My heart was pounding—dokidoki, as they say in Japanese.
After giving Elliot a brief piece of advice in Hong Kong, my escort and I boarded the ship again and set course for Japan.
At this time Japan enforced a strict isolation policy. Except for Nagasaki, no foreign ship was allowed to approach Japanese ports.
But this time the situation was different. It was not merely an ordinary visit—the Emperor and the Shogun themselves had invited me. Under those circumstances, such restrictions no longer applied.
My ship, steadily belching smoke, finally arrived at Edo—modern-day Tokyo.
Admiral William Parker, the commander of the escort fleet, looked toward the distant skyline of Edo and let out a relieved sigh.
"We have finally arrived. Your Highness, are you feeling well?"
"Of course. Admiral, you are the one who deserves thanks for your hard work."
"Not at all. To be honest, our real work begins now. Guarding someone in a land we have never visited is no simple task. So this may sound somewhat rude, but I would be grateful if Your Highness follows our guidance as closely as possible."
"That is only sensible. Frankly, there is no more pointless death than being stabbed in some distant land and dying miserably. My life is precious to me as well, so I will follow your instructions without question."
"Thank you for your understanding."
Apparently he had not been exaggerating when he said the mission truly began now. The moment ships from the shogunate appeared in the distance, Admiral Parker's expression hardened, and he began issuing orders to the officers without pause.
Strictly speaking, the people who should worry most about my safety were not my escorts but the shogunate itself. For now there was little to fear.
But once I set foot on land, things would become troublesome.
The shogunate would certainly do its best to guarantee my safety, but there were always madmen in the world and accidents never ceased.
Just like the Ōtsu Incident in the original timeline—some lunatic could rush at me with a sword at any moment.
Strengthening security with official authority did not guarantee safety.
After all, the man who swung a sword at the Russian crown prince in the Ōtsu Incident had been none other than a Japanese police officer.
If something like that were to happen now, what would follow?
I could only imagine the furious Royal Navy bombarding every Japanese port in retaliation.
After all, in the previous war British warships had already burned Qing China's coastline as if it were their own backyard. The shogunate must have been painfully aware of that precedent.
And sure enough—when I finally stepped onto the dock in Edo under the tight protection of my guards—
"WAAAAAAAH!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"W-what is this?"
"Everyone! Hold formation! Do not panic!"
A wall of people.
An enormous crowd, so vast that it was impossible to count, erupted in cheers toward us.
The shogunate had deployed soldiers to maintain strict control, so no one could approach us closely, but even from a distance it was obvious that the sea of people stretched endlessly.
Once I had fully disembarked, traditional musicians began playing, and rows of samurai bowed in disciplined unison, clearing a path for us to pass.
A middle-aged man who clearly appeared to be the organizer of the welcoming ceremony approached with a broad smile and bowed deeply, almost as if greeting a king.
"Welcome to Edo! I am Sanada Yukitsura, daimyo of Matsushiro in Shinano! We sincerely welcome the visit of His Highness Kirian Tokugawa Gore Hanover, the Prince Consort of the British Empire. The Shogun himself eagerly awaits your audience, and I shall guide you there immediately."
From what I heard, not only daimyo close to the shogun but also the highest officials of the shogunate had gathered to organize this event.
Apparently such a welcoming ceremony was never even held for envoys from Korea or Qing China, which meant they had truly gone all out.
Though the sheer size of the crowd made Admiral Parker's face grow increasingly stiff. Protecting me in the midst of such chaos would not be easy.
I climbed into the carriage prepared by the Japanese side and headed toward Edo Castle, where the shogun was waiting. Along the way, I leisurely observed the scenery of Edo.
Compared to London, it was of course a provincial town.
But recalling my time in Korea, the level of Edo was actually not low at all.
Even before the Meiji Restoration, the gap in national strength between Korea and Japan had already widened considerably.
Of course, from the perspective of the British Empire they were both small fry—much of a muchness.
Still, analysis was analysis.
To gather some information, I turned to Sanada, who was sitting beside me with visible nervousness.
"Will the Shogun be waiting for me personally at Edo Castle?"
"Of course. The Shogun spared no effort in preparing a proper reception for Your Highness. All the senior councillors of the shogunate—the rōjū—will attend, and even daimyo from the provinces have come to Edo Castle in order to see Your Highness."
"I see. This is my first visit to Edo, so I hardly know what to say in response to such a welcome."
"Not at all. It is widely known throughout the islands that Your Highness is a distant relative of the Tokugawa family. We therefore prepared this reception not for a foreigner, but as a welcome for a long-lost kinsman returning from afar."
Judging by the admiration shining in his eyes, this man clearly had no idea that the Tokugawa genealogy had been fabricated.
Otherwise he would have to be an actor of Hollywood caliber who had simply been born in the wrong era.
Then again, how many people actually knew the shogun had altered the genealogy?
If even Sanada—one of his close aides—did not know, the whole thing must have been handled very carefully.
Still, I would have to confirm the details with the shogun privately later.
"Is there anything I should know beforehand? Customs to observe, or things that would be better avoided?"
"Nothing in particular. You are our honored guest. However… how should I say this… some daimyo are not fond of the idea of this country dealing with the West. I do not believe such ruffians would speak rudely in Your Highness's presence, but if anyone does, please report it directly to the Shogun. Appropriate measures will be taken immediately."
"Thank you for the consideration."
