The Five Pioneer Villages

[Core Room]

"Master, Tsuji Bunzō-dono, a relative of Kishi Harima-no-suke-dono, has arrived. Kinran is presently setting to work on building Tsuji Village. Also, on Echizen-ya's introduction, the Kisai Party and the Noyo Party have migrated here. And on top of that, the Mamushi clan of the Tan Party has come as well, so together with Senba Village, opened the other day, we now have villages set up along all five highways, each a day's journey out, at the ten-ri mark."

"Marie-san, what kind of warrior band is each of them?"

"First, the Tsuji clan. Relatives of Kishi Harima-no-suke-dono. Their fief will be placed ten ri to the southeast, beyond Kishi Village. Going forward, the Nishi clan and the Kanae clan are slated to come as well."

"That was toward Sō, wasn't it."

"It's the second direction we're improving a highway for, after the Iruma route. As things stand, the way from Sō is a long detour via Fuchū, but once it's finished the travel time should drop by about five days, to eight."

"The envoy did cut straight across the desert, but the desert is rough going for an ordinary traveler."

"Next, the Noyo Party. A warrior band that once had its base a little to the north of the library-city dungeon, driven from its homeland and scattered by a calamity of long ago. Incidentally, despite the name, they are neither the ruling party nor the opposition. Their fief is ten ri to the east, in the direction of Oda Castle. Anne is in charge. It happens to lie just on the near side of the dry valley by the 'Ruins of the Rocky Mountain,' thought to be the remains of a collapsed dungeon, so in time we'll hire adventurers to explore it."

"It'd be nice if they found something."

"The Kisai Party was likewise a warrior band that once had its base far to the north of the library-city dungeon, and likewise lost its homeland in the calamity. Their fief is ten ri to the northeast. Farigole is in charge. It's toward Nasu-Shiobara, but Nasu-Shiobara is so far off it lies beyond the horizon even from Tier-Group 3, so there are no plans to explore it any time soon."

"It's nothing but desert all the way out there, so a low priority is fine."

"Last, the Mamushi clan of the Tan Party. They also write the name with the characters for 'Tajihi.' A branch family closely related to the head house of the Tan Party. Their fief is to the northwest, ten ri toward Ke. Rāja is in charge. Since the Tan Party is based in a region near Ke, they should be able to count on aid from the head house, though not to the degree the Senba clan of the Murayama Party can."

"Is Scarlet being taken off her assignment, then?"

"No, we've only laid down a provisional highway, so she'll keep handling the west."

"And do we look likely to find out the cause of the food shortage?"

"According to Echizen-ya, purchase orders are coming in across a fairly wide area in the direction of Sō, and prices are climbing."

"Looks like Okamoto Shuyu-no-kami-dono failed to talk Kazusa-no-suke-dono around."

"No. Kōnodai in Sō is within the dungeon's field of view, and we see no mobilization or stockpiling of supplies there. Around Chiba Castle it's near the horizon and hard to make out, so there's a chance they're stockpiling there, but most likely the odds of Sō attacking us are low."

"Are they going to go to war with Awa to the south, or something?"

"It's possible. Their relations with Musashi are good, there's no room for an outward campaign to the east, and this dungeon will never invade them, so Sō can attack Awa without worrying about its rear. And beyond Awa is a vast desert, so if Sō destroys Awa, it'll be free of any worry about outside foes."

"You'd think they'd at least wait a few years, until we can sell them all the rice they want from here."

"There's such a thing as timing, after all."