Chronicle Legion:Volume 3 Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Restless Warlords

Part 1

Back when Shiori first appointed Tachibana Hatsune as her personal lady-in-waiting, this was the first thing she told Hatsune.

"The Empress and her inner circle all resent me very much."

"Eh!?" Hatsune was very surprised, apparently unaware of such things.

At the time, Shiori was still at the imperial capital of Tokyo. This conversation had taken place in September.

"Your Highness, you're so pretty, smart too, and an amazing person..."

Why would such a lady be the target of resentment?

Shiori did not hide anything and candidly told this new and inquisitive lady-in-waiting, "The qualities you mentioned are precisely the reasons why I am resented. Beautiful and smart as I am, if I were to stay by Her Majesty's side as a foil, the comparison would reflect poorly on her."

"......"

"Oh no, please do not mistake this for bragging, what I am describing was simply the other side's mindset!"

"Don't worry, I actually like a person who can brazenly call herself 'beautiful and smart'."

Putting aside her noble bloodline, the current Empress was an "ordinary" girl.

Consequently, this bred conflict. And conflict between women tended to be of the insidious sort, staying out of plain sight. Unfortunately, the situation between Shiori and the Empress was no exception.

In the end, Shiori, who had relocated to the Suruga City, was abandoned and neglected by those at the imperial palace for a long time.

However, the Tokyo imperial palace finally sent a messenger.

They were finally willing to show some charity and extend a helping hand to rescue the poor princess from war-torn Tōkaidō—

November 13th, it was Thursday.

The messenger made a special visit to Rinzai High. Shiori chose to "have an audience" on campus, using the principal's office lent out by the school.

Behind the somewhat classy reception desk, Shiori met with the officer from the Imperial Guard.

"Thank you for traveling all the way out here for my sake."

"Not at all, Your Highness. I was supposed to hasten my way here to rescue you as soon as the incident broke out. Having dallied for over a month, all of us at the Imperial Guard are shamed beyond compare.—"

"Do not say that. Please raise your head."

The major from the Imperial Guard, the army that served the imperial family directly, bowed his head deeply in apology.

As an aide-de-camp as the imperial palace, he was acquainted with Shiori. Back in September this year, this soldier had accompanied her to attend the garden party held for Generalissimo Caesar.

Shiori said solemnly, "Hakone Checkpoint and various areas of Tōkaidō are still under the Restoration Alliance's control. You only managed to get here now due to Suruga City's emancipation. I know that the Imperial Guard is not at fault here."

These earnest words of understanding were also "false" platitudes.

If Staff Officer Yang, a Roman soldier, succeeded in breaking through the blockade, there was no reason why soldiers of the Imperial Guard failed to do the same.

Bluntly stated, they did not have the slightest sincere intention of saving Shiori.

Meanwhile, the aide-de-camp changed the subject naturally.

"In any case, I am relieved to find you safe and sound, Your Highness."

The aide-de-camp's tone was filled with sincerity.

Presumably, he was not speaking against his conscience. The Imperial Guard had simply not taken actual action. As expected of an aide-de-camp, spending his days dealing with those aggravating ladies-in-waiting at the imperial palace, he had honed perfect skills in "professional customer service."

Using pleasing words, the major skillfully glossed over the Imperial Guard's negligence and incompetence.

In a way, this was part of his job too.

"Your Highness Shiori, Her Majesty Teruhime and the other members of the imperial family are eagerly awaiting your return. Should you wish to leave, I can make arrangements for you right away..."

Only now did an aide-de-camp arrive tardily.

At least he seemed sincere in bringing Shiori back, though it was not an "absolute" imperative. He had added a conditional at the end, contingent on Shiori's desire to return, meaning it was fine to leave her here too, since the princess still had House Akigase's protection, after all...

Someone in the Empress' inner circle must have given instructions to "handle it this way."

"I am truly overjoyed to learn of everyone's care and concern, but please forgive me for I must decline their kind wishes. In fact, I recently decided to enter employment."

