I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Of course I'm here to help you!"

……

……

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, a certain izakaya—

"Ha! That felt great!"

Kondo Isami downed his drink and let out a satisfied shout.

Today is his day off.

Whenever he has a day off, he always changes into casual clothes and heads straight to his favorite izakaya to have a good drink.

Today was no different. Although it was still early, he had already drunk several bottles of sake, and his cheeks were flushed with intoxication.

Suddenly, the sound of conversation coming from his side and behind drew his attention.

"Our Otsu is truly thriving!"

"This is all thanks to the capable Lord Ren and his talented subordinates!"

"Indeed! Vice-Commander Hijikata, Director Yamanami, Chairman Iwasaki... they are all unparalleled talents!"

"As long as the Shinsengumi exists, our Ōtsu will enjoy peace forever!"

Listening to these conversations, Kondo Isami unconsciously curled the corners of his mouth into a smug smile.

He frequented social venues like izakayas and teahouses because he enjoyed hearing others praise the Shinsengumi.

As the head of the Metropolitan Police Department of the Shinsengumi, the Shinsengumi had become his second home.

He felt genuinely happy whenever he heard others praise the strength of the Shinsengumi or the abilities of Aoto and others.

Just as he was happily raising his glass for a sip—

"What a pity, compared to 'Niou' and 'Demon Vice-Commander,' that Kondo Isami is far inferior!"

*******

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Chapter 1102 Kondo Isami's Inferiority Complex and His Apprenticeship [5300]

Kondo Isami's hand, which was holding up a glass, froze.

Before he could recover, he heard the people at the table continue speaking:

"Although Kondo Isami is the director of the Shinsengumi's Surveillance Bureau, and is nominally on par with Vice-Commander Hijikata and Commander-in-Chief Yamanami, compared to these two lords, Director Kondo's achievements are indeed far inferior!"

"Yes, Chief Yamanami is Lord Niou's strategist. Whenever there are crucial matters, Lord Niou always consults with Chief Yamanami. Vice-Chief Hijikata is Lord Niou's right-hand man. Apart from Lord Niou, the most outstanding talent in the Shinsengumi is Vice-Chief Hijikata! In comparison, Chief Kondo is much less noticeable!"

"That's not how you should put it. Don't underestimate Chief Kondo. Have you forgotten the 'Ikedaya Incident' last year? Chief Kondo, with only Captain Okita, Captain Nagakura, and Captain Inoue, dared to storm Ikedaya, killing countless enemies and making a great contribution!"

"Yes, Chief Kondo is very powerful. He is the fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu main family. In terms of personal bravery, even in the Shinsengumi, where there are many strong people, few can compare with him."

"Alas, all he has left is bravery. Think about it, besides bravery, what else is there to praise about him? In terms of knowledge, he is not as good as Director Yamanami; in terms of military strategy, he is not as good as Vice-Commander Hijikata; even if we only consider his most outstanding bravery, he is not as good as Captain Okita."

"That's right. How can such a reckless man who only knows how to wield a sword be compared to Vice Commander Hijikata and Commander-in-Chief Yamanami?"

"Speaking of which, it seems that Director Kondo is Lord Niou's senior apprentice."

"Yes, they are fellow disciples. When Lord Niou became a disciple of the Shieikan, Director Kondo was the Shieikan's instructor and taught Lord Niou swordsmanship. So, in addition to their brotherly bond, they also have a master-disciple relationship."

"Ha, the swordsmanship of my junior brother, who has received my guidance, far surpasses mine, and Captain Okita, who is from the same school, is also stronger than me. His title of 'Fourth Head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu Main Family' is truly just a name."

"He should hurry up and hand over the position of 'Head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu Main Family' to Lord Niou! Lord Niou is more suitable to be the head of the family! Under Lord Niou's management, the name of 'Tennen Rishin-ryu' will surely become even more renowned!"

"Isn't the 'Tenzen Rishin-ryu' famous because of Lord Niou? Without Lord Niou's efforts, who would know about this rural school of martial arts?"

"I think it's probably because Lord Niou values ​​his deep friendship with Director Kondo that he gave him the position of 'Director of the Censorate'."

"That's right, that's right! That's what I think too!"

"Even a genius like Lord Niou can't escape these worldly affairs."

The group became increasingly engrossed and excited as they talked, completely oblivious to the fact that Kondo Isami behind them had suddenly turned pale.

Just a minute ago, he was all smiles because of his rare day off and because he heard others praising the Shinsengumi.

But now... the smile vanished, replaced by anger.

His face was exceptionally ugly, incredibly gloomy, and filled with terrifying dark clouds, as if black ink might drip from it at any moment.

Crackling sounds emanated from his hand holding the wine glass, which trembled slightly.

"Sir, here's the sake you ordered... uh...!"

A handsome young man, carrying two bottles of sake in his hands, ran swiftly and steadily to Kondo Isami's side, his footsteps barely touching the small pieces of cloth.

