Il Cielo dei Tre Regni
by Lunar Wave
Disclaimer: This story borrows the setting and characters of the Koihime†Musou series and borrows multiple elements from Katekyo Hitman Reborn. I own neither series as they both belong to their respective owners. Also, considering Koihime†Musou could be considered a fanfic of the Three Kingdoms, I'd like to say I don't own anything related to the stories of the Three Kingdoms.
-()-
The Hongou Squad
-()-
"It's only natural that we'd be somewhat hated for the strategy we deployed. The only thing that would vary is how much."
Those were the words that Kazuto had said when they had implemented the pseudo-scorched earth strategy. While minimal damage was done, that doesn't mean none. Furthermore, the crops were left untended during the hot summer days. The production of the fields, and thus the income of the farmers, is guaranteed to take a dive.
"However, it's not as bad as it could've been." Shuri's words brought Touka back from her musings. "Despite everything, the farmers aren't complaining much."
"Farmers are always prepared for the chance that their crop would turn bad due to things like famine, or the river's flooding." Suu informed them. "The ones making the most fuss, frankly, are the nobility from the northern regions."
Do you know how much damage it did to our economy to evacuate? Was there a need to evacuate the towns at all? Enshou would've likely just left the citizens alone! Cowards!
Those were the words of the nobility, dressed up in pretty words to hide just what they were actually angry about: that Enshou didn't win. That Enshou, who is a staunch believer in bloodlines, versus Ryuubi, who generally didn't care about the nobility and preferred to look at things from the perspective of the commoners. As long as Ryuubi is on the throne of Joshuu, the nobility is at risk of losing something. What that something is… frankly each of them has been fearmongering all sorts of somethings to lose. Their family wealth, their servants (slaves), their weapons, their guards. Whatever would get the fence-sitters to rally against Ryuubi's administration.
Admittedly, the administration has done a really poor job of keeping the nobility's interests in mind. The nobility is basically in a sort of riot.
"… I don't think we'll be able to send any reinforcements to help fight Enshou anytime soon." Shuri finished.
"Frankly, we're working hard enough just quelling the rebellions north."
And so, the majority of their generals are out north. The only one left… is Rouan, who is now training the new recruits here in Kahi. Even Sei, who usually has the role of capital defense, is out and about doing her own thing.
"… We have not heard from Ren in a while as well. However, reports say that she is leading her force into Enshou's territory."
"She's taking Kazuto-kun's last words to heart." Touka murmured. "… That they can't come back until after Enshou is defeated."
"She's encountering much resistance, I'm afraid." Shuri shook her head. "Even with the power of flames, it seems the sheer numbers are still a problem… Especially since this is no longer Seishuu."
Ren's previous hit and run tactics worked because the enemy was lugging a supply train with them. Furthermore, their strongest soldiers were all too far. This time, Ren would have to fight in enemy territory. When the enemy's food supply is right there, and her own food supply is scarce.
"… Theoretically, Ren could burn the crops and storage of Kishuu to starve them out." Hinari murmured.
"Then we'll be no better than bandits." Touka argued.
"Well, what Ren does will be left to her. Hopefully, she returns before we'll be forced to label her a criminal." Like they said, they had no news. Where Ren exactly is and what her tactics are, they're left to the duo.
"Got it…" Touka nodded. "… Hopefully she can contribute well to the war."
"Speaking of contributing to the war." Shuri raised. "Seishuu is now officially our ally…"
"That's… good. Right?"
"… Unfortunately, not." Shuri replied with a frown. "They made that decision, strictly speaking, because of the events of the war. Which, in my opinion… is their choice and fault."
"What do you mean?"
Suu spoke here, "… Enshou drained them of supplies. And Enshou is refusing to compensate them for them."
"So they turned to us, mostly to beg for food."
"… Can we afford it?" Touka asked.
"No." Suu harshly responded. "What we currently have left in our stores, they're meant to supply us through a poor harvest season. Like I said, this war has certainly made it so for our northern territories."
"But the southern is fine?"
"It's because the southern farms are fine that we can afford to keep our army. An army is a resource drain. If we want to fight and win the war as soon as possible, we need to keep our stockpile, so that we can feed our army against Enshou. If we had a truly horrid farming season, we would have had to disband the majority of our army to help with farming to ensure a good crop cycle next year."
"So we can't afford the Seishuu commanderies?"
"To put it bluntly, we should only care for the southern commanderies who allied with us. The Seishuu northern commanderies will either have to scrap for food themselves or beg the other Seishuu commanders. We cannot afford it."
"… Do they need food?"
"None of them paid tribute to Enshou, so I doubt we need to." Suu replied.
"But it was the rulers who wanted to do it. Are we really going to punish the people because of that?" Touka frowned.
"… Would you rather that we not win this war quickly?" Suu asked.
Touka closed her eyes. She breathed in a bit, steeling her resolve. "… If it means we help the people, yes." Touka affirmed.
"… Well, rather than the food go to rot, I suppose." Suu gave a small reason for her own sake, but she nodded either way. "I'll see it done." The tone of her voice seems to say she didn't agree with it, however.
