Chapter 3 — Instruction from the Master

Part 11 — Assembly

Perhaps it’s a bit late to bring it up now, but learning magic takes a certain amount of time and money.

Even if the prospective student has both of those, only about ten in every thousand people can learn Rare Arts instead of magic. That means that, even if they’re relatively wealthy and have the desire to learn, children who have potential in the Rare Arts are often unable to learn the Art suited to their talents. There isn’t any established curriculum; further, there aren’t any instructors. This does not necessarily apply to the Mystic Arts, but even Holy Power only manifests in about one in every thousand people. Those with other talents have little hope of finding a teacher.

This is a reality that the Regent has struggled with for ages. Her desire is to create a place where education for all children who desire to learn is possible.

“Hex Arts... U-Um, I-I’m still not fully trained as a hex artist, and I-I doubt there is anyone who’d want to learn them.”

“Teach Spirit Summoning?! It’s a secret technique, available only to the Royal Family!”

“The Immortal Arts take at least fifty years to learn...”

Zuger Saive, Magyan Sunae, me. Each of the three of us, all users of the Rare Arts, have our own reason for turning down the Regent’s request. As each of the arguments are difficult to dispute, she has regretfully accepted our reasons.

While the Mystic Arts are one thing, being known for talent with Hex Arts is evidently a social stigma so awful that it makes it nearly impossible to continue living among regular people. I suppose that’s understandable, since an Art that can turn liars into stone is a pretty scary thing to have. Moreover, the issue of Spirit Summoning is simply a matter of national security on her kingdom’s part. Even if she were to teach it, if her kingdom ended up finding out about it, both she and her students would face certain death. Finally, the Immortal Arts simply take too long to learn. Fifty years in this world is about the average life expectancy for a newborn child.

“You wish for me to teach Shadow Summoning? Fine with me. In exchange, we would like you to have a few of your healers sent to my kingdom and teach the healing Arts there.”

Tahlan has fully mastered his art, is certified to teach others, and uses an Art that doesn’t require a great deal of secrecy. He has negotiated with the Regent and House Caputo, agreeing to find those children with Shadow Presence from among the upper classes, and teach them Shadow Summoning.

“Shadow Summoning, which uses Shadow Presence, is a technique to create shadow duplicates.”

I’m currently sitting in on “A Shadow Summoning Lecture by Visiting Lecturer Tahlan,” which is taking place in a classroom provided by the academy. Currently, those in the room are the students Tahlan has identified as possessing Shadow Presence, as well as their parents, the Sepaeda and Batterabbe parties, and the teachers of the academy, including the Regent. It appears there’s an academic interest in Rare Arts that were developed in foreign countries.

If Shadow Summoning can take root here in the academy, it’s possible that Shadow Summoning could also proliferate across the entire kingdom. Of course, that also means that the Mystic Arts will make their way to their kingdom in turn.

“The clothes and armor you’re currently wearing, in addition to the sword in your hand, are all recreated. This Art may not have the raw attack power of magic, but it’s still a very combat-oriented...as they call it in this kingdom...Rare Art.”

The students are listening to Tahlan’s explanation with expressions of extreme concentration, while the parents seem worried that this might turn out to be a socially awkward Rare Art. No doubt that they know the existence of Hex Arts, and how hex artists are treated by society at large, means that they intend to keep their children from learning the Art if it ends up being too unusual.

“At first you will not be able to move them. You begin by creating a stationary shadow duplicate. Still, that is more than enough to serve as a decoy, and you can still use it as a shield. It will disappear after taking a certain amount of damage, but you can then make a new one.”

‘A combat-oriented Rare Art’ is a fair description of Shadow Summoning. For example, if you use fire magic indoors, you’re almost guaranteed to take damage yourself. While it depends on the scale of the spell, the injury might very well be mortal. Depending on the circumstances, highly lethal or wide-area spells could quickly become a hindrance. In that sense, Shadow Summoning is perhaps most effective in a restricted environment, though no doubt controlling the shadows can be difficult.

“However, perhaps the most effective use of it is in scouting. When using a long-distance controlled shadow, it’s possible to move that shadow as though it’s your own body, as far away as Shadow Presence and physical stamina allow. It’s ideal for scouting and assassination. There is essentially no cost to failure.”

The parents listening to the description look to be both disappointed and reassured. I suppose they would have preferred if Shadow Summoning was like the Mystic Arts, useful in both combat and in medicine. But, they also seem to be thinking it’s not an Art like the hex arts that will be discriminated against. It’s a sort of Art for bandits or ninjas, but it’s not something that’ll draw that much distrust. No doubt it’s possible to misuse it, but that pretty much goes for anything.

“I will now demonstrate actually creating shadows. Watch my Shadow Presence carefully.”

As an Immortal, I can clearly observe as his energy moves inside him. Still, the students with Shadow Presence also seem to be grasping it. In a sense, it’s similar to learning the Immortal Arts.

“He’s certainly handsome...”

Lady Douve, you really have no other observation after seeing the shadows?

“Blois, don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I would agree that he is indeed a handsome man... Sansui, please note that I’m only talking about his features, not about my taste in men as a woman.”

I don’t mind it, so you don’t have to worry so much. Besides, Lady Douve’s only looking for your agreement.

“...So, who do you think will win if the two of you fought?”

Evidently Lady Douve’s curiosity has been piqued a bit, and so she turns to ask Blois. In response, Blois answers quickly and without hesitation.

“If the goal is simply to win, I would win.”

Behind those words is the assumption that she’s flying in the air, of course. The strength of magic lies in its effective range, and she can maintain that range if she flies. The most extreme example of that, of course, is the carpet-bombing technique used by the ace of House Caputo. I can float using my Immortal Arts, but I can’t attack at range, so I only meet half of the conditions.

“Oh, well, I’m glad to hear that of my sword. That pleases me.”

Lady Douve does seem pleased, likely sensing the words ‘I can’t defeat him with a blade’ behind Blois’s statement. In fact, Blois could almost certainly defeat even the Regent with magic. If the Sword and Shield Companies are the highest standard of ability in this kingdom, then Blois certainly achieves that standard. Tahlan, whose skills are such that Blois admits she can’t beat him without relying on flight, can thus be considered perhaps a bit below the Thunder Knight in ability.

“To stand as a leader even in this kingdom...as expected of my brother.”

“Sure, he’s certainly good looking, but Saiga’s a better man.”

“How nice...I wish I had a Rare Art like that, or anything other than the Hex Arts...”

Saiga’s retinue seems to be having fun watching the lecture, but my interest is what Eckesachs thinks.

“To think a Shadow Summoner would be apprenticed to Suiboku’s apprentice. An odd world we live in.”

“...Eckesachs, you’ve seen Shadow Summoning before?”

Saiga asks after hearing Eckesachs’s comment. I admit I have some interest in the answer, too.

“Yes, when Suiboku was my wielder and we were wandering the various kingdoms. We fought many powerful warriors with various techniques, not simply limited to Shadow Summoning. That was a fun time.”

It’s over fifteen hundred years ago, but it seems my Master has also traveled the world. Now that I think about it, as Tahlan noted, the Immortal Arts aren’t from this part of the world to begin with. Master Suiboku must have settled in those woods after centuries of wandering.

“You should go and learn Shadow Summoning, as well.”

“But...”

“Shadow Summoning is useful and you lose nothing by learning it. While Suiboku’s apprentice defeated him easily, Suiboku himself struggled against that technique in the past.”

I honestly can’t imagine how my Master, especially armed with Eckesachs, would ever struggle. That must be the gap between my Master after his millennium of refinement in the woods, and my Master before he ever arrived there. Actually, thinking about it, how does an Immortal make use of Eckesachs? Did he fight using a Ki Blade?

“Unlike Suiboku and his apprentice, your lifespan is short. Make sure you value your time and learn what you can, when you can.”

“...Yeah, I know.”

The students begin creating their own shadows. For them, that is their first step toward their futures. As he watches them, a look in Tahlan’s eyes reminds me of a similar look my Master once had, back in the day.

Outside the academy, a large number of students and professors are taking practice swings. As I watch them, Saiga, who is taking a break, speaks to me.

“It’s all rather relaxed, considering there’s a war on...”

“I’m told House Caputo’s ace fights like a heavy bomber. In which case, I doubt we are needed.”

Perhaps I’m not one to talk, but I’ve heard it was an extremely one-sided swath of destruction. Obviously a fight between infantry and a bomber isn’t going to be fair. Those of us from Japan are well aware of that reality.

“But I guess the war is going to continue... I wish it wouldn’t...”

“While it’s fine for you to believe that, I would not go around saying that aloud. The decision of what to do concerning the war isn’t a matter of idle wishes, after all.”

It’s not as though I wanted to fight the Royal Guard and such, either. Whatever world you’re in, duty forces you to do things you don’t want to do.

“Now, shall we begin practice swings?”

“Okay.”

“The important thing with practice swings is to learn the proper form. As a result, your strikes become stronger and it reduces the fatigue incurred with each swing.”

I am now providing sword instruction not just to Saiga and Tahlan, but to the other students and professors, as well. Part of me wonders why. However, both His Brothership and His Fathership were quite enthusiastic about me instructing a number of students.

“We will value those you consider to have met a certain standard.”

“Try using that as bait to get them motivated. We’ll leave the number you teach to you, but fundamentally, the more the better.”

Talk about a one-sided argument. Still, Eckesachs asked that I teach Saiga swordsmanship, and my Master directed me to instruct Tahlan. With permission given by His Brothership and His Fathership, I have no reason to turn down the Regent’s request.

“I suppose it goes without saying, but they don’t seem that motivated...”

“Well, of course. Motivating them is part of the master’s job.”

As I grumble, Lady Douve points out the obvious. To borrow my Master’s words, to them the fact that they are apprentices of ‘the World’s Greatest Swordsman’ has become their definition of ‘the greatest.’ But to just leave it at that would be sad indeed. If they’re going to learn from me, they may as well learn the joys of being a swordsman.

“Perhaps I should make them split a boulder...”

“Hold up! Isn’t that problematic for the apprentice of Suiboku, the man who abandoned me, to require?” Eckesachs complains.

“No, no. I imagine they won’t really get motivated without a clear goal.”

I suppose it’s not right when considered from the perspective of teaching my current Master’s techniques. However, I think being able to say that, by becoming the Apostle’s apprentice, they learned to split a boulder with a sword, is probably the sort of goal that’s suitable for this sort of training. The angle of the blade, body mass movement, simple arm strength. Meeting certain standards in things like that provides results that are easy for everyone to see.

Being easy to see is important. I sincerely believe that. When learning at the time scales of ordinary people, visible goals are important. I mean, I was still far from fully trained even when I turned about a hundred.

“Well, it’s certainly true that it’s different from the ideals espoused by my Master, but perhaps it’s best to save those teachings for those who show particular motivation.”

“Wouldn’t that be insulting Suiboku’s name? That is not something I can let pass.”

“Those sorts of fakes are going to start popping up from here on out, no matter what we do. We’ll have men who spent a day practicing swings with me claim that they were instructed by the kingdom’s greatest swordsman. No doubt we’ll have men who’ve never seen my face start claiming they managed to score a point off of me, too.”

“Grrr...”

“It’s fine; most of those fakes will be eliminated in time. If they have no skill of their own, they won’t benefit from their claims. Fortunately, House Sepaeda and the other three Great Houses are aware of me.”

The more highly placed the individual, the better they know of my ability, and as such, they know all about the ‘sword beyond reach’ that my Master made his ideal and that I carry with me. The truth of the matter would be revealed easily enough by having the claimant fight someone of the appropriate skill.

“That’s limited to those who know you. There could very well be those who don’t know you who still revere the imposters.”

“If we started cracking down on those, there’d be no end to the problem. Even if those sorts don’t use my name or my Master’s name, they’d do evil using someone else’s name.”

“But that’s what I mean by insulting Suiboku’s name!”

I think this propensity to cause trouble is probably part of the reason why my Master abandoned her. I know what she’s trying to say, and it’s a very human motivation, but for an Immortal, it really doesn’t matter at all. An Immortal doesn’t value their name, their fame, or their social reputation. That’s part of what it means to cut away the desires of the mortal world.

“We stop being Immortals the moment we care about other people’s opinions.”

“It displeases me!”

“Eckesachs, I understand what you’re saying, but could you watch my practice swings?”

Saiga looks at his sword (Eckesachs) a bit sadly as she gets upset about the subject of her former wielder (her old man). He seems a little down that no one is watching him practice. People have their histories, but it’s really not something to get too upset about.

“M-My apologies! I got too caught up in this!”

“Well well, perhaps you should have just stayed in those woods?” Happine taunts Eckesachs.

Still, this young lady doesn’t seem afraid of anything. I mean, Eckesachs has been around longer than me and perhaps longer than my Master, but she treats her a bit roughly.

“S-So, what do you think, Sansui? About my swings?”

Blois practices in front of me, and I give her my sincere praise.

“As fine as always.”

“Oh, yes? I see... I suppose you’re right...”

While she uses a rapier, which is a completely different kind of sword to my own, I’ve actually spent a fair amount of time watching her practice, and I’ve fiddled quite a bit with her form over the years. I mean, she’s still a genius when it comes to swordcraft. She’s at the highest level of magic and swordsmanship this kingdom has to offer.

“Papa! You’re not getting it! Mama...Miss Blois...wants to spend time talking to you, Papa!”

“...You’re right. But I have to save that for later.”

I continue my instruction, pushing aside the thought that the mortal world is a bothersome place to deal with. Still, the main act is coming next.

Later, I’m in the woods near the House Sepaeda estate. With no one else around, I’m now teaching Tahlan and Saiga.

“What is this?”

“This is a training weapon called a cloth stick. It’s a wooden sword wrapped in cloth.”

The name, of course, is just something I came up with.

It’s now the early evening. With Tahlan’s Shadow Summoning instruction finished and my own training for my general students and professors concluded, I’m now preparing to teach the two on their own. Instead of a wooden sword or an actual blade, we’re using thin sticks wrapped in cloth, a stand-in for the foam training swords used in sport fighting on Earth. It’s a bit painful when it hits, but I don’t think it’ll be lethal or anything.

“It might lack a little in tension, but you two are both well aware of the scariness of actual swords, so the only way forward is to do some classroom training to master the basics. Besides, injuries create the hassle of needing to treat the wounds.”

“Ah, I see... So, the basics first.”

