Volume 2 - CH 3

Chidori slowly opened her eyelids, greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling, making her jump in shock.

“Where is—Ugh!”

The moment she did so, a sharp pain ran through her head. Thanks to that, however, her memories from the previous night came back.

“I went to eat with Alba-dono and got drunk…” Chidori muttered as she looked around.

She was in a room with a bed, a shelf, as well as a table, and one chair. It was a simple room, probably belonging to the Eternal Maiden’s second floor. And then she spotted a familiar black wooden sword on the shelf.

“So this must be…Alba-dono’s room?”

The moment that realization set in, Chidori’s face turned as red as a tomato.

“D-Don’t tell me…We spent the night entangled without me knowing?!”

Needless to say, she didn’t hate him. In fact, she was quite interested in Alba, but not to the level she was willing to offer her virginity, which she had protected over the past 18 years. In a panic, Chidori looked down at her own body, but there were no signs of her clothes having been fiddled with, and the sheets she laid on weren’t dirty, either.

“Nothing happened…” She sighed in relief and cursed herself for doubting Alba. “Someone as diligent as Alba-dono would never assault a defenseless drunk maiden.”

Although they’ve barely met a few days ago, Chidori had sparred with him over several hours. As an adventurer, it’s very possible to inflict serious wounds with a wooden sword. That’s why he would always stop himself before he could possibly hurt Chidori in any way. This built up her trust in him.

“But…it is a bit of a shame,” Chidori grumbled and complained.

Back in her home, the country of Wano, not a single man whispered sweet words of love into her ears. In fact, many were filled with jealousy at her looks, but after she beat them all with a wooden sword, no man dared to approach her. And this luck didn’t change after she came to the Empire. There were plenty of men stronger than her, but her dream of meeting her beautiful prince fell on deaf ears as she was too busy working as an adventurer, and the other men were the same. Soon enough, she reached the 6th floor and became known as Divine Speed Chidori, ending up as an 18-year-old virgin with no experience of love whatsoever.

“When I decided to become an adventurer, I’d given up on walking the path of a wife, but dying without once experiencing the warmth of a man is a bit…”

Both in the Empire and in her hometown, it was common for a girl to become an adult once she turned 15. Naturally, she felt no shame in protecting her chastity until she’d met the right man, but things not changing until she’d retire and send off her junior adventurers would make her heart hurt.

“Then again, it’s better than what Kanaria is going through.”

Maybe it’s because they were apart in age, or maybe because he didn’t know when they would die, but all Kanaria would do was wait at the side of the Holy Knight Leon, who may or may not pretend to be unaware of his feelings, as she’d burn up in anxiety and jealousy at his every interaction with a woman. In that way, Chidori was probably better off, and so she sent Kanaria her sympathy. While doing so, she went to open the window. It was already bright outside, so Alba must have headed to the labyrinth by now.

“Wishing he’d stayed until I woke up…is too clingy, is it?” Chidori felt embarrassed at her own desires and moved away from the window, stepping outside of the room.

Heading down to the first floor, she ran into the manager who was currently serving a few customers.

“Manager, I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s fine. I got to enjoy your drunk self in all your glory.” The manager spoke like it was no big deal and returned a grin. “So, how were the lad’s techniques? Pretty amazing, I dare ask?”

“W-Wait, nothing of that sort happened!” Chidori proclaimed with a tomato-red face.

“I knew he was diligent to the point it made me doubt he had that guy’s blood in him, but not even laying a finger on you? His grandmother must have raised him strictly, or he saw the true value behind the lessons he was taught by him.”

“Manager…?” Chidori sent the woman a dubious gaze, as she clearly knew more about Alba’s background than she let on.

However, the manager just bluntly changed the topic.

“Haha, what a shame that you didn’t say goodbye to your chastity. I’ll make sure to slip a bit of a pep-upper in his drink next time you two eat together. With the alcohol, of course.”

“You needn’t concern yourself with that!” Chidori complained in anger.

“But…if nothing happened, then maybe I said too much.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, a maiden’s greatest weakness is jealousy, see.”

Chidori was confused at what the manager was even saying, but she said no more and instead flashed an evil grin. Meanwhile, the other customers were watching this scene from afar and whispered among themselves.

‘So Divine Speed Chidori was a virgin? That is…not too much of a shock, actually.’

‘It’d be a shock if she were to buy prostitutes despite having such a diligent face…’

‘I’ve always had faith in you, Chidori-sama.’

“Ugh…”

Stabbed by countless gazes, Chidroi blushed and quickly ran away. However, the manager stopped her right when she was about to leave.

“Now hold on. You still owe me one silver coin for cleaning up after your throw-up attack.”

“Cheapskate!”

Despite seeming happy about those events, she had the guts to ask for money. In fury, Chidori threw that one count at her. Any normal person would have been sniped between the eyes by this coin, but the former 6th-floor adventurer of a manager easily stopped it between two fingers.

“Come again~”

“Hmph!” Chidori let out an angry snort and stormed out of the inn.

After she returned to the White Wings’ mansion, her other teammates had already left for the labyrinth, so it was just her maid present.

“Welcome back, Chidori-sama.”

“I can deal with any leftovers, so could you make me something? And I’d like to take a bath after.”

“Understood.”

The maid nodded and stopped her cleaning work to head to the kitchen. She brought back some warm soup and bread to leave Chidori to eat and then made her way to the bath to let in some warm water.

“Maybe Alba-dono has begun to hate me now…” Chidori stuffed her cheeks with the food as she closed her eyes in sadness.

She revealed her drunken appearance, which didn’t cost her all his affection but definitely was unsightly. Just remembering it made Chidori blush furiously. As she finished eating, her maid returned.

“Your bath is ready.”

