Steel and Ambition: No SV, Just Building the Guns Won't Make for a Successful Business. You Need More!

The Red Demon

Edo Castle, City of Edo, Chambers of the Supreme Minister

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The only sound in the room was the tapping of a closed fan onto the knee of a sitting man.

Ii Naosuke, Tairo of the Shogunate and effective Head of the Japanese Government, sat on his seat, glaring down at the kneeling Samurai before him. After he had finished his report, Saburo had fallen silent, awaiting his superiors answer. And he already knew that it would not be a kind one.

But the silence that had stretched out over the last minute or so...the icy, damning silence was so much worse than any shouts or accusations could have been.

When Lord Ii finally spoke up, his voice was measured, calm...and cold as steel. "...I am...severely disappointed in you, Saburo."

Saburo swallowed, still not daring to raise his head. He knew this calm demeanor from Lord Ii. Beneath it, the Supreme Minister was hiding his boiling fury.

If he did look up, Saburo had no doubt that the eyes of his Lord would be burning with a rage the Christian Barbarians would ascribe to their Hell and Devil. Ii Naosuke was a man of cold rationality and precise manners, but underneath that, he always held a boundless well of energy and drive, fueled by intense emotion under strict control. And his wrath, when roused, was legendary.

'The Red Demon', as many called him: A title once wielded by one of his Ancestors, a loyal Vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu himself.

But here, where they were alone, he allowed the mask to slip ever so slightly. "You fool." His eyes narrowed in anger. "I sent a hundred men after Sakumo Hedikei, a man who had already once refused a very powerful court position and job at the arsenal here in Edo. I had sent one hundred of my best, to bring him in, quietly and ALIVE. For I know that the man is stubborn as a rock, and twice as likely to be swayed. Now I ask you, simply...why did you fail?"

Saburo thought of the thousands of things that were among his thoughts ever since he had relayed the incident to him. "He had a barbarian rifle. And was prepared for-"

"You had a hundred men!" Ii shouted back with fury that seemed to shake the entire world with his rage. "You could have just charged him and disarmed him and taken him with fewer losses then you suffered with your cowardice! Now the rifle is lost. The diagrams to make another, if there ever was a smith in this country that could be a match to his equal, gone! The man and his wife are dead! And his children, heirs to his skill, have scattered to the wind!"

Saburo, only looked towards his Master. But he said nothing. There was nothing he could say to save himself. "My Lord, I ask-"

"You don't get to ask anything. I demand that you die."

Saburo froze, before lowering his head in shame.

"Seppuku", Ii told him coldly. "You have failed the Shogun, and you have failed me. Be grateful that I allow you to restore a small measure of your Honor...and hope that by spilling your blood, we may yet find a way to make any use of this whole situation. The rest of your subordinates will be put on trial and dealt with, as well." He gestured with his fan. "Now, begone. You have until tomorrow."

Saburow lowered his head one last time, before standing up and walking off, his head lowered in disgrace.

Ii Naosuke kept up his cold glare until his disgraced retainer had left the room. Only then did the Tairo allow himself to relax, his shoulder slumping slightly as he brought a hand to his forehead with a tired sigh.

"You should have sent me, instead, my Lord."

Ii looked up and turned his head to look at the man standing next to him. The young man was dressed in a blue kimono, his blue eyes piercing out from under his black hair as he stood next to the Supreme Minister, looking at him without fear.

Not many would dare to speak to Ii Naosuke so brazenly...but then, this young man was hardly usual person.

Ii sighed. "I know, Saigo. I know. You would have been the better choice, in hindsight. But I needed you here in Edo for the time being."

"Did you?" Matsudaira Saigo did keep his voice level and calm, but there was a clear doubt in them. "Manabe could have handled my tasks. Instead of sending this foolish brute Saburo, I could have-"

Ii raised the fan, silencing his charge. "What is done is done. I needed someone I could trust absolutely to carry out these tasks. And we are all wiser with the benefit of hindsight." He sighed again. "...However, you are correct. I made a mistake. Now we need to find a way to rectify it as best we can. Before the Emperor and those fools in the Restorationist Camp can make our situation any worse."

Saigo nodded, a glint in his eye. "Ah, so you haven't heard the news, yet. The boy was in Kyoto, he even spoke with the Emperor himself. But I think, for now, we can afford to… set aside our concerns about him."

Ii's expression changed, one eyebrow arching in skepticism. "And what makes you so certain?"

