Published at 4th of April 2020 5:01 pm

Volume 3, Chapter 6

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Translator: Skythewood

Editor: Hiiro

Ⅱ

Two days after the victory party in Leticia Castle.

Under the clear blue sky, Olivia, Claudia and Ashton walked through the St. Germu plaza as they headed to the Royal Library. The plaza was filled with stalls as usual, and rowdy as ever. The people were still excited from the news of victory.

As the child of a merchant, Ashton didn’t hate this rowdy atmosphere, which reminded him of his parents that he had not seen in a long while.

“The cake and dishes in the castle taste really good~ Will I get to eat there again~? I want to eat there again~”

Olivia hummed as she wandered around the snack stalls. The occasional gust of wind would brush across her lustrous silver hair that glimmers under the sun.

“Haven’t you eaten enough? I heard you ate a whole lot at the castle that day.”

In response to the exasperated Ashton, Olivia blinked and then answered:

“Don’t you know, Ashton? Humans are creatures that can keep eating tasty food.”

“No no no, you are the only one like that. No matter how tasty the food is, there has to be a limit. Even First Lieutenant Claudia was surprised by what you did too— right?”

Ashton asked Claudia beside them to back him up. He heard that Olivia’s gluttony at the victory party shocked everyone present. She even wanted to take the leftovers with her, and it took everything Claudia had to dissuade her.

After that, she said to Ashton with a frail face [I learned what it means to have your cheeks burning from shame], which left a deep impression on Ashton.

“That’s true, I still can’t believe it. How can the Major’s slender body take in so much food? And it didn’t affect her figure at all, I’m so envious.”

Claudia glanced at Olivia with an awkward smile. On closer observation, she kept on rubbing her belly with her left hand.

What she said and her hand movements made Ashton understand something.

“First Lieutenant Claudia, are you bothered because you have gotten fat? It’s fine, you are still thin, and are still as charming even though you have gotten a little more thicc.”

She might not know, but Claudia was very popular in her unit. Her thin brows, high nose bridge and red lips made her a real beauty. She treats commoners and nobles the same without any discrimination, which added more to her popularity.

It wouldn’t matter even if she was a bit fatter. Ashton stated his sincere thoughts, but...

“Ashton Senefelder—”

It was clear that Claudia was in a bad mood when she addressed him by his full name, and she had an icy smile. Ashton finally realized he had misspoken, but it was already too late. Claudia reached her right hand out and pulled Ashton’s ear.

“That hurts! First Lieutenant Claudia! That really hurts! Please stop pulling my ear!”

Ashton cried out in pain, and the ladies passing them by said ”Is that a sister and her kid brother?” “They sure are close.”

Claudia faked a cough, and let go of Ashton’s ear.

“Sigh. You are always saying unnecessary things. I’m a girl too, and will feel hurt if you say that so bluntly. If you keep doing that, then even if you find a girl you like, you will get dumped in no time.”

Ashton’s heart skipped a beat when he heard that. He quickly searched for Olivia, and found her a fair distance behind him, and was looking over with wary eyes.

(Why is she so guarded? —Nevermind, there’s no point in thinking about it. It wasn’t the first time she acted weird. I’m just glad she didn’t hear anything unnecessary.)

Ashton sighed in relief and looked at Claudia again.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

“It doesn’t matter what you mean, just watch your words. Pay extra care when speaking about the appearance of a lady.”

“Yes, I will do so in the future.”

Ashton lowered his head in apology.

“Good.”

Claudia smiled gently and ruffled Ashton’s hair. Their interactions did feel like those of a pair of siblings, and Ashton found that to be incredible.

(Well, if First Lieutenant Claudia is really an elder sister… She will definitely be very strict. She will admonish me if anything happens. If she marries, she would be a strict wife.)

Ashton thought about something rude as he looked up into the sky. He could see birds circling in the air and cawing.

Those birds with a unique caw were “Dark Spring Birds”, and were known in the Kingdom as harbingers of spring. The farmers would start sowing seeds when the Dark Spring Birds caw.

“—It’s already spring.”

“Hmm? —That’s right. The season when the world springs back to life.”

Claudia raised her head melancholically.

“Do you know? You can catch many delicious prey in Spring. For example, giant black lizards, grizzly bears, speckled boars and blood curdling birds. And also—”

Olivia who suddenly appeared beside the two of them made a pose of pulling a bow as she said that. By the way, all the beasts Olivia mentioned were type two danger beasts.

