Heavenly Swords of the Twin Stars: Volume 1 E-Book

Riku Nanano

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Heavenly Swords of the Twin Stars
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 359

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

In his past life, Chou Sekiei was the undefeated war hero Kou Eihou—no pressure, right? Now, a thousand years later, all he wants is to get a nice, cushy job as a civil official and build a quiet life for himself. Too bad that he still has fighting prowess he can’t explain. Too bad that as a child, he was taken in by a renowned general and trained alongside Chou Hakurei, famed for her talent and beauty. Too bad that he’s gotten into rescuing pretty (and pretty immature) merchant prodigies. Sekiei was really looking forward to some peace and quiet so he could kick back and read, but when the foreign nation of Gen launches an invasion that triggers war, he’s forced to put his books down. With the power of skills he’d hoped never to put to use again, Sekiei will once more have to make a name on the battlefield... Will he and his friends be enough to save their homeland?

Leseprobe

Prologue

“Stop running, you traitor! I’ll show no mercy if you continue to res— Gah!”

At the lead cavalryman’s yell from behind me, I, Kou Eihou and the former Great General of the Tou Empire, turned around while still atop my horse and in the same movement, released an arrow from my bow. It struck true, piercing through the left shoulder of the cavalryman at the front of the group of pursuers.

His scream rang out through the pale darkness of the waning night and the cold air of the northern lands. The man fell off his horse, along with the lantern that had been hanging from his saddle. If this had been the battlefield, my arrow would’ve pierced his skull. My vision was compromised thanks to the darkness, but that had no bearing on my aim. I simply didn’t want to kill a fellow citizen of the Tou Empire, even if he was trying to catch me.

I maneuvered my horse using only my legs and continued to shoot arrow after arrow at my pursuers. With every shot my cloak and black armor—both dirtied by the blood of my attackers—rippled, as did the twin swords hanging from my belt. One sword was sheathed in black, the other white.

The remaining cavalrymen slowed down in surprise at the arrows suddenly digging into their arms and legs until they came to a complete stop. I heard someone cluck a tongue in irritation at being forced to give up the chase. It looked like none of them had learned mounted archery.

“To think the day would come where I would be regarded as a traitor...” I muttered to myself as I nocked another arrow on the heavy bow in my hands. The garrison captain of Routou, the northernmost city of the Tou Empire and the place where I had planned to spend the night, had shoved the weapon into my hands as I made my escape. Spring was close, but the wastelands were cold at dawn and my breath came out in clouds of white. If things had gone to plan, I would’ve been catching up on sleep in a nice, warm room...

Twenty years ago in Routou, my childhood friend Ou Eifuu—who now worked as the imperial chancellor for the Tou Empire—and the previous emperor—who died seven years ago—vowed to unify the country. The last time anyone accomplished the task had been during the age of the gods.

I experienced my first battlefield at fifteen and upon my return, the former emperor granted me my swords. Before I knew it, I had become the Great General, running from one end of the country to the other while overseeing its military affairs. Eifuu had mostly been in charge of internal business. Together, through multiple perils and troubles, we became known as the Twin Stars.

The dream of unification that the three of us—the previous emperor, Eifuu, and I—vowed that day in Routou underneath the branches of a massive peach tree said to have lived a thousand years had been close enough to taste. Tou had grown so large that apart from En, in the far north, and Sai, which was just south of the grand river bisecting the country and barely managing to hold on to its independence, the empire had taken over all the other provinces in the area.

My twin swords had even started to be referred to as the Heavenly Swords—the swords that would unify the lands beneath the skies.

And yet, the empire had not seen growth since the previous emperor’s death almost a decade ago. The current emperor had no intention of unifying the country. It had been a long time since I lost my position as the Great General, and I had not seen Eifuu for several years despite the close friendship we’d shared in the past.

Grief welled in my heart even as I continued to shoot arrow after arrow into the darkness. Screams rang out once again.

“H-How are the arrows hitting us?!”

“P-Put out the torches!”

“We have too many wounded! We don’t have enough men who can fight!”

“Hide behind your shields! If he seriously wanted to kill us, then he would’ve already done so!”

I held my arrow on my bow and analyzed the enemy forces. The majority of them were greenhorns who had never experienced true combat. The few who had had obviously never engaged in a mounted battle at this time of night, when the darkness would impede one’s vision. None of them were capable of continuing the chase.