“Yes, that’s how we’ll begin. This is the first time teaching for me, as well, so let’s take things slowly.”

The way of the sword is difficult but fun. It’s not simply about slashing and killing. Swords that can only cut and kill are boring, after all. It’s hard to maintain motivation when you don’t enjoy something. That’s all there is to it.

“Oh, and Lord Saiga. First, we will have you focus on strengthening your Divination and your Mystic Arts.”

“Yeah, I know. Especially with Divination, it’s not about seeing more of the future, but how to avoid freezing based on what I see.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

Divination will be a powerful tool if properly mastered. It’s not a flashy technique, but it’s also hard for others to notice its use. Currently, it’s also the only Rare Art he can use in public other than the Mystic Arts.

“With the combination of Eckesachs and your mystic walls and armor, you will be able to defeat most opponents. After all, the Mystic Arts are quite powerful on their own.”

“I suppose that’s true...”

“Further... Factoring in that you will be learning Shadow Summoning, you should begin contemplating forms.”

“Forms?”

“I suppose they’re easiest to describe as ‘special moves.’”

At the mention of special moves, his expression changes to one of excitement, then abruptly sinks. No doubt he’s remembering the time I threw him before he could unleash his special move.

“Special moves... But the special move I came up with was easily countered...”

“I believe you now understand that you came up with that move while operating under several misconceptions. No doubt watching the Regent fight the other day provided you with some insight, as well. What’s important is to know your opponent and to know yourself, to know what results to look for in every situation. That’s the key.”

Tahlan already seems aware of it, but that last battle also gave Tahlan a chance to shine. No doubt the Regent was also aware that winning too often produces serious problems, and if she had won all three matches, that could have led to unnecessary resentment. Which is why she showed her cards before Tahlan’s match and let him respond.

“The important thing is to not lose sight of your goals. You have many people to protect, do you not?”

“Yeah, you’re right...”

“Once mastered, your sword will become formless, but if you don’t have the time to reach that level of mastery, then creating various forms for different situations is a valuable investment of that time. Fortunately, you have a partner with greater insight than I possess.”

“Alright, we’ll talk about it.”

They’re completely different, but I would like them to clash without injury to meet their goals.

“Well, Prince Tahlan, please face off against Lord Saiga while paying attention to changes in his thoughts during his attacks. Try to feel out what the things you have been doing naturally against lesser opponents actually consist of.”

“Understood!”

“Your weapons are wrapped in cloth. Attack one another without any hesitation or restraint. However, remember the swings you practiced during the afternoon.”

And thus begins their training. I do think we’re a bit excessively laid-back, considering there is an all-out war being waged in House Caputo’s lands. However, it’s not as though we have anything else to do, and all of the people I have met from the noble houses and the Royal House were all very capable, so let’s just leave the worrying to them. Now is a time to focus on refinement.

Part 12 — Thread and Thrum

“Oh my, to think we would have so many visitors,” the Regent states rather breezily, appearing quite carefree.

Currently, a large group of ruffians are arrayed in front of us. It appears this is due to the airing of the news that “House Sepaeda’s ultimate apostle of the sword” is teaching swordsmanship at this academy. As a result, the sorts who hope to gain renown by defeating me, this kingdom’s greatest swordsman, have gathered here.

“You do look a bit weak, after all.”

Who was it again who made that weak-seeming man wear clothes that accentuate that alleged fragility? My kimono and sandals are part of my public persona. I mean, they are comfortable.

“Lady Douve, there are Royal Guards among them, albeit only a handful.”

“...Oh really?”

“Yes, some famous faces here and there.”

It was something so unusual that it even put Lady Douve on the back foot. A number of men who are directing an enormous amount of hostility my way are lined up, intentionally dressed in dirty clothes. As indicated by the fact that they were spotted by Blois, who isn’t an Immortal, they clearly stand out with their unusual posture and bearing, given their attire. They’re probably not suited for infiltration work.

“Why are those Royal Guardsmen going so far as to conceal their identities just to pick a fight with your bodyguard?” Happine asks, evidently not particularly concerned.

Oh, that’s right, she doesn’t know about how I fought the Royal Guard. Thinking about it, if she had known, she probably wouldn’t have had Saiga fight me in the first place. Even if Saiga can use all the various Arts, she probably wouldn’t think he could take on the entire Royal Guard.

“Oh, I know! I heard Papa once beat up all of the king’s knights!” Lain explains rather proudly to Happine.

It’s not something I like thinking about, but evidently it’s a source of pride for my daughter.

“...Seriously?”

“Yup! But it’s a secret!”

Lain, if it’s a secret, don’t say it so everyone can hear you.

I can feel the hostility from the Royal Guardsmen intensifying. I had considered it at the time, but now in hindsight it’s even more obvious that I went overboard. I have to wonder if there had really been anything to gain by picking such an obnoxious fight. In particular, His Brothership was definitely too aggressive, given he’d just inherited the title.

“No wonder why everyone says he’s the kingdom’s greatest swordsman...” Zuger says in surprise.

That’s true, after that incident my reputation as the kingdom’s greatest swordsman had spread widely and is now a well-established fact. I’m sure I would have been happy before becoming an Immortal, and I’m actually kind of pleased even now, but there’s no point to any of it if it just ends up incurring a lot of ill will in the process. I mean, I know that fame comes with resentment, but still.

“Hah! Such is to be expected of my master, to have this many warriors assemble simply by putting his name out there. Still, this gathering is a mix of thread and thrum. If you will allow me, I, Tahlan, your apprentice, will choose the cream of the crop.”

It’s probably lacking in respect on my part to have Tahlan fight them, given that they’re here to face me, even though he’s undoubtedly correct that some are “thread,” or worthy opponents, and others are “thrum,” or unworthy refuse. I draw my wooden sword from my hip and step out in front. Seeing me do so, Lady Douve smiles. The truth is, it’s more of a problem for Tahlan to get hurt here than it is for me.

“So, I suppose it is safe to assume that, as you are here at the academy, you are here for instruction, yes?” I, a visibly scrawny kid, step out and say, in rather grandiose fashion.

That earns a bunch of angry looks from the crowd.

“Damned brat, is this really the Apostle? The kingdom’s greatest swordsman, really?”

“Oh, don’t be so uptight, Mister Apostle... You got hired by House Sepaeda by showing your ability, yeah?”

“If we beat you, it won’t just be House Sepaeda! Every other noble house will be beating down the door to hire us!”

I suppose they’re being respectful by not even putting up a pretense for being there for anything else. It doesn’t seem that all of them are driven by the exact same thought, but I suppose I’ll respect their honesty in my own way.

“Very well. If there are those among you who wish to defeat me, then come at me once. No doubt my Mistress, Lady Douve Sepaeda, will treat the victors well.”

“Yes, of course. Go on and challenge him together. If you defeat my bodyguard, no matter who is still standing, indeed, even if they’re lying collapsed on the ground, I will reward you lavishly,” Lady Douve says, rather generously.

Simultaneously, she is simply showing House Sepaeda’s principle of rewarding competition. No doubt His Brothership and His Fathership would say the same thing, were they here.

“Of course, that is only if you manage to defeat the man before you.”

Hearing the taunt and the guarantee, the ruffians split up into two groups. Basically, those who want to win in a hurry elect to surround me and plan to attack at once, while those who want to fight me more scientifically step back, trying to gauge my technique.

There are quite a few spectators. Since we’re right in front of the academy, there are clusters of people peering out of the windows, while individual mages fly overhead.

“Very well. You may come at me when ready.”

The thread and thrum have actually been divided a bit by this self-sorting. Most of the thread are trying to watch me, while the thrum have their swords angled toward me. Almost all of them are wearing leather armor, and while it’s inexpensive and thin, it’s also light and easy to move in. Although, honestly, it doesn’t look like they have the skill to make use of that dexterity.

“—!”

The simplest and most effective way of attacking without warning is checking the location of the sun while surrounding me, making sure I can’t catch sight of their shadow, and attacking from my blindspot. A courageous and foolish member of the thrum swings his sword in my direction. It’s a good tactical decision, but his execution is sloppy.

“You haven’t concealed your hostile intent.”

“Guh?!”

I step back and thrust my sword behind me, point-first, without changing direction. I hit him square in the solar plexus, so he won’t be able to breathe properly for a bit.

“Feel free to attack all at once.”

I step away from the staggering fighter behind me so that I can inform the others around me of their options. Not that I don’t understand just how hard it actually is to attack simultaneously, of course.

“Raaaaahhhh!”

“Hyaaaaah!”

“Grrraaaah!”

The men standing in front of me let out wild cries as they attack. Ordinarily, both carnivores and herbivores let out loud noises when they want the target to flee. There’s no need to make noise if they’re hidden behind the opponent and in their blindspot. Beasts don’t make noise when they don’t want their prey to flee. The men before me want me to run, to turn my back toward them. That’s not a mistake, and it’s not easy. Letting out a loud cry in battle is, in itself, pretty difficult.

The backswing is too early, and they’re relying too much on momentum.

Once you begin an attack, it’s hard to change its trajectory. Further, it’s hard to see if the opponent has moved while you’re moving, because your line of sight is restricted by your own sword and arms.

I take a big step forward and move out of the line of the attack. Then, I land a slash against one of the attackers to my right as we pass each other. Of course, I’m just using a wooden sword, so it doesn’t result in an actual wound, just pain.

“Wha—?!”

“Hey, out of the way!”

The men attacking me were lined up abreast, so by standing at their flank, each one was blocked by the man next to them. It’s not like they have the means to attack through the obstructing body, so they can’t attack me without moving. As such, there’s only one man who can attack me at present.

Before that moment ends, I land a blow on the head of the man in front of me before he can restore his form, staggering him. Slashing at someone with a blade means stepping forward, and that means you have to shift your center of mass forward. Even if you recover from that position, it’s hard to change your direction.

“Y-You little...!”

“Your motivation is gone, I see. You can step away and regroup, or you can give up.”

The last one standing seems pretty intimidated. His motivation is gone, his intensity has fled — basically, he’s got no courage left. The two others that attacked with him had gone down easily. Seeing that, he’s afraid of me.

“There’s nothing to be gained by fighting purely out of stubbornness.”

“S-Shut up!”

He slashes at me, still lacking in courage, and clearly worried about his safety. His hips aren’t moving into the attack, and he’s striking with his focus on the length of his sword and his arms — that is, he’s well aware of his reach. As a result, he’s attacking with weak knees and doesn’t step forward nearly enough. A simple step back and his swing goes through empty air.

“Gah!”

“I tried to warn you.”

Of course, I only say that after I land a proper blow on him.

I’ve split his scalp open and he’s bleeding profusely. Head wounds bleed a lot, after all. If this was a battlefield, he might attack me again, but as he’s already demoralized, he’s not going to be able to muster up that effort.

“If you back down, they’ll give you medical treatment. Move along.”

“D-Dammit...!”

As I’m shorter than Blois, I’m also obviously shorter than the other men present. No doubt it’s demoralizing to be beaten down by me when all I’m using is a wooden sword.

His expression twisted by humiliation and fear, he crawls away from the fight. Still, he’s in better shape than the two on the ground.

“Well, then. Next.”

Seeing my wooden sword splattered with blood, the combatants around me shudder. Those who were thinking they might be able to get lucky and defeat this kingdom’s greatest swordsman... Having seen how that swordsman fights, they’ve lost their nerve entirely.

“So this is...the Young Apostle...bodyguard of House Sepaeda’s Brat Princess...”

The stone faces surrounding me lose their will to fight as they face me. Doubt, confusion, reason, and emotion are all warring within them. And then...

“Scatter, you nithlings.”

The thread that had been waiting behind them shove them aside.

“W-What the hell?! You think we’re going to back down against this brat?!”

“Surely it’s clear, even to your mean intellect. Numbers are meaningless against this man. At the very least, no matter how many dozens of your sort gather to fight, they won’t even manage to scratch him.”

Those with a certain level of skill thus give the others a way out. The thrum might not want to run away from someone as young as I look, but they can justify their flight if they’re warned away by other combatants who are clearly stronger than they are. After the first steps back, the others follow suit, and that is how the uninjured thrum leave the fight.

“Fufufufufu!”

Lady Douve, forgetting that Tahlan is next to her, is laughing happily, and the other spectators from the academy are starting to taunt the ruffians by whistling and jeering. Pretty sure this is what people mean when they say that there’s an ass in a lion’s skin. Of course, with my skin, that ass might not seem all that ferocious.

“The nithlings have scattered... Sir, I would like to request your instruction.”

“Very well. Each of you come and face me, one by one.”

I would have preferred to show how I fight against groups, honestly, because it’d be good for Saiga to see that. I suppose I shouldn’t have drawn blood against the first group of four. Of course, if the fight had continued in that fashion, even if I hadn’t killed any of them myself, it was possible that some of them would have died anyway, as the injured fell on each other. I’d like to avoid having people die in front of my daughter.

“Alright...”

There are about ten men left. Of course, among them are those individuals from before, the ones that look like Royal Guardsmen. They appear to have been looking for an opportunity to attack me as I was fighting the thrum, but evidently the rabble collapsed more quickly than expected, and so they’ve decided to fight me one on one instead. If they tried to attack me from behind under the circumstances, no doubt someone would intervene to stop them.

“May I use magic?”

“If you believe you have the time to use it, then go ahead.”

“Very well. Then I will refrain for now.”

The opponent in front of me isn’t going to use magic, so I can avoid using my Flash Step. The Flash Step is effective, but beating someone using Flash Step just makes the technique look impressive. I’d prefer to avoid using any of my Immortal Arts, if at all possible.

Keeping my two apprentices in mind, I drop into a middle stance.

“...!”

The man in front of me, like Blois, wields a rapier, a sword focused on piercing attacks. As the tip wavers in front of me, he lunges forward with a thrust toward my torso. The tip hits my chest. Well, touches it, at least. The rapier-wielder himself seems the most surprised by the result.

“Wha...?!”

“Well done.”

To explain what happened, let’s say you swing a baseball bat and make contact with a baseball. Obviously, the ball will go flying. However, that’s only because the bat is making contact when it’s at the height of its velocity and has the greatest kinetic energy. If you were to miss with the bat and then have the ball hit the bat by some mistake after it had already come to a stop, then the ball isn’t going to go flying. It’ll just roll on the ground a little.

The rapier in question is fully extended and has already stopped. The tip of the blade is touching me, but as it’s stopped and has no force behind it, it obviously hasn’t done any damage.

