It's the third week of April, the 23rd.
As the warm spring sunshine pours down, the abandoned village at the foot of Hibariyama Mountain has completely regained its vibrancy and is filled with the voices of people.
However, the hair of the new residents was broadly divided into blue and white tones, and not the typical Japanese colors that are predominantly black.
However, considering that Lady Kicho, the principal wife of Oda Nobunaga, had blonde hair, my common sense that "Japanese people have black hair" might not exist in this world at all.端Hana
"Are you working hard, Yashichiro?"
"Lord Bizen-no-kami!"
When I called out to him from horseback, the white-haired, dog-eared young man who had organized a group of zashiki-warashi men to work on leveling the ground turned around as if he had burst, and bowed his head.
After stopping the zashiki-warashi men from kneeling and prostrating themselves, and ordering them to continue their work, I dismounted from Taishakutsukimo and beckoned Yashichiro over.
Behind me, the stallions who are lovers of Taishaku Tsukige are sweating profusely as they transport carts loaded with sacks crammed full of grain.
"This is our food supply for now, 450 koku. I brought it from my own Asai family storehouse. If it's not enough, don't hesitate to ask, and I'll see what I can do to make it."
"...No, I'm truly sorry."
"Don't be ridiculous, from now on you'll be working with your life on the line—and the compensation you've received so far is still not worth it."
I stopped Yashichiro, who was about to argue that it wasn't true, and stroked Taishakutsukimo's neck.
Then, he pressed his lips to the horses' noses and asked them to deliver grain to the rebuilt village storehouses.
Doing this will put Taishakutsukimo in a good mood.
Although I haven't known her for very long, we've built a very close bond, so I want to do as much as I can to make it happen if it would make Taishakutsukimo happy.
With Taishakugetsu-gei gallo , the stallions, breathing heavily, pulled the cart towards the center of the village without a word of complaint.嘶Inana
Her influence on the male horses is too great to ignore.
Whether it was due to sexual attraction or some other reason, the loyalty of the stallions to Taishaku Tsukige was truly astonishing.
(It's like a fanatic who's completely captivated by an idol and showers them with gifts.)
As I watched the cart swaying, pulled by the stallions, I turned back to face Yashichiro.
He's an incredibly muscular guy. I wonder what he eats to get that buff.
"Yashichiro, I need to talk to you. It's about the future of the Takamine Party, but..."
"Y-yes!"
"I could just talk to you, but—perhaps it would be better to include Myo-dono as well. She may be young, but she is the leader, isn't she? It wouldn't do for the leader to pretend to know nothing."
Saying that, I continued walking towards the center of the village.
In front of the storehouse, the horses unloaded their carts, and the male attendants of the Zashiki-warashi (house spirits) were carrying large sacks filled with grain.
They have big smiles on their faces, but it's easy to see from them that they've suffered through terrible food conditions up until now, and it leaves me with an indescribable feeling.
And next to the storehouse, in a particularly large house in this rural area, I could see the body of a girl with beautiful blue hair peering out at me.
"—How is it, Myo-dono? Have you gotten used to life in this village?"
As I approached and spoke to her, Myo nodded and replied "Yes," then moved her mouth as if she wanted to say something.
Still, no words came from her lips, so I smiled, patted her head, and roughly ruffled her hair.
Watching Myo's ears twitch, I crouched down to meet her gaze and asked her a question.
His face was faintly tinged with red.
"Myo-dono, I have something to discuss with you. It concerns the Takamine clan. May I have some of your time?"
"Yes!"
"I see, then I'll go up for a bit."
I stepped from the earthen floor onto the wooden floor and sat down by the hearth where the flames were crackling and dancing.
Then I saw Myo and Yashichiro kneel on the dirt floor. It seemed they intended to listen to what I had to say there.
I pointed to the side of the hearth and urged them to go up to the alcove—and I could see how visibly shaken they were.
There's a saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
I called out to the two of them, who were looking confused in the dirt-floored area.
"This is Asai's direct territory, and it's a village that I rebuilt and gave to you. I, the restorer, will decide the rules of this village. Now, hurry up and come up, come up—otherwise I won't talk to you about anything anymore."
However, even after I said that, Myo and Yashichiro still didn't move.
Ninjas are generally considered lowly and are often seen as symbols of people of low social standing.
Moreover, they are zashiki-warashi (house spirits)—it would be unthinkable for them to sit in the same place as their master, or even to exist in the same space.
"Myoden"
When I called out to her, the girl flinched and trembled, cautiously looking up at me.
