Book 3: Chapter 14: Liege

After leaving Kamakura, donned in a sky-blue kimono pattered in white orchids, Lily traversed alone through the desolate paths which circled around the short hills and fields with withered trees and dead leaves scattered around.

Nanako had been dragged into the mirror by Kagura to train. Sakura dwelled within the Sakura Parasol whenever she wasn’t controlling Nanako and whipped Nanako into shape via training occasionally if she felt that she was slacking. In short, she was pretty strict.

Ahead of Lily lied one of her cherished places, the territory of the Matsuda clan.

When she arrived in front of her Uncle Matsuda’s residence, it was still as desolate as before and looked even more aged now compared to her last visit.

However, she was just a pa.s.sing traveler last time, but it wasn’t so now. She was already the lord of Takes.h.i.ta Town that lied within the Matsuda clan’s territory.

At this moment, she saw two men carrying axes on their shoulders pa.s.s by her.

Lily called out to them directly, “Hold on for a moment, you two.”

The two men were honest villagers who towered 1.6 m high and barely reached Lily’s shoulders.

“What is it, girl?” From her attire, the two men judged that she was a n.o.blewoman, and she also carried a katana on top of that.

“I want to hire a few people to repair this house. Could you two help me with that?” Lily inquired.

“Huh?” The duo looked at Lily as if she were an idiot, “Girl. Are you kidding with us? Who are you even to repair this house just because you want to? And what does that have to do with us?”

Lily realized that their words made sense as the villagers obviously didn’t know her ident.i.ty. Thus, she asked them smilingly, “Brothers, could you tell me where the chief is then?”

“Lord Kimura? He’s in the village,” the two villagers felt that even though Lily looked pretty, she was a weird woman. Thus, they shook their heads after answering her and left.

Lily arrived at the village and found Kimura climbing up the roof of an old farmwoman’s house to repair it with a sweet smile on his face. She felt that Kimura was really a really good chief.

“Ah! Miss Kagami! No… Whoa!” When Kimura discovered Lily standing below the house, he panicked and slipped from the roof, but he came out woundless from it as he was a samurai as well.

As the chief, Kimura was aware that Lily had become their lord. It’s just that Lily had never appeared here until now.

“My liege!” Kimura patted the dirt off his pants anxiously and knelt down with a complex expression on his face.

“My liege?” The villagers sent puzzling looks towards the girl in blue who had received a bow from Kimura.

Lily wasn’t used to this t.i.tle, so she supported Kimura up and said, “Lord Kimura, don’t be in such a rush to call me like that. It’s fine to just call me Miss Kagami like before.”

Kimura looked at Lily who was still as pretty and s.e.xy as before, even her personality remains unchanged. The fact that she hadn’t become arrogant after becoming a lord made him feel gratuitous. Lord Matsuda, she really was worthy of your protection!

“Everyone!” Kimura sprung up and said, “Come and look. This is Miss Kagami, Lady Kagami! Our new liege!”

“Liege?!” The villagers gathered around one after the other and a few honest and boorish villagers cast their gazes on Lily’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s and b.u.t.t, which made her feel slightly embarra.s.sed.

“I-Is she really our new liege? She looks so pretty!” “Isn’t she a fairy?”

Lily told Kimura, “I want to Lord Matsuda’s residence to be repaired, but it will get neglected again since no one lives in it, so I hope you can move into it.”

“Eh? Me?”

“Yes, you. I want you to supervise the former territory of the Matsuda clan, with Takes.h.i.ta Town and the surrounding land included in it. From now on, you are no longer just a chief, Lord Kimura, and are my magistrate!” Lily said with a chuckled.

“Magistrate?!” A dazed expression appeared on Kimura’s hardened yet rustic face. I have become a magistrate?! I can actually become a general in this lifetime! A real general!

“Come, Magistrate Kimura,” Lily smiled sweetly.

“Yes! My liege! Ah, no. My lady!” Kimura agreed to it without any complaints!