“...Why did you not counterattack?”

“It was an impressive lunge, so I wished to show my apprentices.”

I don’t know about his magical skill, but his ability with the rapier is on par with Blois’s. I wanted to make sure those two had the chance to see that skilled lunge. If I had counterattacked, then they wouldn’t have been able to see anything.

“...I missed your intent. That lunge was my greatest weapon. I’m afraid I have nothing else to offer, now that you have defeated it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

It was a thrust that looked as though it would almost always make its way through the ribs and pierce the heart.

My response seems to have hurt him. I suppose it was arrogant of me. However, if I had taken the initiative, he wouldn’t have been able to lunge at all, and if I had counterattacked, he would have just been knocked down. Demonstration lessons are tricky.

“Very well. Next, please.”

“A’ight!”

Next up is a relatively short man; well, he’s a bit taller than me, anyway. He holds his slim sword high above his head and slowly closes the distance. His expression is tense, but he’s smiling.

“Mm.”

“If I may ask, Master Apostle?”

“Yes?”

“Are you...”

Before he finishes his comment, he releases his sword and drops it behind him. Simultaneously, he throws a dagger he had been hiding in his right hand at me. The throwing technique is impressive. The dagger, thrown without so much as a quick step in, is aimed perfectly at my face.

“I don’t believe a move like this...”

I use the tip of my sword to deflect the dagger and, moving just my wrists, I hit him lightly on the head as he lowers his stance and comes at me from below. It was a light blow, but it was still from a wooden sword.

“Is suited for this particular situation.”

“—Wha?!”

Feinting by making it appear as though he’s going to slash downward from his high stance, then attacking by throwing a hidden dagger... Going in for a low lunging attack with the dagger in his other hand, before checking if the first throw even made contact... I knew that was the sort of move that was coming, but I wish he hadn’t used it here.

“...You anticipated my attack immediately?”

“Throwing a dagger and taking the opponent by surprise... If it’s an unskilled opponent, you can follow up quickly and finish them after they’ve been hit in the face. If they’re skilled, they’ll either block or dodge the thrown dagger, so you lower your stance and lunge at them from below. With the thrown dagger included, it’s certainly an impressive attack, but it’s not suitable for this setting.”

“How... I thought I had you for sure!”

Human eyes tend to follow things that are in motion. Moreover, they aren’t generally able to follow one thing that’s close and another at a distance at the same time, because the eyes can’t focus on two separate places at the same time. This means that, once a dagger is thrown at you, you can’t help but have your attention captured by it. If you take advantage of that throw and use that moment to lower your stance and come in with a lunge, then the opponent is going to lose sight of you. Such a maneuver is certainly hard to avoid.

“It’s because you were smiling. I could see you wanted to show something off. It was in your expression.”

“That gave it away?!”

“Also, while you were measuring the distance, it wasn’t the right distance for an attack with your sword, and thus I could anticipate a projectile. Further, even if you were to try a sneak attack with a thrown weapon, having seen how I fight, I doubt you would have believed you could possibly defeat me just with that.”

He was full of confidence. His face had given away his belief that he could beat me with that move. That expression tipped me off that he had something planned, and it showed that he had something to hide.

“To repeat myself, that is not a move you should use with this many people watching. The conflict within you, as you knew you were going to do a sneak attack, but also hoped to receive praise from those around you...seeing that was enough to know what you were planning. However, because that was the case, you should not have used that particular maneuver. There is a time and a place for certain tactics, and when you use them, you must remain completely calm, as though you were practicing.”

It’s a hard move to respond to if it’s the first time you’ve seen it, but it doesn’t seem like it’d be very effective against someone wearing armor, and I think it’d be a difficult move to use even if they weren’t. However, no doubt it’s something he spent a lot of time thinking about, then practicing, and then testing. I didn’t mean to mock the move, considering the effort he put in. But still, he needs the critique.

“Also, I believe that’s a move that truly shows its value in opponents who are larger than you. It’s not a move best suited for use against me, given that I am smaller than you.”

“You win, sir...”

I wonder what my expression looks like right now. When you’re observing someone, that person is likely to be watching you as well. It’s natural for your emotions to show in your expression, rather than to maintain a completely stoic expression. So, I wonder, what sort of expression did I have when I saw him smiling?

“Next, please.”

I see that next up is one of the vengeful Royal Guardsmen. I don’t think I did anything particularly underhanded in that match, honestly, but given the results, I suppose it’s still hard to accept the outcome.

“Please, go ahead.”

“Very well.”

I feel a bit of pressure from his hidden intensity, but I respond anyway.

“I have a request before I show you my move.”

“...Yes?”

“I would like to have a mystic wall created around us, to protect the people behind you.”

The people he’s probably referring to are Lady Douve and Happine. In other words, he’s stating he’s about to use a wide-area attack, and he likely intends to use a spell that would hit him as well. The leather helm that he’s wearing appears to be wet. In fact, his clothes are also pretty wet, and the skin I can see has burn scars.

I glance at Saiga and have him create a wall of light, amplified by Eckesachs. He makes certain to take it all the way up to the ceiling. It’s a pretty big wall of light, a bit bigger than would be needed for a sword fight.

At the same time, Saiga looks extremely uneasy. Well, that’s understandable, as the man facing me is overflowing with hostility.

“How much...do you intend to insult us?”

He likely couldn’t have used his technique safely without the wall, but it’s hard to accept when your hated enemy accepts that proposal so easily.

“I don’t know what you refer to, but it’s perhaps best not to say aloud.”

With the requested wall of light in place, the guy — who’s definitely not a Royal Guardsman — and I stand inside it.

“I’m trying to be considerate, so I would prefer if you wouldn’t say something to ruin the mood.”

“Very well. I believe you are aware of what sort of move I am considering. If that’s the case, then why are you allowing it?”

“There’s no...particularly deep reason. I simply wish to see your sword.”

I don’t need to see it, really. I mean, it’s clearly a self-destructive move. It’s probably the sort of move where he uses fire magic to take me down with him.

“And...I now have apprentices to teach. For both their sake and yours, I would rather not take you down before you can use your technique.”

Regardless of what he plans to do, if I take the initiative, I’m confident that I can take him down first. All I have to do is lift him and throw him like I did with Saiga. If I drop him on his head, he’ll be knocked out. But, there’s not much meaning to that, since I’ve already demonstrated a similar maneuver...

“...Apprentices. I see. I also had a Master. A Master I highly admired. Indeed, I still admire him.”

“I see. I hope to be such a master, some day.”

“For the honor of my company — no, the honor of my Master — I am about to challenge you, this kingdom’s greatest swordsman, without regard for appearances. In spite of that, you intend to maintain your reserve?”

I know what he wants to say, but what am I supposed to do, then? It seems he himself sees a problem with his move, but he seems to think I’m underestimating him by not pointing that out. No doubt he’d hate me no matter what, and it’s rather depressing.

“I’ve spent all of my effort to develop a move to defeat you! It takes time to activate, and it’s a move that destroys me in the process!”

“I see. Well, that sounds like a lot of effort. I’m good at taking the initiative, but I’ll wait until you finish your move!”

That’s the current situation. I suppose it’s all a bit of a farce. Still, I defeated a gentleman who used impressive lightning magic with my speed. As such, it’s unreasonable to try to win in that particular field. Still, to go so far in the opposite direction is also pretty excessive.

“It’s not as though you’re attacking me while I’m sleeping, nor are you teaming up with anyone in this dueling space. I don’t believe saying ‘without regard to appearances’ is appropriate. Just as you are seeking victory in this battle, I wish to defeat your ultimate technique.”

I don’t intend to stop him, but there is someone in my awareness who’s thinking about it. The Regent seems to be considering whether or not to stop the use of dangerous magic, which she thinks the students shouldn’t see, as she watches the match. At the same time, she doesn’t put words to her thoughts. She seems to respect his dedication, as one servant of the crown to another.

“...Torch Shower!”

As he casts his spell, an orb of fire appears several feet above his head and bursts. It’s a spell that scatters ‘embers’ across the entire field. Of course, they’re embers that are hot enough to burn through your skin.

In this world there’s no such thing as flame armor or a flame shield, as there’s basically no point to either. However, this spell is about as close as you can get to that. Since I, as a swordsman, don’t have any ranged attack capability, keeping me at a distance is the best solution. That means that, if you fill the entire space around you with embers, I can’t get close.

In fact, given that we’re in this sealed-off space, the spell will hit me. It’s an attack that fills a space without regard to direction, focused entirely on doing damage to me without any regard for killing or defeating me. He wants to injure me, even if he has to cover himself in embers to do it. That’s the level of dedication put into this spell. He probably felt quite a bit of shame in coming up with it.

“The idea isn’t wrong. No doubt there are victories you must win at a cost to yourself.”

Yes, it’s not wrong, exactly. I don’t know if the man in front of me is a member of the Sword or Shield Company, but regardless, he’s in a position where he needs to protect the king and the king’s authority, even at the cost of his life. If he can do damage to me at the cost of burning himself, that’s not necessarily the wrong choice. It’s a knight’s technique, not a duelist’s.

“However... This is a bit...”

But there’s a difference between preparing for injury and preparing for death. In the latter case, I would have stopped it, and no doubt considered the possibility that he would die first as I focused on avoiding damage. Taking me down with him is one thing, but no doubt he didn’t want to suffer a meaningless death.

“Well, it’s kind of awful...”

It was a spell that, in practicing it, only resulted in him burning himself. It’s a fire-starting ember, and considering that the area around himself is the hottest, he also still has to keep the embers at a temperature that he can withstand, rather than one that would be instantly lethal. After all, it’s a spell that continually spreads fire in all directions, and not something that triggers once, then stops.

“To continually fill the area around you to stop me from using Flash Step... That isn’t a mistake, really. As a result, you’ve hurt yourself, and as such you have to endure it through sheer force of will and with special equipment. But that’s where it stops. Your line of sight is blocked by the embers, and as a result, you can’t respond to my next attack.”

It’s as though there’s red snow falling, like the burning ash drifting down from an erupting volcano. It’s not enough to completely block my line of sight, but it does reduce visibility. No doubt it’s even worse for him.

“This move...is too easy to read.”

“Still...I doubt you’ll be able to withstand it!”

“And if I say that’s not so?”

The embers fill the space. However, as it’s a spell that spreads out from the caster, it’s not as though the entire space is filled all at once.

Essentially, it spreads outward like a smoke cloud. Since it’s not a single burst attack on everything around him, and thus needs to be sustained, the spell itself isn’t particularly burdensome, nor is it fast. That’s the only way this move works.

In fact, it’s impossible to do otherwise. Regardless of how small the space might be, filling the entire space with lethal fire instead of just the floor is beyond his ability. He should be at his limit just trying to inflict burns.

I release Ki Waves from my entire body in a slow, pulsing rhythm, as though I’m breathing. It obviously doesn’t do much, but it’s enough to create a disruption in the air, pushing away the embers.

“Oof... It’s hot...”

I mean, it’s not doing enough to just push back the embers. Considering that it’s a space filled with fiery particles, it’s hot and stuffy. I’m just barely keeping myself from burning.

“Grr...!”

“You came up with a spell that could attack across an entire area because you can’t read where my attack might come from. However... Your line of sight is restricted by the embers. I’m sure it’s hard to keep your eyes open.”

“But inside these embers, no doubt you won’t be able to move, either.”

“Indeed, that’s true.”

With a directed attack, even with heat and lightning, I can avoid it. That’s why he chose to do a wide-area attack, instead.

That’s the right call, but...

“But...”

“But what?!”

He tenses, knowing that I can read openings.

I can’t use my Flash Step within this storm of embers, and since my opponent doesn’t intend to attack me, I can’t take the initiative, nor can I counterattack. I mean, I suppose I can just smack him with my Ki Blade until he goes down, but that seems a bit excessive against someone who’s focusing entirely on defense.

“You’ve focused too much on your own willpower.”

I slowly raise my wooden blade with my right hand, and then bring it down. It’s a slow attack, but even as he sees it, he holds back. He’s not trying a desperate counterattack, or even trying to block it. He intends to endure it with sheer strength of will.

“The human body can’t take that much punishment.”

I press the tip of my wooden blade against my opponent’s face. His entire body tenses in preparation for an attack, but all I do is lightly brush my wooden sword against him.

In that brief moment where he’s confused at the lightness of the touch, I release the hilt of my sword with my left hand and bring the hilt down with a strong Ki Wave. I hit a pressure point, a dangerous spot that you shouldn’t teach to children, with absolute precision.

“Mister Saiga, release your wall! Quickly, douse the flames with water magic! Healers, hurry!”

The Regent issues a series of appropriate instructions, once she’s confirmed that that my attack hit and that the Royal Guard-ish person is unconscious. She had probably mentally prepared for this once she saw what he had planned. A deluge of water rains down on us, cooling me and the guy who’s definitely a Royal Guardsman.

“Thank you...”

“I would have preferred if you had defeated him more quickly...” the Regent mutters at me, after I’m thoroughly soaked.

That’s understandable. As an educator it’s not fun for her to watch a failed attempt unfold like that.

“But he... Well, that is to say, the one who invited him was...”

“I mean, I felt a bit bad about that, but...”

That removes any doubt on my end. The Regent must have invited him. I suppose both she and the Royal Guard serve the crown, after all. But no doubt she didn’t think he’d do something this stupid.

“...Are you unhurt?”

“Yes, thanks to the water, I’m not hurt at all...”

Blois looks a bit panicked as the Regent looks me over. Although she can’t leave Lady Douve’s side, she seems really worried.

Lain seems to be relaxed, clearly thinking, ‘Papa will be fine.’ As a parent, I wish she’d show a little more concern.

“Yes, but still... The plan was lacking in decisiveness.”

A mystic heals the Royal Guardsman-ish person. Near him are people who seem to be his comrades, each visibly fighting back their disappointment. They’re also covered in burns, so either they were practicing the same spell, or they had helped him in his preparations.

In the end, I have to say it was a wasted effort.

“Even if he had positioned allies outside the embers, all I would have had to do is defeat those allies first. Given that no possible path led to victory, he was certainly mistaken in trying it.”

“...Lightning Slasher!”

His comrades glare at me upon hearing my explanation.

Um, please at least try a little to hide your identities. I’ve been told that only those serving the crown call me that.