“They’re weak,” I murmured to myself as I lowered my bow. “I never imagined that the emperor’s personal army would ever become this pathetic. They could’ve used any number of strategies if they wanted me dead for sure. Yet they didn’t have the courage to assassinate me in the city, choosing instead to come up with a fake mission like ‘Scout out the northern lands in preparation for next spring’s invasion’? No, you sent me here on purpose... So this is how much you hate me?”

I couldn’t finish giving voice to my thoughts and instead, I pulled on the reins. The twin stars shimmered in the northern skies as the night continued to fade towards morning. I turned my horse back around and hurried towards my destination.

I left my post as Tou’s general the year after the last emperor died. His successor must’ve been tired of his advisors’ insistence that he conquer Sai as soon as possible; he had implicitly requested my departure, so I first relinquished my title. Then, I gave up my military authority and the territory that had been mine to govern.

Officially, I was retired. Though Eifuu and I had once argued about my decision, the great imperial chancellor in charge of the empire’s political affairs couldn’t understand me, nor could I understand him.

I ran my fingers over the black and white sheaths at my belt. The Heavenly Swords were the only things left to me. These were the only belongings that I couldn’t bear to part with.

“THERE HE IS!!! KILL HIM!!!”

A young man’s voice rang out from before me, and scores of fresh cavalrymen descended from the hill.

An ambush!

As I urged my horse forward, I started to think from the viewpoint of an army’s commander. This was, including the assassins, the fifth squad sent after me. They could’ve simply overwhelmed me at the start with sheer manpower—I was only one man, after all. It seemed that the military’s budget cuts over the past seven years had affected the commanders, as well as the soldiers’ training. At the same time, I could be certain of the fact that these were not Eifuu’s orders.

I considered the cavalrymen’s fast approach. The morning fog was starting to set in, but I would still have no trouble hitting them with my arrows. However, I shouldered my bow and instead held aloft the spear that was hanging from my saddle.

“Hyah!”

With the reins held in my left hand, I ordered my horse into a gallop. Routou’s young garrison leader—whom I had apparently saved in the past—had chosen me a fine horse.

I can only hope that he won’t get put on trial for this later...

With that thought in mind, I charged straight into the fog and towards my pursuers.

“Ah?!”

“Gah!”

“Ow!”

“Wha—?!”

I darted right through the front lines of the enemy squad and, using the shaft of my spear, knocked several of the pursuers off their horses when I passed them. One of them tried to counterattack with his sword, but I deftly dodged it, heeling my horse around. With the fog beginning to clear I could see the shocked faces of the soldiers, as if they couldn’t believe what just happened.

“We’ll unify this war-torn land and save the people suffering under the cruelties of the government, the foreigners, and the bandits!” That had been the vow we made under that peach tree. It doesn’t look like we’ll be fulfilling that dream, but even so!

With the spear still held in my right arm, I lifted the weapon into the air and announced myself.

“I am the former Great General of the Tou Empire, Kou Eihou! If any of you greenhorns think you’re good enough to take my head, then come and try!”

***

“I suppose I can stop here.”

I’d finally reached my destination after using a hidden game trail that my friends and I had run during our youth. I stopped my horse, who was exhausted after breaking through so many blockades and skirmishes. It was already almost morning. Before me was a large peach tree, which had grown in such a way that it appeared to be consuming the entire cliff, along with a massive boulder covered in moss. In the distance, I could hear the roaring of several waterfalls.

It had been twenty years since I had last visited Routou, the birthplace of the Tou Empire. This was where the former emperor, Eifuu, and I made our vow to unify the country. Routou hadn’t changed a bit. The old tree’s pale pink blossoms bloomed year round and, along with the tree itself, were revered for their long life. This morning they created an ethereal sight in the pale dawn.

Back then, when we’d made our vow, we weren’t afraid of anything. The only thing on our minds had been our ambitious dream.

Now those days seem so nostalgic...

I got off the horse and removed its saddle. Hugging it gently around its neck I said, “Thank you, you truly saved me. Now go. They won’t hesitate to hurt you if you stay with me.”

The horse’s intelligent eyes narrowed before it nickered apologetically and turned back to make its way to the game trail. I watched the horse go and then placed my pack on the ground in front of the massive tree. My quiver was empty, my spear broken. Judging by the shimmering twin stars in the northern sky, dimmed with the setting moon, and the morning sun on the horizon, the night was almost over.

The pursuers were probably closing in on this location. But even so...

“This place is the only thing that’s still the same.”

