Before his departure, there was one more man Kanbe'e had to greet: Hanbe'e Takenaka, his senior strategist within the Hashiba army.

  Hanbe'e Takenaka was known to history as a strategist of peerless caliber. Fifteen years prior, he had seized Inabayama Castle—the reputedly impregnable seat of his own lord, Tatsuoki Saito—with fewer than twenty men in a single day.

  The reason was a startling "remonstrance." His lord, Tatsuoki, had abandoned governance for wine and women, and Hanbe'e took the castle to jar him awake, not for personal ambition. True to his character, he declined Nobunaga Oda’s attempts to headhunt him, held the castle for six months, and then simply returned it to his lord.

  He eventually joined Hideyoshi’s service, won over by Hideyoshi’s legendary charm where Nobunaga’s cold logic had failed. He treated Kanbe'e—his junior and fellow strategist—with a mix of camaraderie and mentorship, doing all he could to guide him. However, of late, the progression of his illness had become impossible to hide.

  Kanbe'e visited Hanbe'e to pay his respects and offer his wishes for recovery.

  Hanbe'e’s quarters were in an old farmhouse nestled in the shadows of a grove, away from the clamor of the camp. The chilling wind of late autumn whistled through the trees, making the dry leaves scuttle across the ground.

  The moment Kanbe'e entered the room, he was met with the scent of incense mingled with the metallic tang of blood. The flickering, faint light of the andon lamp illuminated Hanbe'e’s pale, translucent skin.

  As Kanbe'e bowed, he did not miss the white cloth Hanbe'e clutched in his hand to hide his cough. It was rapidly staining crimson. The way the fresh blood spread across the fabric like a blooming peony was cruelly beautiful.

  The luster Hanbe'e once possessed was gone. He seemed more gaunt with every meeting. Yet, he maintained the dignity of the Hashiba army’s chief strategist. His eyes still held the piercing light of a master tactician.

  (If he rests, we shall stand together on the battlefield again...)

  Kanbe'e desperately chased that light in his mind, trying to convince himself. His reason refused to allow for the possibility of an eternal farewell.

  "Lord Hanbe'e," Kanbe'e began. "I have been tasked with a grave mission: to travel to Arioka Castle and persuade Lord Araki. During my absence, I beg of you... please do not overexert yourself. You must care for your health."

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  Hanbe'e raised his gaze. His eyes were terrifyingly clear, untouched by the shadows of his disease. They were the eyes of a strategist who saw through all things.

  "Kanbe'e... do you go to Arioka out of 'emotion' or 'reason'?"

  Kanbe'e was momentarily speechless. Seeing this, Hanbe'e broke into a fit of coughing, followed by a wry smile.

  "Kanbe'e... I fear the 'Two Bei' will soon be reduced to just one."

  These were the words Kanbe'e dreaded most. The "Two He'e"—Kanbe'e took secret pride in that title. Two men with peerless intellect supporting the sun that was Hideyoshi from both sides. He felt as if he could hear the sound of that future crumbling like a castle of sand.

  "Do not say such things! I believe, with all my heart, that you will recover!"

  Hanbe'e continued, perhaps sensing that this might be their final conversation. He was a man who always calculated for the worst-case scenario.

  "No, it is my own body; I know its limits. That is why there is something I must ask of you. Kanbe'e... you are a schemer even greater than I. But for that very reason, Lord Oda may one day come to fear you."

  Kanbe'e nodded in silence, understanding that he was receiving a testament. He felt a hot surge of emotion welling up within him.

  "Lord Nobunaga is a commander of rare brilliance. He will surely become the ruler of the realm. But... that man views his subordinates as nothing more than 'pieces' on a board. He uses useful pieces until they break and discards the useless ones without mercy. I wonder, Kanbe'e... how long he will keep a 'blade as sharp as you' inside its sheath?"

  Hanbe'e’s voice grew solemn.

  "Eventually, someone must change this world. Once I am gone, you are the only one who can support Lord Hideyoshi. I am not telling you to be the light that guides the ruler. I am telling you to manage the shadows that light creates. And... if the time comes to change the world... you are the only one who can do it. I leave it to you."

  There was no hesitation in Hanbe'e’s voice.

  "The only one who can do it? Me?"

  A few months—until spring—would be enough time to entrust everything to this young successor. In Hanbe'e’s calculations, the "worst-case scenario" of Kanbe'e being buried in darkness for a whole year was not included. He knew his own life was fading, but he believed that with Kanbe'e’s talent, the mission to Arioka would be finished in the blink of an eye.

  "A man of your intellect will surely understand 'the Way' in time. When you return safely from Arioka, let us speak of it at length."

  He said no more. Perhaps he could not. But he knew Kanbe'e would eventually realize the limits of Nobunaga’s ways. He wanted to plant a "seed" deep within Kanbe'e’s heart—the belief that Kanbe'e could be the one to change the realm.

  As Kanbe'e stood up to leave, he heard the rustle of robes behind him.

  "Kanbe'e! Your talent was bestowed by Heaven to bring an end to this era of chaos. Do not let it rot away for the sake of a fleeting loyalty!"

  The voice was low, crawling along the floor, yet sharp enough to vibrate through Kanbe'e’s spine.

  Kanbe'e froze for a moment, then gave a deep, formal bow as he always did before exiting the room. At that moment, he refused to believe it, but this was indeed the final hour of the "Two Be'e."

  Kanbe'e left Hanbe'e’s room. On the path back, Hanbe'e’s words echoed over and over in his mind.

  "To bring an end to this era of chaos... something only Kanbe'e can do..."

  Produced and written by a Japanese author, rooted in authentic Japanese history. Translated with the assistance of Gemini (AI).