#Episode 14: Winter Eve (冬の前夜)

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#Scent — Final Preparations

It was the castle of Sekimori(關守).

It was a small castle. A square fortification built on flat ground. Even the surrounding walls were not thick. But this small castle was the one they had defended through several battlefields over the last three years. Now winter was coming. The lord of Sekimori had been dead for a year, and the one who followed him was still not the formal lord, but was the de facto administrator. Koharu. A merchant's granddaughter, and now -- Acting Castellan.

Three people sat in one room of the main hall. Piles of gold coins were stacked on a low table, and ledgers lay open beside them. Outside the window, the first snow had begun to fall.

"This year's harvest closing," Koharu said. Her finger pointed to the piles of gold one by one. "Two hundred koku of rice. Thirty koku less than last year. Because of the summer heat."

Tetsu raised his head. Before him was a small model of the castle. "How much do we need to reinforce the walls?"

"Fifteen gold," Koharu answered. "Five to haul stone, five for laborers' wages, and five for the forge."

Sosui spread out the map. "What do the merchants say? They want to keep the trade route open even in winter?"

"Gin'emon of Sakai says so. In exchange, we have to pay the escort costs. In their words -- 'in winter, bandits get hungry too.'"

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The three of them laughed. It was a short laugh. It felt less like a meeting of an Acting Castellan and more like friends talking. But there was much to decide.

"Let's set priorities," Sosui said. His fan opened. "Three issues. First, wall reinforcement. Second, the winter trade route. Third, soldiers' pay through the winter."

"Soldiers' pay cannot be removed," Koharu said. "They are the people guarding the castle."

"It cannot," Tetsu agreed. "The walls can -- probably wait a little. Enemies do not move much in winter. Spring would not be too late."

"Then the gold is -- ten gold for soldiers' pay, eight gold for trade-route escorts, and wall reinforcement deferred," Sosui calculated. "Eighteen gold. What remains -- of the thirty gold we have now -- is twelve gold."

Koharu set aside one of the piles of gold. "This is for buying seed next spring. I will remove it in advance. Eight gold."

Sosui nodded. "Then four gold remains."

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Tetsu leaned forward. "What do we do with four gold?"

Koharu looked out the window. The snow was falling harder. "...Put it into the village."

"Put it in?"

"There are a few houses where people have fallen ill. They have no money for medicine. Many houses also cannot work through winter. If we divide this four gold among them..."

Sosui thought for a moment. "How do we record that in the ledger? 'Charity expense'?"

"'Popular Support investment,'" Koharu answered. "In ledger terms."

Sosui laughed. With his fan, he pointed at the Sekimori domain on the map. "Popular Support investment. If resentment does not build up in the village over winter, spring recruitment becomes easier. Not a bad calculation."

"It is not a calculation," Koharu said quietly. "There are simply -- people who need help now."

Tetsu nodded in silence. He was thinking of Ichi, the autonomous automaton. The night that machine first asked whether it was "alive." The night Tetsu answered, "Of course you are alive." That had not been a calculation.

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The night deepened. The snow stopped. The three closed the ledgers and went to the window. The Sekimori domain slept beneath the snow. A small castle, a small village, small fields. But -- it was what the three of them had protected.

"What will happen next year?" Koharu said.

Sosui folded his fan. "No telling. The war continues, and yoma increase. Sekimori alone may not be able to hold."

Tetsu said, "Then -- it does not have to hold alone. We have an alliance with Kagura Domain, trade with Sakai Guild, and Kunitomo Guild supplies teppo. When the weak gather together -- they become strong."

Koharu lifted her cup. The three touched cups. It was a small ritual that old friends used to close the night.

Winter was coming. They knew that. And -- they also knew that even when winter came, they had one another.

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Guarding a castle is not only the work of swords and arrows. Balancing ledgers, opening trade routes, calculating soldiers' pay, and caring for Popular Support -- that is half of it. Even on days without war, a castle must sustain itself. Sekimori's winter was coming. But when winter ends, spring comes.

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#Law — Session Actual Play

Situation: Sekimori(domain), winter eve. Domain management episode. No combat.

Character Sheets

Koharu — merchant 5th dan / Acting Castellan
 Courage+0, Finesse+1, Physique+1, Wisdom+2, Presence+3, Fate+1
 Energy 11, Wounds 4, Defense 10
 Traits: Golden Leverage [Kata], Silver Tongue [aptitude], Merchant Network [aptitude]
 Reputation: Sakai region +4, nationwide +2
 Domain: Sekimori (kokudaka 200, Popular Support 6, fortress palisade Defense 12)

Tetsu — artisan 4th dan
 Courage+1, Finesse+0, Physique+2, Wisdom+3, Presence+0, Fate+0
 Energy 10, Wounds 6 (3+Physique 2+Tough 1)
 Traits: Karakuri Fieldworks [Kata], Disable Master, Wall Construction [aptitude]

Sosui — scholar 4th dan
 Courage+0, Finesse+0, Physique+0, Wisdom+3, Presence+1, Fate+2
 Energy 10, Wounds 3
 Traits: Divine Calculation and Ghostly Strategy [aptitude], Overall Command [Kata], Military Science Master

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#Domain Management Rules

Kuro: "PCs of 5th dan or higher can access the domain management system. Sekimori domain -- current values."

