12 A Weapon, Gold and Greed that Spilled their Blood.
Today is a good day for a gathering of the brains and bucks of Kiko.
"Alright everyone, cover your ears!"
*BANG-!*
*Clink!*
*BANG-!*
*Clink!*
*BANG-!*
*Clink!*
"3 shots, 3 hits. 100%."
"So, gentlemen. What do you say? Who wants to shoot next?"
With that question, everyone raised their hands while wearing either excited or dumbfounded faces.
"I guess this will, take time and a lot of bullets then."
Today, I'm in a weapon's demonstration gathering with the various merchant guilds of Naka harbor and the rich nobles from Chief Hikigaya's domain.
"No sir, please keep your feet apart and your hips firm so you won't be swept by the recoil of the gun."
"A-ah… yes."
"Now. Aim and fire."
*BANG-!*
*Clink!*
"Hit!"
Together with me in this event is Nobisuke who also brought the first batch of the new soldiers that we are training for this exact kind of weapon. They are acting as crowd control and our security detail while also watching how to operate the weapon we will hand to them.
"Alright, now that everyone here has already tried it out, let me formally introduce you to the guest of honor and subject of our meeting today."
*BANG-!*
*Clink!*
*Ping-!*
After firing out the last bullet, a crisp, loud and metallic ping rang out to signify that the gun has ran out of bullets to fire.
"This is the M5 Seiryuu. Semi-automatic action, which means that it loads a new bullet into the chamber once you've already fired. Fires .30 caliber rounds which in most cases is enough to kill a man in 2 to 3 shots, don't trust that though, I haven't tried it yet. But the most important thing in this…"
"What is it, kou-sama?"
"…is that no one else has this weapon yet in the entire world."
Before someone in my past world will strangle me to death because of this heresy. I'm going to confess already that the gun that I am firing today in front of these people is a modified M1 Garand rifle.
"How did you come up with this gun that can load by itself?"
And they'd probably ask me how I got this gun in the first place and the answer is simple.
"I re-invented it. I knew the design already and just re-produced it by hand."
"A-ah… I see."
So, with respect to Mr. John Garand, I will be using your invention for the sake of my people, even if it wasn't the same ones whom you wanted to make use of it.
"Alright. With the demonstration over. Let's now do the thing that I made all of you come here for."
I handed the gun to Nobisuke and stood at the podium where I can see everyone in the crowd.
"Who wants to buy this design and supply the military with weapons?"
One thing that I learned from strategy games in my past life is to secure the most basic needs of the place that you are holding.
I already took care of food by making better roads that can ease the transport of it and the irrigation and crop rotation that would make the farmlands create more produce for everyone to eat.
There was also the centralization of the economy by temporarily raising the worth of Kan in the markets so that the people can afford their needs until we can stand by our own feet.
And last of them is this, the strengthening of the military forces.
It is an unspoken rule in life that you really can't look forward to the future if you are unsure that it will even come for you. For instance, a farmer who fears bandit raids are less likely to produce a bountiful harvest because he knows that if he does earn more, the likelihood that someone will attack him, and his land would be high.
As such, we need a policing force that would let the people know that they are in good hands.
"Alright, how much can the East Naka merchant alliance offer?"
"We will buy the design for 15,000 Kan and the first 500 guns that the military will but will be free of charge."
"Okay, we're starting strong with that. What do you say, General Shimura?"
"I'm sorry. But that offer is not enough."
The number of trainees that Nobisuke is handling ranges from 3000 to 6000. The reason for this uncertainty comes from 2 problems.
First of all, Kiko doesn't have a centralized military structure. The 3 great noble families that descended from the Misanagi clan which are the Hikigaya, Fumikage and Aoyama families, all have their own private armies and even small bands of seafarers that are loyal to them and acts as both their offensive and defensive military forces.
The second one is the lack of volunteers from the citizenry. I don't know the real population of the province, but it is said that almost 20,000 people are living in Naka alone. I haven't asked Nagisa-san yet to send clerks and magistrates to gather information throughout the land, but I am sure that Kiko has less than half a million but more than a quarter million residents with its size.
