《Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Iden: Leila Asprey》 Chapter 1 MAY 10, 2020 ~ FLAMETJD The creature was a fallen beast, more commonly known as a Vulgar. Unlike regular wild animals, Vulgars were aberrants which had developed sudden mutations. More aggressive and violent than their kin, they caused destruction to villages and their natural surroundings alike. Because of that, many countries marked them as priority targets for extermination. It goes without saying, but fallen beasts were dangerous monsters. Although the Adventurers¡¯ Guild took on Vulgar-hunting missions, not many were up to the task. Right now, the carcass of a Vulgar bear lay dead. It was crisscrossed with wounds from countless gashes and slashes, particularly on its nose, throat, upper right arm, left wrist and tail. Those wounds hadn¡¯t been made by a single strike, but by dozens of unbelievably accurate slashes. Upon seeing its injuries, one could deduce how the beast died. It had been the result of a fight between it and a certain sort of person. A single warrior, weak in strength, directly engaged the beast. They accurately targeted its vitals, slowly wore down its stamina, and repeatedly pelted it with feeble blows. At last, they emerged victorious. It wasn¡¯t a normal way to fight, although it wasn¡¯t superhuman either. What was praiseworthy was the fact that this person had had the guts to fight a fallen beast with an ordinary warrior¡¯s strength and the willpower to persevere until the end. ¡°¡­Wha¨C?!¡± The disbelieving girl looked around frantically and began to panic, because she did know one such person ¨C or rather, she knew only one person in the entire world stupid enough to do that. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She heard a small groan. Swiftly directing her attention to the source of the noise, she spotted a small figure moving weakly at the base of the nearby cliff. ¡°Sorry, Leila¡­ I snatched your prey¡­¡± The figure sported a mop of black hair and wore a polished suit of black chainmail. He was just over ten years old, a young man around Leila¡¯s age. Leaning against the cliff face, he gasped for breath. His right hand clutched a bloodsoaked sword. He was far from unscathed. She saw several gashes on his body, cuts caused by various hard and soft blows. Maybe it was his luck that he hadn¡¯t sustained a single lethal injury, but the enemy he faced could¡¯ve killed him if he hadn¡¯t been careful. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leila asked. The boy laughed weakly, tossing aside his cheap and battered weapon. ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I don¡¯t get it. That¡¯s why I asked.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He trailed off awkwardly. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not too sure myself.¡± There¡¯d been fallen beast sightings in the area, and the people who lived nearby took the proper countermeasures: they fortified the city defenses and requested the Guild Alliance for reinforcements to be sent to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild in their city. A decision was immediately reached to dispatch a warrior even stronger than an adventurer with the hope that the fallen beast would be swiftly slain before it could cause any great harm. Leila noticed another presence. Behind the boy, a child who looked even younger than him clung tightly to his back. Several herbs were strewn around them ¨C the sort that might be boiled in water to brew fever medicine. Ah. She understood. A picture formed in her mind: someone in the child¡¯s family came down with a fever, but their supply of herbs had run out, and the adults wouldn¡¯t permit him to forage in the mountains when a fallen beast was in the area. Naturally, the child decided to slip out on his own and the boy, noticing his absence, rushed out himself as well. Still, a fallen beast was extremely dangerous. A normal adventurer would¡¯ve avoided its habitat and helplessly waited for the cavalry to arrive. But children cared little about the instructions of adults and acted without thinking. That was her guess, at least ¨C albeit a well-informed one based on the scene she saw. Besides, he was who he was. No matter what happened or where he went, that fact would never change. ¡°Jeez, you¡­¡± ¡°I know what you want to say. ¡®Why the hell didn¡¯t you wait for the great and amazing Regal Brave to arrive?!¡¯ or something, right?¡± The boy turned, grimacing in pain, and gently ruffled the younger child¡¯s hair. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say. I ran out here on my own, and now I¡¯m in this state after just one fight¡­ ah, dammit, why am I so weak¡­?¡± According to the law, that fight was an unsanctioned engagement. Not only did he make a mockery of the Church by interfering in the Regal Brave¡¯s mission, he ended up in such a sorry state because he wanted to steal her glory. It was as he said; a foolish struggle from start to end. Heh. Good grief, it always ends up this way whenever I¡¯m with him. The corners of Leila¡¯s mouth lifted ever so slightly. As always, she had no idea what she wanted to do or accomplish. Even though she, the Regal Brave, was called the continent¡¯s greatest fighting force, she couldn¡¯t protect anything beyond her reach. Even if she¡¯d achieved the most important objective ¨C saving the city from destruction ¨C she couldn¡¯t have done such a small thing. In other words, if he wasn¡¯t here, the child would¡¯ve died. The results showed that he had been able to protect that which the Regal Brave couldn¡¯t. Respect, envy, just a little bit of fondness¡­ as the girl¡¯s overflowing feelings gushed up, she neatly sorted them out and locked them back down in the bottom of her heart. She fixed her smirk back in place. It was the crooked expression Leila Asprey ¨C a nasty, arrogant, aloof girl, the boy¡¯s fellow junior apprentice, and current Regal Brave ¨C frequently wore and knew people disliked. ¡°Hey, just save what you can, okay? Leave whatever you can¡¯t save to me.¡± The boy grunted in displeasure. ¡°Not happening.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a mess.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± He fell silent. Leila smiled faintly at the look on his face. Chapter 2.1 NOVEMBER 30, 2020 ~ FLAMETJD In this world, humanity was simply too weak. Humans lacked the strength to fight, yet were enemies with the vast majority of beings they shared the land with. Even if they wielded a weapon, a typical human being was no match for a single feral wolf. In terms of manpower or cohesion, the Orcs far surpassed them. Whether it was wisdom, techniques or magic, there existed a foe that humans could never hope to beat. In reality, however, humanity controlled most of the continent. There were many reasons why this was, one of which being the group known as the Braves. Brave. A title with the original meaning of ¡®one who shows bravery¡¯. In other words, Braves were people who¡¯d achieved awe-inspiring feats, or shown the ambition to achieve such feats. For example: a general determined to face a mighty army, an assassin plotting to murder a despot, a sailor who defied the fierce currents of the winter ocean, a hermit who lived side-by-side with colossal man-eating bears, or a plain-looking suitor who sought an unattainable woman¡¯s hand in marriage. However, the group currently called Braves were not quite the same. Regal Braves and Quasi Braves were saints of sorts, as recognized by the Church of Holy Light. They were essentially superhumans wielding extraordinary strength, who bore both the duty of protecting humanity and the destiny of battling its strongest foes. While remaining human, they possessed immense combat power. That was especially true of the Regal Braves, who could annihilate any opponent from Elves to Dragons. They were crystallized embodiments of hope that existed to face unimaginable threats; actors dancing on battlefields far removed from the lives of weak, ordinary people. They were chosen from those with storied pasts, and might have any sort of history from disciples who¡¯d inherited secret martial arts to highborn bastards from fallen kingdoms. Each and every one of them could be the protagonists of a legendary saga. These individuals were equipped with overwhelming charisma and dauntless spirits; it was as if they¡¯d leapt from the pages of a fairy tale. They would rise up to any occasion, fight for justice and attain victory. It goes without saying, but they did in fact defeat many strong enemies, protect the human race, and accomplish one brilliantly heroic exploit after another. The Northern Fistilas Mountains. If you braved those treacherous peaks and kept climbing, one foot after the other, you¡¯d eventually come across an abandoned ancient shrine the size of a small city. ¡°Sorry about this, ye ancestors and gods of old!