Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

"How much do you know about my Heavenly Treasure...?"While he was fully aware of the communication between Hitomi and his father, Nobu had no idea how detailed her reports were. He knew they had discussed it during the previous reunion but a lot had changed since then. Thus, before he could lay out his plan, he needed the two warlords on the same page."According to the information provided by Hitomi, it leaves you unable to cultivate using traditional methods. Instead, you have to stockpile Aura over time and unlock it by tapping into your Heavenly Treasure. Other than that, your Heavenly Treasure possesses the ability to analyze anything, access information related to cultivation methods, communicate over vast distances, and empower others. I believe that's everything...?"Though Senken had never been known for his intelligence, all experienced Cultivators had excellent memories. Cultivation, first and foremost, revolved around developing a person's mental state and spirituality. Senken was currently at the midway point between Mithril 7 and 8, so, while he was far from the most learned individual in Nian, he possessed a mental acuity that matched his standing."Uh...yeah? I mean, you kind of glossed over the finer details but that's pretty on point."After downing another half-saucer of Men's Sake, Senichi was the one to ask, "What do you mean? Since we're finally together like this, you might as well explain things at length. I'm not saying you need to reveal all of your secrets, but, the more we know, the better we can help you."Raising a brow at the middle-aged man's serious remark, Nobu replied, "Relax. I might slip up here and there but I know better than to reveal all my cards..."Willfully ignoring the fact he had recently received a chastising from the Goddess of the Six Paths, Nobu revealed the existence of his Friends List and how he could use it to empower both himself and others.Prior to Nobu's explanation, Senken thought that Nobu's ability worked by boosting the existing strength of others. After all, it was hard for most cultivators to wrap their heads around a treasure that could, quite literally, turn a normal person into a powerhouse in just a few short months."My plan, at least for the time being, is to continue consolidating my strength within the Yoshitsune Clan. Once this year has come to an end, everyone in my entourage should be around the pinnacle of the Sixth Realm. They will act as my elite forces while I begin scouting talent from the masses. I'm against the notion that being born a Noble somehow makes you inherently better than others. Just look at that piece of shit, Peng. Without the resources of the Oda Clan, how far would he be able to get in life? He's a fucking bandit decked out in fancy clothing."Though he would also be screwed with adequate resources and the backing of the Oda Clan, Nobu didn't think he was being a hypocrite. He would never swagger around like a fucking cuck with such shitty game that he needed to use the threat of death just to get his dick wet. There was seriously something wrong with people like that, and, now that he knew there were multiple reincarnators in this world, Nobu couldn't help thinking Peng was being piloted by some forty-year-old virgin Otaku who didn't even have the balls to hire a fucking prostitute.Seeing the hatred and disgust in Nobu's eyes, Senken and Senichi briefly exchanged glances before nodding their heads in concert. Then, catching Nobu by surprise, the former stated, "You don't have to worry about that Peng brat. I'm not really fond of how things turned out, but I received a parcel containing seven of his severed fingertips. I won't stop you from pursuing the matter if you choose to become Daimyo, but, for the time being, you should focus on more important matters."Staring wide-eyed at his father, Nobu's expression became slightly incredulous as he asked, "What the fuck? Someone cut the tips of his fingers off?"Nodding his head, Senken adopted a grim expression as he explained, "Peng is the second son of my younger brother, Senzo. While Senzo and I rarely see eye to eye, his intelligence and political mindedness far exceed mine. In the past, he even severed the hand of his fourth daughter after she forced one of her servants to hand over a family heirloom..."While many commended Senzo for holding his children accountable, Senken saw the matter in a different light. Sure, some people might call him soft, but he refused to rationalize cutting off the hand of an eight-year-old child just to set an example. It was beyond extreme...Unable to mentally reconcile everything his father had just revealed, Nobu fell into a contemplative silence. He had no idea what to make of this situation. A part of him wanted to pump his fist and say that Peng got what he deserved. The only problem with this sentiment was that, unless he had been reincarnated, Peng wasn't born the person he is today. He became this way as a result of the environment he had grown up in. You didn't throw your weight around like that unless you had a good reason to believe you could get away with it. In other words, the only reason Peng received a punishment was to deny them an excuse to seek recompense..."Fucking politicians..."Though Senken had never heard the term before, it wasn't difficult to understand what Nobu was trying to convey. Thus, in response to his son's remark, he nodded his head in agreement before downing an entire saucer of sake.Seeing the similarities in the father-son duo, a grin spread across Senichi's face as various thoughts crossed his mind. The information Nobu had revealed was, simply put, earth-shattering. Thus, while the two younglings were fretting over internal affairs, he was already thinking about how they could use Nobu's power to strengthen existing alliances.While Nobu's Heavenly Treasure made others resemble simple trinkets, it didn't provide them the means to conquer the surrounding provinces. Individual