"Touka-sama is too nice." Shuri nodded.
"I'm sorry, everyone." Touka bowed.
"It's unnecessary." Hinari shook her head, "We are already aware of how you are, Touka-sama. If we truly didn't want to do this, then we would argue harder." It's still a shame that they would be prolonging the war due to the machinations of Enshou. Everyone, aside from Suu, nodded in affirmation.
"… If you're going to do this, then I suggest giving the food directly to the people. I fear the nobles will horde the food to themselves." Shuri replied.
"As soon as the noble riots are dealt with, we should be able to send one of our generals to the north to help," Hinari affirmed.
"… Thank you, everyone…"
*tok, tok, tok*
They then heard a small rapping sound at the door.
"Ah, please come in." Touka called.
"I've returned, milady."
"Mifa!"
"Is it alright for you to return?" Hinari asked. They sent Mifa with them because she is rather skilled at keeping hidden, as well as serving as another bodyguard for the tenuous first days. If Mifa has returned, then that means…
"Yes. The Emperor, Master, and Spymaster have been safe for the past week. Sousou seems to be more interested in entrapping them with work, rather than spears. I saw no more reason I needed to be present to guard them."
"That's… good." Touka nodded.
"… Is something the matter?"
"… What would he say if he heard that we're going to be helping the people of Seishuu?"
"… I believe he would say: That's just like Touka. And that, there is no need to consult me about everything you do." Mifa replied, imitating Kazuto's tone of voice for the two lines.
Touka smiled slightly at the impression, "… Thank you, Mifa."
"I only aim to serve."
"… It's best if we can end the noble riots sooner then," Hinari said. "If we end it, we can use our aid as a trade for being able to march through their territory unimpeded."
Touka frowned, "But didn't you say they're officially our allies?"
"Please remember that they sided with Enshou the first time, and only sided with us after getting rebuffed." Hinari replied, "They hold no loyalty. And will likely betray us if things seem to be going rough."
"How about this?" Shuri raised, "Let's give aid when we march into Seishuu."
"Eh?" Touka blinked.
"We'll march through, and, in exchange for being able to stay in their cities for a bit, we'll spare them some of our rations." Hinari caught on.
"… But wouldn't that mean we'll be leaving them to fend for themselves while the noble riots last?"
"Frankly, I doubt it would last any longer, anyway," Suu replied. "… They don't have infinite resources either. They just want to stir things up."
"And we can tell Kouyuu to use his discretion if he wants to support the Northern Seishuu Lords." Shuri said, "If anything, Kouyuu's Sourthern Seishuu should decide the fate of that alliance."
"… Still…"
"Touka-sama. Please understand the difference." Shuri pleaded, "We're not going up there to help the Seishuu Lords. We're going up there to help the people."
"I, I see…" Touka slowly processed it.
"If we just send rations to Northern Seishuu without overseeing it, the nobility might just choose to pocket them."
"Also, as strange as it might sound," Suu raised, "Seishuu should still have their fields just fine. They're not as efficient as ours, but they should have a perfectly fine harvest once harvest season rolls around. Unlike us, who abandoned the northern farmlands, they weren't forced to march, so they were still taking care of their farmlands."
"… That's!" Shuri blinked, "… Is that true, Suu?"
"Y-yes…" Suu said, intimidated by Shuri's reaction.
"… Then, let's send Fuurin-sensei." Shuri nodded.
"Eh?" Touka blinked.
"Clearly the Northern Lords aren't actually on our side. They're just trying to fleece off of us. If they want us to aid them, then they'll need to show loyalty."
"So we send Fuurin-sensei?"
"Yes." Shuri nodded. "We should focus our aid to the people, not the nobility. We can get more support that way."
"… Shuri-chan."
"Yes?"
"Can you walk me through this a bit?" Touka asked, "I feel like you went in so many directions that I got lost…"
"Of course."
"Not that I don't trust you or anything!" Touka exclaimed immediately, "I Just want to understand." Because that is what she, as the leader needs to do. If she doesn't understand her friends, how can she lead them to do the right thing?
"We understand Touka-sama." Shuri nodded.
"Besides, if we talk through it, we might reach a better solution together." Hinari nodded.
"Let's start with what we want to do:" Shuri hummed, "What to do with the Northern Seishuu Lords."
"According to the reports, the Northern Seishuu Lords are all, for what it's worth, allied with Enshou to attack us."
"No." Touka shook her head, "… While they certainly were helping Enshou, that doesn't mean it was by their own free will… Bigger Army Diplomacy, right?" The art of using your army to intimidate someone to accede to your demands.
"We can be lenient, but we should remember that the Southern Seishuu Lords were of the same position, and they did not, like the north, decide to supply the Enshou Army for the invasion." Mifa pointed out. "Of note is Kouyuu, who formed an allegiance with us, despite the disadvantages to him. He may have allowed Enshou passage, but he did not also give supplies to Enshou."
"Which is part of our plan in the first place." Touka pointed out.
"So we need to evaluate if the northern lords were truly coerced, or they were willing allies of Enshou's." Shuri nodded. "We'll have Kouyuu do a profile of each of the Northern Lords, and then evaluate them based on what our information network says."