“Thank you.” Chidori gave the maid her gratitude and headed to the changing room, took off her clothes, and then sank her body into the hot water.

“Phew, I’m alive again…” She knew she sounded like some middle-aged man, but she couldn’t keep this blissful sigh in.

Back when she had barely come to the capital, she had to make do with some hot water and a towel to wash her body, or she had to share spaces in public bathhouses, but now she could enjoy a full bath all by herself.

“I’ve come a long way, huh?”

She ran away with a bit of silver and her sword, and now that roughly two years had passed, she had obtained strength and riches incomparable to that time before.

“That is why I fear the loss, too.”

She was afraid of becoming a Lost. So, she understood how her allies felt when she wanted to challenge the Dark Knight again. But even so—

“Chidori-sama, could I come in?”

As Cihdori was lost in thought, she heard her maid’s voice from across the door.

“What’s wrong?”

“I came to wash your back.”

“Is that so? Then, please do.”

Chidori seemed slightly bewildered but allowed her maid to enter.

“Excuse me.”

Chidori turned her back towards her maid who had entered wearing nothing but her underwear. Following that, the maid used the brush of horse hair and soap to scrub Chidori’s back.

“How does this feel?”

“Perfect.”

It had been a while since Chidori enjoyed this kind of sensation, and she found herself narrowing her eyes in pleasure. And after a brief silence, the maid nonchalantly muttered.

“Since this was your first return in the morning, I thought you’d finally become an adult, but it seems you stopped one step before that.”

“Y-You!” Chidori turned around in protest, realizing that this was probably the only reason the maid even came inside.

However, she continued with a blunt tone.

“It’s my job to look after you, my master. You’ve grown to become quite the woman but you still dream of your prince charming despite your age, so I’m worried you’ll end up falling victim to a big bad wolf.”

“That age part was unnecessary!”

Chidori knew this was the maid’s curiosity speaking, but that didn’t quell her anger. At the same time, the maid stopped her hands and showed a serious expression.

“Think about your position. There would be many who would seek the power of the Divine Speed Chidori.”

Just like that princess who tried to leech off them.

“…You’re right. Apologies for worrying you.” Chidori felt the need to apologize.

Hearing this, the maid returned to her usual tone and continued scrubbing Chidori’s back.

“Well, we’ve been contacted by the Eternal Maiden, so I knew nothing much happened.”

The manager wasn’t the sort of person to look the other way if Alba had truly done something.

“You probably got drunk to the point the other person got tired of you and let you sleep in their room.”

“You don’t have to always assume the worst,” Chidori grumbled as she sank deeper into the water once more.

The maid finished her work and made her way to the door again, only to turn around with a smile.

“However, I am relieved.”

“About what?”

“That you’ve set your eyes on something other than sheer revenge.”

“…”

The comfortable warm hair filling the bath immediately cooled down. And the maid continued.

“I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times before, but revenge doesn’t give birth to anything. Although it will give you relief, at least.”

“Ruined it all with that last part.”

“But it is the truth.” The maid ignored Chidori’s comment and continued. “Revenge has no meaning other than to make you feel at peace. And if you had any other way of spending your days and focus, you wouldn’t be willing to throw your life away at a moment’s notice to accomplish your revenge.”

If the other person were a villain, then you might be ready to throw away your humanity for the sake of the world, but Chidori’s case was different.

“Falling in love, becoming a woman, becoming a mother. Your father surely must be wishing for you to experience this kind of normal life, no?”

“I wonder…The Berserker and battle fanatic orc at home said that I should fulfill his regret even if it cost me my life.” Chidori returned a blunt response, even though she knew that the maid was simply worried.

Any normal father would always prioritize the happiness of his own child. However, Chidori didn’t know if her father was that kind of person. And that’s why she came here to the capital.

“…”

“Apologies for overstepping my boundaries.” The maid bowed to Chidori and left the bathroom.

“…Pathetic.” Chidori was assaulted with self-loathing, as she sunk her head deep into the water.

I know. I’m aware that this is just plain self-gratification

But even so, she offered her life to the blade to find her answer. Feeling the fear and running away would mean she’d lose her way in life and become nothing but a walking corpse.

“And thus, I must defeat the Dark Knight.”Chidori got out of the bathtub and declared with a stern expression.

However, she felt the urge to say this simply because a glimmer of hesitation had grown inside of her heart. She met someone who could live up to her skill and deliver an entertaining duel. He was kind and good-looking, and Chidori was happy she received praise as a genuine girl. However, as she had sworn on her pride as a samurai to get revenge, she didn’t have time to focus on such trivial matters. With these two paths ahead of Chidori, she was torn between the two.

*

After taking Chidori-san to bed, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. I thought of renting another room that she could use all for herself, but I was worried something may happen to her while she’s asleep, so I opted to stay in the same room. Since I had to sleep out in the wilderness several times before coming to the capital, I was fine sleeping without a bed, and I’ll wake up immediately if someone dared to sneak in. That was the last thought passing through my mind as I fell asleep, and as I woke up in the early morning, Chidori-san was still asleep.

“I should leave her alone.”

I would have felt bad waking her up, so I quietly put on my armor, grabbed my greatsword, and left the room. I also made sure to lock the door, since she would be fine opening it from the inside.

“Then again, she’d probably be fine just jumping out of the window. We’re only on the second floor, after all.”

Though that would get me an earful from the manager, so I’d like to avoid that. I left the Eternal Maiden with these thoughts behind me, heading for the home Rufa and Garnet rented.

“…Ah, I should’ve written a note at least.”

She might be confused about what’s going on when she wakes up.

“Well, the manager’s gonna explain everything, I’m sure,” or so I told myself as I headed on.