Normal people would run if they encounter them. But retorting was too much of a hassle, so Ashton just agreed with her.

“Olivia, you really love to eat.”

“Ehehe. This is one of my good points!”

Olivia started humming and led the way as she swung her arms.

They walked for about an hour from the Grey Crow Pavilion. After passing by all sorts of fancy manors, they could finally see the Royal Library in the road ahead.

Olivia rushed to the guard room and showed her Knight emblem.

“Hey, can I go in?”

“Why, isn’t this Major Olivia? Of course you can. All the doors in the world are open for Major Olivia.”

The civil officer got up and saluted, then gave the instructions to his subordinate.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry and show Major Olivia the way!”

“Y-Yes Sir!”

“I have been here four times, so you don’t need to guide me?”

The man shook his head when he heard what Olivia said.

“That won’t do. Here, this way please.”

Ashton tilted his head as he looked at the man bowing and ushering them in. He wasn’t here on the first day, but they weren’t shown such hospitality on the latter three days either.

Ashton looked to the side and saw Claudia smiling awkwardly. She seemed to know something.

“What’s going on?”

The surprised Claudia looked at Ashton and said:

“You can be incredibly dense at times. These people must have heard of the Major’s exploits in the Central War Theatre.”

“Oh, I see.”

Olivia mowed through the enemy and saved the Second Army from imminent destruction. The attitude of the civil officers made sense given her achievements. The attitude of the guards were even more obvious as they stood still at attention.

“It might seem really crude, but this is the norm in the military. Even more so during times of war.”

“Indeed, Olivia’s war merit is overwhelming.”

There had been a lot of talks about promotions lately, and Ashton felt that Olivia would definitely be promoted again. However...

“Why are you saying it as if it doesn’t concern you. Maybe you will get your recognition alongside the Major too, Ashton?”

Claudia’s face was serious.

“Me? How is that possible?”

Ashton snickered, and Claudia showed a resigned face.

“What’s with your silly smile? The top brass thinks highly of your work as a strategist. I already told you that you have to be more aware of your achievements.”

“You are doing it again. First Lieutenant Claudia, you are bad at making jokes.”

“……”

“… You are joking, right?”

“Sigh.”

The exasperated Claudia let out a long sigh, then said to Ashton as if she was speaking to a little kid:

“Listen up. After Fort Kiel fell, the Royal Army went on a losing streak. It’s not a stretch to say that the Empire was holding a blade to the Kingdom’s neck. You understand all that?”

“Y-Yes.”

Ashton nodded timidly.

“But after you and the Major appeared, the situation changed for the better. We defeated the Imperial Army from the south and the north, and now, we even dealt a heavy blow to the enemy in the Central War Theatre. The Empire still had the edge over us, but things had improved markedly compared to last year.”

“I know all that, but it’s all thanks to Olivia.”

Ashton felt he deserved some credit, but his achievement was trivial compared to Olivia. He wasn’t shameless enough to think they were on par.

“You deserve recognition too. Others also worked hard, but the two of you are definitely the core. That’s why the brass evaluated you so highly. Not as high as the Major though, obviously.”

When he heard that, Ashton felt his shoulders turn heavy. As if he was shouldering the future of the Kingdom. If his parents heard that, they would probably faint. After all, Ashton was just a student a year and a half ago.

“— Frankly speaking, this topic is too heavy for me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t want to pressure you. But remember, I will be by your side. If there’s any danger, I’m strong enough to protect you.”

Claudia patted the sword on her waist as she said that. Her words were gentle and strong, and Ashton felt ashamed for saying something so weak minded.

She must be uneasy about this war that showed no signs of ending too. But she still said she would protect him. As a man, Ashton felt he couldn’t hang back in fear.

“… I will be in your care from now on. Oh, but please stop scolding me so often.”

“Sigh. I already told you not to say unnecessary things.”

Claudia poked Ashton’s forehead gently, and offered her hand:

“But oh well, I will be in your care too.”

The two of them shook hands tightly. At this moment, a bell-like voice came from the front.

“Ashton and Claudia, what are you doing back there? Let’s go~”

Olivia waved at them with a smile. Ashton and Claudia looked at each other and smiled too.

Ⅲ

When Ashton’s group was ushered into the library, Claris and her colleagues were tidying the bookshelves.

“Oh? Well well well, if it isn’t Ashton Senefelder. I’m glad that Comrade Olivia and Ms Claudia are safe too.”