"Because, as you instructed, I placed spies within the imperial court to track Sakumo's movements," Saigo replied smoothly. "And you were right, he was attempting to recreate a barbarian rifle for the Emperor. His own son all but confirmed it."

Ii exhaled slowly, his fingers tapping against the lacquered wood of the table. "But?" he prompted, sensing the hesitation in Saigo's tone.

A silence stretched between them before Saigo finally spoke. "The Emperor removed the boy from the palace. The reason is…not entirely clear."

Ii leaned forward slightly. "And?"

Saigo exhaled through his nose. "He was well compensated for his efforts, though not nearly enough to rebuild any sort of manufacturing capability. Whatever he hoped to achieve, it has been cut short."

Ii's fingers stilled, and for a moment, he considered the implications in silence. Then, quietly, he murmured. "Then perhaps we need not intervene yet."

"But what of our own plans for Sakumo's rifle and his son?"

"For now, we wait." Ii shook his head. "Keep an eye on him, but do not interfere...for now. To recruit him, I want him to come to us willingly. Force, in this case, will achieve nothing."

"Is there really any chance of that?", Saigo asked. "Men of the Shogunate killed his parents."

"Fools who severely overstepped and even went against their Orders killed his parents", Ii corrected him. "And were punished for it." He sighed. "But I see your point. We need to look out for an opportunity to prove to him that we are not the cruel, unfeeling Monsters he may think us. To prove that the greatest Hope for this country's future lies with the Shogunate."

The 'and with me' went unspoken, but not unheard.

Saigo shook his head. "...I am loyal to you and the Tokugawa to the end, my Lord. You know that. But...with Tensions rising so high after your Ansei Purge and the Tokugawa's old enemies stirring..."

He didn't need to say that he had doubts for the Shogunate's survival. Doubts that Ii, privately, shared.

Doubts that he would move Mountains to prove wrong, if he had to.

"Hmph...and if the Shogunate falls, who is supposed to rule this land?", Ii asked rhetorically. "Those idiots from Choshu, Satsuma, Mito or Tosa, still nursing their centuries-old grudge over Sekigahara, stewing in bitterness and thinking we can just sink the Westerner's Black Ships with spears and swords and return back to Isolation? The Emperor, an old fool who thinks simply ordering an immediate Expulsion of all Westerners from Japan will be enough to make sure they never return?" He shook his head. "If the Shogunate falls, our Nation will become nothing more than a carcass for the Western Vultures to pick clean."

Saigo's eyes steeled. "...A Fate that must be avoided at any cost."

Ii fell silent for a moment. "...Saigo", he finally said. "You have been in my care since you were eight years old. Since I saved you from death, after your father was executed for plotting to overthrow his cousin, the then Shogun, by taking you under my care. In all this time, you have served me as loyally and dutifully as a son of my own blood would have. You are intelligent, skilled and, above all, have both eyes turned towards the future."

He turned around, looking at his Retainer. "And that is why, if...the worst should occur and I were to lose my life to the blade of some bitter fool putting his anger and thirst for blood over our Country..." His eyes shined with resolution. "I will need you to carry on my work. And to help create a Japan that can survive and thrive in this new age."

"...I will do all in my power to protect you, my Lord", Saigo said. "I owe everything to you...after you took me in and treated me as your own son." He clenched a hand around the handle of his Katana, before relaxing it once more. "But should I fail in this...then you have my word that I will fulfill your dream of a modern Japan. One that will not have to bow to the West and be destroyed as the Chinese were. I swear upon my honor...and the name of my Clan."

Ii smiled. He rarely did, especially these days, but it softened his harsh, aged features considerably. "I know you will, Saigo. I could always trust in you. And if the worst should come to pass...you have my explicit permission to do as you see fit to make our Goal come true."

Saigo merely bowed his head in acknowledgement. Ii nodded, before turning back around again, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

There was so much to do, yet, if they wished to save Japan from Enemies without and fools within...so very much.

And until his life ended, he would do exactly that.

A.N.: Written in Collab between @Magoose and me.

As you can see, things are not so simple as 'Shogunate = comically evil'.

i know Sakamoto won, but dammit why was everything not working again.

Turn 5:

[X]Side with Sakamoto: "Get down!" You pushed your sisters down to the ground, and he began his bloody work.
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All you could see was a man a killer raising his katana into a ready stance. The blade gleamed in the dim light, steady and unwavering, held by a man who had no doubt in his own skill. His stance was perfect, his presence radiating certainty.

