I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

An elderly woman over 90 years old, a petite and delicate little girl...

People of different races, genders, ages, and professions... they all share one thing in common: they are all friends of Tachibana Seido! They have all come to rescue Tachibana Seido!

"Although I already knew that Mr. Ju had a wide network of connections and friends all over the world, after witnessing this scene of 'a gathering of wise men and women, young and old alike', I still couldn't help but sigh: Mr. Ju is really popular."

Tu Fang marveled at the sight.

"If I were in trouble, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get so many important people to come."

“But I can invite a lot of women.” Souji sighed softly. “If you were to die… then I would probably be able to see the rare sight of courtesans from the lower classes, as well as daughters of samurai families and ladies of high society all gathered together.”

Tu Fang smiled without saying a word.

He neither agreed nor disagreed with the commander's teasing remark.

"Mr. Hijikata, are you really sure you want to chair the meeting?" Souji asked tentatively.

“Of course!” Hijikata replied without hesitation. “Gathering all of Tachibana-kun’s friends—this plan was my idea. So, it’s only natural that I take the lead in the recollection.”

"Besides, among all the staff at the test hall, I'm probably the only one who can speak eloquently and never get stage fright, no matter how high the occasion."

At this point, Hijikata paused.

He seemed to be considering whether to reveal what he was about to say to the Souji as well.

In a moment, he made his choice.

"And... Souji, look."

He chose to continue the conversation, revealing his innermost thoughts to the commander without reservation.

"Among those who have come here at our invitation are renowned swordsmen, high-ranking officials who have risen rapidly in rank, and rare Westerners... For a commoner like me, who comes from a farming background, such an opportunity to speak loudly to these important figures is a once-in-a-lifetime chance."

As Hijikata spoke, he pressed his face close to the crack in the door again, refocusing his voyeuristic gaze on the dojo, his bright and piercing eyes sparkling with an elusive, shimmering light.

When his gaze fell upon the swords at the waists of Chiba Sadakichi and the others, a complex mix of envy and frustration surfaced on Hijikata's face...

……

……

Shieikan, Dojo—

"Ah, Sister Wu!"

"Elodie? What are you doing here?"

Elodie threw herself into Kinoshita Mai's arms.

Kinoshita Mai hugged the blonde girl tightly from behind while casting a surprised look at her.

Two figures, one large and one small, one red and one yellow, were pressed tightly together.

"Grandpa wasn't planning on bringing me... but I just couldn't sit still at home, so I begged him to bring me too..."

Elodie's murmured words were muffled between Muya's breasts.

The blonde loli was dressed in a pale yellow women's kimono, with a wide light green belt around her waist, and her tiny feet, no bigger than a male's palm, were covered with brand-new white cloth socks.

If you didn't look at her face, you wouldn't recognize her as a Westerner just by her clothes.

Standing next to Elodie, Anthony had also changed his clothes, donning a perfectly authentic and flawless Japanese outfit. By simply covering his face and hair, he would appear to be nothing more than an ordinary townman, albeit a bit tall and stout.

Although the "radical anti-foreign movement" that caused a great stir in Edo last year was forcibly suppressed under the shogunate's severe crackdown, this does not mean that Westerners in Edo can now swagger into the streets and alleys of Edo.

In fact, those radical madmen who were obsessed with "killing barbarians and traitors" still existed. However, due to the suppression by the shogunate, they moved from the forefront to the background. Although they were no longer so blatant, they still stubbornly carried out the so-called "Operation Heavenly Punishment".

Even today, violent incidents related to "patriots who resisted foreigners" still occur from time to time.

In other words, for Westerners like Elodie and Anthony, in a time when the "radical anti-foreign sentiment" had not yet subsided, leaving their place of residence without permission was an act that could absolutely not be called "rational" or "safe".

Although they disguised themselves to avoid being recognized, this could not guarantee complete safety.

If Elodie and her friends were to lose their headscarves or face coverings on the street or in any other public place, revealing their distinctive Western hair and facial features, it could very well lead to irreparable consequences.

Even so, the grandfather and grandson accepted the invitation without hesitation and came to the Shie-e-kan.

Normally, Kinoshita Mai would have given Elodie a good scolding for leaving her residence without adequate escort. Doesn't she know that Edo is still in a state of chaos?

But now, no matter how hard Kinoshita Mai racked her brains, she couldn't think of a single word of reproach.

Because she understood Elodie's feelings.

