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They walked the streets with authority. The new men eyed the numerous corpses of the guards with shock. By now, the selected men had returned to the group, and they spread words of theirs and their leader's exploits. It did not take long for the story to circulate, and the men began to look at their leader in a new light.
They had seen what he was capable of when he sought to recruit them, but learning this made them clench their fists, and caused their hearts to beat faster with excitement. Not only was he a strong man, he was also terrifyingly competent. His method for capturing Okazaki had been perfect. There might have been numerous strategical ploys that he could have used, but he took the city from the enemy without losing a single man.
Perhaps his cause wasn't so lost, then. Perhaps even against Imagawa, they could cause damage, even if their force were not to grow since then.
They continuing chirping amongst themselves, as Gengyo lead by the front, talking with Jikouji.
"They're excited now. You just had to go and show off, didn't you?" The old man scolded. He was well aware of what the boy had been thinking. He was capable of thinking up something a little less risky, but he had settled on this merely for the excitement it would stir.
"It's fine, it's it?" He smiled at one of the cautious civilians as he made his reply. They were still hesitant about coming within striking range, but now that the guards were dead, they had no one to hide behind. "The commander made mention of a governor. I'm thinking that we pay him a visit. We might be able to use him."
"A governor, eh? It would have been nice if we had something of that sort in Toyokawa, but all the administrative forces fled as soon as they learned of the death of their commander… It seems luck certainly was not with us." The old man lamented. "But still, trusting them – that's a stretch, isn't it?"
"What does it matter if they betray us? They will not be able to summon any forces to cause us any problems. We merely conquer, and ask of them what we require, before moving on. If they choose to remain loyal, then they will be rewarded once we have our victory. But if not, well, there are always new people we can put in charge."
"Old Imagawa isn't going to like this. First Toyokawa and now Okazaki in less than twenty-four hours. I'm sure he's starting to feel something akin to irritation."
"I imagine he is, and I do enjoy the picture of seeing his many chins wobble. But we will continue to move forward as such."
"That rice you sowed is of little use now… We did not have the time to wait to properly use it."
"No, but it will be useful in the future. It's a shame that we did not go on the warpath earlier in the year, then we could have ensured that all of Mikawa had hoed extra farmland to make way for more rice."
"That building's sizeable enough to house a governor. Should we pay him a visit?" Jikouji asked, noting a three storied building in the distance. It was rather grand indeed.
"Aye, that we will."
Their mass of five hundred men continued to crowd the streets as they drew closer to the mansion, and the civilians watched on with pained disgust and anguish. But all the while, Gengyo wore a carefree and kind smile, as though he were just another peace-loving monk. The blood on his orange robes did not do its part in making that image believable, however.
A pair of guards stood at the entrance to the courtyard, unwilling to move.
"STEP BACK FROM THE HOUSE OF THE GOVERNOR!" They barked, thinking that the loudness of their voices would do something to deter a five hundred strong army.
"Eh… We're just visiting. Is the governor this rude to all of his visitors?" Gengyo asked, looking hurt.
They stared at each other, the fear obvious in their eyes, but they made no attempt to reply, and simply held their yari lowered and crossed, preventing anyone from moving forward.
"Now this is quite the problem indeed. We merely wish to speak to your governor. We do not intend to kill you, nor anyone inside, nor even your precious governor. So, do us the honour of standing down, will you?" Gengyo attempted to convince them.
"WE OPERATE ON ORDERS OF THE GOVERNOR. WE WOULD RATHER DIE THAN LEAVE THEM DISSATISFIED." They shouted pretentiously, though the polearms their wielded were quivering.
"I could just jump over and run in…" Gengyo reckoned, looking towards Jikouji for his approval.
"Enough! Stand down!" A voice came from inside the mansion, as a woman of elderly appearance slowly made her way down the steps. "You have come to take our city, then? And you look for the life of this old governor?" She spoke up them. Her voice was not indictive of her age. It was pleasant, and clear, and contained within it was the power that came as the result of decades of firm rule.
It took Gengyo a moment to collect himself before he made his reply. A woman? That was certainly unexpected. "How about you marry my friend, here? He's been quite lonely as of late." He opened with, pointing towards Jikouji.