¡± The apologetic girl leapt off a gigantic deity statue¡¯s face, launching herself high into the air. A block of stone on the statue¡¯s head that even a strongman wouldn¡¯t be able to wrap his arms around, worn down from eons of exposure, shattered into smithereens from the counterimpact. Leaping about from wall to wall, going ever higher and faster, the girl sliced off a large bat¡¯s head with a single swing and sprang off its back. As her feet touched the shrine¡¯s ceiling, she saw her next target and pushed off again. Skills such as making Venom flow through one¡¯s body like blood to strengthen one¡¯s muscles, or using an Earth-style martial art to become almost weightless, could only be used by one who¡¯d first surpassed their human limits. Going a step further, if the two skills were used in tandem, they¡¯d bestow gravity-defying ease of movement upon their user ¨C enough to fight monsters that ordinary humans could never touch. That said, it¡¯s still a real pain if there¡¯s too many of them! In the end, a sword was still just a sword. Though one might have the speed and skill to surpass a foe¡¯s defenses as well as the strength and accuracy to crush them with one blow, one attack could only defeat one enemy. Exterminating hundreds of giant bats, therefore, would require hundreds of swings. And she spent almost twenty seconds doing just that. Bats large enough to prey on fully grown men; wolves mightier than oxen; swarms of unusual rats less scary-looking than the other two but each the size of a large dog. They were all abnormal creatures. If any one of them appeared near a village, no normal adventurer could deal with them and there¡¯d likely be a great number of casualties. Having slaughtered every last one of them, the girl landed soundlessly on a stone cloister. Strangely, the bats and wolves did not leave any carcass behind when they were killed. They merely disappeared, melting like sugar cubes in water. ¡°How¡­ how is such a thing possible¡­¡± She heard a dumbfounded, shocked voice from somewhere. Gazing in its direction, she saw its owner. He was dressed like a rather old-fashioned noble; even though he was showing his age, one might be forgiven for considering him to be dashing. The most striking feature he had, however, was a pair of crimson eyes. So not a human, then. He¡¯s a bloodsucking Vampiric. The Vampiric were creatures born from humanity. Even among the races collectively known as demons, Vampiric were viewed to be especially dangerous foes. There were many legends that told of their terrifying nature: they increased their numbers by directly corrupting the souls of human victims, or split their shadows to summon swarms of pestilence ¨C the stories went on. The scariest fact was that there weren¡¯t any battle records that could verify whether or not those legends were true, and thus no one could accurately determine their threat level. ¡°Impossible! Impossible, impossible, impossible! This is impossible!¡± The Vampiric raked his temples with claw-like fingers, so hard it seemed like he might draw his own blood. ¡°Human, have you any idea what you just struck?!¡± ¡°Beats me,¡± Leila answered casually, sharply flicking her sword to the side. With a resounding boom, jet-black droplets of what might¡¯ve been blood, which had gotten onto the blade during the battle, flew everywhere. ¡°Some ugly thing that¡¯ll make me sick with a single touch?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± She was a bit taken aback. I just threw out a random answer impatiently. To think I¡¯d hit the nail on the head. What are the odds? ¡°They¡¯re plague demons, you see?¡± the Vampiric went on. ¡°They might appear to be common pests, but are fundamentally far different. Forget touching them, if you strike them with a sword you¡¯ll be instantly afflicted with a terrible curse. Your flesh will rot, your insides will melt, and you¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°Wow, scary.¡± She lightly shook her head, as if she was trying to get rid of a dirty stain ¨C though, of course, she was just trying to get a rise out of the Vampiric. ¡°You just ¨C you killed all of those demons! All the curses sealed within them should¡¯ve struck you down by now!¡± His bony finger trembled as he pointed it straight at Leila. ¡°Why? Why are you still alive and well, human child?!¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m well, y¡¯know? I¡¯m kinda tired, my head hurts a bit, and your pets got my sword all dirty.¡± Leila glanced at it. Its blade normally shone with a light bluish metallic glow, but now it was dyed a sickly yellow here and there and seemed to be covered in multiple oily stains. ¡°That can¡¯t be! Those demons were meant to kill millions of humans and destroy their countries! You went and took all those curses into yourself! How¡­ how is it possible that you¡¯re still standing¡­?¡± Destroying countries, huh? That was certainly catastrophic. If Vampirics could cause that sort of widespread disaster, it was no wonder they were the scariest of all demon races. But now¡¯s not the time for that. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because those guys were only enough for a few countries?¡± ¡°¡­What? What did you say?¡± She sighed. ¡°Geez, listen up a bit, ¡®kay? I¡¯m saying if you wanna destroy the guardian of the whole human race with brute force, you¡¯re gonna need enough plague stuff to obliterate each and every human being in the world.¡± The Vampiric¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re full of nonsense¡­!¡± ¡°Ahh, yeah, I¡¯ve heard that a lot,¡± Leila readily admitted. The demon wasn¡¯t lying; she was used to other people treating her words like nonsense. Honestly speaking, she herself thought what she¡¯d just said seemed ridiculous as well. All the same, despite what others might think, the truth was the truth. And the Regal Brave was the Regal Brave. ¡°I¡¯ll never accept such a thing!¡± With a guttural howl, the Vampiric suddenly charged Leila. ¡°I figured¨C¡± She felt like she understood, but there was no way she¡¯d agree or sympathize with him. After all, she was the ridiculous one here. She didn¡¯t have that right, so there was only one thing she could do. ¡°¨Cwhich means you¡¯ll die here.¡± She raised her greatsword, which still sparkled with a turquoise lustre even though it¡¯d been stained by demon blood, and thrust it straight into the Vampiric¡¯s chest. Blood gushed out of his mouth. ¡°Urgh¡­ aagh¡­¡± ¡°To us humans, you bunch are crazy beings we¡¯re hard-pressed to accept. Since both of us are two sides of the same coin, let¡¯s keep on hating each other, ¡®kay?¡± Her flippant words probably fell on deaf ears. A faint light shone through the web of fine cracks criss-crossing the greatsword¡¯s blade. As far as demons were concerned, Vampirics were considered the closest to immortals; they¡¯d instantly regenerate from any injury, which was why they were feared so greatly. But¡­ ¡°Agh¡­¡± ¡°This is Seniolis, one of the top-class Kaliyons. As long as the right wielder uses it, any enemy it strikes will die, no matter who or what they are.¡± At the moment of death, the Vampiric was silent. His countenance froze in a rictus of pain with his eyes bulging and his jaws dropping open to expose his uneven teeth, even as the rest of his body ceased to move. Hmph. Leila yanked out her sword, and his corpse fell wetly to the floor of the abandoned shrine. All around her, silence reigned. The only living thing there was herself now. Alright, time to head out. She turned around and strode forward, but stopped after a few steps and glanced over her shoulder. The corpse laid there unblinkingly, eyes staring at nothing. To humans, he was a fantastical being. And to that fantastical being, perhaps she herself was a fantastical being as well. I see. Perhaps you are different from us demons after all. The corpse¡¯s lips didn¡¯t move. Now that her footsteps had stopped, all was silent again. That must¡¯ve just been my imagination, Leila thought. However, you are a Regal Brave. Therefore, you aren¡¯t human anymore, are you? ¡°Hmph.¡± I¡¯m just hallucinating stuff now, Leila reassured herself. No need to talk to myself. Grinning, she headed for the shrine¡¯s exit once more. ¡­Eh? A wave of dizziness slammed into her, causing her vision to blur slightly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ascertain her physical well-being. She felt slightly more tired than usual, and it seemed like she might have a small fever. Three days later, Leila returned to the Capital. ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± A somewhat aged man with an exceptionally powerful physique stared at her with his whiskered mouth wide open as if she were the biggest moron he had ever seen. ¡°Let me get this straight. You recieved, no, directly and fully took enough curses to topple entire countries?¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d be like this, but I really had no choice,¡± Leila said nonchalantly, waving her hands at her master. ¡°If I didn¡¯t take in all of them the whole area would¡¯ve probably been contaminated, and even surrounding towns might¡¯ve been destroyed.¡± ¡°Your life versus the lives of forty-seven thousand, six hundred and fifty three others, eh?¡± Her master rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡° Leila¡­ it¡¯s fine if you chose the latter after giving it a good amount of thought, but you should at least weigh the two choices before your hand gets forced. Your life isn¡¯t so unimportant that you can just throw it away in a moment of folly, you know?