Note from Author
First of all, I have to say this might sound like an excuse, but I usually don’t dedicate a chapter to something like an afterword.
This is because I believe that the finished work is everything.
However, this time, there were quite a few questions, and I was a bit confused.
It all started when, around the summer before last, the idea was starting to take shape, and I just had to write the first episode (in the work, episodes one and two), so I began writing without even outlining the plot.
In the end, without ever drafting a plot, I kept trying and erring towards the pre-determined conclusion.
So, along the way, characters moved on their own against the author’s expectations, and lines like, “Wait, are you really saying that here?” came up, but despite not being conscious of it, it turned out pretty well, so I thought, well, this might be okay.
With that in mind, I’ll summarize it briefly as a memo.
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To start with a fundamental premise, the records only say “Black people” and not “Africans.”
If we overturn this, the story falls apart, so I decided on my own that Black people = Africans.
Since I forcibly matched historical facts and the TV world, there are some inconsistencies with historical facts here and there, but I hope you’ll overlook that as it’s fiction.
Another early concern was the historical fact that Mitsukuni (Tokugawa Mitsukuni) is said to have “hired” two Black people.
That got me thinking.
There were stories about scouting them in Nagasaki, but considering the background of the times, it was hard to imagine that he found some free Black people walking around Edo and said, “Hey guys, want a job?”
It was clear that some white people were involved in some way.
There doesn’t seem to be any record of Mitsukuni going to Nagasaki historically. Although it feels like he went several times in the drama.
Since the story follows the drama version’s world, that would have been fine, but it felt too convenient and didn’t sit right with me.
Also, it didn’t seem like Mitsukuni would have bought Black people with money in this situation. So, I came up with this setting.
The triangular trade is a historical fact. Then, there must be a necessity for the two to come to Japan via Europe without being dropped off in the New World. So, I came up with this reason as a possibility.
I used the issue of “language” as a cheat skill, which most authors might ignore, to kill two birds with one stone. I think it turned out to be an interesting attempt.
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In historical records, the two Black men are said to have surveying skills, but at this time, they were treated as slaves in Europe, and it’s hard to imagine they had machine operation skills in Africa.
Then, how did they do the surveying? Of course, it could only have been “by sight.”
Measuring distance accurately by eye seems difficult, but it’s not that different from something I, the author, can actually do.
Traditional wooden buildings have certain modular standards. One ken (a traditional unit of length) equals 1,820 mm, which is based on the traditional shaku-kan method where one shaku equals 303 mm. The standard width of fittings is one ken.
Understanding this, it is possible to estimate the floor area of a building by sight alone from a considerable distance. I pride myself on the accuracy of this.
So, I thought, it wouldn’t be strange if they had such abilities.
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There’s also the question of why Mitsukuni aimed for Ishikari in Ezo (Hokkaido).
Historically, the motivation is considered a “historical mystery.” In ‘Nakamiyako City History: Modern Times,’ four theories are presented: northern defense theory, product trade theory, Ezo rebellion investigation theory, and geographical exploration theory. However, all of these are motivations for traveling to Ezo, not reasons for aiming for Ishikari.
Additionally, none of the theories seem strong enough to justify carrying out three consecutive years of expeditions to Ezo.
In a novel dealing with Mitsukuni’s biography, it is suggested that he aimed to find traces of Yoshitsune (Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who is said to have survived his supposed death and deified in Ezo) while compiling the ‘Great Japanese History’ (in the story, ‘Japanese General History’), and that Shakushain (a leader in Ezo) was a descendant of Yoshitsune. However, it seemed inconsistent with Mitsukuni’s character and did not explain “why Ishikari.”
In Takagi Akimitsu’s ‘The Secret of Genghis Khan’ (a story where Yoshitsune becomes Genghis Khan after traveling from Hokkaido to the mainland), the romantic setting is attractive, but it doesn’t fit my view of Mitsukuni’s world.
So, I considered a more plausible reason for this time.
With this, I thought I could explain “why he put the two Black men on the Kaifumaru ship.” Additionally, it addresses the questions of “why he stopped exploring Ezo after the third time” and “why he returned in forty days despite bringing two years’ worth of food.”
Yes, because he achieved his initial goal.
Originally, he might have aimed further north, to places like Rumoi, Wakkanai, or Sakhalin. But the practical difficulties and the importance of what he gained by reaching Ishikari may have been significant. In other words, he could only obtain something by going to Ishikari.
So I thought, perhaps someone asked him to go to Ishikari for a specific reason.
Who might that have been? Considering the historical background, only one person came to mind.
‘Secret History of Ezo Visits’ is my imagination, but I think it has a certain level of persuasiveness.
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Now, about “Hikokyu.” It was challenging to give personality to an enemy who never shows up. It was a fun challenge, though.
There was the option of having them monologue from the enemy’s perspective, but that felt too easy and unappealing. This contrariness is a trait of mine—I don’t like doing things anyone can do.
What I had in mind when I thought about it was Gavin Lyall’s ‘Midnight Plus One,’ where a gunman named Alan and Bernard, who are considered the best in Europe, were described through the protagonist’s conversations and monologues without showing up until they became corpses. I tried a similar twist and it seems to have worked out fairly well.
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Bringing a wife along might seem like an abrupt development, but I thought about it. The fact that the two Black men became vassals and established families in Japan is a historical fact, so I couldn’t change that.
But wait a minute. Considering the hierarchical society back then, would there have been such women who would obediently marry Black men just because they were told to? So, I thought, why not bring them over instead?
It seems like it would have been difficult to have a mixed-race wife in the Edo period, but since their children would be mixed-race no matter who they married, I thought it might be okay if the wife was mixed-race too. The rest of the problems might have been resolved by Mitsukuni.
It’s a made-up story, but I think it’s surprisingly plausible. It turned into a happy ending, but since the historical facts are a happy ending, there’s no helping it.
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I’m sure all the wise readers who have read this far already understand, but this story was an “isekai (another world) reincarnation fantasy” where someone is taken to another world against their will, uses cheat abilities to overcome crises, defeats the final boss, and gets the heroine—reimagined in a style unique to Kanzan.
I was debating until just before uploading whether to categorize it as “Other Fantasy.” But since stories about reincarnating as warriors are in that genre, I figured it would be okay.
Those who have read my other works or like period dramas might have noticed references to my work ‘The Wind, The Sunset, and The Lullaby,’ and little nods borrowed from ‘Ooedo Sosamo’ and ‘Shin Hissatsu Shikakenin.’ So, those with time on their hands might find it interesting to look for those.
By the way, the family name of the Irika sisters was taken from a Soviet nurse supporting the protagonist in Sakyo Komatsu’s ‘A Strange Tomorrow.’
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To all who read, thank you for sticking with me until the end. Special thanks to those who left reviews. I don’t know how to respond, so I’ll thank you here.
Kanzan’s soul-dedicated bowl of noodles.
I hope you enjoyed the taste.
For me, the “novels” I write are more like the “middle novels” of the Showa era, leaning towards “popular novels,” and I have a sort of compulsive obsession that they must be “adult entertainment.”
Since I was around middle school, when I started writing something like novels with my friends, that feeling hasn’t changed. I might be somewhat left behind by current trends, but it’s ingrained in me.
I hope to continue writing such things if I get the chance.
So, I hope for your continued support.
Apologies for the messy and lengthy writing.
The end.