Lily and Kimura returned to the residence of the Matsuda whose courtyard was infested with weeds and the entranceway steps were covered in dust and withered leaves.

Lily didn’t mind the dust and sat down on the entranceway steps, which moved Kimura even more.

“Miss Kagami… I will definitely do my best to repair Lord Matsuda’s house, but the village barely has enough food to fill everyone’s stomachs. We really don’t have that much money.”

“Don’t worry about the cost,” Lily pa.s.sed a few gold coins to him, “I will request Madam Kotoka to prepare a plan for the long-term development of the land along with the funds, so you just need to work together with her.”

“Understood!” Kimura nodded promptly and broke into tears as he hugged those gold coins, “It would’ve been great if Lord Matsuda was still alive.”

Lily pondered for a moment but ended up deciding to hide the matter of Lord Matsuda turning into a demon samurai from him as it was too cruel a matter for someone honest like him. Furthermore, she had already slain Dijon, so there was nothing more to say.

Kimura found a few village women to tidy up the house first after that.

Lily planned to stay in the town for a few days, so she directed Kimura to inform the nearby regions that she was looking for people to develop the land.

As soon as this information was released, the ronin, samurai and hunters in the nearby regions as well as a few foot soldiers who partic.i.p.ated in battles in the past came seeking shelter. A lot had actually arrived after hearing that the new liege was a pretty woman.

Lily sat down on the tidied up entranceway steps with Kimura and four other village chiefs sitting nearby. Kimura was already their spokesperson now, and even though some of them were dissatisfied with it, the liege had appointed him to the post personally, so they couldn’t say anything about it.

The entrance of the Matsuda was actually bustling with an exceptional level of excitement right now. A lot of shelter-seeking samurai and ronin who were looking for jobs had gathered at the place. After all, this place was originally the territory of the Hojo clan, and a large number of samurai had become unemployed after the chaos that ensued post-extermination of the Hojo clan.

“I’m called Wada Masahito! I can shoot a coin 100 m away with my arrow!” A thin yet rugged dark-skinned hunter stated his name. “Mhm,” Lily continued, “Shoot an arrow towards the sky for me to see, then.” The hunter said, “There’s no target here and the courtyard is also too small.” “Hehe. You only need to shoot. I’ll be able to see it.” “Understood!” The hunter shot the arrow up outwards and Lily nodded after seeing the momentum packed in his arrow, “Lord Kimura, this man is useful.” “Thank you, Lady Kagami.”

A big-bearded samurai dressed in filthy, tattered clothes wielding a shabby tachi stepped forward next.

“I can act as your bodyguard, Lady Kagami,” the bearded man stated. “Hehe. Thanks for the offer, but I don’t need one.” “Why? I’m pretty strong! I can definitely protect you!” Lily felt helpless and said, “Lord Kimura. Can you grab a wooden sword for me?” “Yes!”

Lily held the wooden sword and swung it suddenly, jabbing it deep into the ground with a fierce momentum.

“Brother. I’ll let you become my bodyguard if you are able to pull this wooden sword out by sunset.”

The man dusted his hands off unconvincedly and stepped forward to pull it out. However, he noticed the abnormality the moment he attempted to pull it out. His face flushed up wholly and he sweated buckets as he used all his strength to pull the sword out, nerves popping out on his forehead, but the wooden sword remained unmoved. However, he was unwilling to give up and made a desperate attempt to pull it out, eliciting laughter from the onlookers.

“This person is quite tenacious. You can use him as an a.s.sistant,” Lily suggested to Kimura.

A tall and filthy fatty with an unkempt beard, dressed in unbearably tattered garments made of high-quality materials, stood outside with a dour look right now.

“Next!” Kimura’s voice echoed from inside.

Daidouji Taro heaved his fat and heavy body forward while leaning on crutches and limped inside.1

1. Silva: Oh my, the prodigious son is back.