Chronicles of The Hardships of Komachi in The Sengoku Era - Chapter 68

Chapter 68




SKKT Chapter 68

July mid in the year 1569.

In July, the Portuguese missionary Frois visited Gifu with Lorenzo.

The reason for the visit was to stop the movement to expel missionaries in Kyoto and to seek protection from Nobunaga.

At first, there was a correspondence of letters between Hino, the leader of the missionary expulsion movement, and Wada Koremasa, who protected the missionaries from Hino.

Although Hino disappeared from politics after the first year of the Tensho era, he can be called Nobunaga’s right-hand man at this time.

He demonstrated his outstanding ability in all aspects of Nobunaga’s control of Kyoto. He also served as a liaison with the imperial court due to his knowledge of the inner workings of the court.

Hino, who played a role in Nobunaga’s foreign policy, consistently worked to expel the missionaries.

He advised Nobunaga, “Wherever there are missionaries, there will be turmoil and destruction,” which suggests that he had some knowledge and a sense of crisis towards the missionaries.

Unfortunately, it is not recorded what he saw or knew.

There was little progress in the discussions between Hino, who hated Christianity, and Wada Koremasa, and the situation was deteriorating.

In order to resolve this situation, Frois decided to seek protection from Nobunaga.

He first departed for Omi Province in the middle of the night and met Lorenzo in Sakamoto.

At that time, Lorenzo had a letter from Hino and was in Etsumi Castle where Wada Koremasa was.

It is said that after Koremasa saw Hino’s letter, he threw it on the floor. From this, it can be inferred that the contents of Hino’s letter were unfavorable to him.

When Lorenzo learned that Frois was heading to Mino, Koremasa gave him two letters, one addressed to a retainer of Nobunaga and the other to the owner of an inn in Gifu.

With these two letters, Lorenzo joined Frois and they headed from Sakamoto to Asama by boat.

After arriving in Asama and staying overnight, they entered Mino Province from Omi Province by land the next day and stayed at an inn recommended by Koremasa in Gifu.

They did not move immediately because Sakuzaemon Nobumori and Shibata Katsuie had not yet returned from Kyoto to Gifu, and Hideyoshi was in Owari.

With time on their hands, Frois and Lorenzo strolled around the castle town of Gifu.

They could hear noise from all directions, giving the impression of a bustling Babylon.

The castle town of Gifu was bustling enough for visitors to feel its prosperity, thanks to the policy of Rakushi Rakusa, which allowed for easy and cheap trade.

Rakushi Rakusa was implemented by Nobunaga after it had been partially implemented by Imagawa Yoshimoto, Saito Dosan, and Rokkaku Shosai as a policy to promote the economy of their territories.

However, they only partially introduced it, and Nobunaga was the first to fully implement it.

In the first year of the Eiroku era (1567), he made the Kanomachi Market in Gifu Castle Town a Rakushi market, and the following year he issued the Rakusa decree. This allowed Nobunaga to eliminate vested interests in commercial transactions.

The disadvantages of vested interests had become apparent since the late Muromachi period.

When merchants started their businesses, they had to pay a fee to the temple that supervised the market. This fee granted them the right to operate their businesses.

If they did not pay the fee, armed groups would destroy their business tools and shops, and in some cases, they would commit acts of violence against the merchants and their families.

In addition, the seats had a monopoly on production and sales, and membership in the seats required shares as membership rights.

Of course, if they conducted business without obtaining these shares, armed groups would still commit acts of violence.

To eliminate this disadvantage, Nobunaga implemented Rakushi Rakusa and thoroughly cracked down on those who committed acts of violence.

Furthermore, Nobunaga also reorganized the checkpoints.

There are many misunderstandings about these checkpoints, so let me explain them first.

First, there is a difference between the checkpoints of the Edo period and those before the Edo period (Muromachi to Azuchi-Momoyama period).

The checkpoints of the Edo period were set up in strategic locations and performed inspections similar to modern immigration procedures, such as checking identification documents called “mibun aratame” (proof of identity) and inspection of checkpoint passes to pass through the checkpoints, and inspecting for the presence of dangerous goods.

By the way, the reason why it was very difficult for women to pass through the checkpoints in the Edo period was to prevent the wives and children of daimyo, who were hostages, from escaping.

Therefore, women traveling alone from Edo were definitely rejected at the checkpoints. They had to be accompanied by their parents or siblings, travel in a group including men, or have male servants with them.

In addition to the regular pass, women also needed a special pass called “o-seki-sho onna tegata”.

To obtain this, they first had to obtain a certificate from the responsible person or village head of the domain.

