I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1091 Ogata's Taunt, the Meeting Between Satsuma and Choshu! [5000]

"Establish...a new nation?"

So surprised was Qing Deng that he couldn't help but look like he thought, "Did I hear that right?"

After a long pause, Qingdeng said solemnly:

"Alice once told me that you had been planning to 'build a nation' for a long time."

"For this reason, you regarded Alice as the so-called 'future crown princess' and subjected her to harsh and excessive education, driving her to the brink of collapse and forcing her to flee."

"It seems that even after all these years, you haven't given up on your ambition."

"Not only did they not give up, but they went even further, even planning to establish your 'country' in a remote part of the Far East."

Mael chuckled a few times:
"Give up? How could I possibly give up? This is my life's work."

Qingdeng picked up the conversation again:

"What kind of pursuits you have is your own business, and I have no say in it."

"However, I am quite curious. As far as I know, the 'new country' in your mind is the restored Orleans dynasty."

"Let me ask you this seriously—are you serious? Do you really intend to restore the Orleans dynasty in Ezo?"

Qing Deng's question was not meant to be sarcastic.

He was genuinely curious about Mael's thought process.

If you want to restore the Orleans dynasty, shouldn't you plant the Orleans family flag on French soil?

There are more bears than people in Ezo (Hokkaido) – this is no exaggeration. Apart from the Matsumae Domain at the southernmost tip and the various Ainu tribes, there is almost no trace of civilization.

More importantly, there are no French people in Ezo (Hokkaido).

To restore the Orleans dynasty in this primitive region devoid of any French people...

This made Qing Deng feel as if someone was telling him, "I will revive the Han Dynasty in Central Africa!", "I will promote the glory of the Tang Dynasty in Antarctica!", "I will plant the flag of the Ming Dynasty on the moon!"

Mael opened his mouth, ready to explain.

However, before he could speak, Qing Deng interrupted him, saying:

"Wait a minute, she should be allowed to sit in on the following content."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Ogata and gestured with his eyes: Mr. Ogata, keep an eye on him for me.

Ogata nodded and silently replied: No problem, leave it to me.

Qingdeng turned and walked out of the secret room.

Taking advantage of this moment, Ogata took out a face towel and a headscarf from his pocket and put them on one by one—he transformed back into "Kazuma Majima," who was forced to cover his face with a white cloth because of his pockmarked face.

The reason he changed his identity was so that the person who was about to arrive wouldn't recognize him.

A short while later, Qingdeng returned to Mael, with another person beside him.

Elodie clung tightly to Qingdeng's side, pursing her lips and looking at her father, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, with a complicated expression.

She unconsciously stood to the side and behind Qingdeng, letting Qingdeng act as a "buffer" between her and Mael, as if doing so would make her feel a little better.

“Father…” (in French)

Mael's eyes twitched slightly, revealing a similarly complex expression.

"Alice..." (French)

The father and daughter's long-awaited reunion was neither a spectacular event nor an overwhelming display of emotion.

There was only an eerie calm... The two stared at each other intently.

Finally, Elodie spoke first, breaking the silence.

To accommodate Aoto and Ogata, who were not fluent in French, Elodie spoke in Japanese:

“Father, this is a question I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time—why are you so determined to restore the Orleans dynasty?”

“We are indeed descendants of the Orleans family, but we are only a collateral branch of the family. The legitimate direct line has not yet died out. Even if we restore the Orleans dynasty, it will not be legitimate.”

“Father, you are an exceptionally intelligent business genius. You can earn tons of gold coins with a snap of your fingers and acquire vast amounts of jewels with a single word.”

“Even if we were just law-abiding businessmen, we could live a wonderfully fulfilling life. Why torture ourselves like this? And why... torture me and Grandpa?”

"If your life's wish is to put a crown on your head, then I have nothing more to say."

"However, to restore the Orleans dynasty in the Far East... I'm sorry, but I cannot understand such an act!"

"Father, is the restoration of the Orleans dynasty really that important to you?"

"Is it so important that moral principles are disregarded?"

"So important that you'd rather be separated from your family than lose them?"

Just as Elodie arrived, Chinden succinctly explained Mael's plan to "restore the Orleans dynasty in Ezo" (Hokkaido).

After hearing this, Elodie was stunned and couldn't recover for a long time.

Like Qingdeng, she simply couldn't understand Mael's actions.

What she couldn't understand even more was Mael's obsession with establishing a nation.

The questions she had just asked had been building up in her heart for a long time, and now they were finally being released, a hint of satisfaction appearing between her brows.

Meeting his daughter's sharp gaze, Mael's lips curled into a faint smile:

"Alice, you've become much more confident since I last saw you."

"It seems that Tachibana Aoto is indeed taking good care of you."

"Alright, this is a rare opportunity, so I'll get straight to the point today."

Mael took a deep breath—his very first words stunned Elodie.

“From the very beginning, I never took the restoration of the Orleans dynasty seriously.”

"The reason for raising the banner of 'restoring the Orleans dynasty' is purely to use the name 'Orleans' to help me win people's hearts."

