I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Fortunately, Qing Deng had no interest in the various paths.

If it were historical figures like Oda Nobunaga or Takeda Shingen, their eyes would probably light up upon seeing these handsome young men.

Qingdeng was initially surprised by the grand spectacle, then gave a wry smile.

Unable to adapt to this luxurious lifestyle, he approached Kiryu's boss, hoping he could convey a message to Kinoshita Rin: he should keep his food, clothing, and lodging simple and not make it so extravagant.

However... Mr. Kiryu told Aoto: This is already as simple as possible.

Qingdeng: ? ? ?

According to Kiryu's boss, Kinoshita Rin disliked extravagance and her daily life was completely unrelated to the term "extravagant and wasteful".

In her own words, she only spends money where it's needed.

Despite being the leader of the Gourd House and possessing the wealth of an empire, he lived a simple life of quiet contemplation.

Compared to other wealthy businessmen, Kinoshita Rin's standard of living was indeed at the "poor" level.

"Your food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are based on the lord's daily expenses." - So said the Kiryu boss.

In other words, what Aoto considered luxury was merely Kinoshita Rin's simplicity...

The truth revealed by Kiryu himself left Aoto speechless!

In his previous life, he came from an ordinary family and was not considered a wealthy person.

Needless to say, he is even more so in this life.

Before he rose to prominence, he was just an ordinary servant. Although he wouldn't starve, he wasn't particularly wealthy either.

After gaining fame, he was no longer troubled by money, but because he was so busy, he had no time to think about personal enjoyment.

Even now, he doesn't even have a personal attendant to take care of his daily needs.

Simply put—he's used to being poor.

Qingdeng is a typical example of the type who "wouldn't know how to enjoy even a huge sum of money."

Of course, this cannot be used to accuse Kinoshita Rin of being "fake frugality".

With her immense wealth, this lifestyle truly embodies the word "simplicity."

And so, Qing Deng thoroughly experienced the joys of the wealthy... ah, no, correction, thoroughly experienced "Kinoshita Rin's simplicity."

In particular, he indulged his cravings.

Japan is an island nation isolated overseas.

Its native land is not a very fertile area; it is densely mountainous with few plains.

For various reasons, the country is experiencing a severe shortage of resources.

Some ingredients that are commonplace overseas are rare treasures in Japan, or even unheard-of delicacies.

Take Chinese cabbage for example.

Napa cabbage is not available in Japan nowadays; the most common vegetables are various kinds of radishes.

Recently, Qingdeng has tasted many dishes that he had never seen before.

From matsutake mushrooms in Ezochi to crabs in Kyushu... he tasted all kinds of delicacies and once again personally experienced the true value of the reputation of "the kitchen of the world".

To be honest, because he was eating too well and living too comfortably, his rationality once wavered and he had the decadent idea of ​​"why not stay here a few more days".

Despite the strong momentum of this evil thought, reason ultimately prevailed.

As a high-ranking and powerful general of the Mu army, Aoto could not stay away from home for long.

Although Hijikata Toshizo, Kondo Isami, and others could manage the overall situation for him, their authority could not compare to his.

Qing Deng was able to subdue the heroes and make countless heroes with different personalities obey him entirely because of his invincible strength and unparalleled prestige.

If Qingdeng is away from his post for an extended period of time, who knows what kind of scoundrels might emerge.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, tonight will be his last night in Osaka.

At dawn tomorrow, he and Kinoshita Mai will officially set off to return to Kyoto.

At this moment, he is standing by the window, gazing into the distance.

The bedroom has a great view.

Looking out the window, the magnificent cityscape comes into view.

The night did not diminish the vitality of this "commercial capital".

The scattered lights dotted the six streets and three markets, much like fireflies in summer.

Looking northeast, countless points of light connect to form a huge light source, which is particularly eye-catching—Qingdeng knows that is the direction of Shinmachi.

Shinmachi in Osaka, Shimabara in Kyoto, and Yoshiwara in Edo—the three major pleasure districts of the Edo period.

The lights of Shinmachi illuminated almost half the sky... Even without visiting in person, one can imagine its magnificent and beautiful scenery.

