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Chapter 135: Mei Terumi's Decision - Part 1
🕑 Added 2024-06-25 18:04:33 +0000 UTCTwo hours earlier, at the Daimyo Residence in the Land of Water.
The grand hall was filled with revelry, clearly hosting a grand feast. The Daimyo of the Land of Water was merrily drinking with the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea, their arms draped around each other in drunken camaraderie.
"Brother, thank you for approving my marriage to Mei Terumi. Cheers to you!" the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea toasted.
"Ah, no need to be so formal. This is not just for you, it's for the friendship between our nations!" replied the Daimyo of the Land of Water.
"Indeed! To eternal friendship, let's drink to that!"
"Cheers!"
After several rounds of drinks, the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea broached a subject that had been bothering him. "Brother, I must ask, what does Mei Terumi think of all this? Has she agreed?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Water chuckled mischievously before straightening up and replying confidently, "Why worry about her? Who runs this country? I do! Even though Mei Terumi is the Fifth Mizukage, she is still my subject. She wouldn't dare defy me!"
He continued, "As long as you cede those two islands to the Land of Water, I guarantee the marriage will happen. After that, you can figure out how to make things official. Do I need to spell it out for you?"
The Daimyo of the Land of the Sea, lost in his amorous fantasies, responded eagerly, "Brother, you are reliable! Let's get a map; I'll sign over Gokai Island and Mother Island right now!"
"Are you serious?"
"Absolutely!"
"That's my good brother!" The Daimyo of the Land of Water clapped his hands and ordered his subordinates, "Bring the map!"
"Yes, sir!"
Nearby, Takeshi, seeing how things were developing, hurriedly whispered to the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea, "My lord, isn't this a bit hasty? Shouldn't we wait until the wedding? What if the Land of Water backs out afterward?"
"Nonsense! My brother wouldn't lie to me," replied the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea, still under the influence of alcohol.
"My lord, it's always good to be cautious. Please reconsider."
The Daimyo of the Land of the Sea paused to think. Takeshi’s advice made sense. His drunken haze started to lift.
Just then, the subordinate returned with a long scroll, presenting it to the Daimyo of the Land of Water. "Sir, here is the map!"
"Excellent, open it!"
The map of the entire world was unrolled. The Daimyo of the Land of Water handed a pen to the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea, urging him, "Brother, mark Gokai Island and Mother Island with the character for 'Water,' and then we'll draft a formal treaty for you to sign. Once that's done, Mei Terumi will be yours, and our countries will be forever united!"
The Daimyo of the Land of the Sea scratched his head, smiling awkwardly. "Brother, I thought about it for a moment. Could we sign this after the wedding?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Water internally scoffed but maintained his composure. "Brother, don’t you trust me?"
"It's not that, I just want to be sure. Signing at the wedding won’t hurt anyone. It's just a day's difference."
Seeing his hesitation, the Daimyo of the Land of Water decided not to push. "Alright, we’ll do it your way. But remember, I'll be at the wedding too. Let's call it a night and rest. We have a journey to the Land of the Sea tomorrow. We’ll drink again at the wedding!"
"Great! Thank you, brother!"
"Escort the Daimyo of the Land of the Sea to his quarters," ordered the Daimyo of the Land of Water.
After seeing off his guest, the Daimyo of the Land of Water immediately informed Kirigakure about the “marriage alliance.”
At Kirigakure, a meeting was held to discuss the matter. Mei Terumi’s stance was firm: she was against it.
No amount of persuasion, whether gentle or forceful, could change her mind. In desperation, the council turned to the Daimyo for support.
“Mei, refusing this marriage would be an insult to our Daimyo,” one advisor argued.
“Indeed, it’s just a formality. The Daimyo cares for you. Sacrificing a nominal title for two large territories is a profitable trade!” another advisor added.
Mei Terumi was fuming internally, cursing the council members. Just as she was about to explode, Ao, standing behind her, spoke up.
“Everyone, have you forgotten that we are one of the Five Great Nations? Why should we sacrifice the Mizukage’s honor for the Land of the Sea? With Mei Terumi’s strength, we could easily conquer their territory!”
“Young and naive, Ao,” an elder scoffed. “As a great nation, we can’t start wars without just cause. If we attack without reason, the other four great nations will intervene. But a marriage alliance? They can’t oppose love between our countries.”
The elder’s logic left Ao speechless.
“Enough!” Mei Terumi slammed her hand on the table. “Push me any further, and I’ll resign as Mizukage!”
“Mei, do you think the position of Mizukage is a joke?” another advisor questioned.
“Is it truly supreme? If it were, I wouldn’t be pressured like this!” Mei retorted, removing her hat and placing it on the table.
Seeing her resolve, the room fell silent. The door then opened, and the Daimyo of the Land of Water entered, his voice steady and authoritative.
“Mei, calm down. Keep the hat on. Listen to what I have to say first.”
All eyes turned to the Daimyo as he approached.
“Daimyo-sama, you’re here…”
