My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 536: Chapter 179: The Niō Riding a Cow Heads for the Battlefield

Sazanoko, still gently holding Nakamura Tsuki, stood silently in place.

Her eyes unwaveringly followed Aoto’s figure as it grew smaller within her field of vision.

The complex thoughts and emotions, so difficult to decipher and describe, flickered restlessly in her eyes.

...

...

——So tired...

Ever since traveling to this era, Aoto had persistently been training his body.

Thanks to his tireless practice, Aoto’s physical strength and stamina had greatly improved compared to when he first traveled here.

However, no amount of training could cope with Aoto’s level of exertion.

From the moment he discovered Nakamura Chouhachirou sneaking off alone, Aoto had barely rested.

First, he dealt with the ”Scarred Warrior” and others who planned to kill Nakamura Chouhachirou, then rushed to rescue Sazanoko and Nakamura Tsuki.

Upon reaching this district, he followed Sazanoko’s cries and found her preparing for a life-and-death battle with pursuers. Immediately after, he fought solo against 12 samurai chasing Sazanoko.

Now, he had to rush to the settlement, ready to engage in a battle far more intense than the previous ”1 vs 12”.

No time to rest, not even for a deep breath.

The area Aoto was currently in was a remote part of the West Suburb of Edo, quite a distance away from the settlement.

If he ran all the way, he would be exhausted by the time he arrived at the settlement.

——Is there a horse nearby...?

In this era, excluding sedan chairs which needed others to carry them, horses were the only means of transportation Aoto could use.

Many wealthy farmers living on the outskirts of Edo often brought their homegrown vegetables to Edo using horse carts, so seeing horses on Edo’s streets wasn’t uncommon.

However... that’s only during the day. At this time, the streets are deserted, let alone having a horse available for Aoto to borrow for travel.

Just as Aoto was about to give up finding a horse after seeing the empty street—

”Moo~~”

A certain animal’s call reached Aoto’s ears...

Aoto looked in the direction of the sound and saw a large black ox lying by the roadside not far away, with an old, dark-skinned farmer sitting beside it, holding the ox’s reins in his right hand and resting his head with his left, dozing off.

This large black ox seemed quite intelligent.

After Aoto looked over, the black ox seemed to sense his gaze and slowly raised its head.

A man and an ox, staring at each other across the distance...

...

”...Elder!”

Hearing someone calling him, the old farmer shuddered and hurriedly opened his eyes.

”Ah! Sir... Samurai!”

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a samurai with twin swords at his waist and covered in blood striding towards him.

The frightened old farmer’s face changed drastically, and he knelt trembling in a dogeza posture.

”P-Please, spare my life! I have seven children to feed at home...”

He must have mistaken the bloodied Aoto for one of those deranged samurai who roamed the streets at night using people to test their swords.

”Calm down.” Aoto interrupted the farmer’s pleading, ”I’m an official doing my duty, not here to kill or rob! Tell me, what’s the story behind this large black ox?”

”T-This ox?”

Seeing Aoto indeed had no ill intentions, the relieved farmer succinctly explained why he was sitting by the roadside with the black ox.

It turned out that due to the youngest child suddenly falling ill, the farmer had to sell the ox, which had been raised by the family since young, to quickly gather money for treatment.

When he finally reached Edo with the ox, it was already evening, and the market was closed. With no other choice, the farmer decided to find a place to stay overnight and sell the ox when the market reopened the next day.

Unwilling to spend money on an inn, the farmer opted to sit by the street and make do for the night.

”An ox...”

After murmuring softly, Aoto showed a peculiar expression.

”Elder, can this ox... be ridden?”

”Ridden? It can be! It can be!” The farmer nodded vigorously, ”This ox is very good-natured and understanding, I rode it all the way here to Edo.”

”...Alright then.” Aoto exhaled deeply, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the money pouch he always carried, ”Elder, I want to buy your ox. Is this enough?”

Aoto reserved the small change in the money pouch, only taking out all the large money: three small gold coins valued at 3 ryo, and placed them into the farmer’s hand.

The farmer’s eyes immediately widened like copper bells, and he shook his head sincerely, ”T-This is too much! Half of this amount is enough!”

ryo... with good bargaining skills and some knowledge of the ox market, this money could easily buy two oxen.

”Alright then, just take it.”

Aoto was pressed for time and had neither the leisure nor the mood to haggle with the farmer at length.

Since the debt of the Tachibana Family had been written off by the Shimizu Clan, Aoto was now quite wealthy, and the mere 3 ryo was a trivial expense that he could spend without a blink.