"First of all, I would like to express my condolences for the death of your father," Katashi began seriously, causing Jishin to look up in surprise. "Even though it helped us all reach this long-awaited day, tragedy remains a tragedy. Goro-sama was a great man. Even as his enemy, my father only spoke of him respectfully."
"My condolences for your loss as well," Jishin replied politely. "I'm sorry that it happened this way. I heard there were some difficulties with the succession?" he segued into another topic.
Stas looked closely at the head of the Mizuno clan. There was no sign that his father's death had greatly affected him. Either he was an impressive actor or the relationships at the top of the water clan were far from ideal.
"Yes," Katashi grimaced. "Several 'ungrateful' individuals thought they could manage the clan better than me. Only, they couldn't agree among themselves, causing a disgraceful quarrel. A pitiful spectacle. But I've heard that your succession wasn't that smooth either?"
Jishin frowned. The topic of Izuna was especially painful for him.
"Don't get me wrong," the Kindhearted shifted his gaze to the fire. "I'm not judging you. If you had lost, all our plans would have been for naught. I doubt your brother would have listened to anything."
"Let's deal with the main issues, then we can continue our chat," Jishin decided firmly, cutting off the 'polite part.' "You understand how important this is, and I'm feeling uneasy."
"Fine," Katashi shrugged, smiling radiantly again. "Then I'll start. Our plan is ready to enter its second phase, which brings up a couple of important questions. Have your spies found out when the clan alliance invasion will begin? And are you ready for it?"
"Yes," Jishin nodded calmly. "We know approximately when the alliance of the Rangiku Executioners, Tokitoru Sealmasters, Raigachi, and Itasabi will strike. It's all set to happen in a month or two. It should have happened a month ago, but the newly joined Itasabi clan wasn't ready, and the attack was postponed."
"We're lucky they didn't attack right after the death of the previous clan heads," Katashi's uncle grumbled. "That would have caught us with our pants down."
"Yet, they didn't, uncle," the Kindhearted smiled.
"Not due to our efforts," Aoi retorted, refusing to switch to a lighthearted tone. "I mean, now that you are both heads of your clans and intend to play big politics, please take everything much more seriously. We're not playing games here; many thousands of lives depend on your decisions."
"Jishin, please forgive my uncle; he can be too strict sometimes," Katashi tried to soften his relative's words, but Jishin just waved his hand.
"It's fine. I can take criticism. Besides, I have my own... Critic," Jishin cast a careful glance at Stas, who had made an impassive face.
"I understand you," Mizuno's prince smirked. "But let's review our plan to ensure there are no misunderstandings between us."
Jishin just nodded, ready to listen.
"Several years ago, we learned that an aggressive alliance was forming between the Sealmasters and Executioners. While weak individually, together they posed a significant threat even to the Great Clan."
A couple of nearby warmasters winced, but no serious objections followed. Rangiku and Tokitoru's reputations were indeed substantial.
"It later became clear that their alliance had incredibly audacious ambitions. Namely, to use our feud, Sumada and Mizuno, to weaken both clans, then attack and destroy us."
Now, Katashi's words caused a palpable wave of anger. The warmasters of the great clans were not as much offended by the idea of being killed but that some weaklings dared to plot it.
"That's when a plan was formed to turn their treacherous attack to our clans' advantage. Since there was a centuries-old feud between Sumada and Mizuno, a very significant reason was needed for unification. A common enemy was deemed the perfect solution."
Ordyntsev mentally nodded. Back when Katashi first told them about the Rangiku and Tokitoru plans he had accidentally learned about, Stas didn't quite believe in the success of the whole thing.
The conditions were too vague. Anything could change ten times over. For instance, the Executioners could have a deadly fallout with the Sealmasters, and it all would have ended in nothing.
But fate willed that the Kindhearted's audacious plan continued to live on.
"That's why my people have been feeding their alliance information about significant losses in both our clans for the last few months," continued Katashi. "It's in our interest for their attack to happen as soon as possible to avoid increasing the number of deaths from fighting each other."
Ordyntsev perfectly understood what was being discussed. In theory, the unification and reconciliation of the great clans should have happened during the previous leaders' time. Katashi and Jishin were supposed to heavily influence Goro and Otomoto, pushing them toward mutual peace to counter the alliance of smaller clans.
