My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 53: Chapter 38: Found Asura!

After quite a while, Lord Hosoi’s deep voice finally broke the silence:

”Mr. Tachibana, truly... you’re making me see you in a new light.”

The corners of Lord Hosoi’s mouth lifted in a smile that had a touch of admiration and comfort.

”I didn’t expect... that someone who always seemed unremarkable like you would one day perform so brilliantly...”

”I don’t deserve such praise,” Aoto replied quickly, ”I just got lucky, that’s all.”

Aoto wasn’t being modest with this statement.

He genuinely believed that it was due to his good fortune that he was able to solve this case in such a short time.

If Jinzāburō had been a bit more alert and destroyed the candle before fleeing Granny Ping’s house, or if Aoto and his team had arrived even a moment later, allowing Jinzāburō to escape, this case could not have concluded with such a perfect ending.

”...Mr. Tachibana, I have a question for you.”

A lazy voice suddenly interrupted at this moment.

It was Tojo speaking.

Tojo scratched his big belly while smiling intriguingly at Aoto and asked:

”When you deduced who the culprit was, why didn’t you promptly inform Nishino, who was responsible for this case?”

”Nishino is, after all, the Dōshin in charge of this case.”

”You went alone to capture the culprit without notifying him first... Can I understand that you want to deliberately steal credit?”

Tojo, with the laziest tone, posed the sharpest question.

Listening to Tojo’s question, Aoto couldn’t help but click his tongue in secret.

This question was a trap, and if he didn’t answer it well, he would fall into it.

But fortunately—for such questions, Aoto had long prepared an answer.

”After leaving the crime scene, it occurred to me that there must be a very special relationship between the victim and the perpetrator.”

”I initially also wanted to inform Mr. Nishino immediately.”

”But to fully convey my reasoning to Mr. Nishino and persuade him to come with me to arrest the culprit, it would undeniably take some time.”

”The culprit might flee at any time, and capturing him has to be a race against time. If the perpetrator escaped Edo, catching him later would be like finding a needle in a haystack.”

”Time was tight, so I had no choice but to take this drastic measure, going alone to capture the culprit without informing Mr. Nishino.”

”In fact, my judgment was correct—when I arrived at the culprit’s home, he had already packed his belongings and was ready to flee Edo.”

”Had I arrived a moment later, he would have gotten away.”

As soon as Aoto finished speaking, Hosoi and the others couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Everyone in this room—who among them wasn’t a seasoned veteran in the officialdom?

These old hands wouldn’t entirely believe Aoto’s explanation just now.

But Hosoi and the others didn’t say much more about the issue.

Stealing credit or not, it’s something they’ve long become accustomed to. Among the Dōshin, this competition for achievements is a well-known secret; as long as it doesn’t go too far, their leaders will turn a blind eye.

Especially for Lord Hosoi, who solves a case or takes the credit doesn’t matter as long as the case is solved.

Moreover, from a logical standpoint, Aoto’s explanation was difficult to find fault with.

He didn’t inform Nishino to prevent the perpetrator from escaping, so this action wasn’t stealing credit; it was providing help and support for the case.

As long as Aoto insists that his explanation is true, it would be difficult to accuse him of maliciously stealing credit.

”...It’s truly incredible.”

Tojo narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze towards Aoto became increasingly intriguing.

”Mr. Tachibana, even though your previous performances were not particularly impressive—”

”But today, you suddenly seem like a different person, becoming an experienced and skilled investigator.”

”I’m quite curious how you managed it?”

As soon as Tojo finished speaking, Hosoi, Arima, and the others quickly refocused their attention on Aoto.

Tojo’s question expressed the shared doubt they all had.

How did Blockhead Don suddenly become so capable?

A faint smile appeared on Aoto’s face at that moment.

Regarding this question, he already had a well-prepared answer to muddle through.

Clearing his throat again, Aoto adopted an impassioned tone, loudly reciting the response he’d prepared long ago:

”I owe it all to Lord Hosoi, Lord Arima, Mr. Inagawa, and Mr. Ushiyama!”

”Since joining ’Three Times,’ Lord Arima, Mr. Inagawa, and Mr. Ushiyama have been tirelessly guiding me, selflessly teaching me various investigation techniques and methods.”

”But in the past, I was too immature and ignorant.”

”I didn’t understand what it truly meant to join ’Three Times.’

”All I thought about was getting the salary, not caring about the work of ’Three Times,’ always doing things half-heartedly and muddling through.”

”But recently, after witnessing firsthand the turmoil caused by radicals led by the ’Radical Anti-foreigner Faction,’ I suddenly woke up!”

”I realized what heavy responsibilities I bear as a member of ’Three Times.’”

”Awakened to the gravity of my responsibilities, I decided to relinquish all my lackadaisical attitudes!”

”And Lord Hosoi’s speech at this morning’s meeting further awakened me.”