Because of this, I am always tempted by Shimura to just organize a forced military drafting call but that is not something that I want to do just a few months since I became the lord. I don't want the people to think that I am stepping into the same path as the previous Akizuki lord that I replaced.
"I have an offer." A voice spoke out from behind the crowd.
"Alright, please state your name and your merchant group."
"I am Kawasumi Iruka from the Shinju Merchant clan."
"That family…"
"Not him again…"
I heard some murmuring once he spoke his name and merchant group, so I turned to Nobisuke for answers.
"The Shinju merchant clan is one of the richest families in Naka harbor. It is said that their wealth came from monopolizing certain sea trade routes to the point that if another merchant alliance tried to trade in a harbor that they already hold, it will be for naught since only the merchants from the Shinju clan can trade there."
"Then what's with their reaction to this specific guy?"
"Kawasumi Iruka is… quite the wild man. They said that he can sell whatever he has for double or sometimes even triple its worth, but he would later spend it on all kinds of exotic yet useless things for extravagant amounts of the money that he earned."
"How wild is this man, specifically?"
"He has three pet tigers, one as a roommate and pillow when he sleeps, one as a bodyguard when he walks around the town and one who stays at home and does nothing but to eat large amounts of meat and play soccer with his little brother."
"Wow. That's quite a fondness for big cats."
"And they said that he bathes every night in warm cow's milk to maintain his untainted and firm skin. The cost for filling that tub of his every night is equal to the monthly salary of a sailor at a top-ranked merchant guild."
Wow. This guy really is wild with how he spends his money.
"What would be your offer?"
"Haha! 50,000 Kan for the design, the first 2000 guns are free and a 50% discount for the first 5000 guns once the free ones has been taken."
"What do you say, General?"
"If there will be no other offers, we will be taking it."
Hearing the insane amounts of outgoing favors at the end of that deal, the other merchants didn't seem to be willing to top that off anymore.
"Alright, the ownership of the M5 Seiryuu will now be given to the Shinju Merchant Clan. Everyone, thank you for coming to the demonstration event today. The next event will be announced in the future, we wish you'll come to it too."
After the event has been finished, I invited Kawasumi to Kaiho castle to further polish our offer.
"Wow! Now, this is a real office. You have an overlooking view of the harbor and even the farmlands at the outskirts of the city. It really is a good thing to be the lord of a province, isn't it, Lord Iwasa-"
"Let's cut the pleasantries, Kawasumi-san… I don't like small talk that much when I am making decisions."
I spoke softly but with vigor as I faced him and his male attendant who follows him.
"Hmm… Interesting. Your smile from before just vanished. Is this perhaps the true face of Lord Iwasawa Hiroshi?"
"It may or may not be… No one can really know except for me."
"…Why do you suddenly want to change the tone of our conversation, Lord Iwasawa?"
I sat on my office chair and let him sit in front of me as Shimura-kun bowed and went out of the room to guard the door from eavesdroppers.
"Why did you spout a deal as lucrative as that?"
"What? Haven't you heard, Iwasawa-sama? I am Kawasumi Iruka, the wild man of the Shinju merchant clan. It's a matter of my personality."
"Do you think that I really believe that? Kawasumi-san?"
"What?"
"If you have such a personality, you would never be a successful businessman."
I narrowed my eyes to make it look like I am sizing him up to intimidate him.
"Now, now, Lord Iwasawa. You can't possibly believe that won't you? This is just how I grew up. If I think something is worth more, I will buy it more than what the seller is selling it for."
"Is that so, Kawasumi-san? Am I wrong then?"
"Ahaha. It's alright, Lord Iwasawa. I can't really blame other people for feeling wary of my behavior."
"Then tell me, Kawasumi-san… Why did you brought a blacksmith to dress up as your attendant and use the gun earlier in your place?"
"Ich-! How did you-?!"
Got him in his tracks.
"I noticed it earlier when he was holding the gun. His hands are filled with burns and calluses, marks that can only belong to those working on a kiln. And he spent more time looking at the gun than actually firing it… as if he's studying how it works…."
One of the things that I like about my skill set is my ability to notice the very minute details of things. Because of that, I became a natural prodigy in my previous life and even though it wasn't my expertise, I even became a doctor just by thinking about the body as an organic machine.