¡± His words rang strangely true. Maybe he¡¯d already figured out the exact number of curses within Leila¡¯s body, and calculated how many they¡¯d kill. It didn¡¯t seem like something normal humans could do, but Leila didn¡¯t bat an eye. Her master had always been a little superhuman. ¡°So what, you wanted me to leave those people to their deaths? To give up on those forty thousand lives?¡± ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that you shouldn¡¯t forget you have a choice. Whatever path you choose, you¡¯ve got to understand that acting out of your own volition and acting because duty compels you to are two different things altogether.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I kinda get it, but not really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to become a subservient lapdog, you brat.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not gonna disagree.¡± Leila knew that she was considered a well-behaved child, the sort who did whatever she was told, and because of that was perfect for adults to manipulate. Still, It wasn¡¯t as if she cared much. Besides, the world was an unfair place. She figured her life held some meaning if she could use it to help others. Of course, she also knew quite well that there were people who worried about her and thought her way of thinking was unacceptable. What¡¯s more, she was somehow happy to know they felt that way, which bothered her a little. Is this¡­ embarrassment? Or shyness? She subconsciously scratched her cheek, unsure how to handle her emotions. ¡°Anyway, those curses are now concentrated within your body. Despite all that, it probably won¡¯t be a big problem ¨C they¡¯ll naturally be cleansed if you just leave them as they are. The issue lies with¨C¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The two of them looked towards the grime-spotted sword hanging on the wall. Seniolis was a holy sword; the most ancient, top-class and strongest one. Actually, ¡®holy sword¡¯ was sort of a misnomer, since there wasn¡¯t anything holy or blessed about them to begin with. The weapons the world knew to be holy swords were merely the products of human skill and craftsmanship. One of the most unusual features about them were their appearances, being composed of Talismans of different sizes and shapes bound together by spell lines. As each holy sword was akin to a rare treasure, you couldn¡¯t just dump them off at any old city workshop for tuning and repair. Even lower-tier or mass-produced Kaliyons needed specialized equipment and a trained technician on hand to be tuned, let alone the five ancient top-class Kaliyons ¨C if there was a problem with any of those, you¡¯d be helpless unless you found an equally top-class technician to service them. ¡°Have any of the Capital¡¯s guys figured out a way to fix it?¡± ¡°Nope. The lot of them were practically sobbing. Saying things like ¡®Unless you take apart every single spell line surrounding its spinal circuit at the same time, the whole system will be thrown into disarray! Our technicians just can¡¯t do that sort of thing!¡¯¡± ¡°No surprise, coming from them. What ¡®bout the baldies at the Church?¡± ¡°They said it¡¯s fine to leave it as is, since its functions are still intact. Since the crystal core isn¡¯t broken, it might end up purifying itself eventually.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a surprise, either.¡± Her master sighed deeply. ¡°Even so, we can¡¯t simply leave it alone.¡± Producing a notebook in his hands, he tore off a few pieces of paper, daubed a pen in ink, and scribbled down a few words. ¡°Here, take these to the people who need to see them. You might need to get a little forceful, but as long as you bring up my name here and there you should be fine.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She peered curiously at the papers. ¡°Letters of recommendation and a written prescription.¡± He passed them to Leila, grimacing like he was suffering from a particularly nasty headache. ¡°Although your body¡¯s condition can¡¯t be helped, I know someone who might be able to fix Seniolis. Put your Regal Brave responsibilities on hold and go find that fellow.¡± Chapter 2.2 JANUARY 14, 2022 ~ FLAMETJD She liked stained glass windows. Individually, the bits and pieces were just uninteresting shards of glass, dyed with color and molded into various shapes. However, once they were strung up together with iron wire, they¡¯d undergo a drastic transformation. Each of those shiny bits and pieces would become part of a gigantic mosaic, gaining a different meaning and purpose. The state of the glass; the relationships between each individual piece and the whole, were all indescribably beautiful. Such was the basis of Adelaide Astrid¡¯s aesthetic judgment. She woke up groggily. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She half-rose from the sheets, and, finding it too much of a pain, flopped back down and stretched a little. Curling up in the blanket, she rolled off the side of her bed. Thud. A rather loud impact followed. ¡°I¡¯m not that heavy, am I¡­?¡± Slinging a futile complaint at the floorboards, she sat up and looked around her. The familiar sight of her own room filled her eyes. Bookshelves overflowed with tomes that spilled onto the floor, countless seaweed paper memos clasped between their pages. Books practically covered up two wall-mounted closets, and metal shards which glowed with a faint light littered the floor. Sunlight shone in through the edges of a closed window, heralding the start of another day. ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Rise and shine. Wriggling like a caterpillar, she finally stood. Now¡¯s not the time for lazing around. Her gaze drifted toward a wooden board, attached to the wall, that displayed her tremendously cluttered schedule for the day ahead. First, the girl took a shower to clear her head. She couldn¡¯t find her favorite hair clip, so it took a bit longer than usual to do her hair. After troubling for a moment over her dress, she put on a pair of red silk gloves, embossed with the finest golden thread, for a finishing touch. She twirled once in front of the mirror, and decided to put on a smile. A familiar face beamed back from the glass. The girl to whom it belonged was aged seventeen, what people would normally call a maiden¡¯s golden years. She had sparkling golden hair, clear blue eyes, and pearl-white skin that looked almost polished, making for an alluring countenance. Those were the features of Imperial nobility, a rare sight in the ethnic melting pot of Basilfeld. Naturally, she also wore luxurious clothing that the wealthy nobles favored. Adelaide was well aware that doing so was the best way to draw attention. ¡°Alright.¡± She was neatly dressed, her smile was splendid, and it didn¡¯t seem as if there was anything wrong with her hair¡ªshe¡¯d plucked at a few strands to check. Today, she¡¯d give it her all once more, with this country as her battlefield. ¡°Morning!¡± With a light wave of her hand, Adelaide dashed into the administrative office of the Astrid workshop. ¡°Miss Tilly, you¡¯re very pretty today¡­ Luca, you¡¯ve got some serious bedhead¡­ Sara, I almost finished that book you lent me yesterday¡­ Mr. Snow, I¡¯m still waiting on that report¡­ Mr Bizmell, yesterday¡¯s case was handled very well. We¡¯ve received good news from the other side, and¡­¡± Hurriedly crossing the room, she spoke to them one after the other. ¡°Boss,¡± someone called out to her, ¡°imports of stardust powder to Workshop Three have halted.¡± ¡°Again? Use Two¡¯s reserves, for now. Oh, and go investigate our supplier¡¯s accounts. It won¡¯t do for our order to land in another company¡¯s lap.¡± ¡°It looks like the vigilante groups want to avoid this year¡¯s Sea Serpent Festival.¡± ¡°Get them to stay. Say that we¡¯ve called in external reinforcements.¡± ¡°As for the Furuami Ward benefit payments, accounting says we¡¯re donating too much, even if it¡¯s for the purposes of tax mitigation.¡± ¡°Tell them this for me: Since we¡¯re doing it to gain publicity, we might as well pull out all the stops rather than half-ass it.¡± ¡°If so, aren¡¯t there more newsworthy beneficiaries?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s not sweat the small stuff. Besides, it¡¯s good for the development of the whole neighborhood!¡± With that, she trotted to the manager¡¯s work desk. As always, it was stacked with a small mountain of unfinished paperwork. ¡°Jeez, business is booming again today, huh¡­¡± Grumbling, she twirled the ends of her hair with a fingertip. ¡°Good morning, Boss.¡± As that mellow voice drifted toward her, a middle-aged man walked over. ¡°Please finish doing the paperwork by noon. Aside from that, I have two things to report.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon¡­ It¡¯s not everyday that I¡¯ve got blueprints I wanna try and build at the workshop. Can¡¯t we just scrap all those tasks, Uncle Joshua?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already reminded you plenty of times not to call me Uncle at the workshop, Adelaide.¡± The middle-aged man she¡¯d addressed as Uncle Joshua sighed, giving her a genial, pained smile. ¡°I¡¯m the deputy director, and you¡¯re the boss.