Seirei Gensouki ~Konna Sekai de Deaeta Kimi ni~ (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: To the Capital Once More 

Several days passed since Rio and the others returned to the village. 

The trades had gone well, the villagers’ pockets were filled, and everyone had smiles on their faces. Now, it was finally time for the harvest festival, where they would pray for abundant harvests in the next year. 

It was still the middle of the day, yet the men had gathered in the village square to start drinking. The women that took pride in their cooking skills had prepared a feast in the meeting hall and their individual house kitchens; they used assistants to carry the dishes to the village square, and the children of the village were eating everything up with enthusiasm. 

As for Rio, he had used the village chief’s kitchen to make most of his specialty recipes, and was in the middle of preparing a feast with Ruri and Sayo. He was making meat pie, apple pie, and a prototype of the kamutan he had promised Sayo. 

Since no one in the village knew how to make the noodles for kamutan, and meat pie and apple pie weren’t dishes that were eaten in the Karasuki Kingdom to begin with, Rio took the lead with Ruri and Sayo’s assistance. Naturally, the kamutan noodles were all homemade, and had been prepared two days in advance. Two enormous pots had been placed over the hearth, one with shoyu soup and one with miso soup simmering inside. 

“Wow — it smells great. We’ll really be able to eat kamutan...” Ruri sniffed at the aroma wafting from the pot with a blissful expression. 

“I’ve only made it a few times myself, so I’m sort of an amateur. It might be a different method compared to how it’s made in the capital... The soup was made experimentally, too, so I don’t have much confidence in its taste either,” Rio said a bit worriedly. 

“It’s fine! I’m sure everyone will ask for seconds. From what I taste-tested, the soup seems delicious.” 

“That’s right — they’ll definitely want you to make it again. Or rather, they’ll want to make it themselves!” 

Both Ruri and Sayo spoke with certainty. 

“It takes quite a lot of effort and ingredients, but you’re right. I want to make it again... Although, I may never be able to make the same soup again...” Rio nodded with a happy smile. He didn’t know if he’d still be in the village this time next year, but he hoped to be able to make kamutan again as a group of three. 

After letting the soup simmer for a little under an hour, they carried the pre-prepared noodles and baked pies together to the square. When the villagers found out Rio had made kamutan, they swarmed around him. 

He reheated the soup on a makeshift cooking stove made from spirit arts at a corner of the square, and boiled the noodles. When the villagers tasted the completed kamutan, they all yelled “It’s delicious!” one after another. 

Rio looked at all their faces and decided it had been worth all his hard work. His features crinkled happily. The meat pie and apple pie were a huge hit too. 

Before long, Rio and the girls joined in on the feast, enjoying the food and drink as they watched people sing and dance cheerfully at the center of the square. It was a warm gathering that was constantly filled with laughs. 

However, when evening approached... 

...Hm? 

Rio suddenly took the spirit stone out of his pocket. A spell formula had appeared on the surface of the stone, and it was emitting a strong light and heat. 

This spirit stone was the core of the intruder detection barrier Rio had modified to cover the whole village after the Gon incident. He normally deactivated it during the day, when the villagers passed in and out so frequently, but he had turned it on just in case during the feast. 

Who could it be? A traveler, a merchant, a guest... It’s coming from the east side. Rio suddenly stood up, ignoring all the partying villagers. 

The spirit stone emitted a stronger light in the direction of the intruder, so he quietly walked off in that direction. On his way, he muttered the “Dissolvo” spell and retrieved his sword and sheath from the Time-Space Cache. After walking away from the village square for several minutes, he arrived at the fields that spread across the east side of the village and encountered a dozen or so men and women enshrouded in travel attire. He couldn’t detect any hostility, but they were all fully equipped and showed no signs of weaknesses. They seemed to be experienced practitioners of martial arts. 

“Do you have business here?” Rio cautiously asked the unfamiliar party. 

When the party spotted Rio with his sword in hand, they showed faint signs of wariness, but the middle-aged man and woman in the lead were staring at Rio with a slightly different look in their eyes. 

“...My name is Saga Gouki. Pardon me, but may I ask your name? Could you perhaps be Sir Rio?” The man in the lead introduced himself as Gouki, before asking for Rio’s name. 

As soon as Rio heard the Saga family name, he immediately recalled Hayate, who he had become acquainted with just recently. Perhaps this was his father, Rio thought. 

“That is correct... Would you perhaps be Lord Hayate’s father?” Rio replied. 

“So it is you, Sir Rio! It is an honor to be in your great presence.” 

Overcome with emotion, Gouki kneeled on the spot. No, not just Gouki — the others around him also knelt before Rio at once, showing no concern for the state of their clothes at all. 

“Y-Yes?” Unable to comprehend the situation, Rio was taken aback. “Erm, we haven’t met before, right...? Have you mistaken me for someone else? If you could all stand up first, I’d appreciate it...” he said after a beat. 

“There is no mistake. Sir Rio, both my wife Kayoko beside me and I once graciously served your mother: Karasuki Ayame,” Gouki said, shaking his head adamantly. 

“Karasuki... Ayame?” Hearing his mother’s name along with her family name made Rio freeze. 

“Your surprise is most understandable, but your mother was indeed royalty in the Kingdom of Karasuki. I have come to visit you on this occasion after receiving a letter from Lady Yuba... the mother of my close friend, Zen.” 

The words coming from Gouki’s mouth were facts that were overwhelmingly shocking. Regardless of whether or not he should be believed, Rio’s rational thinking had come to a complete stop. 

“...For now, allow me to guide you to the village chief’s house. Then, I shall go fetch Yuba, and you can tell me your story from the beginning. Would that be all right? Please, stand up,” Rio somehow managed to say. 

Even if no one was around because of the banquet, the fields weren’t the right place for this conversation, and he needed some time to calm down. 

“I understand. Then, if you would please excuse our intrusion.” Gouki and the others nodded and solemnly stood to their feet. 

“Please, come this way.” With a small sigh, Rio started leading them. Gouki’s party followed him in a nearly reverent manner. 

After guiding them to the village chief’s house, Rio made his way to the square with haste and found Yuba talking to the other villagers. He whispered into her ear, explaining the situation. Despite her surprise, Yuba immediately understood, and smiled. 

“...I see. All right — let’s go, Rio,” she gently said to him. 

The two immediately made their way to the village chief’s house. They barely exchanged any words on the way, but as the house came into view, Yuba suddenly opened her mouth. 

“...Rio, no matter what, you will always be my grandchild. Nothing can change that. At least, that’s what I believe. It may seem sudden, but I wanted to tell you this now.” 

“Yuba... Yes, I feel the same way.” Rio had sensed that Gouki’s earlier words had more or less been the truth. 

“Thank you. Shall we go inside?” Yuba asked with a somewhat happy grin, before stepping into the house. 

In the living room of the village chief’s house, Rio, Yuba, Gouki, and Gouki’s wife Kayoko, were facing each other. The attendants Gouki had brought along were guarding the premises in order to ensure that no one would overhear their discussions. 

Gouki and Kayoko knelt, side by side. “Sir Rio, please accept our sincerest apologies for putting this unexpected shock upon you out of the blue,” they said, bowing deeply. 

“No, there’s no need to apologize for that...” Rio shook his head in borderline confusion. 

“Lord Gouki, may I assume that your presence here means you have obtained the appropriate permissions?” Yuba asked Gouki on Rio’s behalf. 

“Indeed. We are not here of our own accord, but under the order of His Majesty.” Gouki nodded firmly. 

“I see. Then, please tell him everything.” 

Yuba seemed relieved — the truth could finally be revealed. It was the same feeling as if an evil had been vanquished. 

“Of course — that is why we are here. Both His and Her Majesty wish to extend their gratitude and apologies to Lady Yuba for all the suffering you must have endured up until now.” 

“I am honored.” Yuba lowered her head gratefully. 

“Indeed,” Gouki nodded at Yuba. “...Now, Sir Rio. May I tell you the story of what happened to Princess Ayame and Zen, my close friend?” he asked Rio. 

“...Yes. Please.” Rio stared at Gouki and agreed. 

Then, Gouki slowly began to speak. 

“The story begins 12 years ago... But first, let me tell you about the relationship between me and Zen — your father. Lady Yuba can fill you in on anything that happened before that, though...” Gouki said, looking at Yuba. 

“Zen was an awkward child, but he was kind and clever nonetheless. We were at war with the neighboring Kingdom of Rokuren at the time, so every village was going through tough times. As the second son, Zen decided to leave and reduce the number of mouths to feed, and went off one day to voluntarily enlist as a soldier.” Yuba spoke of Zen from before Gouki was acquainted with him with a somewhat nostalgic smile. 