Peach trees didn’t have a long life span. However, despite that, this tree continued to stay standing. According to legend, it had lived for a thousand years without ever getting close to withering away. It only made sense that the area around it would be called Routou—old peach.

It didn’t take long for the wind to bring with it the scent of new dirt. I looked towards the mountain path, which had grown broader beneath the feet of the soldiers.

“You’re finally here,” I said.

With shields at the front of the line, a group of soldiers cut through the morning fog to approach me. There were approximately a thousand of them in all. To think they would send out the empire’s most elite forces in order to capture a single man, and one who was no longer even the general...

How impressive.

A young female general, still on horseback, was approaching the middle of the area we were in.

With a hand to my mouth, I called out. “Stop there! If you continue to advance, then this time, you’ll be facing casualties on your side!”

The soldiers in the front lines stopped as if scared by the possibility. Their expressions were tight with nerves—they must’ve seen the large number of injured pursuers on their way here.

Like I figured, the majority of them lack real experience.

Still, once the female general in her ornate helmet jabbed her swagger stick forward and barked out orders, the line started to slowly advance. I wasn’t able to hear her over the waterfalls, but her order was probably something like “Don’t be afraid!” It had been a long time since the team of senior imperial guards, whom the former emperor himself had led, were forced to disband. So it seemed that more and more people didn’t actually know what I’d accomplished on the many battlegrounds I’d survived.

“Aging is a sad aspect of life...” My lips twisted in a wry grin. “And here I thought I was still able to keep up with the youth.” I could see the formation the soldiers were finishing setting up to keep me boxed in on the cliff, even though they were some distance away from me. “How crude. You could’ve at least offered me the courtesy of using a formation with a bit more work put into it. Hmm, but what to do.”

The only weapons I had on hand were the twin swords hanging from my belt. The soldiers around me were technically on my side, so I couldn’t very well use the swords against them. However, the same did not keep the young general next to the battle flag from drawing her own sword.

“He no longer has anywhere to run, nor does he have any of his arrows!” she yelled. “Charge him and kill that traitor!!!”

The soldiers in formation, as well as the junior commanders, all looked uncertain. Their breath caught in their throats as they froze. I could see some of the senior soldiers I recognized blatantly twisting their faces in obvious distaste; they knew perfectly well what would happen to them if they went up against me in combat.

The general waved her swagger stick again irritably and bellowed, “What are you all doing?! Kill him! The traitor Kou Eihou must be killed!!! This is a direct order from His Majesty himself!!!”

I’d heard the words several times tonight, but they still felt like a stab to my chest. If even Eifuu’s right-hand general was saying it, then it was true: the emperor hated me enough that he’d tried to kill me.

Some of the soldiers who had hesitated before were now starting to bravely ascend from the mountain path. For half a heartbeat, I closed my eyes before bringing my right hand to the hilt of the black sword.

The first soldier to reach the top of the cliff raised his sword. “Prepare yourself! Wai— Huh?!” Before he could bring the blade down on me, I had kicked him in the armor shielding his stomach. He backed off, writhing in pain, and then proceeded to tumble down the path, crashing into the nearby soldiers. Still, more approached me from the sides. So be it.

“Don’t pass out, all right?”

They couldn’t avoid the swing of my black sword, the blade still inside of its sheath. Over ten soldiers flew through the air, screaming all the while, and fell to the ground one by one. Their cries mingled with groans of pain and whimpers of fear. The soldiers who were about to follow up on the assault stopped, too shocked to continue. I stared at them.

“I’m waiting for someone. If you don’t want to die, then don’t come any closer. I don’t want to kill anyone,” I said, warning them off.

The soldiers’ eyes wavered and a large number of them started to back away. There were plenty of familiar faces in the small number of senior soldiers present, and they were the ones whose faces were especially pale.

“What are you doing?!” Despite the female general’s own face turning white, she still tried her best to encourage her soldiers. “He may be as strong as a tiger or a dragon, but he’s only one man. He’s all alone here! Kill the threat against the empire and His Majesty! You must kill him!” It looked like she was particularly interested in killing me.

Or...perhaps not. Perhaps her fervor was instead due to her strong loyalty to Eifuu, who had given her the chance to become a general even though she had once been a slave, and a need to make sure his hands remained clean.

I gripped my black sword and bared my teeth. “Very well... You leave me no choice. Take my head and with it, enough honor to elevate your line for generations—”

“WAIT!!!”

