71.5. The Sword Saint Appears!
For the elves who found themselves in the Kingdom of Prussia, having entered the inner workings of the kingdom and begun working for His Majesty King Adev, it felt as if they had stepped into a giant machine running at high speed, becoming one of its gears.
Though the workload was heavy, from intelligence gathering to task assignments, the sheer volume of tasks could even make the elves’ beautiful, smooth skin a bit rough. Yet, very few elves actually left due to the hardship.
After all, His Majesty Adev provided far too much, and the busy work did not affect the elves’ holidays. More importantly, much of the intelligence gathered here involved interesting matters within the elven community, making it an ideal profession for the elves, who lived in a small territory rife with gossip!
Tonight, when the head of the Prussian intelligence department—Elf Mel—walked in, she was greeted by the scene before her.
“Hehe… look at this, I stumbled upon this elf while checking for criminals tonight.”
“Let me see, let me see! Hmm~ Characteristics, sword… Haha~ This is hilarious! What era is it that there are still elves wielding such barbaric weapons?”
The young elves were sitting at their desks during a break, sipping free coffee while sharing the gossip they had uncovered in their respective intelligence investigations. Their legs, clad in black and white stockings, swayed without a care, and each one’s hair and makeup was more exquisite than the last, creating a veritable paradise of blondes.
Fortunately, the number of male elves in the Kingdom of Prussia was not that high, and due to His Majesty Adev’s personal preferences, there were no male elves present, so there was no need to worry about any scandalous behavior.
Discussing intelligence during their downtime was a common sight for Mel, as long as the information didn’t leak out, internal communication was actually beneficial for the coordination of Prussian intelligence.
With nothing unusual happening, Mel intended to leave, but just as she turned around, she caught some… dangerous phrases in the elves’ gossip!
“And this elf seems to have white hair. Speaking of which, do we have such elves in the Kingdom of Prussia? I heard they have… particularly strong magical power?”
“Don’t be so superstitious, okay? His Majesty has said this is a relatively rare ‘albinism’ and is no different from ordinary elves. Hurry up and tell your grandmother, who’s always babbling about magic, to stop boasting…”
White hair, elves, and… still being pursued as a wanted criminal!
Mel immediately returned to the group of elves, and as they quickly shut their mouths and pretended to get back to work upon seeing their “leader” arrive, she called out to the elf who had just mentioned the wanted criminal.
“You… tell me the latest investigation on that ‘white-haired elf’! When was it discovered, where, spill everything!”
“Y-yes! Lord Mel! All the information is here!”
Startled by Mel’s impatient demeanor, the other elves dropped their coffee cups and fled, leaving this one elf trembling as they responded.
“T-this is what the investigators from the Great Yng Empire discovered and reported back. Names and such are completely unverifiable, so we can only judge that this might be a fugitive based on the long-standing wanted notices from the kingdom and the suspect’s physical characteristics. Um… Lord Mel, there are dozens of such cases every day, and the vast majority are wrong. These are the ones I decided to discard and not report…”
“…Enough! I’m taking this material with me. Also…” Without a moment’s hesitation, Mel snatched the folder from the elf’s hands, then lowered their voice, glancing around at all the elven staff present, and said, “Not a word of what you just gossiped about is to leave this room! Not even to colleagues! If it gets out… you’ll go straight to a military tribunal!”
With that, Mel hurriedly left!
Under normal circumstances, these elves could gossip about any criminal information without issue, but this time, this particular… existence had to be thoroughly snuffed out at the source!
She was a white-haired elf, a nearly extinct “Elven Swordsman,” who once held status and glory, yet had not a shred of dignity or integrity as an elf—just a rogue, a demon. No, perhaps it would be better to call her a beast. A beast that only sought power, willing to sacrifice opponents, mentors, and even family in her relentless pursuit of strength and validation!
In her quest for greater power, she had nearly killed a certain “powerful elf” from the Kingdom of Pluris—at least, that’s what Her Majesty, Queen Adev, had said. But despite the efforts of everyone in the intelligence department, they could not capture her. After those sent to apprehend her returned with no survivors, Queen Adev had no choice but to abandon the idea of capturing her, resorting instead to a secret manhunt conducted by various nations.
