Inside the carriage, after Shin'yu's polite refusal, Shōko finally gave up on the idea of gifting him a katana.
"Miss Shōko, I have a question."
Shōko quickly replied, "Miyamoto-kun, please feel free to ask."
"Well..." Shin'yu pondered for a moment, then said, "Is there something wrong with your Forging Blades Workshop?"
As soon as he said this, Shōko's originally bright face suddenly dimmed.
Her gaze drifted to the nearby brazier, on which warmed rice wine was placed. Shin'yu understood, smiling as he picked up the wine pot and handed it to her.
Shōko was taken aback for a moment, then looked up to see Shin'yu's gentle eyes. Without hesitation, she grabbed the wine pot and took a swig, then let out a long sigh.
"Our merchant guild... is about to change hands..." she said in a low voice.
As sheto narrate slowly and clearly, Shin'yu gradually understood.
Why could such a large merchant guild only afford to hire two samurai as bodyguards? Why did the middle-aged man keep sighing? And why was Sugawara Shōko drowning her sorrows in alcohol?
The legendary merchant guild of the Land of Iron, the Forging Blades Workshop, was about to change hands.
Three months ago, the Oikawa Family of the Three Iron Traditions was held accountable by the Daimyo for poor sword forging, and the Oikawa Family Head, Oikawa Genzo, fled in fear of punishment.
He emptied his mansion overnight, absconded with most of the merchant guild's funds, and defected to the Land of Water, scattering the Oikawa Family like birds and beasts.
The Daimyo was furious and ordered the Niwa and Sugawara Family Heads to bring Oikawa Genzo to justice, and dispatched the Shogunate Army to assist in the pursuit, but they unexpectedly encountered a strong enemy attack during the pursuit!
The Shogunate Army suffered heavy losses, and the Sugawara Family Head was seriously injured and died. Only the One Heart Tradition Family Head, Niwa Maya, survived, but he was also seriously injured.
The Sugawara Family Head entrusted his only daughter, Sugawara Shōko, with the Dragon Taming Style Forging Secret before his death, and entrusted his daughter to Niwa Maya's care, before passing away.
The Sugawara Family was already weak, and was instigated by villains to refuse to pass down their true skills. With the death of the Family Head, the family members scattered likemacaque when the tree fell. Those who should hide their names did so, and those who should seek refuge did so. Soon, the family was devoured by the powerful.
Only the Niwa Family, who insisted on the true tradition, did not worry aboutheritage. Although Niwa Maya had no children, he had three disciples, all of whom had received the true teachings of their master, but they were inevitably weak and the building was about to collapse.
In just a few months, more than half of the three traditions were lost, and the Forging Blades Workshop was unable to recover. The surging undercurrents involved countless dignitaries, and the families involved were all held accountable and demoted.
Ryunosuke, Niwa Maya's second disciple, could not bear to see the Forging Blades Workshop decline, and suggested to Maya that Sugawara's only daughter be married to a powerful figure in order to curry favor and stabilize the situation with the power of the dignitaries.
But he was immediately opposed by Maya, who was furious:
"My friend entrusted his only daughter to me before his death because he couldn't bear to see her alone. Now you want me to sell his daughter for glory, wouldn't that be unjust? What would the world think of me!"
"Master, the building is about to collapse, and only by relying on the powerful can we have a chance of survival! As long as we get through the current difficulties, what do we have to fear from thethe mouths of the masses?"
"Shut up, youbeastly creature, how is this different frombreak faith and abandon righteousness? Don't mention this matter again!"
Ryunosuke had no choice but to give up.
After the disciple left, Niwa Maya also calmed down. As his anger dissipated, the idea of "relying on the powerful" lingered in his mind.
Finally, he made a decision that shocked everyone.
"The One Heart Tradition Family Head and Forging Blades Workshop helmsman, Niwa Maya, intends to marry off his only daughter. Any samurai in the world who can last until the end in the arena, regardless of age or origin, can become the son-in-law of the Niwa Family!"
