"Ermm…" Aomori called out to Mikakage, but Mikakage only diverted the attention of her ears towards him. "What dish is this?" He was probably asking about what was in the pot. (I remember it was…) Mikakage tried to recall the answer. "Eagle beak beans with flute Horn Buffalo stew. Added salt, pepper, butter, and several spices." "I see. I don't understand." Aomori replied honestly, Mikakage just shrugged. It was useless for him to ask. Mikakage was not good at cooking after all. Some may be surprised at her saying this despite having the subclass of Chef, but Mikakage saw herself as a confectioner, not a chef. She did know how to make a meal but she basically threw everything into a pot and heated it up. Pressure cookers were so wonderful, you just needed to add ingredients and spices and then warm it up. You could make something that could pass off as food. Mikakage thought this was a great invention and loved using it. "Speaking of which… Cheese." "Hmmm?" Aomori who was eating the stew tilted his head. Mikakage was asking for cheese again, and he immediately said 'Ohh! I forgot. Yeah, it's done.' He took out something that looked like misshaped tofu from the ice bucket beside him. Mikakage received it and sniffed it. It was cheese. With this, the number of pastries she could make would increase. Cheese roll? Or basic cheese cakes? Or serve it with pudding? Since she was going to do it, Mikakage wanted to surprise everyone. "Thanks." "Yeah." Aomori replied between sips of water. He was not a normal chef either. He changed his subclass to Brewer, making all sorts of ingredients, a weirdo that didn't make food himself. But that was to be expected. If you wanted to make food and serve customers, joining 8th District Shopping Center and opening a stall would be a better option. Or if you wanted to move towards mass production and grab a share of the market, Oceanic Systems would suit you better by getting funding from smaller guilds. They were developing catering systems, so it was a great business opportunity. This was Rod Lab, where weirdos working on new inventions congregated. In a sense, Mikakage and Aomori were the same.
"Really, is that gathering so important?" Mikakage pondered about Aomori's bashful question. Of course it was important. Making pastries. Sharing them with everyone. Chatting about all sorts of things. There was nothing that was more important. Men always wanted some form of result, which was not good. Things needed to be done slowly, with adequate heat and timing. Mikakage wore big oven mitts and took the freshly baked cream potatoes out of the oven, presenting it to Aomori for him to eat. This was a new experimental pastry. Aomori gasped happily, but this was just a test, not good enough for the tea party participants. It was a bit better than testing poison, so it was fine to give it to Aomori. "Yeah, it is important. Very important. There is definitely nothing more important." "Huh? More important than your relationship with me?" "That sort of thing is worse than burnt jam." Aomori became depressed. Mikakage ignored him and cleaned up the kitchen appliances. Even if Aomori complained, he would still finish the potatoes, and the shy but caring Allie would console him. 2 Raynesia was surprised when she learned the young man was visiting. Raynesia knew this important person, but she didn't expect him to visit her or anyone ever. When aristocrats visited, they would provide notice several days or even months in advance. For better or worse, Raynesia and her staff had gotten used to unexpected guests after living in the Water Maple Consulate in Akiba for a while. It was the same this time, Raynesia received the report after the visitor entered the drawing room. With Elissa's help, Raynesia groomed her hair and changed her dress. The young man was from 'this side', but he was not a noble. More importantly, both of them were People of the Land living in Akiba, so there was no need to dress up too formally. Because of this, Raynesia opted to wear a slender one-piece dress with long sleeves. The pink snowy dress was a gift from Maryele of Crescent Moon Alliance. It was less prominent among the clothes she received, and Raynesia liked this dress a lot. Seeing Raynesia rush over, the guest stood up to receive her. "You look as wonderful as ever, Raynesia-sama." The youth bowed his head politely. His name was Kinjo, the young leader of the Kunie clan operating in Akiba. "Sorry for the wait." Raynesia returned the greeting. While waiting for Elissa to prepare the tea, there was an uncomfortable silence. Raynesia didn't know this young man well. Rather, the only thing she knew was that he was the young leader of the Kunie clan. The Kunie clan had a unique place amongst the People of the Land, they were an influential force in Yamato. Yamato was roughly split into 