Planning and Failing Ahead.

I was never the person who dreamed to someday be a leader of a country, but I had a fascination on reading historical texts about the people who brought ancient civilizations into great prosperity and fame.

Cyrus the great, Genghis Khan, Alexander the great, Cleopatra, Gaius "Augustus" Octavius, Hannibal and of course, Julius Caesar.

From these leaders, I learned that it is not only an issue regarding selfish ambition but also that of personal desire to serve one's people.

I also read those who were nearer to my past world's modern times. Perhaps it's because of them that I was able to differentiate the methods I used to govern my lands from the surrounding areas that still use feudal systems.

For the military, I borrowed Napoleon's style of centralizing his attack plans around the artillery while also adopting World War 1's defensive trench warfare strategies. Because of this, the extremely few casualties at the past war are something unseen in the country before.

For the economy, I mostly based it around a free-market principle of business competition where the government places a few regulations and safeguards to businesses to both assure the suppliers and consumers. Because of this, Naka Harbor is said to overtake the city of Kingo from being the center of international trade after this year's winter. The merchant city of Tohou is also experiencing a boom in trade caused by merchants flocking the city in droves to acquire the plethora of products that would've been too expensive to procure by their own ways or too costly to produce in their own provinces.

For a short amount of time, Tohou was called "The City of Silk, Gold and Jade" by its visitors.

The local governor and Minister of Trade, Kurogawa Toshinori, had mixed feelings about it. He was elated to see the new city abuzz with trade but with his merchant's intuition, asked me to deploy army patrols in the city and it paid off because during the trade rush, we discovered a member of a bandit group that was planning to attack the city by midnight. Because the location extracted from the interrogated member was inside Shinka, I opted to inform Kyoko about it, and she gave me permission to handle it by myself since she's about to go to Kise already to meet the Daigo clan's lord.

Except for a thwarted bandit raid and a few drunken men that we arrested after they cannot find a courtesan house in the city and attempted to assault the refugees I adopted from Yukonami province, the winter season slowly rescinded and soon, the mild winds of spring brought forth the final product that I've worked for a year already.

"Iwasawa-sama…? Yoo-hoo…"

"…"

I was silently resting my head on something soft, enjoying the rest that I deserve to have for now.

"A-Ahem…"

"…"

"Hiro-nii! Catch me!"

"Awawawa!!!"

But that voice that shouted those words made me crawl away at top speed and use all of my senses to know where it came from.

"Kuu! Hahaha!!!"

Honestly… of all the pranks that she can pull off, it really has to be this one…

"Mmm…! Is that the right way to wake up your master, Ms. Aoyama Chiyo?"

"Sorry, sorry… Hahaha! I just… I just wanted to scare you a little."

"Oh please, I think my body would instinctively dodge already once I hear that kid's voice saying that exact same lines…"

Today is a short vacation day for me and Chiyo. With the spring season coming into full swing, the cherry blossoms at East Naka forest were blooming beautifully.

"I was so scared that I forgot that only the two of us are here. Still, I won't let my guard down. Who knows, maybe Rinne really is around and just waiting for the right time to pounce on me or you."

"Oh come on now, Iwasawa-sama. Don't start treating Rinne-chan like she's a yokai."

"I can't help it… I'm the lord of Kiko but that kid would jump on my face and nag and nag all the time. Honestly… what a headache."

"Now, now… aren't we here to relax and get away from things that give us headaches? Come now, you can go back here now…"

Chiyo spoke and patted her lap, telling me that I can use it again after she stretched it for a bit.

"T-Thank you."

"Hehe~! How obedient of you, Hiroshi-sama."

"You can remove the "sama". We're alone, aren't we?"

"If that's what you want, Hiroshi dear."

"Not the exact one, but I appreciate it. Chu~"

"Ah-! Muu… don't surprise me like that, will you?"

She complained after I took her hand that was stroking my hair and kissed its back softly.

"Hiroshi…"

"Yes?"

"What are your plans… now that Kiko is stable?"

Good question, Chiyo. Even if I am relaxing, I shouldn't let go of my thoughts about how we will go now that the quad-alliance is underway.

Two weeks ago when Spring has started, Shimura Nobisuke and Nagisa Masami with a battalion worth of soldiers and a group of bureaucrats left Naka to meet with the contingent from Fuku province's Yamaguchi clan who will lead them to the province as diplomatic guests.

I've been receiving regular reports from Nobisuke as well as giving them instructions on how to handle the preliminary talks and the planning of the meeting between me and the current daimyo of Fuku.

