Soregashi Kojiki ni Arazu 4

SOREGASHI KOJIKI NI ARAZU #4

tl by molokidan

117)
1: With a Large Cannon In My Arms

118)
1: What?!

119)
1: Sekiyama Genzaemon will be wedded to my elder sister and become the new head of this house?!
2: Is this the truth, father?!
3: Danzou...
4: Our family, the Kaoku house, is not a family of swordsmen, but of cannoneers!
5: If a man in our family cannot hold and fire a 30kg cannon in his arms, even he is a legitimate child, he cannot go on to take over the house!
6: No matter what, father!?
7: Enough already!

120)
1: For a man like you who can only fire a 10kg cannon,
2: succession of this house is absolutely impossible! You're far too weak!
3: Are these foolish things really all you can say...?
4: What?!
5: Father!
6: Do you know what the other cannoneers of this world are saying about embrace firers like us?!
7: That we foolishly boast of our strength only to shock the public, while we have no concept of the reality of true warfare! They consider our skill no different than that of a cannoneer in a sideshow! They say we cannot be put to use in real battle! That our technique is not the technique of a true cannoneer!

121)
1: You wretch!
2: You shame your father!
3: Are the voices of the world more important than that of the one who brought you into this life?!
4: I don't want to see your face anymore.
5: Get out!

122)
1: Yahei, bring me my cannon!
2: Nuu!
3: Y-yes, here it is, sir!
4: Hnnn!

124)
1: This is nothing!
2: Muuu!
3: Hnnnnnnn~

125)
1(2b): So, you're saying unless you can shoot a 30kg cannon...hmmm...
2: But, if that is the destiny of a man born into a family of cannoneers...
3: then you should accomplish this task. Just like you fervently studied swordsmanship here at my dojo, you should switch over to practicing how to fire that 30kg cannon. Why don't you?
4: Sensei,
5: I would like you to think about just what a 30kg cannon means.
6: It's a large cannon that is usually meant to be propped up on a rock and shot -- that allows the full force of the weapon to be released.
7: The inner diameter was no different from other small cannons, but after the war ended and the Kanei Period began, new technology in gunmaking allowed extra size to be added to the outside of the cannon.
8: That's when the art of embracing this cannon and firing it was born. In time, it soon became a proud test of strength for the strongest men in country villages.

126)
1: 10kg cannons that fire 10kg balls (27m2) are light enough that even normal men could carry and fire them, so they are acknowledged for their convenience,
2: but if a cannon is made any heavier it becomes impossible for one to fire unless they are an advanced cannoneer. Still worse, even if one does possess great technique, unless they are a man of beastly strength, firing a 30kg cannon is completely out of the question.
3: The recoil and shock from firing such a heavy object will throw most men to the ground. It is no easy task...
4: This cannon is quite inferior to others when it comes to accessibility and speed, and so it gradually became something used solely for entertainment purposes.
5: No surprise there...
6: A large cannon of 25kg, if used in battle, has no more destructive power than 10 modern rifles,
7: and yet my father insists on a cannon even larger than that, at 30 kg! I simply cannot understand his logic.
8: Sensei,
9: must I truly master the art of firing a 30kg cannon like my father has ordered?
10: To be honest, I do not understand your father's intents.

127)
1: I knew it! I don't understand them at all either!
2: However...your father is no average man. He is a teacher of cannoneering.
3: He must have some reason for this, and you should fulfill his wishes, no matter what.
4: Huh?
5: Yes...
6: In any case...if father truly has some hidden motives fo doing this...I cannot dedicate myself to such a task without knowing them...

128)
sign: Kaoku
sfx: tap
1: Danzou?
2: Say hello do Sekiyama Genzaemon, soon to be your brother-in-law.

129)
1: I have heard heard many great things about you from your father...
2: We should have the ceremony as soon as possible. I've already taken off work for half a year, and cannot continue doing so. How does next month sound, Genzaemon?
3: Yes, sir...as long as nothing gets in my way...
4: That settles things, then. We'll do it on the third!
5: I beg permission to be dismissed...
6: Don't worry about it.
7: It's the fate of this house.

