Chapter 12: Recruitment II

“I’m listening.”

Amue Adulelia urged Kazahina – who stood opposite her in the front of the desk – to speak.

“The exam began two weeks ago,” replied Kazahina. “In accordance with previous years, the test is progressing without any notable disturbances.”

Amue felt slightly irritated at her subordinate’s off target explanation. “I know that. I want to hear about the young man.”

On the day before the exam, Amue had experienced a chance encounter with a young man named Shuou. The squadron he belonged to had accomplished something brilliant, returning home with all their accompanying commoners in a mere week. Hearing this, Amue had been surprised, but upon learning that Shuou belonged to this squadron, she’d felt something mysterious. Something akin to exhilaration. Something like the sense of superiority one experienced when the jockey they supported won a horse race.

“About that…” Kazahina trailed off, hesitating.

“Did you find information that you’re reluctant to share?”

“No. In fact, that might have been better. Despite using the Shadow Wolves, I found no information regarding his acquaintances, his origins, or his means of arrival in Murakumo. I only managed to discover the guild within the royal capital that referred him for work. Even there, I couldn’t find any significant information…”

A dark look on her face, Kazahina presented her mostly blank report.

“Hmm…” muttered Amue.

“My apologies. Based on the young man’s appearance, I suspected that he came from the north, especially because of his gray hair. Yet among the people who recently traveled to Murakumo from Tarfesta, there was no information of anyone matching his description.”

In Murakumo, the young man’s gray hair was a rarity. Nevertheless, many people in the northern countries – both nobles and commoners alike – had gray hair. Thus, it was only natural to suspect that he’d come from the north.

The Tarfesta Principality was something of a gateway connecting the north and east. Other roads did exist, but most people going to and from these directions traveled through Tarfesta. The roads were wide, and one could rest at the plentiful towns and facilities along the way.

Despite gray hair being common in the north, the large, black eyepatch he wore was incredibly distinctive. The lack of any eyewitness reports bothered Amue.

As Amue pondered this, Kazahina bowed her head to her superior.

“Since I received the order, the fault lies with me,” she said. “Please, be lenient with the Shadow Wolves who were assigned to this investigation.”

Kazahina had been acting strangely meek out of concern for the Shadow Wolves, it seemed.

“Don’t worry,” said Amue. “If this is the result of their investigation, then there was truly no information to be found.”

The Adulelia Dukedom maintained an intelligence organization known as the Shadow Wolves at their personal expense. Though the Shadow Wolves mainly collected information, Amue sometimes had them perform covert operations or other dirty work. Most members were commoners, but some nobles did belong to the organization in secret. The Shadow Wolves were far superior to the pompous gentry of good pedigree. If they’d submitted a blank report, there was likely no other answer.

Even so, to cross the Abyss, one needed to take the Alabaster Road. Near the borders of foreign lands and even within their own territories, countries established fortresses and strongholds to act as checking stations. In these locations, they investigated people traveling across the Alabaster Road. Of course, this applied to Murakumo as well. Depending on the situation, a commoner not in possession of a Sunstone could pay a fee to cross the checking station, avoiding a rigorous interrogation. That being said, it was strange that no one had seen this young man who had such a distinctive appearance.

“Thank you,” said Kazahina. “Changing the subject, I’ve received a report from Aise Mordred – the top-ranked Warrant Bright Candidate – summarizing the events of the exam.”

Amue looked over the bundle of reports handed to her. Aise Mordred had described the events of the exam from beginning to end in great detail. Though the contents were written in easily understood language, the sections concerning the young man called Shuou contained strong emotions. As she arrived at the final description of him single-handedly facing two massive Rabidaemons, the poetic language and flowery expressions increased, describing the young man as if he were a prince riding upon a white horse. The feelings of the Warrant Bright Candidate writing this report were so transparent, Amue nearly burst out laughing.

At the end of the report, she’d written a dense appeal, laying out the benefits of Murakumo hiring this young man.

“Did you read this?” asked Amue.

