I formed the strongest swordsman group

Edo, somewhere——

"La~la la~la la la~ la la~~"

Kinoshita Mai hummed the ditty she had just composed, and strode forward with crisp footsteps.

Her black hair, which was pulled into a Shimada bun, shone beautifully under the warm sunshine.

The breeze blows, and the delicious fragrance floats from her hair... Her hair must have been freshly washed.

The bright red kimono with beautifully embroidered patterns, the goose-yellow obi that enhances the presence of the southern hemisphere, the little feet covered with white cloth socks, the red knotted black-soled clogs that complement the snow on the ground...everything is attractive.

Her light steps, cheerful aura, and unconcealable smile... Anyone can tell that she is in a good mood now.

Why would a socially fearful girl who would never go out unless necessary be striding along the streets of Edo, looking cheerful?

This is all because of Qingdeng.

Yesterday, he suddenly visited Qianshiwu——

…

"A Wu, can you come to the Trial Guard Hall tomorrow? I have something very important that I need to hand over to you."

"Tomorrow?"

"um, yes."

"Qingdeng, you, you, what do you want to give me? You actually need me to go to the training hall."

Qingdeng showed a meaningful smile:

"Well...please allow me to keep it a secret for now. You will know the answer by tomorrow."

…

"Why are you so mysterious..."

Kinoshita Mai's red lips moved slightly, as if chewing every word, and she murmured at a volume that only she could hear clearly.

Although she was complaining, the corners of her mouth turned up uncontrollably.

Mai Kinoshita, who has a girlish heart, does not hate "secret gifts".

——It’s very important... and it must be handed over to me personally... What exactly is it? Uh-huh, could it be Wufu?

Thinking of this, her expression was stained with shame, and she subconsciously raised her hands to cup her cheeks, hiding her red and hot face.

Wufu, that is, kimono.

In today's Japanese society, the Western proposal culture of "giving a ring" has not yet become popular. However, there is a custom very similar to it among young men and women - that is, giving a kimono.

In the Edo period, there were generally two situations when men gave women kimonos.

First, the father gave it to his daughter on her coming-of-age ceremony.

Second, the fiancé gives it to his fiancée.

The more Kinoshita Mai thought about it, the harder it became to suppress the anticipation and excitement in her heart.

——Does Qingden know my body size?

——Ah, he should know, after all, he has touched my whole body long ago...

——If he really gives me the Wu server, what kind of expression should I put on?

--Well……! no! I almost forgot about Okita-san and Chiba Sanako!

——With them here, how could Qingdeng give me a Wu server...

——Even if he had to give them away, given Qingdeng’s style, he would definitely give one set to each of the three of us.

——If Miss Okita and I are asked to marry Aoto... that's not impossible.

——Miss Okita is very gentle and it’s fun to be with her.

——But Chiba Sanako definitely can’t!

——There is absolutely no way I can live in peace with Chiba Sanako!

——Hey, wait a minute... Although Qingdeng always dreams of "marrying three real wives", the possibility of his changing his mind cannot be ruled out.

——"A Wu, I discovered that compared to Xiao Si and Sanako, I really like you more. I don't want to marry three wives! I just want to marry you!"

——Hey hehehe~ If it can be like this, that would be great~~

——But will grandma agree to my marriage to Qingdeng?

——Grandma doesn’t seem to like people who are officials... And Aoshinobu happens to be one of the people with the highest official position in the Edo shogunate...

——Is the marriage not allowed... This feeling seems pretty good!

——A blocked love...just like the "Romeo and Juliet" that Elodie told me a while ago.

——But...if I think about it carefully, it's better to think about this kind of thing. I can't ignore grandma.

——Instead of fantasizing about Lao Shizi's "prevented love affair", it would be better to seriously try to get grandma to accept Qingdeng.

——Ah... If Aoto really gives me a Wu server, and I am the only one who receives it, and neither Miss Okita nor Chiba Sanako has a share, then what should I do?

——As expected, I still have to show it to Sanako Chiba first! I want her to "accidentally" see clearly the Wu uniform Qingdeng gave me!

Even though the horoscope has not yet been revealed, "the 'mysterious gift' Aonto wants to give is a kimono" is purely a baseless delusion. As a result, Kinoshita Mai has already thought about an emotional drama with ups and downs.

Just when she was immersed in fantasy and unable to extricate herself, a cold female voice suddenly sounded from beside her:

"...Kinoshita Mai, why are you giggling?"

"Ah? Of course it's because I'm happy... Ouch! Chi-Chiba Sanako?"

