Historically, the Shinsengumi was not the core military force of the Shogunate. As previously mentioned, they were merely a group of ronin courted by the Shogunate, belonging to the lowest tier of the Japanese samurai disdain hierarchy.
Indeed, Japanese samurai, European nobles, and various pet enthusiasts share one common trait—a profound regard for lineage. Thus, they naturally looked down upon these lowly commoners in their eyes.
According to historical records, the Shinsengumi was tasked with managing security in certain areas of Kyoto and occasionally performed the dirty work that the regular samurai were reluctant to handle.
Yet, because this organization originated from the common folk, a large amount of cultural works later used it as the prototype for protagonists, turning it into a representative symbol of the chaotic era at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
This is why a single sword could spawn five cards, as the sword held memories of an era filled with infinite possibilities, naturally containing a wealth of information that could be transformed into cards.
"This must be one of the three swords previously used by Hijikata Toshizo," Fan Meng remarked, his interest in Japanese manga like 'Gintama,' 'Rurouni Kenshin,' and 'Chronicles of the Bakumatsu Era' kindled during his school days.
Hearing Liang En mention the sword's name, Kiyomitsu, Fan Meng instantly recognized to whom the sword belonged, his face lighting up with a smile.
Fan Meng had initially felt a bit disheartened upon noticing the marks on the sword; it was clearly severely damaged.
For antiques, preservation is closely linked to value—the better the condition, the higher the price. A Japanese sword as damaged as this one could only be sold as scrap.
However, the situation had clearly changed, for the sword had been wielded by a notable figure during a significant event. Therefore, at this moment, the quality of the sword was no longer the key factor determining its price.
"Actually, among Hijikata Toshizo's three swords, only this one is confirmed," Liang En explained with a smile. "The sword Yamatonokami Yasusada was rumored to have been owned by Hijikata Toshizo, but the actual situation is uncertain."
"As for the last one, Kikuichimonji Norimune, it's even less certain, as this claim largely originated from novels, first appearing in works by Komatsu Sakyo and later written by Ryotaro Shiba in 'The Shinsengumi Chronicles,' and has been handed down to the present."
"But anyone familiar with Japanese swords would know that members of the Shinsengumi, mostly not from middle or upper-class samurai families or wealthy merchant families, could hardly afford such ancient famous swords."
"But I recall you mentioning that later on, the Shinsengumi handled many matters for the Shogunate and thus acquired a lot of wealth, so I think they could afford these famous swords," Jeanne d'Arc interjected.
"You're right, Talaal, but you might not fully understand the classifications of Japanese swords," Liang En responded to Jeanne's query with a chuckle. "The Kikuichimonji Norimune wasn't really suitable for the Shinsengumi."
This was mainly because this sword, forged during the Kamakura period by the Onimaru school's swordsmith Kikuichimonji Norimune on behalf of the retired Emperor Toba, had already been centuries old by the late Edo period.
Even for well-maintained Japanese swords, the overall quality wouldn't have degraded significantly even after hundreds of years. However, Kikuichimonji, being a national treasure of the Shogunate era, was unlikely to be used in brutal street battles.
Moreover, this sword, being a ceremonial katana, had a rather thin blade, making it unsuitable for actual combat, especially since uchigatana were more popular in that era, and wielding a katana wouldn't have maximized a warrior's combat effectiveness.
The reason why the possession of this sword by Hijikata Toshizo persisted could be linked to his reputation as one of the top swordsmen of his time, and Kikuichimonji Norimune symbolized Japan.
The name Kikuichimonji Norimune itself derived from the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum crest engraved near the hilt, symbolizing the royal family, with a horizontal ichimonji pattern engraved below the crest.
As a royal imperial weapon, Kikuichimonji Norimune, from its name to its appearance and function, could be regarded as a symbol of the nation of Japan.
Thus, in the eyes of modern literati, a swordsman from the late Edo period possessing a samurai sword that symbolized the spirit of Japan became an ideal pairing, and this misinformation has been propagated to this day.
"So, this
sword is the only one that can be definitively said to have been used by Hijikata Toshizo," Fan Meng said excitedly, looking at the unimpressive-looking sword.
"Well, we can only say that it's highly likely," Liang En noted carefully, examining the sword. "After all, we haven't found more detailed evidence, so we can only say it's highly probable that this was Hijikata Toshizo's personal sword."
After examining the sword, Liang En quickly put it away and opened another box within the case, thinking that anything stored alongside the sword must be equally precious.
Unexpectedly, upon opening the box, Liang En found no cultural relics but a large folder stuffed with various documents.
Upon inspection, he discovered that the folder contained primarily legal documents related to each item found during this discovery.
As an Asian engaged in antique trading in Europe, Liang En felt that Mr. Kimura must have experienced similar unfriendly attitudes and possibly suffered losses, which is why he had prepared so extensively in this regard.
From one perspective, however, this approach also aided Liang En, as having these documents made selling the items much simpler and significantly increased their value.
Furthermore, from several yellowed pages at the back of the folder, Liang En also understood the origins of Hijikata Toshizo's sword, Kiyomitsu.
After being discarded, the sword was entrusted to a renowned swordsmith and had been kept by the swordsmith and his descendants until after World War II, when Japan fell into recession, leading the descendants to sell the sword to an American.
The American did not keep the item but sold it at an appropriate price to a Briton, who later sold it to a Frenchman, and eventually in the 1980s, Mr. Kimura managed to purchase it.
For Liang En, the best news was that these documents could trace the sword's provenance, further proving that this was indeed the sword Hijikata Toshizo used during the Ikedaya Incident.
Although he had proven the sword's authenticity through the cards, it was clearly not something to be discussed openly. Now, these documents had alleviated his concerns in this regard.
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