power was useful if you wanted to defeat your enemies but that had never been the purpose of war. Wars were fought to obtain resources, centralize power, and expand your territory. Any ideological excuses were a simple pretext used to justify the acquisition of these three things, so, while Nobu's Heavenly Treasure was remarkable, it wouldn't win them the war.Fortunately, while Nobu's intentions were a bit off the mark, Senichi had to commend the young man for prioritizing the acquisition of capable and loyal retainers. The people on his Friends List would be instrumental in their goal of unifying the archipelago. The only problem was that Nobu wanted to recruit peasants.If he were being completely honest, Senichi agreed with his son's and grandson's assessments of the Nobility. The waning power of the Imperial Family had allowed the Noble Clans to run rampant, and, as a result, they had become cancerous to the society they were sworn to protect.The problem was, despite all their flaws, the Noble Clans had centralized power in their individual Provinces thousands of years ago. Removing the people in power would cause more problems than it solved, so, more often than not, defeated Clans would simply become the vassals and retainers of the Clan that conquered them. It was only when a full audit of the territory and its assets had been conducted that a transition could occur.This was where Nobu's sentiments were bound to hit a wall. His people might be loyal to him but history had proven, time and again, that familial ties were necessary to centralize and secure power across multiple generations.The most common method to ensure a smooth transition of power was for the conquering party to absorb the defeated Clan into their own through marriage. In other words, Nobu would either need to accept the daughters of the defeated Clans as his wives or pair them with his descendants.While it was possible for a peasant to be elevated to the status of Lesser Nobles via increasing their cultivation base and accruing merits, they still needed the recognition of the Imperial Family to own land and govern territory. If Nobu tried to place peasant-born retainers in charge of his conquered territories, every clan across Nian would protest. In the worst-case scenario, the legitimacy of their unification plan would be called into question. After that, their only options would be to cede the territories they had conquered or risk war against the entire nation.Senichi knew that if Nobu was to have any chance of success, he would need to curry favor with the Imperial Family. Without their support, expanding beyond their borders was virtually impossible, as, despite their waning power, the Imperial Family still had absolute authority. They possessed a bevy of Heavenly Treasures and were backed by four remarkably powerful Aura Beasts known as the Four Heavenly Guardians. This, combined with the fact they were protected by the Ancestral God of the Nianese people, ensured that the Imperial Family would never lose relevance.The current issues plaguing Nian were primarily the result of the Noble Clans' corruption and the Ashigake Shogunate's gross incompetence. This had led to a drastic decline in the capabilities of individuals recognized by the Imperial Court as most of the people presently in power had simply purchased their position.If Nobu wanted to actualize his dream, he would need to consolidate power within the Oda Clan before currying favor with the Imperial Family. Fortunately, despite being more than three hundred years old, the current Emperor had failed to produce a male heir. This was the main reason so many people had lost faith in him, as, after the birth of the Fourth Princess, the Emperor had managed to effectively cripple his reproductive capabilities.Simply put, each of the Noble Clans was essentially biding their time until the Emperor died so they could try to seize power for themselves. Modern Nianese society was strictly patriarchal, so, despite the founder of Nian being an Empress and their Ancestral God being female, a woman would never be allowed to reign...As that thought crossed his mind, a calculating smile appeared across Senichi's face as he observed his grandson. Nobu wasn't the most handsome man, but, if he could help consolidate power for the Imperial Family, there was a chance that he could be promoted to the position of Regent, or, at the very least, Senior First Rank of the Imperial Court.Fortunately, though Senichi didn't agree with the sentiment, Nobu didn't seem to care about ruling directly. This gave the youth a surprising amount of leverage, as, so long as he was willing to make an oath to the Imperial Family, he could effectively become Emperor in everything but name.Noticing the almost perverted look his grandfather was giving him, Nobu's brows furrowed as he asked, "What are you looking at?"Adopting an even fiercer grin, Senichi replied, "You've quite the mouth on you, brat. Anyone ever tell you that you're going to get yourself into trouble talking like that? I, personally, couldn't give a damn. Just know that you're bound to make a lot of enemies with such a crass way of speaking."Having already decided to try and pair Nobu with the future Empress, Senichi's first priority was fixing the brat's speech and mannerisms. Their cause was dead in the water without the support of the Imperial Family, so, even if Nobu ultimately refused the arrangement, he still needed to learn how to carry himself in the Imperial Court. The capital was filled to the brim with opportunists and corrupt fools who would spare no effort to drag the reputation of the entire Oda Clan through the mud. Thus, even if he didn't like it, Nobu would need to learn how to behave like a proper Noble...Feeling a chill spread through his body, Nobu resisted the urge to snort through his nose as he averted his eyes from Senichi, grumbling, "Whatever..." before taking a swig of his tasteless sake.........(A/N: Senichi the schemer o_o...)

