Aoto exchanged a few more pleasantries with Inagawa before bidding farewell.
Leaving the Magistrate’s Office, Aoto began scanning for the figure of his bodyguard.
Aoto quickly spotted Saito—beneath three pigeons...
There stood Saito against the stone brick wall opposite the Magistrate’s Office entrance.
He stood straight, arms crossed and resting on the sword at his right waist, unmoving like a statue. The only part of him that showed any movement was his eyes, blinking with a rhythmic pace.
Perched on his head and shoulders were three large, plump pigeons.
These pigeons seemed to truly assume Saito was a statue, half-closing their eyes and adjusting their plump bodies to sit more comfortably atop Saito’s head and shoulders.
Yet Saito made no move to shoo away the three big pigeons, standing still as ever.
A samurai as unmoving as a rock, with three large pigeons perched on his head and shoulders... Such a bizarre sight naturally attracted the gaze of many passersby.
The pedestrians passing by Saito couldn’t help but frequently turn back, casting puzzled and curious looks at this unsmiling youth...
When Aoto found Saito, Saito had already seen Aoto emerge from the Magistrate’s Office.
He shook himself vigorously, like a dog shaking off water droplets.
"Coocoo-coocoo!"
The three pigeons on Saito’s head finally realized they weren’t on a statue, fluttering away in haste.
After watching the pigeons fly off into the sky with a slightly open-mouthed daze, Aoto shifted his gaze back to Saito, who was striding over quickly.
"...Have you been standing by that wall without moving ever since I went into the Magistrate’s Office?"
Saito nodded.
"Standing still like that won’t make your feet or waist sore?"
Saito shook his head: "I enjoy sitting quietly, standing still, and being in a daze."
Are you a sloth?!
Aoto took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to make a sarcastic comment.
"...Alright, if it’s your personal preference, I won’t say more."
With that, Aoto gestured towards home.
"Let’s go, Tree... Saito, let’s head home."
"What for?"
"There’s a gang of thieves in Fujisawa Inn on the Tokaido, and Lord Governor specifically named me to handle the case. I’d need you to accompany me to Fujisawa Inn."
Upon swiftly returning to his home in Hachidori-bori, Aoto immediately instructed Kyūbē to help prepare for the trip.
Not much luggage was needed since Fujisawa Inn was quite close to Edo. It would only take six days for a round trip, so a few changes of clothes, spare straw sandals, and some dried food sufficed.
"Young Master, Mr. Saito, here." Kyūbē handed two pointed snow hats and two black cloaks, which reached down to the calves for wind protection, to Aoto and Saito.
Aoto had specifically asked Kyūbē to prepare a set of hat and cloak for Saito as well.
Their household happened to have an extra set of cold-weather gear, and it was just the right fit for Saito.
Saito accepted the hat and cloak from Kyūbē with an enigmatic look.
"...Thank you." he said to Aoto.
"No need to be formal." Aoto smiled at Saito. "If you catch a cold, it’ll trouble me greatly."
Aoto swiftly donned the cloak, adjusted his hat, and shouldered his baggage.
"Kyūbē, while I’m away, please look after the house. If luck is on our side, I should be back in six or seven days."
"Yes!" Kyūbē bowed solemnly towards Aoto. "Young Master, Mr. Saito, wishing you all success."
The "Five Roads" all start from a place in Edo called "Nihonbashi."
Nihonbashi, true to its name, is a giant wooden bridge.
As the starting point for the "Five Roads" connecting key national locations, Nihonbashi naturally became the busiest, most bustling place in Edo.
Around this giant wooden bridge, countless shops and vendors are set up, attracting people from all walks of life.
Specialty stores catering to travelers visiting Edo.
Tea houses, izakayas, and inns providing rest stops for travelers and merchants journeying along the "Five Roads."
Vendors specifically setting up shop here because of the large crowds, selling all sorts of goods.
Travelers, itinerant traders, widely traveling monks, officials with urgent expressions, courtesans beckoning customers from the street, beggars crouching by the roadside... a microcosm of the world condensed onto the Nihonbashi.
After bidding farewell to Kyūbē, Aoto and Saito arrived at the bustling Nihonbashi, comparable to a train station during Spring Festival in his past life. Aoto turned and shouted to Saito behind him:
"Saito! Stay close! Don’t get lost!"