"You have no weapons that can kill me," he said with the confidence of a man who had walked through battlefields and emerged unscathed. He was the kind of warrior who did not fear being outnumbered, who did not falter even when death loomed.

But you did not reach for a weapon, or even try to find one. You did not fight. You didn't need to.

Instead, you acted on instinct.

You grabbed your sisters and pushed them down, shielding their small bodies beneath you. You could feel their trembling hands clutching at your arms, their breath sharp with fear.

And than-

The world erupted into chaos.

You shut your eyes just as the first scream tore through the air, raw and agonized. The sharp clash of steel against steel rang out, followed by the sickening crunch of blade meeting flesh. Then came the wet, unmistakable spray of blood, splattering across your back, seeping into your clothes.

More screams. Desperate. Brief. Pained. Even a matchlock shot. Then silence.

For a moment, you heard nothing but the whisper of the wind through the trees, the distant call of a crow. The only reminder of what had just occurred was the scent thick in the air and the dampness of fresh blood soaking into the earth.

Slowly, cautiously, you lifted your head.

Sakamoto stood before you, his stance relaxed, his breath even. He was covered in blood, his clothes stained, his skin streaked with crimson, a thin mist of smoke curling from a matchlock that was soon to be discarded. His sword dripped onto the ground, a stark contrast to the easy, almost sheepish grin he wore.

"Sorry about that," he said, running a hand through his hair, streaking blood across his forehead. "Got a little carried away."

You turned, your gaze drifting over the scene of carnage around you. The bodies lay motionless, their lifeblood pooling into the dirt.

You hesitated, then gently nudged your sisters to look away.

"Now, come with me. I promise you'll be safe. Or at least, safer than here."

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Tosa was small, at least, compared to the vast sprawl of Kyoto, it felt small. Here, life was simpler just like it was at home. People moved at a different rhythm, their concerns far removed from the power struggles that consumed the capital.

And yet, despite that, this place held its own kind of weight.

Sakamoto rode ahead with an easy confidence, his grin wide as the people of Tosa greeted him like an old friend. Men called out his name, women bowed their heads with polite smiles, and children ran alongside his horse, laughing in delight.

You, however, watched him with a quiet wariness, your eyes sharp with suspicion.

This man wanted something from you. That much was certain.

At last, you spoke, your voice low. "Why are you doing this? Taking me somewhere I do not wish to be?"

Sakamoto didn't look at you at first, merely keeping his gaze ahead as his horse trotted down the dirt road. But his response came swiftly, lacking hesitation.

"Because if I didn't, you'd die. Or worse."

You narrowed your eyes. "There is something worse than death?"

"There are always things worse than death," he said, turning to glance at you. "But the worst, in my eyes, is betraying oneself. Becoming something you'd despise."

You scoffed. "Do you think I would betray myself?"

Sakamoto's expression didn't change. "Not yet," he replied. "But you haven't reached the point where desperation makes you see yourself differently."

You were silent for a moment, absorbing his words. Then, quietly, you asked, "What use am I to you? I didn't learn everything from my father."

Sakamoto chuckled at that, shaking his head. "And yet, if you learned even half of what he could have taught you, you'd still be one of the greatest smiths in Japan, at least, in theory." His grin widened. "That money you have will be enough to give you a forge again. A new start."

You stared at him, still unconvinced. "Why are you helping me?"

For the first time, Sakamoto hesitated. It was brief, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face before his usual, easy confidence returned.

"I don't exactly know," he admitted, though his tone suggested otherwise. "At least… not in a way I feel safe telling you yet."

You frowned. "Then what's the point? You don't even know what you want?"

Sakamoto laughed again, this time stopping in front of a forge. Smoke curled from its chimney, and the scent of metal and fire filled the air. He dismounted with a practiced ease, turning to you with something sharper in his gaze.

"Oh, I know exactly what I want," he said. "I only hope, in time, you'll see that we share the same ideals."

You narrowed your eyes. "And what ideal is that?"

Sakamoto smiled, slow and knowing.

"Revere the Emperor. Expel the Barbarians."

The words rang out like a mantra. A common slogan, one that had gained popularity across the land.

And yet, even as the words left his lips, you could not help but think-

A popular slogan was not always a well-thought-out one.

"Do you really believe that?" You asked.

Sakamoto smiled. "I only believe what I believe as so it can assist me with my goals."

"And what are your goals?" You asked.

"For now, making sure you are safe, and productive." He said.

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-1000 Mon.

You have 9000 Mon.

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Gained a new Workshop.

