I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Unexpectedly, her unusual state was noticed, and she certainly didn't expect to be questioned... Suddenly pulled into this "encounter," Kinoshita Mai stammered:

"I...I...it's nothing...I was just thinking about something..."

Kinoshita Mai, unwilling to discuss the matter further, abruptly changed the subject:

"Oh, right, this is a rare opportunity, so tell me about it—what did you want to talk to me about before?"

A look of confusion appeared on Sanako's cheeks.

"What do you mean by 'What did you want to talk to me about before?' When have I ever talked to you?"

The look of confusion shifted to Kinoshita Mai's face.

"Didn't you want to chat with me a while ago? It was the day Qingdeng challenged the martial arts school. Miss Okita said that you kept lingering in the same place, wanting to come over and chat with me, but you hesitated."

Before Kinoshita Mai could finish speaking, Sanako stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.

As soon as she regained her balance, she quickly said:

"Th-th-th-that's all nonsense from the commander!"

"The reason I was wandering around not far from you was because... because... because I was bored, so I just took a walk!"

"As for being so close to you... that's purely a coincidence!"

"I only noticed you after Souji approached you and played cat's cradle with you."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have known you were not far from me."

Looking at Sanako's hurried explanation, Kinoshita Mai blinked, her expression gradually becoming complicated and indescribable.

After a short while, she turned her head away and murmured:

"I see... I thought you didn't actually dislike me..."

Although her voice was barely audible, Sanako could still clearly hear her sentiments because the two were very close.

In an instant, Sanako's eyes flickered. She looked at the girl in red in front of her, then at the ground at her feet, her expression hesitant.

Just then, Kinoshita Mai suddenly raised her head:

"Hmph! Whatever! I don't have time to chat with you right now anyway! I'm busy!"

After saying that, she gave Sanako a smug look that seemed almost boastful.

For some reason, being looked at like that by Kinoshita Mai made Sanako feel inexplicably irritated.

Driven by this feeling of irritation, she also snorted coldly and said:

"That's quite a coincidence, I don't have time to chat with you either!"

Then, a defiant look appeared on their pretty faces simultaneously.

Immediately afterwards, they shouted in unison:

"Tachibana-kun is waiting for me!"

"Qingdeng is waiting for me!"

quiet……

An indescribable stillness enveloped the two of them.

……

……

Edo, Koishikawa, Kohinata-Yanagi-cho, Shieikan, Main Hall—

"Please have some tea."

Inoue Genzaburo, the head steward of the Shinsengumi, handed freshly brewed hot tea to Kondo Isami's older brother, Miyagawa Otogoro.

"Oh! Brother Inoue, thank you so much!"

Miyagawa Otogoro smiled, revealing his healthy teeth.

He and Kondo Isami, being brothers from the same parents, both have mouths big enough to fit a fist.

He grabbed the teacup, not caring about the heat, and took a big gulp.

"Oh! Good tea! It's delicious!"

As he spoke, he licked his lips, raised his glass again, and drank it all in one gulp.

Miyagawa Otogoro has a very typical "farmer's face".

His face was stubble-covered, dark, and rough from years of exposure to the sun and strong winds.

Besides his appearance, his behavior also revealed a crude style.

Not used to kneeling, their legs, covered in stubborn grime, were crossed, but this was understandable; Qing Deng, Souji, and others also disliked kneeling.

After serving the tea, Inoue Genzaburo sat back down next to Kondo Isami. Besides the two of them, Hijikata Toshizo and Souji were also present—both were acquainted with Miyagawa Otogoro.

From a legal perspective, Kondo Isami, who was already an adopted son of the Kondo family, was no longer a brother to Miyagawa Otogoro.

Moreover, their identities and social statuses are now worlds apart.

However... even after he had risen to the top, Kondo Isami never treated his relatives and friends in his hometown differently.

He has always maintained close ties with Tama (the hometown of Kondo Isami, Hijikata Toshizo, and Inoue Genzaburo), and in particular, he has a very deep friendship with his elder brother.

Miyagawa Otogoro was invited to attend both the recent "Succession Ceremony of the Fourth Head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu Main Family" and the even earlier wedding of Kondo Isami.

"Huh? Where's Mr. Tachibana? I haven't seen him."

Miyagawa Otogoro looked around and asked.

The commander replied:

"He went out. He said he was going to Mr. Sheng's to pick up something."

"Mr. Sheng?"

This time, the earthwork was changed. (Sui San's response:)

"It's that Shogunate official currently in charge of building the navy and constructing warships, Katsura Rintarou."

"Oh... the navy and warships..."

Miyagawa Otogoro nodded thoughtfully.

Coming from a farming family, he didn't quite understand what "navy" and "warship" meant, but now he realized that's how it was.

At this moment, Kondo Isami interjected:

"Brother, is there something you need for my sudden visit today?"

"Oh, it's nothing much, I just wanted to bring you something!"

"Delivering something?"

Miyagawa Otogoro adopted a radiant expression and an energetic tone.

"Ah Sheng, I bought you an absolutely amazing knife!"

*******

*******

Please vote for me! Please recommend me! (Laughing leopard head.jpg) At the cost of sacrificing my last leave request for the month, the update schedule for this book has finally returned to normal. (Crying leopard head.jpg)

Those who are usually introverted and socially anxious often have rich inner lives—Leopard said with deep feeling.

Shinsengumi fans, answer quickly: What kind of sword is the "peerless sword" that Miyagawa Otogoro mentioned?

Chapter 546 Aoto Gets Beaten Up by Sanako and Kinoshita Mai [4600]

"A peerless sword?"

Kondo Isami's large face was filled with surprise, and his thick, long eyebrows twitched upwards along the corners of his raised eyes.

Souji, Hijikata Toshizo, and Inoue Genzaburo, who were standing nearby, immediately perked up.

For swordsmen, "swords" are a timeless and fascinating topic.

Miyagawa Otogoro seemed to be deliberately keeping everyone in suspense.

He crossed his arms and chuckled softly a few times before leisurely reaching out to untie the furoshiki beside his legs, revealing the scabbard inside.

"This is it!"

He grabbed the knife bag and raised it high above his head.

“Ah Sheng, you are now the commander of the Jingji Garrison Army... Ah, no, I almost forgot, it's now called the Shinsengumi.”

"You are now the commander of the Shinsengumi, and you will soon be heading to Kyoto to wipe out the enemy and bring peace to the land... I am very pleased!"

"That's how a true man should act! Fame and glory are won on horseback! With sword in hand and boundless courage, he will establish a glorious legacy that will be recorded in history!"

“Okatsu, Hijikata, Inoue, you are all the pride of Tama! I… no, all the people of Tama are proud of you!”

"I am just a farmer with nothing else to my name but winemaking and farming."

"But no matter what, we're brothers!"

"My younger brother is going to make a name for himself, and it would be really inexcusable for me, as his elder brother, not to offer any support!"

As the saying goes, "A fine sword is a match for a hero."

"If you could get a handy weapon, it would surely be a great help to your career."

“Recently, I have been asking around to inquire about it.”

"I was lucky. Although the process was a bit complicated, I finally managed to buy a great sword that is said to be unique in the Kanto region!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and untied the red knife compartment on the knife pouch.

Although it is named "house", the knife house is actually just a rope with tassels.

"To be honest, I don't know much about swords."

"But this knife has a famous name that even a farmer like me has heard of."

As he spoke, the loosened knot in the sword case slid down, and the sword sheath came off—a vermilion-scabbard katana came into view.