Chapter 288

## A Pleasant Man

**A Pleasant Man** (爽やかな男, *Sawayakana otoko*) is the 288th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

In the year 1902, at the Russian consolate, Irenka states that the Meiji government rules over Hokkaido and that even if the Ainu were to show them the land deed, the government would not simply hand over the land to them and Wilk suggests that they ask Emomoto for help. Oskeporo wonders how they would be able to meet an important politician while Kimuspu confirms that the Meiji government is after the land deed and will attempt to steal it before the Ainu can give it to Enomoto.

Kimuspu believes that a certain *nispa* may be able to get them in touch with Enomoto as he recalls his past in which he went to Fort Goryokaku with his own Ainu group in the year 1869. As his companions heads inside the magistrate's office, one of them tells Kimuspu to get some water for their horses. Suddenly, a young man approaches Kimuspu, commenting on the tattoo on his hand and asking if it meant something, which Kimuspu denies.

The young man offers to help Kimuspu draw the water and asks him if the Ainu who went in to meet the magistrate were his friends and Kimuspu says that they were, lying that the people in the area were interested in buying the things that his group caught. The young man says that he left pretty much everything in the fort to Enomoto as the only things he is good with are battles, horses, and women. Kimuspu is impressed by the young man's attitude and would only find out later that the young man was Toshizou Hijikata, a commander in the Republic of Ezo.

Kimuspu realizes that Enomoto had not told any of his aides, including Hijikata, about the deal to buy the land and as such, the deal proceeded along in deepest secrecy while the Ainu prepared the gold to pay the Republic of Ezo. Kimuspu's companions says that they should not trust Enomoto too much either as if word about the gold gets out, then it would all be stolen. They then suggest that they take out what they need for the payment and disperse by boat or over land and stay away for a while so as to make it difficult to link the gold to the Russian consulate.

As the Ainu men talked with the Republic of Ezo, the Meiji government attacked the town, throwing everything into chaos. Kimuspu notices a wounded Hijikata nearby and rushed to help him. When his companions urged him to ignore Hijikata, he tells them that Hijikata is one of Enomoto's comrades and that they must help him. The Ainu then hid Hijikata in a house that had been evacuated and they overhear some of the refugees talking about how the Kaitenmaru ship had been burned down.

With his ship gone, Hijikata states that the Benten Daiba is all that they have left and that they must defend it, warning that Fort Goryokaku will fall as a result of the bombardments from the Meiji ships. Kimuspu reveals to Hijikata that while he was unconscious, Benten Daiba had surrendered and Hijikata asks Kimuspu to take him to Mount Hakodate where they come upon a statue of the Kannon. They hear a loud explosion coming from the town and finds that the Republic of Ezo is being bombed as Hijikata could only close his eyes in frustration.

Just then, a Meiji soldier approaches them, identifying Hijikata among them, and Kimuspu pleads him not to shoot for he knew that the Ainu would lose the land if the Republic of Ezo was beaten. Kimuspu grabs onto the soldier's rifle and redirects it, inadvertently killing one of his companions. Hijikata tells Kimuspu to stop as they all will be killed and allowed the soldiers to drag him away as he apologizes to the Ainu, saying that he will never forget the debt he owes them.

Kimuspu felt full of guilt over handing Hijikata over to the Meiji government that he could not bear to tell Enomoto what had happened to him but he went around asking people about Hijikata and found that not a single one of them said anything about Hijikata being "caught" or executed". Several years later, he had caught wind of a rumour that Hijikata had been locked away in prison and even confirmed with a former warden that Hijikata is still alive.

Ratci claims that he had heard similar rumours as well and that Hijikata helped to build the "convict road", believing that he may be able to get their message across to Enomoto. Oskeporo suggests that they should pretend to be wardens to break out Hijikata and Mesira says that for now they should move the gold someplace away from the consulate as there must still be some Ainu who knows about the place.

Kimuspu then brings them to a well, saying that the last time he went to meet the magistrate, he had seen the soldiers covering over the well with dirt and the Ainu put the gold in the well so that they can work on starting an uprising among the Ainu. As Wilk looks over the well, he declares that if Hijikata has not forgotten his debt, then he should repay the Ainu of the future, including his daughter Asirpa. In the present time, Asirpa looks up from the bottom of the well to see Hijikata smiling back at her.

## Character Appearances

* Kimuspu *(Flashback)*
* Takeaki Enomoto *(Flashback)*
* Wilk *(Flashback)*
* Kouichi Hasegawa *(Cameo)*
* Kikuta *(Cameo)*
* Siromakur Ariko *(Flashback)*
* Irenka *(Flashback)*
* Mesira *(Flashback)*
* Ratci *(Flashback)*
* Oskeporo *(Flashback)*
* Sukuta *(Flashback)*
* Toshizou Hijikata
* Asirpa
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Yoshitake Shiraishi