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Volume 3 Chapter 1 Part 12

「I see… 」 Nobuna said.

「From what I, Hanbei, think about it, if we don’t change the way in which the people of Kyoto think first, then it’s going to be impossible to end this Sengoku era for good. As long as warriors keep on entering Kyoto, then the fires of war will always be coming back to it sooner or later. The reason for this is precisely because of the fear in everyone’s hearts. Once warriors reign over Kyoto, they will be infected by the cursed ‘air’ that has been filled with Sutokunokami-sama malice. But now, Nobuna-sama has appeared. You, the princess of the Oda clan, had miraculously defeated the strong and historical Imagawa clan… so maybe, just maybe, Nobuna-sama is the person needed to save Kyoto from the curse of Sutokunokami-sama once and for all. The reason everyone was so eager to welcome the arrival of Nobuna-sama might be because they can feel that same as I do: that with your arrival here, a new age might be coming soon. Hoo, I’m tired. It’s been a while since I talked so much without stopping~~. 」

After her long speech ended, Hanbei sighed softly and drank her tea. After Nobuna finished listening to Hanbei’s words, as if she had something on her heart, she knitted her eyebrows in a serious expression.

「I see. I do not believe in all of that occult stuff like curses at all, but if everyone believes that they are cursed, then that curse really ‘exists’. Minamoto no Yoshinaka, Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Ashikaga Takauji, as well as Miyoshi Nagayoshi recently… the reason they all failed to unify the world is the same reason why wars keep on spreading, or at least that seems to be the case if I do understand it correctly. As long as everyone believes that the curse of Sutokunokami-sama exist, warriors will forever be seen as a troubling existences in Kyoto, and will keep on dying. 」

「Exactly. 」

「Monkey, what do you think of all this? 」

Nobuna suddenly asked Yoshiharu for his opinion on the matter.

「Aren’t you from the future? If that is true, then there should be a brilliant plan to change the thinking of the people in Kyoto and remove Sutokunokami-sama’s 400 year old curse, right? 」

(I’m just a regular-ass high school student! How in the world am I supposed to know about this sort of thing…!)
Yoshiharu scolded her in his heart.

「I have no idea… but I think that instead of worrying about that, right now the most important thing is the appointment of Yoshimoto. And in order for that to happen, we must pray that Juubei-chan will be able to somehow persuade Sakihisa. 」

That was not the best choice of words Yoshiharu could have gone for, but he didn’t have much of a choice here.

「’Juubei-chan’? what’s up with that, you perverted monkey? 」

With a slightly displeased face, Nobuna puffed out her cheeks and commented.

* * *

Not long after, the warriors who had finished their mission had returned to report.

「Settsu has been pacified! I left the Mino Three to guard the castle that we conquered for now. The Miyoshi Three had already retreated to Shikoku! They won’t be returning to the capital anytime soon. 」

「With just a few days, I had conquered Settsu. Am I too remarkable for my own good or what?! 」was the kind of vibe that Shibata Katsuie was giving off right now as she was extremely proud of herself.

「Ahh, I wonder just how generously the beautiful Nobuna-sama will reward me… 」

Katsuie was extremely excited.

But…

「Riku. Why did you allow The Miyoshi Three to escape?! It’s going to be very inconvenient for us to move our army towards Shikoku due to how far it is, right? So we should have finished them off while they were still near the capital! From now on, don’t just think that it’s enough if you win the war! Here, this broken tea cup is yours. Take is as a reward for your failure! 」

「N-NOOOOOOOO!!!!! Nobuna-samaaaaaaaaa!? UWAHHHHHH!? 」

After Katsuie was dragged out of the room while ugly crying, Niwa Nagahide was the next one to make her report.

「The restoration of the demolished Imperial Palace is continuing on time. However, the part of the Palace where where Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the former Shogun had lived had been totally destroyed by flames though, so we will need more time if we want to reconstruct them exactly how they were before the fire took them.

「Dearu ka. Manchiyo, things must have been hard for you. 」

Her mission is a little more boring, but there is steady progress with it nonetheless. As expected of Nagahide.

「The preparations for the renovation of the abandoned streets will be completed within a few days. But as expected of the historic capital, by incorporating practices from the Tang dynasty, the orderly streets are quite a thing to behold. With such wide streets, moving armies and supplies will be much more convenient for us. 」

「One day, we must start building roads all the way from Gifu to Kyoto. The border customs houses must all be demolished too. 」

「As you wish, Nobuna-sama. 」

Next were Inuchiyo and Goemon. Goemon didn’t reveal her face, but instead hid herself in some corner of the room.

「…All the thieves in the area had been caught thanks to Goemon, who knew exactly how to catch them. 」

「Fantastic, Inuchiyo. Here’s an Uiroumochi for you. 」

「Thank you very much…*Bite* *Chew* … 」

「Now, where’s that lisping ninja? You can come out now. 」

「…I do not mind remaining in the shadows. Did you know, for ninjas, we are at our shtrongesht when we hide in dark cornersh shinsh we have alwaysh lived in them? 」

「Well, I do mind even if you don’t! And I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about! Forget it, just… just do as you wish! Next! 」

A totally exhausted Azai Nagamasa came forward with:

「I have compensated all those women who were deceived by Dosan-dono with interest… But, why am I the one paying for him? 」

He reported with a sigh.

「Dearu ka. The mystery of how Viper became a Daimyo even though he was just a simple oil merchant has finally been solved. To actually cheat the girls of Kyoto with pretty words for the cash he needed, that was truly unbelievable of him. With that old and withered look of his, just how suave a youth must he have been back in the day? 」

The financially devastated Nagamasa then continued to lament:

「Aneue… W-Why must I be the one to return the debts for Dosan-dono? Ahh… Being surrounded by those old hags day and night asking for money, they’re too scary, too scary….!!! 」

(He’s really exhausted. It’s like he’s witnessed hell for himself…)
Yoshiharu thought in his heart.

「Hoho. With his natural born suave looks and bad habit of playing around with girls, Viper can be said to be your teacher, right? The debts left by the teacher should obviously be paid by the disciple. 」

「No. I, Saruyasamaru, am a married man with a beloved wife now! I seek to repent my previous behavior and stop my frivolous ways! So please do spare me from this…! 」

「He said beloved wife, huh? So Nagamasa has really been mesmerized by Kanjuuro… somehow, I’m getting excited. 」

Nobuna blushed as she whispered to Yoshiharu.

「What’s there to be excited about? Hearing him say that gave me goosebumps. 」

Only Hanbei, who had persuaded Nobuna to disguise Nobusumi as Oichi, seems to have seen through the fact that Azai Nagamasa was actually a girl, as she couldn’t contain her laughter anymore. However, it was not her plan to expose Nagamasa’s secret.

「Well, since Kanjuuro loves to cross dress too, let’s just take things as they go? The only matter left is the most important one being handled by Juubei… 」

Correct. Currently, she is negotiating with the Imperial Palace over the appointment of Imagawa Yoshimoto as a new Shogun. If Nobuna, who has control over Yoshimoto, is granted the name 「Ruler of Men 」 by the Imperial Palace, those Daimyos who dare to keep resisting them will finally be finished. The ambition of Nobuna’s Tenka Fubu – a apaln to unite the entire nation by force ¬– is a righteous one, and the one who was assigned with the most important job needed to make sure that this plan will become a reality was the newbie in Nobuna’s army, Akechi Mitsuhide.

Amongst the country bumpkins that made up the retainers of the Oda clan, Mitsuhide is the only one who can talk to the nobles of Kyoto and merchants of Sakai, a true 「urban folk」.