Located just under 1300km away from the Capital City of Owari-Shuto was the Ancestral Capital of the Nianese Archipelago, Kyoto.Founded approximately fourteen thousand years after the Age of Gods, Kyoto was among the most ancient and populous cities in all of Nian. It served as the seat of power for the Imperial Family, and, thanks to the protection of the Four Heavenly Guardians, it was considered the safest region in the Nianese Archipelago.While most major cities struggled to maintain a population in the hundreds of thousands, Kyoto's median population generally hovered around 4.5 million people. With the second-largest city being the nearby port of Osaka, population 2.5 million, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Kyoto and its surrounding cities represented the very heart of Nianese society.Unfortunately, despite having the largest population, the economy of Kyoto had been in shambles ever since the previous war between the people of Nian and the Onigashima in the North. The city had nearly been destroyed during the conflict, and, after exhausting the majority of their resources, the Imperial Family had little choice but to sell the surrounding land and divvy up the Archipelago to their most loyal vassal in order to avoid a civil war. This was the start of Kyoto's expansion, and, as a result of their mismanagement, the precursor to the Imperial Family's decline.By establishing a system where individuals could be awarded merits and titles based on monetary contributions, the Imperial Family had hoped to recoup some of their losses. This worked in their favor at the beginning, but, after selling countless court ranks to anyone who could afford them, the titles began to lose their meaning as anything more than trade permits.With the Imperial Court possessing more opportunistic merchants than statesmen and scholars, it wasn't long before Kyoto became a veritable cesspool of corruption. It was a place filled to the brim with individuals whose singular focus was increasing their wealth while the Imperial Family suffered due to limited resources, a distinct lack of competent personnel, and an ever-increasing population.Due to the current Emperor's inability to produce a male heir, tensions within Kyoto were at an all-time high as everyone was biding their time in anticipation of the power struggle that would follow his death. The Emperor, fully aware of this, had spent the last sixty years closing off the country and restricting trade between Provinces. This had earned him an enormous amount of criticism, but, as a result of his controversial decision, most of the weaker merchant groups had fallen into ruin while the various Daimyos focused on consolidating their power.Though many thought the Emperor had gone mad, those with greater foresight understood what he was trying to do. He didn't want Nian to fall into the hands of opportunistic individuals who had taken advantage of the Imperial Family's waning strength to accrue wealth at the country's expense. By pitting the Noble Clans against one another, he could reduce their strength while simultaneously weakening the various merchant groups and associations.Every time war broke out, trespassing the borders between Provinces became nigh-impossible. No Daimyo was foolish enough to let foreign merchants freely traverse their lands. Instead, they relied on their own caravans to move resources around their territory while forcing merchants to part with their goods at heavily discounted prices.Since most merchant caravans relied on transporting goods between Provinces to turn a profit, war was their worst nightmare. It didn't help that most Warriors viewed merchants as opportunists and despots without a conscience, so, the moment conflict broke out, any group unwilling to cooperate with the Provincial Army was quickly put to death or imprisoned.The only problem with Emperor Go-Nara's plan was that it didn't change the fact he still lacked an heir. He could weaken the nation and reduce the authority of the merchants all he wanted, but, the moment he died, someone was bound to take advantage of the situation to seize power. The only question was whether or not it would be one of the families that had backed the Imperial Family for generations or one of the merchant families that had risen to power in the wake of their decline.In preparation for this inevitable conflict, Emperor Go-Nara had done something even his closest advisors couldn't help criticizing. He invested a tremendous amount of resources into empowering his daughters, Princesses Shihori, Shimako, and Utahime.Though a