I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

At the most critical moment of the shogunate's attack on Goryokaku, all the forts inside the forts suddenly fell silent... Katsura Rintaro probably already guessed that this was related to "Majima Kazuma".

The evidence is that when he talks to Ogata now, he unconsciously uses honorifics and his attitude is very humble, which is not the attitude of a superior to a subordinate.

Meanwhile, Ogata and Katsura Rintaro were searching for the Ainu people of Shiribomo Yuudachi... Taking advantage of this opportunity, Seito summoned and rewarded the great hero of the day.

……

……

Goryokaku, Hakodate Magistrate's Office, Aoto's temporary room—

"Mr. Oishi, please have a seat. There's no need to be so formal."

Qingdeng gestured "please" as he spoke.

Oishi Kuwajiro swallowed hard, stiffly moved to Aoto's side, and respectfully knelt down to sit.

At this moment, there were only the two of them in the room, and no one else was there.

No sooner had Oishi Kuwajiro sat down than Aoto smiled and said:

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

Upon hearing this, Oishi Kuwajiro nearly choked on the saliva he had just swallowed.

After coughing several times, he gave a strange, awkward laugh:

"Lord Ren-ou, you...you still remember me..."

Qingdeng shrugged:

"I've always had a very good memory."

This was not the first time that Aoto and Oishi Kuwajiro had met.

Today, upon seeing his heroic figure climbing the city wall, Qingdeng immediately recognized him.

Several years ago...it really was a long time ago, so long that even Qingdeng doesn't remember the specific details.

All I remember is that he was the captain of the third squad of the Fire Thieves at the time. Under the desperate pleas of the original owner's childhood friend, Ootsuki Minoru, he rushed to the Shimizu clan's stronghold and rescued Ootsuki Minoru's fiancé.

It was on that night that he met Oishi Kuwajiro and had a duel with him.

His nimble skills and superb moves left a deep impression on Qing Deng, so he was able to recognize him at a glance after their long separation.

At that time, Oishi Kuwajiro was a henchman of the Shimizu clan.

Qingdeng never saw him again after that night.

Time has passed, and after several years, the two who were once adversaries have become superior and subordinate... This is a classic example of how fate can be so cruel.

Oishi Kuwajiro probably didn't expect Aoto to still remember him, and his expression became extremely complicated, with a look of surprise and worry flashing in his eyes.

Qingdeng saw through his concerns and waved his hand:

"Oishi-kun, don't be nervous."

"I will not bring up your old grievances from the past."

"Back then, we were simply serving different masters."

"The past is behind us; now I only focus on your present moment."

"You did a great job today."

"It's been many years, and your skills have improved a lot."

"Without your valiant first charge, we would have suffered far more casualties to capture the southern wall of Wulingguo."

"I will keep my promise and give you three thousand taels of gold, not a penny less."

Qing Deng keeps his word, especially when it comes to the pioneering awards for organizations involved in development.

Any organization with even a modicum of integrity would not keep such a significant reward for a major victory; they would repay it little by little, even if it meant paying it back in installments.

Otherwise, people's hearts will be scattered.

Three thousand taels of gold... Faced with such a huge sum of money, Oishi Kuwajiro remained quite calm and showed no excessive joy.

After taking several deep breaths, he said solemnly, word by word:

"Lord Niou! Please forgive my boldness in stating my opinion!"

"I do not covet wealth! I only desire your trust and trust!"

*******

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Tomorrow is the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao)! Wishing all candidates—especially those reading this—the best of luck on their exams tomorrow and the day after! May you get into your dream schools! (Leopard.jpg)

By the way, please vote for me with monthly tickets!

Chapter 1084 Powerful Newcomers! The Shinsengumi's Brand New Organization! [5000]

Instead of the huge sum of three thousand taels of gold, they wanted Qingdeng's trust and favor... This unusual request piqued Qingdeng's interest.

Before Aoto could ask further, Oishi Kuwajiro began to speak on his own:

"I'm no longer a henchman of the Shimizu clan."

“I’m just someone who does things for money, and I have no sense of belonging to the Shimizu clan.”

"After the decline of the Shimizu clan, the tree fell and the monkeys scattered, and I took the opportunity to break away and became 'free again'."