"Enter... employment? Do you mean taking a job here in Suruga?"

"The details will be announced at the ceremony this coming weekend. Please forgive my secrecy for now."

Shiori smiled gently and did not neglect to nip further questioning in the bud.

The ceremony to commemorate Akigase Shouzan's transfer of the family's headship to his beloved daughter was scheduled for the weekend. This was already common knowledge.

"But Your Highness, for an imperial princess to 'enter employment' without seeking the Imperial Household Agency's counsel, that would be quite unprecedented. It is my humble opinion that it would be prudent for you to first confer with the imperial palace."

"Be at ease. I have secured Rindou-sensei's approval for this matter already."

Shiori smiled and brought up a name of extraordinary note.

The name worked like magic, instantly silencing the aide-de-camp. Observing this conversation from the back, Masatsugu quietly went "oh?" to himself.

For someone to wield such influence over a messenger from the imperial palace, Masatsugu was quite intrigued by this character this "Rindou-sensei."

"Is this alright with you, Masatsugu-sama?"

"What do you mean, Princess?"

"Today... Hatsune is not with us."

An hour after the meeting, Masatsugu was accompanying Princess Shiori on a stroll near Rinzai High.

Walking slightly ahead, Shiori seemed to be sulking a little. There was also a hint of sarcasm in her words just now.

"She went over to the tutelary fort. If you need her, should I give her a call?"

They were walking along a rural path on the outskirts of Suruga City.

Fortunately, wireless communications could be used normally now that noetic disruption was over.

All he needed to do was borrow a phone somewhere and call the Suruga tutelary fort, and Hatsune would rush over by car in about half an hour.

"M-Masatsugu, you fail to understand me!"

"Then what do you mean?"

"Uh, umm, Masatsugu-sama, it is fine if you wish to join her... If you prefer her company... That is simply what I am thinking," Shiori stammered.

Just earlier, she had handled an aide-de-camp with perfect composure, but her attitude now made her seem like a completely different person.

However, this too was part of Fujinomiya Shiori's nature as a person. She was not only a clever princess with ambitious goals, but also a shy and reserved maiden.

Her nature was so delicate that it was impossible for a coarse man like Tachibana Masatsugu to comprehend.

For the clever princess to be expressing her displeasure in such a manner, this indicated quite a serious emergency in a certain sense.

"Princess."

Masatsugu gazed at Shiori's beautiful face and said lightly, "I am merely someone who serves you—a person in the imperial princess' service. Fujinomiya Shiori's wellbeing and safety are my top priorities. Unless there is a particular necessity, I should remain by your side in preparation for the next battle"

"Remain by my side, you say?"

Masatsugu nodded, deliberately eschewing the use of words.

He stared at Shiori intently, causing the sulking princess to turn her head away shyly as though he had struck some kind of emotional chord.

"I-I am simply asking whether you were alright with not going along with Hatsune."

"Really?"

"Yes, Masatsugu-sama, I understand your loyalties without needing you to make such a solemn statement out of it."

There was still a sulking element in Shiori's voice, but the sarcastic tone had gone.

Through a few words and subtle nuance, Masatsugu had cleared up a little of the displeasure in his lady liege's heart. Perhaps it was time to change the subject, he thought.

"May I ask what kind of person is Rindou-sensei... the one whom you brought up earlier, Princess?"

"Ah yes, I still have not told you, Masatsugu-sama," Shiori replied smoothly. "Having served the imperial family for many years, Rindou-sensei is a distinguished veteran with prominent accomplishments... Rather, she would be best described as one of the elder statesmen who helped the current imperial family come to power. She retired over ten years ago and is currently living an idyllic life near Suruga City."

I see.

A so-called elder statesman was someone who had rendered a great service to the nation. Masatsugu now had a preliminary understanding at last.

"So even after retirement, she still retains a certain level of influence, huh..."

