《Shinigami ni Sodaterareta Shoujo wa Shikkoku no Ken wo Mune ni Idaku》 CH 1 ¡°Grandma, please read this book today!¡± A young boy pulled a book off the shelf and presented it to his grandmother, Camilla, who was kitting on her chair. ¡°This book again? Mikhail really likes this story, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Camilla stopped her knitting and took the book from Mikhail¡¯s little hands. It was his favorite picture book, and they¡¯d read it countless times together already. The book¡¯s cover was cracked, and the long faded hand-drawn cover was testified to that, but Camilla still remembered the content vividly. It was about a black sword embedded upon the top of a hill, and someone from a faraway land that came to draw it ¨C The Tales of Hero Diuve De Ricca. That was the title of the book. ¡°Un, I love it! Because in the picture-book, he¡¯s the strongest hero that ever lived!¡± While he said so, Mikhail moved his small limbs around excitedly; apparently in an attempt to imitate the hero. Seeing his cute behavior, Camila naturally smiled. No matter the era, boys always looked up to heroes. ¡°Come, Mikhail. Quick, come here.¡± Mikhail happily came when she gestured for him to sit on her lap and he did. His face looked up while he feet fluttered excitedly. His grandmother gently stroked his platinum hair and opened the book to the first page. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a girl raised by the grim reaper -¡± This was a story of the girl who would later become known as the ¡°Jet Black Hero¡±. Like most stories, it had a trivial beginning. [E/N: May change the name to something better.] Deep inside a remote forest, hundreds of trees grew tall as if they wanted to pierce the sky itself. Its under canopy was dark as night even during the day. As if to make the forest more mysterious, a dense fog always enveloped it. Since the age of ole¡¯, the area had always been feared deeply by the people. No matter how amazing one¡¯s sense of direction, they would always become lost, and that was a death sentence within this forest. Like its namesake, it was impossible to leave the forest Rumors always told of people entering the forest but never told of their return. Nowadays, no one dared to approach the forest. Nestled quietly in the middle of the forest, was a tower made of glossy black stones. Covered in moss and vegetation, it gave off an air of solemness. Around the tower were six black stone pillars, intricate engravings covered their surfaces, but three had already partially collapsed. From the way it had weathered and what grew over it, it had collapsed long ago. Several cracks ran through the remaining pillars, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange if another were to fall apart soon. Since ancient times, this was believed to a temple that led to the underworld. Nearby this long forsaken entrance, somehow, an infant wrapped in a blood-soaked cloth slept. A bloodied man leaned against one of the nearby pillars, a broken sword still in his grasp. The forest teemed with wild beasts, and the sweet scent of a human baby, along with the fresh scent of blood, promised a bountiful meal to any of them. Surely, a beast would eventually pass and eat them, but in reality; not even the caw of a bird could be heard, little lone a single beast. It was as if the entire area around the tower was in a state of slumber, silent and tranquil. But also eerie. ¡°No wonder I felt something was amiss¡­ There are humans here. Yet another soul here in search of the temple? This one is not but an infant, and the other is already dead. May heaven accept his soul.¡± A shadow peeked at the baby, then to the corpse as it muttered to itself. ¡°This baby¡­ What awaits your frail soul here is nothing but death¡­ Why bother to resist now?¡± Two shadows appeared, almost as if they had been there all along, one swayed eerily as it swung its scythe down ¨C aiming for the baby¡¯s heart¡­ But the other shadow interrupted its move with a gesture. Not only did it stop it before it struck, but also shattered the scythe. ¡°¡­ Why do you interfere? Do not tell me you¡¯ve taken pity upon this child?¡± ¡°Nom, I did not. I just want¡­ To observe a little longer. ¡°You¡¯ve always been like that. Always interested in the strangest things¡­ Very well, do as you wish.¡± With that said, the two shadows disappeared as if they had melted into the ground. The original shadow remained and approached the infant. It held the baby gently with slightly shaking arms. As if on cue, the infant opened her eyes to reveal jet black eyes. In those eyes, reflecting the shadow. So looked for a while at it ¨C Then smiled. ¡°Fumu. This would make an interesting subject of observation.¡± An amber necklace hung around the baby¡¯s neck. The shadow¡¯s stare alternated between the gem and the baby before it nodded. ¡ºFumu. This would make an interesting observation.¡» CH 2 Ten years had passed since the day that figure had picked the child up, and she grew up within the black tower, along with shadowy figure she came to call ¡°Zet¡±. They lived beside each other, but that didn¡¯t mean they ate together, played together, or slept with each other. Never. Except for when Zet would observe her did it rarely stay beside her. Today, was one of those days. On the training ground built outside the temple, both Zet and the girl exchanged blows with weapons in hand. The girl wielded a pure white sword, Zet carried a large jet-black scythe. When the scythe lightly grazed the girl, only gods knew how many times that had happened already, she retreated to create distance between them. She wiped the sweat that had built up on her forehead with a sleeve as she tried to get her breath in order. It had been thirty minutes since the observation had begun, and she knew she had reached her limit. Zet rested the scythe on its shoulder as it spoke with a mellowed voice. ¡°What is wrong? Exhausted already?¡± Zet did not mean to demean her, it never did. Zet stated the simple truth after observing her condition. Even so, with a deep breath, she kicked off the ground. The girl got Zet within range of her sword and twisted her body to attack at its flank, but the sword did not reach. Its black scythe swooped downward to redirect her sword, and white sword only ended up pierced into the ground. ¡°Fumu. Well executed [Swift Feet Technique], but the direction was too linear.¡± Zet whispered as if it was only for himself, then it swung the scythe tremendously fast. The girl pulled the sword back and used it as a shield. The blow was so powerful that it caused wind storm-like pressure. She couldn¡¯t withstand it as she was knocked into the air. ¡°Guh!¡± Attacked by a sense of numbness, she was dizzy for a while, but somehow, she bit her own tongue. She regained her clarity and landed back on the ground with her feet. She wiped away the blood that leaked from her mouth. She regulated her breathing and noticed her arms convulsed horribly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Not yet¡­ I¡¯m not done yet.¡± The girl suppressed the shaking in her hands by force and tightened her grip on the sword. She swung the blade and had set up an [arc]; A sword domain so to speak, allowing her to intercept any attack from any direction, even from a blind spot. It was once of the sword techniques Zet had taught her. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Zet asked as it swung the scythe as if it was as weightless as a twig. The girl tightened her grip. [E/N: Author said she didn¡¯t reply, but replies afterward, so I removed the conflicting part.] ¡°I am ready.