“I feel like we don’t really understand her...” The atmosphere had changed, so one of the four martial artists spoke up to change the topic, hopefully breaking the tension and returning to a more relaxed conversation. “She has a five-hundred-year-old Immortal working for her, and she managed to get a guy like Tahlan... Despite all that, it doesn’t feel like she went around looking for them, though.”
“It’s not like she’s especially strong or anything, nor does she have a good personality. She does seem to have an idea of what she can’t do, however. Even so, that much is natural.”
“We’re the ones who weren’t able to do that, though... Anyway, it seems like she’s just lucky when it comes to finding people.”
“So not only was she born with a high social rank, good looks, and a good body, but she’s also lucky? Well, that makes sense, I guess.” The four Temperans were fully aware of the reality of the situation. The only possible conclusion was that Douve was just incredibly lucky. Both Sansui and Tahlan had no real connection to Arcana and thus hadn’t had any real reason for appearing there. Regardless of how she managed to get them, she was extremely lucky just to have encountered them.
“I guess it is just luck...” The seven of them cursed the heavens. In the end, humans always ended up cursing not their own ability, but their luck.
“At the match the other day, those two really showed what they’re made of.” Shiyoki tensed up as Toris began to talk about something it seemed she had recalled. Those two had gone up against none other than Saiga and Sansui. The Spirit Summoners had ended up losing, even though the Arcanians hadn’t even put their all into it. No one else there could imagine how daunted the two of them were. The two of them hadn’t fought a duel to the death, but more of a casual sparring match. Even so, the opponents of the two Arcanians were nothing but afraid.
“Having such a strong swordsman work for her... I find it hard to believe it’s just luck.” Batterabbe having Saiga in the position of “head of house” wasn’t too far removed from Magyan and the surrounding country’s values. It was common for a family or country to welcome a strong male into the family in order to raise their social standing. However, having such a strong man just working for you was very far removed from those values. They simply didn’t understand why Sansui was following her orders to begin with. He was no doubt being treated well, but they couldn’t understand why he was content with being in a relatively low position like that. Sansui being Sansui, his values were probably different from those of a normal person, but even considering that, it wasn’t every day you met someone who just happened to be that convenient in their outlook.
“She just continues to be lucky. Soon that woman will have nothing to fear,” Shiyoki lamented. Douve had the best man as a husband, the strongest swordsman working beneath her, and a brother who held the utmost authority. Nothing could possibly trouble her.
“Well, that isn’t right,” Konoko said, turning pale as she disagreed with Shiyoki. The other three women all nodded with frozen expressions. “There is something she should fear. Or rather...there is something that nearly everyone from the Arcana Kingdom fears.”
“Arcana, which has all of the Eight Sacred Treasures, plus Lord Sansui, Lord Saiga, Lady Ran...as well as three other talented people...has something to be afraid of?” Utto asked. What would Arcana, who had collected the strongest people in the world, be afraid of? It must have been something completely unknown to her.
“Sansui Shirokuro’s master, the world’s strongest man, Suiboku.” Sansui’s master was a full-fledged Immortal, known in Magyan and surrounding areas as a human who could bring about natural disasters—a being akin to a god. While Sansui had been tied down by the Arcana Kingdom, Suiboku was a monster whom Arcana couldn’t control.
“Our village was destroyed by that very person a long time ago... He sounds extraordinarily strong.”
“Is he that powerful?”
“Ran, Saiga, Tahlan, and Sansui could all go up against him and they wouldn’t even be able to leave a mark.” Ran and Saiga were both physically powerful. However, Sansui and Tahlan simply were not. As such, the four of them wouldn’t be able to do any damage to Suiboku. The three women shivered as they imagined Suiboku’s ungodly strength.
“I know there’ll always be people who are better, but...he is the greatest warrior in this world and the true source of Arcana’s power. It makes you wonder if this world is small, or actually really big...” The four women from Tempera were each descendants of special bloodlines, and each made use of their abilities by learning the martial arts, but their many-talented home was treated as a small village of no importance. Utto and the others, who were each stronger than any of those four, were no match for Heki and the other kings who all shared the same Royal Presence. Those other kings were in turn no match for Ran, Saiga, or Sansui. Even then, those three would be brushed aside by Suiboku. No matter how hard one tried, for someone like them, beating him was an unreachable goal. There were too many obstacles in the way. It almost seemed stupid to even try.
“Are you women able to do your best despite that?” Shiyoki asked, posing a brutal question. From the outside looking in, the difference seemed minuscule, but to the people themselves, it was in fact enormous, a gulf that could continue to build and act as an obstacle. The women all knew that very well. In other words, did they have any reason to do their best if they knew that they wouldn’t be rewarded?
“I heard that you were all outcasts from your village. Even if your reasons are justified, just why do you put yourself through all this suffering?”
“Because that is what can make us stronger,” Kazuno declared proudly. “At the very least, we need to become full-fledged martial artists. In order to do that, we need to train in that village. We need to be trained by martial artists and become competent wielders of our Arts.” Becoming a full-fledged martial artist... They didn’t aim to be one of the best, nor village chief, but rather just martial artists. From an onlooker’s perspective, she may have seemed to lack the necessary will. For the women, however, it was a goal they could achieve if they aimed for it.
“Just like when you all saw Tahlan and thought you could no longer be vile...we saw Ran doing her best and decided we wanted to do our best for Ran!” It was a meaningful decision on their part. If it was a goal that they could achieve just by going on as they had without pushing themselves, even if they were to fulfill it, they wouldn’t be able to boast about the victory. As such, they wanted to become respectable warriors. In response, three princesses felt shame as they realized the magnitude of the determination the other four women had.
“W-Well...we also have proof that if you become full-fledged, you can work for Arcana, so...”
“That’s true! Although we’re being persecuted by the village, it’s just an old form of training; it’s not like they’re going to kill us or anything.”
“I mean, we did win our matches at the royal exhibition and they complimented us... That really motivated me...”
“We’ve only been away from the village for two years... It’s really not that bad...”
They were all trying to play it too cool. The four Temperans felt embarrassed as they tried to downplay their situation. However, the respect that the other three had for them did not falter.
“We should...have done the same thing,” Utto said regretfully. She had finally worked out how she should have acted with Tahlan when she last saw him. She shouldn’t have dangled the crown in front of him, using that as bait to conspire for his love.
“We all were able to do our best because we were so moved when we saw Prince Tahlan fight. If we had said that to him...surely he wouldn’t have laughed.” The three of them were despicable. Realizing that now drove the point home. They should have just told him straight away that they loved him. They should have just been honest with their feelings rather than saying that they could make him king. However, the women hadn’t had the courage to do so. Although they said that their feelings wouldn’t get across to him, they feared being hurt. In the end, Tahlan was the one who had ended up suffering, and they couldn’t save him from it.
“We caused Tahlan so much trouble...all due to our naivete. I feel so bad.” They talked about what they had done wrong and what they should have done better. That was something Sukreen was unable to do, but the three women were proof it could be done.
Tempera was nearby. The night began to take its leave as the morning arrived. The women who had come all the way from Magyan had learned a lot about themselves already. They would probably learn a lot more on the journey to come.