“There’s one thing that I can be certain about... Among the foes I’ve faced, the strongest was a truly impressive man. I would have preferred not to fight him.”

“My, that is, our Master...retired after a match with...a certain individual.”

I suppose they’re trying to be vague, but it’s clear who they’re talking about.

“He said, ‘It was as though the God of War himself had patted me on the head.’”

God of War... I mean, I don’t exactly have a high opinion of God. Besides, I’m nowhere close to my Master in skill, and I cannot very well consider myself a God of War. Though, no doubt they’d be extremely angry if I said that.

“He said that it felt as though he had been treated like a child, that it was a rejection of his entire life’s work. That his commitment to being the greatest sword and shield...it all felt like the boasts of a mere child.”

“...I see.”

“We still hold our Master in the highest regard.”

With that, they pick up my opponent after he receives his treatment and carry him off. Seeing them depart, I’m filled with regret. I can’t deny it. For an old man nearing retirement to be overwhelmed by a swordsman who looked like a child wielding a wooden sword... There’s no way such a person could handle an experience like that the way Tahlan did. Not only did I defeat him, but I dirtied the late autumn period of his life.

“This too, is an obligation imposed by the mortal world, I suppose...”

I can’t wallow for long. I’ll resume my instruction when they return.

Assembled here are those who have received treatment, people from the academy who have previously received instruction from me, and the parties from both House Batterabbe and House Sepaeda. I need to summarize the match and then provide instruction for Saiga and Tahlan.

“So, this time I was able to have the cooperation of many people, but... What did you think, Prince Tahlan, Lord Saiga?”

The reason I took time to break down the fights after each match was for the education of these two. The whole exercise would have been meaningless if they hadn’t learned anything. Well, I mean, I suppose there’d still be meaning in it for those who faced me.

“You are impressive, my Master. To face your opponents on their terms...in that, I could see the meaning of greatness.”

“Eh, that was more than cheating, that was full-on TAS.”

Putting Tahlan’s statement entirely aside, Saiga’s is a bit disrespectful. TAS, seriously? At least call it an RTA. That aside, I know what he’s trying to say, and I suppose that’s actually how I fought.

“Now, you two will face the people I fought using cloth sticks. There are many people here, so this is a good place to gain experience.”

“Indeed... There were certainly many of them with exciting skills.”

“Got it... And we’re all going to use the cloth sticks, right?”

“Yes. Incurring more injuries here would be no fun for anyone, after all.”

This goes for anything in life, but repetition is key when training for combat. The ability to consider a situation ‘normal’ is the key to reducing fear and hesitation. Tension and nerves are rough edges to smooth away when wielding a blade.

“U-Um, Professor Sansui!”

“You don’t need to call me professor. I’m just an instructor.”

“What must we do to move like you, Instructor Sansui?”

Hearing the academy student’s question, both the thread and thrum pay close attention. I suppose that’s understandable. I look like I’m under twenty, so no doubt they think there’s some method to become strong in a short time by starting as a child. Of course, both House Batterabbe nor House Sepaeda know that isn’t the case.

“Allow me to preface this by saying it’s not impossible, though it is largely a question of how much.”

It’s not like I’m doing anything that’s impossible for a human being to do, so it’s possible to some extent. The problem is what we’re talking about with ‘how much.’

“Would one of you mind coming forward and swinging at me from a high stance? You can use a normal sword, if you wish.”

Hearing that, the burned Royal Guardsman is the first on his feet. Without hiding his hostility, he squares up against me with his sword in a high stance.

“Now, as you can see, I’m unarmed. I will now avoid his slash and hit his head with a chop.”

All I’m doing is explaining what I’m about to do, but the expression of the Guardsman in front of me is hard to describe. The same goes for his comrades. Lady Douve looks entertained, but it’s long past time for her to realize that this isn’t a laughing matter.

“Please come at me with the intent to kill me.”

“You need not tell me that!”

As a Royal Guardsman, he’s got an impressive physique. A man large enough to make me look up at him, he quivers with rage as he brings his sword down at me with all his might. It’s very intimidating.

I say it’s intimidating, but still I dodge it and hit him with a chop. He’s a good deal taller than I am, but I can reach his forehead if I fully extend my arm.

“—!”

“If you practice this repeatedly, you should be able to do the same.”

“Truly?!”

“The problem is that being able to do this is meaningless.”

With that I have the Guardsman return to the others. His body’s still quivering with rage, but I’d like him to accept this result for the moment.

Next, I have the student from the academy in front of me. He’s a little taller than I am, and his face is full of anticipation.

“Now, I will swing downward. I’ll do it slowly, so avoid it and hit me with your hand.”

“Yes, sir!”

I intentionally exaggerate my motions and swing my arm down. Obviously, it’s going to be slow, so even the student in front of me can avoid it even with his inefficient movements. And then, he lands a pretty hard blow on my face.

“So, if we keep making this faster...!”

“Well, it’s certainly possible, in theory. However...”

I demonstrate a second time. This time, I mix in a mild feint. His body twitches, and in the end he isn’t able to respond to the actual blow and takes the hit. All I was doing was waiting to see his concentration flag.

“That’s not fair...”

“I’m afraid a dead man won’t be able to say that. At any rate, it’s not as though we’re doing choreographed fighting or kata lessons, nor is your opponent matching their motions to yours. But in spite of this being a simple overhand attack, you can easily throw off their timing. More importantly, as you wait for your opportunity, there’s a chance you’ll get stabbed in the back.”

Again, it’s a question of ‘how much.’ There’s a difference between being able to do something, being able to use that thing, and then being able to use that thing in combat.

“It’s not something that’s limited to this one example. First, you practice and learn the ability to do it once. Then, eventually you’ll be able to do it when you’re in good shape, then you’ll be able to do it whenever you wish and, finally, you’ll be able to do it without even thinking. And at that stage... You’re finally at the point where you can do a demonstration in a dojo. However, this technique is far too low a level to make use of in actual combat.”

No doubt it’s irritating to hear a child like me say this, but with an actual demonstration in front of them, they listen without complaint.

“If I were holding a steel sword rather than a wooden sword, would you have been able to avoid my attack like that?”

“P-Probably not...”

“Indeed. Even if the length and weight are the same, the fear of a weapon like a steel sword would make you unable to take your usual actions. Meaning, in order to be able to do the same against someone with a steel sword, you need experience. And this, too, follows the same steps as before. That is, you can do it once, then you can do it several times, then you can do it when you focus, then you can do it normally, then you can do it without thinking. At that point, you’ll finally be able to make use of it in one-on-one fighting. However, dodging an overhead attack from a high stance is relatively simple. It’s meaningless unless you can do it with an opponent in any stance.”

Those other than the members of House Batterabbe and House Sepaeda listen with a disgruntled expression. Certainly, I suppose it’s not convincing coming from me.

“To be able to do this in actual combat...that is, in war... Not only must you expand your horizons, but also take multiple steps to get there. Otherwise, it’s quicker and more certain to fight normally.”

“And you are able to do this, Instructor Sansui?”

“That is as I showed you earlier. Even if I were to face everyone present, I would be able to defeat you all with this wooden sword.”

The glares from the Guardsmen hurt. The stare from the Regent is a bit scary. Please, Lady Douve, don’t laugh.

“But even I’m not satisfied with my own ability. At the very least, I’m still far from the skill of my Master, Suiboku. Still, by mastering the opportunities available to you, and by being able to claim the initiative, whether before or after your opponent’s attack, you will be able to triumph over your opponent, no matter who they are, or how numerous they might be. At the very least, I believe I have achieved that much.”

It’s something that anyone can do after five hundred years of training. The problem before me is whether or not I can instruct Tahlan, at the very least, to do this properly.

“How far you intend to train yourself is up to you.”

This preface is getting a bit long. I’ve shown them a goal, and the meaning behind it. Now all that is left to do is the repetition.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting, Prince Tahlan, Lord Saiga. Take up your training weapons and relax as you face your opponents. The important thing is to truly enjoy yourselves.”

Part 13 — Lovers

The really important thing in combat is to maintain your composure. However, maintaining composure also means desiring the status quo and fearing change, as well as exposing you to the danger of losing your ability to respond honestly to things. At the very least, my Master showed me an unchanging back to follow. As someone who follows in his footsteps, teaching the blade to other people...thinking about my imperfections is to be expected.

Still, instruction means not to look at what your own flaws are, but rather to look at what is missing in your pupil. No doubt there is some satisfaction in pointing out what they’re missing, or in feeling exasperation at their immaturity or their failings. However, if you allow that to cloud your sight and let it lead you into arrogance, then you’re only exposing your own shortcomings.

According to my Master, my current skill is about on par with where my Master was five hundred years ago — that is, my Master after a thousand years of training. However, according to Eckesachs, my Master spent time traveling the mortal world prior to shutting himself in those woods. As such, my Master has already experienced living in the mortal world, and I’m still lacking in that experience.

I suppose one way to put it is to say that failures are part of learning. What I need to do is accept that I have imperfections, understand that I am arrogant toward others, and through all of that, attempt to maintain my humility and honesty.

I lay sleeping in my bed in the House Sepaeda estate after having pondered such things. The sun is already down, so it’s time to sleep. I don’t know about other Immortals, but at the very least, both my Master and I are the sort to sleep at night. I’ve been able to get rid of my other desires, but my desire for sleep remains fully intact. Having spent so much time with my Master, I don’t eat or drink, nor do I have anything in the way of lust, but I do get extremely sleepy at night.

As I’m dozing, someone stops outside my door. It’s a familiar presence — that is, it’s Blois. I have neither the ability to see through obstacles, nor the ability to read minds. At most, I’m able to read a person’s emotions and their physical state. Despite all that, considering her nervousness, I strongly suspect she’s wearing her A-game clothes.

“...If Lady Douve sees you like this, you won’t hear the end of it.”

“It’s fine, as you might have noticed, she’s with Prince Tahlan.”

I open the door to reveal Blois in a negligee, a look of intense distress on her face. On one hand, she wants me to notice her, but on the other, she’s clearly regretting her decision to come here.

“You...can read my emotions, right?”

“Even if I couldn’t, I see it in your face. You’re panicked, but you’re also struggling to work up your courage.”

I usher Blois into my room and sit on the bed. As the starlight filtering through the window illuminates the room, neither Blois nor I can look the other in the face.

“You see through everything... I’m very glad you’re not my enemy.”

“That goes for me, too. At the very least, I’ve had little to regret since joining House Sepaeda.”

I mean, Immortals have no enemies. The moment you hold hatred in your heart for someone, then you’ve failed as an Immortal. In that sense, my Master was a failure as an Immortal when he was traveling the realms looking for opponents to fight, and my Master as he currently is has perhaps returned to his true path as an Immortal. In that sense, I suppose I’m a failure as an Immortal, too.

“...They say flowers have short lives. But that’s particularly true when compared to you.”

“The problem there is with me. You have your own pace to live by.”

“With that logic, I’m perfectly ordinary at the moment. Is it so wrong that I want to be by your side?”

“I’ve never thought it was wrong.”

In spite of her usual decisiveness, Blois is hesitating. It’s hard to think of her as being here for any reason other than to ‘seal the deal,’ but she’s taken the stance of responding to an entreaty, with no plan for stepping over the line herself. While hoping for something to happen on one hand, there’s part of her that would also prefer that nothing happens. Love is a hard thing to deal with.

“You were the only one at my side, after all.”

“That’s true. You and I have been guarding Lady Douve all these years.”

“It seems that spring is about to come for her, too.”

“Yes, that’s a good thing. Her confidence in her luck isn’t misplaced. A man as suitable as him doesn’t come around very often.”

The things that keep us tied to Lady Douve are simple. She never goes back on her word, she’s upfront about everything, she allows us to work without excessive demands, and pays us as promised and promptly. Those reasons are more than enough to make her an important person for Blois and I to protect.

“You’re right... It seems that there aren’t any obstacles in the way of me marrying you.”

“Yep, that’s true.”

“No doubt you’ve gone through a period like this, though I’m sure it was a long time ago.”

“Speaking of a long time ago... I never imagined that, when I first met you, you’d become such a woman. Though, really, I was taller than you when we met.”

“That’s right... We change so quickly.”

Blois presses closer to me, as though seeking reassurance. I can’t help but think back to how young she was five years ago, but she’s really grown. I take her weight against me, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.

“You’re capable of a little gallantry, I see... I’m afraid of changing. I feel like I’ll be an old woman before long.”

“I think that would be nice, in its own way.”

“...And even then, you’ll probably be the same as you are now.”

I suppose that’s one way to think about it. I can understand where she’s coming from. But the reality is a little different. Immortals aren’t, well, unkillable. We simply don’t age. Blois will almost certainly be dead a century from now, but I can’t say for certain that I won’t be dead tomorrow. Today is the day that should always be the most important.

“You’re probably right.”

“And then, after I die, after Lain dies, will you return to those woods?”

“I hope so. If I can stay with you till the end of your days, no doubt that time would be filled with joy. It’s not something that’s as easy to do as it sounds, living out your whole lifespan.”

It’s possible to have your candle snuffed by mistake. At least, that’s what it was like for me.

“When I see you, I find myself not wanting to change... If things continue, soon I’ll be all wrinkly.”

“That sounds rather nice, actually. No doubt you’d be an elegant old lady.”

“It’s just a blink of an eye for you, I suppose, given that you’ve been around five hundred years. I haven’t been alive for even twenty years, so I can’t even imagine...”

We turn to each other, and Blois wraps her arms around my waist, clinging to me. Since I’m smaller, it’s as though she’s clutching a stuffed animal.

“While there’s a part of me that’s not sure about going through with this... I also want to be connected with you while I’m still close to you in appearance. But you see those feelings in me, too, no doubt.”

“Of course, but you know me well, too.”

“That’s true, I do know you well. So, for tonight...let me lean on you. I’m so anxious that I can’t sleep.”

“You really are an impressive man. You’re alone with me, at night, and yet not even a leer.”

“Not at all. You are truly attractive, my lady. As for myself, whether within my kingdom or without, I have had many lashes fluttered at me, but rarely have I had women confident enough to approach me.”

A bewitchingly voluptuous woman, a coolly debonair man... Douve and Tahlan are indulging in an adult evening at the Sepaeda estate.

An appropriate amount of alcohol, a few hors d’oeuvres... With those set on a table, they sit companionably in a room dimly lit by candles.

“Still, we have a man and woman meeting secretly at night. I have no intention of letting you go.”

