TALES OF OBSCURA

Chapter 6: The Scar of Six Years Ago

Sparks flew with each intense clash of the blades. Krile swerved and danced around Kiraki's precision swings, then jumped and flipped backwards to give herself some distance. Everyone else gasped in horror and awe at the spectacle and stepped away to avoid getting caught in the fray. Kiraki dashed toward her, and she parried more of his attacks and countered with her own when she got the chance. The flurry of movement they demonstrated was almost impossible to describe, as if they were superhumans duking it out in a divine contest.

"GRAGH!" Kiraki roared and stabbed forward at Krile's midsection.

To his surprise, she actually hopped straight up and landed on the flat side of Gouran's blade for a split second. She used the leverage to jump over him to perform Hououtenku, swooping down upon him like a pink-flamed crane in flight. Kiraki blocked her blade and planted his feet firmly against the stone flooring, struggling to keep his balance while keeping Krile off him. His deep grey eyes stared at her blue irises, as if he could see straight into her lifeless soul. Despite the thrilling excitement of this battle, her expression remained as stony as ever, acting like this was just a common everyday thing for her.

"That's enough!"

The two swordsmen pushed each other away, and Krile flew back before crouching and holding Durandal aside. Kiraki gasped hard and remained in his battle stance with Gouran. The one who commanded them to stop was Mikami, and she stepped forth with the aura that a true queen should possess.

"I don't know what's going on here, but I will not permit such behavior without good explanation," she said, then faced Kiraki. "Especially from you, Minister Kureha. You were the one who assaulted that young woman unprovoked, and she had no choice but to fend for herself. What do you have to say, attacking one of my guests like this?"

He approached his wife and prostrated before her. "I sincerely apologize for my rudeness, Your Majesty. I wanted to confirm something, so I was testing her abilities."

"Confirm? Testing?"

"Indeed, and I had my suspicions verified with that little battle just now. I have not told anyone before, but that girl-"

Kiraki then slid his right arm out of his black armored jacket and let the loose half drop over his belt, exposing the arm and half of his abs. Carved along the length of the upper arm was a grotesque scar that hadn't healed well.

"-Was the one responsible for this injury I sustained."

"No way!" Misha gasped and covered her mouth.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Melvin whispered. "I was only joking when I thought Krile had done it! It was actually true!?"

Mikami glanced over at Krile, who had sheathed Durandal and stood there like an emotionless statue. The queen asked her husband, "Who is this? I do not recognize her."

Kiraki grinned. "Remember when I visited Hieizou six years ago? That was shortly before we married."

"Ah, that's right. You returned with bandages all over you. Every time I inquired about them, you always refused to answer me. Then you gained a strange fixation with returning to that country once every month of Shadow for the next few years. I still don't understand the reasoning for all of this strange behavior you've been exhibiting, which has caused me a slight degree of frustration."

"I am terribly sorry for my actions. But with her presence here, I feel it is right to explain everything."

Milei asked, "Are you saying you met Krile before?"

"Krile?" he murmured, then faced the silent girl. "Is that your name?"

"… Krile Shizumori…" she whispered.

"So you finally introduce yourself. This is the first time I've heard your voice."

"You didn't know her name!?" Milei exclaimed.

"Not until now. I was starting to believe she was actually mute, but that's obviously not the case. Every time I went to Hieizou to challenge her, she would never say a word."

Mikami wondered, "What do you mean?"

Her husband nodded and said, "I'll start at the beginning."

4 NQY, Month of Shadow, Day 17

Six years prior

The newly built steam train, forged out of metal mined in the local area by professional Gnome Thauma users, chugged to a stop in Hokusei. The 23-year old Kiraki Kureha disembarked and gazed around the town. It hadn't developed as far as it did in the present time, so only the station, some residences for the miners, and a couple of shops had been established here so far. Due to its important location in Hieizou though, he knew it would only be a matter of time before it became a popular city for commerce.

