As Saran climbed the stone steps of Aoki Castle, her pace naturally began to slow. A stone wall twelve meters high loomed before her, its grandeur overwhelming. Massive iron-gray stones were stacked in countless layers, joined with perfect precision. The keep that rose above them seemed to thrust a spear toward the sky, gleaming dully in the morning sun. That silhouette, visible from anywhere in the castle town of Jade Town below, was the very symbol of a ruler who gazed down upon all of Aoki Domain. "Come. The castle lord awaits." The soldier's voice was flat, yet carried an undeniable force of command. Saran drew a deep breath. Since leaving the village two days ago, she had repeated the same words over and over in her mind. She turned them over again now. (Stay calm. Be objective. Understand this situation precisely.) From her knowledge of the previous world, she had heard tales of what awaited concubine candidates in the Sengoku period. Most were treated like objects—if they displeased the castle lord, they were locked away in remote mountains or sent back to live as peasants. Whether Saran had been chosen purely by luck, or for some other reason, remained unclear. She had come to Aoki Castle to find that answer. As she passed through the gate of the inner citadel, the landscape transformed entirely. In the village she had known, the roofs of houses were thatched roughly, and the soil of the fields showed through. But here was different. Stone tiles were laid in perfect order, and armed soldiers stood watch at key points. The construction of the buildings was maintained with such care that the scent of cypress rose into the air. Beneath the eaves of the gracefully designed shoin-style structures, intricate carvings had been carved with precision. A world of overwhelming power and order. The messenger proceeded down the corridor. Saran followed. Her footsteps echoed against the wooden floorboards, sounding unnaturally loud. The attending soldiers glanced toward her, but said nothing. A new concubine candidate entering the castle was merely one event among many here. "The Moonwhite Chamber. Enter." With those words, the messenger withdrew. The sliding door was already open. Saran took a deep breath and stepped inside. The room was about twelve tatami mats in size, with a tokonoma alcove at the far end. Light filtered through the shoji screens, passing through the white paper to illuminate the space with a gentle brightness. The air was crisp and cool, and a faint fragrance drifted to her nose—some fine incense burning somewhere. The floor was polished wooden boards, so perfectly maintained that not a speck of dust could be seen. Saran knelt in seiza position. She straightened her back and placed both hands on her knees. The etiquette she had learned by imitation in the village—though she was uncertain whether it was correct, she was determined to be careful and deliberate. Then. Footsteps sounded from beyond the shoji. Multiple footsteps. They approached slowly, but with certainty. Saran's heart pounded fiercely in her chest. (This is the true beginning.) The shoji slid open. The first to appear was Aoki Soma. Twenty-eight years old. Black hair tied back, his forehead exposed cleanly. His eyes were a sharp purple-indigo, and within their depths lay something unfathomable. A sword hung at his waist, and his body was wrapped in a jet-black kimono. That figure was the castle itself—cold, controlled, the symbol of a ruler without emotion. His features were refined. Yet the word "beautiful" did not suit him. All traces of emotional fluctuation had been erased from his expression. Saran felt as though she were gazing upon a stone statue. "A concubine candidate. What is your name?" A low, sunken voice. Pure words stripped of all emotion reached her ears. Beside him stood another man. Kirishima Setsuna. Thirty-three years old. She would later learn he was Aoki's strategist, but at this moment he was simply a figure wrapped in an extraordinary atmosphere—that was her first impression. Deep blue-black hair reaching his shoulders, gray eyes. A white scar remained on his left temple, a mark that spoke of how many times he had crossed the threshold of death. And he was looking at Saran with those eyes. His gaze was cold. The eyes of a merchant appraising goods, assessing merchandise. Yet it was not mere contempt—something like wariness dwelt in the depths of those eyes. "I am called Saran." Her voice trembled. She was aware of it herself. But it could not be helped. The tension in this space was incomparable to anything she had felt at the village well. Her life hung in the balance. If she failed, she might be cast aside and sent back to the village, or face something far more tragic. Aoki gazed down at Saran in silence. (What is he thinking?) Aoki's thoughts were utterly unreadable. His eyes merely reflected light, devoid of human warmth. "What can you do as a concubine?" It was less a question than an examination. If she could not demonstrate her value as a concubine, this would end here and now. Saran bit her lip. (This is it. The decisive moment is now.) In her life in the village, she had witnessed the struggles of the farmers up close. Under the six-to-four tax system, the peasants lived in constant fear of famine. The castle's grain reserves were only enough for six months. If the Red Blaze forces attacked, those reserves would be depleted in three months. If that happened, the soldiers' morale would crumble, and the domain's people might riot. The castle lord would suffer. Aoki Domain might fall. But there was a way to prevent that. Saran knew it. "I can assist with administrative reforms for the castle." In that instant, the air in the room froze. Aoki's eyes widened slightly. For the first time, something flickered within them. Astonishment. A clear astonishment utterly unsuited to that face. Beside him, Setsuna's expression darkened. "Nonsense. What could a farm girl possibly say?" His voice was cold and sharp. The gaze that assessed Saran became even more cruel. He had become certain—this woman was dangerous. Aoki glanced at Setsuna once, then turned his eyes back to Saran. "Administrative reforms—explain." "A revision of the tax system. Under the current six-to-four arrangement, the farmers' motivation to produce has been lost, and hidden fields are increasing. That is, farmers are cultivating crops on lands invisible to the lord's eye, and not reporting them in the official tax records. If the system were changed to four-to-six, and the castle were to purchase surplus rice at fair prices, the farmers' motivation would increase, and cultivated land would expand. This would also stabilize the castle's grain reserves." Hearing these words, Setsuna's complexion grew even worse. "My lord," Setsuna said in a low voice. "Such a person poses a danger to order within the castle. There is no precedent for this." Aoki fell silent. That silence seemed eternal. Saran held her breath, waiting for his judgment. "Interesting." Those two words. They changed Saran's fate. "I will take you as a concubine. But you will not seclude yourself in the inner chambers. You will involve yourself in the castle's administration. Explain your tax reform proposal in detail." Saran was astonished. To be approved so swiftly, so immediately. Aoki had not even considered Setsuna's objections. No—he had seen a value in this woman that surpassed them. "Thank you. I am honored." She bowed her head. But her inner thoughts were different. (It worked. The first phase is a success.) But immediately after, Setsuna rose to his feet. The motion was quiet, yet unmistakably tinged with hostility. "My lord. There is an important military report I must deliver to you later." "It can wait. Attend to it afterward." Aoki answered without hesitation. Yet his eyes did not follow Setsuna. Setsuna paused for a moment. Then his gaze turned toward Saran. His eyes spoke clearly. —This woman is a dangerous factor that will destabilize the power balance within the castle. Setsuna withdrew in silence. From his retreating figure, a profound killing intent hung in the air. Thus, Saran's new life at Aoki Castle officially began.