They were awake, too, waiting for me at the front entrance.

“Good morning, Alba-sama.”

“Morning.”

Rufa greeted me with a beaming smile, so I responded with similar fashion—

“Did you have fun last night?”

Or so I thought, but she immediately followed with a question and a voice cold as ice, which sent shivers down my spine. Hold on, she sounds and acts like Grandma whenever Gramps was out cheating again…Why?! Unable to understand what was even going on, I looked over at Garnet to ask for help. She seemed a bit annoyed, as she cleared her throat.

“Ehem. I’d like to get things clear first. Last night, you took Divine Speed Chidori to your room. Correct?”

“Yeah.”

No clue how she even knew that, but I just nodded and agreed. That led to Rufa’s gaze becoming even sharper than before.

“Oh, really? Well, Chidori-sama does have charming looks, and you can’t forget her well-endowed chest, either. Unlike a certain cutting board elf, right?”

She spoke with an expression that made it look like she was crying tears of blood, as she tightly grasped her wand to the point I grew worried she might snap it in half. I…I’m scared…

“You only got yourself to blame for this.” Garnet commented mercilessly and looked up at my head. “So, did you embrace her?”

Embrace? I mean, I had to carry her to bed because she was drunk. Does she mean that?

“My bad, I didn’t phrase that in the best way. Did you and Chidori-sama have sex?”

“Wha…?!” I let out a voice of shock.

What in the world is she saying? How could I do something so cruel to a girl that didn’t know up from down because she was so drunk! Even Gramps always said ‘Love without mutuality will leave you with nothing but depression.’ Well, I still don’t think that it’s okay to sleep with women or wives that have a husband or lover, but that’s a different topic. I just pressed my innocence, when I saw Garnet’s shoulders drop in relief and reprise.

“To put it into words, you didn’t do anything sexual with Chidori, you just put her to bed because she was drunk. Is that correct?”

“Yes.” I nodded strongly.

I wouldn’t want any weird rumors going around, mostly because Chidori-san did nothing wrong and didn’t deserve this, so I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

“Mhm, as expected. So, Rufa, got anything to say?” Garnet nodded and looked over at Rufa.

I followed, and was greeted by a beaming smile without a shed of worry or hostility.

“I always knew that Alba-sama was a caring gentleman.”

And I’m glad she does, but, how do I say this…something doesn’t feel right here.

“Says the crybaby who spent the night weeping on her bed.”

“Quiet!”

Rufa swung her staff at Garnet in anger, but was blocked easily.

“Also, wouldn’t this be the perfect chance to get Chidori to join our group through the help of Alba?”

“I’m well aware of that possibility, but even so…”

Garnet whispered something into Rufa’s ear, but she looked over at me in worry. Wouldn’t it be fine to be open about whatever it is, since the misunderstanding was resolved?

“Let’s go,” I said and started walking towards the labyrinth.

Rufa and Garnet quickly followed after.

“Yes, let us depart!”

“I swear…Where is the determination you had when swearing to lay down your life for the thousands of habitants of the imperial capital?” Garnet complained, but her eyes were filled with kindness, like she was watching her own child grow up. Yup, our mom really is the best!

“If you don’t leave it at that, I’ll color your favorite armor pink!”

I’m sorry. I won’t ever see you as my mother, so please don’t. I went on my knees and apologized. Entering the labyrinth, we immediately went down to the second floor, but we surprisingly ran into previous visitors.

“North, west, and south didn’t work, huh? Guess east is last.”

“We’ll run into Glutton, you sure?”

“We’ll defeat him. More medals makes me happy.”

We ran into a male magic swordsman, a female magician, and a male warrior, seeming relaxed enough to the point you’d think they were out on a walk. They walked toward us without a single worry in the world…Huh? They clearly don’t belong on the second floor. Something didn’t feel right about them, when Rufa raised a voice of surprise.

“Ah, you’re from the Plunderers!”

Plunderers? Must be some sort of clan. Thanks to Rufa’s outburst, the three spotted us and walked over here.

“Ah, it’s the princess! Hello there.”

“I’m glad you’re doing all right.”

The magic swordsman looked to be in his late twenties with contradicting smooth movement, and the female magician had an alluring charm to her. And finally—

“Black armor. Red greatsword. Nice.” The male fighter looked at my equipment with a passionate gaze.

I’m happy he seems to be praising it, but that stare kinda scares me. I took a step back in fear, as the female magician spoke up.

“Hee, hee. Don’t worry, he won’t try to steal it or anything. He only has interest in magic tools he himself gathered.”

“No stealing. No sense of glory.” The fighter formed an X with his hands, pleading innocence.

Yeah, I get he’s not a bad person, but he can be pretty…weird.

“You’re one to speak…is what I would say, but you’re definitely not losing against these people.”

“Heh, you’re making me blush.”

Garnet’s comment had the magic swordsman blush and smile happily.

“As expected from the top of the Plunderers. Even your brashness is 6th-floor level,” Rufa commented.

Oh, so they were 6th-floor adventurers. That makes sense why they felt so out of place. But then, why are they here?

“It must be his hobby.” Garnet guessed my thoughts and pointed at the magic swordsman while answering.

“Hobby…Well, you’re not wrong, but I’d rather call it my life’s work.” The magic swordsman said with a smile and approached me. “I heard from the Shooting Star Alliance. You were the ones who defeated that, no?”

I wonder what he’s referring to? Luckily, Rufa answered.

“It’s the Hidden Plant that attacked us yesterday from underground.”

Ah, a monster? I don’t know any monster with that name, though.

“You already gave it a name?!” The magic swordsman screamed, which had me twitch in shock. “I mean, I get it. The one discovering the monster gets to name them, so I’ve got no complaints…But, aw man, I wanted to give that my own name!” He said and stomped on the ground in anger.

