◇ ◇

Celebrating 11 years (1606) March 1 -

The day I finally withheld Harumoto's turn nearby.

"Okay, I'm coming! Mother!

I, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, told the two of you staring at me worryingly.

As the saying goes, from now on, I came to greet you in the back while you two were spending time, finishing up my preparations to leave Osaka Castle.

The temple was so emotional in its greeting.

"Ha... I can't believe Hideyoshi has a day like this coming...

My mother is happy, sad... "

and if you leak the word by pretending to wet your sleeves,

"It's just sad for a thousand! I can't believe Hideyoshi went out of his reach..."

And, in a tone I don't think I'm very sad, I'm stretching out my trembling voice as Thousand Princesses pretend to moisturize my eyes.

I look at those two, and I say, "Huh," and I sigh loudly,

"I'm just going to Sakai Harbor.

Stop saying things like traveling to distant exotic lands.

Weren't you both in favor of my permission to leave in the first place? "

And I leaked my bitterness to both of them.

On this day, I'm going from Osaka Castle to Sakano Harbor for a certain purpose, but I plan to return in just a moment (about 2 hours), and I'm not sure what it means for the two of you to worry as if this were the end of the world...

"That's because Hideyoshi's appearance was so Rin, I just lost momentum and nodded.

I don't want you to go anywhere. "

"Thousand, I don't remember knowing Hideyoshi would go anywhere by putting Thousand in Osaka Castle!

and the contents of the words are separate, but the eyes that stare at me resentfully look exactly the same color.

I kind of feel like these two are getting more and more alike these days, but let's just say it's my mistake.

I'm laughing bitterly in front of the two of you sending me a gaze that binds me to "let me go,"

"Dear Hideyoshi... It's time for you to leave"

and heard a gentle Maida Yukimura from outside the room. He and I were supposed to leave on this day, and he came to inform us of the time of departure.

It was the voice that said, "Help from heaven," and when I bowed my head in silence, I looked back and shut up and tried to leave the scene.

But it's not a hoarding thing, because there are so many remnants of words tangled up against my back.

"Hideyoshi. I know you do, but if Yuanjiro plays weird with you, you don't have to do it."

"That's right! Also, if you get your hands on a weird stomach, a thousand will never forgive you!

"Well, Hideyoshi! Has that happened before?

Where I don't know straw... I won't forgive you!

What the hell kind of stomach is that!?

"Dear Odd! It was the stomach of a bruise or something, and I was stretched under my nose by this thousand years ago, and I was in love!

"Well!! When I heard that, I got extra worried!

"Ha! Dear Crazy! I was wondering if I should offer you a thousand..."

"No! I am here with you... and Yuanjiro is here..."

After listening to such a strangely breathtaking exchange, I left the room early.

"Wait a minute! Hideyoshi! Wataru with me!

"No! Please excel!! Thousands together!!

Somehow there was a noise coming from inside the room that was moving between one and the other.

"Run! Yukimura!!"

"What!? Hey! Master Hideyoshi!?

When I took Happy Village's hand, they ran out into Osaka Castle before they grabbed my back.

And finally...

"Yuanjiro!! Don't forget the 'conditions' then!!

And when I thought the starry temple's loud voice had sounded, the rarely changing complexion of Happy Village turned to sassy blue, but now I didn't have time to do that, and I ran through this castle with my friends over and over again, like the wind.

………

……

Me and Happy Village, who managed to shake off the pursuit of the Temple and Chihime, as they rode their horses along the way, head straight outside the Osaka Castle structure.

And finally, walking through the magnificent gates, he finally went out of the castle.

"Whoa!"

And I accidentally leaked my voice.

Outside Osaka Castle, which we could normally only see from above the Temple of Heaven with appetite, we just took a step forward.

And the view of Osaka Castle from outside the castle was also an inspiring sight for me.

One man spoke to me as I thought I was bored with words that way.

"Master Hideyoshi, it's been a long time"

I turn to that word and in front of me I look like an old man with his spine stretched out and his head slightly lowered.

As soon as I saw the old man, I broke my face, with the joy of gushing in my tone,

"Hey, Lord Gui! Long time no see! How are you?

And I spoke up.

"Yes, thanks to you, we are doing fine on this street, not one bad thing"

"The Lord is still stiff!

Well, I hope that sounds like Lord Gui... Ha ha!

