I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

It was late at night, and only Yamanami Keisuke remained on the street.

The wind whistled, accompanied by the soft rustling of straw sandals sinking into the snow.

Yamanami Keisuke looked up, gazing with great interest at the crescent moon on the horizon.

Suddenly, a strange light flashed in his eyes.

Then, he slowly stopped, turned around, and stared coldly into the dark alley not far away.

"...Stop hiding, come out."

As he made his threatening remarks, he reached his right hand out of his robes and gripped the sword at his waist, preparing for battle.

Putting his right hand inside his robes—this was not an unintentional act by Yamanami Keisuke, but rather a deliberate one.

Whether or not one pays attention to the temperature of their dominant hand is a major dividing line between martial arts novices and masters.

In such cold weather, one should keep the temperature of their hands warm and be ready to "fight at any time".

Once the dominant hand freezes, it will inevitably affect the action of drawing a sword, thus making it impossible to launch an effective and rapid response to enemy attacks.

Some assassins prefer to carry out their attacks on cold days, and that's why.

Therefore, swordsmen of Yamanami Keisuke's caliber consciously take care of their dominant hand, which has become a habit.

In a matter of seconds, Keisuke Yamanami had adjusted his mind and body to their best state.

As he locked onto his target, the shadows at the deepest part of the alley began to undulate slightly—a tall figure stepped out.

"Oh my, as expected of Yamanami-kun, he found me so quickly."

Yamanami Keisuke stared blankly at the newcomer, muttering in astonishment:

"Sakamoto...kun...?"

Sakamoto Ryoma scratched his messy hair and chuckled a few times:

"Yes, it is I. Mr. Shannan, it's been a long time. Because of the time constraints, I'll keep it brief—I would like to meet with the Zuo family. Could you introduce me?"

……

……

The following day (January 1, 1866), early morning—

Hatazu Domain, Otsu, Tachibana Residence, Aoto's office—

From today onwards, it is the second year of Kuangtian/Meiji, and the Western calendar year is 1866.

On New Year's Day, the first day of the new year, a day that should be full of meaning, he could not neglect his work... Despite feeling regretful, Qingdeng still entered his office on time.

Unexpectedly, just as he was getting ready to get into his work for the day, he received a meeting request from Keisuke Yamanami.

……

……

"Sakamoto Ryoma?"

Aoto looked at Yamanami Keisuke in front of him with a surprised expression.

Yamanami Keisuke nodded slightly:

"That's right, he wants to see you."

He recounted his experience from the previous night in a concise manner.

The reunion with Sakamoto Ryoma, Sakamoto Ryoma's propositions...

After listening, Qing Deng raised an eyebrow:

"Peace through negotiation? Did he really say that?"

Yamanami Keisuke gave a wry smile.

"Yes, that's exactly what he said."

Qing Deng twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a half-smile:

"What nonsense is he talking about? The conflict between the two sides has escalated to this point, there is no possibility of mediation."

山南敬助轻轻颔首：

"I understand, then I'll go and reject him..."

Qingdeng shook his head and interrupted:

"No, that's not necessary. Although I can't agree with his ideas, I'd still like to meet him."

*******

*******

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: I've been watching Gundam Unicorn lately, and it suddenly made me really want to write a mecha fanfic. When I'm financially secure enough, I'll write a "mecha battle" mecha fanfic, and I hope you'll support me then! (Leopard.jpg)

The villain piloting the black mecha sensed something and looked up at the vast and boundless Milky Way.

At the edge of the horizon, a fully armed white machine swooped down.

"They're finally here!" the villain roared.

In a split second, the black machine drew its lightsaber, its engines roared to life, and it charged straight at the enemy.

At almost the same time, the lightsaber gripped by the white machine reached its maximum output.

The flames of the two machines hurtling towards each other traced meteor-like trajectories in the universe.

The impact of the lightsabers clashing could reach light-years away.

……

I want to write a mecha novel just like this! Not a fantasy novel with a fantasy theme, but a pure military novel! Except the form of war isn't missile battles, but mecha battles (Leopard High.jpg)

Chapter 1124 A Surprise Attack on the Salt Party by Legal Extermination! [5200]

Yamanami Keisuke was taken aback.

"Tachibana-kun, would you like to meet with Sakamoto-kun?"

Although Sakamoto Ryoma was not a major figure in the "Southern Court," merely a debater with no power or influence, he was still a member of the opposing camp.

If it weren't for their past friendship, Yamanami Keisuke wouldn't have relayed the request to "meet".

Strictly speaking, just like Sakamoto Ryoma, Yamanami Keisuke is also a peace advocate who believes in "avoiding fighting if possible" and "trying to talk before drawing his sword."

Even so, he couldn't accept Sakamoto Ryoma's claims.

He really didn't think there was any room for mediation or negotiation between the "Northern Dynasty" and the "Southern Dynasty." There was no other way but to fight to the bitter end until either side was completely destroyed!

Therefore, he had mentally prepared himself for the possibility that "Aoto would definitely refuse to meet with Sakamoto Ryoma."

Unexpectedly, Qingdeng actually nodded in agreement... This was truly beyond his expectations.

Seeing Yamanami Keisuke's astonishment, Aoto smiled:

"I am quite curious about this hero who brought about the 'Western Alliance'."

"I really want to see for myself what kind of person he is."

"Furthermore... I am not entirely uninterested in his proposal of 'promoting peace through negotiation'."

Qing Deng genuinely found Sakamoto Ryoma's ideas so naive that they made people laugh.

However, listening to the other person's thoughts is harmless.

Even setting aside personal preferences, from a purely utilitarian perspective, meeting with Sakamoto Ryoma would have considerable benefits.

If we could establish a relationship with the "peace faction" in the "Southern Dynasty" in advance, it would be a good thing, and it might play a significant role in the future.

After listening, Yamanami Keisuke silently bowed his head and asked:

"So, when and where do you plan to meet with Sakamoto-kun?"

Qing Deng pondered for a moment:

"Let's set it for the night of January 5th for now. I don't have any plans for that day."

"As for the meeting place... have him come to you that evening, and then you will naturally take him to a safe place where it is convenient to talk."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded:

"Understood. I'll go and tell Sakamoto-kun right away."

After bowing to Qingdeng, Yamanami Keisuke, having nothing else to report, slowly withdrew.

After watching Yamanami Keisuke leave, Aoto belatedly realized something—upon closer reflection, he realized that there were actually quite a few people he wanted to see or needed to see lately.

First it was the leader of the Great Shio Party, and now it's Sakamoto Ryoma.

Speaking of the leader of the Great Salt Party... Qing Deng couldn't help but think of Ziyang, who has been missing ever since.

He couldn't help but turn his head to look at the window next to him, gazing at Kyoto, which was far beyond his sight.

—I wonder how Ziyang's talk with her teacher went.

……

……

January 3, 1866 (the second year of the Kuangtian era/the second year of the Meiji era), night—

Gyeonggi Province, a certain mountain, a certain place—

Dozens of households are scattered in a gentle basin surrounded by mountains.

Simple thatched huts, trodden dirt roads... at first glance, this is just an ordinary, ubiquitous mountain village.

However, if someone with extensive combat experience were here, they would surely discover that this mountain village is far from being as ordinary as it appears on the surface.

The few bungalows on the outskirts of the village seem to be randomly arranged, but their locations are actually quite deliberate, resembling sentry posts.

The "villagers" gathered at the village entrance seemed to be chatting casually, but in fact they were keeping an eye on the movements outside the village, occasionally raising their eyes to scan the darkness surrounding the village.

At this very moment, in a thatched hut in the center of the village, a private conversation between two people is taking place.