On the other side of the battlefield, closer to the forest, Izuna's camp and his personal guard could be found. The prince, along with the commanders, had taken the highest hill, keenly surveying the surroundings and giving orders to the warmaster troops.
If help was needed somewhere, one of the supreme commanders would be sent with reinforcements.
"I don't understand anything," the elder prince watched irritably as messengers arrived one after another, reporting that the Sansa and Kiatto were simply scattering everywhere. There was no organized retreat; they were merely deserting, abandoning even their own clan members and servants to the mercy of the victors.
'What is this?! Weren't they supposed to stand their ground to the end so that my victory over them would earn me respect in the eyes of the clan and father? What made them surrender so quickly? Where is their honor, may the kami take them?'
While the samurai earned glory and victory with their blades, all Izuna had to do was show up, and all the enemies fled.
'At this rate, that upstart, Jishin, will manage to earn even more glory than me. Although, how could he? Still, even such a victory is a victory after all.' Izuna kept reassuring himself.
Commanders standing close by were also disconcerted, yet they were glad that victory was theirs. Moreover, the losses they suffered were very minimal.
But soon, everything changed drastically with the arrival of another messenger. He was hiding his face behind a mask, as he belonged to the Shadow Stone service.
"Speak," the prince ordered without really looking at the messenger.
"Izuna-sama," the shadow quickly bowed. "It's become clear why Sansa and Kiatto surrendered so quickly!"
"Really?" The elder prince's attention shifted, and he regarded the man with much more interest. "Then speak at once."
The nearby commanders also looked at him with keen interest.
"It's become known," the loud voice of the shadow resounded around. Izuna's face twitched, and he began to feel some kind of trick with his sixth sense. "That Jishin Sumada personally organized a brave sortie right to the borders of the Sansa camp!"
The elder prince's fists clenched till they cracked, and his face paled at his brother's name.
"There he encountered the head of Sansa, Jirobu Sansa, with his guard! In addition to Jirobu, there were three other supreme warmasters. After a desperate fight, Jirobu and his bodyguard Zuko Sansa perished!"
Whispers of surprise ran through the ranks of the commanders. Jishin's strength was no secret to anyone, and daring to attack a supreme and even to succeed - showed the bravery and luck of the young prince.
"Moreover!" the messenger had no intention of stopping. "Jishin Sumada personally killed Jirobu Sansa in a fair fight. He was assisted only by three other advanced warmasters."
The people around froze, unable to believe what they had just heard.
"Not even supreme?!" one of the commanders opened his eyes in astonishment. "How did he do it?!" everyone was very interested in the answer to this question. Could they have all underestimated the strength of the younger prince?
If he was already capable of nearly single-handedly killing a supreme, it changed everything! Thoughts about Jishin's resemblance to his celebrated grandfather, Fierce Ishiro, who also reached the rank of supreme at a relatively young age, began to arise in the minds of those present. But even he had not killed supreme while being an advanced rank.
In this regard, the grandson managed to outdo his famous ancestor.
"And who were those..." one of the commanders began to ask but was interrupted.
"Enough!" Izuna forced himself to overcome the paralyzing hatred and, nevertheless, stopped the dangerous information pouring from that cursed shadow. "We're in the middle of a war right now. When it's over, then you'll find out. This is not the time for idle talk."
No one dared to object to the elder prince despite them all being consumed by curiosity, and the messenger hastily left.
But behind the hidden mask was a satisfied face. The chief of the shadows, Io Sumada, should be pleased.
One of his personal agents, Horoyama Sumada, had done everything as he was ordered. All it took was to wait for the return of the younger prince, find out from him how it all went, and then spread the information in a couple of key places.
The mission was accomplished, and now he could return to the Citadel.
Now, his birds would soon spread rumors not only among all the Sumada but also spill the information outwards.
On that day, many of the Sumada began to ponder a simple question – was Izuna Sumada truly worthy of taking the throne? And wasn't there a better candidate?
*****
The final victory of Sumada stirred the entire world. The great clan of earth masters was the first to do what the other factions only dreamed of. They grabbed their piece of the pie, and the fangs of the other "dogs" clicked dryly, missing out.
Now, these hungry beasts measured each other with glances, sizing up who was weaker and whose side was fatter.
But let's look at the results of a war that went on for so long.
The remaining Sansa capable of fighting mostly turned into renegades. Worse, they were openly despised. Although warmasters did not follow the concepts of honor as strictly as samurai did, there were still things they disapproved of.
The way these warmasters abandoned the samurai, exposing the flanks, showed the world that they were not to be relied upon in a tough situation.
Furthermore, the caravan with women and children of Sansa and Kiatto was captured by Sumada. Beautiful girls and women were destined to become concubines; the rest were made into servants. Priority was given to the main family, then subordinate families, and finally Sumada allies. But even so, there was enough for almost everyone.
Now, you could occasionally notice curious ears among the new maidservants.
A more interesting fate awaited conquered Hyugo.