Who would have thought she would appear again!?
Without even meeting with Queen Adev directly, Mel activated the communication device and, unnoticed, urgently called out to Adev.
“W-what is it, Mel? It’s my break time; can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
Queen Adev was very respectful of everyone’s “break time,” disliking the idea of overworking the people of the Kingdom of Pluris. That said, Mel had no choice but to press Adev now.
“Your Majesty, it’s ‘that elf’!”
“Grrr…”
Don’t sleep! You’re not that young anymore! Stop pretending to be a child!
“It’s the ‘Sword Saint’!”
On the other end, the snoring abruptly ceased, and Adev’s voice, now much calmer amidst the sound of rushing water, responded.
“Continue!”
“The elves in the intelligence department have occasionally tracked down ‘her.’”
Listening to the sounds of Queen Adev washing her face to wake up, Mel continued, “The location is in the Great Yng Empire. If nothing unexpected has happened, she should have been there for quite some time. Your Majesty, we’ve also pinpointed the location, and since it’s in the Great Yng Empire, we…”
Let’s just leave it be; after all, the Great Yng Empire isn’t on good terms with the Kingdom of Pluris.
Mel thought about doing just that, but it seemed that Queen Adev was particularly concerned about one person and couldn’t simply ignore it.
“Just don’t tell that Louis IV, but a warning is still necessary. After all… that ‘elf’ is a complete lunatic! Even if our relationship with the Great Yng Empire is poor, we can’t afford to say nothing to Oqulid. But we need to approach it differently…”
“Mel, your work is canceled starting today. Head to the Great Yng Empire, find Oqulid, and quietly inform him in person.”
“Tell him to keep a low profile in his actions until I figure out how to deal with that demon, or else he won’t be able to rely on that useless human woman beside him!”
Extra: The Young Professor (1)
The Great Yng Empire—located in the central-western part of the continent, a vast and powerful empire with a pleasant climate and fertile land. Unlike the elves of the Kingdom of Pluris, who became overly engrossed in magic and veered off the technological path, or the Rosian Empire, which focused solely on physical strength and forgot about magic altogether, the Great Yng Empire has always fully embraced the cultivation of both.
While their army may not be large, each member is capable of taking on ten or even a hundred foes. Periodically, the empire selects promising talents from various academies, giving rise to “geniuses” among them.
It sounds cliché, but it’s useful; after all, being a “genius” in the Great Yīng Empire simply means being favored by the Queen. As long as one isn’t a complete fool, it’s clear: they’ve secured a “iron rice bowl” that allows them to roam freely in this prosperous and powerful nation, even living off the fat of the land.
However… the true geniuses who are actually chosen look down on this reward.
And this year, within the foremost Royal Academy of the Great Yīng Empire, there appeared a genuine “genius” that hasn’t been seen in recent years—no, not even in decades! It’s worth noting that seventh-tier magic practitioners are already rare in the Great Yīng Empire, and to have a graduate with such a starting point from the academy is unheard of. Previously, the standard for being called a “genius” was merely graduating with a sixth-tier ability within the academy, which was enough to earn gasps and attention from others.
And her name is…
“Student Moriarty, please come to the stage.” The academy’s headmaster, a grand sorcerer, personally bestowing this title and reward is already a significant honor for this “genius.” Not to mention that aside from students, many nobles are present, hoping to “poach” her. Accepting this title of “genius” is enough to ensure her a worry-free life in the next.
“I will now grant you your graduation certificate and title, and by the way… Her Majesty the Queen wishes to meet you.”
But…
“……”
Even after calling out, no one approached the old man. After several attempts to get a response, he grew increasingly anxious.
“Moriarty!? Tsk, where has she run off to now! How can she be absent at such an occasion! Don’t just stand there; hurry to the academy’s training grounds, the magic training room, or the back mountain! See who she’s fighting with! Get her over here!”
The scene descended into chaos.
After all, it’s unheard of for the appointed genius of the Great Yīng Empire to not show up. If she doesn’t want it, then give it to someone else! What a waste of space!
The girl, however, was completely unaware of the uproar and complaints. After all, she had never intended to go and accept a title that would bring her no joy, one that felt more like a disgrace!
