I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Itagaki Taisuke nodded vigorously:

"Yes, that's excellent!"

After the two quickly reached an agreement, Goto Shojiro took out an exquisite pocket watch from his pocket, glanced at the time, and said:

"Itagaki-kun, I have other matters to attend to, please excuse me."

"So soon? I was just thinking of going out for a drink with you, since we rarely see each other. Is something important?"

Goto Shojiro smirked, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"It's nothing serious, I'm just going to see Takeshi Hanpeita."

Itagaki Taisuke let out a soft "Ah," then looked helpless.

“Goto-kun, you are the presiding judge in the ‘Yoshida Toyo Murder Case’, so it is not appropriate for me to interfere.”

"But I still have to say something: the Great Lord has recently hinted that he wants to 'deal with' Takeshi Hanpeita as soon as possible."

"So you'd better deal with Wu Shi Banpingtai as soon as possible, lest things get complicated."

The Great Lord – namely, Yamanouchi Hall.

Having said that, Itagaki Tuisuke stepped half a step to the side, making way for him.

Goto Shojiro said indifferently:

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

After speaking, he took a step forward, and soon his figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

……

……

Tosa Domain, Kochi Castle (the feudal hall of Tosa Domain), Takeshi Hanheita’s cell——

Takeshi Hanpeita sat upright with a dignified and composed demeanor, his eyes closed, as if in meditation.

Compared to before, he looks much more haggard.

His skin was dull, his hair was messy, and his beard was stubble; he looked very slovenly and disheveled.

However, even as a prisoner, he never gave up his samurai pride and never bent his back in front of Goto Shojiro and others.

Because it was a cell specifically prepared for sergeants, all the facilities were very complete.

The floor was made of tatami mats, and there were bedding and tables. The daily meals were not lavish, but they were not meager either.

For Takeshi Hanpeita, the only drawback of this cell... was probably that it was too close to his fellow prisoners.

"Aa ...

"Enough, enough... I've... told you everything I know... What more do you want from me?"

"Stop...stop! I can't take it anymore! Don't...ahh ...

The pitiful screams rose and fell, surrounding Takeshi Hanpeita from all directions.

This was intentional on the part of Goto Shojiro.

Although Goto Shojiro had no intention of torturing Takechi Hanpeita, who was a "sergeant," it did not mean that he would let him go.

Goto Shojiro deliberately arranged for the torture site of Okada Izo and others to be adjacent to Takechi Hanpeita's cell.

This was so that Takeshi Hanpeita could hear the pitiful cries of his companions at all times, so that he would never have peace.

Just as Takeshi Hanpeita closed his eyes to rest, footsteps approached from outside the cell.

He opened his eyes and saw Goto Shojiro standing straight outside the cell door with his hands behind his back, looking down at him expressionlessly. Their eyes met.

"...Goto-kun, it's been a long time."

Takeshi Hanpingtai was the first to say hello.

Shojiro Goto showed no appreciation and coldly replied:

"You must have heard that the Changzhou army was utterly defeated by Prince Ren, suffering a crushing defeat and losing all their armor and weapons."

"..."

"Your unwavering belief in 'respecting the emperor and expelling the barbarians' is a complete joke. Throughout history, whenever the emperor and court nobles have caused unrest, chaos inevitably ensues. From the chaos of the Hogen and Pingzhi eras to the turmoil of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which time wasn't it the court's lust for power that led to widespread suffering and misery?"

"..."

"As for 'expelling the barbarians,' that's even more absurd. The disastrous defeat of Choshu in the Battle of Shimonoseki has already proven how irrational it is to go to war with the Westerners."

"..."

"Wuchi Hanpeita, it's about time you admitted defeat, isn't it? Your beliefs and actions are completely wrong. Admitting your guilt sooner is better for both of us."

This time, Takechi Hanpeita did not remain silent.

He answered calmly:

"...I have a clear conscience. Everything I did was for the sake of our lord and for Tosa."

Upon hearing this, Goto Shojiro responded immediately, as if by reflex, with a heavy, cold snort.

"What a wonderful phrase, 'having a clear conscience'!"

"It's been over a year, and you're still stubbornly unrepentant!"

"You're only concerned with 'having a clear conscience'!"

"To put it bluntly, you only care about yourself! Have you ever thought about anyone else?!"

These words, devoid of any mercy, directly and forcefully retorted.

"..."

Takeshi Hanpeita did not respond and remained silent.

Goto Shojiro then adopted an undisguised tone of sarcasm and continued the conversation:

"Hmph, you're really heartless!"

As he spoke, he scanned the surroundings of Takeshi Hanpeita's cell.

"You have soft tatami mats to lie on, hot meals to eat, and even your bodily functions are taken care of by a dedicated person."

"While you were living comfortably, your associates were suffering in the deepest hell, a fate worse than death."

"Many people bit off their tongues and attempted suicide because they could not endure the torture."

"Hmph, they're really stupid, thinking they can solve everything by biting off their tongues."

"I'm sorry to say, committing suicide by biting one's tongue is not that simple."

"Either swallow the severed tongue and choke to death."

"Either he chokes to death with the gushing blood, or he waits a moment until he bleeds to death."

"We saved all of those who tried to bite their tongues."

"Tsk tsk tsk, how pitiful."

"However, they are not the most pitiful."

"Of all those who were tortured, Okada Izo suffered the most."

"He didn't even have the strength to bite off his tongue."

"To be honest, after seeing Okada Izo's current miserable state, even I, who am hard-hearted and hate you to the core, can't help but feel pity."

"Hey, Okada Izo is your star pupil, isn't he?"

"I heard you've always been very caring towards that guy."

"Not only did he take him as his apprentice, but he also personally funded his studies in Edo."

“After the Tosa Loyalist Party was formed, you always entrusted him with important responsibilities.”

"However, the tasks you assigned him were all dirty and shady jobs."

As he spoke, Goto Shojiro made a "beheading" gesture in his throat.

"I don't know what your feelings are for Okada Izo."

"On the other hand, he is extremely loyal to you."

“Whenever he felt he couldn’t take it anymore, he would repeatedly murmur ‘Takeshi-sensei,’ ‘Takeshi-sensei.’”

"He sees you as his only support."

"In my opinion, the most devout believers in the world are no more than this."

"Are you just going to stand by and watch him suffer?"

“Wu Shi Banpingtai, as long as you confess everything, your accomplices will no longer have to suffer.”

“Listen, right now, countless of your comrades are suffering and longing for death.”

"Just say the word, and these screams and groans will stop immediately."

"The innocent shall be released immediately."

“Those who are guilty should be executed on the spot, and given a quick death.”

Goto Shojiro's words were quite a way to save face.

however……

"..."

Takeshi Hanpeita remained unmoved.

He didn't even speak; he just sat there blankly, not moving an inch, treating the other person like air.

Upon seeing this, Goto Shojiro slowly lowered his eyelids, a meaningful glint appearing in his eyes.

"...That's right, you're unlikely to agree to these requests of mine."

"After all, you really want us to kill all your accomplices as soon as possible, especially that Okada Izo, right?"

While it appears to be a rhetorical question, his words are actually full of certainty.

"..."