I might as well use your blade to kill me now, it would definitely be much better than adopting this monkey. This is simply too terrible, what a nightmare!" [12]
"I never expected that Oda-sama is such a person devoid of common sense, you guys must have not had it easy too."
"I'm quite indifferent to whatever Fujiwara Clan, anything is fine, but even if you don't want to let Saru inherit the Fujiwara Clan, there's also no problem. All you need to do is quickly give the position of Kampaku to him and then disown him, give him a new surname, then it'll be fine, like this the Fujiwara Clan can be saved."
"Wuu...Shut up, I refuse! Even though I really wanted to say this but if I refuse you, you eventually will replace Himiko-sama. In order to protect Himiko-sama, I will have to sacrifice myself."
"What sacrifice? Doesn't this also fulfil your loyalty?"
Konoe seemed like his soul was sucked out of his body and went limp.
However, in his defence, no matter who it was if one was placed in this kind of totally unpredictable situation and given the ultimate choice it probably would be no better.
"Okay, so what's your answer?"
"Even if it was truly my choice, but I'm unable to immediately give an answer now, something as huge as this needs to undergo deliberation by the Fujiwara Clan as well as all the Kuge and myself before a definite answer can be reached."
"You don't have much time! When I conquer the world you need to immediately give me an answer!"
"Wuu...I-I understand."
Burnt out.
Konoe's pale grey pallor was reminiscent of the colour of ash after a fire burned out.
"Hehe, with this there's hope for our future together, Yoshiharu." Nobuna said while smiling broadly.
This was a true, heartfelt smile.
"Hah...I am also considered to be a man who does not want to give up anything and desperately works hard to achieve my goals, but if I were to compare with you...I'd definitely lose..." Yoshiharu sighed.
After experiencing these things, even Yoshiharu was a little stunned.
Nobuna and Yoshiharu remained in the tearoom and began to prepare to write a letter to Honbyo Temple.
While Konoe as well as Tsuda Sougyu, who were shocked to the point of exhaustion, trudged away from the tearoom and walked towards the trestle at the back of Tennoji House.
"It seems like I really have to head to Osaka, help me prepare a boat please."
"Understood, if Konoe-sama is able to successfully able to stop the Honbyo rebellion you incited yourself, Nobuna-sama will definitely forgive you."
"I never thought that even the Kampaku would have to run around doing errands for Oda Nobuna, wuuu......"
"For us, to have our heads still attached to our shoulders is already a really fortunate thing."
"All you need to do is offer the Shokoubunrin teapot then you can still stay in Sakai, as for me, not only the Fujiwara Clan, even the Kampaku position was taken by her! Furthermore I cannot refuse, or else Himiko-sama would be in danger!"
"The Oda Clan also has a Priest's lineage, even though Oda-sama does not seem like someone who would fear the gods, but after her victory at Okehazama she did not trouble the Atsusa Shrine, if you look at it this way, she probably would not harm Himiko-sama."
"We can't become careless just because she has the lineage of a priest, I don't think that just by giving up the position of Kampaku to that monkey we will be able to appease her, if that lost Regalia, the Yasakani no Magatama, falls into Oda Nobuna's hands, then what should we do..." [13]
"Er…"
"If I successfully stop the Incident of Honbyo Temple, then Oda Nobuna's ambition of conquering the world would be 80% complete, even if Ashikaga Shogun is around, and the forces of Takeda as well as the Uesugi Clans will delay each other."
"Then does strategist-sama have some sort of plan? He is Konoe-sama's expert after all."
"Don't mention it, just when things were going our way he had to completely disappear...even the Tsuchimikado brat is no where to be seen, AHHHHH! What a bunch of fence-sitters."
Konoe who had been forced into a desperate situation a few moments ago was so angry that he was about to be tongue tied.
"Please look over there Konoe-sama, that fleet that is blockading the port must be the navy rumoured to be led by Takigawa-sama right?"
Konoe squinted his eyes and gazed at the fleet not far off from them.
On the Atakebune, the flagship of the fleet, stood a small Miko. [14]
The young Miko seemed to be unable to sit down for even one moment and was jumping around doing a series of sophisticated gymnastic exercises on deck.
While the female pirates around her were applauding while watching her.
"Hime-sama is especially agile today."
"Even though normally you're very cute, but today you're even cuter by 30%!"
"Sakai is such an interesting place with all these Nanban ships and Nanban merchants around, so I have particularly high spirits today!"
The Miko as well as the female pirates were happily playing, not noticing the appearance of Konoe and the others.
However,
"Sakai's takoyaki is too delicious, how can it be so good? I feel like I’m about to get addicted to this. *munch munch munch*"
Among the female pirates, there was a strange Nanban wearing armour mixed in with them.
If we were to use modern language to describe her, it would be a stateless person.
But anyway, they were a joyful group of pirates.
"Hmm, so that little girl wearing that white miko garb is the rumoured Takigawa Kazumasu. Tsk, being a miko yet having a Nanban temperament."
"It does seem so."
"However, ...she's really young...ah?"
"What is it Konoe-sama?"
"Ah, it's nothing, maybe it was an illusion. How can it be... unless..."
"? Konoe-sama?"
"This, this incident must be quickly verified."
"Konoe-sama your face has turned green, what exactly has happened?"
That's correct,
Konoe who had been in the midst of the echelons of Yamato Gose at this point in time perceived something that not only Tsuda Sougyu but even Nobuna and Kazumasu did not know the secrets behind.
At this time Kazumasu on the far off deck shouted towards Konoe as well as Tsuda Sougyu,
"Because it's something urgent I'll have to directly disturb you from here at sea, is Nobuna-chan currently in the tearoom?"
"She's indeed in the teahouse, ah, why do I have to do something reserved for an aide?"
"Here's Honbyo Temple's letter of notice for the commencement of hostilities that they sent out, as well as the declaration of war from the Murakami Navy."
"… … Eh? You must be kidding, right?"
"The declaration says the Murakami Navy will attack Sakai tomorrow, seemingly because Sakai befriended the Oda Clan and are thus their enemy. It seems like they want to burn down the entirety of Sakai into ashes tomorrow. Kukuku."
"AHHHHHHHH! WE WEREN'T IN TIME AHHHHHH! EVEN MY LAST CHANCE TO REDEEM MYSELF FOR MY FAILURE WAS LOST AHHHHHH!"
"WHAT?! THE SETOUCHI SEA PIRATES WANT TO RAZE SAKAI?!?! KONOE-SAMA IT'S BECAUSE YOU PLANNED THE ENCIRCLEMENT OF THE ODA CLAN THAT IS GOING TO CAUSE SAKAI TO TURN INTO A SEA OF FLAMES!"
"It's not just my responsibility alone, didn't you also plan this conspiracy with me!!"
"AHHHHH, to think that I am actually going to die in the flames of war which I fanned myself, this must be retribution."
Konoe as well as Tsuda Sougyu hugged each other and blubbered, "Now that it's come to this…" "…We can only leave it to Oda-sama