“Zen had a natural talent for anything related to spirit arts and military arts. On top of that, it was the middle of a war period, as Lady Yuba said. He started as a mere soldier, but soon distinguished himself and achieved feats worthy of His Majesty’s attention. And so, His Majesty granted him the rank of a warrior. That was when I met Zen.” 

It was tradition in the Karasuki Kingdom for newly-appointed warriors to face off with their predecessors. In this case, it was Gouki who had sparred with Zen. Although Gouki was much younger at the time, he was one of the leading warriors in terms of skill in the kingdom. And yet, despite Zen being self-taught, Gouki struggled to come out on top in their battle. 

“It was only a sparring match, but there weren’t many opponents that could make my heart leap like Zen did. His abilities were the real deal. That was why I strongly recommended him as a bodyguard for the royal family. As you know already, that royal family member was Princess Ayame.” 

“Mom... My mother was royalty...” Rio muttered, not quite processing the reality of that fact yet. 

“Princess Ayame wasn’t high in succession for the throne, but she was renowned even in the neighboring kingdoms as the beauty of Karasuki,” Gouki said with a huff, a pleasant smile on his face. 

“My Lord, that’s disrespectful,” Kayoko muttered in a cold voice, having maintained her silence beside Gouki the entire time. 

“R-Right. Anyhow, that was how Zen became Princess Ayame’s bodyguard.” Gouki changed the subject in a hurry. 

While Zen had no faults in terms of his militaristic prowess, the fact he was a mere villager had caused a few outcries. 

“There were many who didn’t want to leave the protection of royalty to a commoner that was rising up in the world. Abilities aside, he lacked education and social status. That being said, Princess Ayame also had Kayoko and I as her guards, so we were able to beat all the necessary education into him. Most importantly, Princess Ayame herself had taken a liking to him...” 

Zen had taken the position as Ayame’s bodyguard without any issue. 

“If I may dare to say, to someone like Princess Ayame, who had a sheltered upbringing, Zen was an embodiment of the outside world. She would ask Zen everything about what life was like in his village.” 

Ayame found herself drawn to Zen in no time at all. Anyone looking on could see what had happened with ease. Similarly, Zen also found himself drawn to Ayame as time went on. 

That being said, Ayame was still a princess, and though Zen had been promoted to a warrior, he was still a former farmer. Because of that, the gap between their statuses was too great, and Zen chose to conceal his feelings. 

“Actually, Princess Ayame secretly visited the village a number of times. Zen desperately tried to stop her, insisting that there was nothing to see in his village, but Princess Ayame refused to budge. We were all at our wits’ end.” 

“So... Something like that happened...” Rio said, listening intently to the beginnings of his parents’ relationship. 

In the meantime, Gouki was chuckling heartily at the memories he’d conjured up. Then, he suddenly regained his serious expression. 

“That was when the Kingdom of Rokuren came forth with a peace treaty during a lull in the war.” 

Peace treaties weren’t particularly rare occurrences; in fact, several had already been formed during the long warring years between the Karasuki and Rokuren kingdoms. The two kingdoms had a long history with each other; the Rokuren Kingdom had incited the war to begin with, but needlessly prolonging a war was undesirable for the kingdom’s economy and did not fare well with the citizens. This was what lead the Karasuki Kingdom to accept the peace treaty. 

And so, to celebrate the treaty and to quell civilian unrest, a great festival was held in the capital of Karasuki, with the prince of Rokuren attending as an ambassador. The ceremony itself progressed peacefully, and the peace treaty was formed without issue. All that was left was for the prince of Rokuren to return home, and the temporary time of peace would begin. 

However, on the night of his return, an incident occurred: someone tried to kidnap Ayame after she had retired for the night. However, Zen had been guarding Ayame from the shadows, and was able to apprehend the perpetrator before he succeeded. 

It was revealed that the kidnapper was an attendant of the Rokuren prince. 

Zen immediately tried to have him explain why he was putting the peace treaty that had just been established at risk, but the perpetrator used a secret weapon that had been prepared in advance to kill himself first. After that, the castle immediately burst with activity, despite it being the middle of the night. An emergency meeting was held between the leaders of Karasuki and the ambassador of Rokuren. The Karasuki Kingdom requested an explanation of the events at said meeting, but the Rokuren prince refused to comply, and instead reacted with indignation that his attendant was kidnapped and killed. 

From the Karasuki Kingdom’s point of view, it was the Rokuren side that had attempted the kidnapping, the perpetrator was dead, and the bodyguard — Zen — was the only one at the scene of the crime. On top of that, Ayame herself had been asleep in her room. Still, there wasn’t enough evidence to impeach the Rokuren Kingdom. 

Meanwhile, the Rokuren side was also lacking evidence, but the prince used the fact his attendant was dead as a means to stubbornly insist that their trust was betrayed. Negotiations between the two parties was inevitably soured, and there was no choice but to break the newly-formed peace treaty. 

“The Kingdom of Rokuren established additional conditions: Zen’s execution, and a political marriage between the Rokuren prince and Princess Ayame. With that, they would forgive the death of the attendant, and maintain their side of the peace treaty. Even looking back on it now, it still makes my blood boil,” Gouki said, his body trembling with rage. 

If everything was indeed as Gouki had said, then Rokuren’s demands were completely brazen and shameless. Rio grimaced without realizing it. He could only form his own assumptions of the political background of the time from Gouki’s words, but apparently, there had been rumors of how the sociable Rokuren prince was cruel and philandering. If someone like that were to marry Ayame in a political marriage... Well, it wasn’t a positive thought. 

At any rate, while the Rokuren side’s demands sounded completely ridiculous, it was part of diplomacy to consider even the most ridiculous of requests seriously. Furthermore, the Rokuren Kingdom distorted the truth of the peace treaty being ruined and spread it throughout the streets, manipulating the emotions of the citizens and society as a whole. The citizens of the capital grew anxious, which rapidly deteriorated into discontent, and even resulted in a few protests. Even within the Karasuki royal castle, there were a significant amount of court nobles that opposed the war. The authority of the king may have been able to suppress that discontent, but it would have only been on the surface. The Karasuki Kingdom had lost the first hand, and was now cornered into a disadvantageous position. 

“That being said, there was no guarantee that the Rokuren Kingdom would quiet down even if we accepted their terms. At the same time, revoking the peace treaty that had just been established and resuming the war instead would have made civilian unrest reach explosive levels, ruining the morale of the kingdom. We had to make a move to turn the tables on such a hopeless situation. That was why His Majesty pretended to agree to the demands in order to buy time. In the end, he gave the order for Zen to take Ayame and flee the kingdom.” 

While it wasn’t much, they were able to buy time within the country this way. In the meantime, the king and several of his chief vassals devised a secret plan to execute. 

“His Majesty selected the best of the best to form a small troop of warriors that would act in secret, and dispatched them to the Rokuren Kingdom. Then, he made an official announcement that Zen had taken Princess Ayame and fled.” 

Of course, the prince of Rokuren was enraged by that. “You’ve toyed with the wrong man!” he had said as he returned to his kingdom and proudly declared war. 

At the same time, the discontent within the country was directed toward Zen and Ayame for running away instead. It was simply too irresponsible of them. There was no choice but to capture them and make them take responsibility for their actions. 

However, the sparks of war were already alight. The opposing parties within the Karasuki Kingdom reluctantly agreed to mobilize their armies and began their advance into the Rokuren Kingdom. In response to the Karasuki army’s movement, the great army of the Rokuren Kingdom was also mobilized. Then, the two armies met each other at the kingdom border in a stand-off. 

It was at this time that the elite squad of a select few Karasuki warriors made their move, amongst which Gouki was included. They launched a surprise attack on the amassed Rokuren army troops from behind, their goal being to take the head of the senior officers. 

The elite squad consisted of warriors with the greatest amount of loyalty toward the royal family. They had all amassed great ill will toward the Rokuren kingdom from the entire situation. Thus, their dauntless assault began while their troop morale was at its peak. 

The warriors stormed into the heart of the enemy camp in no time at all, and dropped the heads of the enemy generals as they were in the middle of a meeting, one by one. Furthermore, they captured the Rokuren prince, who was among them. As a result, the first battle was won with only a surprise attack — it was a historically successful victory. 

“The Rokuren army dispersed and fled after they lost their prince and some of their generals, which raised the morale of our troops higher than it had ever been... It was almost as though opposition toward the war had been a lie. Then, our army advanced forward before the Rokuren army could reform itself, and we secured several important bases in succession. Thus, the Kingdom of Rokuren quickly surrendered.” Gouki spoke about the situation back then with a pleasant expression. 

As Rokuren was the one that surrendered, they entered the status of being a defeated kingdom. Rather than a peace treaty, Karasuki was able to set advantageous conditions for itself as the victorious kingdom. With so many of those conditions one-sidedly forced upon the other side, Karasuki prospered. The citizens’ discontent was dispersed in no time. 

