Chapter 2 — The Clover and the Club

Part 8 — Review

The wedding ceremony in the Magyan Kingdom ended without incident; in the end, it was a bright and joyous occasion representing that each side had done everything they could do for the other and had learned everything they could from the other. Tahlan and Sunae had been able to celebrate and leave their mark upon their homeland, after making certain that they weren’t going to leave any problems or resentment in their wake.

They had come home to tell their family that they would be living out their lives in a distant land. Having completed their task, the two felt a different kind of sadness from the sort they had felt when they first departed their homeland. They dwelled upon that feeling as they climbed into their respective carriages.

Meanwhile, the Arcanian members of the delegation had their own thoughts to process as they set off. In particular, the four from Tempera Village and Saiga each had something that weighed heavily on their hearts.

The night before they arrived back in the Arcana Kingdom, the group gathered to talk in a room in the castle they were staying in.

“We’ve already spoken to Ran about it, but...we intend to return to Tempera Village and complete our training,” Yabia said as the representative of the group. She had gracefully won the first match in the Royal Exhibition and shown the strength of the Four Vessels Style in a foreign land, but she looked thoroughly abashed as she told the others of their decision.

“This journey has been a really good learning experience for us in many ways, but we’ve still got so much to learn, and we’re far from being able to fight at Ran’s side. And that...has nothing to do with whether or not we have enough fighting experience. It is simply due to our lack of training.”

They weren’t skilled enough. They hadn’t done enough training. Having admitted their weakness, the four looked at the others with pained expressions. Their talents and family lineages weren’t an issue. They hadn’t yet put in the work that they could and should put in. Even having acknowledged this, it was still extremely hard to admit that they had simply not been working hard enough.

But their obvious pain was also a sign of their growth. That they were willing to accept the weight of the challenges that awaited them was what also showed just how seriously they would face those challenges and do the work necessary to overcome them.

“The victories we achieved at the Royal Exhibition...were the result of us focusing on winning above all else. Master Suiboku’s noble treasures and Eckesachs’s tactics were what made them possible... We’re happy we were able to be useful to Ran and Sunae, but we would have lost easily if we had fought fairly. If we were to fight without the noble treasures...we wouldn’t be anywhere near the level needed to fight at Ran’s side.”

The four of them had held the masters of Tempera Village, the ones that Ran had so easily defeated, in complete contempt when they had been clinging to Ran’s skirts. However, those masters wouldn’t have been so badly exposed at the exhibition. They would have been able to win in a fair fight, even without the noble treasures.

Of course, the Drunken Fist Style or the Mist Shadow Style would never be able to defeat a full Divine Beast, but against opponents in humanoid beast form, they would have been able to put up a good fight. And even if they weren’t at that level, if they had at least been more mature, if they had put in more effort, then they wouldn’t have felt so ashamed at their wins.

“We had originally left the village to communicate our people’s wishes to Master Suiboku... Even though we ended up being away for a long time, we would like to return to the village and complete our training.”

“I see... Well, if that’s what you want to do, then you should do it,” the Lord Emeritus of House Sepaeda said gently. He knew that the four were still far from skilled and that it was up to them to decide how to improve.

If they believed that, rather than learning new techniques, they needed to go back and properly master their original techniques, then it was better that they return to their village to train. That was true even if they weren’t going to be welcomed back with open arms.

“You four are strong. You sought fair battles even when you knew you couldn’t win, and now you are going to return to your village where those stronger than you await. I admire that strength. In fact, given that I ran from Spirit Summoning...I even envy you,” Tahlan said, praising their decision.

While Tahlan was considered the greatest of the Shadow Summoning swordsmen, the relative power differential between that Art and Spirit Summoning meant he stood no chance against most Spirit Summoners. As he had left his homeland because he couldn’t stand that reality, he found the four’s willingness to return to a homeland filled with individuals more skilled in their own Arts to be something worthy of admiration.

The four of them were committed and prepared. They were prepared to be humiliated, to be revealed to be frauds, to experience loss, to endure frustration. That determination stemmed from their own weakness and wasn’t something to be too proud about. It was the determination and commitment of those who weren’t geniuses or masters, but were simply ordinary people. Of course, Tahlan couldn’t ever know that feeling.

“I thank you for accompanying me for over a year. Your efforts were invaluable...in foiling my mother’s ambitions, and in breaking the arrogance of my homeland,” Sunae said, expressing her appreciation. The four of them had won overwhelming victories because their Arts were unknown and because they had utilized specialized tactics, and that had a very real value entirely separate from the shocks delivered by Ran, Saiga, and Sansui’s victories.

There was a world of difference between facing a handful of overwhelmingly overpowered individuals and being shown that even an ordinary soldier might be able to kill them with enough determination.

“I have nothing but appreciation for everything you’ve done, including the fact you were willing to focus solely on winning.”

“No... That’s not right. It was because we focused on winning, because we received hollow praise, that we understood just how meaningless our wins were. If we had continued riding Ran’s coattails...we probably would have felt this emptiness eventually anyway.”

Each of the four had swiftly and individually defeated a royal in Divine Beast form. Subsequently, the people of the Magyan Kingdom, who had practically deified Spirit Summoners, had regarded them with so much fear that they were viewed with almost as much trepidation as three of the most powerful warriors in the Arcana Kingdom. That was the fear and respect that the four had thirsted for when they joined Ran in leaving the village. In a sense, they had accomplished their initial goal.

To hold one’s head high, to thrust one’s chest out in confidence, and to receive the praises of the people around them... They had thought it would be fun to experience that. But the truth of the matter was different. As it turned out, praise that exceeded one’s actual abilities was empty and embarrassing.

“We shouldn’t have left the village with Ran in the first place, and we should have stayed in Tempera Village when we went back the first time. This journey was meaningful, if only to learn that fact. Even if they treat us coldly when we return... If anything, that might be reassuring.”

The four of them had received confirmation of the importance of strength over victory and were now expressing their determination to become stronger, not simply to just win.

“I’m pulling for you all,” Ran said, but was unable to speak further. Like Tahlan, she found their resolve admirable and envied them for it.

“Yeah, and we’ll work hard. We’ll make sure to train enough that we’re worthy of the praise we got in Magyan...and we’ll be strong enough that we won’t need to depend on noble treasures or schemes!”

“Yeah... I need to work hard too,” Saiga said, having seen the four Temperans now properly motivated. “I spoke to Sunae’s dad while we were in Magyan... He taught me the mindset necessary to be a leader... I’ll make use of it and become a great lord!”

“That’s the spirit, Saiga!”

“Given that your potential has been acknowledged by my father, the king of an entire country, there’s no way you won’t do well as a noble!”

“We’ll also be by your side!”

Happine, Sunae, and Zuger each voiced their support at Saiga’s determination. They, too, had learned from their experiences in the Magyan Kingdom. It was only by supporting the one in charge that they were going to be able to fulfill their roles as the wives of an authority figure.

Meanwhile, Ran was looking at them rather coolly. The other four from Tempera also shared her expression. “Hey, Saiga... This is a bit late to ask this, but do the people actually accept you as the heir?” she asked, putting a rather obvious question that hadn’t been asked until this late moment into words.

Saiga tensed when he heard this spoken out loud. The fact of the matter was that Saiga was almost never in the Batterabbe territories, meaning that he had no idea what the people actually thought about him.

“Hey, that’s a good point... In our village, the main families always received preferential treatment, and we left because we were rebelling against that.”

“Villages and countries aren’t that different, right? Are they really going to let an outsider take control of a big house, no matter how strong he might be?”

“I know that the current lord wants that to happen, but maybe the other people won’t accept it...?”

“Strength isn’t the only thing that matters, right? Saiga...are you sure it’s all going to be okay?”

The Arcana Kingdom was a great power, while Tempera Village was a small community hidden within Arcana’s borders. Even though there was a difference in scale between the two, their social structures weren’t that different. That was why those from Tempera Village considered becoming head of a ruling family to be a big deal. They had thought that the world outside was going to be a lot different from the village before they had seen it with their own eyes, but they had since learned from experience that things weren’t all that different.

“Ahm... Well...”

“There are no problems at all,” the Lord Emeritus of House Sepaeda answered, cutting off Saiga, who was struggling to answer the question. “Your concerns are completely valid, though. Ordinarily, no one would even consider making an outsider the head of a house. This is even more the case given that we’re talking about House Batterabbe.”

House Batterabbe was one of the Four Great Houses of the Arcana Kingdom. Not only was the lord of House Batterabbe ruler over a fifth of the kingdom, they also had authority rivaling the king in matters concerning the kingdom’s politics. As such, it had been decided that Saiga would shoulder an enormous responsibility.

“Think about it. It would be one thing if the lord of House Batterabbe was making a foreigner his daughter’s consort, but it would be quite another thing if the foreigner was going to become the actual ruling lord. That would be the same in Tempera Village, yes?”

