Amazing Village Building

Contrary to our expectations, Gai-san didn’t seem to be liked by the people of Osaku.

“That monk, ‘least to me, hasn’t completely discarded his worldly desires yet.”

“What, you mean to say he’s like us?”

“Nah, rather than money, I think his lust still remains.”

“A perverted monk!? Well, that still makes him like us then! Nahahahaha!”

Ahh, they saw through him…

“That is just the case. While I did stay in Hozo-ji temple, that was a long time ago now. When the head monk knew that I gave in to my worldly desires and played around with women, I was expelled. Ever since, I had been looking for a new path of faith, one where we live alongside our worldly desires.”

…I didn’t know he was expelled.

“A new path of faith?”

“Yes. In my opinion, even if one entered monkhood without discarding their worldly desires, or even if an ordinary person was so swayed by their worldly desires, those people could still be saved. After all, Buddha’s heart is deeper than the oceans and vaster than the skies. As long as we wholeheartedly recite the nembutsu prayer, I believe Buddha will still guide even the most sinful of us to Sukhavati, the Land of Bliss.”

Gai-san vigorously argued so.

I couldn’t help but think that it was all a convenient justification for his lust though…

However, the people of Osaku didn’t seem to think so.

“I think it’s a fascinating idea. It might just be for us, but that’s one welcome teaching.”

“We work ourselves to the bone to gain all our weath, but we have to throw all of that away if we wish to become monks. So, if there is a way to salvation while continuing our trade, I would be very happy.”

“Can you tell us more about it?”

Why is Gai-san starting to look like the founder of a new religion!?

“Before any of that, our group would like to request an audience with the chancellor. These fellows had traveled to these lands from the west by crossing the monster-infested mountain range.”

“Very well, I’ll pass along that message to my superiors! Please wait a while!”

After a while, it was confirmed that we could have an audience with the chancellor, the title given to the what amounted to be the king of Osaku.

In the back of the luxurious tatami-matted room we were led to was a man of incredibly small build.

“I am Chancellor Hideyotsu. I bid you welcome, travelers from afar.”

The chancellor introduced himself as Toyotoki Hideyotsu. Despite us showing uninvited, he welcomed us warmly.

Much like with Shogun Ieasu, I began with an offering as a way to introduce ourselves.

“This is a potion made in our kingdom of Celtia.”

“A potion? What a fine gift. However, I have never heard of the Celtia Kingdom producing potions.”

Osaku had ships go to and from the western nations. In other words, they traded, albeit on a small scale, with those nations.

Seeing as there was the Barste Kingdom between the sea and the Celtia Kingdom, plus the fact that the Celtia Kingdom was in a state of civil war until recently, Osaku did not trade directly with our kingdom. However, it seemed like they still gathered information through the other merchants.

“We mass-produce them now.”

“Truly? That makes it more of a shame that we can’t send people your way so easily then.”

“Yes…”

I then explained like I did back in Edou.

After hearing me, the chancellor’s eyes were sparkling.

“What a sudden and unbelievable tale! However, if that Edou of all places has begun trading with you, we can’t afford to fall behind any further! This railway system you speak of, is there anyway to implement it in our nation as well?”

“Yes, of course. So long as you sell us your freshly caught fish, that is. A one-way trip should take only an hour or so, so the goods should still be fresh on arrival.”

“Only an hour!?”

We had been importing fish and seafood through Barste recently, but there was quite a distance from Barste to our wasteland village, which affected the freshness of the goods involved.

It would be much faster if we purchased it from Osaku itself and transported it directly to the village.

And like that, we received permission from the chancellor to connect a railway to Osaku.

I had already established a station in Edou, so it only took my body doubles half a day to finish it.

Afterwards, the chancellor decided to ride the train himself and went all the way to our village. He was astonished by our high-rise buildings.

“Such a grand city! I didn’t know such a thing existed to the western side of the mountain range……”

TL note: Toyotoki Hideyotsu is a reference to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The title used for him here is Taiko which I believe is more commonly translated as retired regent. Seeing as any kind of regent(that is someone ruling in place of someone else) doesn’t really make sense in the setting in the story, I decided to use his chancellor title instead.

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