I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I'm increasingly impressed by the Chiba family's upbringing."

Having understood Qing Deng's unspoken meaning, Sanako raised her slender hand to press down the hair on her right side that was being blown by the wind and slapped against her pretty face.

“I am, after all, a daughter of a samurai family,” Sanako said calmly. “If I don’t even have the courage to fight against evil, then I’d better give up martial arts as soon as possible.”

"The Chiba family's upbringing is truly remarkable..."

Perhaps because the atmosphere was just right, influenced by it, Sanako hesitated for a moment before opening her lips again:

"...Tachibana-kun, what if we arrive at the settlement and find that the government troops haven't arrived yet, but the Extermination Group has already started their attack...? What do you plan to do?"

"I'll need your help to take care of the radishes then."

Qingdeng's reply... was without the slightest hesitation or doubt.

Qing Deng's answer was so quick, spoken without a second thought, that Sanako couldn't help but look surprised, as she hadn't expected it.

Qing Deng's answer was brief, but it was informative and clear.

"You want to fight the entire Extermination Group that attacked the settlement all by yourself?" Sanako couldn't help but ask in a slightly out-of-control, high-pitched tone.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing, can we?"

Aoto's words silenced Sanako.

"Just as you said, Miss Sanako, if we let the Extermination Group run rampant like this, I'm afraid the whole of Edo will be destroyed by them."

"The Test Guard Hall is my only place to stay now."

"If the fire gets out of control because of the Anti-Foreigners Group's reckless arson and the Shie-e-kan is also burned down, I cannot accept such an outcome."

"not to mention……"

Qingdeng suddenly paused in his speech.

After murmuring "moreover," a look of reminiscence appeared on his cheeks.

A petite figure with beautiful light golden hair flashed through Qing Deng's mind.

"...I also promised a child living in the settlement that I would come and play with her again when I have time."

Qing Deng's cheeks and the corners of his mouth relaxed... and the relaxed facial lines transformed into a gentle smile.

"I don't want to go back on my word."

Surprise and shock... and the emotion of having heard some terrible news appeared on her face. Sanako's face was filled with a complex expression of various emotions.

Her gaze, which was originally quite mature and calm, now seemed unfocused and vacant.

She looked at Qing Deng's tall figure, who was so close to her, with a gaze that seemed to be looking into the distant void, her red lips slightly parted.

She seemed to want to offer some commentary on Qing Deng's earlier remarks.

It wasn't until quite some time later that a murmur filled with a variety of emotions finally drifted out from Sanako's alluring red lips and white teeth.

"...Tachibana-kun, you...are so brave."

After much deliberation, Sanako could only come up with the adjective "brave".

Besides "brave," she couldn't think of any other more suitable adjective to properly evaluate Qing Deng's current words and actions.

“Brave…” Qing Deng repeated softly the adjective that Sanako had just used to describe him, then chuckled and turned to look at the beauty behind him again with a smile on his lips. “Thank you for the compliment.”

"Miss Sanako, you are very brave too."

"Even though he was injured himself, he still dared to lend me a hand and help me get to my place of residence."

"Whether male or female, most people probably don't have your courage."

Regardless of gender... Upon hearing Qing Deng's unintentional praise, Sanako's fingers, which were pressing her right temple, suddenly loosened slightly involuntarily, causing her hair to fly up and slightly obscure her delicate face, which was now displaying a very charming expression.

Unfortunately, Aoto didn't get to see Sanako's peculiar expression.

At this moment, Radish finally arrived at the path that Sanako had mentioned earlier, the "shortcut to the settlement that can be reached by following it to the end."

Qingdeng looked back ahead, then pulled the reins with a light but firm touch, leading Luobo onto the path.

"Charge! Radish!"

"Moo~~"

Radish seemed to have completely accepted the name "Radish". After Qingdeng's powerful shout, Radish raised its head and mooed loudly in response to Qingdeng's shout.

Just then, the male head of a nearby household was awakened by the sudden sound of hooves and the mooing of cattle.

"Why is there a cow mooing..." The man rubbed his sleepy eyes and opened the window with a puzzled look on his face.

Then he saw a samurai and a very beautiful woman riding a big black bull through the streets of Edo.

"What the hell?!"

The scene was so bizarre that the man reflexively screamed in astonishment.

……

……

Edo, a settlement, Bright's residence—

The melodious and beautiful sound of the piano emanated from a corner of the hall.

A string orchestra composed of more than ten musicians played a lingering, melodious dance tune.

In the center of the hall, couples laughed and danced to this beautiful music.

