My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 60: Chapter 43: Bushido Is a Pile of Crap_2

”’Cat Monk’?” Nishino’s eyebrows twitched sharply.

”What’s the matter?” Seeing the expression Nishino wore at that moment, Tojo grinned, ”Nishino, why are you acting like you don’t know who Cat Monk is?”

”Ah, speaking of this Cat Monk, Nishino, have you heard the rumors about Cat Monk that are spreading widely among the populace lately?”

”Many people are saying: this Cat Monk is actually a female ninja who has mastered some nearly lost ninjutsu.”

Tojo, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, shrugged his shoulders.

”Who knows where such rumors originated...”

”If that Cat Monk truly is some female ninja... well, that would be interesting. I’ve never seen what a ninja looks like, all these years.”

Nishino ignored Tojo’s jest.

He appeared slightly more serious, and solemnly asked:

”Lord Tojo, why did you suddenly decide to hand over the Cat Monk case to me?”

”Why else?” Tojo snorted, ”Isn’t it because the person previously in charge of the case has made no progress.”

”To catch this master thief, our southern and northern garrisons’ ’Three Times’ have replaced three chief officers in a row.”

”But without exception—all returned empty-handed. The Cat Monk’s case has gone this far, yet not even his gender has been clarified.”

”Nishino, I don’t have to tell you that the people who had their wealth stolen by Cat Monk are not good people, right?”

”They have more backing than one another, each more untouchable than the last.”

”Everyone knows they’re no good, but there’s nothing we can do about them.”

”Those who fell victim to Cat Monk’s ’poisonous hands’ have recently been putting pressure on us officials, demanding we quickly capture Cat Monk.”

”Out of necessity, the higher-ups have decided to assign you, the ’top investigator of the North Guard Station,’ to take full responsibility for this case.”

”Hah... by sending you, it seems the higher-ups are getting anxious.”

”Huh? Nishino, why do you look so unwilling?”

At this moment, Tojo noticed Nishino’s hesitant expression.

Nishino pressed his lips together.

After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice:

”...Lord Tojo, since you’ve asked, I’ll be frank: yes, I... am not very eager to take on this case.”

”Those who had their wealth stolen by this Cat Monk... are either notorious Yakuza or unscrupulous, wealthy merchants...”

”Just because they all have strong backing, we’ve always had to just watch these scoundrels commit their misdeeds.”

”Although, regardless of the reason, stealing is stealing, a thief is a thief.”

”However... learning that there’s such a master thief targeting these lowlifes whom we find hard to deal with, still brings me quite some joy.”

”The villains who should have been imprisoned, we can’t capture, yet we have to dispatch valuable manpower to catch the one punishing these villains... it’s just...”

At this point, Nishino, as if he didn’t want to continue, clamped his mouth shut.

From the moment Nishino began speaking about why he didn’t want to take over the Cat Monk case, Tojo remained silent.

It wasn’t until Nishino finished speaking that Tojo finally grinned—

”Nishino, I can totally understand you.”

”I actually quite admire this Cat Monk for doing what we’ve been unable to do.”

”But—no matter how much we dislike these tasks we don’t like, what can we do?”

The corners of Tojo’s mouth widened further.

After letting out a few forceful laughs, a coldness tinged with mockery seeped from the corner of his mouth.

”Why do we have to be samurai who must adhere to shitty Bushido.”

”Lord Tojo?” Seeing his superior make such a statement, Nishino was dumbfounded.

Tojo seemed to be lost in his own world.

Without acknowledging Nishino’s bewildered look, he continued gloomily:

”Although many unscrupulous people use fancy words to explain what Bushido is.”

”But ultimately, Bushido comes down to a single sentence—”

Tojo’s head slowly drooped down.

Then a deep, abyss-like voice poured into Nishino’s ears.

”Forget all concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, and become a puppet without one’s own thoughts, wholeheartedly serving the lord you serve.”

