The future is never set … especially when you have powerful friends.
Creative Staff:
Original Story: Kisetsu Morita
Illustrations By: Kaito Shibano
Translation: Alex Wetnight
What They Say:
The greatest conqueror history’s ever seen!
At last, the time has come for the gods to bestow young Alsrod Nayvil with his official profession. As a minor feudal lord, Alsrod hopes he’ll get a job impressive enough to let him step out of his older brother’s shadow. However, he ends up with an unheard of job called: “Oda Nobunaga”?!
It’s not long before Alsrod learns the Oda Nobunaga entity involved is a famous conqueror from another world who will forever change his destiny! Now the ruler has his sights set on greater endeavours – namely, taking over the entire kingdom!
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Alsrod has never had the best of luck: he is the son of a concubine and his older brother Geisel, rightful heir to their domain, treats him more like a vassal than family and as such, was gifted only half of a small village to rule and forced to fight in war even though he is not yet considered an adult. Hopefully everything would change this day, his seventeenth birthday, from which is evident from his good mood as he is helped to dress by one of his few attendants, Laviala. While this half-elf may be considered a servant, she was closer to her lord than anyone else, being raised beside him as the child of his wet nurse, all in order to further legitimize his selfish sibling’s right to the throne. But today is his profession-ritual ceremony when he would go to the temple so a priest may communicate with the gods and relate which job he is best suited to, all in order to better his place in life. Although he wishes to be a Spellsword, since this was how most successful nobles distinguish themselves and raise powerful dynasties of their own, his milk sister hopes he would become a Sage so as to be safe, since the Kingdom of Therwil is now in the midst of the Hundred Years’ Rebellion.
They arrived at the temple and were greeted by an elderly priest, who warmly welcomed them and escorted Alsrod to the statue of one deity, instructing the viscount’s brother to close his eyes as he communed with the gods. But as time spent in silence seemed to drag on indefinitely, it became ever more worrisome once the cleric began to question the response he received from the god, which made the teenager wonder if there was some great surprise awaiting such as a rare job like Great Sage or Grand Wizard. If this likelihood became a reality, then this royal’s options to better himself would become ever better, far beyond what his meager dreams could comprehend, and yet when the official finally asked the young man to open his eyes, a look of concern was apparent to see. Eagerly wanting to know what kind of future lay before him, Alsrod asked about his profession, and was shocked to hear the next words: Oda Nobunaga. Neither knew what these mysterious terms meant, and even the clergyman doubted the statement, to which he was harshly rebuked by the god itself when queried as to its meaning. With no one able to clarify this strange title, the young noble even inquired if the priest had been told by his brother to bestow this job out of spite, to which the old man vehemently denied any such bias. Upon leaving the inner sanctum, Laviala could clearly see something was bothering her master, to which he could not give a valid reason or explanation once he told his loyal retainer of his new profession. Unsure of how he could proceed with an impossible future, the female half-elf gave him a heartfelt hug, immediately cheering up her lord and prompting him to look forward for what may lie ahead.
However when he reported this Oda Nobunaga profession to his older brother Geisel, the pompous man could not contain his amusement, obnoxiously laughing with his subservient retainers following in kind. And while Alsrod knew could not insult his lord outright, when the domineering sibling stated his job as Fighter was better suited for combat, the younger could not resist in reminding the callous ruler that he suffered a devastating loss in his first battle, which immediately caused him to verbally retaliate. After regaining his composure, the viscount pronounced that with his new title Alsrod was now considered an adult, and thus he should celebrate by leading his first major assault as general to protect one of their castles on the frontier, Fort Nagraad. However both knew such an assault is meant to be a death sentence, and as the commander of this expedition, it was the leader’s responsibility to either defend or retreat from the situation, therefore success or failure would fall upon Alsrod’s shoulders. If he stayed at the fort it would certainly mean death and if he fled, the general would be executed for abandoning his post. Either way both brothers knew of their duty, and as vassal it was up to Alsrod to protect Nayvil against all invaders, no matter the cost.
And yet it did not mean upon return to his manor that one who had the most concern was also those closest to him, namely Laviala leading a majority of the complaints as to Geisel being too afraid of leading this deadly charge, thus forcing the cause to fall upon Alsrod. With both knowing if Fort Nagraad fell it would allow Mineria to invade, his attendant even brought up thought of deserting to the enemy since she was concerned about the suicidal nature of this mission; even if the fortress was strategically placed and well defended, it was only time until the it fell. But at the same time, Alsrod could not consider such a tactic since there was a chance his brother had spies within the enemy encampment, even if the betrayal could lead to the viscount’s fall by undermining his power base, the half-elf was desperate to see him survive. However the largest fault for this plan was what could happen to his sickly sister Altia if he did defect, since she was not of the ruler’s blood, it was highly likely the foul man would make an example of the girl just to punish the brother. Therefore there was but a singular option: go to Fort Nagraad with Laviala and a small army of one hundred twenty men to reinforce the garrison – all while hoping his new profession of Oda Nobunaga would prove to be worthwhile in the upcoming battle.
In Summary:
The main reason I wished to indulge this light novel was due to the admiration I hold for writer Kisetsu Morita, considering he also wrote one of my favorite series – I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level. And yet at the same time, if you are aware of Japanese history and the namesake of this title, there is a bit of trepidation when approaching this narrative due to Oda Nobunaga’s reputation for being the unifier of the country, but at the same time as to how cruel he was to those who dared oppose him. So while keeping this notion in mind, I wished to allow the story to speak for itself, and with the tender elegance and coarse flamboyance of Kaito Shibano’s wondrous illustrations portraying the unique personalities of the characters, it seemed the tale was beginning with an impressive introduction, until Alsrod’s profession began to exert his influence upon its owner. It was then when the narrative began showing the dark and intoxicating nature of ambition and how even if our hero wished to better himself and his place in life, one cannot escape the strangling grip which destiny has upon the foolish and single-minded.
It was heartwarming to show Alsrod as a disadvantaged noble, one who was discriminated against by his so called brother, all due to his humble circumstance of being born to his father’s mistress. Of course one cannot but detest Geisel, lording his lofty position over this sibling by baneful maneuvering of every advantage, beginning by allowing an elf to be his wet nurse and thus engendering the younger to the reader. However what signaled a possible change was the profession-ritual ceremony and the comical coincidence of gaining Oda Nobunaga as his job, and while we may have shuddered at this name, the possibility enlightened a path to a new future. But what secured Alsrod’s advantage was when his advisor first voiced his opinion and allowed this vessel to gain the life experience and vast knowledge of a conqueror, all while holding back essential information as to how he died, until the two had bonded in a cooperative venture to gain prestige and also allowing his title to relive his past triumphs through new eyes.
A Mysterious Job Called Oda Nobunaga is an intriguing isekai venture into a world of overwhelming military escapades, and while the reader may silently cheer to see our hero succeed, at the same time we cannot but hesitate to wonder as to how his journey will end – either valiantly or tragically. Alsrod is thus an endearing protagonist who has the best intentions but it is his profession that taints the pureness of his cause, slowly charming the young noble toward a path which introduces the same ambitions which brought the downfall of the former daimyo, with seemingly equal results. As such, as the tale progresses, those familiar with this historical figure cannot but question if Nayvil will also meet the same fate, considering this story is sharing the same memorable inspirations and devastating cruelty.
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13 & Up
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: May 19, 2020
MSRP: $15.00