After saying that, Claris rested her feet on the edge of the ladder and slid down with practiced movements. When she saw that, Olivia rushed excitedly towards the ladder, but Claudia grabbed her collar swiftly.

Claris ignored the reproachful gazes cast her way and pushed up her plain red rimmed glasses with a mischievous smile.

“You look well too, Ms Claris. By the way, why are you smiling like that?”

Ashton became wary.

“I heard all about it. How you all slaughtered the enemy commanders like a demon. Even the Sun Knights led by that Imperial Tri-General were sent running back to Fort Kiel with his tail between his legs.”

“Demon is a little too… Speaking of which, why do you know all these details, Ms Claris? That seems strange to me.”

“Ashton is right, you are suspiciously well informed.”

The surprised Claudia concurred with Ashton. The military would inform the masses of the general situation, but it wouldn’t be that detailed. As Ashton looked at her suspiciously, Claris hugged his arm and whispered into his ear:

“You just got commissioned as an officer, and your tone turned so rude. When have you fallen so low? Major Ashton Senefelder.”

“I’m a Warrant Officer, you know?”

Ashton corrected her, but Claris raised the corners of her lips.

“You will be a Major soon.”

“Another divination of yours? Unfortunately, that’s impossible— and can you let go now?”

Conscious of Olivia’s gaze, Ashton pulled Claris from his arm. Satisfied with her teasing, Claris grunted softly.

“So, why do you know so much, Ms Claris?”

“Who do you think I am? This much information is just a piece of cake for me.”

Claris’ haughty words tugged on Ashton’s memories. Back in the Lion King Academy, she was really well informed. From trivial matters like where the principal kept his winestash, to the operation cost of the academy that normal students wouldn’t know, she knew all this information.

“That’s true, Ms Claris has always been shrouded in mystery.”

“Fufu, mystery is what makes women, women.”

Claris pressed her index finger to her lips with a seductive smile. After bringing Ashton and company to the reading room, she went off somewhere by herself.

A while later, Claris returned with a book and sat down beside Olivia.

“Did you find out the reason?”

Ashton’s passing comment made Olivia overreact. She leaned excitedly over to Claris’ chair.

“Did you figure it out!?”

“C-Comrade Olivia, you are too close. I will feel shy, so please back off a little.”

“Okay!”

It was rare to see Claris flustered, and Olivia agreed obediently. However, she wasn’t doing what she just said, and was leaning in even closer.

Her overexcitement probably led to a mismatch between her words and actions.

“A-Alright. I smell something nice, and that clears my head too. Let’s get on with the topic.”

Claris and the other three all looked towards the black book on the table. The book title was 【The Clan of Darkness】. The author was Angus Rem White, the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Farnesse Kingdom.

(This book title is familiar, I remember seeing it the day before I left the capital…)

Claris saw through what Ashton was thinking and said with a nod:

“That’s right, this is a book Ashton Senefelder found. There wasn’t enough time, so we returned it to the shelf, but I read it some time later. Let’s start with the conclusion, the Valedstorm house is the descendant of the ancient Clan of Darkness. The reason it died out is written inside.”

With that, Claris opened a bookmarked page. Ashton browsed through quickly, and it was true, it mentioned that the Valedstorm was descended from the Clan of Darkness.

“So, what is this Clan of Darkness? Darkness feels ominous though…”

Claudia asked Claris as she flipped through the pages.

“According to the book, they were a minority race that defied the True King. They were trying to usurp the throne with their superior abilities or something.”

“A minority race usurping the throne? That’s a huge leap.”

“As you know, history is written by the winners. Only the subjects themselves knew if the contents were true or not.”

Claris shrugged, and Ashton concurred. He was well read, and came across a lot of information that had to be taken with a pinch of salt.

They had to use their own judgement to determine what was true.

“Let’s assume this is true. Did the Valedstorm house plan on treason like their ancestors?”

Claris shook her head at Claudia’s question.

“No. The Valedstorm house’s loyalty towards the Farnesse royalty was well known. Furthermore, no one knew that the Valedstorm house were the descendents of the Clan of Darkness.”

“What happened then?”

The confused Claudia raised her voice a little. If what she said was true, then there wasn’t any reason that the Valedstorm house would die out.

“Someone snitched on them, saying that the Valedstorm house are descendents of conspirators attempting to usurp the throne. And that they were eyeing the Farnesse Kingdom’s throne again after lying in wait for so long.”

