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Inside the carriage, Shoko ultimately abandoned her intention to gift Kamihane a sword after his polite refusal.
"Miss Shoko, I have a question," Kamihane said.
"Please speak freely, Miyamoto-san," Shoko replied eagerly.
"Hmm..." Kamihane paused thoughtfully. "Is sothing wrong with your 'Bladesmith Pavilion'?"
Shoko's bright expression instantly darkened. Her gaze drifted to the warming stove nearby, where a pot of heated rice wine sat. Understanding her unspoken request, Kamihane smiled and handed her the flask.
Shoko blinked, eting his gentle eyes before grabbing the flask and taking a long swig. She exhaled deeply.
"Our association...is about to change hands," she murmured.
As she explained in detail, Kamihane gradually pieced together the story.
Why could such a massive rchant association only hire two samurai as guards? Why had the middle-aged man sighed incessantly? Why had Shoko turned to alcohol to drown her sorrows?
The legendary "Bladesmith Pavilion" of the Land of Iron was collapsing.
Three months prior, the Oikawa family—one of the "Three Iron Legacies"—had been reprimanded by the daimyo for subpar sword forging. The family head, Oikawa Genzo, fled in fear, emptying the clan's coffers overnight and defecting to the Land of Water. The Oikawa clan dissolved overnight.
Enraged, the daimyo ordered the remaining two families—the Danwa and Sugawara—to hunt down Oikawa Genzo, with support from shogunate forces. But during the pursuit, they were ambushed by powerful enemies. The shogunate suffered heavy losses, Sugawara's clan head died from grave injuries, and Danwa Mayo—the sole survivor of the "One Heart Legacy"—was left critically wounded.
On his deathbed, Sugawara entrusted his daughter Shoko with the "Lone Dragonforge Manual" and her care to Danwa Mayo. With the Sugawara clan already weakened and fractured by internal scheming, its mbers scattered—so hiding, others defecting—until nobles devoured what remained.
Only the Danwa family, steadfast in their true teachings, retained their legacy. Though Danwa Mayo had no heirs, his three disciples carried on his craft. Yet their numbers were few, and the "Bladesmith Pavilion" teetered on collapse.
In re months, two of the three legacies had crumbled. The association's downfall dragged countless nobles into the chaos, with implicated families demoted or punished.
Danwa's second disciple, Ryūnosuke, proposed marrying Shoko to a noble to secure patronage and stabilize the association. But Danwa erupted in fury:
"My friend entrusted his daughter to so she wouldn't suffer alone! Selling her to nobles for profit would make a traitor! What would the world think of ?!"
"Master, the association is falling! Only noble backing can save us!" Ryūnosuke pleaded. "Once we survive this crisis, who would dare criticize?"
"Silence, fool! This is betrayal! Never speak of it again!"
After Ryūnosuke left, Danwa Mayo brooded. Though his anger faded, the idea of noble alliance lingered.
Finally, he made a shocking announcent:
"Danwa Mayo, head of the One Heart Legacy and leader of the Bladesmith Pavilion, seeks a son-in-law! Any warrior who prevails in our tournant—regardless of age or birth—shall marry my daughter and inherit our legacy!"
The Land of Iron erupted. Commoners saw a chance for teoric rise, while nobles scoffed, certain their trained samurai would dominate.
Shoko imdiately slled conspiracy. With the tournant imminent, she'd been sent away on sudden business—Danwa wanted her silenced while they sacrificed Yukino.
But Yukino wasn't just her friend; they'd grown up as sisters. Shoko realized she was ant to be the sacrificial lamb, but Danwa's integrity had shifted the burden to Yukino. Her urgency to return stemd from wanting to take Yukino's place.
"Originally...I was supposed to be the sacrifice..." Shoko whispered, clutching the empty flask as tears welled.
Kamihane studied her, a daring plan crystallizing in his mind.
Post-Hashirama-Madara war, the shinobi world would soon shift. Hashirama's impending death and Madara's absorption into the Moon Eye Plan would leave a power vacuum. War was inevitable, economies would crumble—except in the weapon-rich, neutral Land of Iron.
The Bladesmith Pavilion's crisis was an opportunity. By aiding them, investing in arms trade across borders, Kamihane could amass wealth. Control of Iron's finances might even let him conquer the nation itself—territory, manpower, and capital to build his own empire.
The idea took root, spreading like wildfire.
The conditions are perfect. This can work.
He t Shoko's gaze, eyes blazing. "Miss Shoko, I have a plan to resurrect your association."
"What?" She stared, disard by his sincerity and the confident smile that recalled his earlier prowess. If it's him...
"What's your strategy?"
Kamihane tossed a berry into his mouth. "Complex or simple—first, what's your greatest crisis now?"
"Losing sovereignty to nobles. Yukino...losing her freedom and happiness."
"Must you rely on nobles?" he countered. "What if you don't?"
"Without that..." Shoko hesitated. "Three families once jointly managed us, keeping nobles at bay. Now fractured, resources gone...Only Danwa remains. He can't hold..."
"And if he falls?"
"Ambitious schers...would carve us apart..."
"Exactly." Kamihane tapped the table. "This crisis stems from Iron's greedy nobles. Their avarice created your predicant."
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