I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

“Makimura, you only met Aoto today, so you probably don’t know much about him. What makes Tachibana-kun so amazing is not just his superb swordsmanship and extraordinary talent in swordsmanship.”

"Oh?" Makimura straightened his back, adopting an attitude of "I'd like to hear more details."

"Tachibana-kun... has a very strong appeal."

“Attraction?” Makimura leaned forward even further.

"Yes, that's right. It's 'attraction'. Tachibana-kun can attract people from all walks of life with all sorts of personalities."

"Both I and the young master were attracted to him."

"With such terrifying power, Tachibana-kun may be able to establish a glorious achievement in the coming era of great strife that will inspire countless future generations."

"?!?!" Makimura was so shocked he couldn't speak.

In an instant, countless names flashed through his mind: Minamoto no Yoritomo, Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, Mori Motonari, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu...

"Of course, all of the above is just my personal speculation. No one can predict the future. But what is certain is that in this new era of great change, every young person has the potential to make great strides."

"And we, the remnants of the old era..."

Kiryu lowered his head and stared intently at the wine glass in his hand.

The clear water reflected an old face marked by the passage of time.

A moment later, the water surface rippled slightly.

As the ripples spread in concentric circles, the reflection shattered like a mirror.

When the water surface returned to calm, the old face in the water underwent a subtle change.

It has a touch of a smile on it.

A smile tinged with mixed emotions.

"For the new era, the swords of us old folks... are just too dull."

Kiryu slowly raised his head and looked straight ahead.

"No matter when, the sight of young people moving forward is so dazzling that an old person like me can't help but want to look away."

Kiryu's eyes, as if gazing into a distant world, seemed to conceal some kind of melancholy.

This feeling can be interpreted as regret.

It can also be interpreted as resentment.

“…Kuro, you rascal…” Makimura shook his head helplessly, “Where did you get the audacity to call me sentimental? You’re the most sentimental one here, aren’t you?”

Kiryu remained noncommittal, only offering a faint smile.

"Alright, let's leave the topic of young people and the new era here for now."

Kiryu downed the drink he had been holding for a long time in one gulp.

"While the young master is away, let's talk about some serious business. Makimura, are you really sure you want to go to Yokohama?"

“Ah, of course I’m sure.” Makimura answered without the slightest hesitation. “In Yokohama, there are signs of activity by members of the Fa-ju-dang (a political group) – this is reliable intelligence that I obtained with great difficulty in the Tohoku region. I can’t be satisfied until I see it for myself in Yokohama.”

“…I understand.” Kiryu nodded solemnly. “When do you plan to leave?”

"The reason I'm staying in Edo right now is partly because I want to take a long-awaited rest, and partly because I want to take this opportunity to see what Tachibana Aoto, whom I've heard so much about, looks like and what he's capable of."

"Now that both objectives have been achieved, I do not intend to stay in Edo any longer."

"If nothing unexpected happens, I will probably set off in a few days."

Kiryu: "...Yokohama is very close to Edo. If you encounter any trouble that requires help, don't hesitate to come to me."

"Don't worry!" Makimura laughed loudly a few times. "Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have made the same decision! Hahaha!"

……

……

In the following days, Qingdeng's daily life returned to its previous rhythm.

Every day, I wander around these five places: Shieikan, Senjiya, Kochiba Kenkan, Westerners' Residence, and Tsukimiya Shrine.

For Qingdeng, this kind of busy yet leisurely life is extremely pleasant.

So pleasantly I didn't want the New Year holiday to end.

If there's anything noteworthy that happened in the past few days... it's probably Makimura's departure.

Just two days after Aoto and Makimura first met, on January 8th, Makimura shouldered his simple luggage, carried his great dachi, and with a carefree stride, set off alone on the road leading away from Edo.

Out of curiosity, Aoto asked Kiryu, Kinoshita Mai, and Makimura himself: Where is Mr. Makimura going?

Mai Kinoshita bluntly stated, "I don't know."

Kiryu and Makimura kept their relationship a closely guarded secret.

Since the other party wouldn't say, Qingdeng didn't feel comfortable pressing them for more information.

Time slips away, bit by bit.

In the blink of an eye... despite all the reluctance, the day to "go back to work" finally arrived.

……

……

On the morning of January 10th, the second year of the Wanyan era (1861)—

Edo, somewhere—

"Haha~~"

Qingdeng yawned widely as he slowly walked toward the Fire and Thieves' Office.

Suddenly, a familiar male voice came from behind:

“哦？橘君？”

Qingdeng turned around and looked back at the sound.

“My grandson…”

My grandson strode quickly toward Qingdeng, walking shoulder to shoulder with him.

After the two greeted each other with "Good morning," my grandson started the conversation:

"Hey, I always seem to run into you on the street~"

Qingdeng smiled and agreed:

"This shows that we are quite destined to be together."

"Ju-kun, you look like you haven't had enough sleep. Looks like you had a very fulfilling vacation."

……

The conversation between Qingdeng and my grandson was filled with meaningless chatter.

Although the things I talked about with my grandson were mostly trivial, having someone to talk to made the tedious commute less boring.

Unbeknownst to us, the government office that the thieves had converted into a fire-damaged government office came into view of Qingdeng and my grandson.

However, at this moment, Qingdeng and my grandson noticed something unusual one after the other.

"What's going on..." Qing Deng frowned as he looked at the large group of officials gathered outside the government office.

Just as Qingdeng was about to approach and ask what had happened, the group of officials actually walked towards... no, they rushed towards Qingdeng!

A series of rapid footsteps surrounded Qingdeng, one after another.

"Ju Qingdeng, you've come at just the right time. We were just looking for you."

A middle-aged man whom Qingdeng did not recognize stepped forward.

"Captain of the Third Division of the Fire Thieves, Tachibana Aoto, you are under arrest. Please come with us!"

*******

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Chapter 359 The "Hatamoto Alliance's" Revenge on Qing Deng; Qing Deng Imprisoned; All the Women Shocked [5000]

Edo, Okemachi, Kochiba Sword Hall —

Huff! Huff! Huff!

The sound of bamboo swords slicing through the air echoed rhythmically throughout the dojo.

Sanako, dressed in a white top and blue bottom kendo uniform, stood in the center of the empty dojo, repeatedly practicing the most basic technique in Japanese kendo: Sujin.

Beneath the skirt, a pair of bare feet with fair skin and full insteps looked absolutely beautiful.

The warm sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the glistening beads of sweat that trickled down Sanako's beautiful face and delicate neck.

She was just like a perfectly programmed robot.

Every grip on the sword, every height of the sword, every swing of the sword, seemed to be meticulously designed, always so precise and flawless.

With flawless, continuous strikes... Sanako's solid swordsmanship foundation and profound strength are evident.

As time goes by, the shadow of the sun shifts imperceptibly.

As sweat soaked through Sanako's collar and began to dampen her high, rounded chest, she finally put down her bamboo sword, having successfully completed her training objective.

"Very good... You're in good shape..."

After muttering to herself, she walked to the edge of the dojo, picked up a water bottle and a towel, and rested while gazing at the sky outside the window.

"It's so cold today..."

—Speaking of which… Tachibana-kun's New Year holiday officially ends today. He's probably working hard at the yamen (officially the thief's office) right now. I wonder if he's dressed warmly enough today?

Upon having this thought, Sanako paused for a moment.

Then, she shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake something off her forehead.