¡± The moment Zet heard her answer, it felt discomfort on its back. It jumped to the side, narrowly dodging a downward swing by a paper-thin margin. The girl had sneaked behind it and raised her sword for another attack, but stopped. She had to stop. What she attacked had merely been Zet¡¯s afterimage, and its blade was now dangerously close to her neck. A cold sweat ran down her forehead. ¡°Your footwork still needs some polishing. Shall we end it here today?¡± With that said, Zet disappeared ¨C melting into the ground. As soon as it left, the pressure surrounding the temple shattered, and serenity returned. ¡°Thank you for today.¡± Once her strength had returned, she thanked the ground where Zet had melted into. The girl¡¯s daily routine was a fixed schedule. Zet taught her many things, which ranged from the continents recent situation, language, war tactics, magic, swordsmanship, and martial arts. Once when they were in the forest, Zet had taught her how to hunt and cook. What it referred to as an ¡°Observation¡± was more of educating and training for the girl. One day, during an observation. Zet told the girl that she was human. It explained to her, in its usually hard to understand speech, but it didn¡¯t mean to confuse her. Then what about Zet? Why did Zet look so different from her, the girl asked. ¡°What am I? Indeed¡­ I am different from the humans of this world. I am what they call, ¡®Grim Reaper¡¯.¡± Once she heard the unexpected reply, the girl¡¯s eyes gleamed. One of the books Zet had brought had described what a ¡°Grim Reaper¡± was. According to the book, a grim reaper was described as a terrible entity that reaped the souls of humans indiscriminately ¨C The death of all living beings. That was written at the end of the book. When the girl asked Zet if it was here to reap her soul. ¡°That is a false assumption. We never directly reap the souls of living beings, only those who are about to die. After a human dies, it¡¯ll be too late for us to reap their soul.¡± It said. To be exact, the ¡°grim reaper¡± in the book was depicted to wear a ragged cloak, but Zet, right now, looked like a shadow that flickered and burned. If she had to choose which one to believe, she¡¯d chose Zet, and so, the girl deemed the book as fraudulent. The girl aked after a session of sword training; the swordsmanship and martial arts she¡¯d been learning ¨C the art to kill other humans -, what was it useful for? Humans would kill their brethren to eat, as they were war-like and cruel creatures. There was only one human in the temple. With no other human to kill, she felt that it was unnecessary to learn it. ¡°You¡¯ll understand in due time.¡± Zet merely responded after a short silence. Naturally, as a shadow, Zet had no expression. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t really understand the meaning of those words. However, she could have sworn Zet had grinned. No matter how many seasons passed, the girl continued her strange life with Zet¡­ It had been fifteen years since Zet first met the girl. There was no change at all in her dailey life. Their sessions of observation were repeated daily without pause. If she had to say, the content of the training and education had become more advanced. Other than that, she was also given a name to avoid any inconvenience in the future. The girl had also undergone major changes during the years. Zet¡¯s tutelage developed her body to be as strong as a wild beast, but that didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t look like a regular fifteen-year-old girl; evident from her sinewy limb and still growing plump breasts. Combined with her doll-like features, anyone who passed her would turn around to get another glimpse. She had turned into a beautiful young woman. The girl woke up as the sun rose as usual and rose from her bed. She let out a long yawn as she stretched her back. The sounds of her a few bones cracking made her even more comfortable. She took a towel that hung on the wall and put it around her neck. She left the bedroom and walked along the corridor that led down toward the courtyard. She loved the serene atmosphere that came with sunrise. It could be said that she always woke early just to enjoy this moment. She eventually arrived in the courtyard, her first destination. The sunlight shone through the gaps between the lush green leaves, and she squinted her eyes a bit, then began to draw some water from the well with a bucket. With the collected water, she washed her face and rinsed out her mouth. A comfortable smile came when the water-filled her empty stomach. ¡°Delisious~¡± Alone by herself, the girl made her way to the kitchen for breakfast. There, a simple stove made of bricks and a small table. The girl worked with familiarity and concentrated magic to the tip of her right index finger. She drew the magic from her body, combined a small amount with the elements in the air. As soon as it was successful, blue particles gathered on the tip. When the light became condensed, a small fireball the size of a bean had been formed. ¡°Success.¡± Satisfied with the result, the girl shoved the fire into the stove. White-hot flames burned on and she used the poker that leaned against a nearby wall to adjust the heat. At first, she didn¡¯t know how to properly control the output of her fireball. That caused the stove to explode a few times, but every single time, the stove would be restored the next day as if it never happened. She chalked this strange event as the work of a [Mischievous Fairy Comet] that was described in the book concerning mysterious phenomenons. The book told the story of a mischievous fairy named Comet who liked to exchange things to prank on people, and enjoyed watching the result in secret. Once, the girl wanted to see the truth of the matter. So she hid in the corner of the room all night long, but Comet never appeared; no matter how long she waited. She ended up leaving her hideout for observation time and when she returned a while later, the stove had already been restored. The girl hadn¡¯t given up yet. She ended up spending several days staked out for the fairy, but Comet never came, leaving her wish unfulfilled. After a while, she was utterly disappointed once she found out that the stove had been repaired by Zet through magic. She shook her head after she recalled that bitter memory, and wiped her forehead with the towel. She then put a pot containing yesterday¡¯s soup on the stove and waited for it to warm up. A short wait later, sizzling could be heard from the pot. Followed by the drift of an appetizing scent. ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± She finished her meal alone and quickly cleaned up the mess before she headed to the education room. There several rooms within the temple beside the one she used for her bedroom, but all of them were in a dire state. It was only natural since no one managed the place. The same applied to the education room. When she pushed the door open with the familiar magic diagram on it, the door actually fell apart. Apparently, it had been rotten for years now. The girl was not particularly concerned with that. She proceeded to the center of the room and sat at the only desk and chair inside. Usually, Zet would appear from the void soon afterward, all he needed to do was wait for it. Doubt never crossed the girl¡¯s mind. Zet never appeared even after waiting for half a day. A strange feeling overcame her and she approached the podium that Zet regularly used. Along with a jet-black sword she had never seen, there was also a letter and a scarlet-colored jewel on the podium. The girl looked at the letter. It was addressed to her. She read and reread it many times, and then she took both the jewel and the sword before she rushed out of the temple. ¡°Zeeet!