I Formed the Strongest Swordsman Group

Chapter 69: Little Rich Girl · Mu Xiaowu

Fujisawa-shuku, at a certain inn, in a certain room—

"All done." Kiryu tied a neat knot in the hemp cloth bandaging Aoto's leg wound and smiled. "The wound isn't deep. With my special medicine applied, just rest for about ten days and you'll recover completely."

Aoto stood up from the tatami, rose on his toes a few times, and marched in place for several steps.

When his injured right foot touched the ground, he could still feel a faint pain, but after applying Kiryu's special medicine—a brown ointment—it clearly felt much more comfortable than before treatment.

"Boss Kiryu, you know medicine too?"

"Yes." Kiryu smiled and adjusted the glasses on his nose bridge. "I studied a bit of medicine in Kyoto before."

"You really know a lot of things... repairing silk fabrics, lip reading, calligraphy, and now medicine too..."

"Learning various new knowledge is my hobby." Kiryu smiled modestly. "How is it? Does the bandage feel too tight?"

"No, no, it's just right."

At this moment, there were four people in this modest-sized double room—Aoto, Saitō, Senjiya's owner Kiryu, and shop assistant Kinoshita Mai.Saitō knelt seated at Aoto's side, his worn swords still hanging at his right waist, never removed.

While Kiryu treated Aoto's leg, Mai sat properly behind Kiryu the entire time, assisting him.

After testing his foot a few times to confirm the injury wasn't serious, Aoto sat cross-legged back on the floor.

As Aoto returned to sitting on the floor, a faint voice of thanks drifted into his ears.

"Tachibana-kun... today... really thank you..."

The owner of this grateful voice was naturally Kinoshita Mai.

Perhaps because Saitō—a complete stranger to her—was present, Mai, who was already afraid of unfamiliar people, now appeared extremely nervous and reserved.

Her small hands clasped together rested on her legs, her chin nearly touching her collarbone, shoulders drawn inward.

The already petite Mai now seemed even more diminutive.

"Ah... there's no need for thanks, I didn't do anything particularly remarkable." Aoto raised his hand to scratch the back of his neck. "Rather than thanking me... how about talking with me instead."

"Miss Kinoshita, I have many questions I want to ask you..."

"I remember you told me before: you were coming to Fujisawa-shuku to welcome a friend of yours."

"That friend you mentioned... wouldn't happen to be that golden-haired girl, would it?"

Upon hearing Aoto's question, the already reserved Mai became even more flustered.

Her hands clasped on her legs tightened and loosened, loosened and tightened repeatedly.

Her mouth opened and closed as she hemmed and hawed for a long time without managing to say anything coherent.

Seeing Mai too shy to form a complete sentence, Kiryu turned his head toward her with a helpless smile: "...I'll explain it then."

"Tachibana-kun, the girl you saved this afternoon is named Elodie de Angoulême, from France."

"As you just asked, this Elodie is indeed the friend whom the young master came all the way to Fujisawa-shuku to welcome as a warm gesture."

"As for the woman wearing light yellow silk fabrics, she is the maid specifically responsible for Elodie's daily life and meals, named Marie LeRoy."

...Elodie de Angoulême?

Hearing this name, Aoto immediately felt: This name... why does it sound so familiar...?

Feeling the name was remarkably familiar, Aoto pursed his lips in careful thought.

Soon, he remembered—wasn't this exactly that supposedly very beautiful French girl Butagaya had told him about before...

Compared to the timid Mai, Kiryu's demeanor was much more natural and poised.

He spoke methodically:

"Where should I begin..."

...

Kiryu's explanation was extremely well-organized.

With just a few words, he dispersed most of the fog clouding Aoto's mind.

Five years ago, a French merchant named Anthony crossed the oceans to come to Japan for international business.

This Anthony was Elodie's grandfather.

He brought Elodie to settle and do business in this distant Asian country.

Anthony's main business was exporting Japanese specialties back to Europe and America.

Previously, this grandfather-granddaughter pair had been settled in Osaka.

However, the Kinki region centered around Kyoto and Osaka had been where the "Expel the Barbarians movement" was most intense in recent years, with trends showing it becoming even more violent.

Considering both personal safety and business factors, Anthony decided to move his entire household to Edo, which was clearly much safer than the Kinki region.

For some reason—Anthony refused to travel to Edo by ship, insisting instead on taking a carriage over land.

Thus, Osaka Castle Magistrate Matsudaira Munihide, who had quite good relations with Anthony, generously appointed his trusted subordinate Komuro Chuichiro as leader, dispatching a total of 36 skilled private soldiers to serve as Anthony's escort guards, providing protection throughout the grandfather-granddaughter pair's relocation journey.

Mai, who was extremely close with Elodie, upon learning that Elodie's family was coming to Edo, had prepared early to "travel ten ri outside the city" to Fujisawa-shuku to welcome her dear friend as a gesture of welcome.

