On April 18, Ryuzaki Takashin died.

The announcement was made by the interlocutors of each daimyo family who ran around all of Kyushu at a terrible speed.

Ryuzaki Temple Takashin, which has earned its name throughout Kyushu in just one generation. The current hegemonic struggle in Kyushu is said to be the three greats of the Otomo family, the Ryuzaki family, and the Shimadzu family, but the great famous family of the neighboring countries viewed the "Otomo family is a downfall, and it is essentially a struggle between the Ryuzaki family of force and the Shimadzu family of military strategy." Takashin Ryuzaki, the owner of the temple, was taken over by the Oda army. I lost. That monster was considered to be the best in Kyushu by force.

And in this shocking fact some shall fear, and some shall rejoice, and some shall nod. Let's see how they react this time.



It was the Shimadzu family who procured the information first, before anyone else. The owner of the Shimadzu family, Yoshihisa Shimadzu, secretly let the Ryuzaki army sneak in. Therefore, at the moment when Hideyoshi took over Takashi Ryuzaki's temple and raised the stakes, he left the battlefield and headed towards his master.

Thus, Yoshihisa Shimadzu learned that Takashi Ryuzaki had died before any famous family.

Along with this, Yoshihisa summoned three brothers, Yoshihiro, Kyu, and Ikuhisa, who were the heart of the Shimadzu family. Yoshihisa sat on the upper seat and her brothers lined up facing each other. Among them, Yoshihiro, a militant faction, looks at Yoshihisa with his eyes shining as if he can predict the content of the story to some extent.

Yoshihisa quickly cut out the main point while smiling bitterly at Yoshihiro's appearance.

"... the Ryugaku Temple Army was defeated." Naoshima Nabeshima, the right-hand man, headed by Ryuzenji Takashin, the head of Ryuzenji, and the Four Heavenly Kings of Ryuzenji, were also wiped out. The man was safe at Saga Castle, but he had no future in the Ryugaku Temple family. There is also the Arima family that betrayed them. I will go down to the Oda army soon. "

Then, Yoshihiro clapped his knee and stood up. His eyes were filled with unspoken joy.

"So the Shimadzu family is finally embarking on the Otomo expedition!?" At that time, please entrust the forerunner to this Shiratori! Let's make sure to meet your expectations!! "

Yoshihiro claims he wants to be a vanguard by raising his arms in high spirits. Next to it, Age Kuku formulates a policy of war so that he can ride Yoshihiro.

"Well then, first, let's conquer Okako Castle from Hikkado to Toyoko... no, Okako Castle is a mountain castle that is hard to come by." If I take the time to drop it, I won't be able to make it to the Otomo Expedition in time... yeah, then I guess it's time to turn the tide...... then it can be said that conquering the castle ruled by the Otomo family and the thick Sabo family with affinity for them contributed to the Otomo expedition, and I wonder if I can sell my debt to the Oda family...? Alternatively, it is good to move Sagara into Higo-kuni. Recently, I heard that the Aso family is in shape. Using this as an opportunity to increase the territory..... "

"No, wait a minute, Rokuro."

Yoshihisa stops her old age trying to talk more and more by herself. Then, did my brother's voice arrive? At last, Oku came back from the sea of thoughts.

"... ha! Excuse me, brother. When I finally thought it was a battle, I got excited..."

Oku bows his head if he is not ashamed. Yoshihiro, who saw it, also regained his composure. Meanwhile, Ikuhisa kept her mouth shut while staring at Yoshihisa.

Yoshihisa said that she was relieved that the two of them had calmed down, and she spoke about the future policy of the Shimadzu family.

"No, it would be nice if you could calm down."... well, as for the future, we, the Shimadzu family, are leaving in accordance with the Oda clan's covenant. The number is five thousand. The forerunner deposits two thousand. Mishiro, please arrive at Mishiro's assistant. "

Roger that!

Haha

At Yoshihiro's direction, Yoshihiro and Ikuh instantly nodded.

"And this battle, I will also go out." Also, Rokuro, please help me next to me. "

Oh!!

Yoshihiro and Kyou's eyes shine on Yoshihiro as she enters the battlefield. Yoshihisa's own departure was because I thought it was an important battle that would determine the future of the Shimadzu family. For those of us who love war, we wanted to fight in a war before the end of the world. That would in turn be for the benefit of the Shimadzu family.

However, Yoshihisa protruded her right hand to see through the thoughts of her two younger brothers.

"I'm telling you, the Shimadzu family does not actively fight." It is only to protect the Oda clan's covenant, and the mainstay of Otomo Expedition remains the Oda clan. I didn't go out of my way to aim for Otomo Sonrin's neck. It would be good if we could stand around discreetly and rendezvous with the Oda army surrounding Atsushi Castle while preserving our fighting power. It's outside of Higo's strategy. "

Ehhh!?

The two of them stood up in a panic in response to an unexpected answer. Yoshihisa makes a gesture of repentance.

"Calm down.... Are you ready? The most important thing that the Shimadzu must think about now is how to swing their bodies in the future. The turmoil is over, and the Otomo family is ruined. This is a definite rule. No matter how many they scratch, the process will never change the outcome. You two know that, don't you?"