¡± She surprised herself, but she called out Zet¡¯s name as loud as possible. Zet never responded to her calls before, but she could still hope. Her voice only echoed throughout the forest. Still she continued to call out for the shadow until she lost her voice¡­ but Zet never came. ¡°Zet¡­ Zet¡­ Zet¡­¡± A warm substance overflowed from her eyes as she repeated its name. As her vision blurred, she unconsciously rubbed away the substance as it rolled gently down her cheeks. She immediately realized that it was ¡°tears¡± that humans shedded when they felt sad, but she still didn¡¯t understand why her chest felt painfully tight. A pain different from the one she suffered from during training. It was not described in any books of the books she had read. How long had passed? She wiped away the tears with her sleeve, and she noticed something. The handle of the sword in her hand felt similar to something. It looked different, but it almost definitely felt like Zet¡¯s scythe¡­ She embraced the sword. Her eyes were strangely calm¡­ On that very same day, the girl left the temple¡­ And never returned. CH 3 ? Lunar Calendar, year 995 ? The era of peace that had lasted for nearly 40 years had come to an end, and the Duvedirica Continent was yet again ravaged by war. Started by a great country to the north, when Emperor Ramazan XIII of the Urthbelt Empire declared he would unify the entire continent. Afterward, the Empire attacked the Farnesse Kingdom, sending their large army to attack the nation on their eastern border. Initially, the war had only been between those two great powers, The Urthbelt Empire and the Farnesse Kingdom; but the fire of war soon spread to its neighboring countries. Then, eventually, the entire continent¡­ ? Lunar Calendar, year 997 ? Whilst the countries around the continent became desperate because of the ongoing war, the battle between the two great nations reached a turning point. On the central front, the Empire fulfilled their wishes, that was to land a heavy blow to the Kingdom. The impregnable Kiel Fortress had been captured by the empire. From there, the Empire used the fortress as a bridge to conquer, and annex, the smaller countries; by all means. The Sutherland City State, on the southern end of the continent, had declared absolute neutrality in the war. They were, however, in league with the Empire. They had deliberately halted the food exports to the Kingdom under the guise of a bad harvest. This lead to numerous of the Kingdom¡¯s citizens to starve to death, in several of their regions. This eventually lead to further civil unrest within. The Kingdom, which had relied heavily on the exports from the City State because of its low food production rate, crumbled from their hidden treachery. In addition, the knowledge that the soldiers took most of the food further birthed unrest, and became a major factor in the riots by the Commoners. The Kingdom fell into a vicious cycle; using their soldiers to stop a riot ¨C only then to be the spark of another. With the enemies within, and out, of their borders, the Kingdom quickly began to crumble. ? Lunar Calendar, year 998 ? The Kingdom¡¯s forces were forced to retreat from one town to another. They had no power to fight back but had only managed to maintain enough to keep their defense. As for the Empire, their battle line began to form a circle around the remaining Kingdom¡¯s held territory. It was then that Kingdom Alfonso Sem Garmund of the Farnesse Kingdom made a difficult decision. It was to dispatch the elites of the First Army, which defended the last fortress that protected their Capital, to recapture Kiel Fortress¡­ On the Est Mountain across from the capital Fiss, located south of the Kingdom, was Galia Fortress. The newly established line of defense of the Kingdom. It was the most important base since it was connected to the capital by a short road. Further to the southwest, and southeast of Kiel Fortress, was Fort Kaspar. A Fort that no longer belonged to the Kingdom. The villages and towns around the fort were now under the Empire¡¯s rule, and soldiers were stationed along its main road. Vigilant for spies. Due to Galia¡¯s nearby presence, the Empire had to be wary of any enemy movements. During this, at an outpost, Captain Samuel ¨C in charge of monitoring Canary street ¨C saw a girl headed towards the Kingdom¡¯s capital. She appeared to be either fifteen or sixteen, with a beautiful and delicate doll-like face. Judging from the short red tunic, she must¡¯ve come from a nearby village. With each smooth-foot motion, a thread of silver long hair swayed gently along. ¡°Ho, well well¡­¡± He thought as he clicked his tongue when he saw what hung from her waist. A finely made scabbard, unfit to be owned by a mere village girl, dangled from her waist. It was decorated with silver and gold threads. No matter how he looked, it must have been something that belonged to a wealthy noble, probably custom made by one of those brave heroes they told in the history books. Even if the scabbard was sold alone, it would net a lot of money. It was definitely not something fit for a regular village girl. ¡°If the scabbard is that good, then the sword inside must be amazing.¡± He imagined the sword in his mind, and Samuel couldn¡¯t help but smirk. For a moment, he suspected that she may have been a bandit instead of a village girl, but the thought that crossed his mind was immediately thrown away. It was a well-known fact that this area was controlled by the Empire. With Imperial soldiers regularly patrolling the area, there was no way a lone bandit would carelessly appear in broad daylight. Samuel tapped the shoulder of the young soldier beside him, Cliff; then pointed to the passing girl. ¡°Rejoice, Cliff. Here is your first mission, do check up on that girl.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± Cliff responded as he saluted, then proceeded to control the girl in an intimidating manner. ¡°You! The woman over there, halt!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡± ¡°¡­¡± Disregarding Cliff, the girl never stopped. It was clear that she should have heard him, but her expression was more of that of puzzlement. ¡°Cliff, try to address the woman ore politely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t address people roughly, otherwise, they might get scared and run away.¡± The other soldiers came when they saw Cliff ignored. Being scared of that my arse! Cliff approached the girl angrily and grabbed her by the shoulder from behind. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? I said halt!¡± ¡°Ee? You were talking to me?¡± The girl pointed to herself with wide-eyes. She didn¡¯t seem to be pretending. Apparently, she truly just was unaware, but Cliff thought differently as he stepped closer to the girl. ¡°Are you a fool? Other than you, is there any other woman around here?¡± ¡°Ee. You can tell the difference between a man and a woman? I can as well¡± The girl then pointed to a female officer among the surveillance team. The person in question was surprised, a look on her face that said ¡°What, me?¡±. People woul¡¯ve thought she was only messing around, and Cliff¡¯s face turned red with anger. ¡°Bitch, how dare you make fun of Imperial Soldiers! Do you have a death wish? This area is under the Empire¡¯s Control! No Kingdom¡¯s weakling soldiers here to help you!