"..." After Matsudaira Sadanobu's question, Ogata's body was slightly startled.
Immediately afterwards... the strange expression that had been on Ogata's face gradually turned into a helpless smile.
At this time, Matsudaira Sadanobu was seen with his hands behind his back, minding his own business and continuing to speak.
"At the beginning, when I was in Ezo, I heard someone tell me that Goro Majima, whom I admire very much, is the Ogata Issei, I didn't dare... or rather I didn't want to believe it."
"It wasn't until I heard Goro Majima's voice from Ogata Issei on the battlefield of the attack on the Red Moon Fortress... that I finally faced reality."
"Actually, at that time, I still didn't want to believe that Goro Majima was Issei Ogata."
"But no matter how much you deceive yourself, seeing that these two swords of yours are exactly the same as those worn by Goro Majima... you can no longer deceive yourself and say: Goro Majima and Issei Ogata are two people...
"
Matsudaira Sadanobu slanted his eyes and glanced at Daishiten and Daizizai placed on Ogata's bedside.
"The two of us really have a special bond."
"Every time I think we will never have the chance to meet again...you will appear in front of me again in a way that I didn't expect."
"..." Ogata, whose head had been hanging on his chest since just now, finally slowly raised his gaze and calmly met Matsudaira Sadanobu's emotionless eyes, "...Long time no see.
Yes, Lord Matsudaira."
Just now, after learning from Qingyan that it was Matsudaira Sadanobu who saved him regardless of danger, Ogata had already guessed the true identity of Majima Goro... I am afraid that Matsudaira Sadanobu already knew it.
I saw him smiling and saying softly to Matsudaira Sadanobu in a tone like greeting an old friend:
"Anyway... please allow me to say thank you first, thank you for saving me."
"There's no need to say thank you." Matsudaira Sadanobu said quickly without thinking, "The reason why I saved you... I simply wanted to ask some meaningful questions from you, who seems to know a lot of things that I don't know.
It’s just information.”
"Instead of just saying 'thank you' to me here... why don't you tell me something more meaningful."
"Mashima... no, Ogata Issei, come and make a deal with me."
"I ask you questions, and you answer the questions I ask."
"As long as you answer all the questions I ask, I will...let you leave here."
"Ha." Ogata chuckled, "If I want to leave here, I don't need your permission at all, right?"
After saying that, Ogata turned his head to the side and glanced at the saber placed at the head of his bed without any concealment.
"Ogata Issei." A cold smile appeared at the corner of Matsudaira Sadanobu's lips, "How should I put it... he is also a samurai who practiced swordsmanship assiduously when he was young."
"Do you think I can't tell? Just from your current actions, I can tell that it's difficult for you to even draw your sword, right?"
Ogata's eyes narrowed slightly.
——Ha...Have you been seen through...
Ogata let out a bitter smile in his heart.
What Matsudaira Sadanobu said is absolutely correct.
His current physical condition is indeed extremely bad.
Every muscle in the body was sore and it was difficult to exert force.
He guessed - this should be the side effect of entering the "no-self realm" and the "yaksha realm" at the same time.
In this body, not a single muscle is aching... Let alone swinging a sword, whether he can pull the heavy sword out of its sheath is still a problem.
"Now, there are more than 30 of my guards outside the tent. As long as I give an order, they will rush in and chop you into meat paste." The cold smile on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face disappeared, and his face recovered.
With that stern look on his face, he said, "Make this deal with me. Other than that, you have no other choice."
Ogata stared straight at Matsudaira Sadanobu.
He looked thoughtful, and after a long while, he shrugged with a helpless smile:
"It seems that if I don't answer your question, you won't let me go no matter what..."
"...Okay. Just ask."
"Consider this... as compensation for deceiving you for so long as Majima Goro."
Listening to Ogata's words, Matsudaira Sadanobu frowned slightly, but this small "wrinkle" was quickly smoothed.
"I...have a mountain of questions to ask you."
"If my guess is correct, the thieves who attacked Osaka a few days ago and the thieves lurking in Mount Koya are the same group of people."
"Tell me about it—what do you know about those thieves?"
"Why are you chasing the thieves who escaped on a Western ship?"
"And... what is the woman's head contained in the brocade box that you were still holding tightly in your arms when you passed out?"
