"Mr. Tachibana, I have long wanted to meet you." Ii Naosuke smiled slightly at Aoto, "You are far more handsome than I had imagined."

"When I first heard of your feat ’Defeating a Strong Enemy on a Snowy Night,’ I had to verify with those who reported the news to me multiple times to confirm that I hadn’t misheard."

"Hehe... it’s been a long time since I’ve heard such uplifting news."

"The Shogunate never neglects anyone who has made outstanding achievements."

As he said this, Ii Naosuke raised his head intentionally, quickly glancing at the people in front of him, led by Hosoi and Atsukawa.

"As long as you can make notable achievements, you will not be shortchanged in your rewards."

After speaking, Ii Naosuke turned his head and looked at a young man kneeling to his left.

Receiving Ii Naosuke’s sign, the young man nodded slightly, then took out a neatly folded paper from his bosom.

Unfolding this piece of paper, the young man grasped its two ends and read aloud the words written on it.

He began with a series of obscure statements as an elaborate introduction.

Then he started detailing what contributions Aoto made during the ’Snowy Night Chaos’ and the nature of his achievements.

At this moment, a hint of anticipation could be seen in Aoto’s eyes.

It turns out Arima was right a few days ago, and Ii Naosuke indeed intended to bestow a reward on him during this ’Tairō Assessment.’

You could tell just from what the young man had read so far: that document in his hand was an official document announcing what reward would be given to Aoto.

Since it’s the most formal official document, the document used Aoto’s most formal name: "Tachibana Minamoto no Moriharu" to address Aoto.

Everyone in the hall was now all ears, listening intently.

They were all curious.

Curious about what kind of reward the Shogunate would give to Aoto.

After reading a heap of lengthy content that hardly anyone would pay attention to, the young man finally reached the part everyone had been eagerly anticipating—

"...In light of Tachibana Minamoto no Moriharu’s achievements, a reward of 50 ryo in gold and a treasure sword!"

— A treasure sword?

Aoto’s brow suddenly twitched.

The other people present were also visibly surprised.

At this time, Ii Naosuke stood up.

He gestured to the young man kneeling behind him on one knee.

The young man quickly presented the tachi with a red-and-black mottled hilt and scabbard to Ii Naosuke with both hands.

"Mr. Tachibana, this sword was forged by the famous craftsman, Shikizaki Tokiyori."

"Named: Ghost-Slaying!"

After speaking, Ii Naosuke lifted his hand to grasp the hilt of the Ghost-Slaying—

Sound of metal ringing...

The blade was drawn inch by inch from the scabbard, making a crisp sound like flowing spring water.

The blade of this sword was quite long.

A typical tachi blade is usually about 65 cm long, but this Ghost-Slaying, according to Aoto’s estimation, was close to 70 cm.

The blade was narrow, with a large curve, paired with the red and black handle, it looked magnificent and grand.

Upon closer inspection, the texture of the blade was incredibly detailed.

The undulating pattern was densely packed.

The edge pattern was irregular, like jumping mountain peaks.

A beam of clear, gentle morning sunlight happened to stream in through the window, striking the blade of the Ghost-Slaying.

The blade edge, under the sunlight, glowed with a dazzling blue light.

Aoto had no knowledge of sword appreciation. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

But even without any expertise in swordsmanship, Aoto could tell at a glance—this sword was a first-class masterpiece.

Some people in the hall, watching the Ghost-Slaying in Ii Naosuke’s hand, had their eyes turn green with envy. Some even swallowed hard with exaggerated motions.

A precious sword—this had an irresistible allure for those samurai who loved swords and swordsmanship.

Moreover, this treasure sword was a gift from the government, enough to be a family heirloom passed down through generations.

After staring at the Ghost-Slaying with green eyes for a while, these people turned their gaze to Aoto.

Their gaze was full of envy and jealousy.

"A treasure sword for a worthy master." After showcasing the "complete view" of the Ghost-Slaying to Aoto, Ii Naosuke smiled and sheathed the sword, then held it above Aoto’s head with both hands, "Mr. Tachibana, I hope your future endeavors will dignify this sword."

"I hope you continue to excel even more in the future."

"Continue to make achievements worthy of such great rewards again."