At this moment, Moriarty was in a secluded part of the Royal Academy, boldly wandering into a forest typically used for student training and practice. It was merely an internal forest of the academy, and with no recent activities, the academy hadn’t released any dangerous beasts into it.
Thus, Moriarty wasn’t there to “slay monsters”; she wasn’t a training fanatic.
She was simply there to find someone, to find the “genius” of the Great Yīng Empire.
Pushing through the underbrush and stepping deeper in, finally, at the moment when the sunlight filtering through the trees turned warm from its flickering state, Moriarty spotted the person she was looking for not far away.
A fairy girl, napping against a tree, with white hair that was quite rare among fairies. Could it be that this alone allowed birds to perch on her head even while she slept?
In the next moment, the sound of Moriarty stepping on a twig roused the fairy girl from her slumber. She blinked sleepily at Moriarty and then… intended to go back to sleep.
“Hey, don’t sleep! Why aren’t you going!?”
“Ah? Where to?”
Awakened reluctantly by Moriarty’s call, the fairy girl displayed a troubled expression.
“Where do you think? Of course, to accept the title of ‘genius’!”
The term “genius” wasn’t particularly important to Moriarty, but at that moment, mentioning it made her clench her fists. Because the previous statement needed to be rephrased.
“Why didn’t you take the test seriously in the end? No… why did you let me have this kind of thing!?”
Moriarty quietly gripped the magical sword hidden in her cloak, the unwillingness she felt was impossible to conceal. She wasn’t the type to act recklessly, but some things, if endured for too long, wouldn’t be easy to control when they neared a breaking point.
Genius… was not something worth caring about. What Moriarty cared about was the fairy girl in front of her. A once-ordinary “duo training” session had already made Moriarty feel that the fairy girl before her might not be as fragile as she appeared. As her own strength increased, and with more excuses to spar, Moriarty discovered some… things that the mediocre, those who only sought to get by, could never perceive.
If she scored 99 because the full score was 100, then the fairy girl before her scored 59 because she… only wanted to score 59! The reason she could repeatedly concede in real combat was that her own strength had likely reached its limit, while the fairy girl yawned and retreated like a backdrop amidst others’ laughter and indifference, was because…
“It’s so troublesome…”
The fairy girl yawned, “If I pass at the academy, I’ll be inundated with various invitations from troublesome humans. If I become a ‘genius,’ I’ll be stuck with an unavoidable future. I just came to see the best academy in the Great Yīng Empire~ Now that I’ve seen it, wouldn’t it be better to drop out with a failing grade~”
“Ah~ Next, let’s go check out Rosia. I wonder if there will be any slightly interesting powers there…”
Moriarty finally realized: this elven girl wasn’t here to ‘study’; she was like a phantom thief! She merely glanced at things she found uninteresting before moving on to seek out what truly captured her interest!
What could that be!?
Moriarty couldn’t figure it out at all, but at this point, she had an idea that she simply couldn’t shake off!
“Stand up!”
“Eh?”
“Stand up! Let me see what your true strength is!? Do you want that ‘genius’ title to insult me for the rest of my life!?”
“Are we going to practice again?”
The elven girl frowned, “I concede. After all…”
“Playing house won’t actually let you cut me down… how boring, let’s just forget it~”
“Then let’s make it real! There are only the two of us here!!”
In her anger, Moriarty didn’t even comprehend the elven girl’s strange words from earlier, “Show me the strength you’ve been hiding! Don’t think I can’t see through you!”
“Little Lily, have you ever killed anyone?”
“Eh?”
“Strength is built on the foundation of killing, you know~ At least that’s how I see it.”
Yawning, the elven girl stood up, letting out a rather helpless sigh, “Sigh~ Since you want to, let’s get started.”
——
This volume’s extra, I’m preparing for the next volume, I’m so excited!
Extra: The Young Professor (2) (End of Volume)
Since breaking through her own limits at the academy and gradually growing stronger, Moriarty increasingly felt that this elven girl, who occasionally sparred with her as a rival, must be hiding more power beneath her seemingly ordinary student demeanor of “losing immediately when she can’t win”!
And the meaning behind her earlier words couldn’t have been clearer: her suspicions were correct! She was indeed holding back!
