Akatsuki Translations

Accompanied by his nephew Libi, Ba Ryouki, the old general of Shanoa, visited the spacious training grounds in the courtyard of Uzumi Castle.

It was at the behest of Commanding General A Zan, combined with a visit to comfort the soldiers of Coral, but personally, he didn’t mind seeing the young people honing their skills.

Upon learning of Ba Ryouki’s visit, the soldiers who had been diligently training were in a state of tremendous excitement. He closely observed their behavior as they gripped their weapons with tense expressions.

“There’s nothing particularly noteworthy to see,” Libi, who was accompanying him, said in a low voice.

“Indeed, the overall level of training seems quite ordinary.”

Ba Ryouki held expectations for individuals rather than the whole. The world was vast, and there were still unknown fierce warriors smoldering in obscurity. Having faced many strong opponents, Ba Ryouki prided himself on possessing a keen sense to accurately detect such individuals. However, it was by no means a noble trait, but rather something more pragmatic, closer to an act of satisfying vulgar desires.

“Let’s go back. Staying any longer would be a waste of time.”

The young Libi quickly grew bored and wanted to leave. It was understandable to think so, given the unchanging, dull atmosphere. However, Ba Ryouki alone noticed a sudden change in the surrounding air.

“A dense murderous intent—”

As he muttered those words, Libi let out a perplexed voice.

“Huh?”

It was a sharp pressure reminiscent of a gust of wind. The foot thrust forward with tremendous force, aiming directly at Libi. The target was his chin, and based on the intuition Ba Ryouki had built up through experience, the force was enough to endanger his life if it connected.

Ba Ryouki struck out with his palm, deflecting the trajectory of the foot. The impact transmitted through his hand from the powerful kick suggested that its strength exceeded the limits granted to ordinary humans.

Confirming that the assailant had withdrawn their foot, he drew the treasured sword Iwanawa from his back.

As Ba Ryouki pointed the blade, he hesitated upon seeing the figure before him.

The pale pink hair was tied on both sides, and the glossy copper skin shone on a face with glittering black eyes that gazed at him with the strong power of a warrior. The petite physique, which still retained a hint of childishness, was far from adulthood, yet the development of feminine features such as the breasts and buttocks was remarkable. Nevertheless, the aura emanating from this woman had a pressure rivaling that of a seasoned martial artist.

The person, incongruous in every sense, captured Ba Ryouki and Libi in her sight and barked.

“Such carelessness and indolence in the face of a battlefield is unforgivable!”

Her clear voice was unmistakably directed at Libi.

“Wha—”

His nephew, who had narrowly avoided serious injury, seemed to be in a state of confusion, unable to gather his thoughts.

The woman quickly lost interest in Libi and turned her eyes to Ba Ryouki.

“You are Ba Ryouki, the general of Shanoa?”

Ba Ryouki, keeping his stance with Iwanawa motionless, replied.

“Indeed. And you, are you an assassin from somewhere?”

The young woman laughed and introduced herself, puffing out her ample chest.

“I am A Shara, acting instructor of the Mountain Range Dojo and Summer Bee Association, granddaughter of the current king of Coral, and daughter of the apostate monk A Zan!”

At her declaration, a commotion ran through the surrounding soldiers who had been observing the situation, and they began to drop to their knees like a wave.

“So you are the princess…”

As Ba Ryouki sheathed Iwanawa, an angry voice echoed from behind.

“Who are you calling an apostate monk?!”

Seeing A Zan running towards them, his plump flesh jiggling, Shara expressionlessly averted her gaze.

A Zan stood before Shara, catching his breath, and bowed his head to Ba Ryouki.

“No, I apologize, I truly apologize! I told my daughter, who suddenly showed up, that she should try talking to Lord Libi, but I never thought she would abruptly attack him.”

In front of her apologizing father, Shara raised her voice angrily, her eyes sharp.

“Father! This man Libi is out of the question as a prospective match. He’s more carefree than the old women chatting at the well!”

Spoken ill of, Libi became enraged.

“What did you say?!”

Ba Ryouki tripped his nephew, who was about to step forward, and pressed his head against the ground.

“I am deeply ashamed to have pointed a sword at the princess. Please forgive this foolish nephew of mine as well.”

As he apologized and bowed, A Zan hurriedly lifted Ba Ryouki’s shoulders.

“What are you saying, General? You were merely trying to protect yourself, were you not?”

Shara, the instigator of the incident, stood behind her father and concurred.

“That is correct. Ba Ryouki’s movements and his splendid judgment in that moment have taught me that his name as a hero is not an illusion.”

Faced with her characteristically fierce manner of speaking, A Zan, with sweat on his brow, admonished his daughter.

“I am honored and flattered by your praise. However, I cannot ignore your earlier words. If my memory serves me right, this is the first I’ve heard of a marriage meeting with Libi, unless I have gone senile.”

To this, A Zan also responded in a flustered manner.

“No, no, you are absolutely right. We had only just mentioned this spur-of-the-moment idea to our daughter. Well, since we’re here, let’s discuss this inside—”

At his prompting, Ba Ryouki’s party, along with Shara, moved into the castle.

Led to the Commanding General’s private room, adorned with flashy decorations, they sat at a long table where they could relax. A Zan himself arranged expensive tea sets and began explaining the situation while steeping the highest-grade tea leaves in hot water.

