Roa City was the largest metropolis in the Fittoa territory, with walls seven to eight meters tall encircling it completely.
Carriages bustled around the gates, brimming with the vibrant mercantile spirit that Asura was proud of.
Even the early spring night didn't dampen this activity.
The lights of the city glowed bright at night, giving Roa a lively atmosphere.
Yet, at the city's center, there was a place where the lights were dimmer, unnaturally quiet amidst the first half of the night's bustle.
Was it because the closer to the city center, the less prosperous it became?
No.
It was because this was the residence of the Fittoa lord.
And the lord's second son, the mayor of Roa City and the one managing this territory—Philip—did not enjoy noise.
Thus, the heart of the city remained unusually silent at night.
At this moment, within the estate—
Moonlight shone through the windows of the Fittoa residence, illuminating the table where a narrow-eyed man sat, studying a letter sent from a remote village in the north.
A strange glimmer danced in his eyes.
"Oh? This intel arrived this morning?"
"Yes."
The deep voice came from behind. It belonged to a sturdy man with short, neat hair—the steward of the estate and also Philip's secretary, Thomas.
Why was he only "also" a secretary?
Because Philip's actual secretary was pretty much empty-headed, and someone had to help her.
Like now—the primary secretary stood before Philip's desk with a longsword at her waist, her expression blank.
If one noticed her ever-vigilant gaze, they might think this 190cm beastkin woman was more of a bodyguard than a secretary. If she had any moments of truly fulfilling secretarial duties, they likely only involved answering combat-related questions.
For instance: were there any promising talents recently in Fittoa? Any up-and-coming adventurers worth inviting to Roa to serve Philip?
"Last winter's monster outbreak hit the surrounding villages pretty hard, but Buena Village was spared. I heard my dear cousin's household took in a sword-talented adventurer who supposedly cut through the origin of the monster swarm alone. Do you know about this, Ghyslaine?"
Ghyslaine kept a straight face, glanced at Thomas—who seemed confused and unaware of this—and then lowered her head to reply smoothly.
"Yes, young master. According to information, he appears to be a Suijin-ryū (Water God Style) swordsman. His strength is likely advanced-class, but he's still young. His swordsmanship potential likely goes far beyond that."
Philip raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Suijin-ryū? Worth recruiting?"
Ghyslaine paused and then replied, "I don't recommend it. His growth is still uncertain."
As Thomas poured a dark red drink into a silver cup, the thin stream glimmered under candlelight.
"You said he has potential, right? Eris still lacks a Suijin-ryū instructor. She's a girl, after all—practicing only Kenshin-ryū (Sword God Style) seems improper."
The stream of liquid broke for a moment, then resumed.
Philip moved his gaze from the cup to Ghyslaine and smiled.
"I also heard Paul's son is quite talented in magic, and Eris could use a magic tutor too. What if we invite them both to become her tutors while keeping an eye on their potential? Later, we can decide whether they're worth recruiting. How's that sound?"
"Currently, we only have one Kensei (Sword King) in the family. Not enough to deter petty threats…"
The stream stopped. Thomas carefully set the drink on the table.
Ghyslaine glanced at his hand.
"You plan to cultivate loyal retainers within the household?"
"Exactly. Using the excuse of finding tutors for Eris, it'll seem natural to the outside world—after all, everyone knows Eris's temper. No one will suspect anything. What do you think?"
Ghyslaine lowered her head again and replied sincerely.
"I think it could work. But it depends on whether the ojou-sama likes them. If she doesn't, it might be hard to keep them around—given her temper…"
She trailed off.
Philip rubbed his chin.
"That's easy. In a few days, I'll write to Paul and take Eris to meet them. We'll see on the spot if she likes them."
Ghyslaine was silent for a moment, her tone slightly hesitant but still somewhat blank.
"You'll go alone? Won't that be dangerous? Should I go with you?"
"No need. You know Paul—he's not the type to harbor ill intent toward me. Besides, he's advanced-class in all three sword styles. Buena Village should be safe. And really, the Fittoa region doesn't have that much underhanded business. We're just finding a tutor for Eris. No need to worry."
Ghyslaine seemed to exhale in relief. Her previously tense posture eased.
"Understood."
Her voice sounded livelier now, no longer blank.
A subtle smile flickered in Philip's eyes. He waved to Thomas and Ghyslaine.
"Alright, that's all. You may go. I'll play a game of chess before bed."
Ghyslaine nodded and left. Thomas brought out a board resembling Western chess, placed it before Philip, and bowed out respectfully.
Though he walked faster than usual.
The door closed.
Philip stood, opened the window behind him, sat again, and arranged the pieces on the board.
Just as he finished placing the pieces, a figure climbed in through the window.
It was Ghyslaine.
She pulled a paper from her cloak and handed it to Philip.
Without even looking, he tossed the beast-god dialect draft—written by himself using a dictionary—into the candle flame.
The contents were synonymous, just in beast language. They only needed to be spoken aloud in human tongue.
Because his main secretary couldn't even read human script.
"You memorized it well. A bit more emotion and it'd be perfect."
Ghyslaine remained serious.
"You wrote it too well, young master. The words are a bit too sophisticated—sounds awkward when translated into human tongue."
Philip's finger froze mid-motion. He brushed the ashes away, slightly exasperated.
"You checked that site outside Liggett City? Any traces?"
"I did. Only a few skeletons remained, but the strikes were clean—no excessive wounds."
"That differs from my own sword theories. He preserved only the most efficient angles and minimal dōki (fighting spirit) release."
Philip grinned, clearly pleased.
"High praise."
"His talent matches the rumors. So far, I can see signs of both Kenshin-ryū and Suijin-ryū. He's at least advanced-class in the former—and no doubt seikyū (saint-class) in the latter. However… it seems his ambush may have been noticed by the Water God Reida. That bandit group was annihilated not long ago, and the Suijin-ryū's main dojo immediately reacted…"
Philip paused, then spoke calmly.
"No problem. I heard Reida values him highly. No further word suggests she's not interested in a rebellious disciple drama. And someone like James couldn't manipulate a man like that anyway."
"True."
The room fell silent, the only sound being Philip's hand placing chess pieces.
After a while, Ghyslaine spoke again.
"Is this really safe? The ojou-sama…"
Philip narrowed his eyes, expression unchanged.
"There's an information gap. You'll be there personally—how can it be unsafe? We're just going to 'observe' his strength. Besides, the power we revealed earlier doesn't match Allen at all."
He moved a "fortress"-like piece to knock away the "guard" beside the "king."
The chess piece hit the floor and bounced before settling down.
"Now, all that's left is for Thomas to take the bait. Darius still fears my father, yet his hands stretch so far after all these years."
"It's time to chop them off."
"Yes."
(End of Chapter)
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