“Yes. There were houses with lots of internal squabbling where the heir that the current head of the house chose wasn’t accepted by the others.”

“The fact that it’s been decided means exactly that. The matter has been decided and all the parties have agreed, regardless of Saiga’s concerns.”

Yes, the question wasn’t worth asking at this point. Saiga wasn’t simply one out of a number of candidates to be heir; he was the heir. All internal discussions on the matter had already been concluded. However, the root of the Temperans’ questions was not that, but rather why he had been accepted as the heir.

They knew that strength wasn’t enough to be accepted; Ran had proved that to them. No matter how much everyone knew about Ran’s strength, no one in Tempera Village wanted to make her head of a house. That shouldn’t have been any different when it came to Saiga.

“That’s something we’ve always known, isn’t it? It’s all to balance against Sansui,” Douve said breezily as she looked in the silent Sansui’s direction. It seemed Sansui wasn’t keen on participating in the conversation, but he made no attempt to deny her claim either.

“The Royal Guard is a collection of the most powerful individuals gathered from all over the Arcana Kingdom to protect the royal family. Their ranks contain numerous men equal to Tahlan in skill, and even the least skilled is at least as strong as Blois. They’re the elite of the elite. They’re trained in the most productive environments, given the best equipment, and are trained to fight together well, making them Arcana’s ultimate fighting unit. There was one man who single-handedly defeated all of them, the strongest swordsman in the Arcana Kingdom: House Sepaeda’s ace and the first ace in the kingdom, Sansui Shirokuro. As such, everything since has been to try to achieve balance with the power of this Immortal.”

There were several reasons why none of the houses had proposed putting Ran in charge of their house. First, Tempera Village was a male-dominated society and there was no precedent for a female head of house. Further, her behavior was far too violent, meaning that no one wanted to be near her, much less have her lead them. She was the first of a new bloodline, meaning that her leadership would go against the purpose of the houses, which were there to pass on their house’s martial art. Finally, Ran herself had no desire to become head of a family, and showed no interest in doing so. All of those factors combined to make certain that Ran never became head of a house, even though no one in the village was anywhere near her equal in strength.

But there was a decisive difference between Tempera Village and the Arcana Kingdom: Sansui Shirokuro, an absurdly overpowered individual, was serving as the vassal of one of the lords.

“No one can defeat Sansui. No matter how many people went after him, none could inflict so much as a scratch. Sansui...used to serve me. He follows our orders. It is therefore understandable that the other houses became jealous.”

“I see...”

Since Ran was the only one of her kind available in Tempera Village, there was no one who wanted to use her as a figurehead or claim her. If one of the houses ended up gaining an overpowered individual in their ranks, then the other houses were naturally going to try to compete. They would have tolerated the fact that she was a woman, that she used a different fighting style, and that she had a bad personality, so long as it gave them a way to compete against the other families.

Indeed, the idea wasn’t as implausible as it might have seemed at first glance. At the very least, the Magyan Kingdom, having seen Ran as a docile Marked, had thought to tame some themselves. When one group gained an overwhelmingly powerful weapon, it was only natural that those around them needed to adapt and evolve.

“The Lord Heir there was brought in with the hope that maybe he’d be able to beat Sansui and was recruited solely for his strength and talent. Which makes me wonder...have you really forgotten that fact?” Douve asked, with a faint note of mockery. Happine and Sunae looked extremely flustered and frustrated but were unable to argue against her logic. It was true that they couldn’t very well hold Saiga up as a great exception when they themselves had forgotten why he had been chosen to be the heir.

“I’m an idiot. I was chosen to be the heir because I have cheat abilities, and yet I let myself think about what it means to lead...” Saiga murmured to himself. He found his previous enthusiasm pointless and idiotic. He had forgotten where he had started and had failed to look at what assumption underlay his position as heir. It was so foolish that he may as well have been a court jester. Douve was perfectly within her rights to mock him.

“That’s right. And you...have the strength to make people believe it.” But the man who had once served as the lord of a Great House wasn’t laughing at him. “As you yourself know, Sansui was stronger than even those around him had thought. So much so that even those who were closest to him didn’t understand the sheer extent of his power. The only time that Sansui ever showed that strength was when he faced his master, Suiboku... Until that moment, we’d never even seen Sansui shed a single drop of blood.”

Suiboku had only recently given Sansui a lesson that involved anything other than practice swings. They had sparred with wooden swords and, in the process, Suiboku had wounded Sansui. Until that moment, Sansui had continually won overwhelming victory after overwhelming victory. Not only had he not taken any wounds, there weren’t even moments where it appeared close to happening. Not only had he defeated his opponents, he always landed his blows as though they were drawing in his strikes. The gap between them was so vast that it made him look boring and plain.

“To become strong enough to make people believe that you might actually defeat Sansui... That’s what was hoped of you. You all should know just how much struggle and effort that will entail.”

That was something that none of them, not the Temperans, not even Douve, laughed about.

“That’s exactly right...”

Tahlan looked over at Sansui, his teacher. The Immortal was the sole apprentice whom the world’s most powerful man had accepted as a pupil. He was the Young Sword Apostle. A man who had spent four thousand years training had sent him out to the world as his ideal of a swordsman. Just how much effort would it take to make victory seem possible against him?

Tahlan had met Saiga relatively early on his journey, which was why Tahlan knew just how difficult the path for Saiga had been.

“Saiga is strong enough to make those around him think he has a chance of defeating you. Don’t you agree, Master Sansui?”

“Yes, of course. Nothing makes me happier as an instructor...but it’s also time for me to feel a bit of anxiety. I can’t very well stand still.”

Sansui, too, was remembering one of his master’s lessons. One was only a true master by working to avoid being defeated and by competing against one’s apprentices. Saiga had now reached a level where even Sansui himself wondered if he could beat him. It motivated him not to lose at any cost and filled him with the thrill of competition. As a teacher, there was no greater joy.

“I believe Master Suiboku would be pleased as well. Don’t you agree, Eckesachs?”

“Hmph.”

Speaking of the Ultimate Legendary Sword Eckesachs... She was extremely displeased at going unused as of late.

“Listen up, my master! Getting stronger is all well and good, but...make better use of me! Since you drew me, you need to make sure you use me!”

“Oh, yes, of course...”

“You’re the heir to House Batterabbe, but...you’re also my master!” the Ultimate Legendary Sword yelled tearfully at her owner. “Surely you haven’t forgotten why Suiboku abandoned me, have you?! Now that you’re my master, make sure you use me!”

“I’d like to do that too, but...you’ll get mad if I use you against weak opponents.”

“I won’t be mad! It wouldn’t count as use!”

“Then that’d be pretty hard... The only ones whom I see as really strong opponents now are people like Fukei or Suiboku... In that sort of situation, I wouldn’t win even if I used you.”

The heavy weight of reality fell upon Eckesachs. There were walls that simply couldn’t be cleared in this world, and Saiga was well aware of that fact. For almost everyone else, Saiga was already on the other side of such a wall. However, even for Saiga, there were walls that couldn’t be overcome. For him, that wall was represented by two powerful Immortals, Fukei and Suiboku. They were so far ahead of him that, even if Saiga dedicated his entire life to fighting, he still wouldn’t feel like he could defeat them. About the only one who could defeat those two was Shun Ukiyo, the perfect wielder of Pandora.

“My, my, Eckesachs. If you throw tantrums like that, the other Sacred Treasures are going to laugh at you again.”

“Hmph!”

“Besides, you’ll soon have a use again.”

“What does that mean?”

At Douve’s meaningful statement, Happine furrowed her brow. At the very least, she couldn’t think of any situation that required Eckesachs.

“You’re taking father’s flattery too much at face value. Think a little bit more carefully. Why do you think we needed that little sideshow in Magyan?”

At those words, Saiga’s face paled further.

“Hmph... Douve, rather kind of you to say it out loud.”

“It would annoy me to have them call you a liar, father. Besides...it’s more fun if they have to struggle with it now, isn’t it?”

Saiga repeated Douve’s words to himself.

That’s right... While it’s settled internally that I’m going to become the lord, the people don’t support me because I haven’t done a single thing to earn that support.

It was quite obvious and went without saying, but the heir needed more than just support from the upper classes. If the heir didn’t have the support of the people, he would never be able to actually be the lord.

Lord Saiga...

Zuger watched on with a conflicted expression as Saiga fretted. She looked as though she herself was carrying a heavy burden within her breast.

Part 9 — Displeasure

The delegation’s route took them through the southern part of the Arcana Kingdom and into the Batterabbe territories. Obviously, they couldn’t simply pass through without stopping in. It would have been completely inexplicable for Happine, the daughter of the current Lord Batterabbe, and Saiga, the heir to the territories, to go straight to the royal capital without even a word. However, that also meant that it was now time for Saiga’s character as heir to the house to be put to the test.

