The Magnificent Nine (殿、利息でござる！)

This story is based on a true event...

Grandma, are you alright?

Don't worry.

Where you going?

Leaving town with everything?

I think | loaned you money...

Forgive me!

10 YEARS LATER, 1766

Is your town really that poor?

Not at all, there's nothing to worry about!

Tokuheiji SUGAWARAYA Tea Grower

Tokuheiji SUGAWARAYA Tea Grower Poor people can just flee if they want.

Tokuheiji SUGAWARAYA Tea Grower

Tokuheiji SUGAWARAYA Tea Grower But we can grow tea, and sell it.

But we can grow tea, and sell it.

I received Master Tea Grower rank from the Senior Regent.

You won't suffer hardship.

Look! 'Kimo-iri' is coming to meet us!

'Kimo—iri'?

Means 'Village Chief', an official.

lkuemon ENDO Village Chief Means 'Village Chief', an official.

lkuemon ENDO Village Chief

Comingjust to meet you?

In Yoshioka, I, Tokuheiji Sugawaraya,

have earned a good reputation,

and I'm considered to be a wise leader here.

Chief! I sold my tea in Kyoto, even brought back a bride!

Your horse!

Huh?!

Another one fled!

Under the order, we must provide at least 8 horses!

Get off now!

Excuse me!

What's going on?!

Hurry!

What in the world...?!

THE MAGNIFICENT NINE

Sendai Domain, Kurokawa District, Yoshioka Town,

24km north of Sendai castle on Oshu Road.

Uptown,

Midtown,

and Lowtown combine to form this small post-town.

Although a post-town, most residents are farmers.

But since Yoshioka has little farmland,

half of them make their incomes by trading.

But even trade is limited,

nearby villages can send goods directly to Sendai.

Also, for solve reason traveling merchants use other roads,

so conditions are very bad.

To make matters worse,

the town suffered under 'post—horse duty'.

A duty to transport goods along the road for their Lord,

from the previous post-town to the next post-town.

Unbelievably, cost wasn't borne by their Lord,

but by the residents themselves.

Poor farmers had to buy horses, and hire laborers.

So many went bankrupt, or fled the town at night.

FOR SALE 80 many went bankrupt, or fled the town at night.

So many went bankrupt, or fled the town at night.

Established 150 years earlier,

the post-town of 200 householdes declined yearly.

The few remaining were left with an even greater burden.

As a result, households declined even more.

Yoshioka Town was trapped in this terrible dilemma.

Careful with the horse.

Juzaburo KOKUDAYA Sake Brewer

It really is terrible.

Sugawaraya? When did you get back?

Just now. They took my horse right away.

Pitiful beast...

In this town, it's always the same.

Always the same... It really is.

Nothing changes.

Head for Tomiya before sunset, hurry!

Dennosuke YASHIMA District Governor Head for Tomiya before sunset, hurry!

Dennosuke YASHIMA District Governor

Dennosuke YASHIMA District Governor By the way, Kokudaya,

By the way, Kokudaya,

I brought back a wife.

Kyoto sweet shop daughter.

Impressively, she wants to grow tea north of here!

I'm moved by her passion...

To Our Lord

Kokudaya... What is that for?

A petition?!

Otherwise nothing will change!

You can't! They'll behead you!

I've decided!

What are you doing, Kokudaya?!

Kokudaya, wait! What are you doing?!

Kokudaya!

What?! What's going on?

Hey, what's that?

Saw it already!

What are you |ousy...?!

What is it? What's the problem?

What is it, Kokudaya?

A petition...!

No, it isn't!

I am Sugawaraya, just back from Kyoto.

Astoundingly,

Senior Regent Kujo...

granted a name for my tea!

What? Show it to me!

Permission to use the name Spring Breeze!

Impressive!

You deserve it, Sugawaraya.

You're remarkable, especially for a farmer.

|'|| inform our Lord!

I'm very grateful!

I'm leaving.

Kokudaya, you want to die?

It's all the same.

Even if I live now, all of us farmers will be...

worked to the bone, then discarded.

More crazy talk...

In any case, it's true.

Especially a man of your wisdom must know that.

Well, I guess you're right.

What should we do?!

That's it! Sugawaraya,

a man like you must have a great idea!

What should we do?!

- Well, we should... - Yes?!

Each and every household should give it their all.

Give our all!

- To what?! - To what...?

Let's see...

To trading.

What's wrong?

Nothing... Your great idea?

Now I know...

about your limits.

Hang on, don't say '|imits'...!

Jinnai ASANOYA Sake Brewer, Pawnshop

Jinnai ASANOYA Sake Brewer, Pawnshop I heard that you'd returned.

I heard that you'd returned.

For now...

Just the interest owed.

Is there no other way?

Want more tea fields, but tough to pay even interest...

I heard you were granted an Imperial tea name?

Our tea is too distant to be respected in Edo.

|t'|| add prestige to our tea, esteem for our Lord Date...

Your business will prosper.

I hope so.

I look forward to it.

Your wisdom will help you repay interest more easily.

- Put it on my tab. - Alright!

40 'mon' owed by...

Welcome!

Madame Lord, sake please.

Sugawaraya, welcome back!

Heard your wife is very young?!

Gossip spreads in this little town...

Is there no other way?

To do what?

About your younger brother.

Paid him half my Kyoto income today.

I don't want to hear about him.

I know.

Brothers, but totally different.

One challenges our Lord, the other is a miser.

Everyone just thinks about themselves.

Idon't think like that.

My tea will become known as a local specialty of this post-town.

Local specialty...?

Lack of a specialty dooms a post-town.

Thought so much of us?!

Of course.

I wanted to say so. I didn't ignore it.

Here it is.

However,

I want to grow new tea plants, and double my fields.

But can't, with such high interest,

Kokudaya.

Rather than... your direct petition,

have your brother give us his hoard of coins...

What's wrong?

Is it too salty?!

It is the interest.

I apologize for him, just like our father...

Don't mean that.

However...

What is it?

Well,

I've actually been thinking about this,

what if we...

lend money...

to Lord?

- I don't need it. - Not Madame Lord!

I am referring to Lord Date.

- In other words... - Yes?!

Lend money to our Lord, and collect interest.

Then use that interest to buy post-horses.

If we do that, everyone's burden is gone,

and it'll revive their trade.

Will our Lord accept money from his own farmers?!

Haven't our duties been hard lately?

I heard our Lord's cutting trees everywhere.