I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Previously, the sudden appearance of Tada Kōemon, who had gone mad and was killing people everywhere with a large gun, allowed Aoto to "escape a disaster".

However, what's meant to happen will happen... Aoto still hasn't explained to Kinoshita Mai and Sanako what his incredibly fulfilling fireworks festival was all about...

According to the values ​​of this era, going out alone with a single girl is considered an extremely ambiguous act. People often view men and women who can travel alone together as having a relationship that should lead to immediate marriage.

Not to mention the places to visit, especially grand events like fireworks displays.

Therefore, from the perspective of this era, Qing Deng's behavior of going to the fireworks festival with different girls on two consecutive days is simply incredibly promiscuous.

From Kinoshita Mai's perspective, it was Aoto who took the initiative to invite her to the fireworks festival. However, the next day, Aoto went to "revisit the same place" with another girl who was even prettier and more outstanding than her.

From Sanako's perspective, it's like Aoto, who has already developed a very ambiguous relationship with a certain woman, shamelessly tricked her, an ignorant girl, into going to the fireworks festival together.

One felt cheated on, and the other felt like a mistress who had interfered in someone else's relationship... Although neither of them had established a real romantic relationship with Qingdeng, that was indeed how they felt.

Although Hijikata's sudden question caught Aoto off guard, it successfully prompted Aoto to think deeply.

Qingdeng lowered his eyes and looked at his own face, which was flattened by the wine in the glass in his hand.

He remained silent for a long time.

Qingdeng remained silent for a long time, not responding...

Whether it was a coincidence or not, whenever the people of Shieikan held a banquet, the Souji's seat would always happen to be next to Aoto's.

With a barely perceptible glance at Aoto, who had remained silent, the commander suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Mr. Hijikata, why are you acting like a matchmaker, asking all sorts of questions about outstanding single young men? You're already 25 and still single, where do you get the nerve to urge others to get married!"

"Tch." Hijikata curled his lip. "The reason I'm still single is simply because I don't want any burden that would restrict my freedom. If I wanted to get married, I could find plenty of women willing to marry me in an instant!"

"Why are you so hostile to marriage?" Souji asked casually. "Isn't it good to have another person to rely on?"

"Hmph." Hijikata sneered. "I don't need anyone to rely on. Even if I live a solitary life, I can still live very well! You know, back then..."

……

The conversation, without us even realizing it, shifted from "Qingdeng's marriage" to "Hijikata's glorious past"...

Everyone's attention naturally shifted away from Qingdeng.

Seeing this, Qing Deng silently let out a long sigh of relief.

Then, leaning his upper body close to Souji beside him, he whispered in a voice only he and Souji could hear:

"Okita-kun, thank you so much for earlier..."

Aoto wasn't stupid. He... no, it should be the vast majority of people present, including Hijikata, could see that Souji had just been helping Aoto out of a predicament.

Someone like Hijikata, who appears rude but is actually very emotionally intelligent, must have realized that his question just now was difficult for Aoto to answer.

Since the commander spoke up to help Qing Deng out of the predicament, he took the opportunity to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Hahaha, it's nothing, it's nothing, you're welcome."

The commander gave Aoto a big smile.

Infected by his smile, Qingdeng also smiled slightly.

"Thinking back on it carefully..." The voice, which only Qing Deng and Souji could hear, rang out again, "Souji, it seems I haven't thanked you yet..."

"Thank you? Thank you for what?"

"Thank you so much for putting in a good word for me at the fireworks display a few days ago..."

On August 25th... the last night of the fireworks festival, thanks to Souji's ingenious and skillful maneuvering, he said many good things about Aoto to Kinoshita Mai and Sanako, successfully easing the suffocating atmosphere that had been permeating Aoto, Kinoshita Mai, and Sanako at the time.

After understanding what Qing Deng meant, Souji smiled nonchalantly:

"Oh, you mean this... It's nothing serious, don't make such a big deal out of it, after all..."

The commander paused abruptly.

Her gaze seemed restless, and she briefly appeared to be about to fall silent, but then changed her mind and gave a slightly stiff smile...

"After all—we're good friends and partners. Isn't it only natural for close friends to support and help each other?"

After saying that, the commander picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it all in one gulp with great gusto.

"Speaking of which... Tachibana-kun, I'm actually quite curious too."

"Hmm?" Qing Deng cast a questioning look at Souji. "What are you curious about?"

"It's Hijikata-san's problem."

Souji grinned, a hint of carefree silliness in his eyes, and shifted his position closer to Aoto, his shoulder almost touching Aoto's.

"Tachibana-kun, between Kinoshita-san and Sanako-san... which one do you prefer?"

"Ha..." In order to cover up the chaotic expression he was currently showing, Qingdeng pretended to pour wine into his glass.

We've come full circle back to the very problem that had just thrown him into such a frenzy...

To be honest, Qing Deng had never thought about this issue carefully... no, he had been subconsciously and deliberately avoiding it.