5 domains. In the barren north was the Ezzo Empire; in the extreme south was the seafaring nation, the Ninetails Dominion; the fallen state that was overrun with monsters, the Fourland Dukedom; the successor of the Westelande dynasty, Holy Empire Westelande; last of all was the League of Freedom Cities Eastal that included Maihama ruled by Raynesia's grandfather, situated in eastern Yamato. The 5 domains shared a common currency. Full gold and its denominations of half gold and quarter gold, known collectively as gold. Not only Yamato, Raynesia had heard the other continents were all using the same currency. The currency that had been in use since ancient times. The Kunie were the clan that controlled all the banks around the globe. Inheriting several technologies of the ancient Alv, they carried out long distance trades without relying on the intercity transport gates. By applying this technology, the Kunie were able to operate banks around the world. But they were not a banking clan. Their duty was the management of the Alv's magic techniques. Although they were best known for running the bank, the Kunie were also in charge of the maintenance of the magic barriers in the League of Freedom Cities Eastal. The 30-odd cities with magic barriers had ancient magic circles built underground to power the defenses of the city. It prevented any monsters from invading and also powered the Moveable Armor of the guards. Apart from a few cities that were against the aristocratic system in the Holy Empire Westelande, all the cities in Yamato were supported by the Kunie clan. With their heavy responsibilities, they were in a sense much more important than the noble families. When Raynesia was posted to Akiba, her grandfather told her everything he knew about the Kunie clan. But the Kunie clan did not seek fame and power since ancient times. They simply did their assigned duties, and didn't bother with anything else other then finishing their task. That was the impression the aristocrats of Eastal had of them. They were shrouded in mystery, a People of the Land clan that had been working hard to maintain the operation of this world. This was how normal People of the Land and Raynesia saw them. "Please have some tea." That was all she knew. Raynesia didn't know what to talk about, so she started by offering him tea. On the table was green tea she had purchased recently. Kinjo took a sip with his eyes squinting slightly. Elissa had said that he was a young man. After meeting him face-to-face, that was the only way to describe him. But after observing this man with purple pupils, black hair, and a high-collar tuxedo, she was unable to tell his age. He was definitely older than Raynesia, but how old was he compared to that monster warrior Krusty? The smooth contours of his face made him look young, but the veins on his hands seemed to be old. Raynesia had never met anyone whose age seemed so indefinite. "I am sorry about this sudden intrusion. There is something of grave importance I needed to report to Raynesia-sama and apologize for." Kinjo put the cup back on the table with a serious face. "May I ask what the issue is?" "According to reports from the Guard room, a Moveable Armor has been stolen." "Eh...?" "The thief is a guard, one of the Kunie clan." Raynesia didn't think of herself as a dull person, but she really didn't understand these words this time. She could feel the blood draining from her body. The revelation made her dizzy and and her vision turn black. Moveable Armor were one of the legacies of the Alv, a special suit of armor made to protect a specific zone. The biggest difference from normal armor was that it was powered by magic from an external source which enhanced the abilities of the user. The combat power of the People of the Land was low in this world. Not just Adventurers, they couldn't even fend off mid-level monsters. The People of the Land could only survive in this world because of several helpful elements. One of them was the Ancients that were the heroes of the People of the Land, another was the Adventurers roaming the land erasing humanity's enemies. Third was the magic barrier that protected the major cities. Lastly were the guards equipped with Moveable Armor. People of the Land who were enhanced by the power of the Moveable Armor could outmatch an Adventurer. Although it was limited to within the city, they had the power to teleport and send criminals to prison. The guards used this ability to maintain order in the city. But there was a limit to its usage. The Moveable Armor that drained a tremendous amount of magic just in standby mode could only be activated on the streets. "That is correct. Moveable Armor can only be used within the city limits. Without the magic supply from the giant magic circle built underground, the user won't be able to move a finger, a