But with the death of the clan heads, past plans had to be accelerated.
"Speaking of this 'our interest,' after Itasabi and Raigachi have joined the alliance, how much has their combined strength increased according to your data? Yes, these two fought with the Sealmasters and the Executioners before, but there were no reports of significant losses. Now, it's not just two clans but four. And not the weakest ones."
"Yes, their cooperation was an unpleasant surprise," Katashi had to admit. "Apparently, their hatred for the great clans overcame their anger at each other. However, their joining also pushed back the timing of the attack by a month, which, on the other hand, worked in our favor. As for their strength," he hesitated, which Stas didn't like. "Right now, they are equal to or slightly stronger than either of our clans individually."
The Kindhearted's words made those around him exchange tense glances. Jishin and Stas, meanwhile, only scowled. The words of Mizuno's head matched what they had learned themselves.
And the information was not at all reassuring.
"So, the plan is this," Jishin returned to the discussion. "We go back to war while trying to save our strength, and finally wait for the Alliance's attack. Once it happens, we unite and destroy the invading army and take over their countries."
"But there's the issue of the daimyo," Kensei brought up an important point. "The daimyo can be stubborn and not stop the war between Rashta and Higatsudo. Then we'll be left alone against the Alliance's warmasters and their samurai."
"You don't have to worry about that," Shigo, a supreme warmaster of Mizuno, spoke up. "Preliminary agreements have been reached. But as we understand, you haven't gotten consent yet?"
"That's right," Jishin grudgingly confirmed. It clearly irritated him that Katashi had prepared better than he had. "But don't worry. We've already started negotiations as well."
"Excellent," Katashi nodded with a smile, though he became utterly serious again in the next second. "However, since we've discussed the Alliance invasion, we must also discuss what we'll do afterward."
"The daimyo?" Stas clarified. "If the warmasters unite, they'll only interfere. If we stop the war with each other and try to focus on a peaceful path, we'll have to push the samurai aside, taking our share of peasants and land."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Katashi stated flamboyantly, seizing the initiative while positively stroking the earthling's ego.
Moreover, Stas also received an approving look from the Mizuno head.
Ordyntsev knew well how Katashi thought because his thinking was exactly the same. Of all those present, he would immediately call the current head of Mizuno the most dangerous.
Imagine, this young man, just as Jishin, had also become supreme, albeit a few years later. Moreover, unlike the former Sumada prince, he was raised as an heir and future head of a great clan since childhood.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
If one added to that his extraordinary intelligence and immense cunning, he instantly turned into an incredibly fearsome opponent.
Just to illustrate, it was he who steered the course of today's negotiations, smoothly taking on the leading role.
Yes, formally, both sides were equal, but the plan and its execution were entirely Katashi's merit.
Therefore, Stas was very glad that the prince of Mizuno was born the way he was. From childhood, he tried to resolve matters peacefully, not through war. And those who made mistakes he preferred to punish, not execute, as others would have done.
His relatively gentle nature allowed those around him to reconcile with his intimidating intellect to some extent.
"So, when we defeat the aggressors and form an unbreakable alliance, we'll have to deal with the daimyo and samurai. Any suggestions on this? Personally, I'm for trying to accept some of the samurai who decide to reject the daimyo rule. In that case, part of them will join the common government."
"Master," his own uncle was the first to protest. "I understand why you want to shed as little blood as possible. After all, a war with the daimyo and their samurai will be very tough. But I'll repeat my opinion, your decision will lead nowhere. In fact, it will likely backfire on us."
Aoi rolled his eyes.
"Samurai openly despise us. Their honor won't allow them to make any deals with us. Am I right?" he turned to Kensei, who had been silent so far.
"It depends," Uramasa began slowly, clearly unprepared for the question. "You know, some of the samurai might actually ally with the warmasters."
"Really?" Mizuno's supreme warmaster asked skeptically. "Did we miss some samurai who love warmasters somewhere?"
"No, no," Kensei chuckled. "They all genuinely despise you and think you have no honor." Uramasa's words clearly displeased those gathered, but he didn't care. "But I'm not talking about honor; I'm talking about the thirst for power."
