Vol. 1 Chapter 2.5 – Early October, 1566 — Part One

Having finished harvesting all her crops except for the soybeans, which would be ready for harvest in winter, Shizuko began loading the offerings of rice bales, vegetables, honey and other produce onto the cargo wagons.

Once everything had been loaded, she signaled the soldiers Nobunaga had assigned to guard the wagons to depart.

Since the amount of goods being transported was on an entirely different scale compared to the previous year, she had requested an escort from Nobunaga’s soldiers to ensure their safety, even though the journey would only take a few hours.

If this year’s offerings were sold, they would fetch an enormous fortune.

Shizuko understood this better than anyone, which was precisely why she had taken every possible precaution.

Perhaps thanks to those precautions, the journey proceeded without incident, and they safely arrived at Komakiyama Castle, where Nobunaga resided.

However, as usual, she was not permitted to meet him immediately. Instead, she was made to tidy up her appearance and change into an excessively heavy set of formal attire.

Having grown accustomed to this routine, Shizuko thought little of it and simply waited absentmindedly for Nobunaga to appear.

After waiting for a while, she suddenly heard a series of thunderous footsteps.

Dosu, dosu, dosu!

Wondering what was happening, she turned toward the entrance, only for the sliding door to be flung open with tremendous force.

It opened so violently that she thought it might actually break, causing Shizuko to straighten her back in surprise.

Standing on the other side of the fusuma was Oda Nobunaga.

However, unlike his usual self, his face was twisted into such a furious expression that even an oni would have fled barefoot at the sight of him.

Unable to understand the reason for his anger, Shizuko began to panic as Nobunaga approached her with long, forceful strides.

Then, without uttering a word, he brought his fist crashing down upon her head.

“Mukyuu!”

Having received a painful blow to the head, Shizuko writhed in agony while clutching the aching spot with both hands.

However, her formal attire was so heavy that she could not move her body as freely as she wanted.

Had she not been concerned about where she was, she would undoubtedly have been rolling around on the floor.

That was how painful the blow had been.

“You great fool! If you were going to bring those monstrous bales, you should have said so from the very beginning!”

“Y-yes! P-please, wait a moment! What on earth are you talking about!?”

Despite Shizuko’s desperate cry, Nobunaga offered no reply and instead brought another fist crashing down upon her head.

As expected of the male-dominated Sengoku period, even women were shown no mercy when it came to receiving an iron fist, Shizuko thought, attempting to escape reality and distract herself from the pain.

But pain was still pain.

“M-my lord, please calm your anger. Let us hear what Shizuko-dono has to say first.”

While Shizuko was still writhing in agony and clutching her aching head, someone else entered the audience chamber.

She could tell who it was from his voice alone. It was Mori Yoshinari, one of Nobunaga’s close retainers.

When she raised her head with tear-filled eyes, she saw Mori Yoshinari desperately trying to reason with Nobunaga, whose face had become positively demonic with rage.

Thanks in part to the words of his close retainer and having vented some of his anger by bringing his fists down on Shizuko’s head, Nobunaga gradually regained his composure.

“…Shizuko, you are going to explain those enormous bales to me.”

No sooner had he spoken than Nobunaga forcibly hauled Shizuko to her feet and began dragging her along.

Behind them followed Mori Yoshinari, wearing a troubled expression, making for a rather peculiar sight.

After being forcibly dragged along for some time, Shizuko eventually found herself at a storehouse.

Seeing the rice bales stacked nearby, she realized that this must be a place used to store rice collected as tax or something of that nature.

“Because of those monstrous bales of yours, I cannot determine how many will fit inside the storehouse. Rearranging everything now would also take considerable time. Now then, Shizuko, I expect you to explain precisely why you transported the rice in those monstrous bales.”

“Ah, um, y-yes. Aren’t rice bales… supposed to be that size…?”

Whenever Shizuko thought of a rice bale, what immediately came to mind was one weighing 60 kilograms, measuring 75 centimeters in width and 47 centimeters in diameter.

In reality, however, rice bales came in several sizes, including 30-kilogram, 20-kilogram, and 10-kilogram varieties.

Having completely forgotten this, Shizuko had packed all the rice into 60-kilogram bales before transporting them.

She had even gone to the trouble of making arrangements in various places to procure additional straw when she found herself short of the amount needed to make the bales.

