After another lively conversation, they smoothly completed the handover of the remaining goods. As promised, Dongfang Mao sent men to escort the merchants from the Land of Fire out of the city.
After they left, Dongfang Mao's expression darkened.
He had occupied Tsukimiura for some time. The outside world had probably already noticed something was wrong.
Once these people returned home, the news would surely spread far and wide.
He didn't know how the other countries would react, but the news of him, Dongfang Mao, becoming a daimyo would certainly shake the entire Land of Rice Fields.
When that happened, he would have to face the wrath of the Land of Rice Fields.
Though the Land of Rice Fields was small and sparsely populated, and had no independent ninja system of its own, its strength was feeble.
That was only in comparison to other countries, though.
Dongfang Mao wasn't entirely confident.
Even with one of the Sannin, Tsunade, staying in his Grand Governor's Mansion right now.
But setting aside whether people might recognize Tsunade when she fought and draw the attention of the Land of Fire and Konoha, there was her hemophobia.
That alone meant she would be little more than a decoration on a battlefield strewn with blood and gore.
At most, Tsunade could step in and save his life when he was on the verge of defeat.
So Dongfang Mao could only find a way to deal with this crisis on his own.
Fortunately, the Land of Rice Fields had no ninja village and no sizable ninja army.
It would take time for the Daimyo Mansion to receive the news, issue orders, mobilize provisions, gather soldiers, and send them to Tsukimiura.
Dongfang Mao still had a relatively generous amount of time to prepare.
With that in mind, Dongfang Mao hurried to the southern part of the city.
He sought out Yoshikawa, the arms dealer from the Land of Iron, who was still stuck there because Tsukimiura had been sealed off.
"Lord Mao, you've certainly surprised me!"
Looking at Dongfang Mao, who had come to his door, Yoshikawa could only smile bitterly.
He hadn't expected that the boy who, just a few months ago, had said he was buying supplies for an elder in his family would turn out to be the mastermind behind Tsukimiura's fall!
"Hehe, Mr. Yoshikawa, you flatter me. I have you to thank for the large stockpile of goods you had on hand. Otherwise, taking Tsukimiura wouldn't have been nearly so easy."
Dongfang Mao replied with a cheerful smile.
When Yoshikawa heard Dongfang Mao giving him some of the credit, the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Mr. Yoshikawa, what do you think of my proposal?"
Dongfang Mao had little time for banter, so after a brief joke, he got straight to the point.
"Of course. We can supply all the weapons and equipment you need, Lord Mao."
Yoshikawa agreed without a second thought.
What was his line of work? Arms dealing!
And what did he want most? War!
Besides, as a merchant who had traveled between the two countries for years, he had a clear understanding of the Land of Rice Fields' military strength.
To put it bluntly, it was downright pathetic.
He had also watched the New Martial Army under Dongfang Mao from a distance. It was disciplined and full of spirit—a force of elite soldiers.
So, although Dongfang Mao's side was vastly outmatched by the Land of Rice Fields, it wasn't certain they would be crushed at once by its army.
And if the two sides went to war, or even became locked in a stalemate, Yoshikawa could profit from both sides by selling them arms.
He had no reason to turn down such a deal.
Of course, he wouldn't bring up the Land of Rice Fields' military situation to Dongfang Mao himself.
As a merchant, he would be delighted if Dongfang Mao felt threatened and expanded his arsenal at any cost, buying even more weapons from him.
But when Yoshikawa's gaze swept over the bottom of Dongfang Mao's list, his fingers paused.
Besides large quantities of weapons and armor, the list also called for huge amounts of copper, iron, sulfur, saltpeter, charcoal, and craftsmen.
Yoshikawa frowned. The demand for copper and iron obviously meant Dongfang Mao wanted to forge weapons himself.
That was no problem. The Land of Iron exported plenty of iron and copper ore as well.
Nor were the craftsmen an issue. Given the country's circumstances, almost everyone in the Land of Iron worked as a craftsman; they made up 20% of the population.
But the Land of Iron's annual trade volume was limited. It couldn't guarantee orders and income for everyone.
So all Yoshikawa needed to do was choose some craftsmen whose work didn't involve the Land of Iron's core technologies and bring them to Dongfang Mao.
The last three items, however, left him baffled.
The Land of Iron had many volcanoes and underground caves, and was indeed rich in sulfur and saltpeter.
Most of these minerals were processed into practical goods such as preservatives and insecticides, so Dongfang Mao's purchase of the raw materials made sense.
But the quantities he wanted were enormous. Yoshikawa couldn't understand why, and couldn't help asking, "Lord Mao, the quantities you need of these three things are quite surprising. If you don't mind, could you tell me what they're for?"
"Hehe, just some supplies for everyday use."
Dongfang Mao gave a vague answer and brushed the question aside.
Naturally, he wanted those materials so he could figure out how to make gunpowder.
It was strange. The technology in this world was extremely advanced. Both light and heavy industry were approaching modern levels.
Some countries had even managed to build trains.
Yet these technologies hadn't been widely promoted or put to use, leaving some regions prosperous on the surface while society as a whole remained primarily agricultural.
The same was true of weapons. Most were still from the age of cold arms.
Dongfang Mao didn't know whether the world's leaders trusted the power of ninjas too much or whether someone was deliberately suppressing technological progress.
But he had no such concerns. He hadn't had the means before, but now he was certainly going to work on making guns.
Of course, although the advanced technology here was sufficient to manufacture modern firearms, Dongfang Mao didn't know how to make them in detail. He figured he would have to start with the most primitive matchlocks and cannons.
As for the rest, he would have to let the Ministry of Works build up its experience and research things step by step.
After successfully concluding the deal with Yoshikawa, Dongfang Mao returned to the Governor's Mansion.
The affairs within the city had mostly been taken care of. The rest couldn't be rushed; he could only let time run its course.
So Dongfang Mao turned his attention to the area outside the city.
First up were the border troops of the Land of Rice Fields stationed behind Tsukimiura, whom he hadn't had time to deal with yet.
With the Land of Rice Fields' threat looming, how could Dongfang Mao tolerate an armed force behind his back? Without hesitation, he gave the order.
He sent Yasuke to lead the soldiers of the 2nd Battalion to the border and wipe out the garrison.
Fortunately, although they were border troops, the Land of Rice Fields was weak and had few defenses against the Land of Fire. It had little need to guard against it, either.
So the border troops weren't very strong. Yasuke took them without much trouble, and suffered no casualties.
As for the border troops who resisted to the bitter end, they were buried alive on the spot.
Most of those who surrendered, meanwhile, were thrown into the Labor Camp Dongfang Mao had just set up.
After all, the Imperial Prison was already so crowded it was almost full. Dongfang Mao couldn't afford to keep these people fed at public expense.
As it happened, years of corruption had left Tsukimiura's walls and defenses in need of repairs.
And although the land around Tsukimiura was dry, the fields couldn't simply be abandoned.
So Dongfang Mao sent all the criminals and prisoners of war to work and reclaim the land.
He would observe them for a while. Only if they performed well would he consider releasing them and bringing them into the New Martial Army.
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