”My personal honor and disgrace are closely tied to the North Guard Station.”

”If I am dismissed from the ’Three Times’ in the ’Tairō Assessment’ a month and a half later due to inadequate political achievements, that’s a minor issue.”

”If it drags the North Guard Station into disgrace, that would be a major issue.”

”Even if it’s just for the North Guard Station, I am determined not to live my days in a daze like before!”

”It is precisely due to the firmness of my resolve that I was fortunate enough to catch that vicious criminal today!”

Aoto’s resonant voice rang clearly in everyone’s ears inside the room.

”’Thanks to Lord Hosoi,’ huh...” Hosoi repeated Aoto’s words in a half-joking manner.

As for what Aoto just said about ’thanks to Lord Hosoi’ and ’for the North Guard Station, I will strive’, both Hosoi and Arima, as well as others, unanimously believed—these were probably just official words, compliments.

However—they all thought that the first half of Aoto’s speech about ’realizing the heavy responsibility of the ’Three Times’’ was likely true.

After all, otherwise, they really couldn’t think of any other reason to explain why Aoto suddenly seemed to have transformed.

When a person makes a firm decision or gains some awareness, a change in mindset can indeed transform a person.

”Good! Very good!” Hosoi relaxed his brows, showing a pleased smile, ”Mr. Tachibana! It’s very good that you can have such a transformation!”

Although he knew that Aoto’s talk of ’thanks to Lord Hosoi’ was likely just flattery, Hosoi still felt pleased hearing it!

He stood up, briskly walked over to Aoto, and patted him forcefully on both shoulders.

”Mr. Tachibana, you’ve really made me see you in a new light!”

In Hosoi’s eyes, there was no longer the faint trace of annoyance from the meeting earlier that morning when he spoke with Aoto.

”Keep up today’s vigor and dedication! Understand? The Shogunate now needs young people like you who can realize the magnitude of their duties!”

”Work hard! Keep up the good work!”

—When I was still Blockhead Don, I was called ’Tachibana’, but now that I’ve become a bit more promising, I’m called ’Mr. Tachibana’...

Although he mentally cursed, ”How realistic!” he didn’t show it. On the surface, Aoto quickly bowed to Hosoi before him.

”Yes! I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly!”

...

...

At this moment—

In an inconspicuous abandoned house in Edo—

A very young man sat kneeling on the moldy tatami, wielding a large brush the size of a bowl, writing something on the rice paper spread in front of him.

The young man was unclothed on the upper body.

On his strong, broad back was a giant tattoo covering his entire back.

If someone well-versed in demon culture saw the large tattoo on the young man’s back, they could immediately recognize it—it was an extremely famous evil ghost.

The evil ghost that devours human flesh, flying through the air or moving underground, swift and formidable—Rakshasa!

A middle-aged man of slightly short stature opened the door at this moment, walked slowly to the young man’s back, and then knelt down on one knee.

”... Lord Rakshasa.”

”What is it?” The young man, addressed as ”Rakshasa,” asked without turning his head.

”The murder case in Mukiura Town, the ’Three Times’ has already captured the perpetrator, an old man named Jinzaburō.”

”Oh...” Rakshasa’s brush did not pause, ”This time the ’Three Times’ acted very quickly... They captured the perpetrator so soon. Who is so capable to solve the case in less than half a day? Is it that Nishino Hosojirō?”

”According to our investigation... the person who solved the murder in Mukiura Town seems to be the son of Tachibana Ryuzo: Tachibana Aoto.”

”Tachibana Ryuzo’s son?” Rakshasa’s brush finally halted, ”As far as I know, isn’t Tachibana Ryuzo’s son always very unpromising...”

Rakshasa was silent for a while before waving the brush in his hand again.

”...Hesilang.”

”Yes.”

”Help me keep an eye on that Tachibana Aoto afterward. I’m curious why this cub of a tiger father suddenly looks like a tiger cub.”

”Yes.”

”Also, check if that Jinzaburō is a frequent buyer of our ’Pain Reliever’ later.”

”Yes.”

”If that Jinzaburō is indeed a frequent buyer of our ’Pain Reliever’...” A mischievous smile appeared on Rakshasa’s face, ”then this is indeed rare good news. After so many improvements, our ’Pain Reliever’ can finally be somewhat useful.”

”Yes.”

”Hesilang, do you have anything else to report? If not, you may leave; I want to focus on practicing my calligraphy.”

”... Lord Rakshasa, there is one more... bad news to report to you.”

”Speak.”

”Our team sent to Aoyu to search... found nothing, unable to find Asura.”

Rakshasa’s brush paused once again.

”...Once again nothing... As expected, this man who made history cannot possibly be found so easily.”

”Keep searching. Even if you have to search every inch of this country’s land, you must find Asura.”

”Yes!”

Rakshasa then laid down the brush in his hand.

On the rice paper he had been writing on was just two large Chinese characters—

Law Punishment.