unique feature of this armor. As the magic supply wavelength is unique to each city, it will just be a heap of junk once you take it away from Akiba." Kinjo continued explaining to the stunned Raynesia. "In summary, this matter is of grave importance. Although it becomes junk once you take it away from the city, it is still terribly powerful within the city limits." The power of the Moveable Armor could be increased through adjustment. Its power was beyond level 100 on the streets of Akiba. This power was necessary to keep errant and violent Adventurers in line, so being more powerful than Adventurers was within expectations. That Raynesia was able to take up the post in Akiba as a woman was all thanks to the Moveable Armor providing security for her. The official reason Raynesia came to Akiba was to take responsibility for going to the Adventurers for aid in the war of Sand Leaf without the League's permission. The reason why the defenseless Raynesia moved into the Adventurer city with only a small group was because her grandfather already took into account the existence of the guards. But this powerful backing had leaked, which raised several other points. "Could it be... the Murderer is..." Facing the question of the pale Raynesia, Kinjo nodded. "Correct, the actions of this criminal are linked with the Kunie clan. It is a shame, but that is the truth." This was like a nightmare to Raynesia. The Kunie clan, or rather the guards going out of line was unacceptable. This was something that the People of the Land had never thought of for hundreds of years. But this explained several mysteries. That's why the guard system of Akiba was unable to detect the murder. The surveillance system was made against the Adventurers and the People of the Land, so it wouldn't detect anything from a fellow guard. The combat actions of a guard were not a crime, but an enforcement of security. That meant the murder cases would never be detected. The criminal wearing the Moveable Armor had power that outmatched the Adventurers. Raynesia who had no experience in battles didn't understand how much more powerful he was compared to Adventurers, but there had already been news of several victims falling to him. Most importantly, the Kunie being involved in this raised two major concerns. First, this clan penetrated deeply into their daily lives, an existence just like the air they breathed. Be it the security of the streets with the guards or the global banking network, these systems were rooted deeply in both People of the Land and Adventurer societies. Their safety and convenience formed the foundation of the societies in this world. But wouldn't it be scary if this foundation were to crack? Without specialized education, Raynesia was unable to imagine how disastrous it would become, but she could feel the clouds of unease forming. The other important point was more direct. Even though it was by the Kunie clan, a Person of the Land killed Adventurers. Adventurers were totally different from People of the Land. Even though their appearance was similar, they were completely different organisms with drastic differences in potential. By going through battles repeatedly, Adventurers could advance their strength by leaps and bounds. Just one high-level Adventurer could rival a band of a hundred knights made up of People of the Land. Right now, the Adventurers in Akiba were protecting Raynesia and supporting her. But weren't their actions influenced by the weakness of Raynesia and the others? Even if that were not everything, Raynesia knew it was a part of the reason. If this reason was gone, the relationship between the Adventurers and the People of the Land might fall out of balance.
She walked silently to the balcony from the waiting room. Her figure was just like a shadow with her low-profile clothes. Leaping to the balcony of the meeting room 3 meters away was as easy as moving across a tatami for the superhuman Adventurers. In the shade of the window frame with elaborate carvings, on the other side of the bubble-like lace curtain was Raynesia. The young man she was talking to earlier probably left, leaving Raynesia alone to bury her face in a cushion. (How strange,) Akatsuki thought absently. Raynesia was always so gentle, bright, keeping her back straight, a beautiful young lady who made others envious. Her pretty silver hair, slender neck, and proper manners that were always under control gave her an air different from Adventurers. Their difference was not because of Raynesia's beautiful silver locks and her slender neck, but because of her polite manners. Having the charm to convince any Adventurer, that was the type of girl Raynesia was. But the Raynesia right now was leaning forward deflated, with her face buried in a cushion supported by her hands. It was not like Raynesia to act this way.
