Earth With Dungeon: Saving the World With an Economic Boom

Chapter 174. Oda Family

A spacious wooden-floored dojo. In this sacred place where one trains day and night to master martial arts, a young girl was earnestly swinging her sword. Not a wooden sword, nor a bamboo one, nor a blunted blade. She swung a Japanese sword, radiating a sharp gleam.

With fox ears and a fox tail, the girl scattered sparkling beads of sweat as her breaths were sharp. She wore a gi, and between the elegance of a beautiful woman and a lovely girl, she was an eighteen-year-old young lady.

She swung the sword like a dance, with sliding steps. Lightly from right to left, sharp yet graceful, making swooshing sounds, from diagonal slashes to horizontal cuts, lifting from below as if scooping up, then stopping precisely with a strong step and a downward swing from a high stance.

“Wow~”

“Beautiful!”

“As expected of Sword Saint Yoko-sama.”

The others clad in gi who were observed by the wall applauded enthusiastically.

Someone approached and handed her a towel, which she accepted to wipe off her sweat.

“That was a splendid sword dance. Everyone will be inspired by your presence and strive even harder in their training. You truly are a Sword Saint.”

“I see. If it encourages everyone, then it’s good.”

With a dignified demeanor and a warrior-like tone, the girl stood, eliciting excited cheers from the women in gi.

Smiling faintly at their excitement, Yoko caught her breath.

Oda Yoko. The eldest daughter of the influential Oda family of the inner city, and the sole successor. A girl with the skills [Fox Transformation] and [Sword Saint].

[Fox Transformation] was somewhat rare but a fairly heard-of skill. It turned one into a fox-like beast person, skilled in magic such as sorcery.

The problem lay with the [Sword Saint] skill. A unique skill, making one a master of swordsmanship. There had been one in the past, known for effortlessly cutting down even large demons with a single stroke. With this powerful skill, Yoko garnered the attention of the people, especially after the death of Ashikaga Teru, who held the title of [Warrior King].

Moreover, she was a girl who had been diligently training in dungeons to raise her skills stoically.

In this dojo, no one could rival Yoko. Such was the reputation of the Sword Saint skill.

In this era of Core Stores, those with high-level skills were more highly regarded than ever, thus Yoko was looked upon with envy and respect by all.

Furthermore, Yoko also managed the duties as the next head of the Oda family. Moreover, in the inner town where warriors conducted honest dealings, she was renowned for her trustworthiness, befitting a warrior. And she was a beauty, to boot.

Because of this, she was popular among women of the same age, and there was no shortage of suitors among men.

As Yoko looked kindly at the bustling crowd, a maid in a maid outfit entered the dojo.

“Miss, the master requests your presence. Please come quickly,” she said.

“I see. Understood. Tell them I’ll be there shortly.”

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Yoko replied, and the maid bowed before leaving. Watching her depart, Yoko headed to the changing room to change her clothes.

“Continue practicing with everyone. That’s all for now.”

“Yes!”

Everyone replied in unison.

Yoko changed her clothes and headed to see the master. The Oda family was a simple and sturdy warrior household. As she walked briskly through the spacious wooden-floored hallway, Yoko suddenly stopped.

“Kato Shoko, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s me.”

With a casual tone, the sliding door opened, and a red-haired girl emerged. Appearing nonchalantly with her hands behind her back was Kato Shoko. A woman famous for her exceptional skills in illusion magic, renowned even in the underworld for her danger.

“How did it go?”

With a glint in her eyes not shown to others, Yoko asked, and Shoko shrugged with a smirk.

“No good.”

“No good? You failed? Was there nothing at Amano Sakimmori’s house? Did you not find anyone from the Jester Knights or know any members from any other households?”

To Yoko’s surprise at Shoko’s unexpected reply, Shoko smiled, tilting her mouth.

“Oh, I couldn’t even make it to the top floor. I was treated like a fool by Ohki I thought was a decoy.”

“Is that so? You got treated as a fool?”

“Yeah, that’s right. In that building, someone was hiding their strength and always pretending to be a fool. There might be many others hiding as well.”

Hearing her reply, Yoko stared at Shoko intently. She thought she was joking, but Shoko’s eyes, which were laughing slyly, were as serious as they could be, and there was no hint of jesting.

“Did you encounter a member of the Jester Knights?”

“Yeah~. That skill was undoubtedly that of a member of the Clown Knights. He didn’t pay any attention to me.”

“Is that so… understood? Thank you for your efforts. You’ll receive only the upfront payment as compensation. Well then, there may be another time when I rely on you.”

Amatsugahara Corporation might be more troublesome than expected, Yoko clicked her tongue, furrowing her brow.

“You don’t look like a princess who performs honest, righteous, and beautiful deeds, Yoko.”

“It’s because you know my true nature. Besides, anyone who doesn’t know my true nature is trash. There’s no need to care.”

With a mocking laugh, Yoko waved her hand, and as she began to walk again, Shoko, seeing her off, shook her head and left.

Upon arriving at the master’s room, Yoko called out and entered with his permission.

“Father, I have come as requested.”

“Ah, sit down. I’ve been waiting.”

Inside the room, a mediocre-looking middle-aged man sat cross-legged, reading a newspaper. He didn’t exude much intimidation. If one saw him, they wouldn’t think he was one of the most powerful figures among the authorities. He was such an ordinary man.

