Emperor's Armed Forces in the Warring States

Epilogue (Part 1)

"I knew she wouldn't even come to see me off."

"Tansanee was absolutely furious, you know. She came to me directly to tell me why her mother was leaving and that it was father Shoichi's fault. She said that Tansanee had decided to keep her brothers and sisters together and not even go to see you off."

"She was stubborn, just like me. Maybe I shouldn't have been honest."

Pricha, who was about to leave for Japan, smiled sadly at the docks in Siam.

Shoichi Kamisato pondered again. The relationship between a man and a woman is a strange thing. Who would have thought that a relationship of just one or two years would turn into a relationship of six years, with three children between the two of them, and that he would end up taking her children as well?

"In a year or so, I will go to Japan myself, taking the children with me. Then Tansanee and the others will calm down and come to see you."

Kamisato turned his eyes away from Pricha and said half to himself. Pricha's eyes widened.

"You're coming to Japan?"

"Oh, come on, it's only natural that I should go back to my own country," Kamisato answered her question with averted eyes and spun the words.

"In fact, a senior official of the Japanese government, or rather the military, offered to buy Shang Liwu and use it as the basis for a corporate organization that would be primarily engaged in trade with India. They want to create an Indian joint-stock company, or some such organization. It seems that many of Japan's major merchants would like to participate in the management of the organization by investing in the company. The Sultanate of Malacca was restored and Aceh became a Japanese vassal. The sea of Southeast Asia was now led by Japan, with Portugal completely ousted from the region. As Japan is about to embark on a full-scale trade in the Indian Ocean, it is only natural that it would seek to establish a state-run enterprise."

Pricha interrupted him.

"Japan is going to embark on a venture into the Indian Ocean, you say? Is that really all there is to it? I think that they will also try to reach out to the Americas. Are they trying to conquer the world?"

"I'd like to say that's delusional, but if it's possible, they may be going for it," Kamisato replied, still looking away.

"I can't very well follow you. I think I would like to become a nun, and pursue Buddhist training."

"Yeah. You should go to the Honganji temple and do Buddhist training. After you have settled down, you can come and see the children."

"Wouldn't Lady Zhang Wa be reluctant to do so?"

Pricha said something that plainly stung Kamisato. He felt sweat break out on his back.

When he went to Ayutthaya about six years ago, he did not bring Zhang Wa with him because his father-in-law, Zhang Jingxiu, feared that Zhang Wa, still in her early teens, would be caught up in the war in the Kingdom of Siam. After a few years had passed and Zhang Wa had reached a reasonable age, he still did not bring her to Ayutthaya because he thought that she would not be able to stomach the situation if he continued the relationship with Pricha and caused him to live with his wife and concubine. Then, he should have cut off the relationship with Pricha, but he kept putting off the problem. So, this happened, in a way, he can say that he no longer has a problem in officially marrying Zhang Wa.

As it stands, this is what's giving her a headache. What would Zhang Wa think?

He thought she would be angry and wonder why an official wife has to take care of the children of her husband's concubine. He finally realized that while he had been thinking about formally adopting Tansanee and the others, he had also been thinking out of the goodness of his heart.

"I'll figure something out," Kamisato muttered, partly to deceive himself.

Yes, we'll manage, we just have to stay positive and get on with it.

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This completes Part 1.