"How long will that take?" Touka asked.
"Two weeks at least." Shuri replied, sheepish. "It's long and tedious work. I won't be surprised if it takes a month."
"Which brings us to our next issue with them. They just became our allies, only to immediately ask for aid." Hinari frowned. "And frankly… it's a bit suspicious."
"You think the nobles are trying to fleece supplies off of us?" Mifa asked sharply.
"They are aware of Touka-sama's character." Hinari nodded, "They know that Touka-sama wouldn't stand for it if we don't help them. They might be exaggerating their circumstances so that they can cripple us a bit to help either Enshou or the Nobles."
"Considering the proximity between the northern nobles to Seishuu," Shuri frowned, "I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are allied."
"But you did confirm that there's a shortage of supplies in Northern Seishuu, right?" Touka pointed out, "You wouldn't have brought it up otherwise."
"That was before Suu-san brought up a point." Shuri frowned, "While they may have lost some of their stockpiles, they didn't lose any workforce. Their crops were not left alone for weeks on end. Their farmers should've still been tending their fields."
"Then… what?" Touka asked, confused, "I mean, that doesn't answer my question."
"It means that the nobles may be purposely restricting supply to their constituents to make a fake crisis," Hinari replied.
"Eh? Why would they do that?"
"This is all speculation of course. But they may be attacking us indirectly." Shuri grimaced. "We either help them out of their fake crisis and make ourselves more incapable of fighting a war against Enshou, or we don't help them and they can dirty our reputation. Our current reputation is built on the backs of us being the humanitarian army. And even the strategy employed during the war can only be called a strategy meant to preserve as many human lives as possible. Simply put, we are the 'good warlords'. That is not something desirable for our rivals, as it means the people would generally find it difficult to reconcile our reputation with the fact that we are enemies."
In fact, that was exactly why the nobles in the north aren't considered a big enough threat to send an army on them. Their reputation meant that, even the northern soldiers were unconvinced by the rebellion. Only the soldiers directly employed by the nobles are making chaos, which is laughably small. Touken had consolidated all soldiers under his banner after the whole Sousou-Touken debacle last year, after all.
"… They'd go that far?"
"It's our greatest strength. Naturally, anyone would want to knock it down a few pegs to make it a non-threat." Shuri said with a small wincing smile.
"But what if there is a crisis?"
"I said it, right?" Shuri smiled, "I agreed. We should help the people of the northern territories."
"Just the people." Hinari clarified.
"Eh?"
"We'll directly give the rations to the people," Shuri replied.
"We'll bypass the nobles entirely?" Suu clarified. "Wouldn't that offend them?"
"If they were better at managing their resources, they wouldn't have been in crisis in the first place," Hinari replied.
"Maybe they shouldn't have given Enshou so much food to invade the state where the Emperor lives, that they can't survive without Joshuu's aid." Mifa hummed. "… Although, I can't help but think that if the Seishuu nobles truly are just enemies pretending to be allies, that they'd have much more insidious methods to employ once we give the food. Like taking the food, or demanding from our distributors that all food be brought to them."
"Which is why we'll be sending Fuurin-sensei as the coordinator." Shuri replied. "After all…"
"She has an official Imperial Court Rank." Hinari finished. The Master of Writing, specifically. "The only one with a better rank than her that we could send would be…"
"Kuutan-sama… huh?" Touka sighed. "… That's…"
"Better not, right?" Shuri nodded. If anything, it's a blessing that both Kuutan and Fan have been remarkably docile.
"We can ask, at least." Touka sighed.
"If we do, you realize that Fuurin-sensei will be tasked with keeping those two in check, right?"
"Unfortunately, Kuutan-sama has been getting… bored." Touka winced.
"Ah."
"Without Kazuto-kun's stories and being locked in the palace for so long, she might become a bit too…"
"Say no more, Touka-sama." Shuri sighed, "At least run it by both of them at the same time." At least then, Fan might reject the appointment out of hand.
"… We might have to send a Guardian with them, aren't we?"
"We might be sending Rouan-dono, instead. Publicly speaking, the Guardians are Joshuu soldiers. We're trying to avoid looking like Joshuu is invading Seishuu."
"… True." Touka nodded, "… So that's what we're doing?"
"It's the best we have for now," Shuri replied with a frown. "… Short of just annexing Seishuu's Northern Area."
"No." Touka rejected it immediately.
"Then that's it for now."
"We're helping the people of Seishuu with this strategy, right?"
"… With lots of different caveats, but yes. We are."
"Then you have my approval."
"By your will!"
-()-
"So?"
"So what?"
"Are you going to approve the budget, or am I going to have to submit it to Sousou for approval?"
"Don't you dare go over my head when it comes to expenditures, Hongou!"
"Then stop dawdling."
"And why," Soukou groaned, "WHY exactly should I approve a budget forwarded by you to me?"
"Because if I can't get approved from you, then I'm going to have to find Sousou and hash out a better way to allocate money. So hurry up, Eika."
"… Entrusting my True Name to you is the worst decision of my life, Hongou."