“Ah, a conundrum. I’m afraid you have me cornered, my lady.”

Douve is already well aware that the man in front of her is not here to indulge in his desires. He is, without doubt, here to talk of matters more serious than pleasure. He longs to speak his thoughts to her. Fortunately, she has more than enough confidence and capacity to indulge him in that.

“So what is it you wish to discuss?”

“It is about your two blades.”

While Sansui’s ridiculous strength draws most of everyone’s attention, Blois is also a powerful opponent, one that even Tahlan would struggle against. Further, House Sepaeda’s cavalry also boast many men of ability.

“According to my Master’s daughter, there is a Royal Guard that serves the crown directly.”

“Yes, there is. But surely there is an equivalent in your kingdom?”

“Most certainly, they exist. However, they are not stronger than the king or the great nobles.”

The Sepaeda house cavalry are powerful, but the people who were directing their hostility at Sansui this afternoon were all powerful in their own right. Those who have power employ those stronger than themselves, often en masse. That was something that could never stand in Magyan.

“Such a thing is impossible at least under our kingdom’s system.”

“The most powerful man becomes king. A simple ideal, if rather a masculine one.”

“Indeed, but that is why it is just and fair. Those simply born as children of a king don’t have a crown handed to them by dint of their royal birth. However, that also means that the king cannot have anyone stronger than himself in the kingdom.”

Tahlan is attempting to take the Mystic Arts back to his kingdom, in exchange for teaching Shadow Summoning. There is no hesitation for him in that. Healing powers will lead to greater prosperity for the people.

However, he has no intention of taking magic with him. If he were to do that, the kingdom would fall into chaos. Magic, with the potential to defeat Spirit Summoning, has the possibility of severely disrupting his kingdom’s carefully constructed social order.

“Both your brother and your father, while skilled warriors in their own right, are not individuals who could be considered the most powerful in the world.”

“True. Obviously they couldn’t defeat Sansui, but they’d also likely lose to Blois.”

“In addition, you have no fighting ability yourself. And yet, those two serve you.”

From his perspective, this state of affairs is unthinkable.

“Who serves as the lord makes no difference. Those are the words spoken by my brother and my father.”

“May I ask what they mean by this?”

Spirit Summoning is powerful. The user, who becomes a giant beast, can turn aside most blades. Certainly, they would never simply be defeated without extracting a heavy cost. However, several mages of the Regent’s skill could likely take down the king, which would then undermine the current system, wherein the most powerful individual becomes king.

“I’m afraid I never understood that, either. However, no doubt that’s true of the neighboring kingdom, as well. Perhaps you should test it and find out.”

“I see, so you wish for me to participate in the fighting.”

“Yes, join my brother and father and put up results. I would like you to show just how powerful you are, so that everyone will accept that you, a prince from a faraway, unknown kingdom, are worthy of marrying me.”

“A fallen empire, a new empire...and a victorious kingdom. I see. It seems that there is much to learn.”

This kingdom’s ruler is clearly a powerful king. A weak king would bring confusion to the kingdom, after all. At least, that is Tahlan’s belief. However, he’s probably not as strong as Magyan’s king. Yet, this ‘country’ is stronger than Magyan is.

“But still, I would like you to learn the taste of this kingdom’s wine.”

“My thanks... Though I fear I may misplace my hands.”

“A man in my daughter’s estate... KILL THEM ALL!”

After Lady Douve spent an evening with Tahlan, and after drawing a not altogether incorrect conclusion, His Fathership attacked the estate, and was put down by me, before I began my next lesson in front of the academy. With His Fathership present, I’m instructing many students and a large number of skilled warriors, who have all assembled from across the kingdom.

“You’re too tense.”

“I-Indeed?”

“The Lord Emeritus of House Sepaeda is in attendance. It’s understandable that you would be a bit tense. However, that will also make it more difficult for you to stand out.”

“M-My apologies.”

“Try to consider what your current situation is, and then work to be able to move your body as you intend. If you’re not mentally composed, it will be difficult to look at your own movements objectively.”

To many of those present, the presence of the previous lord of House Sepaeda looms large. After all, he is a man who is as close to the top of this kingdom as it’s possible to be. It’s understandable that they’d be nervous.

“This is quite a large number of students.”

“It is a bit embarrassing... I’m afraid word of my presence has gotten out, and as a result a great number of people have started showing up in front of the academy.”

“Oh, odd, isn’t it?”

The Regent smiles pleasantly to His Fathership. But I’m already well aware of all this. That the Regent has prepared the temporary seating and shelter outside the academy, along with things like alcoholic drinks and snacks...it’s impressive, but perhaps to be expected of a Sage.

“But it’s a happy coincidence indeed. When it comes to swordsmanship, well, that’s always been outside of my area of expertise, so I could never be sure what the standard of instruction was at the academy. But, from now on, we can have the kingdom’s greatest swordsman teach people here.”

Now, as to whether said swordsman’s instruction is what this academy wants... I understand the desire to have the highest level of instruction, I really do, but do the students really want to learn the sword that badly? I suppose this isn’t something an instructor should say, but I don’t think the students here are that motivated. At the very least, even in my case, in spite of being stuck deep in the woods with no way out and with no choice but to practice, it took me years to work up the motivation to work that hard.

“Um, your lordship. While this is a difficult point to bring up, with the exception of a handful of students, I believe it would perhaps be better for the rest to focus on endurance training, group practice, and building up their physical strength...”

“We already do such things in our realm. If we are to seek out talent from here, it would be to find talents on the level of Blois, and then to train them.”

You’re setting the bar way too high. She’s at the absolute top of the scale as an individual.

“I know what you want to say. You have your own knowledge of House Sepaeda’s training methods. However, if there are those who are seeking to make a name for themselves, then this is the right way to do it. If there’s even one individual that you, the kingdom’s greatest swordsman, thinks is a worthy talent, then that vindicates the entire effort. There is no need to coddle them. If they don’t flower here, then that’s all they were.”

“I understand, my lord.”

As I grasp what he wishes to say, I have nothing to say in response. I suppose, for people that aren’t satisfied with becoming an ordinary retainer and want to strike it big, this is the right approach. They want to become stronger than what’s normal, receive treatment beyond the ordinary, and live a lavish lifestyle. The same goes for His Fathership. There’s no point in him gathering ordinary talents; he wants someone at least as powerful as Blois.

“Oh dear, is the Lord Emeritus going to form an honor guard of some sort? Such spirit for a retired man.”

“Hardly a remark I expected from someone who is still going strong in spite of being older than I am. Further, House Disaea still has the generation before mine in charge. I can’t very well settle into a life of quiet retirement.”

The Regent, who serves the crown, starts poking around, not for the sake of her master, but simply to satisfy her curiosity. I’m pretty sure she’s got the most freedom out of all of us. As a result, His Fathership is pretty wary of her, too.

“What is important is to tell the world that the greatest is here, with all his skill, and for as many as possible to know him and to fear him. Sansui is the greatest in the kingdom, but few actually believe in his power.”

“Oh? Are you so sure?”

“To actually face him, to know just how far beyond their reach the kingdom’s greatest swordsman is, to return to their homes in despair, and thus spread tales of their defeat...that is enough to demand respect for the name of Sepaeda.”

Huh, I didn’t think of it that way. For His Fathership, that’s probably the right way to use me.

“Further, the rumored Caputo ace and the son-in-law of Batterabbe are also likely stronger than is readily believable. However, aside from those specific examples, the definition of ‘the greatest’ for most people isn’t that impressive. There simply isn’t that large a gap between average people. At the very least, under the assumption that they all receive the same education.”

Those words hit a bit too close to home. As my Master said, of course you’d be powerful after five hundred years of training, and it’s hard to say it’s particularly impressive if all you can do is beat up on those younger than yourself.

“However, there is still meaning to being number one. Everyone seeks to be number one, and tries to displace the current holder of that title or will try to make that number one their own. That is the value of being the best, or of holding the title of ‘the greatest.’”

It has value because everyone seeks it, and so there is value in being sought after. I see. That’s a good point. Even I told ‘God’ all those years ago that I wanted to be the greatest, without any hesitation whatsoever.

“This is a good opportunity. If, in a million to one chance, someone appears that surpasses him, then we will go out of our way to welcome them, and if there is one who is talented enough to make Sansui accept their potential, then we’ll have him train them. That’s all there is to it.”

That alone isn’t in conflict with my Master’s words. ‘The greatest’ is a goal and an ideal. I, without any backing, have earned a place as a bodyguard for a daughter of one of the Four Great Houses, and my strength is guaranteed by the current and previous lord of the House. If they can defeat me, then no doubt they’d be able to gain renown. That’s the goal in mind as people gather here.

“Lord Emeritus... May I ask you a question?”

“Mm? Tahlan? What is it?”

“What do you think of our kingdom, where the strongest becomes king?”

I wonder why he’s asking that. Taking a break from his training, Tahlan is posing his inquiry with a serious expression.

“I think nothing of it. That must be the easiest way to put it. Besides, we have House Caputo, where one cannot inherit the title without Holy Power. There is nothing barbaric about your custom.”

“...I see.”

“It makes no difference who becomes king. In which case, there is no problem in the strongest being king.”

Now that’s quite the statement to make to a royal from a far-off kingdom. Well, I suppose this is nothing new; this man’s pretty dismissive even of his own king.

“There are those who prattle on about how those with ability should become king, but for most people there’s just not that much difference between their respective abilities. Or do you mean to suggest that there is a gap such as the one that exists between Sansui and the average person, or between the Caputo ace and the average person, between those who become kings and those who do not?”

Is there that significant of a difference between the most able member of the Royal Family and those who are second or third most able? That’s a difficult question to answer.

“Say, hypothetically, that the most able one does not become king, and an inferior individual takes the throne. What is the one who didn’t get the crown to do? Are they to give up and retire? Or perhaps despair at the injustice of the world and commit suicide? Can you truly say that one like that, without a desire to serve their kingdom, is truly ‘able?’”

The prince who abandoned his kingdom listens in silence.

“If you take the appropriate time and effort to determine it, most people have their use. There are many who say that birth is important, but in the end it’s not an issue of blood, but of how they are raised. And for most individuals, if you educate them properly, you can find those who can contribute. However, regardless of whether we talk about royalty or any other thing to inherit, if you increase the number of candidates, there’s no reasonable place to end it. Because, in the end, it doesn’t matter that much.”

Essentially, it’s a matter of cost. If you provide the highest-quality education, most people will manifest a useful talent. If you provide that opportunity to many people, you can find those with outstanding abilities. However, the question is whether or not the returns are worth the cost.

“The worst example is our neighboring country, where simply changing the ruler splits the country. There is no country that becomes stronger from a civil war. People who die remain dead. Even if many royals die in the process of sorting out a succession dispute, that’s still fewer dead than in a war. That’s the limit of how bad it can get.”

“...I see.”

“The important thing is the country, the state. It’s not the Royal Family. If a kingdom rots due to a rotten king, that simply means that the rest of the kingdom was already rotten.”

“Wow... That really is a Sepaeda way of thinking.”

Hearing his words, Happine twists her expression into one of distaste. Certainly, it’s a harsh statement. It’s probably not something the former head of one of the Four Great Houses should be saying.

“...I will not take offense, as my brother is not offended, but is this the culture of House Sepaeda itself?”

“Yup, that’s what it is. Both House Sepaeda and House Disaea are thoroughly about competition. While they allow those with ability to flourish, they’re equally quick to disown those without a use.”

Sunae and Happine chat casually, while making clear their displeasure with His Fathership.

“In House Caputo’s case, it can’t really be helped, because there’s a birth component involved with the Mystic Arts, but House Batterabbe is probably the most conservative. We have a great number of families that have served us for generations.”

I’m told that the Four Great Houses and the Royal Family are discussing the future of the Caputo realm.

I really do wonder if it will come down to all-out war. It’s very worrying.

Part 14 — Apex

A thoroughly ravaged land, or to put it another way, a pointlessly tilled field. The humidity is a bit higher than usual, but other than that, there are no signs of life before them, leaving a wasteland comparable to a desert.

Standing before the site of the bombing, near the House Caputo lands, are Shouzo, his escorts, Paulette, and the Lord Marshal, all silent. Despite it being over ten days since the battle, the party is here to accompany Shouzo, who has insisted on going to the site every day.

“...I thought I would feel a little more guilty.”

Having destroyed everything all by himself, Shouzo still can’t acknowledge the reality of the sight in front of him. It’s as though this area has been like this for hundreds of years, maybe even thousands. He can almost believe that he had no hand in creating this reality.

“Hey, Paulette, this was the right thing to do, right? This was what was best for this kingdom, for the Caputo lands, right?”

“...Yes, that’s correct. You acted exactly as we asked. Thank you.”

A single individual decided the fate of tens of thousands of lives. In a sense, that’s the fundamental nature of politics. At the very least, the new leader of the invading Domino Empire had ordered tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, to kill them and pillage their resources. That could be said to be the right decision for his nation.

Which would make the decision reached by House Caputo’s leadership, Paulette included, to order the thorough destruction of this land, tens of thousands of lives and all, to have been right, as well. The only unusual element of that is the existence of Shouzo himself, an individual capable of killing those tens, even hundreds of thousands, all on his own.

“Alright.”

He didn’t push any further on the question. It was something that had to be done, after all. It was something that had to be done the way it was. And it was something only he could have done. If he had not used his magic, if he hadn’t killed them all, then the fortress city would have fallen, and more of the Caputo lands would have been exposed to the ravages of war. The consequences, in the number of victims, the number of dead, the number of tragedies, would have been unimaginable.

Still, was there really a need to so thoroughly kill the enemy? It wasn’t as though he experienced zero excitement at being able to really use his magic for the first time. It’s not that there hadn’t been a worry that he’d hesitate, allow the enemy to approach too close, and accidentally catch the fortress city in his blast radius.

However, even then, was it really necessary to kill them all? Was there really a need to so thoroughly kill them to the point where not only were there no bodies, there’s no trace of the army ever having existed.

It’s not that he doesn’t wonder.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

But that’s not something for him to think about.

At a minimum, as a result, there were no deaths incurred by Caputo’s population. They managed to maintain that, at the bare minimum. That also means that concerns beyond that must be complicated, and therefore not something for him to think about or struggle with.

“Forgive me, Shouzo. I’ve made you do such terrible...”

“Don’t worry about it. It really didn’t feel real to me.”