"Yes, she not only watches over the descendants of House Fujinomiya but is also the mentor who instructed me in noetic control."

Noetic masters learned techniques in noetic control at specialized educational institutions.

However, it was highly improbable that Shiori would attend those kinds of facilities as an imperial princess. She had her own private instructor.

This Rindou-sensei was presumably an authority on noetic control at the imperial palace.

The Tachibana clan and Rindou-sensei all lived in and around Suruga. No wonder Princess Shiori had chosen to retire to this place.

"Based on what you've said, Princess... This Rindou-sensei must be quite old?"

The current imperial family had defeated the "southern court" of the Great Empire of Japan towards the end of the Second World War to become the rulers of Japan. This would be more than half a century ago. Logically speaking, an "elder statesman" from that time would be quite old now—

"Yes, Sensei is definitely at least as old as Shouzan-sama."

"It might be rude for me to say this, but I'm surprised she's lived so long."

"Fufufufu. Sensei harbors numerous secrets. You will know when you meet her in the future. However—"

Shiori smiled suggestively then sighed.

"Sensei can be rather eccentric and I have no idea when I will have a chance to meet her again. Saying she has labored enough and weary of worldly matters, she has stayed home for a number of years and refused to go out. I was lying just now when I claimed to have received Sensei's approval."

"An elderly hermit, in other words."

"Yes... I suppose you could say that."

The princess was inexplicably vague. She took Masatsugu somewhere.

This was an elegant wooden building in a bamboo forest, reminiscent of a well-maintained Japanese inn.

Its name was Ryouzan Manor and was where Masatsugu and Shiori had their first "heart to heart" conversation.

Masatsugu noticed a case of twenty beers in front of the entrance along with domestic whiskey and several bottles of wine...

These were probably delivered from a liquor store or a supermarket?

"I have prepared many successive 'offerings' to invite Sensei, but unfortunately, she remains unmoved."

"Is this part of the offerings too?"

Masatsugu waved a bottle he was holding in his hand.

It contained junmai daiginjou, a type of premium sake brewed from pure rice. The label on the bottle featured a vibrant logo with the words "Special Selection, Lord Nanryuu."

At the princess' request, Hatsune had ordered this famous brand of sake from a nearby liquor store.

The bottle had arrived yesterday after Suruga's blockade was lifted. The liquor store owner who made the delivery to the dorm even promised "This is absolutely the stuff of dreams!"

Masatsugu's job today was transporting this bottle of sake.

Hence, he had been chatting with hs lady liege while walking to Ryouzan Manor.

"And here I was thinking 'the princess is an alcoholic too' huh."

"I-I am still a minor! I have never imbibed any alcoholic beverage except for amazake. I specially ordered this brand because it is Sensei's favorite!"

"I see."

"The problem is that Sensei's 'favorite brands' number over a hundred. I am still far from completing the collection," said Shiori in distress.

This Rindou-sensei was evidently quite the drinker.

"It is time for Sensei to return to society and aid me. I really need the help now that a new Resurrectee has joined the Roman faction at Tokyo."

A few days ago, Staff Officer Yang had informed them of a certain name.

He was the newly appointed general of the Roman garrison in Kantō. His name was enough to surprise the well-learned princess, who never expected a man of such greatness to return to the human realm—

Part 2

"You don't know my name?"

"No, I was only asked to 'take the Roman army officer on a tour of the imperial palace' by Her Highness of House Fujinomiya..." Tachibana Genzou replied honestly when the guest asked curiously.

Genzou was Tachibana Hatsune's father and the steward of House Fujinomiya's Tokyo residence.

He was speaking to a handsome young man who had a gentle demeanor. The young man was East Asian with long hair. His slender eyes were awfully cool and refreshing. In other words, his was not the "thick and rugged" kind of face.

His well-proportioned facial features were not only calm but also beautiful.

Compared to this sort of "beauty," the massively built Tachibana Genzou was like a professional wrestler. With a bad guy's face covered by an overgrown beard, he seemed more like a bandit leader than a princess' retainer.