"What should I do?" Raynesia who was forced into a corner asked herself, so Akatsuki replied. "Discuss this with someone from the council?" "Wouldn't this turn into a conflict with the Adventurers?" "But the facts will be known sooner or later. But it is difficult to convey this tactfully." Slipping in through the barely opened window, Akatsuki stood before Raynesia without disturbing the curtains. She felt a sense of nostalgia. She had seen her lord assume the same position before. But it had been so long since that day. The one before her was not the black-haired lord, but a silver-haired princess. "Guess I have to inform them..." "I'm not sure myself." "Why isn't the mind-reading monster here right now... He always shows up when I don't want him to, but he's not here when I need him." "Krusty-dono is heading towards the goblin's castle of 'Seven Falls'." "I know. Even if you say that... Ah, that's not what I want to talk about." "..." "That's not what I meant!?" Raynesia sprang up and faced Akatsuki. The lips she was biting on were trembling, she tried to maintain her composure, but the corners of her eyes were turning red. "Eh, ah, ermm." She sat down properly in a hurry, straightening her back in front of the standing Akatsuki. Because Akatsuki was petite in size, their eyes were at about the same level if she sat up straight. Raynesia gazed downwards uncomfortably. Akatsuki felt sorry for startling the princess. Akatsuki hadn't planned to eavesdrop or intrude like this. "Eh, eh... so... did you hear everything..." Facing the probing eyes of Raynesia, Akatsuki nodded. Raynesia gave up and said with a voice growing softer "is that so." Time passed gradually between the two dumbstruck ladies. Akatsuki was out of ideas, so she took out the red bean bun she had purchased for lunch from her bag and gave it to Raynesia. The two girls sat side by side on the couch munching on the 2 halves of the bun in silence. "The Murderer is a Person of the Land?" Akatsuki asked and Raynesia answered Akatsuki's question slowly. "Yeah. That's right... the Kunie clan who guards this city had a Moveable Armor stolen. Because this Moveable Armor is the equipment of the guards, it possesses immense battle capabilities and won't alert the authorities when going into combat. I am... really sorry." "Why?" "Eh?" "Why was it stolen? Who stole it?" "The culprit is still unknown. Whether the Moveable Armor is being operated by the defector of the Kunie clan is uncertain. His motives and hiding place are also unknown." "I think he is hiding in the sewers." "Sewers?" Akatsuki expressed her thoughts. "From what I have heard, he won't hide outside Akiba. If that were the case, the only place that has not been searched and is inconspicuous will be the sewers." According to Raynesia, the Murderer had obtained the strength of a guard. Although Akatsuki was stunned for a moment after hearing this, she grasped several important points. The combat prowess of the Murderer was probably over 100 and closer to Level 110. The Level 90 Adventurers wouldn't be able to match up to him. At the same time, he couldn't leave Akiba since he was using the powers of the Moveable Armor. He would lose his power once he left the city. Considering all this, his hiding places were limited. But capturing him would be next to impossible. In order to suppress the criminals, the guards had the ability to teleport. It was a useful skill when punishing PK actions, but it was also the perfect escape mechanism in the hands of the Murderer. He could escape safely even when surrounded by a raid group. "Is that so..." Akatsuki looked at the girl in front of her. The highest noble in Yamato, the daughter of clan Corwen. The legendary renowned beauty of Eastal. The bridge between the People of the Land and Adventurers, the driving force behind the victorious Sand Leaf war. The "Bewitching Princess of the Silver Moon." The girl in front of her was known by so many names, but looked so normal. She munched on her red bean bun despite her gloomy expression, a normal girl you could find anywhere. Akatsuki felt that Raynesia looked at her in the same way. "Troubled?" "Very troubled." The two of them chatted casually, filled with their personal issues. Akatsuki could see herself when she looked at this beautiful silver princess.
"I will go take a look." Akatsuki stood up. The opponent she was looking for was a Person of the Land. Since he had a unique teleporting device, there was another way to find him. He probably hid in the sewer during the day and watched the entire city by night... He would probably teleport to somewhere the Adventurers could not enter and observe them from the dark. "Eh...?" "I will accomplish my mission. Because I have seen how hard you tried." Raynesia did not touch anything when she reached out her hand. Akatsuki who had obtained a hint had moved out for the streets of Akiba from the open window. 4 10 pairs of eyes stared at the flashes of silver. The colliding blades left flashes of light like meteors, gone in the next instance. They crossed each other's paths as if they were arranged beforehand, clashing into each other. The echoes sounded closer to crystals being cut instead of the noise of steel clashing on steel as they opposed each other. Watched over by Nazuna and her comrades, Soujirou was dueling to the death with the Murderer. Soujirou wielded his katana so smoothly it didn't give off any air of threat. But Nazuna knew that Soujirou's every strike brought unavoidable fear to his foes. It only looked gentle because of how gracefully he swung the blade. Soujirou could even perceive the evasion path of his opponent before swinging his katana, his every blow was deadly. The Murderer used the strange gauntlets on his hands and feet to guard against that Soujirou's attacks. This was not normal swordsmanship. It was akin to the instinctive actions of a feral beast as he fought with a glee that came from killing other humans. Before the sparks even faded, the Murderer counterattacked from his off-balance position. Unlike Soujirou, there were no techniques to his offense, just taking wild and powerful swings. But because of his chaotic style, his attacks were fast and unpredictable. Nazuna's comrade Kyouko fell under his blade before, while Nazuna was cradling the heavily-injured Kawara. "The director is amazing..." The girl in Nazuna's arms muttered, and the members on standby behind Nazuna were probably saying the same thing.