Facing her, I slapped my knee repeatedly and then said:
"Come here, I'll pet you."
"Eh... ah..."
"come"
When he spread his arms, it was a signal for Myo to shakily stand up—and without listening to Yashichiro's attempts to stop her, she came up to the alcove.
But the moment he stepped onto the alcove and saw my face, he must have come back to his senses.
She looked at me with teary eyes, as if she didn't know what to do.
"..."
Myo's eyes wandered between my face and my knees, wavering and wavering.
And sure enough, when I smiled softly and beckoned her over, she finally came close enough to my knees.
When I grabbed her small hand and pulled her closer, her small, slender, delicate body fit perfectly into my chest.
I've done this with Hisa before, but petite girls are creatures that really need to be hugged and showered with affection.
It is absolutely unacceptable to lust after such innocent girls.
"Myo, how dare you be so disrespectful to Lord Bizen-no-kami—"
"It's fine, I'm doing what I want. And Yashichiro, I'm sorry, but—you leaders of the Takamine Party... are now my hostages. If you don't want to be subjected to something horribly bad, you'd better come closer."
As I ruthlessly issued my warning, I ruffled Myo's beautiful blue hair.
She seemed to enjoy the sensation of my fingertips stimulating her scalp, and with a dreamy look on her face, she let me do as I pleased.
"Well, they say a woman's hair is her life. If you don't want Myo's hair to be messed up any further, come up quickly, Yashichiro."
"Lord Bizen-no-kami... I apologize, please excuse me."
Having finally made up his mind, Yashichiro also stepped into the alcove.
As I ran my fingers through Myo's silky hair, I faced Yashichiro, holding her close to my chest.
"That's good... Don't hold back when you deal with me from now on. If you hold back unnecessarily, you won't be able to grasp the true nature of the situation."
"..."
"Well, I'm aware that my methods are completely different from those of the other lords. It's understandable that you're confused. But... considering the quality of the work I'm entrusting to you, and the inherent dangers involved, there's absolutely no reason to discriminate against you simply because you're zashiki-warashi. That's how I see it."
"Um, Lord Bizen-no-kami..."
He had an expression that said, "I absolutely must hear this." That's the kind of look Yashichiro gave me as he questioned me.
"However, regarding that work...we haven't heard anything yet. What exactly are we supposed to do? If there is no work, how can we repay the kindness and favors that Lord Bizen-no-kami has shown us?"
"...yeah"
I stopped playing with Myo's silky hair and stared intently into Yashichiro's eyes.
"I came to contact you about that today. We hadn't talked at all, so it's only natural that you'd be worried—I'm sorry. Oh, and Myo-dono, you should listen carefully."
I chuckled wryly as I fiddled with the area around Tae's lower jaw with my fingertips, at Yashichiro's overly earnest attitude.
Without moving a muscle, and determined not to miss a single word, it truly resembled a loyal dog.
Incidentally, perhaps due to nervousness, Myo had been completely stiff for some time now.
Perhaps they're not used to interacting with other people. This is likely due to having lived in a harsh environment where they had no choice but to desperately fight for survival.
"I would like you members of the Takamine Party to take on the responsibility of foreign intelligence gathering for the Asai family. This is to understand the situation in other countries and solidify the development of northern Omi—do you have any questions about this?"
Yashichiro shook his head quietly. It was probably just what he had expected.
"—That's all your job is."
"...teeth?"
But they probably never imagined that was all there was to it.
Being given land and food without being given any work—it's perhaps understandable, in a way, to suspect that there's some expectation of something in return.
"That's all I'm saying."
"Is...is that really true...?"
Yashichiro was looking at me with an expression that said, "I can't believe it."
Indeed, this makes him nothing more than a mere messiah, like Shaka hanging down from the bottom of hell by the strings of a spider.
Wow, what an incredible philanthropist there is in this world.
"Well... if I had to name something else, that is."
"Y-yes..."
Yashichiro swallowed hard.
Her pure white dog ears, peeking out from her gray hair, stand perfectly straight up.
The fact that emotions tend to leak out from places like this makes me think that a zashiki-warashi ninja would be at a considerable disadvantage in a one-on-one battle of wits—but perhaps the hood is meant to compensate for that.
These days, at least the members of the Takamine faction don't wear hoods in front of me anymore.
"I want you to create a paradise."
"Paradise...is that it?"
"That's right. A paradise where the zashiki-warashi can live with laughter..."
I continued speaking while gently stroking the back of Myo's head.
"Let me say this boldly: discrimination against zashiki-warashi will never disappear in my generation or yours. However, we can make efforts to eliminate that discrimination. I sincerely hope that this place will be a place of peace until the day when discrimination becomes less prevalent."