130)
1: Sekiyama Genzaemon
2: sealed his marriage with Danzou's older sister, Tae,
3: and was allowed to take control of the family headship...
4: He first left for work as the new leader of the Kaoku house 20 days later.

132)
sfx: bah!
sfx: byuuuuh

133)
1: I just can't wrap my mind around that 30kg...
2: Just sounds to me like your father's sickness has driven him a little mad.
3: It looks like you'll be confined to living under a brother-in-law for the rest of your life now.
4: What are you going to do, Kaoku...?
5(3b): I don't think you need to think over this anymore -- the answer seems pretty clear to me. You never personally liked cannons, did you, Kaoku? Not to mention you're always going on about how large cannons are useless. Now, your father, knowing that there was no way someone with doubts toward cannoneering like you would be willing to fire such a heavy object, went around you and got a different successor. If you look at it that way, he relieved you of the responsibility. Do you see what I'm saying, Kaoku...?
6: You should just leave this Kaoku house to its new head and create a new line of Kaoku dedicated to swordsmanship!
7: I know you can do it, Kaoku. How does that sound...?
8: Yes, you know, he may have a point.
9: I too believe Kaoku is a man of the sword.
10(3b): Us men of Japan originally used only bows and arrows, it's not in our natures to take on barbarian weapons. That's right, cannons are barbarian weapons! They can't possibly mesh with the soul of samurai! Absolutely! Some people even say that if you're too inclined toward barbarian weaponry, you'll lose your warrior spirit.
11: That's it!

134)
1: But the real problem here is unbalance...
2: That's right. We can't overlook the strength of pistols, after all.
3: But truthfully, pistols are the tools of cowards. They aren't weapons meant to be filled with blood, sweat, and effort like swords are.
4: I'm going home.
5: Did we say something wrong?
6: I don't think so...

135)
1: Sir Genzaemon...
2: I would like to hear your honest opinion on large cannons...
3: In contrast to the intense amount of work and training it takes to be able to fire a 25kg cannon, due to its weight, it has been deemed impractical for use in battle.
4: In spite of this, I have no idea as to the practicality of the extra large 30kg cannon of which my father insists on mastery.
5: I would like to hear your honest opinions on this, brother...
6: I...trained hard without ever thinking deeply about this subject.
7: However, the situation I am in now forces me to prioritize practicality over all else.
8: That is my opinion...

136)
1: The situation you are in now..?
2: Yes...
3: I don't understand...
4: My father's heart, nor your heart...
5: Sir Danzou...
6: Embraced firing...if you can master it with the 30kg cannon, I will gladly pass the headship to you...
7: What?!

137)
1: Danzou was called to the side of his father's bed exactly one month afterwards.
2: Take care of your body...
3: He said only that...and forced a small box into Danzou's hands...
4: His father died that night...
5: Within the box was his father's diary and a letter.
6: The diary...contained page upon page of his father's pain and suffering over having to pass the family headship onto an adopted son...
7: The letter...
8: was addressed to one of his grandfather's disciples, now a Chief Retainer in the Osu clan, expressing the man's disdain about his adopted son living together with him and not moving out to a new house...
9: At this moment, Danzou felt surprisingly close to his deceased father...

138)
1: He forgot the reasons...focusing only on all the pain and regret his father must felt over his son's inability to take over the family headship...
2: and lamented over his failure at filial piety...
3: However, the truth about his family's rule...
4: was nowhere to be found within the pages...

140)
1: I-I can't wait!
2: to see the face of...your child...
3: I feel like a huge burden has been lifted from me...
4: I'm so grateful for Sir Danzou's feelings...

141)
1: Finally, the 49th day since his father's death came...
2: Many people arrived to pay respects to the 1000 koku house of Kaoku, even some who carried doubts about their style of cannoneering.
3: The especially doubtful people...whether it was on purpose or not, completely ignored Genzaemon...
4: and treated Danzou as if he was the real leader of the house...
5: Danzou panicked...but Genzaemon was calm...
6: Soon, sake was served...
7: And sarcastic words began to flow from the guests' mouths.
8(4b): Comments about large cannons soon flowed into criticisms against cannoneering, with in turn phased into even more heated attacks that were virtually criticizing Danzou's father, Shuuzaemon.