Then they had to take it to the town magistrate to obtain permission.

Finally, they had to submit the necessary documents to the deputy governor of the shogunate to obtain the o-seki-sho onna tegata.

However, even with the o-seki-sho onna tegata, they could not pass through without any problems.

In the Edo period, there were fifty-three checkpoints throughout the country, and seventeen of them had female inspectors called “hitomi onna” or “aratame uba” who were exclusively responsible for inspecting women.

They worked in pairs to conduct inspections, and if either of them rejected someone, even if they had the o-seki-sho onna tegata, they were not allowed to pass through the checkpoint.

Women who were rejected in this inspection had to return to Edo and obtain a new certificate from the deputy governor of the shogunate and go back to the checkpoint, which required an incredible amount of effort.

There are records of women finally passing through the checkpoint after fifteen days, indicating how strict the passage of women through the checkpoints was.

On the other hand, it is often thought that there was only one checkpoint in period dramas, but the most important checkpoint called “Hakone no Seki” had five hidden checkpoints in addition to the main checkpoint, and all of them were connected by fences.

It required tremendous effort to bypass these checkpoints, and if found, it was a serious crime punishable by death without question, so it was safer to take time and pass through the checkpoints.

On the other hand, the checkpoints before the Edo period were set up by the lords who ruled the area, not by the shogunate.

And the tolls for bringing in goods varied depending on the lord, as there was no unified toll called “sekisen”.

Originally, the sekisen was a guarantee fee (consideration) for the safe passage to the next checkpoint.

However, at some point, the lords increased the number of checkpoints as one of the taxes, and there were even 60 checkpoints within a distance of only 15 kilometers (from Kuwana in Ise to Higa).

For the problem of the Yodo River, which connects Osaka and Kyoto, there were temporarily nearly 400 checkpoints, and various sekisen were imposed.

As a result, the transportation costs for transporters and merchants skyrocketed, and the arteries of logistics became clogged.

Nobunaga stopped the proliferation of checkpoints by the shogunate, nobles, and temples and shrines, and abolished unnecessary checkpoints.

He first reorganized the checkpoints in Owari and Mino, and after successfully entering Kyoto, he reorganized the checkpoints in the Kinai region and the checkpoints in the territories influenced by Ise Province.

However, this reorganization of checkpoints may sound like the physical elimination of checkpoints, but it was not the case.

The checkpoint abolition policy simply ensured that traffic taxes were only collected in necessary places, taking into account national defense, transportation routes, transportation costs, and transportation time, and did not collect traffic taxes in unnecessary places.

Furthermore, he found fault-like reasons for the enemy’s checkpoints and forcibly abolished the traffic taxes. This not only deprived the enemy of a source of funds but also ensured that merchants and goods flowed smoothly into his territory.

In other words, Nobunaga did not eliminate or destroy vested interests, but rather enabled the Oda family to “monopolize” the existing vested interests.

Furthermore, although Rakushi Rakusa may sound like market liberalization, in the case of Gifu, it had a strong meaning of revitalizing the castle town that had been devastated by battles.

Nevertheless, it was appreciated by the merchants, and they flocked to Gifu, attracted by the words “Anyone can freely do business in Oda’s territory.”

Of course, it was not complete freedom to do anything, and there were clear rules.

In exchange for exemption from various taxes, debt forgiveness, and exemption from various labor, merchants had to strictly adhere to not engaging in forced buying, violence, quarrels, disputes, illegal occupation, and not allowing criminals into the city.

Even though they were exempt from various taxes, in order to receive public services from the Oda family, they had to pay taxes, and when setting up a shop, they had to pay a minimum guarantee deposit, and a certain amount of tax was imposed on commercial transactions, although it was lower than in other cities.

(Gifu is overflowing with goods, and people gather here and spend money. Oda’s policies are wonderful. We need to consider whether we can introduce them to our country.)

Thinking that there must be a reason for the prosperity of the regions away from the capital, he considered whether this method could be applied in his own country. However, he didn’t have much time to think. First, he had to deal with the enemies in front of him.

Frois met with Shibata and Sassa, and toured Gifu to wait for Hideyoshi to return from Owari.

When he met with Shibata, Frois was able to meet Nobunaga, but they couldn’t hold a meeting on the spot. Finally, a few days later in Gifu, Hideyoshi returned from Owari, so they took immediate action. They were able to set up a meeting with Hideyoshi.

After the consultation, Hideyoshi handed the draft brought by Frois to Nobunaga. After confirming the contents, Nobunaga called his secretary and wrote a letter to Yoshiaki and the imperial court to protect the missionaries.

