Night has fallen.
The weather itself wasn’t particularly good during the day, but around the hour of the rooster (6 PM), it started to drizzle, and soon it turned into a heavy downpour.
February rain rapidly lowers the temperature, violently pounding against the earth and then splashing.簒奪Sandatsu
During the Sengoku period, asphalt didn’t exist, and roads were basically just dirt paths, so Bodaiyama Castle had been completely transformed into a space dominated by muddy water.
This doesn’t mean that Bodaisan Castle was backward; it’s a phenomenon that can be seen in castles and fortresses throughout Japan.
When the time came, Shuko came to me to let me know that dinner was ready.
Naoko’s energy, or perhaps her cheerfulness, seemed incredibly dazzling to me, whose mind was clouded by sexual desire at the time.
When she led me into the room, I saw the Takenaka brothers—or rather, the Takenaka siblings—looking more nervous than ever before.
The type of tension they experience is probably different for the sister and the brother.
My younger brother, Shigenori, must be feeling deep regret for having “damaged” my beloved horse, Taishakutsukige, and is probably struggling and tormented by the question of how to convey this to him.
And Hanbei must have received a report from Shigenori about Taishakutsukige, and more than anything else, he must be troubled by the fact that his true identity as a woman has been revealed.
I deliberately acted as if I didn’t know anything and took my seat.
“Lord Bizen-no-kami”
Hanbei called out to me in a tense, stiff voice.
Shigenori shrunk his enormous body, looking like a turtle that couldn’t fit its neck into its shell.
They’re probably feeling incredibly down.
“There is something I would like to discuss with you.
Would you be able to come to my room later?”
“Hmm…
I don’t mind.”
When I answered, feigning ignorance, Hanbei’s eyes sharpened.
Knowing how intelligent Hanbei is, he must have figured out a lot from my behavior.
“Lord Shigenori, what’s wrong?
You’re all hunched over like that.
Speaking of which, there seemed to be some trouble at the stables…
I wonder if it was resolved peacefully?”
“Y-yes…”
“That’s good then.
I’m indebted to you, Takenaka family.
If there’s anything you need, the Asai family will help.
Just ask for anything.”
“I am deeply honored…”
Shigenori prostrated himself, his face pale.
Later, dinner was served, but the Takenaka siblings barely touched their food.
Eventually, the time came, and I was invited by Hanbei to enter his room.
The side of the room is lined with bookshelves, filled not only with tactical books and treatises from all times and places, but also with records of battles fought by other daimyo families, collected by Hanbei.
Having seen all that, I faced Hanbei.
Hanbei seemed quite nervous, and was maintaining a posture that suggested he could react immediately if anything happened.
But I’m not so foolish as to immediately embrace her.
There is a right time for everything.
If you act without discerning that timing, all that awaits you is your own ruin.
The light from the indoor lantern flickers, and the sound of heavy rain can be heard from outside.
There’s a faint scent of earth in the air.
It was just me and Hanbei in the locked room.
In the dimly lit room, the hushed sounds of each other’s breathing are muffled, almost hidden by the sound of the rain.
“Shigeharu…”
When I spoke in a low voice, she shifted slightly.
“Won’t you tell me why your voice is…”
That’s where my suspicions lay.
The body of Hanbei that I saw in the bathhouse was indeed that of a mature woman.
His voice and body are so drastically mismatched that I can’t shake off a fundamental doubt about his character: “Who exactly is Hanbei…?”
It was a question on a completely different level, far removed from my own sexual desires.
Furthermore, Hanbei had no option but to avoid my question.
There’s no way to deny it anymore, and yet you can’t silence me either.
Even if you kill me, the situation will come to light tomorrow when Naofusa arrives at Bodaiyama Castle.
If that happened, an all-out war with the Asai family, burning with revenge, would be unavoidable, and it was clear that Oda Nobunaga, using “revenge for his brother-in-law…” as a pretext, would launch a brutal massacre.
If you kill me, the Takenaka family will be wiped out.
Hanbei is not one to fail to understand that.
Hanbei stood up and took something from a corner of the bookshelf.匣box
It is a square box, approximately 25 centimeters on each side.
Hanbei sat down in front of me and removed the lid of the box, which had been tightly closed.
Then the pale, spherical mass began to disperse, entering Hanbei’s nose and mouth, and a new mist crawled out of her mouth and nasal cavity, replacing hers.
It then solidified into a spherical shape again and settled back into the box.
Hanbei closed the lid and placed it beside him.靄Mist
“This is the reason…
Lord Bizen-no-kami.”
Hanbei said in a voice that had become completely feminine.
The contrast was so stark that I was speechless.
This isn’t about sexual desire or anything like that.
There were far too many things I didn’t understand.
“This kind of reasoning…
I don’t really understand, Shigeharu.”
I asked, forcing the question out.
“First of all, what is that box…?
Why does your voice sound like that—”
” This is the ‘Box.’ This box can store the voice of one person.”腔片Kohen
“What does that mean…”
“–here we go?”