"Anyway, I will fulfill my mission of serving as your guide," promised Genzou, drawing upon his talent for taking things in stride.

Due to noetic disruption, he had not been able to reach the princess at Suruga for over a month.

Reportedly, his single daughter had inherited Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune during this period and Tachibana Masatsugu's power as a Resurrectee had also started to awaken. Last night, he finally received Princess Shiori's instructions for the first time in a while.

"Is this your first time at the imperial palace, sir?"

"Yes. To be honest, I am still uncomforable with these kinds of places."

The two of them were currently at the Tokyo imperial palace.

This was the official residence Japan's head of state and the palace of Empress Teruhime, granddaughter of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. Genzou and his guest were walking along a passage.

"It's true that you don't look like a military man."

"People always say that, but I don't know why."

"Maybe it's to do with your clothing? No soldier would dress like this."

"Ah."

Genzou's observation made the handsome young man smile.

Instead of the Eastern Roman Empire's military uniform, the young man was wearing a robe—In other words, ancient Chinese attire. The hem reached down to his ankles with a pair of pants underneath.

It was as though he were a character who had been plucked out of a Chinese historical film.

"Even if you say you're not comfortable with this kind of place, sir, you seem perfectly capable of handling the head lady-in-waiting."

"Not really, all I did was greet her."

"You may not know this, sir, but those hags tend to nag too much. They could easily take offense from a careless greeting, creating trouble down the line."

Earlier, Genzou had visited the Imperial Household Agency.

His purpose was to meet this handsome young man. Despite not looking like a soldier, he was the newly appointed commander of the "Kantō Garrison of the Eastern Roman Imperial Army."

Ignorant of politics and military matters, nevertheless, these ladies-in-waiting always behaved and spoke as though they were superior to others.

However, the ladies-in-waiting had not been difficult for a change, greeting this young soldier rather cordially. The reason was most likely because this courteous and handsome man's face, comportment, and figure were all "perfect and first-rate."

"The inability of ladies to understand men's work hasn't changed in the modern age, huh."

"The way you say that, sir, don't tell me you're also one of those... Resurrected from the past?"

Genzou's question was intended as a probing test.

Unexpectedly, the young man introduced himself straight away, making him jump in surprise.

"Indeed, my name is Wei Qing. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"......"

"Eh, what's the matter with you?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought it might be improper to ask for your name, but you ended up introducing yourself so readily. That's quite surprising," Genzou shared his thoughts honestly, switching from his coarse usage of polite forms to a more casual tone.

Meanwhile, the handsome young man, who bore the Chinese Appellation of Wei Qing, smiled.

"It's fine. My reputation is nothing special, after all. I suppose you have no idea what kind of man Wei Qing was, right?"

"Uh, let me see, how do I put this?"

"See, that's the extent of my reputation. I'm sure the soldiers under my command will feel very troubled."

Unfazed by Tachibana Genzou's awkward response, the ancient warrior smiled.

Wei Qing. Genzou had some recollection of this name, probably from a history textbook.

However, Genzou was a Japanese man whose knowledge of history was rather rusty.

Asking someone like him to recall Wei Qing's life in detail—would be absolutely impossible.

"But modern warfare is fought by Legions instead of human soldiers. I'm quite relieved that I don't need to worry about matters on that front," The handsome Resurrectee named Wei Qing whispered casually.

Several hours later, Tachibana Genzou was reading a history book after finishing his work.

He wanted to know who exactly was "General Wei Qing."

According to historical records, Wei Qing was a soldier during the Western Han Dynasty, around 110 BCE. The ruler he served as general was Emperor Wu, who had punished the historian Sima Qian with castration. His campaigns against equestrian nomads won him great acclaim.

However, his origins were quite humble.

Wei Qing herded sheep in his childhood and was treated no better than a slave.