Although the Yotsuda Line was already operational for the capital cities of the four nations, development was still occurring on the tracks that branched out into the more rural towns, especially those in Hieizou. It wouldn't be for another two years until the Yotsuda connected to the small fishing hamlet the Shogun designated as Kawabata, the 'Riverbank' village. Therefore, Kiraki had to disembark the train from Hokusei and travel the rest of the way on foot even though the workers had laid out the majority of the tracks leading to Kawabata. All he had to do was follow their path to get to his destination.

Today, Kiraki was acting as a surveyor for the company that owned Yotsuda. He was going around the entire continent checking to see how progress was coming along. Of course he wasn't the only surveyor around; other men of influence like himself also examined the tracks on a periodic basis to make sure there weren't any significant issues. It also gave him the opportunity to explore this new land that the Qlipottians arrived upon four years ago, allowing him to become familiar with the small continent for his future duties as the Minister of Justice.

At this point, he hadn't married Mikami yet. The most he had accomplished was winning the gladiatorial contest and earning her hand in marriage as his reward, which occurred half a year ago. Although Kiraki was constantly looked down upon by the nobility for being a filthy peasant who was marrying the most important woman in Eikimi, no one could deny his impeccable skills and fearsome strength as a warrior. If there was anyone suited to protect the Queen from any danger, as well as guide the country's judicial system, it would be him.

The previous Minister of Justice, Migdal Eikimi, was the country's regent after the previous Queen passed away shortly before the Great Migration. Unlike Kiraki's humbler origins, Migdal was as vain and elitist as they came, using his power and wealth as an important shareholder of the Yotsuda Line to win his way to the second-most important position of Eikimi. Due to matriarchal law, Migdal had to step down as regent when his oldest daughter Mikami came of age and could succeed her mother as Queen. That didn't stop Migdal from trying to interfere with Mikami's impending marriage to Kiraki, and the swordsman knew it. He gazed upon the engagement band around his left ring finger and pondered about the importance of his current duties.

It was Minister Migdal's idea to send me to Hieizou, even though the Shogun is perfectly capable of sending someone themselves to do the same job. If I know that man, he's probably trying to make Mikami change her mind by introducing her to suitors that fit his tastes more. His attempts to hold on to whatever little power he has remaining is all too obvious. If he can't rule the country, then he would try to control the ruler herself.

Kiraki sighed and thought of his worrywart fiancée as she bid him good travels a few days ago. She didn't want him to leave, but Migdal stressed the importance of asserting Eikimi's presence in Hieizou, and that someone as 'famous' as Kiraki was the best for the task. Both of them knew it was just a way for Migdal to get rid of Kiraki and give himself some time to convince Mikami to call off the engagement.

All I can do is trust that Mikami won't give in to her father's pressure…

No amount of worrying was going to do him any good though. He had to focus on meeting up with the maintenance workers and asking for an update. He had a black stallion waiting for him in the stables, and he mounted it before taking off for the southeastern plains. On horseback, it would take the remainder of the day for him to pass Tsuchiya and arrive at the current location of the developing train tracks. He arrived at his destination and got off the horse to inspect the unfinished railway.

"Wow," Kiraki murmured to himself. "They're sure coming a long way."

The foreman spotted his guest and hurried over, rubbing his hands nervously and exclaiming, "Good day, Minister Kureha! I'm glad to see you've arrived safely!"

"No, no, I'm not the Minister of Justice yet. That's going to happen next year," the swordsman replied jovially. "You don't need to be so formal either. As far as I'm concerned, we're both laborers in service to the civil community."

"Of course, sir. Then, this way."

Kiraki followed the foreman around the work site. The railway workers were busy either digging up the ground ahead and laying stone track ballast, laying the flat-bottom steel panels, or lining the rails and affixing them to the panels. They would finish about a third of a mile per day, making the work rather slow and sluggish at times. But safety was the most important thing, and the steam train company demanded a top priority on making sure the tracks were solid enough to last for decades without any accidents. Although it was a stressful job to meet this demand, the pay was excellent for the builders.

