Book 2: Chapter 77: Lord Kamakura (part 1)

This was perhaps the most magnificent and gorgeous building Lily had ever seen in this world.

Lord Kamakura’s Imperial Palace is located at the heart of northern Kamakura City, facing south, at the wide road that ran around the entire ancient city.

The Imperial Palace’s main gate consisted of a magnificent door that stood ten meters tall with a roof over it, as well as white walls and red wooden pillars. The huge black roof that was several meters wide and high up in the air made it an extremely majestic sight.

A huge plaque inscribed with the words ‘Hachiman Palace’1 hung under the eaves.

Lily was shaken to the core by just looking at the words. It was as though every brushstroke exuded a ghostly artistic concept that brought fear.

‘Hachiman Palace’ was the name given to the residence and palace of Minamoto no Yoritomo, Lord Kamakura who ruled the Land of East. The person who wrote on the plaque must’ve been a n.o.ble existence who was beyond her imagination!

Even the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons would walk around the palace and return to the remote Kansai region through the northwestern gate of Kamakura after they arrived before the gates of Hachiman Palace.

“Scary.” Lily couldn’t help but exclaim in her heart. If the plaque was already this intimidating, then just how powerful was the master of this Hachiman Palace?

Lily was confused. Most of the people in this world were quite short, so the doors were also built relatively lower. She even had to hunch down to go through some of the shop doors. Yet the entrance of Hachiman Palace was nearly twenty meters tall! Was this purely for style?

Naturally, now that they were at the gates of Hachiman Palace, they couldn’t remain seated in the bullock cart. Since their kimonos had very long sleeves of about three or four meters, they could only go up the stairs with the a.s.sistance of the attendants.

Shimizu and Lily went through the entrance in succession and came to a corridor. It was a very clean wooden corridor that pa.s.sed through the courtyard. Once they got there, they walked slowly and allowed the train of their skirts to drag across the floor.

Lily spotted Uesugi Rei at the other end of the corridor. She was dressed in white with purple orchids and landscape. Her silver hair was neatly put into an updo. Lily couldn’t help but sigh in amazement. She didn’t expect the usually wild and s.e.xy Sister Uesugi to look this n.o.ble and elegant in formal clothes.

The presence of these three female samurai immediately eclipsed the beauty of the n.o.ble ladies in Kamakura City.

Under the guidance of Sakiko and another high-ranking court official in the Genji clan, Lily and the others walked through the long corridor and arrived at a grand magnificent hall.

The scale of the hall was also shocking to Lily. The huge black wooden pillars in there were several meters wide and tens of meters high. The door of a normal building was less than two meters tall, but this place was tens of meters high!

As soon as Lily entered the hall, she was startled by a wave of powerful and solemn aura that surged toward her. At least a hundred iron-clad and mighty warriors kneeled on both sides of the hall.

Those sitting on the left were all from the Genji clan, while those sitting on the right were the high-ranking court officials or samurai from the Taira clan, Mutsu Fujiwara clan and Kitabatake clans.

Although Lily didn’t dare to probe, she could sense none of these young samurai were below sword master rank!

They were truly the elites among samurai of the Kanto region; the real pillars of the land!

It was then Lily noticed that Ashikaga Kiyoshi was also sitting in the first row on the right. It would seem like he had a very prestigious status too.

Right in front of the hall, there was an empty large wooden platform in the middle. It was probably where Lord Kamakura’s seat would be. Ashikaga Makoto was seated on the left, dressed in black-crested formal kimono. On the right was a three-meters tall man with a mustache. His clothes were dark in colors but lavish.

A magistrate led Lily and Shimizu to kneel at the doorway, facing the center of the hall. Since this was Lord Kamakura’s award ceremony, women without official t.i.tles were not qualified to sit inside the hall along with the other core members.

“Lord Kamakura has arrived — !” An ambiguous-sounding voice echoed across the ancient hall. Lily felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort when she heard that. It was as though it clashed with the aura of these hundred mighty warriors.

She saw an extremely handsome bald young man coming out carrying a surprisingly long sword. The young man was no taller than 1.8 meters but the sword was eight meters long2!

Not two meters, but eight meters.

The weight of a two meters long sword was normally not more than a thousand kan3. Hence, it wouldn’t be a surprise for it to be carried by a young man with the strength of a sword saint. However, what was the use of such a huge weapon?

Lily suddenly thought of Shuten Doji and Michizane. They looked like humans but their body size was another story.

It was then a middle-aged man of ten meters tall came out4. He was dressed in grayish-green hunting robes and donned a tall Eboshi Cap. He walked solemnly and elegantly with a straight back and inaudible footsteps.

The ten meters tall giant man walked to the center of the wooden platform, turned around, adjusted his sleeves and sat down cross-legged.

His every movement was exactly as depicted in those ancient books of etiquette. Lily’s attention was involuntarily drawn to the man because he looked really strange. In other words, he looked amazingly strange, but the strange part was magnified several times.

The man looked about 36 or 37 years old. On his tough and aging face was a pair of small eyes. They were filled with wisdom but hard to read. To be honest, his face looked plain but it carried a certain inexplicable charm. On his solemn face was a contrasting gentle expression.

“So, this is Lord Kamakura?” Lily wondered to herself. “His eyes aren’t really attractive but he seems like he can see through everyone with them. Other than that, I can’t really feel any oppressive powerful aura coming from him. He just feels like an ordinary person. A ten meters tall ordinary person… How can that possibly be called ordinary!?”

Everyone bowed down.

Lord Kamakura gestured for everyone to forgo the formalities.

He scanned around with a steady gaze, giving the impression that he was gazing at everyone that was present in the hall. He then paused for a while and said, “Well then, we shall proceed to today’s award ceremony for the meritorious samurai in the battle at Odawara.”

Lord Kamakura’s voice was also unexpectedly plain and gentle. The tone of his voice carried an undulating ancient and calm rhythm within it. Although plain sounding, it was unique in its own way.

There were only very subtle changes in Lord Kamakura’s expression as he continued to speak slowly. “The award this time has been discussed with Lord Ashikaga Makoto, Lord Tokugawa Shigemori and Lord Taira Kagemori.”

Lord Kamakura looked to his left and right while speaking, then at the lavishly dressed man with a long beard seated in the first row on the right.

The three men nodded back at him.

“Well then, I shall announce the reward.”

“Ashikaga Kiyoshi, you have a.s.sisted your mother in mobilizing and commanding the army. It could be said that most of the samurai had banded together and fought at Odawara in the name of the Ashikaga clan. Now, the Ashikaga clan shall receive Odawara Castle of the Hojo clan and the surrounding territory at Totomi Province as rewards. Kiyoshi and Makoto shall decide on how to allocate these lands within the Ashikaga clan.”

Kiyoshi stepped forward, kneeled down and bowed. “Thank you, Lord Kamakura!”

“Minamoto no Kenki, Takeda…”5

1. Robinxen: Where loners live.
2. Silva: Wotttt
3. Remember, one kan is approximately 3.75 kg
   

   貫 • (kan) (historical kana くわん) – an obsolete unit of measure of weight corresponding to 3.75 kilograms – an obsolete unit of currency

4. Silva: Ten meters tall? What is this, Attack on t.i.tans?
5. Robinxen: I just stop mid-sentence too sometimes.