In time, he would rise to the rank of generalissimo and attain the highest honors of the state—

Part 3

In the land of Hakone, four tutelary forts had been built at the four cardinal directions.

The first tutelary fort was Seiryuu Gate in the east. This fort was several kilometers from Hakone Yumoto, a hot spring town located at the entrance of Hakone when traveling from Tokyo.

The second tutelary fort in the south and the third tutelary fort in the west were both located near Lake Ashi.

Lake Ashi was the largest body of water in the vast area of southern Hakone. The second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, was on its south shore while the third tutelary fort, Byakko Gate, was on the west shore.

The fourth tutelary in the north, Genbu Gate, was situated at Sengokuhara in northern Hakone.

In other words, the land of Hakone had four strongholds, guarding the directions of north, east, south, and west respectively.

The British aristocrat who had captured Hakone, Edward, muttered to himself, "Using the Legions and ifrits at the four tutelary forts to erect a 'wall' to protect Kantō and Tokyo from attacks originating in western Japan... That seems to be the aim."

"Yes. This is Hakone Checkpoint's concept, indeed."

The genie Morrigan in his company nodded. She was possessing her usual doll, 150cm tall and dressed in a sailor outfit with a beret.

"The idea itself is sound, but ultimately, I mobilized an army surpassing the total forces of the four tutelary forts and attacked, easily capturing Hakone."

Edward and the genie Morrigan were at the central command center.

This was where the "supreme commander of the Hakone tutelary forts" used to be stationed to issue orders to the tutelary forts in the four cardinal directions. It was also located right in the center point between the four tutelary forts of Hakone.

In terms of geographic names, this was a plain near Komagatake.

"In my opinion, this isn't truly 'impregnable.' Ultimately, the fortress itself lacks the defensive strength to resist an invasion of a thousand Legions... That is the long and short of it."

"I, agree. I expect some of the Japanese, to feel the same."

"All things considered, it boils down to this mechanism of the Four Gods Union."

The central command center did not have fortification walls.

It was simply composed of four towers of stone, built on a wide open plain.

The architectural design was essentially uniform. Like the nation-protecting keeps of tutelary forts, these forty-meter all towers used red bricks as the construction material. The four towers were arranged in a rhombus.

Riding a British white wyvern together, Edward and Morrigan were flying over the four towers.

In charge of controlling the wyvern, Edward said, "Hakone's four tutelary forts can combine each fort's guardian ifrit, respectively Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu, into one monster with four times the noetic energy..."

"Furthermore, the merged entity can defend all four tutelary forts, north, east, south, west, simultaneously."

"Yes, an amazing system."

After offering praise together, the British aristocrat and Morrigan shook their heads.

"But this assumes the successful activation of the system. Had they activated it during my attack, Hakone would not have fallen so easily."

"It seems that Japan... lacks the competency required to tame this, monster," Morrigan remarked coldly.

"What they lack is a genie capable of controlling the Four Gods, the entity resulting from the union of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. The genie in this role also requires powerful noesis from a supreme Chevalier as support..."

"Morrigan, since you have said this much," Edward smiled and said, "then our partnership should not face any problems, right?"

"Indeed. It is not impossible. Especially since you have minimized your sorties for the pats half a month, Prince, conserving substantial noesis..."

"Yes, all of it for the purpose of acquiring the Four Gods."

The night of Fuji City's capture...

Edward did not head out to the front line and ended up forfeiting the chance for a showdown against Tachibana Masatsugu.

This was because they were planning to hold the ritual for subjugating the Four Gods soon. And now, the two of them were flying in the sky over the four towers.

Riding the wyvern, Edward said slowly, "Proceed, Morrigan. Use my noesis to subjugate the Four Gods."

"Affirmative."

After the genie nodded, gigantic eyeballs manifested in the sky.

...It was what Tachibana Masatsugu and company had witnessed at the Fuji tutelary fort, a giant eyeball with a diameter of sixty meters or so. In this case, there was not one but a total of three. Three eyes.