¡± ¡°Ah, so you are Imperial Soldier-san. Each of you are wearing such similar-looking armor, it¡¯s hard to differentiate. I wish I had a book that tells me more about armors.¡± The girl spoke with a serious expression. She showed no sign that she was scared of Cliff, her inky black eyes never fluctuated, and her speech flowed smoothly. ¡°Kukuku. How interesting. A woman with a strong heart.¡± Samuel signaled Cliff to stop when the latter was about to draw his sword, but Cliff couldn¡¯t just let go so easily, unaware of these bad feelings that flowed threw his body. ¡°Please don¡¯t stop me, Captain! She¡¯s clearly insulting us. Please give me permission to execute her right here!¡± ¡°Come on now, cut that out. My men must never kill any civilians, especially women. That¡¯s the rule I¡¯m most proud of. Remember that.¡± ¡°Though, I¡¯m committed countless crimes against women though.¡± Samuel was reminded of the girls from the village he was in charge of. They were boring girls. ¡°Pardon us for trying to stop you all of a sudden. Well, we were just wondering why you are going to the city while carrying such a fine sword. Anyways, wild beasts may attack out of nowhere¡­ It can be very dangerous if you¡¯re traveling alone. Shall I escort you?¡± The nearby soldiers vulgarly laughed when they heard his pretty speech. One of the soldiers even pretended to be a wild beast and rose his hands shaped like claws as he mimicked a beast¡¯s roar. It invited more laughter. They did not notice that the girl remained unfazed. ¡°Oh, is that so? But I don¡¯t need any escorts though. I¡¯m on my way to the Kingdom to apply to become a soldier. So please stop bothering me, will you?¡± They couldn¡¯t process what she said for a short while. Cliff was stunned, and the others were amazed. They began to think that they were dealing with an absolute idiot. ¡°This is tiring.¡± The girl muttered as she resumed her journey toward the Kindom. ¡°Biiiiiittttcchhhh!¡± Cliff finally drew his sword out of anger. At the same time, his hand that held it went flying high into the air. Sometime during the year 998 of the Lunar calendar ¨C The sky was blue over Canary street. CH 4 ¡± ¡± ¡± Ee? ¡± ¡± ¡± All the soldiers watching muttered in disbelief, their gazes slowly falling back to Cliff. The person in question, Cliff, had noticed something strange had happened. That was when he noticed his hand rolling on the ground, and his face distorted with pain. ¡°Hi-! Higyaaaaa¡ª!¡± Blood spurted from the stump where cliff¡¯s hand had been. His screams echoed throughout the entire street. Samuel looked to the girl and found she now wielded a jet-black sword. Blood dripped from the tip of it, and everyone knew what had happened then. ¡°It huuuurrrrtts! It HUUuuuurrrrtsss!¡± Cliff wailed, tears and snot wetting his face. He tried to run from the girl as he tried to stave off the bleeding with his remaining hand. The girl started to hum a melody as she held the sword up horizontally, then threw it with ease. The blade pierced Cliff¡¯s armor as if it had been an arrow released from a bow. Its black, and bloodied, top protruded out his chest, and a black fog began to raise up from it. ¡°Kaha! ¡­ Akh¡­¡± Cliff¡¯s body convulsed several times before finally, he collapsed onto the ground like a broken doll. An eerie silence fell upon Canary street, only broken by the delicate girl¡¯s humming. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to disturb me. Really, humans are such war-like creatures or did I not communicate my intentions properly? Human language is really complicated after all¡­¡± The words the girl spoke seemed like nonsense to the others. She pulled the sword from Cliff¡¯s dead body as she stepped on his head. Then, after she shook the blood from it, turned to the soldier who held a spear. ¡°Uh, a, Ah!¡± The soldier in question screamed in panic. The other soldiers drew their weapons and came at her frantically. On the other hand, the girl did not panic and dodged each of their attacks without effort. Her skirt dancing along with each move. It was as if she was conducting a dance with the utmost grace. Samuel clicked his tongue, he was aware that even the most skilled elite warrior could not execute such exquisite moves. The possibility that his men could even injure the girl in combat was¡­ Zero. He raised his alertness to the fullest. He didn¡¯t know who this girl was, but he was damn sure that she wasn¡¯t a mere village girl. ¡°U-n, is it my turn now?¡± When the soldiers finally slowed due to their exhaustion, the girl went onto the offensive. She cut off heads, crushed faces, cut off limbs, or ran them threw their heart with her sword. With each move, a scream broke out followed by blood and gore. It was a true, onesided, slaughter. The area quickly became a sea of blood and corpses. The heavy scent of blood came with the wind before it hit Samuel¡¯s nose. The few soldiers who hadn¡¯t jumped into the battle began to drop their weapons, one after another. One step at a time, they began to retreat. Too afraid to fight the girl. Their eyes were clouded with fear, and they thought they could see a grim reaper before them. No longer sensing any will to fight from the remaining soldiers, the girl, whose body was dyed head to toe in blood, gave a warm smile to the remaining soldiers. ¡°Hi-hiiiiiiiiiii! A monster! A monster appeared!¡± ¡°A-Are you kidding me?! Will this be when I die?!¡± ¡°Mo-Mommy! He, heeeelp mee!¡± Soldiers began to run away as they cried out in fear. Some of them became weak-legged and just began to crawl on the ground like worms Some of them gritted their teeth to the point of breaking, and strangely, some ran while laughing. In the end, only one imperial soldier was left, but no one would¡¯ve blamed the ones who ran. With the threat of imminent death, who would not cower in fear? The girl didn¡¯t give chase to the flight of soldiers and just stood there silently. That one soldier may have been overlooked because he never raised his weapon. ¡°Ah, Captain-san, was it? You can run away too, you know? I won¡¯t kill you as long as you don¡¯t disturb me.¡± The girl turned to Samuel as though she just remembered that he was there just now. Her blood-drenched lips moved ever so subtly. ¡°¡­ I understand now that you are not deaf. Can I ask you one question?¡± ¡°Un. Sure, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°How did you master such movements and swordsmanship? It¡¯s not something easy to learn, especially for a young woman.¡± ¡°Ee, I¡¯ll feel bad if you say that it¡¯s easy, but I was taught everything by Zet.¡± ¡°¡­ Zet?¡± ¡°Right, Zet. Do you know where Zet is?¡± The girl approached with a carefree smile on her face. With such an innocent face, no one would believe that the owner of that face had slaughtered so many soldiers just moments ago ¨C a stark contrast to her blood-bathed body. ¡°¡­ Sorry, but I don¡¯t know where this Zet is.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, really. If someone with that name passed through here, I should¡¯ve heard about it.¡± ¡°Hmm. Oh, by the way, are you not going to run away? It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t chase after you.¡± The more they conversed, the more he realized just how honest this girl was, so Samuel responded to the girl¡¯s offer with the shake of his head. ¡°Eh? Not running away?¡± ¡°Kukuku, why should I run? I¡¯m quite confident in my skill.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that so? But you don¡¯t look that strong though.