Kiraki smiled lightly with pleasure, knowing that everyone was doing their part to pioneer this new world. He felt he could connect with these people more than the insufferable nobles who had no concept of hard work. As far as he cared, they existed only to throw money around for projects, then take all of the credit for a job well done. The foreman noticed his smirk and asked, "How do you like, Mr. Kureha?"

"It's splendid. I can hardly wait to take the Yotsuda upon these very tracks."

"I'm glad to hear that, sir. Since you're here, I thought I could confide a small problem we've been having lately."

"A problem?"

"No, no, no, it's nothing to do with the work itself! I mean, uh…" the foreman wiped his sweating brow with a cloth.

"I already said you don't need to worry about being so uptight with me. Now, what is this issue you wish to discuss?"

"Of course, of course… Actually, my men have been mentioning that wild animals have been stealing our food supplies, which is why we keep requesting for more."

"Wild animals? Honestly. I've been hearing that all over the continent, but the company doesn't have enough manpower to send soldiers to protect the workers."

"I understand that, but that's not what I wanted to talk about. Actually… I think it'd be better if I showed you."

Kiraki became puzzled as he followed the older man to the nearby campsite. They approached the tents furthest away from the work until they saw something covered beneath a large blanket. The foreman grabbed the corner of the cloth and murmured, "It's this…"

He pulled it off in one motion to show Kiraki what was beneath. It was the corpse of an Eggbear, a type of ursine creature notable for the females laying eggs rather than having young like other mammals would. This one was a male, and it had obviously decomposed due to the awful stench of rotten flesh and flies buzzing around. However, he noticed that the majority of its fur had been stripped clean, and some pieces of bear meat had been butchered off the bones. There was even a deep cut in its throat indicative of something like a sword or knife being used to slay it.

"How did this happen?" Kiraki asked.

"I wasn't present, but one of the guys told me that that bear was approaching his tent for food. When he scrambled away to safety, he noticed some kind of movement, followed by the bear suddenly falling dead without making a sound."

"When was this?"

"About five nights ago. It was pitch dark, so he couldn't really see what was going on."

"Some kind of movement… An Eggbear with its throat slashed… Missing meat and fur…"

"It could be a monster we don't know about!" the foreman shuddered. "Oh, the humanity! To think that there's something out there that would slaughter us in total silence! Are we really going to be safe out here!?"

"No, I don't think it was a monster," Kiraki replied with a composed tone. "Monsters only hunt for food, but this bear's fur has also been taken along with some meat. If I had to guess, it appears we're dealing with a hunter."

"A hunter?"

"Yes. Did the witness see where the source of the strange movement went after that?"

"I don't know. The forest leads further into Enten River, but no one has been able to investigate it due to the heavy workload. So I was wondering if you could…"

"Say no more. I'll go see if there's anything suspicious there."

"Thank you so much. I'll arrange for you to stay at the inn in Kawabata. Please come back safely, sir."

Kiraki nodded and immediately headed into the woods. He had no idea where to go from here, but if this supposed hunter lived around here, he figured that they would need to stay close to the river for water. The next few hours of searching passed by uneventfully. The only signs of life he could find were the chirping birds and scurrying rodents jumping around the branches, alongside the gentle hum of the flowing river.

He reached as far east as he could in the Enten area, stopping as far as Enten Falls where the waterfall constantly poured from above and showered him in drops of water. Kiraki believed he had come as far as he possibly could, and was disappointed for not finding anything significant.

"It's starting to get dark," Kiraki mumbled to himself. "I should go back and-"

He froze. A dreadful sensation crept down his tingling spine. As an experienced warrior, he recognized the feeling of being stalked upon. Despite the roaring waterfall overtaking his ears, the air felt frightfully still. He brandished an imitation of the legendary sword Gouran and carefully paced about, keeping his eyes wide open so he could spot any potential threats.

What is this? No animal in the world can produce such a deathly silent aura…

Kiraki knew he wasn't dealing with an ordinary foe. A swordsman's training allowed them to heighten their senses and awareness of those around them, so that they could detect anyone with bloodlust and strike accordingly. But no matter how hard he tried to find the actual bloodlust, he couldn't pinpoint the source despite sensing something wrong with the atmosphere.