“Yes,” replied Kazahina. “Several times already.”

“Hmm. There are many interesting points here, but the decision to discard most of their food at the very beginning was a bold one.”

According to the report, the young man had suggested discarding all the rice at the outset of the exam.

Forcing the squadrons to carry heavy bags of rice would allow them to see the students’ – all Brights in the making – flexibility of thought, Amue had heard. Among the students who had passed the test in years prior, some had divided the rice into five portions, carrying part of the load themselves. However, the arrogance characteristic of nobles hindered the majority of students. To avoid shouldering any of the burden, they tended to force the commoners to carry the rice all by themselves.

This young man had convinced them to discard the rice because the smell of fire would attract Rabidaemons. And he was exactly right. Still, using fire wouldn’t necessarily bring about a Rabidaemon assault. Situations were always fluid, one change in wind direction producing a different outcome.

“I can understand his wariness to use fire,” said Kazahina. “As one option of many, discarding the heavy luggage and prioritizing speed could produce adequate results.”

“Indeed. However, he needn’t have left everything behind. One never knows what might happen in the Abyss. If he’d split a week’s worth of rice between them, they would have been prepared for any unforeseeable circumstances. As a leader, he’s still too inflexible, showing a lack of concern for safety.”

“Your Excellency. In case you’ve forgotten, Warrant Bright Candidate Aise was the leader of this squadron.”

“Hmm… Yes, you’re right.”

Based on the report, this young a man – a commoner – had held the decision making authority. At some point, Amue had started viewing him as the one responsible for the squadron.

As she read through the report, Amue continued speaking. “Along the way, he picked up an injured man who’d been abandoned by his own squadron. That was rash. Since his team had so little food and no firm basis for escaping the forest quickly, he should have refrained from haphazardly increasing the number of people who needed sustenance.”

“He’s young and not a formal soldier. He probably couldn’t make the calculating decision to throw away someone’s life.”

“Most likely. Still, I find this part about him facing two Rabidaemons just before escaping the forest difficult to believe.”

Rabidaemons were the natural enemies of humankind. With proper numbers and thorough preparations, humans did hunt the creatures, but a single person couldn’t readily contend with them. Furthermore, the young man called Shuou was a commoner not in possession of a Sunstone.

“Until I saw these, I didn’t believe it either,” said Kazahina.

Two large, wooden boxes were stacked together in the corner of the room. Kazahina brought them over to the desk. Checking their contents, Amue found two enormous, broken Miracrystals lying atop generous piles of straw. The first was dark gray, while the other was a deep, navy blue.

“The gray Miracrystal belongs to a Rabidaemon known as a Spider Prince,” explained Kazahina. “The other belongs to one called a Zircon. As soon as their squadron finished the exam, I had someone retrieve these.”

Gathering the broken Miracrystals, Amue found that both bore traces of something sharp having been drilled into their centers.

“So this is the evidence…” she said. “When I first saw him, I did notice his incredible reflexes, but I never would have imagined that he could slay Rabidaemons.”

He was knowledgeable about the Abyss, he had the ability to single-handedly defeat massive Rabidaemons, and he could dodge the Crynetic Energy unleashed by Brights. Furthermore, his origins were unknown.

In any case, Shuou was a young man of extraordinary talent. Amue could only hope to meet such a person once every hundred years. His talent was like a seed. If left alone, it would eventually sprout somewhere, but that didn’t interest her in the least. No, Amue wanted to keep that seed in her hand, give it plenty of water, and watch over it until the day it blossomed.

Despite being happy to have found this seed before anyone else, an uneasy thought crossed her mind.

What if the flower that blooms is too much for me to handle?

Amue stared at her right hand, squeezing it into a tight fist. “I’m going to meet this young man we’ve been discussing.”

“Of course… But what kind of business are you going to conduct?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to invite him to join my army.”

Kazahina’s eyes widened. “An invitation?” she asked. “Are you referring to the Solid Left Army?”