After throwing a series of questions at Ogata like a barrage of questions, Matsudaira Sadanobu once again tilted his gaze and glanced at the exquisite brocade box placed beside Ogata's bedside with Daishiten and Daji.
"It's been so many days, but this broken head has not been corrupted at all. It's really shocking."
"You did not throw this brocade box away as garbage, but recycled it together. I am very grateful for this." Ogata said in a somewhat joking tone, "But you checked the contents of the brocade box without permission.
, wouldn’t it be too rude?”
Matsudaira Sadanobu ignored Ogata's joke and continued to hold his hands behind his back, looking directly at Ogata with a scrutinizing gaze.
Matsudaira Sadanobu opened the brocade box without permission - Ogata was not too surprised by this.
After all, if it were him, he wouldn't be able to help but take a look at what's inside this brocade box.
"...I would be happy to tell you what I know." Ogata pondered for a moment and then said quietly, "But even if I tell you everything I know, you might not believe it."
Ogata selectively... told Matsudaira Sadanobu concisely and concisely about the Toyotomi clan.
The existence of the Toyotomi clan, the Toyotomi clan's battleships, the Toyotomi clan's ambitions...
Matsudaira Tadanobu has been in charge of the position of Laochuang for many years. What storms and waves has he not seen?
He has long developed a strong heart that can remain calm no matter what accidents he encounters - but at this moment, facing the words Ogata said at this time, Matsudaira Sadanobu has this strong heart,
It’s also overwhelming.
Ever since Ogata started talking about the Toyotomi clan, Matsudaira Sadanobu's expression "collapsed".
His eyes were wide open, his mouth was slightly open, and the skin and muscles on his face seemed to have drooped. He no longer looked as calm as before, without sadness or joy.
Due to various reasons, it was naturally impossible for Ogata to tell Matsudaira Sadanobu everything.
He concealed the existence of the "immortal power".
He also concealed the existence of eight hundred bhikkhunis.
The reason why he concealed the existence of the "Immortal Power" was not because he was on guard against Matsudaira Sadanobu.
It’s about guarding people’s hearts…
After experiencing so many things, Ogata finally understood - this "power of immortality" is a Pandora's box.
If it is held by someone with evil intentions, it will be a disaster.
The complexity of people's hearts makes Ogata really unsure - if Matsudaira Sadanobu is made aware of the existence of the "power of immortality", will the second Toyotomi Nobuhide appear...
Ogata, who was determined to conceal the "Immortal Power" and the "Eight Hundred Bhikshunis", only said that the head contained in the brocade box was the head of a friend he had taken back from the Toyotomi clan.
The special potion has been treated with antiseptic treatment, so it will not show signs of corruption for several days.
After Ogata finished saying everything he wanted to tell Matsudaira Sadanobu, Matsudaira Sadanobu... remained silent for a long time.
It took him a long time to regain his composure.
After a long time, I finally heard him speak again:
"...Then what happened to your body and the thunder you aroused at that time?"
"Suffering so many injuries, but being able to heal them all in less than two days... This is not like a body that ordinary people can have."
Having said that, Sadanobu Matsudaira, whose expression returned to seriousness, raised his eyes and shot a sharp and meaningful glance at Ogata.
Facing the gaze cast by Matsudaira Sadanobu, Ogata couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He knew that there was no way around the issue of his body's recovery ability and the thunder he "triggered" to defeat Toyotomi at that time, so he had already thought of the words just now.
Ogata explained to Matsudaira Sadanobu the so-called "truth" of half truths and half lies.
As for his body's resilience, Ogata casually said that his body was born like this and its resilience was far better than that of ordinary people.
As for how to "seduce" Tianlei...Ogata only said that he...had no idea at all.
All he knew was that while the fierce battle was in full swing, he suddenly heard a series of strange sounds. Following the sound, he ran to the top of the main mast and raised his sword high, and then a thunderbolt fell on his sword.
Regarding the explanation of "triggering" Tianlei... it is actually basically correct.
Ogata indeed suddenly heard a strange sound, and then followed the guidance of these strange sounds, and successfully defeated Toyotomi Nobuhide with the power of thunder.
Ever since Ogata began to explain the origin of his body's strong resilience and how he "triggered" the thunder, Matsudaira Sadanobu's brows frowned slightly, and the emotions in his eyes gradually became weird.
