NOVEL WEB Chapter 216.1
Chapter 216.1. Miyoshi Nagayoshi
Miyoshi Nagayoshi is the head of a powerful family in the inner town. Skilled in politics and possessing military strength, he was a major figure who stood shoulder to shoulder with what are now known as the Three Great Houses during the coup nearly 20 years ago.
He was—past tense. Much to his irritation.
In the hall where the soirée is being held, Nagayoshi glares at the girl at the center of the party, finding her presence irksome. Why is such a lowly girl, whose background is unknown, able to smile confidently and act with such poise at a soirée attended by the inner town’s upper class?
Shouldn’t she be savoring the honor of attending and shrinking back against the wall, overwhelmed with nervousness?
Despite his dwindling entourage, Nagayoshi grits his teeth. A year ago, he was number four. Watching for opportunities with a keen eye, he was determined never to miss a chance to surpass the Three Great Houses. He had that kind of power.
He had power. A large faction. Even the Three Great Houses couldn’t easily interfere with the Miyoshi family. But since the Yukihana Incident, they’ve been losing power. Lending some support to the Wada family, taking the fall for the helicopter attack… they’ve lost considerable strength over time.
Meanwhile, the little girl from Kamishiro has been making moves, buying out several high-profit companies. On the other hand, the Three Great Houses have been gaining power with crops, skill potions, and crystals from Amatsugahara Corporation.
Relatively speaking, the gap between the Three Great Houses and the Miyoshi family, along with other families, has widened considerably. Nagayoshi suspects it’s a conspiracy by the Three Great Houses.
This situation is extremely unfavorable. He never imagined the gap would widen this much.
But if he thinks about reclaiming it, it’s possible to regain what was lost. There are other problems as well.
It’s only been a little over 20 years. None of the families can yet be called a distinguished family with a glorious legacy. After all, they are families that rose to power through a coup.
“That’s why… we must protect our family, create history, become a distinguished family, and conduct ourselves as the rulers of Japan… Yet here we are, groveling before these upstarts. Shameless fools!”
When someone with some power appears, they fawn over them. If they were from the inner town, it might be tolerable. But to fawn over people from the abandoned town, or whose origins are unknown, is to prove that they are upstarts themselves.
It takes generations, wealth, power, and military strength to finally begin to be called a distinguished family. They are about to nullify all that here.
Once they become a distinguished family, they gain dignity. People’s perception of them changes. They can acquire a certain degree of trust and respect without much effort. What they have slowly started to acquire over these 20 years, they are now about to nullify. This frustrates Nagayoshi.
Moreover, the Three Great Houses are taking the lead in fostering this. If it were the Three Great Houses, they should seize the suspicious people’s technology with dignity, but instead, they seem to be taking a subservient attitude.
He recalls the conversation with the old raccoon from the Ashikaga and the witch from the Taira earlier.
Their gaze said it all, questioning what he was saying. They clearly didn’t understand Nagayoshi’s feelings.
Blinded by immediate profits, they couldn’t see the future vision. They were that foolish. He laughed through his nose and walked away.
If they had shown even a little understanding of his story, there might have been room for discussion. They should demonstrate the power of the inner town. They should seize the special zone of Amatsugahara Corporation…
Feeling a dizzy spell and fatigue, he shakes his head.
“I must be tired. I’m the only one thinking about Japan… yes.”
Muttering to himself, he looks at the girl again.
“Oh, did Hijiri-sama acquire such a plant?”
“I see, with such an item, future dungeon strategies can be entrusted to the public!”
“Please, do business with our company. No, let’s establish a future relationship.”
“A joint venture with Amatsugahara Corporation? If you’d like, we can assist financially.”
The crowd became noisy. Looking closer, Hijiri Sei, dressed in a pure white robe like a saint, had joined them. Did something happen?
Even those who had been watching from a distance and the Ashikaga seemed interested and joined the group. Nagayoshi looked at the scene with disdain, comparing it to a moth drawn to a flame.
They are moths drawn to the scent of money, unaware that the scent is poisonous.
The glittering world appears faded. The memories of enjoying such parties, realizing they were the rulers of Japan, turned monochrome and left only sadness.
“Shall I go home…”
With a sad sigh, losing interest in the world, Nagayoshi turned his back on the party and left for home.
Despite losing some power, the Miyoshi family is still a giant corporation. They are not on a path of downfall due to significant deficits. Many departments are running soundly and generating profits.
Thinking about their financial power, he walked through the mansion built on vast grounds.
The hallway of the mansion was too wide. The doors along the walls were spaced out, and expensive vases and paintings were lined up without hesitation.
Even the hallway was like this. The scene before him taught him what it meant to possess wealth. That’s why his frustration grew.
In his youth, it wasn’t like this. When he was in the Self-Defense Forces, his annual income was certainly good, but he couldn’t afford even one of the furnishings in this hallway. The gap between him and the wealthy was stark.
There are countless people with lower annual incomes than him. No, his annual income was significantly higher than the average, but that was it. Looking up, it was clear that a Self-Defense Force member could not establish a large corporation, and his burning ambition would only consume him.