“My wife is the daughter of His Majesty the King, in other words, of royal lineage. From the moment she was born, our daughter Shara was granted the sixth position in the line of succession.”

“Is that so… I understand your circumstances.”

At the same time, he had a vague idea of why this man held such a high position.

“However, unless it is a whim of God, it is highly unlikely that Shara will ever sit on the throne. In that case, the best course of action would be for her to marry a suitable partner and become a foundation for the peace of the nation.”

“And that partner would be Libi, I presume?”

Seeing A Zan nod deeply, Ba Ryouki thought it was not a bad idea. To deepen the relationship between Coral and Shanoa, having Shara, who held the status of a princess in Coral, and Libi, his successor who held military authority in Shanoa, be wed could be a good way to strengthen the ties between the two countries.

However, the emotions that arise between people cannot be easily bound just because outsiders wish for it. Even if a marriage is arranged for appearance’s sake, if no child is born between the two, it will ultimately end up being meaningless. And according to Ba Ryouki’s assessment, it seemed that an unbridgeable gulf had already formed in the relationship between Shara and Libi.

Libi, who had ended up making a fool of himself in front of the public, silently glared at Shara sitting directly across from him, his nostrils flaring and his eyes bloodshot. As for the princess, she calmly sipped her tea, accepting the hostility directed at her like a gentle breeze.

“Pardon me, but how old is the princess?”

“She turned fourteen this year.”

Upon hearing her age, Libi let out a surprised voice.

“Four…teen…”

In front of the astonished Libi, Shara continued with a satisfied expression.

“Before reaching the age of ten, I mastered the Circle Fist of the Verdant Mountain and Trident schools. Three years later, I received full recognition from the Mountain Range and Summer Bee schools.”

There was no doubt that the young princess, who spoke with pride, truly possessed the talent worthy of that pride, judging from her earlier movements.

While her skills may not reach the level of his own, honed through long experience and traversing battlefields, considering her age, it could be called a phenomenal talent.

Moreover, the Circle Fist that Shara claimed to have mastered was a martial art that emphasized footwork, and the kicking techniques widely practiced in the Mountain Range school adhered to the principle of fighting with swift foot techniques. The small, reddish-brown Miracrystal on the back of her left hand undoubtedly had the power to enhance leg strength. She had likely trained in each school with the intention of making the most of her innate characteristics.

If she were a man, and not A Zan’s daughter but a descendant of his own bloodline, Ba Ryouki would have promptly handed over his position and retired.

In Ba Ryouki’s eyes as he looked at Shara, there was a sense of regret, as well as a hint of envy.

“Father, I shall take my leave. Sitting still is boring. I will go test the skills of the men here.”

Shara set down her empty tea cup and stood up.

“H-Hey—”

As A Zan tried to stop her, Shara took out a beautiful hairpin from inside her clothes and tossed it to him.

“Th-This is…”

“I found it in this room as soon as I arrived. Judging by the overly flashy color scheme, it was clearly not prepared for Mother’s sake.”

A Zan’s face instantly turned pale. Surprisingly, he was an honest man.

“Ah, no, that’s—”

“No need to be flustered. I’ll keep quiet. In exchange, I would like you to arrange a seat for me in the upcoming battle.”

“What are you saying?!”

“I have lived for fourteen years and take pride in having trained in martial arts to a certain extent. I believe it’s time for me to experience the atmosphere of killing firsthand. As a woman, the path of a warrior monk is closed to me, and at this point, living as a court lady would be suffocating. But as the Commanding General, surely you can make such arrangements for one person.”

A Zan desperately tried to dissuade his daughter, who desired to participate in a bloody battle.

“I thought your sudden arrival was odd, but this was your intention all along. No, absolutely not! Before being a woman, you are still a child.”

Shara gave a defiant smile.

“I understand. However, once a fast horse departs from Uzumi and Mother learns of the details, you should take this time to thoroughly imagine whether you will be able to remain in the position of Commanding General.”

That threat proved to be the decisive blow, and A Zan repeatedly uttered words of surrender.

“To think that my own daughter would threaten my position… I’m pathetic.”

For some reason, A Zan turned to face Ba Ryouki, clasped his hands together, and began to bow.

“Please! I beg you to include Shara in your unit, General!”

“What are you—”

“With a warrior of your caliber, I can entrust my daughter to you with peace of mind. Considering it a fateful encounter, I implore you to…”

Shara, standing in front, also had a playful expression, winking with one eye while clasping her hands together.

As a guest in Uzumi and with their respective countries being the lender and the borrower, Ba Ryouki, who was in the latter position, could not easily refuse this outrageous request.

“…I understand.”

Shara cheered with joy, skipping towards the door of the room.

“I am grateful, Sword Saint. Before I leave, let me say that you should forget about my father’s earlier nonsense. Behold—”

Shara lifted her breasts with one arm over her clothes, narrowed her eyes, and smiled seductively.

“—At fourteen, I’m already like this. I will grow into a fine woman. It would be a waste to give this body to that small fry named Libi over there.”

“That’s enough, you!”

As Libi stood up in anger, Shara turned her back to him and left the room, laughing heartily.

While consoling A Zan, who was profusely apologizing while wiping the sweat from his bald head, Ba Ryouki regretted taking on the troublesome A Shara.