"...Lord Bizen-no-kami..."
Yashichiro carefully chose his words as he asked the question.
"Why would you do such a thing... Why do you show us zashiki-warashi (house spirits) such favor?"
"Well... I wonder why."
I chuckled wryly and pondered those words deep down in my heart.
The answer was already obvious. I just hadn't been aware of it, but it had always been there, like a shadow, haunting me.
"Maybe it's because we overlap. You guys, the Zashiki-warashi... somehow remind me of something."
"..."
Yashichiro had a look on his face that suggested he was both convinced and unconvinced.
They hardly know me.
So when I say they "overlap," there's no choice but to accept it as "I see."
And that's nothing more than a vague and unconvincing way of understanding the current situation—leaving one with a lingering sense of unease and dissatisfaction.
(...Ultimately, we're all alone. As outsiders in society, both me and them.)
I am not a resident of this world.
And therefore, naturally, I, who knew nothing of this world, had to live my life carefully, making sure not to reveal any flaws, even to my beloved Ichihime.理rule
Or perhaps she's constantly afraid. For example, she might be afraid that when her true identity is revealed, Ichihime will abandon her. That she'll be disgusted and go somewhere far away.
And those feelings have been further reinforced by the fact that I was an orphan with no family in the world I came from, and in a sense, they have become a kind of darkness in my heart.
It was only natural that I, overwhelmed by such anxiety and loneliness , would feel a sense of empathy for the zashiki-warashi (house spirit).苛Saina
The Zashiki-warashi are beings who cannot adapt to society, are not allowed to adapt, and are forced to spend their days in constant solitude.
What exactly is the difference? Just because our positions and circumstances are different, what is the difference between me and them? Or perhaps, what is the difference between me and the zashiki-warashi, who are both excluded from what society should be—
"—But let's put that aside for now. The important thing is that I have absolutely no intention of getting rid of the zashiki-warashi."
When you pinch the cat ears that are twitching, Myo's body trembles.
However, the stiffness in its body lasted only a moment, and when I gently stroked its fluffy ears, the tension drained from its body.
As I held her limp body against my chest, I continued to play with her cat ears and spoke to Yashichiro.
"And the first thing you must do is secure food—that's all there is to it."
It goes without saying, but food is necessary to feed the people.
However, when developing new farmland or reconsidering and resettling abandoned villages, the government must provide for their daily sustenance.
New farmland and neglected fields do not immediately produce food.
However, the government cannot provide support indefinitely. Supplementing grain supplies would, in turn, reduce the government's own reserves.
And in Sengoku-era Japan, where grain and money were closely intertwined, it goes without saying how dangerous it would be to reduce those reserves.
This is especially true for the Asai family, a mid-ranking daimyo family during the Sengoku period. The situation would likely be completely different for a powerful daimyo like the Oda family.
"Therefore, fields should not be expanded haphazardly. When expanding fields, you must draw clear lines and cultivate within those boundaries... Do you understand? Myo-dono is still young. As her guardian, you must ensure that Takamine informs her 300 retainers of this and makes them abide by it."
Yashichiro nodded deeply.
I must be imagining things, but Myo's face has been bright red and she looks dazed for a while now. It can't be related to me fidgeting with her ears at all. I'm sure I'm also imagining that her body is fidgeting and moving sadly.
"And what you need for the time being is not rice production. Well, growing rice in paddy fields is necessary, but what is required for now is the production of food necessary for you to survive."
Saying that, I lowered Myo, who was trembling uncontrollably, from my lap and stood up.
She collapses onto the floor, her body arched as she looks up at me with teary eyes. For someone her age, she looks incredibly alluring—but that's probably just my imagination.
Incidentally, the fact that I, who am not a lolicon, am thinking such things is surely proof that my sexual desire is starting to build up.
It's not something to be proud of, but when my sexual desire builds up—I even start to feel aroused by horses.
I descended from the alcove to the dirt floor and headed towards the adjacent storehouse where sacks of grain were stored.
Myo is looking up at me, gripping my waist with a look that suggests she's expecting something, but this must be an illusion.
The teenage girls I know rarely show the kind of lustful, female expression that a woman displays to her beloved man in the bedroom.
Incidentally, today was the day I was going to sleep next to Ichihime, so I had to somehow satisfy my sexual urges before we could sleep together. In other words, there was a time limit.
Time is libido, as they say, and this needs to be dealt with quickly.
A man's sexual desire increases exponentially as time passes.