The Kinoshita Dance Monster screamed, leaped backwards like a green onion on dry land, and almost hit the earthen wall on the street.

Her back was slightly arched, like a stressed and angry cat.

His eyes were widened to the limit, revealing the beautiful whites of his eyes that were almost bloodless, and he stared at the peerless beauty in front of him with a look of surprise.

"Chiba Sanako? Why are you here?"

Sanako, who was alone, said calmly:

"For some reason, I'm here. Let's not talk about it for now. You'd better wipe your mouth quickly, the saliva is almost flowing out."

"Huh?"

Kinoshita Mai was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly wiped her mouth - there was no trace of water on her hands at all.

"Where's the saliva?"

She raised her little head - a petite person always struggles with this when talking to a tall person - and cast a suspicious look at Sanako.

"..."

Sanako looked at each other expressionlessly.

Then……

"...Puch."

She silently turned her gaze away, staring into the corners of her eyes while letting out an obvious laugh.

"The Souji is indeed right. You are indeed very cute in some places."

When she said "certain places," she emphasized her tone.

The girl in red was stunned again.

Then, her face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye—a red of embarrassment and embarrassment.

The red lips opened and closed several times, as if trying to refute the other party.

However, when it comes to quarreling, she has difficulty even communicating with others. How can she be Sanako's opponent?

After a moment, she stamped her foot and put on what she thought was the most ferocious expression on her face.

"Hmph! I'm not drooling! Goodbye!"

After leaving these words "very fiercely", she turned around and left.

——I can’t quarrel with you, can’t I avoid you?

She left Sanako behind without any hesitation... However, before she could get far, the calm and elegant way of walking caught up with her.

Kinoshita Mai turned her head - her suspicious eyes fell on Sanako again.

"Why are you walking in the same direction as me?"

"Because the place I want to go is also in this direction."

"..."

"..."

silence……

The two women walking side by side were respectful and silent.

Although she was very reluctant and didn't want to admit it... Kinoshita Mai was most afraid of encountering this kind of situation where "no one speaks".

Whenever she was in such an environment, she would feel a ray of sweat on her back and forehead.

In order to pass the embarrassment, she quietly squinted her eyes and observed Sanako's clothes.

The aqua blue kimono, light green obi, white cloth socks and blue button clogs... there is nothing special worth mentioning.

Because Sanako is also a virgin, her hair style is the same as Kinoshita Mai's, a Shimada bun exclusive to unmarried girls.

However, the difference between her and Kinoshita Mai is that she does not have delicate hairpins in her hair.

In other words, there was no trace of serious grooming anywhere on her body.

He was neither wearing any jewelry nor makeup.

It felt like it was time, so I changed my clothes, tightened my clogs, and then went out.

However... it happened to be this simple-looking woman who made Kinoshita Mai gain a rate of return that was hard to experience in ordinary times - and this was just because she stood beside him...

In terms of appearance, although Sanako is more beautiful, Kinoshita Mai is not that far behind her.

But in terms of temperament, they are far apart.

In terms of temperament alone, Kinoshita Mai is just an extremely ordinary girl.

Because she is introverted and not good at communicating with others, she exudes a gloomy aura from time to time.

And Sanako...she didn't need to say more.

No matter where she appears, she is the most eye-catching shining presence, like the elegant moonlight in the dark night.

After looking at Sanako for a few more times, Kinoshita Mai silently looked away, a looming darkness flashed in her eyes, her shoulders tightened, her right hand raised to tighten the skirt of her kimono, and her eyes unconsciously looked in front of her toes. of ground.

"……What’s wrong with you?"

Sanako noticed something strange about Kinoshita Mai and asked aloud:

"Why do you look so depressed all of a sudden?"

She never thought that her abnormal state would be discovered by the other party, nor did she expect that the other party would ask her... Kinoshita Mai, who was suddenly pulled into the "encounter", hesitated:

"I...I...nothing...just thinking about things..."

Kinoshita Mai, who didn't want to talk more about this matter, abruptly changed the topic:

"Ah, by the way, it's a rare opportunity now. Tell me - what did you want to talk to me about before?"

A look of confusion appeared on Sanako's cheeks.

"What do you mean by 'What did you want to talk to me about before'? Have I ever talked to you before?"

The puzzled expression shifted to Kinoshita Mai's face.

"Didn't you really want to chat with me a while ago? On the day when Qingto challenged the martial arts school, Miss Okita said that you had been lingering in the same place and wanted to come over to chat with me, but you were hesitant."

Before Kinoshita Mai finished speaking, Sanako staggered and almost fell to the ground.

When she stabilized her figure, she immediately said quickly:

"That, that, those are all lies from the Director-General!"