“However, while the result may have been an overwhelming victory, the fact was, we had crossed a dangerous bridge. The events that led up to the start of the war were filled with deception and lies, and if we warriors had made any errors, the war could have gone in their favor. More than anything, the fact that His Majesty had ordered Zen and Princess Ayame to flee was simply too damaging. The two of them were officially treated as felons for willingly running away together and causing the start of the war.” 

And so, the two of them lost their place in the Yagumo region. At the same time, the social barrier between Zen and Ayame had also been removed. It was ironic. 

“At the time, His Majesty was aware that Princess Ayame had fallen for Zen, and that Zen felt the same way toward Princess Ayame. However, there was no way for the two to be together if Zen remained as Princess Ayame’s bodyguard. While they may have been able to shoot down the Rokuren prince’s demands for a new plaything, she would inevitably end up in a political marriage with an undesirable partner. And so, His Majesty decided he would rather entrust her to Zen instead. As a result, His Majesty has always been plagued with apprehension over whether or not that was the correct choice...” 

After the war, the king of Karasuki had sent out a wanted list to neighboring kingdoms with Zen and Ayame’s names on it. Furthermore, to completely hide the truth, he placed a gag order on the few who were in on the situation. Only Yuba was informed because of her status as Zen’s mother, but she too was forbidden to speak. That was why she was unable to tell Rio the truth. 

“We have lingering regrets, too. Kayoko and I have always blamed ourselves for being unable to accompany Princess Ayame...” Gouki said with a shameful expression. 

Gouki and Kayoko were already married at the time, and Kayoko was carrying Hayate in her stomach. It simply wasn’t feasible for her to endure the harsh life of being on the run while pregnant. 

Furthermore, by having Gouki and Kayoko remain, the circumstances would make Zen and Ayame’s elopement seem much more authentic. 

And yet, the two of them were Ayame’s bodyguards. Of course, they did not regret giving birth to Hayate, but the question of whether they should have forced themselves to go along with Ayame had always lingered in the air. 

“But then, just the other day, I received a letter from Lady Yuba that informed me of Sir Rio’s presence, and that he had come from a far away land in search of clues about his parents.” 

If the news had come from anyone else, Gouki might not have believed them, but the one who had relayed the information was Rio’s grandmother; her words had a much higher level of authenticity. That was why Gouki had brought Kayoko along to seek a decision from the king. He had given them the responsibility of revealing the truth if Rio was truly Ayame’s son. 

“I was overcome with emotion the moment I laid my eyes upon you, Sir Rio. The traces of Princess Ayame and Zen are most pronounced in your features. That was how I was certain — there was no mistake of you being Princess Ayame’s son.” 

Rio personally felt it was a little hasty of him to think that way, but perhaps it simply meant that he was that similar to Ayame. Zen, too. He couldn’t remember Zen’s face, but even when he tried to look back on his childhood, there were memories of Ayame’s face he still couldn’t quite put together. 

“His Majesty the king and Her Highness the queen — in other words, Princess Ayame’s parents — wish to meet with you. Sir Rio, would you please consider traveling to the capital with me?” 

“The two of them... want to meet me...” 

The other party were the people who should be Rio’s grandmother and grandfather, but it honestly didn’t feel quite real — he didn’t even know their faces, after all. But, since they were Ayame’s parents, he did feel the desire to meet them himself. 

And anyway, he didn’t think they would back down so easily if he rejected them now. 

Rio took a deep breath to calm himself. “I understand,” he agreed in a slightly stiff voice. 

A smile of relief lit up on Gouki’s face. “Thank you very much for your acceptance. I apologize profusely for the short notice, but I am hoping to depart from this village early tomorrow morning. We will guarantee your safety on the journey.” 

And so, Rio headed toward the capital once more. 

Several days after Rio departed from the village, he visited the royal castle of the Karasuki Kingdom. By accompanying Gouki and Kayoko, he was able pass through the entrance without being questioned, and was then led to a particular room. There, an older middle-aged couple were waiting: they were the king, Karasuki Homura, and the queen, Karasuki Shizuku. 

“O-Ooh, you must be Rio... Indeed, I can see traces of Ayame,” Homura said in a shaking voice as he staggered to his feet, eyes fixed on Rio’s face. Meanwhile, Shizuku was staring at Rio’s face with overwhelmed emotion. 

His Majesty, King Homura, and Her Highness, Queen Shizuku... The queen really looks just like mom. 

Rio stared back at the two of them in a daze. They left a much more friendly impression than he had been expecting, having been imagining what kind of people they were up until that moment. 

“...It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty, King Homura, and Your Highness, Queen Shizuku. My name is Rio. I am extremely delighted to be granted an audience with your countenance on this occasion,” Rio introduced himself courteously after they stared at each other for a few seconds. Then, Homura gave a strained laugh. 

“I am simply meeting my adorable grandchild. There is no need for that manner of etiquette and speech, and no need to be so uptight.” 

“That is correct. You are our grandson.” 

The royal couple spoke with a hint of mellow reservation. 

“With your pardon, then... I’ll do my best.” Rio nodded awkwardly. 

“It looks like we’ll need to deepen our familial relations first. We both seem to be bewildered. Let us exchange words regarding that first, shall we?” 

“Yes, there’s so much that I wish to tell you, and so much that I’d like to ask. Although our time is limited, let us chat to our hearts content.” 

Homura’s lips curled up at the mouth as Shizuku smiled elegantly. “Now, shall we sit down first?” 

“Yes, excuse me.” Rio took a seat. 

“Oh, Rio. I’m so glad to meet you. You really are identical to Ayame,” Shizuku said in a clearly animated way. Her gaze was fixed on Rio’s face as she took in all his features and the aura that were similar to Ayame’s. 

“I personally feel that you are identical to my mother...” Rio confessed shyly. 

“Oh, really?” Shizuku tilted her head curiously. 

“Yes. If my mother was here right now, I’d mistake you for her sister.” 

“Oh? Oh my. Dear me, how embarrassing... Even though I’m already a grandma.” Shizuku’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment. 

Though she was being humble, her appearance was truly youthful. As Ayame’s mother, she should have been upper-middle age, yet she could pass off as someone at the prime of their life. 

After that, they fumbled their way through a conversation together, closing the distance between them. Shizuku’s range of expressions was vibrant, and she easily burst into laughter at Rio’s stories. 

Then, after they had talked for several minutes... 

“Shizuku... I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve seen you laugh in such a carefree way,” Homura said, seeing the elegant smile blooming on Shizuku’s face. 

“Oh my, don’t say that. That would mean I’ve been smiling in a fake way this entire time,” Shizuku said with a cute pout. 

“Oh no, my dear. Forgive me — that was not my intention,” Homura apologized in a hurry. 

At that, Shizuku smiled happily. “You seem to be having more fun than usual too, King Homura,” she said. 

“That... is probably because Rio is here.” 

“Yes, indeed.” 

Homura and Shizuku shared a smile with each other, then nonchalantly exchanged a look with a small nod. 

“Hey, Rio. Would you like to tell us about Ayame and Zen?” Shizuku suddenly asked. 

They had been talking in order to deepen their relationship until now, but the intention of this question was clearly different. Homura and Shizuku wanted to know about the aftermath of what had happened to the two they chased out of their kingdom. It wasn’t simply a question asked out of curiosity. 

“...To begin with the conclusion, both of them have passed away already,” Rio said in a slightly subdued tone. 

“...We have been informed of that already. However...” 

“We’d like to know more, like the reason why they died, or how they lived.” Shizuku hesitated to say her words, so Homura voiced her question out loud resolutely. Their eyes were locked onto Rio’s with certainty. 

“...My father passed away while I was too young to remember anything, so I’m afraid I only have memories of my time with my mother. If that is all right with you...” 

“Is that so... Then, could you tell us about what about your life that you remember?” 

“...I understand.” 

Rio took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Then, he began to speak about his father’s death in the way that it had been conveyed to him by his mother, as well as his memories with Ayame. The details were mostly similar to what he had told Yuba before — that Zen was working as an adventurer who one day messed up on the job and died, leaving Rio and Ayame to live alone until Rio turned five years old. 

“My mother was a kind person who was always smiling. That’s why I thought it was natural for it just to be the two of us when I was a child. She had never once shown me any sadness over my father’s death,” Rio said with regard to Ayame’s personality. 

“We were, by no means, wealthy in the least. But while he was alive, my father had earned a lot of money for us, so we were able to get by without a need for my mother to work. Our neighbors would look at us with prejudice just for having different colored hair, but those days were filled with happiness. However, my life with my mother didn’t last for very long. When I was five years old, my mother... She passed away.” Unable to determine how far he should talk, Rio hesitated to continue. 