”If your lord says coal is white, you too must say coal is white.”

”If the lord orders you to bring back a thousand heads from the populace... then you must find a way to kill a thousand people... no matter how much grievance, how much resentment, even if tears of blood are shed, you must bear it, without any defiance towards the lord...”

”Ah... this thing, more disgusting than the diarrhea I had this morning, is the ’code of ethics’ we samurai must follow? Isn’t it hilarious?”

”Hahahahahahahahaha—!”

Tojo suddenly lifted his head, with a momentum as if he wanted to blow off the ceiling above him, patting his round belly as he laughed unrestrainedly.

”Lord Tojo...?” Nishino was completely dumbstruck, both in vision and hearing.

It was the first time he saw his superior display such a seemingly mad demeanor.

”Ah... looking from this perspective... we samurai who have no choice but to follow this shitty ’code’... are just a bunch of human-shaped turds...”

Tojo gradually restrained his laughter.

”Come to think of it... the people of this country are really pitiful, being governed by a bunch of human-shaped turds... ho ho ho ho ho...”

”Lord Tojo...” Nishino took a deep breath and mustered his courage, ”What... happened to you?”

Seeing Tojo in this state for the first time, a wave of doubt and a thread of fear and unease arose in Nishino’s heart...

He didn’t even know what he should say at that moment.

After hesitating for a while, he only managed to utter, ”What happened?”

”Ah ah... it’s nothing, nothing.” Tojo’s head drooped down again, waving his hand at Nishino, ”It was just your words earlier that made me... speak out of sentiment.”

”Alright, sorry about that, I seemed to have talked too much about unrelated things. Let’s get back to the main topic.”

Nishino saw a familiar smile appear on Tojo’s face.

”In short—the superiors have decided that you will be fully responsible for the ’Cat Monk’ case.”

”No matter how displeased you are, there’s no room for refusal or negotiation.”

Tojo paused for a moment.

”Nishino, sometimes your mind is quite slow.”

”Hmm?” Nishino was taken aback.

”Since you don’t want that Cat Monk to be caught... isn’t it just right for you to handle this case?”

Upon hearing Tojo’s words, it was like Nishino’s eyes suddenly lit up with clarity and understanding.

”...Yes!” Nishino responded loudly, ”I understand! Please trust me with the ’Cat Monk’ case! I will give it my utmost dedication!”

Tojo smiled and nodded, then waved his hand at Nishino.

”Alright, that’s everything I wanted to tell you, you may leave now.”

”Go to Lord Hosoi to hand over the ’Cat Monk’ case.”

”I also need to focus on some unfinished paperwork.”

”Yes.” Nishino turned and walked out of the room.

But just as he was about to slide the door open to leave... he stopped in his tracks.

Tojo’s earlier mad-like posture... lingered in Nishino’s mind for a long time.

He couldn’t help but turn his head back, casting a complex look, dominated by confusion and astonishment, at Tojo.

”What?” Tojo smiled gently at Nishino, who was scrutinizing him, ”Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

”No...”

”If not, hurry out, standing there won’t let me get any work done.”

”Yes...” Nishino gritted his teeth, withdrew his gaze, and left Tojo’s office without further hesitation.

But just as Nishino left... the smile Tojo had shown him earlier quickly faded from view...

”Ah ah...”

”To have such a strong reaction to what Nishino said just now...”

”Ho ho... Am I becoming more and more abnormal...?”

Tojo’s once upright posture slumped down.

As if every bone in his back had been removed, his entire body took on a dispirited stance.

Tojo lifted his thick hands, covering his face, his fingers gripping his disheveled hair tightly.

Though Tojo had a large belly, his body was indeed quite portly.

But at this moment, he appeared so small and humble.

Like a helpless child.

Tojo murmured in a trembling voice, in a tone that was almost like praying:

”Oh, my lord...”

”How much longer... until I can cleanse the blood from my hands...?”

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