"I, the reason why I was wandering not far from you was because...because...because I was bored, so I took a walk in place!"

"As for being so close to you...it's just a coincidence!"

"I didn't notice your existence until the General Secretary came to you and played with you."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't even know you were not far from me."

Looking at Sanako who was hastily defending, Kinoshita Mai blinked, her expression gradually becoming complicated and unspeakable.

After a while, she turned away her head and muttered:

"Is that so...I thought you didn't actually hate me..."

Although her voice was as soft as a mosquito's moan, Sanako still heard her emotion clearly because the two were so close.

Suddenly, Sanako's eyes flickered, and he looked at the girl in red in front of him, and then looked at the ground at his feet, with an expression on his face that he was hesitant to speak.

At this moment, Kinoshita Mai suddenly raised her head:

"Hmph! Forget it! I don't have time to chat with you now anyway! I'm busy!"

After saying that, she cast a look that seemed to show off to Sanako.

For some reason, being given such a look by Kinoshita Mai made Sanako feel inexplicably irritated.

Driven by this irritability, she also snorted coldly and said:

"That's a coincidence, I don't have time to chat with you!"

Then, provocative looks appeared on their pretty faces.

Then, they shouted in unison:

"Tachibana-kun is waiting for me!"

"Qingden is waiting for me!"

quiet……

An indescribable silence enveloped the two of them.

…

…

Edo, Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagi Town, Imperial Guard Hall, Hall——

"Tea, please."

The chief butler of the Shinsengumi—Genzaburo Inoue—passed the freshly brewed hot tea to the knees of Kondo Isamu's biological brother...that is, Miyagawa Otogoro.

"Oh! Brother Inoue, thank you very much!"

Miyagawa Otongoro raised his smile, showing his healthy teeth.

He and Isamu Kondo are indeed brothers from the same father and mother, and they both have a mouth big enough to fit a fist.

He grabbed the tea cup and took a big sip without fear of burning it.

"Oh! What a tea! It tastes great!"

As he spoke, he licked his lips, raised the glass again, and drank it all in one gulp.

Miyagawa Otogoro's appearance is a very standard "peasant face".

He has an unkempt beard, and his face is very dark and rough due to his long association with the sun and strong wind.

In addition to his appearance, his behavior is also full of roughneck style.

He was not used to sitting on his knees, so his legs stained with stubborn dirt were crossed directly, but this was understandable. Aoden, Souji and others also didn't like to sit on their knees.

After passing the tea, Genzaburo Inoue sat back next to Isamu Kondo. In addition to the two of them, there were also Hijikata Toshizo and Souji present - both of them were familiar with Miyagawa Otogoro.

From a legal point of view, Kondo Isamu, who has long been the adopted son of the Kondo family, and Miyagawa Otogorō are no longer brothers.

Moreover, whether it is identity or social status, the two of them are now worlds apart.

But... even though he has reached the sky, Kondo Isamu has never treated his relatives and friends in his hometown differently.

He has always had a close connection with Tama (the hometown of Isamu Kondo, Toshizo Hijikata and Genzaburo Inoue), especially his deep friendship with his brother.

Miyagawa Otogoro was invited to attend the recent "Inheritance Ceremony for the Fourth Generation Head of the Natural Rishin-ryu Clan" and the more recent wedding of Isamu Kondo.

"Huh? Where is Mr. Tachibana? Why didn't you see him?"

Miyagawa Otongoro looked around and asked.

The Director-General replied:

"He went out. He said he was going to pick up something from Mr. Sheng."

"Mr. Katsu?"

This time it was Hijikata Toshisan who answered:

"That's the minister who is currently responsible for establishing the navy and building battleships, Katsu Rintaro."

"Oh... the navy and battleships..."

Miyagawa Otongoro nodded thoughtfully.

Coming from a farmer's background, he didn't quite understand what "navy" and "battleship" meant, but it turned out to be that.

At this time, Kondo Isamu interrupted:

"Brother, what's the matter with your sudden visit today?"

"Oh, it's nothing serious, I just wanted to give you something!"

"Send things?"

Miyagawa Otongoro put on an energetic expression and a spirited tone.

"A Sheng, I bought you a unique knife!"

*******

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Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard Head Crying.jpg) At the expense of the last leave request of the month, the update time of this book has finally become normal (Leopard Head Crying.jpg)

Those who are usually introverted and socially anxious often have rich inner activities - Leopard Leopard said this empathetically.

Shinseng team chefs, please answer: What kind of knife is the "unparalleled knife" mentioned by Miyagawa Otongoro?