“When you were five... How did you live from that point onward, then?” Shizuku asked fearfully. 

Rio had braced himself in case they inquired after the reason of his mother’s death, so he relaxed in relief. Apparently the fact he had lost both his parents by the age of five had a much stronger impact. 

“...I became an orphan in the poorer part of town.” Rio said casually, with a hint of a bitter smile mixed in. 

“Oh...” Shizuku looked like she would start crying at any moment. Homura had his eyes closed as he clenched his fists tightly. 

“But I was only an orphan until the age of seven.” Rio said with a small shrug. 

“Is that so... How did you live after the age of seven?” Homura asked. 

“I saved an important person of the kingdom by chance, and was granted enrollment into an education institute managed by the kingdom as a reward.” 

“Oh? An educational institute... We have such institutions in this kingdom too, but only court nobles and certain military families are permitted entry. Was it different in that kingdom?” 

“No, there was no difference. Everyone around me was what you would call a court noble or royalty in this kingdom.” 

“...Then you must have suffered greatly.” Homura immediately guessed that Rio had been subjected to much discrimination based on his social status. 

“No, it is true that the hostility toward me was high, but there was someone there who treated me kindly, too. Thanks to them, I can proudly say my days there were fun,” Rio said with a gentle smile. It was all thanks to Celia. 

But that wasn’t enough to appease Homura and Shizuku’s emotions, as they continued to avoid eye contact with him. Gouki and Kayoko, who had been listening silently from the side, also had expressions of pain on their faces. 

“From there, I attended the academy until I was twelve years old, before departing for this land.” 

“I had heard there were kingdoms far to the west, but... you did well making it here unharmed. Thanks to that, we were able to meet you.” Homura lowered his head deeply in an excessive show of gratitude toward Rio. Knowing that the king wasn’t in a position where he should be easily lowering his head to others, Homura’s gratitude resounded greatly within Rio. 

“When I was young, my mother would tell me a lot about you. And she promised me that she would someday take me to this land. She wasn’t able to fulfill that promise, but I have always wanted to travel here. At the very least, I wanted to make a grave for them in their home town.” 

“Ayame promised such a thing to you...” Homura bit down on his lip. He was filled with a mixture of happiness, regret, and shame. 

The sound of Shizuku’s sobbing cries echoed through the room as Homura closed his eyes and fell silent. The silence continued for a while. 

Then, after some time, Homura took a deep breath and inquired after the one thing that Rio wanted to be asked the least. “...Rio. Would you tell us how Ayame died?” 

“...I must warn you, it may be difficult to hear. Do you still wish to know anyway?” Rio asked, questioning the amount of resolution behind Homura and the others. The story would most certainly be sickening to hear. 

“We must know what happened... What happened in her last moments. And, if need be...” 

We will blame ourselves — Homura’s face darkened with that implication. 

“I’m sorry... I know it must be cruel to ask you to speak the truth, but we simply cannot bear remaining in the dark,” Shizuku agreed, not lifting her head. 

The two of them spoke in a calm tone filled with their strong determination and will. 

“Is that so...” Rio closed his eyes as though waffling over something, before he took a deep breath. 

“My mother... was killed. Right before my eyes,” he said bluntly. 

“...” While they expected it to some extent, Homura and the others were still visibly shocked. 

“The person who killed my mother was a man named Lucius.” 

Rio paid them no mind as he started to recall what had happened at the time. That was what they had wished for, after all. 

For the five years after Zen’s death, Ayame rented a modest house in the capital of the kingdom of Beltrum and had raised Rio there. Fortunately, there was enough money saved to allow her to raise Rio alone as long as they didn’t spend extravagantly. However, the burden on her was greater than expected, and she couldn’t even afford to take her eyes away from Rio for just a moment to do a little shopping. During times like that, an adventurer named Lucius would help out Ayame. Ayame was acquaintances with Lucius back from when Zen was still alive. 

Back then, Ayame had retired from adventuring when she became pregnant with Rio. Zen had continued in the adventuring industry alone for a while, but ever since one day in particular, he had started to complete missions together with Lucius. 

Zen had the skills, but he was still a foreigner in a strange land. Lucius had called out to him while he was still getting used to the kingdom, and looked after him in various ways. Because of that, Zen brought Lucius home and introduced him to Ayame. That was how Ayame first came into contact with him. 

Then, when Zen died shortly after Rio was born, Lucius supported Ayame in myriad ways as she devoted herself to raising her child. For instance, he went shopping on Ayame’s behalf, visited with gifts in tow, or played with the young Rio. 

At the time, neither Ayame nor Rio doubted that Lucius was a friendly and kind person; since he was an adventurer, his eyes were sharp, and there was some form of intensity behind him. However, his facial features were refined, and his personality was considerate and sociable, like a gentleman’s. 

It had all been an act. 

One day, while Ayame had gone out on an errand in the neighborhood, she told Rio: “I’ll be back soon, so don’t leave the house if someone you don’t know comes.” Then, she had left her five-year-old son at home alone. 

Immediately after Ayame left, Lucius visited the house. Rio had followed Ayame’s words at first and pretended like no one was home. 

“Rio — you’re there, aren’t you? It’s me, Lucius. I met Ayame out there and she told me to come look after you. Could you open the door for me?” a voice said from the other side of the door. Once he realized it was Lucius, Rio immediately opened the door. Rio knew Lucius very well, so he trusted him fully. 

However, Lucius had done a complete 180 into a cruel and cold-hearted person. 

“Gah...” Lucius walked into the house and kicked Rio in the abdomen. 

The sudden impact to his stomach sent Rio’s small body flying; he had seen a glimpse of Lucius’ foot making contact with his stomach, but he couldn’t understand why Lucius would do such a thing. 

“Wh...y...?” Rio rolled on the floor, wheezing. 

“Hahaha. Listen up, Rio. In this world, sometimes there are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They love to betray people’s trust and spread malice. Demons like me love that more than anything. They’d even pretend to be good people to do it. That’s why you shouldn’t trust people so easily, you know?” 

Lucius grabbed Rio’s head and peered at his face. “Now you’ve grown one wiser,” he added, and curled his lips in a joyful grin. A glint of madness could be seen in his eyes. 

“Do you know what a demon’s favorite thing is, Rio?” 

“...” Rio watched with fearful eyes, his head still clutched in Lucius’ grip. 

“Demons... When they see things people find precious or beautiful, they want to break them and ruin them to the point of no return. The face of a human betrayed by someone they greatly trusted is especially delicious.” Lucius chatted away talkatively, but Rio couldn’t understand his words at all. 

“But... You know, at your young age, you wouldn’t get what I’m saying anyway, would you? That’s why it isn’t as rewarding destroying brats like you, and I don’t really like it,” he said with a sigh. 

“I can really spice things up with you, though. With Ayame — who treasures you more than anything — as the main dish.” 

Again, Rio was unable to understand anything that Lucius was saying. All he knew was that he was afraid of the man. But it wasn’t just fear — faint buds of hatred were also trying to bloom within his chest. It caused Rio to glare at Lucius with an indescribable feeling. 

“...Oh? So you can make a good expression, too.” Lucius’ eyes widened with interest as he chuckled with a grin. He kicked Rio’s prone form and rolled him face-up, before stepping on his stomach and pressing him into the floor. 

“Guh...” A cry of pain left Rio’s mouth. 

“Well, having you wailing and crying would just be a killjoy. Let’s silence you before Ayame gets home, shall we? Don’t worry, it won’t hurt. It’s just a little drug... One that paralyzes your body and makes your mind gradually grow hazy. If Ayame gets home early, you may even be awake to see her for the last act.” 

Lucius grabbed Rio by the hair and lifted his face, then reached into his pocket and took out a small metal bottle that he thrust into Rio’s mouth. Unable to spit it out, Rio swallowed the unknown substance. Immediately after that, a burning heat seared within his stomach, and gnawed away at his body bit by bit. His breathing grew shallow, and he couldn’t find strength in his limbs. 

That was when the door opened. It swung open a little faster than usual, most likely because of how it was unlocked. 

It was Ayame. 

“Welcome home, Ayame! You’re early,” Lucius called out to her casually, with Rio still underfoot. Rio was panting in pain, face flushed with a fever. 

“W-What are you doing, Lucius?!” Ayame froze where she stood in a daze, managing to speak in a high-pitched voice once she processed the situation. 

“Haha. Isn’t it obvious...?” Lucius smiled in delight as he spoke to Ayame. 

At this point, Rio’s consciousness had already faded, and he couldn’t make out the words they exchanged. A fog had fallen over his vision, but he still had some vague sense of awareness left. He remained in that state for so long, it felt like it would never end. The only thing that was carved vividly into his memory was the hazy sight of Lucius abusing Ayame. 

