Volume 4, Chapter 27 – Return

Rewinding time to about half a month before Fiene and her companions arrived in Miyako, Tessai Minemaki—the instructor of the Shin’ei Style dojo in Kujo Miyashiro—was grimacing from his chronic lower back pain.

“Hey… Ittetsu. Bring me a warmed towel.”

“Shishou! Right away!”

Lying on the tatami mats of the living room, Tessai eagerly waited for Tomioka Ittetsu to bring the towel.

“Shishou! I have brought it!”

“Oh, sorry about that. Warm my back like usual.”

As Ittetsu applied the warmed towel to his waist, Tessai let out a satisfied groan. “Ooooh…”

“Shishou, how are you feeling?”

“Ho ho ho, it feels as good as always.”

Tessai narrowed his eyes in contentment, but then he frowned unpleasantly at the sound of someone running toward them with loud, thumping footsteps.

“What are you doing?! So noisy! How many times have I told you not to run in the hallways!”

The one who rushed in was Tanoue Yasuo, the youngest member of the dojo.

That is, excluding Mieshiro Shizuku, who had achieved Kaiden at the mere age of ten a decade ago before leaving on a journey of warrior training.

Since she had neither graduated to open her own dojo nor transferred to another, she was nominally still a student of the Shin’ei Style dojo even after ten years.

However, since she had left the country to protect herself, it was thought she would never return.

“S-S-Shishou, my sincerest apologies! But, but, but…!”

“Good grief, Yasuo. Calm down. What on earth is the matter?”

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“The thing is, well, uh…!”

Flustered by Tessai’s question, Yasuo couldn’t find the words to answer.

“Haha, Yasuo-dono. You are troubling the Shishou.”

At the sound of the dignified voice, Tessai and Ittetsu looked back to find a tall woman with long, flowing black hair standing there.

Tessai’s eyes widened as he saw the Kirinagi worn at the woman’s waist.

He asked in a strained voice.

“Shi… Shizu… ku…?”

“Yes, Shishou. Mieshiro Shizuku has returned from her journey of warrior training.”

“What…!”

Tessai was speechless. The other disciples were equally stunned.

“Shishou? Ittetsu-dono? Yasuo-dono? What is the matter? I am no ghost or anything like that. Come to think of it, how is Souji-dono doing? Shishou? I would like a response. Shishou?”

Despite Shizuku’s questioning, the three frozen men showed no sign of moving. Just then, Saitou Souji entered the room.

“Shishou, I have a fresh towel. Hm? Why are you all frozen? Oh, do we have a guest… Shizu… ku?”

Souji’s eyes also widened as he stared intently at Shizuku.

“Haha, Souji-dono. Indeed. It has been a long time. Mieshiro Shizuku has returned.”

Upon hearing this, Souji also froze, towel still in hand.

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“Souji-dono as well? This is quite a predicament.”

Shizuku scratched her cheek as she spoke. She continued to call out to them patiently until the four of them finally “rebooted.”

◇ ◇ ◇

Tessai, the first to recover, ordered the three disciples to shut the gates tight and close all the shoji and fusuma screens so that they could not be seen from the outside.

After lighting a candle, Tessai spoke.

“Hmph. Sorry about earlier, Shizuku. First, let me say welcome home.”

“Yes, Shishou. I apologize for visiting so suddenly, but I could think of no other place to stop by.”

“That is fine. But why have you returned?! You must know what will happen to you if you come back!”

Tessai raised his voice, but Shizuku looked him in the eye with a calm, serious gaze.

“Of course, I know.”

“Then why!”

“I have simply become prepared to fulfill my duty for the people of this country.”

“!”

Tessai was left speechless and fell silent.

“Shishou, I intend to present myself at the Imperial Palace tomorrow. Before that, I wish to spar with everyone and share a meal together. Would you grant me this one last selfish request?”

“…Do you truly intend to… die?”

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To that question, Shizuku answered with eyes that held not a single cloud of doubt.

“Yes.”

“I see…”

Hearing this, Tessai hung his head in disappointment.

◇ ◇ ◇

Afterward, sparring took place in the dojo’s courtyard. Even in these matches, Shizuku’s skill was far beyond the others; she handled the four of them with ease, yet her expression remained full of life.

“Shizuku, you have truly become strong.”

“I am grateful. Though, if only Shishou’s back ailment weren’t a problem…”

“Ho ho ho, that is part of my ability as well. I am old, after all. Actually, I wanted to tell Shizuku… no, I shall say nothing.”

“Shishou, I am grateful.”

A silence fell between Tessai and Shizuku. After a moment, it was Shizuku who broke it.

“Shishou, I am truly glad that I was able to go on my journey of warrior training. Thanks to you sending me off ten years ago, I was able to make wonderful encounters and grow as a person.”

Shizuku’s eyes were deadly serious. However, Tessai looked at her with pained eyes.

“Please do not make such a face. Otherwise, I would not have been able to fulfill my mission with such a bright heart.”

“Is… that so. You must have met some truly wonderful people.”

Tessai squeezed the words out. In response, Shizuku answered with a truly radiant smile.

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“That is correct. About four months ago, I met the Saint-sama. Her name is Fiene Argentata, and amazingly, she is only fourteen years old…”

Shizuku spoke of Fiene, Lumia, and Christina as if their stories were her own.

She began with how the Saint sacrificed herself to save people and how the Maiden of Blossoming Grace protected the forest. She explained in detail how a whole small town had been purified, and the miracles at the Crescent Moon Spring and in Siltsa.

Then, she vividly and eloquently recounted the stories she had heard from Christina—the subjugation of the leading Demon Lord candidate in the White Moon Kingdom, the sealing of a terrifying plague, and the liberation of slaves—as if she had witnessed them herself.

“That is why I have no anxiety about throwing away my life here. If I become the sacrifice, the peace of the people of this country will be maintained for another few years. I am certain that by then, Fiene-dono, having grown even more, will surely save this country—no, the entire world. Chris-dono said that ‘Fiene-dono is the hope of all humanity,’ and I believe that is truly the case.”

Tessai and the others could say nothing, faced with Shizuku’s radiant expression.

“Oh, and regarding Chris-dono, the knight guarding Fiene-dono—if she ever visits this Miyako, I would be very grateful if you could give her some training.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“She possesses a strong determination to protect Fiene-dono. Furthermore, while her skill is not bad, I feel her mental state is still immature. She misjudges opponents based on assumptions, becomes careless when things go well, and is easily provoked into a rage. She has a dangerous, headlong recklessness. If only that is corrected, I am sure—certainly sure—that she will be able to protect Fiene-dono from here on out.”

Finally, Shizuku’s expression shifted to one of sadness.

“Shizuku, do you not wish to protect Fiene-dono yourself?”

“Haha, but if I were to do that, calamity would strike the people of this country. Please, Shishou, grant my final request. I shall depart, but please… please! Look after Fiene-dono and the others.”

Shizuku spoke with a lonely yet strong-willed gaze.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Translator Note

So~ How do you guys feeling now~?