The Third Wave of Settlers

[Tier-Group 4, First-Floor Reception Room]

From Kasumigaseki arrived the knights' families, their menservants, the whole retinue of the clan. Since the numbers were considerable, Marie and the Knight Commander conferred about the new village.

"Secretary-General-dono, from what I have seen, there is no trouble on the western, Iruma side. To the east it is thirty or forty ri of empty land, far too distant for pirates to reach. That leaves the danger along the Nakayama road, which runs from the northwest down to the southeast."

"The northwest, then. Pirates like the Hiki nearly always come from that direction."

"No, in the long run it is the southeast that is dangerous, toward Kōnodai in the neighboring country. As for the northwest, with your abilities, Secretary-General-dono, the whole of Adachi to its very edge will soon be pacified."

"The southeast? But the edge of Adachi is some five or six ri off in that direction. Too far."

"Not so far as that. From here, southeast, about two ri off, there is a stretch of land where I should like to place 'Kishi Village.' Two ri, and one can ride to its aid at once."

"Even two ri is outside the sphere of influence, though."

"Bah, you needn't spread it out evenly in every direction, surely."

"I'll do my best, then. Two ri, you say. That would be around where the Nakayama road comes down off the plateau."

"Just so. I went and had a look myself. The view is good, and it seems a fine spot for a base. Water can be drawn there from here along the plateau, too."

"Two ri is far, all the same. Though it's a mercy there's no valley in between."

"Once the Nakayama road is running again, I want to put a post station behind Kishi Village, fortify the rim of the plateau, and so be ready for anything from the southeast. I also intend to lay out pasture and keep horses. Horses that won't go calling me 'old man.'"

The Knight Commander was holding a grudge.

"Harima-no-suke-dono, if we're to build Kishi Village, then the Nakayama road will have to be put in order for two or three ri as well. Whether we go on restoring it from there to the southwestern border, or give priority to the Toshima direction in the south, we can decide when the time comes."

[Core Room]

That same day, at that same hour, the Master was receiving a report from Anne about the migrants.

"Settlers are trickling in from the north of the country, from Hara, Obusuma, and Naka. Migrants from outside the country, as you'd expect, are still only Haruna-san."

"Are the settlers coming by way of Iruma, or down the Nakayama Highway?"

"By way of Iruma. The Nakayama road is some hundred kilometers of uninhabited land both to the northwest and the southeast, so it would be hard going for travelers."

"If the highway were properly maintained, it'd be a three-day journey, I suppose. It's six or eight ri to the edge of Adachi, so we'd need a post station even beyond that. But how would we keep it running?"

"If a knight order were stationed at each post station, to guard the station while also putting down pirates."

"Doesn't seem possible at the moment. Miss Maid, show the settlers to their rooms, would you?"

"It's Anne. Couldn't you finally try to remember my name?"

"My apologies."

At this time, neither Marie nor the Knight Commander knew that far to the east of the Library-City Dungeon, beyond the neighboring country of Sō and farther still, an expeditionary army with its eye on this land was being mustered.

In the Chinese-speaking world 中山 is read "Zhongshan," but since it stands for Sun Yat-sen, reading it "Sonbun" the way Commander Kishi does isn't wrong either. There are Zhongshan Parks and Zhongshan Roads all over the place.