The three giant eyeballs were arranged in a triangle in the air.

This was precisely Morrigan's true form, the image of the ifrit Morgan le Fay. Behind the three giant eyeballs, an equally large magic circle appeared.

"Prince, please."

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it—Calling upon my name and soul, I beseech the local deities and spirits of Hakone. Abandon your home country of Japan and surrender to my army. I am Edward the Black Prince, the foremost knight of the British Empire and the undefeated general!"

Edward released an inordinate amount of noetic energy from his body and soul.

Normally, this energy would transform into a thousand and two hundred Knights of the Garter, but today, not a single black knight appeared.

All of the noesis was absorbed by the three eyes hovering in the sky!

Immediately, the noesis exuding from the British ifrit was amplified three-fold.

"O deities of Japan, recognize me, Morrigan, as your master. Obey this instant."

A change came over the four towers built by the Japanese on this Hakone plain.

Four giant beasts manifested in the sky over the roofs of the four towers.

Each beast was seventy meters or so in body length. Featuring translucent bodies, they were images without corporeal form.

The four beasts were respectively a blue dragon, a vermilion phoenix, a white tiger, and a black turtle (with a snake for a tail).

These were the holy beasts, Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu, known collectively as the Four Gods in China and Japan.

Morgan le Fay's three eyes continued to hover in the air.

Overlooking the towers and the Four Gods, the three eyes sucked away the gigantic beasts of Japan!

Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu moved away from the roofs of the towers and gradually rose up in the sky.

The three eyes watched carefully. The Four Gods of Japan released noetic energy and tried to resist Morgan le Fay's suction.

However, the three eyes had taken in Edward's noesis. The Four Gods were no match at all.

...First of all, the desperately resisting image of Seiryuu lost. Gradually approaching the three eyes, it was finally absorbed into them.

One after another, the same happened to the rest of them.

Second to go was Genbu, then Byakko, and finally Suzaku.

"The central command center is a mystical device granted by the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu to merge the Four Gods of the four cardinal directions... It can be thought of as Hakone's fifth tutelary fort, isn't that right?"

"Yes, Prince."

"And until now, it never had a chance to fulfill its function."

"Yes, we of the British, shall change this fact of history."

Treacherous and unforgiving, featuring an abundance of towering peaks and abyssal valleys...

This was how people described the mountains of Hakone back in the age before motorized transportation. This place had been a natural choke point since time immemorial and now it was made even more impregnable.

"With this... We are now fully prepared to meet the Tōkaidō army in battle."

"Quite rare to see you so motivated, Morrigan."

"They have stolen that which I had left behind at Fuji City. This is revenge."

Calm and cool, the genie was full of fight as the day of reckoning approached. Satisfied, Edward nodded in approval of Morrigan.

"Edward, my younger brother's descendant. It is my turn to take on the duty of defending Hakone."

The man who proposed this solemnly was Richard I, the one whom Edward called "Uncle."

The British forces had requisitioned a luxury hotel (a cozy and stylish building) in Hakone as Edward's living quarters. The top leaders had gathered at this hotel for a war council.

It was around 7pm on November 13th.

During the daytime, Edward and Morrigan had subjugated the Four Gods at the central command center.

"As the commander-in-chief, you should return to Kinai where it will be easier to handle matters in the newly conquered Nagoya and respond to the Roman fleet advancing on Kyoto from the Sea of Japan."

"Isn't that the job I assigned you a few days ago, Uncle?"

Edward immediately rejected the Lionheart's opinion.

Originally, this forefather of the Plantagenet family was not invited to this meeting. The Lionheart had barged in two hours earlier on his own accord.

Attendees included the spirit Morrigan and trusted subordinates such as the elderly Lieutenant Colonel Grayson.

"Nagoya is yours, Uncle, while I handle the Kantō side of things. That was the plan. There is no need to alter our approach at this point. We agreed on this from the start."