You may think that we are making messenger runs between the two provinces that is cut off by mountains and high reefs, but before they left, I was able t hand them a tool that made our communication more stable and convenient.

"Hey Chiyo, want to make a call to Nobisuke-kun later?"

"Oh, absolutely! I was intrigued when he said that the pickled plums in Fuku are tasty, so I want to tell him to buy lots for me as souvenirs once he gets back."

"Got it. I'll slip some time for you later."

I built a simple radio phone for him and me. It was the thing that I've been working on during the entire winter season.

I think things would go smoothly for now, with no conflicts with other provinces and the talks with the Daigo clan and Yamaguchi clan bearing good signs, I can at least sit back for now and bask on the view of the development we achieved.

"Hiroshi."

"Yes?"

"…I love you."

Hearing that, I looked up from my sideward gaze over her lap pillow and I saw her face that is blushing deeply while her eyes is swimming around in embarrassment.

"We've been saying the exact same words for the past year already, but it seems like you're not confident of yourself yet to say it without being embarrassed."

"I-it's embarrassing, alright?!"

"I know, I know… you're such a pure lady, aren't you?"

She tried to hide her face using her hands, but I gently took them away and looked at her straight on the eyes to say the words that I want her to hear.

"I love you too, Chiyo."

"-! I… T-thank you…"

"Ehehe… you're such a pure lady, aren't you?"

After that sweet and relaxing break from our responsibilities, Chiyo and I decided to go back to Naka castle already by noon to eat lunch and prepare to continue our work tomorrow.

"I'm going to visit our guest. Can you go back to the castle by yourself, Chiyo?"

"Of course. Aren't you the one who almost always gets lost in the city, Iwasawa-sama?"

"Wow, so cheeky. I got lost once and you're already teasing me?"

"Ehehe! Take care on your trip, Iwasawa-sama."

"Mm. You too."

We split up at the main road, her going straight back to the castle while I turned to go to the western wharf of the port city to visit someone that I promised to talk with today.

"…"

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven… In these words, God wishes us to stand different from others, to show his light that cleans our sins and changes our lives."

"Figures… she's not yet finished…"

Behind a podium, a woman with bright blue eyes and shiny blonde hair was conducting a church service to a number of congregants. I silently walked to the rearmost seats and listened respectfully until the mass was adjourned.

"Thank you for the prayers, Sister."

"You're welcome, Asashi-obaasan. Grandpa is back to good health, is he?"

"He is well now sister. Kahaha! He even brought in the firewood this morning and woke me up with a kiss, Oh my… I'm falling in love with my husband all over again."

"Ahaha… That's good news. I'll continue to pray for your and your husband's health."

After the worshipers has given their offerings of money, food and other essentials to the nun, I finally stood up and greeted her gently.

"That was a blessed sermon, Sister Camilla."

"Don't flatter me too much, lord Iwasawa. I was twisting my tongue around many words and got confused repeatedly in translating the verses. It's quite embarrassing to the Lord, actually."

"Don't feel like that too much, aren't we humans imperfect? God would surely understand it."

"Haah… I do hope so."

Sister Camilla, 24 years old. According to her, she is a missionary sent by the Church of England to start a branch in India. However, when their ship was struck by lightning and sank, she and the two children she brought with her was swept to my lands and found by my retainer.

"Tea, your highness?"

"I'd want some with scones or cookies. I've had some rice balls before I got here so I am still a bit full."

"Got it. I'll bring them out of the oven then."

Since she cannot speak Japanese, she was confused with our language until I talked to her in English and explained to her everything that she asked me. I introduced myself as the lord of the province and welcomed her and the two children as guests.

"For a chapel, this place is quite large. It must've been those guys, isn't it? They really thought that they can impress you and get your hand in marriage."

"Muu… Don't remind me of that, lord Iwasawa. I am a Nun, a woman of the cloth. I have my oaths to keep so I can't be distracted with secular affairs like marriage and childbearing."

"Ahaha… I feel bad for those guys. It do is their fault for not asking first if nuns can marry, but for them to know it after finishing this church…"

"Argh! Stop already! I'm feeling bad now too!"

After a few months of studying Japanese, establishing a branch of the church here and acquiring believers, Sister Camilla and the Chapel of Saint John the Divine has been a familiar sight in the residential area of West Naka Harbor. Even some of the residents that didn't convert to Christianity rely on her for prayers and advice on daily affairs.

And as for my relationship with her, Sister Camilla are two things…

"How are things going now in the castle? Are you getting stressed at your work?"

She is a reliable and gentle friend…

"There's a problem, actually."

And a useful political advisor.

I told her about a news that I heard from Kuro a week ago.