Um…what’s going on?

“Apologies, Alba-sama. I forgot to give you a proper explanation. The Hidden Plant monster we encountered yesterday has not been spotted before that.”

Oh, so it’s a massive discovery, then?

“It’s actually not as simple, but this guy is more interested in newly-discovered monsters than a mountain of money.”

“Put simply, he loves gathering new information about monsters.”

Garnet and Rufa gave me the rest of the explanation. So basically, he’s—

“A monster researcher?”

“That’s right, I’m the rising star of the monster taxonomy—Wiesel!” The magic swordsman struck a cool as he dropped his name.

“So, what kind of shape did this plant monster you met have? How many vines did it have? How long and thick were they? How did they feel? I heard they could strangle your throats, but how much force are we talking about?” He was huffing and puffing as he closed in on us.

I get that he’s interested in monsters and all that, but it’s crossing healthy levels.

“Let us leave it at this, yeah?”

The female magician grabbed the magic swordsman by the neck and pulled him away from us.

“I’m sorry about him. Whenever monsters are involved, he just goes crazy. He’s been going on about this non-stop the entire morning.”

Ah, that’s why they’re here on the 2nd-floor despite being 6th-floor adventurers. They wouldn’t get any stronger by fighting monsters here, and they’re missing out on a lot of money, so I got respect for their determination. And while I was filled with admiration, the female magician now approached me.

“By the way, what kind of magic stones did it drop? Could you show me?”

Actually, I was forced to defeat it beneath the ground, so we couldn’t recover any—or so I tried to explain with gestures, and the female magician dropped her shoulders.

“That’s a shame…But, that makes me excited to possibly see the magic stones dropped by that monster,” she said and licked her lips.

I thought she was relatively normal, but I guess she’s…a special case.

“The Witch of Stones, Aibis. Just as her name suggests, she is quite interested in the idea of gathering magic stones,” Garnet explained, and I felt something click inside of me.

A magic swordsman crazy for information on monsters, a magician crazy for gathering magic stones, and a fighter crazy for gathering magic items. In other words…

“The Plunderers are a gathering of people who are focussing on a certain type of item or object to gather.”

“And the top 6th-floor adventurers are now here on the second floor.” Rufa and Garnet explained in unison.

I see. They’re collectors, so the name fits well.

“By the way, as long as you’re passionate about gathering anything, you’re more than welcome in our clan!” The magic swordsman said and gave me a thumbs-up.

“Well, we’re against collecting body parts or other personal belongings, though. You can’t come in here going for elf ears or dwarf beards.” The magician spoke with a cold tone, as Rufa hid her ears and Garnet her beard.

“No crimes. Honor manners. Fun collecting.” The fighter spoke with a gentle smile, revealing his morals more than anything.

Yeah, they’re definitely not bad people. Just…well, weird.

“Anyway, we wouldn’t want to waste your time here, so we’ll be going back to searching,” the magic swordsman said and walked down the path to the east with his comrades.

Sending them off as quick as they’d come, Garnet mumbled.

“Looks like they won’t leave if even one stone is unturned.”

“And since they already went north, west, and south, they pretty much cleaned this floor.” Rufa sighed, which made me realize.

With their strength, they probably had no trouble defeating all the monsters on here. And as a result of that, we won’t have any more work to do.

“They talk about manners and whatnot, but they’re immediately causing trouble for the other adventurers…”

“We stole their bait, so I guess this could be seen as delayed karma.”

We all dropped our shoulders and headed west. However, we didn’t run into a single monster, so we gave up and headed home again.

*

After splitting up with Rufa and Garnet, I went to eat lunch, took off my armor, grabbed my sword, and headed to the entrance of the labyrinth. It’s a bit early to meet up with Chidori-san, but since I spent most of the day not even swinging my sword, I thought I might as well get a bit more training in. And yet, when I arrived at the corner of the 8th district, Chidori-san was there already.

“You’re here already.” She seemed a bit surprised, as she wore a beautiful kimono with bird patterns on it instead of her regular hakama.

She also didn’t have her wooden sword on her, either. Maybe she wanted to take the day off? I was a bit confused, but I remembered Gramps’ teachings so I first praised her clothes.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Chidori-san smiled and thanked me, but her expression was stiff, like she was bothered by something.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her, worried.

In doing so, her face distorted in a mixture of happiness and pain, finally changing into one of a sharp-minded warrior.

“Alba-sama, would you mind coming with me?”

“Not at all.” I immediately nodded and responded.

I don’t know what this is about, but I wouldn’t be a man if I declined such a serious invitation.

“You have my gratitude.” Chidori-san deeply lowered her head and started walking towards the inn district.

I followed after her and started thinking. Gramps said that people from the east usually don’t wear any underwear under that kimono, but is that true? If it was, that means she’s almost practically naked right now. Maybe it’s connected to the culture of elves, who enjoy being fully naked? I observed her back when Chidori-san showed a teasing grin while she turned around.

“Curious about my underwear’s existence or lack thereof?”

“Ah, apologies.” I realized that just blindly staring at her was rude, so I quickly apologized.

In response, Chidori-san gently puffed out her cheeks as she smiled.

“So far, I didn’t enjoy any licentious gazes directed at me, but being seen as a woman by Alba-sama does make me happy.” She put one hand on her mouth with a smile, which made my heart skip a beat.

Because of her usual dignified expression, paired with her periodic clumsiness, it’s easy to forget that Chidori-san is an exceptionally charming woman.

‘Grrr! How dare she try to seduce Alba-sama with a kimono! What foul play despite being a samurai!’

‘I remember there being a princess who tried something similar with an even more outrageous outfit, but who was that again?’

