My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 40: Chapter 26: Mr. Chokata Is a Fool and a Major Case Arrives!_2

If Aoto remembers correctly — Ushiyama has 5 undercover informants, while Inagawa has a few more, employing a whopping 9 undercover informants.

When Aoto took over his father’s position to enter the Fixed Town Patrol, the Tachibana family was already in debt, so naturally, Aoto didn’t have extra money to hire undercover informants for odd jobs, and he had to do everything big and small himself.

When the Dōshin of Fixed Town Patrol patrol their jurisdiction, they usually have several undercover informants accompany them, so Chokata just asked Aoto, ”Why don’t I see your undercover informant?”

After succinctly informing Chokata about his current family situation, burdened by his late father’s gambling debts, Chokata awkwardly apologized to Aoto:

”Sorry... I seem to have inadvertently brought up something I shouldn’t have...”

”It’s fine, no need to apologize.” Aoto gave Chokata a carefree smile, ”I don’t mind.”

The tea that Aoto ordered just now was brought up at this moment.

Accompanied by this somewhat inferior tea, Aoto started nibbling on the three rice balls that Kyūbē gave him this morning.

”Mr. Chokata, how do you have time to come here and eat steamed buns?” Aoto asked casually while nibbling on the rice ball, ”Aren’t you supposed to look after Shiwei Hall?”

”No need.” Chokata smiled slightly, ”Because Brother Kondo has already returned. With Brother Kondo holding the fort, I no longer need to help watch over Shiwei Hall.”

”Mr. Kondo is back?” Aoto was surprised.

”Tama is very close to Edo, after all. Brother Kondo returned to Tama smoothly yesterday afternoon.”

”After visiting Mr. Hijikata and confirming that he was fine, he traveled overnight and safely returned to Shiwei Hall this morning.”

”Mr. Kondo traveled back overnight...” Aoto asked puzzled, ”Why the hurry? Couldn’t he just stay a night in Tama and come back after morning breaks?”

Night travel in this era is very dangerous.

Firstly, because there are no lighting facilities like electric lights.

Secondly, because the law and order in this era were not suitable for travel at night.

Not to mention those remote areas, even around Edo, there were frequent bandits and mountain robbers.

”No choice... It’s a crucial period for Brother Kondo now, leaving Shiwei Hall for too long can easily attract gossip.”

”Crucial period?” Aoto asked back, ”What do you mean?”

”Master is aging...” Chokata, with some melancholy in his brows, raised his hand to play with the slender ponytail at the back of his head, ”For the teaching of the Natural Reasoning Heart Stream, as well as the daily operation and management of Shiwei Hall, the master is already struggling.”

”So the master is planning to pass on Shiwei Hall to Brother Kondo in the near future and let Brother Kondo succeed as the Fourth Generation Leader of the Natural Reasoning Heart School.”

”Therefore, at a time when he is about to become the new master of Shiwei Hall, leaving Shiwei Hall for too long without reason can easily let some people gossip.”

”Being the young master of the Sword Dojo isn’t easy either...” Aoto remarked.

”Indeed.” Chokata nodded lightly in agreement, ”So to make things easier for Brother Kondo, I also must work harder on learning arithmetic.”

”Arithmetic?” Aoto was stunned, ”Mr. Chokata, what are you learning arithmetic for?”

”If you want to manage a Sword Dojo, not knowing how to keep accounts is unacceptable.” Chokata put his hands on his hips, puffed out his flat chest, and looked full of determination, ”Brother Kondo’s arithmetic has never been very good.”

”So to help Brother Kondo with the management of Shiwei Hall in the future, I am now striving to learn arithmetic!”

”Oh oh...!” A flash of admiration shone in Aoto’s eyes, ”You and Brother Kondo have a really good relationship.”

”After all, for me, Brother Kondo is just like my elder brother.” Chokata smiled shyly, but his smile slowly turned into melancholy, ”However... although I say it nicely, I’m not doing it so nicely...”

”The learning of arithmetic hasn’t been going well all along...”

Chokata, looking aggrieved, retracted his neck and shoulders inward, making his body look much smaller.

”I asked Mr. Hijikata to teach me arithmetic last time. After teaching me for a while, he directly scolded me: Idiot! Why can’t you even calculate this? Have you eaten so much gold flat sugar that your brain turned into gold flat sugar...”

Hijikata?

After a moment of thought, Aoto remembered who Hijikata is — Hijikata Toshizo, one of the ”Five Great Vajras” at Shiwei Hall, with a close relationship with Kondo and Chokata. Kondo hurried back to Tama yesterday just to visit the injured him.

”So harsh.” Aoto frowned, ”Isn’t it normal for beginners to make mistakes while learning? How can you scold someone so harshly?”

”Exactly!” Chokata puffed out his chest and pouted his lips in agreement, ”I just calculated 9 plus 23 as 107, why scold me like that.”

...

Silence...

...

The atmosphere between Aoto and Chokata suddenly became particularly silent...

A blank mind.

It was as if someone took an iron rod and smashed it hard on the back of his head.

Until who knows how long later, Aoto finally felt his consciousness return to his body.

”... You calculated 9 plus 23 as 107...?”

”Uh... I’m not very good at calculating formulas with numerical sums exceeding the ten fingers...” Chokata, while raising his hand to play with his ponytail, smiled awkwardly, ”Any formula that exceeds the number of my fingers, I tend to make mistakes...”

”But any formula within the number of my fingers, I can calculate accurately!”

Chokata, as if he wanted to prove that his arithmetic wasn’t too bad, hurriedly continued.

”Like a formula such as 4 plus 2.”

Chokata raised 4 fingers on his right hand and 2 fingers on his left hand.

”Formulas like this, I can calculate correctly one hundred percent of the time!”

”4 plus 2 equals 6!”

After saying this, Chokata, as if seeking credit from Aoto, pushed the six raised fingers towards Aoto’s face.

Expressionless... or rather, Aoto didn’t know what kind of expression to make, he raised his eyes and glanced at Chokata, who had a face full of smiles, as if to say that his arithmetic skills weren’t bad at all...

This kid, although he has an extraordinary talent in swordsmanship... seems not too bright in other areas!

Aoto didn’t know what expression to make or what to say to Chokata, who was looking extremely self-satisfied...

While Aoto was in this dilemma —

”Hey! Shichiro! We’ve been waiting for you for a long time! Why are you only arriving now?”

A sudden loud shout came from the table next to Aoto and Chokata — the three middle-aged men dressed as carpenters, sitting around the table, were gesturing forcefully to a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard who had just entered this tea house.

”Ah, sorry, sorry, kept you waiting! I just went to watch the commotion!” The scruffy-bearded middle-aged man, with a loud voice, plopped down beside his three friends.

”Commotion? What commotion?” one of the bearded man’s friends asked back.

The bearded man: ”Someone was killed in the neighboring Mukiura Town! They say the death was really tragic! I wanted to go and join the excitement at the scene where the body was found, but when I got there, the place had already been cordoned off by the Jishinban, and there was nothing to see!”

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