A man riding a horse in the most awkward manner leaped out from the game trail. His features were delicate though his hair, streaked with white, was messy, and his jacket was covered in dirt. Underneath her helmet, his general’s face went slack with immense surprise.

“Y-Your Excellency?!” Her voice was shrill. “Wh-Why are you...?!”

The man—Ou Eifuu, my best friend and current political opponent (apparently)—answered in an unbelievably cold tone. “Kougyoku, retreat. I’m ordering you, as the imperial chancellor of the Tou Empire. I have something I’d like to discuss with the Tou Empire’s Great General, Kou Eihou. More importantly, this land is where we swore an oath with the great Emperor Hi Gyoumei!!! I will not allow any of you to set foot here!!!”

“Understood! I-I apologize...” The general’s entire body shook as she lowered her head and gave a weak swing of her swagger stick. She, along with the grimacing commanders and injured soldiers, started to head back down the mountain and Eifuu continued to watch them go with a stern expression.

When we could no longer see them, he sighed and more or less rolled off of his horse. Then, he bowed his head deeply before me.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Everything that’s been happening, it’s all my fault...”

“Don’t worry about it. Kougyoku’s a nice girl and she had your best interests at heart.” I removed two cups from my pack and, after pouring wine into them, slid one towards my friend. “Let’s drink.”

Our positions in the empire had greatly changed after the former emperor’s death, but we’d spent almost our entire lives together, and the past we shared would never betray us. We were sworn brothers.

Eifuu took the cup from me and drained it. The dim morning light accentuated the bags under his eyes, as well as caught the silver in his hair, making it glow.

“You’ve grown old. Are you sure you’re only thirty-five years old, Your Excellency?” I teased him as I poured him more alcohol. “You don’t look it.”

“I’m in charge of some truly vexing work, unlike a certain great general I know...” Eifuu huffed irritably.

“Politics aren’t my forte. I’m nothing more than a blade.”

“Hmph.” Eifuu drank half of the alcohol in his cup and then roughly snatched the rest of the bottle from me. “You never change... You’re straightforward and don’t hesitate to follow through on your own convictions. That’s precisely why...”

The wind blew, causing countless peach blossoms to dance through the air, the petals reflecting the final vestiges of the night and the faint gleam of the morning sun. It looked exactly like it did back then, twenty years ago.

My sworn brother looked up and fat tears began to stream down his face. His cup fell from his fingers, hitting the ground with a clang and shattering. He grabbed me by my shoulders in a tight and painful grip.

“Eihou, my friend, run...! You...a man like you, who cares and fights for this country and its people more than anyone else, must not be killed as a result of false charges like this... You simply mustn’t!”

As soon as I saw the desperation of his face, I realized something.

Ahh... This man... My kind friend, smarter than anyone else in this empire—he must’ve been racking his brains after the emperor ordered him to assassinate me. He probably couldn’t even sleep for worry.

I looked up at the massive peach tree.

“His Majesty...I never thought that kid hates me this much,” I admitted, dropping the formalities just as I would have in the past.

The Tou Empire’s second emperor—the only son of the previous ruler—was a mediocre man in all aspects. I knew that well enough. However, I’d also believed that so long as Eifuu was around, he’d be more than capable of allowing the empire to grow.

My friend lowered his face and after a pause, he said, “You shone too bright. You were sent out to so many battlefields and yet always returned without a single injury, nor did you ever lose. The achievements you racked up as the former emperor’s ‘blade’ are unprecedented. You never change your mind, even when speaking with the emperor; you gave up your title and territory on your own. And though you relinquished your military authority, you refused to give up the Heavenly Swords when ordered to... The emperor never experienced the battlefield. From his point of view, it must’ve felt like you were mocking him.”

“These swords shouldn’t be called the ‘Heavenly Swords,’” I tried to joke. “We haven’t unified the country yet.”

Eifuu didn’t respond to the jest. Instead, he slammed his fist into the nearby boulder.

“Let me tell you the truth,” he said. “Even I...was jealous of you! I used to think to myself, ‘Why did the heavens place Kou Eihou and Ou Eifuu in the same generation?’ Go ahead, laugh. The country respected me as the imperial chancellor, but the only thing that has been pushing me in the seven years since we lost our first emperor was my envy for you! And look, just look at where that’s brought us! I can’t even openly save my only friend...”

“I see...”

To tell you the truth, I didn’t want to be a military general, someone who could only send my men to their deaths. I wanted to be a civil official like you, Eifuu, and save our people that way... It doesn’t seem like the right time to say that, though.