At the very end, however, Rio had the vague feeling Ayame had hugged him. While he couldn’t be certain whether it was a dream or reality, Ayame had smiled at him gently with tears in her eyes. 

It had most likely been real. That’s what he wanted to believe. 

But, behind Ayame, Lucius was standing with his sword in hand. He made eye contact with Rio and curled his lips in a repulsive grin. 

That was the last thing Rio remembered. When he awakened, Rio had been thrown into a back alleyway of the capital. His clothes were stained with someone’s blood splatter, but Rio refused to accept reality and wandered around the capital in a daze, searching for his house. He had no idea how long he walked for, but Rio eventually found the plain old house they had been renting. However, the door to the house had been locked shut. 

Rio found a neighbor he recognized somewhat and asked them for his mother’s whereabouts, the neighbor was disgusted by him, and told him that she was dead. The house was a vacant house, now. 

After that, Rio lived on the streets of the slums for the two years until he enrolled into the Royal Academy, all while carrying a hatred toward Lucius in his chest the entire time. 

“...And that’s what happened,” Rio declared with a frown. 

With that, he had revealed his entire dark past — one that he had never told anyone else before. Everyone in the room — Homura, Shizuku, Gouki, and Kayoko — was trembling. The budding emotions in their chests may have been anger, or sorrow, or perhaps something else. Rio stared back at Homura and the others with a little bit of regret, wondering if he really should have told them the truth. 

“Rio, you must bear so much resentment toward us, for causing Ayame to suffer such a thing...” Homura murmured softly in a voice that suppressed his emotions. 

“I do resent you—” Rio said bluntly, without a hint of hesitation. 

“...” Homura and the others shook greatly. They had been prepared to be cursed, but Rio’s frank words stabbed them deep in their hearts. 

“—is what someone else might say if they had been in the same situation as me. However, I do not feel any particular resentment toward you,” Rio added with a bitter smile. 

Homura and the others stared at Rio with dumbfounded expressions. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you like that. But... everyone is greatly misunderstanding something, here. Please don’t feel any misplaced guilt, or think of yourselves as the wrong-doers.” 

“...Why do you say that?” Homura asked in a hoarse voice. 

“I was raised lovingly by my mother, and watched her from the closest perspective possible. That’s why I know: my mother did not hate you. If anything, I believe she felt grateful for being able to marry my father. That’s why it wouldn’t be right for me to hate you,” Rio said, his features breaking down at the memories he recalled of his mother. 

“Is that, so...” Homura and the others trembled once more, hanging their heads low. They couldn’t bear the feelings of remorse and embarrassment. 

Misplaced guilt, thinking of themselves as the wrong-doers... Rio’s words were right on the mark. What Rio had said just now stabbed them deeper in the heart than when he had said he resented them. They realized exactly how helpless they were. 

“But, Rio. Allow me to ask one thing: what do you think of this Lucius, the man who killed Ayame? Can you forgive him?” 

“No. I can’t forgive him, most likely, ever. Just recently, I realized there were things in this world that are absolutely unforgivable.” Rio shook his head as he suppressed his emotions. 

“Then, do you seek revenge?” 

“I’m not considering living only for the sake of revenge, since I don’t know where he is, or if he’s even alive. However, if I do meet that man someday, then with these hands I will...” 

“...I see. I am a king, after all; I have seen countless repulsive humans up until this point. That is why I can understand the emotions that you carry, and will not deny them. But, if you are to pursue the road to vengeance, there is one thing I must tell you first,” Homura said, narrowing his eyes as though to see through Rio’s determination. 

“What is it?” Rio took on Homura’s gaze head-on. 

“Vengeance is not justice. The dead may not wish for revenge, and vengeance will only give birth to new vengeance. Consequently, the road to vengeance only leads to hell. Even if you want to turn back, you won’t be able to. You understand that, right?” 

“Yes, I am aware.” 

“You can still turn back right now. Will you still kill him, knowing that?” 

“...Yes, that is what I have decided. I will no longer avert my eyes from reality. From people’s malice, from my own weaknesses. That is why I am willing to dirty these hands if necessary.” Rio asserted his own will plainly, with a determined expression. 

Homura looked into Rio’s eyes carefully; his caramel-colored eyes showed no signs of delusion or madness. They were the eyes of someone who knew that there was no such thing as absolute morals in this world, yet had chosen to stick by their own morals anyway. That was why he wasn’t about to resort to any means possible for his vengeance, and he wouldn’t incur anyone else’s enmity for his own selfish reason. 

Homura sighed with resignation. 

“...Is that so. In that case, I will not stop you from seeking vengeance.” 

If Rio had lost sight of his way, Homura would have imparted words, as his grandfather, to lead him back to a less painful road. However, there was no point in doing that to Rio as he was right now. From his experience as a king that had lived a long life, Homura could understand that human emotions weren’t so fragile that they could be washed away with a few idealistic words. 

“...However, as your grandfather, I wish to know whether you have the strength to carry out that will of yours. Would you consider facing off with Gouki?” 

“...You wish for me to spar with Lord Gouki?” Rio’s eyes widened, and he tilted his head at Homura’s sudden proposal. 

“Forgive me — I have bewildered you with my sudden insolence. It is simply the meddlesome actions of the elderly...” 

“No, I just haven’t completely grasped the point of such an action...” 

“It’s about Lucius. From what you told us just now, he sounds quite skilled. With a personality as repulsive as his, I wouldn’t doubt that Zen’s death could also be attributed to him. Wouldn’t you agree?” 

“...Yes. I have considered it as a possibility.” 

“That being said, I knew Zen very well. At the very least, he wasn’t the type you could easily gain the upper hand on in a fight. Isn’t that right, Gouki?” Homura said, looking at him. 

Gouki nodded silently, before offering his own opinion on the matter. “Yes, most sneak attacks wouldn’t be able to phase a man like him. If that foul man truly took out Zen with his own hands, then reluctant as I am to admit it, I believe he must be quite powerful.” 

“That’s how it is. You must be at least Zen’s strength or greater if you ever wish to confront Lucius. And, even if he didn’t kill Zen, strength is invaluable for a journey like yours, is it not?” Homura asked. 

“Yes,” Rio said, nodding. 

“In that regard, Gouki was once evenly matched with Zen, and now has many years of military experience under his belt. He is a veteran warrior unmatched not only in this kingdom, but the neighboring kingdoms as well. There is no one in this kingdom stronger than this man that could test your true abilities. How about it — would you like to spar with him?” 

In other words, Homura wanted to train Rio. 

On the battlefield, he held the nickname of the “Fierce God Gouki” — the number of strong opponents he had slayed was immeasurable. Under Gouki, his grandchild would be able to gain valuable experience, Homura thought. Behind his words was a glimpse into the utmost faith he had in Gouki. 

“I wouldn’t dare to dream of such a thing. If he would be so kind as to teach me, then I gladly accept.” Rio nodded with a bold smile. 

“Is that so? Then may I leave Rio to you, Gouki?” Homura asked of him. 

“Of course. Accepting this duty would be my honor.” Gouki nodded with plenty of emotion behind the action. 

“Then, I shall leave it to you. ...Now, Rio. Forgive me, but I have come here today using the time between my official duties. We will have to wrap things up for now. Please, make yourself at home under the care of Gouki’s residence. Don’t forget to spar with him.” 

Considering Ayame’s past, Rio’s identity wasn’t to be revealed under any circumstances, so no one was to know of this secret meeting. If the meeting had continued for too long, the unused time in their schedules might be questioned by the retainers, so they had reached their time limit. 

Thus, the meeting moved to wrap itself up for the day. 

“Rio, could you come here for a moment?” Shizuku stood up and suddenly called out to him. “...Yes, of course.” Rio nodded, hesitantly approaching Shizuku. She gently hugged him. 

“You grew up so wonderfully, all by yourself. Well done making it this far. Thank you so much.” Burying her face in Rio’s larger body, Shizuku was moved to tears. 

Rio had stiffened faintly at suddenly being hugged out of the blue, but he soon melted under Shizuku’s warmth. It somehow reminded him of Ayame. 

“No... I’m the one who is happy to be able to meet the two of you.” Rio timidly hugged Shizuku back. 

“Yes...” With a fleeting smile, Shizuku looked up at Rio’s face from up close. 

The expression Rio could see on Shizuku’s face from a distance wasn’t one of royalty, but a loving grandmother instead, though her outward appearance was slightly young for a grandmother. Homura gazed at the two of them with an expression filled with familial love. 

“Now, let us go, Shizuku.” 

“All right...” At Homura’s prompt, Shizuku reluctantly left the room. 

“If you’d please, Sir Rio — Allow me to lead the way.” Once the king and queen had exited, Gouki spoke up quietly. 

