I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

She softly repeated the exact words that the commander had just spoken.

"You child... why won't you listen to advice..."

Okita Hikaru concluded her remark with a long sigh, so soft it was almost inaudible, but filled with profound emotion.

She then fell silent.

Silently pressing the hem of her kimono, she turned and left.

Looking at her sister's back, which seemed to have become a little more hunched, a trace of reluctance flashed in Souji's eyes... but she did not regret what she had just said or the will she had expressed.

……

……

With his hands clasped in front of him, Hikaru Okita walked briskly down the corridor beneath his feet, his face expressionless.

Because the lower garment is tied very tightly, it is difficult to walk quickly in a women's kimono. So, Okita Hikaru's stride and pace make one worry that she might step on the hem of her own garment and fall to the ground.

"Ah Guang! Ah Guang! Don't walk so fast! Be careful not to fall!"

Rintaro Okita, who was following closely behind Hikaru Okita, hurriedly reminded him... but Hikaru Okita ignored his reminder.

Seeing that his wife was ignoring him... Rintaro Okita sighed heavily, then opened and closed his mouth several times.

He looked like he wanted to say something to Okita Hikaru, but didn't know how to start...

But at that moment, Okita Hikaru, who was speeding along, suddenly stopped.

Rintaro Okita, who was walking behind, almost bumped into Hikaru Okita's back because he was caught off guard.

"Ah Guang, what's wrong?"

“…It’s nothing,” Okita Hikaru said softly. “It’s just that…I discovered that young man that I recommended to Souji the other day.”

“A young man?” Rintaro Okita followed Hikaru Okita’s gaze and looked ahead—at the corner of the corridor in front of them, a young samurai covered in sweat was walking hurriedly toward the toilet.

The instant Okita Rintaro turned his gaze to the young samurai, he suddenly felt a flash of light beside him—Okita Hikaru, standing next to him, took another step forward.

She walked straight toward the young warrior.

……

……

Since acquiring the "Strong Stomach" talent, Qingdeng's digestive and absorption abilities have become much stronger, and he has significantly reduced the frequency of urinating.

Of course, the frequency of urinating has not changed compared to the past.

Feeling his bladder was full, Qingdeng ran towards the toilet in the Shieikan at almost a jog speed, wanting to quickly relieve himself and return to the dojo to continue practicing swordsmanship.

Suddenly, a pleasant female voice called out to him from behind:

"Mr. Tachibana!"

Qing Deng's expression froze, his body paused, and he quickly turned around to look back.

"Miss Okita?"

Okita Hikaru led Okita Rintaro to Aoto's side in a few quick steps.

Before Aoto could even ask, "What brings you here?", Okita Hikaru explained his purpose first.

Are you free this afternoon?

"what?"

"I have something very important to tell you."

Hikaru Okita's expression was extremely serious.

"If you are free this afternoon, would you do me the honor of accompanying my husband and me to the teahouse next door?"

……

……

That day, in the afternoon—

In Edo, not far from the Shieikan (a type of ancient Japanese temple), in a private room of a teahouse called "Hinshuiya"—

Sitting upright, Qing Deng stared intently at the Okita couple, who were sitting shoulder to shoulder opposite him, with an undisguised look in his eyes.

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly realized that this seemed to be the first time he had met and talked with the commander's sister in private.

These two sisters look so alike it's outrageous...

Every time Aoto faced Okita Hikaru, he had the illusion that he was talking to a "mature version of Souji".

"Um...I wonder if there's something you'd like to tell me, Ms. Okita?"

Qingdeng went straight to the point, without any hesitation.

Although his tone was firm and forceful, there was a hint of caution in his voice.

To be honest, Okita Hikaru suddenly running over to him and saying she had "something important to discuss"... made Aoto feel a little guilty...

This made Qing Deng doubt himself: Could it be that what I did to Souji last night has been exposed? Is Souji's older sister here to settle scores with me now?