Unfortunately, all her efforts had been in vain, as Nobunaga’s storehouses used 30-kilogram bales as their standard, equivalent to what would be called a half-bale in modern times.

Having finally understood the situation, Shizuko took another look at the rice bales she had gone to such lengths to gather straw and make.

Their presence was overwhelming.

Even though only three had been stacked together, they exuded such an imposing presence that it was noticeable even from a distance.

She could certainly understand why Nobunaga had described them as monstrous bales.

After all, the 30-kilogram rice bales beside them looked so small by comparison that they might as well have been infants.

“So that size is what you consider normal, is it? Very well, then tell me how many storehouses will be required to accommodate that quantity.”

“Y-yes?”

“Did you not hear me? Tell me how many storehouses will be needed to hold the rice bales you have delivered.”

Although Nobunaga had told her to state the number of storehouses required, what he was actually demanding was that Shizuko calculate how many additional storehouses would need to be prepared.

The sudden demand nearly sent her into a panic, but she managed to regain her composure after taking a deep breath.

“Um…Excuse me, how many unused storehouses do you currently have? Also, how many rice bales can one storehouse accommodate?”

“…If I recall correctly, there should be one storehouse available. And each storehouse can hold 120 rice bales.”

“Yes, thank you very much. Um… Please give me a moment to calculate.”

Having obtained most of the information she needed, Shizuko took a wooden stick from her sleeve, which she used in place of a pencil.

Whenever she needed to perform calculations or consider various ideas, she used the ground as a substitute for a notebook.

For that reason, she always carried a wooden stick with a slightly sharpened tip.

Taking it in hand, Shizuko began writing her calculations on the ground.

‘Let’s see…My rice bales weigh 60 kilograms each, while our lord’s bales weigh 30 kilograms… I think? Well, let’s use those figures for now. If one storehouse can accommodate 120 of his bales, then it can only hold half as many of mine. Simply put, two storehouses should be enough.’

Since Shizuko was delivering 100 rice bales, Nobunaga had only prepared one storehouse.

However, because the delivered bales were twice the prescribed size, they could no longer all fit inside a single storehouse.

That was all there was to it, so the problem was not particularly difficult.

A straightforward solution would be to divide the shipment into two groups of 50 bales and store each group in a separate storehouse.

Any remaining space could then be used to accommodate other rice bales.

‘If it can hold 120 bales weighing 30 kilograms each, that gives it a storage capacity of 3,600 kilograms. Fifty of my 60-kilogram bales would weigh 3,000 kilograms. That leaves around 600 kilograms of spare capacity, so another twenty 30-kilogram bales should fit.’

Although the actual situation would not be quite so straightforward, Shizuko figured the calculation would at least provide a reasonable estimate.

Since her own rice bales would occupy most of the space, there was a possibility that fewer than twenty additional 30-kilogram bales could actually fit.

She would simply have to ask them to adjust the arrangement according to the circumstances.

“Yes, I’ve got it. We’ll use two storehouses. Please place fifty of the rice bales I delivered in each storehouse. There should be a little space left over, so please use it to store twenty of the regular-sized rice bales in each one. I’m not certain whether all twenty will fit, so if they don’t, please adjust the number accordingly.”

Satisfied that her calculations had worked out neatly, Shizuko brushed the dirt from her hands and turned toward Nobunaga.

However, realizing that her manner had been somewhat too casual, she hurriedly straightened her posture and prostrated herself before him.

However, Nobunaga neither responded to Shizuko’s words nor became angry at her behavior.

Instead, he merely stared at the characters Shizuko had written on the ground—or rather, the mathematical equations—with a complicated expression on his face.

The calculations were written as follows.

【30 × 120 = 3,600 kilograms ….. A

A − (60 × 50) = 600 kilograms ….. B

B ÷ 30 = 20 ….. C

50 large bales and 20 regular bales per storehouse.】

After calculating the number of bales that could be stored in each storehouse, Nobunaga became so quiet that his earlier behavior seemed like a complete lie.

Even after Shizuko finished giving her formal report, he released her without making any further unreasonable demands.

Although Shizuko tilted her head in confusion at his sudden change in demeanor, she wisely refrained from stirring up a hornet’s nest. Without making any unnecessary remarks, she quietly departed the castle.

****

Some time after Shizuko had left, Nobunaga summoned Mori Yoshinari and Takigawa Kazumasu.

“What have you found regarding Shizuko?”