She felt deeply for Qingdeng's situation, so worried that she couldn't sit still, and desperately wanted to do something for him...

Since she empathizes with him, how could Kinoshita Mai bear to criticize Elodie?

Moreover, Kinoshita Mai has absolutely no grounds to blame Elodie—she and this blonde loli are completely equal!

Kiryu originally planned to have Kinoshita Mai stay at the Senjiya while he came to the Shieikan alone, but Kinoshita Mai, who was restless and unable to sit still at home, firmly refused.

Kiryu couldn't refuse Kinoshita Mai's request, so he had no choice but to let her accompany him.

After embracing for a moment, Kinoshita Mai and Elodie released each other.

Just then, Kinoshita Mai suddenly felt a bright and imposing aura coming from behind her.

Such a strong aura... Kinoshita Mai knew who it was even without looking.

She frowned slightly and turned to look behind her—sure enough, a Yamato Nadeshiko, who liked to wear blue, was standing gracefully behind her.

Sanako: "..."

Kinoshita Mai: "..."

The two women looked at each other.

A heavy silence settled between them.

"...You've arrived."

Mai Kinoshita broke the silence first.

"Hmm...it's been a long time."

Sanako responded expressionlessly.

Even though the two women broke their silence and greeted each other, the suffocating tension between them didn't lessen at all; instead, it grew stronger and more intense.

No matter when or where, Kinoshita Mai always disliked Sanako—and Sanako felt the same way.

A few playful banter, a subtle exchange of sarcasm—this is how Sanako and Kinoshita Mai usually get along.

However, neither Kinoshita Mai nor Sanako had the time or inclination to argue with each other.

So, they turned their heads away at the same time, without speaking to each other or even glancing at each other again.

……

……

About 10 minutes later—

"I am Kondo Shusuke, the third head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school and the master of the Shieikan!"

Shusuke raised his teacup and offered a toast to Kiryu and the others in front of him.

Whether out of seniority or to show hospitality, it is only right that Shusuke, as the head of the Shieikan, should deliver the opening remarks.

"In the meantime, please allow me, on behalf of all the staff of Shieikan, to express my heartfelt gratitude for your presence!"

Zhou Zhu was well aware that the group hadn't come for a social gathering.

Therefore, he did not publish endless, meaningless platitudes.

After making a few perfunctory and uninteresting opening remarks to be polite, he sat back down cross-legged in his original position.

Immediately afterwards, Tu Fang stood up.

"I am Hijikata Toshizo, a disciple of the Shieikan!"

Tu Fang's voice was loud and powerful.

As soon as he spoke, he immediately drew everyone's attention.

Some people recognized Hijikata, such as the Chiba family, Kiryu, and Kinoshita Mai.

Some people were meeting Hijikata for the first time, such as Katsura Rintaro and Arima.

Huh? This person is a commoner? Katsura Rintaro looked at Hijikata's empty waist and couldn't help but be surprised.

When entering someone else's residence or other private area, one must remove their katana. If the host requests that the katana be handed over, one must obediently comply—this is an unwritten samurai etiquette.

This etiquette rule only applies to katana, and does not have strict rules for wakizashi.

Therefore, even when they had to put away their katana upon entering a certain area, the samurai would still wear their wakizashi on their waist.

Just like now, when Chiba Sadakichi, Katsura Rintaro, Arima and others entered the Shieikan, they had already temporarily removed and handed over their katana, leaving only a wakizashi at their waists.

Hijikata's waist was empty... which meant that he was a commoner who did not have the right to carry a sword at that time.

It's no wonder that Rintaro Tokatsu looked surprised.

After all, from appearance to temperament, from demeanor to speech, Hijikata's every move, word, and smile was impeccable.

Those unaware of the situation might mistakenly believe that Hijikata was a nobleman from a prestigious family.

"Time is of the essence, so I'll get straight to the point!"

The volume of earthmoving gradually increased.

"As you all surely already know, Mr. Ju has been framed by a villain. The reason I've invited you all here today is to discuss how to help Mr. Ju clear his name!"

"To be honest, this is not an easy task!"

"Ju-kun is a renowned celebrity these days!"

"In officialdom, he rose rapidly through the ranks."

"He is well-known among the people."

"That someone like him could be framed and imprisoned on trumped-up charges... that shows the villains who attacked Tachibana-kun are quite powerful!"

"However, we don't need to be afraid of them!"

"Their swords are sharp, but ours are just as sharp!"

"All of you here are elites from various industries!"