Is this an enemy who can cloak their bloodlust? I've heard of assassins who can accomplish that.

He dared not call out to whoever was pursuing him. A real warrior didn't taunt his enemies out into the open; he would wait for them patiently, anticipating their initiative and maintaining a strong defense to parry it. Unfortunately, that strategy was useful when he could easily detect the opponent's hatred. For some reason, it felt like he was challenging a ghost; something that was present in spirit, but emanated no trace of their physical presence. From a warrior's perspective, this person was invisible.

How in the world is this possible? Are they using a Thauma to mask their presence? I haven't heard of any of the 10 elements granting such an ability to their users…

Kiraki was out in the open near the waterfall so there weren't any real hiding spots that anyone could use to sneak up on him. Yet his opponent was perfectly concealed. It didn't make any sense to him, and he decided not to waste his time comprehending this mystery. If the enemy wouldn't behave as he expected, he had to narrow down his options and discount the possible hiding spots by process of elimination.

No boulders… No stalagmites… No trees… No bushes… No branches… There are some caverns nearby, but they're too far away. Wait… Natural caverns… around a waterfall…?

Just as he pivoted on his heel to face the waterfall, a small figure burst through the torrential waters and clashed their sword against his. The force of their jump nearly made him trip backwards on the slippery rock, but he kept steady and shoved his attacker off him. They landed on their feet and crouched in a battle position, allowing him to get a better look at what they looked like… Or at least, of the Eggbear skin they wore around their entire body like a cloak.

The assailant was definitely shorter than Kiraki, but the head of the fur covered their face and upper body. They did wear a leather dress and moccasins underneath though, and the petite sculpture of their legs told him that this was a girl. He noted the remarkable craftsmanship of her sword; a curved blade like a talwar that had a golden winged hilt and a large blue gem nestled in the center. Her lips were thin and emotionless, giving him the impression that she really did think like an assassin. Although he could see her flat expression of disinterest in the battle, her body possessed the motions of one actively engaged in heavy combat, and the disparity of this contradiction threw him off guard momentarily. It was almost like she was a sleepwalking marionette of some sort.

She latched onto his lack of focus and charged at him with concentrated swings of her sword. He blocked the initial assault easily with his much larger blade, but he could tell she was taking advantage of her high mobility and smaller stature to stymie his bulkier weapon and larger build. Some of her strikes came extremely close to piercing his chest, neck or face – something which he hadn't experienced since the first days he wielded a sword as a child.

"Kgh!" Kiraki grunted. He didn't wish to hurt her, but he needed to get her off him all the same. He managed to swing upwards at her, calling out, "Sougazan!"

She had to use her blade as a shield to block his rising sword, throwing her clear off her feet and knocking her bearskin cloak off. She somersaulted backwards several times before landing in a crouching position and calmly staring at him. Without the fur obscuring her identity, Kiraki could see that it was the 13-year old Krile Shizumori wearing a ragged dress and possessing disheveled dark brown hair. Her eyes remained as clear as ever, but in the man's view, it felt like he was staring at a pair of ultramarine voids that bore no passion for the ensuing battle.

After this short breather, they dashed at each other and fervently dueled again. He couldn't find the chance to ask for her name or why she was attacking him. Would she even respond if he did? All he could think about was getting her to calm down, and that meant wearing her out first. He swung sideways and she attempted to parry it, but his strength overcame hers and she lost her grip on her sword.

"Got you!" Kiraki shouted and swung straight down. Krile hopped sideways and twirled on her toes to recover, forcing her away from her weapon. The swordsman stood in front of it to block her way, then called out, "That's enough! I don't want to fight you!"

She didn't look intent on stopping. To his surprise, she actually ran around him in a wide berth while keeping her eyes on her weapon. Kiraki warned, "I told you to stop! If you don't, I'll be forced to apprehend you!"

