Translation: Word (Microsoft), there are probably errors in the masculine and feminine pronouns.
Chapter 9
It was a lightning night, and I found myself lying on Nobunaga's futon, serving as his resting dummy as he tried to fall asleep in the middle of the storm.
Obviously, I couldn't sleep.
As Nobunaga's influence within the Oda Clan grew, so did the number of enemies lurking in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to take his life.
In the evenings, Himari and Hana took turns watching, while I spent the whole night guarding our teacher.
It felt strange... even confusing. Staying awake without tiredness or the slightest desire to sleep was not normal.
My body didn't have the limitations of an ordinary human.
And every time I remembered that... I was a little further away from what it meant to be one.
That's what I think... or what I used to think.
But thanks to this, I can protect and take good care of my family.
Himari and Hana... and, in a way, also Oda Nobunaga. Maybe even Uesugi Masatora, though she can stand up for herself.
I don't think he needs much of my help.
I watched Nobunaga's angelic sleeping face as I sharpened my senses, alert to any threat that might evade the vigilance of my cousins.
Without realizing it, my thoughts began to wander, remembering the time that has passed since our arrival at this place.
We were ten years old when we were captured as spoils of war by the daimyo Oda Nobuhide.
It was then that we became servants of Oda Nobunaga, a girl of just eight years old.
Now, she's twelve... and we fourteen.
Time has flown by.
In four months, we will welcome January once again.
Anything can happen before the end of the year.
… I can only wish for the well-being of my family.
Months passed without any scandal that endangered Nobunaga's life.
Her own adulthood ceremony had arrived, marking the moment when she would be officially recognized as heir to the Oda Clan. The celebration was filled with music, laughter, and sake for the elders.
Suddenly, without warning, Nobunaga turned to me with a mischievous smile and took my arm.
"Senji, dance with me!" she ordered excitedly.
I tried to refuse, but his firm grip and determined gaze gave me no choice. Before I knew it, I was already at the center of the celebration, following its clumsy but energetic pace.
People looked at us bewildered. Some whispered to each other, while others watched in disbelief.
Nobunaga burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! What do you say, Senji? Acting like a fool is fun. After all, others will think, 'Oda Nobunaga is stupid, she poses no threat.'"
Then, his smile became sharp, his gaze flashed with cunning.
"And when that happens... We will attack and eliminate them one by one. Those peanut-brained idiots won't know what hit them! Hahahaha!"
I accompanied his laughter with a light smile, following his game. However, my mind was elsewhere.
Nobunaga's striking kimono, with its extravagant tiger design, fluttered with every turn on the makeshift track, turning heads. And in the midst of that scene, my thoughts darkened.
No matter how hard I try to erase those memories... In the end, I can't.
The echo of an inescapable truth resounded in my mind.
Senji Muramasa was never a loyal servant of Oda Nobunaga.
My cousins, Hana Muramasa and Himari Muramasa, also did not exist in history as part of the Muramasa Clan... nor as loyal servants of Oda Nobunaga.
Every time I think about it... more anomalies appear in the Sengoku story.
As I tried to push those thoughts away, my gaze drifted to a corner of the celebration, where Hana and Himari had started their own competition.
"Come on, Himari! Is that all you have?" sneered Hana, with a defiant smile.
They were both sitting on the floor, their kimono sleeves rolled up, engaged in a pulse of strength. His hands held steady, his arms trembling with exertion as spectators gathered around him, betting on who would win.
"Don't underestimate my strength, Hana!" growled Himari, gritting her teeth as she tried to tip the scales in her favor.
Laughter and shouts of encouragement filled the air, causing the tension of the night to dissipate, if only for a moment.
The image of my cousins having fun, of Nobunaga dancing without worries, of everyone celebrating without thinking about tomorrow...
It was a fleeting moment of joy.
But deep down, something told me that this moment...
This little fragment of happiness...
It wouldn't last forever.
All of this... will bring the sequence of a tragic end...
For me?
Or for someone else?
Ironically, only fate knew that answer to my questions.
❅──✧❃✧──❅•
Nagoya, 1548.
The rhythmic sound of the hammer striking the metal echoed through the forge, accompanied by the constant crackle of fire. The sweltering heat enveloped the place, but neither Senji, Himari, nor Hana seemed bothered. For them, the forge was their first home.
Senji was in charge of shaping the blade of a katana, concentrating on each precise blow of the hammer. Beside him, Himari polished a series of farming tools, while Hana finished adjusting the handles of sickles that had been ordered by local farmers.
"How many more are left?" asked Hana, stretching her arms after several hours of work.
"A couple more... Then we could compete to see who makes the best leaf," Himari said with a defiant smile.
"Again with that?" snorted Senji, not taking his eyes off his work.
"Let's go! You can't deny that last time I almost beat you," Himari insisted.
"Yes... almost."
Laughter spread through the forge, until the sound of footsteps approached from outside. The metal door slowly opened, revealing a man dressed in formal robes, the imperial family's emblem embroidered on his chest.
"The Muramasa artisans?" the man asked in a firm voice.
The three Muramasa looked at each other strangely before Senji stepped forward. "How can we help you?"
The messenger took out a scroll sealed with the imperial symbol and handed it to him. "This message is for you, by order of the imperial court."
Senji took the scroll and broke the seal carefully. Her eyes slid along the lines of elegant calligraphy as her cousins approached curiously.
"... We're being invited to an audience with the imperial family," Senji muttered, barely believing his reads.