“I regret to report that we were unable to uncover a single piece of information concerning her.”

After briefly glancing at Takigawa, who bowed his head apologetically, Nobunaga turned his attention toward Mori Yoshinari.

Understanding what Nobunaga wished to ask, Yoshinari lowered his head and replied.

“This is also the first time I have learned that she possesses such abilities.”

In Nobunaga’s presence, Shizuko had written kanji, hiragana, and katakana, and had furthermore performed the four basic arithmetic operations using mathematical equations.

By modern standards, these were skills taught in elementary school. However, in the Sengoku period, it was an entirely different matter.

Knowledge of arithmetic was largely confined to members of merchant households and provincial lords such as Oda Nobunaga. Very few others possessed it.

Military commanders might have been capable of analyzing the difference in strength between their own forces and the enemy’s, such as comparing an army numbering tens of thousands against another of similar size, but such assessments were extremely rough.

In any case, the ability to write kanji and perform calculations involving precise numerical values without using an abacus was hardly a skill one would expect from someone born into a peasant family.

“…And what of the Ayanokouji family?”

“According to our inquiries, there is no record of a girl resembling Shizuko-dono having been born into that family.”

“…”

Upon hearing Takigawa’s words, Nobunaga quietly closed his eyes.

“When I first met that woman, I had not introduced myself even once.”

After approximately five minutes had passed, Nobunaga began speaking again without changing his posture.

“And yet, that woman addressed me by name.”

“That is…”

“I paid it no mind at the time but it began to trouble me afterward, so I questioned Shizuko about it. What do you think she told me?”

Neither Mori Yoshinari nor Takigawa could answer his question.

They knew Nobunaga well but Shizuko was someone who had absolutely no connection to him.

There was no conceivable way she could have identified him correctly at first glance.

The possibility that she was a spy had also crossed their minds, but Shizuko had displayed neither malice nor hostility.

“My family crest and the Yoshimoto Samonji.”

The unexpected answer caused both men to draw a sharp breath.

“Indeed, I was wearing archery bracers bearing the『Five-Petaled Mokko Crest』and the Yoshimoto Samonji was hanging at my waist. But that was all.”

Idly toying with a folding fan in his hand, Nobunaga continued speaking.

“That woman possesses such extraordinary talents that other provinces would covet her, yet she shows not the slightest hint of arrogance and conducts herself with remarkable naturalness. Perhaps owing to her possession of a court noble’s family name, she is also well-versed in proper etiquette. Furthermore, she possesses extensive knowledge of both the Takeda and myself.”

Murmuring,『And furthermore』Nobunaga fixed his gaze upon Mori Yoshinari and Takigawa before continuing.

“I know not whether she herself realizes it, but… Shizuko is exceptionally skilled at managing people, to the point that she can discern their individual talents and assign them the work best suited to their abilities. That is undoubtedly her most formidable talent. When I realized this, I felt compelled to offer my gratitude to the gods and Buddhas for bringing her into my path.”

“However, my lord, I believe placing one’s trust in someone who refuses to speak of their origins presents certain concerns…”

“Hmm… Indeed, placing too much trust in someone would be unwise. However, speaking from my personal impressions, she is far too straightforward to make a suitable spy.”

While acknowledging Takigawa’s concerns, Mori Yoshinari nevertheless spoke in Shizuko’s defense.

Having had more contact with Shizuko than anyone else present, he simply could not imagine her being a spy.

As he had just stated, this was because her personality was so straightforward that she seemed almost entirely unsuited to the Sengoku period.

“Just as Yoshinari says. However, Kazumasu also has a point. There is no need to take immediate action but we ought to put some safeguards in place.”

Pan!

Nobunaga lightly clapped his hands and the fusuma at the entrance quietly slid open.

Standing there was────.

****

Around the time Nobunaga was discussing Shizuko’s treatment with his trusted retainers, including Mori and Takigawa, Shizuko herself was troubled by a certain matter.

“Hmm…Even if you tell me to make a decision… well…”

“Sorry, Village Chief. I know full well this is an unreasonable request to spring on you so suddenly but we simply don’t have much time left.”

Daiichi, the former village chief, who was seated to her left, scratched the back of his head and bowed apologetically.

He was not alone. Kinzo, Tagosaku, Saki, Osora and most of the village’s original inhabitants had gathered as well.

With Shizuko at their head, they had assembled in the nagaya, which served as something of a communal facility for the village.