"Miura! I am quite content as I am, thank you!" He replied back furiously, though for the first time, Gengyo imagined that he saw a hint of a blush tainting the old man's cheeks.
But the old governor certainly was not laughing. Her face was cold, and morbid. She truly expected to die.
"Might we come in for a chat, respected governor?" Gengyo asked, dismounting his horse, and walking forward. The two guardsmen still had their spears pointed outwards, but without a hint of fear, Gengyo closed the gap, and used his little finger to slowly and pointedly redirect them outwards, approaching the governor.
"I am afraid there is not enough room for an army within those halls."
"Not my whole army, merely my humble self, my old friend there and… Isabella."
Isabella perked her head up in surprise. She was the last person she thought would be included in their meeting, but given that Gengyo had motioned her forward with his head, she obeyed and stepped towards him.
"…I can accommodate the three of you." She answered, though she did not seem none too happy with the state of affairs. They trailed behind her, as she led them up the stone steps, and towards the building. The guards followed along behind, though they seemed greatly unsure.
"Argh…" One of them groaned, as a rock bounced off his helmet, staggering him slightly. He glanced round furiously, wondering who had dared down such a thing. But when he looked back, he saw the intimidating figure of Rokkaku, sat upon his horse, waving his fingers at him.
She opened the doors to the grand hall, and she led them through the corridors. Multiple maids bowed as they passed, their eyes full of fear as they saw the state of the monk's robes.
"In here…" The governor motioned towards one of the sliding doors, and lead them inside a small tea room, with a seated table and cushions surrounding it. She was about to tell them to take a seat, but Gengyo had already taken one, and was making himself quite comfortable. "Make us some tea, if you would." She spoke the maid that hovered outside the door, awaiting her orders. The maid bowed lightly, and moved off to fulfil her request.
The old governor drummed her withered fingers on the table, and looked up to Gengyo with a half-smile. "So, you have killed all my guards, have you?"
"That I have." Gengyo responded without reservation, or a hint of remorse, glancing around the room as he spoke, looking for anything that might be interesting.
"I could have you killed here." The governor suggested. "Of course, your army would soon come in, and we would all die. But at least I will have secured revenge for my people."
"No, you could not." Gengyo responded with a wide smile. Though there were only three of them, and Isabella would not be much use in a fight, he was quite confident that whatever small force she managed to hide away here he could handle with ease.
There was something about the confidence in his gaze that made her pause for a second. But she soon rationalized it to herself. Given his disposition, he was quite likely mad, and over evaluated his own skills.
The woman let out a sigh. "Go on then, enlighten me dear monk, why have you chosen to plunge Okazaki into chaos?"
"I do apologize for that, but I hope we can remedy it quite soon." Gengyo paused, as the maid placed his tea down in front of him. He picked it up, inhaling the herbal aroma, before making eye contact with the old governor, as he took a sip.
"I could have poisoned that." She said pointedly, taking a sip from her own tea.
"But you did not." Gengyo smiled, drinking more deeply. "This matter between you and I, it's not personal. I would very much like to keep you alive, to rule over your people."
"Then what was the point in all this in the first place?" She asked, somewhat aggressively.
"Because I have need of this town, and what it can offer. You see, I intend to usurp our great lord Imagawa." He saw Jikouji and Isabella flinch as he uttered those words. What worth was there in being so honest with a stranger? This only increased the chances of a messenger being sent to warn Imagawa of their attempts. But he was not fool enough to believe that such a thing had not yet happened, and he truly did want to have a use for this old governor.
"Ha… So that's it then." She held her tea with both hands, and brought it to her lips. "What do you require of me?"
"Pledge your allegiance, and we will leave you well enough alone. The tax we ask for will be quite minor compare to Imagawa's. Also, I will be giving your blacksmiths quite a bit of trade for a few days, paid for with good coin."
"Pledge my allegiance? You would have me stain my honour? How could I go on ruling when the people knew that I had betrayed Imagawa?"
"Well, a verbal promise will suffice for now, but after I have severed the head from his shoulders, I expect your loyalty, and will require something more formal."