Hyakuren no Haou to Seiyaku no Valkyria - Volume 20 - Chapter Pr

PROLOGUE

The evening before the Second Battle of Glaðsheimr, Nobunaga and Ran were enjoying tea in Nobunaga’s tent.

“Here you are, My Lord.”

“Excellent. By the gods, there surely is nothing better than a good cup of tea after a spot of work.”

Nobunaga drank down the barley tea served by Ran in a single gulp and let out a sigh of enjoyment. While he had been forced to withdraw in the spring in response to Yuuto’s surprise tactics, he had now returned to Glaðsheimr. Having brought down Gjallarbrú Fortress and positioned his forces around the Holy Capital, his planned conquest of Yggdrasil was now within reach.

“If only we could get our hands on some real tea, it would be perfect,” Nobunaga remarked as he held the teacup in his hand, gazing off into the distance, recalling the flavor of the green tea he had once enjoyed when he’d resided in Japan.

The tea plants necessary to make green tea didn’t exist in Yggdrasil. Fortunately, barley existed to provide an alternative, but now that autumn was ending, the barley was past its prime, and the tea was a sad substitute in terms of flavor and aroma. Given that he had overcome numerous obstacles to get here, he longed for the sharp bitterness of green tea.

“Indeed. If we defeat the Steel Clan and invade the lands of the padres, no doubt we will acquire that as well.”

“One would hope,” Nobunaga replied to Ran’s comment with a dismissive snort. While Ran’s observation might have been true had they still found themselves in 16th century Japan, tea plants had yet to make their way to Europe in this era. That said, it wasn’t as though Nobunaga himself knew that piece of historical trivia. What had prompted his reaction was whether or not his own body would last that long.

There was a constant discomfort in his chest, and lately, he had been prone to fits of bloody coughing. Although his beloved daughter Homura’s seiðr kept the disease’s progression at bay, even that would only buy him a few more years. He still had to rebuild after the recent disastrous earthquake. The time he had left wasn’t enough to plan and execute a massive campaign into lands beyond the sea. The most he would be able to do in that remaining time would be to properly hand off the reins of the Flame Clan to Homura, stamp out any potential challengers, and make certain her rule would be a peaceful one.

“My Great Lord, does something trouble your thoughts...?” Ran asked, his brow furrowed in concern. Nobunaga was continually impressed by Ran’s ability to read a room. Perhaps he was the one best suited for the role.

“Indeed it does. You recall that I asked you to care for Homura when I was gone, yes? I was thinking on that matter,” Nobunaga replied.

“Yes, My Lord. It’s a great responsibility, but rest assured that I will do everything in my power to make good on that trust.”

“I expect you shall. So, Ran, have you considered who you will take as a new spouse?”

“A new spouse, My Lord?” Ran blinked in surprise at Nobunaga’s question. It seemed the sudden shift in subject had caught him flat-footed.

“If I recall, your late wife died in the summer two years ago, yes? You’re out of mourning now,” Nobunaga responded flatly.

“I am. I believe there would be no issue. Whose daughter am I to marry, then?”

Ran spoke of his marriage prospects as though it were just another task set out for him by Nobunaga. To him, marriage was simply another part of governing. Nobunaga curled his lips into a teasing smile before he continued.

“Mine.”

“Pardon...? W-Wait, you don’t mean Lady Homura?!”

The comment had caught Ran completely by surprise. Given his usual ability to read the flow of a conversation, perhaps it should have been obvious, but it seemed the proposal had been completely beyond anything he had dared imagine. Nobunaga nodded with smug satisfaction.

“That is exactly who I mean.”

“B-But there is far too great a gulf in our ages!” Ran said with a faint note of panic present in his voice. It was true. Ran was now over thirty, while Homura had just turned ten. Ran was literally old enough to be Homura’s father.

“I know full well. Homura’s a tricky girl to deal with. I can’t think of any other man who could possibly handle her.”

“Y-You trust me that much...?” Ran replied, tearing up as he spoke. It seemed he was intensely moved by Nobunaga’s remark.

“Precisely that.”

“Precisely what, My Lord?”

“Well, Ran, there are many who follow me, but only a handful who have given me their absolute loyalty,” Nobunaga said objectively with a tone of self-deprecation.

A part of him knew that such a circumstance was unavoidable. In order to conquer all under the heavens, Nobunaga had prioritized ability over all else in his retainers. However, those with the suitable level of ability to measure up to his standards had their own personality quirks, and almost all of them had hidden ambitions of their own. It was fine so long as Nobunaga himself held tightly onto their reins, but it was likely that they would begin acting in their own self-interests once he was out of the picture. He couldn’t leave his beloved daughter to men like that.

“More than anything, Ran, I think of you as my own son.”

“Ah?!”

“Not just you, but all of Yoshinari’s sons.”

“Y-You speak much too greatly of us, My Lord...”

“For such a son to marry my daughter—there is nothing more gratifying for a father.” Nobunaga allowed his usual facade to drop and smiled. It was a rare, gentle smile that he seldom showed, even in private.

“My Great Lord... There’s no way I can decline given how much trust you’ve shown me. While I have many failings, I will become Lady Homura’s husband and do my best to support her!”

“Good, I’m relying on you.”

“Yes, with all of my body and soul!”

“Don’t overthink it. Homura hasn’t come of age as a woman just yet. That’s still many years in the future.” Nobunaga briefly laughed in amusement, then the smile faded from his face and he took on an expression befitting of a conqueror. With the sentimentalities over, Nobunaga returned to the more pressing matter. “Before that can happen though, we first need to finish off the Steel Clan, or rather, we must deal with Suoh Yuuto.”

Yuuto’s very existence was the greatest threat to the future of the Flame Clan. He was too much of a monster for the young Homura. In fact, even if she were fully grown, she would likely struggle to put up a fight against him.

“I hear he’s still in his teens. Meaning that he’s only going to get better from here on out,” Nobunaga remarked.

“You believe he will continue to grow?” Ran said with a skeptical grimace.

“There’s the possibility that he simply peaked early, but I feel that he’s still a bit too forgiving. He certainly has room to grow in that regard. If he continues to hone his skills, he might very well become too much for even me to handle. Though that would be entertaining in and of itself.” Nobunaga chuckled softly at the thought.

He had spent his entire life engaged in war. At some point, a demon that yearned for bloodshed and conflict had made its home in his heart. That demon kept egging him on—it wanted to fight stronger enemies and needed greater challenges. That thirst for a challenge was the reason he had agreed to a nonaggression pact with Suoh Yuuto during their meeting in Stórk. He wanted to give the cub a chance to grow into a lion. However, Nobunaga was practically out of time.

“My Great Lord...” Ran furrowed his brow, his expression conflicted.

He had been Nobunaga’s subordinate for well over ten years. He knew Nobunaga’s eccentricities, and his need to indulge in them.

“Hah! I kid, I kid. I’m not so patient that I’d toy with my prey while the prospect of the total conquest of these lands is in plain sight. I fully intend to finish things with this battle,” Nobunaga replied, baring his fangs in a predatory grin.

What Ran didn’t hear, however, was the follow-up to that statement; something Nobunaga thought to himself and knew better than to say out loud. “After all, if I let him go now, the chance to conquer these lands disappears with him...”