"You lost the bet. And you're the one who made the deal. What was it again?"
"Don't bother reminding me." Eika grumbled. "And remember to never say that name in public!"
"I promised. Besides, I didn't like how I got entrusted the True Name either."
"You cheated it out of me!"
"You're the one who set the conditions, remember? If you win, you get to wander the town. If I win, you remain confined to your room and you'll entrust your True Name to me."
"That was an uneven trade."
"For us." Kazuto scoffed. "We were in a transition phase at the time. If you died or gotten hurt while under our protection, Sousou will no doubt be back to cause mass panic."
"I fail to see the problem." Eika pointed out. "You could assign bodyguards to me."
"Which is both a hassle and an annoyance," Kazuto replied. "Something that we didn't need in a transition period."
"It would still be less than what we're doing for you right now."
"You do realize I'm just as confused by this turn of events as you are? All I know is that Sousou has some plan for us, and this arrangement somehow benefits her."
"…"
"So you know why she's doing this?"
"She told us, but it's a bit difficult to comprehend." Eika huffed.
"Something, something, entice the Emperor to remain in Kyoshou and use her influence to suppress all other warlords that aren't Enshou and Sonsaku, something?"
"!" Eika blinked, "How did you?!"
"It's one option on why Sousou would want the Emperor so much that she'd go this far." Kazuto frowned.
"Frankly, I think it's unnecessary." Eika huffed, "The Kyoshou Army is not so weak that we need to worry about the other warlords. Why suppress the enemy with the influence of the Emperor, if we're going to take… Dammit!" Eika shut her mouth.
"You really shouldn't bother. Sousou probably already knows that I know that she wants to become the Emperor, not just control her." Kazuto rolled his eyes.
"… Keifa did mention that you referred to Gi once before." Eika then glared, "Then why not accuse us?"
"Of planning to usurp the emperor?" Kazuto asked, "You think we have proof?"
"Proof is unnecessary, and you know that."
"How many people do you think in this country are considering building up their own empire? We'll practically be accusing not just Enshou or you, but Sonsaku as well. You expect the Joshuu Army to handle all three at once?"
"… At once?"
"It's the classic story. Imagine a room of equal councilmen. And not cheap numbers like ten or twenty. Consider a room with a hundred councilmen. They basically run the country at that point. However, there are people in that country who are dissatisfied with their rule. So each time that council will vote to execute the dissenters."
"There is no emperor?"
"Think of it like the Eunuchs, with an emperor too young to make decisions for the country."
"Ah."
"Basically, that council has become a tyranny." Kazuto nodded. "Now, one man among that council stood before all the rest. He was the most influential of the councilmen."
"Despite all being equal."
"There will always be someone more equal than others. That's practically built-in in all systems of rule. Think of him like the Head Eunuch. Anyway, that man stood in the crowd and said: I have a list of names who I have proof of being against our rule. And some of you are in it. But I will not tell you! I will release these names a little at a time so that we can show that our council has zero tolerance for betrayers."
"… Then what?"
"Driven by fear, the councilmen all voted to execute the head councilman." Kazuto replied.
"Of course." Eika rolled her eyes, "If they did not know who is on the list, then it could be any of them. Or all of them. They were not going to stand for that."
"Now, what do you think will happen if we, as the Empire decide to accuse everyone around us of usurping the empire?"
"… We would all have an excuse to overthrow the Emperor."
"Because if everyone's your enemy, you have no allies." Kazuto nodded, "And that's exactly why Sousou is going through this troublesome route of trying to use the Emperor's authority instead of direct force."
"But you also had the Emperor's authority before. And you were not willing to do it. Why would Karin-sama?"
"Sousou has two things: 1: The willingness to be a tyrant. 2, the power to back up becoming a tyrant."
"You dare call her a tyrant!?"
"You're talking to one of four people here because she strongarmed to be here in Kyoshou." Kazuto pointed out, "Besides, I said willingness. Being tyrannical and being a tyrant are two different things."
"… Who's the fourth?"
"Chihou."
"Che, you're so annoying." Eika pinched the bridge of her nose. "You always seem to have an answer to everything. It's like you have some sort of omniscience."
Kazuto decided not to mention that he's mostly playing by ear here. "… If I had omniscience, we would've not given a damn about Sousou coming into Joshuu last month. That would've saved us the current amount of headaches we're having."
"Not what I meant, but fair." Eika sighed.
"… So?"
"… So what?"
"Budget."
"… You're really getting on my nerves here."
"I've gotten on your nerves by my mere presence. If my mere existence annoys you, anything else I do is just a bonus."
"I'll start charging you for it."
"Then I'll just talk to Sousou directly."
"The way you casually talk about talking to Karin-sama… You realize this is exactly why Keifa has been rambling on about how you're trying to steal her from us?"
"What Jun'iku thinks is her business. She thinks I'd make the sun rise faster if it will make Sousou look bad." Kazuto rolled his eyes. "… Can I ask something?"
"What?"
"Why do you call Sousou with -sama?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"She's the head honcho around here, I know that much, but she's still your cousin."
"Why do your retainers call you Master? It's just how it is."
"Fair enough, I guess."
