The country of Edou had long been ruled by the Tokuyama shogunate, passed down from generation to generation. The man before them was its thirty-sixth ruler—Tokuyama Ietaka. His appearance, however, was hidden behind a hanging screen of fine bamboo slats, leaving no clear view of the man himself.
It seemed the old man had met him once before.
Ietaka, the current shogun, was the eighth child of the previous ruler. Back in the day, when the old samurai served as sword instructor to the shogunate, he had personally taught the boy some basic swordplay.
“For a swordsman of your caliber to retire from the role of instructor… it was a great loss. What do you think? It’s not too late. Why don’t you consider resuming your post?”
The old man lowered his head slightly and replied solemnly.
“Ietaka-sama, I have already stepped away from the world. Your words honor me greatly, but such a heavy responsibility is far too much for this withered body. And besides…”
The old man extended his arms, revealing the mechanical limbs.
“As you can see, I have but half my limbs remaining.”
“What!? What in the world happened to you…?”
“It is, in fact, related to the reason I’ve come here today.”
And so the old samurai recounted the events that had happened. The sudden appearance of the dreaded Yamata no Orochi near his village, the failed attempt to defeat it that cost him his limbs, and the eventual victory—achieved only thanks to the warriors from the West whom his disciple Karen had brought to him.
“Yamata no Orochi!? That’s the monstrous serpent of legend! Such a being exists in reality…? No, that’s not the main point….. What’s even more unbelievable is that it was defeated with only a handful of people…?”
As expected, skepticism filled the chamber.
So, as proof, we brought forth the severed head of the Orochi which was stored in my subspace. Only one of them, of course—any more would have been too large to display.
“W-what the-!?”
“There’s no mistaking it… that’s the head of a dragon!”
“But… where could something like this even come from…?”
The gathered retainers erupted into whispers and gasps.
“There are seven more heads like this, plus a massive body. If you’d like, we can move to a larger area later and I can show you the whole thing.”
“S-seven more…!? Then….. it is truly the legendary Yamata no Orochi…”
Even the shogun was stunned.
“Warriors from the West… you have done our land a great service. Had such a beast been allowed to run rampant, it would have brought unimaginable destruction upon our country. …But tell me—what are you exactly? That child… is speaking like an adult.”
“I’m a karakuri doll made in the West!”
『….Are you really planning to get away with it as a karakuri doll, Master?』
The old samurai gave me a look that clearly said, “You expect him to believe that?”—but I ignored him.
“A karakuri doll? Hm. It’s true that in our own land, dolls capable of complex speech are being developed… but something this advanced…? That’s still beyond us.”
“Well, I also run on Western-style magic. You could call me a magical automaton.”
“Incredible… so Western civilization is that far ahead…”
“Still, your country’s karakuri technology is amazing too. Who makes it all?”
It turned out there was a family—no, a clan—dedicated solely to that craft.
“They are known as the Hiraga Clan. For generations, stretching back hundreds of years, they’ve devoted themselves to the art of Karakuri.”
They were once considered outcasts, persecuted as eccentrics for producing strange contraptions. Now, however, they were at the heart of the nation’s technological prowess. Young people from across the land came to apprentice under them, and they continually produced ever more advanced creations. Their innovations had become part of daily life, and the shogunate backed their work wholeheartedly.
Although we were promised great rewards for defeating the Orochi, what we wanted more than anything was to see the Hiraga workshops.
We asked—and were surprisingly granted permission almost instantly.
“Indeed. Yagyū Genzō, you should go as well.”
“Me? To the workshops?”
“Yes. That prosthetic you wear—it’s just a basic tool, is it not? But now, I’m certain they could craft limbs that move like the real thing. I’ll send a letter to inform them in advance. They’ll prepare everything for you.”
Apparently, they even had a way to communicate instantly across vast distances, without using magic.
How that was possible though?
I had no idea but I am very eager to find out.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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