Volume 5, Chapter 47 – Those Who Look Forward

We arrived at the training grounds where the General and Chris-san had fought previously, but for some reason, a large crowd had already gathered.

Perhaps it was because the Emperor was with us, or perhaps they just wanted to see the reckless person challenging the General, but in any case, there was quite a commotion.

Let’s see, what are they whispering about?

I concentrated, picking up the conversations.

“Ohhh, His Majesty the Emperor is here!”

“Ah, Saint-sama is here too!”

“Ah, how beautiful she is.”

“I heard the Red Sky General is fighting the Saint-sama’s attendant.”

“That girl with the long green ears is super cute. I’d love to feed a girl like that until she’s full.”

Oh? A potential wallet candidate for Lu-chan?

“Eh? Wasn’t she the one who got beat to a pulp?”

“No, that was the blonde girl next to her.”

“I mean, there’s no way a woman could beat the General.”

“No way, anyone who fights the General dies in one hit.”

“Ah, I want her to step on me while calling me trash.”

Liera-san, there is one guest waiting for you.

“I heard the girl with the ears and tail is fighting today.”

“Ah, I seriously want to fluff those ears and that tail.”

“No, look at that outstanding figure.”

“Flat-chested Saint-tan, *huff huff* .”

Hey! Who are you calling flat-chested! Say “still developing”! Besides, I have a little bit!

Honestly, I wasted my time eavesdropping.

“Silence! We shall now begin the match between the Red Sky Empire’s Red Sky General, Lu Fei, and the attendant of Saint Fiene Argentata, Mieshiro Shizuku-dono. This is a match held before His Majesty!”

A man’s booming voice shouted over the noisy training grounds.

Just like with Klaubretz, it’s amazing how he can make his voice carry across such a wide area.

“I am Mieshiro Shizuku. I am the sword of Saint Fiene Argentata. Now, let us settle this fairly!”

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Shizuku-san stood before the General in a unique posture with her sword still sheathed, typical of the Shin’ei Style.

“Enough talk. In the name of the Empire’s strongest warrior, I shall crush you!”

In response, the General held his usual spear-axe in a mid-level guard.

It seemed the General was unusually irritated; he didn’t even announce his name, opting instead to shower her with insults.

A tense atmosphere filled the now silent training grounds.

And in the next instant, the General moved.

*Kiiiiiiiiiiin!*

In that split second, the sound of clashing metal rang out.

And before I knew it, the General and Shizuku-san had swapped positions.

Eh? What just happened? Eh? They clashed just now, right?

“C-Chris-san!?”

“N-no, Fiene-sama. Even I couldn’t…”

No way. Even Chris-san couldn’t follow it with her eyes.

As for Lu-chan, her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape in a complete daze.

The surrounding spectators also seemed unsure of what had occurred, and a low murmur rose.

I concentrated, trying my best to track them.

The next moment, Shizuku-san moved. She lunged into the General’s range with incredible speed, and simultaneously, the General swung his spear-axe down from above.

*Kikikikin!*

I could follow up to that point, but I didn’t quite understand what happened after.

All I could tell was that Shizuku-san, having dodged the General’s downward strike, seemed to have launched an attack of some sort.

What speed!

It seems Shizuku-san leveled up considerably during the battle with the Goblins. She has definitely surpassed the Shizuku-san from when she was human.

“So this… is what it means to undergo Existence Evolution…”

“Muu, I’ve gotta work hard to raise Mashiro too.”

“I never imagined such a method existed. However, Fiene-sama, this method would be difficult for an ordinary human.”

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True. Shizuku-san was already among the strongest in the country, and she possessed the Unique Skill Spirit Descent Technique, passed down through her lineage.

Furthermore, it turned out this way because that skill was twisted by a legendary-class monster like the Water Dragon King.

As Chris-san said, this method is impossible for a normal human.

No, wait—maybe it’s just weird that the General, despite being human, can react to such super-speed.

I answered by nodding to Chris-san and returned my gaze to the training grounds.

“You! You were hiding your strength!”

“No, I have been by Fiene-dono’s side, and we have grown together. I died once and was reborn as the sword to carve out Fiene-dono’s future. I shall never lose to a General who remains trapped in the past!”

“Don’t give me that! Hmph!”

With a shout of exertion, the General swung his spear-axe down, which Shizuku-san elegantly parried with Kirinagi before launching a counterattack.