The Kingdom of Murakumo had four main armies.  First were the Imperial Guards, a force belonging to the Royal Oversight Court that managed national affairs. The Solid Left Army – otherwise known as the Bright Ice Wolves – belonged to the Adulelia Dukedom. The Solid Right Army – otherwise known as the Bright Wind Serpents – belonged to the Serpentia Dukedom, who were in possession of Antigorite, another one of Murakumo’s Radiantores.

Finally, there was the First Army. Tasked with maintaining order, police forces belonged to this army, as did ordinary Squires. In times of war, mercenary groups would be incorporated into their numbers as well. With these four armies, Murakumo had defended its territory from foreign countries.

“Do I have any other armies?” asked Amue.

“But Your Excellency, weren’t you expressing dissatisfaction about certain details of the exam?”

“I’m not dissatisfied. In my own way, I was merely evaluating the contents of the report. Nothing a person does can ever be perfect. This squadron finishing the test intact was, in large part, due to luck. However, the ability to take initiative calls fortune to one’s side. Furthermore, I don’t evaluate this young man so highly because of his exceptional reflexes or for his ability to single-handedly vanquish Rabidaemons.”

Kazahina tilted her head. “Then what’s so promising about him that you would deliver a personal invitation, Your Excellency?”

“Saying his nature would be too vague, perhaps. First, he expressed his views to nobles, the very embodiment of conceit. Even more incredibly, they accepted his views. Based on her report, this Warrant Bright Candidate is quite taken with him. Humans are drawn to the strong. I want people who can charm and pull others to their side. Thus, I don’t plan to welcome this young man to us as a trivial exterminator. No, I plan to welcome him as a future General candidate who will provide valuable military might to Adulelia.”

“…If you have such high expectations of this young man, I have no objections. Well then, let’s go meet him. During that time, we can ask him directly about his origins and the other matters.”

“If there are unique circumstances involved, forceful interrogation might raise his defenses. First, we’ll lob him a few easy questions and see how he reacts. We have plenty of time. There’s no need to rush.”

Kazahina bowed reverently. “Understood, Your Excellency.”

“Indeed. Well then, prepare for an outing. We’ll be hiding our identities, so bring clothes people wear in the city and jackets to conceal our Miracrystals.”

***

A knock on the door awoke Shuou from his slumber. Based on the amount of illumination seeping in from the gaps of the closed curtains, it was around dusk, he guessed. Feeling somewhat hot and clammy, he kicked off his blanket. Light bathed the resulting dust, dancing in the air like a cloud of sand.

“Shuo, are you awake… ish?”

Jiro’s voice called to him from behind the door, shortening his name from Shuou to Shuo.

A week had passed since they’d finished the exam and returned to the royal capital. Due to exhaustion, Shuou had spent most of each day sleeping in his room, leaving only for dinner. During this time, Aise and Shitori had visited to bring him various gifts. Apart from them, his other companions had – out of concern – left him alone except at dinner time. Thus, Jiro calling for him right now could be considered an unusual occurrence.

“I just woke up,” Shuou replied while sitting in bed.

“You have visitors… ish. If it’s too difficult, I’ll ask them to leave… ish.”

Hearing the word “visitors” sounded strange. Jiro wouldn’t have referred to Aise or Shitori as such.

Then who could they be?

Shuou couldn’t think of any other acquaintances who would come to visit him.

“No, it’s okay,” he said. “I’ll go meet them.”

“They’re waiting on the first floor… ish.”

Shuou could sense Jiro moving away.

Despite not knowing who the visitors were, Shuou felt bad making them wait. As such, he left the room just as he’d woken up. Descending the stairs, he found an adult woman and young girl standing near the first floor entrance. Both wore light brown hoods over their eyes. Approaching them and confirming their identities left Shuou stunned. The Duchess Adulelia, who had scolded the three ill-natured Brights on the day before the exam, stood before him. Beside Orthoclase was another female Bright who appeared to be her attendant.

“You two are…” Shuou trailed off.

Before he could continue, Duchess Adulelia placed her index finger to her lips. “Shh,” she instructed. “I’m keeping my identity a secret. If you have a room, please show us to it.”