142)
1: Before Danzou could grow angry, however, Genzaemon lost his patience and flew into a rage at this very moment.
2: Have you gotten so drunk that you've forgotten your courtesy?! I will not tolerate any more of this abusive language!
3: A true warrior would never look down on cannoneering!
4: Hoh...how amusing!
5: S-stop it, Sasaki!
6: Would you cut it out, Keinosuke?!
7: People who despise cannoneering aren't real warriors, huh?
8: S-stop!

143)
1: Eeeiiii, let me goooo!
2: Sasaki!
3: Stop it!
4: Stop iiiiit!
5: Muu?!
6: Why if it isn't Danzou, the man who let an adopted son steal his house from him...
7: Don't tell me you have the same opinion as that Genzaemon?
8: Indeed I do!
9: Ahahahaha! Really, is that so...
10: You too?!
11: Fool!
12: Ah!

144)
1: Ah! Danzou, you...!
2: If cannoneering is the real way of the warrior, then why did you cut him this a sword?!
3: Depending on your answer, we'll show no mercy!
4: W-waiiiit!
5: Wait a moment!

145)
1: The story goes that on the banquet to mourn the 49th day since the death of the Kaoku family head, Sasaki Keinosuke committed a breach of etiquette due to drinking too much...
2: Hmmm...
3: It was decided that both the Sasaki and Kaoku households would receive a punishment of confinement for one hundred days.
4: For one hundred days the gates to both their estates were locked shut.
5: After this, Genzaemon went out to work for the first time in a long while...
6: He returned that evening with a battered body.
7: Brother! Just what happened to you?!
8: Who did this?!

146)
1: It went like this...
2: After finishing my work at the castle, when I was coming home, a few men from the mounted division surrounded me, saying they wanted to talk...
3: We Armored Mounts are comprised solely of men who have been brought up studying the way of the sword and spear...
4: But according to you, sir, we who do not practice cannoneering are not true warriors. Therefore we'd like you to give us a demonstration of what a true warrior really is...over in that open field.
5: Wait just a moment! It looks like my words have been distorted...I never said any such thing!
6: Stop this foolishness! You've misunderstood!
7: But they refused to listen...and lynched me...
8: And you didn't fight back, brother?!
9(2b): No...there is no way I can use a blade to clear up a mere misunderstanding...
10: Unuuu!
11: But...!

147)
1: Rumors that both an instructor of cannoneering and a noble man from a house of 1,000 koku had been beaten to a pulp without fighting back spread around town the next day, until every clansman had heard and reacted to it...
2: There were some who praised the man as being smart enough to withstand a small scuffle that may have otherwise led to other feuds and numerous deaths...
3: But the majority...felt angry at the extreme cowardice who would allow himself to be shamed without even fighting back...
4: Some of them included men of the pistol brigade who were currently being instructed by Genzaemon, who lashed out in fury at their teacher.
5: Then, A few men outside of the pistol brigade...
6: attacked Genzaemon on his way to the castle the next morning.

148)
1: What?!
2: Kaoku Genzaemon?! Had his right arm cut off?!
3: Indeed...he managed to escape with his life only because I stepped in at the last second and stopped things.
4: Nuuu...
5: Arrest the man who did this at once!
6: Sir!
7: The eight men responsible for the deed...under the discretion of the castle Elder Naitou Kanando, were arrested and punished severely on the same day, an act with shocked the public...

149)
1: The Chief Retainers heavily interrogated the Elder as to the reasons for such extremity,
2: but Naitou Kanando did not budge an inch.
3: Excuse meeee!
4: It was five days later when the families of the eight tortured men, without any other place on which to dispel their anger, called upon the Kaoku house.
5: A battle between eight swordsman and one cannoneer was scheduled to take place three days later, and the eight families immediately began planning their strategy.
6: Hey!
7: All of the tactics we've used up until now will be useless!
8: What?!