"If you were to produce only one thing in a single field, unlike rice paddies, you would have to create fallow land to allow the soil's nutrients to recover. However, if you do that, you'll never be able to fill your stomachs."
While restraining the men of the Takamine faction inside the storehouse from prostrating themselves, I picked up a heavy hemp sack that had been delivered to the storehouse along with the bales of rice.
"Therefore, we must plant different crops in the fields each year. Barley one year, white clover the year after white clover, wheat the year after wheat, turnips the year after turnips, and barley the year after turnips, and so on. This way, we can continue to produce food without leaving any land fallow."
Then Yashichiro raised his voice hesitantly.
"Lord Bizen-no-kami, are you sure that we can avoid creating fallow land by doing so?"
"What, you don't know?"
I responded as if it were common sense.
Of course, in this era, what I've just described—the Norfolk farming method that often appears in light novels—is not common knowledge.
After all, this farming method is one of the modern farming techniques that originated in 18th-century England.
However, in that sense, it would be positioned as "cutting-edge technology" that is "achievable with current technology."
"Pasture grasses like white clover enrich the soil's nutrients just by planting them, but..."
To top it all off, she tilted her head slightly, and Yashichiro hastily bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry for asking such a strange question."
This has probably ingrained in his mind that what I said is "common sense."
Of course, that's not common sense; it's actually quite advanced knowledge.
The remaining challenge is how I can leverage my advantage, having learned so much about history, and subtly convey that knowledge to them.
Besides, even if it doesn't work out, this village of zashiki-warashi is the only one that will be experimenting with Norfolk farming methods.
To put it bluntly, if it doesn't work out, then we can simply supply food from the Asai family's storehouse to compensate for the loss and make amends.
Or perhaps it's better to go with that kind of mindset.
From the start, this is a different Sengoku period than the Japan I know.
Approaching things with the attitude of "if it works out, that's a bonus" is probably better for your mental health in many ways.
Indeed, what is truly important is to move forward steadily, one step at a time.
"Yashichiro, I told you earlier to clearly divide the area... I'm sure you understand what I meant by that now, right?"
"Y-yes!"
Yashichiro opened his mouth wide, under the gaze of the men of the Takamine faction inside the storehouse.
"In other words, you need to clearly define which fields are being planted. You need to keep each field separate and manage them so that they don't get mixed up."
"Yes, that's good."
When I smiled and nodded, Yashichiro looked genuinely relieved.
"The rice paddies are probably unusable right now. They've been neglected for a long time, and the rice won't grow properly unless they're restored. We don't need to plant rice this year. We need to focus on preparing the environment before the crops...that's what we'll concentrate on first. We'll take responsibility for providing food, okay?"
Upon hearing this, not only Yashichiro, but all the men of the Takamine faction who were inside the storehouse bowed down in unison.
I thought, "You don't have to do that...", but it happened so naturally that I didn't have time to stop it.
I crouched down with a wry smile and patted Yashichiro on the shoulder.
"I'll come back here in seven days. By then, please summarize the current state of cultivation in the fields and the planned areas for cultivation. We'll then consider our future course of action based on that."
When I said that, Yashichiro and the others all bowed their heads at once.
"You have suffered enough up until now. You will be working hard from now on—but even so, this year, take your time to heal your wounds. Not the wounds of your body, but the wounds of your heart. I know it will be difficult."
After saying that, I turned on my heel and left.
I wanted to get to Haruhime's place as quickly as possible to do something about my sexual urges, but just as I was about to leave the storehouse, my sleeve was tugged.
And there, behind me, was Myo, head bowed, tightly gripping my sleeve.
"What's up? Do you need something?"
"..."
But Myo didn't say anything, she just gripped my sleeve tightly.
It probably means something like, "I don't want you to go..." It's like what little kids often do.
I gave a wry smile and crouched down to match Myo's height.
"...It's in seven days. Be a good boy and wait until then. While you're there, hone your skills as a leader."
As I gently patted her head, the girl slowly loosened her grip on my sleeve, and eventually her small hands let go of my kimono.
As usual, Myo's head was still bowed, so it was impossible to see what expression was on her face—but in any case, it was unnecessary speculation.
Forcibly peering into a woman's face is nothing short of rude.
"...I'll be waiting."
"Oh, what a good child."
Finally, I ruffled her hair and jumped onto Taishakutsukimo, who had run over to me.
Yashichiro and the others came out of the storehouse one after another, bowing their heads to see us off.
Indeed, until the moment Taishaku Tsukimo summoned the stallions and left the village, Myo continued to wave to me.