“Wait, didn’t you say that the Valedstorm house is loyal to the throne? Why would they believe such a preposterous thing?”

This time, it was Ashton's turn to ask Claris loudly. But she simply answered:

“It was the 8th century of the Lunar Calendar after all. You understand why, right, Ashton Senefelder?”

(Eighth Century of the Lunar Calendar… I see.)

The eighth century of the Lunar Calendar is also called the dark ages. Everyone was tormented by the hopeless war, and lived under stress and anxiety. If someone snitched about a threat against the throne, the royal family would definitely wipe out the threat swiftly.

If this happened now, there would be a careful investigation. But considering the situation back then, Ashton felt that this was only to be expected. That was what Claris was implying.

“— So, was the Valedstorm house wiped out?”

Olivia who had been quiet all this while spoke. She was looking at Claris with a serious face, which made Claris gasped at the sight of her.

“Comrade Olivia, I’m not sure what happened back then. The book only said that the Valedstorm mansion was surrounded and set on fire. It made no mention of the people inside. But there was something that bothered me.”

Claris deftly flipped through the pages and pointed to a passage.

(Several soldiers witnessed a black mist flying out of the mansion’s window as the building was set ablaze. It still wasn’t clear what that was.)

— Black mist.

Ashton looked at Olivia’s sword, and Claudia did the same. They alternated their gazes between Olivia and the sword.

As for the sword owner Olivia, there was a brilliant light in her eyes as she raised the corners of her lips. There was a little madness in her face, making it hard to approach her.

Claris who didn’t know anything about the sword continued:

“This part is very strange. What is that black mist? This is the only passage that mentioned it in the entire book. By the way, there wasn’t any evidence that proved the Valedstorm house commited treason.”

“So they were framed, huh…”

Claudia muttered.

“From my speculations, the royal family probably felt guilty about this. After all, they punished the loyal Valedstorm house without any evidence.”

“Even if they were the descendents from the Clan of Darkness, that was ages ago, and had nothing to do with the people in the current era.”

“This must be the grounds why the reason that it died out wasn’t stated. Normally, the house name would be purged for situations like this. I think Angus Rem White wrote this book as a form of penance.”

Claris closed the book and sighed heavily.

“Any records on who the snitch were?”

Things turned out this way because of the baseless accusation, so Ashton was curious that Claris didn’t mention that point.

“There’s nothing in the book that touched on that. Either the author didn’t know, or intentionally omit it…”

Silence hung over the place for a moment before Olivia broke it with a clear voice:

“Claris, Claudia and Ashton, thank you for your help. Picking the Valedstorm house was the right choice after all.”

“… What do you mean?”

Claris asked with probing eyes, but Olivia just told her not to mind it, and stretched her back. Ashton wanted to learn more, but since Olivia had no intention to tell them, he couldn’t really ask.

Everyone has their own secrets after all—

After leaving the Royal Library, Ashton and company walked aimlessly in the streets.

“That was unexpectedly quick. What should we do now?”

Ashton turned back and asked, which made Claudia smile wryly.

“Well, we thought we had to stay for a few days.”

Olivia who was walking in front of them suddenly stopped.

“In that case, let’s go eat something nice. It’s already noon.”

The moment Olivia said that, the clock tower tolled. Ashton couldn’t help smiling at this coincidence.

“That’s true… This is a rare chance, let’s visit the street stalls.”

“Shopping the stalls! Yay!”

Olivia was overjoyed.

“First Lieutenant Claudia, is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Claudia nodded too.

“No objections from me either. This is a good chance to eat something from the street vendors.”

A voice suddenly came from behind. They turned and found a handsome youth standing there with a brilliant smile.

Ⅳ

“You are…!?”

Claudia was shocked.

“Do you know each other?”

“… Yes, we met at the last party.”

Claudia kept her eyes locked on the youth the entire time she answered. The youth claimed to be Joshua Richard, a noble from the far ends of the Kingdom.

He had delicate features and silky smooth brown hair. He was an entire head taller than Ashton, gave off an elegant atmosphere, and was popular amongst the ladies.

“This is the first time we met. May I have your name?”

Joshua smiled awkwardly before asking Ashton.

“Oh! Pardon me, I’m Ashton Senefelder.”