¡± A moment of silence followed that before Samual broke into violent laughter after he was ridiculed by her. ¡°Hahahaa! This is the first time someone ridiculed me like that. To be able to meet a monster like you is why I like being on the battlefield!¡± ¡°Who is the monster? My name is Olivia.¡± ¡°Olivia said with her hands on her hands. ¡°I see. I will remember that name. It seems the Kingdom will have its first female general ¨C no, is recruiting a monster allowed? ¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore¡­¡± As Samuel spoke to himself, he drew the sword that hung from his back. The blade, forged specifically to be as thin as possible to be flexible, but strong, was a two-handed sword. A sword that had accompanied Samuel into numerous battlefields without breaking. He licked the blade¡¯s edge before he inhaled its scent, then got into a battle stance. In front of him, the smiling Olivia. He lowered his stance as he exhaled. The man then rushed Olivia with a speed that betrayed his large frame and thrusted the sword forward with tremendous force. With this awe-inspiring ¡°Ferocious Thrust¡±, Samuel had slaughtered many well-known warriors. Even if he faced a monster, it was simply an enemy he needed to overcome. ¡°I only need to aim for one thing ¨C the heart!¡± The blade cut through the air, aimed towards the girl¡¯s heart. ¡°Got youuu!¡± Samuel shouted once he was sure of his victory, but he soon saw a sight that was different than his expectations. It was not the beautiful Olivia, vomiting blood as she collapsed from the mortal wound to her heart, instead, the world turned upside down. Before his consciousness faded, he heard a soft confused voice mutter¡­ ¡°What¡¯s with him shouting ¡®Got you¡¯, just now?¡± CH 5 ¡ª Fort Kaspar, A fort near Galia Fortress occupied by the Imperial Army. Captain Samuel is dead. Fort Kaspar¡¯s alertness level had been risen by the news, the news brought by soldiers who had patrolled Canary Road. The gates were lit brighter than usual, and its guards were wearier. One by one, several covered corpses had been brought into the fort through the man-door next too the large double gates. ¡°So, is it true that Captain Samuel was killed¡­?¡± General Osvanne, fifty years old, asked with a puzzled face. A heavyweight in the Urthbelt Empire. He had led the imperial army on its campaign to conquer the Farnesse Kingdom. He was also widely known as a warrior who fought in a way that left his opponents little room to attack. A young officer raised his head and replied quietly. ¡°Yes. When the patrol arrived on the scene, they found Captain Samuel¡¯s decapitated body. There were also ten other bodies. We¡¯re currently in the middle of bringing them to the fort.¡± ¡°Decapitated¡­? Maybe its the Kingdom¡¯s doing. Possibly in an attempt to make an example of him.¡± ¡°No, It was not the Kingdom¡¯s doing.¡± The officer refuted shortly after, which caused General Osvanne¡¯s eyebrows to rise. ¡°Not the Kingdom¡¯s doing? Then who slaughtered Captain Samuel and his men? It couldn¡¯t possibly be just some random bandits.¡± ¡°About that¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± The officer hesitated, but Colonel Paris, one of General Osvanne¡¯s staff officers, gave the officer a cold, sharp glare that urged him to continue on. ¡°The-The surviving soldiers said they were attacked by a ¡®Female monster¡¯ who wielded a ¡®black sword.''¡± ¡°Female monster?¡± Colonel Paris hadn¡¯t expected what he just heard. ¡°Yes, they said the female monster is headed towards the Kingdom¡¯s Capital to volunteer for their army.¡± The young officer¡¯s report almost sounded like a delusion, which caused Colonel Paris to laugh. His original position was in the intelligence division. Listening to such nonsense about a female monster, with a friendly ¡°Is that so?¡±. He was sure the information had been jumbled somewhere along the road. ¡°That¡¯s an entertaining story. Very well, I¡¯ll just question that soldier directly. Bring him here.¡± Paris commanded with anger. The young officer trembled as he shook his head vigorously. ¡°Its unfortunate, but the soldier in question is not a position to talk properly. He appears to have been traumatized by the event. Some of the other soldiers who had seen him are also beginning to create a ruckus. They¡¯re scared that such a monster being sent against us by the Kingdom.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so¡­? Perhaps that means he isn¡¯t completely wrong?¡± ¡°Your Excellency, are you trying to say that¨C¡° ¡°Colonel Paris, no need to waste more time.¡± General Osvanne raised his left up slowly. A signal for Colonel Paris to stop talking. There were plenty of things the Colonel wanted to say. However, the soldier in question was too delirious. They¡¯d probably never get a definite answer. So, as General Osvanne noted, it¡¯d be a waste of time to discuss it. Time was always in short supply, after all. ¡°I-I was just a bit curious about it. My apology.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ve heard enough. You¡¯ve done well. Dismissed¨C¡° ¡°Please excuse me, may I have a few words?¡± As General Osvanne urged the officer to leave, another had been waiting to meet with him. He wore a robe black as night, and his features were obscured by its hood. Simply stated, he was creepy. Despite still being in his thirties, he looked as if he were sixty. When his countenance was seen on occasion, what could be seen as a strangely gaunt face with sad eyes. He was Prime Minister Dalmes. A man who often visited the fort under the Emperor¡¯s order to check on the situation. Colonel Paris had heard that Dalmes had formerly belonged to the analysis team, and had no prospects of promotion. However, within recent years, he had advanced quickly through the ranks. Now, as the Prime Minister of the glorious Urthbelt Empire, his influence was second only to the Emperor. Rumour was that the Emperor declared unification of the continent due to Minister Dalmes¡¯s strong advocation. The man rarely spoke, and many called him the ¡°Silent Prime Minster.¡± ¡°Does something bother you, Prime Minister-dono?¡± General Osvanne inquired. Minister Dalmes, on the other hand, merely waved his hand and smiled. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not a big deal. However, I do feel slightly concerned about that black sword¨C By chance, could you describe how it looked in more detail?¡± Minister Dalmes sought a better report from the young officer. Not expecting the Prime Minister would speak to him, the officer was obviously excited. ¡°No need to be so nervous. Please answer my question with what you know.¡± He spoke with a gentle tone. Even under the dim light of the candles, the sweat was visible on the officer¡¯s forehead. It was only natural for him to be nervous. A person with such influence within the empire had actually spoken with a mere officer such as himself. ¡°Don¡¯t make his Excellency wait, just tell us what you know!¡± Colonel Paris reprimanded him. ¡°¨Cn, no. I haven¡¯t really asked in particular! I just thought of it as a regular black sword!¡± Seeing the young officer¡¯s nervousness, Minister Dalmes smiled. ¡°Is that so? I see. Well, you may leave now.¡± ¡°Yes! P-Please excuse me!¡± The officer quickly saluted before he fleed the tenet. Almost in concert, Minister Dalmes stood from his chair. ¡°Its already late, thank you for your hard work today.¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Minister Dalmes raised his hand slightly when Colonel Paris bowed to him. He was careful not to let his robe, he left the tent with a slow gait. As for General Osvanne, for some reason, he stared at the tent¡¯s flap as he went. His face a ghastly pale. ¡°Your Excellency, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re pale.