As one of the earliest foreign businessmen to come to Japan to do business, Bright's financial resources, while not the most abundant among all foreign businessmen in Japan today, were still considerable.

Bright would not hesitate to put on a grand show for this ball, which was held to celebrate his 60th birthday and invited most of the residents of the Edo settlement.

To describe Bright's ball in a simple and direct way... it would be that even the most inconspicuous details exuded luxury.

Three chandeliers hung low above the hall where the ball was held. Delicate green ferns dangled from the chandeliers, adding a touch of warmth to the hall.

On both sides of the hall, there were long tables, and the light from the chandeliers reflected off each crystal glass on the tables, making them sparkle.

All the cutlery on the long table was made of silver, including the bottles of condiments and the boxes for holding the knives and forks.

The white tablecloths covering each long table were so white they were dazzling, and all the white tables were decorated with red roses, which are quite difficult to obtain in Japan at present.

As for the food and beverages, it goes without saying that even the current Shogun, Tokugawa Iemochi, would be dumbfounded when faced with this dazzling list of dishes and what the guests at this ball were eating.

Toasted white bread, smoked fish, crispy biscuits, Welsh lamb, Russian caviar, French foie gras terrine and foie gras steak...

On the table were purple grapes, apples, and watermelons, which are in season in Japan.

These delicacies were enjoyed by the guests with wines such as Lafite red wine, Andalusian sherry, and French champagne.

The wine is mellow and delicious; swallowing food with it is like swallowing gold.

Of course, Brett's favorite Japanese sake was also served at the ball.

The expensive sake he had ordered from his old business partner, Natsume Sohachiro, arrived on time today.

However, among all the guests present, only Bright likes Japanese sake, so the sake he ordered is basically only for Bright to drink.

There's no need to worry about whether Bright can finish all that alcohol.

This old man's stomach was like a bottomless pit; he could easily drink any amount of sake.

Bright, who was drinking bottle after bottle of his favorite sake, had already finished nine bottles of sake per bottle. Despite such heavy drinking, he remained energetic, with only a slight flush on his cheeks. (1 bottle = 180 ml)

"Wow, these grapes are so sweet!" Anthony exclaimed, his eyes shining as he savored the grapes he had just put in his mouth. "Elodie, would you like to try some?"

"Heh-hoo~~"

As soon as Anthony turned to look at Elodie beside him, he saw Elodie yawn widely.

The instant her mouth opened wide as she yawned, Elodie quickly raised the back of her fair right hand to cover her mouth, avoiding displaying an indecent posture.

Yawning in public is quite inelegant, and for Elodie, who received strict upbringing, she would probably not do such a thing unless she was extremely tired.

"Elodie, are you sleepy?"

A hint of hesitation appeared between Elodie's brows.

Perhaps knowing that she would find it difficult to lie in her current state, Elodie hesitated for a moment before looking up at her grandfather and smiling helplessly.

"Hmm...I'm a little sleepy..."

After saying that, Elodie blinked hard into her eyes, which were already swirling with drowsiness.

Anthony took out his pocket watch and opened it to see—it was just past 11:30.

At this time, it's well past Elodie's usual bedtime, so it's normal for her to feel sleepy.

"Elodie, shall we go home now?"

For Elodie's health, Anthony suggested.

Elodie is only 12 years old, and staying up late is not good for a child's development.

The suggestion to "go home" was made out of concern for Elodie's health.

But Elodie didn't seem to appreciate it very much.

As soon as Anthony finished speaking, hesitation appeared in Elodie's eyes and tugged at her heartstrings.

"Grandpa, I...I want to play a little longer..."

After quietly stating her request, Elodie reached out her little hand, picked a grape that Anthony had just recommended to her from the table in front of her, and popped it into her mouth.

Anthony paused for a moment, then smiled with relief as he quickly understood the reason.

Tonight... to be precise, after the ball began, Anthony saw Elodie so excited and joyful for the first time in a long time.

The rare lively activities and the laughter of the people around her made Elodie, who usually stayed at home alone due to a lack of playmates, feel exceptionally fresh and joyful.

Every now and then, some people who knew Anthony would come and politely ask her, this little lady, to dance. Although she wasn't good at dancing, and the people who came to ask her to dance were generally not very serious, Elodie was still quite happy.

Recalling the smiles that Elodie had worn since the start of the ball, Anthony smiled gently at Elodie.

"Alright then, let's wait a little longer, but you can't eat any more desserts."

Anthony's first sentence made Elodie smile, but the second sentence made her face fall instantly.

"I'd like to have another slice of that little cake..."

Elodie pouted as she looked at the small cream cakes laid out on a plate not far away.