Then, he gave the letter to Hideyoshi, which had the seal of “Tenka Fubu”, to protect the missionaries, and also gave Hideyoshi a letter to protect Frois, addressed to both Koremasa and Hino.

“Thank you very much for this time.”

To express his gratitude for the letter, Frois asked Shibata to arrange a meeting with Nobunaga. Perhaps Nobunaga had various thoughts, as soon as he heard the story from Shibata, he invited them to his residence.

“Don’t worry.”

Nobunaga answered with a smile. After Frois bowed his head again, he looked around and felt something strange. Shizuko, who was Nobunaga’s advisor, was not there.

Frois had always thought that she was always with Nobunaga, but when he thought about it carefully, she was often not with him when Nobunaga was in Kyoto.

“My lord, the tasting event is ready.”

“Hmm? Oh, that’s right. Frois-dono, we were planning to have a tasting event for the dishes today. Would you like to join us?”

“Is it alright?”

“Of course. It’s not Kyoto cuisine, but please enjoy the cuisine of Gifu.”

“Thank you very much. I will gladly accept your invitation.”

Nobunaga, satisfied with Frois’ words, nodded with a joyful smile.

Of course, the reason why he smiled was not because he was satisfied with Frois’ response, but because a certain plan had succeeded.

“Begin!”

At Nobunaga’s command, the sliding doors at the entrance were quietly opened.

At the forefront was Shizuko, dressed as she was when she met Frois, followed by two attendants, each carrying a tray.

When Frois saw Shizuko, he instinctively turned his face towards her, but Shizuko calmly sat in front of Nobunaga and placed the tray quietly.

“The first dish is chicken skin and green onion fried rice. It is a simple dish made by mixing chicken skin, green onion, rice, and beaten eggs and stir-frying them. Please enjoy it with this wooden spoon.”

After moving slightly to the side from Nobunaga, Shizuko cleared her throat and then explained the dish.

“Eat it with this wooden spoon… Hmm, delicious. Just by stir-frying mixed rice, the taste changes like this.”

Frois and Lorenzo also imitated them and started eating, watching Nobunaga eat with a shallow wooden spoon.

When the rice entered their mouths, Frois was surprised by the texture that made the rice grains float. Then, with each chew, he was overwhelmed by new flavors and smells, such as the fragrant smell of soy sauce and the crispy texture of chicken skin.

“Delicious.”

It may be a very common expression, but Frois couldn’t find a more accurate expression.

“Hmm, it’s not just stir-fried chicken skin. Even though there is hardly any fat in the skin, the rice has absorbed the fat and become sticky.”

Nobunaga, with a mischievous smile, asked a question while eating the fried rice.

“Your insight is impressive. When chicken skin is stir-fried, it releases a lot of oil. Normally, it would be discarded, but if you add green onions, garlic, and ginger to this oil to give it a fragrance, you can create a unique and fragrant oil called “chicken oil” (chiyu). The fried rice earlier was cooked using this chicken oil.”

“I see. You turned the oil that would normally be discarded into an oil that adds flavor to the rice. It’s a brilliant reversal of thinking.”

Nobunaga praised Shizuko with a smile. Frois felt the same way, although he didn’t express it in words.

How many people can create such a wonderful dish using leftovers? He was once again amazed by the wisdom and creativity of the head advisor.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now, let’s move on to the next dish.”

Shizuko clapped her hands lightly. This time, three attendants brought in new dishes on trays.

When the trays were placed in front of Nobunaga, Shizuko cleared her throat and then explained the dish.

“The second dish is chicken and potato stew. It is made by simmering chicken thigh meat, potatoes, onions, and shirataki noodles in a broth made from sugar, mirin, sake, soy sauce, and dashi.”

“Potatoes…? Are you talking about the ornamental potatoes?”

The person who first considered potatoes as food in Europe was King Friedrich II of Prussia.

King Friedrich II believed that potatoes were the perfect crop for promoting a strong and prosperous nation because they were resistant to cold weather, could withstand being trampled on, had a harvest yield three times that of wheat, and could be harvested whenever needed.

In 1756, he issued the Potato Decree and encouraged his subjects to cultivate potatoes.

Before potatoes were accepted as food in Europe, they were treated as ornamental flowers.

At the same time, they were also considered as “devil’s plants” because they were not mentioned in the Bible.

The same reason applies to why tomatoes were not initially accepted as food in Europe.

Therefore, for Frois, potatoes were considered as devil’s plants and he did not think of them as a material to be used for food.

“Eating sprouts or green parts of potatoes can cause stomach pain and vomiting, but if you remove them, they can be used as food.”