Ashton quickly introduced himself, and Joshua seemed surprised to hear that:

“Ho~ you are that genius strategist, huh. I heard about your exploits in the Seventh Army, but the air about you seemed different from the rumors… No, that’s the scary thing about you, huh…”

Joshua nodded. Ashton felt Joshua was flattering too much by calling him a genius strategist, and Claudia suddenly stood in front of Ashton. Looking closely, she was bending her waist a little with her hand on her hilt, ready to strike at any moment.

“First Lieutenant Claudia?”

“Stay behind me and don’t move— What business do you have with us, Sir noble from the borders?”

Joshua shrugged at the wary Claudia:

“Hey now, there’s no need to be so guarded. The serious Lady Claudia Jung is great, but a smile suits a woman better.”

“… I don’t recall ever giving you my name.”

Claudia’s voice deepened a little and there was the sound of sand shuffling under her feet.

“This might sound rude, but I actually sent my aide to investigate and learn about the heir of the famous Jung house, and learn about your beautiful name. I hope you can forgive my impudence.”

Joshua got down on one knee and bowed respectfully. His graceful movements mesmerized all the ladies who were walking by. If Ashton was a girl, he would probably be blushing at this scene.

However, Claudia didn’t care at all. She furrowed her brows and said impatiently:

“Stop with your act and answer my question.”

“Like I said, I just wish to have lunch together with your group. It’s nothing to be wary about…”

Joshua stood up and scratched his head troublingly. Ashton was also puzzled by Claudia’s hostility, since she even had her hand on her hilt. He learned about them meeting at a party, but he never heard about any conflict.

“Still pretending to be retarded, huh. I can tell that you aren’t anyone simple. Besides, why should we—”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s more fun to eat with lots of people.”

Olivia interjected between them, and tapped on Claudia's shoulders to get her to relax.

“But Major, this man…”

“Lady Olivia Valedstorm, thank you for your kind understanding. To return your favor, allow me to foot the expenses for your shopping trip through the stalls.”

Joshua smiled and smoothly answered Olivia. From their meeting until now, Joshua showed no signs of any pride or haughtiness of the nobles, which left a good impression on others. He had a knack for doing this.

“Your treat?”

“Yes.”

“Then I can eat whatever I want?”

Olivia’s eyes were filled with expectation. Ashton couldn’t understand how Olivia linked someone treating her with her eating whatever she wanted. In response to that, Joshua patted his chest and affirmed:

“Of course. Joshua Richard won’t go back on his words.”

“Great!”

From the perspective of a merchant, Joshua’s clothes were top quality and expensive. He was definitely a wealthy noble, and had no need to worry about the expenses spent at street stalls. However, he had no idea how much Olivia could eat.

“Sir Joshua, this might sound strange, but Olivia is a big eater. The type that’s so shocking that would make people faint from surprise.”

Joshua looked at Ashton in surprise when he heard that, and then laugh heartily:

“That would make my treat all the more worthwhile, Ashton.”

Joshua said as he patted Ashton’s back cheerfully. Because of his friendly attitude that wasn’t like a noble at all, Ashton added:

“It will be too late to regret it later. Olivia left the concept of ‘being considerate’ in her mother’s womb.”

“What an interesting expression. In that case, I also left the term ‘monogamy’ in my mother’s womb.”

Joshua stared into the distance for some reason. Ashton was confused by his words, when Olivia tugged his sleeve.

“Alright now, let’s hurry and shop the street stalls.”

Olivia was probably bored of their conversation, and forcefully ended the discussion and ran off. Ashton and Joshua looked at each other with awkward smiles and followed. Claudia tailed behind them, staring at Joshua warily all the while.

Ashton and the others were greeted by the energetic voices at the marketplace. Compared to the morning, the foot traffic had increased several folds. It was lunchtime, and the food stalls were especially loud.

“Yay! Since it’s free, I will eat as much as I want~

Olivia rolled up her sleeves and charged forth. The three of them chased her to an alley, and found a stall that wasn’t open in the morning there. The most prominent of all was the shop selling bundles of cloth.

Compared to other countries, the quality of clothes in the Farnesse Kingdom was exceptionally good. For the Kingdom, the export of cloth was very important. Delicate cloth that couldn’t be found in other nations could be seen everywhere here.

Ashton gave a guided tour for the intrigued Joshua as they walked. Shortly after, they found Olivia who was eating at a stall before them. The signboard said ’Smoked Grey Boar sandwich, the capital’s famous delicacy’.