“Yes, please do.” 

After the meeting, Rio left the royal castle and moved to the Saga estate. 

The Saga family residence was located in a military town close to the heart of the capital, where the streets were quiet and a serene atmosphere hung in the air. Every residence in the area was enclosed within walls, but there wasn’t much greenery for shelter, so the sturdy but wonderful mansions were neatly lined. 

“It’s this way.” 

As for the Saga residence, even amongst the other military town buildings, the mansion was particularly splendid. The materials used were wood and mortar, with some sections painted a crimson red. Rio passed through the gate of the estate as he admired its appearance. When the two guiding him entered the garden, the voice of a young girl echoed. 

“Father! Mother! Welcome home!” 

A cute little girl around ten years of age appeared. She wore a martial arts uniform and hakama, with a single wooden sword clutched in her hand. Her eyes were like beautiful gemstones, her facial features were defined, and her white skin was smooth like porcelain. Each feature was of the finest quality, making her the picture of innocence. Furthermore, her jet-black, silk-like hair reached down her back, rubbing against her clothes to play a beautiful tune. 

...Hm? 

Rio froze midstep when he saw the girl. He felt like he had seen the girl somewhere before... And very recently, at that. 

A woman appeared behind the girl. 

“My Lord, My Lady... Welcome home. Is that person to be a gues—” The woman gave a respectful greeting when she saw Rio’s face and stiffened on the spot. 

When Rio saw the woman’s face, his sense of deja vu suddenly made sense. The two that had appeared were the people he had encountered walking through the capital just the other day: the girl who had almost been kidnapped, and her bodyguard. He was taken aback by the completely unexpected twist of fate to see them here. 

“How disrespectful, Aoi!” Gouki scolded the woman who had froze at the sight of Rio. 

“P-Please forgive me!” Aoi paled and quickly bowed her head. 

“...My Lord, there must be some kind of reason for this. Aoi, speak your mind.” Kayoko sought an explanation from her, quickly picking up on the reactions that Rio and Aoi had. She suspected that they had possibly been previously acquainted. 

“U-Umm, that person there is the one who saved Lady Komomo,” Aoi disclosed the reason nervously. 

“Saved me?” Komomo, the aforementioned girl, tilted her head curiously. That being said, it was understandable that she couldn’t recall anything, since she had been unconscious for the duration of the kidnapping incident. 

“The other day, I ran into that girl over there being attacked by some ruffians...” Rio confessed somewhat guiltily. 

“O-Ooh?! Is that so! What a tremendous coincidence!” Gouki’s eyes widened when he understood. 

“At the time, I chose to make an exit before things became too troublesome, so it’s only natural for her to be surprised. Please, don’t scold her,” Rio said to help out Aoi. 

“H-Hmm. If that’s how it is, then... we are thankful beyond measure, and are forever in your debt. Aoi, offer your gratitude, too.” Gouki glared at Aoi, who lowered her head at Rio. 

“I-I’m so very sorry for the rudeness I showed earlier! I’d like to offer my utmost gratitude for your generous consideration. Thank you very much!” Aoi expressed her apologies and gratitude with a near-excessive amount of courtesy. Judging by the way Gouki interacted with Rio, she had guessed he was a fairly high-ranking person that was to be respected. 

“N-No, it’s fine... I didn’t do anything special, after all.” Rio shook his head with a strained smile. 

For some reason, he always felt extremely uncomfortable when people treated him with an excessive amount of respect. He slumped his shoulders a little, resigning himself to being worn out by this type of treatment during his stay. 

“Umm... If I may?” Komomo approached Rio timidly. 

“Hm? What is it?” 

“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Saga Komomo — thank you very much for saving me from those ruffians the other day,” Komomo said politely, bowing her head at Rio. 

“Thank you for the courtesy. My name is Rio. Were you hurt at all from that?” Rio replied with a faint smile. 

“No. Thanks to you, I’m the picture perfect of health!” Komomo laughed innocently with a fist pump. 

“That’s great to hear.” 

“Lord... Rio, thank you very much for saving my daughter. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart as well.” 

The brief pause after the “Lord” title was probably due to the resistance Gouki had within himself. They had decided on the way here that Rio would be treated as a regular guest during his stay in the mansion, but putting that into practice was easier said than done. Gouki and Kayoko’s attitude toward Rio thus far had been more like that of a most valued guest, rather than a regular guest. 

“It was nothing. You have a very cute daughter.” 

“I am honored by the compliment. ...If I may ask, Lord Rio. What would you like to do about the sparring match? Preparations can be made right away, if you so wish.” Gouki happily thanked Rio, before he moved to gauge Rio’s interest in the match. 

“That’s right. Then... May I ask you to make the preparations now?” Rio nodded with a huff of laughter. He was also quite eager for the fight. 

While he had had no lack of sparring partners during his time in the spirit folk village, he had mostly trained by himself since coming to the Yagumo region, so he was quite hungry for a mock battle with someone that was actually powerful. 

“Father, will you be having a contest?!” Komomo’s expression brightened dramatically at the mention of a sparring match. 

“Indeed, a contest it is. Is Hayate in the training grounds?” 

“Yes! I was training there myself just a few moments ago.” 

“I see. Then, you may come along and observe too. There will certainly be something to gain today. Now, Lord Rio — please follow me. This is the way to the training grounds.” 

Thus, Rio, Gouki, Kayoko, Komomo, and Aoi all made their way to the training grounds. 

The party arrived at the grounds to the sight of Hayate silently swinging his wooden sword. The training grounds were outdoors, boasting a rather wide area of land. At the corner of the area was a dojo-like building. 

Hayate spotted Gouki and Kayoko and beamed brightly. “Ooh. Father, mother, welcome ho— Wait, Lord Rio?!” When he noticed Rio behind them, he let out a much more frantic voice. 

“Good day, Lord Hayate. I’d say long time no see, but it hasn’t been that long.” Rio greeted him in lieu of their reunion, smiling wryly at his reaction. 

“I-Indeed. But why are you here, Lord Rio?” 

“Lord Rio will be staying at our house as a guest. We will now have a sparring match together, so you should observe, too. Prepare the wooden swords.” Gouki dismissed Hayate’s bewilderment with a detached explanation. 

“Y-Yes, sir!” Hayate agreed in a panic and went to fetch the wooden swords for use in a mock battle. After that, the rest of the preparations were completed in the blink of an eye, and Rio and Gouki each took a wooden sword in hand as they faced each other at the center of the training grounds. 

Kayoko, who would act as the referee, approached the two of them. 

“In our kingdom, it is custom before a sparring match for warriors to determine the level of danger, from that of a real combat situation, to something less so. What kind of agreement would you like to spar under?” she asked. 

“Lord Gouki, what would you like to do?” Rio inquired. 

“I shall leave it to you, Lord Rio.” Gouki yielded the decision to Rio. 

“In that case, I would like a sparring match that conforms to real combat.” Rio requested without hesitation. 

In response, Gouki lips curled into a smile he couldn’t hold back. Kayoko’s expression also twitched with a faint smile. 

Meanwhile, Hayate had a strangely troubled look on his face, while Komomo was gazing at Rio with admiration in her eyes. In Aoi’s case, she was watching Rio with anxiety and concern. 

They each had a visibly different expression. 

“...I understand. Then to put it bluntly, anything short of killing is allowed. We can heal a decent amount of injuries with spirit arts, so please don’t hold yourself back. Is that all right?” Kayoko looked at Rio to check. 

“I have no objections,” Rio assented with no sign of fear. 

“Then, both parties — distance yourselves and take your stances.” 

At Kayoko’s orders, Rio and Gouki walked an appropriate distance away, opposite each other. They familiarized themselves with the grip of the wooden swords and assumed their stances. 

“Begin!” 

Kayoko signaled the start of the sparring match. 

Immediately after, Rio moved forward as though he had teleported through space, closing the distance between him and Gouki in an instant and swinging his sword. 

“?!” 

Gouki was astonished by how Rio suddenly appeared before his eyes, but jumped forward without hesitation. He figured that if he tried to carelessly retreat, it would only make him fall more behind at the start of their sparring match. In an all or nothing move, he lowered his defensive stance and ran forward, evading Rio’s sword as he tried to slip into range of his opponent’s chest. 

Rio dropped to his knees at once and aimed a knee strike at Gouki’s stooped stance. However, once he realized the pommel of Gouki’s sword was being aimed at his knees, Rio immediately retreated. 

Both parties distanced themselves and regrouped, adjusting their stances as they examined each other. 

Hmm... I was practically unable to predict his movements. Perhaps it is due to the fact that he had to grow up so quickly, but he has amazing skill for such a young age. A cold sweat ran down Gouki’s spine as his mouth curved in a daring smile. 