¡± ¡°Ugh, Dad truly left me a sprawling ol¡¯ dump.¡± Slumping like a deflated balloon, she was tempted to rest her chin on the table, however unsightly it might look. ¡°He believed that with your talents, there was no doubt you could successfully inherit his business. In fact, you¡¯ve done exceedingly well, which proves he made the right call.¡± He spoke warmly, eyes shut a little. Through the corner of her vision, Adelaide glanced at those eyes, and the faint glimmer that lay hidden within. ¡°Forget it, complaining is useless anyway. What was it you wanted to report?¡± ¡°The third son of House Seth has invited you to dinner, and we¡¯ll soon have some customers from the continent,¡± Joshua serenely replied in his deputy director¡¯s tone. ¡°I see. House Seth¡¯s¡­¡± She recalled that short, pudgy man¡¯s face, and her own features clouded with annoyance. ¡°That issue regarding the dispatch of personnel to the Sea Serpent Festival has already been discussed, right? Or maybe he wants to start another vendetta, and would like to court me as an ally?¡± ¡°No. Reportedly, it¡¯s to corroborate the facts of the Cheshire Cat incidents. He intends to exchange the information we¡¯ve gathered from our separate investigations before making his next move.¡± Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Those incidents¡­¡± She thought she¡¯d concealed her disquiet fairly well. ¡°Cheshire Cat¡± was a code phrase for the steadily increasing spate of disappearances occurring in the district of late. Because there were no bodies, they weren¡¯t viewed as murders; the absence of blackmail or any kind of common link between the victims made it very difficult to treat them as kidnapping cases as well. What¡¯s more, public safety in the district wasn¡¯t very good to begin with. While random disappearances and the like weren¡¯t a routine occurrence, they weren¡¯t so uncommon that they¡¯d cause an uproar either. To put it bluntly, they¡¯re just a bunch of similar incidents that ¡°happened¡± to pop up one after the other. No wonder Basilfeld¡¯s other factions aren¡¯t paying it too much heed¡ªor at least, that¡¯s what they¡¯d like everyone else to think. ¡°Have you found any leads?¡± she pressed. ¡°Nothing of note. Although it¡¯s likely the same for House Seth; no doubt this enterprising gentleman is using it as a pretext to make a play for you as well.¡± ¡°Oho, is that so? Such a pain¡­ I almost thought he¡¯d learned his lesson, after the hiding he probably took from his missus the last time he tried.¡± ¡°Not even a passing glance? He¡¯s still a rich and powerful man.¡± ¡°Those are the only two things that oaf has got going for him. If his looks, intellect, personality, physical figure, strength, wit, morals, reputation, future prospects and common sense even met the bare minimum, I¡¯d at least pretend to care.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to argue with your assessment.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± she answered listlessly. In any case, Adelaide Astrid was still in the prime of her youth. And I don¡¯t look half bad, if I do say so myself. Naturally, men would rush to court her like moths to a flame. She accepted that reality, and resolved to utilize that advantage of hers to the fullest. Of course, she also knew that it would become problematic if she attracted resentment by baiting others willy-nilly. Due to several reasons from the nation¡¯s early years, to this day its foundations were still unstable in more ways than one. Various factions jostled for power, both publicly and in the shadows. Conflicts and clashes were a dime a dozen, with new casualties every day. To survive in this kind of environment, you found strength in numbers by banding together to form a strong alliance, or by joining one of those powerful groups yourself¡ªeven if doing so was the spark for the next feud. For better or for worse, House Astrid, led by Adelaide herself, was one of those groups, though its territory, members and fighting strength were all pitifully inadequate. In other words, House Astrid rested on a precipice, faced with the constant threat of destruction from the factions that surrounded it. She needed to gather allies, but at the same time she was unwilling to make enemies. Dad really did leave me a sprawling ol¡¯ dump¡­ This time, she kept her frustrations to herself. ¡°Oh, by the way, who¡¯s our next customer from the continent?¡± ¡°The Regal Brave Leila Asprey.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± ¡°I heard you had a rather intense quarrel with her at a dinner banquet when you last visited the capital?¡± ¡°Well¡­ That was hardly a quarrel.¡± ¡°That Regal Brave believes in our expertise, and has some top-secret business she would like to entrust to us.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Adelaide covered her face in dismay. She knew she ought to keep her personal opinions apart from her professional life, but¡­ There¡¯s always gonna be someone who ticks you off the moment you see them, huh? I swear, if I accept this request, no, the moment I hear¡ªscratch that, the moment I see that stupid face¡­ Nothing good will come of this. ¡°Gods be damned, it just had to be that scarlet-streaked sow.¡± ¡°The ship will be here within the next week.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t it sink before then?¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Joshua chided her as an uncle would his niece. ¡°It¡¯s all very well to have these thoughts, but please don¡¯t voice them out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Even if it sank, that troublesome cow would just waltz out unharmed.¡± ¡°Now, now, you¡¯d better keep that to yourself too.¡± Creases appeared on her uncle¡¯s forehead, as if he were beginning to feel a migraine coming on. ¡°Unlike the other factions who hold sway in Basilfeld, our House has no powerful backer. We ought to make good use of this commission to strengthen our relationship with the Holy Empire, as well as the Church of Holy Light. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Well enough.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°I really wanna head out to the workshop, I wanna tinker with the talismans, I wanna invent something new¡­¡± ¡°Please just shelve those plans for today.¡± The long-suffering Joshua switched back to his deputy director¡¯s tone. ¡°When can I go, then?¡± ¡°When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east, and when Basilfeld finally knows eternal peace.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Adelaide couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty funny joke.¡± ¡°Just so. They say laughter is the best medicine, so please start getting to work.¡± ¡°Dammit, what a pain!¡± No matter how much she yelled or sighed, reality wouldn¡¯t change, so there was only one thing for Adelaide Astrid to do. She patted her cheeks with both hands, and started on the mountain of paperwork in front of her. Many kinds of people existed in the world. Most were fairly normal, with limited potential and bland, uninteresting thoughts. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that each and every human being was a beautiful existence. When these humans joined forces to form their own organizations, however, different traits would emerge. Once a million different specks of light, those lives would be absorbed into a giant mosaic, each beginning to take on its own meaning and purpose. The state of the glass; those threads between each individual piece and the whole, were all indescribably beautiful. That was what Adelaide Astrid believed. Hence, the sort of person who could only ever shine as a lone star was, in her view, rather lonely. ¡°Leila Asprey, huh¡­¡± She murmured the name dispassionately. ¡°She probably hasn¡¯t changed a single bit.¡± Chapter 2.3 JULY 29, 2022 ~ FLAMETJD The cool sea breeze held a slight salty tang. Everywhere they looked, the waves glittered brilliantly in the sun. ¡°Oooh¡­¡± Leila¡¯s eyes shone. Engrossed in the sight of the vast ocean, she leaned so far out she was practically over the ship¡¯s gunwale. Answering to no country in particular, those known as the Braves fought for all of humanity¡ªat least, that¡¯s how things were on the surface. Needless to say, reality was a bit different. They were backed by the Church of Holy Light, whose sphere of influence was limited to the Holy Empire¡¯s territory. Hence, the Regal Brave¡¯s battlefields usually fell within those boundaries as well. And if there was one thing the Empire lacked, it was access to the sea. Quite some time had passed since she last set foot outside its borders, so her heart soared when this faraway trip allowed her to take in an unfamiliar sight. ¡°Wow¡­ The world sure is huge¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t get so excited you fall off the ship,¡± a cool voice chided, shattering her momentary bliss. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d fall¡­ I¡¯m not a child, you know.¡± ¡°At the ripe old age of thirteen? Common sense dictates otherwise.¡± ¡°Is that so? From what I¡¯ve heard, some of the northern tribes consider those who reach ten to have come of age.