Chapter 2: The Course of the Family Head

Return my painting! Bastard

Since the year he turned two, when he was momentarily greedy and deceived his father from the Junhe Kingdom into bringing back the wandering samurai Yamamoto Kansuke, he was destined to embark on a path leading into an unfathomable abyss. The already tight schedule was further compounded by the foundational training of a samurai, encompassing everything from the archery and horsemanship passed down through the Kira family to the military strategies in which Yamamoto Kansuke excelled. In any case, everything he could teach was crammed into Kira Mansamaru.

"Alas! My fishing rod is gone, how can I catch any fish now... Oh! The fish must have eaten my rod, so not being able to catch fish is a valid excuse!" Kira Matsumaru, who had just been sulking in anger, seemed to have come to a realization, and immediately returned to his previous state, picking up a reed stick and scribbling aimlessly in the mud.

A huge splash erupted from the distant Yazakagawa, as if some giant fish was slowly swimming towards the river.

"Esteemed Master of the Hall! As a member of the Ashikaga shogunate, my Kira family has been elevated by the esteemed Yoshimasa of the Jishō-in to the position of chief among the Imperial household, holding the esteemed title of Shitama. As for you, the ninth generation of the Saijō Kira family, who holds the family name of our Kira clan, you should cherish the time and constantly contemplate the revival of our family business and the great undertaking of restoring the shogunate!"

The samurai class, which originated during the Heian period, has long been renowned for its lack of principles. The notion of self-sacrifice for the public good had not yet emerged, and the concept of usurpation was not particularly shocking. The bloodline of the Kōkaku Genji has always flowed with a brutal gene, where patricide and fratricide are considered family traditions. A person like me, whose ambition is merely to be a small lord, could be regarded as a model gentleman of the Warring States period. Yet, why is it that everyone forces me to do things I do not like?

"What does the time of day have to do with anything?" He looked up at the sun, which had not yet reached noon, but it was of no use to say this to Yamamoto Kansuke. He could only return to the city, feeling dejected, surrounded by Ma Huizhong and others. After a while, he finally realized something was amiss and cried out, "Yamamoto Kansuke! You plotted against me!"

"Hmm? Oh! This is a white dolphin! Is it your first time seeing it, esteemed curator? This kind of fish should not be provoked; as long as you ignore it, it will swim away in a while." Yamamoto Kansuke glanced at the creature in the water and began to snore again. Kira Bansho Maru had also heard of the white dolphin, which seems to refer to the Yangtze River dolphin.

"The day is getting late; I shall return to www.hetushucomcom to convey this good news to Lord Takahashi. The master of the residence should henceforth engage more diligently in state affairs; it is time to head back!" Yamamoto Kansuke was very quick in his movements, swiftly packing up his belongings. With a sharp whistle, he gathered the horsemen and turned back to pull the still dazed Kira Bansho Maru along with him.

What should I draw... I might as well draw the king of beasts, the tiger! After some thought, I decided to first sketch a tiger's head, then gradually outline its body, and finally draw the character "王" (king) on its head. Thus, a cat with a king on its head was completed. Before I had the chance to admire my work closely, I saw a foot come over and stomp on the ground a few times, trampling my drawing into disarray.

According to the Kira Bansho Maru algorithm, he is still not yet eight years old this year. The age calculation method during the Warring States period differs from his algorithm, as it does not consider the concept of full years but measures age in terms of "virtual years." Therefore, his publicly stated age has always been nine. At nine years old, he is no fool; he knows that Yamamoto Kansuke is an invulnerable old fellow. Even with a small scheme against Kira Bansho Maru, he can still smile at him with that one-eyed, ugly face of his, as if he were the great demon king disrupting peace during a conversation.

"A genius wants to be a warrior, but I just want to be a small lord! Is there something wrong with this?" Kira Mansomaru was quite exasperated; he had never said he wanted to go into battle and kill. How could someone who cherishes life be asked to do such a dangerous thing? The concept of bushido has never existed in the present.

