

“If you wrap the fish in net fat and put it in the bamboo, all you have to do is roast the bamboo to make river fish bamboo grill.”

“Next, let’s make bamboo-cooked rice. It would be perfect if we could make tonjiru (pork miso soup) in the meantime.”

“It’s wild boar, not pork.”

“Hey, old man and Ashimitsu. The fire is ready.”

“I’m not an old man, I’m Mitsuo.”

While continuing their usual banter, the three of them continued cooking. After the basic preparations, most of the dishes were cooked by roasting the bamboo, so a lot of time was spent processing the bamboo for cooking.

“All that’s left is to roast them. Mitsuo, why don’t you go check on the lady?”

As they started roasting the bamboo after finishing the preparations, Ashimitsu threw a word at Mitsuo. Gorou, seemingly of the same opinion, whistled while glancing at Mitsuo.

“What’s wrong, it’s creepy. Are you planning something again?”

“Oh, are you pretending to be innocent? So… how many months is she?”

Mitsuo’s face stiffened at Ashimitsu’s remark. He quickly turned to Gorou, who was smiling and laughing at Mitsuo’s expression. Realizing that everything was known, Mitsuo shrank his body and timidly asked.

“When did you notice?”

“From the beginning. Your attitude was obvious. If you keep worrying about the lady more than usual, anyone would suspect. Seriously, what’s with the child thing? Do what needs to be done properly first.”

“Well, I also… thought that the age difference was… but, there were various circumstances, you know.”

Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Mitsuo covered his face with his hands and shook his body. Ashimitsu lightly patted Mitsuo’s shoulder and spoke while shaking his head.

“Be honest, Mitsuo.”

“Wait a minute. Ashimitsu-san, you should understand, right? That people in this era value giving birth to children.”

Gorou frowned at the mention of the era, so Mitsuo lowered his voice only for that part of his argument. However, Ashimitsu shrugged his shoulders as if to say not to mention everything.

“There’s no need to be ashamed. All men like young women.”

“With that way of saying it, it sounds like I’m an unscrupulous man.”

“Is that not the case?”

“I absolutely deny it. It’s not like I dislike Tsuruhime. Her earnestness and lack of arrogance, despite being a princess, are admirable. Even though livestock farming is dirty, smelly, and hard work, she helps without showing a hint of dislike… What’s with that?”

Mitsuo thought he was earnestly defending himself, but Ashimitsu and Gorou acted as if they were thanking him. Gorou even put his hand on his forehead and let out a sigh as if to say, “Look at this.”

“Did you hear that, Gorou-san? This is the legendary ‘Mitsuo’s bragging.'”

“I know, Ashimitsu-san. It’s about when Oda-sama asked if he could have the daughter as a concubine, and you bragged so much that it ended up falling through.”

“That’s right, Gorou-san. It was a grand display of bragging for nearly half an hour in front of Oda-sama. It’s really hot, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Ashimitsu-san. I’m already overheated and sweating.”

Like a gathering of the ladies of the house, Ashimitsu and Gorou squatted on the ground and whispered to each other. Mitsuo was holding his head, trying to figure out what to do with the two in front of him.

“So, Mitsuo, take good care of the lady.”

“Yeah, otherwise, the bamboo will burn up with your bragging, old man.”

Mitsuo understood that no matter what he said to the two, it would be in one ear and out the other. After letting out a big sigh, he muttered to Ashimitsu and Gorou, “Please take care of the cooking,” and turned his attention to Tsuruhime.

“Is the cooking finished already, Mitsuo-sama?”

Tsuruhime smiled faintly and spoke words of encouragement to Mitsuo. She had intended to clear a place for him to sit next to her, but Mitsuo placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“No, please take care of yourself more. I’m fine.”

Before Tsuruhime could say anything, Mitsuo sat down next to her. The cold winter wind had slightly chilled his bones as he had been near the fire until just now. However, Mitsuo didn’t show it on his face and instead draped a cashmere stole over Tsuruhime’s shoulders. It was a masterpiece made from the wool of cashmere goats that he had carefully raised and brought to Shizuko’s workshop for weaving.

(Technically, it’s not cashmere, but it’s too much trouble to explain. Let’s just call it cashmere. But Shizuko-san is amazing. She can manipulate so many people with just a piece of paper.),If Mitsuo had brought the hair himself, he would have undoubtedly been turned away. In fact, before showing the letter given to him by Shizuko, he had been treated with indifference. Making yarn from the hair of cashmere goats and dyeing them in specified colors. Although there were some minor differences, if you knit them by hand like silk or cotton, you can create the desired product. It may be easy to say, but it requires a lot of effort to discern those differences. From the perspective of craftsmen, they don’t want to have anything to do with things brought in by suspicious individuals.

(However, her attitude completely changed once she saw Shizuko’s letter. That was an incredible transformation.)