¡± ¡°Being ten does not make you an adult. At least, not under the Empire¡¯s laws. If you do not want to be treated like a child, perhaps you should first stop spouting childish logic like this.¡± Leila had no retort to give, for she knew full well that the woman was right. ¡°Besides, your body¡¯s gone all haywire because of some curse you caught, right? If I were a doctor, I¡¯d advise you to stay out of the sea breeze.¡± ¡°Hmph. Fine, whatever. Have it your way.¡± Pursing her lips, Leila swept away from the gunwale, glaring sulkily at the woman by her side. ¡°By the way, Miss¡­ Cyrille, right? How long do you intend to accompany me?¡± The person she¡¯d been talking to was a terribly unimpressive, plain-looking lady who called herself twenty-one years old. She wore a plain cap and thick spectacles, had freckles around her nose, and a terrible scowl that made her look as if she¡¯d lost all faith in other people long ago. Imperial sage Cyrille Leitner, Purple Star Second Class, whatever that means. Leila wasn¡¯t quite sure what sort of position it was, though she supposed the woman was a scholar somewhere in the middle of the totem pole. In other words, if her superiors had handed her a troublesome assignment, there¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve refused. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m not accompanying you because I want to.¡± Cyrille straightened her glasses. ¡°Per my orders, I am to follow you until the very end of your journey. Take your complaints to the higher-ups, not me.¡± ¡°Your higher-ups? You mean those Imperial sage bigwigs? Why would that bunch want to interfere in the Regal Brave¡¯s travels?¡± ¡°Frankly speaking, the cabinet ministers are the ones responsible for this arrangement. I won¡¯t speculate about what the original plan was supposed to be, but everyone knows the Regal Brave only fights in Empire territory. As such, to people elsewhere, the ¡®Protector of the Empire¡¯ is none other than you.¡± ¡°What the heck¡­¡± So it¡¯s like that. Leila finally understood it all¡ªthe implication behind Cyrille¡¯s words, and the intentions of the Empire¡¯s authorities. ¡°I¡¯m, like, a superstar overseas, which is why they want me to act like a representative of the Empire, right? When I don¡¯t actually hold a single ounce of authority or support?¡± ¡°Attagirl. That¡¯s how it is, more or less,¡± she answered, unphased. ¡°If I could, I¡¯d cancel this trip, but we can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Leila glanced at her luggage. Sticking out of the bundle was Seniolis, wrapped in cloth. According to her master, the only person who could repair Seniolis was, simply put, residing somewhere within the nation of Basilfeld. Even with the fastest transport available, the journey still took more than a fortnight, and the border crossings were¡ªto Cyrille¡¯s chagrin¡ªa massive pain. That being said, there¡¯s no way I can leave it as it is. As a matter of fact, Seniolis was an extremely ancient blade. Though only a precious few could wield it, its long history meant that it had changed hands a fair bit. Any filth on the blade, left unattended, was a great indignity towards all its previous users. Splish, splash. Some distance away, a school of fish swam past, jumping energetically out of the water. ¡°Wow¡­¡± This too, was something she couldn¡¯t have seen in the Empire. Long-distance journeys aren¡¯t so bad after all, thought Leila. ¡°Miss Brave?¡± Ah. Cyrille¡¯s serene voice made her realize that she¡¯d edged toward the gunwale again. Perhaps the curse was messing with her mind, as she did feel like she¡¯d been a little out of it lately. Not good. Pulling back, Leila quickly changed the topic. ¡°So, um, uhh¡­ I don¡¯t think we need to be so uptight about it. I mean, we¡¯re looking for House Astrid which deals in the talisman business, right? I bumped into their boss at an Imperial banquet not long back. He¡¯s a well-spoken older gentleman.¡± Thinking back, she recalled her encounter with the portly and dignified middle-aged man. Everything he wore looked rather expensive, from his suit, to the rings on his hands and the cigar he smoked. All in all, he looked and spoke just like a mobster. Luckily, Leila had been through enough for her to be unfazed by that. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard?¡± Cyrille sighed. ¡°House Astrid¡¯s chief executive changed half a year ago.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°The gentleman you spoke of had passed away, and his daughter took up the mantle.¡± ¡°Daughter¡­¡± Splish, splash. A bit further, a fish leapt out of the water again. As if in wait, a seabird dove down, and for a split second two shadows zipped by each other on the surface of the water. ¡°Woah!¡± Leila watched as the bird flew back up, a fish clamped in its beak. The silver scales caught the light, glimmering in triumph of the bird¡¯s successful catch. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It was beautiful beyond words¡ªa panorama of elegance she¡¯d never seen before. Light and shadow, stillness and movement, life and death. Various things clashed and unfolded within that one fleeting moment. Leila had once considered herself somewhat well-traveled; with some degree of knowledge about the wider world. But still, she was merely thirteen, just a frog in a well who hadn¡¯t actually seen all that much, so much so that her journey thus far had already given her plenty of fresh experiences. ¡°Miss Brave?¡± Oops! ¡°Uhh, my bad, haha.¡± Laughing it off, Leila backed away from the gunwale she¡¯d been leaning on again. She plowed on nonetheless. ¡°Where were we? Right, you mentioned that gentleman passed away, and then¡­ his daughter inherited the family business, was it?¡± Just as she wrenched the conversation back on track, she noticed her voice dipping a little. ¡°Yes. About that, I¡¯ve heard you butted heads with the young lady during the banquet?¡± Cyrille asked calmly, despite wearing the same expression as a frustrated teacher trying to rein in her unruly students. ¡°No, no, it really wasn¡¯t that bad. It¡¯s not like we even came to blows¡­¡± ¡°Apparently, you two very nearly did.¡± ¡°Not in a million years. I¡¯d crush her like an ant before she could even touch me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that bad, huh? I think I¡¯m beginning to understand the relationship between you two, but¡­¡± Cyrille nodded her head sagely, as if she understood something Leila didn¡¯t. ¡°Adelaide Astrid. She¡¯s the trump card of House Astrid, the world¡¯s premier talisman manufacturing enterprise. Their ace in the hole. That genius young lady is who you¡¯ll be dealing with this time.¡± Lost in thought, Leila fell silent for a while. ¡°Can I please go back?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± Her shoulders slumped. ¡°I really, really can¡¯t stand that girl¡­¡± Splish, splash. It seemed as if the waves, crashing faintly in the distance, were trying to console her. In the legends of old, that particular region of the ocean was cursed. After passing through the Listell Inland Sea and heading east, you¡¯d emerge south of the Garmond Flowing Sands Confederation. Dense fog would suddenly creep in despite the previously fair weather, and disoriented ships would inevitably be forced to lower their sails and wait for it to clear. The oft-repeated legends spoke of these impassable sheets of fog as portals to a different world. Ships unlucky enough to be ensnared would never see the sun again, eventually sinking into the ocean¡¯s depths. And so, the tales had been told countless times, with ships of all imaginable kinds. From large, hulking merchantmen to tiny fishing boats, antiquated rowboats and modern sailing ships alike met their end. The most famous story among them featured an entire naval flotilla being swallowed by the fog, never to return. Though the legends seemed more like an old wives¡¯ tale, they weren¡¯t completely unfounded. Numerous ships had indeed vanished unaccountably after sailing into those waters, and there existed records which attest to that. In truth, the culprit wasn¡¯t fog, but ocean currents. When certain seasonal conditions and weather patterns were met, the currents in a normally calm region could change drastically. The disrupted airflow would generate fog that immobilized ships, leaving them at the mercy of currents which pushed them into dangerous waters filled with rocky reefs. Thus, more and more ships fell victim with each passing year. Since none returned to tell the tale, it was simply easier to believe that they had vanished into the fog. And just like that, tales of the cursed waters began to spread. Tales which, of course, had simply been myths of a bygone era. Meanwhile, in the present, things were different owing to advancements in shipbuilding and maritime navigation¡ªyet there was one particular tale that actually happened. It was none other than that of the naval flotilla disappearing into the fog. More than a hundred years ago, twenty-six large sailboats, outfitted with all sorts of cutting-edge technology for the time, had exterminated a monstrous serpent terrorizing the nearby waters. On their return trip, they had stumbled into that fogbound region of the sea. At that fateful moment, it would¡¯ve been quite natural for the fleet to descend into chaos. Their ships were dead in the water, corpses were floating all around them, and the sailors had already told everyone to resign to the harsh reality that they could never escape. It was their admiral, Captain Basilfeld, who boldly proclaimed: ¡°From this day forth, I will build a new nation here!