"A-ah… What would the fact that he is a blacksmith entail, Kou-sama?"
"While on the way here, I talked to someone and they told me every single thing that they know about the Shinju Merchant clan… One said that the family became rich by finding loopholes in the rules of trade and taxation of Kiko."
"T-that-!"
"According to the ancient laws of the Misanagi clan that is still being used to this day, taxes can only be implemented on products that are used the most by the common citizens. Food, timber, metal and cloth are one of the many such products. However, items that are less used by the people such as luxury goods of perfume, exotic plants and animals and even jewels cannot be taxed. Because of that, I had the gist about what the Shinju clan has been doing all this time…"
When I said that, I placed several papers on my table with the side that can be read facing him.
"Say, Kawasumi-san… You're not buying those untaxable products and selling them here for more than greater profit, aren't you?"
When I spoke those words and made him see the records of his dealings for the last few days that the whistleblower prepared for me, I can feel him tremble in fear as he waited for my verdict.
"Another thing, I heard a rumor that the Shinju clan has been selling some… pretty wild products quite a while already."
I placed another paper that showed the merchant clan's deals on other countries. And what was on it is something that I didn't want to see.
"We… we don't deal those products…"
"Really? Because I'm pretty sure that this contract has your signature and stamp for buying tons of Opium and several slaves."
The ancient laws of Kiko, as I already said before, came from the Misanagi clan. According to the books that details the history of this province those laws has been in place for the past 800 years.
"You do know that one of the strictest rules in here about merchandise is the illegalization of slave trade, didn't you? That no one in Kiko is allowed to deal with slave trade and labor and that the punishment of execution can go on for 3 generations if proven to the highest-possible degree?"
"We can't be caught here. You-!"
"Oh, trust me Kawasumi-san… You wouldn't want to make your attendant draw out that knife."
"Kh-!"
At the mention of a knife, Shimura-kun rushed in and placed his blades on their necks.
"No one… will move."
"Tch-! How can this happen?!"
"…"
With him finally caught, I called out the name of the person who told me all of this.
"You-! You traitor! Is this how the Nagisa clan want to drag us down?!"
"It was good that you've told me about this early on… Nagisa-san."
"It is an honor, Iwasawa-kou-sama."
I didn't know at first, but the reason why the Nagisa Dojo sunk into poverty was because of the Shinju clan.
The Nagisa and Shinju clan are natives of Naka harbor. From the earliest days of recorded history in Kiko, their names were already etched in its history. It is said that these two families made a contract with the first clan leader of the Misanagi clan to make it their mission to guard this harbor and make it flourish.
The Nagisa Dojo housed many types of martial arts, so it was already obvious that they are the ones who provided security for the city. On the other hand, the Shinju clan had a myriad of connections throughout the country and even outside of it, so they became the gateway of Kiko to perform fruitful trade both internally and externally.
"Nagisa. Shimura. Let's go, I want to be personally there for the negotiations with these people."
"Yes sir."
However, a few generations ago. The Shinju clan deviated from enriching the land and people and instead, lined its coffers with treasures made from fraudulent dealings and even illegal trade. This happened because the clan was taken over by the Kawasumi clan, another merchant clan who came from the lands of the Daigo clan.
"This is the Provisional Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion that I am personally training. His name is Ishida Takeo. He and his men will be conducting the raid today."
"I-it's an honor to work alongside you today, L-lord Iwasawa!"
Shimura introduced me to a young man wearing battle garments. He spoke in a cut-off manner with a salute which I gave back before stepping into my carriage.
With the contract broken, the Misanagi clan no longer supported Nagisa Dojo and thus, it fell into a myriad of debts and lack of willing trainees.
But today is the day for them to reclaim their honor and purpose of existing.
"Who are you?! This warehouse is owned by the Shinju merchant clan! You're trespassing in private property!"
"This seizure and investigation have been ordered under the authority of Lord Iwasawa Hiroshi. Anyone who will resist arrest or tamper the contents of this place will immediately be punished! Stand down if you don't wish to be harmed!"
The young commander announced to the workers before his men went inside the compound and scattered to find the evidence that we were looking for.
