Chapter 47: Everyone’s Decision

Ōigawa Castle – Okuyama Chikamoto

1561. Fall.

“Boss!”

The moment they saw me, one of my men shouted with a loud voice before running toward me. Drawn by his voice, the others followed suit and gathered around me.

“What the hell’s going on?!”

“Did they release you, Boss?”

One of them asked, pointing to my unbound limbs. The sign of rope marks were there, but they were otherwise clean without any scars.

“That’s what I’m here for. To explain everything. And to tell you that you all are going to make a huge decision.”

“Um, what do you mean, exactly?”

It was my wife, Tama, who asked that, on behalf of everyone.

“I was just talking with the head of the Isshiki clan.”

“The head of the Isshiki clan? As in Isshiki Masataka-sama? But why…?”

“Long story. You all, sit down first.”

Hearing my words, everyone, including me and even the pirates’ families, sat down.

“So, what happened, Boss? How did you get to talk to the clan head? Did they really just let you off even after attacking the ship that carried the head of the clan?”

“I, too, expected that they’d chop my head right away. But we were lucky.”

“Lucky…?”

“It turns out Isshiki is trying to build a naval force of their own. However, they are still lacking in manpower. As you all know, battles on the sea and on the land are different. So, the clan head said that he wanted to recruit us. Of course, if we refuse, he’ll chop our heads right off.”

“A naval force… the regret of our ancestors…”

Someone muttered in a low voice. It wasn’t hard to see that everyone else shared the emotion that he had when he said those words.

‘Serving under a warrior clan? Don’t make me laugh.’ Even I thought that way too when I first heard it.

“And? What do you think of his proposal, Dear Husband?”

“I chose to believe his words. Not like we have any future if we reject him, anyway. He captured every single one of us already.”

“Is that so?”

Tama nodded slightly before continuing,

“Then, I will follow your decision, like I always have. As you have said, the answer is obvious. If we reject him, we’ll all die. Everyone, you agree with me, don’t you?”

About half of them nodded to Tama’s words. The other half who didn’t nod were those who were unable to fight.

“We cannot fight, Chikamoto-sama. If you choose to serve Isshiki-sama, then what will become of us?”

“No need to worry about that. Those who cannot fight will be taken in by either the castle or the merchant clans. The clan head has given his words that you won’t be treated poorly even if you are practically outsiders. We were pretty much dead men, and we got a chance to come back to life again, but this time, we’ll be working under a warrior clan once again. I don’t think that’s too bad of a trade-off. Don’t you think so too?”

This time every single one of them nodded their heads.

“Alright, from now on, we’ll all cease to be pirates and will become a part of a real naval force! I look forward to working with you all, once again!”

“““Yes!”””

*   *   *

Someya Residence – Someya Kumakichi

1561. Fall.

“We have returned.”

“Welcome home. Oh, Torakichi-sama is here as well? Anyway, how did it go with Ohisa-sama?”

“Ohisa-sama will continue to do business with us, so there is no need to worry in that regard. What is more important is the thing with Hanahime-sama.”

“As usual, huh?”

The head manager, the oldest employee in our group, let out a wry smile when he heard my words. Hanahime-sama’s love for Kyōtō was something that was well known among the members of the Merchant Guild. Fortunately, this time, she expressed that she’d be looking forward to our next business deals.

“That aside, there is a more pressing matter to discuss. Could you gather everyone in the main hall?”

“Everyone, as in, everyone?”

“Yes, everyone. Including all the managers and apprentices. This is something that concerns the future of our whole clan, after all.”

“…Understood. Please go on ahead to the great hall ahead of us, Master.”

“Alright.”

After that, I went to the great hall together with Torakichi—no, I should call him Toramasa now.

“Please don’t look so sad, Elder Brother. It isn’t like we’re not going to see each other again.”

“To you, maybe so, Toramasa. But the sole thing that connects us is the ‘Someya’ in our names. Father had given up on you due to your lack of disposition on being a merchant. Your name change practically erases all traces of our brotherhood.”

When the lord proposed to take Toramasa under his wings, I was happy. I thought that finally this younger brother of mine could finally shine in the place that he truly belonged. However, he had to lose his name in exchange. Toward that, I couldn’t help but show a hint of displeasure toward the lord.

The lord probably noticed it, but he had not pointed it out, likely out of consideration of me.

“Elder Brother, you really have grown weak-hearted at anything other than business. You were like this too when Masataka-sama didn’t immediately return from Okazaki. You need to trust those around you more. Trust me. I will become a great warrior that you’ll be proud of. When I get my stipends, I’ll use them to buy a kimono or two from the shop.”

To think that this younger brother of mine, the man who had always been treated like he was a nuisance in our clan, would say such a thing with a bright look in his eyes. I guess it wouldn’t be wrong to say that this was the best development for him.

Right. Even if he were to change his name, no matter where it was that he worked at, we were still brothers. When the time comes when he’d become a great warrior, he’d turn into a valuable customer of ours, and I’d take care of him well then too.

“I showed you an unsightly side of myself, forgive me. Alright, shall we go to the great hall now, Someya Toramasa-dono?”

“Elder Brother, don’t call me that, I beg you. It sounds weird…”

“You are an important customer of ours. There is no way I could treat you with less courtesy.”

Though from now on we’d live in different worlds, us brothers would still be supporting Isshiki all the same. Me with my money, and my younger brother with his prowess at sea.