Ashton had resided in the capital for a long time now, and this was the first time he had heard of that.

“A-Are you the friend of that lady officer?”

Ashton was smiling wryly when the skinny stall owner asked them. Claudia affirmed that, and the owner seemed relieved.

“That’s great. She said someone will come and pay later, and started gorging herself. She’s a soldier, so I didn’t dare to say anything…”

The owner glanced at Olivia who was eating heartily with a troubled face.

“… Hey.”

“Oh! The food there looks nice.”

“Hey! Wait—”

Olivia dodged Ashton’s hand and fled like a rabbit. She disappeared in the crowd without giving them any chance to catch up.

“That girl!”

“Hahaha. Lady Olivia sure is energetic— Boss, I will pay her tab. How much is it?”

Joshua smiled happily and reached into his pocket.

“Okay, thank you very much! That will be… Ten silver coins!”

“—Hah? Ten silver coins?”

“Yes, ten silver coins!”

The owner said with a bright smile and reached his right hand out. Joshua looked at his hand and turned to Ashton. Ashton understood what he meant and asked on his behalf:

“Just how much did she eat?”

“She ate everything that I had, so I will be closing shop for the day.”

The stall owner was all smiles. There really was nothing left in his stall, save some crumbs. Claudia smiled deviously at Joshua’s stiff face.

Half an hour later—

After finally catching Olivia, Ashton’s group sat down in a bigger restaurant. Since Joshua was footing the bill, the table was filled with dishes. Olivia kept ordering as she ate, so the food showed no signs of finishing.

Joshua didn’t eat anything at all, and just stared into the void.

“—Well, I’m still in my growth spurt, so I have to eat more.”

Even Olivia felt she was going too far, and started making excuses.

“Don’t use your growth spurt as an excuse. Besides, what if you get even bigger?”

“Bigger where?”

Olivia asked with a spoon in hand.

“Where, you ask…”

Ashton couldn’t help looking at Olivia’s breasts. He suddenly felt an oppressive air from the side. He turned his head, and saw Claudia forcing a smile.

“I’m about the same size as the Major, so mine is big too, right?”

“Y-You are right.”

Ashton didn’t care that she didn’t state the subject, and kept nodding his head. Sweat rolled down his neck, and he found it hard to breath. At this moment, Joshua suddenly returned to his senses and asked:

“Lady Olivia, what are your plans after you have finished eating?”

“Hmm? We don’t have any plans.”

“That’s great, then can I ask for a sparring session?”

“Sparring? —That’s fine. You treated me to lunch, so I will hold back from killing you.”

“I’m very grateful for that— And Lady Claudia, I think it will spoil the mood if you draw your sword here.”

Joshua said as he took a sip of tea. Claudia’s sword was already halfway out, and Ashton was confounded by how things escalated so quickly.

“First Lieutenant Claudia, calm down! And Sir Joshua, why are you suddenly challenging Olivia to a spar? Please explain so I can understand.”

“Shut up Ashton! —So you have finally shown your true colors. You are an Imperial spy, correct?”

Claudia cast a murderous gaze towards Joshua.

(Sir Joshua is an Imperial agent? I’m getting more confused.)

As if to mock the befuddled Ashton, the situation escalated further.

“Sorry to betray your expectations, but I have nothing to do with the Empire. Or rather, the Empire is our common enemy. Besides, would a spy dine with you so openly?”

Joshua had a point, and Claudia scowled her face. Meanwhile, Olivia was unconcerned and continued eating.

“Lady Claudia, you can tell, correct? Even if I go all out, I still am no match for Lady Olivia.”

Joshua was serious. Ashton heard from Guile that the strong could tell the strength of their opponents just from their movements.

Claudia had a murderous aura as she showed an unhappy face.

“Why don’t we give it a try?”

Claudia pulled out her sword further. Seeing the tense air between the two of them, the boss quickly prepared to close the shop. The other patrons who noticed the murderous air all pretended to be ignorant.

“—Phew. This dish tastes really good.”

Olivia’s innocent voice soothed the tension. She stretched her back and then patted Claudia’s shoulder.

“I will be right back.”

“Major…”

Claudia wanted to follow, but was stopped.

“You don’t have to follow. You too, Ashton. Shall we go?”

“… Alright.”

Joshua and Olivia left together. Ashton looked at them leave with a blank expression, and said to Claudia who was sheathing his sword:

“Should we follow?”

“Never mind. Didn’t the Major tell us not to?”