What the Lord Emeritus of House Sepaeda had said wasn’t an exaggeration. That Saiga was to inherit the title of House Batterabbe had essentially already been decided. Anyone with sufficient rank to allow them to object had acquiesced to the choice. Unfortunately, all of those people had the luxury of having witnessed Saiga’s growth firsthand. For the people of the territories, who didn’t know him, Saiga was just a foreigner who had appeared out of nowhere. Now he was going to see just how they’d receive him.

The Batterabbe army’s band put on a vibrant, skilled display as they welcomed the delegation into the territory. The musicians had been born to their roles, raised from childhood to learn and play music, having inherited a responsibility that had been passed to them from their fathers and grandfathers. The sheer effort and training behind their playing was obvious even to those who weren’t particularly well versed in music. The delegation, returning from success on its great mission, entered the city of Batterabbe, and all of them were in a celebratory and festive mood.

However, the people watching the procession looked coolly upon it. There was a clear difference in enthusiasm between this and when Tahlan had returned to the Magyan Kingdom and its surrounding countries. This, of course, wasn’t simply because of the difference in climate. Frankly, no one here knew who Saiga was or anything about him. Since he had spent so much time in the capital, he wasn’t well known in the Batterabbe lands.

That sentiment was clearly transmitted to the procession, leaving them little choice but to put on forced smiles as they passed through. Even Sansui, who was almost completely uninvolved with the business at hand, felt it difficult to be received so icily. As for those who were squarely at the heart of the matter, like Saiga and Happine, they were completely mute as the procession continued.

Even when they had been reunited with Lord Batterabbe after a year’s absence, they felt neither the joy of the reunion nor a sense of accomplishment about their mission. Douve, of course, was smirking, but even she was somewhat restrained in her expression.

“First...I’m glad to see you’ve returned safely. Lord Emeritus, thank you for taking care of my daughter and son-in-law.”

“No... I hardly had to do anything. I had no intention of lending them help unless it was particularly serious, and they were able to mostly solve whatever came up on their own.”

The Lord Emeritus of House Sepaeda was supposed to be a harsh critic, but Saiga and the others were so depressed that the unexpectedly warm sentiments from the Lord Emeritus barely registered. However, Lord Batterabbe showed no sign of sympathy as he looked upon them. Their reception was to be expected, given the circumstances, and the people meant no harm. Furthermore, it was something that Saiga needed to overcome on his own.

“Now...Saiga, Happine. I know you’re depressed, but I would like to speak to you. Not as a private individual, but as a noble.”

He wasn’t yelling, nor was he trying to intimidate them. Instead, Lord Batterabbe simply expressed his serious intent. At his words, Saiga and Happine, along with the uninvited Zuger and Sunae, squared their shoulders and straightened to attention.

“Now that you’ve returned, I intend to pass my title to you very soon. More precisely, I will likely do so shortly after you and Happine get married... But, as you’ve noticed, the people don’t know you well.”

Lord Batterabbe knew that Saiga had contributed to the kingdom and, as far as he was aware, he hadn’t tarnished the name of House Batterabbe. However, the problem remained that he simply wasn’t well-known. Saiga wasn’t going to be a superhero, saving people from the shadows. He was going to be a noble, governing their lands. He needed to show the people his worth.

“Should I have come to Batterabbe more often? You know, instead of always being in the capital?”

“I don’t know if you could have gotten stronger under those circumstances. It was precisely because you were in the capital that you were able to meet new people and improve yourself. The problem isn’t that you lack worth, it’s just that no one knows you. All that we need to do is show everyone just how worthy you are.”

It wasn’t as though they needed to build up a useless individual from nothing, nor were they required to inflate his reputation with lies and puffery. All they needed to do was show Saiga’s overwhelming power to the masses. The keyword there was needed. There was a specific reason it was absolutely necessary to demonstrate his strength to the people.

“It hardly bears repeating that you being made the lord of House Batterabbe is an exception among exceptions. You understand that, right?”

“Of course!”

Saiga had felt the benefits of being a member of House Batterabbe keenly during the recent journey. That was why he had chosen not to settle in Magyan and instead decided to return to the Arcana Kingdom. It had taken him a bit of time to make that decision, but he had done so with an accurate grasp of the situation.

“Y-You sent a delegation...to Magyan...for my sake and for Sunae’s...and I’m very grateful. I know very well that this isn’t a common occurrence!”

“Good, I’m glad to hear that. But...there are many who don’t understand this fact.”

The fact that he was an exception among exceptions meant that there would be no further incidents like this in the future. It meant that they would never make another outsider their lord after Saiga’s accession to the title.

“This is a bit of an awkward way to phrase it, but House Sepaeda’s guiding principle is one of competition. That is why they were able to name Sansui as Douve’s bodyguard, and why there wasn’t much resistance to giving his students important appointments. But House Batterabbe’s guiding principle is tradition. As such, for better or for worse, we don’t take risks in choosing people for various roles.”

Competition versus tradition... House Sepaeda would immediately strip a vassal of their title if they created problems for them; conversely, they promoted those who accomplished great feats. By contrast, House Batterabbe tended to deal even with great problems relatively calmly, and there wasn’t much chance of promotion even for great accomplishments.

“There are those who think well of it, and those who don’t. Both of them have misconceptions about you. That you, an outsider, might bring innovation to House Batterabbe.”

Some people believed that the new heir of House Batterabbe, someone with a fresh set of ideas, might bring change to the closed, hidebound culture of House Batterabbe. Those who had believed up until that point that they had no room for advancement would feel hope, while those who had felt safe in their positions would feel under threat. It was the first time Saiga had been told that, but it was immediately understandable that others viewed him in that way.

“I-I...”

Saiga was at a loss. Frankly, he had no clear goals that he wanted to accomplish as lord of House Batterabbe. That was why, even when he was told what others thought about him, he had no clear sense of what he should do in response. But, even then, there were things he could say. His time in Magyan had given him a core of experience to build around.

“I...I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I know nothing about governing. Worse, I hadn’t even thought about what I wanted to do.” He voiced thoughts that were truly shameful to admit. “For someone like me to suddenly jump forward and make a statement here about what I intend to do would be wrong. All I intend is to follow your example, Lord Batterabbe.”

And the rest of his statement was also pitiful. It was the sort of statement that betrayed all the hopes set upon the next lord of House Batterabbe by everyone around them. Even so, no one was laughing.

“I’m glad to hear that. While others often don’t understand, the lord is simply the highest-ranking member of the house. They don’t have that much authority.”

“Yes, of course.”

It was rather convincing when the lord himself said it. Since they were going to give the top leadership position to an outsider whose main claim was his strength, it followed that the title didn’t have much in the way of dictatorial power.

“Even when you become lord, I’ll have you follow my instructions for a while. It may not be polite to admit it, but you’ll be my figurehead. As for myself, I intend to continue working with those around me as I’ve always done.”

“No... If I’m honest, that would be easier for me, as well.”

As he answered, a particular Japanese man appeared in Saiga’s mind.

“Unlike Domino, Batterabbe has good people, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right. You can depend on them.”

Ukyou was a powerful dictator and could decide anything on a whim, but he constantly lamented the lack of ability around him. There was nothing easy about being able to make all the decisions alone.

“Yes, you’ve definitely grown. The fact that you’ve gotten to know those who govern, even if you haven’t governed yourself, has been a valuable experience. Of course, there are plenty who wouldn’t understand that you’ve grown. That is why they must be taught.”

Lord Batterabbe looked to the man who had been focused entirely on blending into the background.

“They have to be taught about the man who is so powerful that he is an exception to our rules.”

When House Batterabbe discovered Saiga, they put all of their influence and ability into bringing him into their care, and spent time and money securing him. It was all to have an ace to balance against this man, Sansui Shirokuro. No, that wasn’t quite true. They had actually wanted Sansui himself or someone equal to him. Everyone wanted someone equal to Sansui.

“As lord, I order you to show the people of Batterabbe that you’re worthy of being my heir. I’ll leave the method to you...but I want you to prove that what we’ve spent on you hasn’t been in vain.”

“I understand! Please leave it to me!” Saiga said, doing his best to answer firmly.

He had taken on the responsibility without any specific plan and without any foundation for his confidence, but he hadn’t taken it on lightly. He knew that he had no choice but to accept. Whatever the process to get here, now that he had been chosen to be the heir to House Batterabbe, acting to secure his claim to the title was his true job.

Since he felt that way so strongly, he was able to say with confidence that he was prepared to do so. Unlike before, his confidence was justified. That was why no one present had any concern about his ability to fulfill the responsibility that he had just taken on.

Part 10 — Discussion

For the time being, Saiga had taken Happine, Zuger, and Sunae with him and left Lord Batterabbe’s room. The Temperans knew that this was not their place to interfere and had excused themselves. The members of House Sepaeda left in the room, along with Lord Batterabbe, looked at the door that Saiga and the others had left through.

“It does seem that he really grew during the visit to Magyan. Ordinarily, I should have been the one to guide him...but we had grown too close, and there was no sense of tension. I have nothing but appreciation for the effort your father made.”