Shizuko, as village chief, sat in the seat of honor, while the original villagers were seated on either side of her.

However, among those gathered were four men whose appearances differed considerably from the others. They looked much like hunters who lived deep in the mountains.

Although their clothing varied, all four were uniformly gaunt and it was immediately apparent that they were suffering from severe malnutrition.

“We are fully aware that this is a shameless request. However, if things continue as they are, everyone in our village will starve to death. Please, we beg you to show us mercy.”

With those words, the man who appeared to be the leader of the four bowed deeply before Shizuko.

Having to bow his head to someone one or two generations younger than himself, and a woman at that, must have dealt a considerable blow to his pride.

However, their circumstances were so desperate that they could no longer afford to concern themselves with appearances.

‘To think this village and the one up in the mountains were originally a single village…’ 

“Please raise your head, Nisaku-sama. I have no objections to providing assistance either.”

『However』Shizuko prefaced, before continuing quietly.

“Even if we provide assistance now, I believe that before long, Nisaku-sama, you and your people will ultimately be forced to abandon your village.”

Nisaku apparently understood this himself, for his expression darkened at Shizuko’s words.

After all, the villagers here had been providing what little assistance they could to Nisaku’s village since the previous year.

Yet even now, their circumstances have shown no improvement. On the contrary, they had only continued to deteriorate.

That was precisely why they had come to Shizuko to request assistance directly.

“…Then what would you have us do? We have already tried everything within our power. Yet nothing has changed! What more are we supposed to do!?”

Perhaps frustrated by his own helplessness, Nisaku spoke with increasing force.

However, he quickly regained his composure, shook his head slightly and bowed to Shizuko.

“Please forgive me. I lost control of myself and behaved discourteously.”

“It’s quite alright. I don’t mind. More importantly, let us discuss how we might resolve the problems facing your village. But before that…”

Shizuko lightly clapped her hands toward the entrance.

The entrance door then opened and several women entered carrying trays.

After placing the trays before everyone present, including Nisaku, the women bowed and quietly withdrew.

“You must be exhausted from your long journey. Please, fill your stomachs first. We can begin our discussion afterward.”

What had been placed before them was a meal.

It consisted of plain white rice porridge with an umeboshi (pickled plum), accompanied by several slices of nukazuke (rice-bran pickles).

At first, Nisaku and his companions were bewildered by the unfamiliar food but after Shizuko encouraged them, saying,『Please, don’t hesitate. Help yourselves』they began eating the rice porridge.

Perhaps because they had never seen rice porridge before, they initially ate it with considerable apprehension. However, their hunger soon got the better of them, and they began devouring it ravenously.

“We cannot express how grateful we are for such generosity.”

“Ah, no, um, you’re welcome.”

Whether it was simply his personality or perhaps because he had originally belonged to a samurai family, Nisaku was exceptionally courteous.

As far as Shizuko was concerned, she had merely served them rice porridge because they were shivering from the cold brought on by severe malnutrition, and it was both easy to digest and effective at warming their bodies.

“Now then, regarding the problems you’re facing, I’d like to share my assumptions first. Please correct me whenever I get something wrong.”

“As you wish.”

Although Shizuko called them assumptions, she was actually fairly confident that what she was about to say was largely correct.

After all, she had already noticed these problems during the spring of that year, but since they concerned another village, she had refrained from interfering.

“The river water near your village contains so much mud that you can no longer use it for your daily needs, correct?”

At that moment, Nisaku and his companions’ expressions stiffened.

And they were not the only ones. Daiichi, Tagosaku, and Kinzō also wore similarly tense expressions.

Judging by their reactions, Shizuko became convinced that her observation was not far from the truth.

“Furthermore, because the mountain has become dark and damp even during the daytime, wild animals have stopped coming to your hunting grounds. As a result, you can no longer sustain yourselves by selling meat and animal pelts, leaving you struggling to secure enough food each day. Would I be correct in identifying these two issues as your main problems?”

“…Do you possess some manner of divine powers? How is it that you know the reasons behind our plight?”

“It’s not particularly difficult to figure out. People living in mountainous regions generally produce firewood, charcoal, timber, minerals, game meat and leather. I simply made an educated guess based on that.”

Since minerals were used to produce currency, blades, farming implements and everyday goods, the lack of sunlight on the mountain would have relatively little effect on their production.