As soon as the news was announced, the entire Land of Iron waswas boiling. Commoners were extremely excited, and dignitaries were eager to try, and they all signed up enthusiastically.
One reason is that Niwa Maya has no son. Whoever marries into the family will eventually take over not only the One Heart Tradition, but the entire Forging Blades Workshop!
Secondly, Niwa Yukino is exceptionally beautiful, with a captivating appearance. Although only 17 years old, she has already blossomed into a graceful and alluring young woman. Such beauty is more than enough to be matched with someone of power and influence.
For ordinary people, this is a golden opportunity to rise to prominence and become famous. However, the powerful and influential scoff at this, because these ordinary people could never cultivate samurai comparable to those from established clans. The position of son-in-law of the Forging Blades Workshop will inevitably fall into the hands of someone with power.
Sugawara Shōko is incredibly intelligent and immediately sensed a conspiracy in this matter. With the martial arts competition approaching, she was transferred away on a temporary mission. The Niwa family didn't want her to disrupt their plans and were determined to sell their daughter for personal gain.
But Yukino is not only her good friend, but also a sister who grew up with her. She guessed that she was originally supposed to be the victim of this conspiracy, but due to the Niwa family head's sense of righteousness, her good sister became a scapegoat.
The reason she was in such a hurry was because she wanted to go back as soon as possible and take Yukino's place in marriage, unwilling to see her fall into the clutches of a tiger.
"Originally, the one who was going to be sacrificed was me..." Shōko said, holding the empty sake bottle, her eyes reddening.
Shin'yu watched her, a bold idea growing in his heart.
After the Hashirama-Madara War, the entireoverall situation of the Shinobi World was about to be rewritten, because Hashirama would die in a few years, and Lord Madara would not be able to escape because of the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Without the suppression of these two great gods, war was imminent.
The Shinobi World would inevitably fall into a long period of turmoil. At that time, the economies of all participating countries would be affected, and only the Land of Iron, independent of the shinobi village system, could remain unscathed.
The Land of Iron has sufficient samurai and outstanding forging technology. Coincidentally, the Forging Blades Workshop has suffered this misfortune. If he could help them overcome their difficulties, take the opportunity to invest in the chamber of commerce, start cross-border business, and sell weapons, wouldn't that be a great way to make money?
If he could control the Land of Iron's financial chain, he might be able to subdue the Land of Iron in the future. With people, land, and money, and capital in hand, even cultivating his own team would not be impossible!
As soon as this idea arose, it took root and sprouted wildly in Shin'yu's heart, and he could no longer get rid of it.
The conditions are generous, he can do it!
He took a deep breath and looked at Shōko with burning eyes:
"Miss Shōko, I have a plan that can bring the chamber of commerce back to life."
"What?" Shōko was slightly stunned, looking at Shin'yu's sincere eyes and the confident smile on the corner of his mouth, she couldn't help but think of his powerful figure just now.
If it was him...
"What's your plan?"
Shin'yu picked up a fruit and threw it into his mouth, "This matter can be very complicated, or it can be very simple. I ask you, what is the biggest crisis your chamber of commerce is facing now?"
"Sovereignty is about to change hands, completely becoming a tool in the hands of the powerful." Shōko blurted out, "Yukino... will also lose her freedom and sacrifice her happiness."
"Is that so? Must you rely on the powerful?" Shin'yu smiled, "If you don't do this, what else can you do?"
"If you don't do this..." Shōko was speechless for a moment, thought for a while, and said, "The chamber of commerce was originally run jointly by three family heads, so it could be independent of the powerful. Now it has fallen apart, and most of the resources have been lost. Only Uncle Niwa is left... he will definitely not be able to support it..."
Shin'yu chewed on the fruit, "If you can't support it, what can you do?"
"Will..." Shōko seemed to have grasped something crucial, "Will be plotted by people with ulterior motives... divided and eaten away..."
"So," Shin'yu tapped the table, "The root of this matter is those Land of Iron's powerful, their greed, caused your crisis."
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