"...What you just said...whether it's about the Toyotomi clan or your explanation of why your body has such a strong recovery ability...I personally feel that there seems to be a lot to hide,
It’s a place where I made it up.”
Matsudaira Sadanobu pointedly questioned Ogata.
Faced with Matsudaira Sadanobu's doubts, Ogata just shrugged, his face not red and his heart not beating.
"Everything I just said is true." Ogata said casually, "Believe it or not."
Matsudaira Sadanobu: "..."
Although he questioned Ogata, Matsudaira Sadanobu seemed to have no intention of delving into this issue.
Just silent, continuing to look at Ogata...
Not long after letting the atmosphere between the two fall into a deathly silence, Matsudaira Sadabunaga closed his eyes and took several deep breaths:
"...If what you just said is true...that would be really funny."
Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly opened his eyes.
"The most wanted criminal of the shogunate... actually saved the shogunate from fire and water."
"However, now that I look back and think carefully about the beginning and end of our acquaintance...it is very funny."
Matsudaira Sadanobu's expression was always full of solemnity.
But at this moment, the solemn expression on his face showed a hint of... loneliness.
"When I first met you in Edo, I thought I had finally found a young man worth cultivating."
"In the end, I found out that the young man I admired very much was actually an enemy of the shogunate..."
After saying that, Matsudaira Sadanobu closed his eyes again, took a deep breath, and then slowly released the air in his lungs through his nose.
At this time, Ogata asked Matsudaira Sadanobu in a half-joking tone:
"Any more questions?"
"If not, can you let me leave here according to the transaction conditions we set?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly opened his newly closed eyes.
"...Whether what you just said is true or false, it is an ironclad fact that you destroyed Osaka and destroyed the two Western ships that posed a major threat to the Edo shogunate."
"From this point of view alone, you have helped us a lot."
Having said this, Matsudaira Sadanobu paused.
Then, he changed into a tone as if he was talking to himself:
"You once...saved my life in Ezo."
"And now, you have done a great favor to our shogunate."
"Honestly, from an emotional point of view, I really want to let you go from here."
"But, as expected...it can't be done."
Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes flashed fiercely at this moment.
"Even if you saved my life, even if you helped our shogunate a lot, it can't change the fact that you are Ogata Yoshi, a villain who has brought shame to the shogunate many times...!"
"After seeing with my own eyes your terrifying ability to recover from wounds and your ability to kill enemies with the power of thunder, I am even more convinced that you... really can't be kept...!"
"What's more, I can still feel that you have hidden a lot of things from me."
"Even if I don't kill you... I still have to imprison you and interrogate you slowly."
As Matsudaira Sadanobu's whisper-like words came out of his mouth one by one, the air between him and Ogata... slowly became colder.
"Hey, hey, hey..." Ogata seemed to have expected that Matsudaira Sadanobu would be so ordinary. His expression was as usual and he just sneered, "As long as I answer all your questions, you will let me go?"
"The prerequisite for me to fulfill my promise must be that you answer all my questions truthfully, right?"
Matsudaira Sadanobu also sneered.
"I said that just now, right? I feel that you have hidden a lot of things from me."
"You broke the promise first, so don't blame me for breaking the promise."
The atmosphere between the two... suddenly became tense and suffocating.
In the small tent, the only sound left was the breathing of the two people.
In the small tent, the only light and shadow left were the firelight of the candlestick and the eyes of the two people who were looking at each other, both shining with complex light.
After a long time, Ogata's voice broke the suffocating silence:
"...Then what do you want to do?"
he asks.
"Are you going to kill me now?"
"Or are you going to take me back to Edo and interrogate me slowly?"
The question fell silent.
Deathly silence returned to the tent.
Matsudaira Sadanobu's hands behind his back were clenched and then released, and then clenched once they were released.
An extremely complex light flashed crazily in his eyes at this moment.
The man in front of him is the most wanted criminal in the shogunate.
He is now extremely weak and unable to compete with his guards. His life, death, and future now all depend on his own words.
For myself...
And for the shogunate...
My best solution now... is to escort him back to Edo, interrogate him slowly, and extract from his mouth all the information he has concealed.
yes……
No need to hesitate…
completely……
No need to hesitate…
…
Matsudaira Sadanobu closed his eyes and took a deep breath again.
"Tachibana!"
