Hidden in a hollow surrounded by steep slopes lay Tempera Village. The Temperans, after having been brought close to extinction by Suiboku over two thousand years ago, now lived modest lives. In the past, when the four women and Ran had returned to the village, nobody made any effort to greet them—only the head of the Testudo Style had interacted with them. However, this time was different. A number of people had come out and greeted the women at the entrance to the village.
“Ah...!”
“Yabia, Suji, Konoko, Kazuno...you’ve all been gone from the village for a while. Even though you were sent out on an errand...you begged me for training and then left me waiting here... Who do you think you all are?” The four of them, realizing who was greeting them, all froze with fear. Yabia threw herself to the ground to grovel. There were a number of men waiting nearby who were wearing the same martial arts clothing as Yabia, so it wasn’t surprising to see her reaction. They appeared to specialize in the Four Vessels Style and were no doubt the best at that particular style.
So strong!
Utto, Toris, and Shiyoki all trembled as they looked at the men. It wasn’t too hard to see what they were all thinking. All of them were incredibly toned as well as blessed with perfect bodies. They had been born with outstanding qualities, then trained in the Art passed down from their ancestors. They were truly elite warriors. Not only did they use rare skills, but they also knew what they were capable of, making them mighty indeed. It was easy to tell how strong they were from their muscular appearances.
“L-Long time no see...Master! I did not think you would greet us...”
“The master of the Testudo Style told me to bring him the guests...except it’s only you, so I guess I can just turn you away.” Yabia, Suji, Konoko, and Kazuno all lowered their heads. The man who was speaking had an incredibly powerful-looking body—he was no doubt fantastically strong—but he also had a terrifying face. It wasn’t just him either. All of the men looked like him. It was normal to be afraid.
“Are you the master of the Four Vessels Style? I am an envoy from the Magyan Kingdom, Magyan Toris. I would like to extend my thanks for you being able to welcome us on such short notice...”
“Magyan? Are you a relative of Sunae, the one that beat Ran?” The Four Vessels Style men all looked at Toris. It wasn’t an exaggeration to call them elite. One could tell that they were actual warriors from just looking at them and that Yabia and the rest stood no chance. That was also obvious from looking at the women.
“Yes...I apologize. I also apologize for bringing shame upon your people.” The three strong women all bowed. The master of the Four Vessels Style, who was by no means a vulgar man, raised his hands to his waist and bent his elbows as he greeted the women. The other men around him followed his lead and did the same.
“Let’s discuss details once you’re in the village. Is that all right?”
“Yes, of course.”
Strong people knew how difficult it was to have a strong body, one good enough to fight. One only had to look at someone’s body to learn how hard they had studied.
Tempera Village was home to ten different fighting styles, which were known as Rare Arts in Arcana. It was a hidden village, far smaller than any city-state, which worked to preserve its unique culture. It was also home to the Testudo Style manor, which played an important role in village life. The seven women the Four Vessels Style master was leading were all amazed at the people who had gathered to meet them.
“There is a lot I wish to say, but I believe the master of the Four Vessels Style has already covered most of it. However, I would like to hear the apologies from your own mouths.” They were in the main hall of the Testudo Style manor, where all of the masters of the various styles, as well as various other influential people, were gathered in a wood-paneled room strongly reminiscent of a dojo. As the Four Vessels Style master joined them, all of the important village figures had thus gathered together.
This is quite a group of people. They’re all on the same level as Lord Heki and his father...
I heard that Yabia and the others were dropouts, but now I see what they mean by that...
They would fit right in with our regular army back home... So this is the power of a small village hidden away...
Each of the influential people had an overbearing presence about them. Though the inside of the hall was simple and had a rustic feel to it, due to the collection of powerful people gathered there, it felt more like the war council of a large nation. Naturally, for the three princesses, it was the sort of atmosphere they were used to. The current feeling of pressure wasn’t directed towards them, so they had no reason to feel nervous—so much so that they were able to feel compassion, as well as respect, for the four martial artists who were the actual targets.
“First of all...our report regarding the Berserker God, the most urgent matter,” Yabia said nervously; she and the others had fallen to their knees, bowing before the masters. “As the Testudo Style master feared, the Berserker God was in Arcana, and he apparently was headed towards Tempera Village.” The Testudo Style master and his attendants all froze, even though the other nine masters didn’t seem that tense. “The Berserker God accepted our refusal when we informed him of it, and...” Yabia took off the large wicker basket she had been carrying and brought it forward. “He gave me this, saying it was his apology to our village.” Yabia opened up the basket, allowing a sweet fragrance to escape and fill the room. “It is a fruit with healing abilities. If you eat too much, it can kill you; however, it is still effective in small amounts, and it is an incredibly powerful medicine.”
The princesses all stared in astonishment at the amount Yabia had. The Magyan Kingdom had some Coiled Peaches and Divine Ginseng, but Yabia had heaps upon heaps of both in her wicker basket. Magyan and Arcana both bordered countries that housed nobles who would do absolutely anything to get their hands on these fruits, and this small hidden village was now in possession of a large number of said fruits. Suiboku had made them as an apology for his mistake. However, for the three princesses, it was an astonishing hoard of treasure. If either Magyan or Arcana were to auction the fruits off, some countries would offer their whole treasuries in order to have just one.
“I-I see... I will be sure to pass this around to the people who were defeated by Ran.” Not being aware of the material value of the fruits, the masters began to relax due to the inviting scent. Yabia closed the lid of the wicker basket as the conversation progressed. “And? Surely there’s no way it took you two years to just bring this back.”
“Well...in fact, seeing as Ran was just mentioned...” Ran. The moment her name was mentioned, the calm atmosphere soon became tense again. The atmosphere dripped with fear and anger as a result.