Just then, Qingdeng suddenly heard light, familiar footsteps coming from outside the room.

"Huh? Qingdeng, you're still awake?"

With a whoosh, the tightly closed door was pulled open a crack.

Kinoshita Mai pried open the door with both hands, peering out and casting curious glances at Aoto through the crack.

Qing Deng Wan Er:

"Hmm, I'm not sleepy yet. Ah Wu, what about you? Why aren't you asleep either?"

"I was just about to go back to my room. When I saw that your room was still lit, I came to check on you."

After saying that, she pulled the door open further, and when the gap was just big enough for her to pass through freely, she tiptoed into the room and moved to Qingdeng's side.

"Qingdeng, what are you looking at?"

She craned her neck and looked out the window, mimicking Qingdeng's posture.

"Nothing much, just casually observing the street scene."

At this point, as if remembering something, he paused for a moment, then turned to the girl in red beside him and said:

"Ama, do you have some time now? I suddenly feel like taking a walk in the alleys of Osaka. Would you like to come with me?"

"Huh? Why so suddenly? Did something happen?"

"It's nothing serious, just a sudden whim."

He paused for a moment, then adopted a joking tone.

"If I had to pinpoint a reason... it's probably just that I want to learn more about this town. I happen to need a tour guide right now, would you be willing to take on this job?"

Kinoshita Mai blinked her beautiful eyes a few times, and without much thought, she eagerly patted her chest:

"Leave it to me!"

"I'm a native of Osaka!"

"If you choose me as your tour guide, you definitely won't be disappointed!"

When she said this, she specifically switched the language mode back to "Osaka dialect".

……

……

After saying goodbye to the four servants outside the door, Aoto and Kinoshita Mai left the headquarters of the Gourd House side by side and walked onto the streets of Osaka.

It is late autumn, and there are less than three months left until the New Year. The weather is gradually getting colder.

It won't be long before the swirling snowflakes paint the sky and the earth white.

Whoosh... The bleak, cold wind whips and crashes through the streets and alleys, making people acutely aware of the changing seasons.

Kinoshita Mai smiled, her steps light and quick, as if she wanted to jump up and down; she looked very happy.

The reason she was so happy was probably because it had been a long time since she had been able to go out and play alone with Qingdeng like this.

Seeing this, Qing Deng smiled slightly, then quietly moved his feet to the side, getting closer to Kinoshita Mai.

Then, he suddenly reached out with his left hand and grabbed Kinoshita Mai's right hand.

Kinoshita Mai was startled and almost screamed.

Upon realizing that it was Qingdeng holding her hand, she gave Qingdeng a reproachful look.

However, she did not try to break free.

Instead, after hesitating for a moment, he adjusted the position of his right hand, changing it from being "held" to "holding hands tightly".

Hehe...~

She grinned sheepishly as she gripped Qingdeng's hand even tighter.

If it were during the day when there were many people around, the introverted and reserved Kinoshita Mai would never have dared to make such a bold move.

Fortunately, it was now pitch black at night, and there were very few pedestrians on the streets, so she was able to show a rare bold and unrestrained side.

Looking at Kinoshita Mai's innocent smile and their two hands tightly clasped together, Aoto couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

After a long wait and repeated tests, he finally gained Kinoshita Rin's approval and was recognized by her as her "grandson-in-law".

All that's missing is a wedding ceremony, and he and this girl who loves wearing red will be able to become husband and wife in a legitimate way.

Qing Deng firmly believed that once Kinoshita Mai's family was appeased, everything else would be much easier.

The reason he had this idea was because he didn't know anything about Kinoshita Mai's family, so he didn't know where to start and was completely clueless.

As the saying goes, "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest fear is the fear of the unknown."

As a result, Qingdeng's "marriage plan" only achieved one-third of its target.

The parents of the other two girls haven't given him their approval yet.

However, he did not feel anxious.

Rather, he was already confident of conquering the biggest obstacle (Kinoshita Rin)!

Souji's family consists only of his older sister Okita Hikaru, his second older sister Okita Kin, and Kondo Shusuke and Abi, who are essentially his adoptive parents.

Okita Kin married far away, and Aoto never met her.