¡± Everyone laughed. They were all dumbfounded and thought he¡¯d gone insane. When they¡¯d calmed down, however, the people gave it some thought and realized it wasn¡¯t such a tall order after all. The incapacitated ships served as territory for their new nation, with the various decks connected by makeshift wooden bridges. They harvested the detestable forests of kelp that had ensnared their ships, confirmed them to be edible, and scavenged nearby shipwrecks to further replenish their supplies. In time, they also welcomed other ships that drifted there into the fold. Basilfeld¡¯s development from its humble beginnings could hardly be called smooth-sailing¡ªone might even say its history was written in blood. However, when all was said and done, the experiment had mostly succeeded, and the ragtag band of castaways had created a sprawling community large enough to be called a nation. For quite a while, there had been no contact with the continent since they had no way of knowing their existence. Nonetheless, that changed in recent times as humankind learned to navigate the treacherous reefs and currents of the sea. In the first place, that region was a maritime crossroad which explained why ships would constantly pass through and disappear. When it became possible to be navigated safely, the waters once rumored to be cursed rapidly flourished into a busy trade route. And in the present¡­ Their journey by sea lasted six days. When they saw a vague shape on the horizon, Leila gave a muted cheer of excitement. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Bit by bit, their ship closed the distance, allowing Leila to see the shoreline in greater detail. Every time the waves crested (due to the irregular reefs that dotted the ocean floor) and the ship shook unsteadily, she¡¯d let out a ¡°Waaah!¡± or ¡°Woo-hoo!¡±. But when they finally steered into port and she walked down the gangplank, her first sound was a half-muddled groan of confusion. The ground beneath her swayed, and not because she¡¯d just stepped off a moving boat. It felt as if the port itself was one gigantic barge, rocking to-and-fro to the rhythm of the waves. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like we¡¯ve set foot on land.¡± ¡°This was never land in the first place. Come on, give me your passport and I¡¯ll go settle the disembarkation procedures.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Children traveling alone tend to encounter several difficulties, so journeying with Cyrille saved her a lot of trouble. With a reliable adult on hand, all the formalities were dealt with smoothly. No doubt she could¡¯ve used her status as Regal Brave to apply diplomatic pressure, cleave through all that red tape and enter the country as a state guest, but she¡¯d rather not resort to such drastic measures. ¡°Ooh¡­¡± Basilfeld was a city-state crafted from the hulls of countless ill-fated ships. Its land¡ªif it could be called that¡ªwas an extensive, unsightly hodgepodge of wooden planks and metal sheets. From above, it looked like a mismatched jigsaw puzzle barely held together by wooden skewers, or perhaps an overturned wicker basket poorly woven by an inexperienced novice. The whole structure was broadly segregated into five indistinct districts, though some areas were split into four or six districts instead. Each district was roughly divided into multiple smaller wards, each appearing to be governed by different vigilante groups. On the periphery, numerous wooden rafts were clustered together like an archipelago of floating islands. The port they were at was a large-sized barge that seemed to serve as a trading station. From one glance at the sprawling district, Leila could already tell that law enforcement, if any, was bound to be extremely lax. When she looked up, she saw countless thin ropes which tethered the outlying barges to the megastructure in the center. A great array of clothing was hung out to dry on those ropes, like a grand circus tent with all its flags flying in the wind. Even on the continent, structures of this size were rare. Everything that stood before their eyes had been built through the blood, sweat and tears of former castaways and their descendants. Humanity sure is resilient. Leila began to feel a little peckish. Walking up to the nearest street vendor, she bought a bag of dried fruits. After the long sea journey which left a salty taste in her mouth, taking a bite of something sweet immediately lightened her mood. ¡°Hey, you.¡± Someone lightly rapped the back of her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t even checked that our papers are in order, and you¡¯ve already gone and bought snacks? Have you no shame? Can¡¯t you just sit there and wait like a good little kid?¡± Unsurprisingly, when she turned around, Cyrille stood there scowling like she faced an ill-disciplined child. ¡°C¡¯mon, I was just thinking it¡¯s great that we¡¯re finally here, y¡¯know? Got a teensy bit excited, that¡¯s all. Want one? It¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°Resorting to bribes when you get scolded, eh? Good grief.¡± ¡°Chill out. Sure you don¡¯t want one?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do, then.¡± Unsmiling, Cyrille accepted the piece of dried fruit and immediately took a bite. ¡°So? What are we gonna do? Do some sightseeing, maybe?¡± ¡°I was finking¡ª¡± Cyrille swallowed. ¡°I was thinking we better not. I mean, there¡¯s no guarantee that this place is completely safe.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Leila scanned their surroundings. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem particularly dangerous to me¡­¡± Right on cue, angry shouts resounded from somewhere else, followed by the crack of breaking wooden planks and a cacophony of panicked screams. What came next was the metallic clangor of pots and pans a second later, a loud splash and even louder screams. It¡¯s close. One house away, I¡¯d say. ¡°You were saying?¡± Cyrille¡¯s gaze was cold. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no big deal. Just a run-of-the-mill scuffle between some typical street thugs. There¡¯s only five of them and it looks like they¡¯re all unarmed, so there shouldn¡¯t be any danger, right?¡± ¡°You know, most people would consider this a pretty large uproar,¡± Cyrille sighed as if it was only natural. It¡¯s really no concern of mine, but they say sighing takes your happiness away¡­ so how much joy has this woman lost already? Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°Who cares what anyone else would take it as? When I said there wasn¡¯t any danger, I meant it literally. Since you¡¯re an Imperial sage, it goes without saying that you can cast a few spells, right?¡± ¡°I did study some magic, yes. But spells are, in essence, special techniques that normally require specifically prepared seals to cast. They aren¡¯t suited for spontaneous brawls like these.¡± ¡°Normally, eh? Are you really gonna say with a straight face that you fall within those norms?¡± Cyrille fell silent. ¡°¡­In any case, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a suitable time to sightsee with this whole commotion going on. Unless you¡¯re telling me that this sort of thing is right up your alley?¡± ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Leila thought for a bit. Although she wasn¡¯t watching the fight firsthand, she could roughly grasp the situation by listening to the hubbub and studying the combatants¡¯ breathing. Two against three, and both sides are barehanded. Not to mention, they¡¯re all amateurs. You can¡¯t even call this a proper fight. Instead, she paid more attention to the onlookers. There¡¯s four of them. They¡¯re poised and guarded, and watching those amateurs duke it out from a distance. I¡¯d say they¡¯re all pretty used to dealing with this kind of thing. Speaking of which¡­ Since there¡¯s a bunch of fairly skilled people watching the port, I guess this country isn¡¯t as peaceful as it looks. She probably wasn¡¯t supposed to interfere. Each city had its own unique way of doing things, and outsiders had no business sticking their noses in. If she did as she pleased and went in guns blazing, she¡¯d be no more than a nosy bystander, like Cyrille had implied. No, Leila thought, this isn¡¯t the Regal Brave¡¯s job. ¡°Well, how should I put it¡­ All things considered, I think this place is actually quite orderly.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Humans are scared of each other. The fact that people here can openly start fights like that means this is just a day-to-day occurrence to them. I¡¯d wager that there aren¡¯t even any monsters left in this region.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a scary thought in itself.