If sound could hurt people, the battle would have been surrounded by piles of bodies. The winter breeze in the evening was cold enough to freeze your skin off. The Murderer's sword cut through the air towards Soujirou. In the air that was so cold that white fog formed even if you held your breath, Soujirou parried the blow. This was Soujirou's 'Over level' Clairvoyance. Nazuna didn't understand it fully, but it seemed to be a defensive 'Over level'. Soujirou described it as following the route in the air. Soujirou learned a new skill and was fending off the attack of the Murderer thanks to that. Soujirou was having a hard time. The normal Soujirou wouldn't block attacks, but dodge them and parry them. Since Soujirou couldn't do that, it meant the Murderer's attacks were fast and sharp. One such unavoidable blow came, slicing off the shoulder guard of Soujirou's warring-era Samurai armor. The other comrades didn't understand, but Nazuna was biting her lips. That attack broke through the protective barrier Nazuna cast on Soujirou. Protective barriers could be cast before battle, a spell that absorbed damage and prevented HP from taking a hit. It was invisible bonus HP. The water-like effect of the barrier shattered. Although everyone could see this happen, only the caster Nazuna herself understood how much damage was negated. Nazuna's Holy Barrier was equivalent to 20% of Soujirou's HP. This meant that Soujirou would have lost 1/5 of his HP without the barrier. Seeing this power that rivaled a major raid boss, Nazuna was burning with worry. Soujirou wouldn't be able to take many of these attacks. She was already chanting in preparation of casting Holy Barrier again, but Holy Barrier was not a skill she could use consecutively. Using a combination of heals and barriers to protect her friends from harm was Nazuna the Kannagi's way of fighting. Casting protective barriers repeatedly would drain a lot of MP which would put them at an disadvantage. But if she didn't do this, she would feel like she was treading on a wire. If she used defensive magic and was noticed by the Murderer, she might be targeted next. But she couldn't protect or heal Soujirou if she ran away. She could only keep watching the battle and she understood her capability. She had to keep on casting barriers even though they were as weak as paper.
And then the black swallow descended. 5 Running on the branches of the trees growing around the guild building, she leaped off at the tip of the branch. The thinner branches were better. Although the thicker ones felt safer, they were not suitable for her to 'fly'. Akatsuki repeated this action as she flew around Akiba. Just like the roads on the ground, there was also a path in the sky. Convenient footholds like branches or rooftops, balconies or broken signboards. From the ruins to the ancient trees all over the city, there was a path for people to travel in the sky. She wondered when she started using these routes subconsciously. This was not an option in the game world. She couldn't do this when the Round Table Council was just founded. She started doing this without much thought after returning from Sand Leaf. Although she didn't remember when she learned this, now she knew that such convenient routes in Akiba existed. Akatsuki discovered that she was subconsciously observing the air currents, positions of the buildings, walls, and trees. Her hair swayed in the wind. If her hair felt heavy, it meant the air was getting humid and it was going to rain. If she felt her body being pulled, that meant the wind was picking up and some paths were inaccessible. Akatsuki was able to grasp all these details, mastering amazing skills that set her apart from other Adventurers traveling in the sky. She was just "moving as usual," but her limbs were more nimble and her body was warming up. The instant when she put her weight on a branch and she calculated her next trajectory, she was not just aware of her body movements, but the wind as well. She had done this dozens of times, but now it took only half the strength as usual to travel from branch to branch, and the momentum set her up for the subsequent jumps too. When did she notice such details? Her short conversation with Raynesia looped in her head. She was not used to thinking about the problems of others and was unable to summarize her thoughts well. Raynesia's image, Raynesia's words, her own thoughts, her own reply. These things kept forming and disappearing like bubbles from within Akatsuki. It disappeared before becoming words, so Akatsuki was also not sure what was motivating her. Raynesia was working hard. Only these words stayed in her chest. She thought it was time to reward Raynesia's efforts. She glanced at the setting sun to the west and perked up her ears, feeling her consciousness expand outwards. The detection skill she was always using captured the conversations spoken in the streets of Akiba.