“O-okay…”

Bewildered, Shuou led them upstairs. Letting them into his dimly lit, barely cleaned room, he closed the door.

“Should I grovel on the floor and bow my head?” he asked.

“That won’t be necessary,” replied Amue. “And anyway, it’s written on your face that you have no intention of doing so.”

Though he hadn’t spoken with any ill intent, the Duchess Adulelia – who looked exactly like a young girl – appeared displeased. Before him stood the inheritor of an extremely rare Radiantore. Furthermore, she was a dignitary within the military, an esteemed noblewoman of court rank second to the monarch. Shuou had no idea what kind of attitude to assume when speaking to someone who existed in such a different world. He had a small table and chairs in his room. Urging his guests to sit there, he sat upon the bed.

“Well, then…” said Shuou. “Can you tell me the reason for this visit, Lady Adulelia? Um, Duchess Adulelia?”

“You may call me Amue here. This is an unofficial visit.”

The girl before him had long, light purple hair. Likewise, her large, round eyes were dark purple. About as tall as Shuou had been when Amane had adopted him, she was small statured. Thus, she truly looked like a child. Simply by sitting there, the small table and chairs appeared much larger. Nevertheless, two things proved that Amue wasn’t merely a little girl: the wisteria colored Miracrystal on her hand, which emitted a strange aura, and the female Bright standing poised behind her.

The female Bright’s appearance had a mature quality, the corners of her eyes drooping slightly. Her light purple hair – mixed with blue – extended to her upper arms, the ends bouncing outward. Being a bit taller than the average woman and having perfect posture, she gave off the air of an excellent solider. During their first meeting, this female Bright had shouted at the three officers, Shuou recalled. That scene had left a strong impression on him. However, she stood silently now, wearing a composed smile.

When their eyes met, the female Bright spoke to him in a gentle tone. “This is our second meeting, is it not? My first name is Kazahina, and my family name is Adulelia.”

“Adulelia…”

“That makes me a blood relative of Lady Amue.”

“I see.”

No wonder, Shuou thought. Amue and Kazahina shared many similarities in appearance, such as the texture of their hair, the color of their eyes, and so forth.

”My name is Shuou.”

Once Shuou had introduced himself, Amue nodded twice in agreement. “Yes. Now that we’ve both introduced ourselves, let’s move onto the main topic. Truthfully, I came here because of my personal interest in you. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have short conversation. How does that sound?”

“A conversation sounds okay,” Shuou replied.

“Indeed. However, it’s a little cold in here. Do you mind starting a fire?”

Shuou’s room had a fireplace installation. The sun had begun to set, and now that she mentioned it, the air was a bit chilly.

“I’ll go fetch a spark from downstairs,” said Shuou.

Amue nodded. “If you could also bring me a hot beverage, I’d be most pleased.”

From behind Amue, Kazahina smiled, holding up her index finger. “Please bring one for me as well. I practically froze on our way over here.”

Shuou didn’t think of their requests as too forward. Rather, he was fond of their relaxed demeanor, which reminded him of someone visiting a close friend’s house.

“Understood,” he said, exiting his room and leaving them behind.

***

After watching Shuou leave the room, Amue spoke to Kazahina hastily. “Let’s search his quarters while we can.”

“What?” asked Kazahina, looking at Amue with a blank expression. “Was that the goal of making those requests?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t thoughtlessly drop in on someone at a moment’s notice and start demanding things.”

Amue didn’t want to search his residence, but since she’d be inviting him to join her army, she needed a little bit of information, at the very least. When dealing with people, even the smallest things could become the key to opening the next door.

As she looked around the room, a black fur cloak hanging from a chair by the window caught her eye. Picking it up, she found the cloak to be of good quality. So much so that it didn’t seem to be commoner’s possession. If sold, it would fetch a hefty sum. The cloak had a soft, flexible surface, but when pressed upon, it also displayed a firm springiness. Based on her personal knowledge, Amue couldn’t guess what animal the cloak had been made from.

