I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Okay, let's get married then!"

After talking to herself, Sanako lowered her hand from her forehead—her cheeks were filled with a strong sense of determination.

"Come with me!"

With that, she reached out and grabbed the back of Souji's and Kinoshita Mai's collars, dragging them along as she strode into the distance...

*******

*******

It's almost the end of the month again! Readers with monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (Crying leopard head.jpg) Requesting monthly passes! Requesting recommendation votes! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

P.S.: You can refer back to the previous chapter. Kiryu's assessment of the three women's personalities was actually setting the stage for this chapter. One likes to escape, one likes to smooth things over, and one likes to confront things head-on.

Chapter 769 We're going to marry Tachibana Aoto together! [4500]

Kinoshita Mai: "Ms. Chiba?!"

Souji: "Ms. Chiba, where are you taking us?"

The two girls, whose collars were being grabbed by Sanako, looked just like kittens being restrained by the scruff of their necks by their mother cat.

Sanako's "ruthless iron claws" and her sudden dragging naturally puzzled the two women.

Faced with the two women's repeated questioning, Sanako had only one attitude—to ignore them.

Apart from that resolute expression, her face was expressionless, and she exuded an astonishing aura.

She dragged the two women along, stomping her feet on the floor with a loud thud, seemingly heading somewhere out of nowhere.

Their amusing height difference makes them look just like an eagle catching a chick.

To be fair, putting aside Kinoshita Mai for the moment, with Souji's outstanding abilities as the "first general of the Shinsengumi," she was fully capable of breaking free from Sanako's control.

But... for some reason, facing the uniquely intimidating Sanako, Souji felt a kind of "bloodline suppression" sensation, unable to muster any thought of resisting her...

Just then, a leisurely figure appeared in front of them—Harada Sanosuke was holding a bag of fragrant grilled squid, eating it with his mouth full of oil.

Upon spotting Harada Sanosuke, Sanako didn't hesitate and dashed towards him in one swift motion.

"Harada-kun!"

Harada Sanosuke shuddered several times.

Sanako's "flash appearance," and her peculiar appearance of "grabbing one woman with each hand," are hard not to be startled.

Harada Sanosuke, who nearly choked, pounded his chest and swallowed the grilled squid stuck in his esophagus with difficulty. He then looked Sanako and the others up and down with a look of surprise and disbelief.

"Ms. Chiba? What... happened?"

Sanako didn't respond, but instead asked a straightforward question:

"Harada-kun, you've come at the right time. Do you know where Tachibana-kun is right now?"

"Mr. Tachibana? He's currently at Training Ground A watching the Sixth and Eighth Divisions train."

"Training Ground A, huh... Great, this actually saves me trouble!"

Having said that, Sanako took another step, continuing to drag the two women away like the wind.

Harada Sanosuke stood frozen in place, forgetting even to eat his grilled squid, staring blankly at the receding figures of Sanako and the others.

"So... what exactly happened...?"

……

……

Newly Selected Garrison, Training Ground No. 1—

On the platform, Qing Deng stood with his hands behind his back.

The captains of the 6th and 8th Divisions, namely Inoue Genzaburo and Todo Heisuke, waited quietly on his left and right sides respectively.

Below the command platform, the soldiers of the Sixth and Eighth Divisions were arranged in two neat square formations.

Looking around, all the soldiers in the ranks were drenched in sweat and panting heavily.

It's easy to see that they have just undergone exceptionally intense training.

Now, Qingdeng has territory and a more stable and broader source of wealth.

Money emboldens people—he officially put the previously shelved plan of "forming a gunnery unit" on the agenda.

Although there are countless places to spend money right now, that doesn't stop him from planning ahead.

Next, he plans to expand the size of the Sixth and Eighth Divisions.

This will expand the two squads from the current 450 people to 750 people, with a total of 1500 people in both squads.

While expanding the army, they were transformed into musketeer units.

The first, second, and third squads are elite units specializing in assault and urban warfare, and they are full of tough guys.

Having the members of these three squads stop wielding swords and start using guns and cannons seems like a waste of their talents.