Potatoes belong to the nightshade family and the sprouts or green parts contain a natural toxin called solanine and chaconine (also known as kakonine).

Consuming these can cause headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

At that time, recipes for potatoes in Europe were not well-regulated, and recipes that involved consuming solanine were circulating, leading to outbreaks of poisoning.

There is also an anecdote that when Walter Raleigh presented potatoes to Queen Elizabeth, the cook mistakenly cooked the leaves and stems, causing the queen to suffer from food poisoning.

“Potatoes have a good taste and a nice texture. However, even without potatoes, taro can be used as a substitute. Gorou, please research if taro can be used as a substitute.”

“Understood.”

While listening to the conversation between Nobunaga and Shizuko, Frois had a difficult expression as he faced the potatoes in front of him.

After hesitating for about a minute, he finally put the potatoes in his mouth.

At first, Frois had a teary-eyed and disgusted expression, but gradually his face softened.

“…Delicious. I heard that potatoes were bitter and had a earthy taste, and I never thought they could be so delicious just by changing the way they are cooked.”

Forgetting his initial aversion, Frois quickly ate the chicken and potatoes, finishing them in no time.

“There is something in this sauce… um, is it soy sauce? It brings out a very good flavor.”

“I am glad that you like the soy sauce developed in our country.”

There are several theories about the origin of soy sauce, and in the early days, it was tamari soy sauce.

It is certain that it was exported outside of Japan in the 17th century, so it is undeniable that genuine soy sauce had been invented and produced by then.

That is why Nobunaga asserted that soy sauce was developed by our country, in order to leave his mark in history along with soy sauce. Even if the original soy sauce still exists somewhere, soy sauce with the Oda brand has already been distributed to the imperial court, the shogunate, and allied countries, so its name will not appear in history.

Also, another one of his favorite seasonings, “miso with dashi,” was also spread in the same way by Nobunaga.

Let’s get back to the story.

Nobunaga called his page and instructed him to bring the bottled soy sauce after it was sealed, and give it to Frois.

At that time, one of the pottery bottles (komurabottle) with the soy sauce sealed with lacquer was delivered to Portugal and ended up in the hands of Cardinal Enrico, who would later become the king of Portugal.

From then on, he loved soy sauce until his death, and not only his relatives, but also the nobles, clergy, and bureaucrats of Portugal showed their enthusiasm for soy sauce, but that is another story.

“Let’s move on to the third dish.”

On the tray, there was a large plate with chicken cutlets.

Next to it were three small plates containing tomato ketchup, grated daikon with ponzu sauce, and tartar sauce.

“This is a dish called chicken katsu, which is made by coating chicken thigh meat with breadcrumbs and frying it. It was marinated in sake, water, and soy sauce, then coated with flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs in that order. The sauces are tomato ketchup made from tomatoes, ponzu sauce with grated daikon, and tartar sauce.”

“Katsu, huh? What a good name.”

“It can also be a wordplay, meaning to win (katsu) against my weak self (chicken).”

“Hahaha! What a good meaning! I like it.”

After laughing cheerfully, Nobunaga tasted the chicken katsu with the three sauces.

Frois and Lorenzo followed suit and tasted the chicken katsu.

“It’s amazing how the taste changes depending on the sauce you put on top.”

“The texture of the breading is pleasant.”

All three dishes received positive feedback from Frois and Lorenzo, and Shizuko felt relieved inside.

In fact, the tasting event was a big lie, and the purpose was to surprise the missionaries with their own cooking. Nobunaga was particularly enthusiastic about promoting soy sauce, so he instructed Shizuko to create soy sauce dishes using ingredients that the Nanban people were not familiar with.

Shizuko noticed that potatoes were disliked, so she decided to serve chicken and potatoes, which looked like the main dish and could be easily adjusted in taste.

“With that, we conclude the tasting event for the dishes. Next, we will move on to the tasting event for the sweets.”

Along with Shizuko’s words, a tray with sweets was brought in.

However, the tray brought by the page was one size larger than the one used for the dishes earlier.

The reason was that it contained saucers with coffee cups, and a relatively large two-tiered bento box.

“What is this black liquid?”

Nobunaga tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the black liquid in the coffee cup, and asked Shizuko.

“First, please remove the lid of the bento box. Inside, there are three types of sweets.”

Following her instructions, Nobunaga and the others opened the lid of the bento box. Upon seeing the contents, Nobunaga let out an exclamation, while Frois and Lorenzo had their facial muscles stiffen.