The thought sent a chill down Qingdeng's spine...

In order to find out what was going on, Aoto readily agreed to Okita Hikaru's "invitation" this morning.

After lunch, he and the Okita couple went to a teahouse near the Shieikan and booked a quiet private room where they wouldn't have to worry about being overheard.

Faced with Aoto's direct question, Okita Hikaru did not immediately respond.

Instead, he first carefully examined Fan Qingdeng's face, seemingly lost in thought.

"...Upon closer inspection, Mr. Ju, you are indeed a very handsome man."

"Huh...? Uh...you flatter me."

He was unexpectedly praised... Qingdeng looked bewildered and humbly agreed.

“Mr. Ju, there’s no need to use honorifics with me. You can speak to me in a more casual tone, just like you would with a friend.”

After speaking, Okita Hikaru picked up the teacup in front of him and took a small sip of the tea.

As he placed the teacup back in its original position, Okita Hikaru raised his gaze, casting a solemn look at Aoto, and said, word by word, in a measured and deliberate manner:

"Mr. Ju, the reason I'm bothering you today is to ask you for a favor."

"help?"

"Hmm. Could you please help me persuade Souji to stop studying... no, to stop being so obsessed with swordsmanship?"

A look of surprise flashed across Qing Deng's face.

When he used the word "addiction," Hikaru Okita used an unusually sharp tone... The sharpness revealed in his voice was like a sharp blade suddenly drawn from its sheath, making the air in the room hiss.

"Sōji is the eldest son of our Okita family, and he will inherit the Okita family business in the future."

"But Souji is now completely obsessed with swordsmanship and can't extricate himself from it."

He was indifferent to everything except kendo and konpeito.

“His current obsession with Kendo has completely transcended the scope of ‘learning self-defense techniques’ and ‘physical fitness’.”

“I don’t object to him practicing swordsmanship… but I can’t ignore his current state, which is like he’s possessed.”

“Mr. Tachibana, you are one of Souji’s closest friends.”

"Souji might just ignore what Master Kondo, Junior Master Kondo, Mr. Hijikata, and Uncle Gen said."

"But what you say... the commander might listen to!"

"I would like to ask you to persuade the commander-in-chief privately."

"Make him stop staring at the sword in his hand."

"Let him pay more attention to the world outside of kendo."

……

Hikaru Okita has always been a gifted orator.

Her words were sincere and heartfelt, filled with strong emotions.

After eloquently explaining his request to Aoto and the reasons for making it, Okita Hikaru looked at Aoto to confirm.

This gesture obviously means "What do you think?"

Aoto stared at Okita Hikaru with a blank expression.

A moment later, his blank expression turned into a bitter smile filled with mixed emotions.

Although Okita Mitsuaki had just spoken eloquently... Aoto knew very well that her impassioned speech was only half true and half false.

Qingdeng raised his right hand and scratched the skin on the back of his neck forcefully.

He sighed inwardly:

They truly are sisters... Both of them are the type who, once they've made up their minds, won't easily back down...

The fact that Souji's sister would go to such lengths to persuade him to give up swordsmanship was truly beyond Qing Deng's expectations.

Oh well…

Qingdeng lowered his hand from the back of his neck and let out a soft "whoosh," channeling the complex emotions in his heart into a sound.

Then--

"...Miss Okita, you don't want Okita-kun to stop being obsessed with kendo, you want him to give up kendo altogether, right?"

This time, Okita Hikaru and Okita Rintaro looked at Aoto with blank expressions.

Qingdeng pressed on, continuing:

“I know why you want Okita-kun to give up the way of the sword.”

"You know?" Hikaru Okita's eyes flickered slightly.

Aoto nodded: "Not long ago, I accidentally overheard your conversation with Okita-kun in the teahouse that Okita-kun frequents."

"Then... not long ago, I accidentally learned about Souji's true gender."

Last night, or not long ago—Qingdeng convinced himself of this.