An Envoy from the Oda Clan? Pays a Visit

[6 km East of the Dungeon, the Dry Valley "Ayasegawa"]

"From here on lies the sphere of influence of the Library-City Dungeon. Your name and your business, if you please."

So Anne the maid asked of the young warrior.

"Oda Ukyō-no-suke Fujiwara Nobuharu. After that toad of Tsukuba, my father's foe, marched upon this place, there seemed to have been some upheaval, so thinking the toad might have been beaten, I hurried here myself."

Oda Nobuharu dismounted to answer.

"I shall confirm it with the Dungeon Master, so kindly wait a moment."

[Core Room]

"Oda, you say! Now who was Nobuharu… I feel there was an Oda Nobuharu among Oda Nobunaga's kin…"

The Dungeon Master grew a touch excited. For the record, there was indeed an Oda Nobuharu who was Oda Nobunaga's younger brother, but, of course, a different person entirely.

"I really can't tell whether this world is the Edo period or the Warring States period. Though, then again, there were several Oda-clan daimyo even in the Edo period."

"In the old days there were no wanted posters and no DNA testing, and ordinarily, even when they speak of wiping out a whole house, complete extermination is difficult. The only one truly stamped out was the Hashiba house, I suppose. Among the famous cases, anyway."

"And in Japan it's fairly common for parent and child, or brothers, to stand in opposing camps. I myself will slaughter my enemies to the last, but barring Pretas, I've no intention of killing even those who aren't enemies."

"Ah, Saigō Tsugumichi, the racehorse owner who was also a jockey, was Saigō Takamori's younger brother. That sort of thing."

"If you mean that one, surely he was an admiral of the fleet or thereabouts. A jockey, I think, would not turn up in any textbook."

"In any case, let's have this Oda whatsit come on through. We can't very well invite him into the Core Room, naturally (no outsiders are admitted, by our unique law), but a video conference, that we can manage."

"After the conference. For today, let's have him rest at his leisure."

[6 km East of the Dungeon, the Dry Valley "Ayasegawa"]

"The Dungeon Master has granted permission. Please, pass through."

Anne pointed Oda Nobuharu the way to the dungeon.

[2 km East of the Dungeon, the Dry Valley "Shibakawa"]

A bridge ran straight across the valley, leading on toward the castle gate ahead.

"The toad, where in the world did it vanish to?"

He had passed no fleeing remnants on the road from Oda Castle, and as Oda Ukyō-no-suke looked about him, there was no sign whatsoever that any battle had taken place.

[East Gate of the Dungeon: Higashimachi]

"Welcome to the Library-City Dungeon, Lord Oda Ukyō-no-suke. I am Marie, this dungeon's Secretary-General and its representative in outside affairs."

"Pray tell, the toad, that is, Tsukuba Naiyaku-no-jō, where did he go?"

"Your father's foe, was he. We burned the toad to ash. We hadn't the leisure, I'm afraid, to take him alive and press him into a mirror-lined box."

Even had he been a frog-beastfolk, toad-oil could not be harvested by that method. And in any case Tsukuba Naiyaku-no-jō was, as a race, a human.

"I am much obliged."

"Just now, envoys from Musashi, Ke, and Sō are here, and we'll be discussing this dungeon's policy going forward. We'd like to hear the East's opinion as well, so would you care to sit in?"

"If I may be permitted, by all means."

The Master and Marie are both convinced the man is an "Oda" (織田) of the great house, and haven't noticed he is in fact an "Oda" (小田) of the lesser, "small-field" sort.