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your Excellency!¡± It was only when Colonel Paris shook the General¡¯s shoulder did he regain his wits. ¡°You¡¯re awake, are you alright?¡± ¡°N-No, its nothing. Do not worry about it.¡± General Osvanne said with a smile. ¡°Is that so? Very well, then¡­ Regarding that monster¨C Girl. If the story is true, then we¡¯ll receive some more information from the spies we¡¯ve placed everywhere.¡± ¡°U-uwu. In-Indeed. First of all, we must stay vigilant.¡± ¡°What will be par for course. Well then, there is still the matter of Captain Samuel¡¯s body, so please excuse me.¡± After he confirmed Colonel Paris had really gone, only then did the General fall back on his chair. Chills ran down his spine, and his heart rammed against his chest. With trembling hands, he took out a cigar from his breast pocket and forced himself to light it. After he smoked for a short while, he dared to recall that scene. The scene of a nightmare. ¡°Paris seemed to not notice¡­ But what was that just now? Prime Minister-dono¡¯s shadow¡­ It was shaking as if it were a living creature¡­¡° CH 6 After dispatching the imperial soldiers on Canary Road, Olivia resumed her journey to the capital ¨C walking proudly. The people who passed her could only hold their breath upon seeing her. It was only natural because her body was covered in blood. Seeing such a girl looking like that, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if people were to ask what happened. And a few did attempt to do just that. But eventually, no one dared to speak with Olivia; afraid to be implicated, they chose to silently look away and ignore her. The reason was obvious. A bloody scabbard hung at her waist in full view of all who approached. And that wasn¡¯t the only reason. ¡°How much further until the capital¨C Uncaring to their reactions, Olivia untucked the string that tied the hemp bag from her shoulder. She let the bag ground against the ground. Its bottom was stained a blackish red. ¡°U-n. Its actually not that heavy, but its just troublesome to carry after a while.¡± The idea of throwing the contents of the bag did cross her mind. If she did that, the carnivorous beasts would gladly devour it. Without the extra Luggage, she could use the [Swift Feet Technique]. It was quite exhausting so she had to use it sparingly, but it¡¯d also cut down the time to the capital. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t though.¡± She shook herself Olivia was reminded of what Zet told her back then. ¡°For a long time, Humankind has always been a war-like and cruel creature, who¡¯d never hesitate to kill their enemy. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Un, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll etch it in my mind.¡± ¡°Good. As an example of their cruel nature, humans tend to take the head of their opponent.¡± ¡°Why? Do they like to eat heads?¡± ¡°No. As cruel as they are, humans rarely eat each other.¡± ¡°I see. Then why?¡± ¡°The only reason. ¡®Proof¡¯ of their valor.¡± ¡°Proof¡­? Humans are really hard to understand.¡± ¡°Indeed, they are¡­ Simply put, it indicates that you have beaten your opponent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reason they took their opponent¡¯s heads.¡± ¡°Indeed, it is. A very cruel race, are they not?¡± ¡°Fummm. Any other reason?¡± ¡°By taking the head of someone else¡¯s enemy, it can be seen that you want to ally yourself with that someone. You will most likely receive some rewards as well.¡± ¡°Redward? Is it a delicious food? Or maybe a book?¡± ¡°About that, even I have no clear idea¡­ ¡± Humans like to keep the head of their enemy. That¡¯s what Zet told me. Being attacked by those imperial soldiers earlier might¡¯ve been good fortune for me. I¡¯m not really happy with carrying a severed head around like this. But if I bring it to the people of the Kingdom, surely they¡¯ll be pleased. And then, they¡¯ll hire me as a volunteer. Olivia clasped her fist. With renewed resolution, she hefted the bag back over her shoulder. Beyond Canary Road was a green plateau that people rarely passed through. Instead, small animals began to appear on occasion. They were most likely attracted by the stench of blood, but they¡¯d run away in a panic once Olivia laid her eyes on them. I¡¯m not that hungry yet, so I don¡¯t think I should eat any of them¡­ Thinking so, Olivia continued to walk through the plateau, along a small river. And after a while, a huge fort could be seen in the distance ¨C one that looked fort surrounded with stone walls. ¡°Waa, amazing!¡± Olivia was amazed by how much larger the fort actually was than the Gate of the Underworld. Looking at the top, a huge flag fluttered majestically. If one looked closer, they¡¯d make out a silver cup supported by a gold lion and a silver lion on each side at its center. Silver chalice. Golden and silver lions¡­ Olivia thought that she¡¯d seen that emblem somewhere. Ah¡­ I remember now! That¡¯s the emblem of the Kingdom! So that fort must belong to the Kingdom¡­ Olivia was pleased but soon turned to the hemp bag. The foul whiff made its way to her nose in between the fresh air of the plateau. What to do with this? I wonder if it will last until I reach the capital¡­ Turning her eyes back to the fort, Olivia folded her arms in thought. ¡ª un, it¡¯s decided! I¡¯ll just leave this on the fort as a souvenir before I head to the capital. If it rotted, then they won¡¯t be able to tell if its an imperial soldier¡¯s head or not. Olivia nodded to herself elated and eagerly proceeded toward the fort. The sun was still high in the sky. At this rate, she¡¯d arrive at the fort come sunset. CH 7 ¡ª Kingdom¡¯s southern military base, Gallia Fortress Gallia Fortress had become the Kingdom¡¯s frontline after Kiel Fortress fell. A vast amount of expenditure was invested in expanding the base as fast as possible. Though it boasted the capacity the largest capacity, it wasn¡¯t enough to hold 100,000 men. ¡ª The Commander¡¯s room in Gallia Fortress Behind the ebony office desk sat sixty-year-old Lieutenant General Pual. He was the General of the 7th Army who led a total of 40,000 soldiers. He leaned into his comfy leather chair and asked for the deputy¡¯s reports. ¡°Your Excellency, according to the information that arrived this morning, His Majesty has decided to recapture Kiel Fortress. The First Army that previously guarded the capital has also been dispatched.¡± ¡°Fumu. If only that decision had been made a year earlier; the situation today would¡¯ve been very different. That strategy doesn¡¯t make much sense while we¡¯re still under siege like this. In the first place, no matter how many elites are in the first army are still low¡­¡± Lt. General Paul sighed, took a cigar from his breast-pocket, and lit it. Nowadays, cigars had become a rare luxury. Even for a high-ranked officer like himself. He was a talented man ¨C if a bit stiff. ¡°There is no way someone like me can understand His Majesty¡¯s deep thoughts. There is a direct order from His Majesty, addressed to Your Excellency.¡± ¡°Direct order¡­? Tell me.¡± ¡°Yessir. Lieutenant General Pual is to defend Gallia Fortress while making preparations to head out. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Fufu. Now, now. Don¡¯t make such a face. If his place fell, then it¡¯s over for the Kingdom. His Majesty knows that as well. He just wanted to emphasize it.