If his words reached her, they didn't mean anything. Then she extended her arm and opened her hand wide as if grabbing for something. He noticed movement behind him and glared down at her curved blade. It actually trembled to life, then shot off the ground and slammed its hilt straight into Krile's hand! Kiraki watched in fascinated astonishment as she danced about to regain her balance, then stood with her sword before her.

"That power… I sensed a Great Spirit inside that sword…" the stunned man gasped. "It can't be… That's a Swordian!"

Krile didn't say anything. Kiraki clenched his teeth and screamed, "Why do you have that!?"

That was when a second man's voice responded, "She doesn't have to tell you."

"Eh!? Who's there!?"

"Don't be dumb. You noticed my presence just now, Host of Shadow."

Kiraki narrowed his eyes, realizing what this meant. "… I see. It didn't make any sense that a girl so young could last this long against me. But if a Swordian – nay, a Great Spirit – is bringing her up in seclusion, then it all makes sense. Who are you, invisible god?"

"You may refer to me as Durandal."

"Durandal, then. Who is this girl, and why does she possess a weapon that has been prohibited by the four kingdoms?"

"I am not obligated to explain to you. Trying to ask my wielder is also futile. If you haven't noticed already, she lives in a perpetual state of catatonia. Emotions mean nothing to her; only pure, unfettered logic and extensive training."

"Hmph," Kiraki sighed. "Must be real nice to have a broken puppet you can control at whim. Typical of the gods to do such a thing."

Durandal paused. After that moment of tense quiet, he responded, "Say that to me again. I guarantee you will live to regret it."

"Is that a threat, Great Spirit? Then I'll accept it head on. I'll do whatever it takes to wrench that girl out of your clutches."

"Typical of humans to misunderstand the situation," Durandal mocked.

"SILENCE!" the swordsman screamed and rushed at Krile. He channeled dark energy from his Shadow Thauma to enhance his replica Gouran, transforming it into a pitch-black blade with a violet aura surrounding it. Now that he knew he was dealing with a Swordian, he had to match its power by calling upon the element he was born with. He had done this in practice before, but not once had he actually needed to use it in combat until now. Deep down, he was actually feeling really impressed.

Krile didn't do anything to make herself stronger however. All she did was dash at him once more and prepare Durandal for another mighty swipe. He was about to swing down, and she was ready to slash sideways. The two warriors drew closer to each other with each millisecond…

CLASH!

The deafening sound of metal meeting metal reverberated through the air.

Birds flew about in surprise from the sudden sharp noise. Neither warrior moved from their swinging positions for what felt like forever. The silence of the forest was only interrupted by the sound of one of their blades being cut through like butter and separating from the hilt. It turned out to be Kiraki's replica Gouran that snapped into useless halves. The darkness-elemental magic that surrounded it dissipated. But his shocked eyes were not fixated on his ruined sword. What got his attention was the gush of blood that splattered his face from an unprecedented cut in his upper right arm. The nerves in that appendage failed to cooperate with him, and he dropped the hilt after unexpectedly losing his ability to move his arm at will. Judging from how deep the cut was, Krile had come dangerously close to slicing it clean off.

The younger swordsman stood up and stared at Kiraki with chilling clarity in her eyes. His blood dripped off the tip of Durandal, proving her victory over him. But she wasn't done yet. It wasn't that she had a bloodthirsty personality; it was that she had no concept of what mercy meant. If anyone tried to kill her, she would return the favor regardless of morals or reasons. That was how feral she became, and Kiraki realized this the moment he met her languid gaze.

I can't win like this…

He had no choice. He closed his eyes and concentrated on summoning the elemental power of darkness to bid his silent command. Then, as if a dark shroud cloaked the area, the bright daylight gradually turned into the deepest night and completely blocked out the sun. Krile couldn't even see Durandal in her hands, never mind her surroundings. Others would be frightened out of their minds by this spectacle, but she remained on high alert and looked around in the darkness for Kiraki.