"Although we are only a collateral branch of the family, we still have the blood of the Orleans family flowing through our veins, and naturally possess the legitimacy to restore the Orleans dynasty."

"The direct descendants of the family are all good-for-nothings who eat all day long. If I really succeed in restoring the Orleans dynasty, even if these guys have opinions about me, they can't do anything to me."

"As for why I would give up a comfortable and privileged life to work tirelessly for the restoration cause... it is of course because this matter is extremely difficult."

Elodie blinked her beautiful eyes, her face full of confusion:

"W-what do you mean?"

Mael explained in detail:
"Building a country from scratch is an incredibly difficult undertaking."

"Even a genius like me has repeatedly encountered setbacks."

"But it is precisely because it is difficult that it is so attractive to me."

"When I was in my twenties, I achieved tremendous success in the business world and earned more money than I could spend in ten lifetimes."

At this point, Mael turned his head and stared intently at Qingdeng.

“Ju Qingdeng, you also became famous at a young age, so I think you can understand this feeling to some extent.”

"There's no need to worry about survival. Having grown tired of fine wine and accustomed to luxury, all you see in the world is boring stuff."

"When I was wandering aimlessly because I had lost my purpose in life, I suddenly realized that there was still an achievement in this world—an achievement worth my all—that is to build a brand new country!"

"Indeed, this is by no means an easy task, and the process is bound to be fraught with difficulties and obstacles."

"However, while I felt it was extremely difficult, I also felt it was incredibly enjoyable!"

"The income from selling arms alone is far from enough to support me in realizing this ambition."

"I need more abundant resources, I need more talent, and I need a rich base."

"So I set my sights on the Far East, on Ezochi."

"This land covers a considerable area and has very rich forest and mineral resources."

"More importantly, it was a no-man's-land, inhabited by uncivilized natives."

"This is the perfect first territory for my 'new kingdom'."

"According to the plan, I will annex Ezo and then absorb people from Europe."

“Even in affluent Europe, there are countless people who are dissatisfied with life and want to venture abroad.”

"After completely conquering Ezo and accumulating sufficient strength, I will march west and seize the former French territory in one fell swoop!"

"This is by no means impossible."

"In my opinion, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, who is currently in charge of France, is a complete and utter mediocre ruler."

"I am certain that within a few years, France under Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte will be in chaos, and the time will be ripe to reclaim France!"

At this point, Mael's emotions soared to unprecedented heights, his tone filled with fervor.

Elodie was startled and involuntarily took a half step back.

Mael continued his narration, his eyes shining with rapture:

"Ah... what a magnificent undertaking this is!"

"Compared to this, the mere arms trade is utterly insignificant!"

"If this great undertaking can be accomplished, the name of Mael de Orléans will be forever etched in history!"

Upon hearing this, Elodie stared in disbelief, her eyes glazed over, and her mind was thrown into utter chaos.

Suddenly, her expression darkened slightly, and she bit her lip gently:

"Father, I still don't understand... Just for your own selfish reasons, you're going to stir up trouble?"

Mael shrugged, looking completely indifferent.

"Stirring up trouble? That's a really harsh way to put it."

"Alright, let's leave this topic here."

"Even if I told you the principle of 'preferring death to pursuing a grand goal,' you wouldn't understand." Upon hearing this, Elodie's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and her expression changed drastically.

After a moment, she slowly lowered her head and clenched her fists.

"...Yes, I really don't understand."

"However, I understand one thing—many people died in the Battle of Hakodate a few days ago."

"Father, did you see the full panorama of the battlefield at that time?"

"You fled far away by ship at the time, so you probably didn't see it, right?"

"You stand atop a massive warship, overlooking the battlefield from a high vantage point."

"The blood that splattered everywhere didn't even get on your beautiful clothes."

"Those filthy hands can't even reach your noble ankles."

“You can confidently say, ‘I want to achieve grand goals,’ and ‘These are the necessary costs to achieve grand goals.’”

"But I can't do that."

"Because I am on the battlefield."

"A few months ago, I took to the battlefield for the first time, blocking the 'Faki Coalition' on the vast plains and buying time for the defense of Edo in the rear."

"I personally killed the enemy soldier in front of me."

"I watched my companions fall to the ground with my own eyes."

"I tried my best, but there were still many companions I couldn't save."

"I fought with all my might, but there are still many enemies I cannot defeat."

"After this battle, I truly realized how cruel war can be."

“Father, the reason you insisted on establishing the country was not to create a better world, and you had no noble sentiments. It was purely to satisfy your own selfish desires.”

"For you, as long as you can realize this ambition, whether it means breaking with your family or causing widespread suffering, it is all a tolerable 'price'."

"In that case, I simply cannot understand your lofty ideals, nor do I want to understand them at all."

Having said that, Elodie lowered her head—the shadows cleverly obscuring her face, making it impossible to see the expression etched on her face—and resolutely turned away.

"Excuse me, Master, I'm not feeling well, I'll head back now."

Before Qingdeng could reply, she left on her own, her footsteps fading into the distance.

Ogata turned to watch Elodie leave, and after she had completely disappeared, he clicked his tongue and said in a mocking tone:
"Poor thing, your daughter completely hates you now."