"The Northern Daimyos caught wind of the outcome of our war with the Yukogahara clan. My spies are warning me that the Kusanagi clan may face an attack if we won't form the alliance soon."

"Humu… I see. Even in Japan, war still consumes humanity… such a sad truth…"

Sister Camilla didn't specify how, but from her observation and decision-making skills alone, I can deduce that she came from a family that has to constantly play mind games with others.

"How are the talks going?"

"Kyoko is in good terms with the Daigo clan. I have no doubts that she'll be able to convince the Head Priestess of Kise to agree on the alliance. Meanwhile, Nobisuke's reports about the Yamaguchi clan leans on a good future outcome. I'm prepared to go to Fuku immediately once a meeting date is agreed upon."

"That's good. At least we can work on something now. It will be hard for all of you to trust each other if you won't talk. I suggest that once all of you are on good terms already, agree to meet at Shinka to officialize the alliance agreement."

"Huh, why? That would be too bothersome for all of us."

"It's for appearances, Iwasawa-sama. Your people need to see a proof that the alliance is not a closed-door agreement, but one made for their own good. In that way, all four of you can bring your public approval up and gain the support and loyalty of your people more easily."

"I see… if it can be declared to the people, it will not be difficult to convince them that we are on the right to protect our lands from the northern alliance."

As expected of her… Sister Camilla is a nun, but she isn't one to be underestimated in terms of finding ways to handle political affairs. If not for her ecclesiastical affiliation, I would've hired her immediately to serve in my court as my advisor.

"As for the contingency plan…"

She spoke and took a few cookies from the jar and moved them around a plate as if she's playing Chess.

"If they will make a move soon, we have to move our troops to Shinka and prepare a defensive line, stalling them with entrenched infantry formations, guerilla tactics and surgical artillery strikes."

"The same tactic proposed by Takeshi-dono?"

"Yes, but I added this one other step."

She replied and moved two cookies to the line of biscuits that she made.

"You… that's genius!"

"I am humbled by your praises, your highness."

It's hard for me to narrate it, but what she was proposing is a pincer strike from two flanks. Shinka's west plains is a wide area, but most of that is still covered in wilderness and shrubbery. Basically, she wants us to bait the enemy further and further in land, feigning weakness and lack of coordination, but once the forests are behind the enemy's line already, forces from Yukonami at the north and Fuku from the south would surround their rear, cutting off their logistics and retreat route.

"The enemy would be eaten by pride and vainglory. For them, they are forcing the army that destroyed the Yukogahara clan back with ease, only to be surrounded and crushed later when the time is right."

"Sister Camilla…"

"Yes, your highness?"

"Can you just accept my offer? I feel like you're really wasting your talents."

"No way. I am a nun, not a chamberlain."

"Haha… as expected."

I was half-expecting her to at least say that she'll continue to devise plans for us, but I knew that I just have to present my issues to her in the most interesting way to let her manifest her skills and give me suggestions for it.

"Anyway, I apologize for this. But Chito and Yukari…"

"No news about them, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

Two months ago, Sister Camilla asked me for a favor that I accepted willingly. It was about the two orphans that she is keeping with her. When I first heard their names, I knew without a doubt that they are Japanese even though the other has no Asian features.

Yukari is the elder one of the siblings. She has a short, golden blonde hair and blue eyes, a stark contrast to the Japanese name given to her. She looks like the innocent little foreign girl that you want to dote on, but after she learned how to speak Japanese and found a chaotic kindred spirit by sticking around Rinne, they are now known as the "twin tornadoes", two brats who would pull innocent pranks on others for fun.

Even though loud and annoying, the city folk seem to have taken a liking for them, tolerating their childish pranks and sometimes even hiding them from the Land Guards that they annoyed.

Meanwhile, the younger orphan named Chito was the one who inherited Asian features. She has a long and shiny black hair and eyes. As for her… let's just say that she never left my workshop for a week after I showed her around it. She's the silent and studious type, the kind of kid who would sit on one corner and read a book that piqued her interest.

I once showed her a grandfather clock that I sent to Aoyama-sama for his birthday, and only 3 days later, she built one for herself and even added a few bells inside to sound the time. At that point, I didn't have doubts anymore. I asked her if she wants to be my student and she gave me a rarely seen expression from her that is filled with wonder and excitement.

Back to the request, it was both simple and complicated.

"Please find their family. I heard from their deceased grandparents and parents that before being sold as slaves, they used to be nobles."