Claudia’s face was bitter when she said that. She really wanted to follow them. It was the same for Ashton, but with Olivia’s beast-like instinct, she would notice right away if they followed.

“So, who exactly is he? From the conversation, he doesn’t seem to be the enemy…”

Ashton’s question remained unanswered.

Claudia just watched the two of them leave in silence.

Ⅴ

Johann who was walking before Olivia stopped in the plains a short distance from the capital. It was a plain, but they were surrounded by trees and boulders. Johann turned and said to Olivia with a hum:

“We can be as loud as we want here. Like I said before, I’m very grateful that you agreed to my sudden request.”

“It’s fine. Like I said, I’m returning the favor for your lunch. And you can do away with the honorifics, it’s a pain for me.”

Olivia said with a shrug.

“… Thank you very much. I’m not used to it either, since I only use it for specific people. And like I mentioned at the dining table, I’m not an Imperial soldier, although Claudia suspects me of being one.”

“Not me though. You are probably from the Holy Nation of Mekia, right?”

Olivia said matter of factly. Johann was surprised that she pointed out his origins so suddenly, but still kept a straight face.

“Why do you know I’m from the Holy Nation of Mekia?”

“I can smell it.”

“Smell?”

Johann sniffed at himself, and only smelled cologne.

“Before joining the Royal Army, I journeyed with someone from the Holy Nation of Mekia for a while. Your scent is similar to that person.”

This was hard to believe, but if she really discerned the truth just from his scent, then her nose was as keen as a beast.

“You are really incredible in all sorts of ways.”

“Really? Enough about that, let’s hurry. Claudia and Ashton are still waiting, and I still have stalls I want to visit.”

“You still want to eat?”

Johann was dumbstruck. Olivia puffed out her chest proudly and answered:

“Because I’m still in my growth spurt!”

“Sigh. You did mention that before. You really are an incredible person.”

Johann said as he drew his sword. Olivia drew her sword in response. A moment later, a dark mist covered her black sword.

“I see… so that’s the rumored sword. That really is ominous, and really suits a Death God such as yourself.”

“Ehehe. Isn’t that right? Even if you stare at it, I won’t give it to you. It’s very important to me.”

Olivia hugged the dark sword lovingly in her arms as she said that.

“I’m not interested in robbing the treasures of other people. I also know that you are very strong, so my apologies for not holding back.”

“It’s fine, I will hold back.”

With that as a signal, Johann charged forth. At the same time, Olivia pointed her blade downwards without taking any stances.

(She’s confident of countering any attacks, huh… Then I won’t hold back.)

Johann attacked from a very low angle, thrusting out his thin blade as fast as he could. Olivia turned to dodge, and used the momentum to slash at him. Johann leaned back to evade, and advanced with a flurry of thrust attacks. This was to disrupt Olivia before she could make any moves, however—

(A nightmarish sword technique, huh. Zephyr’s description was right on point. I didn’t expect the gulf to be so great. Compared to her, my technique is like a child's play.)

Olivia’s unpredictable movements made Johann’s breathing ragged. He had not been pushed this far in recent times. It took everything he had just to defend, and counter attacking would be impossible. And this was after he enhanced his physical abilities with Sorcery.

On the other hand, Olivia seemed to be having it easy. Despite her intense actions, she didn’t even break a sweat. She was even smiling.

It was just as she said, she was holding back.

(She’s really dangerous. In that case, I will crush your dominant hand. Don’t bear a grudge.)

Johann backdashed to create space and snapped with his left hand. When a tinder appeared on Olivia’s right arm, something unbelievable happened.

Olivia moved her arm almost instantly to prevent it from being engulfed by flames.

“What!?”

When Johann landed on his feet, he snapped his fingers repeatedly. But Olivia dodged the fire with dance-like movements. No one had ever evaded this move of his. Johann felt terror for the first time in his life.

“Hey, is that—”

Johann ignored Olivia’s questions and channeled more mana into the Flaming Light Sorcery Circle. When the scorching light glowed brightly, Johann swung his left hand hard. A circle of fire rose from the ground and surrounded Olivia.

“Hmm~”

Olivia showed no fear as she looked at the ring of fire intriguely.

(You are a bigger threat than I imagined. I don’t think I will have a chance like this again, so even if I get admonished for doing this, I will have to kill you here. We are not enemies, but for the glorious future of the Holy Nation of Mekia, I have to do this.)

