My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 479: Chapter 168: Mr. Tachibana, Please Fence with Me! [7600]_2

"Grandfather plans to present this bottle of exquisite sake as a birthday gift at the banquet five days from now to Mr. Bright."

Aoto nodded gently, "I see..."

Aoto didn’t know this Mr. Bright at all and didn’t care about him, so the name "Bright" floated away from Aoto’s mind like a passing cloud as soon as it appeared.

However, upon hearing Elodie mention the term "grandfather," Aoto couldn’t help but recall the scenes he had just witnessed in the study, where Elodie and her grandfather Anthony had a dispute.

Aoto hesitated for a moment, then softly said to Elodie:

"Miss Angoulême, although it might be somewhat inappropriate for an outsider like me to say this... you and your grandfather should get along well, don’t quarrel."

Elodie stared blankly at Aoto, then gave a bitter smile full of apology.

"Mr. Tachibana, allow me to apologize once again for the rather unseemly scene you witnessed in the study just now."

She extended her hands and gently lifted her robe, bowing slightly to Aoto.

"I’m terribly sorry."

"My grandfather and I have already made up."

As she said this, Elodie’s apologetic smile transformed into one that reminded one of the warm sun of spring.

"This is probably just part of my daily life with my grandfather."

"My grandfather and I often quarrel over trivial matters and then quickly make up again."

"When I had just left the study, my grandfather and I had already reconciled."

"I’m so sorry to have worried you."

Aoto breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with relief, "It’s nothing, as long as you and your grandfather have made up."

"By the way, Miss Angoulême, you’re really impressive."

Aoto looked at Elodie with eyes full of admiration.

"What you said in the study just now still echoes in my ears."

"It was spoken so well, I completely agree with your views."

Every word, every sentence that Elodie had said in the study to refute Anthony deeply resonated with Aoto.

Aoto had always believed that one of the most absurd things in this world is that people are too harsh on good people while being too lenient toward bad people.

Just like Elodie had said earlier—people love to hold good people to extremely harsh standards, and if any slight misstep is found, they criticize them intensely. Yet they’re always exceptionally lenient with bad people; as long as they do one good deed, people think maybe they’re not so bad after all.

Therefore, upon hearing Elodie articulate such a profound and agreeable perspective, Aoto was not only pleasantly surprised but also grew a new layer of respect for Elodie.

Elodie is only 12 this year.

In modern terms, Elodie is just a sixth-grade elementary school student.

To have such sharp eloquence at the age of just a sixth-grader... It’s truly impressive.

Aoto’s unexpected praise made Elodie smile shyly, "Those were just my humble opinions; I’m afraid I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you, Mr. Tachibana."

"Hearing my grandfather talk about Cat Monk and Fox Monk in such a way, I couldn’t help but let out all my usual thoughts in one go."

"Now that I think about it, it really wasn’t the right thing to do..."

"How could I argue with my own family in front of guests?"

"It was really inappropriate and quite rude."

After speaking, Elodie folded her delicate, slender hands like green onions in front of her navel and bowed her little head full of guilt and embarrassment.

Seeing Elodie looking ashamed, Aoto couldn’t help but be astonished: Is she really just a 12-year-old girl this year...?

Elodie’s current mood was slightly downcast due to self-reproach... After a moment of thought, Aoto decided to change the topic.

A topic that would hopefully put Elodie in high spirits.

"Miss Angoulême, you really like Cat Monk and Fox Monk, don’t you? You even bought paintings of them."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the corner of Aoto’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Elodie, a close friend of Mukiwa, actually admired Cat Monk and Fox Monk... Even now, Aoto still finds it somewhat surreal.

Currently, throughout all of Edo, there are so many people who revere Cat Monk and Fox Monk, and Elodie happens to be among them.

Should one say it’s quite a coincidence... or perhaps it’s fate...

Aoto brought up this topic to help lift Elodie’s spirits.

The effect was immediate—Elodie, who had been feeling down just moments before, suddenly became lively.

"Yes! I deeply, deeply respect Cat Monk and Fox Monk!" Elodie lifted her head, her eyes shining, and her fair cheeks began to glow with a rosy hue.

Earlier in the study, before Elodie and Anthony had a dispute, Aoto noticed that Elodie seemed to have the trait of having her face flush red whenever she got excited or stimulated.

Just like now—after mentioning people she admired and respected, Elodie’s white little face turned visibly rosy with excitement.

"The moment I first learned about Cat Monk and Fox Monk’s deeds, I held them in great respect!"

"I asked Miss Leroy to help me find every painting available on the market related to Cat Monk and Fox Monk."

"I wanted to put all these collected paintings in places where I could see them often, so I argued with my grandfather for quite a while until I finally convinced him to let me hang these paintings in the areas of the house where I spend most of my time."