“A cloak, is it?” asked Kazahina. “It appears to be made of high quality material.”

“Indeed. It’s hard to believe that he was able to purchase something this fine.”

A cloak like this didn’t appear from out of nowhere. Someone must have hunted the animal from which the fur had originated, working with the materials to create the finished product. Amue wondered if Shuou had made this cloak himself. Deciding that any further speculation would be futile, she began searching for other clues. At any rate, time was of the essence.

“Is there anything more?” asked Amue.

“Um, I did find this under the blankets of his bed…”

Wearing an embarrassed expression, Kazahina held out a pair of men’s underwear. The underwear – flimsy and worn out – had clearly been used already.

“H-hey!” cried Amue. “What are you thinking!?”

Rarely having seen something like this in person, Amue was flustered. Both embarrassed and curious, she repeatedly glanced at the underwear.

“When I pulled back the blankets, I found this lying there,” said Kazahina. “For some reason, I noticed a pleasant scent wafting from it…”

Putting her nose to the underwear, Kazahina began sniffing it. With the intensity of a tornado, she absorbed its odor, exhaling with a sensual, delirious expression that Amue had never seen before. Overcome with a delightful sense of naughtiness, Amue could feel her face growing hot.

“I never knew you had such a hobby…” she said. “Now I understand why you haven’t found a husband.”

“Leave me be! And this isn’t a hobby. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“You seem rather accustomed to it.”

“I’m aware of how strange this is, but this scent… it’s addictive. Would you like to try, Lady Amue?”

Finished speaking, Kazahina held out Shuou’s previously worn underwear as if offering a high class dessert. Though Amue almost yelled at Kazahina to stop being stupid, she bit back her words. At the same time, she also swallowed the saliva that had welled up in her mouth.

In over one hundred years of life, Amue had never done anything as unseemly as smelling a man’s underwear. Looking at Kazahina’s delirious expression, Amue wondered if Shuou’s drawers were truly that fragrant, yet she managed to restrain herself. If she extended her hand, her dignity – along with everything else she’d built thus far – would collapse.

“That won’t be necessary…” she said. “Go ahead and enjoy it on your own.”

“Really? Well then, I’ll accept your offer and have one last whiff to—”

Kazahina began sniffing with so much force that she buried her face in the underwear. With each whiff, she exhaled with entranced eyes, her face reddening. Watching Kazahina exasperatedly, Amue began to worry about the future of her capable subordinate.

“Hey, that’s quite enough al—”

As Amue moved to stop Kazahina, she heard the rattling of the back door opening. The room’s master had returned.

“The innkeeper is out shopping, and it took me time to prepare all the utensils for—”

Opening the door, Shuou froze, staring at Kazahina as she relished the smell of his worn out underwear. As if glued in place, he didn’t even twitch. Similarly, Kazahina went pale, the blood draining from her once flushed features.

“S-see here!” she yelled. “This isn’t what it looks like! It isn’t what it looks like at—”

On the verge of panicking, Kazahina dropped the underwear, which plopped onto the floor. While Shuou stared at her as if she were a pervert, Kazahina repeated a series of excuses, appearing far more flustered than Amue had ever seen her. From behind, Amue breathed a small, private sigh. The regret of using valuable investigative time to satisfy Kazahina’s peculiar interests had given her a headache.

After some time, Shuou cautiously entered the room, brewing the tea with unaccustomed hands. He’d brought red tea: the same beverage that Amue liked to drink every day. The tea leaves were a high-class product from the western Iberis. Amue had no complaints about the quality.

When they accepted the drinks, Shuou’s attitude towards Amue was normal, yet he was clearly trying to gloss over what had occurred with Kazahina. As she accepted her cup, Kazahina continued looking down out of shame. Sympathetically, Shuou offered her a lukewarm gaze.