“No... Father only provided a single clue. It was Saiga, Lady Happine, Lady Zuger, and my sister who figured out the answer on their own. If not for their experiences in the Arcana Kingdom, father’s words would not have borne any fruit,” Tahlan answered a bit modestly. While there was plenty for the Magyans to thank the Arcanians for, there wasn’t much cause for the Arcanians to thank the Magyans. From the Magyan royal family’s perspective, they owed nothing but gratitude to the Arcanian leadership. Under those circumstances, having received gratitude himself, Tahlan had no choice but to respond modestly.

“Have you anything to add, father?”

“I have nothing to say to Saiga and the others. All they need to do is review what they did in Magyan. It’s impossible that they’d fail at something in their own kingdom when they managed to do it in a foreign land. Considering that they immediately left the room, there’s nothing to worry about. What concerns me is...” The Lord Emeritus trailed off, looking sharply at Sansui. “What will actually happen during the main event?”

“I don’t know. I intend to do my best,” Sansui replied, looking extremely happy despite the sharp glare directed at him.

The Batterabbe territories of the Arcana Kingdom were on the southern side of the country, in a relatively temperate area. It was only a little bit warmer than the royal capital, and there wasn’t a great difference in terms of architecture or fashion. However, there was something there that was clearly different from the other regions in the world. At the very least, such was the case in this particular city.

Lord Batterabbe’s daughter and future son-in-law had come to the city where their erstwhile father made his home. Given their age, it was about time for abdication and succession. The issue at hand was the future son-in-law. In Batterabbe, which valued tradition above all else, a foreign man whom no one had ever heard of had been set up to inherit Lord Batterabbe’s title. This wasn’t simply based on the mad whim of the current lord; that there was no strong, public opposition to it meant that there was widespread agreement among the nobility.

Just how would the people of Batterabbe respond to the fact that the nobles of the territories had unanimously agreed to make an outsider the next Lord Batterabbe? The honest truth was that they weren’t sure how to interpret the development themselves. No one had really been able to fully process the news.

Sansui becoming House Sepaeda’s Grand Instructor of Warfare made sense, given his strength. It wasn’t as though the position came with much authority, so it had nothing to do with the average commoner. It was also substantially different from Princess Setenve’s engagement to Ukyou, the president of the Domino Republic. That was a political marriage for the sake of placing Domino under Arcana’s influence, meaning it was an ordinary bit of foreign affairs.

However, Saiga’s accession would mean an outsider was going to be the actual head of House Batterabbe. It was unavoidable that the news would bring both hope and trepidation.

“It seems he’s from a country called Nihon. Evidently, it’s far away, even farther than that country called Magyan...”

“Just what sort of country is it? What sort of politics is he going to practice, being from that country?”

“No... I mean, he’ll be the lord, but it’s just him, right? It’d be one thing if he was going to surround himself with advisors from this Nihon, but he won’t be able to force through things on his own.”

“Yeah, true. I’ve heard House Sepaeda’s lord has a great deal of power, but it’s not that way here in Batterabbe...”

“But all the nobility support him, right? Maybe he’s really charismatic. He might end up turning Batterabbe into another Nihon by convincing everyone he’s right...”

“Just what the heck does turning into another Nihon even mean? We don’t even know what sort of country Nihon is.”

“That’s exactly why the idea’s scary.”

A completely unknown man was going to become lord of the house and most of the common people were anxious about that news. Of course, since the lordship didn’t possess dictatorial powers, the thought of an unknown quantity taking it up wasn’t too disturbing. However, under ordinary circumstances, it would have been impossible for Saiga to even think of becoming lord of the house in the first place. As such, the circumstances must be extraordinary. Given that, it wouldn’t be strange for other extraordinary things to happen in his accession’s wake. There were those who found hope in such a future.

“If the new lord is going to start new policies...the most obvious thing would be to get rid of all this tradition, right?”

“Well, yeah, since he’s the one who’s climbed the highest outside of the traditional line of succession. How will he be able to say he supports keeping it in place? He’s gained so much from ignoring it.”

“So, does that mean even a commoner like me can join the army? I’ve always wanted to do it, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t born to the right family...”

“Yeah, tradition means supremacy of bloodline, after all. There’s the option of being adopted by a house, but in almost all cases, they just adopt from another family in the same line of work and of the same rank.”

“Yeah, there’s no hope of change when you live in Batterabbe... But maybe the new lord will fix that.”

“Right... He might open up this closed society we live in...”

Unlike House Sepaeda, where estates changed hands rather frequently, there was a great deal of continuity and stability in House Batterabbe’s territories. That wasn’t always a good thing. In the Arcana Kingdom, only a handful of people ever achieved advancement, and only a handful of others could ever make their dreams come true. In the Batterabbe lands, there wasn’t even that small double handful.

Batterabbe was the land of tradition, where the people weren’t able to dream of even the possibility of advancement. The people of Batterabbe generally took the same jobs as their parents and passed them on to their children. That was the only path open to them. While they had the possibility of failing in that endeavor, there were no other alternatives available.

For example, even those who hoped to join the band that welcomed the delegation had no hope, since that had all been decided at birth. In Batterabbe, tradition was the opposite of freedom when it came to one’s occupation. There were quite a few young people around the city who were thinking that they now had a chance to break out of that cycle of frustration.

“It’s as I thought...”

Saiga, Happine, Zuger, and Sunae had disguised themselves as commoners and gone around listening to the talk around town. While most voiced anxiety about the upcoming change, there were plenty of people who expressed loud hopes that things would change. They hadn’t doubted Lord Batterabbe’s words, but it was different to hear it from him than to hear the people directly voicing those hopes.

“The future of all these people rests on my shoulders... What a time to realize that.”

It was as obvious as anything could be, but the weight he felt was different when he actually heard the tone in their voices. They were thinking that a new, different future was about to arrive. Meanwhile, the truth was that such a thing wasn’t going to happen. Instead, everything would stay the same. At the very least, Saiga had no intention of initiating reforms. Despite the fact that he had advanced farther and higher than anyone else, he was going to continue a string of policies that told his people to just follow in their parents’ footsteps.

“Everyone’s got their hopes... Even though there’s nothing I can do... Even though I’m just a figurehead...”

They would all be profoundly disappointed when they discovered that everything would stay the same.

“But I still need to do it.”

The answer had been there from the start. No matter what anyone said, he needed to continue the current policies. Saiga understood that doing so was the best way for him to repay his father-in-law for all he had done for him.

“So, I’m going to go out there and, without any shame, make myself the sole exception to the rule...”

He was going to become the highest-ranking member of House Batterabbe and then publicly declare that he was special because he was strong. He would proudly state to the people that he was the only exception, despite knowing full well how unfair it would appear to them. He understood that such was his role.

“Well, because that’s actually how it is. The only reason everyone treats me so well is because I’m overwhelmingly powerful. Which is why I...I need to say as much.”

“Yes, that’s your duty.”

Having been born with the Royal Presence and therefore a claim to the Magyan throne, Sunae had to support Saiga’s bitter decision. She understood there were those who were naturally born into a special class, whether due to bloodline or because they had special powers. A sense of shame about that would have left Magyan or any other country unable to function in any meaningful sense.

No matter what the reasoning, the fact remained that the rulers enjoyed a better standard of living than the commoners, and it was necessary to teach the people that those circumstances existed out of necessity. That, too, was the responsibility of the nobility. Of course, a ruthless ruler who was only blessed in terms of ability rather than character wouldn’t be accepted or forgiven. However, Saiga had a profound sense of shame at being treated as a special exception, and didn’t fall under that category.

“Lord Saiga. I’m not particularly fond of valuing tradition. It’s very sad for people’s lives to be decided by the family they were born to or the talents that they were born with. To throw away what you want to do because of what your family wants is... I can understand the feelings of the people of Batterabbe,” Zuger said, revealing her feelings to Saiga. “However...I don’t think the people who live here in Batterabbe are miserable. Of course, not everyone is happy or living out their dreams, but...I don’t believe it’s so bad that the sacrifices required to change it would be worth it.”

Just as Saiga was acquainted with Ukyou, Zuger was also acquainted with him. She knew just how much blood had been spilled because Ukyou had decided to engage in the great upheaval in the form of a revolution. She also knew that it had been necessary, but she definitely did not think that was the case for this land.

“That’s right, Zuger. Abandoning tradition for competition would cause new complaints and problems of its own. It might very well split the country in half, like what would have happened in Magyan when they tried to make Tahlan king. All that waits after that is a life that’s worse than before the civil war...” Happine said, supporting Zuger’s point. There were certainly quite a few people who were dissatisfied with the principle of tradition. They were fewer in number than those who feared change, but there were more than they could ignore.

However, Batterabbe was more interested in listening to the majority who voiced their anxiety. Not everyone was truly committed to their dreams, not everyone was tired of tradition, and not everyone could accept the sacrifices required by change.

