Chapter 298 Toward the Land of the rising sun-Second Half
"You're right, but this still annoys me!" Shogun Nobunari Hojo agreed, attempting to calm himself down.
"Hojo-Sama, your duty now is to fortify our territories, lest Magitek comes here. In fact, if what I've heard about him from my acquaintance is true, he will surely come here. We shouldn't underestimate him," his advisor added.
The Shogun's face showed a sign of annoyance, but he suppressed it and asked, "Master Todo, what have you heard?"
"Hojo-Sama, Magitek is a very powerful mage and has an army at his beck and call. Alone, he might not be a threat to us, but with his armies and a variety of his advanced technology, he is a fearsome enemy," Todo, the advisor, started explaining but was cut off with an amused laugh from the Shogun.
"That's not anything new; I already know about that information. I don't think your acquaintance would know anything that the Hightower councilor wouldn't know," the Shogun stated.
"Also..." Todo wanted to continue, but he was once again cut off.
"Enough! Do you think I'm an idiot who doesn't know anything!? I AM A SHOGUN! A Shogun of this land!! Are you or am I Shogun!?" the Shogun asked his advisor with a threatening glare.
Nobunari Hojo, as a clan that wanted to usurp the seat of the Shogun, is sure to have a lot of patience in waiting for an opportunity. However, the same couldn't be said for his patience toward his subordinates, especially those who think they know better than him.
Especially Todo; the only thing that he endured Todo until now is because Todo is known for his intelligence and meticulousness, to the point of paranoia. Many times, his plans prove to be overly cautious and waste a lot of resources.
This made a lot of Todo's political enemies use this as an excuse to lower Todo's prestige and influence over the Shogun, making his advice sound like nagging instead of cautious advice to the Shogun.
Since Nobunari Hojo had already obtained the seat of the Shogun and had somewhat stabilized his rule, he needed to do the same thing that many rulers throughout history do: reduce his retainers' influence or, to be precise, eliminate potential threats to his rule.
And Todo's clan had a lot of influence that could rival his rule, so Nobunari Hojo wouldn't leave him alone.
"Without a doubt, you are the Shogun! Hojo-Sama. I apologize for my offense," Todo bowed toward the Shogun and stopped advising him.
Initially, he wanted to tell the Shogun that Daniel and his army had won a war against Mammon, and Daniel had thoroughly beaten Mammon in a fight. However, he knew it was futile and didn't want to incur the new Shogun's ire.Trace the roots of this material to n0v★lbin
"Heh..." Shogun snorted, then continued. "Master Todo, you give Magitek too much credit." The Shogun stood up and walked toward the balcony, looking into the horizon beyond the vast, bustling city of culture and heritage.
Seated within his personal room, Daniel peered out of the window. It marked his first visit, yet there was a sense that his presence might stir up trouble. Uninformed about the current situation in this unfamiliar land, lacking spies or informants, he felt a certain unease.
Abruptly, the entire VTOL shuddered as a thunderstorm erupted, and fierce winds assaulted the aircraft, seemingly determined to bring it down.
Amidst the ferocious storm, the once steady VTOL now succumbed to the relentless fury of the tempest. The deafening roar of thunder and the howling winds drowned out all other sounds as the aircraft descended, battling the violent currents below.
Inside the cabin, chaos reigned. The violent turbulence tossed the occupants around, and the emergency lights flickered, casting an eerie glow. Despite the turmoil, Daniel, Heracles, and Momotaro found themselves separated in the chaos.
Daniel clung to whatever he could, bracing himself against the violent lurches of the plummeting VTOL. The sounds of metal groaning and the roar of the storm outside filled his ears as he desperately tried to maintain his grip and composure.
"Heracles! Momotaro! No matter what, protect the crew!" Daniel shouted loudly as he gripped the railing in the hallway, trying to steady himself against the turbulent descent.
"Yes, my lord!" Heracles shouted, but he was thrown to another section of the cabin, struggling against the turbulence. His immense strength helped him secure a foothold, but the disorienting movements of the craft made it challenging to stay upright.
Momotaro, separated from both Daniel and Heracles, fought against the buffeting winds, his grip on a handrail the only thing keeping him from being swept away. The relentless assault of rain and sea spray made it nearly impossible to see anything beyond a few feet.
As the VTOL descended perilously close to the churning sea below, it became evident that a crash was inevitable.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the thunderstorm struck at the VTOL engine, blasting it to bits. The explosion tore through the plate and the railing that Daniel was holding onto, propelling him outside of the VTOL and into the sea below.
"My lord!" Heracles was about to jump down and follow, but Momotaro stopped him.
"What!?" Heracles was ready to protest, but Momotaro's bloodshot eyes and blood on his mouth, gritting his teeth, made Heracles hesitate.
"Remember your duty, Heracles-san. Protect the crew!" Momotaro said, showing determination. Though he also wanted to follow and help his lord, the order was clear: 'No matter what, they must help the crew!'
Heracles nodded, gritted his teeth, using his powerful strength to try to hold onto the VTOL, preventing any crew from being swept away by the wind. Meanwhile, Momotaro guided the pilot to find a safer emergency landing zone, relying on his familiarity with the sea in his homeland.