"… I fully believe that Karin-sama will lead us, the Sou Clan, to an era of true prosperity. That she truly is the one blessed by the Mandate of Heaven."
"The Mandate of Heaven… huh? I guess that's a big thing around here?"
"You don't believe in it?"
"If we're going by historical precedent, the Mandate of Heaven is mostly just an excuse used by a new dynasty to replace the old." Kazuto shrugged.
"Is that the official stance of the Ryuubi Army?"
"It's my stance, but I don't think any of us actually care about it," Kazuto replied. "In the end, whether it's real or not, it's our actions that will make changes in this world."
"Not everyone has the sort of fate. It doesn't matter how wise or great they are, if they wallow in the mud, won't they be little more than pigs?"
"But the wisdom of pigs cannot be denied. After all, they figured out that wallowing in the mud would cool them down from the heat of the world."
"I'm making an analogy here!"
"I get your point. You're saying that even if some people wanted to change the world if they're not fated, they can't."
"Exactly."
"But no matter how much talent one person has, if they squander it, then they're no better, don't you think? In the end, the hardworking person with little talent is still a step closer to changing the world than a talented person who doesn't apply himself."
"But if you can motivate the talented person, their one step will be greater than a worthless one."
"And who decides worthlessness?"
"Who else, but heaven itself?"
"And how would we mortals who have no connection with heaven know what their standards are?"
"If heaven favors them, then they're bound to make a mark upon the world."
"… I'm sorry, but the fact that Enshou is a threat at all makes me think that's not that great a metric."
"The En Clan's ancestors were talented. And Enshou herself could've been worth something. Sadly, she is in the same era as Karin-sama. She will be crushed underfoot."
"Fun."
"And so will you if you don't fall in line."
"Falling in line with Sousou? Please. Jun'iku would assassinate me in my sleep."
"… She wouldn't."
"Why would you think that?"
Eika look like she bit a bitter fruit as she turned away, "Let's not talk about this any further. Leave me in peace so I can do my job."
"Oh, you're actually going to do your job now?"
"Whose fault is it that I haven't for the past hour?" Eika scowled.
"Last I checked, I came here asking you to do your job. But seeing as you seem to have forgotten…" Kazuto scoffed, "Then, Sou Shiren, treasurer of Sousou. Is there a yes or no on the budget? That I submitted two days ago, that you have summarily ignored for both those days?"
Eika regretted. What she regrets, she wasn't entirely sure, but she definitely felt regret at that point. Nonetheless, she decided to swallow her pride now, "If I say no?"
"Tell me what's wrong with it, and I'll revise it."
"… Where?"
"Here. With you. Duh." Kazuto pointed out. Meaning, Kazuto won't leave till this is done.
"… You have too much free time."
"Then give me what budget I can work with, and I'll start actually working and get out of your hair for the next few weeks."
"… Fine." Eika gave up. She wanted to make him sweat a bit longer, but she forgot how aggravating he is when he's right in her face. To be perfectly fair, it's been ages since she last spoke with him. Still, if she wanted him gone from her office for the foreseeable future, she needed to deal with him now. "Then here's a few things. Your budget puts too much money on personnel. New recruits don't get that much pay. They aren't elites yet. So this budget is a bit inflated here…"
And so the two spent an hour or so hashing out a more streamlined budget.
-()-
"Okay, I got us a budget!"
"Give me!"
"No."
"But didn't we put contraptions as part of the budget request we sent to Eika-san?"
"Do you think she even deigned to consider it? She took one look at that part of the budget and slashed it without any input from me."
"Didn't we agree that we needed it!?"
"Honestly, I just put it on the list. And then I just wrote down all your ramblings as the reason why we needed it." So Eika immediately recognized it as something Mao dictated and scrubbed it off while berating him about the fact that Mao is actually receiving an R&D budget already. Sousou's orders. So, unless Mao has an idea that is both feasible and genuinely useful to Sousou's domain that cannot be covered by Mao's R&D budget, there will be no more money shelved off for her.
"Stingy."
"Greedy." Kazuto replied, "Anyway, Soukou already yelled my ear off to make sure that I don't indulge you. Ever."
"Foiled again! I'll get you next time, Eika-sama!" So the two had that sort of dynamic… Fun. Maybe Kazuto could give Mao some ideas for contraptions just so that she can go annoy Eika for more budget. Maybe a water pump? Kazuto doesn't really have a good grasp on how those things work, but it's a thought.
"So first!" Kazuto interrupted both his and everyone's thoughts, "Since we already took care of the patrol routes… We did take care of the patrol routes, right, Nagi?"
"Yes." Nagi nodded.
"Good. So next on the agenda is we need to train up the newbies. Because apparently, we're not just a city guard. We're also the training people. Could've been informed that first day rather than last minute, but we'll make do."
"… I apologize."
"Don't worry about it, Nagi."
"Do we have to?"
"Sawa, this is important."
"But would they even listen to me?"
"… Let's first see how they react to you, then we'll see about making them listen to you. If they're disciplined enough, they'll listen quickly. If they won't… well…" Kazuto picked up a rock. "… I always wanted to see if I could imitate my tutor's methods."
