Chapter 295: Chapter 123: The Sudden Appearance of Cat Monk

The subordinates’ requests came to the North Guard Station like pieces of paper: What should we do now? Should we continue to monitor the movements of the Anti-foreigner Group? Or should we abandon the operation and assist the people in escaping the fire?

While Hosoi and Atsukawa were overwhelmed, a Jishinban Official suddenly rushed to the North Guard Station in a hurry.

He said he was sent by Tachibana Aoto, with important intelligence to report: The Foreign Language Research Institute is under attack by a large group of unidentified individuals! And this group of unidentified individuals is suspected to be the Anti-foreigner Group! Requesting additional reinforcements to rush to the Foreign Language Research Institute!

Although the fire was urgent, firefighting was ultimately not within the jurisdiction of their Magistrate’s Office.

After all, the first objective of their Magistrate’s Office tonight was still to track the Anti-foreigner Group!

Thus, upon hearing the intelligence reported by this Jishinban Official, Hosoi and others first felt shocked, and then quickly reacted: immediately dispatched all the available forces to rush to the Foreign Language Research Institute.

Under Hosoi’s orders, Arima led the main force to the Foreign Language Research Institute—and that is another story.

The timely discovery of the traces of the Anti-foreigner Group, and bravely rushing forward to fight them, saving many people including Katsu Rintarō, bought a lot of time for the large forces of the Magistrate’s Office to arrive... For a moment, Hosoi couldn’t think of what words or phrases to use to praise Aoto for his various achievements tonight.

Hosoi was happily praising him—but there was no hint of joy on Aoto’s face.

"Was it thanks to me timely discovering the traces of the Anti-foreigner Group..." Aoto softly repeated the praise Hosoi just gave him, then bitterly smiled, "Lord Hosoi, the person who discovered the traces of the Anti-foreigner Group in time... was not me."

"Huh?" Hosoi’s eyes widened.

Arima and the others around him also showed surprised expressions at this moment.

"Wasn’t it you who discovered the Anti-foreigner Group?" Hosoi blinked hard twice, "Then how did you realize that the members of the Anti-foreigner Group were infiltrating the Foreign Language Research Institute?"

"Because..." Aoto paused as he spoke.

He pressed his lips together, and after a moment, continued with a strange expression:

"Because it was Cat Monk who informed me."

"Cat Monk?!" Hosoi, doubting whether he had misheard, widened his already wide-open eyes even further, and instinctively leaned his body to the side to bring his left ear closer to Aoto.

This matter ultimately couldn’t be concealed or deceived.

Since the truth must eventually be told, it might as well be revealed now.

Aoto sorted out his wording, then cleared his throat—

...

...

Time rewinds to when Aoto and the others were still at the fire scene in Jian-cho—

"Tachibana Aoto! Catch this!"

The gender-neutral voice from behind Aoto instantly drew everyone’s attention around.

Aoto, equally surprised, turned around quickly, raising his gaze in the direction the voice was coming from.

He saw a small figure standing on a shop behind him.

He was dressed in black, with a black headscarf and face veil, slightly loose black clothes and black hakama, wearing black gloves and black tabi, the only part of his body exposed being his eyes.

Looking at this suspiciously dressed fellow standing on the roof, Nagakura, Harada, and Fujimura quickly drew and raised their respective weapons with serious expressions.

The Town Fire Extinguisher Officials around were also observing this mysterious figure with various expressions.

Only Aoto and Saito had odd expressions on their faces.

Aoto recognized this person...

He had recently encountered this person... and acquired a strange talent from him.

"Cat Monk...?" Aoto softly called the name of this person, in a voice only he could hear.

The black-clothed figure who suddenly appeared was the infamous Phantom Thief: Cat Monk.

Aoto barely had time to be surprised by Cat Monk’s sudden appearance at this time and place, as he saw Cat Monk suddenly raise his right hand in front of everyone’s eyes and throw something forcefully at Aoto. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The object hit the muddy ground by Aoto’s feet, splattering bits of mud.

Aoto looked intently—it turned out to be a paper ball wrapping some hard object.

Cat Monk shouted again with his gender-neutral voice, "Look at that paper! There’s danger at the Foreign Language Research Institute!"

After shouting this sentence, Cat Monk turned around without looking back and leaped into the unseen darkness behind the shop.

Nagakura and others instinctively wanted to chase but were stopped by Aoto.

"Do not chase! That’s Cat Monk, you can’t catch him!"

When Aoto first encountered Cat Monk, Cat Monk’s displayed speed and his agile figure that could maneuver through rooftops and narrow alleys left a deep impression on Aoto.

To chase Cat Monk through the streets of Edo... they’d likely run their legs off and still not catch him.

"Cat Monk?" Harada’s eyes bulged, then he raised his head, looking in the direction Cat Monk disappeared.

Similarly, seeing the infamous Phantom Thief for the first time, Nagakura, and Fujimura were also looking in the direction of Cat Monk’s departure with curious and astonished eyes, just like Harada.

——Danger at the Foreign Language Research Institute...?

Aoto pondered Cat Monk’s shout in his heart while bending down to pick up the paper ball Cat Monk had just thrown at his feet.

This paper contained an ordinary stone—probably to weigh it down so it could be thrown to Aoto’s feet.