Hm? I feel like I just heard distant voices. I looked around, but I couldn’t see anybody. Then again, nobody would be so bored as to watch us by using Vision and observing the situation from the shadows, so it was probably just my imagination. I followed after Chidori-san again, as we returned to the 7th district’s inn street. After we reached the area near the cathedral, she called for a horse carriage.

“Could you get us to the 2nd district?”

“Of course.”

Chidori-san took out her wallet and paid the fee, to which the driver happily opened the door for us. I just did what I was told and entered the carriage, as Chidori-san sat down, facing me, and we were off. Oh yeah, I think this is the first time I even took a horse carriage like this. I wanted to save as much money as possible before coming to the capital, and I could run pretty fast if I wanted to.

‘Driver, follow that horse carriage ahead of us!’

‘To think I’d ever get to hear this line in my life…Leave it to me, princess!’

‘Please be mindful of safe driving, ya hear me.’

Hm…Yeah, I keep hearing something. I don’t think I’m tired enough to hear hallucinations like this. But rather than those voices, I was just more focussed on my first horse carriage ride and took in the scenery. In the meantime, Chidori-san kept her eyes shut as she just seemed lost in thought.

“We’re here.”

After a moment, the carriage came to a halt, and we stepped outside. In front of us was a large green grass land with trees, as well as uncountable numbers of stone monuments. The 2nd district acted almost solely as a graveyard. This is where all the people have lived and served the Empire over the past 1000 years slumbered.

“Over here.”

Chidori-san walked between the rows of graves without hesitation, as I looked around. These stone monuments lined up as far as I could see. And yet, it all looked so peaceful. The grave keeper must be working hard to keep it looking like this—Or so I thought, when I happened to spot a shadow that was currently busy cutting grass…but it’s not a human?

“They’re cleaning golems controlled by the grave keeper.”

Lumps of earth shaped like a human—That’s what golems are. Chidori-san must have realized I was confused, as she explained this to me.

“With the riches of the capital, the buried items here are just as luxurious, so a lot of graves ended up robbed and searched. That’s why they hired a former adventurer and magician to keep it safe and secure.”

Oh, wow. So that’s why they keep golems here, who take the role of guardian and cleaner.

“And if it’s a renowned adventurer, they are usually laid to rest with their beloved magic items. You’re looking at things that are worth thousands of gold coins, something that the average citizen couldn’t even earn in their whole life. It wasn’t rare to see adventurers try to steal it to gain an edge in the labyrinth.” Chidori-san explained.

I may not be on the level of the Plunderers, but I still think stealing is bad. You have to earn the money yourself. Chidori-san finished her explanation and suddenly looked far into the distance with a somewhat dejected expression.

“Strong people like you could never understand.”

“Huh?”

“I was once told that before. That person tried to steal my wallet so I beat them up.”

“…” I went silent.

She probably spoke in irony more than anything. But, did I ever hurt someone because of my strength?

“Apologies. I didn’t mean to bore you with my grumbling.”

She saw me going quiet and apologized, speeding up again. Eventually, we reached a single gravestone. It was different in terms of size compared to the others around, shaped in a rectangular shape, so it must probably be an eastern-style grave. Reaching that thought, I had a hunch about what Chidori-san would be saying next.

“This is where my father sleeps. Well, it’s an empty grave with no body, that is.”

“Empty?”

The latter half was what caught my attention the most, and Chidori-san’s explanation shook me.

“My father was an adventurer but he died. He was defeated by the guardian of the 6th floor—the Dark Knight.”

I had no idea…Wait, the guardian of the 6th floor is also called the Dark Knight?! He must be wearing some really cool armor, I bet. Gah, to think I had a rival in such a way! I cursed my fate when Chidori-san continued.

“Just as all the other challengers of the Dark Knight had done, he cast Return Reserve on himself.”

I think that magic allows you to be transported back to the surface after your death, right?

“However, when he suffered defeat against the Dark Knight, the magic failed. His other five party members all made it back to the surface safely, but his corpse was most likely transported to an unknown area, never to be found again.”

And that’s why they had no means of casting resurrection magic on him…which means he became one of the Lost. Chidori-san stared at the empty grave and narrowed her eyes in order to kill off her emotions.

“The magician who cast the spell isn’t at fault. The magic itself is a risky bet, to begin with, so there’s always a small chance of failure. I don’t resent them, either.”

Even though the five of them made it back home safely, one of their allies was forever lost. They had to give up, no matter how much they lamented. Who could blame any of them for giving up eventually?

“The one to be blamed is none other than the Dark Knight.” Chidori-san grit her teeth, when something in my head clicked.

So the reason she attacked me that one time is because she thought I was the Dark Knight?! That’s not good! The armor isn’t at fault!

“Needless to say, the Dark Knight simply fought back against the group of six people and even bested them. He can’t be blamed for doing his job.”

As a samurai, she wanted to honor that battle, but as a family member, she couldn’t cast aside her resentment…huh?

“That is why I will take the Dark Knight’s head and place it as a memento on this grave.”

So that’s why she didn’t come here with any flowers? She wanted to strike down the Dark Knight and uphold her father’s honor. Truly, thinking of a samurai. And more than anything, she could cast aside all her regret because she was still fighting a monster. Since it made sense to me, I nodded. However, that was a bit too quick on my end.

“But even more than getting revenge, I wish to reach the 7th floor.”

“Huh?” I let out a voice in surprise.

That must mean she believes in the rumor that your whatever wish will be granted if you do so.

“Why?”

She sacrificed much of her youth and offered her life to the blade and to conquer the bottomless labyrinth, so what wish could she possibly have? Chidori-san heard my question and looked at me with a saddened gaze.

