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Volume 3 Chapter 1 Part 7

Nobuna, from her high seat, explained the situation as though it were the most obvious thing in the world that everyone with a little bit of common sense in their head should know.

「Within the Imperial Palace lives Himiko-denka, whose family has been living there for generations. Himiko-denka manages religious events in the Imperial Palace, while in reality the aristocrats called Kuge who serve Himiko-denka manage the dealings with the Buke, the warriors. 」

「Oh, the Imperial Palace, huh…it’s a bit different from the history I know. 」

「In the peaceful times of the past, all political power was controlled by these nobles. But the warriors under them later overthrew them, taking away the power from them for themselves. 」

「So basically, they did too much outsourcing, huh? 」

「I don’t really like those guys. They have been using the Buke from the very beginning asif they were their personal playthings. They’ve never shed a drop of blood themselves, but have the audacity to act all high and mighty. Just seeing those black teeth of theirs makes me want to vomit. Anyway, that’s how it is. You understand, Monkey? 」

After saying this, Nobuna ruined her proper sitting posture, pulling her legs out from under her butt and rudely laying down on the tatami mat.

「Himiko of the Imperial Palace… Queen Himiko of Yamataikoku… yup, no matter how I look at it, these two seem awfully similar. Could it be that they are somehow related? 」

「What are you mumbling on about, Monkey? Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Looks like the food is here. 」

At this moment, the head chef of Kyoto offered up the highest level of culinary delicacies to Nobuna, but after she opened her mouth and took just one bite of it, she grimaced and said:

「This Kyoto food is just awful. There’s no flavor to it at all, and I can’t even tell what food this is. 」

Nobuna frowned.

「You should add more miso to it, you know? More miso! 」

As she was showing no mercy to the chef, he grumbled to himself :

「I told you the people from Owari are all barbarians… 」

However, the retainers of the Oda clan spoke out as if they had planned it out beforehand:

「Nobuna-sama is right! This bland food tastes awful! 」

「We aren’t like those nobles of yours! If we don’t add miso to our food to increase our salt intake, then how can you expect us to keep up our strength? 30 points. 」

「Hatchou miso is the best condiment in Japan ever! 」

Everyone started voicing their opinions of discontent.

Right now, only Yoshiharu was the one who was crying excitedly:

「I can finally eat something other than miso! If it’s about food, Kansai is still the best in all of Japan! 」

And he danced around happily all alone.

Suddenly, Dosan charged in as if he had forgotten about his constantly hurting back, because at this very moment, Saito Dosan, Nobuna’s godfather, was faced with the greatest danger of his entire life.

The person who was once an oil seller in Kyoto yet quickly became the tyrant ruler of the Mino province,「The Viper of Mino 」that all people feared was now making loud noises with the fan that he was repeatedly opening and closing as he was breathing heavily, and he cried out to his daughter with an embarrassing voice:

「Save me, my dear Nobuna! 」

「What’s wrong, Viper? 」

Behind Dosan, lots of old women appeared in an instant, surrounding the old man.

「I haven’t seen you in a long time, Kankuro-sama! 」

「Kankuro-sama! I hate you~! 」

「Kankuro~! You won’t escape me today! 」

「Hehehehe, I’ve got you, Kankuro! 」

「 「 「Kankuro?」 」 」

Like evil spirits, the old women who had chased Dosan started pleading their case with Nobuna.

「This man has changed his name to Saito Dosan now! 」

「But in the past, he used names like Nishimura Kankuro or Nagai Shinkuro! 」

「His true name when he was a merchant here in Kyoto was Matsunami Kankuro! 」

「Don’t be fooled by this geezer’s current questionable look! When he was young, he was quite a suave stud of a man! 」

「Ohohohoho! 」

Dosan laughed while hiding his face behind a fan, and then he shouted:

「I-I-I-I-Iadies, I beg you! D-d-don’t say anymore i-i-in front of my daughter! 」

But, the old women had already fully transformed into demons and had no intention of stopping now until they tore him to shreds.

「At that time, we are all just a bunch of naive lasses! 」

「”I Kankuurou, will definitely come back to Kyoto to marry you after I take control of the Mino province one day, so can you please lend me 3000 kan?”. Using such underhanded tactics, he cheated us from all of our money and then disappeared without a trace! 」

「Not returning to Kyoto since then, Kankuro always gathered thugs around him to act as his bodyguards, so how can we women find justice? 」

「Like this, the number of female merchants he cheated can’t even be counted with both hands! 」

「Give us our money back! Give us our money back! 」

「Give us our youth back, you bastard! 」

「Ahhhhhhhhhh! Namo Amida Butsu! Namo Amida Butsu! 」

「Viper, you.., you really are the scum of the earth! 」

Nobuna angrily puffed up her cheeks.

「J-Juubei. Come on, aren’t you my retainer? Save me here! 」

「Dosan-sama, to think that you had such a past! Though you are my old master, you are too dishonest when it comes to women. I should just cut you down on the spot and put your villainous ways to an end! 」

Mitsuhide wasn’t going to be giving him any mercy either.

「Uwahhhh. Please forgive me! What you said is totally correct! 」

The black history of Saitou Dosan’s youth was exposed in its full glory to all of Nobuna’s retainers.

「Let him go, Juubei. 」

「Yes, Nobuna-sama.「

「Uwahhhh~! Anyone, come and save me~! Ohh, Sagara-dono! You frivolous brat! If it’s you, you should be able to understand me, right!? 」

And then, with Nobuna as the lead, the glares from all the girls suddenly shifted towards Yoshiharu in an instant. Nobuna’s look was especially frightening; her fierce glare felt almost like an interrogation cutting straight into Yoshiharu’s soul:

「Well? What are you waiting for, Monkey? Do tell us? Do you understand Viper or not? 」
Being well beyond terrified, Yoshiharu could only squeeze out a weak:「I’m sorry, geezer. 」 as he lowered his head and backed off.

「You traitor!!!! 」

After his last scream, Dosan was buried by the army of old women asking for their money back.

「Ahhh, it’s such a headache to be so popular. I’m really popular recently. Looks like I should be more careful with that… Oh yeah, I should start learning the perfect way to break up with girls so they don’t get jealous about me! 」

「What the hell are you mumbling on about, Monkey? 」

Nobuna couldn’t help but look at the dumb look on Yoshiharu’s face in disbelief.

* * *

On the second day of their stay in Kyoto, to exterminate the remnants of The Miyoshi Three, the generals under Nobuna spilt up.

Placed in charge of lookout duty on the Imperial Palace at the centre of Kyoto, Yoshiharu did not have any time to quarrel with Nobuna.

Though the nobles in the Imperial Palace have no military strength of their own, with the existence of Himiko who holds power over tradition and spiritual rituals, they had retained their power to bestow titles to the Buke as they pleased. Even the Ashikaga Shogunate’s Shogun didn’t begin his rule until after the Imperial Palace appointed him as the 「Sei’i Taishogun 」.

Even so, because of the numerous battles of the Onin War, Kyoto has almost been reduced to ruins during that time. This historic Imperial Palace was no exception. The high walls of the past are now in tatters, and it seems that numerous curious kids have been using the breaches in the walls to explore the buildings within.

Matsunaga Danjo, who wreaked havoc in Kyoto, had already retreated back to Yamato, but on the other hand, The Miyoshi Three were still in control of Settsu and actively opposing Nobuna.

In such an unstable situation, the importance of the job of being a lookout cannot be expressed in words.

「How I wish I could go with Katsuie to attack Settsu… But they sure are slow. 」