"Hmph. Only the bearer of the Greater Shadow Thauma can do this," Durandal murmured. "Which means that man must be Shadow's current Host…"

Both Krile and Durandal paused, hoping to sense even a small fraction of their enemy's presence. Even though she managed to wound his fighting arm, it wasn't a guarantee that she had won. He could be using this darkness to sneak up on her and assassinate her, hence her need for caution. However, that wasn't going to be the case.

"This is your victory," they heard the man call out.

"What?" Durandal uttered.

"It was my mistake to underestimate you. I did not expect you to wield a forbidden Swordian and cause injury to me. But if a Great Spirit is the one taking care of you in this isolated land, that would explain your combat prowess despite your age."

Krile couldn't figure out where Kiraki's voice was coming from. It felt like he had her completely surrounded even though there was only one voice speaking.

"As you wish, I will retreat for now," he continued. "But not without this warning; in the next month of Shadow, I shall return and challenge you again. This means you and I have one year to hone our skills. If I prove victorious next time, I will take you from here and bring you to my home. If you prove victorious, I will repeat this cycle year after year until I defeat you. In the meantime, I will speak of our encounter to no one. Is this understood?"

She didn't respond.

"… Very well. I am Kiraki Kureha, the Cold Steel of Eikimi. Don't forget that."

The darkness surrounding the forest gradually subsided, as if nighttime vanished in high speed back into daytime. Krile could see the trees, rocks and grass again, but there was no sight of Kiraki. All that remained were the split halves of his broadsword lying in the grass.

After a moment, Durandal sighed, "I think we're safe. You can relax now."

She did as told and sheathed the Swordian. He continued, "Such a fearsome opponent. Indeed, no animal in the world can match the cunningness and brutality that humans are capable of. Furthermore, he said he would return in the next month of Shadow, meaning one year's time from now. He must want to use the dark-infused airborne mana to his advantage and defeat you with both that and the power of the Greater Shadow Thauma he possesses."

"… Greater Shadow Thauma?" Krile murmured under her breath.

"Ah, I suppose I haven't told you what those are. My lessons have primarily revolved around the more common Lesser Thaumae, all of which are borne from the Greater Thaumae. Think of the Lesser versions as children to the Greater's parent. There are only 10 Greater Thaumae in the world, one for each element, and they are said to actually possess the Great Spirit's soul and consciousness. If a human is born with an extremely high affinity for that element, they can bear that element's Greater Thauma and possibly communicate with that Great Spirit. These people are known as Hosts, such as that Kureha fellow being the current Host for Shadow's Greater Thauma. It explains his ability to cloud the entire forest in darkness with complete ease, while it may take an entire crowd of Shadow Thauma bearers to accomplish the same thing."

"I see."

"Which means he is not an opponent to take lightly in the future," Durandal warned. "If he already is such an accomplished swordsman, then perhaps he will further hone his darkness powers and figure out a way to confound you through magic. It wouldn't surprise me if he made contact with the Great Spirit of Darkness himself and sought greater power."

"Greater power?"

"When you wounded him, I could sense a foreboding desire emanating from that man's spirit. I immediately knew what it was; the desire to be stronger. All warriors possess that wish. If this was the first time he found an opponent capable of injuring him so gravely, that yearning for greater strength must have sparked to life… Or perhaps he was always like that; a person constantly striving to overcome challenges by acquiring more and more power."

"I don't understand."

"Well, you're a humble girl," Durandal replied. "You're too passive to even consider trying to dominate another. But that man is different. He is a conqueror, through and through."

"So why would he want to try and defeat me? He wouldn't gain anything out of it," Krile wondered.

"I don't think so. He took a great interest in me as a Swordian. He probably sees me as something he could use to make him stronger. As for why he would want to take you back to his homeland, I don't really understand that myself. He may be a power-hungry fellow, but I don't think it is derived out of malicious desire. Not once did I sense hatred emanating from him while you two battled."

"That doesn't make sense. Enemies fight because they hate each other, don't they?"

"That's not always the case. It's a complicated concept that I'll have to explain some other time."

"Oh… I don't like difficult things."