Upon hearing this, Mael's expression changed drastically.

Since waking up, he has maintained a calm and composed demeanor, showing no fear even when facing Qingdeng directly, as if he were unafraid of any danger.

However, at this moment, faced with Ogata's sarcasm, he lost his composure.

But his eyes widened, his teeth clenched, and he glared angrily at Xu Fang, shouting sharply:

"Shut up!"

Ogata ignored his threats and said quietly:

"I can see that you still care about your daughter."

"However, for you, 'family ties' are nothing compared to 'ambition'."

“You abandoned ‘family’ and chose ‘ambition’.”

I have no intention of judging your merits or demerits.

"But... your choice will ultimately be tinged with loneliness."

"Just like now."

Mael's anger intensified, his face contorted, his lips moving as if he were devising words to refute Ogata.

However, in the end, he didn't say a word.

He withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, and no longer looked at Ogata... or rather, dared not meet Ogata's gaze.

At this moment, Qing Deng gazed intently at Ma'er and slowly said:
“Mael, now I understand why you incited the Ainu to rebel.”

"You're trying to weaken the Ainu so you can eventually annex this land, aren't you?"

Without looking up, Mael said coldly:
"Yes."

"One of the biggest problems in annexing Ezo is how to deal with the Ainu people."

“My ‘new nation’ needs a sufficient workforce, and these Ainu people are precious laborers that should not be wasted. Therefore, we cannot exterminate the Ainu people like the Americans exterminated the Native Americans.”

"Just when I was having a problem, I happened to discover Cialis."

“The ‘Yamato Conquest’ that Cialis has been pursuing is exactly what I want.”

"If I provide assistance, he will help me find and gather the Ainu people who are rebellious."

"Given the size of the Ainu, there is no way they could defeat the Edo Shogunate led by 'Niou'."

“Once all the Ainu people with a rebellious spirit are dead, the remaining Ainu people will be easy to rule and obedient.”

"However, I ultimately underestimated your strength."

"I never expected that you could recapture Wulingguo so quickly, and I never expected that I would fall into your hands."

Mael let out a long sigh and lowered his head even further.

"Tachibana Aoto, that's enough for today..."

"I'm a little tired, I really can't talk anymore."

"Anyway, I'm already locked up in jail, so even if I wanted to escape, I wouldn't be able to."

"If you have any other questions, please come to me another time."

"I want to rest... Let me rest for a while..."

Aoto and Ogata exchanged a glance.

After a short while, the two of them remained silent and quietly retreated outside.

Qingdeng, who was walking behind, closed the door behind him.

The moment the door closed, it carried away the last ray of light inside the room.

Alone in his room, Mael was plunged into endless darkness, devoid of both sound and light.

……

……

After leaving the secret cell where Mael was imprisoned, Qingdeng went outside and gazed at the distant sea, lost in thought.

Suddenly, Ogata's voice sounded behind him:
"What are you thinking about, Tachibana-kun?"

As Ogata asked the question, he walked over to Aoto's side and stood next to him.

Qingdeng smiled helplessly:
"It's nothing, I was just thinking about Mael's confession."

"Which part of the confession?"

"His confession about how he was determined to build a nation because of a lack of excitement in his life."

Qingdeng paused, then adopted a serious tone:
"I have fought countless battles and encountered all sorts of opponents."

“Some opponents are greedy for money, some are power-hungry, but opponents like Mael are truly rare.”

"He does not crave material enjoyment, but only pursues a sense of accomplishment on a spiritual level."

"To be honest, such opponents are the most terrifying. They often have a very formidable drive and an indomitable will."

Ogata nodded:
"Yes, I feel the same way. I've also encountered such opponents, and they all left a very deep impression on me."

Qingdeng smiled helplessly, then turned around and walked back to the camp.

"Fine, I won't think about it anymore."

"Sirika has been executed and Mael has been captured. Although the process was somewhat tortuous, the war in the north has come to a successful conclusion."

"Next, it's time to head back to the capital region."

Ogata raised an eyebrow:

"So soon? Shouldn't we rest for a couple more days?"

Qingdeng shook his head:

"The decisive battle between East and West is imminent."

“At this critical juncture, the longer I am away from the capital, the more likely unexpected problems will arise.”

"While I'm in the north suppressing the rebellion, those guys in the West might start up some big trouble again..."

As Qingdeng spoke, he turned his head to the west, his expression becoming solemn and his gaze slightly narrowed.

……

……

Choshu Domain, Shimonoseki, a certain official residence, a certain private room—

Two groups of warriors sat facing each other... An eerie atmosphere permeated the air.

Two young men sat to the side of the two groups of warriors. One of them—whose hair was disheveled and gave him an air of untamed freedom—shouted loudly:
"I am Sakamoto Ryoma, a Tosa ronin!"

The other person sitting next to him shouted:
"I am Nakaoka Shintaro, a Tosa ronin."

Sakamoto Ryoma picked up the conversation again:

"I am unworthy to preside over this meeting. I hope that after today, Chief Sa will become a brotherly vassal state sharing weal and woe!"

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