It's certain that I have very special feelings for Kinoshita Mai. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken the initiative to invite her to watch the fireworks.

But after going through so much with Sanako, his feelings for her couldn't be described simply as "friendship"... Otherwise, he wouldn't have dragged her to the lively fireworks festival to comfort her and cheer her up as soon as possible.

Which one do you like the most? Have you ever thought about marrying any of them?

A clear, loud, yet unspeakable answer—one that, if uttered, would surely draw strange looks from many—exploded in Qing Deng's mind...

Qing Deng secretly glanced at Souji with a strange expression... seriously considering whether or not to tell Souji the truth and tell him his true thoughts.

Seeing Qing Deng's conflicted expression, Souji mistakenly thought that Qing Deng didn't know how to answer.

So, the commander-in-chief chuckled and revealed a big smile to Qing Deng, his eyes narrowed into crescent moons.

"This is so unlike you, Tachibana-kun."

The commander raised his hand and patted Qing Deng on the back.

"The Tachibana I know is a person who is quick and decisive in both thinking and doing things."

"How come that decisive and ruthless Tachibana Aoto has suddenly become so indecisive? This kind of question shouldn't be that hard to answer, right? Just follow your desires and your heart..."

The commander hadn't finished speaking—

“总司！”

A loud shout interrupted her.

A tipsy Kondo, with a swaying gait and a broad smile, strode quickly toward Souji.

"What are you whispering to Tachibana-kun about? Stop chatting! Come dance with us!"

"Dancing?" Souji was taken aback, then looked toward the center of the hall—while she was whispering to Aoto, Hijikata, Inoue, and Shusuke had somehow appeared in the center of the hall and were dancing a dance from the Tama region, the hometown of Kondo and Hijikata.

Influenced by alcohol, and given that everyone except Hijikata clearly had no dance training, Shusuke and his group's dance, while not exactly ugly, could be described as a "chaotic dance of demons."

"Only you, me, Father, Ah Sui, and Uncle Yuan know how to dance our Domo dance. Come and dance with us!"

"Huh? I... Ah!"

Before Souji could even voice his opinion, Kondo dragged him from his seat and pulled him to the center of the hall, which had now become a dance floor.

Swift and decisive... Follow your desires... Follow your heart...

Because he inexplicably wanted to see Souji dance, Aoto not only didn't offer any help to Souji, but also watched Souji being dragged away with a "motherly smile," silently repeating in his mind what Souji had just said to him.

A series of resolute gazes, as if someone had made a firm decision, emanated from Qing Deng's eyes.

……

……

As Souji, blushing with embarrassment, danced the Tama dance with Kondo and the others, his hands and feet twisting wildly as if they had their own minds—

"..." Okita Hikaru glanced expressionlessly at Aoto, who was intently watching the dance.

Mr. and Mrs. Okita Hikaru were also attending tonight's banquet, and they were sitting not far from Aoto and Souji.

Just moments ago, when Aoto and Souji were whispering to each other, Okita Hikaru, like a cat that had smelled blood, was outwardly still eating calmly, but inwardly constantly casting glances at Aoto and the others.

Because Okita Hikaru's "spying" was very subtle, Aoto and Souji remained unaware that a married woman, deeply worried about her younger sister's future, was secretly watching them...

While "spying" on Aoto and Souji, Okita Hikaru maintained a calm and indifferent expression throughout, without the slightest hint of anything unusual, leaving everyone wondering what she was thinking...

……

……

At this very moment—

Edo, somewhere—

A middle-aged man and woman, wearing straw hats and simple clothes, stood in the middle of a crossroads.

The two looked to be in their early forties.

The man was dressed in a dark blue robe and black hakama, with a light green haori draped over his shoulders. He had two ordinary-looking swords, one long and one short, hanging from his left waist. His clean-shaven face bore many traces of hardship.

Her hair, which wasn't styled in a shaved style but was neatly braided into a bun, was thick and black, with only a few gray hairs at her temples.

With fair skin, she has a tall and slender figure, even though she is at an age where it is easy to gain weight and develop a big belly.

Overall, he was a middle-aged man with nothing particularly striking about his appearance—the only thing that could be considered eye-catching, or rather, worth mentioning, was his right arm.

The middle-aged man's entire right arm looked as if it had been charred, with his skin turning a bizarre, charred black.

On the contrary, the middle-aged woman standing next to this middle-aged man has a face that is worth discussing in detail.

This middle-aged woman is a true "beautiful lady" and a "mature and charming wife".

Her bright eyes were like the stars on a summer night.

His nose was handsome and straight.

Her small, delicate lips had a luscious, rosy hue.

Her skin was just the right amount of fair. Any whiter and she would look sickly, any darker and her beauty would be diminished.

Her almost entirely black hair was tied into a bun, a symbol of a married woman.

Her height was considered acceptable for a woman of that era; converted to modern Earth units of length, this beautiful woman was approximately 1.55 meters tall.

Although fine wrinkles, marking the passage of time, have appeared around her eyes and mouth, she still retains her charm.