Living On (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Buried Dwarf)

The Yamauchi family was not traditionally local samurai of Owari, but they had been settled here for several generations.

Though they had no way to establish the same intricate web of local connections as the Oda clan, the Yamauchi family still had quite a few relatives scattered across the land.

Among them, Yamauchi Moritoyo's eldest daughter, Otsu, had married Andō Gōshi, the younger brother of Kitagata Castle's lord in Mino, Andō Morinari, in 1545. Andō Morinari, also known as Andō Morinari, was one of the Western Mino Triumvirate and enjoyed great renown throughout Mino.

Yamauchi Moritoyo also had a younger brother, Kanhachirō, who had been adopted into the Maeno clan of Matsukura Castle and changed his name to Maeno Tokiyuki.

The Maeno clan was also called the Tsubouchi clan. They were the leaders of a powerful local alliance called the Kawanami League along the Kiso River. The Maeno clan was also a chief retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan, and its current head, Maeno Muneyasu, served as the Iwakura Oda clan's military magistrate.

"It was also Lord Maeno's suggestion to have you flee Iwakura Castle this time."

"When the time comes, follow the Maeno family's arrangements. Don't ask questions on the road, and don't concern yourselves with who may be in the party."

Hearing Yamauchi Moritoyo say this, Yamauchi Kazutoyo suddenly formed a bold suspicion.

If Yamauchi Moritoyo was making such a grand show of arranging people's escape, the Iwakura Oda clan, their liege house, could not possibly have failed to notice.

For Yamauchi Moritoyo to act so brazenly, only one thing could explain it: the Iwakura Oda clan knew beforehand and had already tacitly approved his actions.

Perhaps even the head of the Iwakura Oda clan was among those fleeing.

"Father, may I ask... is our lord also among them?"

Yamauchi Moritoyo's gaze sharpened. He abruptly shoved Yamauchi Kazutoyo aside, swept his eyes over the surroundings, then asked in a low voice, "Only Lord Maeno and I know of this matter. How did you learn of it?"

"I guessed," Yamauchi Kazutoyo answered truthfully.

Huff...

After confirming it again and again, Yamauchi Moritoyo let out a long breath. He had nearly thought word had leaked.

In truth, this escape had been jointly planned by Yamauchi Moritoyo, Maeno Muneyasu, and the other retainers who advocated battle. Once it was confirmed that Iwakura Castle could not be held, they would escort their lord, Oda Nobukata, out of the castle.

If they were escorting their lord out, arranging men to protect him along the way was naturally necessary.

And if they were escorting their lord out, those men had to be absolutely and unwaveringly loyal.

Who, then, remained in Iwakura Castle that could still be called loyal?

Why, Yamauchi Moritoyo, who was willing to live and die with Iwakura Castle, of course!

So Yamauchi Moritoyo was not simply blindly loyal. He was merely trading his own life for a chance for his family to escape safely.

Having understood all this, Yamauchi Kazutoyo looked at Yamauchi Moritoyo with a trace more respect in his eyes.

"That's enough. Don't look at me like that."

Yamauchi Moritoyo sighed. "It is true that I want you to live. That is what a father and a husband must do."

"It is also true that I wish to give my loyalty to the Iwakura Oda clan. That is the duty a samurai must fulfill."

"This is simply human nature."

At that moment, Yamauchi Moritoyo's image became whole and vivid in Yamauchi Kazutoyo's eyes.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo suddenly clenched his fists. At that moment, too, he understood that surviving in this age of warring states came at a price.

He had to live. He absolutely had to live!

Yamauchi Kazutoyo's resolve had never been firmer. This was for Yamauchi Moritoyo, for himself, and for that lingering obsession in his mind that he could never cast aside.

Whooo! Whooo! Whooo!

Three hurried blasts of the conch shell sounded. In Iwakura Castle at this moment, that meant an enemy attack.

"Oda Nobunaga came so quickly!"

Yamauchi Moritoyo's face went pale with shock. He had expected the enemy to need ten days of preparation before encircling Iwakura Castle. He had never imagined that, after only three days, they would already be at the gates.

"Hurry into the city. Watch closely for unfamiliar faces trying to slip in."

"Yes!"

The dying sun at the edge of the sky seemed reluctant to leave the beauty of the mortal world, lingering long without setting.