“What’s the matter, Mitsuo-sama?”

Tsuruhime tilted her head and looked at Mitsuo with a curious expression as he pondered.

“Oh, it’s nothing important. I just suddenly thought how lucky I am. I have two trusted friends and such a lovely wife by my side.”

As Mitsuo said this, he embraced Tsuruhime’s shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Over the years, he had learned that Tsuruhime preferred to be treated as an individual rather than a princess. This was because in the Sengoku period, women were treated as tools for politics or spoils of war. Especially when Tsuruhime was a baby, she was treated roughly by her relatives because of her weak physical condition. The psychological trauma from that time had led Tsuruhime to desire to be valued not for her position, but for herself.

“Don’t worry. I won’t go anywhere. I won’t become a Buddha and leave you, Mitsuo-sama. I will endure even if I have to bite a stone.”

Sensing Mitsuo’s thoughts, Tsuruhime placed her hand on top of his. Mitsuo was momentarily surprised, but quickly smiled and tightened his arm around her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have compared you to her. I’m just a useless husband.”

“That’s not true at all. Mitsuo-sama is a master who is too good for me.”

Tsuruhime rested her head on Mitsuo’s shoulder. Her expression was truly happy, and there was no trace of shadow. Mitsuo released his arm from her shoulder and placed his hand on her head, gently stroking it.

“It’s so sweet it could make you vomit.”

“I’m embarrassed just watching.”

“Please stop teasing. It’s ruining the atmosphere.”

Mitsuo sighed mixed with Ashimitsu and Gorou’s teasing remarks.

Takeda Shingen of Kai Province, who responded to the request of Honganji Temple, had been in a bad mood lately. He had a plan to crush the Oda family in his mind, and the various provinces were moving as he had envisioned. In the midst of a situation where everything was going according to his plan, there was one person who didn’t move as he wanted. Someone who deviated from his plan, that was Shizuko. Rather than not moving as he wanted, he felt like she was looking down on him from above and always one step ahead. They weren’t even on the same playing field, and it felt like she was manipulating him.

(I can’t predict the movements of the Konoe family’s daughter. Even if it’s just a young girl, there might be something to it. She’s making me uneasy.)

It’s hard to believe that the fate he has drawn would be overturned by just one woman, but his instincts and experience honed through years of battles warn him to pay attention to Shizuko. Therefore, he was gathering information to put his mind at ease, but it wasn’t coming together as he had hoped. While he was able to gather information on the surface, the crucial parts were missing, like there were holes in it. Whether it was someone in an important position or monopolizing secret techniques, once the techniques were on track, she would readily hand them over to Nobunaga. It was like being in a fog, and the truth was that craftsmen didn’t want to have anything to do with things brought in by suspicious individuals.

Among others, Keiji was constantly behaving in a way that didn’t seem like a retainer. He would leave home for days without any contact, and when he returned, he would only eat and drink. It was unbelievable for both Shingen and the Takeda retainers that when Shizuko was called by Nobunaga to the castle, Keiji was seen strolling around the harbor with a woman he had become intimate with. Despite being a member of the cavalry, he neglected his duties, and Shizuko herself, who was supposed to be under his protection, didn’t say anything about it. The relationship between them was beyond comprehension, and Shingen and the Takeda retainers were at a loss.

Saizo, who was always by Shizuko’s side, and Nagayoshi, who was the same, never fell for any temptations. They didn’t listen to stories that would benefit them or put their positions at risk. As for Nagayoshi, it was unclear what triggered his anger, but he suddenly changed and even killed his opponent. And then there was Ashimitsu, who didn’t listen to anyone. Regardless of age or gender, anyone who tried to intrude into his inner self would be mercilessly killed.

(I don’t understand how she can control such a diverse group of warriors. How is she manipulating such strong-willed individuals?)

Shizuko doesn’t have any fiefs to distribute as rewards. And it seems that she hasn’t been given any fiefs by Nobunaga either. That’s why the Takeda clan, which has a strong focus on the early Sengoku period mindset, cannot understand what Shizuko is doing.

To understand Shizuko, one must understand what Nobunaga is doing. Unlike other families, the Oda clan doesn’t give fiefs to their retainers, but instead positions and money. They promote a monetary economy and employ people through monetary transactions. Shizuko is the one who practices this the most. However, that alone doesn’t convince those around her. In order to make them think that receiving money, which can be used to redeem goods, is more “beneficial” than producing goods from fiefs, she must create a system. She develops the land, establishes various industries, and promotes their growth, creating a state where the market is overflowing with goods. Then she collects the money obtained and distributes it to her retainers to indulge in luxury. The retainers use the money they receive to purchase goods and live a luxurious life. This way, they find it easier to receive a stable wage rather than relying on the unpredictable harvests from cultivating the land. If they look at it with a fresh perspective, free from fixed ideas, they can understand. But for Shingen, who has experienced many internal conflicts and disputes among his retainers since his grandfather’s time, he couldn’t understand Shizuko’s intentions no matter what.