And I was half crazy, half happy, and I accidentally laughed out loud, but the old man had a riddled face, and he was still bowing his head.

Such a picturesque and serious old man is one of the "Toyotomi Seven Stars," Kwai Hiroshi.

He rarely showed his face to Osaka Castle here because he had been asked to focus on maintenance to consolidate his southern defense, which is still considered the weakness of Osaka Castle.

It was in the name of the construction of the school's warehouse that it was asked to build a fort in a place called Long House to the south of the castle, and then to build a castle exit adjacent to the outer moat of Osaka Castle.

It should be noted that in future generations the castle appearance is called "Maida Maru", but compared to that built on the edge of the Osaka formation, it goes without saying that the territorial territory was left to Kato Kiyosei, the "ghost of Cage Castle" and Gui Hiroshi became more robust because of its popularity.

Of course, the same function as the historical facts should be fulfilled because it incorporates Yukimura's own opinions as a basis.

He left it to himself to do various other repairs and alterations in detail, but seriously, he seemed to have flew all over Kichi, immersed in the work, with little face in the castle.

But all this day I was supposed to ask him to stop his leg and take me with him to Sakai Harbor, and he was meeting me at this great gate.

And when I realized I didn't have much time to miss the reunion,

"So let's go!

And he called out to the two wide-ranging and possibly more prosperous people, and the Koukumura next door.

"We will."

The lead actor, Yukimura, replied so, kicking the belly of the horse and resuming the march towards Sakami.

And me and Broad Traditional went after his back across the horse.

………

……

From Osaka Castle to Sakano Harbor is not so far away.

Not to mention flying the horse, so at most we get there in half an hour (about 30 minutes).

On that road, I decided to ask what I really wanted to ask.

"Lord Gui, may I ask you one thing?

"What should we do?

"If..."

The question is about the "inevitable future".

No, I would rather say "a future that needs to be avoided and passed through".

I wanted to ask Guiguang, the ghost of Cage Castle, for his opinions.

It's...

"If the outer and inner moats of Osaka Castle were buried together, how would Lord Gui protect Osaka Castle?

that.

Broad Traditions to its inquiry, when eyes are enlarged,

"Ha! Will Hideyoshi have it tested?

And I started laughing out loud and happy.

"No, I meant to even ask you seriously, would that be so funny...?

And I frowned and glanced at the vastness.

Taking that look on my face, Hiroyoshi told me to pull my face tight.

"I apologize for this.

But if it were to protect the outer and inner moat filled castle, it would be like losing a helmet and armor, so to speak, confronting a knife or spear.

It will no longer be a cage castle battle.

There is nothing better than fighting outside the castle to avoid being attacked by the enemy. "

"Haha... well, you are...

Even with your Lord, is that reckless talk... "

Again...

Those who do not know the historical facts of the two moats buried in Osaka must think the same thing, even if it is not extensive.

But this is not the kind of situation that can be done with laughter, beyond the truth that 'history is no different' so far.

At any rate, there is no future for Toyotomi and Osaka Castle other than 'doom' if we do not distort only the history of 'being able to fill the outer and inner moats'.

My face, which was cruising like that, must have carried something dark.

Broad and prosperous looking at me like that,

"Rest assured, we will consolidate our defenses more so that we don't get ripped through the outer and inner moats!

And he encouraged me out loud.

Seriously, he can't seem to hide how he cares about me at all.

To his care, I loosened my mouth.

"I really appreciate the words of Lord Gui. I'm counting on you, so thank you."

And there was nothing else.

Now, while we're having that conversation, it looks like we're going into Sakami City at some point.

Its liveliness, its vibrancy, is something that the city deserves to be hailed as a "kitchen of nations" or "kitchen under heaven" in future generations.

People all seem to smile and buy and sell a variety of traded goods collected from all over the country.

Walking down a horse like that all over the city for a while, I finally reached my destination.

"Father!! Get over here!!

Mr. Horiuchi is smiling and waving at me when he looks at someone who has such an exuberant voice. And beside it is Yoshiji Otani's figure. Furthermore, another young woman stood nagging, trying to hide behind Yoshiji.

The woman who dropped a shadow in her face in this vibrant city that obviously didn't suit her.

If it was meant to be, the owner of those big eyes would be a beautiful face, but if I only looked at the look on his face, if I touched it, I could only feel the feeling of being broken.