number of powerful women had appeared throughout the history of Nian, Emperor Go-Nara's actions all but assured that the resulting power struggle would be bloody. Even the weakest among them, Utahime, was currently sitting at Rank 9 Platinum Hero. As for the eldest, Shihori, she had managed to reach Rank 6 Mithril Lord at the relatively young age of 57. This was comparable to Senken, who, at the age of 61, had managed to ascend to Rank 7 of the same Realm.The traditions of Nian mandated that the suitors of Imperial Princesses be of a higher cultivation Rank. By helping his daughters reach the Realm of Mithril Lord, Emperor Go-Nara had effectively guaranteed that no one outside the Noble Clans would have the chance to pursue his daughters. To make matters exponentially worse, at least for those coveting the position of Emperor, he had given his daughters complete autonomy regarding the matter of their marriage. The only restriction was that the Second and Third Princesses would need to wait until Shihori had produced an heir before selecting suitors of their own.........Standing at 165cm, Princess Shihori was considered tall for a Nianese woman. This wasn't the trait that made her truly outstanding, however. Rather, it was her supple yet curvaceous figure, dazzling golden eyes, and reddish-brown hair that garnered her the attention of countless would-be suitors.Though tradition dictated she wear conservative clothing to conceal her face and figure from view, Princess Shihori elected to wear clothing more befitting of a warrior. Her favorite outfit consisted of a sleeveless white gown that was heavily adorned with accessories crafted from gold and obsidian-black jade. This included an enchanted golden pauldron, a matching bracer, and several talon-like accessories that made her right hand resemble a dragon's claw.Were it not for her ceremonial headwear and the cloak only members of the Imperial Family were allowed to wear, Princess Shihori could have been mistaken for a powerful female warrior visiting from across the seas. This was due to the fact that, long ago, the first peoples of Nian had migrated over from the relatively nearby Heavenly Kingdom. The Imperial Family had reestablished ties with a few of the more prodigious Clans several thousand years prior, so, while the appearances of most Nianese had changed drastically with the passage of time, the features of the Emperor, Shihori, and her sisters more closely resembled their Ancestors.Had Nobu been present, he would have described Shihori as half-Korean/half-European. She didn't really resemble the Chinese the Heavenly Kingdom was clearly inspired from. Her face wasn't nearly as flat, and, despite possessing distinctly Asian features, her skin was creamy and smooth. With the right clothes, she could have easily passed as a K-Pop Idol or an Actress in a Korean Drama. Instead, the talons on her right hand, combined with her largely expressionless face, gave off the impression of a ruthless, ice-cold beauty that wouldn't hesitate to gut you with her bare hands.Demonstrating how accurate this description was, Princess Shihori was currently in the process of beating down a bear-like Aura Beast using nothing but her Aura. The fact it was more than six times her size didn't intimidate her in the slightest. Rather, after receiving a number of painful blows from its comparably small opponent, the massive, four-armed bear was backpedaling as it attempted to intimidate her with a roar.Without so much as a single change within her expression, Princess Shihori's figure left behind a peculiar blue aura tinged with gold before manifesting near the four-armed bear's left flank. It did its best to try and sweep its paws at her, but, with a casual sidestep, Princess Shihori managed to evade the attack before tracing her right hand in a graceful, sweeping arc from her hip to her left shoulder.Emanating from the talons covering her index, middle, and ring fingers, three glistening blue blades of Aura cut into the Aura Beast's remarkably durable body. Unlike a traditional attack, however, the blades of energy did not immediately dissipate. Instead, the bluish Aura continued to bore into the wailing creature as if it had the properties of an extremely corrosive acid."Weak..."Speaking for the first time since the start of the battle, Princess Shihori's golden eyes glistened with an indiscernible glow as she deflected the inordinately large bear's frantic charge with a backhand to the snout. This sent its head smashing into the ground, but, due to its forward momentum, it was able to force Princess Shihori