My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 146 - 87: Edo’s First Beauty by R-Ryo [9000 words]_4

"Mr. Kondo, to be honest: I suddenly become so famous... it’s a little hard for me to adapt." Aoto said with a helpless tone.

Aoto’s words weren’t self-deprecating; he genuinely meant what he said.

Suddenly, overnight, he went from being unknown to a household name, hearing everyone discussing him wherever he went... This stark contrast made Aoto feel somewhat difficult to adjust...

A strange... panic in his heart, an inexplicable sense of heavy pressure...

"Hahaha." Kondo chuckled and then, with a smile tinged with reminiscence, said softly, "I somewhat understand your feelings."

"I was once the son of a farmer in Upper Ishihara Village in Tama."

"After my father adopted me into the Kondo family 10 years ago, I instantly became a celebrity in the entire Tama region."

"Almost everyone in Tama knew – Katsu Gorō of Upper Ishihara Village was adopted by a Samurai and became a Samurai."

"People were quite shocked, and many even came to our village to see what this overnight success looked like."

Aoto, who was listening attentively, nodded at this moment: "A farmer becoming a Samurai... indeed such news is earth-shattering..."

Japan has always been a country with extremely rigid class divisions — even more so during the Edo Era.

The identity chasm between Samurai and common people was almost insurmountable. Samurai, generation after generation, remained Samurai, and commoners remained commoners. Through normal channels, it was nearly impossible for a commoner to become a Samurai.

For a mere farmer to suddenly become a Samurai with his own surname and the right to carry a sword... to most people of this era, such a thing was unimaginable...

"Overnight, becoming a celebrity of the entire Tama, many people came and told me: I am the pride of Tama."

The smile on Kondo’s face slowly turned a bit bitter at this moment.

"Although among those praising me, there were indeed some sincerely congratulating me, there were also quite a few who, on the surface congratulated me, but were actually looking at me with peculiar eyes..."

"At that time, I also felt somewhat hard to adapt, a sense of great pressure." Kondo laughed heartily, "But all these are things of the past now, and I don’t care anymore."

"Mr. Tachibana, I believe after a period of time, you’ll gradually get used to this ’sudden change in fame’ as well."

"Haha..." Aoto laughed, "Thank you for your kind words."

...

...

At this moment—

Shiwei Hall—

Knock, knock, knock...

While in the hall reading and studying arithmetic attentively, Chokata suddenly heard a knocking sound coming from the entrance.

"Hmm?" Chokata put down the arithmetic book in his hand, frowned, and looked up in the direction of the entrance.

"At this time of day... who could it be..."

Mumbling like this, he quickly walked to the entrance.

"I’m coming—" Chokata stretched his words as he opened the door.

Standing outside the door was a robust figure and a delicate figure as beautiful as winter plum blossoms.

"Mr. Shigetarou? Miss Sana?" Chokata looked at the man and woman outside in surprise.

"Oh, oh, good evening, Captain." Shigetarou, emanating a scent of grilled eel, greeted Chokata warmly, "Captain, are Mr. Zhouzhu and Mr. Isami in?"

...

...

The longer Aoto spent with Saito, the more he felt that Saito might be a reincarnated sloth.

If conditions allowed, he seemed capable of not speaking all day, or of staying in the same place without moving all day...

Clearly, Aoto, Kondo, and Saito had gone to the bathhouse together, yet it somehow felt like "on the surface there were three people, but substantially only two."

Saito had never actively joined in the conversation with Aoto and Kondo, soaking in the bath silently and motionlessly...

Aoto and Kondo tried to bring Saito into their "group chat," but Saito would only respond to Aoto’s remarks with words like "hmm," "oh," and "okay."

Aoto and Kondo weren’t the type to spend a lot of time bathing, so after their fingers pruned slightly, they left the bath, dried off, changed clothes, and prepared to return to Shiwei Hall.

"We’re back... hmm?" Kondo, who was walking ahead, first opened the door and entered the house.

As soon as he entered, Kondo noticed a pair of straw sandals and a pair of women’s flat wooden clogs placed in the earth room where shoes were usually set.

Tap, tap, tap... was the sound of Chokata’s footsteps.

"Brother Kondo, you’re finally back." Chokata hurriedly came running from the other end of the corridor toward Aoto and others standing on the earth room floor.

"Captain." Kondo gestured toward the pair of straw sandals and the pair of women’s flat wooden clogs with a puzzled look, "Do we have guests?"

"Yes." Chokata nodded vigorously, "Mr. Shigetarou and Miss Sana have come."

"Mr. Shigetarou and Miss Sana have come?" Kondo raised an eyebrow, showing confusion.

Aoto also looked puzzled...

"...Mr. Kondo, Mr. Chokata, who are this Shigetarou and Sana?"

Aoto was puzzled because he didn’t know these two people.

"Ah, Mr. Tachibana, you haven’t been to the Little Chiba Sword Dojo yet, so you probably don’t know them. I’ll explain it to you in detail later." Kondo smiled at Aoto, then turned to ask Chokata, "Captain, where are Mr. Shigetarou and Miss Sana now? Why have they suddenly visited our Shiwei Hall?"