The territories of the former country were sliced into allotments that went to various samurai, merchants, nobles, or even to the daimyo himself.
Surprisingly, the daimyo was so generous that several plots, including in a couple of cities, went to Sumada and their allies.
However, Stas suspected that this was done because of the impending new war against the entire world. The ruler of Rashta had no intention of spoiling relations with such a significant force as the great clan.
The warmasters themselves, having packed their belongings, moved back to the Citadel.
And there they were greeted as heroes.
The city streets were full of rejoicing people. The locals understood well that if Sumada had lost, what fate would have awaited them.
In addition, the warmasters received a substantial payment from the daimyo of Rashta, and this money poured into the city like a golden river, further enlivening its residents.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The warriors, starved for rest, threw wild parties, generously scattering money left and right.
Accumulation was not in the habits of warmasters.
However, besides the festivities, there was another thing that everyone awaited with great anticipation, namely, the distribution of rewards.
For this moment, all the commanders, officials, and those who had distinguished themselves, high or otherwise, gathered in a huge decorated hall, lit by many long windows in the ceiling and walls, through which narrow beams of light fell.
If you looked closely, much of the ceiling was adorned with some images, presumably depicting various historical events in the life of Sumada.
Yet, either the artists working on the carving were drunk, or Stas was too far removed from local art, but for him, all this carving blurred into one incomprehensible mass.
But let's get back to the ceremony.
At this moment, the eyes of all those gathered were darting between the two princes.
Both of them stood on different sides of the hall, looking toward the elevation in the center, where Goro Sumada, their father, sat majestically on special cushions.
Next to him stood the processed and mounted on a pike head of Jirobu. A little further away was the head of the leader of Kiatto, which had been in the Citadel for half a year now.
Next to each prince stood their chosen companions. It was not difficult to understand that these people were their loyal followers.
That's why Stas was not at all surprised, feeling the scorching look of the elder prince, which slid across his face. Izuna had figured it all out and now stared angrily, but he was already furious even before, so nothing much had changed.
Jishin brought five people to the ceremony: Ryo, Naoki, Kensei, Shin, and Stas.
And if the identities of the supreme were of little interest to anyone, then the advanced warmasters attracted a lot of attention from those around.
No, they were not the only advanced warmasters here. Many of the supreme had attendants of their own. There were also officials here whose strength left much to be desired.
But unlike them, Stas and the others came here by right of strength, not their position, and that greatly distinguished them.
The head of the clan called forth various people before him and recounted their achievements, after which the servants brought out some reward, or Goro named it himself if it was not an item.
"I wonder what your father will come up with for me," Kensei whispered, looking around curiously. It was clear that without his sword, he was quite nervous, hence so talkative.
"I'm sure it will be something unusual," Shin smirked ironically. "I've never heard of a samurai being honored like this."
"I'm no longer a samurai, how many times do I have to tell you!"
"If you haven't heard, it doesn't mean it hasn't happened," Stas pointed out sensibly. "Sumada's history is vast. I'm sure something similar could have happened more than once. It's just that the clan itself preferred to forget about it."
"That's also true," Shin nodded, smiling and noticing Ordyntsev's stern face. "And you, Shiro, as always, are serious. I would even say grim. Honestly, I've never seen you smile. Not when we first met, nor over the years. Always walking around with that cold expression on your face. We've won, and soon, the head of the great clan will reward us. Smile and enjoy life for once. Such moments should be cherished..."
"No reason," Ordyntsev cut off, to which Shin just spread his hands as if admitting defeat, and Kensei quietly laughed at his pantomime until Jishin shushed them.
The shadow was clearly nervous. Stas could have joked that he hadn't been as nervous before the battle as now.
Only he wasn't in the mood to do so.
In Jishin's camp, there were several healers among his fighters, and some knew far more than Stas, but their knowledge was still insufficient to help Leviathan.
The only thing they could do was temporarily slow down the destruction of her body due to the poison, but this couldn't go on forever.
Eventually, the prince allocated several fighters who helped Stas deliver the wounded snake to the Citadel.
There, Ordyntsev found Kizashi, and he, assessing the severity of the situation, had already called his grandfather.
"It's very bad," Hideo's tone was cold. "The poison has spread very widely and affected various tissues. The only thing saving your pet is that she's not human."
Stas grimly nodded. His own knowledge was enough to come to such a conclusion. Jirobu's poison was designed to fight against prana owners, so it first struck directly at the prana channels.
But Levi didn't have the latter.
"But even so, the chances are slim. The only thing I can suggest is to place her under the Healing Sleep technique. It won't cure her but will sustain life, slowing poison spread while we figure out a solution."
"Then let's..." Stas immediately agreed, but Hideo stopped him.
"The Healing Sleep technique is built not only on the usual formation of the technique but also on special prana imprinting seals. Each such seal will last a couple of weeks, then it will be destroyed. They are very expensive. For the time being, I'll take them from the clan's reserves. That will be enough for two to three months, but after that, you understand..."