back in order to avoid a direct collision.Furrowing her brows ever so slightly, Princess Shihori stepped forward before the creature could recover. This time, however, she didn't attack using her Mithril Aura or claws. Instead, the visage of a majestic golden dragon manifested behind her as she swept her right hand forward in a thrusting motion. In response, the golden dragon opened its maw, a silent roar emanating from its throat as it charged forward to sink its teeth into the bear's neck. The unfortunate beast attempted to break free, but, due to the serpentine nature of the dragon's body, it was able to coil around the frantic creature like a snake that had captured its prey.Watching the final struggles of the massive creature, Princess Shihori's cold expression gradually softened until she telepathically commanded the dragon to finish it off. In response, a loud crunch could be heard echoing through the training space as the giant, four-armed bear broke down into a mass of blue and purple light. In its wake, a small totem resembling said bear could be seen on the ground, as, rather than an authentic Aura Beast, the creature was what people colloquially referred to as a Beast Spirit Token.Though they were quite a bit weaker than the beasts they were inspired from, Beast Spirit Tokens were extremely useful for training. The number of Aura Beasts inhabiting Nian had decreased with the passage of time so it was difficult to find any outside the various Spirit Lands managed by the Great Noble Clans. The Imperial Family had one of its own but it was primarily used to cultivate a number of rare and valuable herbs. Any formidable Aura Beasts were quickly disposed of, so if she wanted to train against powerful opponents, Princess Shihori's only options were sparring with her sisters or battling against Beast Spirit Tokens."At this rate, my strength is bound to stagnate..."Understanding better than most how precarious her situation was, Princess Shihori was desperate to increase her power. Unfortunately, her cultivation speed had decreased sharply the moment she ascended to Rank 5 Mithril Lord. Reaching Rank 6 had taken her several years more than she would have liked, and, despite her best efforts, it was highly likely that Rank 7 would be her absolute limit.Since fewer than 1% of Nianese cultivators managed to reach the Realm of Platinum Hero, it could be argued that Rank 7 Mithril Lord was remarkable. Even the current Emperor had stagnated at the pinnacle of Rank 9. In that regard, Princess Shihori was among the top one-hundred cultivators in the nation. Unfortunately, even if she was able to exceed her father and somehow enter the Realm of Adamantine, she would still fall short of the undisputed top 10.While some would consider her desire for even greater power nonsensical, Princess Shihori carried the burden of twenty-six thousand years of history on her shoulders. With eight of the top 10 being male, several of which were actively antagonistic towards the Imperial Family, Shihori was genuinely afraid that one of them would make a move the moment her father perished. She knew how much of a draw her cultivation base was, so, the moment she let her guard down, someone was bound to try and take advantage of her.Princess Shihori's goal, ever since she had learned of her father's plans, was to surpass the most powerful female warrior in Nianese history, Miyamoto Musashi. The latter, using a method no one had been able to ascertain, managed to reach the Realm of Orichalcum Emperor at the remarkably young age of 44. Now, at the age of 79, she was the third most powerful cultivator in all of Nian at the heaven-defying level of Rank 7 Orichalcum Emperor. The only cultivators even stronger than her were the Ancestor of the Orochi Sect and the Demon Lord of Onigashima, both situated at Rank 9.When you considered that the Ancestor of the Orochi Sect and the Demon Lord of Onigashima were both several thousand years old, it was easy to regard Musashi as a monster. She had even been given the designation of a humanoid natural disaster due to the power she possessed, yet, in spite of this, she was the role model for every female cultivator in Nian. Everyone aspired to be like her, yet, even with all the resources of the Imperial Family, Princess Shihori lagged far behind the legendary woman known as the Red Dragon of the East..."I must try harder..."......(A/N: I was feeling a little constipated so I decided to release a big old lore dump. Also, sorry about the lack of a chapter yesterday. I was moving all my furniture and stuff to my new apartment.)