"Quit mouthing nonsense in my presence. What you want is to keep the upcoming battle for your own personal enjoyment, am I right!?"

Richard's voice was deep and rich, but the words were no different from those of a child throwing a tantrum.

Edward smiled calmly and said, "Indeed you are right, Uncle, but you have no grounds to complain. Who asked you to defy orders and come back in defeat?"

"Grr!" Richard was silenced by Edward's veiled assertion that this was his deserved punishment.

"Furthermore, Uncle, the death of your thousand-odd Escalibors would require two or three weeks for your army to recover. Please remain obediently at Kyoto."

"Grrrrrrr."

Normally, revival of Legions killed outside of their stronghold would take one to two weeks.

However, that only applied to the Legions under ordinary Chevaliers whose Chevalier Strength ranged from thirty or forty up to two hundred or so.

Resurrectees with a Chevalier Strength over a thousand had to spend even more time to revive their Legions.

"Besides, Uncle, you made an excellent point. We need to increase vigilance over the sea. According to reports... Lord Caesar and his knightly fleet are showing signs of mobilizing."

"...Oh?"

"It is unknown whether they intend to cross the Sea of Japan to head straight for Kyoto, or come in from the Pacific side. Either way, we must not be careless."

"Hmph, it is not like I hate staying at Nagoya."

Imposing yet childish at times, the Lionheart finally cheered up.

However, he still could not hide his disappointment.

"I heard that the Roman garrison in Tokyo has made new movements. Tōkaidō's samurai have constructed a new system centered in Suruga and that man will definitely invade Hakone."

"Who are you referring to, Uncle?"

"Quit playing dumb. Of course I mean Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Prince, Your Highness, may I speak on this subject?"

"Yes, go ahead, Grayson."

"Tachibana Masatsugu... There is apparently a rumor circulating among the officers and soldiers of Tōkaidō. Everyone is calling him the 'Last Samurai' and 'defender of the imperial family,' Hijikata Toshizō."

Lieutenant Colonel Grayson gave off an air more akin to a rigid old gentleman than a soldier.

Edward nodded to acknowledge what he had said.

In fact, Edward had received similar reports. Hijikata Toshizō had served as the second-in-command of the Shinsengumi special police force whose activities were mainly in Kyoto (reportedly quite an unbelievable organization which had more members die in internal purges than were killed fighting external enemies).

A master swordsman who had wielded the same samurai blade as what Tachibana Masatsugu was now using—

However, Edward had his own interpretation.

"Is Tachibana-dono truly Hijikata Toshizō...?"

"Do you have doubts, Your Highness?"

"He definitely carries the 'samurai sword' as a conspicuous signboard, but putting that aside... Would this sort of island nation be able to nurture a man like him?"

"Oh?" Richard was skeptical while Grayson seemed slightly surprised.

"What we need to consider," Edward continued, "are Tachibana Masatsugu's characteristics as a strategist and tactician."

"Firstly, feints and ambushes are his specialty."

The genie Morrigan instantly offered her answer.

She must have been pondering the issue ever since hearing her superior wonder "perhaps Tachibana-dono isn't actually a samurai."

Edward smiled and said, "Precisely, Morrigan. However, that is not the complete picture."

"He employs his army in swift and bold maneuvers. He ignores soldier exhaustion almost to the point of neglect, yet troop movements are always orderly."

"Impressive, your opinion is not far from mine. Surely an island nation of this sort, all covered with mountains, cannot hone tactics of this sort, right? I believe that vast open plains on the continent are more likely..."

"In other words, Edward," Uncle Richard frowned and said, "It is your belief that Tachibana Masatsugu is not Japanese?"

"We should review this possibility."

"Hard to say. I have also heard legends of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Isn't he a talented cavalry commander and the pride of Japan? More importantly..."

The Lionheart snorted and declared loudly.

"Since I am the knight of knights, it would be best if my opponent is a samurai of the Far East. Hence, I place my faith in Tachibana Masatsugu being a pure Japanese samurai."