“My father was unparalleled in our home. The shogun held him in great respect, he had many students of the Hakuyou Style, and I heard he was given everything in life.”

And he had a wife and daughter, to boot. I bet his wife must have been quite the looker.

“However, when I was five, he suddenly vanished without saying a word, and headed for the Empire.”

Ah, that’s why she was so interested in any possible rumors about him.

“Why did my father abandon me?” Chidori-san asked, her face looking like a child that was about to break out in tears.

“I will be turning 19 soon, so I understand this thought is childish, but even so…”

“……”

Chidori-san looked like she was going to vomit blood any second, but I didn’t know how to cheer her up or how to help her.

“The people around me said that ‘He lived for war, so he must have gotten tired of the Country of Wano and went to leave in search of a new battlefield’.”

A samurai wandering to search for another battle to fight…It sounds hella cool, but I can’t say that in front of Chidori-san.

“With my father gone, I was the only one to inherit the Kazama Family, and thus I learned the Hakuyou Style.” Chidori-san spoke with not a shadow on her expression.

She wished for this and wasn’t forced to take this life.

“Learning the blade was fun. In the end, I had it in my blood. More than being a woman.”

She probably felt a connection to her father, which made her happy.

“That is why I understand my father’s feelings, as he left our home and made his way to the Empire and became an adventurer.”

She could sympathize with her father because she also became an adventurer like him.

“Fighting monsters or strong enemies, strengthening myself by upgrading this supernatural power called aura, it’s a type of romance that beats any kind of sweet sake.”

I get that. Being taught fairy karate by Gramps, learning the Kurokage Style from my master, and fighting Ifrit-sensei and the others while growing stronger made my days feel fulfilling and meaningful.

“Honestly speaking, I was slowly getting drunk on this feeling of superiority that I stood above others.” Chidori-san flashed a bitter smile, revealing her shame and arrogance.

But, I have no doubt in my mind that every human being feels this way. I’m not much different.

“A human heart could never have negative feelings,” I spoke up.

“Huh?”

“That’s why, those who wield a dangerous blade like us must train ourselves—is what Master told me.”

The path of the heart and the way of the blade are the same, or something along those lines. If one awakens to darkness in your heart, it’s up to you to work towards fixing that. That’s what I told Chidori-san, as she flashed a gentle smile.

“You were blessed with a wonderful teacher, I see.”

“Yeah,” I nodded deeply.

Not only with the sword. He taught me a great many things.

“If I had encountered such a wonderful teacher, then maybe…” Chidori-san looked into the distance, only to shake her head as if she wanted to rid herself from a thought. “I understand my father and his desire to obtain a new reason to fight and more strength. However, was that more important than his daughter and wife?!” She screamed, looking like she was close to breaking out in tears.

This may be the difference between her and her father. Or possibly between man and woman.

“I understand if it was to bring safety and peace to our country. However, the Country of Wano was peaceful! So, why did he have to…?!”

He cast away his family, became an adventurer, and thus never returned hope. That is what didn’t make any sense in her eyes. Or, she probably didn’t want to accept it.

“Did I hold less value than his desire to fight?”

Because accepting his decision would mean she had to accept that she wasn’t loved. It would be a lot easier to find out if she could ask, but her father was not in this world any longer. That’s why she probably wanted to confirm his feelings by using the wish granted to you at the bottom of the labyrinth…This isn’t good. I can’t tell her about the Evil God of Demise lurking down in the labyrinth. But, I should have some way to cheer her up…Ah, I know!

“A long, long time ago, there lived a boy.”

“Huh?” Chidori-san looked at me in shock.

Yeah, I get it. But, you’ll get it once you listen to my story!

“In the boy’s country, there was endless fighting. People have suffered for a long time. Finally, the boy’s hometown was burned to the ground, and he lost his parents, his friends, and everyone important to him.”

“Such cruelty…” Chidori-san showed a painful expression.

I’ve never encountered war myself, but it was a terrifying time, no doubt.

“The young boy was taken to a relative who lived deep in the woods, where he learned the blade of assassination, growing up to become a strong young man.”

“The story suddenly changed, didn’t it?”

She probably thought it didn’t sound too realistic, as she showed a somewhat dubious expression. Honestly, learning assassination techniques deep in the mountains sounds hella cool to me, but sure.

“The young man headed down the mountain and went for his hometown, where he met up with his best friend he had believed to be dead. And then, they both decided to fight together to end this meaningless fighting.”

“Fighting to end the war, what an irony.”

It’s absolutely right, but such a bloody war could not be brought to an end with sweet words and promises.

“Through the friend’s excellent command and the young man’s devilish strength, they acquired victory after victory.”

The story might be a bit long, so I’ll cut it down here. They were actually betrayed by their allies once, and the young man had to work as the rear guard to let his army escape. And it wasn’t an honorable fight, either. He had to work in the shadows and use his techniques to take the head of the enemy commander. However, there was value to be found in his blood-stained hands.

“Finally, the flames of war subsided, and under the rule of the best friend who became the next great shogun, peace and tranquility arrived.”

“Wait, are you telling the story of my home, the Country of Wano?!” Chidori-san raised her voice in shock.

That’s correct. This is the story of Wano approximately 20 years ago.

“You knew about the history of Wano? You must have heard it from your master.”

“Yeah.” I nodded in affirmation.

In fact, that young man is actually referring to master. That’s why these assassination techniques—the Kurokage Style—wasn’t a lie. But that’s a secret that my master wants to keep, so I’ll refrain from dropping any massive lore bombs.

“Once peace returned, the man laid down his sword and got married, living the rest of his days in peace.”

And they lived happily ever after—is what you’d expect here, but sadly life isn’t always as kind.

