Chapter 27

When I came to, I was lying in a strange place. Strange was the only way to describe it. I was unsure if the pure-white ground was floor or earth, and above it hung an endless fog. “Whoa, whoa— If this is the afterlife, I’m not laughing.” Maybe I’d gotten complacent after becoming regent. Laviala and my other officers would probably avenge me, but with my children so young, the realm would fall into disarray once again. “It’s not the afterlife, so feel free to laugh.” I turned around at the voice behind me. There stood a strange man who seemed familiar, though this was our first meeting. His appearance was so similar to mine it was like I was looking at myself. His hair was black, but otherwise he was not much different from myself. I wasn’t sure of his age. He looked both far older than me and the same age. I couldn’t figure out what country’s clothes he was wearing, but they were boldly decorated. He must’ve been pretty high ranking. “Who the hell are you? And where the hell is this?” I asked as I stood up. “Such insolence. But I suppose I can’t be too upset; you’ve always been that way.” The man looked truly amused. “It is I, the conqueror Oda Nobunaga. And I am your profession, Alsrod.” For someone making such an forceful statement, he was being incredibly forthright. “Tea has the effect of making people extremely introspective, you see. You must have fallen too deep inside yourself. Even Rikyuu’s tea never had that great an effect, however. Was it drugged? Or perhaps this land’s tea is different from the Land of the Rising Sun’s?” Oda Nobunaga kept on saying the most incredible things so nonchalantly. The dragonewt Yanhaan was indeed a seller of medicine, so maybe she had laced my drink with some kind of drug. It hadn’t tasted like it was drugged, though. Because of my position, I’d deliberately eaten things that tasted like poison in order to recognize the flavors. “You expect me to believe you so quickly? To be fair, though, I can’t think of any other explanation for where this is or who you are. Blaming it on the tea does make sense. It’s far more likely to be the cause than what I had for dinner last night, at least.” The man grinned in a very disarming sort of way. “Just as I’d expect from someone with me as their profession. You’re very quick.” “I bet no one in the world thought they’d ever come face-to-face with their profession.” I took another good look at this Oda Nobunaga man. He had a severe look about him—completely unlike me—yet there was something of me there. There was no way I could be related to someone out of this world, though, so it must’ve been a total coincidence. “It’s not exactly impossible, now is it?” said Oda Nobunaga. “In this world you receive your professions from the gods. And this land’s priests—regardless of whether it’s true or not—have conversations with the gods.” “So you’re saying we should be able to talk with the professions those gods bestow? Professions don’t have any personalities. Fighter, Monk, Merchant—they’re all just profession names, not some person’s name.” “Generally, yes. But there are others besides you with professions that are obviously a person’s name, like Mitsuhide or Rikyuu. They may be the exception, but Alsrod, you too are exceptional. If professions don’t have personalities, just who have you been speaking to all this time? Is it just a delusion of yours?” “True. It wouldn’t make sense to be skeptical at this point.” I’d always been one for embracing risks and unknowns. I decided to fully accept things as they were. “You’re just like me, though, Alsrod. You have striking eyes.” “Was that compliment intended for me or yourself? Well, the Nayvil clan did have a lot of good-looking people, they say.” “I’m not concerned with your bloodline. I mean something deeper down. Your face has the look of a man who wants it all. I never saw anyone with that look in Japan. I was the only one.” I was actually starting to enjoy this myself. I could really get along with this man. “Naturally. I’m not stopping at regent. Someday I’ll form my own realm. I’m sure it’ll take time, of course. I don’t have the justification yet, and the people don’t want a new dynasty, either.” Forming a dynasty while ignoring the will of the people would only embolden those who opposed me. It was still too soon. “Indeed. I was once in your position myself. However, stopping here would make you little different from Miyoshi Nagayoshi or Hosokawa Takakuni. Your reign would merely be temporary.” Once again he’d mentioned names I’d never heard, but they were probably aides to the king in another world. “From your position, I gradually increased my influence, eventually transcending that of the shogun. You have a long way to go from here.” In this realm I had no mentor. No one, that is, but Oda Nobunaga. “Hey, Oda Nobunaga. Since we’re here talking, can I ask you some questions?” “Sorry, but I’m not telling you the details about all I’ve done. It’s more entertaining to watch.” This guy knew exactly when to stop. I wouldn’t want to hear him brag all the time anyway. “All right, then just tell me what it’s like to have total power. That’s all I want to know.” Someday, I’d have that power. It might feel surprisingly empty, but I’d be fine with that. I’d savor the emptiness of supremacy to my heart’s content. Oda Nobunaga suddenly looked a bit sad. “To tell the truth, I don’t know, either.” “Huh? How does a conqueror not know what it feels like to conquer? Did someone brainwash you? Or did your son or someone oust you from power?” “Right after I established my reign by eliminating Takeda, there was a rebellion, and I lost my life. I was going to be shogun, just like the shogun I’d previously installed. I already outranked him, so I had the right to form a new shogunate. To draw an analogy to your situation, Alsrod, I was killed in a rebellion right before becoming king.” Coming up with excuses seemed to have made Oda Nobunaga awfully chatty. “I don’t know much about history after that. Once I awoke in the afterlife, I’d become a profession. In the meantime, the traitor Mitsuhide had died, too. Just deserts, I’d say.” I was a bit flabbergasted. “You call yourself a conqueror, but you really aren’t, are you?” “To the contrary! I’m a conqueror through and through! I was ninety-nine percent there!” “I thought for sure you’d formed your own dynasty and ruled for decades, but you failed…and at the best part, too…” He was actually getting pretty worked up. Apparently he wasn’t fond of failure. “W-well that’s why…I want you to be king… I might as well see you through to the top, so I can feel better about my own situation. Mitsuhide’s death alone doesn’t do anything for me!” “You’re like a parent pushing their failed dreams on their child…” The new bond I felt was marred by disappointment. “And what is so wrong with that? Your dream is to build a dynasty. Our goals are the same. So if you work at your goal, then the result will be no different for me.” “I guess that’s true.” I sighed. Even a conqueror was human, after all. He wasn’t like some kind of god, but rather hopelessly mortal. “It’s a relief to actually see your face for once, Oda Nobunaga.” “What do you mean? Were you afraid of seeing a goblin?” “There’s a reason you became my profession—we’re alike, you and I. Some unambitious commoner could’ve never received you as their job.” I was being guided by something, whether by fate or by the gods. I was now sure of that. “Kelara and Yanhaan must also have something in common with their professions, Akechi Mitsuhide and Rikyuu. That’s why they received them. Everything is connected.” “I see. You really are as smart as I am.” Like I said, you’re just complimenting yourself… Of course, I didn’t mind my profession telling me that. It was much better than no recognition at all. “Now, listen well—go forth and make yourself king. You have what it takes.” Oh, I will. I don’t need you to tell me. “—Excellency! Your Excellency!” Realizing I was being called, I opened my eyes. Yanhaan was right in front of me. “You were in quite a deep trance there. I never would have thought you would enter the tea ceremony’s state of mind so quickly. I’m very impressed.” “Actually, I had a rather nice experience.” I had to be the first person in history to see their profession’s face.