“Starting from the left on the top tier, we have confetti, pancake with honey, and wild strawberry daifuku. On the bottom tier, from the left, we have mitarashi dango, anko donut, and yokan. The black liquid is soy coffee.”

“Soy… coffee?”

Nobunaga and the others tilted their heads in confusion at the word “coffee.” It was not surprising that Frois was unfamiliar with coffee. Coffee was considered an exotic beverage until it spread to Europe through Venetian merchants in the early 17th century.

As a result, it was hardly known to anyone other than botanists and medical professionals.

On the other hand, coffee has been enjoyed in the Islamic world since ancient times, with the cooking method for the beans being described as early as the 9th century.

“Yes. Soybeans are roasted and cooled, then ground. The ground soybeans are wrapped in cloth, and hot water is poured over them to strain, resulting in soy coffee.”

As a substitute for coffee, it may feel lacking compared to the real thing, but it is caffeine-free and has a light taste with a refreshing bitterness and a rich flavor, as well as the unique aroma of soybeans.

Furthermore, soy coffee is sometimes considered a health food due to the nutritional value of soybeans.

“Bitter… but when you drink it after eating the sweets, this bitterness becomes addictive.”

“The refreshing bitterness complements the sweetness of the sweets.”

“The combination of sweet anko and tangy wild strawberries creates an indescribable taste in the mouth.”

Nobunaga, Frois, and Lorenzo all seemed to be very pleased with the sweets and soy coffee, and despite having tasted three dishes before, they quickly finished the six sweets.

“It was delicious. However, the amount of honey on the pancake feels a bit lacking.”

Nobunaga, who enjoyed strong and salty flavors as well as sweet ones, felt that the amount of honey was insufficient.

“That is the appropriate amount.”

However, Shizuko, who expected those words to come out, immediately countered Nobunaga.

“Wouldn’t a little more be fine?”

“Please refrain from overdoing it.”

“…I guess there’s no helping it.”

“I appreciate your understanding. Excessive consumption of sweetness can be harmful to your health, so please be careful (though I have a feeling you’ll pour plenty without me knowing).”

Shizuko straightened her posture, looked at the three of them, and then bowed deeply as she said this.

“With this, the tasting event organized by someone is concluded. Thank you all for your participation.”

The meeting between Nobunaga and Frois ended in a friendly atmosphere. Frois was seen off by Nobunaga, and he returned to the inn in Gifu with Lorenzo.

“This country will surely change with Oda-dono at its center.”

“Yes. He is realizing things that we could never have imagined.”

“However, it is a surprising discovery that the Head Minister is also knowledgeable about cooking. He is not only an excellent warrior, but also a cultured person with high education.”

Frois spoke with a joyful expression. For him, everything was guided by God’s will.

Therefore, Frois believed that meeting someone like Shizuko, who was different from the norm, was a trial given to him by God.

It was a very positive way of thinking, but it could also be seen as blindly believing in everything related to God.

“Someday, when this country is under the rule of Oda-dono, I would like to invite him to our homeland. With his wisdom, he will surely provide us with answers.”

“What do you mean…?”

With Lorenzo’s words, Frois smiled and said:

“The disease that sailors fear, scurvy, and the black death that strikes our homeland and neighboring countries. Both are diseases that have undermined the authority of our church… but he must know something.”

“That… seems impossible.”

“No, he made confetti just by seeing it. He must know something that we don’t, something that is both unknown to us and yet close to the core.”

Lorenzo was skeptical, but Frois was convinced that Shizuko knew something.

It was impossible to stop someone with the wisdom equivalent to a sage from setting off on a journey.

He must have learned something, but he was seen as a threat by the ruler of the time and was expelled.

“For now, let’s present a gift to Oda-dono for today’s matter. There’s no need to rush. If we gradually get closer to him, we will naturally be able to establish a connection with the Head Minister.”

After that, Frois presented something to Nobunaga, but he immediately understood that it was beyond his control and left it to Shizuko.

“Wow, it’s huge!”

Nagayoshi let out a scream that was close to a scream. Of course, he was not the only one surprised. Keiji and Saizo also had astonished expressions. Aya seemed to be on the verge of fainting.

“Oh… this is quite a rare thing.”

Shizuko looked curiously at the large cage, which was a gift from Nobunaga. Inside the cage, there was a majestic eagle.

In Japan, there are three types of eagles: the Steller’s sea eagle, the white-tailed eagle, and the golden eagle. However, the Steller’s sea eagle is found in Hokkaido in search of salmon, and the white-tailed eagle migrates to northern Japan in winter (winter bird), so it is rare for people in the Sengoku period to see eagles other than the golden eagle.