"Go on," Jishin urged, interested. Katashi also nodded in approval.
"I speak of the clans of samurai of middling size. You may not be aware, but among the samurai clans of the highest echelon, competition is fierce. For new clans to break through is nearly impossible. The spots close to the daimyo are tightly held. And even if a middle clan might match a higher in strength, it will never gain the privileges and benefits that the old families possess."
Uramasa paused.
"Weak families won't accept your offers. Strong ones even less so. But among the middle ones, something might work out. In a new world order, they could rise to places they would never have been allowed before. The key is to explain the advantages of our policy and what they will gain."
"I suggest we start paying attention to promising samurai clans," Jishin proposed after a brief reflection. "It's too early to make them any offers, but we should already decide on those we can work with in the future."
"An excellent idea. I'll start with that, too," Katashi agreed.
"And what about Chinetsu and Hogoro?" Gash asked calmly, having not participated in the discussion until now. "How will they react to our alliance?"
"The fire-wielders and air-wielders have enough to worry about without us," Katashi's uncle explained. "Our clashes are nothing compared to their war. Just look at the burning of the city of Arkasu. Tens of thousands of lives in a couple of hours. An unprecedented and senseless act of cruelty even by Hizoru standards. And all because they dared to not open their gates at the first command."
"That's for sure..."
"They really went too far there. They could have just burned a couple of districts as punishment. Why burn the whole city? And how did they plan to retrieve valuables after that? They say it right, all Hizoru are completely deranged bastards..."
The warmasters gradually began to joke and share various stories and anecdotes.
The clan heads nearby actively facilitated the interaction of their subordinates, demonstrating friendliness and calming any overly sharp remarks or jokes.
The Sumada and Mizuno leaders were very interested in a peaceful agreement, which meant that their entourage ought to be imbued with similar feelings.
At some point, the meat was roasted and offered to the guests. Although no one drank, the atmosphere gradually warmed.
After all, each of those gathered supported their leader and tried to fulfill his wishes. And if the leaders said to be friends, then they had to be friends.
One of the few who was not at all cheerful was Ordyntsev.
The earthling had no illusions that the upcoming war with the Alliance of Rangiku, Tokitoru, and other clans would be easy.
Even the alliance of the now-destroyed Sansa and Kiatto clans was not so easy to crack, and there were only two of them. Now, they were about to face four such clans, albeit with two great clans on their side.
And it was necessary to understand that Sumada and Mizuno were not as strong as they were at the start of the World War.
More than nine months of blood, death, and destruction had passed.
Some were killed, and some joined the ever-growing number of renegades. On the other hand, those who managed to survive only became stronger.
And as if all that wasn't enough, a real bloodbath with the samurai awaited at the end.
Stas did not indulge in illusions.
The servants of the daimyo and the rulers themselves would not give up power so easily. They would fight to the death, sparing neither their own nor others' blood.
And even if the warmasters won, only blood-stained and corpse-covered ruins would remain of the old world. Ruins in which they would have to somehow live.
Stanislav shook his head.
'In any case, this is a better choice than what they have now. And I will help those who want to fix things. There's no turning back, anyway.'
******
Although a yokai was given a living body when incarnated and detached from its birthplace, the spiritual energy left visible traces on it, unknown to ordinary living beings.
Thus, yokai had a much deeper understanding of the world around them, making it not so easy to hide from them.
A similar, albeit weakened, ability was possessed by onmyoji.
Few thought about it, but in the eyes of the world, onmyoji, in a way, ceased to be human. By renouncing wars and bloodshed, they were forgiven, so to speak, for the sin of their birth.
Yes, the world, as well as all those deeply connected to it, were inherently cautious about humans, although this feeling was more advisory in nature.
This meant that if a yokai began to befriend a human, the sense of wrongness waned.
After all, the world was not against the free will of its creations. Overall, it was not rational in the sense that humans understand it.
That's why when Kaede decided to let a trading caravan pass by, hiding among the nearest bamboo thickets, both she and the stranger in the caravan noticed a yokai presence almost simultaneously.
But if the spirit in the caravan sensed her, Kaede simply recognized the trader leading the caravan.
