Kays Translations

Chapter 142: The Eve of the Festival

Three months had passed. As the Saligari tribe's annual festival drew near, Melty challenged her father, who was the tribe's chief, to a duel.

Chief Vritra's eyes held an expression more of incredulity and as though he was witnessing a tremendous fool rather than surprise.

"Melty, how old are you again?"

"Um, I'll be twenty-six this year."

Even though she had come to talk about the duel for the chief's position, Melty let out a slightly irritated voice, wondering why he was asking such a question. If he wasn't taking her seriously, it was disrespectful. Even if he was her father, it was something she couldn't tolerate.

Vritra's response to his daughter's behavior was weary.

"The chief's daughter is still unmarried at that age. I once admired your determination that you wouldn't marry a man unless he was stronger than you or stood shoulder to shoulder with you, but looking back now, I might have spoiled you too much."

While his words weren't entirely without understanding, this wasn't something he should say to someone he was discussing a duel with. Intense anger and a sense of sorrow surged within Melty's heart.

For her father, a duel had become a one-sided act of slaughter. He had forgotten to show respect to his opponent. A man who usually boasted of the warrior's pride and honor had abandoned his role as a warrior.

The person before her was no longer her father. He had misunderstood the magic power of his sword as his own strength and had become nothing more than an empty shell clinging to the chief's position.

No longer caring about respect or propriety, Melty said somewhat confrontationally,

“Father, you've got to stop running away from this."

"Running? Me? Running from you!?"

"Stop with the pointless talk. When someone who challenged you to a duel comes, you should answer whether you're going to accept or not. Have you even forgotten something so basic?"

With the beauty inherited from her mother, Melty must have looked at Vritra with a glare. Among the nearly thirty concubines her father had, her mother had been one of them. She was supposed to be a favorite, but he had forgotten her name the moment she died. Now, she seemed to crawl out of her grave, blaming him, and it made Vritra uncomfortable.

"Don't you understand my generosity in forgiving your foolishness and sparing your life?"

"That's just an unnecessary act on your part."

"Very well. A king must periodically kill a tiger in front of the people. In order to demonstrate my power and strengthen the unity of the Saligari village, I shall have you die. Just like your brothers."

"It's not your power, is it? It's the power of the sword. It's the same no matter who wields it."

Leaving behind words of contempt, Melty turned her back on Vritra and left the chief's residence.

"Don't think you'll die easily..."

Vritra's face was flushed with anger. His mind was consumed by thoughts of how he would brutally slaughter his daughter in front of the people, and that was the only thing on his mind.

When Melty returned home, her allies were all gathered there.

From the kingdom, Lutz, Claudia, and Ricardo were there, and Guen from the Allied Nations had also rushed to her side.

"How did it go?"

Guen asked, and Melty returned a wry smile.

"I managed to part ways without any major incident, although it's odd to say we broke up safely. But, at any rate, I've secured the promise of a duel."

Despite trying to act upbeat, her expression was incredibly dark.

"I must have said something very immature. I'm sure I'm already being sliced apart in my father's mind, sinking into a sea of blood, or maybe my limbs have been severed and I'm being violated by wild dogs..."

"Enough, don't talk like that."

Gwen scolded her strongly, and Melty,

"You're right, that was wrong of me,"

She accepted his words honestly.

"Now then, have you prepared a secret plan for me to win? If you tell me you couldn't do it, I'll just be an idiot."

"Don't worry, I've finished it perfectly."

Lutz took a sword out of a bag and handed it to Melty. She received it and examined the hilt carefully.

The sheath had a carved profile of a young woman. Long hair extended and intertwined around the entire sheath, creating an intricate design.

"Is this... me?"

Melty asked, seeming a bit embarrassed. While she thought it was too much self-assertion to have her own face carved onto the scabbard of her ceremonial sword, she was also satisfied with its beautiful craftsmanship.

"Yes. I conveyed your image to our country's top decorator, and they made it for you."

"My image, huh? What did you say?"

"...You're a dignified, beautifully silver-haired swordsman."

Lutz quickly glanced over Melty's entire body, certain that what he had told Patrick wasn't wrong. However, he chose to be vague. Whether it was true or not, and whether it was appropriate to say it in front of the person, were not necessarily the same thing.

Melty had sensed that Lutz's behavior was suspicious, but she dismissed it as something trivial and proceeded to draw the blade from its scabbard.

"Oh..."

An expression of admiration slipped through her sensuous pale pink lips. This was the first time Melty held a katana, and she was captivated by its beauty and sharpness for a while. Realizing that something so magnificent had been crafted for her, her heart raced like that of an enamored maiden.

"This is amazing. What's its name?"

"I named it 'Silver Thread Princess.'(Ginshiki)"

"...Is that also a reference to being a sword for me?"

"Yes."

A katana crafted for a female swordsman with smooth hair resembling shining silver threads. Both the sheath's ornamentation and the sword's name were dedicated to Melty.

"You're really emphasizing that it's mine, aren't you? Not that I'm unhappy about it."

"I designed it with the thought of providing you with a partner you can trust on the battlefield, one that will lay down its life for you."

Lutz answered with an unusual seriousness and sincerity. He hadn't created it as a joke or for flattery; everything was meant to bestow victory and glory upon its owner.

"Please believe in this sword and hold onto it with a strong heart. It will surely dispel all illusions and guide you along the right path, no matter what."

Lutz, Claudia, and Gwen all nodded simultaneously, their faces radiating reliability. Ricardo alone seemed slightly dissatisfied. This stemmed from the fact that before leaving the kingdom, his beloved sword, 'Tsubaki,' had been used for an experiment to test its resistance against illusions.

The results of the experiment had nullified the effects completely for about ten seconds. After that, Lutz had worn a bracelet with mental resistance effects, and it had started making an annoying noise, so the experiment was halted.

The enchantment ‘Dispel Illusion’ placed on the Silver Thread Princess was functioning as intended. Although this was a good thing, Ricardo couldn't help but feel a little envious, as he felt he was moving further away from being an invincible swordsman.

"Thank you. I want to express my gratitude to all of you."

"Isn't it a bit early to be thanking us? First, you have to win," 

Gwen said teasingly, but Melty quietly shook her head.

"I'll thank you properly when the time comes. Right now, I'm just overflowing with gratitude."

Holding the sword close to her chest, the female swordsman's smile was gentle and charming, like that of a caring mother.

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