As a side note, in Japan’s falconry, the peregrine falcon and the gyrfalcon were mainly used, with the peregrine falcon being used for small birds and the gyrfalcon being used for pheasants, ducks, and rabbits.

“It seems to be looking around restlessly. Perhaps it has become more cautious in an unfamiliar land? Shall we give it raw meat?”

As soon as she showed the raw meat, the eagle’s expression changed. It was clearly a face that was targeting prey, but it couldn’t aim due to the cage being in the way.

“Um, this… it has been trained to consider the one who feeds it as its master. It is a very friendly bird. Please take good care of it… I wonder if that’s true.”

Shizuko read the accompanying instructions, but the content was hard to believe.

However, Shizuko understood that the eagle was hungry, so she threw duck meat into the cage.

In an instant, the eagle jumped down from the perch. It used its feet to hold down the meat and made sure there were no intruders around before starting to peck at it.

It would be more accurate to say that it was tearing the meat apart rather than pecking at it.

It was a vigorous and hearty eating scene, but it was also a sign that it had been deprived of food for a long time, as Shizuko understood.

“In Japan, it’s not easy to get meat like this. (This child, like Wittmann, was forcibly taken from its birthplace and brought here due to human convenience.)”

The eagle was transported from its habitat as a chick and trained on the ship while being brought to Kyushu, Japan.

At first, the local lords were pleased with the offering, but as it grew, its appetite increased. Eventually, it consumed the amount of food that could hire a laborer for three months in just one month.

At this point, the local lords could not ignore the financial burden, and finally, they returned the eagle to the missionaries. Other daimyos had the same result, and eventually, the missionaries themselves became overwhelmed with the eagles.

The missionaries, who judged that there was no use for the eagles as offerings, pushed them onto Frois in Kyoto.

Frois, who was initially at a loss for how to handle them, thought that Nobunaga, who loved falconry, would be pleased with the eagles, so he presented them to him with a glimmer of hope.

However, Nobunaga deemed them too much for him to handle and passed them on to Shizuko as a gift.

What Frois didn’t know was that Shizuko had received an even larger eagle than the one given to her.

However, six months ago, the owner transferred the eagle from an iron cage to a wooden one.

I don’t know about Frois, but there was actually a larger eagle than the one bestowed upon Shizuko.

However, six months ago, the owner transferred the eagle from a cage made of iron to a wooden cage.

“We have plenty of meat because of the Wittmans. Adding one more eagle won’t make much of a difference.”

Nobunaga expanded his poultry farming to include chickens, ducks, geese, and recently, Muscovy ducks and quails.

He established a specialized occupation called the “Gochoshu” (Five Bird Group), which focuses on bird farming. This shows his enthusiasm.

The Gochoshu is responsible for standardizing breeding techniques, observing and studying the ecology, researching methods for generalizing and simplifying breeding, studying efficient breeding methods, and researching ways to utilize every part of the feathers, among other diverse studies.

Nobunaga believed that breeding techniques that cannot be mastered are worthless, and he thoroughly pursued standardization, generalization, and rationalization in bird farming.

Thanks to the “Food Twelve Articles” distributed during the New Year, the chicken egg industry quickly spread among the farmers in Owari and Mino, and has now developed into a major industry.

“Now, let’s try putting this one on my arm… Does anyone want to give it a try?”

Instantly, everyone shook their hands and refused. But their reaction was perfectly normal.

Compared to a large hawk, the eagle in the cage had a difference in size like that between an adult and a child. The length of its claws appeared to be over fifteen centimeters, and its total length was nearly one meter.

Although she was a little scared, Shizuko, who had a desire to have a hawk on her arm, wrapped a thick rope around her arm and put on gloves made of deer skin.

Once she was ready, Shizuko turned her face towards the eagle in the cage. As she observed the eagle closely, she realized that she recognized the eagle inside the cage.

“Is this… a Steller’s sea eagle?”

The black fan-shaped crest on its head, the fluffy feathers around its face, its total length of nearly one meter, and its claws that were close to twenty centimeters all matched the characteristics of a Steller’s sea eagle.

It could be inferred from its size that it was a large female individual, as female eagles tend to be larger than males.

“Could it be that she received it from a Native American?”

Native Americans in Central and South America captured Steller’s sea eagles and tamed them, using their crests for decoration.

It is also said that those who kept live Steller’s sea eagles were highly respected by their peers.

(Could it be that this is not the extinct eagle?)

Shizuko denied her own thoughts. However, there is no evidence in history that the eagle became extinct. It was just a speculation that it might have become extinct, and it couldn’t be denied that there was a possibility that a small number of them continued to survive.