Shutting out Olivia’s smile from his mind, Johann clenched his left hand into a fist tightly. The sorching ring of fire tightened, devouring Olivia’s body viciously—

(It’s over…)

Johann turned his back to the blazing flame and walked away. Once they learn of Olivia’s death, the Empire would mount a comeback. Even so, he felt this was the right choice. However, he did defy Sofitia’s orders.

As he was racking his brain on how to explain himself...

“—Hey. This is Sorcery, right?”

A voice that shouldn’t be heard came from behind. Johann quickly turned around and saw Olivia covered in a rainbow light walking out of the blazing flames unscathed.

“Are you a Sorcerer too!?”

“Ehh? I’m not a Sorcerer.”

“Then what’s that light around you!?”

Johann pointed at Olivia agitatedly. That rainbow light must be the thing that negated the Flaming Wheel of the Flowery Wind, or she would already be turned into ashes. Olivia looked at her body and answered nonchalantly:

“This isn’t Sorcery, it’s Magic.”

“Magic!? What’s Magic!”

The scene before Johann looks like some sort of Sorcery to him. But Olivia said it wasn’t Sorcery, but Magic. Johann had never heard of Magic. The “Woman’s instinct” mentioned by Sofitia flashed across his mind.

“You don’t know what Magic is?”

“Hell if I know!!”

“Then I will give you a simple demonstration. You treated me to lunch after all.”

With that, the rainbow light around Olivia vanished. Not sure what she was up to, Johann gulped. Olivia suddenly raised her index finger.

(… Hmm? What’s that sound?)

Johann could hear the air buzzing a little. At the same time, countless light particles congregate at Olivia’s fingertips. It slowly grew into a fist-sized ball of light.

“Here I go.”

Olivia flicked gently, and the light ball brushed past Johann’s cheek with incredible speed. He then felt an impact and heat wave from behind him. Johann shielded his face with his arm as he turned, and saw that a boulder had been blown into bits.

“That’s Magic.”

Johann was dumbstruck, while Olivia sounded easygoing.

“R-Ridiculous! If you conjure that much power, the mana in your body will run dry! That means death for Sorcerers. Don’t you understand!?”

Johann shouted, but immediately realized the contradiction. Even Lara who possessed enormous mana would put her own life in danger after expending enough mana to destroy a boulder.

But Olivia wasn’t fazed at all.

“Like I said, I’m not a Sorcerer. But it’s the same for me, I will die too if I exhaust my mana. That’s why we should draw in the ether from the air and minimize the mana expended through our own body, right?”

“Minimize the expenditure of mana? And what’s ether!?”

“You sure have a lot of questions. Do you see these blue and white particles? These are ether.”

“You… You are saying these are ether!? I have never heard about that! The mana from the body is everything to a Sorcerer!”

Johann got even more agitated, and Olivia nodded sagely.

“Speaking of which, Z did say that there are a lot of people using this counterfeit.”

“Y-You are calling Sorcery a counterfeit!?”

Johann’s legs started trembling, as if his existence was being denied.

“Well, you all don’t know about ether after all. And that thing branded on the back of your left hand? You are probably using that as a medium to use Sorcery, right? You will be done for if your arm gets chopped off.”

Olivia laughed out loud. But Johann couldn’t laugh. What she said was true, which raised Olivia’s threat by several levels. After all, Magic was fundamentally different from Sorcery that depended on the user’s own mana.

He imagined what would happen if she could attack consecutively with that light ball, and shivered at that thought. This overwhelming power could take on a country. That was the reason why Johann didn’t understand.

“… If you had such prowess, then why didn’t you use it more? Wouldn’t it be much easier to deal with the Imperial Army if you used that power?”

“Because Z told me not to use Magic against humans unless I’m in mortal danger.”

“Z… You mentioned that name before too. Is that person the one who taught Olivia Magic?”

“That’s right. Not just Magic, but swordsmanship too. I was taught many other things. Z is incredible and knows everything.”

Olivia answered proudly. It was clear from her tone that she respected Z deeply.

“Seems like you have a good teacher.”

“Hmm~ Z isn’t really a teacher… That aside, you want another go? I’m game for it.”

“N-No need. Like what I told Claudia earlier, I’m no match for you even if I go all out— Owl, don’t act rashly either!”

Johann shouted at the Owl lying in ambush in the area. Zephyr who showed himself from behind the boulder nodded quickly with a pale face.

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