He hadn't had time to say anything when Kondo saw the note and his eyes widened.
"This is... Were you introduced by Mr. Kiryu?"
"Yes." Aoto quickly nodded, "Mr. Kiryu introduced me to your dojo."
"Were you introduced by Mr. Kiryu..."
Kondo's brow furrowed slightly with hesitation.
After a long pause, he finally let out a deep breath and nodded forcefully:
"...Alright, since you were recommended by Mr. Kiryu, let's make an exception this time."
"Alright—pay the admission fee today and write your information in the apprentice register. Later, when the master returns, you can formally present your induction gift. How does that sound?"
To Aoto, these entry procedures were of little concern; as long as it allowed him to quickly start learning swordsmanship and fighting, it was fine.
"Of course." Aoto nodded firmly without hesitation.
"Then, follow me inside!"
Kondo turned around, picked up the bucket and cloth he had thrown onto the ground earlier, and led Aoto briskly into Shiwei Hall.
Shiwei Hall was a typical architectural style of this era—a house surrounded by a clay wall, with a small courtyard in the gap between the house and the wall.
As Aoto tucked the note given by Mr. Kiryu back into his chest, he curiously asked Kondo.
"Mr. Kondo, does your dojo have a close relationship with Boss Kiryu from the Thousand Affairs House?"
"Hmm... To be precise, it's with my father... ah, that is, with the master that there is a deep relationship." Kondo remarked sentimentally, "Back then, when the master planned to establish Shiwei Hall here, Mr. Kiryu helped us a lot."
"Father?" Hearing Kondo's unintentional mention of "father," Aoto raised his eyebrows.
He suddenly recalled—Boss Kiryu seemed to have mentioned to him earlier: the current hall master and master of Shiwei Hall is the third-generation leader of the Natural Reason Heart School: Kondo Shuuzo.
And the Kondo Isami in front of him happens to share the same surname.
"I didn't expect you to be the young master of this sword dojo." Aoto smiled, "Being the young master of a sword dojo must be tough, right? You have to help manage the dojo, and when practicing swordsmanship, you face extra 'attention.'
"Indeed." Kondo sighed with a wry smile, "I've received more scoldings since childhood than any of the other senior and junior brothers in the dojo... Well, it's a duty that people like us have to bear."
After a few simple exchanges, the atmosphere between them became much more harmonious.
"Mr. Tachibana, have you learned swordsmanship before?"
"I only learned a bit of the basics from my late father, almost equivalent to not having learned swordsmanship."
"So, you have some foundation then."
Kondo then lowered his gaze, looking at the seal cage hanging at Aoto's right waist.
"You have the magistrate's seal cage at your waist. I wonder if you are serving at the North Guard Station or at the South Guard Station?"
This seal cage, which could prove his identity working at the City Government, Aoto always carried with him, always attached to his right waist.
"Hmm." Aoto nodded, "I serve at the North Town Magistrate's Office. I am a dōshin of the Fixed Town Patrol."
"Fixed Town Patrol?"
Kondo's expression froze, as if he had heard an incredible secret.
The burly man turned his gaze to Aoto, slowly showing a look of admiration.
"I didn't expect you to be a dōshin of the Fixed Town Patrol..."
"You might not know—I have always greatly admired the 'Three Times' samurai who tirelessly maintain Edo's security."
"It's always been exhausting for you all, running around maintaining Edo's security."
With these words, Kondo stopped, solemnly bowing to Aoto.
"You're too kind." The somewhat helpless Aoto stood sideways, refusing Kondo's gesture, "We're merely doing what we're supposed to do."
In later generations, Edo, which would be renamed Tokyo, is currently Japan's largest city.
To prevent the magistrate responsible for governing Edo from wielding too much power, Edo was divided into two Magistrate's Offices—the North Town Magistrate's Office and the South Town Magistrate's Office, respectively managed by the North and South Town Magistrates.
Simply put—Edo has two City Governments, two Mayors.
The place where Aoto currently serves is the North Town Magistrate's Office.
The most brazen and significant privilege possessed by the Samurai class is their hereditary titles and salaries.
The Edo Era in Japan did not have an examination system; rather, it employed a hereditary title and salary system similar to China's Pre-Qin period.
The ones responsible for holding positions in the government were the Samurai class.
Only members of the Samurai class could hold government positions; commoners absolutely had no right to hold office. Some positions could even only be held by specific Samurai families.
Commoners could only endlessly revolve within the "farmers, artisans, traders" these three classes, never acquiring official status.
In modern terms: Samurai didn't need to take civil servant exams; they were born to be officials for generations to come.
The political ecosystem of Edo Era Japan can largely be summed up as "inheritance upon a father's death" and "upper-level positions rotated among the upper-level Samurai, lower-level positions rotated among the lower-level Samurai."
Aoto substituted for his father's position, hence becoming a dōshin at the Edo North Guard Station Patrol District.
Edo's two major Magistrate's Offices manage the city with a population of over a million, making many believe that the Edo Magistrate's Offices, bearing such a heavy responsibility, must have a staggering number of personnel.
But the reality... is grim.
Taking the example of the North Guard Station where Aoto belongs—not counting those who responsible for cleaning duties, the North Town Magistrate's Office has a total of officials: 1 Town Magistrate, 25 Yoriki, and 120 dōshin.