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Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: The Fire Capital’s Banquet of Blades

Inside the study, the faint scent of sandalwood filled the air.

Arashi leaned back in his chair, eyes closed in rest.

Yui knelt beside him, awkwardly brewing tea.

She was dressed in a simple maid's uniform, her former grace and arrogance gone. Only a pale, expressionless face and hollow eyes remained.

Boiling water poured into the teapot. Steam rose, carrying a light aroma of tea.

She discarded the first brew, refilled the pot, and carefully poured the tea into a cup, offering it to him with both hands.

Throughout the entire process, she didn't say a single word—her silence was almost frightening.

Arashi didn't open his eyes.

"Gen."

"Your subordinate is here."

Gen, waiting by the door, immediately responded.

"Go summon Lord Tanaka of the Ministry of Finance, Lord Ito of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Kawachi-no-kami, Yamashiro-no-kami… all of them."

Arashi listed several names in a calm tone.

Yui's hand trembled slightly as she held the cup.

Those were all high-ranking nobles and old ministers of the Fire Capital.

During the succession struggle, most had remained neutral, while some had secretly supported her would-be husband, Arashi's late elder brother.

Was this a reckoning?

"Yes, My Lord."

Gen bowed and left.

Only then did Arashi open his eyes, taking the cup and blowing gently on the tea.

"The tea is good," he said casually, glancing at her.

Yui's shoulders tensed even further, her head lowering until it nearly touched the floor.

Half an hour later.

In the Daimyo Manor's Council Hall, more than a dozen officials and nobles stood in neat rows. The air was heavy, their expressions grave.

No one dared to sit.

Whispers filled the air. Unease showed plainly on every face.

"Why did Lord Daimyo summon us so suddenly?"

"I don't know… Everyone here seems to—"

"Quiet! Don't speak carelessly!"

Tanaka Shigeru, Minister of Finance, stood at the front, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He knew better than anyone how ruthless the new Daimyo's methods were.

Suddenly, a steady rhythm of footsteps echoed from outside.

All conversation stopped.

Arashi, flanked by guards, entered the Council Hall.

He wore a black robe embroidered with gold patterns that shimmered faintly under the light, adding an air of composed authority to his refined features.

He didn't take the main seat. Instead, he stopped in the middle of the hall, his calm gaze sweeping across the room.

Everyone he looked at quickly lowered their head.

"My Lords, you are the pillars of my Land of Fire," Arashi began, his voice even yet commanding.

"I invited you here today because I need your help with a few matters."

He clapped his hands.

Gen entered, leading two guards carrying a large wooden box.

Thud.

The heavy box landed with a dull sound that made everyone's heart tighten.

"Open it."

The lid was lifted.

Inside was a pile of scrolls and ledgers.

At first, the ministers only looked on curiously.

But when a few scrolls slipped, revealing familiar handwriting and family crests, the color drained from their faces.

Tanaka Shigeru froze.

He stared at a blue-covered ledger with a tea stain on the corner, it was the false account he had forged himself.

Next to him, Minister Ito spotted a personal letter—his own handwriting—pledging "full support" to the late Daimyo's eldest son.

Kawachi-no-kami felt his knees buckle. He saw a mining report detailing falsified production numbers, signed by him and one of the executed traitors.

Each man saw his own doom staring back at him.

Silence fell.

The hall was filled only with the sound of ragged breathing and chattering teeth.

Cold sweat drenched their fine robes.

The wooden box before them no longer looked like a box, it was a coffin prepared for them.

In that suffocating silence, Arashi's calm voice cut through the air.

"My Lords, what is the matter?"

He scanned the crowd, feigning concern. "You all look unwell. Is someone ill?"

His feigned gentleness was sharper than any blade.

He knew everything and he wanted them to know that he knew.

Tanaka Shigeru finally collapsed to his knees, trembling.

"Your subject… is guilty!"

His cry broke the silence like shattering glass.

"Lord Daimyo, please spare us!"

"We were momentarily blinded, My Lord! Have mercy!"

One after another, they knelt, their voices shaking, begging for forgiveness.

The great hall dissolved into chaos.

Arashi stood silently, watching their pathetic display, a faint smirk on his lips.

"Silence!" Gen barked.

The hall fell quiet again. Heads remained bowed low.

"All of you, rise," Arashi said flatly. "These items were taken from the estates of my late brothers during the rebellion."

He picked up a random scroll from the box and weighed it in his hand.

"I haven't looked inside yet. I suppose there's nothing important."

He turned, tossing the scroll casually back into the box.

"Gen, bring a brazier."

"Yes."

A large copper brazier was quickly brought in.

Under the stunned gazes of the ministers, Arashi motioned to the guards.

"Pour it all in. Burn it."

The guards obeyed, tilting the box over the flames.

Whoosh.

Scrolls and ledgers tumbled into the fire, the blaze roaring to life.

The flames reflected off Arashi's composed, elegant face.

"I am not one to dwell on the past," he said clearly, his voice steady above the crackling fire.

"Let the past burn clean, like this flame."

"I have not read what was inside, and no one will ever mention it again."

"But remember, such things must never happen again."

He turned, sweeping his gaze across the room.

"I only care about the future. From this day onward, your loyalty belongs to me alone."

"Those who create value for me will receive everything they desire."

"Do you all understand?"

As his words echoed, Tanaka Shigeru's expression shifted from terror to elation.

He fell to his knees again, tears streaming down his face.

"Your subject, Tanaka Shigeru, swears eternal loyalty to Lord Daimyo! I will serve without hesitation!"

"Your subjects swear eternal loyalty to Lord Daimyo!"

The others followed, their cries merging into a chorus that shook the hall.

At that moment, all hesitation, all pretense of independence, vanished.

Only reverence and fear remained.

This young Daimyo had burned away their sins and bound their souls in one stroke.

From this day forward, their lives belonged to him.

Arashi watched them with satisfaction, mentally sorting through a list of trusted names.

He could have executed these men to make an example of them, but what then?

Without these seasoned officials, who would manage the nation?

Letting hotheaded samurai handle finance and infrastructure? The Land of Fire would collapse in months.

No, they had to live and serve him faithfully.

Once his new generation of loyalists was ready, these old dogs would have no value left.

For now, killing them was the lesser path.

Controlling their hearts was the true way.

(To be continued.)

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