I closed my eyes and slowly unsheathed the twin swords from my belt before walking to stand before the boulder.

The name of the obsidian sword was Black Star, and the name of the alabaster was White Star. They were the only gifts I received from Hi Gyoumei—my and Eifuu’s deceased best friend—before he became the emperor. They were apparently made during the age of the gods, using stars that’d fallen from the heavens.

My sworn brother blinked at me. “Eihou? What are you—”

“Hah!”

I ignored his question and I swung the swords down upon the boulder that Gyoumei used to sit on. I performed the action without any proper form, but I felt the blades sink into the stone regardless. I cut the boulder into two and the pieces tumbled off the cliff and were swallowed up by the waterfall. A huge pillar of water rose up into the air. Droplets fell upon me as I sheathed the Twin Stars and then removed them altogether from my belt.

“Eifuu!” My friend was still standing there as if in shock. I tossed those blades, the twin swords destined to become the Heavenly Swords, to him. Then I opened my mouth. “These two still have work to do, it seems. I’ll leave the rest to you!”

“Wait, what? Eihou? What are you talking about?” My friend’s voice was shaking.

I stood at the edge of the cliff and winked. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you can do it. Oh, that reminds me. It’s about time for you to go find yourself a nice, pretty wife.”

“A-All right. All right, I will! Just don’t do anything stupid!”

The white glow of the morning sun illuminated the clearing, chasing away the last of the night and causing the stars to fade. Eifuu’s desperate expression implored me to reconsider, but I shook my head.

“A blade is not what’s necessary for the empire’s future.” I smiled at my friend. He looked like he was about to burst into tears, much like he had twenty years ago, the first day he stood on the battlefield. “You are necessary, Ou Eifuu. Fulfill my—our—dream, and unify the lands under the heavens to create a country where the people can eat and sleep without worry. We went through a lot, but I had a blast. Well...see ya!”

“EIHOU!!!”

With my best friend’s cry ringing in my ears, I took a running start and flung myself into the air. I looked above me and watched as one of the twin stars fell from the sky. Then I was swallowed up by the waterfall, surrounded on all sides by frigid water.

It wasn’t so bad a life.

If I could live another one...I want to become a civil official like Eifuu rather than a warrior who kills on the battlefield, so that I can save people using politics. Heh, likely I won’t be able to attain a higher position than a local magistrate.

With those as my final thoughts, deep in the murky darkness, I, Kou Eihou, lost consciousness.

Chapter One

“Now then, we’ll start our mock battle. It may be one against three, but there’s no need to hold back. Does that sound all right to you, Lady Hakurei?”

“Yes.” The voice that rang out was sharp and cool. “I have no issues with that.”

The answer carried across the training grounds on the outskirts of Keiyou, capital city of Koshuu. Located in the north of the Ei Empire, Koshuu was situated south of the river that bisected the continent. The voice who answered the young and serious-looking captain’s question belonged to a beautiful girl who wielded a lovely sword. She was Hakurei, the eldest daughter of the famous general, Chou Tairan. Due to his accomplishments in protecting the Ei Empire from foreigners, he’d been given the title of National Shield.

Hakurei’s long silver hair, tied up with a crimson ribbon, reflected the sunlight. Though many outlanders came and went in Koshuu, very few had eyes like Hakurei’s—a deep azure that housed a keen intelligence. Her well-proportioned body was hidden away under white fatigues and armor and still she looked elegant and dignified. The soldiers watching over the training grounds from the ramparts and the turrets couldn’t suppress their sighs of awe.

I, Sekiei, was nothing more than an adopted son of the Chou family. Though we weren’t related by blood, I thought of Hakurei as my own younger sister. And even with my bias for her as family, I found her beautiful. Not once in over a thousand years, going back to when Kou Eihou was alive, had there been a girl as stunning as Hakurei. Not only was she hardworking, training every single day, but she was also kind to both the servants and the soldiers of the Chou family.

In the past, people believed in a superstition warning against women with silver hair and blue eyes, stating that they’d be responsible for toppling the country. These days no one thought much of such things, and the residents of Keiyou deeply respected Hakurei.

Is she really sixteen, just like I am? Could it be that she’s just like me, and has memories from her past life?

That was what I secretly thought about her. Mostly because she’d always been weirdly strict to me and only me... Well in any case, it didn’t seem like my impression about Hakurei was off the mark.

The soldiers watching yelled their support—while taking advantage of the moment to tease me, as well.

