After the fat man left, the other two immediately sheathed their swords and swiftly followed behind him.
It wasn't long before the three figures disappeared completely from Aoto's line of sight.
Watching the three leave, Aoto let out a long breath, feeling a sense of relief.
He didn't pursue them.
He would have been out of his mind to chase those three.
If they were unarmed, Aoto might have had some confidence in using his previous life's martial skills to take them down, but the problem was that they all carried swords.
Moreover, not knowing their background, recklessly chasing after them might lead to an ambush or other dangers.
To have this "sudden attack" end in such a peaceful manner was already an extremely fortunate outcome.
The previously tense nerves relaxed all at once.
Only then did Aoto realize that at some unknown point, his back had been slightly soaked with cold sweat.
More and more onlookers with bold curiosity began to gather around, looking at Aoto, who still held his sword, with suspicious and wary eyes.
"Everyone, please don't be alarmed."
Aoto sheathed his sword while hastily speaking.
"I am a dōshin with the Fixed Town Patrol of the North Town Magistrate's Office—Tachibana Aoto."
Saying this, Aoto lifted the right hem of his feathered robe, revealing the jitte with a red tassel on its hilt at his right waist, along with the seal cage hanging there.
[Note: A seal cage is a small box-shaped lacquerware, commonly worn by samurai during the Edo Era as a waist decoration. Although mainly for decorative purposes, it had some practicality, being used to store small items like money or keys, serving as a pocket.]
Aoto always carried a "staff-specialized seal cage" issued by the magistrate's office on his right waist.
The black body was decorated with golden three-leafed sunflowers and various ornamental patterns—a seal cage only owned by samurai working at the magistrate's office.
In Edo Era Japan, tokens were not commonly used, with the seal cage taking on some of the token's roles.
Once Aoto revealed the seal cage that only samurai employed at the magistrate's office would own, and the blunt weapon that only "police" would carry: a jitte, the surrounding onlookers' suspicion and wariness faded significantly.
"I was merely attacked by thugs just now, it was nothing serious," Aoto continued, "Everyone, please disperse, don't gather here!"
These onlookers who dared to step out of their homes came mostly out of curiosity.
Seeing no excitement to be had, they quickly scattered.
Having successfully sent off these onlookers, Aoto let out another long breath.
—Those three just now... who exactly were they?
—Calling me a national traitor for venerating barbarians?
While wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Aoto searched through the "Original Tachibana Aoto's" memories.
In just a brief moment, he found the identities of those three in the "Original Tachibana Aoto's" memories.
And once he understood who those three were, black lines appeared on Aoto's face...
...
...
Edo, Hachidori-bori—
Following the "Original Tachibana Aoto's" memory, Aoto arrived at a place called Hachidori-bori.
This area was a samurai residence area, where almost all officials from the magistrate's office lived in the district named Hachidori-bori.
It was his first time walking this way home, yet thanks to the "Original Tachibana Aoto's" memories, Aoto felt a strangely familiar ease.
After turning into two small alleys, Aoto stood before the door of an ordinary small house.
Before entering, Aoto once again scanned his surroundings with a wary eye.
Confirming that no one was indeed following him, he reached out to open the door.
"I'm back."
Thud, thud, thud.
Just as Aoto opened the door and entered the small house, footsteps echoed from inside.
Soon after, an elderly man with white hair and beard emerged from the depths of the house,
Gliding towards Aoto as if in a sliding motion, he knelt before Aoto in salute.
"Welcome back, Young Master! Here, let me take your sword... Ah! Young Master! What happened to your leg?!"
"It's nothing," Aoto smiled wryly at the old man, "I was just attacked by the 'Anti-foreigner Faction' again."
This old man was named Kyūbē, and he served the Tachibana family.
Kyūbē, considered a senior within the Tachibana family, had come to serve Aoto's father even before Aoto's parents had married.
After Aoto's father died, Kyūbē began to serve Aoto.
By this reckoning, Kyūbē had served their family for nearly 30 years.
For someone who had devoted most of his life to serving their family and still diligently worked, the "Original Tachibana Aoto" always held him in high regard, so their master-servant relationship was extraordinarily harmonious.
Aoto had no siblings and had yet to start a family.
With his parents deceased and no other family, Kyūbē was Aoto's only family member at present.
Upon hearing the term "Anti-foreigner Faction" from Aoto's mouth, Kyūbē's face turned pale.
"T-The 'Anti-foreigner Faction' again... those people are truly outrageous... Young Master, you only worked at the United States embassy for a while, why must they attack you again and again... If they really want to expel foreigners, they should go after the real barbarians... Ah! Young Master, please come in! I'll tend to your wound!"