What awaited after all of the change would, in the end, simply resemble House Sepaeda. The changes would simply switch the people voicing the complaints with the people who weren’t, and it was impossible to make everyone happy. Was there a point to trying to make the unhappy people happy if it meant sacrificing the happiness of the people who were content with their lives?

“No matter how well you govern, there will always be complaints. That’s just what we’re listening to right now.”

“However, it’s something we need to hear.”

Saiga and his women were thus experiencing a very hard truth. They had known it would be painful, like placing one’s hand on a pot that they knew was hot. But, even then, there was an important reason for interacting with the people and hearing their hopes for themselves. At the very least, Saiga had been prepared to be burned. His resolve was not only to hurt himself, but the people he loved.

“Zuger, please listen to me,” Saiga said.

Zuger had already guessed what he was about to say. Or rather, she had felt, more than anyone else, what was going to happen.

“Yes, what is it?”

“I’m...going to fight Sansui again.”

In the past, Saiga had faced Sansui three times. Unlike Ran, who had ambushed Sansui, he had challenged Sansui to a duel each time. However, in hindsight, he had been just as serious a headache for Sansui as Ran had. The whole thing had been reckless, dangerous, and meaningless. He had fought Sansui three times and lost three times. Afterward, Zuger had begged Saiga to never fight Sansui again. Saiga had promised, and he kept that promise.

Unfortunately, he had since decided that he needed to break that promise. It was a disloyal thing to do, but neither Sunae nor Happine moved to stop Saiga, nor did they chastise him.

“To prove my strength, I need an appropriate opponent. The best opponent to prove myself is Sansui, the very man I’m supposed to compete against. If I fight Sansui, it’ll show the strength of House Sepaeda’s ace, and the need for me to be part of House Batterabbe as a counterweight.”

The belief that they couldn’t stand losing to House Sepaeda was strong not only among the nobility of House Batterabbe, but the people of the Batterabbe lands as well. It stemmed from their love of their homeland, and also a sense of rivalry. Those who lived in the land called Batterabbe were all united in that belief. If it was found that the lord of House Batterabbe was on equal terms with House Sepaeda’s swordsman, then he would become a hero worthy of worship.

“I need to play the part of the hero. That is why I’m going to fight Sansui. In front of everyone. Like in the past.”

Saiga was probably making the right choice, and Lord Batterabbe was likely to allow it. Since it gave them an opportunity to show Sansui’s skill, there was no reason for House Sepaeda to reject the proposal.

Unlike the first three duels, this fight had an actual purpose. Zuger understood that. But, even so...

“Lord Saiga, you’re pleased that you get to fight him, aren’t you? There’s a part of you that believes that you can fight him on even terms now, that you can avenge your previous humiliation. Am I wrong?”

Having accepted that the fight was necessary, Zuger now angled to discover the true motivations behind Saiga’s proposal. If so, it would be just like the second time, when he had used all of his Arts at once, and the third time, when he had Eckesachs in his hand. Could Saiga really say that he had no desire to get a measure of revenge for his previous three losses by throwing the weight of several years of training into this? That was what Zuger was asking.

“You aren’t wrong,” Saiga said with all sincerity. “I can’t help but think about it. There’s part of me that’s enjoying this. And...there’s also a part of me that feels guilty for breaking my promise to you. But even then...it needs to be done. So, I need to do it.”

The presence of personal motivations wasn’t important. In fact, it was irrelevant. He would fight because he had to. Saiga wasn’t asking for permission; he was expressing his resolve, even if it was a cruel thing to do to a young woman who simply loved him above all else.

“I don’t believe it was a mistake to ask you never to fight Master Sansui. I believe it was still the right way to go at the time,” Zuger said. She herself was now a woman who could accept those cruel words and process them. “However, at the time, it wasn’t based on wanting to see you do the right thing. I simply asked it of you because I didn’t want to see you hurt again. Those feelings haven’t changed. But if I tied you down, using that promise as a reason...”

“You would be like my mother.” Sunae finished the statement when Zuger hesitated. She brought up the woman who had been willing to split her kingdom in half because she was trying to do what was best for Tahlan.

“Lord Saiga, I agreed to marry you despite knowing you were the heir to House Batterabbe. As such, what I should value most...isn’t myself, or you, but Batterabbe as a whole.”

She had knowingly committed herself to the heir of House Batterabbe. She couldn’t say that she didn’t want what came with that commitment. Just as Saiga had to face the reality of becoming lord of House Batterabbe, Zuger also needed to face the reality of being married to the lord of House Batterabbe.

“You kept your promise to me, and you’ve told me what you intend to do before anyone else. I can’t bear to ask any more of you.”

“Zuger.”

“However, forgive me one selfish wish.”

The Saiga that stood before Zuger was aflame; not with an ideal, not with ambition, but with a sense of duty.

Zuger wrapped her arms tightly around Saiga. “Please...come back safely.”

“Yes, I promise. That, I promise...”

As Zuger fought back tears, Saiga returned her embrace. This looked less like Saiga was about to set out for a duel, and more as though he were going to war. The truth was closer to the latter. It was a completely different matter from his fight with the royals in the Magyan Kingdom. He needed to fight convincingly against Sansui, so that those who might oppose his accession would respect and fear him.

The two knew just how difficult that challenge was going to be. Since Sansui was shouldering the entire weight of House Sepaeda’s reputation, he wasn’t going to hold back. As such, Saiga would be fighting while shouldering the entire weight of House Batterabbe’s reputation on his back. It was, in essence, a proxy war between the two houses. That was exactly why it was worth doing.

“Say, Sunae. Have I made Saiga and Zuger...?”

“Don’t say it. It’d be an insult.”

With all that weight shouldered by both combatants, the fourth battle between Sansui and Saiga was about to begin.

Part 11 — The Fourth Time

Just as there was an arena at the academy near the royal capital, there was also a similar facility in Batterabbe. It was capable of seating a large number of spectators, and could host a great many events. Those events ranged from large private shows to public spectacles. While it was a distinguished venue, the events there ordinarily involved sports of one sort or another.

It had been announced that the heir to House Batterabbe would be unveiled in the arena. Further, his presentation was to feature a full slate of guests, with invitations sent to people from every stratum of society. House Sepaeda was also going to be present. Combined with the location, that clued in everyone in Batterabbe as to what was about to take place. Regardless of their social status, all of the spectators sat expectantly in a formal silence in the full arena.

“My beloved people, thank you for coming. Today, I would like to introduce you to my successor.”

The band played a heroic anthem as Saiga and Lord Batterabbe stood side by side on the arena’s main field. Everyone in the stands was focused intently on the pair who stood on what was going to be the dueling ground. They were watching carefully, intent on not missing a single movement, and listening with utmost attention to catch every word. The introductory speech by the heir to House Batterabbe would also be a public declaration of his intentions. Just what did this man from a distant land have in his heart as he was about to take over the house?

“This is Saiga Mizu, the man who will be marrying my daughter. He is the wielder of the Ultimate Legendary Sword Eckesachs, and is the husband of Princess Sunae of the Magyan Kingdom... He is also House Batterabbe’s greatest swordsman,” Lord Batterabbe said, addressing the crowd around him in a loud, ringing voice. Saiga, standing next to him, was tense with anxiety, as might be expected.

The huge crowd seemed to fill every corner of his vision and it was only a small percentage of the total population he was going to govern. Every time he repeated that fact to himself, he felt the sheer weight of the burden he had to carry. Neither Happine nor Sunae were nearby, and Eckesachs, strapped to his back, wasn’t saying a thing. Obviously, he wasn’t going to be able to hide in the shadow of his father-in-law.

That was why he was taking the time to recall the relationships in his life. He brought to mind his ties with his fiancées, as well as the warmth of their hands when he held them. At the same time, he thought about his other father-in-law and what Magyan Khan, king of the Magyan Kingdom, had taught him. What the people wanted wasn’t Saiga the human being. They wanted Saiga Mizu, the invincible hero. That was why he had to play that part.

“People of Batterabbe... I am Saiga Mizu, the heir to House Batterabbe!”

Playing the role didn’t mean he was fooling them. It meant that he was putting all of his effort, all of his dedication, into respecting their needs.

“You have my apology that...I have not shown myself to you until this day.”

The root of the anxiety among the people was the fact that none of them knew Saiga. That was a failing on Saiga’s part.

“But that was all necessary. The time for me to stand before you was only when I was ready to become a hero worthy of leading House Batterabbe!”

Saiga thought back to the time between the day he had been chosen to succeed to the title of Lord Batterabbe and today. Those days had been, in all honesty, a series of setbacks and humiliations. He was sincerely glad that he hadn’t stepped in front of the people of Batterabbe as the person he had been back on that first day. That time had given him the training and growth he had needed to become the man they needed him to be.

“The man standing before you is one who can protect House Batterabbe! I will inherit House Batterabbe from my father and hand it to the next generation! I am a man worthy of leading a martial house and fulfilling the role of its lord!”