“Lady Hakurei, please do your best!”

“You’re as beautiful as always today!”

“Please help Sekiei grow a backbone and stop him from prattling on about nonsense like how he’s going to become a local magistrate!”

“It’s so unfair how he got to stay in the city for half a year all by himself!”

“You’re going to become an official in the army, right?”

“Young master, you’re going to train after this as well, aren’t you?”

The majority of the soldiers were male, but not all; there were a small number of females as well. Since Keiyou was at the border of the Ei Empire, both men and women had to bear arms.

Wait, what did they say? Training? Uh, yeah, in your dreams! I’m busy reading the books I got from the city!

I thought back to the words of the older girl I met while in the city. “Uh-huh, I see... So you want to get an office job in the future. In other words, you want to become a civil official! Then it’s important for you to read some difficult books. Here, I’ll sell you these ones for cheap! ♪” She had her fair share of personality problems, but I couldn’t deny the fact that she had the insight to become a very skilled civil official.

I wasn’t able to become a civil official in my past life, but I’ll definitely make that dream come true in this one! Besides, I didn’t even want to come out during training. I’m only here thanks to Hakurei.

“This is the bare minimum of responsibilities you must fulfill as someone living with the Chou family,” she’d said, and with such a cool expression that I’d had no choice.

As I finished my thought, the silver-haired princess suddenly turned around to stare at me with narrowed eyes. I looked right back at her. No words were exchanged between us. However, I could feel the unspoken pressure in her beautiful gaze.

“I’m the one training and you’re not even going to look at me? Hmm? I see...”

I couldn’t withstand it and looked away, awkward. It’d been ten years since my adoptive father, Chou Tairan, found me on a battlefield and took me in. It’d be a whole other matter if I had to face off against her in actual combat because at least thanks to my memories from my past life, I had some skill in martial arts. However, I’d never once managed to win against Hakurei’s silent pressure.

I played with my black bangs and flapped my hand. “Um... Isn’t it about time for you guys to start?”

After a long, frosty pause, Hakurei replied. “I suppose.”

She walked slowly towards the soldiers, taking one purposeful step at a time. The young captain serving as the arbitrator looked at me as if he wasn’t sure what to do, so I nodded slightly.

“Now then,” he called out at my mark, “begin!”

At the captain’s call, the mock battle between Hakurei and the soldiers started. The three soldiers held aloft their wooden spears and slowly approached their opponent. Judging by their movements, they were new soldiers, freshly recruited. Hakurei, however, stood completely still; the only thing moving was her silver hair, blowing in the spring breeze.

Yeah, she’s not gonna lose this one.

In the recent past, our empire, the Ei Empire, had unified almost all of the provinces—barring a single, remote piece of land. And then about fifty years ago, the Gen Empire suddenly rose to power. The people in the Gen Empire were mostly horsemen, originating from the old En province north of the river. The Gen Empire took land and territory from the Ei Empire, chasing us south, all the way to where the Sai province used to be.

The Ei Empire’s greatest desire was to see our lands reclaimed. Right now there was a lull in the fighting, but I could say for certain that we would be back to war sometime soon. When that happened, it would be the Chou family’s army that would be at the front lines. The only thing separating our land from the Gen Empire’s army was the river, so here in Koshuu we’d been at a standoff for years.

“Come what may, we need to train our soldiers!” That was father’s philosophy.

I happened to agree with it. After all, it would be nice if I could one day visit Routou whenever I wanted to again, since that was where my past life met his end. Unbelievably enough, that huge peach tree was still alive, in bloom.

As my thoughts wandered, Hakurei managed to corner all three soldiers against the ramparts with nothing more than her sword techniques. It seemed that she’d gotten in quite a bit of training during the six months I was away.

I knew my expression was softening against my will at the sight of her, and I resumed my reading while sitting in the shade of the tent. I was in the middle of reading historical records about the Tou Empire, from the time it unified the lands under the heavens to its eventual fall.

“The Twin Stars Vanquish Gyou Country in a Single Battle.” That’s right. That’s right!

I could only remember bits and pieces of it. We’d managed to cross the Nanamyaku Mountains and succeeded in our assault on the enemy’s capital. Eifuu had been the one to come up with the plan, and I had been the one to carry it out. It was a critical victory in—

“Ahem!”

From behind me, an old man loudly and deliberately cleared his throat.

