The dust of the Owari highway swirled around Subaru's straw sandals.
His heart pounded against his ribs like a trapped bird.
In the modern world, standing in front of a moving horse was foolish; in the year 1551, standing in front of a samurai troop was a quick way to get decapitated.
"Step aside, peasant!" a harsh voice barked.
Three ashigaru (foot soldiers) rushed forward, their hands gripping the shafts of their spears.
Behind them rode the seventeen-year-old Oda Nobunaga.
Up close, the young heir looked even more chaotic than the history books described.
His hair was tied up in a messy topknot with a piece of hemp cord, his robes were loosely thrown over his shoulders, and a pouch containing flintlock accessories dangled from his waist.
Subaru didn't move. Instead, he forced his breathing to slow down, focusing entirely on the glowing blue interface floating over Nobunaga's head.
Oda Nobunaga (Age: 17)
LEAD: 99 | ATK: 98 | DEF: 95 | INT: 96 | POL: 100
Current Mood: Bored, Irritated, Curious.
Subaru knelt smoothly on the dirt road, bowing deeply, but keeping his voice loud, clear, and perfectly steady.
"Lord Nobunaga! I do not block your path out of disrespect, but out of urgency.
I have traveled far to deliver a warning regarding the southern border of Owari—specifically, the movements of the Imagawa clan and the vulnerability of your father's health."
The spears stopped just inches from Subaru's neck.
A heavy silence fell over the road.
The guards looked offended, but Nobunaga pulled the reins of his horse, bringing the beast to a halt.
His sharp, falcon-like eyes looked down at Subaru.
To the rest of the world, Nobunaga was the "Fool of Owari," but Subaru could see the terrifyingly high 96 INT stat flashing.
This teenager was a genius hiding behind a mask of eccentricity.
"A peasant who knows my name, knows of the Imagawa, and speaks of my father's health?"
Nobunaga's voice was surprisingly deep, dripping with a mixture of amusement and danger.
He leaned forward on his saddle, resting his arms on the pommel.
"Tell me, vagrant.
Why should I not have my men test the sharpness of their blades on your neck right now?"
Subaru kept his head down, staring at the dirt, using his 88 INT and 75 POL stats to calculate his words.
"Because a dead man cannot tell you how Imagawa Yoshimoto plans to use the internal rivalries of the Oda clan to swallow Owari whole," Subaru replied calmly.
"Your father, Lord Nobuhide, is the pillar holding this province together.
But pillars decay, My Lord.
And when a pillar falls, the termites inside the house always invite the neighbors to help themselves to the ruins."
Nobunaga's eyes narrowed.
The "termites" Subaru was referring to were Nobunaga's own relatives and retainers who secretly favored his younger brother, Nobuyuki.
It was a political time bomb that hadn't exploded yet, but Subaru knew the exact timeline.
Nobunaga swung his leg over his horse and slid down gracefully.
He walked over, his straw sandals clicking against the gravel, and stopped right in front of Subaru.
He used the blunt end of his riding crop to lift Subaru's chin, forcing the 28-year-old gamer to look him in the eyes.
"You speak in riddles, yet your eyes don't look like those of a madman," Nobunaga murmured, inspecting Subaru's strange demeanor and clean, un-calloused hands.
"You don't have the hands of a farmer, nor the posture of a monk.
What are you?"
"A traveler who sees the shape of the world from a different angle," Subaru said, maintaining eye contact.
"For example, I see that matchlock musket on your shoulder.
Most samurai look at it and see a slow, expensive toy that misfires in the rain.
But you see the future of warfare.
You see a weapon that can turn a farmer into a deadly soldier in just two weeks of training."
Nobunaga froze. For the first time, the lazy, bored expression completely vanished from his face, replaced by a sharp, intense gaze.
The musket was his secret obsession, a weapon he was quietly studying, yet this strange man had just deduced his exact strategic philosophy regarding firearms.
The golden overlay above Nobunaga's head flickered.
System Notification: Oda Nobunaga's Interest has increased.
Loyalty potential unlocked.
Nobunaga let out a sudden, loud laugh that echoed through the trees.
He stepped back and slapped his thigh.
"A weapon that turns a farmer into a soldier in two weeks? Ha! Fascinating.
You talk big for a man wearing rags."
"A map is just paper until a general uses it to win a war, My Lord,"
Subaru countered with a slight smile, relaxing his posture just a bit.
"My knowledge is currently just words. But in your hands, it could be the foundation of a unified realm."
Nobunaga smirked, turning back toward his horse.
"You have an arrogant tongue. What is your name?"
"Subaru. Subaru Ryu."
"Well, Ryu," Nobunaga said, swinging back up into his saddle with effortless grace.
He looked down at Subaru one last time, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"My father's health is a state secret.
If you are lying to me, I will have you boiled alive.
If you are telling the truth... well, I am currently short on entertaining fools in my castle.
Follow us. Let's see if that brain of yours matches your bold mouth."
Subaru bowed again as the troop began to move. As he stood up and fell into step behind the samurai, he looked at the blue system screen hovering in his peripheral vision.
[QUEST COMPLETED: Gain the attention of the Oda Clan]
[REWARD: 100 Gold, 1x Free Trait Point]
[CURRENT STATUS: Guest/Retainer-in-training of Oda Nobunaga]
Subaru wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled.
Step one was complete.
He had successfully inserted himself into the epicenter of the Sengoku Period.
Now, he just had to survive the incoming storm of 1551.