Volume 2, Chapter 3 – Training in the Mountains, Alone

Volume 2, Chapter 3 - Training in the Mountains, Alone

Translator: Momo

Lily shook off the untainted droplets as she swayed her hair. After putting on her clothes, she stared into the towering mountain woods, filled with trees over 100 meters.

The cold mountain breeze soothed Lily.

If a normal person or a samurai tried to walk through these woods at such late night, they would have been terrified out of their mind. But Lily didn’t give a damn.

She recalled her memory when she first started adventuring in the mountains a month ago. The woods looked eerie to her at the time. But now she couldn’t resist the excitement of night adventures and sleep under the moon.

There were hazards everywhere indeed. But she seemed to be used to this menacing life. With her strength and understanding of Mount Izu, she actually felt more secure here than at Takesh*ta. The strongest monster that had been recorded to appear in this mountain was a Superior Mid Ranked monster, which Lily believed she should be able to handle. On top of that, the Crescent Moon she wielded gave her boundless confidence, and this was the reason she was able to indulge in the experience of body strengthening and the romance of ventures.

However, this self-training session was not all about explorations, battles, and adventures. Sleeping was also an essential part of training as it was the most effective way for the body to assimilate the Spirit Power she absorbed in battles. Therefore, Lily would sleep as much as the situation allowed. Of course, meditation works too, but Lily preferred sleeping.

Lily looked around to find a giant rock. Leaning on the rock provided her a basic hiding spot and defense mechanism. A great place for staying overnight in the haunted mountains.

Lily unfolded her cloth wrapper to make a perfect sheet. Then she settled herself on it and put her wooden sandals to the side.

A girl must sleep on a sheet or at least some clothes in the wild.

Lily swiped her hand through the four edges of the sheet to form a weak force field made of spirit energy. It was only to prevent the ‘invasion’ of insects rather than the monsters. As quiet and charming the forest might seem to be, there were actually plenty of poisonous bugs crawling in the dark.

“I am not lying,” The young man named Kumawakamaru answered, “It is completely true! That battle happened right outside of the Saionji house! Hundreds of clan members and people had witnessed the fight, the information I had collected everywhere is the same! That woman killed four Sword Masters with one hit! She also killed two more low-tier Sword Masters as the battle continued!”

Sakiko and the other middle-aged samurais who look exceptionally strong were all shocked.

“I observed her extraordinary talent a few months back when I met her. But she was barely at the level of a mid-tier samurai at the time, it has only been a short time since then, how has she gone this far?” Sakiko spoke eloquently.

“I heard that her blade is quite an unusual one.” The navy-blue coated elder said.

“The fact she can possess that blade shows that she has both the strength and fortune to encounter opportunities. Only a true powerhouse can encounter such opportunities, and it seems she does have the matching strength. This explains how she can kill the Sword Master this easily! This is quite an uncommon event that happened in recent years!” rumbled the rounded face samurai who was dressed gaudily.

“Well, it seems like Miss Kagami is one of the rare talents the East Nation has been waiting for. I reckon she is already qualified enough to be transferred to the main dojo?” Sakiko asked with glittering eyes.

“Yes, I believe so. Though, when compared to the real talents in our dojo, she is nothing special aside from a bit of good fortune. Ultimately, we do not know if she has any more hidden potential. Indeed, transferring her to the Eastern Nation’s main dojo is a bright idea. Otherwise, the Taira clan definitely will not let go of this talent,” said the elder.

“Indeed, Kagami Lily has met the minimum requirement of our main dojo. Even if we are wrong, she can at least become powerful enough to serve the main dojo. There has been no newborn talents after the Eastern Nation’s Six Swords in recent years. Supposing that she actually has an extraordinary talent, it will be a huge loss to us.” said the round-faced samurai with his hand on his chin.

“Hmm, if everyone is in agreement, shall we propose to the magistrate?” Sakiko suggested.

“I concur. Even if we judged that Kagami Lily has passed the minimum standard, it is up to the magistrate’s approval to decide whether she can enter the dojo.” The elder nodded.

“If that’s the case, I shall go report to the magistrate,” Sakiko curtsied and recommended herself. She didn’t salute because the two samurai had higher status than her, it was just that women, in general, had a lower status in the Heian Period. Therefore, women must stay humble in the presence of men despite their matching position.