So Zonghai temporarily came up with this rhetoric to persuade Matsudaira Sadanobu.

The culprit that caused the islanders on Butterfly Island to turn into cannibals was a special power - this was actually said casually by Zong Hai.

The reason why he casually said that the cause of the "Ogre Rebellion" was a special power was just to facilitate him to convince Matsudaira Sadanobu to make up his mind to study the Ogres and leave the butterfly islanders like them a way out.

After saying these words, Zonghai immediately couldn't wait to observe the change in Matsudaira Sadanobu's expression.

Although it was very subtle, Zonghai did notice that Matsudaira Sadanobu's expression was slightly different after hearing what he just said.

Matsudaira Sadanobu cast a meaningful gaze on Zonghai.

After a while, Matsudaira Sadanobu finally opened his mouth slightly, which had been closed since just now.

In a state of anxiety, Zonghai finally waited for Matsudaira Sadanobu's answer...

…

…

After Sokai and Matsumoto Kiyohito set out to negotiate with the shogunate, Konnosuke and others all lay on the railing of the warship, waiting for Sokai and his companions to return.

After waiting anxiously for nearly an hour, they finally saw Zonghai and Matsumoto appear in their field of vision again.

The two returned to the warship in the small boat in which they set out.

As soon as they boarded the deck of the warship, Konnosuke and others gathered around Sokai and the others with nervous expressions on their faces.

"Sokai..." Kinnosuke took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, "What did the people from the shogunate say...?"

Zonghai did not immediately answer Kinnosuke's question.

Instead, he looked around at the surrounding islanders expressionlessly.

Then--

Smile slightly.

"Fortunately, I did not disgrace my life."

As Zong Hai said these words, cheers that seemed to lift the entire sky immediately erupted on the deck.

Zonghai simply told everyone the conditions Matsudaira Sadanobu offered them - that he could let them live.

But they will be placed on an uninhabited desert island not far from Butterfly Island.

Although they no longer have freedom, the shogunate will ensure their daily food and safety.

And their obligation is to obey the shogunate's arrangements obediently and not leave the island without the shogunate's permission. At the same time, they must cooperate with their research on cannibals.

For Konosuke and the others, as long as they can continue to live, that's all.

Even though life may be very frustrating, as long as you can continue to live, that's fine.

As long as you can stay alive, these obligations are nothing to worry about.

Because he was too excited, Konnosuke hugged Zonghai directly.

"Zong Hai...thank you for your hard work..."

In response to Kinnosuke's thanks, Zonghai just smiled and said nothing.

Zong Hai raised his head.

I looked at the sky that had been dyed orange by the sunset.

Then he whispered at a volume that only he could hear clearly:

"Donor Ogata... we... survived..."

…

…

After the warship on which Kinnosuke, Sokai and the other islanders were sailing left Butterfly Island, Ogata and the four of them took one of the small boats carried on the warship and parted ways with Konnosuke and the others.

The direction Ogata and the others left was—towards the south toward the depths of the sea.

Make a large circle offshore, go around far away from the shogunate army camp, and then land - this is Ogata's plan.

However, after parting ways with Konnosuke and the others, Ogata and the others did not leave immediately.

Instead, they always kept a distance from the warship that Konnosuke and the others were riding on so that they could always see the figure of the warship.

The main reason why they did not leave immediately was because Ogata and the others wanted to know whether Kinnosuke and the others had succeeded in convincing the shogunate officials.

Even though they were quite far apart, Ogata and the others could clearly hear waves of huge cheers coming from the warship.

Hearing the cheers, Makimura had a happy smile on his face and said:

"It seems... Konnosuke and the others succeeded..."

"Yes." Mamiya also sighed, then took the two oars next to him, "Then - let's set off too."

After dipping the two oars into the sea water, Mamiya rowed the boat with extremely skillful techniques, and the boat moved quickly on the sea at a somewhat scary speed.

"Mamiya, can you row a boat?" Ogata couldn't help but asked Mamiya.

"I once learned the methods and techniques of canoeing in Satsuma."

"I don't know if the people of the shogunate will really keep their promise and will never take their lives from Konnosuke again..." A-Machi, who was sitting next to Ogata, couldn't help but muttered like this.

"Who knows..." Ogata couldn't help but shrugged, "This kind of thing is beyond our control."

"I can only hope that the officials of the shogunate will really keep their promises, and I hope that Konno helps them with good luck..."

Speaking of this, Ogata couldn't help but turn around and glance at the warship that was rapidly shrinking from the field of vision.

"I feel like Kinnosuke, Sokai and the others are a little pitiful..."

Ogata said softly.

"If you want a way out, you have to negotiate with others in a low voice."

"You have to say 'use us as experimental subjects' to find a way out..."

As for the rhetoric Sokai planned to use to persuade the shogunate to let them live, Sokai informed Ogata and others before the separation.

"There is no way." Makimura answered expressionlessly, "No matter how the times develop, these helpless ordinary people will always have the most miserable life."

"Just to live, helpless civilians like Kinnosuke and Sokai have to do their best and even have to give up their self-respect and freedom, something that is extremely precious to others."

After hearing Makimura's words, Ogata couldn't help but lower his eyes and glance at his calloused hands.

"...How strong do I need to be so that I can't be like Konnosuke, Sokai and the others who have to humbly beg for help..."

Ogata's tone sounded like he was asking someone else, but also like he was asking himself.

"Become unparalleled in the world!"

Mamiya, who was sitting in Ogata's seat and carefully maneuvering the boat, said casually.

"Whenever you become as unparalleled as Lord Gendai and can defeat thousands of troops with one person, you will be able to regard the shogunate as nothing."

"Is it unparalleled in the world..."

Ogata chewed on the word Mamiya just uttered, raised his head and looked at the orange sky.

His face looked thoughtful.
Chapter completed!