Matsudaira Sadanobu turned around, stuck his head out of the tent, and shouted:
"Sign up all the guards——"
…
…
…
…
Wow... Wow... Wow...
The waves beat rhythmically on the coast, making a very regular sound.
It's almost evening now.
Because there had just been a shower, the sky was as clear as water.
The sun sets in the west and begins to dye the sky with the color of sunset. Under the reflection of the sunset, the ground is still bright.
Lin and Makimura stood side by side at a corner of the coast, looking at the sea in the distance.
"How's it going? Did Ms. Atachi eat anything today?"
"I ate a little..." Makimura sighed softly to Lin, "During the day, I almost didn't eat anything."
"It wasn't until just now that I finally ate some porridge that Azhu brought, but it wasn't much, just half a bowl of porridge."
"...As long as you have something to eat." Lin sighed.
In the past few days, there have been one or two showers almost every day, and the mood of Lin and others these days has been very similar to this weather - continuous rain...
Nearly 10 days have passed since the decisive battle with Toyotomi at sea.
It's been nearly 10 days... until now, Ogata has not been found.
On the night after the decisive battle, Lin finally woke up after being knocked unconscious by Toyotomi.
After waking up and learning what had happened, Lin issued a death order without hesitation: Find Ogata at all costs!
In order to improve the efficiency of the search, Lin once again activated her usual money-making ability: borrowing a few more boats from a distant fishing village, and hiring all the villagers who could be hired, and letting the hired villagers assist them.
Let’s look for Ogata together.
No matter day or night, everyone drove the small boat almost non-stop to the sea area where the battleship was destroyed, searching for the figure of the man.
Ogata must be holding a piece of wood, struggling on the sea waiting for their rescue - everyone thought so.
In other words... try to think like this from an optimistic perspective...
However... as time passes bit by bit, and the days pass day by day, no matter how optimistic the attitude is, it will inevitably reach its limit.
It has been nearly 10 days and still nothing...
After losing contact at sea for nearly 10 days... everyone was vaguely aware of something...
However, no one said it clearly.
Everyone seemed to have made an appointment in advance and remained silent. Whether in front of everyone or in private, they did not mention any topics related to Ogata's life and death.
He just kept going out to sea to search as if he still believed that Ogata was still alive.
Just kept silent...
No one had the guts to mention that "Ogata may not be found" - especially when Amachi is present.
These days, besides Ogata, the person Lin and others are most worried about is Atachi.
Ever since Ogata disappeared, Rin and others have been worried about Atachi's mental state.
If she cried and made a fuss, Lin and others would be more accepting of it.
However, A-Machi has been very quiet these days...
Quietly, without showing any expression or saying anything...
He has only been silently participating in the search for Ogata.
At the beginning, Atachi could barely eat and sleep normally.
But as the search for Ogata yielded no results, Atachi's mental state deteriorated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Since about 5 days ago, Atachi has not eaten much every day.
Did she sleep well? Looking at A-Machi's increasingly pale skin, increasingly withered hair, and increasingly dark circles under her eyes, Lin guessed that she didn't...
Rin doesn’t know how to improve Atachi’s condition...
Regarding the situation that A-Ting is facing, I am afraid that any words of comfort are powerless.
"...Makimura, please pay more attention to Miss Atachi these days." Lin ordered Makimura, who has the best relationship with Ogata and his wife, softly, "If Miss Atachi doesn't eat, find a way to make her eat."
Put something down."
"If Miss Atachi... wants to do something stupid, you must stop her immediately."
"I know..." Makimura took a deep breath and nodded vigorously with a solemn expression.
"My lord! My lord!"
At this time, Shimada's voice came.
Following the sound, Shimada hurried towards the beach where Lin and Makimura were standing with an eager look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Lin frowned slightly.
"Come here..." Shimada said slowly with a strange expression, "Mamiya-senpai... actually found Yukimura..."
…
…
Under Shimada's guidance, Lin and Makimura strode to another beach not far away.
As soon as she arrived here, Lin saw Mamiya, who had just returned from his turn to search for Ogata by boat this afternoon, and was now standing next to the boat docked on the beach.
Asai, Genichi and others have gathered around Mamiya.
Everyone gathered around a middle-aged man who was kneeling on the ground and was quite familiar to Lin...
After her eyes fell on this person, an indifferent light slowly appeared in Lin's eyes:
"...The person I wanted to find was never found. The person I didn't want to find was found. Yukimura, I didn't expect that there would be a time for us to meet again."
