My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 487: Chapter 170: Aoto Squad Assault! Chase at the Settlement! [6800]

”Good morning, Miss Angoulême. (French)” Mr. Gerard courteously took off his hat and pressed it against his chest, bowing to Elodie in greeting.

Beneath the hat was a ”Mediterranean” hairstyle, with only a few patches of black and white hair remaining at the temples, and a shiny bald top that could reflect light.

Elodie folded her hands in front of her, smiling as she returned the greeting to Gerard: ”Good morning, Mr. Gerard! (French)”

”Miss Angoulême, did you complete the homework I assigned to you last week properly? (French)”

Elodie chuckled and replied humorously, ”I rushed and worked the whole night last night to barely finish all the homework you assigned before daybreak today. (French)”

”Hahaha.” Imitating Elodie’s humorous tone, Gerard laughed lightly a few times, ”That won’t do, completing homework is important, but not at the expense of your sleep. (French)”

”Miss Angoulême, you are at the age of growth, you must pay attention to balancing work and rest in daily life. Otherwise, you won’t grow tall. (French)”

After exchanging some pleasantries with Elodie, Gerard quietly lifted his gaze and looked towards Aoto, who was standing not far behind Elodie.

”... Miss Angoulême, who is this Japanese man? (French)”

Hearing Gerard’s inquiry about the Japanese man behind her, Elodie perked up a bit, ”Mr. Gerard, this is Mr. Tachibana Aoto, whom I’ve mentioned before as having saved me and my grandfather! (French)”

”Oh...” Gerard nodded expressionlessly, ”So this is the Tachibana Aoto who saved you and Mr. Angoulême... Compared to a typical Japanese, he’s quite tall. (French)”

”Mr. Gerard, shall I introduce you to Mr. Tachibana? (French)” Elodie suggested enthusiastically with a bright smile.

However, the smile on her face didn’t last long.

”There’s no need.” Gerard coldly refused with an extremely indifferent tone, ”Miss Angoulême, let’s start today’s lesson promptly.”

”Today, I will teach you more advanced knowledge in rhetoric, which will be quite abstruse and difficult to understand, so you must be mentally prepared. (French)”

Feeling a bit awkward after Gerard’s outright rejection of the proposal to introduce him to Aoto, the smile on Elodie’s face suddenly froze.

Elodie soon realized why Gerard seemed so averse to meeting Aoto... Understanding the reason, her frozen smile gradually transformed into a complex expression laced with helplessness and distress.

”Hmm...” Elodie nodded gently a few times, forcing a new smile, ”Then Mr. Gerard, let’s go to class. (French)”

With that said, Elodie and Gerard headed one after the other towards the stairs leading upwards.

”Mr. Tachibana.” As she brushed past Aoto, Elodie lifted her hands, gathered her robe, smiled apologetically, and slightly curtsied to Aoto, ”I apologize, I must attend class now, please excuse me.”

”Understood.” Aoto replied with a carefree smile, ”Don’t mind me, go to class earnestly.”

After bidding farewell to Aoto and giving some instructions in French to Leroy beside her, Elodie continued with Gerard towards the stairs not far away.

Walking behind Elodie, Gerard also brushed past Aoto.

He didn’t say a word to Aoto.

Just as he was about to pass by Aoto, his eyes shifted, glancing at Aoto.

Although Gerard’s glance was fleeting... Aoto, with his keen dynamic vision, sharply captured the emotion hidden in that gaze.

The same emotion that surfaced in his eyes when he first entered the room and saw Aoto—an expression filled with a disdainful sense of superiority...

Aoto’s brow furrowed immediately.

He stood silently in place, watching Elodie and Gerard depart without a word.

Not until the figures of the duo vanished at the entrance to the stairs leading upstairs did Aoto softly and contemplatively murmur inwardly:

—Westerners like Miss Angoulême and Mr. Angoulême who aren’t racially prejudiced are ultimately a minority...

It wasn’t hard to guess the reason why Gerard always looked at him with disdain...

The Edo Shogunate was forcibly opened to the world by the martial power of the Western Powers.

While the Western nations had entered the industrial era due to the widespread use of steam engines, Japan under the rule of the Edo Shogunate remained stuck in an agrarian society based on small-scale farming... It’s self-evident how the citizens of these Western powers would view this backward country.

So far, the only Westerners Aoto has had extensive contact with are Elodie’s family.

Because he has basically only had detailed interactions with Elodie’s family, it has almost made Aoto forget: Westerners like Elodie and Anthony, who aren’t racially prejudiced, are indeed rare.

The vast majority of Westerners are just like this Gerard—too lazy to even greet Aoto and always bearing a disdainful look, as if looking down at some inferior creature.