I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Without realizing it, I developed the ability to see, recognize, and distinguish people."

"Of course... I sometimes misjudge things too."

After saying that, Mr. Kiryu pondered to himself, as if he had stirred up some old memories.

While Kiryu was deep in thought, Aoto savored the witty remarks the other had just made.

It must be said that what Mr. Kiryu said is absolutely right.

Now, Qingdeng has done everything he could.

All that remains is for the three women to achieve enlightenment on their own, freeing themselves from the worldly prejudice that "three wives are unprecedented."

It's unrealistic to expect the somewhat weak-willed Kinoshita Mai and Souji to break free from this "shackle."

They need a decisive and bold "strongman" to lend them a hand.

And this "strongman"... is most suitable to be Sanako.

Just then, suddenly, Qingdeng seemed to have thought of something, and a hesitant expression appeared on his face.

After a moment, he asked softly:

"Mr. Kiryu, may I ask you a very presumptuous question?"

"Why are you being so mysterious? If you have any questions, just ask."

Since the other party had said so, Qingdeng no longer hesitated:

"Mr. Kiryu, do you...have a wife and children?"

This problem has been troubling him for a long time.

Approaching 100 years old... at such an age, one should have a house full of children and grandchildren.

However, to date, Aoto has never met any of Kiryu's family members.

This is a sensitive question—perhaps it's because something happened to Kiryu's family members that he hasn't shown up—which is why Aoto has been too embarrassed to ask.

Since the topic of marriage had come up, Qingdeng mustered his courage and asked the question that had been buried deep in his heart for a long time, seizing this excellent opportunity to ask.

Faced with such a personal question, Mr. Kiryu answered without the slightest hesitation, in a generous and gracious manner:

"I have never married, so I have no wife or children."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng was startled.

Anyone who hears this would surely be surprised.

After all, Kiryu is very handsome.

His refined and elegant demeanor is especially appealing to women who appreciate that kind of charm.

In addition, he is the kind of "Doraemon-type" all-around man.

Cooking, papering windows, repairing furniture, killing termites... he can do everything and is proficient in everything.

How many women could resist such a good man?

Even though he is quite old now, he still exudes a fatal charm.

In the past, whenever Qing Deng went to Senjiya, he would always see middle-aged women and old ladies from who-knows-where chatting with Mr. Kiryu.

Faced with the surprised and suspicious look from Aoto, Mr. Kiryu smiled:

"I am not interested in women and have no interest in matters between men and women."

"In my youth, I was obsessed with swordsmanship, and I was always thinking about challenging strong enemies and honing my sword skills."

"After becoming a member of the Gourd House, I was busy all day long, so busy that my feet barely touched the ground. There were always things to do, and I wished I could borrow the cat's paws to use as well. I had even less time to fall in love or get married."

When I came to my senses, my hair had already turned gray.

"However... on another note, when I was young, my friends all thought I would become a couple with my lord."

Suddenly, Qingdeng's eyebrows shot up.

For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

(His friends all thought I would become a couple with the lord)... He felt like he had heard some incredible gossip!

Driven by curiosity, Qingdeng subconsciously leaned forward, getting so close that his face was almost touching the other person's.

They looked like they practically had "Tell me! Tell me what happened next!" written all over their faces.

Seeing this, the Kiryu boss looked helpless but did not object.

After a moment's thought, he began to explain:

"My lord and I are old acquaintances."

“I started working for her when she was a teenager.”

"Roughly speaking, I have known her for nearly eighty years."

"At that time, I was homeless and looked just like a stray dog ​​on the roadside."

"She gave me a place to stay."

"To be honest, my lord can be quite annoying at times."

"For various reasons, she had an exceptionally high sense of self-esteem, which often led her to say some harsh words or do some incomprehensible things."

Fortunately, she gradually corrected these shortcomings as she gained more experience.

"However, she was a very difficult person to deal with until she corrected these flaws."

"We often argue over trivial things."

"But somehow, I never thought of leaving her."

"We spent eighty years together in this muddled way."

Do I harbor romantic feelings for her?

"To be honest, I'm not really sure myself."

"But one thing is certain—our feelings have transcended ordinary friendship, family affection, and romantic love."

"Friends, family, lovers... these ordinary words are no longer enough to describe the relationship between me and my lord."

"As far as I am concerned, it is no longer important what she is to me."

"As long as I can continue to stay by her side, that's enough."

"She is like my other half, not only very important, but also inseparable."

Qingdeng listened very attentively.

After Mr. Kiryu finished speaking, he couldn't help but feel a bit curious about this old woman he had never met before.

—What kind of person could make Kiryu-sensei have such deep feelings for her?

At this moment, Mr. Kiryu paused abruptly.

When he spoke again, his tone suddenly became low and brooding:

"Because I have special feelings for my lord... when she called me to her side a few days ago and gave me a severe scolding, I was truly on the verge of tears..."

"I am so sorry!"

Qingdeng quickly bent down, lowered his head, bowed, and apologized.

The movements were fluid and seamless, executed in one go.

……

……

A few days later—

Kyoto, Mibu Village, Shinsengumi Garrison, somewhere—

Sanako: "..."

Kinoshita Mai: "..."

The two women, who had met unexpectedly in the corridor, just stared at each other blankly.

Both of them looked awkward, as if they didn't know what to say.

Sanako broke the silence first:

"……Good morning."

Kinoshita Mai stammered in response:

"Good morning..."

Sanako: "..."

Kinoshita Mai: "..."

Silence again...

Fortunately, Sanako quickly spoke again:

Where are you going?

Kinoshita Mai, as if grasping at a lifeline, rattled off a rapid string of words:

"I need to report the current situation of the Ninth Division to Mr. Hijikata."

Upon hearing this, Sanako nodded slightly:

"That's quite a coincidence. I also happen to have something to report to Hijikata-kun."

Hijikata Toshizo, who held the position of vice-commander, was in charge of military affairs, so he had the closest contact with the captains on a daily basis.

Sanako gave Kinoshita Mai a deep look, then turned and left.

As her figure was about to disappear into the shadows of the corner of the corridor, she turned without turning back and said to Kinoshita Mai, who was still standing there dumbfounded:

"What are you standing there for? Aren't you going to see Mr. Hijikata too?"

Kinoshita Mai paused for a moment, then belatedly stepped forward, hurriedly catching up with Sanako and walking alongside her.

Sanako: "..."