Though he wouldn't have considered it a benefit in his previous world, one of the things Nobu had learned about his cultivation method, the Breath Progression Technique, was that it helped keep his mind clear while drastically reducing the time it took foreign substances to filter out of his system.Simply put, the higher his cultivation became, the greater resistance Nobu had against things like poisons, toxins, and foreign aura. It was what had allowed him to resist Suzune's initial seduction attempt, and, months prior, the reason he had awoken during Inami's assault.Nobu's base had increased exponentially these past few months, so, the moment he heard his grandfather's question, a cheeky grin developed across his face as he replied, "Better than most."Returning a rather fierce-looking smile of his own, Senichi waved his hand to produce a massive crimson and black gourd with the emblem of the Oda Clan embossed on the side. Before he could explain what it was, Senken beat him to the punch, shouting, "You hollow-hearted old fart! You lied to me...!"With a fierce look that didn't lose out to his father's, Senken's golden eyes blazed like flames as he glared at the middle-aged man sitting in the middle of the room.Snorting through his nose, Senichi flatly replied, "I hid it away to keep it safe. We both know what kind of man you used to be, Senken. You would have stumbled across it while drunk and consumed the entire bottle without a second thought. Don't blame me for performing a duty you would have neglected."Though he looked like he wanted to punch Senichi in the face, Senken ultimately unclenched his fists after glaring at the man for the better part of a minute. Senken didn't want to admit it but his father was right. Back then, he had been an irredeemable drunk. The stress of seeing his eldest son in a catatonic state hadn't made things any easier, so, for a time, he sought comfort in a functionally endless supply of cheap liquor.Clicking his tongue, Senken's expression gradually relaxed as he plopped onto his seat with a thud. Then, after shaking his head, he gestured towards Nobu, saying, "Come and take a seat with your grandfather and me. This sake is something special. I'll pour the first round.""As you should..."Handing over the massive gourd to his son, Senichi waited until Nobu had taken a seat before explaining, "The Oda Clan has a number of traditions. This is one of our oldest, a ritual that starts at birth and ends when one becomes an adult. Since the original name has been lost to time, we have taken to referring to it as Men's Sake..."Resisting the urge to call the name retarded, Nobu just nodded his head as he accepted the saucer poured by his father. He noticed the contents were, somehow, even clearer than water. If not for the pungent aroma unique to sake, he would have thought it was a high-quality, highly distilled vodka."Hmmm...you don't seem particularly interested in our traditions..."Noticing the disinterested look in Nobu's eyes, Senichi squinted his own while holding out his hand to have his cup filled. His gaze caused Nobu's mask of calm to waver, but, rather than pussyfooting around the issue, he answered, "It isn't the traditions of the Oda Clan I have no interest in. I find the traditions of Nian, in general, to be back-asswards. I have recently come to understand how things developed to this point, but, at the same time, I can't help feeling that the entire world is stagnating because of the decisions made by a few asshats with unreasonable power..."Though he was well on his way to becoming one of those asshats, Nobu didn't care about ruling over the country, much less the world. He simply wanted the power to protect the things he wanted to protect. He was even thinking about supporting his brother or venturing to the capital to lend his support to the Imperial Family. The original Oda Nobunaga had marched his army upon the capital, but, instead of conquering it, he had gone to pay his respects to the declining Imperial Family.While it was heavily debated by historians, most people believed that Oda Nobunaga never had the intention of ruling over Japan. His goal was to unify the nation's people and usher them into an era of progress rather than stagnation. Thus, even though he could have easily established himself as a dictator, he helped to centralize power for the Imperial Family while pressing them to enact policies that rewarded merit and competency rather than bloodline.Similar to his historical predecessor, Nobu was of the mentality that a person's race and lineage were inconsequential. He had nothing against families stockpiling funds and resources for their successors, but, no matter how he looked at it, inheriting political power was complete and utter nonsense. Being born a Noble didn't automatically make you a great ruler...Seeing Nobu's brows furrow into a pensive look, a slight grin developed across Senichi's face as he held up his cup and stated, "If you don't like it, become strong enough to bring about the changes you wish to see in the world. Others might call you selfish, but, in the end, who isn't? The only thing people truly care about in this world is their personal happiness. Those that argue that they wish to protect the happiness of others are simply lying to themselves. The only reason they act that way is because seeing others happy makes them happy. If it didn't, they wouldn't even bother..."Throwing back his saucer, Senichi managed to down the contents of his cup in three inordinately large gulps. When he was finished, an even larger smile had appeared on his face as he exhaled a literal plume of steam before remarking, "I can't say much for its flavor but it has one hell of a kick to it."Though Nobu had no idea what to make of Senichi's assessment, Senken's eyes began to glisten as he emptied the contents of his own saucer. As his father had pointed out, there was no discernible