While Kazuto will not be going into Dying Will Mode for this exercise, he does have a sword he can set on fire.
-()-
Results:
"… Well, I can safely say that everyone except you has managed quite a bit."
"It's not fair to compare me to the four of you!" Sawa cried.
Kazuto had decided to hand over the reins of training to Shanfuu for a few minutes to survey the progress of the others. He had already surveyed the others, and being perfectly fair to Sawa, she's right. Comparing her to them was kind of unfair.
Easily the best of the five, Nagi is a no-nonsense sort, with scars proving her prowess. She's also the best disciplinarian in the group, as she has been reeling in the likes of both Mao and Sawa since their childhood. And unlike Mao and Sawa, the trainees can't hide behind their childhood friend card to avoid her wrath. Nagi basically cowed them all into submission, and summarily disciplined any that broke line. Kazuto thought that Nagi was definitely putting some of her pent-up annoyance at Sawa and Mao's antics onto the poor trainees.
The next, surprisingly, is Shanfuu, who didn't even talk all that much. However… she does have a giant axe, which she swings one-handed. Only idiots would provoke that kind of person. Basically, the same reason why Rinrin can train soldiers. As for the training itself… she basically told them to come at her. (The trainees lost.)
Third, admittedly, would be himself, Kazuto. And well… setting his sword on fire, and smacking a few idiots proved that he's not to be trifled with. Threatening them with Reborn's training methods worked too. ("If you want, you can train the same way I did! Let's find a big enough cliff, and I can rain a bunch of rocks on you… That should teach you how to use a shield…") Technically speaking, Shanfuu and Kazuto were working on the same soldiers, because Kazuto's not getting a personal platoon out of this, and Shanfuu is just following along. Shanfuu basically is currently just following Kazuto's training for now, while Kazuto's looking at everyone else's progress.
Fourth, is Mao. And well, she's not the best at training itself, but the intimidation of becoming her test subject for the "Flying Shanfuu Project" had turned every one of her trainees into yesmen. She… didn't exactly train her trainees to be soldiers, but on-site engineers, to build siege engines from materials quickly. Makes sense.
Sawa, however, lacked the fear factor. She wears trendy clothes (Although the fact that skulls are apparently trendy around here is definitely Sousou's fault, Kazuto thought), she whines easily when hit, and her fighting prowess, which is great for a soldier, wouldn't really make her stand out. However, her background is of a village girl shanghaied into being a militia before being recruited by Sousou after seeing the three of them perform really well in the Yellow Turban Rebellion. She has no actual experience with dealing with anything less than the disciplined elites of Sousou's.
She's still better than Touka when we first started, I guess. Kazuto thought. But unlike Touka, Ukin Bunsoku is supposed to be a general on par with Kyocho, Choukou, Jokou, and Gakushin. They're the Five Great Generals of Gi, after all. She needs to toughen up. "… Sawa, can you do something for me?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you curse?"
"Eh?"
"Is it against some sort of moral code for you to say vulgar words?"
"N… no?"
"Oh good. Then I'll teach you the drill sergeant method of cowing idiots into submission."
"Eh?"
"Here's the thing, you're definitely stronger than any of these trainees."
"You think so?" Sawa's eyes sparkled at the praise.
"You're definitely at least faster." Kazuto nodded. "Now, the best way to do this is to demean the living shit out of them."
"Eh, what?"
"Don't let them walk all over you. You're a general of Sousou, after all. If they walk all over you, who was given authority by Sousou, then they are also walking all over Sousou."
"… Guh."
"So… put them down. Make them realize that they're nothing less than scum. Or better yet, call them maggots, or mongrels. Remove their right to being called human until they actually figure out who's top dog."
"And that's me."
"Yup."
"… So… I just…"
"I'll teach you."
And so, Kazuto corrupted Sawa's vocabulary with the most demeaning insults he knew. And given that he's a mafia kid…
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"… I think you overdid it."
"It's fine! They're doing really well, aren't they?"
"They are, but I don't think breaking their wills to live, to the point that they're self-declaring themselves as lower than maggots, is particularly great."
"They'll be fine. I survived, didn't I?"
"What do you mean you survived, Hongou?"
"To reach the whole flame-on-the-brow state thing that I have, you need to be bombarded with the harshest criticisms applicable to yourself. What do you think I meant?"
"… Is it really that simple?"
"Oh, and be so close to death that if you give in to the criticisms and think that it's better to be dead, then you're dead."
"That explains so much about you, but still brings up more questions than it answers."
"Honestly, I think I had a much duller life than you had, Sousou."
Sousou wasn't entirely sure whether she agreed with that. On some level, she thinks Kazuto is comparing apples and oranges. "… Just… remember that I want my soldiers to become elites. And being elite means they're the best. Thinking like they're dirt would be contradictory."
"I'd rather deflate any inflated egos at this stage. You can inflate it later once they move up to that rank. But for now, they're trainees, whose best spear thrust wobbles fifteen inches to the left."
