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Chapter : 43
Breeding Season
Benjamin twisted the blade and stabbed. As he wrenched his wrist, the force grew even fiercer.
It was a dense killing intent. The murderous aura surged as if they were trying to tear each other apart.
The blade was fixated on severing the throat of the man before him.
“Damn it.”
Tatante threw his head back and twisted his lips.
“Your sword aura really does resemble its master—ill-tempered and filthy. I never know where it’s going to lash out. If you aim for the back of my neck right now…! Still, isn’t it too much to go straight for a vital point?”
Tatante recoiled and swung his sword. The blades slid past one another, their spines scraping.
The sword spines grazed and ground against each other roughly.
Benjamin twisted his wrist and brought the blade down hard. No flashy technique—just heavy, pounding strikes.
“You’re not someone who can’t dodge that.”
“I’m returning to my homeland soon. Are you really planning to leave sword marks on my body right now?”
Because they knew each other, they showed no hesitation in targeting vital points. Tatante clicked his tongue as he spoke.
“Your momentum’s gotten sharper these past few years.”
If the attendants of Taran were to see this, they would surely scold him, asking what kind of madman spars with a foreign emperor using real blades—but what could he do?
“Your sword has become one meant to kill people. You strike cleanly, driving straight into vital points without excess. I almost wonder if you’re the same man I knew. It’s clearly different from the blade that once cut down monsters. So you didn’t simply sit on the throne without hardship—you must’ve gone through quite a bit to get there.”
The blade grazed Tatante’s cheek. He pressed a hand to it and wiped away the blood staining his skin.
“If you keep provoking me, next time it’ll be my head.”
“At this point, cutting off your head wouldn’t be difficult.”
The killing intent that sliced the air seemed ready to claim each other’s lives at any moment. That cold-hearted bastard aimed silently for nothing but his neck.
“The power contained in your sword aura has gotten sloppier compared to before. Have you been lazing around these past five years?”
“Taran is surrounded by border zones—do you really think I’ve just been idle? Fighting monsters is a different matter, yet when you say that, it makes me feel utterly shabby.”
Benjamin clicked his tongue as he kicked Tatante in the abdomen.
“Wide open again.”
Raw sword aura spread in all directions. Even Tatante recoiled in shock at the murderous energy that seemed ready to shred flesh to pieces.
“You really are a harsh bastard.”
“I’ve been telling you for ages that your flank is always open, yet you never fix it. Did you open it on purpose, inviting me to stab you? From your upper arm to your shoulder, it’s all exposed. Do you need me to slice your flank and take off your shoulder blade before you come to your senses?”
Benjamin jabbed Tatante’s side with the flat of his blade.
“I told you to properly guard your right shoulder.”
“I always feel this, but your swordsmanship is vicious and cruel. I’ve seen you go wild like a feral dog when hunting monsters, but you’re ruthless too.”
Bathed in that dense killing intent, it felt as if a steel skewer had pierced straight through to his bones. Tatante shook out his training clothes and brought up the real topic.
“…As we passed near the Popyuta coast, I felt it—the nearby monsters have grown more aggressive. And when I cut off a kraken’s leg, it felt tough and resistant, like cutting rubber. They seem to have mutated. Border-zone monsters do change often, but keep an eye on it. Between that and the recent palace incident, something feels off…”
“Is it their active phase?”
Benjamin ran a hand through his short hair and clicked his tongue.
“If the poisonous miasma is thickening, then yes—they’ve entered their active phase.”
“Then we’ll need to form a suppression force soon.”
“There are signs that gaps are opening in the border zones, and the miasma corrosion has worsened noticeably. Be careful of them.”
Border-zone monsters periodically cycle between active and recovery phases, and during the active phase, the miasma grows increasingly dense.
For the past five years, they’d been in a recovery phase, with the monsters’ poison relatively weak.
Because of that, monster-hunting schedules had been lax—but once the recovery phase ended, everything changed.
Five years had passed. The active phase was about to begin.
During this phase, they repeatedly mutated and grew into true demon beasts.
“Recently, the monsters’ stirrings have been ominous.”
“Judging by the situation outside, the border zones will become even more difficult.”
Monsters were drawn to miasma, and miasma originated from dark sorcery. When dark sorcery was driven from this land, the monsters were also forced underground, and that balance had been maintained—yet now those creatures were crawling back aboveground.
“Annoying.”
Benjamin tilted his neck, evading the sword aura.
…
“…Have you thrown away all sense of dignity?”
“If I don’t fight like this, when would I ever beat you?”
Benjamin kicked Tatante in the abdomen again and smashed down on his sword.
The blade was sharp as a serpent. The thrusting edge seemed drenched in lethal intent, as if poison coated its tip.
Only after a moment did his sword finally stop.
“Charles.”
Benjamin withdrew his killing intent.
Charlophe gazed quietly at the two before her.
“So you trust each other.”
They believed that those blade tips would never truly take each other’s lives.
The sword aura scraping her cheek was fierce, as though it pierced and tore at her skin.
As Charlophe touched her cheek, it throbbed faintly.
Even from this distance, the killing intent pricked at her flesh—if the attendants saw this, they would be horrified.
“It’s intense. We should step aside.”
“Let’s go.”
Just as she turned to leave, a shadow fell over her head.
“Since you’re here, we should talk.”
