I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Goto Shojiro followed his gaze and looked over, then looked away listlessly.

Suddenly... in the blink of an eye, Goto Shojiro, who had been sitting calmly just a second ago, suddenly sprang up!

He swiftly drew his wakizashi from his waist and slashed at Sakamoto Ryoma's neck!

Startled, Sakamoto Ryoma instinctively moved, drawing his wakizashi from his waist to retaliate.

Two flashes of light alternated... In the next instant, the blades in their hands came to a steady stop in front of each other's necks.

At first glance, it seemed that the two men's strikes were equally fast.

In reality, however, Goto Shojiro's sword was faster.

If it were a life-or-death battle, Sakamoto Ryoma would already be dead.

"Ryoma, you've regressed."

As Goto Shōjirō withdrew his blade, he commented without any politeness:

"If it were the old you, you would have sensed it before I even drew my sword and put it to my neck first."

"A genius swordsman who was once famous in Edo and even Chiba Sadakichi held you in high regard, can now not even dodge my slash. It's truly lamentable."

Sakamoto Ryoma gave a bitter smile:

"Since breaking away from the feudal system, I have rarely drawn my sword, so it is only natural that I have regressed."

Goto Shojiro said seriously, half sarcastically and half warningly:

"You can't do it like this. If you unfortunately encounter an assassin in the future, you won't be able to withstand it with your current sluggish body."

Sakamoto Ryoma spread his hands, grinning mischievously:

"When I have more free time in the future, I will work hard to train my body so that I can get my skills back to their peak."

Goto Shojiro gave Sakamoto Ryoma a deep look, then sighed deeply with a complex expression:

"Oh dear, I must have been out of my mind today... to actually accept your invitation to 'go to sea together'..."

Sakamoto Ryoma arrived in the Tosa Domain three days ago.

A ronin who had deserted his domain dared to return to his homeland... The treatment of deserters was the same across all domains: death penalty!

Although Sakamoto Ryoma has come as an "envoy," he cannot erase his true identity as a "werewolf who broke away from the Tosa Domain."

If Goto Shojiro wanted, he could have simply arrested Sakamoto Ryoma and beheaded him without even a trial, as a warning to others.

However, Goto Shojiro did not do so.

Instead of arresting Sakamoto Ryoma, he treated him as an honored guest and met with him.

When Sakamoto Ryoma met Gojiro Goto, he stated his purpose directly:

"Xiang Erlang! Please join forces with Sa and Chang to form the 'Sa-Chang Earth Alliance'!"

To this simple and straightforward request, Goto Shojiro gave an unhesitating reply: a direct and outright refusal.

"Thank you for your kindness, but we have no intention of forming an alliance with other vassal states at this time."

In the following days, Sakamoto Ryoma and Goto Shojiro engaged in a war of attrition and a protracted struggle.

Sakamoto Ryoma seized every opportunity to instill his doctrine of "alliances are good! Isolation is bad!"

Goto Shojiro was no pushover; he was very stubborn and remained unmoved no matter how much Sakamoto Ryoma tried to persuade him.

Early this morning, as if a nerve in Sakamoto Ryoma had gone mad, he suddenly invited Goto Shojiro to go on a sea voyage together—he knew a family who could lend him a Japanese boat.

Even more strangely, Goto Shojiro's brain seemed to have gone awry, and he accepted the invitation in a daze.

Thus, this scene unfolded—Sakamoto Ryoma joyfully admired the sea view, while Goto Shojiro accompanied him with a gloomy expression.

Goto Shojiro naturally didn't believe that Sakamoto Ryoma had really asked him to go on a sea trip.

The other party was mostly using the pretext of "going out to sea" to try and persuade him to form an alliance with Sa and Chang.

Sakamoto Ryoma didn't seem to be in a hurry to get to the point, and leisurely continued to gaze at the sea view.

At this moment—

"...Ryoma, did you go to pay your respects at Takeshi Hanpeita's grave?"

The unexpected question caused a subtle change in Sakamoto Ryoma's facial expression.

"Yes, I went yesterday."

"If I remember correctly, you are a close friend of Takechi Hanpeita, and you were also a member of the Tosa Loyalist Party."

As he spoke, Goto Shojiro cast a sharp, scrutinizing glance at Sakamoto Ryoma.