As soon as Lin finished speaking, the body of the middle-aged man kneeling on the ground trembled suddenly.
"Lin, Miss Lin..." The middle-aged man slowly raised his head and cast a complex look at Lin that was mixed with fear, annoyance and a hint of regret.
This middle-aged man had Lin's great trust. When he was not yet prosperous, he helped him become a "well-known wealthy businessman in Osaka". He had also entrusted him to help investigate the "Missing Case in Osaka" before, but in the end it was him.
Yukimura betrayed Rin and revealed information about Rin and others to the Toyotomi clan.
Lin turned around and asked how Mamiya found this person.
It turned out that—Mamiya had been searching for Ogata in farther seas since three days ago, with the idea that "Ogata-kun might have drifted far away."
Although Mamiya's thoughts are beautiful, the reality is still cruel - even if the search scope is expanded, the familiar figure is not found at all...
Just when Mamiya thought that he would be in vain again today and was about to return to the shore, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Yukimura hugging a piece of driftwood on a piece of sea not far away, struggling to survive...
When the Nikki Maru exploded, Yukimura, who was also on the ship at the time, was very lucky not to be killed on the spot. After the ship completely sank, he was lucky enough to hold on to a piece of driftwood.
For the past ten days, Yukimura just held this piece of driftwood, drifting with the waves, and barely survived by drinking rainwater.
After Lin regained consciousness, she told everyone the complete story of how she met Yukimura in Nikki Maru.
Since he met this guy who betrayed their Calabash House, there was no reason to let him go - Mamiya dragged him back to the shore and asked Lin to deal with this traitor.
Since he hadn't eaten in the past 10 days, Yukimura had already lost weight.
The lusterless skin was tight on the bones, the cheeks and eye sockets were severely sunken, and the lips were severely peeled due to lack of water, showing a bloodless paleness. His face was as dark as the dark circles under his eyes.
It has to make people think only of ink.
"Miss Lin..." Yukimura, who had relied on drinking rainwater to survive so many days, was so weak that his voice was trembling when he spoke.
But even so, he still tried his best to kowtow to Lin and apologize to Lin.
"...Yukimura." The indifference in Lin's eyes was not weakened by Yukimura's begging for mercy. "I... really don't understand."
"How have I ever failed to forgive you?"
"When you were just an unknown junior, it was me who supported you so much that you achieved your current status."
"After you gained power, I still valued you, took care of you, and never treated you badly."
"When I encounter good business, I will seek cooperation with you. If you encounter trouble, I will do my best to assist you."
"I really don't understand... What is it about me that I can't handle you that makes you willingly take refuge in Toyotomi and makes me and my companions almost face annihilation?"
Lin's tone has always been calm.
But under this plain tone, every word Lin spoke was as weighty as a thousand words.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" "Ugh..." The body was so dehydrated that Yukimura's eyes could still shed tears, "I'm sorry...! It's me... I'm obsessed!"
Yukimura fell to the ground and cried out in pain.
"Two years ago... Toyotomi Nobuhide learned through unknown channels that I have a very close connection with you!"
"That's why he came to me and asked me to report your whereabouts and information to him regularly... As a reward, he will give me some of his overseas smuggling channels..."
"I, I was... planning to open up overseas markets at that time, so I enthusiastically agreed to him...!"
After saying that, Yukimura cried louder and kowtowed to the ground harder.
"I'm sorry! Miss Lin...! I can't help you!"
Lin quietly looked at Yukimura who kept kowtowing and shed tears that were either due to fear or true regret.
"...I see." Lin took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes, "In other words...you betrayed me because of money..."
"Haha... What a funny and realistic reason."
Yukimura's kowtow and begging for mercy continued.
He wasn't tired yet, but Lin was tired of listening.
"That's enough!" Lin interrupted Yukimura's prayer for mercy with an impatient yell, "You cruel, ungrateful, barbaric, inhuman thing! You beast!"
After saying that, Lin kicked Yukimura to the ground.
"Did you betray me just for money?!"
"Can just a little money squeeze enough malice out of you to harm me?"
"My companions and I almost died because of your betrayal!"
"Spare your life? If my companions die because of your betrayal, who will spare their lives?!"
After letting out the accumulated emotions in her chest, Lin was like a tiger with a wounded head, breathing heavily.
