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Volume 3 Chapter 7 Part 8

「…Correct~. Because I would rather face Shingen on the battlefield than let Kichi-nee-san turn me into tanuki soup… *shiver* 」

「Though Motoyasu’s thinking was not as revolutionary as Nobuna’s, your endurance to maintain the current state of affairs has been recorded in Japan’s history. 」

From the history that Yoshiharu learned, the Edo Shogunate that Tokugawa Ieyasu, so as to say, Matsudaira Motoyasu established had once successfully let this country to enjoy 300 years of peace. Of course, this peace was built upon the ideology of closing the doors of this country to anything that was foreign to it. If Nobuna lived, then Japan and this world’s history would face a huge change. In light of this, Yoshiharu believed that Nobuna will definitely leave Motoyasu in charge of state affairs.

「And you, Juubei, you and me will one day be together with Nobuna, and sail from the base at Kyushu and head on to explore the world. 」

「Explore… the world…? 」

「Yeah. Sailing across the seas and using your own eyes to see this wide world and everything it has to offer… The two of us are the only ones that can understand her dream. 」

「…Hmph. Senpai is once again trying to bluff me with all these fancy words! 」

「What I’m saying is true! Listen, family status and ranks are nothing in Nobuna’s eyes. But, to make sure those Daimyo warriors of Kyushu will listen to you, Nobuna intentionally gave you the position of ‘Hyuga no Kami’, and also the name that only Kyushu nobles can have, ‘Koreto.’ Did you know that Hyuga province is where the Takachiho is from. So as to say, Yamato Gosho, Japan’s origin, so it’s obvious that you are different in her eyes! 」

「…Nobuna-sama actually… feels that way about me? 」

「Yes. I did not make this up. 」

Yoshiharu couldn’t help it but to grab Mitsuhide’s hands and continue speaking:

「She has immensely high expectations when it comes to you. So if you die here with me, then she will be left alone in this world again. And after she goes to sail across the world, if there is no one like Matsudaira Motoyasu to govern Japan, it will definitely end up in pieces again. Other than Motoyasu, no one else in this country is capable of keeping it together. She must have understood that long ago. 」

「I-I’m not that capable~ Why you say such things~? 」

「Because I came from the future! Believe me! 」

「Sagara-senpai. If that’s the case, can you see the future where you survive in this battle? 」

「…I don’t know. But one can never see his own future. Besides, the future isn’t something to be seen, but something that we create with our own hands, isn’t it? 」

Mitsuhide became silent when she heard that. After that short silence, she raised her head and said:

「…I understand. I will leave the mission of guarding our backs to Sagara-senpai, but there must be an additional condition. 」

「What condition?「

「I will lend 50 of my finest rifles to you. 」

「No need. Don’t you need them yourself for when you’re going to be retreating? 」

「Stop complaining and just accept it! I want you to return all of them to me next time we meet! If senpai dies here, then the battle between us will never be decided! Just who will be the one that Nobuna-sama dotes on the most? There will be a day when we fight it out to decide, so I will help you out this time around! If Senpai just dies here, then that means that you aren’t fit to be my rival, and I will laugh at you forever! 」

Mitsuhide’s eyes were red just like a rabbit’s, and after bowing deeply, she retreated from the camp.

(Maybe it’s just that she cannot bring herself to be honest with her feelings in front of me?)

Yoshiharu thought to himself.

Finally, Motoyasu grabbed Yoshiharu’s hand and bowed.

「As a replacement for Goemon-chan, I will lend you Hanzo. Please come back safely. 」

「Is that really ok? Motoyasu, without a ninja beside you, you will find this retreat difficult, right? 」

「This is Hanzo’s wish as well. 」

Motoyasu smiled and said, and ran off from Yoshiharu’s side.

「…Wow. Humans are quick to shed tears, but that’s where they are interesting. With this, my job has meaning. 」

Zenki said with a smirk, suddenly appearing beside Yoshiharu.

「Zenki, it’s up to you now. 」

「Yes. Since I can’t die, I’m not stressing whatsoever. 」

「If you disappear, you can be summoned back. So as to say, you won’t disappear forever? 」

「Who knows. If the dragon vein in Kyoto’s underground is destroyed, then even I will be reduced to ashes. 」

「Dragon Vein? 」

「Channels of spiritual Energy flowing beneath the ground. Shikigamis are a kind of deity. Deities are an existence surpassing humans. They are not something that should exist in this world. 」

「Huh, but aren’t you alive and well? Other that you being immortal, what’s the difference between you and humans? 」

Zenki looked at the birds in the sky, laughed and said:

「Sagara, you really are a good man. 」

「Oi, stop it. I am not swinging in such a way… 」

「Relax, me neither. 」

Just when the two of them were joking like that…

「It’s been a while, Sagara Yoshiharu. Asakura clan has taken the lead of all its troops and is marching over here. Faced with such a dangerous situation, how do you plan to act? 」

Hattori Hanzo, leading 10 Kouga ninjas, suddenly appeared silently at Yoshiharu’s side. Now that he thought about it, he had quite a fateful relationship with this guy.

Other than them, there was a bunch of volunteers, their glaring eyes filled with tears as they struggled to control their faces. In total, they numbered about 500 men.

「We amount to 500, all of us volunteered to stay behind! 」

「Everyone has prepared themselves to sacrifice ourselves for you, Sagara-sama! 」

「Though we are the weakest Owari troops who work for money, we were deeply moved by Sagara-sama’s bravery and loyalty! 」

「We must let Sagara-sama live and go back to Nobuna-sama’s side! 」

「Don’t let our cute Nobuna-sama cry again, Sagara-sama! 」

These people, they would most likely die in this battle. .. In this Sengoku world, this was something that couldn’t be helped. Thinking about it, Yoshiharu dumped the idea of crying at his own life or death situation and decided to boost their morale.

「Hahaha! Why is it that only the guys are left!? Did something go wrong in my dream of being surrounded by beautiful girls!? 」

「We chased away all the girls that tried to volunteer to stay! 」

「A thing like protecting the back of a retreating army is like serving your head to the enemy. How can we let Sagara-sama who is Owari’s most frivolous guy be sad!? 」

「All of us had been admiring Nobuna-sama and were thinking of her day and night, but because the differences in family status were too great, there is no way any of us could stand by her, so we had all given up. 」

「But Sagara-sama is different! Maybe…just maybe you will create a miracle that has never been heard off before! 」

「Sagara-sama, you are our hope! 」

Yoshiharu nodded and said:

「Correct, I’m the world’s No. 1 frivolous guy. Wherever I go, all the cute girls there belong to me! Even if they are a princess or a Daimyo! 」

「OOOOOOO!!!!! 」

「Everyone, LET’S GO! FOLLOW ME!!!!! 」

「OOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! 」

The time for the biggest retreat in Japan’s history, 「The retreat at Kanegasaki 」, has finally come.