150)
1(2b): He's planning on attaching eight heavy cannons together and using them to fight! I was just spying on him now! Why eight cannons?!
2: How is that possible?!
3: Excluding one cannon, he's going to remove the gunstocks from the other seven and line them up like this!
4: Clever bastard!
5: Alright then! Let's throw away all these petty tricks and think up a real plan, men!
(going counter-clockwise)
6: We'll plan to keep the battle within this circle, which should be about 500 meters in diameter!
7: The eight of us will surround him on the outside, in positions marked 1-8.
8(2b): The enemy will obviously fire at one of these eight points, but judging from the layout of the land, I think the possibility is great that he will choose to move down to the south and use the back of the cliff as a shield! If that happens, the distance between the enemy and the two men on either side of him will be 125 meters!
(bottom right):
9: The range of the enemy's large cannon should only be about 100 meters, so the men on both sides should hide themselves...
10: and then clear the distance without him noticing!

151)
1: The first ones to show themselves to the enemy will be these top four!
2: After doing so they will gather close to one another and begin marching down in a line with each man about 85 meters apart!
3: This way of marching will make the enemy think that there are not 4, but all 8 men there!
4: Additionally, one man should hide and then reappear every 30 meters or so!
5: Once the two men reach points 2 and 7 (*note: the map is lined 1-8 from left to right) they should hide themselves and clear the gap just like the men in positions 1 and 8.
6: Finally, once men 3-6 have cleared the distance between them, the enemy will have been surrounded by all eight within 100 meters!
7: That's when we'll all march in together!
8: The enemy will then fire!
9: It should take 2 seconds for him to fire at one man, and 16 seconds to fire at all eight!
10: It will take us 14 seconds for us to dash toward him and secure victory!
11: Which means that even if seven out of eight men are shot, one should be able to break through and kill him!
12: Our victory depends on whether we have good or bad luck that day!

152)
1: It's not a given that he will shoot seven of us...if we can dodge skillfully and break through, we may be able to win with less sacrifices!
2: Mmm!
3: On the day of the battle, the wind was blowing violently.
4: This wind was no ally to Danzou,
sfx: nuuuu
5: who had trouble staying on target and had to use two or three shots to kill only one man.
6: As five men approached him, he realized he only had two cannonballs left.

153)
sfx: baaah x2
1: He no longer had any time left to reload.
sfx: kieeehhh
sfx: bah
2: Danzoooou! Cannoneering has failed youuuu!
3: Nuuuuu!

154)
1: He had no choice but to continue fighting with his short sword.
2: He defeated his enemies...
3: leaving Danzou with no choice but to acknowledge the fact that his cannoneering had been completely beaten.
4: This event, without a doubt, would bring ill repute and humiliation to his name.
5: Despairing over this, he did not return home
6: and disappeared from the clan.

155)
1: It didn't take the wounded, but surviving men long...
2: to return to Danzou's house and assassinate his elder sister and brother-in-law...
3: Eight years passed...a period of time long enough to wipe the entire Kaoku incident from the minds of the people...

156)
sign:
WARNING

I have returned afte fleeing eight years ago, and challenge the men of this clan to a battle against cannoneering -Kaoku Danzou

house sign: Naitou

Announcement: Those who wish to make an enemy of Danzou using swords and spears are to gather regardless of status. -Representative Elder Naitou Kanando

159)
sfx: dogaaaa dogaaa

161)
1: Wait.
2: After seeing your cannon's might, it was clear to me that it had to be a 30kg model...
3: I am the Castle Elder, Naitou Kanando...
4: and I would like to speak with you.
5: Follow me...
6: After the castle of our lord's ancestors fell long ago and he escaped...there was a single man who protected the fleeing lord by shooting down his pursuers...
7: That man used cannoneering to do so...and his weapon...was a 30kg cannon that could fire four shots at once...

162)
1: The lord, wishing to keep this technique secret and sacred, deemed that man the leader of a new house of cannoneering...
2: If one's child...was unable to master the techniques, the father was supposed to choose an adopted son to pass the secret art onto instead...then, one day tell this disciple once he once was told:
3: These secrets...are to be passed down to solely one child each generation, and are never to be revealed to anyone...that...was the rule...of your father's house...
4: Katou Danzou.
5: The Katou house and all that belongs to it still exists as it is...return and lead it!
6: After all the bloodshed I have created...?
7: No, I...
8: must live out the rest of my life as a masterless wanderer...

163)
1: You refuse, no matter what?!
2: Indeed...
3: What a waste...

164)
sfx: dadaaaaan

THE END