"What is the meaning of this?! Who are these filthy ruffians rummaging through my goods?!"
"M-master… They are people from the Lord's forces. They are confiscating the products in the special shed!"
"W-w-what?!"
Hearing the commotion, it seems like the head of the merchant clan went to see it and was told about the raid that I am doing.
"Clan leader of the Shinju clan, I presume?"
"Y-yes… what brings the esteemed lord to our place?"
"This."
I spoke and made the soldier beside me to drop a sack filled with opium in front of me.
"T-this is-"
"Silence! Don't dare to talk over the lord!" Commander Ishida shouted and stomped to make him shut up.
"Kh-!"
It is true that I haven't fully adjusted to my work as the Daimyo of Kiko yet, but I can feel that there is something inside me that forces me to act here with my own two hands.
"Kou-sama! We've found the slaves and the other contrabands! There are also records written in a foreign language about outgoing orders of narcotics and enslaved children."
"Tch-!"
With that report, my blood boiled to its brim and without missing a beat, I grabbed the rifle that Shimura was holding and fired it repeatedly near his head, only missing it a few centimeters away.
"GAH!!! S-STOP!!!"
He bowed and held his head to the ground while shaking in fear.
"Hah… hah… hah… You blasted monsters… You're lower than scum…"
"Iwasawa-sama… please let me..."
Shimura held my hand that was holding the gun and took it from me. Having that rage take over me for a few seconds, I almost fell down from feeling nauseous until Nagisa held me up.
"Let's go back to your carriage, Lord Iwasawa… You need to calm down."
"…Thank you."
Shimura-kun took over the raid and I only heard about it again once he reported back and asked for my orders regarding the issue.
"What should we do with the Shinju… no, Kawasumi clan, Kou-sama?"
"Seize all of their holdings and inform the people about everything they have done. They have stolen from the people by not paying their taxes that could've been used by the Nagisa clan to make Naka harbor safe. Because of it, the citizens didn't have the power to depose the previous Akizuki daimyo and all of them suffered because of it… Let the people decide their fate and punishment."
"How about the members of the clan who are not involved with the illegal trading of their family?"
"I've already talked about it with Nagisa-san. She said that they are willing to take them under their wing until all of the influence left by the Kawasumi clan has been removed and the Shinju clan can start anew."
"Then how about that last part, Kou-sama?"
"Last part?"
"The deal about the production of equipment for the army."
Oh yeah. That has to be handled too. At this point, we don't have any choice but to handle it ourselves… It will be a drag to have another project in us but-
"We will take over it."
"Nagisa-san?"
"We have the 13-year-old temporary clan leader and also the treasures of the Shinju clan. The child seems to understand what happened earlier and said that as an apology, they will honor the deal given by his uncle."
"…Good. Instead of making the public handle their punishment, I'll give them a favor. Shimura, send them to Hikigaya-sama's castle as captives. I think he'll understand how tightly these people have to be kept once they get there."
"As you wish, Iwasawa-sama."
Shimura responded and exited my office.
"Nagisa-san. Coordinate with Toshinori-san and help the current clan leader of the Shinju to prepare the facilities and equipment for the deal. The kid might have done the decision but it is still a child."
"As you command."
Nagisa-san bowed and went out to talk with the trade minister.
"…Asada-san."
"Y-yes, sir?"
The head maidservant who has a child-like height peered from my office door and asked why she was called.
"Hah… please tell the messenger to send this letter to Aoya. In no circumstance can it be opened until it reached the hands of the person it is written for."
"A-as you wish… I'll take my leave."
I handed her a letter and she scurried out of the room which left me all alone here.
"Why did the mention of suffering children made me snap like that…?"
I don't know.
"Haah… This job may not be meant for me after all."
I sighed and slowly walked to my bedroom to finally get some rest.
For now, I don't want to think about anything else in the world.
I just want to rest already.
.
.
.
"…-sama"
A sweet voice reached my ears, but I am still too exhausted to even raise my head.
"Iwasawa-sama~"
Wait, this voice is…
"You are…"
"Ehehe~! Good morning, Iwasawa-sama. It's time to wake up."
"C-Chiyo? You're already here?!"