“After that, I traveled to various places, from Aizu in the north to Satsuma in the south, and did all sorts of jobs.”

"I've worked as a bodyguard and also guarded courtyard gates."

"Although I've made a lot of money, I'm still not satisfied."

"I've poured my heart and soul into honing my swordsmanship, yet I'm not given any real use and can only do trivial tasks... I feel so ashamed of this!"

"How can a dignified swordsman spend his life chasing after gold and silver?"

"I want to make a name for myself and become a legendary swordsman like you, whose name will be etched in history!"

"Therefore, I've wanted to join the Shinsengumi for a long time."

"If there is any place in the world today that is the 'sanctuary' of swordsmen, it is none other than the Shinsengumi!"

"only……"

Oishi Kuwajiro paused, cautiously raising his gaze to observe Aoto's changing expression, while gritting his teeth:

"Considering my past grudge against you, I'm worried that I'll be ostracized after joining the Shinsengumi, so I've hesitated to come and join you..."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

"Oishi-kun, you're overthinking it,"

“I’ve already said that we were just working for different masters back then, it’s nothing like an ‘old grudge’ and I don’t care about it at all.”

"I'm overjoyed to have such a powerful swordsman under my command, how could I possibly reject you?"

Qing Deng's words completely dispelled the tension on the other person's face.

He let out a long breath and then finished speaking:

“A while ago, when you launched the ‘second large-scale conscription,’ I finally made up my mind—if I keep procrastinating like this, I’ll be a ronin for life!”

"At that time, I happened to be in Satsuma, so I rushed to Kyoto, found the recruiting officer, and then successfully passed the selection to become a member of the Second Division."

Oishi Kuwajiro paused again, his expression becoming extremely solemn:

"Lord Niou, I do not covet money."

"After years of hard work, I have accumulated a considerable amount of wealth. Although I am not rich, I do not have to worry about making a living."

"All I crave now is fame and honor!"

"From now on, please assign me the most difficult tasks! Please entrust me with the most dangerous enemies!"

"I'm very confident in my skills! No matter who my opponent is, I'm ready to draw my sword!"

"Furthermore, I have extensive practical experience!"

"I've been working as a thug and bodyguard since I was 14, and I've had my share of life-or-death struggles!"

Oishi Kuwajiro opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something to promote himself.

But after thinking for a moment, he really had no words.

Left with no other option, he blushed and summarized his impassioned speech:

"Lord Niou, I, Ōishikujirō, will never let you down. Please feel free to order me around!"

After saying this, he bowed respectfully, placed his hands on the ground, raised his forehead half an inch off the ground, and solemnly bowed to Qingdeng.

Aoto did not respond immediately, nor did he ask Oishi Kuwajiro to get up.

He lowered his eyelids and gazed at the other person intently and thoughtfully.

Qing Deng did not doubt Oishi Kuwajiro's strength; the latter's "self-promotion" just now was not self-praise.

His skills and swordsmanship have been fully demonstrated in today's siege battle!

Based on Oishi Kuwajiro's movements, it's easy to see that, like Saito Hajime, he is a swordsman who emphasizes agility and dexterity.

Even among the Shinsengumi, where strong warriors abound, swordsmen as formidable as him are extremely rare.

In terms of individual ability alone, he is fully capable of being the captain! He is on par with Inoue Genzaburo, Todo Heisuke, and Harada Sanosuke!

It is truly fortunate to have a powerful swordsman of "captain level" at this critical juncture.

After Souji fell ill, the Shinsengumi's melee combat skills declined significantly without the assistance of "Heavenly Sword".

The addition of Oishi Kuwajiro will, to some extent, fill the vacancy left by Souji.

After pondering for a moment, Qingdeng finally spoke.

However, he still did not respond to Oishi Kuwajiro's request, but instead started talking about a completely unrelated topic:

"Oishi-kun, judging from the way you speak, you're quite well-educated. Did you attend a private school?"

While Oishi Kuwajiro was speaking eloquently, Aoto keenly noticed that his choice of words was very refined, completely different from that of ordinary boorish ronin. He could readily use allusions and elegant terms such as "when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter" and "things of gold and silver".