"Hahahaha, Uncle, it is perfectly fine for you to think that."

Richard I was a "war genius."

Without any need for logic or calculations, he was able to win victories simply through instinct and passion alone.

For someone with his rare talents, the true identity of the enemy was virtually irrelevant to victory. Edward smiled cheerfully and reminisced about a past enemy.

"Du Guesclin..."

"Prince, you just mentioned the Constable of France, yes? A contemporary of yours."

Morrigan had picked up on Edward's muttering.

"Yes, speaking of him—I wouldn't really consider him a worthy rival. However, he was quite skilled in war with excellent use of feints and ambushes, perhaps even better than Tachibana-dono."

Du Guesclin was a knight born in Brittany.

Back then, under the leadership of Black Prince Edward and his father, England had gained an overwhelming upper hand in their war against France. Against such odds, du Guesclin had emerged to support young king of France, Charles V.

That being said, he never confronted the Black Prince in a glamorous pitched battle.

Avoiding direct confrontations against the English army as much as possible, he inflicted steady losses on the English repeatedly through ingenious ambushes and swift retreats.

Du Guesclin was undoubtedly the most difficult French general to deal with in that era.

However, he had not exhibited the audacity and lightning offensives frequently used by Tachibana Masatsugu.

"The great conflict between us and France from back then is now known as the Hundred Years' War, isn't it? To be perfectly honest, I personally believe that du Guesclin was the true hero of that war instead of the rumored girl named Jeanne d'Arc. The difference in their talent and contributions is as great as night and day."

"According to my search..." The maiden doll in the sailor outfit said indifferently, "The reason why du Guesclin is overlooked is most likely due to his unimpressive appearance."

"Ah... Well, I suppose it would not be wrong to call him an ugly man."

Edward was a bit taken aback by the conversation's turn to the subject of appearance.

"He was rather obese and was derogatorily known as the 'pig'."

"Well... That is how the world works. Compared to someone like him, the crowd prefers a 'tragic maiden.' After all, fiction can arbitrarily depict her as a beauty."

"Your opinion is rather harsh, but accurate," the genie's upfront remark brought a wry smile to Edward's face.

After that, Edward turned his gaze to the only human maiden at the meeting.

"By the way, I heard that Suruga has a princess descended from a sacred beast's bloodline. Similar to how you are the beloved daughter of the Three Lions, she is the granddaughter of Lord Tenryuu..."

"This I know, good brother."

Aware that she was not a soldier, the beautiful maiden had refrained from speaking until now.

She was Princess Eleanor. Like Imperial Japan, the British Empire maintained a policy of secrecy regarding their royal family. Hence, she too was not a princess known to the general public.

She was blessed with beautiful blonde hair and a gorgeous face.

"Fujinomiya Shiori—a princess of Imperial Japan, isn't that right?"

"Yes, you are very informed."

Eleanor possessed a number of abilities akin to a "witch's" and had used them to great effect at Kyoto and Suruga City. Edward had great faith in her intelligence too.

As a result, Edward had also assigned a job to her.

"So, could you kindly report on the matter?"

"Yes... During the Second World War, the islands of Japan were for the most part controlled by the 'southern court' of the Great Empire of Japan. The sacred beast worshiped by the southern court at the time was Ōkuninushi. The current imperial family's precursor, the 'northern court,' only held Hokkaido back then."

After recounting history in her lovely voice, Eleanor turned to the heart of the matter.

"The mission of locating the body of the sealed Ōkuninushi and the resurrected Japanese warriors from that time... I have mobilized the Kinai Fiefdom's resources to conduct this search."

"Understood. Ladies and gentlemen, the other sacred beast of Japan is Lord Tenryuu," Edward addressed the group, "of which it is imperative for us to seize control. I believe you are all aware that our Three Lions do not have long to live. We must do our utmost in the land of the Far East, or else the British Empire shall no longer have a sacred beast within her borders."

Part 4

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