“Young master, if you don’t pay close attention, Lady Hakurei will get mad at you later. She’s already unhappy with you for spending half a year in the city! She spent that entire time training at Lord Chou’s orders.”

“Raigen... Don’t say such scary things. I even wrote letters to her, didn’t I? Granted... I only wrote them once a month...”

“Oh yes? If I recall, you initially promised to write home once every two weeks.”

While still trying to come up with excuses, I placed a pretty feather that Hakurei gave me in between the pages of my history book. I hadn’t even noticed the approach of the large, white-haired, and white-bearded man. Raigen was not only father’s deputy commander, but he also served as protector to me and Hakurei.

“Yeah, well. You know, I was busy with my own things...” As I spoke, I looked back down to the training ground.

The soldiers were cheering Hakurei on as she attacked, moving as if she were dancing. The flash of her sword caught the sunlight, as did her long silver hair, and both shimmered like jewels.

It was a given that between a sword and a spear, the latter had the advantage thanks to its superior reach—plus, even if they weren’t well trained, she was up against three opponents. In the majority of situations, quantity would win against quality. However...

“Too slow!”

Spinning on the spot, Hakurei parried all of the spears thrust towards her with ease. She was quick to turn the tables on them. Backed into a corner, the three looked shocked at what had happened, speechless.

“Ohhh!” I couldn’t help but clap my hands and offer my honest praise. “She’s really improved over these last six months!”

“Yes, she has,” Raigen said. “Lately, there have been bandits and the like appearing close to Keiyou’s borders and the young miss has been quite concerned about them...actually, no.” He rubbed at his white beard, his gaze softening. “She’s likely showing off for your sake, young master.”

What a weird thing to say. Seems like both Gramps and the other people working for the Chou family have misunderstood my relationship with Hakurei. Yeah, it’s true that ever since I came back from the city, she’s been monopolizing basically all my time, but...

I ran my hands through my own black hair, messing it up. At the same moment, the beautiful, silver-haired girl on the practice grounds before me was delivering the final blow to the three soldiers. Their spears flew through the air along with their cries of dismay.

“Ah!”

“Gah!”

“W-We lose!”

“Stop!” As soon as the cornered soldiers’ spears landed tip-first in the ground, the young captain raised his left arm. “Lady Hakurei is the winner!”

The air was filled with the loud cheering of the audience, but the little princess’s chilly expression didn’t change an inch, nor did she put away her weapon. Instead she looked up, met my eyes, and smiled.

I have...a really bad feeling about this.

“Now then, Sekiei. It’s your turn.”

My bad feeling was right on the mark, then. She even made sure to call my name out in front of everyone.

I held my history book up higher and tried to reject her invitation by pretending that I didn’t hear anything. Too bad then that a practice sword, still in its sheath, was placed right onto my table. My head shot up and I saw the old white-haired, white-bearded general staring down at me with a wide smile on his face.

“Young master, please use this. The edge has been removed, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Wha— G-Gramps, I thought I could at least count on you to be on my side!”

“Oh, I’m on someone’s side, all right. In this case, it’s Lady Hakurei’s.”

“Y-You traitor!!!”

Despite my yell, I could hear the approaching footsteps of a young girl. They were light, as if she was in a good mood, but perhaps they only sounded that way because my ears weren’t working.

Hakurei reached out and placed a pale hand on my shoulder. “Remember what father said. ‘Come what may, we need to train our soldiers’—so come when I call for you, jeez.” The last few words came out in a hiss.

“All right...” Forced to submit to the princess’s intimidation tactics, I slowly staggered to my feet, pretending to wipe tears away from my eyes. Together we walked to the middle of the training ground. Immediately, the officers and men started to jeer.

“Young master, this is punishment for playing around in the city!”

“Leaving Lady Hakurei here and going to the city all by yourself is surely a serious crime.”

“Thanks for all the yummy food, though!”

“That wasn’t him. That was thanks to the city’s Ou Commerce Guild...”

Unfortunately, no one in the crowd was willing to stand on my side. How cruel! Already some distance away from me and ready for the mock battle to start, Hakurei tossed her long silver hair, a prim look on her face. The crimson ribbon I’d gifted her before I went to the city flowed with the movement.

So this is what you’ve been plotting, dragging me out to the practice grounds!

I knew that I was making a sour face as I silently cursed my beautiful childhood friend. “Fine then,” I called. “It’ll be your responsibility if someone gets hurt!”

“Oh? How very confident indeed, Mister Freeloader. Do you really think that you can win against me, when I’ve been training every day for the past six months?”