However, amidst her excitement, Moriarty couldn’t help but feel puzzled by the current situation.
“Even if you say to start or whatever… how can you do that without a weapon?”
If this elven girl were a magic-focused mage, it would be one thing; to be fair, she could also forgo her magical sword, and they could compete in magic unarmed. But this elven girl had always practiced martial skills, and her magic class was a complete zero; now she didn’t even bring a weapon! No matter how she approached this, it certainly couldn’t be considered fair!
“Weapons?”
However, compared to Moriarty’s confusion, the elven girl seemed even more “dazed,” “What do we need weapons for? Didn’t we just say ‘start’?”
Tsk, this elven girl!
“Are you looking down on me!? Practicing martial skills without even bringing a weapon, how can we talk about fairness!?”
“Alas… So, little Jasmine, you really shouldn’t play at ‘dueling’ anymore. Your thoughts are still stuck in the realm of make-believe from the academy…”
“You!”
“‘Dueling’ has never been fair, has it? But since you’ve said that, don’t complain later about it being… ‘unfair’~”
Suddenly… the elven girl waved her hand through the air beside her! In an instant, a space was “split open”!
“Space…”
Moriarty’s eyes widened. The crisp and decisive spatial magic, even just this one move, was enough to silence those foolish teachers in the academy who belittled this elf for “not knowing magic despite being an elf.”
Because this was not an esoteric knowledge that an ordinary magician could master…
“This is the only magic I’ve ever learned, after all… one must have a place to hide a sword…”
Slowly, the elven girl drew something from that space.
The hilt… thick and long, definitely not something that could be wielded with one hand; the blade, rather than being a sword… no, it was more like a slab of steel; after all, this elf dragged it as if she were a boatman pulling a vessel! As a sword, it was… too large, wasn’t it? The academy, no, perhaps the entire Great Yng Empire wouldn’t have such a thing; this elf was just playing with herself…
【Whoosh】
In the next moment, the sound of something slicing through the air caught Moriarty’s attention, and what she saw was the overwhelming force that was about to “crush” her, wielded by the surprisingly agile elf!
This was nothing like a “practice match”; this was a real… deadly duel! The aura and momentum instantly erased the anger and pride Moriarty had just felt upon finding the elven girl, leaving only primal fear!
No wonder she had asked: Have you ever killed someone? Could it be that she…
“!”
Without daring to use any flashy moves, Moriarty immediately drew her magic sword, using the power of wind to teleport away. The spot she had just occupied was struck by the heavy sword’s impact, plowing through the forest!
What… what is this!? No, this isn’t the time to ask questions; this is a duel, this is the moment this elf finally shows her true power!
Moriarty quickly infused her magic sword with the power of wind! Whether that weapon in the elf’s hand could even be considered a “sword” was debatable, but at least it felt heavy, so with the speed granted by the wind magic, she had a definite advantage in that regard!
Taking several leaps to maintain distance from the elf, Moriarty didn’t care about her surroundings anymore. She swung her magic sword, summoning a whirlwind of blades, a manifestation of her pride as a so-called “genius” in the academy! The gale swept in from all directions; if she didn’t construct some barrier with her magic, she wouldn’t be able to defend or evade against someone wielding such a heavy weapon!
It should have been like that, but…
“…”
To her astonishment, Moriarty saw the elf directly plunge the giant sword into the ground, using it as a “shield.” Her confident magic, capable of cutting through iron, didn’t leave a single scratch on the blade! Was it… because she usually dealt with ordinary training swords that had given her the illusion of being “strong”?
Then, the elf lifted the giant sword and flicked it backward, blocking a sneak attack from behind, then spun around for a sweeping strike! The air pressure from the massive blade was so intense that it deflected all of Moriarty’s magic! After completing this maneuver, the elf leaped up, swinging her sword down at Moriarty!
Wait, wait, I’m not scared yet! I’ll take advantage of her slow and grand movements to delay with a barrier, then exhaust her with magic…
But in an instant, Moriarty saw two flashes of light. Before she could comprehend what was happening, the elven girl, who should have jumped up to “cut” her, was already behind her.
The trees beside her were already battered and on the verge of collapse.