Saito nodded vigorously.
Aoto led Saito, vigorously cutting a path through the dense crowd towards the Tokaido.
But, just then,
Just after Aoto passed the front of a tea house, several figures slowly emerged from the tea house and quietly "merged" into the dense crowd.
Using the crowd as cover, they followed far behind Aoto and his companion...
Leaving Nihonbashi, shaking off the jostling crowd, and turning onto the wide Tokaido, Aoto suddenly felt as if the whole world had opened up.
In the Edo Era, a society with extremely strict class hierarchies, what a person of each class could do was clearly stipulated.
For instance: officials at Aoto’s Dōshin Level were not qualified to ride horses, even if there was official business requiring long-distance travel, they were still not allowed to ride.
Therefore, now on a mission to Fujisawa Inn, Aoto could only rely on his own legs to walk there bit by bit.
Officials like Arima and Tojo at the Yoriki Level, however, were qualified to ride horses.
So in this era, people often used "ride" as a measure word for Yoriki, like: 1 ride of Yoriki, 2 rides of Yoriki.
Upon entering the Tokaido, gazing around, the only scenery left in view was the flat road trampled by thousands, the milk-white winter sky, the occasional lonely trees by the roadside, and the travelers or merchant caravans passing by...
Saito made Aoto truly feel what it meant to say, "Traveling with you is worse than traveling alone."
In order to pass the boring time on the road, and also to learn more about the bodyguard who might accompany him for a long time, Aoto tried hard to find topics to chat with Saito.
But Saito was like an embodiment of the "conversation ender"; faced with various questions from Aoto, he would either respond with "Hmm," "Oh," "Okay," or directly terminate the topic, unable to create a positive chatting atmosphere...
"Saito, where’s your hometown?"
"Akashi Domain."
"Akashi Domain... I remember this Vassal State is located to the west of Kyoto. I don’t know much about this Vassal State. Are there any interesting specialties or sights in your hometown of Akashi Domain?"
"Don’t know. I’ve never checked."
"...Yesterday, Lord Arima said you are his old acquaintance. How did you get to know Lord Arima?"
"Can’t remember clearly; when I came to my senses, I already knew him."
"...Then is there anything you like to eat? Once we reach a post station, we can eat and drink for free. It’s a good chance to ask the post station staff to prepare your favorite meals."
"No favorite foods."
"...Then is there anything you dislike eating?"
"No dislikes either."
It’s no use! Can’t continue the conversation at all!
Talking to Saito feels more torturous than both being silent together.
Unable to chat with Saito at all, Aoto decided not to chat and focused on traveling silently.
After walking a bit further, the passersby and vegetation around them became sparser.
The previously clear and pleasant sky gradually darkened and began to snow.
The swirling snowflakes were like little spirits descending from the heavens.
In just a moment, the world before their eyes was covered in snow, and everything around was shrouded in a chaotic white fog.
Fortunately, both Aoto and Saito wore snow-resistant hats and wind-blocking cloaks, so Aoto didn’t feel too cold.
To reach Fujisawa Inn, they would have to pass through five post stations: Shinagawa Inn, Kawasaki Inn, Kanagawa Inn, Hodogaya Inn, and Totsuka Inn.
Aoto slightly lifted the brim of his hat and glanced at the sky above.
"Saito, we need to pick up the pace a bit; we have to reach the first post station, Shinagawa Inn, before it gets dark."
Saito nodded.
And just as Saito nodded...
Crunch...!
Saito suddenly stopped, the straw sandals and snow making a muffled scratching sound on the ground.
As he stopped, Saito slowly lifted his head, which had been slightly lowered.
Two eyes sharp as arrows pierced towards the road ahead from beneath the brim of his hat.
"Hmm? Saito, why..."
Before Aoto finished his sentence, his words came to an abrupt halt.
With his gaze gradually sinking, Aoto, like Saito, directed his gaze forward.
Beside the road ahead of them stood a large decaying tree, requiring three adults to encircle its trunk.
After Aoto and Saito stopped in their tracks, as if by magic, one by one, figures of varying heights and builds emerged from behind this large decayed tree. They lined up in front of Aoto and Saito, forming a human wall that blocked their path.
"Tachibana Aoto! I’ve finally caught you alone again!"
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