flavor to the crystal-clear liquid, but, the moment it flowed past his lips, it was like a fire had spread through his mouth before invading his throat and burning his insides. It was inarguably one of the strongest sakes he had ever tasted, and, even after exhaling a plume of steam, he could feel the fire lingering in his body like the feelings of anxiety that preceded a climactic battle."Not bad at all..."Staring at the two gruff-looking individuals as if they had lost his mind, Nobu was tempted to set his saucer down when both men looked towards him with slight ridicule in their eyes. Senichi had even adopted a mocking sneer, so, after grinding his teeth for several seconds, Nobu followed their example by downing his saucer in a few large gulps.With the liquid sliding smoothly down his throat, a feeling of incongruency washed over Nobu's body and mind as he lowered his empty saucer and incredulously remarked, "It tastes mellow..."Bursting out laughing, Senichi and Senken smacked their knees and thighs while Nobu watched on with an increasingly cold expression on his face. If he hadn't seen Senken fill his cup from the same gourd, he would have thought they had pulled a prank on him.Fortunately, just as Nobu was considering throwing his saucer at them, Senichi wiped away a tear from his eye before explaining, "This is no ordinary sake, brat. In fact, when it first starts out, it is basically just water. You see, whenever an heir to the Oda Clan is born, we fill a special gourd with water from a spring nourished by spiritual energy. The only additional ingredient is a single drop of blood from the newborn infant..."Furrowing his brows, Nobu began to feel a little nauseous. Fortunately, Senichi wasn't done with his explanation, adding, "A formation inscribed on the interior of the gourd converts any liquid placed within into a very special kind of sake. What makes it special, you might ask? Well, you see, its flavor varies depending on the person who consumes it..."Adopting a missive grin, Senichi waited for Senken to fill his saucer a second time before taking a much smaller sip and stating, "To those who support you wholeheartedly, the sake tastes like the flames of passion. To those who conspire against you, it's like drinking sake refined from dog shit. As for you...well, unless you are an extreme narcissist, it would taste like water. Since you described it as a mellow taste, I'm guessing you have a few self-esteem issues. We'll need to work on that..."Though he was a little annoyed by Senichi's final remark, it didn't prevent Nobu from recognizing how valuable the sake was. If he periodically served it to his future retainers and servants, he could find out which of them harbored ill will towards him. It was basically a cheat item that allowed him to determine whether or not a person was loyal, so, seeing Senken and Senichi fill their saucers a third time, he couldn't prevent his brow from twitching.Understanding his son's thoughts, a teasing smile developed across Senken's face as he gulped down a large mouthful of the fiery liquid before exhaling a sigh and stating, "Calm down, kid. I can tell what you're thinking just by looking into your eyes. Unfortunately for you, this sake will lose its effects a few hours after its first uncorking. Under normal circumstances, we would have cracked it open during your coming of age ceremony. You see, the convenient thing about this alcohol is that it is basically poison to anyone who wants to kill you. Anyone who gets ill or drops dead during the ceremony would have been expelled from the family or cremated without honors."Resisting the urge to ask why they didn't prepare numerous batches of the cheat-like liquor, Nobu's tensions gradually relaxed as he asked, "I guess this means I'm not going to have a coming of age ceremony...?Raising their brows, both Senken and Senichi stared at Nobu as if he was an idiot. This caused the latter's brow to twitch, but, instead of lashing out, he just closed his eyes and took an inhumanly long and deep breath. He had become somewhat addicted to the pleasant tingle that washed over his mind like icy water whenever he inhaled large quantities of oxygen. It made him feel relaxed, and, more importantly, helped him to calm down whenever he was feeling frustrated or annoyed.Observing Nobu in silence, Senken, and Senichi waited until he had opened his eyes before the former explained, "Coming of age ceremonies take place at fourteen or immediately following a person's first battle. You're coming up on twenty in the next three months, and, if Hitomi's reports are accurate, you've already knocked up two different women. We could announce your return, but, unless we wanted to start a civil war, no one in their right mind would drink your Men's Sake..."Nodding his head in affirmation, Senichi piggybacked Senken's words, adding, "The Oda Clan is more divided now than it has been in the past six hundred years. Since we never gave up on the notion that you would one day return, your father and I have been forced to take a stance on a number of contentious issues. Depending on the choices you make moving forward, the first and most important matter we'll need to resolve is unifying the family. A divided Oda Clan is a prime target for our enemies to exploit..."Though he had absolutely no intention of becoming the Daimyo and governing the province on his own, Nobu had already made the decision to help unify Nian. It bothered him that he was walking a similar path to his predecessor, but, with a family on the way and countless dangers lurking in the shadows, he couldn't afford to abandon his status as a member of the Oda Clan. Thus, rather than immediately shoot down Senichi's proposal, his expression became uncharacteristically serious as he said, "I already have a plan..."......(A/N: That sake really is a cheat item if used properly...)

Chapter 117: Laying the Foundation