CH 12

There were five large holes and around thirty pots of steamed potatoes were lined up in the shelves inside of them.

There was an abundant harvest for sweet potatoes this year. It clearly declared that they wouldn’t have any trouble regarding food until summer next year even if they used only sweet potatoes. Furthermore, it wasn’t only able to fill one’s stomach but also had a sweet taste. So it was understandable that the villagers got excited. In the first place, any food which tasted sweet was treated as high class food in the Sengoku period.

“Roast~ Roasted potatoes~”

While watching a bowl of roasted potatoes, Shizuko let out a happy sounding mumble. The sweet smell wafted faintly as if provoking her stomach. It was the same with the villagers, they swallowed their saliva when looking at the mountain of roasted sweet potatoes.

“It seems that everyone is already gathered here. Everyone, let’s pick the potatoes-”

With Shizuko’s voice as cue, the villagers as far she could see swarmed the mountain of roasted sweet potatoes. The mountain of sweet potatoes completely disappeared within a minute.

“Village chief, please give us a word or two”

Contrary to her expectations that the villagers would start eating as is, they turned to Shizuko. Although she was thinking that she wanted Ondō[1], her back jolted from being stared at by thirty people at once.

“Eh~, well, I won’t say long and difficult things”

Shizuko who cleared her throat after saying that was surprisingly in high spirits.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work. It’s thanks to everyone that we have an abundant harvest of sweet potatoes. Let’s drink and eat to the fullest today! And hope for abundant harvest next year!?”

“Yeaaaaa-!”

When Shizuko raised the potato in her hand high in the sky, the villagers raised their potatoes too as if to respond to it. It was surreal in a way but their motivation was more important more than anything. Let’s say that it wasn’t too good to mind every little detail.

Shizuko’s voice was a cue to start the festival.

“Well then, my golden potato-san. What kind of taste do you have~”

“Yes… that is not a problem. But why are you ordering us to make a production base?”

Although Shizuko did think to increase the production from the very beginning, it wasn’t an order from Nobunaga but simply from her own plan. Therefore it seemed strange to Shizuko that there was suddenly an order from Nobunaga to change this place to a production base.

“…. You, what do you think about this country?”

That was a sudden question to Shizuko. Although Shizuko was ready to answer, Nobunaga wasn’t expecting any answer but he was simply want to say that. That was why, Nobunaga kept talking without caring that Shizuko was ready to answer his question.

“Even now, skirmishes between fellow daimyo keep continue. The country and it’s people are already exhausted. So we have to unify the country soon. Otherwise we will be left behind by Nanban and Ming”

Nobunaga said that after wearing a thinking expression for a brief period.

“Therefore I feel that your talk about [National Prosperity and Defence] is necessary to begin with. It is absolutely impossible without a strong foundation such as unifying this country”

After saying that far, Nobunaga inhaled grandly and then slowly exhaled it out.

“By fully making use of my knowledge, please look at which country is able to and not able to imitate the same yield as us”

“Such great self-confidence. Then work hard so that you won’t only amount to only a great talker”

“I can’t say that my success this far is mine alone. However, for me, I have people who followed me for nearly six months. And if I join effort with them, I will surely succeed”

Shizuko who said so turned her eyes to the villagers.

She was fully understood that the harvests until now weren’t successes because of her efforts alone. It was precisely because of she got the villager’s cooperation that she succeed in harvesting sweet potatoes and corns.

They were inexperienced people who looked less than 20 years old but they silently followed her. At first they reluctantly went along her because of threats but they were tied with a strong bond now. That was why Shizuko was convinced that she wouldn’t fail next time.

“Haha! I’m looking forward to it, then!”

After saying so, Nobunaga turned his horse neck as if saying that it was the end of their talk. Shizuko who saw that deeply lowered her head and the villagers who saw Shizuko hurriedly lowered their head. Shizuko still lowered her head when she could heard horse’s hoof and she slowly raised her head soon after she couldn’t hear it. Naturally there was no Nobunaga’s figure there.

“*Sigh* I will face all sort of troubles huh”

She didn’t seem like the person just now who brimming with self-confidence when talking to Nobunaga, her voice just now was tinged with a bit of easygoing.

[1] Part of the Japanese Obon celebration involves participating in the local community dance. The tradition of the Bon dance, or Bon odori (盆踊り), dates back a few hundred years, and it is usually accompanied by the local tune. In recent times, new music has been used for Bon dance accompaniment, including late enka hits and music written specifically for bon dancing. The “ondo” rhythm has always been common in Japanese folk music, but even the newer music written for Bon dances has been written in this style.