Normally, for a human to move their body, they needed to put strength into their physique and allow for the accumulation of excess movements. However, when it came to experienced martial artists, they had the eyes to see through excess like that and take the upper hand. They also had the acquired technique to relax their own actions so as to not be seen through by their opponent. 

Through the short exchange just now, Gouki had ascertained that Rio was an experienced fighter. 

At that speed, I mustn’t let the distance between us widen tactlessly. Maintaining distance will only lead to me falling behind... And the moment I lose focus is the moment I will be hunted down... 

With that in mind, Gouki approached Rio as close as he could get. He figured that at this short distance, Rio wouldn’t be able to use his superhuman speed out of avoidance of a collision... and he wasn’t wrong. 

In the spirit folk village, Rio had learned during his studies of spirit arts to forcefully accelerate his body using wind spirit arts with no excess movements, as well as the ability to combine that with techniques to relax his movements and catch his opponent off guard. However, the drawback of this movement technique of his was that the acceleration was too fast and didn’t allow for maneuverability, meaning its use was limited when his opponent got too close. Because of that, he could only show his true power when fighting in wide fields where he could move freely. 

He’s closing the distance between us... I suppose that’s to be expected of one so experienced in battle. He’d probably crush me the moment I try to fall back and widen the distance again. If that’s the case... 

Rio admired how Gouki immediately counteracted his speed — as expected of the one they call the Fierce God, he thought. But in that next moment, he relaxed his strength and stepped into Gouki’s space. Gouki immediately reacted by swinging his sword, but Rio easily stopped the blow. Their respective wooden swords came into contact with ferocity, causing a shrill noise to echo throughout the training grounds. 

The two were suddenly right in each other’s space, exchanging blows too fast for the eye to follow. They were both attacking while concealing any signs of attack, and both seeing through the other. After the intense exchange of offensive and defensive moves continued for several moments, the two sword tips struck the ground as though crossing over. 

“How fearsome. To think you’d have such skills at such a young age... You have truly surpassed both Zen and I from back then. And, you have yet to reach your golden age in terms of both body and experience too...” Gouki stopped moving and grinned. 

“The only thing I never stopped doing was training.” 

“I’m beat...” Gouki said as he swung his wooden sword at Rio once more. However, Rio turned his body and cut into Gouki’s side, evading his slash as he let out his own attack. Gouki pulled his thrusted-out sword in immediately, stopping Rio’s blow. Their swords collided fiercely once again as the two of them pushed back at each other in their close-fought match. 

“...It sure doesn’t look that way.” 

“Fights that make my heart dance like this don’t happen too often. Having the opponent be Lord Rio on top of that makes it all the more invigorating.” 

As he spoke, Gouki languidly withdrew his body and immediately stepped forward with force, releasing three consecutive strikes faster than one could visibly detect. 

And yet, Rio handled those strikes deftly. 

Gouki had swung his sword for years — no, decades. His thrusts just now were packed with the fruits of his labor and abilities, which was why Rio thought that Gouki was unmistakably the strongest of all those he had fought up until now. As a human, his physical abilities might have been inferior to werebeasts and dwarves even when enhanced by spirit arts, but his battle techniques far surpassed them. 

“Zen was a man with an innate talent for the arts of battle, but I see that talent has been inherited by you quite thoroughly. No, you may even have more than he did,” Gouki said, launching a two-thrust strike that was even sharper than the earlier three consecutive strikes. 

Rio aimed for the timing of when the second thrust was fully extended to repel Gouki’s sword, making Gouki lose his balance a bit. Rio used that chance to attack, aiming a roundhouse kick to his torso. Gouki tried to immediately guard himself with his left arm, but his entire body was sent flying. 

Kuh, using both swordcraft and martial arts together... Splendid. The damage Gouki received was by no means light, but his expression was cheerful. 

Hayate and Aoi watched the sight of Gouki being blown away in dumbfounded silence. Even the calm Kayoko widened her eyes by a fraction. 

Komomo was the only one with sparkling eyes; filled with reverence and adoration, as to not miss a single moment of such a high-order battle unfolding before her. 

Gouki used the momentum of being kicked to unthinkingly widen his distance between himself and Rio. However, Rio moved like the wind, and closed in on Gouki in an instant. 

With no other choice, Gouki responded to Rio’s challenge. He barely managed to deal with Rio’s consecutive attacks, clearly having gone on defense. 

“I can’t believe it... Father...” Hayate was aghast with the thought of Gouki losing. 

He couldn’t believe that Gouki, who had been undefeated until now, was seemingly on the losing side. And to a boy younger than himself, no less. Nevertheless, that was what was unfolding before his eyes. Gouki had yet to make a single telling blow against Rio, while Rio had already made several against Gouki. 

No... If they had been using real swords instead, Gouki would have already been rendered incapacitated. 

Against Gouki’s fighting style, which was focused on his sword, Rio used an ever-changing mix of swordcraft and martial arts as his. On top of making his opponent aware of their sword-focused style, he launched nasty, agonizing attacks without warning. 

Gouki was only blocking the fatal blows with his skill and experience, letting a few good attacks land in between. Gouki’s legs were trembling faintly; it was evidence of the accumulated damage. However, he showed no sign of faltering. He endured it through sheer will and fighting spirit, unwilling to let such a wonderful match end so easily. 

“Hahaha! How thrilling it is indeed!” Gouki yelled with a brazen smile. Then, he purposefully widened the distance with Rio, whose speed surpassed his own, and smoothly braced his sword without hesitation. 

Essence is converging around his sword... 

Rio immediately noticed that Gouki was trying to use some kind of skill. He could charge forward and close the distance, but that would be a risky move when he didn’t know what skill his opponent was using. 

“F-Father, don’t tell me you’re using that...?!” Hayate yelled from the side of the training grounds. He seemed to have in mind what skill Gouki was about to unleash, as well as the power behind the skill, too. 

Rio showed no sign of fear, however. He raised his own essence as though to face the skill Gouki was about to release head on, and watched carefully. 

“Hidden Skill, First Blade, Air Slash!” 

Gouki swung his sword in a straight line, and a giant horizontal slash in the air came flying toward Rio. It was a wind blade that had been infused with essence through spirit arts. 

Unlike magic, spirit arts didn’t require a spell name to be chanted, so it wasn’t actually necessary to give each and every skill a name. However, as spirit arts were miraculous techniques that put one’s own will and imagination into the essence or ode to communicate with mana and bring about different phenomena, the rationality of skill names leading to enhanced will and imagination was real. It was all the more effective when it came to a swordsman as experienced as Gouki, who had found both his ideal stance and the strong spirit to swing his sword in a single decisive stroke through his daily training. 

In actuality, the blade of wind he had unleashed was extremely powerful. Against regular humans, it would have been able to tear through and mow down several people at once. 

Rio immediately detected the power behind the attack and gave up receiving it with his wooden sword. However, he made no move to evade it, deciding to accept the challenge directly. He manipulated the essence he had drawn from his body and gathered it in his right hand before swinging it like a scythe. Immediately after, a tsunami-like wall of water appeared before Rio’s eyes, crashing into the wind blade. 

An explosive sound echoed throughout the training grounds as wind and water scattered about the surroundings. 

“Gah, what in the world...?!” 

With his vision impaired by the spray, Gouki narrowed his eyes a bit. Rio used that opening to move around Gouki and cut into his side, thrusting his wooden sword right before his throat. 

“That’s enough! The victor of this match is Lord Rio,” Kayoko, the referee, said without a moment’s delay. 

“...I’ve lost.” Gouki let the strength drain from his body as he accepted his defeat. 

“Thank you very much.” Rio withdrew his sword with a bow. 

“My goodness. Creating such a large volume of water in an instant in an environment that doesn’t have moisture at all... I am in awe indeed. It seems Lord Rio has exceptional talent for spirit arts too.” Gouki praised Rio without restraint. 

“F-Father! Wasn’t that last attack too much?!” Hayate’s voice called out. He had been standing alongside Aoi in shock until now, but his thoughts had finally recovered enough to object to that last slash attack. 

“Lord Rio would have been able to handle it. I used that hidden skill only because I believed in him. He ended up fine, did he not?” Gouki shook his head with a wry smile, but Hayate refused to accept that. 

“You are only speaking in hindsight! If that had made direct contact, he would have died!” 

“Hayate. That is crude of you, you realize? There are some things that can only be understood by facing him like that. Personally, I knew that the attack would not reach him.” 

“I-It is true that Lord Rio boasts an abnormal strength...” 

“Lord Gouki only launched that skill because he believed I could deal with it.” Rio spoke up in support of Gouki with a strained smile. 

“B-But, Lord Rio...” 