Therefore, those most likely to consider the darkening of the mountain and the disappearance of wild animals a serious problem would be hunters, charcoal burners, woodcutters, and others engaged in similar occupations.

“The forest has become so overcrowded with trees that their growth has deteriorated, and hardly any sunlight can penetrate the canopy, correct? As a result, their ability to absorb carbon dioxide has also declined, while the undergrowth can no longer grow. The soil has become so impoverished that the trees cannot establish firm root systems. Consequently, their lower branches have withered, and the trees themselves have grown tall and spindly, making them unsuitable for sale as firewood. I imagine that’s roughly the situation you’re facing.”

“…I do not understand the meaning of most of those words but what you say is largely correct. The trees no longer grow into anything suitable for firewood, and because there is nothing for the animals to feed on, they no longer come near the mountain. Thus, we cannot even sell meat.”

“I thought as much. In that case, we’ll need to dig a『well』carry out『forest thinning』and construct a facility for filtering the river water.”

Shizuko casually presented solutions to problems that had troubled the villagers for years, perhaps even more than a decade.

She said it so effortlessly that Nisaku initially failed to comprehend what she was suggesting.

“Kinzo-san, have you finished preparing all the tools I previously requested for the『well』?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. I’ve managed to prepare everything you asked for, Village Chief.”

“Understood. Tagosaku-san, please gather some charcoal, long grasses and plant materials, and small stones. Daiichi-san, I’d like you to prepare a large wooden tub and a piece of cloth big enough to wrap around it.”

“Right away!”

“Understood.”

Shizuko thought that should cover everything they needed but upon looking at Nisaku and his companions, she suddenly remembered something important.

“Saki-san, Osora-san, please prepare some boxed lunches for us to take to their village. We’ll need the people there to help with the work too but I doubt they’ll be able to move properly on empty stomachs.”

“Got it!”

Osora responded enthusiastically to Shizuko’s instructions before immediately dashing outside.

Shizuko briefly wondered whether she should have told her what to include in the lunches, since she had not given her any instructions regarding the menu. However, she quickly decided that such detailed specifications were unnecessary.

“Er, um… What exactly are you planning to do?”

Unable to keep up with the conversation, Nisaku questioned Shizuko with an astonished expression.

“We’re going to visit your village, Nisaku-sama, and resolve the problems you’re facing.”

Shizuko said this with remarkable cheerfulness, as though intending to sweep away all of Nisaku’s worries.

One koku (approximately two hours) later, Shizuko and the others set out for Nisaku’s village, each carrying the supplies they had prepared.

Since the journey involved climbing a mountain, Saki and Osora were naturally instructed to remain behind in the village, while the men took responsibility for carrying the boxed lunches.

Having spent nearly two years gathering various materials and hunting deer in the mountains, Shizuko climbed effortlessly, as though she were strolling through her own familiar backyard.

However, Kinzo and Tagosaku, who had not climbed a mountain in quite some time, were already gasping for breath by the time they reached roughly the halfway point.

Perhaps because of this, they arrived at Nisaku’s village shortly after noon, slightly later than planned.

“I-I can’t go on anymore… I feel like I’m dying…”

“Village Chief…Where do you get all that strength… Ugh…”

The moment they reached the village, Kinzo and Tagosaku collapsed on the spot.

Both were panting heavily, their shoulders heaving as they gulped down water from the bamboo canteens hanging at their waists.

“Well, I’ve been climbing mountains to gather medicinal herbs and chasing deer around, after all. I guess that’s how I built up my stamina.”

In contrast to the two men struggling to catch their breath, Shizuko answered nonchalantly, looking much the same as usual.

Although she was sweating slightly, she showed none of the signs of complete physical exhaustion that Kinzō and Tagosaku were displaying.

“Once we’ve finished talking, we’ll be starting work, okay? Make sure you’ve caught your breath by then.”

With that, Shizuko left the two exhausted men behind, along with Daiichi, who was stubbornly forcing himself to remain standing despite his fatigue and entered Nisaku’s village.

Nisaku and his companions led the way, followed by Shizuko, with Wittmann, Kaiser, and König bringing up the rear.

“Ah, Village Chief, welcome ba──── Eeeek!!”

Considering that they had brought three wolves along with them, it was hardly surprising that the villagers let out frightened screams whenever they encountered the group.

[A fusuma is a traditional Japanese sliding partition or door used to divide rooms or cover closets in a home, temple, or castle]