Yukimura, who was kicked away, shook even more violently, crawled back to where he was kneeling, and continued to cry for mercy.
"...It's ridiculous." Lin straightened her back and took a deep breath, "Although the facts are clearly presented in black and white before my eyes, I still can't believe my eyes..."
"You are obviously a companion that I value so highly and trust so much."
"Your betrayal makes me feel that the world has lost its original glory."
"I'll feel sorry for you."
"Because your betrayal is like the world turning upside down to me."
bass!
The sound of drawing a sword sounded.
Lin pulled out the knife from her waist and slit the traitor's throat with just one blow. She was no longer interested in listening to his begging for mercy.
With his throat cut open and blood gushing out like a hot spring, Yukimura clutched his throat and struggled several times before slowly losing his life and collapsing to the ground...
Lin shook off the blood attached to the saber and sheathed it:
"...Mihachi, find a place to bury Yukimura."
"Yes..." Makimura nodded lightly.
Lin turned around and looked around.
"Why haven't you seen Miss Atachi? Where is Miss Atachi now?"
"Ms. Atachi has been going out to sea with others to look for Ittosai since early this morning." Asai said, "She has almost never stopped."
"Because he was worried that Miss Atachi would collapse from exhaustion, Atsuke just forced Miss Atachi to rest."
"Ms. Atachi should still be sleeping now."
Finally, after a pause, Asai added:
"...Lord, please forgive me for my bluntness." Asai looked around, and after confirming that there were no outsiders around, he put his lips to Lin's ear and whispered, "Miss Atachi's current state...is terrible no matter how you look at it.
It's not good... I have to find a way to cheer her up as soon as possible."
"otherwise……"
Asai did not continue speaking and closed his mouth at the right time.
"...Of course I can see that Ms. Atachi is in a very bad state right now."
"But the question is: Is there any way to cheer up Ms. Atachi?"
A heavy to slightly suffocating atmosphere lingered around Lin and the others.
…
…
Wow... Wow... Wow...
Amachi, who had just been forced by Azuki to take a rest, took advantage of Azuki and others' unpreparedness and sneaked to this deserted, secluded beach. He hugged his legs and sat on the ground, looking motionless at the waves in front of him.
The reflection that undulates with the ebb and flow of the waves reflects pale skin, dry and cracked lips, long-spared and messy hair, bloodshot eyes, and pupils that have lost their luster.
Turbid consciousness... Confused thoughts... Everything in my mind feels fragmented.
In her mind, all kinds of chaotic things were like whirlpools in the roaring waves, rumbling and spinning.
Cheer up, A-Yit will definitely be sad to see you like this - for no reason, A-Ting always feels like the reflection in front of her is preaching to her.
A-Machi, who was tired of the reflection's preaching, stretched out his hands, which were rough and calloused from practicing ninjutsu since childhood, and explored the sea, trying to break the waves and shatter the reflection.
It has been rainy recently, and now is the time when the sea water is still very cold, but after putting her hands into the sea, A-Machi did not feel the chill at all - because her hands and feet were colder than the sea water. After putting her hands into the sea, she felt
Didn't feel the slightest chill.
(Amachi!)
Suddenly! A-Machi suddenly heard that extremely familiar shout coming from behind him!
I saw Amachi's eyes suddenly ignited with light, and he cast an impatient, expectant look behind him, as if he might cry.
Behind Atachi... there is nothing...
Her eyes, which had just been ignited with light, quickly turned back to their dull appearance just now...
——Come again...
This is not the first time that Atachi mistakenly thought he heard Ogata's voice.
These days, she has lost count of how many times she has heard "Ogata" calling her.
With an expression on his face that made people feel heartbroken just looking at it, Omachi looked away and buried his cheek between his knees, which he was holding with both hands.
What Atachi fears most now...is when he has free time.
Because once you are free, memories of Ogata will flash through your mind like a revolving lantern.
This string of memories was like a huge stone pressing on A-Machi's chest... making her feel breathless.
Along with these memories, the fantasy of "what if Ogata was gone" flashed in Atachi's mind...
Atachi has always tried not to think about these unlucky things.
But no matter how hard she tried to contain it, this terrible fantasy kept coming out.
A-Machi felt as if gravity had disappeared.
Even though I was sitting on the ground, I felt like I was floating in the air.
