Sojiro Matsumoto and Saburo Izumi brought Tsubaki and Kitaro into the house one after the other.

As soon as they entered the house, Kitaro and Izumi Saburo found the boy lying on a tatami mat.

"Huh?" Izumi Saburo looked at the young man on the bed in surprise, and then said to Sojiro Matsumoto beside him, "Matsumoto-sama, this person is not from Kijiro's family. ”

"Looking at the costume and appearance, it looks like a samurai." Izumi Saburo approached and continued.

Hearing Izumizaburo's words, Sojiro Matsumoto also put Kitaro aside and walked over.

"This family crest..... It has never been added to the family's territory. Sojiro Matsumoto looked at the family crest on the boy's clothes, then picked up a knife on the side and pulled it out.

Feeling the chill from the weight in his hand and the blade, Sojiro Matsumoto couldn't help but praise, "Good knife!" Such a knife is worth more than 1,000 in the collar of the family, which is really a good knife! ”

But why did a samurai who could wield such a famous sword appear here? Sojiro Matsumoto was puzzled.

Sojiro Matsumoto and Saburo Izumi, as well as the dead Kijiro, were all members of the third squad of the second squadron of the Ashgaru garrison in Ueno Castle. At the time of the Battle of Takekawa, the third squad suffered heavy casualties, leaving only Sojiro Matsumoto and Saburo Izumi alive. Sojiro Matsumoto was also promoted to the head of the second squadron, and Izumi Saburo would take over as the leader of the third squadron if nothing else.

After the Battle of Takekawa, more than half of the garrison of Ueno Castle suffered casualties, and many squads and even squadrons were directly disabled. Like Sojiro Matsumoto's second squadron, it basically needs to be rebuilt. And the 4th Squadron was completely annihilated. (The five seriously injured died on the road due to unsuccessful treatment.) ）

Since Sojiro Matsumoto and Saburo Izumi had just returned to the territory with the army, they had no idea about the arrival of the envoys from the Nagao family and the Asakura family, and they also had no idea about the disappearance of Nagao Keiho.

The two of them didn't stay at Kitaro's house for a long time because they had to go to the homes of several other Ashigaru to return the relics of the fallen Ashigaru.

In the Tsugawa family, there are already clear regulations. However, the bodies of those who died fighting for the Tsugawa family can be buried in Jinguji Temple, and the relics will be returned to their families. Such a rule has slowly become a custom within the Tsugawa clan, and all the ashigaru and samurai are consciously abiding by this "agreement." ”

Half an hour later, Kitaro and Tsubaki slowly opened their eyes, if it weren't for the fact that Kijiro's clothes next to them didn't seem to be fake, Kitaro and Tsubaki would prefer to believe that the scene just happened was a dream.

..........

Nagao Kihei Erjinghu had a dream in which his mother did not pass away and he did not become a monk, and his mother accompanied him through his childhood and youth.............. It's really a warm day, if you can, the long-tailed Jinghu would rather sleep in a dream than wake up.

"Water .........." But the hunger and thirst made the long-tailed Jinghu have to wake up, feeling the dryness in his mouth, and his throat was burning like fire, and the long-tailed Jinghu couldn't help but let out a moan.

Immersed in grief, Kitaro and Tsubaki sat opposite each other and wept silently, and after hearing the movement on the tatami mats, Tsubaki struggled to walk in front of Nagao Keito.

Long-tailed Jinghu felt that someone had walked to his side, so he slowly opened his eyes.

"Are you awake?" Tsubaki looked at the long-tailed Jinghu on the tatami mat, "If Kijiro hadn't died, how good it would be!" Perhaps missing his son, Ah Chun's eyes were full of affection.

Unbeknownst to me, in the eyes of the long-tailed Jinghu, Ah Chun and the appearance of the mother in the dream fit perfectly and overlapped together.

"Mother. Mother? The immature voice of the long-tailed Jinghu came, which directly pierced Ah Chun's heart.

"Woo, my Kijiro!" Ah Chun couldn't hold back anymore, and holding the long-tailed Jinghu was painful.

Perhaps it was the long-lost care and embrace, the long-tailed Jinghu closed his eyes and silently enjoyed everything that could only be had in this dream.

For a long time, perhaps sensing that his behavior was very inappropriate, Ah Chun hurriedly struggled to stand up, and then knelt on the ground and said to the long-tailed Jinghu with a panicked face, "The villain should die, he offended the samurai master, and asked the samurai lord to forgive him!" ”

Kitaro on the side also came to Tsubaki's side and knelt down, this is the honorable samurai master, just now Tsubaki was so rude, if the samurai master blames it, then ..........

However, Nagao Jinghu was not as angry as the two expected, but excitedly helped Tsubaki and Kitaro up, and said with relief, "It's out of the way!" I seemed to faint last night, did you two save me? ”

"Back to the samurai master, it is indeed the villain who saved the adult." Kitaro replied with his head bowed.

Longtail Jinghu looked around for a moment, and then said, "Can you give me some water?" ”

"It would be nice if I could have some more to eat!" Longtail Jinghu then added.

"Wait a minute, the villain will prepare!" Tsubaki and Kitaro hurriedly got up, one to serve water, and the other to prepare food.

A short time later, Kitaro walked in with a jug of water and hung it on the fire in the middle of the house.

"Are you feeling better?" Kitaro said to the long-tailed Keihu on the side.

Longtail Jinghu nodded, "It's better." In the lower Nagao family, the lord of Tochio Castle, Nagao Kihei Erjinghu, thank you for your life-saving grace. After speaking, Nagao Jinghu solemnly bowed to Kitaro.

Kitaro suddenly said in panic: "The adult has killed the villain." "How dare a civilian like Kitaro let a samurai salute him.

Nagawei Jinghu continued disapprovingly, "I heard your crying, is there anything going on at home?" ”

Hearing Nagao Keitor's words, Kitaro sighed, "Just now a samurai came to Ueno Castle and said that the villain's son, Kijiro, has died in battle. So, alas, ......." Kitaro couldn't go on halfway through.

Listening to Kitaro's words, Nagao Keihu said sadly, "The life and death of people are not up to heaven, please mourn." ”

"To be honest, I'm quite envious of your son. At least he grew up with his father and mother, and I ........... "Nagao Jinghu doesn't want to say more."

Nagao Jinghu lost his mother at the age of six, and when he was seven years old, Nagao Weijing also died, and then he was sent to Linquan Temple to become a monk, and it was not until this year that Nagao Harujing was taken out of the temple Yuanfu. Recalling the past, Long-tailed Jinghu couldn't help but feel sad.

At this time, Ah Chun also walked in with a box of meals.

"Adults, there is nothing to eat in the villain's house, please don't dislike these rice balls." Tsubaki placed a few rice balls in the box in front of Nagao Keitor, and then followed Kitaro out of the room.

Looking at the rice balls in the box, Nagao Jinghu suddenly felt that his appetite was high, and he ate the rice balls one by one without any image.

The contented Nagao burped for the scenery, and couldn't help but feel unprecedented happiness, this is the rice ball made by the "mother", something that can only be eaten in dreams.

But at this time, Long-tailed Jinghu seemed to think of something, and quickly stood up from the ground.

"It's been so long, I'm afraid Naoe-sama is already furious, hehe." Long-tailed Jinghu said helplessly, with a slight self-deprecation in his eyes. [.]