It was kind of a gamble. If it really is true and the two kids are of noble lineage, I can manipulate the flow of the war by endorsing or supporting them as allied nobility, reinforcing our claim to build the alliance. Conversely, it can also be a problem. If their noble lineage is currently led by someone else, the discovery of their existence may spark a civil war in which case, it might be difficult to even handle another problem like that.

"My informants gained a lead that they came from a noble family in Kanae Estuary. But on what family, it's not known…"

"Kanae Estuary… the provinces near the capital?"

"Yeah. There are many prominent families there that has their own issues. I can remember Captain Kuro telling me that those clans are conducting a civil war inside a country that is already in a civil war."

"That's quite sad, really…"

"Still, a lead is a lead. I don't know when it will come or what will happen once it does come, but one thing I'm sure would happen is that once their genealogy is uncovered, it would've been better if we didn't look for it at all."

"I know…"

The nun muttered beneath her sigh.

"But I want them to at least know where they came from. I already made the mistake of thinking that their name came from India, but in the leading of God, we got the to right place even if we suffered with that correction."

"I understand."

Once we had our fill with the conversation and food, I bid farewell to the nun and rode towards Naka castle to get back to my work.

"Umm… Asada-san…"

"Yes, Iwasawa-sama?"

I spoke and the short, head maidservant replied to me.

"Why is there a box on my desk filled with almonds?"

"Aaahhh!!!"

"Wah-!"

After she heard my question, the short head maid let go of the folders on her arms and pounced towards me to grab the box from the table.

"What the… why did you suddenly shout?!"

"Please… please don't tell anyone!"

"Huh?"

Apparently, our resident short-stack head maid has someone romantically going after her. The box of almonds was apparently, something of a lover's gift that was mistakenly sent to my office instead of her room.

"What? Why do you have to shriek like that, Lolibaba- Urk-!"

"Who are you calling a Lolibaba?!!"

I thought it was a good time to use the word, but instead of calling it quits, she rolled the folder she let go earlier and hit me on the head with it.

"I… Iwasawa-sama doesn't understand how precious this is to me…"

"Huh?"

"I spent my entire life serving the lord's castle with little time to even appear to other people outside Kaiho castle. Do you know how depressed I got after seeing my colleagues getting married year after year while I got stuck here still being a maid and *sniff* Awaaaaa!!!"

"Argh! Why are you suddenly crying?! What are you, a kid?!"

What followed afterwards was the most awkward thing I have done in my life. Imagine consoling a 30-year-old with the height of a kid who is crying like a lost child who tripped and dropped her ice cream.

Yeah, that might sound ridiculous, but that's how it felt like when the usually logical and respectable head maid lost her control and got all emotional like a kid.

"Haah… what a pain in the neck… Who is this guy anyway? I don't know if you're crying because it took this long for you to get a suitor or you're so happy that you finally have one."

"It's… it's both!"

Ah… thinking back on it. Asada-san looks young for her age. So young actually that she might look younger than the 16-year-old Akizuki Hisako sometimes. So, whoever this guy is that is courting her would either be a guy who is also young… or… may God forbid, an extreme lolicon.

"Asada-san…"

"Y-yes, your highness?"

"If you haven't gone with a date with him yet, I want you to invite him over for dinner some time. I… have to see for myself if this guy deserves to even breathe the same air as my precious cinnamon roll. If he is good, I'll arrange for further meetings, if not, I'll personally chase him out with a gun."

"Geh! W-What are you, my dad?!"

After that scene, Asada-san left with the box and I finally returned to the small amount of paperwork that was left to me.

It was only that time when I remembered that the stamp I was using is still the one from the Akizuki clan. It's already been a year, but I still don't have my own official clan symbol. There are reasons for this, of course, but the main one is mostly about me being too lazy to do it.

By dinnertime, I was eating with my staff when a knocking on the dining chamber's door sounded. A servant opened the door and from it, a soldier came in and stood next to me with a salute.

"Your Highness! I'm from the Communications command, I bear a message from Minister Nagisa and General Shimura!"

"General Nobisuke?"

"What could it be?"

"Let's wish it's not dangerous…"

There were murmurings among the servants when I stood up to return his salute and receive the letter.

"-!!!"

"I-Iwasawa-sama?"

"Tch! Damn it!"

When I read the last lines of the letter, I can't help but feel enraged about my lack of understanding about the people I am negotiating with.

{The Yamaguchi clan is undecided. They won't join the alliance unless we prove ourselves to them. They want us to help them wage war against the other noble families, because for warrior clans like them, talk is cheap, and people are just numbers for them.}

It was my mistake to think that everyone I will meet will be civilized. I forgot to remember that this is out on the boons in a feudal country… and tribal warrior clans actually exist.