With that statement, Saiga made clear that he would value tradition rather than push for change. He would take over the current structure and pass that to the next generation. While he was a hero, he wouldn’t bring change. It was a politic, tame, almost pitiful statement.

“I won’t allow anyone to object to my rule! I will govern these lands with a strength that no one can question or even fully comprehend! To prove this, I will now battle before you! You are my witnesses...and what you see will decide my reputation!”

Saiga had no place to run. If he failed here, even the current Lord Batterabbe’s position might be at risk. Happine, Sunae, and Zuger would also be in a great deal of danger. Saiga needed to show such strength that no one could possibly object to him. He needed to carve into the people’s minds the impression of a power that made them tremble, a power that no one could even jokingly call weak. That meant the fight needed to be an absolute spectacle.

“My opponent...!”

It was at that moment that a giant shadow enveloped the arena. Everything fell into darkness, as though clouds had suddenly filled the sky. The spectators gazed up to see the cause and immediately fell into a shocked silence as they saw numerous giant boulders floating in the air above the arena.

“People of Batterabbe, I greet you.”

A single man jumped off of one of the giant boulders. He landed facing Saiga and drew the wooden sword on his hip.

“I am Sansui Shirokuro, Grand Instructor of Warfare for House Sepaeda.”

Sansui had arrived, along with the giant boulders held aloft with his Immortal Arts. It was a display of power that his master, Suiboku, had once dismissed as an ability unnecessary for mastering the art of swordsmanship and unworthy of a true swordsman. What was the reason he had brought them with him? Was it to show the strength of House Sepaeda? Or was it because he needed them to defeat the current Saiga?

“Lord Saiga Mizu... Prepare yourself.”

Part 12 — Show of Force

This was a level of flashiness quite unlike Sansui’s usual demeanor—a clear show of force. Even though they had been informed about it ahead of time, those who knew him were still caught off guard.

“My, my... Sansui’s all excited for his little match,” Douve mused to herself. As most of the guests gaped upward at the sky, she smiled proudly as she looked at her former bodyguard. Unlike in the past, when he was completely unable to fight in a visually compelling manner even if he had wanted to, he was now able to use wide-scale techniques of this sort. As Suiboku had taught him, Sansui had grown so rapidly in order that his own apprentices wouldn’t catch up to him.

“Does he intend to use those boulders in the fight...? Good work, Sansui,” the Lord Emeritus of House Sepaeda said, looking on smugly as well. There was no one who dared question Sansui’s strength. Just as Saiga had hoped, his opponent’s power was clear for everyone to see.

“Saiga...” Lord Batterabbe murmured as he stood next to his heir. He was once again reminded just how big of a threat Sansui could pose to everyone around him. Previously, Lord Batterabbe hadn’t had any idea how to even touch Sansui, much less fight or defeat him. It was now apparent that Sansui had grown even stronger. No doubt he’d wield those giant boulders like his own limbs. If that was the case, Lord Batterabbe had no idea what Saiga could even do to stop Sansui.

Sansui, who had been restricted to his wooden sword and Ki Wave up until now, had obtained an offensive power that surpassed human understanding. Even though he was aware that Suiboku still towered above his pupil, Lord Batterabbe couldn’t help but wonder just who in the world could possibly defeat Sansui in battle.

“My lord, please step back.”

Despite the fact that none of the spectators were watching him, Saiga stuck to his role.

“Don’t embarrass me in front of them,” Lord Batterabbe managed to reply after a brief pause.

Saiga nodded, saying only, “Leave it to me.”

That was why Lord Batterabbe was able to continue to play his role. He keenly understood that Saiga had grown and was now much stronger than he had been in the past. He was aware that he was the small fry in this space, that the ones truly chosen by God were the two who were about to engage in battle. But even then, he continued to play the role of the lord, the role that the people sought from him. He continued to play the ruler who held the reins to a great hero, even in the face of his own powerlessness.

“Let’s go, Eckesachs.” Saiga drew Eckesachs with a serious expression, one without a shred of artifice.

“Yes...!”

Having been drawn by Saiga, Eckesachs couldn’t contain her excitement or nervousness. If she couldn’t prove her worth here, she would truly be without purpose. She needed to show her strength alongside Saiga. If she couldn’t, she would lose her right to call herself the Ultimate Legendary Sword.

“This is a bit out of character, isn’t it, Sansui?” Saiga asked in his usual tone. “I’m told that Master Suiboku once carried around a mountain to use in battle, but he said he stopped doing it because it looked ridiculous. For you, his apprentice, to do something like this...”

“True, it’s out of character. However...”

Sansui thought back to the lectures from his master. He weighed which promise was more important: the promise not to return until Lain was fully grown, or the promise to further strengthen his own apprentices. It was an easy choice. Making his apprentices stronger was far more important.

“I’m really just doing my job, after all.”

“True.”

Yes, that was their job. They were both here to fulfill their responsibilities, and that was why they were facing off for the fourth time. Saiga switched his mind from the anxiety of the pre-fight ceremony to the concentration he needed in battle. Just as he was about to clear his mind, his precognition triggered, sending him an image.

Huh...?

Saiga was overcome with shock. Even as he understood what was about to happen, he was still caught by surprise. The handful of seconds where his body tensed in confusion guaranteed that the future he had seen would come to fruition.

“Wh-Whoooa!”

A giant chunk of stone, the size of a house, went from floating in the air to immediate free fall, as though someone had cut the rope that held it aloft. The spectators who saw it screamed as they covered their eyes. This was a kinetic attack, one that was impossible to achieve with magic. The projectile accelerated and, with pinpoint accuracy, slammed into the spot where Saiga was standing.

“World Manipulation, Mountain Throwing.”

The name was an exaggeration, of course, as Sansui had only dropped a giant boulder. It was an obvious first blow, one that was clearly meant only to signal that the fight had started. In spite of that fact, the sound it created was immense. The simple act of dropping the boulder was enough to shock the spectators.

Regardless of their station in life, all of the spectators sweated bullets when they saw the attack land, even though it wasn’t even directed at them. The projectile was fast enough and massive enough so as to easily punch through a Mystic Wall. Everyone high up in the stands thought that Saiga was dead.

But that was a matter of perspective. Yes, seen from the upper levels of the stands, it looked as though a giant boulder was just jutting out of the dueling ground. But those who were watching the spectacle from ground level were shocked at the impossible sight before them.

“Seriously?! With a single hand...?!”

Holding Eckesachs in his right, Saiga had lifted his left hand over his head. By utilizing both the Four Vessels Style of the Orb Blood and the Silver Demon Style of the Tainted Blood at the same time, Saiga had easily blocked the greeting Sansui had sent his way.

“It really is out of character, Sansui, for you to use such a careless attack. It caught me off guard.”

Saiga tossed the boulder aside as though brushing dust off of himself. It landed with a giant crash and the perfectly unharmed Saiga stood before the spectators. All of them blinked their eyes in disbelief. He hadn’t dodged it, and it wasn’t as though the boulder had missed. He had simply caught the whole thing. It wasn’t like he was just barely alive or had endured the attack. It hadn’t done a thing to him.

“But you were fine. You were able to deal with the unexpected attack.”

“I feel like you’re grading me on review questions,” Saiga said with a laugh. It was true, in the past, he would’ve been confused by the vision, frozen in place, and likely have been crushed by the boulder. Now, though, he was able to deal with it. He had been caught off guard, even shocked, but he had still been able to deal with it. The spectators had just been watching and were overcome. Meanwhile, Saiga, who had actually taken the attack, hadn’t even worked up a sweat.

“My turn.”

Saiga’s conviction that he was one of the powerful grew. With that conviction flowing through him, Eckesachs lent Saiga more strength. Combining the Silver Demon Style and Fire Magic, he began to run as flames burst out of his back. It was a type of rapid movement that left a flame trail instead of a blur of movement. He was moving so quickly, so impossibly quickly, that an ordinary human’s reflexes wouldn’t be able to keep up enough to allow him to maintain it.

Saiga maintained control without a hint of struggle as he ran across the arena. While Sansui watched calmly from the center of the stage, the spectators were struck speechless by the spectacle. The view from the arena seats had no blind spots. Since they were watching from a distance, they should have been able to follow any movement, no matter how fast. And yet, they weren’t able to follow Saiga as he ran, leaving a giant trail of flames in his wake. That wasn’t simply because Saiga was moving quickly.

“H-Hey... Something’s wrong! How many of him are there?!”

At some point, the flame trails had multiplied to three in total. The simplest explanation was that there were now three of Saiga on the stage. While usually one might suspect that they were decoys or body doubles, it was hard to imagine that there were two people capable of performing the same feat. In fact, it made more sense to simply think there were three Saigas on the stage.

“Now... Take this!”

