My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 327 - 132: Encounter with the Man-Slayer Group

Mukiwa slightly raised her head, a faint sense of pride rising on her cheeks.

"A few days ago, I successfully caught two fugitives on the street who were about to commit a crime."

"It was really risky at the time, luckily I happened to be passing through that neighborhood, otherwise another young lady would have fallen victim to those scoundrels."

"And it was fortunate that those two fugitives were very weak; I easily knocked them to the ground."

Upon hearing this, Aoto couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow—Cat Monk had caught two long-wanted fugitives and thrown them at the Magistrate’s Office door just days ago... This event still remains a popular news topic.

At this moment, Mukiwa reached into her bosom and pulled out a small stack of slightly yellowed papers with corners beginning to fray from being flipped through countless times.

"To make it easier to recognize criminals, I specially collected all the wanted posters I could find and memorized each face, always carrying these posters with me."

Aoto peered over to see that the stack of papers Mukiwa had just pulled from her bosom were indeed wanted posters, easily obtainable from places with high traffic like izakayas and tea houses.

——Did she really memorize all the faces on these wanted posters...

Aoto clicked his tongue in surprise.

"...Now I finally understand why three months ago at Fujisawa Inn, Cat Monk helped arrest the criminals."

Three months ago, Aoto was tasked to go to Fujisawa Inn to capture a gang of thieves who had frequently stolen in the post station.

Upon arrival, he found that the gang he was supposed to handle had already been caught with the help of Cat Monk.

For Aoto, who didn’t know at the time that Mukiwa was Cat Monk, this was his first interaction with the great Phantom Thief Cat Monk.

"Ah, you’re talking about that incident at Fujisawa Inn." Mukiwa smiled, "When I arrived at Fujisawa Inn together with Mr. Kiryu to welcome Elodie and the others, I heard news about a gang of thieves appearing in Fujisawa Inn."

"At that time, Elodie and the others hadn’t arrived at Fujisawa Inn yet, so I happened to have some free time."

"Since I was idle, I thought I’d try and see if I could help catch that gang of thieves."

"Luckily, on the first night I kept watch outside the post station, I encountered that gang of thieves."

With his back to Cat Monk, Aoto listened intently.

After Cat Monk finished speaking, Aoto smiled gently:

"Miss Kinoshita, you, who steal from the wicked and at the same time help catch criminals and stop crimes, are a Phantom Thief that is rare in both ancient and modern times."

Suddenly, Aoto paused.

"...Miss Kinoshita, may I ask you one more... potentially presumptuous question?"

"Hmm? Go ahead and ask." Ever since covering her face with a scarf, Mukiwa spoke with more ease.

Aoto turned his head, gazing at Mukiwa with a somewhat meaningful look.

"Miss Kinoshita, where did you learn your wall-climbing and roof-running skills and your exquisite hand-to-hand combat techniques?"

"In the city, there have been rampant rumors that ’Cat Monk is a female ninja’..."

At this, Aoto adopted a half-joking tone.

"You aren’t actually a female ninja trained in ninjutsu, are you?"

Cat Monk as a female ninja... The rumor hit half the truth, as Cat Monk is indeed a woman.

It made Aoto wonder if the latter half of the rumor might also be true...

Whether it was Mukiwa’s body technique enabling her to move as if on flat ground on rooftops and other complex terrains, or her hand-to-hand combat skills, both left Aoto deeply impressed.

Recalling the night he first ran into Mukiwa in her "Cat Monk form" at the Magistrate’s Office, the slap she gave him to force him back still lingered in his mind.

To unleash a palm strike with such powerful force... Aoto concluded that Mukiwa’s hand-to-hand combat skills must be highly advanced!

Mukiwa, who had answered every question thus far, didn’t immediately respond to the question Aoto just posed.

Her expression changed slightly as she pressed her lips together, remaining silent.

Aoto wasn’t impatient, quietly waiting for Mukiwa’s response.

Mukiwa didn’t keep Aoto waiting long.

Moments later, she slightly tilted her head, directing a glance mixed with apology toward Aoto.

"Mr. Tachibana, I’m sorry... regarding where I learned these skills, it’s not convenient for me to answer."

"If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll answer you then."

——Not convenient to answer? Why?

Aoto was momentarily taken aback.

But he asked no more.

Such matters, after all, involve personal privacy, and since Mukiwa is unwilling to elaborate, he’s not in a position to press further.

"It’s alright." Aoto quickly replied, "If you don’t wish to say more, I won’t force you."

The question of where Mukiwa learned her skills—it was swiftly glossed over like this.

The series of questions related to Mukiwa... to be precise, related to "Cat Monk," had already been answered in this exchange.

Now, in Aoto’s mind, there’s only one final question left: where did Mukiwa take the large sums she stole from those wicked individuals?

years ago, Mouse Monk distributed every penny he stole directly to the needy.

But as for the current Cat Monk, the Magistrate’s Office hasn’t found any records of her distributing the stolen money to the poor like Mouse Monk did 40 years ago.