My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 51: Chapter 36: Blockhead Don’s Counterattack (Part 1)

Mukiura Town, Granny Ping’s home—

—Hmm mmm mmm mmm...

Nishino squats beside Granny Ping’s corpse, looking thoughtful.

—No, not good... can’t find any more valuable clues...

The block in his thoughts makes Nishino’s brow slowly furrow.

But just as the skin between his eyebrows begins to tighten, Nishino’s pupils suddenly contract.

—Ah! Not good, not good!

Nishino quickly raises his right index finger, vigorously massaging the space between his brows to smooth the newly formed wrinkles.

—As a samurai, how can I frown like a girl!

—Must have a samurai demeanor, must have a samurai demeanor...

—A samurai must always remain serious... stay serious... stay serious...

Nishino takes a deep breath, regaining his cold stern expression (￣︿￣).

After arriving at the crime scene in Mukiura Town with four undercover informants under his command and dismissing the obstructive Aoto, Nishino immediately begins his investigation.

Right as the investigation starts, Nishino quickly collects three extremely valuable clues:

One: The victim’s knife wounds are chaotic, with seven knife wounds only one hitting a vital point, indicating the assailant is not adept with a knife.

Two: The victim was likely murdered last night, wearing civilian clothes instead of sleepwear, and was killed in the hall of her home, suggesting the murder occurred before bedtime.

Three: The assailant held the victim’s mouth with one hand to silence her and used the other hand to wield a knife, judging by the remaining pressure and scratch marks on the victim’s mouth, the perpetrator’s palm was large, linking to the clue of ”the assailant controlling the victim’s mouth with one hand while wielding a knife with the other,” it’s basically concluded the assailant is male.

While the swift collection of such high-value clues at the beginning of the investigation is quite pleasing, however... this pleasing result ends here.

Since then, Nishino hasn’t collected any other more valuable clues...

Although these three known clues are quite valuable, they are far from sufficient to narrow down or identify a suspect.

The inability to find more useful clues quickly makes Nishino feel secretly anxious.

Nishino raises his head once more, meticulously examining the crime scene for the umpteenth time.

After scanning every corner of the scene, his gaze finally lands on the candle stand placed not far from Granny Ping’s corpse... with a short stub of a candle inserted.

For some reason, ever since entering the crime scene, Nishino has been unusually interested in that candle on the candle stand.

Can’t say why.

A candle stand for illumination placed in the corner of the hall... quite normal, nothing strange about it.

But... why is there a feeling of strange dissonance...

Nishino feels like he’s trying to catch a swirling willow fluff in the wind—almost able to catch that fluff, but just as his fingers are about to touch it, it swirls away with the breeze...

Just a little more... just a little more and he might realize something...

Nishino raises his hand, rubbing the sides of his temples, contemplating deeply.

While Nishino is deeply pondering—

”Um... Lord Nishino, the crowd outside seems to be growing larger.”

One of the four undercover informants he brought along suddenly approaches Nishino and whispers.

”Although they are still somewhat obedient, gathering so many people is somewhat unsettling. If a stampede or something happens, it would be troublesome.”

”With just the Jishinban, they probably won’t be able to disperse them.”

”Lord Nishino, perhaps we should personally go and urge them to disperse quickly.”

”The crowd outside the house...” Nishino hesitates, then turns to look towards the direction of the door, ”... you’re right... we can’t let the crowd gather like this.”

Due to the high population and limited available land, every city in the Edo Era has a high population density and tightly clustered buildings, making most streets and intersections quite narrow.

There have been incidents before—too many spectators gathering outside the crime scene, causing a stampede that killed three people and injured dozens.

”Tsk...” Nishino clicks his tongue, smacks his lips, ”Where did Blockhead Don go? Isn’t he supposed to be helping to maintain order and disperse the crowd outside? Or did he already run off to who knows where...”

”Tsk... Truly a useless fellow...”

”This area is his responsibility, how can he ignore the crowd outside the crime scene...”

Being part of the Tojo Group, it’s natural to have a strained view of the Arima Group, who frequently grabs their cases.

But—it’s just because they belong to different ’factions’ that there’s animosity.

As for personal feelings, Nishino doesn’t dislike Arima, Inagawa, or Ushiyama from the Arima Group.

But Aoto is an exception!

To this Blockhead Don, Nishino has always looked with displeasure!

Being a samurai and a member of the ”Three Times,” to be so incapable!

What a disgrace!

Nishino doesn’t dislike incapable people, as the world has both the strong and the weak.

But he greatly dislikes those occupying a position without fulfilling their duties!

Expressing the strongest disdain towards those who feast while idle—this is Nishino’s constant stance.

Thus, Nishino has never shown Aoto a favorable glance.

Too lazy to even look directly at him, not wanting to converse with him more than necessary.

Nishino determines: with Blockhead Don’s nature, he surely can’t pass the ”Tairō Assessment” that’s happening in a month and a half.

He now hopes the ”Tairō Assessment” arrives soon, to expel Aoto and the lazier members leading him.

This way, their ”Three Times” should have its ethos invigorated.

Just as Nishino was preparing to personally go outside to disperse the crowd gathered around the house—

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish...!

Outside suddenly becomes extremely noisy.

—What’s happening?

Nishino is frozen, then quickly takes three steps for every two, hastily walking towards the door.

Before reaching the door, a Jishinban clerk appears with excitement and swings open the door with a ”swish”:

”Lord Nishino! Good news! Good news! The murderer who killed Granny Ping has been caught! The murderer has been caught!”

Silence...

Nishino is frozen in place.

”The murderer has been caught?” After a moment of stupor, Nishino asks in shock.

”Yes! Lord Tachibana caught the murderer!”

”...Lord Tachibana?”

Nishino is startled again.

”Which Lord Tachibana?!”

”It’s Lord Tachibana Aoto!”

Silence...

The silence inside sharply contrasts with the commotion outside.

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