She looked the same as she usually did, but she couldn’t pull the wool over my eyes. I had no idea why, but there was some reason for her good mood! I placed my hands on my hips and stuck my chest out.

“Hmph! Foolish little princess. The ‘someone’ who’ll get hurt is obviously me!”

“Did your precious books not tell you that fools are the only ones who call other people names? All right, hurry up and unsheathe your sword, please. Everyone’s waiting.”

She shut me down without even a second thought. Chou Hakurei was smarter than me. Frankly, as far as talents went she had me beat, especially when it came to our potential as civil officials. My expression grew surly, and I puffed out my cheeks.

“Fine, fine...” I said under my breath. “You were so cute when you were just a brat, like a little sister should be...”

Hakurei’s shoulders twitched. She obviously heard my quiet muttering, but her expression was quick to revert to its usual calm.

“Let me say this.” The words spilled out while she fiddled with the crimson ribbon at the back of her head. “Cuter when I was small? Hmph. I believe that even now, my appearance would be considered quite attractive. Also, I’m your older sister, and I definitely do not need a younger brother such as yourself.”

I made an unfortunate sound at the back of my throat. “C-Could you at least pretend that you didn’t hear what I—”

“I could not,” Hakurei interrupted me sternly.

Y-You didn’t have to be that mean... And here I thought we’d been getting along pretty well.

“Um...can we start?” In the midst of my ruminations, the young captain serving as the arbitrator called out to me. In this, he was pretty similar to Raigen.

Turning to face each other once more, Hakurei and I answered at the same time.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure.”

“Yes, we can.”

My sister offered a brief smile. “For the past six months,” she said, “I’ve dreamed of this. Please hurry up and let yourself be defeated. One of the books in your collection included a story about a lazy freeloader who was beaten up; it helped me imagine this moment.”

“You force me to fight, and that’s all you have to say to me?! Also, who gave you permission to read my books while I was in the city?!”

She pressed a slender finger against her cheek and blinked her sapphire eyes. Then, in a baffled tone, she asked, “What do you mean? Everything you own is mine. What’s the issue?”

“Th-Then...then, what about your stuff?” I asked.

Dropping the innocent act, Hakurei spun her sword and snapped back, “It’s mine, of course. Please refrain from asking such silly questions.”

“H-How tyrannical! Everyone, Chou Hakurei is a tyrant!”

“Don’t worry, that’s not an issue. I’m only a tyrant when I’m dealing with you. Now, the order to start, please.”

“Wha—?! Hey, listen, you—”

“B-Begin!”

Before I could even finish my complaints, the mock battle had started and Hakurei disappeared from my line of sight. Darting towards me, her body pressed so low to the ground that her chin was practically grazing dirt, she slashed at me. The move was sharp and direct.

“Whoa!”

I barely managed to dodge her sudden attack by twisting my body. I backed away, dodging her consecutive strikes, each one barely missing me.

“Practice as if it’s a real match, and fight a real match as if it’s practice,” Hakurei taunted, her smile growing even wider.

Hooray for father’s combat education!

The practice sword swung past my bangs and I sacrificed a few strands of my hair in order to avoid the attack. The problem was that even a weapon lacking an edge remained dangerous in the hands of a master. Hakurei was a perfect example of that. I jumped backward, putting a lot of distance between us, and tried once again to state my piece.

“Y-You’re way too serious about this! I’ll die if you hit me!”

Hakurei wasn’t swayed by my words. She wasn’t even out of breath. “This wouldn’t be good practice unless we’re serious about it,” she answered. “Besides—”

Closing the gap between us in a single leap, she swung her sword in a merciless horizontal slash. I leaned backward and saw the blade pass above my face. I regained my footing and tried to get behind her, but she managed to stop me with her sword.

She offered me a beautiful smile. “It’s not as if I can hit you, right?” she said. “But for sure, today is the day I’ll make you unsheathe your weapon!”

All members of the Chou family had to go through combat training starting when they were young, but in all that time I’d never drawn my weapon in any of my mock battles against Hakurei.

“If I use it...” I muttered after a short silence, “will you let me off the hook—”

“I will not.”

“That’s so unfair!”

Hakurei resumed her furious yet elegant attacks, still looking as if she were dancing rather than fighting. I managed to avoid them all with only footwork, but unlike the mock battles we had six months ago, now I was forced to back up more and more.

This is why I hate prodigies! The speed at which they improve is simply ridiculous!