Under the leadership of the formidable Serizawa Kamo, the Fourth Division possesses formidable combat power comparable to the First, Second, and Third Divisions, making them unsuitable for conversion into a musketeer unit.

The captain of the Fifth Division is Nishiki Nishiki. He is not a direct descendant of Seito (from the Shieikan faction), and Seito does not intend to entrust the important musketeer squad to outsiders.

The 7th and 10th Divisions are cavalry units.

The Ninth Division is a ninja unit.

Therefore, in conclusion, the most suitable units for transformation are the 6th and 8th Divisions, led by Inoue Genzaburo and Todo Heisuke.

In today's era, "line warfare tactics" are all the rage.

The so-called "line formation tactics" are commonly known as "line shooting".

Due to their outdated performance, the accuracy of current mainstream firearms is very poor.

If it's a target who's right in your face, then it's not so bad.

However, whether you can hit a target more than 10 meters away depends entirely on luck.

As long as the distance between them is far enough, even if two gunmen stand still and fire at each other, they may run out of bullets and both will still be unharmed.

Therefore, in order to ensure the accuracy of their guns, the gunmen could only form a tight, orderly line and, accompanied by the rousing sound of military drums, march slowly toward the enemy lines with neat steps.

If the opponent also uses "line formation tactics," then they will also form ranks, march in rhythm, and slowly approach.

Once the distance closed, they opened fire on each other.

Whichever side's gun emplacement breaks down first will lose.

This tactic may seem silly, but it is the most advanced and terrifying tactic available today.

Why have the Western powers been so invincible in military campaigns for the past century?

Not only were they invincible at sea, but they were equally unstoppable on land.

The "line formation tactics" represent a level of discipline that classical armies could hardly match.

Even when they were about to run into the enemy's guns, even when their comrades were falling, they would not retreat rashly.

This strict discipline alone was enough to make them invincible on the battlefield.

Whether it was the Mamluk cavalry or the "invincible" Eight Banners troops, they were all defeated by the "line formation tactics" of the Western powers, truly making them invincible.

To master "line infantry tactics," one doesn't need a particularly strong physique, but rather an iron discipline that demands unwavering commitment—the ability to "climb mountains of knives and plunge into seas of fire."

Qing Deng was just testing the discipline of the Sixth and Eighth Divisions.

The test content includes, but is not limited to: formation, marching in step...

Overall, the performance of the members of the Sixth and Eighth Divisions was passable.

Thanks to their long-term commitment to military posture training, every soldier is an expert in standing and forming ranks.

—Next… it’s time to find a way to purchase guns and cannons…

Qingdeng can only think of two channels to purchase guns.

One option was to directly contact the shogunate and ask them to help contact France.

In order to expand its influence in the Far East, France extended an olive branch to the Shogunate.

Just then, the shogunate was also eager to introduce advanced Western weapons and military systems.

And so, the two parties, "in agreement," grew closer and closer.

However... unless absolutely necessary, Qing Deng did not want to contact France.

The reason for this is that France basically treated them like suckers!

They exploited Japan's weakness of "lacking military industry" and thus inflated the prices of guns and cannons to an extremely high level, resulting in a severe price premium.

It's outrageous that an ordinary flintlock musket can sell for several taels of gold.

The second thing is to go find the Gourd House.

In any case, Hulu House is a business group with a profound history.

Qing Deng absolutely does not believe that they have no connections with overseas countries.

Western arms dealers in the 19th century were incredibly resourceful!

Let alone ordinary guns and cannons, they can even sell you sailing warships if you can afford the money!

In conclusion, this approach is worth a try!

—When we meet Ah Wu's grandmother later, besides discussing the investment plan, let's also talk to her in detail about purchasing guns and cannons...

Just as Qingdeng was pondering this in secret—

"Huh? Miss Chiba?"

Inoue Genzaburo, who was standing next to him, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng instinctively turned his head to look—and the next moment, his expression was dominated by intense astonishment.

"Sanako, Mai, Souji, what... what are you doing?"

Sanako took three steps at a time and climbed onto the command platform.