The world in front of me seemed to be covered with a thick layer of fog, and all images and sounds became blurred and difficult to distinguish.
The only clear sound... was the sound of my own sobs.
Two warm currents slowly enveloped A-Machi's eyeballs.
Another reason why she hates taking time off now is that once she takes time off, tears will roll down her face.
She never cried in front of Lin and others.
She was afraid that her crying would cause Lin and others to feel depressed as well, which would increase the psychological pressure on Lin and others who helped her find Ogata.
She only dared to shed tears of worry and pain when she was alone.
A-Machi raised his hand and wiped his eyes hard twice, and at the same time pressed the eyes with the back of his two hands, trying to block the source of tears.
The tears that were barely blocked flowed back.
The salty and tearful smell poured down the nostrils into the throat, leaving a bitter taste in A-Machi's mouth.
She is the wife of Ogata Ittousai, a woman who has seen countless storms.
But apart from these seemingly glamorous titles, she is just a young wife who just celebrated her 19th birthday.
She will be so worried that her husband is missing.
She will be worried about her husband and can't help but cry day and night.
"Atachi...?"
At this time, Amachi heard Ogata's voice coming from behind again.
——Why... I'm hearing hallucinations again...
Atachi thought that he was hearing hallucinations again because he missed Ogata. He ignored the hallucinations behind him and continued to wipe his eyes hard and take deep breaths, trying to stop the flow of tears.
"A-Machi...!"
Ogata's voice... came again.
But this time, the sound was much closer and also much clearer.
Azimachi wiped his tears with his hand and slowly stopped...
If the words heard this time were still auditory hallucinations... then it would be too real...
Thinking of this, A-Machi looked confused.
It took some time until I regained my perception of the world.
Atachi, who had just stopped crying, felt that he had forgotten to blink and his eyes were dry.
Atachi slowly lowered his slightly trembling hands that were wiping his eyes.
Cautiously...shrinkingly...turned his gaze behind him.
Behind her, stood a... tall figure with a shameful smile on his face, looking at her with red eyes.
…
…
Ogata, who was holding a brocade box containing the heads of eight hundred bhikkhunis with his left hand and leaning on a simple crutch made of tree branches in his right hand, looked at the haggard Omachi in front of him with distress.
Ogata naturally knew exactly why Omachi became like this.
When he thought that this was all because he had been "missing" for too long, Oue felt a tingling sensation coming from his chest.
"A-Machi..." Ogata, who called A-Machi's name again, tried to keep his expression and tone as normal as possible, "I'm back..."
Ogata's voice swirled, intertwined, and entangled in A-Machi's mind.
She felt that the corners of her vision were filled with light and heat like fire - the corners and sockets of her eyes were wet with tears again.
Ogata's words "I'm back" just now made Atachi feel that his eardrums were instantly paralyzed, and all the sounds around him were gradually drifting away.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" Ouchi opened her pale, flaky lips towards Ogata, as if she wanted to say something to Ogata, but her words were incoherent, and she just vibrated her vocal cords.
While she stared at Ogata without blinking as if she was afraid that Ogata would disappear from her sight, she stood up in a hurry. Because she stood up too quickly, she even fell to the ground once, but soon
He got up again and stumbled towards Ogata.
Omachi's mind...has been blank since just now.
At this time, her body moved completely on its own.
He stood up like a conditioned reflex and ran towards Ogata like a conditioned reflex.
At this time, Ogata also threw away the crutches and brocade box in his hands, and limped towards Amachi.
The two people running in both directions bumped into each other and hugged each other.
Amachi threw himself into Ogata's arms in one breath, wrapped his arms around Ogata's neck, and then pressed all his body on Ogata's body.
Ogata, whose body had not yet recovered and could not resist the full weight of Omachi, fell face up on the soft sand with Amachi.
"I can touch it...I'm not hallucinating..."
A murmur floated in his arms that made Ogata want to laugh but feel sad at the same time.
Amachi, who hugged Ogata tightly, rested his face on Ogata's right shoulder and stayed still.
Ogata lowered his eyes and looked at Omachi's face, and saw that she was biting her lower lip, as if she was about to cry.
But while he was about to cry, there was also a smile containing many emotions hanging on the corner of Ating's mouth.
