The scene is just before the Imperial armed forces return to their homeland and march on Kyoto.
- Yamaga
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Imperial Guard Order
1. The division is to defend the Emperor and restore our national identity.
2. The commanders of the 3rd Imperial Guard Infantry Regiment (in the original text, 'Konsan Infantry') shall advance along the Yodo River, crush the rebels, and march on Kyoto to protect the Imperial Palace and the city of Kyoto, while paying tribute to His Majesty the Emperor.
3. The commander of the 4th Imperial Guard Infantry Regiment, after securing Mount Tennō, shall crush the rebels and march on Kyoto to maintain security in the mountain castle, excluding the city of Kyoto, and shall cooperate with the commander of the 3rd Regiment.
4. The commander of the 5th Imperial Guard Infantry Regiment should be in charge of maintaining security in the Settsu area, which is in the rear.
5. The commander of the 2nd Imperial Guard Artillery Regiment shall cooperate with the 3rd Imperial Guard Infantry Regiment with its main force, and with part of it with the 5th Imperial Guard Infantry Regiment.
6. Units other than those listed above should act with the division command as a reserve.
7. I will be in the division headquarters
Commander of the Imperial Guard Division
Akira Mutō
. . .
"Sir, I just received word from the communications officer that the messages to the various units have been sent."
"Good."
Akira Mutō, Commander of the Imperial Guards Division, smiled and continued.
"We are the Imperial Guards. Even if we live in a different era."
"Indeed, sir."
The staff members gathered at the division command center voiced their agreement one after another.
"What would the Imperial Guard do if they did not respect His Majesty's will? The times are different, but let us act in a manner that lives up to the name of the Imperial Guard."
"That's right."
"It goes without saying. The generals of the Imperial Guard share your sentiments."
"Hm, well said."
Division Commander Mutō and the men of the division headquarters exchanged more words.
"Still, I still can't help but wonder. How did this happen?" Colonel Nobuyoshi Obata, Chief of Staff of the Imperial Guard, said unexpectedly.
"Who knows."
Even for Mutō, it was a strange and unconvincing thing. However...
"We can only assume that His Majesty's will has called us. If we had remained in that place, we might have been able to return to our time, but it does not mean that we could. And can the Imperial Guard make the choice not to save the Emperor of this time period?"
At last, they were to march on Kyoto and repose the Emperor's spirit. With this in mind, Mutō muttered wistfully.
"It is indeed an irrefutable argument," Colonel Obata relented.
Yes, we are the Imperial Guard. And because we were the Imperial Guard, we were to march first to Kyoto and offer our allegiances to the Emperor of this era.
It was the Warring States Period in the year 1542 of the Anno Domini calendar or the 11th year of the Tenbun era. There may be slight differences from the original timeline, but at least, as far as we, the Emperor's army, have gathered information so far, it does not seem to be different from the history we know. However, it is undeniable that a situation different from the original timeline has already occurred.
Originally, we were supposed to be in charge of invading Malaya and the Philippines at the outbreak of the Greater East Asia War, but suddenly, on the first day of the war, we found ourselves 400 years in the past (or, to be more precise, later). After the senior officers of the Army and Navy who were in contact discussed what to do, it was decided that the main forces would return to the mainland, Japan, and some of them would be assigned to secure some of the resources in the south, such as crude oil.
And...
The main force landed in Okinawa. They landed in southern Kyushu, suppressed the surrounding area, persuaded the Shimazu clan to become their backers, spearheaded the Imperial Guard Division, landed in Osaka Bay via Shikoku, and then marched by sea to Kyoto. The Emperor would be troubled by the sudden appearance of a strange army, so they decided to use the backings of the Shimazu, which is said to have been descended from Minamoto no Yoritomo's illegitimate son.
"Well then, let us begin our march on Kyoto," Mutō ordered his men.
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The next chapter will be Chapter 1, in which the Imperial officers will assess the situation and take their first actions.
- Yamaga
YOU ARE READING
Emperor's Armed Forces in the Warring States
Historical Fiction"Are we 400 years in the past?" In December 1941, with the outbreak of the Greater East Asia War, the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy units that were moving by sea to capture Malaya and the Philippines were astonished. It took them some time to unde...