“With the fighting gone and days filled with peace, the people around the young man began distancing themselves from him.”

“What utter fools. He brought an end to the fighting and they dare treat him this way?!” Chidori-san roared.

I agree, but there’s a proper reason for that.

“The people were scared. Because he was so strong, because he was the one who turned the war around all by himself, they would never know when he might point his blade at them.”

“Ah…”

Delivering an explanation, Chidori-san lost her words. Just like she was told before, those people didn’t understand the young man, who had become too strong, and only knew to fear him.

“He never once struck down a person after the war ended. However, because he did this to hundreds of people during the war, it didn’t matter if he cut down no people or a thousand, he was still feared.”

As a real problem, the young man, my master, wasn’t too strong back then. He said that his achievements were his limits. However, after the war ended, he was regarded as the ‘Thousand-Cutter Demon.’ It also didn’t help the fact that he absolutely terrified the enemy with his tactics, only building up the fear towards him.

“So the person who drove away the enemy and terror of the inhabitants became the target of their new fear.”

“Such foolishness! I would not let that stand!”

“He fought off many assassins who tried to take his life, but he didn’t kill a single one of them.”

“Even showing mercy to his enemy…what a noble samurai, indeed!” Chidori-san happily clapped her hands together.

Guess there was a worth in telling this story if she was this happy.

“He didn’t fear the assassins sent after him. However, he feared the possibility that he would become another spark of war, and that the people he loved would suffer because of him.”

Master was strong. Strong enough to fight back the enemy, but not strong enough to protect the people he loved all on his own.

“He consulted in his one friend, the shogun, and reached a conclusion—That he could avoid any conflict by leaving the country and thus protect the people close to him.”

“…” Chidori-san’s expression was riddled with pain.

She couldn’t forgive the fact that their savior was chased out by the people he protected, but she also couldn’t speak against their fear.

“Thus, the young man chose to cross the ocean all by himself without saying goodbye to the people he loved, and to never return to his hometown.”

This is the end of the story. It’s not a happy ending, but who could know if the young man was truly unfortunate or not. But, I think Master was hella cool, smiling just knowing that his family and loved ones were safe. Also, I’d like Gramps to learn from him. And as I was thinking that, Chidori-san quietly asked me.

“So, Alba-dono, you would like me to think that my father didn’t cast me aside, but rather that he left out of love for me?”

“Yeah.” I nodded without hesitation.

Naturally, I don’t know a damn thing, but I just pray that’s the case.

“…Unbelievable.” Chidori-san grumbled after thinking for a moment. “The people at home called him a ‘Demon of the sword’, and the people in the capital referred to him as ‘Quiet and unlikable’.”

Oh yeah, her father died years and years ago, so some people here would have known him. He must have been famous enough if he was a 6th-floor adventurer. However, something caught my attention during her previous statement.

“What about his party?”

“You mean his teammates?”

“Yeah.”

“I wanted to ask them myself, but after losing my father, they all quit being adventurers and scattered.”

I see, that makes it hard.

“What about your mother?”

“No matter how many times I asked her, she just said ‘He’s a kind person’…” Chidori-san closed her eyes.

She probably grew worried because of all the rumors. Just as Gramps said, ‘No matter the truth, enough mouths can move mountains and change reality.’ In fact, I could never once win against my childhood friend…Enough of these painful memories.

“What about you?”

Chidori-san looked up at the sky while blushing, answering my question.

“I don’t have any memories left because my father vanished when I was five…But I think he was always smiling.”

Yeah, I can’t blame her at that age.

“How could I forget?” Chidori-san spoke in regret, dropping her gaze. “Whatever his reason may be, I cannot cast aside the path I have taken. I will cut down the Dark Knight. That won’t change. However…” She stopped momentarily and looked at me like an innocent child. “I will never forget this day…when I got to talk to you like this.”

The setting sun shone on her back, looking more beautiful than a gemstone or painting. Surely, I won’t ever forget this moment either.

“Still, even if you knew the history of Wano, to think you could come up with a story like that on the spot…you may have talent to become a writer, Alba-dono.”

She suddenly returned back to her regular samurai expression, as she poked fun at me. I mean, I was just retelling the master’s story, and…Hm?

‘Garnet, let me go. I need to slaughter that pig!’

‘You moron! You’ll be the one crying if she fights back!’

In the distance, I heard familiar voices. That must be Rufa and garnet, right? Why are they here?

“Did you spot a friend of yours?”

“Yeah, something like that,” I responded vaguely.

I don’t know why, but something told me that I should not let those three meet up right now. Thankfully, Chidori-san misunderstood my pale expression for something else.

“I’d like to stay here a bit longer. Alba-dono, thank you for spending this time with me.” She said and lowered her head, telling me to go see my allies.

“Likewise.”

I told her I was glad I got to know more about her and headed towards where I heard Garnet and Rufa.

‘Ah! Alba-sama is heading our way! We have to run before he finds us!’

‘I’m pretty sure it’s too late for that.’

Their voices grew more distant, so I turned around one more time. Standing there was Chidori-san’s back, as she gazed at her father’s grave, befitting of the Divine Speed Chidori name.

“Honestly, I like it when she lets her guard down, too.”

Then again, there’s no way I could tell her that, so I kept it to myself.

*

To not be lost in lingering regret, Chidori tore her eyes from Alba’s back and stared at her father’s grave.

“I’m glad I talked with him.”

Chidori planned to rid herself of her lingering attachment to him and focus solely on getting revenge, and yet she spoke her genuine feelings about something that not even her allies from the White Wings knew.

“No, I’m deceiving myself.”

Considering she wore the kimono she received from her mother, she probably had no intention of casting aside her femininity from the get-go.

“Father, I still don’t know how you felt.”