Sawa apparently heard him, as she turned to one soldier, "WHICH OF YOU MAGGOTS SHOWED A WORTHLESS SPEAR THRUST IN FRONT OF SOUSOU-SAMA!? CRAWL ON THE DIRT AND GIVE ME FIFTY!"
Sousou snorted, as the soldiers all dropped their spears and started doing push-ups, deciding it better not to argue with the raging drill sergeant. "Did someone actually do a spear thrust that wide? Or did you just make up that statistic?", she asked.
Kazuto shrugged, "Fourth guy from the left. He brings down the average a bit. Personally, I think he's a noble kid…"
"Oh right, that kid that one noble was pushing onto Kentei-sama…" Sousou frowned. "Forgot that he'd be here."
"Is that so…"
Sawa was still clearly listening to them on the periphery, as she yelled, "You, maggot fourth from the left! You're lagging behind! I barely saw you do four!"
"That's an insult to maggots, Sawa!" Kazuto called.
"Sorry, captain!" Sawa yelled back. "He's right! The others are maggots, but you're clearly worse than they are!"
"G-guh…"
"… Kid's too weak-willed. He probably got pressured by the family to come here to hope to become an Imperial Guard." Kazuto sighed, "Didn't he use to be on some clerical job?"
"Hoping to put him in the same area as the Emperor as much as possible, then."
"Still, he hasn't broken yet. He's got guts, at least."
"Not enough for my army."
"… Should we transfer him to Mao's platoon?"
"With his musculature? He'd drag everyone down."
"At this point, I want to see if he's any good at directing people to do stuff."
"Do you think he's any good at it?"
"… No." Kazuto shrugged. "Considering he got bossed by his dad into joining the military, he's clearly a pushover."
"Do you only say words before you start thinking of the reason you say them? You self-contradicted yourself far too quickly."
"Maybe?" Kazuto half-chuckled. "… Most of the time?"
"… Fu… fuhahahaha!" Sousou laughed, "One day, your mouth will be the death of you."
"Maybe, but today's not the day."
"I may have to get you killed, seeing as you have the ear of the Emperor." Sousou casually pointed out.
"Please. My training's focus before I showed up here is on assassination prevention. I know how to notice poison in food. I know how to dodge sniper fire. I know how to sleep without being totally unaware. And I don't pick fights I can't win."
"Hoh? Maybe I should pit you against my Shunran, then? You sure enjoy picking a fight with her."
"… Just a sparring match, right?"
"We'll call it that."
"… What do I gain if I win?"
"… Hmm… What would be best?" Sousou hummed, "… Ah, maybe True Name rights?"
"That sort of reward would just incentivize Kakouton, wouldn't it?"
"You're already on True Name basis with Eika, and frankly, you're the easiest of anyone from your faction that has come here to befriend."
"You hope to use me as a bridge to Paitan?"
"She's always on guard with me. Ryuubi's influence, I guess?"
"… Eh, whatever. I'll take it." Kazuto nodded.
"… You accepted a bit too easily." Sousou arched her eyebrow at that, "I didn't think you to be the type to cave in to simply being allowed to call a girl by their True Name."
Kazuto laughed, "First of all, Kakouton isn't going to be here until Enshou's defeated, right? So that's quite a ways away. So trying to get anything I want immediately would be pointless."
"True enough."
"Second, if I do get True Name rights, I'll piss off Jun'iku as well."
"You have an unhealthy obsession with making my subordinates angry at you."
"Cure her misandry first, then we'll talk about unhealthy obsessions."
"She doesn't hate men."
"She hates anyone closer to you than her, even if only perceived, is that what you're saying?"
Sousou shrugged.
"Unfortunately, I remember her calling me a monkey more times than I remember based on my sex, so I'm pretty sure that, she in fact hates men. And if she doesn't, she belittles them."
"Can you blame her?"
"This world and its obsession with genderbending all the warlords…" Kazuto frowned. "Screw it, I guess the only way for me to get through her thick skull is to play Go with her or something."
"Should we make a bet there?"
"Hell no. I'm not playing her in Go. I barely even touched a Go board in my life." Kazuto rolled his eyes. "Maybe I'll try to fight her in either chess or something more obscure like games of the generals."
"… Games of the… what?"
"Some obscure chess variant game that Uncle Lambo brought over from one of his trips. You have 21 units, and the goal is to either capture your opponent's flag, or you place your own flag on your enemy's base. It's played with two people and an arbiter."
"Sounds… interesting."
"… You actually want to play it?"
"Frankly, I'd love to see how you strategize. If that's the one game you're confident in playing, then I suppose that's what we'll play."
If Kazuto was being frank, it's more because he has an inherent advantage with his intuition. After all, games with hidden cards to play are his strong suit, and the enemy's pieces are something you have to guess using context clues, the confidence of your opponent, etc. So it's the one strategy-board game that Kazuto distinctly preferred over Shogi or Chess, where he had to consider the board state as well as the familiarity of his opponent in the game.
Also, theoretically, computers can play both of those two perfectly. And even imperfectly, computers have already beaten the best players humanity itself has to offer. Kazuto does have a competitive nature, and he didn't particularly like competing in a field where a computer can just straight beat him.