"What?" Himari exclaimed in surprise.
"Why would they want to see us?" asked Hana.
Senji let out a sigh, closing the scroll delicately. "According to this... they want to know more about our skill in the forge."
For a moment, the three of them were silent. The initial surprise gave way to a mixture of pride and nervousness.
"Well..." Himari said with an anxious smile. "I suppose we'd better show why the name Muramasa is worth remembering."
Senji nodded, and although he tried to remain calm, he couldn't help but let his thoughts darken.
It's too early to receive such an important recognition from the imperial family...
"Good. We will accept the invitation. But first, I must inform our little Master that we will be absent from the village."
"Got it. There is no hurry. I can wait patiently while our horses rest and feed."
Later, at Nobunaga's residence, the three Muramasa met in front of her.
"So you're going away for a while?" asked Nobunaga, leaning nonchalantly against a column. His voice sounded casual, but his eyes reflected something else... worry.
"That's right," Senji replied. "It will only be for a while, until we finish business with the Emperor."
Nobunaga remained silent for a few seconds, watching them seriously. Then, his face lit up with a big smile.
"Hahaha! Incredible! Congratulations!" he exclaimed, patting Senji's back energetically. "I'm not surprised... after all, the Muramasa are the best at this."
However, after the laughter, his expression softened. "But... Be sure to come back. If the imperial family tries to stay with you... well..." He lowered his gaze a little. "I would feel... alone."
Senji observed that sincere and vulnerable expression on Nobunaga's face, something he didn't show easily. He stepped forward and, with a calm smile, brought his hand to young Miss Oda's head, gently ruffling her hair.
"That won't happen," he said firmly. "We will be back. Don't worry."
Nobunaga puffed out his cheeks, pushing Senji's hand away with a feignedly annoyed expression.
"Hey! I'm not a girl..."
"But you still act like one," Himari muttered with a sneer.
The room erupted in laughter, and for a moment, the weight of uncertainty disappeared.
❅──✧❃✧──❅•
The carriage moved slowly along the road, rocked by the steady pace of the horses. The soft creaking of the wheels on the ground and the sound of the wind slipping through the wooden cracks filled the atmosphere with a deceptive calm.
Senji sat next to his cousins, his arms folded and his gaze fixed on the landscape beyond the window.
"This is not just an acknowledgment..." he murmured suddenly.
Himari, who was adjusting her hair, turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"
"Emperor Go-Nara is not exactly famous for his political prowess," Senji replied quietly. "Rumors say that his financial problems have been a constant since he took power... Something tells me that this invitation is more than just a tribute. Perhaps he is looking for powerful allies... or something more greedy."
"Something greedy?" repeated Hana, setting aside the small fan she used to cool off. "What do you think he wants? Money? Weaponry?"
Senji slowly denied. "Maybe both... But if you're looking for a surefire solution to your financial problems, I wouldn't be surprised if you tried something more ambitious... like securing the loyalty of an influential family."
Hana cracked a mischievous smile and leaned towards him. "What if he tries something more daring? How about a wedding to 'strengthen ties'?"
"A wedding?" repeated Himari, frowning.
"Sure." Hana shrugged. "Imagine: one of us married to one of the Emperor's sons to secure the alliance."
"Don't even say it!" protested Himari, shaking his head. "Can you imagine Senji dressed in formal clothes trying to impress the court?"
Hana put a hand to her chin, pretending to think about it. "Maybe he needs a lesson in etiquette first."
Laughter came over the carriage, momentarily dissipating the tension. But while his cousins joked, Senji's mind kept spinning about the matter.
"If the Emperor really has hidden intentions... we must be vigilant."
The journey continued between scattered conversations and long moments of silence. The landscape, which was familiar at first, was transformed as they approached the capital. The green hills became sprawling crop fields, and dirt roads began to become more frequented by merchants, peasants, and even some samurai patrolling the area.
The carriage stopped on several occasions for the horses to rest and feed. During these pauses, Senji took the opportunity to stretch his legs and watch the people who passed by. Though he seemed distracted, every gesture and glance seemed like pieces of a larger puzzle.
"The capital... a place where words are worth as much as swords," he thought.
At dusk, they reached the outskirts of the imperial city. The streets were narrower and the bustle of urban life enveloped the atmosphere. Artisans at work, vendors shouting their offers and children running between the stalls gave it a vibrant, if also chaotic, air.
When they finally approached the imperial residence, the change was evident. The guards stationed at the entrance kept their eyes fixed on the carriage, assessing every move. The wooden doors, adorned with golden symbols of the Emperor, slowly opened to allow them to pass.
The interior of the enclosure exuded a solemn air. The perfectly manicured gardens, the lanterns that illuminated with a warm light and the walls decorated with traditional paintings gave the feeling of entering another world.
"Wow..." Himari murmured, marveling at the beauty of the place.
"Do you think they'll let us take one of those lanterns?" joked Hana quietly, causing Himari to let out a nervous laugh.
Senji, however, barely reacted. Their gaze was fixed on a figure waiting for them on the steps of the main building: a stiff-looking man, dressed in an elaborate dark blue kimono. It was evident that this was not the Emperor, but one of his high-ranking servants.
"Welcome," the man said in a firm voice. "Emperor Go-Nara awaits you. Please follow me."
As they crossed the threshold of the grand residence, Senji couldn't help but feel that they were being watched from the shadows. Maybe it was just the nerves of the trip... or perhaps the beginning of something much more complicated.