Was there anything wrong with what Kagome had said to Hojo Akitoshi?
By the standards of the education Kagome had received in the future, and her basic understanding of that world,
no.
Even after modernization, Japan had retained the almost rigid class consciousness of ancient Japan at every level of society.
But in that future world, both soldiers and the police ordinary people encountered in their daily lives
constantly spoke of protecting the public as their foremost duty.
Whatever the reality behind the scenes, that was at least what they always claimed in public.
So why had Kagome's words made Kaede, who was prostrated before the platform, turn pale with fright?
One must not forget.
This was not the future world Kagome came from, but Sengoku-era Japan, where distinctions of rank were enforced with ruthless severity.
Ordinary commoners did not even have surnames. They were simply called things like Taro or Jiro.
It was an age when commoners had to hurry to the roadside, stick their backsides in the air, and bury their faces in the dirt to save their lives, even if they encountered a wandering samurai.
Otherwise, if they displeased some samurai lord, he could take their lives to test his blade at any moment!
And after testing their blades, those samurai lords could stroll happily away without facing the slightest consequence. That was the Sengoku era!
So in Kaede's eyes, if even ordinary samurai behaved like that, then Hojo Akitoshi, who stood far above them and ruled this vast territory,
with its several provinces and castles, was another matter entirely, however widespread his reputation for mercy might be.
The many rumors also described him as a daimyo who conducted himself with relative integrity.
But... daimyos were like demons. They were an entirely different species from ordinary peasants like her.
If she flattered him into a position where he had to live up to her praise, there might still be some tiny chance he would accept her proposal.
But Kagome had backed Hojo Akitoshi into a corner with a single remark!
What if Hojo Akitoshi flew into a rage and simply sent the two women and their demon, along with all the villagers of Kaede's Village outside, straight to the Pure Land?
"Great Lord Hojo Akitoshi, my granddaughter is not quite right in the head."
"Please, do not be angry. This old woman begs your forgiveness, and that of all the lords present!"
Imagining the worst possible outcome, Kaede repeatedly knocked her forehead against the ground and begged for mercy.
"What nonsense are you spouting, woman!"
Just as Kaede had feared, Akechi Mitsuhide's face darkened the moment he heard Kagome's words.
"The villagers outside are our Lord's loyal subjects. But what of the noble samurai in this camp, fighting for the great cause of the Hojo?"
"Are they not also our Lord's devoted followers?"
"Now demons of unknown capabilities are attacking us, and the villagers they control are assaulting our camp. This is a matter of life and death."
"If those villagers truly are what you claim, servants loyal to our Lord, then for the sake of our Lord's great undertaking,"
"even giving their lives would be an extraordinary honor!"
Addressing the two women and the dog below him, Akechi Mitsuhide voiced what was considered perfectly reasonable in this age.
Then, to prevent Hojo Akitoshi from making a decision that would inflict excessive losses on his own Hojo Army merely to preserve his reputation for benevolence,
Mitsuhide immediately turned back to him.
"My Lord, please do not hesitate. All of this is for the peace and safety of the greater populace!"
"For the sake of the Hojo, please entrust what follows to your subordinate."
The meaning of those words was plain. For the sake of Hojo Akitoshi's reputation, Akechi Mitsuhide
was already prepared to bear the blame for ordering the slaughter of the attacking villagers controlled by demons.
"How could you!"
Her beautiful eyes blinking, the lovely young Kagome stared in disbelief at Akechi Mitsuhide and Hojo Akitoshi on the command platform.
Then she looked at Kaede on the ground.
No, this was different from the world she knew.
Why was Kaede so terrified of a daimyo? Why could the noblemen above them speak so casually of killing villagers?
Was this the Sengoku era? The cruel age of warring states?
She had thought that once they reached this camp, the people of Kaede's Village would be saved.
But now, faced with a reality utterly unlike what she had imagined, she could neither accept it nor bring herself to try.
The girl from the future grew dizzy, almost collapsing onto the dirt.
"I knew it."
Beside her, Inuyasha was still baring his teeth in pain, but thanks to the strength of the bloodline his father, the Great Dog General, had given him,
he had finally recovered enough to speak and was about to say a few words.
He wanted to sneer at the Hojo Army and its leader, Hojo Akitoshi.
And, while he was at it, mock Kagome, Kikyo's reincarnation, toward whom he harbored a grudge.
But before Inuyasha could speak again, Hojo Akitoshi slowly raised his hand on the command platform.
He signaled for Akechi Mitsuhide to stop offering advice.
"My Lord!"
Seeing Hojo Akitoshi's gesture, Akechi Mitsuhide's heart suddenly lurched.
"Hm?"
Kagome noticed his gesture as well, and a gleam returned to her eyes even as she swayed on her feet.
"Mitsuhide."
Hojo Akitoshi rose from his folding stool on the command platform, then slowly made his way down.
"What is our great undertaking for?"
"To bring the realm under Hojo rule through military might, of course!"
Without a moment's thought, Akechi Mitsuhide gave the answer expected in this age.
"Yes."
Having reached Kagome, Hojo Akitoshi nodded in agreement.
But then he changed tack, smiling at Kagome as he continued.
"In my view, the Hojo realm is made up of all its people."
"The realm is also built by its people. The food that fills our bellies, the clothes that keep us warm, the swords and armor with which we fight our enemies-all come from the people."
"Then we, who enjoy the people's support, ought to shoulder the responsibility of bringing them peace and safety."
"Otherwise, the Hojo's grand undertaking of uniting the realm through military might is nothing more than a dream."
"If I cannot protect Kaede's Village from demons today, then should we face a stronger enemy tomorrow,"
"how could any of you trust me to protect you all, or to safeguard the Hojo's great undertaking?"
"Just as I will not abandon Kaede's Village today, I will not abandon any of you tomorrow!"
"My
Lord!"
Hearing Hojo Akitoshi's heartfelt words, Akechi Mitsuhide was so moved that he fell to his knees in tears.
"I failed to understand your path of benevolence, my Lord."
"Without even realizing it, I nearly brought your path of benevolence to an end!"
"Here and now, I, Akechi Mitsuhide, swear that the blade in my hand shall serve to forge the Hojo's world of benevolence!"
"Unbowed by a hundred setbacks, without regret even in ten thousand deaths!"
Akechi Mitsuhide was not the only one shouting an oath of loyalty. All the Hatamoto Samurai who had heard those words directly, or had them relayed to them,
also cried out their loyalty to Hojo Akitoshi, their emotions running high and their expressions extraordinarily animated.
"The Kirin of Sagami, Hojo Akitoshi?"
Her little mouth hanging open in a daze, Kagome had never expected things to take such a turn.
After experiencing that cold reality, the girl could appreciate the warmth of this moment all the more.
"Isn't he the perfect daimyo?"
Muttering to herself, Kagome recalled some of the romantic historical dramas she had watched in the future.
The daimyos who starred in them were just like Hojo Akitoshi before her, so responsible and so compassionate.
Her opinion of Hojo Akitoshi soared.
"Phew."
Unaware of what Kagome was thinking, and most likely incapable of understanding how her mind worked anyway,
Kaede, still kneeling on the ground, let out a long breath and felt her heart settle for the moment.
As long as Hojo Akitoshi promised to save Kaede's Village, nothing else mattered.
But while Kaede thought that way, Inuyasha had a very different opinion.
Gritting his teeth, after first taking a shot from the Hojo Army's matchlocks and then having Hojo Akitoshi show him up right to his face,
Inuyasha watched Hojo Akitoshi making preparations out of the corner of his eye. Not bad at heart but decidedly petty, he began hatching a little plan of his own.
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