That's not to say he's the best at it. All he has, after all, is an advantage. People who actually do the game as a profession would probably trounce him.
"I've no doubt that once you figure out the game, you'll start beating me." Kazuto scoffed.
"All the more reason to play it."
"… For some reason, I'm starting to wonder if we're actually in wartime right now." Kazuto chuckled, "Considering our conversation and all."
"That's just how it is." Sousou shrugged, "We aren't advancing the line yet. We're still waiting for the Joshuu Army to shape up. Once they're ready, we'll make a final push."
"Is that so…"
"Unfortunately, it seems a minor uprising from your northern nobility has delayed them immensely." Sousou frowned.
"… They have, have they?" Kazuto couldn't help but worry.
"Unfortunately for those nobles, what little militia they can muster is no match to the army that you still had left from the war."
"Fun."
"Also the northern Seishuu nobles have come crawling to Joshuu, begging for you to take them in." Sousou hummed.
"Huh…"
"You didn't know?"
"You think I'd receive intelligence reports when I'm here?" Kazuto huffed, although he's guessing that Josho will be able to give him a better status report later.
"Funny. Josho Genchoku seems to already have known when I visited earlier."
"News to me." Kazuto replied.
"… Josho Genchoku's your intelligence officer, isn't she?"
"She's certainly more intelligent than me, I suppose." Kazuto shrugged. "She is Shuri and Hinari's best friend."
"I notice she has not exchanged True Names with you."
"It is her prerogative. I'm not gonna push her into anything." Kazuto rolled his eyes.
"And if I say she has with me?"
Kazuto sighed, "Are you done fishing for information? Weren't you telling me about Seishuu?"
Sousou's smirk only widened. Kazuto rolled his eyes. He'll have to warn Josho later that Sousou is going to be targeting her soon. Sousou shrugged, "In my opinion, you should order them to grab their land and take control of it. That way you'll have a border with Enshou as well."
"Reminder that Seishuu didn't provide Enshou with soldiers. They still have a standing army." Kazuto pointed out, "Also… I have no intention of dictating to them anything. I trust them to make the right call. All of them."
"Ryuubi's more likely than not going to fall for the crocodile tears and help the Seishuu Lords recover their food supply, even though you need them to wage war."
"Correction, Touka doesn't give a damn about the nobility's crocodile tears." Kazuto scoffed, "She'd be more worried about the people under them."
"… Is that so?"
"Let them do their thing. They'll be ready to fight soon." Kazuto rolled his eyes.
"You have full confidence in them."
"I trust my Family. Don't you?"
"I trust my subordinates as well, of course."
Kazuto nodded, although he saw a sliver of hesitation in her words. Not big enough to be perceptible by anyone in her tone but it's there. "Then let's leave it at that."
"Let's."
The two looked back at the training.
"… You know, I'm impressed by Sawa's hearing range. We didn't particularly talk softly, but she heard us from all the way there."
"… I want you to teach me how you soundproofed those rooms. It seems I have a potential rumor-monger in my midst."
"Sousou-sama! I wouldn't dare spread rumors about you!"
"Of course you won't. You'll get killed by Sousou's many admirers." Kazuto called. "Also, that guy over there has collapsed. You probably should just dump him on the side to not waste everyone else's time."
"Got it! Guess break time's over maggots! Start hustling. The slowest of you will put the one will carry the piece of trash that fell!"
"You really think my lovers would do something like that?"
"Jun'iku, at least, will plot her death."
"It says a lot about how much you understand about my subordinates that you can make those calls. Was that time in the Anti-Toutaku Alliance really enough for you to have such an understanding?"
"How many of you wear your emotions on your sleeves, exactly?"
"I look forward to your match with Keifa in Go."
"Sure you don't want to match with me first?"
"You self-admitted amateur, do you think I would even entertain a match that wouldn't challenge me?"
"You look bored."
"Do you think I'm that free?"
"Well, all that plotting and scheming with basically nothing happening must be exhausting."
"Do you know how exhausting it is to talk to you?"
"I don't make a habit of talking to myself."
"Imagine it then."
"… My first instinct would be to punch him. After all, it's a fake me."
"… Really?"
"Do you know how many illusionists I know?"
"Forget it." Sousou sighed.
"So not Go. Or rather, I should find someone willing to play with me first before I do it."
"Will you?"
Kazuto was about to say something along the lines of Hell no, when he heard it. The clicking of a gun. The sound of dread. The echo of a man with a fedora.
"… Even if I say no, I'll have to do it anyway." Kazuto monotonously said. "Right?" A rustle of leaves was heard, and, in the corner of his eye, a giant pinecone merely smirked at him. This isn't even the same biome, you fedora-loving old man in a baby's body.
"And who's forcing you?" Sousou frowned.
"Let's just say I have a gun to my head, and let's go with that."
Ahh, it seems Kazuto is now going to be pushed to learn Go, Shogi, and Chess within the next few weeks. His own fault really, for literally saying he doesn't like those games when apparently Reborn was within earshot. He didn't even know Reborn was there.
Fun.
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Chapter End
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Chapter Release Date: May 27, 2022
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Beta Reader: Seraphius
See you next week!