Kuro: "Decide 2 winter preparations. Each of you proposes 1."

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#Season Action Decisions

Koharu (Mei): "Harvest closing → gold conversion. kokudaka 200 / 100 = base 2 gold. Harvest modifier -30 kokudaka(summer heat) = 170 / 100 = 1.7 → round to 2 gold (base harvest)."

Kuro: "Because this is the harvest Season Action, +3 gold bonus. Total base gain is 5 gold."

Koharu: "Use Reputation Sakai +4 here -- +2 bonus to negotiations with Sakai Guild merchants, improving the rice sale price. 2d10 + Presence(3) + Negotiation(Master +3) + Reputation(+2) = 2d10+8."

Mei: "13+7 = 20. +8 = 28. Great success."

Kuro: "Rice sells at 120% price. Total harvest conversion -- 6 gold."

Koharu (Mei): "In addition, request opening a winter trade route -- joint action with Sosui. Open Trade Route(Season Action 2)."

Sosui (Kuro NPC): "Trade route check -- 2d10 + Wisdom(3) + Stratagem(Master +3) = 2d10+6. 11+4 = 15. +6 = 21. Success."

Kuro: "Sakai Guild -- Sekimori trade route maintained for 3 months. Contract pays 8 gold in escort fees. Gold inflow +4/month(3 months expected)."

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#Spending Decisions

Kuro: "Current gold held: existing 24 + harvest 6 = 30. Prepare a spending plan."

Koharu:

• Soldiers' pay (winter 3 months): 10 gold
• Trade-route escort (Sakai Guild contract): 8 gold
• Spring seed reserve: 8 gold (stored separately)
• Balance: 4 gold

Kuro: "Need to decide how to use 4 gold. Wall reinforcement(15 gold needed) -- impossible. Popular Support investment(2d10 Popular Support +1) -- possible. Black-market trade attempt(profit 3 times, d100 01~10 exposed) -- possible. Store it."

Koharu (Mei): "Popular Support investment. All 4 gold. Distribute it to houses without medicine money and houses that cannot work in winter."

Kuro: "2d10 + Presence(3) + Negotiation(3) = 2d10+6. 15 Target Number (village distribution efficiency)."

Mei: "8+6 = 14. +6 = 20. Success."

Kuro: "Popular Support 6→8. Spring recruitment bonus +1 squad. And -- in next year's scenario, the 'voluntary village cooperation' flag."

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#Tetsu's Season Action

Tetsu (Hana): "Since I cannot reinforce the walls -- something smaller instead. Karakuri Construction. Set up 3 traps for Sekimori defense. Use Disable Master."

Kuro: "Disable Master + Karakuri Fieldworks + winter time. Automatic success. 3 traps permanently installed -- when the walls are breached, they deal automatic harm to enemy squads."

Tetsu: "Done. Spend 2 gold(gold for materials). Balance 2 gold."

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#Overall Result

Kuro: "Winter preparation complete. Update Sekimori status."

Kuro: "In the spring scenario -- Popular Support 8 grants voluntary militia +1 squad(cohesion 4). Trade profit accumulates to 12 gold. Thanks to the wall traps, a defense scenario gains an additional zone gimmick."

Mei: "We put 4 gold into the village -- and get one squad in spring. The numbers work."

Kuro: "It is not that the numbers work. You could say you bought Popular Support -- but the real reason is that you did not leave sick people alone in winter. That is the right answer."

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#Three Ways and Six Hearts Accumulation

• Koharu: From No Heart(無心, money only), moments that bring tears are beginning to appear. Consider movement toward Way of Mystery 眞. GM observation 2 accumulations.
• Tetsu: Continues to maintain Way of Emptiness 慈. Supports helping the village.
• Sosui: Maintains Way of Mystery 眞. Calculates, analyzes, decides.

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#Rules Summary for This Episode

1. 2 Season Actions/season: the core of domain management. Harvest, trade, fortification, recruitment, diplomacy, and so on.
2. kokudaka conversion: kokudaka / 100 = base gold harvest. The "Harvest" Season Action gives +3 bonus.
3. Popular Support 1~10: 0 = uprising. 7+ = voluntary militia participation. Rises through investment, falls through recruitment/taxation.
4. Fortress grades: palisade(12) / stone castle(15) / great castle(18). Scenario-specific giant castle(20+).
5. Trade check: compare the better of 2d10 + Wisdom + Stratagem proficiency and 2d10 + Presence + Negotiation proficiency against the Target Number. On success, the contract is secured.
6. Black-market trade: profit 3 times. d100 01~10 exposed -- Reputation -3, Exorcism expedition dispatched.
7. Domain income accumulation: trade/commerce/tax automatically tallied by month. Resources accumulate between sessions.
8. Wall traps(artisan): Karakuri Fieldworks + Disable Master, or livelihood:fortification artisan + time. Permanent installation. Defense-scenario gimmick.
9. Merchant Golden Leverage: spend gold for temporary bonuses to combat/noncombat capabilities. Uses economic resources.
10. Season events: winter(movement Energy +1, cold Physique check), spring(militia recruitment), summer(heat), autumn(harvest).

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The ledger balanced. The gold was distributed. Winter came, and it will pass. Sekimori's small light -- in winter's darkness -- does not go out. When spring comes, the same three will gather again and open the ledger. That is the work of a domain.