“If I really kill her, I’ll have to run… what a hassle. I guess I should just go check out another place in the Great Yng Empire… Little Jasmine, congratulations on your graduation…”
——
Moriarty returned to the academy dormitory late at night, and after being scolded harshly by the headmaster, she was taken to meet the queen.
After all, she was a rare magical genius, so even the queen herself didn’t mind waiting an extra night for this genius’s “personality.” However, when the queen finally asked what Moriarty wanted to do with her talents to contribute to the Great Yng Empire…
“Forget it, Your Majesty. I’m not a ‘genius’ by any means. If possible, please don’t assign me any strange positions or titles; that’s my only request.”
After all… to Moriarty, the term “genius” had become synonymous with slander and insult. If she could, Moriarty would prefer to shed the childish habits of her academic life, and then… seek out that elf who had long since returned to her senses, to understand her true “strength.”
After all, even this time, Moriarty felt: that elf was still holding back!
“No, so I really have no interest in positions or anything… If possible, I’d like to choose my own work; dealing with nobles every day is a no-go for me…”
“Hmm? You say the ‘patrol team’ is short one member? Well, I really have no interest in this… um? What do you mean by ‘dirty work’? What exactly does this ‘patrol team’ do?”
——
Everyone, that’s it for Volume 7! I’ve written it out with gusto!
The next update will be the content of Volume 8! Volume 8 starts with my favorite Queen arc, and of course, there will be more new characters and more stories about the Queen! Stay tuned!!! And remember to vote for me!!!
June monthly ticket lottery and May winners list!
First of all, happy Children’s Day to everyone!
And now it’s June! This month, I’ve added two chapters of SF with illustrations for you!
Here’s a look at one of them, featuring the current back cover!
There’s another one that I’ll upload shortly.
So this month, we can also make mouse pads!
This month’s monthly ticket lottery is the same as last month’s:
Grand Prize: If the total monthly tickets for this book reach 500, we’ll draw for a life-sized body pillow. For example, 1 for 500 votes, 2 for 1000 votes, and so on. PS: This month’s will be of Nilu.
First Prize: 20 mouse pads or standees!
Second Prize: 1000 fire rolls, 20 winners!
Consolation Prize: If you personally vote for this book and reach 30 votes this month, you can join the group to claim a keychain if you want. If not, that’s fine too!
You can’t lose by voting, and you can’t be fooled! I’ll die without monthly tickets.
And now, here’s the list of winners from the May monthly ticket lottery!
Fire Rolls: Big Tooth Yazi, Past and Present Fantasy Land, Echo of Rain, Trouble 66, Cui Yu, What to Do About Apathy, Lost Lamb, Nanchang Fishing Pioneer, Angry Glasses, Mirror, Elf of the Waning Moon, Tao Xi Ying Xi, Grandpa 01, KKR World’s Cutest, Newbie Zi Meng Meng, ngzhenfei, Crow, Falling X57, Potato Battleship, Humanity’s Ridiculous Worldview.
Standees: Sunset Blood Love, Qin Ge Listening to the Rain, Snowy Night Martial God, Xu Zhanming, You’re Too Beautiful, Liu Zhiyun 4273, No Name 2333, NOENTRY, Void’s Century Evil Spirit, I Ethereal Rain Season I, Wan’er Wants to Go to Heaven, A Wolf Flame, Nine Sound Red Butterfly, Mouse Craftsman, Severe Novel Addiction, Rampaging French Fries, Moon Child Doesn’t Love to Smile, killhill, Tsukiyuki’s Dad, Alone 80.
Body Pillows: harama, MTFXCP, Name Name Several Words, Past and Present Fantasy Land, Starry Silver Moon, Konstantin Second Dog, Seventh Day of the Week.
Winners, please remember to join the group and give me your addresses. The fire rolls will be given directly, so it doesn’t matter if you join or not.
Eight, How to Conquer the Mysterious Twin Fairies.
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The monthly ticket lottery event has changed; from now on, it will be held in the new book!
RT, the subsequent monthly ticket lottery events will basically shift to the new book, while the old book will be left to fate—
For those who have tickets, feel free to participate in the new book—thank you, Eggplant!
8 Volume Color Illustration