Not feeling comfortable letting Mai leave Edo alone like this, Kiryu had no choice but to accompany her to Fujisawa-shuku.

Kiryu and Mai had arrived at Fujisawa-shuku the day before yesterday.

The day after their arrival, which was yesterday, they successfully met up with Anthony and Elodie's group.

Anthony's group originally intended to rest at Fujisawa-shuku, this large post station, for two days before continuing their journey.

But who could have expected—an incident would occur today.

Elodie and her maid LeRoy suddenly disappeared from the inn this afternoon!

As for the reason for their "disappearance," it had now been determined—it turned out Mai and that LeRoy had worked together to sneak Elodie out of the inn...

Elodie, who had long heard of the famous "Enoshima Shrine," had yearned to visit Fujisawa-shuku's renowned Enoshima Shrine for ages.

She had begged her grandfather to take her to "Enoshima Shrine" to visit, even if just for a little while.

But Anthony remained firm—he absolutely wouldn't allow leaving the inn casually while so-called "Expel the Barbarians activists" remained rampant!

Since she couldn't persuade Anthony, Elodie's mischievous side became active.

If she couldn't leave the inn openly... then she'd leave secretly!

Thus, determined to visit Enoshima Shrine, she collaborated with her dear friend Mai to create a bold and detailed plan to sneak out.

If she wanted to leave the inn, there was no way without convincing her ever-present maid LeRoy.

So Elodie begged LeRoy to make just this one exception, to let her go to the shrine, just for a little while.

Unable to withstand Elodie's desperate pleas, LeRoy finally softened momentarily and acquiesced to Elodie's wishes...

This was the beginning of today's series of unexpected events...

After quietly listening to Kiryu's explanation, Aoto couldn't help but cast a surprised glance toward Mai beside him.

—Miss Kinoshita... and that Elodie are very good friends...?

In this era, European and American merchants who crossed oceans to come to Japan for international business typically weren't small-time vendors with little influence.

A working girl employed at a job placement agency being very good friends with the granddaughter of a major merchant engaged in international business... their status difference didn't seem like it would allow for friendship.

Kiryu seemed to see through Aoto's current thoughts.

He smiled slightly:

"Well... Tachibana-kun, you must be wondering how the young master became friends with Elodie."

"The reasons aren't actually complicated."

"Before I came to Edo to open 'Senjiya' due to personal interest, I worked at a modest-sized silk merchant in Osaka called 'Rinya.'"

"The owner of 'Rinya'... that is, my lord, is the young master's adoptive grandmother."

"Five years ago, after Anthony crossed the oceans to come to Osaka for business, he established very close business relations with Rinya."

"That's how the young master came into contact with Anthony's granddaughter Elodie and became friends."

At this point, Kiryu cast a gentle gaze toward Mai sitting behind him.

"Looking back now... time really flies."

"To cultivate the young master, my lord had me take her on as a Senjiya shop assistant one year ago, letting her start training and learning from the most basic level."

"In the blink of an eye, the young master has already worked under me for a full year now..."

"So that's how it is..." Aoto looked at Kiryu, then at Mai. "No wonder you always call Miss Kinoshita 'young master.'"

—So Miss Kinoshita is actually from a well-off merchant family...

—Being "sent for training" and thrown into basic labor... haha... she's really like me...

Aoto couldn't help but glance at Mai a few more times.

Mai's family background and experiences made Aoto feel a certain sense of familiarity.

In his previous life, Aoto had also been a merchant's son.

His father operated a modest-sized department store, and their family circumstances were relatively comfortable.

When Aoto was still in middle school, during winter and summer vacations and other long holidays, his father would often use "receiving training" as reason to throw Aoto into the most basic level of their store, making him do various ordinary rough and heavy jobs alongside their employees.

Aoto initially didn't understand his father's behavior at all.

He had aspired to become a police officer since childhood and never considered inheriting any store, so why frequently "send him down" to the most basic level of the store to do what felt like unskilled ordinary manual labor?

It wasn't until he grew older that Aoto understood his father's intention—there wasn't any deep meaning, he just wanted unpaid free labor.

What? You want a salary! Don't you have a share in the family business?! Helping with housework and assisting with the family business is what you should do!—His father's "earnest teachings" still rang in his ears.

Kiryu's explanation resolved most of the questions in Aoto's mind.

Even previous doubts like "why does Kiryu always call Kinoshita Mai 'young master'" were answered along the way.

Just as Aoto was silently processing and organizing everything he'd just heard from Kiryu—

"Excuse me, is it convenient to come in?" A question spoken with a very strange accent suddenly came from outside the room door.

Aoto glanced at the door with a puzzled expression: "Ah... please come in."

After receiving Aoto's permission to enter, the wooden and paper door was slowly slid open...

KFC?!

Aoto looked with shock at the white, plump Caucasian old man who appeared before his eyes after the door opened...