Chapter 421: Chapter 153: Duo Infiltration! Aoto and Mai’s Peerless Stealth Operation [1W Release Special]

"An abandoned tea house, yet so many samurai are guarding it... I highly suspect this tea house is a base for some anti-foreigner faction."

"...Hmm." Aoto, who had been listening intently to Mukiwa’s account, lightly nodded at this moment, "This tea house... it’s indeed very suspicious..."

"So, Mr. Tachibana, I want to invite you to investigate that tea house with me," Mukiwa said seriously, "Last night, I was trapped on the third floor and couldn’t even get close to the stairs leading to the second because there were too many guards in the tea house. Even if I wanted to knock them all out, I was too weak to fight all those samurai alone."

"But with your help, the situation would be different."

"With your help, the two of us together could try to take down all those guards!"

"Once those obstructive guards are gone, we can easily sneak into the second and first floors of the tea house to see what exactly is going on!"

Just as Mukiwa finished speaking, Aoto couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth, then he commented with a strange expression:

"Taking down all the guards... that’s not really called sneaking in, is it?"

"An elder once taught me—" Mukiwa’s face, hidden under the black scarf, revealed a smiling expression, "As long as no one discovers you, it’s a perfect infiltration. And there are many ways to ensure you’re not discovered."

"Your elder’s thoughts are quite ahead of their time..." Aoto chuckled softly.

The words of the elder Mukiwa mentioned reminded Aoto of a well-known saying online in his previous life: As long as you kill all the enemies, it’s a perfect infiltration.

Aoto composed his mind and began to carefully consider the new commission Mukiwa had just put forward.

In less than 3 seconds of thought, Aoto gently nodded toward Mukiwa:

"I understand. Let’s go, let’s see what’s going on with that tea house together."

Mukiwa seemed to have not expected Aoto’s response to be so straightforward, and was momentarily stunned, but then the bewilderment on her face quickly turned to a look of joy.

Aoto pulled down the black fox mask tied on his head, covering his face, and together with Mukiwa, they left the dark alley one after the other under the cover of night.

Tonight was a cloudy, moonless night, so leaving the dark alley was merely moving from one darkness to another.

Just out of the alley, Mukiwa, walking in front, suddenly turned around and smiled at Aoto:

"...Thank you, Mr. Tachibana."

"Hmm? Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for being willing to help me." Mukiwa’s eyes curved into attractive crescents as she smiled.

Aoto smiled lightly: "Oh, this is what you’re thanking me for... no need for excessive gratitude."

"I promised you—if you ever encounter anything that requires my assistance again, I will provide help to the best of my ability."

"I’m merely fulfilling my promise to you."

"Moreover..."

Aoto’s tone shifted, his gaze slowly turning solemn.

"The tea house you stumbled upon is very likely a base for the ’Radical Anti-foreigner Faction’... Since it’s a matter related to the ’Radical Anti-foreigner Faction,’ I cannot just sit by and do nothing."

For some unknown reason, Aoto had a feeling of "not trusting her to be left alone" when it came to Mukiwa.

Therefore, on the night he learned that Mukiwa was actually the Cat Monk, when Mukiwa asked him, "If you happen to encounter something that needs your assistance in the future, would you be willing to help me again?" Aoto solemnly nodded to her, and this action was not on a whim.

He sincerely wished to offer all possible assistance to this 15-year-old girl filled with a strong sense of justice.

Moreover, as Aoto had just said... even if their agreement was not taken into consideration, just the fact that "the tea house might be connected to the Radical Anti-foreigner Faction" was a compelling reason for Aoto to not ignore Mukiwa’s request for help.

To uproot the Anti-foreigner Group—this was Aoto’s most intense and urgent desire now.

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that as long as the Anti-foreigner Group wasn’t completely eradicated, Aoto couldn’t entirely be at ease.

Even before Aoto offended the Anti-foreigner Group, they targeted him for the absurd reason of "having served at the United States Embassy for some time."

Subsequent clashes with the Anti-foreigner Group left Aoto with a lasting and irreparable grudge against them.

This group of lunatics dared to set fire to the Castle Town of Edo to achieve their goals. What wouldn’t they dare to do?

Based on Mukiwa’s various descriptions, the tea house was highly likely being used as a base by the troublemaking "Radical Anti-foreigner Faction."

The samurai occupying this tea house could very well be members of the Anti-foreigner Group—if only for this possibility, Aoto, eager to eradicate the Anti-foreigner Group, felt he had to accompany Mukiwa, no matter what.

Mukiwa heard but ignored Aoto’s remark, "Since it’s a matter related to the ’Radical Anti-foreigner Faction,’ I cannot just sit by and do nothing"... Her mind and attention were entirely focused on Aoto’s earlier remark, "I’m merely fulfilling my promise to you."

Mukiwa’s gaze paused momentarily, and then she quickly turned her vision back forward, pulling her black scarf higher on her face until it was snug against her eyelids, covering her slightly flushed cheeks thoroughly with it.