Production Capacity: 0 (Everything is done by Hand)

(You cannot mass-produce firearms, relying solely on handcrafting each piece. Limited to producing one firearm per design turn unless additional actions are spent to increase output. Expansion will require better tools, materials, and labor.

Tech Level: 0 (Backwoods Artisan Engineer)

(You work with primitive hand tools and a simple blacksmith's forge. (-4 penalty to all final quality rolls on firearms) due to outdated techniques and limited knowledge. Research and investment are needed to modernize your methods.)

Security: 1 (You are under the watchful eye of Sakamoto, who will be using you to produce his own arms. But know that even he can only protect you so much.)


Workers' Happiness: 0

You have no workers, only your own hands to rely on.

No apprentices or assistants to share the workload or contribute ideas.


Expanding your workshop might attract skilled labor, but you must first prove yourself.

Ammunition Quality: 0

(You do not manufacture your own ammunition, relying on whatever black powder and shot you can acquire. Inconsistent quality could lead to misfires, inefficiency, or even catastrophic failures. Investing in powder-making techniques or securing a reliable supplier is crucial.)

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You have 3 General Actions:

[]The Sisters You Love: Miriko and Makoto have been through so much that you want to make sure they can do anything you can ask them.

[]The Sisters Who Work: You need to teach them how to forge. Failing that will lead to even worse things for you… and them.

[] The Enigma of Sakamoto Ryōma: He doesn't come many days, but when he does… he comes with books, from the foreigners. Dutch and English books about… government, and law. And firearms.

[]Eavesdrop on Conversations: These villagers do not really seem to be anything more than informants for Sakamoto, or the Shogun, but that does not mean you can't learn news from them.

[]Gather Materials: Scavenge wood, iron, or even discarded metal from old weapons to use in your workshop.
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Workshop Action (This is separate from the general actions above.)

The Workshop is where skill, patience, and ingenuity come together. Here, you can gather materials, craft weapons and armor, and refine your designs.

You have to work, or you will die.

Current Available Components:
300 Wood
50 Iron
5 steel
0 High Grade Steel

Workshop Actions:
[]Refine Materials: Improve the quality of your raw materials through tempering and careful craftsmanship, increasing the durability and effectiveness of future weapons. (can only make Iron to Steel)

[]Attempt to make a New Weapon: You want to channel your power of creation into something new. Something that you can use and say… Yes, this will be good enough.
-[]Write in what you want to attempt to make. (Will begin a design miniturn)

[]Attempt to Forge a Preexisting Weapon: You want to attempt to make a weapon that you have never designed before.
-[]Write in what you want to attempt.

[]Prototype a New Matchlock: Using what you've learned, attempt to construct a better matchlock firearm with improved accuracy, firing mechanisms, or reliability.

[]Forge a Blade: Firearms may be the future, but swords still hold power. Craft a katana, tanto, or wakizashi to sell, trade, or keep.
-[]Write in what you want to make (Cost 5 Steel)

Research Actions (Choose 1 per turn)
Research actions are focused on acquiring knowledge, developing new ideas, and improving your craftsmanship. Whether it's improving your matchlock design or uncovering forbidden knowledge about firearms and technology, these actions can give you a strategic advantage in your craft.

Research Actions:

[]Study Gunpowder & Ammunition Composition: Explore the properties of gunpowder and ammunition, and test different ratios to improve the effectiveness and reliability of your firearms. This research could lead to better, more powerful ammunition.

[]Analyze Foreign Firearms: Examine weapons brought by the Black Ships or acquired through other means. Learn the secrets of their design, mechanics, and improvements, possibly integrating new techniques into your own creations. (DC is 12)

[]Investigate Gun Design Theory: Dive into the principles behind firearm mechanics. Look into blueprints, books, or historical records on matchlocks, pistols, and rifles to develop a more advanced and innovative design for your weapons.

[]Learn from Local Blacksmiths & Artisans: Visit nearby blacksmiths or craftsmen to learn their techniques and gain new insights into their toolmaking or weaponry methods. These techniques may improve the aesthetics, efficiency, or strength of your own designs.

[]Study Military Tactics & Weapon Use: Focus on understanding how firearms fit into the larger picture of battle. Research military tactics, both in Japan and abroad, to determine how your weapons can be utilized most effectively in combat situations.

[]Explore Samurai Weaponry Design: Investigate traditional Japanese weapons like katanas, yari (spears), and yumi (bows). While your focus is on firearms, there may be valuable insights in the craftsmanship and design philosophies of these weapons.

AN: Enjoy and please vote in plan format.