Her memories described him as a gentle person, and she wanted it to be the reason Alba exclaimed, but there was no way to confirm this with the dead.

“However, I remain a woman and a samurai.”

Love, hate, wounds, they what made her who she was, and she didn’t have to cast one aside to obtain the other.

“Really, if only he’d left behind a few words, I wouldn’t be struggling like this…” Chidori grumbled as she gently caressed the grave.

All the descriptions she heard must have been right in their own way. He was probably quiet and unfriendly, but also deeply cared for his family. And that was more than enough.

“It’s hard to break away from what makes us father and daughter.”

But that was one different type of bond. And after smiling faintly, Chidori picked up a nearby pebble and threw it towards the nearby thicket.

“Come out. If not, I’ll drag you out.” She spoke with a voice full of hostility that could make anybody’s body freeze.

She had felt their presence while talking with Alba but ignored it because they seemed quite far away. However, one group of spectators seemed to have been Alba’s friends who had moved away, the other group only approached Chidori further.

Three people, eh? They knew how to approach me quietly, so they’re no amateurs.

At the very least, they didn’t seem extremely friendly.

“You thought this was the perfect moment because your prey isn’t here?” Chidori spoke with a chilly tone, lighting up her right hand with aura.

A 6th-floor adventurer’s aura was strong enough to cut through an iron plate with their bare hand. She may be wearing a kimono, but that wouldn’t stop her from utterly obliterating the opposition. After Chidori took another step forward, the people hiding in the shadows frantically stepped into the light. They were three girls awfully familiar to Chidori—Eclair, Jam, and Cracker.

“You folks. What do you want?” Chidori grumbled, making it clear that one wrong answer would be their demise, as the girls rushed towards her and lowered their heads.

“My sincerest apologies, we were simply worried about you! We meant no harm.”

“…Explain yourself.” Chidori sent another glare their way, erasing her aura at the same time.

In response, Eclair and friends raised their heads and slowly explained in turns.

“We went to the 5th-floor with your allies from the White Wings, but a bit of trouble happened…”

“When I was in a dilemma, Leon-sama gallantly saved me, but Kanaria-sama didn’t take much of a liking to that…”

“She spoke against helping us, and we were kicked out of the labyrinth.”

“Ah, right…” Chidori dropped her head.

She knew that the female magician’s jealousy would explode eventually, but she didn’t even last three days. When Chidori first joined that clan, she had to specifically explain that ‘I am after a beautiful prince my age, not a man who could be my father’, which thankfully worked to get Kanaria off her back. And even so, she still complained about Chidori not understanding ‘Leon’s charm’ and whatnot.

“Must have been a disaster.”

“Well, we were promised only help until today, and they’ve helped us greatly.”

Just as they stated, their aura had grown quite a lot from what Chidori could tell. They should already be on the level of a 5th-floor adventurer. Other people would train years and years for this, and yet they were dragged along like it was nothing.

“And after we got out of the labyrinth, we saw you with that man.” Eclair explained with a hurt expression.

“Are you referring to Alba-dono?”

How could she make such an expression when talking about such a gentle mind like him. And as Chidori showed a confused reaction, Eclair continued, looking like she was going to throw up blood.

“He is a villain. A deviant wearing human skin!”

“Before we became adventurers, we lived in a small village when he suddenly appeared…”

“He stole all our money, burned our horses down, and in front of our families and lovers, he…”

The three shed tears as they told the story of Alba’s apparent deeds, which made Chidori pale.

Are they being serious?

This wasn’t the country of Wano. The Empire was still trying to expand its borders, so sending out soldiers in such fashion surely wasn’t a rarity. However, it didn’t match the Alba she knew. Chidori sent the girls a sharp gaze, as they tried to convince her desperately.

“It’s the truth. After all, he is the same as the Dark Knight that regularly appears in town!”

“What?!”

For the first time, Chidori’s face distorted in shock. And Eclair’s group saw that as their chance, continuing.

“There’s no mistaking it. We have seen him take off his armor in front of our eyes!”

“He acted friendly and approached us. And then…”

“We tried to defeat him before, but…This is our chance to get revenge on him!”

As they kept on blabbering about his supposed crimes, Chidori thought about something. When she ran into him at the pleasure area’s sweets shop, the 7th princess Rufa stood up for the Dark Knight and called him “Alba-sama.” She had so much fun with him that she practically forgot about it, but there is no mistaking the fact that Alba was inside that armor. He definitely possessed enough skill to hold his ground against Chidori during their sparring.

However, Chidori didn’t know his face. And the attack Chidori used was blocked the same way the Dark Knight did, too. Rather than the possibility of another fighter appearing with the same skill set, the chance of them being the same person was much higher.

“So Alba-sama really is…”

“Yes. He plans to overthrow the imperial family—He is the Dark Knight.”

All blood drained from Chidori’s face as Eclair continued with her shocking explanation.

“I don’t know how he managed to obtain the same level of aura and equipment like the Dark Knight, but he plans to use his power for evil.”

“And by using the righteous princess Rufa as his wife, he plans on obtaining power and influence in the right way.”

“The princess isn’t aware that she’s being deceived, simply used by that man…”

They all three shed tears of pain.

“I reported this to the city guards, too.”

“Lucky enough, the royal guard Ox came over and believed our story.”

“Thus, the Emperor prepared the sigil and the magic stone in order to defeat him.”

“That’s why, please help us. We need your strength to defeat him!”

“We want to see him gone for the good of everyone!”

They tried to convince Chidori, playing on the fact that she must know the pain after losing her father to him.

“…Got it.”

“““Thank you very much!!”””

The three deeply lowered their heads. That is why Chidori could not see—the vile grins flashing up on their mouths.