Blowing on the red tea to cool it off, Amue washed the drink down her throat. The beverage had a delightful flavor that permeated her insides, warming her cold body. With the fireplace crackling, the room had become a fairly relaxing space, but Amue had come here with a purpose. She had no time to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Well then, I’d like to move onto the main topic,” she said.

Moving her chair, Amue sat back down. She was now in a position to face Shuou, who was sitting on the bed. This must have conveyed her enthusiasm. Though Shuou had appeared unable to relax after the incident with Kazahina, he now sat straight up, repositioning himself.

”Go ahead,” he said.

“Do you know the purpose of the exam in which you participated?”

“It’s the graduation test for a military school called Gemstone Academy, I was told.”

“Yes, that’s exactly right. But the exam has one other purpose.”

“To recruit the commoners who participated as Squires, right?”

Though Shuou spoke in a somewhat mocking tone, he was right to do so. He must have known that the main purpose of the exam wasn’t to recruit commoners as Squires. The large reward was bait, a means to secure the personnel necessary for operating such a dangerous test.

“I’ll speak frankly,” said Amue. “I’d like to welcome you into my army as a Squire Captain.”

At Amue’s words, Shuou gasped, as did Kazahina, who stood behind her superior. Suddenly hiring a commoner without connections or past achievements as an officer was unprecedented.

Military ranks were divided into two main categories: Squire ranks among commoners and Bright ranks among the nobility. Noble ranks were further divided into two categories for Brights and Crystaliers. The order of succession was as followed:

Candidate, Warrant Bright, Bright, Solid Bright, Solar Bright.

Candidate, Warrant Crystalier, Crystalier, Solid Crystalier, Solar Crystalier.

Upon graduating, the gentry automatically became officers. Thus, as a general rule, non-commissioned officers didn’t exist within the noble army.

Ranks above Solar Brights and Solar Crystaliers were classified as generals. These ranks were ordered as Brigadier General, Solar General, and Commander in Chief. Great nobles with long histories and members of royalty inherited the rank of Solar General through lineage. Usually, the highest promotion a normal Bright or Crystalier could hope for was Brigadier General. From Brigadier Generals on upwards, these ranks bore the role of supreme commanders. Therefore, those of Brigadier and Solar rank were – as a whole – referred to as generals of the army.

Incidentally, Bright was the lowest court rank among the nobility. Even if one happened to be a Crystalier, low-ranking nobles were commonly referred to as Brights.

The order of succession for Squires was as followed: Apprentice, Squire, Squire Sergeant, Squire Captain, Hundred Sands Squire, Thousand Sands Squire, Sand General.

Squire Sergeants and Squire Captains oversaw the number of people constituting a squadron. While Captains to Thousand Sands Squires were of an officer’s rank, Sand Generals were of the same rank as Brigadier Generals. However, because Murakumo had a strong tendency to favor nobility, not a single soldier currently held the rank of Sand General.

Amue had offered Shuou the greatest position she could provide. As a Squire Captain, he would also earn a decent salary. Moreover, all young men dreamed of leading subordinates on a battlefield at least once in their lives. Amue expected him to be overjoyed, to lunge at her generous offer. As a result, his next words crushed those expectations.

“Honestly, I’m not very interested in joining the army,” he said.

“…May I ask why?”

“I want to see the world. In fact, I participated in this exam to earn money for that purpose. I’m grateful for your offer to make me a Squire Captain, but I don’t think I’ll be able to accept it.”

Shuou spoke while looking directly at Amue, his attitude most sincere. Despite being rejected, she still felt fond of the boy. As an elder, it wasn’t her place to detain a young man who wanted to see the world. However, if she passed up this opportunity, someone else would inevitably discover Shuou’s talent. If that person weren’t her, she would be most unamused. A sort of possessiveness – like not wanting anyone to touch her beloved toy – threatened to entrap her.

As such, she wasn’t inclined to give up after one rejection. To win him over, she needed an opening. A single point would suffice. Her opponent had no attachment to money or status. That being said, he must have wanted something. If he had any other desires, similar to wanting to see the world, Amue could provide him with something that would satisfy those yearnings.