The General blocked it with the shaft of his spear-axe and immediately went on the offensive again.

I couldn’t follow the movements after that, but a ferocious exchange ensued, the sound of clashing metal echoing through the training grounds.

The battle was so intense that I, Chris-san, Lu-chan, the Emperor, and the spectators were all completely mesmerized.

The clash, which felt as if it would last forever, reached a sudden conclusion.

The General unleashed a horizontal sweep, and Shizuku-san dropped her hips, using Kirinagi to flick the weapon upward.

For just a fraction of a second, the General lost his balance.

Without missing that opening, Shizuku-san dashed past the General’s right side.

When she did, three distinct slash marks appeared on the General’s clothing.

I couldn’t see what happened at all, but judging by the cuts in the fabric, she likely landed a downward strike, a torso cut, and a diagonal slash while dashing past.

And she did it with the god-like skill of cutting only the clothes.

Amazing!

“The match is decided, it would seem.”

“Guh… damn it!”

As Shizuku-san spoke with confidence, the General placed his spear-axe on the ground in frustration.

“The… the winner! Mieshiro Shizuku-dono!”

In that instant, cheers erupted across the training grounds.

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“Sugggeeeee!”

“The General lost!?”

“This is crazy, totally crazy!”

“As expected of the flat-chested Sain—”

Shut up!

Amidst the cheering, Shizuku-san and the General returned to us, exchanging a few words.

“Shizuku-san, that was magnificent.”

Shizuku-san then dropped to one knee before me.

“As promised, I offer this victory to Fiene-dono.”

She said this with a very radiant expression.

“Fufu. Well then. *Ahem*. I am most pleased by the exploits of my knight, Shizuku.”

“I am humbled by your grace… pfft. Fiene-dono, that does not suit you at all.”

“Ah, you think so too? Even I felt an itch on my back just saying it.”

And so, we laughed together.

“Eh? But Onee-sama just now looked like a princess, she was cute! Oh, I know! Let’s ask that weird monk to make a sign out of it!”

“N-no, please spare me from that. Yes, Lu-chan, please forget you just said that.”

“Ehhh?”

“If you forget it, I’ll give you an extra piece of Saikyo yaki for dinner.”

“I forgot it!”

“Lumia-dono, you are too fast.”

“Ehehe.”

And once again, we laughed together.

In the midst of this, I noticed that only Chris-san had a slightly troubled expression. Just as I was about to speak to her, the Emperor spoke first.

“Hmm. I have seen the strength of the Saint’s attendant clearly. Lu Fei, you have no objections?”

“…The defeated have no right to speak.”

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“Diao Yihua, come here.”

“Y-yes!”

Yihua-san, who had been waiting behind us, knelt before the Emperor and bowed her head.

“Diao Yihua, I appoint you as Assistant Treasurer, as well as the overseer for the Red Sky General. Use your intellect to assist the Red Sky General with his finances.”

“Eh…”

Hearing this, Yihua-san looked up, speechless. After freezing for a few seconds, she bowed her head as if snapped back to reality and managed to recite the formal response.

“I… I humbly accept this appointment.”

“Good. This was the Saint’s suggestion. Work hard. You may withdraw.”

“Y-yes!”

Yihua-san returned to stand behind us with an expression that said she had absolutely no idea what was going on.

“Yihua-san, good luck with your relationship with the General,” I whispered to her.

Her face turned bright red and she began to panic.

Fufu, she’s kind of cute.

It was then that a flustered civil official rushed into the training grounds.

“Your Majesty! An emergency! The Demon Lord Alert has been raised!”

“What!? And the level?”

“Level 3, an Elevated Alert. The risk of Monster Stampedes is increasing in various regions.”

“I see.”

Hearing this, Chris-san looked at me with a serious expression.

“I see. In that case, Fiene-sama, let us return to the Royal Capital quickly. The fact that it has been raised to an Elevated Alert means the candidates for the Demon Lord are starting to narrow down. Given the matter of Kirinagi, I believe you should speak with His Eminence as soon as possible.”

“I understand. Then, Your Majesty, we shall take our leave.”

“Very well. After all, the Saint of the White Moon Kingdom belongs in the White Moon Kingdom by principle. I shall have you escorted as far as Novarbour.”

“Thank you very much.”

And so, seen off by the Emperor, the General, and Yihua-san, we hurriedly departed from Yan’an, the Imperial Capital of the Red Sky Empire.