Beneath the afterglow of sunset, a neatly arrayed army slowly appeared on the horizon.

The Iwakura Castle defenders, already startled birds at the mere twang of a bowstring, had no choice but to steel themselves and watch this ever-approaching enemy force as though facing a great foe.

At the Battle of Ukino three days earlier, the Iwakura Oda clan had suffered more than 1,200 casualties. With their organization shattered beyond repair, they had completely lost control over their territory. Oda Nobunaga and Oda Nobukiyo swiftly swept away the forts surrounding Iwakura Castle.

Now, throughout all of Owari Province, only Iwakura Castle remained like a nail lodged in place. Oda Nobunaga was determined to pull out this final obstacle.

The battle against the Imagawa clan was imminent. Oda Nobunaga could not leave the Iwakura Oda clan behind him to hamstring him.

Imagawa Yoshimoto had already taken the key strongholds of Odaka Castle and Narumi Castle in Owari Province. If not for civil unrest in Mikawa, as well as the plague from the Kantō Hōjō clan's lands spreading into Suruga, Imagawa Yoshimoto would have expanded his offensive long ago.

In other words, Oda Nobunaga did not have much time left to unify Owari Province.

"Brother, eat."

"There is less and less food in the castle now. Our family only received three rice balls today."

Inside a crude wooden hut hastily built within Iwakura Castle, his younger brother Kichisuke held out a rice ball to Yamauchi Kazutoyo.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo stroked Kichisuke's head and pointed to his two younger sisters, who were staring longingly nearby. "Give them to your sisters and Mother first. I'm not hungry yet."

"Brother didn't eat anything last night. No matter what, you have to eat some today." Kichisuke placed the rice ball before Yamauchi Kazutoyo and spoke stubbornly.

Three months had passed since Iwakura Castle was surrounded, and the time had already reached the second year of Eiroku.

During this time, Oda Nobunaga had not launched an attack on Iwakura Castle. After all, the casualties caused by storming a castle were not something even Oda Nobunaga could bear.

The defenders of Iwakura Castle were likewise powerless to venture out and fight. Oda Nobunaga had seized upon this fact, which was why he dared to maintain the siege without worry.

"Kichisuke, how about we split this rice ball between us?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo held the still-warm rice ball and forced out a faint smile.

"Then what about these two?" Kichisuke looked at the two remaining rice balls in the bowl.

"Komai and Kōgō can share one. Mother and Father can share the other. Then it will work out perfectly," Yamauchi Kazutoyo answered.

Only then did Kichisuke obediently divide the three rice balls. He broke one open and handed half each to his two younger sisters.

Komai and Kōgō, their stomachs gnawing with hunger, had long been unable to endure. The moment they received the rice balls, they wolfed them down.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo also gave half to Kichisuke. The four siblings sat gathered together, and even the hard rice balls that had once been difficult to swallow tasted especially sweet today.

These days of eating one meal without knowing where the next would come from were bitter, but at least the family could still gather together and enjoy their last warmth.

After washing down the rice ball with water, Yamauchi Kazutoyo added some firewood to the hearth inside the hut, rose, and pushed open the door.

They had endured the hardest winter, yet what awaited Iwakura Castle was not the warm sun of early spring, but an increasingly grim struggle for survival.

Yesterday, Yamauchi Moritoyo had laid everything bare before Yamauchi Kazutoyo. The castle's remaining provisions would only last three more days.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo had considered simply surrendering to Oda Nobunaga, but the Yamauchi family had no bargaining chips whatsoever.

A Yamauchi family that had lost even all its lands would truly have no presence at all once it left Iwakura Castle.

"Iemon!"

Yamauchi Moritoyo suddenly appeared at the doorway, interrupting Yamauchi Kazutoyo's thoughts.

"Father, Mother, you're back?"

"Yes." Yamauchi Moritoyo helped Lady Yamauchi into the hut, then pulled Yamauchi Kazutoyo into a corner.

Seeing the grave expression on Yamauchi Moritoyo's face, Yamauchi Kazutoyo understood that this day had finally come.

"The enemy outside the castle has relaxed its guard somewhat these past two days. Several sentry posts north of the city have already been withdrawn."

"Prepare yourselves. You will leave the city tonight."