Magic and such are generally like that, aren’t they?
“This world is full of inexplicable mysteries.
Ever since we began to accept the supernatural phenomena that we can manipulate with human hands as ‘magic,’ we have taken it for granted—we have never asked the question, ‘What does that mean?’…especially since we use it as something familiar.”曩祖No lie
I was so preoccupied with trying to sort out the situation that I felt like I finally understood something after hearing Hanbei’s words.
In the world I came from, science and technology are incredibly advanced.
However, we use it without really understanding “how it works.”
For example, I don’t know how a train is structured, which parts operate when it receives electricity, or what kind of chain reaction causes the train to move.
Not only that, but I didn’t know anything about household appliances—for example, why fluorescent lights work with electricity—and I was also ignorant about the structure of a gas stove.
No matter what world we live in, humans tend to accept things as they are, without giving them much thought.
I, too, had to accept the phenomenon before me—the ‘magic’ that swapped voices—just as it was.
In the first place, Taishakutsukimo is a “demon,” a monster beyond human control.
What is there to be surprised about now?
“…Then why are you…”
Was it necessary to disguise your voice?
In response to my question, Hanbei offered a faint smile that seemed about to vanish at any moment.
“People judge situations not only with their eyes, but also with their ears.
And auditory perception is extremely important.”
“You needed to be a man, you needed to pretend to be a man with your voice—is that it?”
“–yes”
Even without Hanbei telling me, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the importance of my voice ever since I was transported to this world.
Adding intonation to your voice affects people’s emotions, and it goes without saying that the quality of your voice greatly influences how others perceive you.
Even a foolish person can exude dignity if they speak in a deep, resonant voice, while even the wisest person will be ignored if they speak in a hoarse, mumbling voice.
In other words, no matter how feminine someone’s appearance may be, if their voice is masculine, people will unconsciously perceive the person in front of them as male.
“The Takenaka family was related to the Toki family, who were the governors of Mino Province.
However, when the Toki family was driven out and became subordinates of the Saito family, we Takenaka family members became potential enemies, and therefore they demanded that we provide hostages.”
“But that is—”
The position should have been held by the eldest son of the Takenaka family.
In Sengoku-era Japan, which was based on a family system, women held as hostages had little value, except in cases such as being the birth mother of the head of the family.
In other words, as long as Shigeharu was born female, her role as hostage should have been taken over by her younger brother, Shigenori.
“For me and Shigenori,重行Shigeyuki have an older brother.”
“–what?”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
And I was painfully aware that my own knowledge was not complete.
In the world I used to come from, when people talked about the Takenaka family of Mino Province, the first person that came to mind was Takenaka Hanbei.
I never saw any media outlets that featured anyone else.
However, as is obvious, this did not necessarily guarantee that he was the eldest son.
“My brother is still suffering from an illness so severe that he cannot even take a single step out of bed.
How could I possibly send him as a hostage in such a state?”
“But Shigenori—”
“That child, too, had previously suffered from a serious illness that left her unable to move from her bed.”
I was the only one in the Takenaka household who could function as a hostage—I was the only one who could move my body properly.
Saying that, Hanbei laughed.
After hearing that, I somehow understood why Shigenori had been training his body so hard.
“However, sending a woman to the Saito family as a hostage was inappropriate…”
“You were sent as a ‘man,’ to take the place of your older or younger brother.”
“yes”
“To make them recognize me as a ‘man,’ I even changed my voice using the ‘Box of Cavity Fragments’.”
“That is correct.”
“Is his name Shigeharu too?”
“I received it when I was being sent as a hostage.”
“Your nickname is Hanbei…
‘Han’ doesn’t mean…”
“It’s ironic, isn’t it?”
In other words, Hanbei, who would have otherwise ended his life as someone’s wife and fathered children, had his life drastically altered as a substitute for his brother.
Incidentally, the origin of the word “Hyōe” as a personal name is said to come from the internal official position of “Hyōe” that existed under the Ritsuryō system, which lasted from the late 7th century Asuka period to the 10th century .兵衛府Hyōefu
In other words, those who protect and fight are called Hyōe, and this came to represent men in general.
Incidentally, the name Hanbei is merely a nickname, so it’s safe to say that adding the word “Han” to it is clearly intentional and malicious.
But that means—
“But in the Saito family, you are a woman—”
“Yes.
It was seen through very easily.”
Hanbei readily admitted it as if it were nothing.
“But why did you stay that way—”
Are you still living as a man?
I was about to ask that question, but Hanbei preempted me by saying:
“It’s all thanks to Lord Ryukou.
Everything is thanks to Lord Ryukou…”
Hanbei said this, then bowed his head and clutched his chest.
“Lord Ryuko rescued me when I was being humiliated by the men.
He embraced me, dirty and defiled, and then—”
Hanbei continued, then smiled.
As if clinging to that memory.
As if it were the only thing she could rely on, she laughed.
“But you pursued Tatsuoki from Inabayama Castle, didn’t you?”
“…”
Hanbei immediately lowered his head.