"Don't worry about it for now. Go back to the hideout and rest for today."

"Okay."

10 NQY, Month of Gnome, Day 26

The present day

"So that was what happened," Mikami murmured.

Kiraki nodded. "As you can tell by now, I returned to Hieizou every year since then to challenge her. But I lost every time, and I haven't been able to bring Krile with me. I haven't met anyone as fine a swordsman as her."

Although he had recounted that tale vividly, there was one detail he omitted; the fact that Krile possessed a Swordian. If his wife found out about this, she would have confiscated Durandal and had it destroyed, and perhaps put Krile in jail for breaking the anti-Swordian laws. Therefore, Kiraki worded it so that Krile had used an ordinary weapon against him, and that she had trained against wild animals by herself rather than being mentored by an unknown Great Spirit.

He approached her and said, "I never thought you would leave that forest and come to my home by your own volition. What has brought you here all of a sudden?"

"The forest was invaded by bandits," Krile explained.

"You mean the criminals that have overrun Hieizou's plains?"

She nodded. "A lot has happened since I left. But Melvin told me about registering as a scout for this country, and I agreed."

"I see. Yes, you would be a most welcome asset to my forces. Let's talk about it while I help you get signed up."

Misha waved at Krile and exclaimed, "Don't forget about what happened in Tsuchiya and Hokusei! Those were some seriously strange events!"

Mikami asked her sister, "What do you mean?"

"Let's talk about it in the conference room."

The two groups split up, and Krile followed Kiraki to the barracks inside the battlements surrounding the castle. Although she had a hard time explaining every possible thing she encountered during her adventure to him, Kiraki understood enough to fill in the gaps for himself.

"Hmm," he grumbled once she finished her story. He had no idea what to be more disturbed by; the illegally branded griffon, or the sudden arrival of a dragon from the nonpresent Scarlet Moon. "It seems I've greatly underestimated the situation in that country. It has been reduced to not just a hive of villains, but a land of unexplainable mysteries. I can see why the current events would force you to leave those woods behind and investigate."

"Milei said it was a much bigger problem than stray groups of outlaws."

"She's certainly right about that. There has been political turmoil brewing in the three northern countries, so few resources can be diverted to Hieizou, which has caused great frustration for the Shogun. I'm not sure how to proceed from here, but I'm glad to know you're willing to help."

Krile didn't say anything else until Durandal urged her, "Show him that letter."

"Letter?"

"The one you received in Tsuchiya."

"Oh… By the way," Krile murmured and went through her bag to retrieve the wax-sealed envelope. "I think you would want to see this."

Kiraki opened it and read it with deep curiosity. After he finished, he mused, "So you have no elemental affinity, and have no desire to possess a Thauma."

"That's correct."

"… I understand. There is an expectation for all soldiers to be branded with one, but I'll have to attach this letter to notify everyone else about your situation. It's not like you need one anyway, nor are you breaking any laws by not having one. The issue with your sword is a completely different matter, however."

"…"

"As long as we both keep quiet about it, and that Durandal never speaks around anyone else but the two of us, you should be all right."

They reached the doors leading to the barracks, where Kiraki's army of knights trained on practice dummies with swords and spears. Krile looked around with some degree of interest while Kiraki spoke with some brigade captains about official business. About 10 minutes later, a horseback riding knight rushed in on his steed and tumbled right off as if he was in a hurry. He panted frantically when he spotted the Minister of Justice and exclaimed, "Lord Kureha! It's urgent!"

Kiraki kneeled over him and asked, "What seems to be the matter?"

"T-The incoming train from Sumizome… I-I-It… It's…"

"Calm yourself, soldier. Take some deep breaths to compose yourself."

As the panicking man struggled to breathe properly, Krile glanced up to the sky and noticed a strange grey pillar rising in the distance. She wondered, "Is that smoke?"

"What!?" Kiraki exclaimed as he saw it too.

"Y-Yes, sir," the soldier finally said. "The train carrying the Prince of Sumizome… exploded!"