He launched a simultaneous attack from three directions using Shadow Summoning and his Shadow Aura. Against an ordinary opponent, moving in even one direction at a third of the speed would have been excessive. It was a simple, ruthless attack executed at lightning velocity. It was so simple that even the ordinary people in the stands saw it coming. But that was all they could do: see it coming. They wouldn’t have been able to do anything in response. Still, it was impossible that Sansui didn’t have some response to that technique.

“Flash Step.”

Saiga had been circling around the outer edge of the fighting stage. In the split second that he was about to turn around to head toward Sansui, who stood in the center of the stage, Sansui teleported next to him with Flash Step and pressed his palm to Saiga.

“Ki Wave.”

It was an almost divine execution of a technique that those who knew Sansui had come to expect from him. The apprentice of the Berserker God had completely read Saiga’s actions, taken advantage of the opening when his opponent changed direction, and got his Ki Wave off in time. Sansui himself wasn’t surprised at the outcome, of course, but neither was Saiga, who had taken the attack, nor were those who knew the two of them.

In fact, Saiga had responded by creating a suit of armor using the Mystic Arts. Since he had been thrown off balance while moving at high speed, the thrust from the Fire Magic had blown him in a random direction, but he hadn’t taken a scratch. Mystic Armor was tough, even tougher still when reinforced with the power of Eckesachs. Ordinarily, the person inside would have still taken damage from the fall, but since Saiga was using the Silver Demon Style while strengthened by Eckesachs, it had been as though he had just taken a little tumble.

“Hey, did you see what happened?! I couldn’t see a thing...”

“I don’t know what he did, but the Sepaeda swordsman is standing and the heir’s been thrown back. That has to mean the Sepaeda swordsman can throw someone moving that quickly...”

“But, look at that... The heir... He stood up like it was nothing... Despite the fact that he was blasted aside like that, it hasn’t done any damage...”

“Both of them are monsters...”

Those who were watching Saiga and Sansui for the first time were shocked beyond words. This was a battle between those who had been granted power by God, a power that vastly exceeded the standards of this world. It was all too fast to follow with normal human eyes and too ridiculous to understand with a normal human mind, but they still felt shivers of fear running up their spines as their senses were completely overwhelmed.

And it wasn’t just the ordinary people in the audience who felt that way. The soldiers of House Batterabbe whose families had served in the army since time immemorial...even they weren’t certain that they could survive a single exchange between the two. Even those who had accompanied the two to the Magyan Kingdom and had witnessed the Royal Exhibition held in front of Magyan Khan stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

“These...are aces. The power that the martial houses of Batterabbe and Sepaeda have accepted as the ultimate power...”

“So, they really were...holding back...during the Royal Exhibition...”

They had both grown so strong that they could defeat any opponent with overwhelming results. That was why their fights didn’t even have the slightest hint of an exchange of blows. Even when they were holding back, they could defeat their opponents in the blink of an eye. Unless the two fought each other directly, it was impossible to know how strong they were at full strength.

“How many years has it been since that first time? Things are finally going the way you’d hoped, mm?”

Douve and Happine watched the match sitting side by side. They were both deeply moved as they watched the aces that they trusted implicitly battle it out.

“Isn’t that the same for you? Pretty sure you’re thinking it’s finally an interesting match, mm?”

“Yes... He’s finally able to entertain me.”

It was a bit of a misphrasing to say that Sansui had been strong from the very beginning, but he had certainly been overwhelmingly powerful since the moment Douve had met him. By contrast, the Saiga that Happine had first met had been powerless. Since then, he had learned a wide variety of Rare Arts, trained in swordsmanship and tactics, and experienced plenty of actual combat.

It hadn’t been easy for Saiga to overcome all those obstacles during his journey, and he had come close to breaking several times along the way. But he had persevered and overcome those obstacles, and he was now able to put up a fight against Sansui. Almost everyone who was watching was unaware that Saiga had fought Sansui three times in the past and had been instantly defeated each time. There was no need for them to know.

“Haaaa... Raaaaaaah!!!” An inhuman shout roared out from Saiga’s throat. His body expanded and his bone structure changed. He transformed from an ordinary human into a giant wolf. “The secret art of the Magyan royal family... Spirit Summoning! Tremble before its power!”

“Then I shall respond with the Art entrusted to me by Master Suiboku, Immortal of Hanafuda.”

The two, of course, continued to play the part of the hero. That said, no one was actually listening to their remarks. They had all been shocked into silence and were cowering in their seats, trembling at the thought of what might come next. A giant wolf facing off against a swordsman with a wooden sword? They couldn’t imagine what the battle between the two would look like. Their expectation that it would become a battle beyond their wildest imaginations was about to become reality.

“Raaaaaaaah!”

With a roar of defiance, Saiga created a mystical wall of light, building it in the center of the arena. The wall fully enclosed the space around Saiga and Sansui. It was usually impossible for a single mystic to create a wall of this size. Even the ordinary spectators were aware of that, while the mystics in the audience were struck dumb at the sight.

Saiga had crafted the enormous wall with ease, but his goal wasn’t to trap Sansui. Rather, it was to prevent any collateral damage from their fight from spilling out into the crowd. In other words, he was preparing for an even more intense battle than they had seen earlier.

“Raaaah... Yaaah!”

The giant wolf started running on four legs. Such was his speed that onlookers lost sight of him after the first step. He accelerated to top speed at an unbelievable rate and completely swept aside the common perception of how quickly an animal could run. Of course, his speed and acceleration vastly increased the potency of his attack. The additional velocity made it nearly impossible to avoid, and the sheer force behind the attack would make countering the attack just as difficult. But Sansui had already prepared his response to this attack.

“World Manipulation, Mountain Throwing.”

One of the levitating boulders was thrown at Saiga at high speed. It was aimed to land directly on the giant wolf as he charged forward at high speed. But just as Sansui was able to read his opponent’s movements, Saiga was able to see several seconds into the future. He kicked the boulder hurtling toward him, deflecting it at Sansui.

“Flash Step.”

The redirected boulder missed, of course. Sansui used his Flash Step to move backward, dodging the giant projectile thrown in his direction. Saiga took advantage of Sansui’s retreat to pounce. There was no time for Sansui to drop another boulder on Saiga. Even under those circumstances, Sansui remained calm.

“Flash Step Art, Cowherd.” Sansui drew the two boulders already on the ground to him using Flash Step, attempting to use them to block Saiga’s attack.

“Raaaaah!”

But they weren’t nearly enough against this particular opponent. The combination of Saiga’s physical strength and size gained from Spirit Summoning and the hardening of his limbs using the Four Vessels Style was far too much to block with mere stone. His front paw cut through the boulders as though they were made of paper.

“Quicken Self.”

In response, Sansui decided to use a more taxing Immortal Art to enhance his own physical ability. While the boulders had been useless as shields, they had been enough to block Saiga’s line of sight. In the split second the giant wolf required to smash through the boulders, he lost sight of Sansui. As such, even his precognition wasn’t enough to deal with what was going to happen.

“Ki Blade Technique, Cross Touch.”

Sansui imbued his wooden sword with ki and stepped around the boulder shards to reach Saiga’s flank, attempting to land his sword on Saiga’s rear right leg. He was setting up to make use of World Manipulation: Castle Collapse, a technique that would forcibly dislocate Saiga’s limbs. Saiga was already aware of the technique’s existence, as Sansui had used it against a Divine Beast during the Royal Exhibition. It was the technique that Saiga was most wary of in his own Divine Beast form.

“Enough with underestimating me!” the giant Saiga roared as he looked down on Sansui. Even as he did so, another boulder hurtled toward him from above.

“World Manipulation, Mountain Throwing.”

Attacking from above while Saiga’s attention was on his own legs was the epitome of Sansui’s State of No Doubt, making use of split-second opportunities to attack. However, the shadows that emerged from Saiga’s body immediately shattered the boulders.

“I told you, don’t underestimate me!” Saiga slashed at Sansui with his front paw, roaring with rage as the Immortal dropped another boulder in vain.

“Flash Step Art, Weaver Girl.” Sansui swept aside the paw with his wooden sword. The slash from Saiga should have simply snapped the wooden sword, but the advanced Flash Step Art, Weaver Girl, forcibly teleported him as he made contact with the blade.

“You’re more annoying than I remember...” Multiple boulders rained down on the spot where Saiga had been sent. Even Saiga wasn’t able to respond in time to the barrage and took a blow from a boulder the size of his own body. “But this isn’t...nearly enough.”

An ordinary human would have been killed instantly, but Saiga was a complete Divine Beast. His augmented form made him extremely durable, and his power was enhanced by Eckesachs. A boulder, even one launched from high in the air, wasn’t a threat to him.

“You’re out of boulders, right? You’re not so persistent that you’d refloat them. I imagine you’re trying to increase the number of visual obstacles, but...”

The spectators trembled as they watched the Divine Beast be completely unaffected by the boulders. So far as they could see, the boulder had hit him squarely and he hadn’t been able to block it. And yet, Saiga had casually kicked it aside and stood back up. He appeared to them to be a monster from a different world, a monster that completely surpassed the limits of human understanding.