By comparing it with the historical figure of Longxing, I arrived at a conclusion that was almost entirely certain.
“It was all Longxing’s orders.
Longxing, whom you thought was helping you, was actually giving orders to humiliate you.
Everything went according to plan, and you, a naive virgin who knew nothing, were merely dancing in the palm of the men’s hands—don’t you know that now?”
Saito Dosan, the founder of the Saito family, clashed with his son, Saito Yoshitatsu, at the Nagara River in April 1556 and was defeated.
And Hanbei’s father重元Shigemoto an officer on Saito Dosan’s side. This story is hosted at g.com.
In other words, the Takenaka family does not belong to the lineage of “victors” that stretches from Saito Yoshitatsu to Tatsuoki.
It was no surprise that Ryuko’s entourage was not pleased with the Takenaka family, who had sided with the “losers.”
And what’s more, she’s a woman.
The assault must have been extremely horrific.
“Despite all that, why did you choose Longxing—”
“It’s no good.”
Hanbei said, hugging his own body.
“The past cannot be erased, the past cannot be changed.
My history cannot be changed.
Even so, I must believe in Lord Ryukou—”
–It will break.
Yes, I murmured softly.
While not exactly the same, it feels somewhat similar to Stockholm Syndrome.
“If it weren’t for Lord Ryukou…
I might have died as a plaything.
When I think about that…
even if he was pulling the strings behind the scenes, the fact remains that he ‘saved’ me.
The fact that he held me together when I was on the verge of breaking remains unchanged…”
“But it’s distorted.”
I crept closer to Hanbei and declared:
Hanbei began to back away slowly, as if he were afraid of me.
“That下衆Guess There’s absolutely no need for your heart to be dragged down by a man like that.”
“It’s no good…!”
Hanbei shook his head wildly as he tried to get away from me.
“It’s ingrained in my body.
Men, especially Lord Ryukou, it’s so deeply ingrained that it can’t be wiped away…!
I’m already ruined…!
I can’t forget, I want to forget but I can’t…!
No matter what, the kindness Lord Ryukou showed me from time to time…
Even if it was an illusion, I have to believe it…!
Otherwise, I’ll be ruined…!”
“Whether it’s good or bad isn’t for you to decide.
Your worth isn’t determined by yourself.
As long as you’re human, it’s always determined by those around you…
Shigeharu!”
Hanbei’s back hit the wall, and he looked up at me with a pale face.
I immediately thrust both my arms out beside Hanbei’s neck, cutting off his escape route.
“What good does it do you to be trapped by such illusions?
If you’re going to depend on lowlifes, then depend on me!
Come with me, live for tomorrow with me!”
When I caught Hanbei in my arms, she trembled uncontrollably and became completely immobile.
She probably has some significant trauma related to being hugged by a man.
“Humans are not bound by the past; they are creatures that use the past as a stepping stone to leap into the future.
Don’t forget that.
…Do you understand?”努々Yumeyume
“…but”
“But I don’t want it.”
As I tightened my grip on her, a faint feminine scent wafted through the air.
Perhaps sensing the mood, my Big Sun did not rise to its feet.
(I certainly can’t sleep with a woman like that.)
Rather, while his sexual desire had been building up considerably, it had calmed down quite a bit due to the shock of “The Box of Fragments.”
Firstly, even if someone is aroused, how many people would be able to continue masturbating after witnessing the bizarre sight of a pale, hazy substance entering and leaving a person’s mouth?
Even so, my desires for women haven’t been completely satisfied.
“Shigeharu…”
“–Mmm!”
I lightly kissed her moist lips.
He desperately tried to justify his actions inwardly, telling himself that it was to free her heart from the darkness, and that it wasn’t a betrayal of Ichihime.
And Hanbei—with his eyes wide with surprise—still gripped my arm tightly.
The sound of the rain, which had been so intense, had somehow faded away.
◇
“Thanks for everything.”
Surrounded by Naofusa, who had come to meet me, and dozens of Asai family cavalrymen, I told Hanbei and Shigenori in front of the gates of Bodaiyama Castle, who had come to see me off.
In the end, she never said she would come to the Asai family.
It was unfortunate, but there was little to be gained by forcibly dragging Hanbei along.
The fact that a connection had formed between me and her was enough for me at the time.
By the way, I easily forgave Taishakutsukimo.
Of course.
“Well then, let’s go.”
Naofusa told me, and surrounded by cavalrymen, I mounted Taishakutsukimo and turned my back on Hanbei and the others.
Taishakutsukimo let out a clear cry and raised its upper body.
At that moment—
“Lord Bizen-no-kami!”
A handsome voice resonates.
When I turned around, Hanbei was shouting, clutching his own chest.
“See you again somewhere else—!”
“Ou”
I waved to Hanbei and said:
“When that time comes, let me hear your true voice again.”
With Taishakutsukige leading the way, the horses all begin to gallop at once.
As I ran through Sekigahara, drenched in morning dew, I felt a mixture of satisfaction and regret.