“Perhaps it’d be a different matter if he had unleashed it to take me by surprise mid-battle, but it was launched from straight on as a direct challenge to me. Also, I was the one who desired a match on par with actual combat. I was more than prepared for the risks.” 

“That’s...” There weren’t many humans that could handle that attack, even if they knew it was coming. It wouldn’t be strange for most people to cower in fear simply from receiving Gouki’s vigor from straight on. And to see through that slashing attack and select a means of escape on top of that... Hayate definitely wouldn’t want to try it. 

But in reality, Rio didn’t seem fazed about receiving the attack, so Hayate couldn’t object any further. 

“That’s how it is, Hayate. Well, I thought he would avoid it if anything...” Gouki nodded with a triumphant expression, but he muttered the latter half of his words so faintly, they were barely audible. He glanced over at Kayoko and realized he was on the receiving end of a cold gaze. 

Well, perhaps I may have gotten a little too fired up, he thought to himself with a cold sweat. 

No matter how close to real combat their match may have been, it still wasn’t a good idea to launch a lethal attack against an opponent that was to be respected. Kayoko would definitely give him a light scolding about it later. 

“...However, that doesn’t change the fact that I used a dangerous skill. Lord Rio, please accept my apologies.” Gouki bowed his head deeply at Rio regretfully. 

“No, it’s fine. I was able to witness a magnificent skill.” Rio shook his head agreeably. It was a skill that had been launched only because they both sensed each other’s abilities and believed it wouldn’t hit. If anything, Rio found it to be an honor. 

“U-Umm!” Komomo’s voice suddenly interrupted them. Everyone present affixed their gazes on her. 

“Please spar with me too!” Her big eyes sparkled brightly as she challenged Rio to a match. 

“Erm...” The sudden request caught Rio unaware, putting him at a loss for words. 

“Hahaha! Komomo tends to be drawn toward strong people. She must be unable to contain herself after seeing Lord Rio’s fight just now.” Gouki laughed heartily as he commented on Komomo’s personality. 

“Yes! That fight just now was wonderful! I’ve never seen anyone defeat my father before!” Komomo agreed with an innocent smile. 

“So, please!” She said, bowing her head enthusiastically. 

“...Understood. That’s fine with me,” Rio agreed with a smile, impressed with Komomo’s earnest attitude. 

“Lord Rio, thank you for agreeing to my daughter’s request. ...Komomo. Lord Rio is a person far above yourself. Consider it an honor to be able to practice with one of such higher skill.” 

“Yes! Thank you very much!” 

Komomo nodded energetically, thanking Rio. 

“Then, first, allow me to clean up the water scattered everywhere.” 

Rio pulled all of the nearby water formed in puddles on the ground toward him, swirling it into a spiral. Then, he lightly moved his hand, and drove it away into a corner of the training grounds. It was over in mere seconds, but everyone other than Rio watched the sight unfold with wide eyes. 

“Producing such an amount of water instantly... Lord Rio must be quite an incredible practitioner of water spirit arts. I have never seen any water spirit arts this splendid in my many years of life,” Gouki said in surprise. 

“I wouldn’t go that far...” Rio shook his head, glossing over the topic. Based on the reactions of Gouki and the others, he figured his actions were of a slightly advanced grade. 

For the record, this level of spirit arts would have been a piece of cake for the high elf Orphia, and the other water spirit art users in the village would have been able to use it easily as well. But since the spirit folk had a much higher aptitude for spirit arts compared to humans, it was difficult to make a comparison to Rio. 

“Now, Miss Komomo. Shall we?” Rio headed to the center of the training grounds promptly, before he could be hounded with any troublesome questions. 

“Yes!” Komomo was rearing to face Rio, following after him in excitement. 

With that, everyone else’s attention was drawn to the match about to start. Komomo stood in the center of the training grounds with a gallant expression. She took a deep breath to calm herself, before bracing her wooden sword in both her hands, aimed right at eye level. Rio’s eyes widened in awe at how Komomo’s aura changed completely. 

The sparring match started soon after that. While there was a clear gap in their skills, the match developed in the form of Rio helping Komomo practice her skills. 

“That was a bad move. You should have widened the distance between us and regained your footing first.” Rio allowed Komomo to attack him, but whenever parts of her movements were poor, he took advantage of it aggressively and struck her where it hurt. 

There were multiple times where the match would have been decided under normal circumstances, but the sparring match continued until Komomo was satisfied with how much she had swung her sword. Thus, Komomo began to move while thinking about where she had gone wrong. 

“Hah, hah...” 

After they had exchanged enough blows, they sat on the ground and panted for breath. Komomo’s expression was extremely pleased; she had been able to gain experience she would never have been able to get normally when fighting her family, so she was filled with happiness from the bottom of her heart. The radiant sight of Rio made her feel as though she could reach higher and become stronger. Komomo could only look up at his face in fascination. 

The next day after the match with Gouki, Rio returned to the royal castle of the Karasuki Kingdom once again to secretly meet with Homura and Shizuku. 

“I’ve heard the news... So, you’ve bested Gouki, it seems. ‘Splendid’ is all I can say.” 

The first thing Homura said upon opening his mouth was high praise for Rio. He had heard of the result of the sparring match from Gouki before the secret meeting, but he had never imagined that Gouki, as someone famously known as the Fierce God, would lose. Homura had thought it was some kind of joke at first, but he knew that Gouki wasn’t the type of person to make jokes like that. 

It definitely took him a while to accept the truth, but Homura had managed to regain most of his composure in the time before the meeting. 

Meanwhile, Shizuku praised Rio with a dazzling smile. “You’re amazing, Rio. You even defeated Gouki!” 

Unlike Homura, whose commendation was mixed with bewilderment, Shizuku was genuinely happy for Rio’s victory. 

“Thank you very much.” Rio bowed his head bashfully. 

“I was thinking of having you train under Gouki for a while, but it seems my concern was uncalled for...” Homura said with a trace of sadness in his smile. 

He had intended to make Rio train under Gouki, after all. That way, it would have been inevitable for Rio to live in the capital and increase the frequency of their secret meetings... or so he had quietly hoped. Although he knew they had to refrain from excessive contact with Rio because of the various circumstances preventing them from revealing Rio’s identity, his desire to see Rio more was strong. 

Then, whether he knew Homura’s sentiments or not, Rio spoke. 

“No, I was able to gain valuable experience. There aren’t many opportunities to fight with someone like Lord Gouki. Thank you for your consideration.” Rio offered Homura words of honest gratitude. 

“Is that so. Then, that is most important... But, Rio. Just sometimes is enough. Until you depart from this land, would you come to this castle again and talk with us from time to time?” Homura asked. Shizuku watched Rio in anticipation of his answer. 

“That is... Of course. If that is all right with you.” On the receiving end of his grandparents warm gazes, Rio nodded timidly. 

“...I see. Thank you.” Homura said gratefully and bowed his head at Rio. 

“Please, there is no need to lower your head.” Rio tried to stop him in a fluster. 

“No... You are wasting your precious time going along with our selfish requests. We have caused nothing but trouble and hardship for you. When I think of it that way, it makes me feel most ashamed...” 

“That’s not the case. If I didn’t want to meet the two of you, I would have rejected your proposal to come here from the beginning. I have come here of my own free will,” Rio said bluntly in response to Homura’s pained words. 

Whether it was Yuba, Homura, or Shizuku, there was no doubt that they were all important people to Zen and Ayame. That was why Rio wanted to get along with them, too. He wanted to hear stories of his parents that he didn’t know. 

“Rio...” Shizuku muttered Rio’s name with great emotion. 

“Then, we must develop this relationship more...” Homura beamed. 

After that, Rio and his grandparents chatted about many things. The conversation topics focused around what they had in common: namely, charming stories of Zen and Ayame. Episodes concerning them seemed to be the most suitable compromise between the two parties. 

While the three of them continued their pleasant talk to their heart’s content, their time together was limited. Homura and Shizuku had duties to attend to on this day as well, and Rio had to return to the village tomorrow. Although they made a promise to meet again at a later date, all that had been decided was that Gouki would visit the village when the time was right, with no definitive date decided. Therefore, they didn’t know when they would meet again, so they had to say anything they wanted to say here and now. 

“There isn’t much time left, but is there anything else you wanted to hear?” Homura asked Rio. 

“...I have a cousin in the village I’m living in right now. Would I be permitted to reveal my heritage to that girl?” 

Of course, the cousin he was referring to was Ruri. As Rio considered Ruri another precious member of his family, he didn’t want to let her be the only one left out of the loop. 

“Hmm. If she can strictly adhere to confidentiality, then it wouldn’t be a problem. I shall trust your judgment in this.” Homura faintly made a show of consideration before readily allowing it. That was how much he trusted Rio. 

“Thank you very much,” Rio said with a grin.