These were all unimportant casual chatter and forgettable conversations. But they sounded so clear to Akatsuki today. These were probably personal secrets. After finishing their work for the day, they would spend the evening with their loved ones. Or they would wonder what tomorrow would bring, these were the little wishes everyone thought of. Although the words she overheard were insignificant, they were still secret private affairs. Akatsuki was not certain, but these were probably important words for the individual. Akatsuki understood its importance today. She was not sure what it was, but Akatsuki stumbled on something important.
A party was fighting with the black Murderer. The tank was a Samurai with only one healer still in the fight. The party was falling apart. The tank was the guild master of West Wind Brigade Soujirou, one of the 11 guilds that formed the Round Table Council. What Akatsuki was doing was known as 'kill stealing' in MMORPGs. When a party was fighting another opponent, an Adventurer outside the party joined the fray without permission. Because doing this was akin to robbing the EXP and loot of others, it was not only bad manners but shameful. And the party in question right now was one of the top guilds in Akiba right now. If it were the usual socially awkward Akatsuki, she would definitely be troubled and find it hard to approach them. But it was different now. Her mind was full of things that had happened this morning. Because all sorts of things happened in the morning, she couldn't take in any more information into her brain. With her feverish mental state, Akatsuki could see the world dozens of times clearer than usual and jumped. She slashed horizontally from the right, performing Accel Fang. It didn't hit. She already knew. She kicked off the wall and did a Strach Blade in mid-air. After being parried, she somersaulted and used Quick Assault. Akatsuki understood from the first attack that the Murderer was very powerful, that she couldn't defeat him. But she wouldn't stop either. Hoping to get a tiny hint from the opponent, she used Venom Strike. She retreated to avoid the enemy's sword, but it wasn't enough. She forcefully performed Gust Step to move behind the opponent. But it was no good. Even though the enemy's glowing green sword threatened to break through Akatsuki's defense with its freezing slashes, Akatsuki continued to advance calmly. She used Accel Fang even though she felt the fringe on her right hair being cut off. Too shallow. Again! She deftly adjusted her movements and used Accel Fang. Quicker, faster, swifter. Akatsuki noticed a watery barrier around her body. This was the protective spell of a Kannagi. She could tell it was of a higher caliber than Minori's. This should be the support of the healer she saw. But Akatsuki understood that this was meaningless insurance. The Murderer was still waving his sword at the Samurai in front of him. That was why he was not counterattacking Akatsuki as much, that was why she was still alive. If it were one-on-one, Akatsuki would be dead by now. It was hard to stomach, but the young man, wearing a ponytail despite being a man, was one of the top-ranked vanguards in the server. Soujirou Seta, guild master of West Wind Brigade. Akatsuki couldn't match up to him in either fame or achievement. But even the renowned Soujirou couldn't suppress this dark Murderer. "Run!" yelled Akatsuki. She could tell Soujirou's response from the corners of his lips rising. His strong eyes looked towards Akatsuki. He might look younger than Akatsuki, but Akatsuki instinctively knew she wouldn't want to see his intimidating side. Regardless, Akatsuki was still fighting like a mini-hurricane. "Why?" Soujirou asked so naturally that Akatsuki was dumbstruck. She just yelled on reflex. Akatsuki herself didn't even know why she did that. The monstrous Person of the Land outmatched Akatsuki by far. This was natural. Not only was his level higher than the Adventurers', his abilities were boosted by the Moveable Armor. If you looked closely, the hands and feet of the Murderer were bulking up because he put on the Moveable Armor forcibly. The light glowing from his armor proved he was drawing magic from somewhere, protecting him from harm with a barrier. There was no way Akatsuki could win. Soujirou probably couldn't either. Defeating this monster in such a narrow alley was impossible. They would need a large number of Adventurers to subdue him. But why did she shout out loud? Was she hoping to lure the Murderer away to help Soujirou? Behind Akatsuki's thoughts which were full of turmoil, she