¡± Otto¡¯s expression suddenly changed upon hearing Pual¡¯s comment. Otto coughed a few times before he resumed. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll only need to defend the fortress. But there¡¯s a change in the situation. Does Your Excellency remember an imperial soldier called Samuel?¡± ¡°Samuel? I think I¡¯ve heard that name before¡­ Right, right. I remember now. He was the one who defeated the Firth Army¡¯s Major Lance.¡± Lt. General Paul said scornfully. Major General Lance was only twenty-seven years old, but was both a wise and excellent man. However, in the battle of Arsmitt, he¡¯d been skewered by Samuel and died. The Lt. General heard that his corpse had been displayed for three days and nights in front of Kiel Fortress. A few days later, the Fifth Army led by Lieutenant Belmar had been violently decimated. ¡°It is as your Excellency said. Samuel has been killed.¡± ¡°Ho! Is there truly such a fierce man in our army? From which army is he from?¡± ¡°Yes, about that¡­¡± Otto¡¯s words stalled there as he hesitated to continue. The Lt. General sighed and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Have you lost your tongue somewhere? Do I have to check if you still have one?¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon me. It¡¯s just that, the slayer was not someone from our army. Its a traveling young girl.¡± ¡°¡­ Am I getting old that my hearing is failing me? Sorry, but can you repeat that once more?¡± Afterward, Lt. General Paul scratched his ear. Deputy Otto repeated his report without a change in his expression. ¡°It was a traveling young girl who killed Samuel.¡± ¡°I see. So Deputy Otto can also joke around once in a while. I wonder if a storm is coming¡­¡± With that said, Lt. General Pual peeked through the window and found the sky unexpectedly dark outside. ¡°Sir, unfortunately, it¡¯s not a joke. A girl came with several imperial soldier heads ¨C including Samuel¡¯s.¡± ¡ª A few days ago. Deputy Otto worked in his office when a report from the soldier guarding the front gate came. A girl had come with several Imperial soldiers¡¯ heads in tow. The Deputy had quick;y went to see this himself, only to find a girl whose entire body was covered in blood. In her hand, was a large blood-stained hemp bag. When he checked the contents of the hemp bag, it was full of Imperial soldier heads. So he asked the girl what happened. To which she replied she had encountered the soldiers back on Canary Road. Since some of them had pointed their swords at her, she had simply returned the favor. The story alone was shocking, but even more surprising was the fact discovered soon after. When all the heads had been inspected, they found Samuel¡¯s head among them. ¡ª ¡°So its not a lie, and she really brought his head with her?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen that man a couple of times on the battlefield. There¡¯s no mistake, it was Samuel the ¡®Violent Skewer¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a too outlandish story to believe.¡± Even if it¡¯d been a boy instead of a girl, the story would¡¯ve still been hard to believe. But then, a man who was called in a hero showed his power since a young age. Lt. General Paul inhaled the cigar¡¯s smoke before he exhaled it slowly. ¡°I thought so too. I wouldn¡¯t have believed it without seeing it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Then what purpose did she come to this fortress? Was it for the bounty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. She originally wanted to go to the capital to apply to become a volunteer soldier. She mentioned that she happened to find this fortress on her way, so she decided to stop by and send the heads as a souvenir before they rotted away.¡± ¡°Haha, that was quite bold of her. Maybe we should be thankful that such a person was crazy enough to apply in times like this¡­ Also, you said earlier she was a young girl ¨C just how old is she?¡± ¡°When I asked, she said she was fifteen years old.¡± At the unexpected answer, Lt. General Pual nearly dropped his cigar. If she was fifteen years old, then she was no older than his granddaughter. Publicly speaking, she could¡¯ve already been considered as having taken half a step towards adulthood at that age. But to him, she wasn¡¯t past her childhood yet. The Lt. General glanced to his Deputy to see if he was joking. His subordinate silently shook his head. The answer would remain the same, no matter how many times it¡¯d been asked. It was written on his face. ¡°Haa¡­ Then, what is this girl doing right now?¡± ¡°Maybe in the cafeteria as we speak. By the way, taking into account the volunteer application and the enemy¡¯s heads, we¡¯ve decided to appoint her as a warrant officer.¡± This time, the Lt. General really dropped his cigar. He admired Deputy Otto¡¯s foresight, but this man could be too blunt at times. His subordinates serious expression remained the same. Thinking he deserved it, Lt. General Pual opened his mouth to reprimand his deputy. ¡°Deputy Otto, no matter how short on soldiers my army gets, that isn¡¯t something we should do out of the blue.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s great that she killed Samuel. If she was a soldier, I would¡¯ve awarded her the Silver Lion Medal. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t. And to welcome such a young girl amongst us is¡­¡± ¡°Sir, pardon me, but we¡¯re not in a position to think about such trivial matters. Whether she¡¯s a young or old woman, if she has the capability to slaughter the imperial soldiers, then she should use it. I cannot deny that this may cause a little mishap, but- well then, I still have a lot of work. Please excuse me.¡± Deputy Otto quickly saluted, turned, and vacated the Lt. General¡¯s office. The Lt. General took his cigar that¡¯d rolled on his desk after dropping, and slowly placed it back into his mouth. (¡°Indeed, it¡¯s as he said. I have no room to care about trivial things. Therefore, diving a young girl to war is¡­ Somehow, I feel is extremely deplorable.¡±) The Lt. General exhaled hard as he sunk deeper into his chair powerlessly. CH 8 ¡ª Gallia Fortress, Barrack¡¯s Cafeteria. In the corner of the soldier-filled cafeteria, a young man let out a deep sigh. The young man¡¯s name was Ashton Zenefilda. He¡¯d been enrolled in one of the most prestigious schools within the Kingdom and held a good score to match. He was exempted from conscription due to his great potential. But after the Kingdom¡¯s successive defeats, his exemption was revoked, and here he was, on the frontline. ¡°Haaaa¡­¡± Ashton was pessimistic.You could say that he was already in despair now. For those who never held a sword or spear before, Gallia Fortress was like a deathtrap. Like already having one foot in the grave. No matter how much he trained, he believed that he¡¯d die the moment he stepped onto the battlefield. Sitting next to Ashton was a girl happily munching away on a bread. The tears trickling down her cheeks were like clear streams glowing across white clean land. Ashton had never seen such a pretty girl in his life before. When the girl had finally finished her bread, she stared at her empty tray In contrast, Ashton¡¯s tray still held an untouched piece of bread. (¡°I guess she¡¯s not satisfied yet? Maybe I can give her my bread¡­ No, it¡¯s not like my i¡¯ve fallen for her or something, but times like this¡ª¡°) That was the excuse Ashton made for himself, but then his eyes met with hers. ¡°¨C Nn.¡± ¡°Nn?