However, appearances could be deceiving.

He may appear unassuming, but Yoko knows him to be a cunning man, akin to tar boiled down in a kettle. Oda Nobuhiro. Despite being of the Oda lineage, he doesn’t take the name Nobunaga but instead goes by Nobuhiro, which speaks volumes about this man’s twisted nature.

Showing a hint of irritation, Nobuhiro tossed the newspaper to Yoko. “Take a look at that newspaper, Yoko.”

“I’ve already read it. But if you insist, I’ll read it again.”

Taking the newspaper, Yoko pretended to sniff as she read.

“The foolish Oda family. Should they rename themselves to Akechi? Will it all end in a flash in the pan?”

“That’s one way to put it, but it concerns Amatsugahara Corporation.”

Though she found it tiresome to exchange barbs, Yoko voiced her thoughts.

“The Ashikaga clan has discovered a survivor’s base in the northeastern part of Kanto. A survivor’s base after ten years! They were armed and had an exclusive base. Considering the survival history of the survivors, their pitiful base will be treated as a special autonomous zone, and we’ve decided to observe and negotiate for a while.”

It was written as a sensational headline in the newspaper. A photo showed a large man wearing camouflage paint on his face, a necklace with fangs around his neck, and wearing a fur hat while holding a wooden stick. It was labeled as Survivor T. Yoko couldn’t help but chuckle at the somewhat frivolous portrayal of the hard-working survivors.

“Such a wonderful photo and article. Everyone must feel pity.”

Yoko chuckled, earning a narrowed gaze from Nobuhiro as he crossed his arms.

“No need for sarcasm. The influential will be convinced that our dealings with Ghosts have changed.”

Ghosts was a euphemism for the gangs in the abandoned town. Given the blatant increase in the size of the bases in the northeastern abandoned town, even ordinary people should think that the inner city was finally taking action.

“Turning it into a heroic tale, Ashikaga is quite clever. They discover a survivor’s base, and Ashikaga, Minamoto, and Taira visit the base for negotiations. It means the other families are to stay out?”

“Exactly. And in recognition of finding the base, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu assumes command. Where did my command go?”

“All three families agreed to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu assuming command. Even crows are white, Father.”

It was unexpected. Father was supposed to ascend to command. And he was supposed to control the air force.

The Ashikaga clan was supposed to suffer greatly from needless battles with Amano Sakimori and decline.

“It seems we’ve lost to the Ashikaga’s foxes, Father.”

“It’s frustrating, but as you say. They anticipated aerial combat. It seems the Miyoshi clan will also be crushed. Despite being backroom deals, all three families showed displeasure. Even if those three families are temporary allies, to see them collaborate.”

Resting his chin on his hand, Nobuhiro frowned, and Yoko’s face also grew stern.

“We underestimated Amano Sakimori’s power.”

“That’s right. Nitta should doubt our dealings with this situation. This just solidifies the foundation of the three families of the inner town. Originally, I was supposed to be celebrating my promotion to command. But it seems that won’t happen.”

With a deep sigh, Nobuhiro muttered to himself.

“If Nitta and Oda had joined forces, it would have been tantamount to seizing Japan… But… Oh well. We missed the opportunity this time. Let’s wait and see for now.”

“Just wait and see?”

“The three families are wary of the Oda family. Ashikaga shouldn’t have been there. So the weak Oda family should shrink quietly and disappear while inciting the Taira and Minamoto families to be the top two. But things didn’t go as planned. We can’t attract any more attention.”

If things went well, the power of the Taira and Minamoto families would decline over the next few years, and the Oda family would rise. It would have been easy to incite conflict with only two families remaining. But the plan was now in tatters.

Therefore, it’s time to wait and see. Nobuhiro pondered that he would have to devise a new plan.

“Yoko, go to Narashino. You must explain to Nitta. And we must discuss what to do next.”

“Understood. If necessary?”

Placing both hands on the tatami mat, Yoko asked Nobuhiro with a sharp gaze, and he nodded solemnly.

“Yes, if you can obtain it, then do so without hesitation.”

“Understood. I, Yoko Oda, shall obey the orders of the head.”

With a satisfied expression, Nobuhiro watched Yoko bow.

“The power of Core Stores… It seems that Narashino’s scientific technology is almost unraveling its secrets.”

“But… Is Narashino really on the verge of understanding the power of Core Stores?”

“It’s natural to be skeptical. But they’ve already analyzed the power of Core Stores and unleashed the power of the World Tree. And they’ve developed this using that power.”

From his pocket, Nobuhiro took out a small gem and tossed it to Yoko. Yoko took the gem and looked at it curiously. It was a small crystal. A thin red crystal.

“They call this crystal the Spirit Stone of Spring. Try imbuing it with mana.”

Nodding at Nobuhiro’s words, Yoko infused the crystal with power, and it transformed into a faint pink blob in the shape of a person, emitting a soft light.

“Is this… the source of Narashino’s confidence?”

“That’s right. They call it a Spirit Machine. It seems to be a confidential technology for now, but apparently, they’ve managed to operate the machine that creates this.”

“I see. Understood. Shall I bring along a skilled technician?”

Smirking faintly as she looked at the floating spirit machine-like object in front of her.

“Leave it to Yoko, the sorceress. I’m sure I’ll show results.”

Standing up straight, Yoko flipped her body and prepared to head to Narashino.