The march toward Nagoya Castle was not a triumphant procession; it was an interrogation wrapped in a forced march. Subaru quickly realized that walking in traditional waraji (straw sandals) was a nightmare for a twenty-eight-year-old modern gamer. His calves burned, and blisters were already forming on his heels. Yet, he kept his pace, intensely aware of the eyes watching him.
Nobunaga rode ahead, occasionally casting a backward glance. Above him, the system display showed a subtle shift:
Oda Nobunaga
Current Mood: Analytical, Vigilant.
Stance toward you: Suspicious Observer.
Halfway through the journey, near the dense woods of the Shonai River border, Nobunaga suddenly raised his hand. The troop halted.
"Ryu," Nobunaga called out, not turning around. "Come here."
Subaru suppressed a groan from his aching muscles and walked to the front, bowing slightly. "Yes, My Lord?"
Nobunaga slid down from his horse. Without a word, he reached into a small leather pouch at his waist and pulled out a small, intricately carved wooden box, tied with a silk cord. He thrust it into Subaru's hands.
"This belongs to a merchant from Sakai who is currently staying as a guest in my domain," Nobunaga said, his voice flat and unreadable. "Inside is a rare amber pebble from the Ming Dynasty. It is worth enough gold to buy a small village. I need to inspect the western outpost. Take this box, walk down the eastern path through the valley, and meet me at the Kiyosu border temple in two hours. Do not open it. Do not lose it."
Subaru looked at the box, then looked up at Nobunaga. The young warlord's 96 INT was practically radiating. Subaru glanced at the two ashigaru guards who were suddenly ordered to accompany him.
Then, his eyes caught something else—a subtle flicker in the system overlay above Nobunaga's head. A temporary status trait had appeared: [Testing Intent: Deception Active].
A test, Subaru's mind raced, his gamer instincts clicking into high gear. This is a classic loyalty and intelligence check.
If Subaru ran away with the box, the guards would kill him. If he successfully delivered it, it proved he could follow orders. But knowing Nobunaga—the man who defied convention—there had to be a trap.
"I understand, My Lord. I shall deliver it safely," Subaru said, bowing deeply.
Twenty minutes into the eastern valley path, the air was thick with humidity. Subaru carried the box carefully. He looked at the two guards walking a few paces behind him. Their hands were resting suspiciously close to the hilts of their swords. They weren't protecting him; they were waiting for him to fail.
Subaru stopped. He held the box up to his ear and gave it a very gentle shake.
Nothing. No sound. No shifting weight.
Amber was light, but a pebble large enough to buy a village would make a distinct thud against the wooden walls of an unpadded box. This box felt completely hollow.
He's testing my honesty and my political wit, Subaru realized. If I arrive at the temple and hand him an empty box, pretending everything is fine, he'll claim I stole the treasure. If I open it now to check, the guards will execute me for disobeying the order 'do not open it'.
Subaru smiled. It was just like a trick quest from a hard-mode RPG. He looked at his own stats in the floating peripheral menu: INT: 88, POL: 75. He needed to use his knowledge of Nobunaga's personality to solve this logically. Nobunaga hated rigid, blind obedience; he valued adaptability and truth.
Subaru turned around to face the guards.
"Hold," Subaru said loudly. He knelt right there on the dirt path, placing the box on a flat rock.
The guards instantly drew their swords halfway out of their scabbards. "What are you doing, vagrant? Lord Nobunaga forbade you from opening that!"
"I am not opening it," Subaru replied calmly, keeping his hands visibly away from the silk cord. "But tell me, soldier. If a man asks you to guard a tiger, and you realize the cage is empty, do you keep guarding the air, or do you report that the beast has already escaped?"
The guards blinked, utterly confused by the analogy.
Subaru pointed at the box. "The knots on this silk cord are tied in a Hanamusubi style—a decorative knot used for empty ceremonial gifts, not security. Furthermore, the box has no weight. Lord Nobunaga did not give me a treasure. He gave me a test of sight. If I carry an empty lie to the temple, I insult his intelligence."
Subaru stood up, leaving the box on the rock. "We are going back to the main road. Directly to Lord Nobunaga."
The guards looked at each other, sweating, unsure of whether to cut him down or follow. Subaru's sheer confidence, backed by his high intelligence stat, paralyzed their simple minds. They followed him.
An hour later, Subaru found Nobunaga sitting on a wooden bench near a small wayside shrine, casually chewing on a piece of dried fruit. He didn't look surprised to see Subaru approaching from the wrong direction, empty-handed.
"You are early, Ryu. And you lack a box," Nobunaga said, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "Where is the amber?"
Subaru knelt, looking up fearlessly. "The amber is exactly where you left it, My Lord—likely still in your treasury. I refused to carry an empty box and pretend it was a fortune. A true retainer protects his lord from real threats; he does not waste time playing courier to a ghost."
The silence around the shrine was deafening. The guards held their breath, expecting Nobunaga to explode in rage.
Instead, Nobunaga stared at Subaru for three long seconds. Then, a sharp grin broke across his face, turning into a sharp, barking laugh.
"Ha! You noticed the weight? Or was it the knot?" Nobunaga stood up, walking over and tossing a real, heavy copper coin at Subaru's feet. "Most fools would have arrived at the temple, sweating through their robes, terrified to admit they were carrying nothing. They would have lied to my face to protect themselves."
The system screen in front of Subaru flashed brilliantly.
[HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETED: The Fool's Trap] [REWARD: Nobunaga's Trust +15, Relationship Upgraded: 'Suspicious Observer' -> 'Promising Candidate'] [BONUS UNLOCKED: Oda Clan Reputation +50]
Nobunaga looked down at Subaru, the amusement in his eyes replaced by a growing, genuine respect. This strange man from nowhere didn't just have a big mouth; he had an analytical mind that could see through deception in minutes.
"You passed, Ryu," Nobunaga said, mounting his horse once more. "A man who cannot be easily tricked is a man who can be useful in a court full of traitors. Come. Nagoya Castle is just over the next hill. Let's see how you handle my family."
Subaru picked up the copper coin, his blisters forgotten as the rush of victory filled him. He was no longer just a stray dog on the road; he was officially a player on the board of history.