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, do you want to eat my bread or something? Its not because I have feelings for you or something along those lines, We haven¡¯t even talked to each other for god¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you very much. You are truly a kind human!¡± (¡°Uwaa, her voice is unexpectedly cu- Nn? Kind human?¡±) He felt a bit uncomfortable with how the girl referred to him, but Ashton offered the bread to the girl still. She grinned as she received the bread, displaying clean white teeth, then proceeded to immediately fill her mouth with the bread. ¡°Fuu brethisththelithiousisntit?¡± ¡°¡­ Are you saying the bread is delicious?¡± The girl muttered to herself upon getting what she wanted. While seeing her delighted appearance, Ashton leaned closer to her in curiosity. Compared to the bread sold in the Capital City, the bread here was harder and bumpier. It wasn¡¯t that tasty, to begin with. Even compared to those sold just outside the capital, it was a much lower quality. ¡°It may be rude to say this to someone who thinks that is delicious, but the bread here honestly isn¡¯t that delicious.¡± ¡°Fuee?! Re-Really?¡± Seeing her amazed over such a trivial thing, Ashton felt a sense of superiority. ¡°Yeah. The bread sold within the capital is much more delicious. Its crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside. But we¡¯re currently short on food, so it¡¯s hard to get delicious bread nowadays.¡± ¡°Eeh, is that so? For me, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever eaten bread. But this bread is also really delicious. It¡¯s been mentioned so many times in the books. I have always wanted to eat it for once.¡± The girl said so while staring longingly at the now half-eaten bread in her hands. Ashton spurted out the soup he was eating when he heard. This caused the female soldier sitting across from him to give him an unpleasant look. He quickly apologized to the woman, but his mind was stuck on the girl¡¯s remark. It was unthinkable that she¡¯d never eaten bread before. Whether it was the most rural area, there should still be people selling bread. This must¡¯ve been a joke. He immediately thought so. Ashton waited for the punchline. However, the girl merely continued to much on the bread. She showed no intention to continue talking. Only then, Ashton realized that she meant every word. ¡°¡­ Hey you, if this is the first time you ate bread, just where are you from?¡± ¡°About that, I¡¯m from the Gate of the Underworld deep inside the forest. Do you know about it?¡± When asked, Ashton immediately searched his memories. Although he was not a great swordsman, he prided himself upon reading lots of books and his accumulated bank of knowledge. Gate of the Underworld, Gate of the Underworld. Ashton kept repeating it within his heart. But he didn¡¯t know whether that ¡°gate of the Underworld¡± the girl had mentioned truly existed. ¡°¨C Sorry. I guess I¡¯m not as knowledgeable as I thought.¡± ¡°I see. Well, I lived there for a long time myself, but honestly, I know very little about it.¡± Then the girl laughed without a care in the world. She then rose from her chair and took her empty tray along. ¡°Thank you for the bread. Can you tell me your name?¡± ¡°Ha, ah, yeah. My name is Ashton.¡± Being suddenly asked for his name, Ashton quickly answered. ¡°So, it¡¯s Ashton. I¡¯m Olivia. Let¡¯s meet again if we have the chance.¡± After she spoke, Olivia left while she waved a hand over her back. While Ashton was entranced by Olivia¡¯s long silvery hair ¨C that reached down to her waist ¨C someone pulled a chair up next to him. They tapped on his shoulder wildly. When Ashton turned, a blond man with a flirtatious smile entered his vision. It was Morris, someone who came to the fortress around the time Ashton did. As for his story, Morris was also deprived of his ¡°exemption¡± and was sent to this very same deathtrap as Ashton. And just like Ashton, he also wasn¡¯t good at swordsmanship. So, he and Ashton became regulars in receiving the scolding of their superiors during training. ¡°Oi oi, Ashton-san. Do you know who that girl was just now?¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t know much about her. Does Morris know something about her?¡± MOrris waited for Ashton to ask exactly that and crept closer to his friend. Then, he turned left and right, checking for people who¡¯d overhear. He then spoke quietly. ¡°This is top secret information, no need to doubt it. A little while ago, there was hearsay about a volunteer coming to apply while bringing a huge bag full of Imperial soldiers¡¯ heads as souvenirs. Remember?¡± ¡°I think I heard something like that. However, isn¡¯t that just a rumor?¡± ¡°Top secret information¡± My ass, Ashton snorted. However, Morris instead grinned and shook his head. ¡°No, that actually happened And that girl you just talked to, was the rumored volunteer ¨C Warrant Officer Olivia.¡± ¡°Uee?! That girl is¡­ No, she¡¯s a Warrant Officer?!¡± Morris quickly turned himself away upon seeing his overly surprised reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t be that surprised. Just keep it normal¡­ Well, whatever. Certainly, her applying and being appointed Warrant Officer was a sudden and unusual case.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s not a joke?¡± ¡°What do I get from telling lies to you? Besides, telling you the truth is more interesting. So what did you two talk about?¡± While he asked, Morris wrapped his arm over Ashton¡¯s shoulders. Ashton paid him no mind, as he knew his friend wouldn¡¯t linger long. Apparently, Morris was also interested in this Warrant Officer. (¡°Well, she certainly doesn¡¯t look the part, and she is a very interesting person.¡±) Ashton¡¯s mouth parted with a small sigh. ¡°It¡¯s nothing interesting, we just talked a bit. Like it¡¯s the first time she ate bread, and that she¡¯d been living at some kind of shrine. Just that.¡± ¡°She used to live at a shrine, you say? ¡­ Perhaps St. Illuminas¡¯ Church¡­? Could it be that she¡¯s a ¡®Magician¡¯?!¡± Morris asked with a surprised expression. The St. Illuminas Church was a wide-spread religion that worshiped the goddess Stressia. Its believers were spread throughout the continent. Among these believers, there were those who lived mostly in the church. These people were called ¡°Magicians¡±; they were feared for their power. It had something about being able to use ¡°magic¡± that supposedly had disappeared in ancient times. According to the ¡°White Book¡± published by the St. Illuminas Church, Goddess Stressia used a powerful spell to create the Duvedirica continent. (¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. This isn¡¯t a fairy tale, how can there be magic here? That¡¯s just a fictional story made up by the church. I didn¡¯t know that Morris believed in such a fantastical being.¡±) Amused by Morris¡¯s obvious fascination, Ashton added. ¡°No, she said it was the Gate of the Underworld. The church may not have anything to do about it since this is the first time I¡¯ve heard that name.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Even if you asked me that¡­ I still can¡¯t remember a thing about it, so that¡¯s all I can say.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm-mm. So, she isn¡¯t related to the church. Well, it¡¯s certainly not interesting anymore.¡± Morris removed his arm and left the cafeteria. Apparently, he lost interest once being told she was not related to the church. (¡°Could it be, perhaps, Morris is a believer of the church? ¡­ Well, not that it¡¯ll make a difference.¡±) After letting out a deep sigh, Ashton forced himself to gulp down the remainder of his cold soup