The corners of her mouth were originally curved in a professional, formulaic arc.

Upon seeing Kondo Isami's incredibly ferocious expression, she was terrified. Her face was dominated by intense fear, and the rest of her words were stuck in her throat. She hurriedly put down the two bottles of sake in her hand and quickly fled in a flurry.

Kondo Isami was unaware of Teshiro's arrival, nor did he notice the two extra bottles of sake beside him—at this moment, his mind was completely immersed in unbearable indignation!

In that instant, he really wanted to draw his Nagasone Kotetsu sword, hold it to the table in front of them, and ask them, "You seem to be having a good time. May I, Kondo Isami, join in?"

As a dignified samurai, how could I remain indifferent to such an insult?

In order to avenge himself, he was willing to risk violating the Shinsengumi Law by using force against civilians!

With this thought in mind, Kondo Isami slammed down the wine glass in his hand and made a move to draw his sword.

However, just as his right hand was about to grasp the hilt of Nagasone Kotetsu's sword, his body suddenly stiffened.

He wasn't the kind of person who would easily lose his temper and act recklessly.

In this critical moment, reason regained its advantage.

Drawing a knife in anger is simple, but it's nothing more than a matter of being utterly humiliated and enraged.

The best way to shut these guys up is to present facts and deliver a resounding rebuttal that leaves them speechless!

After regaining his composure, Kondo Isami took a deep breath and began to formulate his words.

However... after a moment of contemplation, his expression subtly changed—simply because he couldn't think of any words to refute the other person.

His achievements are far inferior to those of Hijikata Toshizo and Yamanami Keisuke...

Despite being the fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu main family, his swordsmanship was far inferior to that of his fellow disciples, Aoto and Souji. In fact, it was only thanks to Aoto's efforts that the Tennen Rishin-ryu shed its derogatory reputation as "peasant swordsmanship" or "countryside swordsmanship"...

Although these guys' words were harsh, there was no denying that everything they said was true...

Both the evaluation of his personal achievements and the assessment of his martial arts accomplishments are correct!

Faced with this undeniable fact, Kondo Isami had no room for rebuttal!

From a certain perspective, those people did not insult Kondo Isami—they were merely stating the facts. Can that be called an insult?

Kondo Isami grew angrier and angrier, feeling increasingly frustrated. He gritted his teeth, lost all interest in drinking, hurriedly left the money for the drinks, and fled the store as if escaping.

……

……

Kondo Isami wandered the streets like a zombie.

Unconsciously, he wandered into a bustling commercial district.

The vendors' energetic shouts, the incessant footsteps, the chattering... all sorts of sounds surrounded him.

Despite being in the midst of a bustling city, Kondo Isami could not hear a single sound.

He felt as if an invisible barrier had been erected around him, shutting out all sounds from the outside world.

Even though he had escaped the izakaya, the group's sarcastic comments kept haunting him, echoing endlessly in his ears.

Suddenly, the faces of Qing Deng, Hijikata Toshizo, and others appeared in his mind one by one.

Then, he suddenly recalled the past—once upon a time, he lived under the same roof with Qingdeng and others, spending every day together, living together, and studying swordsmanship together.

Looking back, those days were so wonderful.

Apart from Qing Deng, who held an official position, everyone else was a low-ranking samurai with little power or influence.

At that time, he was the undisputed elder brother among them, and even Qingdeng respected him as his elder brother.

And now... everyone has spread their wings and taken flight.

Needless to say, Qing Deng is now a man of many honors and is undoubtedly the "Number One Warrior in the World".

Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, and others have also made great strides.

Just by looking at his official rank, one can see the gap between him and Hijikata Toshizo and Yamanami Keisuke.

In the recent "Imperial Court Grand Rewards", Hijikata Toshizo (Junior 7th Rank, Lower Rank, Dazaifu Doctor) and Yamanami Keisuke (Senior 8th Rank, Upper Rank, Junior Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat) both held higher positions than him (Senior 8th Rank, Lower Rank, Eighth Ministry of Justice, Senior Secretary).

As for Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, and others, they also made immortal contributions.

When people talk about the Shinsengumi, the first names that come to mind are Tachibana Aoto, the "Niou," and Okita Souji, the "Heavenly Sword." Then there are Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Hajime, and only then does he, the "fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu main family," come into the picture...

For no apparent reason, Kondo Isami kept thinking:

—How do Tachibana-kun and the others view me now?

—The names "Nioh", "Tenken", and "Demon Vice-Commander" have spread far and wide.

—And me… all these years have passed, and I am still that reckless man who only knows how to wield a sword.

—Even his only strength, swordsmanship, may have not improved for a long time.

—How can I still pretend to be a big brother in front of Qingdeng and the others?

—Will they...dislike me?

—Will they, like that group just now, think I'm a worthless scoundrel who doesn't live up to his reputation?

Just as Kondo Isami was lost in deep thought, a gentle male voice suddenly rang out from directly in front of him:

"Huh? Isn't this Chief Kondo?"