"Yoshiji, who's the stomach behind that?

Yukimura, Yoshiji's brother-in-law, asked in a quiet voice what I was about to do.

I have a gentle smile as usual, but I can feel my vigilance for bringing outsiders, not to mention women, on my verbal butt.

As I approached her like that, I stared into her eyes, reflecting that pity.

She couldn't stand my eyes, and immediately turned her white face clear of them.

Still, I stare at her enough to make a hole.

"Hi, Hideyoshi...?

And when Yoshiji called out to me in a panic about how I was doing differently than usual, he controlled it with Yukimura's unchanged expression from earlier.

I stay focused and stare at her.

The hustle and noise around her turned off the sound, and from my ears, her heartbeat rang directly into my heart.

And...

My consciousness reached the depths of her heart.

The sight...

A cave covered in darkness.

I step one step at a time and step inside that cave.

As you rely on the slightest light in the limp cave,

Sorrow... suffering... hatred... remorse...

Various negative emotions have clung to my feet, like a deceased who still suffers from purgatory.

Ahead, as she proceeded to shake them off, she nodded and sat, surrounded by walls of light in her cheeks.

What floated up there was the figure of an old woman and an old man in the light as well...

They stare at me without saying a word.

Strange gaze, neither hostile nor allied.

It felt such a strong affection, like it was protecting the nucleus of her heart.

I'll gently touch the light.

At that moment...

"Dear Hideyoshi!!

To Yoshiji's cry, my consciousness returned to the original world.

Once again, the noise around me enters my ears.

"Oh, I..."

And when I was confused by the strange feeling, I found that my cheeks were wet in tears.

She stared at the tears with a surprised look on her face.

"Shh, I'm sorry... it's okay now..."

And when I spoke to the people around me, I turned my gaze to her once again.

Turn your gentle gaze so as not to scare you as much as possible.

"Lord, what do you say your name is?

She replies, puffy and twinkly.

"Apricots... Yoshioka Apricots..."

Yoshiji continued so that he could carry on the words that followed.

"This apricot temple is for those who helped him by providing water and meals where he was falling in the mountain temple along the way when he went to Kyushu to make sure that Lord Rushui passed away.

After that, I thought I had regained my strength, I would immediately put the blade on my throat and try to die, so until I regained my strength for a while, I have deposited it with my sister… i.e., the wife of Lord Happy Village and the samurai of the Thousand Princesses, who call me the daughter of the inner house of Takani or something.

I was hoping to clear my mind a little bit today, and I took you so far...

If you mean to interrupt, it will take you to Osaka Castle. "

and against Yoshiji, who is standing in front of her and bowing her head, after I urged her to raise her head,

"No, good. I don't mind if you stay at the Apricot Palace."

And I said.

And once again, facing her,

"Lord Apricot... I don't ask what happened.

But that's all I want to tell you. Once in Osaka Castle, you'll have to protect it. "

And I talked with a tight expression.

Did she warn you about that look on my face, dropping her gaze down and darkening her expression?

I told her nicely.

"Smile. I won't allow you to leave Osaka Castle until you can make a natural smile."

When I smile myself and show her that face, she gives me a surprised look again.

And finally, I told her,

"The Lord wants you to smile, both old women and old men, who are guarding the Lord's closed heart."

And I said.

As I looked, when the apricot's face sneezed, the puffiness and tears spilled out of its big eyes.

I guess the emotions I've suppressed so far with the tears have overflowed.

But she didn't cry or get a whimper on the spot, and when she burst into tears rampantly with her own sleeve,

"Thank you"

And he bowed his head to me.

"Well, it will be time to arrive, so let's hurry"

In anticipation of Yukimura's calming condition, he urged us to turn to the harbor.

Then Mr. Goodness, who gazed at the sea, shouted out.

"Ooh!! I can see it!! Not that ship!! Ooh!!

and ran out to one big ship, waving out loud.

They all go after Mr. Goodness's back in unison.

I also changed my mind immediately from some heavy exchange earlier, and stared at the ship,

"Finally! I'm home at last!!

And, excitedly, he ran toward the ship's stop.

Yes... on that boat, returning to Sakai Harbor...

One of the "Toyotomi Seven Stars", Akashi All Deng.

He finally returned home on this day after a long journey to gather talent for Toyoku School.

And his return meant 'completion of the Toyota School'.