Chapter 351 (Patreon)

Deep beneath the governor's estate, hidden behind layers of stone and reinforced steel, sat a room that seemed intentionally stripped of comfort.

The basement was small, cold, and utterly plain. Bare stone walls enclosed the room, interrupted only by thick metal braces carved with ancient runes meant to suppress spells and skills. There were no paintings, no carpets, not even a window. Only a handful of iron chairs surrounded a plain metal table that had long since lost its shine.

The only light came from a single burning torch fixed to the wall.

It was an ordinary flame. No enchantment and no mana coming out of it. In a room designed to prevent magical interference, even light had to be painfully mundane.Sitting calmly in one of the iron chairs was the governor of the Empire's capital.

Sanki Espada rested both hands atop the head of his cane, his weathered eyes quietly watching the man seated across from him.

Hora Espada broke the silence first. "Father."

His voice remained steady, though there was a faint coldness beneath it. "I heard the news reached you."

Sanki gave a slow nod. "It did."

His reply came without emotion. "I also heard you failed."

The words lingered in the air. For anyone else, they might have sounded like disappointment.

Coming from Sanki Espada...

...they sounded like judgment.

The old man leaned back slightly, studying his son as though he were another report spread across his desk.

"I never imagined," Sanki continued, "that after all these years, I would still have to clean up your messes."

Hora lowered his eyes for only a heartbeat before meeting his father's gaze again.

"That's why I'm here."

He folded his hands together. "I want another chance."

The old governor said nothing. Hora continued before he could refuse.

"I never truly had the opportunity."

His fingers unconsciously brushed the worn hilt of the impossibly thin sword resting against his back.

"That old man..." His expression darkened.

"...the old [Mage], one of the heavenly Jhings."

"He casted a powerful skill that prevented us from meeting Kana in the first place."

He slowly recounted everything that had happened inside the grey world.

How the mysterious grey world had trapped them with a random person to fight with.

How reality itself had been twisted until even an experienced Heavenly Jhing failed to distinguish truth from deception. He wasn’t sure if that grey world existed in the first place.

Then he spoke of Rose Light. The duel. The unexpected resistance. The strange skill that had prevented him from ending the battle as quickly as he intended.

Sanki listened without interrupting.

Not once. When Hora Espada finally finished, silence settled over the room again.

The old governor closed his eyes. One hand slowly stroked the thick beard beneath his chin.

"You and Rose Light..."

He spoke more to himself than anyone else.

"In terms of pure swordsmanship..." He paused. "You have the edge. Well, killing her might complicate things and they could back out. It’s a blessing in disguise."

Hora remained silent. 

Another long silence followed.

The torch crackled softly against the wall.

Finally, Sanki exhaled. ".Very well."

Hora straightened almost imperceptibly. "I'll allow it."

His son remained quiet, waiting for the inevitable condition. "But understand this."

The warmth completely vanished from Sanki's voice. "If Rasta Escudo hadn't personally witnessed that girl's abilities..."

"I would have denied your request immediately."

His eyes locked onto Hora's. "I do not gamble the future of this Empire on pride."

Hora lowered his head. "I understand."

"You should." Sanki folded his hands once more over the head of his cane. "Be grateful to Rasta."

"Without his testimony..."

"You wouldn't be leaving this room with permission."

Hora let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "Looks like I'll owe him this one."

He rose from the iron chair, adjusted the worn sword across his back, and walked toward the heavy steel door.

Just before reaching it, he stopped. Without turning around, he said quietly, "I won't fail a second time. I’m not even sure if my first attempt counts."

The massive metal door groaned open. Then closed behind him with a heavy clang that echoed through the empty chamber.

Sanki remained seated in silence. The torchlight flickered across his aged face.

Only after several moments did the old governor let out a weary sigh.

"So much blood..."

He looked toward the dancing flame.

"All because of one little girl."

…..

After their stroll through the Empire's capital, Kana slipped away to the mansion's backyard for her usual training. Exploring the city had been interesting, but it did nothing to quiet the thoughts circling in her mind. There were too many questions, too many uncertainties, and one rather embarrassing concern she couldn't seem to ignore.

Her body was still growing.

She sighed inwardly.

Even something as simple as her chest had begun to interfere with movements that used to feel effortless.

Balancing on a single hand, Kana lifted herself into a perfect handstand. Her body remained completely steady despite the strain, her legs extended toward the evening sky as she silently strengthened the muscles that supported her weight. She held the position for several steady breaths before sensing someone approaching.