Feeling the body temperature returning from Ogata's body, A-Machi continued to tighten her arms around Ogata's neck, as if she didn't intend to let Ogata leave her like this again.
The softness of the arms, the gentle touch around the neck, and the strength from the tightly clasped arms.
Just like that, Ogata was frozen by the warmth coming from behind.
As if it was about to melt away, Ogata could only feel the pain in various parts of his body dissolving rapidly.
Like A-Machi, Ogata showed an expression that looked like he wanted to cry but also wanted to laugh. He continued to hug A-Machi with his left hand, and raised his right hand to caress A-Machi's hair.
No need for any too many words.
The hug between the two is worth a thousand words.
"Really...where did Miss Atachi go..." Ashu looked around anxiously for Atachi.
Because of her carelessness just now, A-Machi ran away secretly, and now I don't know where she has gone.
Azuki walked forward along the beach, putting his hands on his eyes and looking around for Azuki's figure.
At this moment, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a strange shadow lying on the beach not far away.
Looking intently, Azhu's eyes immediately widened as if he had seen a ghost.
Those strange shadows were two figures hugging each other and falling to the ground.
One of them is none other than Atachi.
And the other person...
Ashu now seemed to have been hit by a bombardment, standing there with a shocked face...
After a while, she finally came back to her senses.
"Miss Kinoshita! Miss Kinoshita! Lord Ittosai is back!" Azuki, whose face was full of ecstasy, spread his legs and ran to find Lin and others.
…
…
Faintly, Ogata seemed to hear the sound of a group of people from Calabash House running towards him in a hurry.
Listening to the sounds that were approaching him, the expression on Ogata's face slowly changed into a smile of relief.
Ogata, who was still lying face up on the beach, saw a flying swallow flying across the sky above him.
This flying swallow flew across the sky, climbed over several hills, and flew over the top of a path where a motorcade was racing along.
"...Lao Zhongsheng."
In the car located in the center of the convoy, Tachibana glanced at Matsudaira Sadanobu who was silently staring at the scenery outside the window for a few times, then he plucked up the courage and asked in a cautious tone:
"That guy... no matter how you look at it, it's the Ogata Ittosai, right? It's exactly the same as the portrait on the wanted poster."
"Is it really okay to let Ogata Ittosai go...?"
…
…
"Sign up all the guards - pack up the camp and leave here tomorrow morning!"
After yelling outside the tent, Matsudaira Sadanobu withdrew his head from outside the tent.
"...If you go all the way north from here, you can go to Mount Koya, and if you go all the way south, you can return to the sea where you almost died."
"Before tomorrow morning... take your things and leave here."
After that, Matsudaira Sadanobu stopped talking to Ogata.
He didn't explain anything to Ogata.
He didn't ask Ogata any more questions.
Just turned around.
He just left Ogata as if... he didn't dare to stay here any longer.
Leaving behind a figure...with a hint of loneliness.
Looking at the side of the bed where Matsudaira Sadanobu was no longer there, Ogata was stunned for a moment.
Then the blank look on his face slowly turned into a weird wry smile.
"Ittosai." At this time, Ogata saw Qingyan getting into the tent again, "What did you just say to Lord Matsudaira?"
Qingyan looked outside the tent in confusion.
"Why does Matsudaira-sama look...sad?"
"...Nothing to talk about. Just...just being honest with him."
Seeing that Ogata didn't seem to want to talk more about the conversation between him and Matsudaira Sadanobu, Aoyan didn't ask any more questions.
"Mr. Ogata."
Qingyan asked Ogata in an unbearably excited tone.
"I was driven away by Lord Matsudaira just now, so I didn't have time to ask."
"May I...ask you a question?"
"How did you provoke Tianlei back then?"
"Can you trust the Buddha?"
Qingyan asked a series of questions related to "Tian Lei" like a barrage of questions...
…
…
"...Tachibana."
Matsudaira Sadanobu said coldly without looking away from the window.
"We have never captured any Ogata Ittosai alive."
"Huh?" Tachibana widened his eyes in shock.
"What? Do you need me to repeat it?" Matsudaira Sadanobu turned his cold eyes to Tachibana.
"No, no, no..." Tachibana quickly shook his head in fear, "No need, no need... You are right, we have never captured any Ogata Ittosai alive."
After looking at Tachibana who had successfully "corrected himself", Matsudaira Sadanobu returned his gaze to the window and looked into the distance.