“Gather any information, no matter how trivial. Investigate Oda with all your might.”

Feeling the need for even more information, Shingen urged his retainers.

“Ahahaha, things are getting quite interesting.”

Hearing Shizuko’s report from the spies, Kenshin laughed heartily. His reaction was the complete opposite of Shingen, who had a stern face when hearing the reports from his retainers.

“This is no laughing matter, Lord Sanjou (Uesugi Kenshin). Oda is steadily crushing their enemies.”

Kagetsuna voiced his concerns while clearing his throat. It was understandable why he was worried. Nobunaga had been on the brink of destruction at one point, but now he was breaking through the encirclement and inflicting significant damage. Rokkaku had been annihilated, Asai had already lost most of their castles, and Asakura had fallen to Kanegasaki Castle. Enryakuji Temple was being watched by Mitsuhide in Sakamoto, and there was no sign of its revival. Although Ishiyama Honganji Temple hadn’t fallen, the sporadic attacks by the Ikko-ikki were ineffective.

“There’s nothing we can do about it. Despite proclaiming to be anti-Oda, they still can’t unite. Can you blame me for laughing at that?”

“…I won’t say anything about that. However, if we just sit idly by, things won’t go well.”

Kenshin chuckled at Kagetsuna’s words. He also hadn’t expected Nobunaga to break through the Oda encirclement.

“If the beast of Kai, Takeda, moves, the Oda army won’t stand a chance. We know how strong they are from our battles with them.”

Takeda, Uesugi, and Hojo sometimes formed alliances and sometimes fought each other. The strength of Takeda and Hojo was deeply ingrained. The Oda army, who knew nothing of Takeda’s battles, could clearly see that they would be crushed by Takeda’s forces, which were only a tenth of their own.

“Is that really so?”

However, Kenshin questioned Kagetsuna’s thoughts. On the contrary, he began to think that because they knew too much, they might be overlooking blind spots. Due to their familiarity with battles against the Takeda army, they might be missing out on changes and opportunities.

“We have fought Takeda many times. That’s why I think there are times when we are mistaken. Perhaps the Oda army will exploit an unexpected blind spot and defeat the Takeda army.”

“I can’t believe that.”

Kagetsuna couldn’t completely deny it while saying that. Nobunaga had a strong streak of luck, and although the Oda encirclement should have led to their downfall, they survived and broke through. Even now, there might be unexpected events happening, and Kagetsuna couldn’t help but think about it.

“Of course, there’s also a possibility that they will easily lose. But Lord Oda is a lucky man. And Shizuko-dono is also there. I can’t imagine her just sitting idly by.”,”I wonder if she really has that much power.”

“She may or may not have it. But the crows have been saying that she has been actively involved recently. If she is seriously considering a battle with Takeda, we won’t be able to predict the outcome.”

Kenshin felt a sense of unease that Shizuko, who had shown unparalleled achievements in everything else, had not intervened in military matters. It was unthinkable that someone with such wisdom would be ignorant of military matters, Kenshin thought.

“In any case, when Oda makes a big move, Lady Shizuko will be the starting point. Takeda and Hojo may already know about Lady Shizuko’s existence, but from now on, the key to victory will be how much information we can gather about her.”

“Yes, I will instruct the crows to report even the smallest details.”

“If we can use ‘them,’ we can make contact immediately, but forcing it would be a missed opportunity.”

Kenshin recalled the duo who had been allowed to approach Shizuko when she was in Kyoto. It was possible to meet by chance in Gifu or Owari, but there was also the danger of arousing unnecessary suspicion from the surroundings.

“That… um…”

Kagetsuna, upon hearing Kenshin’s words, had an unusually awkward attitude.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen with ‘them’?”

“…Um, well. He said he was going to ‘visit Lady Shizuko’ and headed towards Owari. A few days ago.”

“Hahaha! What a delightful story. He must have felt something when he saw Lady Shizuko. Let him be, he will come back sooner or later.”

Kenshin, who had initially been taken aback, suddenly burst into laughter. Seeing Kenshin like that, Kagetsuna let out a deep sigh.

The tasting event ended with great success. In the middle, they used alcohol to mediate a fight between Shibata and Hideyoshi, and it turned into an impromptu banquet, if you overlook that.

As December approached its end and there were no major battles, Shizuko began preparing for the New Year. Kyujiro visited her with something, wondering if she had placed an order.

“Do you remember, Lady Shizuko? It was a while ago, but you were instructed to receive this from the Nanban people.”

Kyujiro held up something with a smirk on his face, it was a birdcage. Not just a birdcage, there were several small cages for animals at his feet. Shizuko finally realized what Kyujiro had brought. She apologized for forgetting and tried to lead him to the reception room to pay him.

