——Spatial awareness?

Strong spatial awareness... Aoto came to understand why Harada was so good at gauging the distance between himself and his opponent.

This talent might not be very useful in everyday life, but in combat, it’s incredibly valuable.

Having strong spatial awareness means being able to better perceive the distance from the enemy, avoiding the basic mistakes of "not retreating when needed, not advancing when needed."

If Aoto ever wanted to become a painter or an architect in the future, this talent would be quite useful—although Aoto had no intentions of becoming an artist or architect whatsoever.

Overall, it’s a very valuable talent.

To have gotten two extremely useful talents from both Harada and Fujimura at once... Aoto couldn’t help but feel delighted.

Harada had already put down his wooden spear, and as the assessment ended, Kiryu, Mukiwa, and Nagakura, who had been watching from the side, walked towards Aoto at a leisurely pace.

As they reached Aoto’s side, Kiryu was the first to ask:

"Mr. Tachibana, your leg strength... compared to the battle at the Plum Blossom Festival and Little Chiba Sword Dojo before, it seems to have enhanced quite a bit. Have you been undergoing some special training lately?"

"Uh, yes." Aoto nodded vigorously and then quickly came up with a lie on the spot, "I’ve been focusing on strengthening my legs recently."

Besides using "recent special training" as an excuse, Aoto couldn’t think of a better explanation for why his legs suddenly became much stronger.

Kiryu seemed unconcerned with the matter, nodding slightly with a smile after hearing Aoto’s explanation and said:

"I see, so it seems Mr. Tachibana is also of a physique that easily enhances."

"I have a... an old friend with whom I’ve shared exactly 70 years of friendship."

A reminiscent smile appeared on Kiryu’s face.

"He is just like you, his physique easily enhances. Though he never appeared to train arduously, his physical condition just skyrocketed incredibly fast, making others extremely envious."

It seemed that Kiryu was successfully swayed by Aoto’s earlier explanation.

Aoto felt somewhat fortunate for being able to gloss over the issue so easily...

Aoto didn’t notice—Mukiwa, standing slightly to Kiryu’s rear, was regarding him with a rather strange expression.

After hearing Aoto’s explanation for his increased leg strength, she blinked forcefully at Aoto, with faint confusion gleaming in her pupils.

Next, a contemplative look appeared on her cheeks.

A moment later, as though she had solved some puzzle in her mind, her contemplative expression suddenly disappeared, her eyes widened, lips slightly parted, as she took in a soft intake of breath.

Deep within her eyes, confusion gradually transformed into... a look of being moved.

Mukiwa tightly pressed her lips, casting appreciative glances at Aoto.

But due to the angle of her gaze and Aoto’s current focus, he completely missed Mukiwa’s subtle change in expression.

Aoto was currently focusing his attention on Harada and Fujimura, who were closing in on him.

"Mr. Tachibana, how is it?" Kiryu glanced at Harada, Fujimura, and the nearby Nagakura, then asked with a smile, "Are the people I selected for you satisfactory?"

Aoto’s lips curled slightly: "Boss Kiryu, I was right to turn to you for help with selecting candidates."

Originally, Aoto had never expected all his undercover informants to be outstanding martial artists, as that seemed unrealistic. He would have been content if Kiryu could find three physically robust, hardworking people for him.

He never expected... that Kiryu would be so competent, recommending three top-notch experts to him.

Regarding Harada and Fujimura’s performance in the assessment earlier... Aoto could only describe it as "if still dissatisfied, then that would indeed be too greedy."

The exceptional skills of both individuals greatly exceeded Aoto’s expectations.

Nagakura, Harada, Fujimura... Aoto felt that, with the abilities these three possess, they could completely suppress most of the apprentices at Shiwei Hall.

Especially Nagakura, from a spar about a month ago, the sense of pressure Nagakura exerted on him left Aoto with a vivid memory.

Passing on these three people... might mean a long time in the future without finding more outstanding candidates than them.

Thus—Aoto shifted his gaze, sweeping over the faces of Nagakura, Harada, and Fujimura before speaking resolutely:

"Let me confirm: you three really wish to come under my wing as my undercover informants, right?"

As soon as Aoto’s voice fell, Nagakura, Harada, and Fujimura all nodded firmly without a second thought.

After nodding, Harada chuckled warmly: "A job with a monthly reward of 2 liang of gold, and one that doesn’t require much thinking. Missing it would make it hard to find another opportunity like this."

After confirming that the three indeed wished to join him, Aoto... smiled:

"In that case... are you three free this noon?"

"Come have lunch with me later. I’ll treat you to a good meal."

"Since we’ll be working together afterward, it’s important for everyone to get to know each other well."

Upon hearing Aoto’s words, Nagakura, Harada, and Fujimura were initially taken aback, but soon all displayed looks of excitement.