The girl who stepped onto the road and hid her face instantly caused panic among the ordinary porters and considerable wariness among the guards. The latter, besides a dozen ronin and a dozen and a half ashigaru, also included as many as five renegade warmasters.
"Who are you, and what do you want?!" the commanding officer stepped forward threateningly. Judging by his armor and demeanor, he was a full-fledged samurai. His hand nervously caressed the hilt of the katana, which he had not yet drawn from its scabbard.
"I want to meet with my acquaintances," Kaede cheerfully replied, awaiting a reaction. "Namely, with Master Kansei."
"Whoever you are, go your own way! Master Kansei does not wish to associate with any passersby," the head of the guard roared, shooting wary glances all around. He clearly suspected an ambush.
His subordinates began to slowly flank Kaede from both sides. Due to the world war, one could never really know who was friend and who was foe. A limping, pathetic vagabond could turn out to be a disguised renegade warmaster capable of blowing you up with some water strike technique.
Nevertheless, the heavily breathing servant who ran up to the commander put everything in its place.
"Really?" the man asked incredulously, then cast a surprised glance at Kaede. "Fighters! Master Kansei has permitted her to meet with him. Everyone back to your positions! Move!"
Meanwhile, the servant approached the girl, who was admiring the surrounding beauty.
"Lady, allow me to escort you."
"Of course, let's go."
After bowing, the richly dressed servant respectfully opened the door and pulled out a special step, but before he could assist Kaede in climbing aboard, she giggled and leaped inside in one jump.
Bowing deeply, the richly dressed servant respectfully guided her to an opulent carriage, upon which Minoru's apprentice could easily spot a plethora of protective runes. Whoever traveled within couldn't be easily killed by a surprise attack.
In this perilous world, an extra measure of caution was never amiss.
As the servant opened the door and was about to pull out a special step to assist Kaede in climbing in, the girl, with a giggle, leaped inside in a single bound.
The servant's eyes just bulged in shock, and he started gasping for air.
"Kansei! Ketsumi! How happy I am to see you both," Kaede laughed joyously, eyeing the two inside with an exuberant look.
"Keep it down," the spider woman scolded her, quickly closing the door. "And it's not Ketsumi, it's Katsuya. That's how people know me here." And though her tone was instructive, it still contained sympathy.
"Oh, sorry, sorry, I forgot," Kaede apologized, not the least bit upset and lightly tapping herself on the forehead.
"And hello to you, Kaede," Kansei the Sly smirked. A former peasant, former ashigaru, and former swindler.
Though, in some way, aren't all merchants swindlers? So, that last title was still valid.
"You're still as cheerful as ever. The Kami know, our world is perpetually short on cheer. Your master is very lucky to have you."
"Yes, only he doesn't notice it," Kaede said, noticeably downcast. No matter what she did, Shiro paid her no attention at all. The only good thing was that he ignored that dastardly Mari as well.
"You just got unlucky with him. Among humans, there are still... m-m-m, acceptable specimens." Although Katsuya's words were cold, her warm glance at the plump Kansei betrayed her sentiment. "So where are you rushing off to? If it's not a secret, of course."
"A secret?" Kaede perked up. "There's no secret. I'm on my way to see my mentor. For some reason, she decided to summon me out of the blue."
"You're going to Minoru?" the Kumo mused thoughtfully.
"Yep. Hey, maybe we could visit her together?" Kaede suddenly lit up with the idea and began hurriedly explaining her thought to the bewildered yokai. "You wanted to make up with her, right? Now's the perfect opportunity. If I'm there too, she won't be as mad, and everything will end well!"
"You know," the spider woman shot a quick glance at Kansei. "We were just planning to stop in the nearest town..."
"Dear, if you want to, I can handle my business alone," Kansei shrugged. "Just don't leave me for too long."
"I'll never leave you, my love," Katsuya smiled tenderly before turning her gaze to Kaede, who was practically bouncing with impatience.
"Alright, we'll go see your sensei together."
"Hooray! You won't regret this!"
"Keep it down," the spider woman hissed at her, but her traitorous smile clearly gave her away. "Let's hope Minoru isn't too upset and she doesn't actually eat me."
End of Book Six.