"I will pay for their purchase," Ordyntsev was serious as ever. He bowed to the old healer. "Thank you, Hideo-sama. There are no words in this world that could express my gratitude to you."
"Don't mention it," the old man smiled sadly. "I see how you look at her, Shiro-kun, and I know how painful it is to lose friends. And this snake has long been not just a pet to you but a true friend. But be aware, the cost of even a couple of seals will take a large part of the funds you can earn from doing missions."
Stas did not tell the old man that thanks to Jishin's money this situation was not so sad. There was no need to involve him in such dubious matters.
In the end, Leviathan was immersed in a healing sleep, and next to her took its place a seal supporting the technique.
And now Ordyntsev was racking his brains on how to help Leviathan. It was obvious that going the way of prana and warmaster techniques was useless – if even Hideo himself couldn't think of anything, what could Stas hope for?
This meant that only the path of ether remained. And there were a huge number of disadvantages here. Ordyntsev did not want to turn Levi into one of the horrors that Deathbringers' techniques could produce.
But even so, there was still one option about which Stas knew almost nothing. A dark horse, which represented even greater danger than ether – the path of natural energy.
Ordyntsev wasn't an idiot, so he guessed that the changes in him were caused precisely by it. Where did it even come from in his body? Obviously, through the connection with Leviathan. And since he hadn't turned into a drooling freak, begging someone to kill him, it meant that there were still some chances of success.
Moreover, the path of natural energy was much closer to Leviathan, as she was the one who used this power.
"Izuna Sumada!" Goro called his elder son, who, stepping forward, respectfully bowed his head. "Thanks to your leadership skills and strength, Sansa and Kiatto have finally become history. You commanded the second-largest army of our clan and claimed victory in the last battle. In honor of this, I endow you with the position of army inspector. Take care of the clan, and the clan will take care of you!"
"Thank you, clan head." Izuna bowed, receiving from the servant a gold-inscribed mandate and an appointment to a fairly important position. Now, even the main families had to reckon with the elder prince, for he was to inspect them as well.
"Jishin Sumada!" another call and the jittery younger prince stood before his father. Silence hung in the air while the head of the clan stared intently at the bowed son.
"Jishin Sumada," Goro repeated. "The man responsible for three hundred ordinary warmasters, the leader who commands another thirty advanced and two supreme. The man who... without informing anyone, superiors included, abandoned his troops and dashed off to pursue his own whims, wherever they might lead him!"
'This isn't good.'
Goro's tone became merciless, and a pressure descended on the hall. The clan head was clearly not in the mood.
Ordyntsev turned his head and looked at the elder prince. There was a light smile on his face.
"What kind of commander doesn't care about his own people? What if, in your absence, while there were neither advanced nor supreme warmasters present, the camp was attacked? Three hundred ordinary would have died, and what would you have done then? How would you have justified their death?"
Jishin was silent, not daring to say anything, while Goro scorched him with his heavy gaze.
"However." The word made Izuna abruptly stop smiling. "I cannot fail to notice that your reckless escapade nevertheless ended in success. Thanks to your actions, two supreme were killed. And one of them was Jirobu Sansa, the head of the clan."
Many already knew about this, but still, the confirmation from Goro Sumada made those gathered surprised.
"Because of his death, Sansa lost all their fighting spirit, which is why the victory over them went without any problems, saving many clan members' lives. Moreover, you killed Jirobu in a fair fight, taking the help of only three comrades of the advanced level."
Goro paused.
"Therefore, though you are to blame, I cannot but recognize your contribution to this war. Besides this, you have fought bravely all these years, and your people are alive and ready to serve for the benefit of the clan. Jishin Sumada, as a reward, I entrust you with the position of treasurer. Now, you will be responsible for ensuring that our clan always has money for war or peace. I hope that such a responsible position will teach you to assess risks better."
"Thank you, clan head. I will not fail your trust," Jishin accepted another gold mandate and quickly returned back. Stas noticed that he was completely drenched in sweat.
Ordyntsev glanced at Toshiyuki Eiko, the head of the Eiko family and father of Mei, who was standing aside. His family had always been responsible for the city. Now, following the death of the elder Yutaka, Jishin was put in charge of them.
Stas generally understood what Goro was doing. Seeing that the younger son showed promise and had earned respect, he decided to give him one of the secondary levers of power. And if earlier everyone could have been outraged, now Jishin had enough reputation.
Judging by the sour face of Izuna, he was not at all happy with this outcome. On the other hand, he was reassured by the fact that his position was much more important and prestigious. And that meant that the father valued him more than the damned younger son.
Stas could only click his tongue in admiration – the clan head skillfully used the situation and, taking advantage of the confusion in the main families, placed his own sons in two key positions, weakening the influence of the other families and strengthening his own.
But that could be thought about later, because now it was their trio's turn.
Their names were called, and Goro Sumada looked straight at them.