could see the image of Shiroe looking towards the sky with a sigh. "Why?" "Because defeating him and solving the problem are not the same thing." The alien took a swing at Soujirou, and Akatsuki attacked with all her might. Assassinate. Although it caused over 10,000 points of damage, she could only slightly deflect the dark, heavy, and huge gauntlets of the Murderer. "That's why you should run!" "I cannot agree to this." Facing another warning, Soujirou deepened his smile as he slashed his sword down. The Murderer kicked out from an uncanny angle, but Soujirou dodged and it brushed the fringe on the right of his face. After losing ground just like Akatsuki, Soujirou advanced and slashed his sword upwards, making a cross with his previous attack. Soujirou was very strong. Probably several times more than Akatsuki. She could tell from Soujirou's short exchange of blows. That's why Soujirou should understand that he couldn't cut down this monster in a place like this. Why didn't he run? Akatsuki thought he was a stubborn man. Speaking of which, all the men in this world were stubborn. Tohya and Rundelhous in the junior team were very stubborn. Instead of being stubborn, Naotsugu was just too dumb to change his bad habits. Master Nyanta was more stubborn than he looked. Putting cucumbers in the salad was the best evidence. The only one not stubborn was her lord Shiroe who listened to her words patiently. "Left!" Akatsuki stopped abruptly as a violent piece of metal brushed before her nose. The blow she barely avoided was dodged by Soujirou who was looking at Akatsuki calmly. Watching all this, Akatsuki felt a sense of longing and mystery. Soujirou smiled as he faced the Murderer and Akatsuki, which intimidated Akatsuki. The normal Akatsuki would have sensed the overwhelming pressure that told her to run. But she didn't feel it now. Akatsuki felt there was something important which she didn't quite understand here. Soujirou was not intimidating Akatsuki. She felt that he was trying to convey something. Although Akatsuki felt sorry for not understanding the things Soujirou was trying to tell her, she knew it was something very important.
Raynesia had always thought of Rieze as a strong woman, a noble, and a natural Adventurer. Raynesia felt ashamed to have thought this way. In the end, she did not understand Rieze as an individual.
When she realized this, she truly understood how small the world she knew was.
She was not ignorant of the world because she was educated as a princess of Maihama. Her view of the world was narrow because she ignored the things right in front of her.
Raynesia had always worked hard.
She understood what this sentence meant now.
Didn't it imply 'I have been watching?'
To not even grasp this, Raynesia really was naive.
"I was born in Maihama. As a princess, I was raised by my nanny... I am not familiar with the games others play. I felt fortunate to have a happy and prosperous life. To have pretty clothes and plenty of food, my life was never in danger either."
Raynesia started the topic with a soft voice.
"Academic-wise, I had several teachers in the castle. It might be an elite education in the eyes of People of the Land, but it's nothing to be proud of compared to Rieze-san and the others."
Raynesia was not sure what to say as she rumbled on.
She was doing this ritual of sharing her story like Rieze did.
"I was probably after the compliments of my clan so I hid my true self away. Actually... I am afraid of troublesome things. I want to sleep lazily until noon and bask in the sun leisurely. I can't follow conversations that are too deep. I will even yawn with my mouth closed sometimes when I am bored."
To confess all this to the thoughtful Rieze required a lot of courage.
But Raynesia didn't plan to stop talking even after seeing Rieze's reaction. That swallow-like girl had probably flown far away.
"I came to this city because I thought I would be able to avoid all these troublesome formalities. I am not proficient in negotiations and taking responsibilities even now. I feel like crying when faced with things I don't understand. I think I'm just suitable to live my life eating rice balls and dazing away. But, that is not what I am... meaning because I am a princess... I can't do all that. Although I really don't know if this is true."
Raynesia hated herself for not being able to express herself properly.
Krusty was probably able to read her mind.
But that wouldn't do.
If she didn't do it right, Raynesia would not have any bonds linking her to this blonde lady or the swallow-like girl.
She could hear Elissa's quiet chuckle