... ehhh

Yoshihiro and Iku nod after seeing each other's faces. Even from the two of them, the Otomo family had no chance of winning. Yoshihisa nodded contentedly to the way the two of them looked.

"In fact, I don't need any reinforcements from the Shimadzu family." What the Oda family wants is to show the relationship between the Oda family and the Shimadzu family to the outside. The point is that the Shimadzu family descended under the umbrella of the Oda family. I didn't ask for martial arts from the beginning. It's too ridiculous to make a sacrifice in vain if you really want to go to war like that. It's good enough, it's good enough. "

Hahaha, speaking with a light laugh, Yoshihiro and Kyu lean neck in confusion. Then, Kaoruku, who had been silent until now, opened his mouth.

"How to swing my body in the future...... the battles shown outside...... Cheng Jue, your brother is afraid that he will be beaten by the Oda family because he has too much power?"

"...... Huh, did you understand Shichiro again?"

Yoshihisa laughs happily. In Ikebukuro, Yoshihiro and Akira gather their gaze. When the turmoil is over, there will be no battle. If you want to expand your territory, you have to boldly attack the Shimadzu clan. "

The idea was a full response as a warlord. However, it is an ambition that must be abandoned in order to survive the world of Taiping.

Ichiku coughs once and turns her body to Yoshihiro and his younger sister.

"The current territory of the Shimadzu family consists of three countries: Satsuma, Okuma, and Hinata. The stone height is about 600,000 stones. Also, Brother Rokuro said that we should attack this plane, and Higo-kuni was about 340,000 stones. If the Shimadzu family also acquired the Higo kingdom, it would reach 900,000 stones, and the Shimadzu family would build the greatest prosperity."

"Yeah, that's right."

…………

In response to Ichiku's words, the militant Yoshihiro nodded happily, but Oku, who had exhibited wisdom, shut his mouth as if he had noticed something.

Age-wise predictions come into question.

"... but I have to say that Ishigaki is extremely dangerous for the Oda family and is not suitable as an umbrella daimyo. After the conquest of Otomo, the presence of the Daimyo family, which can reach a million stones, can only be said to be in the way for the Oda family who think about the treatment of Kyushu. You will undoubtedly be bewitched by the Oda family.... considering my children and grandchildren, at least 600,000 stones are the best way to maintain the status quo. That's why Brother Saburo told me to fight with all my might. Even if you get territory, you just have to strangle yourself.”

"Yeah, that's right."

………………

In contrast to Yoshihisa, who nods vigorously, Yoshihiro, who pushes silently with her arms, and Age-Kyu. Although I was dissatisfied, I was not convinced that I had to admit it, and the two of them did not raise their voices to the contrary.

The quiet air drifts between the four of them.

I understand the reasoning. However, even if you come out without the will to attack, you can't get anything, you just consume military supplies in vain. Moreover, if the enemy pushes you with such a relaxed mind, you can see that it suits your painful eyes.... so Yoshihisa was worried about how to raise the morale of the soldiers.

However, it was the military strategist Shimadzu Ieyasu. However, instead of denying my brother's opinion, I was thinking of a plan that would allow us to reach a compromise.

May I have another one, Brother Saburo?

"... um, let's say it."

Yoshihisa nodded her head hard, wondering if she felt anything on the figure of Keiku, who was staring straight at her. Naturally, the gaze of Yoshihiro and Akihisa also gathered.

"I think we should besiege the castle."

"Did you leave the castle of the Saeki family?" But that castle is a fortified castle and a famous mountain castle. Even a force of ten thousand will last for months. If the Otomo family dies while we are surrounding the castle..... "

Yoshihisa blurs the end of the word and shows it in the dark. However, Ikuhisa is confident and curious to continue.

"No problem." My aim is not only to drop the castle, but also to open the castle and gather the Otomo family ministers in the castle. Breaking their hearts is the decision to destroy the Otomo family. "

The Heart of the House of Ministers?

"It's on the left." Currently, Otomo Sonin is gathering clans from all over the country to go to Usui Castle to fight the Oda army. That is, the housemates are absent from their lands, their families, and their castles. The other day, Otomo Izumi Tachibana was dropped from the castle shortly after the snow had left the castle, and their brains were filled with unpleasant hunches. What would they think if they were besieged again? ”

.........?!

A gaze full of surprises from the three people was directed at Ikebukuro. The devil's work shakes the seeds of anxiety. A plot to the point of getting chilly.

Then, if there was no direct battle just by siege, there would be no damage to the soldiers. If the Buddhist castle side mentally came to its limit and accepted the surrender recommendation, it could be said that it contributed to the defeat of Otomo. The morale of the soldiers will increase if you go to destroy the castle.

Exactly, Ichihisa's plan was said to be the best hand ever.

"No matter how hard the mountain castle is, people's hearts will never fall." Let's be a good cover for the attack on the Mortar Castle. "

…………

Ichiku's smile made everyone feel relieved that they weren't enemies at the same time.



In the latter years, Yoshihisa described Ikuhisa as "the most beloved and talented of my brothers."

Two days later, Yoshihisa began his march as proclaimed. The Shimadzu family finally began to move toward the expropriation of Otomo.

The Shimadzu family begins to move smoothly. On the other hand, however, the Takigawa army, which was aiming to land in Toyoko from Shikoku, was forced to fight very hard.