At this moment, a middle-aged man hurriedly approached Aoto.
"Lord Tachibana! Those four are all securely bound!"
This middle-aged man was Hui Dalang, the patriarch of Mukiura Town, who had previously looked down on Aoto when he was investigating the "Granny Ping Murder" case.
Aoto was no longer that "Blockhead Don" of the past; he was now a rising star with fame in Edo.
The shift in identity had brought a dramatic change in Hui Dalang’s attitude towards Aoto.
Now, facing Aoto, Hui Dalang’s eyes held no contempt, only sincere reverence and respect.
"Hmm." Aoto nodded, "Thanks for your hard work, take them to the Magistrate’s Office."
"Yes!" bowing respectfully to Aoto, Hui Dalang turned around and commanded his servants, "Take them away!"
"Get up! Move! Move!"
"Everyone stand up!"
The servants of the Jishinban drove the tightly bound group, strung together with a long hemp rope, roughly toward their destination.
The group, including Big Nose, had lost their previous momentum of shouting "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every man" at the fabric store owner. They hung their heads like defeated roosters.
A crowd of townsmen had gathered to watch the spectacle.
"What’s going on? What’s happening?"
"They’ve caught a batch of ’Anti-foreigner Warriors’ who were robbing and extorting everywhere."
"Tsk... These scoundrels are like cockroaches, you can never get rid of them... Hmm? Isn’t that Tachibana Aoto?"
"Yes, it’s Aoto Tachibana, the one who caught the killer of Granny Ping!"
This was where Aoto had solved the "Granny Ping Murder" case: Mukiura Town, making it the place where Aoto’s name was most renowned.
Naturally, the people here recognized Aoto the most.
Lately, Aoto had grown accustomed to being recognized by passersby, so even now, being watched by those who recognized him, he remained calm.
Standing by Aoto, Hui Dalang watched his men lead away Big Nose and others, suddenly sighed with emotion: "Times are getting more chaotic..."
"...Lord Tachibana."
Hui Dalang turned his head, asking Aoto with a hint of helpless self-mockery.
"When will this absurd ’Anti-foreigner Cause’ finally quiet down?"
Suddenly confronted with such a question, Aoto paused and sighed silently: "I haven’t the slightest idea."
After the Shogunate issued an order to curb the unruly actions of "Anti-foreigner Warriors," the South and North Guard Stations now keep two Dōshin stationed at their Magistrate’s Offices every night, dedicated to handling nightly emergencies.
Aoto, who didn’t need to be on night duty today, ended another day of "patrol from dawn till dusk on the streets of Edo," returned to Shiwei Hall with Saito, feeling somewhat tired.
Climbing the steep slope where Shiwei Hall was located, Aoto saw Chokata with a broom, sweeping the dust outside the gates of Shiwei Hall.
"Ah, Mr. Tachibana, Mr. Saito, you’re back," Chokata quickly approached the returning duo, broom in hand, "You’re not on night duty today?"
"Hmm." Aoto nodded while removing the scarf from around his neck—it was already nearing late March, yet the weather in Edo was still surprisingly cold, "My turn for night duty is the day after tomorrow."
"I see..." Chokata nodded, "Then hurry inside and rest for a bit, Auntie and Mr. Kyūbē are almost done with dinner."
Abi, being the housewife, handled all kinds of chores at Shiwei Hall on her own.
According to Chokata: daily chores at Shiwei Hall were also shared somewhat by Inoue Genzaburō.
In Chokata’s description, this elderly man who lived under the same roof with the Kondo family, Inoue Genzaburō, loved doing household chores and often volunteered to help... sometimes even competing with Abi for chores.
With Inoue Genzaburō away for personal matters, Abi’s burden hadn’t intensified due to Kyūbē’s assistance.
Having served Mr. Tachibana for years, Kyūbē, adept at household tasks, proactively and actively helped Abi with the myriad chores at Shiwei Hall after moving in with Aoto and Saito.
Cooking was Kyūbē’s forte, and he often assisted Abi in the kitchen during meals.
Because of his eager help in managing chores, Kyūbē became the most familiar with Abi among Aoto’s companions.
Entering Shiwei Hall, after a brief rest, Abi and Kyūbē brought out a sumptuous meal from the kitchen, inviting everyone to dine.
With the recent increase in income at Shiwei Hall, meals had become much more elaborate these days.
After quickly finishing dinner and resting a while to digest, Aoto proceeded to the dojo to begin his exercise routine.
Despite being extremely busy lately, Aoto maintained his physical training regularly.
After prolonged hard training, the effects were gradually showing.
Aoto’s physique had become noticeably sturdier, with the previously soft appearance turning more chiseled.
Just as Aoto positioned his palms on the wooden floor of the dojo to start doing push-ups, Chokata suddenly rushed in and approached Aoto:
"Mr. Tachibana, there are visitors here to see you!"
"Visitors?" Aoto paused, hastily asking, "Are they from the Magistrate’s Office?"
"Apparently not," Chokata shook his head, "They’re two well-covered people, one of whom is a young girl."
—Well-covered? Young girl?
With questions in mind, Aoto hurried to the main entrance of Shiwei Hall.
There were quite a few people outside the gate.
A total of eight samurai, each exuding a rugged demeanor in both appearance and stature, surrounded the two figures.
One was quite petite, dressed in a white and yellow women’s kimono, and wore yellow straw sandals.
The other’s figure was quite large, clad in a regular kimono and hakama, with a massive belly pushing out the fabric at his waist.
Both wore deep-brimmed snow hats, faces covered with wind-blocking cloth, concealing their appearance entirely.
Upon seeing them—more precisely, upon seeing the massive belly—a strong sense of familiarity surged in Aoto’s heart...
Before Aoto could say anything, the big belly suddenly removed his hat and wind-blocking cloth from his face.
"Mr. Tachibana, long time no see."
"Mr. Angoulême?" Aoto was taken aback.
The woman in the yellow kimono also withdrew her facial coverings, revealing golden hair and vibrant blue eyes.
"Mr. Tachibana." The blonde girl bowed to Aoto with a perfectly executed bow, her voice full of vitality, "Long time no see!"
These two were none other than the grandfather-granddaughter pair from the Angoulême family, Anthony and Elodie, whom Aoto hadn’t seen for over a month.

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