The sky battleship landed in an open space near the castle.
Hayato Kamihara sat casually on the edge of the battleship, holding a notebook and scribbling away with a fountain pen:
"6:17 a.m., operation commenced."
"6:49 a.m., operation concluded."
"Four hundred and ninety-three Snow ninja slain. Kazahana Dōtō, King of the Land of Snow, executed."
"With that, the operation is over."
He snapped the notebook shut and recalled the intelligence on the Land of Snow.
It was a small, remote country with a sparse population. Only Kazahana Dōtō treated it like some precious treasure.
No one among the five great nations would want this dump even if it were handed over for free. They would consider it a burden that cost money to govern.
But no matter how remote or sparsely populated it was, it was still a nation.
"This is the first country Lin Qing has truly taken by conquest."
The fountain pen spun between Hayato Kamihara's fingers.
The Land of Water had been gained by persuading Oda Ieyasu into cooperation.
The Land of Wind had come from Tokugawa Shingen's compromise.
But in the Land of Snow, they had truly crushed the existing regime from start to finish, brought it to a complete end, and rebuilt Lin Qing's rules amid its ruins.
To those paying attention, this was a signal.
"Heh—"
Hayato Kamihara sneered.
"Who cares what kind of signal it is? War is coming soon. This 'Lin Qing threat theory' has been running rampant through the five great nations for more than a day or two. In the end, it all comes down to whose fist is bigger and harder!"
"The victor becomes king, the loser a criminal. Nothing more."
As the head of intelligence on Lin Qing's side, Hayato Kamihara knew perfectly well just how massive this