“(Well, for now, let’s focus on the Steller’s sea eagle) Come on, here, on my arm. Good… good girl.”

Pointing to her arm, Shizuko waited for the Steller’s sea eagle to perch on it. After a while, the eagle noticed and flew out of the cage, landing on Shizuko’s arm.

Although it was not being gripped with a force of over a hundred, the weight of nearly ten kilograms was still resting on Shizuko’s arm.

“(I remember seeing on TV that falconers would give rewards) This is your reward, meat.”

Perhaps because it had been a while since it had eaten meat, the Steller’s sea eagle tore apart the duck meat with single-minded focus and ate it.

“(Maybe she won’t recognize me as her master unless I give her meat for a long time) Alright, I need to build a small house for you. The iron cage must be too small.”

Shizuko couldn’t imagine that the Steller’s sea eagle would recognize a human who simply gave her meat. She understood that if she couldn’t establish a relationship of trust with the raptor, she wouldn’t be recognized as its master.

The same goes for falconry. It is only possible because there is a strong bond of trust between the falconer and the hawk.

“Well, for now, you’ll have to endure the iron cage.”

Whether the Steller’s sea eagle understood Shizuko’s words or not, it let out a loud cry.

The animals officially owned by Shizuko are the Wittmans, the gray wolves, and the Steller’s sea eagle bestowed upon her by Nobunaga. However, the animals around her are not limited to these two species.

While the area where Shizuko resides is still being developed, mainly for infrastructure, the scale is small.

The population density is low, and since it takes several years for animal-powered land reclamation, there are still many untouched natural areas. Various wild animals have started to inhabit these areas.

Among them, several species have formed a relationship with Shizuko.

First and foremost, there are crows, which have a close relationship with agriculture. In Japan, there are two species of crows, the jungle crow and the carrion crow, and the carrion crow, which is classified as a large bird in modern Japan, is commonly seen in urban areas.

By the way, there are several major differences between the jungle crow and the carrion crow.

First, the jungle crow tends to act alone or in pairs, while the carrion crow tends to act in flocks.

Also, the jungle crow often walks on the ground, while the carrion crow is always high up except when eating or bathing.

This is because the jungle crow inhabits open areas, while the carrion crow is said to have inhabited forests.

The jungle crow is smaller than the carrion crow and often has its food stolen, but in return, they are very resourceful and have a high learning ability.

Crows that drop walnuts on pedestrian crossings to crack them open, or steal money from donation boxes to buy pigeon feed from vending machines, are usually jungle crows.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that carrion crows are less intelligent; they also have many clever anecdotes.

The carrion crows prefer plant-based food, while the jungle crows are more inclined towards animal-based food, so it was only natural for the jungle crows to claim Shizuko’s surrounding area as their territory.

At first, Shizuko tried to drive away the jungle crows to prevent damage to her crops, but after a while, she stopped doing so. It was because the jungle crows had a surprising strategy.

They thought that if they targeted crops, Shizuko would come up with countermeasures, so they switched their food source from crops to pests in the fields.

The omnivorous jungle crows also eat insects and frogs. Switching their main food source from crops to pests did not pose any problems.

By continuing to show Shizuko that they were not enemies, the jungle crows managed to eliminate her hostility towards them.

This strategy was a great success, and the flock of jungle crows successfully established their territory near Shizuko’s residence. They had unlimited access to vegetable scraps, thinned crops, and damaged crops caused by pests.

The coexistence between Shizuko and the wildlife was not limited to the jungle crows.

In the areas where Japanese loaches were being farmed, Japanese river otters settled and fed on loaches that escaped from the farms or frogs living nearby.

Furthermore, a couple of Steller’s sea eagles had settled in the mountains where Shizuko cultivated shiitake mushrooms.

They would go to Hokkaido to seek salmon from the end of summer to the beginning of winter. During other seasons, their main purpose was the Japanese loaches, and occasionally, they would go to fishing villages to get leftovers.

In areas where sericulture was active or grain was stored, numerous Japanese cats settled.

As soon as Shizuko learned about this, she immediately put up a wooden sign that said “Do not tie cats with collars.”

This was because many cat owners used to tie their cats with collars to prevent them from getting lost.

Although the cat owners initially expressed dissatisfaction with the ban, after the period when it was strictly enforced, the damage caused by rats visibly decreased.

Seeing the results, the cat owners understood that tying cats with collars hindered their role of exterminating rats, and they apologized to Shizuko for protesting against the ban.

The environment where humans and animals coexist is home to many creatures, large and small. And within that environment, a cycle is formed, completing the ecological pyramid.