It made sense.
A country that had upheld isolation for so long was suddenly welcoming a foreign dignitary to Edo itself. Naturally, some people would resent it.
The fact that Sanada mentioned this suggested that the opposition might not be limited to a few minor daimyo.
And I already knew the authority of the current shogun was not especially strong.
Perhaps even the shogun himself was not confident he could fully control all the daimyo.
After some time we reached Edo Castle.
Musicians lined the entrance playing instruments, and from above people scattered flower petals.
Most surprising of all, the shogun himself—who supposedly never came outside even to greet foreign envoys—was seated outside, waiting for me to descend from the carriage.
"Welcome! You must have endured a long and difficult journey from distant Europe to Edo. Our shogunate sincerely welcomes Lord Kirian, a distant blood relative of the Tokugawa!"
The shogun deliberately emphasized the word Tokugawa, glanced briefly at the others standing beside him, and continued.
"At a time when the shadow of war looms over Asia, the visit of His Highness Kirian, the Prince Consort of Great Britain, to Japan—the first Asian nation he has visited—holds great meaning. May the friendship between our two nations remain unchanged in the future."
Technically speaking, I had already spent quite some time in Hong Kong.
But since it was not a capital city, perhaps it did not count.
Strictly speaking, this was indeed my first meeting with the ruler of an Asian state.
"In truth, since leaving Asia at a young age, I believe this is the first time I have received such hospitality. I never expected the Shogun himself to come out personally. I am deeply grateful."
"Not at all. Others may be foreigners, but Your Highness is, after all, a distant relative of mine. Ha ha! Welcoming a kinsman who has achieved great success abroad—what could be more fitting? This is nothing less than a triumphant return."
Well, look at that.
He openly stamped the Tokugawa name onto me during the welcoming ceremony.
Every word spoken publicly by a figure like the shogun had political intent.
Perhaps others might be fooled—but not me.
I smiled pleasantly and glanced toward a group of men the shogun had been discreetly observing.
They were smiling outwardly, but their expressions showed traces of discomfort.
Sanada had mentioned that some opposed relations with the West. There was a high probability that those men were part of that faction.
The shogun's authority was weakening, while powerful domains such as Satsuma and Chōshū were gaining influence.
Naturally, the shogun would want to suppress them—and he intended to make full use of my presence to do so.
In other words, depending on what I did here, the balance of power between the shogun and the daimyo could shift dramatically—or remain unchanged.
If I openly supported the shogun as a Tokugawa relative and Prince Consort of the British Empire, the loosely allied domains would stand no chance.
But that would not be very entertaining.
After all, the best fights are the ones where the balance of power is just right.
"The Shogun's warm words have swept away all the fatigue from my long journey. Ha ha! I also hope that this visit will bring the British Empire and the shogunate even closer. If merchants, politicians, and scholars from both countries interact more frequently, I believe even the physical distance between us will not hinder our friendship."
"Ah—yes. Exchange… friendship between our nations, you mean. Ha ha."
What would happen if I casually dropped hints about closer relations in front of everyone—including those who opposed Western contact?
Of course, I had to make sure their anger did not turn toward me.
Everything had to appear as the shogun's own intention.
"I merely came here feeling as though I were returning to my homeland after a long time. I did not expect the Shogun to go to such lengths. Once again, I thank you sincerely. Not only I, but Her Majesty the Queen was also very pleased and has expressed her willingness to cooperate fully with whatever the Shogun wishes to pursue."
"Ah… yes. Thank you very much. We can discuss that in more detail later during a private meeting…"
"Ah! Of course. My excitement must have gotten the better of me—I seem to have spoken too freely during the welcome ceremony."
"Ha ha, not at all. That is only natural. In any case, we have prepared fine food and drink. Why not relax and enjoy yourself tonight after your long journey? If the food does not suit your taste, please tell us. We even consulted Dutch merchants to prepare Western-style dishes."
"Oh no, that won't be necessary. I have been looking forward to trying the local cuisine. I love sushi and sake."
If anyone here was looking at me through the lens of prejudice because I was Western, this should settle the matter.
I was showing, with my whole body, how familiar and friendly I was with Japanese culture.
"Is that so? Westerners may tolerate sake, but they rarely eat Edo-style sushi made with raw seafood. Your Highness is truly different."
"Of course. How could someone bearing the Tokugawa name fail to eat sushi? Ha ha!"
I spoke fluent Japanese—so fluent that no interpreter was needed—while picking up sushi one after another and washing it down with sake.
"Sushi is delicious! Sushi is the best!"
I even gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"Ahh, this is wonderful. Fresh seafood like this is impossible to find in London. Unfortunately the Thames has become terribly polluted. You could get it at sea, perhaps, but Europeans simply cannot eat raw fish. Honestly, I feel sorry for them."
"Oh! His Highness is truly knowledgeable about our culture…"
"Could I have a little more wasabi? Without enough wasabi it doesn't quite clear the sinuses properly."
"Ah! My apologies. We assumed wasabi might not suit someone from the West, so we used very little. I will bring more immediately!"
Perhaps it was because Parker looked horrified by the raw fish while I devoured it happily, but gradually the crowd's gaze shifted.
What had begun as curiosity slowly turned into genuine affection.
As expected, nothing wins over locals more effectively than a little cultural pride.
Killian Tokugawa Gore Hanover.
In a single day, the British man had become the newest celebrity of Edo.