¡± The din was slowly getting noisier. Perhaps reinforcements from either camp had arrived, or several bystanders had been dragged into the fray. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re right. It seems that sea monsters don¡¯t really stray too close to here. And that¡¯s despite the fact that there¡¯s practically no adventurers around, and the local Adventurers¡¯ Guild is pretty much bare-bones. In fact, it isn¡¯t even part of the Guild Alliance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty well-informed.¡± ¡°I did some research before we came.¡± What she left unsaid on a whim was that the Church of Holy Light wielded very little influence in Basilfeld, so Braves, who fought to protect humanity, did not exist here. ¡°Every year, swarms of large sea serpents and sharks attack this place just before the monsoon season begins. From what I¡¯ve heard, the major vigilante groups compete against each other for the most kills then. That¡¯s when they hold some kind of frenzied celebration, and so it is only during this period that local organizations hire mercenaries from the outside to their cause.¡± Sounds pretty fun. ¡°How do I say this¡­ I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but this really is a very lively place.¡± ¡°Miss Brave?¡± ¡°How wonderful,¡± Leila mumbled under her breath. As the crowds were brought to a fever pitch, a young lady in a suit pushed her way out, looked around, and made her way toward them. ¡°Excuse me, would you be Miss Asprey and Miss Leitner?¡± The lady, looking slightly hesitant for some reason, introduced herself as House Astrid¡¯s representative. Though the room wasn¡¯t spacious by any means, it certainly was very luxurious; all the furniture within it could not be found anywhere else within the Empire. The teapots lining the wall were steel instead of clay, and the rugs were even made of woven grass instead of fur. On one side, an expansive nautical chart occupied an entire wall, most likely displaying the topography of the regional seafloor as well as nearby ocean currents. A long six-seater table sat in the middle of the room with equally ornate chairs placed at both ends. Right now, two rather young girls occupied those chairs. Leila Asprey and Adelaide Astrid were all smiles, but a chilly silence hung between them. The air was so tense that a more timid bystander might¡¯ve fainted right then and there. ¡°We understand the situation,¡± the dignified gentleman standing behind Adelaide began, bowing slightly. ¡°Seniolis, the holy sword of legends and one of humankind¡¯s greatest treasures. A taint upon the blade is tantamount to a blight on humanity¡¯s future. The matter of its cleansing and repair transcends both national and religious boundaries; in fact, it is something of a duty that must be borne by all of humankind. Although I fear it is beyond our abilities, we are more than willing to contribute in what meager ways we can.¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Adelaide interrupted the gentleman¡¯s words coolly. ¡°Do not make proposals of your own accord. I haven¡¯t agreed to it yet.¡± ¡°Boss.¡± ¡°We are first and foremost businessmen, and frankly, as an organization I¡¯d even say we lean more towards the darker shade of gray. Unlike you people, we aren¡¯t paragons of justice who¡¯d actually try to make the world a better place.¡± Leila wrinkled her eyebrows, but Adelaide barrelled on without batting an eye: ¡°From what we¡¯ve just discussed, the Church doesn¡¯t consider this issue with your sword to be very urgent at all. What¡¯s more, tuning it is extremely difficult, and I¡¯m afraid we¡¯d have to commit all our best facilities and technicians if we are to have any hope of repairing it to a satisfactory degree. We simply don¡¯t have the luxury of doing so right now¡­ isn¡¯t that right, Deputy Director?¡± The gentleman was silent. ¡°In any case, we are very sorry that you¡¯ve had to come all this way here. Ah¡­ As a token of my apologies, how about I introduce you to this absolutely exquisite seafood restaurant?¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re pretty funny,¡± Leila answered, in what she hoped was a cheerful tone. ¡°Your current situation doesn¡¯t permit you to be so bullheaded, does it? Since you¡¯re bereft of the luxury to accommodate our request, that¡¯s all the more reason for you to seize this opportunity to curry favor with the Empire and the Church.¡± Incidentally, Basilfeld¡¯s territory was extremely limited. There were sporadic power struggles between its various factions, but whenever those occurred it was extremely important to have powerful backers on your side. The Holy Empire and the Church of Holy Light were entities that essentially controlled the entire world, thus the prospect of collaboration with them could not be lightly dismissed. After pausing for a moment and glancing briefly at all present, Leila went on: ¡°Besides, the current wielder of our prized Seniolis, which is to say I, have kindly agreed to let you take it apart and analyze it¡­ I¡¯d imagine you¡¯re dying to get your paws on it, Adelaide.¡± ¡°House Astrid has tuned Seniolis before. The data we collected from that commission is more than sufficient for our talisman workshops at present.¡± Leila vaguely recalled something to that effect. It happened several decades ago, when Seniolis¡¯ previous user¡ªin other words her master, had wielded it with such reckless abandon that he¡¯d actually damaged the Kaliyon¡¯s core. During that time, the person who¡¯d successfully repaired Seniolis was House Astrid¡¯s previous head¡ªhence her master¡¯s recommendation to her now. ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t seen and taken Seniolis apart with your own eyes and hands, no? C¡¯mon, Adelaide, I can practically see that tail of yours wagging nonstop already.¡± ¡°Just what sort of Monstrous am I in your eyes?¡± ¡°A vixen with shiny fur but filthy paws.¡± ¡°That was fast,¡± Adelaide chuckled. Leila also grinned back. Outside the window, seagulls cawed away noisily. ¡°Miss Brave.¡± Behind Leila, Cyrille finally spoke up. ¡°Must I once again remind you to act with decorum as befits your position?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯m just an immature child. Something like that is waaay over my head.¡± ¡°Good grief. Always cherry-picking your words¡­¡± Leila could feel Cyrille shaking her head hopelessly. ¡°Look at you,¡± Adelaide interjected, adding fuel to the fire, ¡°getting scolded already.¡± ¡°You too, Boss.¡± The gentleman massaged his temples as if he had a headache and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re our representative now. Inexperienced as you are, us adults can still make up for it. But please, I¡¯ve told you time and time again to at least show a presentable attitude, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I am technically an adult, but I still can¡¯t quiiite figure out all these complicated social cues, you see, inexperienced as I am.¡± ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake¡­¡± The gentleman sighed from the depths of his soul. ¡°My sentiments exactly,¡± Cyrille echoed in an equally hollow voice. ¡°And one more thing¡ª¡± Perhaps Adelaide did not know how to read the room, or she knew and didn¡¯t care anyway, but she went on as if nothing had happened: ¡°In truth, we really aren¡¯t at liberty to take on this job, are we? I mean, there¡¯s still the Cheshire Cat Incident, and we also can¡¯t put off the ¡®Spork¡¯ or the ¡®Ashen Mouse¡¯ cases for too long either. On top of that, we haven¡¯t even completed our preparations for the Sea Serpent Festival, right?¡± ¡°That is exactly why we cannot refuse this request. Without reinforcements from the Church of Holy Light, how would you expect us to tide through the Sea Serpent Festival this year?¡± Adelaide quieted down. It seemed the gentleman¡¯s words had struck a nerve. ¡°What sea serpent?¡± Hearing something foreign to her, Leila quietly asked Cyrille. ¡°It¡¯s one of Basilfeld¡¯s special events. Something like a large-scale extermination mission. Because they require more armed might for the festival, it appears they want to use it as a bargaining chip.¡± ¡°The Church didn¡¯t tell me anything about this.¡± ¡°Well¡­ maybe they didn¡¯t want to trouble the Regal Brave about it.¡± Forget it. Leila had guessed as much. Truth be told, it was terribly irksome to be used as a bargaining chip without her knowledge, but since this sort of thing was commonplace, there was nothing she could say about it. ¡°Hmph,¡± Adelaide tousled her forelocks listlessly. ¡°Looks like you guys are willing to take up the job, so let me just check again. You¡¯re completely sure this workshop can handle the cleansing of Seniolis? Even our ones in the capital had to throw in the towel, you know?¡± ¡°Heh, child¡¯s play¡ªis what I¡¯d like to say, but we won¡¯t know until we try. The five so-called top-class holy swords are all pretty ridiculous. They won¡¯t be so easy to tune.¡± ¡°But,¡± the gentleman added, with a sideways glance at Adelaide, ¡°rest assured that we have every confidence of doing so.¡± Though Adelaide pursed her lips, she remained quiet. ¡°We have already arranged suitable accommodations for the both of you during your stay. Although all necessary preparations have been made to ensure that you have every comfort at your disposal, do inform us if anything is not to your satisfaction.