“I see…” said Amue. “As a change of conversation, I’ve already learned what happened to your squadron during the exam. Though there were many surprising points, you single-handedly defeated two large Rabidaemons, I heard. That’s quite an accomplishment.”

Shuou nodded lightly. Amue had meant to compliment him, but he remained unconcerned, as if he weren’t too proud of the fact. Normally, if a person accomplished something so great, they would become overconfident, puffing out their chest. In particular, young people had a knack for getting carried away. Even so, Shuou didn’t appear too pleased with the praise.

“According to the report, you used a strange weapon,” said Amue. “Something with a pointed end. If you don’t mind, may I see it?”

Shuou agreed willingly. From the side of his bed, he picked up a belt, taking out a weapon with what looked like a white thorn attached to it.

“It’s called a Needle,” he explained.

“My,” said Amue. “That’s an unusual weapon.”

Taking the needle, Amue found it to be much lighter than she’d expected. The weapon had such a simple design, she wondered if it had truly shattered a Rabidaemon’s Miracrystal. Because it was so unusual, Kazahina leaned forward to look at it as well.

“What is the blade section crafted from?” asked Amue. “It’s too light to be metal. Bone, perhaps?”

Down its length, the needle’s blade was ground down thinner and thinner. The weapon had a long, narrow, and conical shape.

“It’s made from the tooth of a Rabidaemon called a Black Emperor,” said Shuou.

“Black Emperor… I’ve never heard that name before. Are you aware of it, Kazahina?”

“No,” she replied. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“According to my master, it’s a large, black lizard,” explained Shuou. “I’ve never seen one either.”

“Master, you say?” asked Amue. “Is that the same person who taught you how to fight Rabidaemons?”

“She’s also the one who took me in and raised me.”

Apparently, Shuou was an orphan. That hadn’t been written in the report.

“I see,” said Amue. “She must be a very extraordinary person. Looking at her apprentice, I can tell as much.”

Shuou scratched the back of his head. “Not at all.”

Based on his demeanor, Amue could surmise just how deeply he loved his master and guardian. Though this information alone wouldn’t win him over, it was worth bearing in mind.

“If you’re skilled enough to single-handedly take on a Rabidaemon, you must be a fine swordsman as well,” said Amue.

“No… I’ve barely ever touched a sword.”

“That’s unexpected. You didn’t learn swordsmanship from your master?”

“Apart from the Needle, she didn’t teach me how to handle any other weapons. She would scold me just for picking up a stick.”

Seeming to recall something, Shuou laughed, his gaze distant.

Nonetheless, this was surprising. When Amue had read the report about him defeating two large Rabidaemons, she had expected – without too much thought – that he would be a capable swordsman as well. To warriors throughout the world, swordsmanship was fundamental. Of course, skills fluctuated from person to person, but in Murakumo, even lowly Squires could handle a sword reasonably well.

Recalling their first meeting, he hadn’t been carrying a sword at his side then either. If she pressed the topic, Shuou might perceive it as being ridiculed for not knowing how to use a sword, Amue feared. Thus, she decided to change the subject.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to know where you’re from,” she said. “Earlier, you mentioned being taken in.”

Shuou’s existence was still a complete mystery. He had the skill to face Rabidaemons, which he’d learned from his “master”. If there were things he wanted to hide, Amue wouldn’t find that the least bit strange. The moment he showed any reluctance to answer, she planned to withdraw the question immediately.

Shuou paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully as he spoke. “I’m from Murakumo. When I gained awareness, I found myself alone in the royal capital.”

For one moment, Amue was speechless.

“You’re from Murakumo?” she asked. “And the royal capital, no less.”

“Oh my,” Kazahina said in a voice of surprise from behind Amue.

They’d suspected him of being from a foreign country, yet he’d come from their own. How comical.

“One day, by sheer coincidence, my master took me in,” said Shuou. “She raised me far away from here… in the, um, countryside.”