Despite Paulette’s apology, despite seeing the sight in front of him, Shouzo is still unable to absorb the reality of the situation. He thought he had an excessive amount of power, sure. Everyone told him that he was dangerous, after all. But he didn’t think it was this much.

“But...I guess this is what it takes to defend a country.”

“...That is my role. It shouldn’t have to be yours.”

“That’s not true. I’ve entrusted my power to you and the other people of House Caputo, which means I do what House Caputo commands. Your job is to decide, and my job is to use magic. So this is also my job.”

The world’s most powerful mage smiles at the daughter of House Caputo as he replies.

“I believe that it’s much better that you and the people of House Caputo decide rather than for me to think it over and decide for myself. Even if it ends up being a mistake, I won’t blame you. I think everyone would end up making the same mistake, in that case.”

Smiling awkwardly with his scarred face, he has faith that he and House Caputo are in the right. Hearing that is a balm to his escort, at least. Yes, even if he is the world’s most powerful mage, his power is not something that should be left to his own discretion.

“An excellent understanding of your responsibility, oh ‘Scarred Fool.’ A sign of your unwavering loyalty.”

Around ten carriages and their cavalry escort appear in the ‘wastelands,’ and a particularly commanding man in their midst speaks to Shouzo. Still, at the stranger’s address, Shouzo simply looks back at the man quizzically. Obviously, not everyone has seen the man before. But everyone else present freezes a little at seeing his clothing and family crest.

“...Hey, Paulette. Who’s this guy that just started talking to me?”

“His Majesty, the King!” says Paulette, who actually has met the king before, nearly screaming as she also tenses up in respect.

“...Why is he all the way out here?!”

While Shouzo doesn’t know the king’s face, he’s not so ignorant as to not know about the concept of a king. He hurriedly stiffens his posture and does his best to imitate Paulette’s respectful demeanor.

“We are here to convene a council of state, but the consensus was that we had best witness the results of the ‘Scarred Fool’ and his magic.”

At the word consensus, Shouzo’s escorts all break out in a cold sweat. Given the circumstances, it was easy enough to imagine the members whose opinions made up that consensus. It would mean that, in addition to the king, all four heads of the Great Houses were also present.

“A basic maxim of war is to see for oneself what the enemy sees,” says the youngest of the four, the current Lord Sepaeda, his eyes the most intense of those gathered.

“Quite. That is the whole purpose of having the council here, in Caputo, rather than in the capital,” says Lord Batterabbe, who is old enough to be Lord Sepaeda’s father.

“We were the ones who made the decision and the ones who gave the order. Given that, it’s only right that we should visit this place, as you have,” says a man known to Shouzo, the current head of House Caputo and Paulette’s uncle.

“Indeed, indeed... One can only appraise a product with one’s own eyes. Including the man who carried out this action,” says the oldest man among them, the king included...Lord Disaea.

The top leaders of the kingdom are assembled in this location, and Shouzo’s escort can’t contain their shock. This was because it also meant that the escorts of those leaders, the cream of this kingdom’s ‘conventional forces,’ were necessarily present as well.

“A bold move, Caputo. I can do naught but praise your decisiveness,” Lord Sepaeda states boldly, offering his opinion from a perspective of inherent superiority.

He has acknowledged that the sight before him is the result of deliberate and clear intent.

“Thorough destruction even beyond what is necessary to eliminate the enemy. An effective use of your capabilities.”

“...It was a fight with no room for weakness. As one who has been entrusted with his power, I had to decide on a course of action that went beyond simple certainty.”

Lord Caputo accepts Lord Sepaeda’s comment with a sour expression. In truth, there were less extreme options available. There’s no significant difference between total massacre and simple area destruction for the ‘Cursed Farmer.’ Meaning that, rather than ordering him to completely destroy the enemy, they could have shown them his power, in order to frighten them into retreating.

“It was a difficult choice to make, but it was not an option to show mercy to those who chose to pick up a sword and pillage, rather than hold out their hand for help in the face of famine.”

Hypothetically, they could have been restrained in their use of the world’s most powerful mage and, rather than killing them all, only destroyed half the army.

Would that army then have retreated in an orderly manner? Most certainly not. Over half of that army would likely have deserted from the army and become bandits, who would then prey upon the realm. Their entire purpose behind the invasion was the famine at home, after all. Even if they were to retreat, it’s doubtful they had enough food for the return trip. And to them, this was enemy territory. It’s doubtful they’d have any hesitation in ravaging the realm.

“I chose to completely destroy the enemy to protect my subjects. Further, I didn’t want to risk losing Shouzo.”

“A perfectly reasonable fear. Even the world’s most powerful mage is still human. It’s entirely possible for a randomly thrown rock to kill him.”

The nickname of the ‘Scarred Fool’ is neither mistaken nor camouflage. It simply points out that he’s a man who’s nearly destroyed himself with his own magic on several occasions. There’s probably no other man in the world so capable of accidentally killing himself.

“If I had placed him on the ground to stand and fight, there would have been a risk of losing him. I prioritized the life of a single mage instead of those who had a home to return to. And if we were to attack them, then it needed to be as thorough as possible.”

The king, the four lords of the Great Houses, and their escorts then take a moment to look over the world’s most powerful mage and the land behind him. The scars left on the earth as a result of his work could scarcely be believed as the work of a single person.

“A show of force... With their entire army destroyed, no doubt anyone from the Domino Empire would understand from this scene what befell their army. Even if they can’t grasp what precisely happened here, they would know that their entire army was slaughtered, to a man, with overwhelming force. That a massacre far beyond the normal concept of war had happened here.”

Lord Batterabbe interpreted this scene thusly. It was doubtful that anyone from the Domino Empire could even step foot in these lands. Even if an ignorant army were to wander across this blasted wasteland, just seeing what lay before them would induce a strong sense of something beyond the ordinary, and they would likely turn back. This devastated wasteland was now a defensive deterrent more effective at breaking an invader’s morale than any fortress could ever be.

“Deterrence, spurred on by the power possessed by the world’s most powerful mage, is an ideal way to end the conflict.”

“Indeed, indeed. War is unprofitable. It’s not worth playing along with an immature fool’s recklessness.”

Old man Disaea agrees with the sentiment of Lord Batterabbe’s statement. War is, to him, absurd. So many valuable things are wasted. Swords are broken, arrows are spent, soldiers die, all on an enormous scale. There are times when war is necessary, of course, but it’s still best to maintain such a war effort at a bare minimum even then. And in those cases, it’s best to do so with every advantage. Full-scale war is completely inefficient. It’s the very definition of incurring high costs with minimal benefit.

“Having seen this, they’ll likely sue for peace, and quickly.”

The old man’s words represented the consensus of all present. Even Shouzo was considering it a matter of simply doing the same thing again in case there was another invasion.

Yes, the war was over. The Domino Empire no longer had the ability to fight, and the Arcana Kingdom had no reason to fight.

“...We are gathered here to make that decision.”

However, there were reasons why this would end up being a problem for the Royal House of Arcana.

It’s impossible to know where in the world one could find monsters such as the Young Apostle, or his master. At the very least, the man responsible for bringing down the Domino Empire and formed the Domino Republic must be such a man. None of the five men making up the supreme leadership of the Arcana Kingdom underestimated the potential held by a single individual. However, based on the circumstances, there are some things that are now certain.

“The new Domino regime defeated the old regime in a civil war, then sent their army to fight us. That means that they likely don’t have the power to single-handedly destroy a wide swath of land like Shouzo, nor do they have the ability to flawlessly assassinate someone like Sansui. That’s clear from the circumstances.”

A keystone in the defense of the kingdom, the Caputo fortress city... Even if it is an important fortress, for the most important leaders of the kingdom to assemble in the location closest to the enemy border... That’s just not something that should happen in a time of war. However, after witnessing the power of the Caputo ace directly, this is not a factor that any of them take into consideration. If Shouzo wanted to destroy the kingdom, there’s no place that would be safe for any of them.

“As such, there is nothing for them to do. The new regime invaded our kingdom because they had ‘no other choice,’ as they put it, and they mobilized an army as their ‘best option’ under those circumstances. Given that we have destroyed that army, I doubt they have any further options.”

All present accepted Lord Sepaeda’s arrogant statement. Hypothetically, if the enemy had an ‘ace’ like Shouzo or Sansui, there would have been no civil war and thus there would have been no foreign war. The enemy chose war as their best and last resort, which means that there is no way for the Arcana Kingdom to lose. No matter how many times they invade, Shouzo can use his overwhelming power to destroy their armies.

“The enemy leader is, at best, as an individual on the level of House Batterabbe’s son-in-law. Meaning that he doesn’t rise to the level of a kingdom-level threat. Meaning there is only one response for us to take. To ignore them. If we simply wait, they will sue for terms.”

Lord Sepaeda’s summation, arrogant though it was, was also perfectly logical and beyond dispute. At the very least, it was a more peaceful solution than a counter-invasion and all the attendant destruction.

“What happens next is up to them. All we have to do is watch their actions and wait. Things will simply get worse for them as time goes by.”

Simply put, the Domino Republic had lost many soldiers. They’d let a massive number of their own citizens die. In this world, soldiers serve as both army and law enforcement. Even if they are conscripts, if they lose tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of lives among their combat-ready people, it would be next to impossible to gather more forces. In fact, if too many people from various regions die, it could make it difficult to maintain the current regime.

“The worst possible thing to do on our end would be to invade. If we do so, at worst, we risk giving them an enemy to rally against. Further, the enemy is in a position where it’s questionable if they can survive the winter. There will be serious logistical problems if we invade in a situation where we can’t rely on local foraging.”

Listening to Lord Sepaeda’s explanation until the end, the other lords nod in agreement.

“Indeed, indeed... War is a transaction that costs far too much to willingly participate in. If there is no benefit to be gained, then only a fool would bother,” Old Man Disaea, the oldest man present, says as he laughs.

Everything has a risk and a cost and those have to be considered when seeking profit. There’s no such thing as a transaction with no risk, only profit. That only means the risk hasn’t been adequately accounted for. Further, war is simply too costly. Even if a war that cannot be lost is a war without risk, if the rewards of victory are small, then it’s still not worth the cost.

“There’s little to be gained from cutting away such poor land. Simply consider how much investment it would take to restore it. And there’s not much worth to having land on the other end of the kingdom.”

Unlike House Caputo, which shares a border with the Domino Republic, House Disaea’s lands are on the opposite side of the realm. Even in the worst possible case, there is little chance that House Disaea suffers anything from the Domino Republic’s invasion.

“With all respect, Your Majesty, I believe that focusing solely on defense would be ideal.”

Even as he considers that there’d be no possibility that the crown would desire otherwise, Lord Batterabbe adds his agreement to the others. Simply participating in this war is a loss.

“The cause of this war stems from the misconception that the defecting nobles brought most of their nation’s wealth to this kingdom. With time, no doubt they will calm down, and return to ordinary relations with us. The problem, if anything, is the other neighboring countries. If we focus too intently on Domino, they may very well launch an incursion of their own across our borders.”

House Batterabbe’s ace, Saiga, is both extremely flexible and powerful. With the ability to strengthen himself with Eckesachs, he could single-handedly match the Sword and Shield Companies.

But that’s his limit. He’s unbelievably strong for an individual, and there are few situations he isn’t equipped to handle. However, he is not as obscenely powerful as the aces of the other three Great Houses. In the event of a war with a neighboring kingdom, it’d be possible to lose him.

“Offering to negotiate is, I believe, a sign of a great power.”

It’s impossible to know what they’d do if they were pushed into a corner. That uncertainty, of whether they’d lash out from an unexpected direction, is concerning.

“Your Majesty, in war, it is certainly important to begin it correctly, but equally important is how it ends. Fortunately we have both heaven and earth upon our side, and as such I believe this is a time for composure.”

Lord Caputo falls in with the consensus opinion. Sharing a border with Domino, Lord Caputo is the one with the most at stake and the one with the greatest responsibility to commit forces. Moreover, his force of paladins — those elite Rare Arts users — would be extremely difficult to replenish if they were to incur major losses.

In a defensive war, it’s only necessary to mobilize Shouzo and his escort. However, in the event of conquest and occupation, it’s no longer possible to rely entirely on the world’s most powerful mage. Infantry can’t defeat a bomber. However, a bomber also can’t take the place of infantry.

“First, we must start by reopening negotiations. No doubt, after seeing Shouzo’s impact, the enemy is intimidated, and will not be quite so confident. I believe it would be best to seek new points of compromise from there.”

All of the Four Great Houses are cautioning against further fighting. The enemy has something to surrender, after all: four of the Eight Sacred Treasures, more than worthy items to be offered as reparations. If they turn over one or two out of the four, that would be quite enough. All present thought it would be sufficient if the Royal Family could gain those treasures. At the same time, all of the lords present had also realized that the crown wouldn’t be satisfied with that outcome.

“Which reminds me, Caputo. It seems you have him well-trained. He does appear to be rather dim, but he knows the meaning of gratitude. It’s a sign that you are treating him well.”

“Sepaeda... I’m sincerely glad to hear you say that, yet I’m afraid there is still plenty that troubles me. His character is weak, and he is also rather careless. I constantly worry that he will do himself harm.”

“I have no doubt. If anything, I believe it’s our ace that is out of the ordinary.”

Despite witnessing Shouzo’s destructive power, all present have all maintained a certain degree of confidence in their position, but Lord Sepaeda is by far the most confident. He still maintains absolute confidence in Sansui, even in the face of witnessing the incredible, unthinkable scale of destruction wrought by the world’s most powerful mage.

“It’s only natural for power to lead to arrogance, for that is the nature of power. In terms of individual strength, all of ‘them’ are far superior to those of us here. In such a case, they will certainly try to act as they please. In that sense, I have absolute confidence in Sansui. I have only known him for five or so years, but in those years I have never been disappointed by him, not once.”

While he has the least destructive power of the aces, the Young Sword Apostle is the most ‘reliable’ force. It was impossible to imagine commanding him to do a task and having him fail.

“If he were to fail in a task I gave him, I have no doubt no one else could possibly succeed at it. His character is the furthest possible from negligence and overconfidence. I can stand assured in anything I ask of him. Simply having strength makes one worthy of use, but having both strength and honor makes one worthy of trust. However, trust requires reason. The greater the power, the greater the amount of reason required. He possesses that.”