“No, no, you seem busy, so if you just give me the payment, I will take my leave.”

However, Kyujiro declined while tapping his forehead. Shizuko, thinking that there might be a lot of business talk before the New Year, without thinking too deeply, ordered Aya to bring the payment.

“Well then, that’s it for me. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

After giving him the promised amount with a little extra, he left in high spirits. Immediately after, Wittman and the others rushed to Shizuko. They usually acted spoiled when they came to Shizuko, but this time they immediately noticed the scent of a new animal and growled lowly in wariness towards the cages.

“Now, now, it’s alright. And these are important animals, so don’t hurt them.”

After petting Wittman and the others, Shizuko, Aya, and Shou carried the cages into the house. It was the first time for Shizuko to see these animals as well. The reason was simple. The animals Shizuko had purchased from European merchants were species that had become extinct in her time.

First, there was the Great Auk, which became extinct in the 19th century due to overhunting. It was classified as a large seabird that resembled a penguin. It had a total length of over 80 centimeters, making it the largest among the auks. Originally, the Great Auk was called a penguin. However, now that it had become extinct, the Antarctic penguin came to be called a penguin.

It had a weak wariness towards humans and was even curious enough to approach humans on its own. When Shizuko released it from the cage to feed it, it approached her without any caution. Shizuko thought it was cute, resembling a penguin, but considering that the change in environment was causing stress, she restrained herself from paying too much attention and fed it.

After finishing checking and feeding the Great Auk, it was time for the Sea Mink, which also became extinct in the 19th century due to overhunting. The difference from the Great Auk was that while the Great Auk was captured for food, the Sea Mink was hunted for its fur. Native Americans also hunted minks for fur and meat, but European settlers were more enthusiastic and continued to overhunt to supplement the demand for fur.

They were highly cautious, with hostility on display, but the Sea Mink didn’t have an exceptionally strong sense of caution. It was a general tendency among mink species. Shizuko sensed that it was hungry from its behavior and threw fish into the cage. Immediately, the Sea Mink rushed towards the fish and quickly devoured them. Once it was full, it lay down and started to sleep. Whether it was bold or foolish, Shizuko was unsure, but if they were well-behaved, she would transport them to the breeding area like the Great Auk.

Lastly, there was the most famous bird among extinct animals, the Passenger Pigeon. It had the largest population among birds, with estimates ranging from 5 to 6 billion individuals. However, like the previous two species, it became extinct in the early 20th century due to overhunting by Europeans and Americans. The meat of the Passenger Pigeon was said to be very delicious and was traded at high prices even in cities. Additionally, America had easy access to the ingredients for gunpowder, such as saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. As a result, hunters would shoot at the flocks of Passenger Pigeons that darkened the sky, and both the pigeons and lead pellets would rain down. By reusing the pellets and continuously shooting, they could hunt Passenger Pigeons by consuming only gunpowder.

Despite the enormous number of Passenger Pigeons, their reproductive capacity was weak. With only a few individuals, they couldn’t reproduce, and the large population worked against their protection, making it difficult for conservation efforts to gain support. During the time when the number had decreased, the value of Passenger Pigeons increased, and poachers continued to hunt them. In the early 20th century, wild Passenger Pigeons were shot down by hunters, and the species became extinct. Although a few individuals were kept in zoos, several decades after the wild species went extinct, the last individual died of old age, resulting in the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon species.

“Isn’t it the same for Japan, hunting without considering the consequences?”

Having a large population doesn’t always mean happiness. The mentality of “one less won’t make a difference” leads to easy hunting. In the past, Japan had an abundance of Japanese Crested Ibises that covered the sky. During the Edo period, there are records of farmers petitioning for permission to hunt Japanese Crested Ibises because their numbers were too high and they were damaging the fields. However, in less than 100 years since the Meiji era, the Japanese Crested Ibises became extinct. The hunting for feathers, drastic changes in the environment, and mercury poisoning from pesticides were among the various factors that led to the extinction of the Japanese Crested Ibises in the early 21st century. Currently, the only remaining Japanese Crested Ibises are in China.

“I wonder if acorns from Japan are okay…”

Shizuko tried giving crushed acorns as food, and the Passenger Pigeon didn’t seem to mind as it eagerly ate the food.

The diet of Passenger Pigeons consisted of nuts and seeds from trees. They would move to areas with abundant food. Besides acorns, they also ate seeds and fruits from plants, as well as small insects and worms. The climate in the Americas was diverse, allowing them to move to regions with abundant food.

“…Let’s start with observing their behavior for now.”

Although Shizuko was slightly curious about the taste of Passenger Pigeon meat, she didn’t want to waste the Passenger Pigeons she had purchased at a high price, so she restrained herself.