Shuou seemed reluctant to reveal the actual location. Perhaps there were special circumstances related to this person he called “master”. Asking for more details would cut short the conversation Amue had worked so hard to secure. As such, she didn’t press the matter.

“Is that so?” asked Amue. “Because of your gray hair, I was certain that you were born in the north.”

“There are people with hair like mine in the north?”

“Yes. Gray hair isn’t so unusual there. I don’t know what happened, but your parents – or perhaps just one of them – might have been northerners.”

“I… see.”

Shuou went silent, the air growing heavy.

Hurriedly, Amue moved onto the next topic. “Warrant Bright Candidate Aise seemed rather taken with you. But since you’re so skilled, did you feel distanced from the others during the exam?”

“A little bit in the beginning. But now, I’m glad to have experienced that test with my companions.”

The moment Shuou mentioned his companions, his expression loosened, displaying youthfulness, Amue observed. This was the first time he’d shown an unguarded, age-appropriate face. It was an opening.

Companions, is it?

“Are companions important to you?” asked Amue.

“Yes… They are.”

“However, the life paths of those companions will each diverge in different directions. The exam is over. If you accept the reward, you’ll be separated from them. Isn’t that lonely?”

“…A little bit.”

Shuou’s expression darkened. Since the topic of conversation had changed to his companions, the young man’s emotions had started to fluctuate.

I’ve found my opening, Amue thought.

“Companions are a strange thing,” she said. “Though not related by blood, those who overcome hardships together form a strong bond. The associates, subordinates, and even superior officers with whom you walk alongside in the army are the same. All of them are companions, comrades in arms, and family.”

“Family…”

“The role of an organization is to link its members together through the invisible thread of bonds. If perchance you want companions, I can provide that place for you. I’ll ask once more: Would you like to join my army? You mentioned wanting to see the world. Murakumo and the military are each one part of that world. Why not start with seeing and learning about what’s close at hand? There are people who would rejoice if you stayed in this country.”

Deep in silent thought, Shuou struggled to make up his mind. Up ‘til now, Amue hadn’t felt this much of a reaction from him. Thus, she went on the offensive.

“Once you join the army, the amount of people you’ll have to call friend will increase,” she said. “Just like during the exam. If you join and don’t like it, you’ll be free to leave. I won’t tie you down against your will. How does that sound?”

Nodding firmly to Amue’s every word, Shuou gave his answer. “…If you’re willing to let me have this experience, I accept. I still don’t know if I’m the sort of person who can continue to stay in one place.”

“I see, I see. Don’t worry. So long as you work for me, you might even have too much interaction with foreign countries. Part of your desire to see the world will most certainly come true. I’m glad that you’ve accepted my invitation.”

Standing and taking Shuou’s hand, she swung it up and down, expressing her joy with childlike innocence. The success of her invitation had made Amue so happy, she couldn’t suppress her emotions.

She then contemplated what to do from here on out. First, she needed to prepare a suitable “birthplace” for Shuou to avoid drawing suspicion. If she used the Shadow Wolves, this would be easy enough to accomplish. In regard to the unnatural lack of sightings of him at checking stations, Amue could simply fabricate her own eyewitness accounts of Shuou. Even in the unlikely event of a Royal Oversight Court investigation, she wouldn’t have to worry.

Lastly, since Shuou had mentioned being unable to use a sword, Amue would need to assign him an instructor. Within the military, skill with a sword was one criterion for judging a soldier’s competence. Because Amue didn’t want to make him feel demeaned, she would assign a first-class swordswoman to instruct him. Fortunately, one such person among Amue’s subordinates was standing right behind her. Shuou had already proven his reflexes to be outstanding. He likely wouldn’t have much trouble mastering the sword.

As Amue swung his hand around, Shuou smiled with a slightly troubled expression. She’d succeeded in placing him at the entrance. From here on out, the actual leader’s qualities would be vital. That leader was Amue. Though she did feel a sense of responsibility, her excitement was currently overwhelming. She had great expectations for this young man to one day exhibit – alongside Kazahina – the ability to become her right hand man.

Original text: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4006r/8/