That was why they missed the fact that the paw prints that Saiga had left on the ground had changed color. They weren’t able to notice, despite the fact that they were in plain sight. They were far too mesmerized by the beast fighting in front of them.

“Can you dodge this?”

Bursting Venom Style, powered by the Seeping Blood, came into play. The ground that Saiga’s front and rear legs had touched exploded with enormous force. While the spectators were protected by the mystical wall, Saiga himself and Sansui had no way of avoiding the concussive force. The explosions were at a strength that Saiga himself could withstand, but they were far more powerful than what Sansui, who was essentially unarmored, could endure.

The explosions weren’t mere firecrackers in the enclosed space. Even if they weren’t strong enough to pierce the wall of light, it was enough to send a cloud of dust billowing out from the opening at the top of the wall. The dust rained down upon the spectators, but none of them complained. Everyone was too transfixed upon the smoke-filled interior of the wall of light.

Sansui had avoided every attack to this point, but even he wouldn’t have been able to respond to these explosions. Moreover, if there was no room to dodge, then the only thing he could do was try to endure them.

Just as the spectators watched in expectant silence, the wall of light suddenly vanished. The wind quickly cleared the smoke away and Saiga, back in his human form, appeared from within. He was quite dirty, but he was also unharmed. Meanwhile, there was no sign of Sansui.

“Can you see where Sansui went?”

“No.”

Douve and her father were unable to find Sansui. They were certain that he had survived the explosion. They knew he was alive, that he had avoided the attack, and that he would appear unscathed.

The only one in the world who could harm Sansui was his master, Suiboku. But Saiga had grown strong enough to plant the smallest seed of doubt in their minds.

“I’m sure he’s all right,” Zuger said, mostly for their benefit. It wasn’t that she had grasped the exchange of blows between the two, but there was one thing that she could say with conviction. “Lord Saiga isn’t fighting to humiliate Master Sansui.”

Saiga wasn’t going to let his passions get the better of him, nor would he make the wrong decision. It was because she believed in him that she was able to say it with such confidence.

And just as Zuger had stated, Sansui appeared from the sky unscathed. He came down riding one of the boulders, none of which had remained aloft prior to the explosion. The boulder landed with a great crash and everyone’s attention immediately went to the Immortal. Everyone present saw Sansui was unharmed.

“Even if I couldn’t hurt you, I’d hoped to at least get some dust on you.”

“Ah, as for that, I dusted myself off in the air. That’s why I was a bit late.”

Had he wanted to, Saiga could have created a wall of light that covered not only the sides, but also sealed off the top. But the reason he hadn’t done so was to give a path for the explosive blasts to escape and to give Sansui a way out of the explosion.

The moment Saiga had triggered the Bursting Venom Style explosions, Sansui had used Flash Step to move atop a boulder. He then used Feather Step to lighten the boulder and make it levitate. When the blast rushed upward out of the walled space, the boulder, now light as a feather, was thrown aloft by the rush of air. In effect, Sansui had used the boulder to ride the blasts from the explosions.

He had dispersed the energy from the explosions by going along with their force rather than trying to withstand them. In the process, the boulder he was riding had been blasted far into the air, but Sansui himself, sheltering atop it, had come away without a scratch.

“Shall we continue?”

“Yes!”

Eckesachs blazed with light as Saiga held her in a ready stance. This wasn’t because Saiga had imbued her with flame magic, but because of the sheer strength of Saiga’s spirit.

Saiga had learned of Suiboku, a man so powerful that he could never reach him. He was still struggling to deal with Sansui, Suiboku’s pupil, and yet his confidence remained unwavering. He hadn’t been this mentally strong at the start. It was because he had worked hard and trained hard to get to this point that his mind and heart were filled with confidence.

Saiga had grown truly strong as a warrior. He had the strength and the character to respect his opponent, to be confident in his own ability, without needing to bring down or diminish his opponent in exchange.

“Allow me a moment, then.”

Sansui took the moment to take the Golden Balm. While it was a minor change compared to Saiga’s transformation into a Divine Beast, Sansui thus increased his own physical abilities by making his body into that of an adult. The Immortal instructor was smiling as he turned back to face Saiga, his pupil. His smile conveyed his unalloyed pleasure. Sansui, more than anyone else, was overjoyed at Saiga’s growth as a warrior.

“Here I come.”

Saiga dashed forward. He had removed almost all of his physical enhancements and challenged the kingdom’s greatest swordsman with just his blazing sword. Sansui, too, responded without using Flash Step, his only Immortal Art use coming from a slight amount of physical enhancement.

The two swordsmen began exchanging blows in a dance of blades. But watching that sight, the audience couldn’t help but be befuddled. Just how long was this battle going to last? It had become an enormous battle of Rare Arts techniques, but even though the two were fighting at full strength, it was still clear they weren’t so desperate that they were putting everything on the line.

Despite the fact that they had each been using enormously powerful Rare Art techniques, neither of them appeared injured or tired. There was no sense that they were running out of techniques or strength. They showed all who were watching that they had no limits, no end to their strength, as they continued to exchange blows in the arena.

Lord Batterabbe was moved as he watched the exchange. “So very well done, Saiga.” His expression was of a father overjoyed at seeing his own child’s growth. It was a pure joy devoid of any artifice or political calculation. There were plenty of people in the world who had put in as much effort as Saiga. But they couldn’t, wouldn’t, achieve his level of strength with that effort.

Saiga truly was one of the chosen few. Even then, Lord Batterabbe was celebrating the work, the effort that Saiga had put in.

Part 13 — Remaining Duties

Whatever doubt had been in the minds of the people of House Batterabbe had been settled by the match between Saiga and Sansui. Just as House Sepaeda had Sansui Shirokuro as their ace, House Batterabbe had Saiga Mizu. The Arcana Kingdom was blessed to have these two overwhelming warriors at its disposal. Having witnessed the overwhelming strength of both warriors, the people understood why they had been given such generous treatment by their patrons. They weren’t simply unusual foreigners who had been promoted as a sideshow, but rather they had been given positions worthy of their strength.

Saiga Mizu was so powerful that the normally conservative House Batterabbe was willing to make an exception to its traditional practice and make him heir to avoid losing him to another house. Saiga had so thoroughly imprinted his strength into their minds that there would be no more whispers of reform or rebellion. To go against his stated wishes of continuing House Batterabbe’s policy of traditionalism would mean having to fight Saiga himself. No one dared risk his wrath.

The higher-born members of Batterabbe society saw how quickly the popular perception of Saiga had changed. All of them, particularly those who held high expectations of Saiga, were proud of just how much he had grown into a worthy successor.

“I’m extremely pleased that your reputation now fits your ability. There’s no one left in these lands who doubts your strength... No, there’s probably no one left anywhere who doubts your strength. I’m sure even Master Suiboku would happily praise your growth.”

After the match, Lord Batterabbe had invited Saiga, Happine, Sunae, and Zuger to his private chambers. The four of them could only sit and fidget as they listened to the man who had held the highest hopes for Saiga offer his heartfelt praise.

“This means you’re now an heir to the house whom the people can accept.”

“That’s...not quite accurate, I think.”

No one, not even Saiga himself, could say with any certainty that he would be worthy to rule House Batterabbe. The match had simply been a demonstration of his power; it had, in the end, only ensured that everyone was afraid of him. That fear, rather than acceptance of his worthiness, was why no one would dare question Saiga’s promotion or the fact that he was an exception to Batterabbe tradition.

“I don’t think it was a mistake for me to train at the capital or for me to go on the journey to Magyan. However, that’s also why...I’d like to stay in Batterabbe from here on out.”

The people of Batterabbe now understood Saiga’s strength, but Saiga himself knew nothing about the people or the land. At the very least, he was certain no one wanted a leader whose rule was founded solely on demonstrations of power.

“All I’ve done...is crush dissent. That’s a solid accomplishment, but not enough to make me worthy to be your successor.”

“I’m going to warn you... It’s not going to be easy.”

“Yes, but I won’t have to shoulder it alone,” Saiga said as he smiled. “If there’s something that annoys me, I’ll have Happine listen to my complaints. If I get discouraged, I’ll have Sunae encourage me. If I’m about to make the wrong choice, I’ll have Zuger chastise me. So...I’ll be fine.”

Lord Batterabbe wept with joy as he looked upon the worthy heirs to his lands. Not Saiga alone, but all four of them: Saiga and his three wives. “I’m glad to hear that, but...you still have work to do in the capital. Once you’ve finished that, come back here... There will be plenty to keep you busy by then.”

The one task remaining for Saiga at the capital was something he had already done in Magyan.

“Make sure it’s all done properly... This wedding ceremony will bind three couples together: you and Happine, Princess Setenve and Ukyou, and Lady Douve and Prince Tahlan. That’s your last duty in the capital...”