"Lao Zhong-sama is there to control the situation, so it is impossible to prevent that Ji Tairou from getting a good ranking in the 'Gozen Trial Match' by manipulating it."

"That's it..." Makimura smiled helplessly and raised his hand to scratch his hair, "Hasegawa-sama, you actually want to ask me to participate in the 'Gozen Trial Match'..."

"I definitely won't be able to participate in the 'Imperial Trial Match'."

"I haven't even read the Four Books and Five Classics in full."

"I'm sure I won't even be able to pass the initial essay test."

"So I definitely can't help."

"As for Brother Ogata..."

Having said this, the expression on Makimura's face became quite strange.

"Hasegawa-sama, what should I say to you... You actually plan to ask Ogata to help you..."

"You are the commander of Huo Fu Thieves."

"Brother Ogata only committed the serious crime of attacking Nijo Castle three months ago and causing the castle tower of Nijo Castle to be burned down."

"As a thief turned commander, you actually want to ask the most notorious criminal in the country for help... Should I say you are brave... or should I say you are abnormal..."

As soon as Makimura finished speaking, Hasegawa chuckled a few times.

"Makimura, although I am the commander of the Huo Tie Gai, I have arrested countless criminals."

"But don't think of me as someone who is rigid, doesn't know how to adapt, and can't tolerate a grain of dust in his eyes."

"You probably don't know what kind of person I was when I was young, right?"

"When I was young, I was a person who liked to eat, drink, whore, and gamble, and I was always fighting with people on the street."

"Do you think I might be a rigid person who doesn't know how to adapt?"

"'Be upright when you should be upright, and turn a blind eye when you should turn a blind eye' - this is my code of conduct."

"I can't imagine the consequences of not having enough people to attend the stadium."

"For the sake of sufficient personnel, I can't take care of so much."

"Anyway, this is not the first time that I have worked hand in hand with Ogata Ittousai. I already fought side by side with Ogata Ittousai three months ago in Kyoto."

"Besides...what's the point of asking Ogata Ittosai to help..."

"I have to build a fire-paying bandit reform and operate a foot-training station. The funds issued to me by the shogunate are simply not enough."

"In order to have enough money to run the pedagogy, I did something bolder than asking Ogata Ittosai."

"And I'm still doing this now."

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Hasegawa's face.

"What I'm doing to raise money is so bold."

"If those high-level people in the shogunate find out what I am doing now, it would be considered a minor offense to immediately remove me from my post. They might even have to commit hara-kiri directly to apologize."

"But I have already been aware and prepared for this."

After hearing what Hasegawa said, a look of shock and astonishment appeared on Makimura's face.

"Hasegawa-sama, what have you done? To the extent that if you are discovered, you may have to commit seppuku... Could it be that you are involved in human trafficking?"

"Who do you think I am? I would not do such a despicable thing." Hasegawa said angrily, "What I did was not such a treacherous and evil thing."

"But it's not something worth bragging about. So I don't want to tell you what I've been doing to raise money."

"Let's stop this topic right here."

"Let's get back to the point, Makimura."

"Although some people say that Ogata Ittousai died in Nijo Castle, until now there are various opinions about whether Ogata Ittousai is dead or alive."

"But I feel that a person like Ogata Ittousai, who can ride a thousand horses at once, will never die like this."

"Ogata Ittousai should still be alive, right?"

Although Hasegawa's sentence is in the form of a question, its tone is that of an affirmative sentence.

"Did Ogata Ittosai come to Edo with you? Or is he in the Kanto region now?"

"If Ogata Ittousai is in Edo or the surrounding area of ​​Edo right now, can you contact Ogata Ittousai for me so that I can talk to Ogata Ittousai?"

Looking at Hasegawa with a sincere face, Makimura, whose face was full of complicated emotions, sighed softly after being silent for a while.

"...Hasegawa-sama, you are right. Brother Ogata is not dead. He is still alive and kicking now."

"Perhaps after a while, you will know about Ogata Ittosai being active somewhere."

"But he is not in Edo, nor is he in the Kanto region."

"I don't know where he is now."

"After we said goodbye in Kyoto, I never saw him again."

"He said he wanted to travel to the north, and he might have gone to the Aizu Domain now."

Makimura panicked casually.

Hearing Makimura's answer, Hasegawa had a very obvious look of disappointment on his face.

"Isn't Ogata Ittousai nearby now... Well, that's fine."

"Then...Makimura, are you willing to help me and participate in the 'Imperial Trial Match'?"

"Hasegawa-sama, did I just say that?" Makimura smiled bitterly, "I haven't even read all the Four Books and Five Classics."

"A person like me who has not even read the Four Books and Five Classics will definitely not be able to pass the literary test even if he takes part in the 'Yuqian Examination'."

"That's it... ugh..."

After letting out another long sigh, Hasegawa leaned over and bowed to Makimura.

"I'm really sorry for taking up so much of your time tonight."

"If so." Makimura hurriedly returned the gesture, "I have a lot of time anyway."

"Tonight, please be sure not to tell anyone else. After all..."

Before Hasegawa finished speaking, Makimura immediately answered:

"I understand. I won't talk nonsense. Even if I talk nonsense, I don't have anyone to talk to..."

Hasegawa slowly stood up.

"Makimura, I'll take you to the door of our headquarters of Huofu Thieves."

"Ah, that's all for you. The headquarters of your bandit gang is quite big. If there's no one to lead the way, I might really get lost."

After saying this witty remark, Makimura picked up his Odachi and stood up slowly following Hasegawa.

…

…

The timeline returns to the present——

"Good guy."

After Makimura finished telling the details of the Natong spy he had just met with Hasegawa, the first person to express his thoughts was Asai.

"Hasegawa will definitely ask you to keep the contents of tonight's spy secret for this kind of matter related to political struggle, right? But you just came back from the Huofu Thieves Reform Headquarters, and you directly leaked the secret to us."

As soon as Asai finished speaking, Makimura said angrily:

"Hasegawa did tell me that he wanted me to keep it a secret."

"I also promised Hasegawa at that time: I would never talk nonsense."

"The content of my promise is 'I won't say anything casually'."

"I'm telling you the contents of the spy. Doesn't this fall into the category of 'talking nonsense'?"

As soon as Makimura finished speaking, Mamiya said:

"You actually hid the fact that Ogata-kun is in Edo from Hasegawa."

Makimura shrugged: "I will not reveal Brother Ogata's whereabouts casually without Brother Ogata's permission."

"Hasegawa-sama actually wants Ogata-sama to participate in the 'Gozen Trial Match'..." Shimada muttered, "Without disguise, Ogata-sama would not be able to participate in the 'Gozen Trial Match' at all."

"As long as you say the name 'Ogata Issei', you will definitely be surrounded by a bunch of official officials."

"Hasegawa-sama must also understand this, but he actually plans to let Ogata-sama participate in the "Gozen Trial". Could it be that he has some means to help Ogata-sama disguise himself?"

"Probably so." Mamiya on the side responded, "Hasegawa-sama is, after all, the commander of the Hōfu Thieves Kai. It is normal for him to have one or two means at his disposal that can help others disguise themselves."

"Um...I've been wanting to ask this question since just now." Amachi suddenly asked in a cautious tone, "What is that 'people's foot yard'?"

"That's something that Mr. Hasegawa built three years ago... it's incredible."

Makimura replied.

"Three years ago, when Hasegawa-sama first took office as the new commander of the Huofu Thieves Kai, he overcame all opinions and built a manpower station."
To be continued...