Without warning, she pushed off the ground.

Her body rotated gracefully through the air before she landed lightly on both feet.

The slave Rose Light had purchased in the Lawless City stood several paces away, his lifeless eyes fixed on her. He looked exactly as he always did. Empty. Detached. Almost as though he were observing something that no one else could see.

Kana tilted her head. "Is there something you want?"

The young man remained silent for several moments before finally speaking. "The threads of fate have changed again."

His voice carried neither urgency nor emotion. "Your participation in the upcoming festival may lead to your death."

Kana frowned. "It is only one of the possible futures."

He paused briefly before adding, "But if you refuse to participate..."

His pale eyes met hers. "Your death becomes almost certain."

A faint breeze stirred the loose strands of Kana's hair. "You must enter that battle in your best condition."

Without another word, the young man turned and walked away.

Kana watched him disappear around the corner of the mansion.

Her expression became thoughtful. Rose Light had already explained that the slave possessed a skill capable of glimpsing the future, yet Kana still found herself unable to fully believe it.

How could anyone see something that hadn't happened?

The future wasn't a place. It didn't exist yet. People changed their minds. They made choices. Every decision created another possibility. So how could a skill predict something that was constantly changing?

For some reason, the idea felt fundamentally wrong.

She couldn't explain why. She simply knew.

…..

That evening, the backyard of the mansion echoed with the sharp clang of steel.

Several knights had gathered to watch, and more than one found themselves swallowing nervously as they observed the exchange unfolding before them.

Kana wasn't sparring against one opponent.

She was facing two.

Rose Light advanced with the disciplined precision of a veteran commander, every swing of her longsword calculated and very efficient. Boris attacked from the opposite side, his spear carrying enough force that each thrust seemed capable of splitting stone.

Most people would have relied on agility.

Kana did not.

She had deliberately imposed a restriction on herself. She refused to dodge. She refused to redirect the attacks.

Instead, she forced herself to meet every strike head-on, timing each block to the exact instant before impact. If she succeeded, the force traveled through her body more cleanly. It still hurts, but less than a poorly timed block.

She wanted her bones. Her muscles.

Even her instincts...

...to grow accustomed to overwhelming strength.

Around the training grounds, Suri maintained a large illusion that concealed them from the outside world. Anyone passing nearby would see nothing more than an empty stretch of sand.

Another heavy blow crashed down.

Clang!

Kana caught Boris' overhead strike a heartbeat too late. Her arms trembled violently from the impact, forcing her teeth together as pain shot from her wrists to her shoulders.

Too slow.

Before she could recover, Rose was already moving. The commander stepped into Kana's blind spot with flawless timing, her blade slipping toward an opening that scarcely existed.

Only [Night Awareness] warned Kana in time.

She twisted her body at the last possible moment, bringing her sword around just enough to intercept the incoming strike.

Steel screamed against steel.

Nearby, Chelle frowned as she watched another exchange.

"I don't understand," she murmured. "Why is Kana fighting them head-on? She's faster than both of them."

Suri, meanwhile, lounged comfortably beneath a nearby tree as though she were watching a play instead of a brutal training session.

She tossed a strip of beef jerky toward Thorne. The little lizard eagerly snatched it out of the air before curling back into the grass.

Suri took a bite of her own snack before answering. "I think..." she said between chews, "Kana's challenging herself again. I’m not sure but she was already like that when we were still little kids. She’s very strange."

Suri bit her lips,”Opps, forgot she could hear us.”

Chelle frowned at Suri, her eyes lingered for a moment. She was about to say something but decided not to say it.

Another collision rang through the yard. Kana slid backward several steps before planting her feet.

Then she looked toward Suri. "Suri!"

Suri  lazily raised a hand, "What?"

"Join in." Kana tightened her grip around her sword, "Use your flying swords."

She inhaled deeply, "Make them heavy."

A brief pause.

"And fast."

Suri stared at her for a long moment before letting out an exaggerated sigh that sounded far more dramatic than sincere.

"There goes my peaceful break. And it's not simple to make something heavy and fast."

She glanced at Thorne, who was happily chewing another piece of jerky without a care in the world.

"I swear," she muttered, pointing at the tiny lizard, "I'm starting to get jealous of her."

Post note:

Thorne. 😎Apologies for the late post, got some unexpected events, next week should be as usual(hopefully).

Fifth chap of the week.

Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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