A firm foundation of trust... Hearing that, the other lords of the Great Houses, while different in extent...look upon Lord Sepaeda with envy. Lord Batterabbe’s was at least someone restrained, but the other two were obvious in their jealousy.

“Indeed, I’m quite sure the reason the other Houses possess a risky ‘ace’ is to compete against Sansui. Ordinarily, the way to deal with one who possesses unreliable power is to kill them.”

And, more than any other House, the Crown was by far the most envious.

“Sansui is ‘the greatest’ by any measure in this kingdom. To do something that he is incapable of doing is how one might establish themselves as the greatest in turn. That is, in essence, evidence that everyone envies and fears his power, and admits that he is the greatest hero in the realm.”

Yes, the crown realizes that their honor has been besmirched, but the ultimate warrior, with no imperfections, the greatest swordsman and absolute guardian... The crown strongly desires to have him on their side.

“The same goes for the most powerful mage. Their roles are different, meaning his existence does nothing to change Sansui’s value. He continues to be one of the greatest. If there is a better, more trustworthy ace, than it’s likely that they would have been revealed by now. Is that not true, O Disaea the Venerable?”

“Mm... Who can say? The value of aces isn’t always in showing them off. There is meaning in simply hinting at their existence.”

At the very least, Lord Batterabbe has been actively promoting Saiga’s presence. Meaning that, on one hand, he hopes that Saiga may defeat Sansui eventually, but that he is also not a potential source of embarrassment by being out in public. The same can be said of Lord Caputo, but it’s clear enough that the ace that Lord Disaea supposedly possesses is not a person to put on display.

“But I suppose now is hardly the time to boast about one’s ace. What is important is how we settle this war. All we need to do is force them to turn over one of the Sacred Treasures. That’s the end of it.”

Sansui, who easily defeated a man capable of wielding all of the Arts, wielding a Sacred Sword. With such a man as his ace, Lord Sepaeda says as much without any concerns. Indeed, even if they can’t use it, the Sacred Treasure would still be a fine ornament for the Crown.

“There is someone we wish to introduce to those present.”

With that, the king summons a woman to him. Lord Caputo is familiar with her, but she’s unknown to the other three.

“My name is Hari. I am one of the imperial nobles fortunate enough to have found shelter in your realm after the fall of the Domino Empire.”

Hari, daughter of Nuri. As Nuri can’t show his face in front of members of the main Caputo line, his daughter is addressing this council of state.

“...Oh, one of the failed curs.”

“Come, that is going too far. She is His Majesty’s guest, after all.”

In response to Lord Sepaeda’s obvious disdain, Lord Caputo mildly reproaches him. Still, it was still a surprise to him that the crown had brought her to the meeting.

“...I am loath to expose the Empire’s shame, but when His Imperial Majesty, the glorious previous Emperor, passed away six years ago, there was a dispute over who would inherit the throne. Many of the Imperial House fell to assassins during that time, but there was one lady who could not be accounted for among His Majesty’s concubines. Had she been pregnant at the time, she would have carried His Imperial Majesty’s grandchild.”

Hearing the words “six years ago,” Lord Sepaeda’s brows raise.

“The lady was quite beautiful, and was known for her silver hair.”

A child with silver hair. At that remark, all present looked to Lord Sepaeda. That is, they’re all aware of the Young Sword Apostle’s only family, the sole reason he came to the mortal world from the woods.

“After following the lady’s path, a young man who stood upon a tree branch deep in the woods informed us that he had buried the lady and given her child to his apprentice...”

“Ah. Sansui’s master, Suiboku.”

Lord Sepaeda sighs deeply. He knows that this will be a truly bothersome problem.

“Your Majesty. I hesitate to ask... But you mean to suggest that this refers to Sansui’s daughter, Lain?” Lord Batterabbe asks, cautiously.

All present are aware it’s an extremely problematic revelation. In the worst case, they could very well make an enemy of Sansui.

“Do you intend to use her as a figurehead to restore the Empire?”

“...That would be beyond reckless. To support an emperor, a head of state...that requires placing your full backing of the entire country behind them, as well. Where exactly are we to find those funds?”

“Even if Sansui is the kingdom’s greatest swordsman, his daughter only has the backing of House Sepaeda. To make such a child an emperor...”

Batterabbe, Disaea, and Caputo... The lords all try to determine the king’s intent. It would be one thing if this were a special bloodline like House Caputo’s with the Mystic Arts inherent in the family, but to back her for the throne on the basis of simply having silver hair is ridiculous. It’s a dangerous move that risks making an enemy of Sansui, the greatest swordsman, and simultaneously there is no benefit to reasonably expect from going through with it.

“We have not made a decision on this matter.”

The king is well aware of those facts, and he actually doesn’t have any intention of making such a move.

At those words, Hari’s eyes widen, but she remains silent, unable to comment.

“However... There are two salient facts. First, the new regime thoroughly loathes the Imperial House, and has been going around killing those of the imperial bloodline hiding within their Republic. Second, the head of the new regime possesses the Sacred Treasures.”

“The Demon Blade, Dainsleif...”

“Indeed, Sepaeda. The Sacred Treasure that allows its wielder to wipe out an entire bloodline, the Demon Blade, Dainsleif. Given that it is in the hands of their new leader, once they finish killing the members of the Imperial House within their own country, they will then extend their reach to our realm. With Sansui, the greatest swordsman, protecting her himself, I doubt they will succeed. However... They will most certainly make the attempt. Further, even if we make demands in a peace negotiation, that is perhaps the only Treasure they will not hand over.”

The Demon Blade, Dainsleif, was one of the Eight Sacred Treasures and a weapon that drains the blood of anyone it injures. It’s said that the weapon allows its wielder to identify the kin of those the wielder bears a grudge against.

“So, what shall we do, Sepaeda?”

“I’m afraid I must take this home for consideration.”

Part 15 — Trust

“Um... Begging your pardon, but could you increase the intensity of our training?”

A man receiving instruction from Sansui makes the request. Having already challenged Sansui multiple times, and being well aware of Sansui’s strength, the man nevertheless asks this of a man who looks younger than him. Hearing those words, Sansui feels a bit of regret. He understands the man’s feelings, but even so, there are no shortcuts on the path of the sword.

In the end, it becomes a matter of how much time they can dedicate to their effort. It’s a question of endurance. The greatest examples of that are himself and his Master. Thinking about that fundamental truth, he feels something that he can’t quite name as he looks at the powerful man in front of him.

“Please, provide me with instruction.”

“I understand what you are feeling, but I’m afraid our school doesn’t have anything in the way of more intense training. It may be difficult to believe, but I’ve never sparred with my own Master.”

“T-Truly...?”

Sansui Shirokuro, the world’s greatest swordsman and House Sepaeda retainer... He actually turned out to be, in fact, the greatest. That is, in itself, a happy discovery, but that leaves those with a certain level of skill unsatisfied.

Do practice swings. Correct your posture and your movements. Once that’s finished, confirm that they can do it reliably in battle through sparring. That process is fine, of course. However, those who have already managed that seek even greater heights.

“Then, please, I ask to face you directly.”

Things that they can do against inferior opponents...well. Start moving before the opponent moves, then take them down before they attack. Or, hit the opponent before they realize their attack has missed.

A mastery of fighting that allows one to reliably perform a technique against whoever one might face, however many opponents one may fight at once. They have confidence in their skill and are unrivaled back home. A swordsman who can defeat them, however many of them face him at once. They wanted as much instruction from him as possible.

“A sparring match?”

“I will not ask that you face me one-on-one. I would even be fine with watching you fight. I would like to watch you fight more often.”

For Sansui, he can’t help but think it’s all pointless, as it would simply reinforce the awareness of the gap between himself and the others.

At the very least, those who face him, as well as those who watch him, may be impressed, but none of them really understand. Because he can read that from their presence, he feels that it wouldn’t have much meaning. He only demonstrated his skill to have them understand the gap and to see what it looks like when one can actually execute a technique in any situation. He can’t see the meaning in showing it to them multiple times.

Further, when watching him fight, it’s nearly impossible to grasp the timing, as he’s already completely mastered it. To seek out his timing is difficult even for those who have reached a certain standard. Or perhaps it was actually impossible, considering that even the Grand Commander of the Royal Guard, who stood at the pinnacle of humanity, couldn’t even get a sniff of that unknowable presence.

“Don’t be so hasty, Sansui. You are too quick to turn the corner.”

As Sansui ponders this, the Lord Emeritus of House Sepaeda offers advice from the spectator’s seats.

“You still have much to learn as an instructor. There is still plenty for them to gain from facing you.”

“However, that also comes with a certain level of danger. I can’t see how that is worth the pain.”

“That’s fine. You’re sensitive to their presence, so no doubt you can feel it. The passion that burns in them to reach for becoming the greatest, something neither the genius Blois nor your Master ever had.”

“That is...”

“Indulge them. Show them how the greatest swordsman fights, just as your Master showed you. There’s no need to hold back. You may have reached enlightenment, but to the men there, the current moment is what matters. Don’t dismiss that, and face them with all you have. That is what it means to answer their earnestness.”

Even after putting in all their effort into their training, the number of people who could ever achieve mastery of timing is still limited. Even if they could master timing, it’s not as though they could consistently control it, and failure to do so means certain death. In which case, is it not better to be an ordinary swordsman? Lord Sepaeda is admonishing Sansui’s thoughts in that direction.

“Live by the sword and die by the sword. At the very least, that’s how you are, yes?”

“That goes without saying, but...”

“The same goes for them. As such, there is only one thing for you to do.”

“...Very well. That is how I will work with them.”

Drawing his wooden sword from his hip, he turns to those ready to face him.

“This will hurt, and the pain may be all you gain from this. If you don’t mind that, then face me.”

The people receiving instruction from me all look older than I am. That is, they are all grown men, but they have a certain sparkle in their eyes. What I want to say is that they’re enjoying the glow of youth.

As I struggle with that, I wait for the current lord of House Sepaeda with the parties from House Batterabbe and House Sepaeda. Their presences are already perceptible, and the emotions I feel aren’t particularly cheerful. Lord Batterabbe is also with them.

“So, how did it go? Did your apprentices learn something from watching you fight?”

“It may be because onlookers can see more of what happens than the participants themselves, but it seems that they are beginning to grasp the meaning of timing by watching my matches.”

It was exactly as His Fathership had said. Honestly, the thought would never have occurred to me. Even if they couldn’t read my timing, though, they can read the timing of the other participants, and then they observe how I respond to that timing, and try to emulate me. I honestly thought that it would be more efficient to focus on practice swings and kata lessons, but it seems that sparring has a value all its own.

“And they have passion... Something that was lacking in my life.”

When I first came to this world — that is, me from five hundred years ago — I thought I could simply become the greatest by asking God for it. However, I eventually learned the pleasure of learning the sword while training under my Master, and discovered the joy of self-improvement.

But in the process, I stopped thinking that I wanted to defeat someone specific or to become the greatest. I keep saying this, but the desire to win, the desire to defeat someone, getting fired up for that really just dulls your blade.

Retaining my composure at all times, being able to wield my blade as though in practice even in duels and battles to the death... If I don’t do that, even if I grasp the timing, my thoughts will make victory slip through my fingers.

“...I had never felt any emotion that intense.”

In thinking about their lives, I thought that they shouldn’t seek to reach my realm of skill. Even if they want to be the greatest, the mastery of timing is difficult, and therefore they would be happiest giving up and moving on. But perhaps that was presumptuous on my part.

That they could very well die tomorrow... That’s not something I, who have lived five hundred years, should have thought about.

“Hey, Saiga. You and I both loved those sorts, the guys with the jock mindset who were really focused and dedicated to self-improvement, right?”

“...Yeah, I loved them, too.”

“Perhaps we have both been presumptuous, due to having acquired a certain type of greatness. Their lives are their own, after all, no matter how hard, no matter how much they’ll regret it. I guess they want to live true to their passions.”

That is, in the end, the real value of being the greatest. But having heard that, even secondhand from my Master, I had ended up looking down upon them.

“My Master is definitely great. He must have considered that I’d go through this, too, and that’s why he told me to take on apprentices.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

“...Saiga, Tahlan. Both of you...I’m sure it’ll get harder starting tomorrow, but will you stay my apprentices?”

It was a stupid question and I was fishing for an answer.

“Of course, do your worst.”

“Master Sansui... Those were the words I wanted to hear!”

Hearing those words was such a balm and... But then I immediately snapped back to reality.

“...I beg your pardon, Lord Saiga, Prince Tahlan. I feel I just said something very disrespectful.”

“Don’t worry about it! I mean, I’m your apprentice, and you’re actually the oldest one here, right?”

“Indeed, I would prefer you interact with me in that fashion!”

Yes, I know the two of them are happy. But that’s not the issue. Both Lady Douve and Saiga’s harem are glaring daggers at me.

At this rate, I’m going to get stabbed in the back!

“Sansui... I thought you were a man who understood your place. How disappointing.”

“L-Lady Douve! My apologies!”

“To treat my man so casually... No doubt you were already treating him like that in your inner thoughts, weren’t you?”

“Please forgive me!”

Oh no, Lady Douve’s really getting angry. Meanwhile, Saiga’s getting cornered by his own masters.

“Saiga! You’re my fiancee! Why are you being so chummy with Douve’s bodyguard and forming such a perfect master-apprentice relationship?!”

“Saiga, it’s a good thing that you are at the same school as my brother, but don’t neglect me in the process!”

“L-Lord Saiga... Do you prefer the company of men over women...?”

“Saiga, my wielder, don’t be so taken with Suiboku’s apprentice! Just because you have the Immortal Presence, do you plan to hole up in a mountain?! Don’t even think about it!”

“C-Calm down everyone! Especially you, Zuger! Please, calm down!”

This is bad. Blois can’t respond forcefully to Lady Douve! Lain’s cowering, too! This is hopeless!

“My maaaan?! You son of... You put your hands on her, didn’t you?!”

“Such intensity! And this level of swordsmanship, given your age. To so easily defeat this ability so regularly, my Master must indeed be quite impressive! Very well, then! I will restrain him without use of Shadow Summoning!”

His Fathership is attacking him, but Tahlan’s trying his best to deal with it optimistically.

Oh no, at this rate this’ll end up an international incident!

“Lady Douve! Prince Tahlan is in trouble! Perhaps you should focus on restraining His Fathership?!”

“No, with Tahlan’s skill, he’ll be able to hold off Father’s sword...long enough to punish you first, certainly.”