"I killed Takechi Hanpeita and eradicated the Tosa Loyalists. Don't you resent me? Don't you want revenge?"

Sakamoto Ryoma chuckled to himself:

"Hanpeita... It would be impossible not to feel sadness and regret over his death."

"I do have a very deep friendship with Hanpeita."

"He is a man of exceptional talent, skilled in both literature and martial arts. If he can embark on the right path, he will surely achieve immortal accomplishments."

"But I don't hate you or have any enmity towards you."

"It is an indisputable fact that many people died because of him."

“Even your uncle, Yoshida Toyo, became a victim of his ‘great cause’.”

“Even if a murderer is killed by someone else, there is nothing to blame.”

"Moreover... Takechi Hanpeita always adhered to his 'shido' (the way of the scholar), and paid the price for it."

"From this perspective, he died a worthy death."

"So what reason do I have to avenge Hanpeita? What reason do I have to plead for the Tosa loyalists?"

Shojiro Goto remained silent for a moment:

"...Ryoma, I hate the Tosa Loyalists the most."

"In my opinion, the Tosa Loyalist Party led by Takechi Hanpeita is a joke."

"By clinging to the absurd so-called 'righteousness,' they gathered a bunch of brutes. It looked lively, but in reality, they couldn't accomplish anything and only left a mess behind."

“But you are different.”

I've noticed you for a long time.

"To me, you are the only person in the Tosa Loyalist Party who is worth looking forward to."

"That's why I specifically agreed to meet with you and hear your thoughts."

"However, my patience is ultimately limited."

"If you keep repeating those same old clichés, then there's no point in us meeting again."

Sakamoto Ryoma smiled:

"Xiang Erlang, can't you reconsider the alliance with Sa and Chang?"

No sooner had Sakamoto Ryoma finished speaking than Goto Shojiro shouted without hesitation:

"Ryoma, how many times do I have to tell you before you understand?"

"What reason do we Tosa have to ally with Satsuma and Choshu? Is it just to overthrow the shogunate and 'Niou'?"

"Yes, as long as we defeat the shogunate, we in Tosa will reap a hundredfold or even a thousandfold reward."

"But what if we lose?"

"Why would I participate in such a high-stakes gamble with such exaggerated rewards and costs?"

“If the status quo is maintained, we in Tosa will be able to continue to retain our fief of 24 koku.”

"On the one hand, there is 'stability,' and on the other hand, there is 'turmoil.'"

"Now, Ryoma, tell me, what reason do I have to choose the latter instead of the former?"

Faced with Goto Shojiro's barrage of sharp questions, Sakamoto Ryoma seemed prepared, showing no sign of panic, and calmly replied:

"If Tosa joins us, we might be able to end the war."

An impatient look appeared on Goto Shojiro's face:

"Forgive my bluntness, but even if we combine the strength of the four domains of Tochigi, Satsuma, Choshu, and Hiroshi, we can only achieve a balance of power with the army of 'Lord Nioh'..."

Before Goto Shojiro could finish speaking, Sakamoto Ryoma shook his head:

“Shojiro, you didn’t understand what I meant. What I said just now was ‘to end the war,’ not ‘to defeat the shogunate.’”

Goto Shojiro paused, then frowned in confusion.

Sakamoto Ryoma straightened up slightly, and his tone rose accordingly:

"If we can establish an alliance among the four domains of Satsuma, Choshu, Tochigi, and Hijikata, we might be able to force 'King Ni' back to the negotiating table!"

"In this way, there is hope to end the chaos through 'negotiation' and establish a strong 'unified government'!"

Goto Shojiro was stunned.

He stared wide-eyed at Sakamoto Ryoma.

It was only after a long while that he gave a startled response:

"Huh? What are you talking about in your sleep?"

Sakamoto Ryoma scratched his head and smiled helplessly:

"Talking in your sleep... That's quite an assessment."

"However, I am serious, not just talking nonsense."

"To be honest, I have made detailed plans for the new country in the future. Take a look at this, Erlang."

As he spoke, he took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.

Shojiro Goto reached out and took it, looking puzzled.

What is this?

"These are eight strategies I have devised after observing the situation of the world and examining all nations. If these strategies are implemented, the imperial destiny will surely be restored, the national power will be expanded, and we will be able to stand alongside all nations!"