In the main hall of Saijo Castle, facing the relentless bombardment from Okouchi Tamashige, Kira Banshomaru's expressionless gaze appeared hollow. Similar phrases were repeated countless times each day; every time he met a vassal, he would recite them once or twice. The higher the rank of the vassal, the more frequently they were repeated. For instance, Okouchi Nobusada, as Kira Banshomaru's guardian, responsible for teaching this young lord etiquette and knowledge, repeated them ten times more than an ordinary vassal, essentially becoming a human tape recorder.

He no longer wished to see that detestable face of Yamamoto Kansuke, so he galloped away, quickly leaving the horses behind him due to the speed of his steed. Upon entering the town below the castle, the townspeople saw Kira Mantsumaru charging through alone and hurriedly stepped aside, respectfully kneeling down. Some bolder townsfolk even began to discuss how Lord Kira was so wise and valiant, mastering equestrian skills at such a young age.

This was his greatest mistake in nine years, which inevitably involved bringing Yamamoto Kansuke into the fold. Last year, he even deceived him into going on a wild outing, believing naively that Yamamoto Kansuke had finally had a change of heart. Instead, he took him to a hill outside Okazaki Castle to witness the Second Battle of Aozaka firsthand. Observing the scene from several miles away, where tens of thousands were entangled in a chaotic, blood-soaked clash, he shamelessly told him that this was an opportunity to cultivate a warrior's courage, and that the principles of military strategy lay within. At that time, Kira Mantsumaru still naively thought that Yamamoto Kansuke had finally had a change of heart, only to find himself at the hill outside Okazaki Castle, watching the Second Battle of Aozaka, witnessing the tumultuous and bloodthirsty spectacle of thousands clashing together, and he audaciously claimed that this was a chance to train a warrior's bravery, that the path of military strategy was contained within, and that a warrior's destiny should be fought for on the battlefield.

Hmph! Do not look down on others! He decided to show this old man a thing or two, throwing the reed stick aside and loudly declaring: "The family has been thinking day and night about matters of the household! However, the power of the shogunate has declined, and now our family is once again besieged by Matsudaira, Imagawa, and Oda, resulting in the loss of authority and succession in our domain. The vassal clans are wavering, and our family business is like leaves drifting in the wind, at any moment facing the danger of collapse and decay! The current strategy should be to prepare the troops, cultivate virtue internally, and defend against external insults. Only in this way can we revitalize our family business and seek a measure of achievement in this chaotic world!"

I can't believe it! Why won't it leave? Hey, don't bite my fishing hook! Hey! You can't eat that! Damn it! Give me back my fishing rod! This creature, which looks a lot like a dolphin, swam back and forth, finally fixating on his fishing hook, and swallowed it in one gulp. As if afraid he would come after it, it flipped over and rolled, taking the fishing rod along with it into the river, disappearing from sight.

Oh? What is this? A dolphin? Can dolphins swim in river water?" He patted the old man, who was still dozing, and pointed in surprise at the large creature in the Yazakagawa River. In fact, he had never seen a real dolphin, but this thing looked very much like those that swim in the sea.

The minister suggested that the esteemed curator should go fishing to cultivate his character, rather than allowing him to sleep, daydream, or doodle aimlessly. If the esteemed curator truly feels bored, he should reflect more on the issues at home. Yamamoto Kansuke spoke with great eloquence, suggesting that during times of boredom, Kira Bansho Maru should contemplate the matters of his family business.

Oh! Is this the master of the establishment's own opinion? It seems that the master has finally matured! In the future, our family's internal affairs should certainly take the master's opinions into greater consideration! This statement sounds increasingly awkward, especially when paired with that old fellow's expression of satisfaction, making Kira Manshomaru feel as if he has fallen into a pit

Speaking of Yamamoto Kansuke's struggles, he still experiences pain and joy. However, Okouchi Nobutada's turmoil truly threatens Kira Mantsumaru's life. Upon returning to the main keep, he is intercepted by a long-waiting retainer, who informs him to report to the academy immediately. Kira Mantsumaru genuinely wants to scream: "Not even a chance to catch my breath! Is there no humanity left?"