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Roa City was the largest city in the Fittoa Region, its walls standing seven to eight meters high, encircling the entire city in a protective embrace.
Carriages came and went around the city gates, a testament to the bustling commercial economy that Asura was so proud of.
Even on a chilly early spring night, the city never slept.
The lights of the city illuminated Roa, creating a lively atmosphere.
But in the heart of the city, one light was dimmer than the rest, standing out in its quietness amidst the noise of the early night.
Could it be that the closer one got to the city center, the less prosperous it became?
No.
Because that was the residence of the Fittoa Region's lord.
And the lord's second son, the mayor of Roa City, the administrator of this city—Philip Boreas Greyrat—disliked noise.
That was why the heart of the city was so quiet at night.
At this moment, inside the residence.
The moonlight above the Fittoa Region spilled through the window onto the desk, where a man with narrow eyes sat upright, reading a letter that had arrived from a remote village in the north.
A strange light flickered in his eyes.
"Oh? This intelligence arrived this morning?"
"Yes."
A deep, resonant voice came from behind him. It belonged to a burly man with neatly cropped hair, the steward of this mansion and Philip's secretary—Thomas.
Why "and"?
Because Philip's primary secretary was a bit… empty-headed, so someone had to step in to help.
Like now, for instance. The primary secretary stood in front of Philip's desk, a long sword strapped to her waist, her expression blank.
If one paid attention to her ever-vigilant eyes…
This 190-centimeter-tall beast girl seemed more like a bodyguard than a secretary. If she ever did perform the duties of a secretary, it was probably only when answering questions related to combat.
For example, had any new talents emerged in the Fittoa Region recently? Were there any adventurers who had shown promise? Would they be suitable to bring to Roa for Philip's use?
"Last winter's monster wave did cause significant damage to the surrounding villages, but Buena Village was spared. I heard that my dear cousin's family took in an adventurer with exceptional talent in swordsmanship, who single-handedly cut through the source of the monster wave. Did you know about this, Ghislaine?"
Ghislaine's face remained stern as she glanced at Thomas beside Philip. Noticing the man's clueless expression, she lowered her head and spoke in a practiced tone.
"Reporting to the young master, I am aware. According to the information, the individual is likely a Water God-style swordsman, currently at the advanced level. However, given his young age, his swordsmanship has the potential to grow far beyond that."
Philip raised an eyebrow.
"Water God-style? Is there a need to recruit him?"
Ghislaine paused before replying.
"I do not recommend recruitment. It is uncertain whether he will reach his full potential."
Philip watched as Thomas poured him a drink. The dark red liquid formed a thin stream, glinting in the candlelight as it connected with the silver cup on the desk.
"Didn't you say he has potential? Eris happens to be in need of a Water God-style swordsmanship instructor. It's hardly fitting for a young lady to practice only the Sword God style, don't you think?"
The stream of liquid broke for a moment before reconnecting.
Philip shifted his gaze from the cup to Ghislaine and smiled.
"I've also heard that Paul's son has considerable talent in magic, and Eris happens to need a magic instructor as well. What do you think about inviting them to serve as her tutors, observing their growth, and then deciding whether to recruit them in the future?"
"The household currently only has one Sword King. It feels insufficient to deter troublemakers…"
The stream of liquid stopped as Thomas carefully placed the decanter on the table.
Ghislaine looked up at Thomas's hand.
"Are you planning to cultivate a core group of personnel within the household?"
"Yes. Using the pretext of finding tutors for Eris would appear natural to outsiders, given her temperament. It would avoid drawing too much attention or suspicion. What do you think?"
"How about it?"
Ghislaine lowered her head again and spoke earnestly.
"I think it's feasible, but it depends on whether the young lady likes them. If she doesn't, it might be difficult to keep them for long, given her temperament…"
Her words trailed off.
Philip rubbed his chin.
"That's simple. In a few days, I'll send a letter to Paul and take Eris with me to visit. We'll know immediately whether she likes them."
Ghislaine fell silent for a moment, her tone hesitant yet somewhat wooden.
"Will you be going alone? Wouldn't that be dangerous? Should I accompany you?"
"No need. You know Paul—he wouldn't have any ulterior motives toward me. Besides, he's advanced in all three styles, so safety in Buena Village shouldn't be an issue. And really, what kind of trouble could there be in the Fittoa Region? It's just about finding a tutor for Eris. No need to worry too much."
Hearing this, Ghislaine seemed to relax, her tense body loosening.
"Understood."
Her tone became more lively, losing its wooden quality.
A subtle smile flashed in Philip's eyes as he waved to Thomas and Ghislaine behind him.
"Alright, that's all for now. You may go. I'll play a game of chess and then head to bed."
Ghislaine nodded and exited the room, while Thomas brought out a chessboard resembling an international chess set and placed it in front of Philip.
He then bowed and withdrew.
His demeanor was exceedingly respectful.
Though his walking speed was slightly faster than usual.
The door closed.
Philip stood up, opened the window behind him, and sat back down to arrange the chess pieces.
As he finished setting up the board, a figure climbed in through the window.
It was Ghislaine.
She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Philip.
Without looking at it, Philip placed a draft of a Beast God language dialogue he had written himself—using a dictionary—over the candle flame.
The equivalent sentences, when translated into human language, would suffice.
Because the primary secretary didn't even understand human language.
"You recited it well. A bit more emotion would make it perfect."
Ghislaine remained serious.
"The young master writes well, but the wording is a bit too refined. It doesn't flow smoothly when translated into human language."
Philip's fingers twitched, and he swept the ashes of the paper aside with a hint of exasperation.
"Did you check the area outside Rigett City? Any traces?"
"I did. Although only bones remain, the killings were clean and precise, with no unnecessary wounds."
"Unlike my own swordsmanship theory, he only uses the most optimal angles and precise amounts of battle aura."
Philip grinned, looking quite pleased.
"Such high praise?"
"His talent is as strong as the rumors suggest. The traces indicate proficiency in both the Sword God and Water God styles. His level in the former is at least advanced, while in the latter… he's undoubtedly at the saint level. Speaking of which… it seems his assassination attempt might have been discovered by Water God Reida. Shortly after that bandit group was wiped out, the Water God-style main dojo reacted…"
Philip fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"It's fine. I've heard that Reida holds him in high regard. The fact that there's been no further news suggests she's not interested in a master-disciple falling-out scenario. Besides, someone like James couldn't possibly control a person of his caliber."
"True."
The two fell silent, the only sound being Philip moving the chess pieces. After a while, Ghislaine spoke again.
"Young master, isn't this a bit risky? The young lady…"
Philip's eyes narrowed, his expression unchanged.
"There's an information gap. With you personally overseeing things, how could it be unsafe? It's just about 'assessing' his strength. Besides, the information we've released about his abilities doesn't match Allen's at all."
Philip used a rook-like piece to sweep away the pawn beside the king.
The piece fell to the ground, bouncing several times before finally coming to rest.
"Now, we just need to wait for Thomas to take the bait. Darius has been wary of Father for so many years, yet his reach remains long."
"It's time to cut it off."
"Understood."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 170 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 80 power stones I will publish the next chapter.