A familiar scent swept over her. An arm wrapped heavily around her shoulders.
When she tilted her head back, Benjamin stood beside her, cold sweat beading on his forehead. As she wiped it away with the back of her hand, another presence approached and stopped nearby.
“May healing light reach the Empire. We meet again. You’re awake early this morning.”
“Good to see you, little Taran.”
Tatante sheathed his sword and straightened his training clothes, groaning as he looked at the ragged tears in them.
“I lost again this time.”
“I keep telling you your flank is open, but you never fix it.”
“Taran warriors are brave souls who charge in prepared to be stabbed. But your blade doesn’t allow recovery… That’s why I always lose. It’s not poisoned, yet when you’re struck, your body slows and stiffens. It’s unpleasant—I don’t want to get hit. Tone down that killing intent and live a little more gently.”
Charlophe blinked, and Tatante explained in her stead.
“We’re close friends.”
Tatante met Charles’s gaze with a peculiar look.
“Are you truly all right after being brushed by killing intent?”
“I’m not that faint-hearted. And His Majesty gathered it quickly, so I’m fine.”
Benjamin spoke as he slid his sword back into its scabbard.
“We’ll end the sparring here. Are you departing for Taran straight away this morning?”
“Once everyone’s ready…”
“That should be fine. The others are already prepared to leave—are those Taran attendants?”
The attendants were approaching in visible distress.
“They have no trust at all in their superiors.”
Benjamin stroked Charlophe’s hair as he looked down at her, positioning himself to partially block Tatante’s view as he spoke.
“He’s a black-hearted fellow—no need to get close.”
“Please remember that I can hear you.”
The Taran attendants’ groans grew louder.
“We should depart early. If we leave now, we’ll pass the Popyuta coast by evening. Since we’re leaving in a hurry, let’s exchange farewells here.”
“You’re passing that way again?”
“As I always say, that route shortens the journey by two days.”
Adding two more days at sea because of monsters was a torment—unless one could tear off their legs and chew them like octopus tentacles.
“Please also take good care of the spirit beast. It was born on the day Your Majesty ascended the throne. Taran is a nation that believes in fate. If this child has come here, then there must surely be a reason for this bond as well.”
“Thank you.”
“Heh. It’s ill-tempered, but as long as it follows its master well, it’ll be fine.”
A lump of white fur poked its head out at their feet and thumped its tail.
“…It’s telling me to get lost. I suppose this is where we part.”
They exchanged farewells with the Taran delegation there.
Formalities were set aside, and as if it were time to leave, they said their goodbyes.
“Then we’ll be on our way.”
Tatante offered the final courtesy as the delegation’s representative.
With all preparations complete, Tatante clicked his tongue.
His gaze turned toward the imperial palace.
“It’s strange—there’s not a hint of emotion on her face. I wonder where that detachment comes from. She buried the recent monster incident as if it never happened, and she’s completely blocked internal strife. The way she manages things so thoroughly that no rumors leak out is remarkably seasoned.”
“Whom are you referring to?”
“The Empress.”
“…How rude, speaking without honorifics.”
The Taran attendants’ worries only grew today.
“Please remember that you are in the heart of the imperial palace. As the delegation’s representative, maintain decorum and dignity.”
“That’s why it’s strange. Spirit beasts are arrogant beings—hard to tame, and absolutely drawn to strength. The purer the bloodline, the more they’re drawn to powerful blood, and wolf spirit beasts in particular have strong egos. Yet the one chosen by such a beast feels too gentle.”
“She isn’t gentle in temperament.”
“To my eyes, she is.”
“That aside, it is surprising that the beast chose the Empress rather than the Emperor.”
It was a spirit beast born when the young emperor ascended the throne.
“Well, if this bond is a bond, then so be it.”
Spirit beasts choose their masters themselves. He could guess why it chose that woman.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard it was a political marriage—how embarrassing.”
“…Pardon?”
“Didn’t you feel it?”
Tatante recalled the Empress he had seen in the banquet hall.
Crimson-black hair, red ceremonial robes.
A woman like a blazing crimson sunset.
“Those two resemble each other.”
Unfortunately, their very essences were alike.
“Your Majesty—did you go out again without attendants?”
The chief attendant hurried after the emperor, flustered. Though the emperor often walked alone due to his keen senses, the delegation hadn’t even fully departed yet.
“Did you visit the training grounds?”
“I go every dawn. Why all the fuss?”
“Because you walk without attendants.”
Benjamin looked down at him while wiping away sweat with a dry towel.
“Will you keep this up?”
“I apologize.”
The chief attendant immediately fell silent. There were boundaries attendants must never cross.
“Shall I bring warm tea?”
Charlophe shook her head as she removed her coat. The head maid accepted it, glancing at Benjamin.
“Bring it to the bedroom.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You shouldn’t do that when your body’s cold.”
Though the young emperor had completely reestablished imperial authority upon taking the throne, he was different around the Empress. The attendants, closest of all, felt it keenly.
When they entered the bedroom, warmth washed over them. Charlophe brushed back her long hair and murmured,
“It’s warm.”
“You’re too insensitive… You’ve always been sensitive to the cold at night, so I told them to pay special attention to the fireplace. I suppose you didn’t notice since you don’t usually go out at dawn.”
Afterward, the head maid brought tea.
She also reported that the Taran delegation had fully departed.