It’s no use, she’s in the same sort of rage that His Brothership and His Fathership sometimes get into!

“...Oh, damn!”

“...The room is quite a mess. Was there another problem?”

“It’s always lively here, isn’t it? Happine, you shouldn’t be so boisterous while we’re at Sepaeda’s estate.”

After a bit of trouble, we’ve welcomed the lords of House Sepaeda and House Batterabbe into the Sepaeda estate. Other than Blois and Lain, everyone’s hair is out of order. However, we’re all still in one piece, so I suppose that will have to do.

“It’s nothing. So, what happened, son?”

“Ah, we have a bit of a complication. In the worst case, it could be a matter of dishonor.”

His Brothership and Lord Batterabbe look upon Lain and I with concern. Lain is still cowering from the pandemonium earlier, but evidently that isn’t the problem. The others are one thing, but it’s hard to imagine that Lain and I would ever be a political problem.

“Eckesachs, there was something I wanted to ask you. Do you know of the Demon Blade, Dainsleif, another of the Eight Sacred Treasures?”

“Certainly. The king of a country named Domino owns them, yes?”

Domino is currently a republic, so king is the wrong term. It was once an empire, so the correct title would be emperor. But I suppose that, from Eckesachs’s perspective, it’s a country that was established after splitting with my master, and the difference probably doesn’t matter much to her. If there’s a country and there’s a person at the top, I suppose that’s a king to her.

“Do you know its capabilities? If the legends are true, it has the ability to find the blood relatives of those you hate.”

“Technically, it’s the ability to find the relatives of those whose blood it’s tasted. While an Immortal’s presence sensing is mostly useful for defense, Dainsleif can seek out its target wherever they might be.”

“...I see, that explains it. The new head of Domino is using that power to look for members of the Imperial House.”

That’s a creepy searching ability. It’s useful, I suppose, but it’s much too malicious. I suppose using it to cut off this sort of political issue is the right way to go about it, but it’s still an awful ability.

“Lain, you were picked up in those woods by Suiboku and Sansui. Neither of them knows anything about your life prior to that, is that right?”

“Y-Yes, your lordship...”

“For better or for worse, we now know your roots. You are evidently a member of the Imperial House, the one that ruled Domino before the revolution and fled after.”

Huh? Lain’s a member of the Domino Imperial House?

I’m surprised and Lain doesn’t seem to understand what is being said. Everyone else is clearly in shock.

“Ordinarily, Lain’s roots would be of no interest to anyone. It’s not as though she has abilities from her bloodline like House Caputo or the Saive family, and the only real methods of identification are things like facial features and hair color. We could have simply claimed ignorance and a lack of awareness. However, the new leader of Domino is driven by revenge and is currently going around slaughtering members of the Imperial House.”

“Once he finishes eliminating them in his country, he will begin seeking out those who live outside of his borders. At the very least, he has the capability while he’s using Dainsleif’s powers.”

Lord Batterabbe seems concerned, as well. So long as the ruler of Domino doesn’t give up, there’s the possibility that they’ll send assassins simply because Lain is related to the Imperial House. And that wouldn’t change, regardless of whether I’m with House Sepaeda or not. She’ll continue to be targeted until Lain dies or the Domino head of state chooses to stop.

“From the perspective of national interest, killing Lain is probably the right course of action. Of course, I have no intention of doing such a thing. That would be true even without you, Sansui.”

His Lordship, while stating it in characteristic rough fashion, shows his absolute trust of me with an equally absolute statement.

“Indeed, they keep demanding that we produce the emigrant nobles, but we’ve refused their demands. Given that we won’t hand over those pathetic curs, there’s no reason we would hand over Lain.”

“In that, Batterabbe’s opinion is the same. At the very least, our kingdom can presently hold the enemy back due to the power of Caputo’s ace. It’s impossible for an army to enter our territory at the moment. The only thing to worry about is assassination, but that isn’t an issue so long as you are present.”

I’ve been hired by House Sepaeda and am serving as Lady Douve’s bodyguard. However, I’m only doing that to raise Lain. At the very least, that’s how it was at first.

“With all of that on the table, what do you want to do? Putting aside this kingdom’s interests, the quickest path is to assassinate the enemy leader. And of course, there is no one who could stop you. Even if there is one who can stop you, that would be House Disaea’s ace and he isn’t your enemy.”

His words are sincere. I’m able to sense deception through my ability to read presences, but even aside from that, he’s speaking to me as an equal. He’s giving me a choice. That fact alone makes me happy.

“If there’s no other choice, I may do that. However, there are things to do before that. Isn’t that so?”

“...I appreciate you saying that. You may have to resort to that in the end, but tolerate it for now. You and Lain have served us loyally. It is time for me to reward that loyalty, as your liege and employer. I will seek a resolution that won’t bring you or the kingdom any loss. Until then, avoid leaving your daughter’s side as much as is possible.”

From now on, I’ll have enemies targeting Lain. That hasn’t happened before, but now it’s undeniable. There will be those seeking my daughter’s life for the sake of fulfilling their vengeance. But, regardless, what I do won’t change because of that. Whatever Lain’s origins, I decided on my own that I will raise her. I have no intention of letting go of that role.

“Papa... Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it’s fine. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Right now everyone here is Lain’s ally. That’s a very reassuring thing.

Yes, there’s nothing to worry about. I tell that to my daughter with certainty.

Part 16 — Introduction

House Caputo, one of the Four Great Houses of the Arcana Kingdom... Along with House Sepaeda, House Batterabbe, and House Disaea, they have the influence second only to the Crown, and own lands nearly as large as the Crown’s.

House Caputo’s greatest asset is that their bloodline is extremely likely to produce those with the Holy Power required for the Mystic Arts. While not all members of the family are necessarily born with Holy Power, in this House, one in two of their children have the capability when they’re born. Given it’s a rare talent, one that ordinarily only manifests one in every thousand people, that rate is extraordinary.

The Mystic Arts are defensive in nature, able to create sheltering walls, while also being a healing art that can put right both injury and sickness. Its effectiveness does not change regardless of circumstance, and to put it crudely, it is also a steady source of revenue.

Humans first seek water and grain; and once they have those, they seek alcohol and meat; and once they have those, they will try to obtain money and wealth beyond their ability to spend. Finally, with all of these things in hand, they will seek out honor and rank.

House Caputo has plenty of all of these.

They do receive ‘donations’ and ‘aid’ from House Disaea, but even putting that aside, they have more than enough wealth to minister to the poor, and provide free training in the Mystic Arts regardless of the person’s origins or circumstances, with plenty left over. Because House Caputo is relatively austere when it comes to personal consumption, their wealth doesn’t stand out, but they are extremely economically secure.

In terms of their skill in medicine, they are among the best in the surrounding region, and many important people from nearby countries come to Caputo to receive the highest quality care. Just by taking an ‘appropriate fee’ from these medical tourists, House Caputo flourishes.

They have no competition, and they require no effort to sell their services. They are nobles who can gain virtue simply by practicing their healing techniques each day, and continually acting with discipline to avoid falling to arrogance.

“Thank you all for traveling so far to gather here today.”

The heads of the various cadet branches of House Caputo have assembled in the estate of the main branch, at the invitation of the daughter and heir of the main family, Paulette Caputo. As it is the main branch’s estate, Paulette’s uncle, the current Lord Caputo, is present, and is standing at her side as she hosts the event.

They have gathered here under the guise of an outdoor party, but based upon her tense expression and a quick glance at the faces of the Lord Marshal of the Paladins and the House Mage flanking her, it’s clear to them that they’re not here for a mere social call.

Paulette herself is a pious woman, worthy of being a member of the main line, so it’s hard to imagine her gathering the heads of the cadet branches simply to hold a party.

“I have invited you to gather here... To discuss the flood that recently happened at a nearby village.”

A village nearby was washed away by a flood, and Paulette has been leading the rebuilding efforts; there was nothing unusual about that. However, a cursory investigation revealed oddities with the otherwise normal situation. That is to say, about the flood itself. A disaster where an enormous amount of water washes away a village... Ordinarily, such an event wouldn’t be limited to a single village.

Further, there are no large rivers near the village, nor have there been any large storms or sustained rains in the area. In short, there was nothing that could cause a flood. Indeed, there was little in the way of human cost, nor was there an enormous amount of damage. But it was impossible to conceal that it hadn’t been an ordinary flood.

“I will state this bluntly. The source of the water that washed away the village is due to a single mage, one who possesses an extraordinary amount of mana.”

Because of the incident with Canvus, Paulette has chosen to directly state the facts, even if they were difficult to believe.

“The villagers and the village itself were washed away due the mishandling of a water spell by a man with the mana of over ten thousand average mages.”

It was, to put it mildly, an extraordinary statement. Even if all of those present were mystics and not particularly educated in magic, the existence of an individual with over ten thousand times the mana of an ordinary person was difficult to believe.

Only that the words came from Paulette, who was widely respected by the others, kept them from bursting out into laughter and instead allowed them to remain silent, seeking to find the truth of the matter.

“...If you please, Shouzo.”

“Oh, okay... I mean, yes, my lady!”

Appearing at Paulette’s instruction was a black haired and black eyed foreigner with a nervous expression. Those familiar with the appearance of the Young Sword Apostle could not help but steel themselves at seeing him.

“This is Kyoube Shouzo, the mage I just mentioned.”

“...H-Hello! I’m a mage!”

He blushes at suddenly being introduced to all of these important people as a mage, but he maintains his posture of attention.

“Let us put the matter to the test... Shouzo, please cast the spell as we discussed.”

“So, water first, right?”

“Yes, if you could.”

Tense with nerves, he steadies himself. Shouzo raises his right hand and points his index finger to the heavens. Immediately after, all of those present turn their eyes upward in surprise. The entire area turns dark as something blocks the sun.

Although not cast in absolute darkness, the party grounds go from clear daylight to the gloom of an overcast sky. Several dozen meters overhead is an enormous pool of water, as though someone had drained a lake into the air above.

Creating water where there was nothing... While the magnitude might be different, it’s something that anyone who uses water magic could do. In this case, however, it happened to be done with ten thousand times the normal amount of mana.

“Ah, crap... That’s too much.”

“C-Calm down! Don’t panic and drop it!”

Having produced more water than intended due to raw nerves, he does indeed begin to panic, with his finger still pointed at the sky. The water overhead begins to wobble in response.

The House Mage of House Caputo yells at seeing this, more panicked than Shouzo himself, though that was understandable. If the water were to fall in its current state, it would kill everyone underneath.

“Y-You don’t have to yell.”

“First, maintain it! Hold it together, got it? You should be able to do it!”

“W-Well, sure...”

“Maintain it! Hold it there! And then use your wind magic to blast the water upward! You should be able to do it!”

The instructions were something that even those without much knowledge of magic knew would ordinarily be quite difficult to accomplish.

“Oh, alright...”

Casting a wind spell while maintaining a water spell, while holding up the water created... For an ordinary mage, that shouldn’t be an option.

But reality defied that impossibility. Just as suddenly as the lake had appeared overhead, an enormous gale force wind, powerful enough to scatter the clouds overhead, blasts away the water without so much as ruffling anything on the party grounds.

The heads of the cadet branches stare up at the sky in shock. They suspect for a moment that they had seen an illusion... But the brief rain that showers them from the now cloudless sky proves that what they had seen was real.

“Dang it... I messed up.”

Then they turn their gaze back to him. They look at Shouzo, who after firing off two extraordinary displays of magic shows not even the slightest hint of fatigue.

“...I believe you have all understood why I brought you here today. This is... Well, he is the world’s most powerful mage, and I have placed him under my care.”

How many of them actually heard Paulette’s words? All of them look at Shouzo as though they were beholding a monster.

His expression is a mix of embarrassment from his failure, relief at succeeding in fixing the situation, and shyness at being introduced as the ‘world’s most powerful mage.’ They watch him, he who doesn’t seem to care how others are looking at him.

“S-Sorry, Paulette... Lady Paulette... I messed up...”

“It’s alright... If you could just be quiet for now.”

While trusting Paulette, they properly understood that the world’s most powerful mage was also too immature to control himself. This was the first time that they began thinking of the ‘Scarred Fool’ as House Caputo’s ace.

“The reason I have assembled you today is concerning Shouzo. I propose that we restrain him with the Hex Arts in order to make certain he doesn’t accidentally make use of his enormous magical potential. I do not believe this is a matter I can decide using my own discretion.”

Ordinarily, restraints using Hex Arts are something reserved for the very worst criminals. Even if he is not completely innocent, it’s not ethical to simply bind him with hexes because he is unable to control himself. While they feel a degree of hesitation at the ethical quandary, the leaders of House Caputo begin nervously discussing the situation with their neighbors.

As Shouzo stands watching the proceedings, a man approaches him: Douverb Saive. From another bloodline with talent for a Rare Art, but as he hails from a family of Hex Artists rather than mystics, he is viewed with fear, not reverence.

“Are you alright with this?”

“What do you mean?”

While understanding that laws are for politicians to decide, Douverb doesn’t approve of the proposal to use the Hex Arts in this exceptional case. He will, of course, comply with any formal requests from House Caputo, but by its nature, the Hex Arts also require the consent of the target.

Of course, ‘consent’ in this case is already half-coerced, considering the alternative, which is why Douverb is conflicted about his role in this case.

“That the terms of the hex placed upon you will be decided without your opinion or wishes.”

“Mm...”

Currently the leaders of House Caputo, Paulette included, are engaged in a heated debate. Depending on the outcome, Shouzo may very well end up unable to use his enormous mana for the rest of his life. Even with that understanding, Shouzo doesn’t interject his opinion into the discussion.

“Eh, I think I’m more or less okay with it, whatever the outcome.”

“May I ask why?”

“Because there are this many people here, but none of them are suggesting that they just kill me.”

It would hardly be odd if there had been voices recommending killing Shouzo to eliminate the risk he posed. Indeed, it would have been natural, considering the scale of the spell he’d just used, the one that very well could have killed them all just moments before. But no one present has put forth that opinion, even though attempting to kill him rather than debate his fate would be entirely plausible.

“...I see. I apologize for troubling you with such a boorish question.”

“Nah, it’s fine.”

“In the end, I am but the executor.”

Douverb, who is only loyal to his duties, lets slip just a little bit of his own opinion.

“But I hope that the hex that I place upon you has terms that are in your favor.”