Therefore, it was natural for various wild animals to gather around Shizuko.

“But that doesn’t mean I want stray dogs around here.”

However, among the wild animals, there are also unwelcome guests. The most problematic animal among them is the stray dog.

The weasel is also considered a pest like the stray dog, but weasels do not inhabit areas where large raptors live.

Deer, although considered pests in modern Japan for damaging crops, are more of a problem animal that destroys the mountain environment due to the presence of many carnivorous animals in the vicinity of Shizuko’s residence.

“I think it’s around here.”

Shizuko, accompanied by Kaiser and the others, moved to the area where the stray dogs had invaded.

For Kaiser and the others, it would be ideal to eliminate the stray dogs as a show of force, but Shizuko didn’t want to shed any unnecessary blood, even if they were stray dogs.

However, maintaining control over the territory was a necessary task for Shizuko. If she neglected it, the Wittmans would not feel safe.

So she quickly decided to eliminate the leader of the pack of stray dogs, who was in charge of the territory.

By doing this, Shizuko would show the Wittmans that she was reliable and could also subdue the pack of stray dogs.

It would be best if there were no casualties, but if they didn’t fight, they would lose their territory. And if the stray dogs took over the territory, it would cause a great deal of trouble for the surrounding area.

As the owner of the Wittmans, Shizuko had a responsibility to protect the territory.

However, instead of imposing the logic of the strong on the stray dogs and killing the leader, she wanted to make sure that their sacrifice was not in vain.

She respectfully buried the leader and, after removing ticks and fleas from the remaining stray dogs, conducted various health checks and trained them to be guard dogs and messenger dogs.

“Now, this should be the area… Oh?”

Holding a compound bow and being vigilant of her surroundings, Shizuko noticed a pack of stray dogs. However, they were not paying attention to her and were focused on something under a tree.

But their attention was minimal. As soon as they noticed Shizuko’s scent, the stray dogs became alert and started growling in warning.

One dog, accompanied by the pack of stray dogs, stood out as the leader. Shizuko realized this. As she took an arrow out of the quiver, stray dogs started appearing one after another from the surrounding bushes.

However, Shizuko felt no fear. She stroked her reliable guards who were right beside her and briefly gave instructions while nocking an arrow.

“Kaiser, König, please guard the front and rear. Adelheid, Ritter, Lutz, guard the left and right. Let’s finish this in one shot.”

Instantly, Kaiser and the others roared fiercely.

Shizuko had five gray wolves, while the pack of stray dogs had nearly thirty. In terms of numbers, they were at a significant disadvantage, but Kaiser and the others had a larger body size than large dogs, and above all, their fighting spirit was different.

Overwhelmed by their momentum, the stray dogs lowered their heads and flattened their ears towards their heads. Seeing this, the leader barked at the frightened dogs, trying to encourage them, but the surrounding stray dogs turned towards him and started barking.

(He looked away!)

Shizuko didn’t miss the moment when the leader’s attention shifted from her to his subordinates. She released the arrow she had been nocking, aiming for the leader’s head.

The leader noticed the sound of the arrow being released, but in a state where he had turned his gaze away from Shizuko, he couldn’t deal with the compound bow arrow that traveled at over 100 meters per second.

The leader, with an arrow through his head, fell to the ground, bleeding. After twitching slightly, he died without uttering a single groan.

From there, things moved quickly. With the death of the pack’s leader, the stray dogs lost their will to resist and lay on their backs, showing submission to Shizuko.

“Lutz, deliver a letter to Aya-chan. Adelheid and Ritter, line up the stray dogs. Kaiser and König, please continue to guard the surroundings for now.”

Even without a dog whistle, Kaiser and the others seemed to understand Shizuko’s words, as they each fulfilled their roles.

Lutz ran off to deliver the letter to Aya, while Adelheid and Ritter barked orders at the stray dogs. Shizuko went to the place that had caught the stray dogs’ interest. As she moved closer to the tree, she understood what had caught their attention.

“…An owl?”

Under the tree was a baby owl. However, its feathers were dirty and its movements were sluggish, indicating that it was in a weakened state.

Furthermore, she could hear the cries of two baby owls from the tree, indicating that there were at least two baby owls.

When she climbed the tree to check the nest, she found another baby owl on the verge of death.

There were no traces of the parents, so it was either that the parents abandoned the chicks for some reason, or they died due to injury or illness.

“Can’t be helped. Now that I’ve seen them, I can’t just ignore them.”

Shizuko carried the two baby owls and their nest back home and set up a shelter for them. Of course, she would later come to know that they were not ordinary owls.

LE