¡± ¡°Our sincerest tha¡ª¡± Before Cyrille finished her words, the gentleman, Joshua added: ¡°By the way, Basilfeld harbors citizens hailing from many other nations. Quite a few of them are¡­ ill-disposed toward the Empire and the Church of Holy Light. If possible, we entreat our two honored guests to conceal your true identities¡ª¡± ¡°We have no intention of publicizing our presence here.¡± ¡°Understood. Oh, and one more thing. Law and order is a great deal poorer here than within the Empire, so do be careful.¡± Joshua bowed, signaling the end of their negotiation. Chapter 2.4 AUGUST 28, 2022 ~ FLAMETJD The bulletin board on the street corner was plastered with posters. Spotting a familiar face among them, Leila stopped. The portraits were drawn in a rather cutesy style, but the coy wink and two golden ponytails were unmistakably those of Adelaide¡¯s, even though the image was greatly at odds with the real deal. It appeared to be a talisman advertisement targeted at normal families, written in the languages of five different countries. The one in the Empire¡¯s common tongue read: ¡°Wish-granting talismans! Confessing to your crush? This one¡¯s for you!¡± So your idea of capturing your beloved¡¯s heart is to bewitch them? What¡¯s wrong with you? Wait¡­ Speaking of which, has she ever desired a man before? I mean, she¡¯s got looks, money and power. Or maybe she¡¯s the type to shoo all her suitors away. Deep in thought, she strode on. The floating structure she stood on was a haphazard mess of metal sheets and wooden boards. As she walked, she couldn¡¯t help but be in awe of her surroundings. The thing that stood out most was the unevenness of the ground¡ªto her, the wooden planks tacked together screamed of cutting corners. It¡¯s uneven and bumpy, I can see signs of rot everywhere, and some places feel like they¡¯re going to give in. There was no end to the comments she could make about the place. Though, Leila supposed, it felt different enough from the drunk roaring lurch of the ship she had taken. ¡°I was sweating bullets just now, you know.¡± An irritated Cyrille walked up next to her. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You two really have a terrible relationship.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ You could say that.¡± Leila replied nonchalantly, as she was presently on cloud nine. With Seniolis entrusted to House Astrid, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. ¡°Did something happen in the past?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you already done your homework?¡± ¡°Look, all I know is that you two had an argument once. I never went to sniff out all the details, so I know nothing about the whys and hows of your little spat.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± No surprises there. Even if Cyrille had heard it from a bystander, she probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten much. After all, Leila herself couldn¡¯t even explain why she had been so hot-headed back then. ¡°It all started because of this guy, y¡¯know. My senior disciple.¡± ¡°Ah, now that you mention it¡­ Yes, I recall he was present too.¡± ¡°Yeah, he was. And he¡¯s the kind who¡ª¡± Spinning her finger in the air, Leila searched for the right word. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s not something I oughta say.¡± ¡°Huh? Why did you suddenly clam up? You¡¯re just going to leave me hanging like that after catching my interest?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know about that guy, that¡¯s all.¡± She dismissed the issue with a wave of her hand. This isn¡¯t like me. For what it was worth, Leila Asprey was born into nobility, even if her behavior might¡¯ve indicated otherwise. She¡¯d mastered all the skills essential to those of high birth such as acting like a puppet and constantly wearing a fake smile, or using pleasantries to sustain a conversation. All in all, she¡¯d been very good at behaving like a goody-two-shoes, which was exactly what the adults had wanted. Despite having gone through a great deal and having her standing change significantly, those skills were yet to fade. If all it took were a few pretty words to steer the banquet back on track, she could¡¯ve done that as naturally as she breathed. Just then, a few kids around her age ran past, laughing and chasing each other. They leapt joyfully and with ease across the uneven planks. To an outsider, it was a baffling sight, yet she supposed it was the most normal thing to those born and bred in Basilfeld. ¡°Those are some weird clothes.¡± ¡°They¡¯re cloaks from the Garmond Flowing Sands Confederation. I hear they are rather prone to getting sunstroke there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hear their tongue being spoken very often.¡± ¡°That would be dunespeak. Around a third of the people from Garmond speak that language. Perhaps the nearby blocks are where those folks congregate.¡± ¡°Can you speak it?¡± Pausing for a moment, Cyrille replied: ¡°Enough to understand a regular conversation.¡± ¡°Cool. Are all of the Sage Tower¡¯s scholars like this?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ In fact, they called me a once-in-a-lifetime child prodigy, though that was only up till a few years back.¡± ¡°Up until a few years back?¡± ¡°I was actually quite a big deal too, you know. It was only after a truly gifted genius appeared that people started treating me like ¡®Oh, so that guy¡¯s still around?¡¯ So, as you can see, all I¡¯m useful for is doing all the troublesome jobs no one else wants to.¡± I see. That explains a lot. Accompanying the Regal Brave on a trip overseas was an important enough job that it could not be left to some total weakling. When it came to the Imperial sages, though, the skilled ones were generally shut-in old men whose only interests were seeking knowledge. They were not, by any measure, suited for long journeys. Conversely, a once-lauded prodigy who had now lost her halo of special treatment would, of course, be ordered around to do this and that. ¡°Sooo¡­¡± Leila swiveled her head. ¡°There¡¯s still lots of time. Why don¡¯t we take a look around here? There¡¯s a lotta things I¡¯ve never seen before in the Empire, so I¡¯ll be very happy if you could explain those along the way.¡± ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Cyrille replied coldly. ¡°My job is to assist the Regal Brave in successfully carrying out Seniolis¡¯ purification, not to poke my nose around looking for trouble. We will head to our lodgings at once.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait! I just wanna, y¡¯know, sightsee a little? There¡¯s nothing dangerous in that, is there?¡± ¡°Right now, your body contains enough curses to kill forty thousand people. Am I wrong?¡± Urk. ¡°W-well, that¡¯s true, yeah. From a certain point of view. But I¡¯m humanity¡¯s strongest saint, and that¡¯s like, pretty much nothing?¡± ¡°Try harder.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± This is troubling. She wasn¡¯t outright lying when she said that, but it wasn¡¯t really true either. Currently, her physical condition was a far cry from its peak, and though she tried not to show it, she was feeling the beginnings of a high fever. Even if she kept lying, it would all fall apart once Cyrille did a simple checkup. ¡°Even if you were completely healthy, I still wouldn¡¯t allow it. We¡¯ve just finished a long trip over the sea and I insist you rest for today.¡± ¡°Good grief. Fine, I get it.¡± Pursing her lips, Leila made some slight adjustments to the belongings slung around her back. ¡°By the way, our hotel¡¯s this way, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s straight ahead, so no detours.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I wasn¡¯t trying to do that. I was double-checking, y¡¯know, just in case.¡± ¡°Just in case?¡± Leila grinned at the mystified Cyrille. ¡°Yep. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to worry, but on the off chance we get separated before reaching our hotel, we¡¯ll just meet up there, yeah?¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Cyrille must¡¯ve felt that she was up to something. Her mouth opened in protest, but Leila was far too quick by half. She steadied her breathing, masked her presence, and disappeared, leaving only the faintest afterimage of a smile behind. Even among the most seasoned assassins, only a select few knew how to use this cloaking technique. It relied on neither concealment nor confusion, because its user would just disappear from their target¡¯s perception altogether. By every measure, someone who used it could still be where they were, but to untrained laymen they could not be seen, touched or felt. ¡°Gah! Argh! Aaaaargh!¡± Cyrille¡¯s outstretched hand grasped thin air and she frantically looked left and right. There was no trace of Leila Asprey anywhere¡ªshe¡¯d made a clean getaway. ¡°That¡ª¡± Hammering her forehead with an open palm, she shakily leaned against a nearby wall. She threw her head back, letting out an unabashed, unreserved, and unbridled roar of frustration. ¡°That bratty lass!¡±